Natasha the Halve

Lorena stood up and turned to me.

“I'm not satisfied. I'll go fetch some tools to continue the interrogation,” she said and glanced at Elena. “Please look over her.”

I gave her a nod and the woman left the room. Alyssa grabbed a folding chair from the back of the room and sat down facing Elena. The Elf used her shoulders to wipe her tears and snot, then calmed down after a while.

I need a timeline, I thought, chewing on my cheek as we waited for the Watcher to return. Of the last five thousand years at the very least. Nah, since Perculis showed up. That'd be seven thousand years... which means he spent three thousand years out in the wild doing who know what.

I sighed. Long lives made things incredibly complicated in my opinion. The woman in front of me was older than the ancient Greek civilization as far as I recalled.

She could have chatted with Aristotle and Homer, witnessed the rise of the Catholic Church, then give Gill Bates advice about Mykrosoft, I thought while staring at the Elf. Like a mega boomer. And I'll live for ten thousand years if I don't die before that.

I walked back to the wall and leaned my back against it, thinking of how things could have gone the way they did.

She asked about Perculis first, not Yulianna, I mulled it over. But Perculis was joined by Helena, a Healer, and Rozaria, a Warrior, not Elena who has a Wizard-type class. Both died of old age already. If she was seen with a Halve, the world would know just like how the newspaper mentioned Alyssa and Lapia in my case. Boris and Vadim with Nilenna's. Yulianna got in the sheets with Perculis and researched fertility... This Elf doesn't remember the last two thousand years... close to when Yiama died and the new Era began. Hmmm... Miraztor came to Lumin Kingdom and was targeted by the same, or similar, people as me. I'm told Desseyr is a riddle of a man.

I retrieved a juice bottle from my storage. A little sugar helps think about stuff. Plus, I felt a headache forming behind my eyes.

Holistos destroyed a country... but I don't know how long ago, I wondered, taking a sip. Well, just fucking ask, Natasha.

“Hey,” I spoke up. “When did Holistos destroy a country? Like, how long ago?”

Alyssa turned to me and said, “Three hundred thousand years ago, give or take.”

So that's out of the question for current events, I thought, giving her an appreciative wink. She blushed a little and returned the wink, then focused back on the Elf.

I looked up at the ceiling and continued my thoughts.

So, Perculis showed up. A dude that was pretty chill and sociable as I'm told. Then, he joined with two women, which is supposed to be rare. He did some researching, proved E'er isn't the source of life as Lapia mentioned, published some stuff that I haven't read yet, boosted his companions to 1500 at the very least. I assume he met Yulianna after all that, and both being Wizards interested in the scholar side of things, tried to have kids for some reason. Maybe he was a cute guy, a little shy and absorbed in the mysteries of magic. Yeah, that'd tickle a few- Nah. Can't assume that kind of thing. I'll go ahead and place Yulianna's birth after Perculis' for obvious reasons. Yulianna wiped out a tyrannical rule 500 years ago. Perculis was alive at that point, and Miraztor had already been targeted by then. Nilenna showed up two thousand years ago in Patuk. Desseyr was found near the Queendom of Maaruhk some fifty to forty years ago because the dumb fuck didn't move from his birthplace... or so it goes.

He's a man of riddles, I thought for a second. And a Scout. A sneaky little thing that can go invisible, create illusions, and more. It wouldn't be much of a surprise if everyone believed his story, if he was able to speak properly, which could very well be an act.

I blinked a few times, trying to lessen the headache.

Nilenna assisted in repelling a threat some nine years ago. Where does Yugulari's group come in? A thousand years ago? Two? Did they kill Yiama? Did they get to Desseyr first? I doubt that... somehow I really doubt that. True, I was a little relieved to meet the bandits back then, but it quickly went south.

I looked down at my hands.

I've noticed three things were changed or removed from my mind, if I can call it that. Habits around technology, habits about the pandecade, and how I value the life of people that pose a threat. Adding to that I feel two pushes and one really strong pull. To fight and protect, to slaughter everything and consume all, and to never rule. Ever. If we all Halves are similar in that way, I can't imagine Desseyr being swayed by some shady organization.

