174 The Woe Of The Shepherd

An awkward tension permeated the air as the group ventured deeper into Itroch. Whatever harmony once existed had disappeared because of a single person. The aura that his presence emanated screamed that he was past any form of consolation, despite the repeated efforts of the young woman by his side.

Reed wanted to cry. He recalled the events concerning the last two fissures and let out a resigned sigh of despair. They barely managed to fix the last two fissures, which were borderline miraculous flukes in his book. 

We can barely handle them together! And now we have these three tag-alongs to take care of?!

By all accounts, each fissure was a separate world-ending calamity that had the potential to end all life on the continent. It went without saying that they were enormous problems that required a certain level of skill that only a small handful of Chosen were capable of. 

Ahhh, for fuck's sake! Yeah, make my day harder, why not?! Sure, throw another responsibility on our shoulders! 

Even for experienced, veteran Chosen, the fissures were death traps that were sure to kill them. This fatality rate was one of the primary reasons why the fissures had gone largely unexplored even after they appeared. The Four Empires knew they could not afford to lose any more Chosen after the Twilight War. 

No, by all means, Lady Fate, please make this day even harder for me! Come on now, don't be shy!

It was a difficult decision to make, but the Four Empires could not risk losing any more Chosen. Although the fissures were a matter of concern, they had not been considered important enough to warrant further action... at least, not until a series of unusual phenomena appeared across Mulia.

"The Itroch Syndrome cases aren't the only thing that's plaguing the continent as of recent, you know." Astor said in a low voice, "I'm sure that Phi knows more about than we do, but there's been some sort of... issue that's been afflicting the Mortals since the fissures appeared. Fertility rates across the Four Empires have been steadily decreasing, or so I've been told by Father." 

Ophelia puffed in dissatisfaction and said, "I don't know everything, despite what you might think of me. That's not something I worked on, but yes, I do know what you're referencing. And as much as I hate to admit it, I haven't heard about any new developments over that matter in particular.

I've heard from a little bird that the current situation has not yet escalated to become a concern yet, though. They're sedated enough. The Halycon Conglomerate has been handling the situation as expected. They've raised the continental subliminal inhibition matrix in response to the heightened levels of stress the population has been experiencing since the Twilight War nearly three years ago."

Reed was about to speak out but was suddenly stopped with a single glare and a tug from Lu'um beside him. Her eyes flickered in protest as she voiced something silently to Reed with her lips.

"After all, it's been millennia since anything like the Twilight War has happened since the Unification Era... You can't blame them for being so impressionable to the events that have happened as of late."

"The Mortals have grown too accustomed to peace," Horatio said, "It is better this way, though. Ignorance is bliss, as they say. I would never wish upon them to ever learn the horrible truth about this world and the other one outside."

Lu'um nodded slowly and said, "They must never know. It would break them beyond salvation. The Flame of Hope must be kept lit, no matter the cost. Keeping them in the dark may not be the most ethical course of action, but it is a necessity in this case. The potential ramifications of revealing the truth would be catastrophic to the continent. It would spell the end of the Four Empires." 

I can't believe I'm hearing this coming out of your mouth. Unbelievable. What a fucking joke...

Her words rang clear, but that wasn't what interested Reed. Her tone was what had caught his interest. He knew it all too well. She wasn't talking to them. 

He wanted to speak out but kept his mouth shut, once again. Nothing would have arisen out of berating his companions either way. It would have only soured the mood even more, something that Lu'um was keen about preventing. The last thing she needed was for Reed to explode in fury while they still were being monitored by the Spirit of Bountiful Charity outside.

She was positive that their private comms were being monitored. If not by Velvund, then by the Dreaming Council. Perhaps some other unknown higher-up that she was not aware of. In any case, it would look very bad for them were Reed to say something in opposition to the state.

As much as she disliked it, this expedition was equal parts of a world-saving operation and a public PR performance for the North and the East. There was more at stake than just repairing the fissure in Itroch. 

The fissure between the North and the East was of concern to both parties involved with the creation of the operation. It was interference that Lu'um understood was necessary for the cause, but that didn't mean that she was particularly fond of it. 

