Kin of Jörmungandr

Ceph stepped over a ditch between broken stones that made up what used to be called a street. To her side, the once towering wall holding the upper city stood crumbling; a section had collapsed, burying half a dozen buildings of the lower city.

The alley, like so many others, had been cordoned off. She ignored such warnings and strode with purpose.

The second Collapse had been just as bad as the first for the capital of Meja. Not as many lives had been lost, sure, but it couldn't have happened at a worse time.

Before, the fissure had been a crack through the city. A split that reached a hundred metres at most. Now, it was more appropriate to consider the city as two. The fissure had widened by half a kilometre; something that devastated travel for those who lived and worked here.

Even if they had the manpower and resources to construct a bridge large enough to cross the gap, it wouldn't be approved. Not now. Not even the broken and shattered roads were given such benefit.

Things were bad. Hopeless.

Ceph could see it in all she passed. This was the wealthy district, and she found nothing but dread and depression on the worn looking faces she saw.

No longer was this the pristine city she knew. Cracked, unsafe buildings were filled with people because they knew if they lost those jobs, they wouldn't find another. Not two years ago, even in the height of war, the glistening appearance would never been allowed to fall. Perfecting their roads and central hubs for all the pact nations was a point of necessity, not pride or desire. It was never a question that their city would be the shining gem amongst all others.

But now…

Now, they couldn't allow wind to blow the wrong way lest they lose everything.

When the Titan Alps first fell, terror engulfed the nation. It was a disaster beyond imagining; the mountains that had stood over all for thousands, millions, of years, were no longer the pillars every culture was built upon. The Titan Alps' partial collapse had sent an instant, terrible fear through all.

The second Collapse was different. Another disaster equally as bad as the last hadn't sent a terror through all that witnessed. It gave realisation. It gave the dread of inevitability. Everyone could see that the world was tearing itself apart. The only question was how long it would take.

And yet, it was unlikely the pact nations would last long enough to see that day.

Ceph arrived in the wide Royal Road, flashing her identification at one of the very few guards that remained to keep those unauthorised off the road. She strode up the wide street, looking up at the massive palace that no longer housed the familial remnants of the matriarchy. It was split; the main tower was half crumbled, and one of the outer spires was out of place. No longer was it symmetrical.

She walked up to Remus, who was coordinating a small group of inscription mages to modify one of the tall — and surprisingly undamaged — towers bordering the Royal Road. After the mess that had followed in the wake of Beira's death, Ceph and her team had fallen under Remus' command. There had been little complaint from her former superiors after they watched the giant serpent pass through their lands undaunted.

Even now, so many months later, Ceph still struggled to believe the battle she'd witnessed. She'd stayed as far as possible from the two of them, yet she still nearly died that day. A Lu-lum had to cut out her lungs and grow a new pair to heal the frostbite they'd suffered.

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Ceph waited for Remus to acknowledge her, and watched the mages work. They had carved more than a dozen connection points to the city's inscription network. What could a single building need so much energy for? Especially at a time like this, where the rates had grown enough to force those even decently well off to disconnect.

Then, an albanic inscription engineer opened the front door and stepped outside.

A wave of heat rolled over Ceph. They'd ramped the temperature in the building high enough to melt steel. At least, that's what it felt like. And as much enhancement as she had, she felt she had a good idea of what could burn her. This came a lot closer than she'd like.

The albanic mage tossed the heavy coat and helmet to the ground, and heaved with an ocean of sweat flowing down his back. Despite the ice hyle inscription flowing through the coat, it steamed. He had something like that, and was still struggling in the heat? Just what are they doing? Are they trying to burn down the city?

"It's a stress test." Remus must have noticed Ceph's incredulous stare. "We need to do everything to curry favour with the coming envoys."

Ceph narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. She didn't like that they were putting so much hope in these outsiders. As far as she could see, these áed had no reason to help. This wasn't their fight. No matter how strong they revealed themselves to be, no nation would put their own kind in such danger for the sake of another. Not unless they demanded something the pact nations couldn't pay.

Besides, what benefit could these isolationists actually provide?

"How is the border?" Remus asks, finally turning from the building that somehow doesn't melt.

"They've not pushed any further inland," Ceph says, following the man that could be the same age as her great great grandfather away from the buildings for privacy. "But the numbers continue to mount; it won't be long before Henosis invades."

Remus doesn't reply. Instead, his eyes trail down the Royal Road to the vast city below. The city already cracking at the seams. Ceph curled a tentacle. It was far too quiet. All noises deafened by ash permeating the air. Breathing was hard. Hard even for one as enhanced as herself; she felt like she was choking. How all those living below could handle it, she didn't know.

Neither spoke for a time. They simply watched the devastation that had gripped their home. They watched the city so devoid of life and joy, remembering a time when it was brimming, and also dreading what would remain in a year or decade from now.

Finally, Ceph couldn't hold herself back. "It spoke." They both knew what she was talking about the moment the words left her. "It can communicate. It can understand. If you give me leave, I can track it down and convince it to help. Henosis is going to attack any day now. We both know we no longer have the strength to beat them."

"No." Remus' answer was immediate. "It was our elite that attacked it. What reason does it have to join our side over Henosis? We were lucky that it returned to its territory without slaughtering its way through the nations."

"But how is that different from the áed?" Ceph snapped. "Their interests are their own."

"The áed were hunted by Henosis. They have no reason to join them."

"That's what they claim. We have no way to verify that. Even so, that is no reason for them to join our side. There's nothing we can do if they refuse to help." Ceph took a breath and calmed herself. "I am going down into Kalma's pit — officially or not — and will reach for one of the few options that stand before us."

Ceph was terrified of the prospect. She absolutely didn't want to dive into the home of the beast that struck her with the same terror as a Titan, but what choice was there? She wasn't about to let her home be destroyed. She couldn't allow a repeat of what happened up on the Titan Alps that day.

Remus just watched her. Not speaking. Not moving. Ceph was suddenly overcome with nervousness. As open and relaxed as Remus was, he was still her superior… and she'd just declared she would defy orders.

"Fine," he said, tone unreadable. "You will go with your team. Their lives are your responsibility. If you anger the beast, you are not to return."

Ceph gulped. She had wanted to go alone, but she dare not protest. If the beast was angered by her actions, or simply their presence in its territory, then her team's deaths would be on her, not just her own.

"Do not be gone more than two months. We will need every merc we have. Everyone with functioning limbs is going to be important if we want to survive." Remus's eyes turn to gaze at the deep red sky of ash above. "The Henosis will invade, but that is not the only danger we face."

He heaves a breath, eyes quivering, and Ceph realises this legend standing before her is scared. Terrified.

"Not by far."