Wild Wastes 6 -CH 1-

(Reloaded, though with Audio)

Seville stared at Vince’s hand.

Or more accurately, the recorder in his hand.

His brown eyes were locked to it as if it were a weapon pointed at him.

“It’s just a recorder. I was told to just play it for you,” Vince said, closing in on the man quickly. “Is that okay? It’s just a little girl singing. Singing for you. Okay?”

Seville’s eyes widened and his nostrils flared.

The man’s shoulders straightened Vince felt the screaming instincts that’d been telling him to run away, go silent.

“Singing,” breathed Seville.

“Yeah. Little girl singing,” Vince confirmed, realizing that he’d cleared the most dangerous part of this mission.

Ryker had warned him that Seville was someone not to mess around with. His instincts agreed with the god.

“Can I push the button?” asked Vince, coming to a stop directly in front of Seville. “Or… can I give you the device to push the play button?”

Seville shook his head, then nodded it. Slowly, his hand came out toward Vince.

Setting it down into his hand, he slowly let his hands fall down to his sides.

Letting his eyes fall to the device in his hand, Seville stared at it. Then slowly hit the play button.

“Could you sing me Steve’s song again? It was very pretty. I’d like to let my wife hear it. Would you mind?” said Runner’s voice from the device.

“Of course not! This is my Steve song, he’s my daddy,” proclaimed a small-sounding little girl.

No sooner then the girl spoke than Seville’s breathing caught and he took in a shuddering breath.

Then the little girl began to sing.

A song of profound strength to weather any storm started. A song that was sung without words or accompaniment.

One that was warmth, strength, and determination never-ending. A father figure that would forever be a barrier to the enemies that were in the world.

Of what Vince assumed was this little girl’s perceived belief of what her father was.

Of what Seville was.

“No,” whispered Seville with a slow shake of his head as the song played on. “No, no… Nia… no.”

The song continued on even as Seville shook his head back and forth. As if he could deny what he heard.

Then the song came to an end.

“And that’s my Steve-song!” proclaimed the girl. “He’s my dad.”

“I know he is, Nia,” Runner agreed. “I’m going to save him, you know. I just have to let him know that you, and your whole family, is safe.

“I’m going to play your song for him. I think that’ll make him realize you’re safe.”

“Good! He can come home then. It’s only been a few days but I miss him,” Nia stated. “Please save my Daddy.”

“That’s the plan,” Runner agreed, then the recording went silent.

Seville had closed his eyes at this point and was facing the ground. His arms were hanging limply at his sides and his entire posture had collapsed inward.

“So… I’m here to give you that and that was it,” Vince admitted. “I figure Ryker or Runner will come over and… and… you know what, I don’t know.

“They sent me because they thought I might be able to take a hit from you if you weren’t completely serious.”

Seville snorted at that, then started laughing.

Then he sighed and nodded his head.

“Yeah, yeah. I could… yeah,” Seville admitted and then looked over his shoulder. His eyes landed on what looked to be a coffee shop that was somewhat ruined. “Let’s just go have a sit, I guess. Cause you’re right. One of them will come over to chat.

“Probably make plans or… something else. Probably. That and I need to talk with my wife.”

“Your wife?” Vince asked.

Seville nodded but didn’t expand upon the statement. Instead he just started walking over to the shop.

Not really knowing what else to do, Vince followed along.

“His wife, yes,” said a female voice from nowhere. “I’m sorry for not introducing myself earlier. I’m… I was somewhat… we haven’t heard Nia’s voice in a long time.

“Anyways, my name’s Nancy. Forgive me for remaining unseen. It’s just easier for Seville and I like this.”

“Uh, sure,” Vince muttered, looking to where he thought the voice was coming from. He could faintly see an odd shimmer in the air there, but he wasn’t positive. “Not a problem.”

“Thank you for being so understanding,” Nancy murmured.

Entering the coffee shop Vince found Seville sitting down at a table. The recorder was sitting in the center of it.

Seville tapped the play button.

“Could you sing me Steve’s song again? It was very pretty. I’d like to let my wife hear it. Would you mind?” said Runner’s voice from the device.

“Of course not! This is my Steve song, he’s my daddy,” Nia stated.

Seville laid his head down next to the device and closed his eyes. Clearly listening to it.

Vince thought that Seville had invited him along, but likely needed a few minutes alone with Nancy.

As well as the recorder.

Not really sure of what to do with himself, Vince instead went over to the pastry case. Then he went around behind the bar and opened it.

Picking up several items he then grabbed a plastic water bottle out of a fridge.

Sitting on top of the counter, he started eating.

Giving the now crying Seville space as he restarted the recorder again.

***

“It seems it went really well.”

