Crystalla
67

A dozen more beacons powered up, as the skies above the floating continent were torn asunder. Through the darkness, a glowing red orb could be seen, Rychard and Infernus gazed up at the majesty of the Celestial Body that slowly began its descent.

"So that is what all this is for?" Rychard asked as he stood next to Infernus.

"I... I've seen this before" Infernus clutched his head in his hands. "I'm the God of Apathy..." He grunted, before shaking his head. "No, I'm Infernus, the hand of the Elder Ones, the vanguard" He sighed.

"Sounds to me like you're not actually sure what you are" Rychard shrugged.

"Just... be quiet for once" Infernus growled.

"You were of this world, why are you letting this happen?" Rychard continued to argue, as he pointed at the red orb, but Infernus ignored him.

Meanwhile, at the Chambers of the Council, dozens were stood gazing at the floating continent in the distance, illuminated by the green light of the beacons.

"So, that's what we're up against?" Mizu asked Aran, who was wearing her hood.

"It seems so... the beacons are opening the tear in reality, if we take them down, it may buy us a little more time, to seal it for good" Aran explained. "However, those Chimera, or Abhorrent Beasts, will tear anything that gets close, apart" She continued. Lotte walked through the crowd, and stood behind the two.

"Who says we need to get close?" Lotte grinned. Mizu turned to face Lotte.

"Oh... I didn't see you there, Lotte" Mizu smiled. "What are you suggesting?" She asked.

"Several of the old Araneian Dreadnoughts were armed with experimental railgun cannons. If we can replicate that on a much larger scale, and construct it... impossibly fast, we can fire it at the continent and perhaps bring it down upon the step, shattering the beacons and everything on the continent itself" Lotte explained.

"That sounds like a logistical nightmare..." Mizu groaned as she rubbed her forehead in thought.

"It can be done" Aran nodded, as she faced away from Lotte. "You have the access to the best scientists from across the whole world, the best engineers and thousands of soldiers. It can be done" She explained. Mizu paused to think.

"Do you at least have a basic plan, Lotte?" Mizu shrugged, with apprehension.

"I do, of course, the scientists we have here could probably make adjustments, I'm an engineer so... I've just done it in the best way I can see it working" Lotte nodded.

"Okay" Mizu nodded. "Let's get this done, I'll call an immediate meeting" She said as she walked off rapidly into the crowd. Lotte paused for a moment, to look at the back of Aran's hood, before walking away.

Aran sighed and gazed across the dales and mountains that laid between the chambers and the Steppe. The sky shone green for miles around from the beacon's sickly glow.

"Finally the end is in sight" Aran nodded. "Crystalla will finally be free of those who call themselves Gods" She smiled to herself. Nearby, Keegan was assisting Seb with various tasks.

"So, Syl randomly came to rescue you in the middle of a toxic light filled ruin?" Keegan scratched his head.

"Yeah..." Seb sighed. "I'm glad as hell he did though, the giant spiders down there... were nasty..." Seb shivered.

"Giant... spiders?" Keegan gasped.

"Oh, then you don't wanna know about the time we tried replaceing a shortcut in the spider forest" Seb chuckled.

"Spider... forest?!" Keegan asked as he stumbled backward.

"You really haven't seen much of Crystalla have you?" Seb scratched his head.

"I was kinda stuck in Araneia most of my life, so most of what I got to see was the wastes outside of the city" Keegan explained.

"Hmm, I always wondered, growing up, was the Imperial Capital as depressing as it seems to outsiders?" Seb asked.

"I mean, there were theatres, television, all that kind of thing. Gotta entertain the masses somehow to make them turn the other way when you commit atrocities" Keegan sighed. "That said... the citizens didn't deserve the fate that I brought upon them" He shook his head.

"You wasn't to know, from what I've been told, this Treleva guy misled you..." Seb sighed. "I... brought a similar fate to Avadey, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret my actions, but I've been given a second shot at life, we have to make our actions here and now count" Seb smiled.

"I guess" Keegan nodded, as he paused working to look at the green glow in the distance, the low hum filling his ears.