#kaliente

“This is an Order, Sakura Arai/we/Amber Bloom, will speak only the truth until the conclusion of this discussion.” Each of the three heads speaks somewhat differently, but somehow they seem to time it out well enough. You can feel the force of herself. She quickly follows up with, “Don’t worry, we will only use our Order magic on ourself for the time being.”

Straightening up now, she explains. “We do not feel any kind of bitterness to you all for killing us. We understand that this is what had to be done. We are grateful. However, the only reward that we can offer you is our departure. We have come to realize, though we wish to help, that we are incapable of being what your group needs. In our time as Amber, all we ever did was cause you pain. We have not meant for it, but intentions only go so far.”

She pauses for a moment, a wistful expression on her face. “...We did love Calamity once. It was our home, a place that was trying to become better. Not everyone was good. There were cruel people, but things appeared to be getting better. We loved that place. It was our precious home. We wanted it to bloom beautifully. Instead it has rotted. It has become a very terrible place. We still believe there are good people there. They simply are not the ones who make the decisions. We can no longer abide by the decisions of Calamity. Calamity has done so many terrible things to us. They have done horrible things to you as well.

“We will go somewhere else, some little corner of Calamity that we can use our magic to make livable. We will find a place to make home, and make that place into a shelter for those who are running from the war. We will bar entry to those who have feed into this system that harms Incarnates. However, those who only have the potential to cause harm are innocent. People should be judged by their action, not their ability to summon. Those who come to us innocent will be under our protection. We will keep them safe from those who hunt them.” She gives Manami a rather sour look there. “It will be a simple matter for us to verify that these people are not the same ones who committed atrocities. Arrogant as that is, it is the best that we can do.” 

She dips her head, moving toward the exit. “We shall leave now. The tree has enough supplies to keep you alive for a few weeks, and we have placed nine boats out by the summoning circle for you to take to go wherever you wish to. We originally wished to make better arrangements for you, but we both know that the longer we are around, the more likely it is for there to be some conflict between us. Stay or go as you wish. We will do nothing to stop you.”

Kali looks around at you all, then darts to Sakuramber’s side. “I’ll go with you. Even if you’re… different, you’re still my home. Always will be.” She turns back to face the group again, pausing. “Hear that? You get to see the back of me as well! But that doesn’t mean you can slack off. That’ll get you killed in what’s to come! Mark my words!” With that, she turns her back on you and flies to catch up with Sakuramber.

Sakuramber freezes for a moment. “...Are you sure you want to? We are both Amber and Sakura, and also neither. We are changed in ways that may make you unhappy. …You are always welcome by our side, but, we hope you make the right choice in doing this.”

Kali scoffs. “There’s a piece of the woman I loved in you. That’s enough for me.” She exhales shakily and glances down. “And… besides. Where else would I go?” she adds, in a soft and uncommonly vulnerable voice.

“Anywhere you wanted. But… If where you want is by our side, who are we to deny you? Besides, the woman who you loved did love you very much too. We still do.” With that said, she leans down to press a small kiss to the crown of Kali’s helmet. “You are always welcome to join us.”

Kali’s face turns the color of her armor, and she doesn’t say anything more.

At the exit, Sakuramber pauses again, turning to look at the group once more. “We are sorry for all the pain we caused you. You never have to see us again, unless you seek to do so. …Some of you are welcome to come see us in our new place. And Esmée, we are incredibly grateful for your friendship and kindness. You truly did save us.”

Esmée's brows furrow at the words, shifting awkwardly foot from foot. In the end, she was told she did good, but this was too much hardship that she forced on her group with no warning. A bite of her bottom lip to stop it from quivering she gives a nod. 

"...Calamity was never a good place so long as summoning was something used for war...m'sorry they forced this fate on you. Even if you found a home and friends along the way...a-and...and." 

She takes a deep breath in. "I'll find you in that little corner at some point. We...talked of a revolution - about punching that now-dead king and making something better...I still believe in a better; despite it all. So...stay safe until I can make it so. Okay?"

(image credit: Sketch by Boone, lines by Aster, color & shading by Sunny)

Except maybe this one.

King Calum is splayed on the floor, one leg propped up by a chair. He looks like he was attacked rather viciously, due to the numerous claw marks across his body. Almost as if he was mauled by a large animal. His chest, however, is where the worst of the damage was done. His chest has been carved open and his heart has been removed. Notably, so has his cape, but that’s not really important right now. …You don’t see the heart anywhere? Perhaps someone threw it away or destroyed it? Without the heart, one can not be revived with resurrection magic.

[cw end]

As you’re still getting used to the idea that someone actually managed to kill King Calum, the ballroom doors slam open, and Cap stalks in on her feline steed. She only spares the lot of you a brief glance as she motions you to part ranks, to allow her access to the body. Argante kneels so she can take a close look at the King’s corpse. Her grave expression hardly wavers.

Kali, meanwhile, is poorly disguising a smirk. “Alright, everyone, let’s get out of their way. Wouldn’t want to obstruct the investigation of the most important murder of our time!” She tilts her head. “It’s not like this was a ritual sacrifice. We’ve got no obligation to do anything here.” With expansive hand movements, she shoos the lot of you back out of the ballroom and down the path through the dark thicket.

As you round the corner, you glimpse more figures hurrying in through the suddenly-open gates. “Pick up the pace, you lot!” Kali barks, an almost desperate urgency creeping into her voice. “Back to the tree! Chop chop! No time to waste!”

“What the fuck?” You hear a shout from the trees before Alvarie emerges, in the partial beast form she had used in her fight versus Kali. And she immediately sees Kali leading everyone out suspiciously while guards come on her heels. “Damn it, everyone in the portal or we are leaving you behind!” She goes back around the corner, followed by the sound of crashing metal, and then pops back out again to follow you all. “In in in in in!”

Heeding Kali and Alvarie’s urgency, you don’t waste time making tracks for the basement summoning circle’s portal. You pile through as Alvarie frantically gestures and Kali counts heads. Once the pixie’s sure everyone else is through, she follows. “Close the portal, Amber!” she exclaims.

“On it!” Amber’s voice reverberates off the walls.

The tear in space ripples and smears, its edges destabilizing. Then, it suddenly slams shut, with a bassy thump and a pressure wave that ruffles the hair of everyone still catching their breath in the antechamber.