Looking up to the speaker, Vince found Ryker standing in the doorway. He was half-hidden there and was only barely peeking around the edge of it.

He had dark hair and dark eyes and looked tired. He some large dark circles under his eyes and he was pale looking.

Architect is looking a bit worn.

Vince sniffed once, set down the half eaten pastry he’d been working on, then looked over his shoulder.

A dark haired woman had appeared from nowhere and joined Seville at the table at some point. He hadn’t seen her face or features, but it was most certainly the woman who’d introduced herself as Nancy.

She and Seville had been involved in a long conversation for a while now.

In the meantime Vince had been powering through every pastry, snack, and drink he could find. In a little over an hour he was fairly certain he’d eaten more than he had in months.

Everything was extremely sweet, delicious, or luxurious.

He’d been able to eat some of this food when he’d visited Felix’s world briefly but that hadn’t lasted.

“Seems like it,” Vince whispered, looking back to Ryker. “Hey, you’re going to need to help me when I go back. That frickin’ avatar is going to kill me. What’s the point in helping you if I go back just to die?”

Alaric, the young boy he’d heard when Ryker was transporting him, had promised to help him. If he could get both Alaric and Ryker to help him, than it was all the better.

Ryker winced, bobbed his head around, then nodded.

“It’s fine. I was thinking on that while everything else was happening,” Ryker confessed. “I know of a graveyard filled with a bunch of corpses. You can have a feast there and that should give you at least enough power to kick the Hungry One’s avatar’s ass out of Europe.”

Vince clicked his tongue, sighed, then shrugged his shoulders. It was a good a plan as any and actually fit him.

Though it did sound equal parts disgusting and interesting.

“I’ll send you through that after this is all over,” Ryker muttered and then looked off and to the left. As if he saw something else entirely. “Oh, you took over all of Spain. Completely.

“I didn’t realize you’d solidified your hold there.

“You even bumped into the Null. Well… that’s interesting. He’d been dormant for so long that I wasn’t sure he’d ever wake back up.

“That’ll make it easier for you to deal with Francia. Though… Prussany won’t forgive you for anything. They’ll try to do their best to kill you outright even as the Hungry One works to eat everyone and everything.”

Ryker clicked his tongue, got a strange look on his face, then blinked twice. Turning he looked to Vince.

“Your world has always been a sore point for me. I tried to do so much for it, but Zeus never let me get anything done. Hopefully that’ll end now,” he explained. “By the way, you should just make Zathira your goddess of death.

“The Duke has an apprentice that can take over her role as court Necromancer. He’s a nice enough man, young, and devoted to Yosemite.

“I’ll reinforce Yaris role as the goddess of Elves as well, that’ll help move things along. When you get back, make Johanna the goddess of magic, and not subservient to Ferris. Tell everyone she’s the pact keeper.

“Something like… ‘she who holds the pact’ or some nonsense. Blue and Elysia can work the wording to something better.

“That way she can act more freely and you can get some better security for faith in the future.”

Vince’s mouth was hanging open as he tried to commit everything Ryker was saying to memory. This was moving fast considering he’d brought it up as an aside.

“I’ll… send a note to Johanna,” Ryker finished with a smile. “As she’s a planar traveller I can interact with her more directly.

“And before you start fretting over it, you’re not stupid. You have a good brain, you just don’t exercise it enough. You let everyone else do it for you.

“Though… uh… I’d probably do that, too, if I could. It’d be rather nice, in fact. Just to be able to relax for once. Well… it’s fine, the end is near. We’re all rushing toward the conclusion of this.

“Then I can put it all down and take a rest. Take a breather.”

“Kinda dark sounding there,” Vince remarked, picking up the pastry he’d put down and taking a bite out of it.

“Dark? No. Not dark. Bright. Very bright!” Ryker countered with a laugh. “I’m absolutely ecstatic for the moment I can put down the mantle of the architect and spend some time for myself.”

Vince nodded at that.

He could relate very much with that wish. It felt like a very normal need to him.

Ryker took in a short breath, let it out, then nodded his head once.

He squared his shoulders, composed himself, and entered into the front of the shop.

Without an announcement, or even a word, he walked straight over to where Seville and Nancy were sitting. He waved at them and then gestured to the recorder between them.

“Everyone’s safe. We’re happy to return you to your world whenever you like,” Ryker murmured. “We’d like to ask you for your help though.

“You’re welcome to say no and-and I’d just send you home. Your help isn’t required for you to go home to your family.

“The only thing required is you don’t help Zeus but… well… I don’t think you’re willing to help him even if we didn’t ask it of you.”