If there was one thing she was quite aware of, it was that Reed would not have cared if the implications his words caused political strife or social unrest in either empire. Had he spoken aloud, he would have very clearly objected against everything he had heard and then some.

That was just how Reed was at his core. Whether it was because of his personal history, his own beliefs, or just his personality, he despised the concept of oppression down to the marrow of his bones. Years of living as a slum rat without rights, at the heel of his so-called superiors and masters had shaped his beliefs into what they were today. 

Lu'um knew that Reed was smarter than he believed himself to be, enough that she was sure he wouldn't destroy what the Dreaming Council had built. There was nothing productive in destroying something if one did not have a suitable replacement to make up the loss. 

...And that was what infuriated Reed to no end. That he could not rebel with good reason against the system that the Dreaming Council had set up for the mortals in their godforsaken Four Empires. 

It was a world of peace and prosperity at its core, paid in full by the people. A world of half-asleep sheep without a clue of their situation. 

Reed was certain that truth trumped a million falsehoods at any time or place. Without truth, there was nothing of value to be ascertained from the world.

Would anything matter nothing was true? A world without Truth is no different from the Void. 

Lu'um turned toward Reed when she heard that single thought and saw something dark swirling within his eyes. She tugged at his arms and silently gazed at him with a genuinely concerned expression. 

...Had she been wrong? Would he really toss everything into the fire in pursuit of truth? She thought she knew him well enough to guess with some degree of certainty, but now...

His face contorted in silent anger, denial, and then prolonged disgust until he finally settled down and regained his composure. Were it not for them walking slightly ahead of their friends, they would have seen what Reed's unpleasant expressions, or rather his reaction to their conversation. 

In the end, I really am different from them. They might have had their own troublesome upbringings and whatnot, but they've never experienced what oppression feels like.

How it feels like to be powerless "thing" without any rights or freedoms.

To be poor. To be sick. To be... nothing.

A fleeting spark of fire in his chest raged as if it were a wildfire threatening to scorch Reed from the inside out. Reed clutched his chest and grimly smirked when he recognized what the source of his pain was. 

If that wasn't a sign, then he didn't know what could qualify as one. It was clear as day to him what the correct course of action was, but he knew that it was not the right time to act. 

"If the Infestation is to be defeated, then we must rise above them first. Truth, Justice, and Liberty must take center stage if we are to stand a chance against Oppression and Despair. 

You know that I am right.

Otherwise, what point is there in defeating them? We will not trade one oppressor for another."

Lu'um did not reply. She had no retort for him. In the face of his brilliant, untainted ideals she could not find the strength to voice her doubts. They were purged away in the wake of his determined eyes and the scorching heat in her own chest.

A resonance formed between their chosen brands. It was something that she had not experienced in nearly five thousand years. It was as if someone had poured a burning firestorm into her chest.

Not every valuable morsel of truth had to come from the mouth of a wise elder, or an ancient sage. 

Reed was more than enough, evident by Lu'um's silence on the matter. He had gotten her this time.

The group carefully traversed through the unnatural forest of crystal pillars in silence after their little conversation and eventually made their way out of the thickest portion of the jungle of crystallized souls. 

Past the dormant souls of the continent's fallen mortals laid their objective, the fissure of Itroch. 

The ominous constellation shone brightest underneath the fissure in a way that left the group speechless.

It was bad. Worse than they could have ever imagined. 

Reed almost wanted to turn back when he saw what laid within the fissure and said, "I don't think that this going to work. Not this time. This is going to take another level of effort to fix. Hell, I don't even think that this can be fixed!" 

Lu'um's bit her lips and said, "We'll find a way. This is just another trial that we'll overcome. I'm sure of it." 

The trio behind them looked lifeless. Pale, sickly faces peered into the fissure in disbelief as they tried to comprehend the immensity of what laid before them in shock. None of them knew what to say. 

A long, pained laugh escaped Reed's lips as he observed his companion's expressions and he said, "This is why I told you three to go back but here we are, eh? Welcome to the shitshow.

You wanted to be a part of it, right? Well, here you-fucking-go."

He made a grand gesture towards the fissure and coldly said, "...You believe us now, you damned fools?"