Ortai Legacy

5 - Heresy (M/L/T)

Three of the Drykon Raiders sat at the front of their quiet wagon. They snuck glances at the still form lying in the back of the vehicle. She was dangerous enough that none of them would speak freely until they were sure she couldn't hear them.

When her breathing became slow and regular, Mar'kost nodded to signal he'd felt her fall asleep. He alone could know for sure, as he was the only one who could sense her heart slow.

Gripping the polearm in his lap, Mar'kost looked to Raeve, who sat on his left as she reapplied anti-arka cream to her cracked extremities. She would be lucky to recover without scars. She was already lucky just to be alive. It was a miracle he'd been fast enough to tackle Liza.

Harker drew closer to the front of the wagon with his ears perked. "What are we going to do about her?"

All eyes turned to Mar'kost, as if he had some wonderful solution that would keep them all alive. He'd been thinking, but all he'd come up with were a few theories about Liza's origin.

"I've inspected this." He nodded at the polearm. "It either contains a true Interface or an immaculate fake. If it's fake, Liza is a noble with considerable means and no qualms against faking her identity. Given her... unique demeanor, I don't believe she's a noble. The weapon could be a gift, in which case she would be the friend of an Ortai or a noble who faked the Interface for some unknown reason. In those cases, anyone who would give her a weapon of this caliber would have the means and motivation to pay a ransom for her, which we should attempt to collect. Unless-"

He swallowed, unsure if he should voice his opinion. It was an absurd thing to say aloud, and if Harker still held the strong beliefs he'd had when he joined the team, he would never believe Mar'kost's theory. But Harker was a friend, and he'd never been willing to kill someone for heresy.

"I have reason to believe she is an Ortai," Mar'kost said at last.

Raeve scoffed. "She can do one trick with a fancy weapon. I bet you could do it too with that thing." She gestured at the polearm and shuddered at the memory of its destructive power.

"I believe I could, but the weapon isn't why I think she's an Ortai. Not the only reason, at least." The heresy formed on his lips, but it was surprisingly difficult to say. His father would be pleased that his teachings had such an effect. "We assume she can't be an Ortai because she speaks like a madwoman, but what if she's right?"

"She said magic potions don't exist," Harker offered.

"Not- I don't mean she's correct about that. But what if she is from a world with little arka? No one knows where the Ortai went after the war, but many people believe they teleported to another world. If they did, they would be weakened by the lack of arka, perhaps driven to the point of losing what made them Ortai. In that case, they would reproduce and die, like any mortal. What would be left after two centuries in an arka-less world? Legends and powerful weapons covered in dust. But if a descendant of the Ortai read the legends and found a way back to this world...?" He sent a pointed look at the sleeping girl.

The wagon halted for a moment as Harker froze, staring at Mar'kost. His mouth opened for a moment before he shook his head and urged Eura onward. "That's a crazy idea."

"Is it?" Raeve didn't seem so sure anymore. "I've heard crazier. I mean, soldiers from the Great War said a few Ortai were killed. If they're so immortal, how could mortals beat them? Sure, maybe the soldiers lied, but maybe they didn't." Her torn wings fluttered as she stared at the sleeping Liza. "If there's any chance she's a real Ortai, we can't let her get as strong as the original ones. It would take thousands of soldiers to kill her."

"I don't believe killing her is necessary." Mar'kost scrambled to come up with an excuse for his reasoning. Logic dictated that he let Raeve destroy the threat in their midst, but the thought of watching Liza die made his flesh quiver. And yet, how could he honestly argue on Liza's behalf? She'd almost killed Raeve by accident. Once she leveled up, she could likely destroy a city without even thinking.