“No. Won’t be helping him,” agreed Seville. He pressed play on the recorder again, though the volume was so low now that Vicne couldn’t really hear it. “Everyone really is…they’re all safe?

“Nia said it’s only been a few days. How’s that… is that all possible?”

“It really has only been a few days for them. It’s a lot to explain but we have some time. Then you and Vince are going to go to another world and wait there,” Ryker explained. “Nia will meet you there. You can see her and confirm with your own eyes that everything really is fine.”

“Claire’s looking for you. She knows you’re around right now,” Nancy warned, turning her face toward Ryker.

Vince got a good look at the woman and saw that she was eerily pretty. In a way that almost looked manufactured.

Looking away quickly, Vince focused on the soft drink that was next to him.

“When isn’t she,” Ryker answered. “Now… let’s catch you two up to speed.”

Picking up a candy bar, Vince unwrapped it and started eating again.

So far, his job had been the definition of easy.

He didn’t think that would last and would rather load up on food now while he had the opportunity. There was the distinct possibility this might not be available to him later.

***

“Ah, there they are,” Ryker said loudly

Looking up from the table he was sitting at with Seville, Vince saw Ryker, Felix, Faith, a little girl he assumed as Nia, and a woman wearing armor he’d likely have tried on at one point.

He noted she had two swords belted on at her waist which made her stand out significantly in this modern world.

Glancing about himself, he watched as Kit, Lily, Goldie, and Miu at the table next to him all hyper focused on Felix.

From a glance, Vince could tell that Felix was distressed. The normally intellectually and emotionally absurdly strong man seemed beside himself.

Even more haggard in appearance than Ryker had been, in fact.

The only bright spot about his brother was the pretty little girl at his hip that was latched onto him.

Felix and the small group crossed the street and started toward the cafe.

Seville, or Steve Vince supposed, had already left the table and was on his way to the little girl.

“Daddy!” Nia shouted with a laugh. She hopped down from Felix’s hip and rushed over to the other man.

Dropping down to his knees, Steve scooped up the little girl and held onto her.

Then he began to sob brokenly as he hugged her. His arms enveloping the small girl’s back.

Nancy reappeared just above Steve.

She’d reverted back to her invisible state when they left the coffee shop to come here. Ryker had left to “go make the pickup” as he’d called it.

The woman dropped down to her knees as well. She quickly hugged Steve and Nia both. Her long black hair hung down around them like a curtain.

“Auntie Nancy!” Nia squealed with a laugh, one small arm looping around the woman’s neck.

The woman with two swords came over and stood over the small group, then bent down over Steve and pressed her forehead to his head.

“My High-King,” whispered the woman. Her hands coming up to rest on his back.

“And voila,” Runner said, holding his hands up and looking to Ryker. The Overgod known as Runner didn’t look as tired as Ryker, though he did appear to be almost as pale. “Promise kept, all is well. Regardless of how you worried and worried.”

“I’m still worried. This isn’t the right… line. It’s the right event, but wrong line. There’s people missing,” Ryker growled, glaring at Runner. “I need to still go put things to rights. Far too many things.

“The entirety of this line is correct and also wrong. We’re on a path that doesn’t feel correct!”

“That’s fine, that’s fine. Even you admitted that this was a possibility, remember?” accused Runner.

As everyone else talked, Vince slowly looked to Felix.

The man he regarded as his older brother was staring off into space.

As if he could see or hear something else that no one could.

Then he flinched and put his hands over his face.

“I really don’t know how to even say thank you,” said Steve.

“Oh that’s easy, just help us out when the time comes. Bianca’s ready to join us by the way. So it’s just Skipper and Zeus as the big players on that side,” Runner advised.

Felix let his hands fall away and his eyes focused on everyone else. Then his eyes wandered over to Kit.

Vince had been pleased to see both her and Lily had returned. Their loss had hurt Felix quite badly.

There was a moment in time where Vince suddenly felt like the world itself had become hazy. That everything had suddenly become insubstantial.

Then there was a tink like noise and it sped back up again.

Andrea Prime, the gold ring in her ear quite visible, stepped forward and peered into Felix’s face.

Staring at the Beastkin, Vince couldn’t remember her arriving, or that she’d arrived with Felix. Except that he also couldn’t fathom how she would be anywhere other than at Felix’s side.

Her mismatched eyes were looking at Felix with concern. Her short blonde hair was pulled back and actually styled away from her face. Her mouth was screwed up in a strange pout.

Andrea’s right hand came up to his forehead, her left hand rested at his neck. Her fingertips resting against his throat.

“Nnn, you don’t feel like you have a fever. Your heart’s racing though,” Andrea said, her eyes flicking down to his mouth. She waited several seconds before she took him by the jaw and carefully pried his mouth open. She peered into it and tilted his head back.

Gazing at the back of his throat.

“What is it? What is it?” asked Second, leaning over Prime’s shoulder and peering into his mouth as well. “Eugh… stinks like broccoli. I thought you said we got breakfast for him.”

“We did. He must have ate a snack or something. Looks fine,” Prime concluded and closed his mouth with a pat on his chin. Then she looked up. “Well! Looks like Doctor or Nurse Andrea isn’t needed. Is it finally time to bring out… da-da-daaaaaa… head-shrink Andrea?”

An Other stepped out of Andrea Prime, reached into a pocket, and pulled out a pair of fake glasses. She promptly stuck them on her nose, then put her thumb and fore-finger to her chin.

“Now… Felix… tell me about… your sex life,” the new Andrea prompted. “In detail. With examples. I’ll be the stand-in for physical recreations.”

Groaning, Vince sighed, put a hand to his head, and hopped Andrea wouldn’t make a scene.

He truly liked her.

As a sister-in-law and aunt to his children, Andrea was unmatched by anyone really. The problem was she tended to lose her grip on what was and wasn’t acceptable in public.

“Idiot,” Second growled and punched the new Andrea in the side.

“You misanthrope! Brute!” replied the glasses wearing Andrea while landing a body blow on the other.

“Knock it off you two,” Prime ordered. “You’re ruining this reveal. We’re supposed to — mm!”

Felix snatched up Andrea by the face and then kissed her. Holding tight to her head. Clinging onto her, really.

Moaning, Prime moved in closer to him and hung onto him in return.

Buuuuh… huh?

What… what the heck?

Felix pushed Andrea Prime up against a mailbox even as it looked like he shoved his tongue into her mouth. His arms slipped around her and crushed her bodily into himself.

“Uh, I was supposed to be the stand-in. Not Prime,” complained the other Andrea. “Nnn… lame.”

“Uhm, Felix… this… isn’t really the time?” Faith laughed, stepping up beside him.

Andrea ignored her and moaned loudly, her hands dug into Felix’s clothes.

“— just a minute we can go,” Runner was explaining to Steve, catching Vince’s attention briefly. “I can’t take you back to your own world yet, but I can open a jump point so that you can stay in a place just outside of it. Talk to anyone who comes over.”

“Then… thank you. Yes. That’d… yes,” Steve replied. “That’d be great. I’ll remain there until called. I’ll just act like I normally do when I’m annoyed with… with the other one.

“I owe you all. Thank you. I’ll never-I won’t… I won’t forget this.”

Looking away from Runner he looked back to Felix. He had his forehead pressed to Andrea’s now.

“— I love you. I don’t care if I’m crazy, if this is a dream, or the world is ending, I’m not going to let you go,” Felix hissed.

“Hehe… ahh… Felix… you probably shouldn’t be like this. There’s people here and mm!” Andrea’s voice was cut off as Felix started kissing her again.

“Oh my god,” the Andrea nearby. “Is he going to mount us right here? I can’t wait to get the memories later.”

I hope not. I really don’t want to see that.

“I hope not,” the other Andrea concurred with Vince’s thought. “That’ll be something we’ll have to share shame in until we can Death Other it out. Oh! Look! Third is coming back. Maybe we can have pancakes after all.”

“Alright, follow me,” Ryker mumbled, followed by a soft thump noise. A strange portal opened up behind him and Ryker went through it. Steve, Nia, and Nancy all followed along.

“Okay, whoa my dude,” Runner said with a laugh walking over to Felix. “I have no idea what switch flipped in your head, but can we not have public sex? This is your new world you know. People are going to get some real eye-catching photos and videos at this rate.

“Alright, uh… we need to go. Next place for you is a jump point and then onto the mission itself. The rest of your group needs to go help out with the Legion forces. They’re going to be moving into a ground-battle for a few hardpoints we need to make sure fall.”

“I need… five minutes,” growled Andrea when Felix broke the kiss. “Get me five minutes, Runner. Just five.”

“I… yeah, sure. Why not. I’ll get you an hour, though. Because Kit and Lily are right behind you,” Runner said with a laugh. “I wouldn’t be very godly if I didn’t get you some time together after being separated.”

Then Vince was transported to a space very similar to the one they’d been in on the way here. A black void of nothing.

“Hey Vince, just give me a second. Just going to settle them up and then I’ll get you moving. You don’t even need to go to the armory do you?” Runner asked.

“I don’t think so?” Vince asked, looking down at himself. He was armed with the equipment he’d want.

“Right. Off we go then. Let’s have a talk. Your job is going to change a bit. You won’t need to protect Edmund after all,” Runner murmured.