Was I sent to Hell because I'd be the only Warrior Halve? I wondered. Galeia would require a relentless fighter if things were about to go to shit... but it's not the case as far as I'm aware. But according to Lady Dabrak, it's been fifteen thousand years since the last known Warrior Halve. I'm not even considering those that may be in the wilds.

The door opened, interrupting my thoughts. Lorena came in carrying a small box with two handles. She walked to the table and place the contraption between her and Elena, then walked around the table and released the woman's restrains.

“I'm sure you recognize this,” the Captain nodded at the item as she walked to the chair she previously occupied.

The Elf nodded as the Tigea sat down. “I do. And I'm okay with it. Although I admit I'm a bit disheartened at the need of such a thing, I know circumstance demands it.”

Both grabbed a handle each, then Lorena spoke first.

“You have no recollections of the events leading up to the attempted deicide. Is that correct?” she asked.

“That's right,” the Elf confirmed.

I saw Lorena scowl.

“You forgot two thousand years worth of memories. Is that correct?” she asked next.

Elena nodded again with a sad expression. “That'd be the case.”

The Tigea sighed and an ear twitched.

“Do you feel any animosity against Halves that you would try to kill one?”

“No,” she simply answered.

“What's the last thing you remember?”

“...” Elena's face turned complicated for a second. “I... was going to join her Excellency Yulianna. She had sent a letter asking for my presence. I had left my homeland, Akuuhk, and was on the way to Koluum.”

Uuruhk, Maaruhk, Akuhk... Does 'Uhk' mean land? I wondered.

“What year was it when this happened? And what were you doing?”

“56.280, Photem's Third Era. I was 1500 years old, and had finished an essay on insect monsters and expanded on their potential usefulness in farm-related work as opposed to automation of E'eral constructs.”

Hmm... I did see some sort of vehicles in Riverfield, I thought back on the weird things. Never again did I see them, though. Thinking about the things gave me the creeps for some reason, and I remembered the few I saw looked like bikes with no apparent engine or wheels. Still... a creature that levels up would be much more useful that a static machine, if the term applies. Unless they somehow also level up.

“Have you heard of the name Yugulari Thavas Pneumix?” Lorena asked.

I looked at Elena, searching for any signs of recognition.

“Never,” the Elf replied, her voice sure and her expression unchanging.

“I want to ask her something,” I spoke up, walking to the table.

Lorena, Elena, and Alyssa turned to me. The Luzo had been analyzing the Elf the whole time. The Tigea nodded and stood up from her chair, letting go of the handle.

“You inject E'er while asking a question,” the Captain informed me. “The enchantment will let you know if she's telling the truth.”

That's fucking convenient, holy shit! I exclaimed in my mind, raising my eyebrows in surprise. I bet it works with some surface mind scan or some other-world bullshit like that.

I grabbed the free handle and stared at Elena after I sat down. She looked back at me, lowering her head a little so my eyes were higher than hers. I retrieved the scepter I got from the storage item and injected one hundred points of E'er into the contraption.

“Recognize this?” I asked, showing her the item.

“I do,” she answered, her eyes widening.

A little something was trying to enter my mind. It felt similar to a Bond Message, but incredibly more intrusive. I relaxed slightly and got an affirmative feeling from the contraption.

“Who gave it to you?” I asked next, injecting more E'er.

“His Excellency Perculis,” she replied. Affirmative again.

So Yulianna is safekeeping his items? I wondered.

“Did he mention anything about the item's name or origin?” I asked, my heartbeat accelerating as I injected more E'er.

“Yes,” she replied. “His Excellency said it was a powerful staff from a faraway place.”

I got the affirmative feeling in return, and a smile formed on my face.

Perculis, you motherfucker, I thought with a chuckle.

“Why did he gave this to you?” I asked next while injecting fuel.

“As payment for a copy of my research.”

Perculis, you retarded fuck! Don't give Mythical items away like that!!

I let out a sigh and noticed my E'er pool was six hundred points short after using Intimidate Prey, Dragonclaw, and asking the questions.

I can ask... 129 more questions, I thought, staring at the Elf. Two thousand years worth of information lost... Most likely only remembers a little about Perculis, and nothing about Yulianna.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

“What level was he when you met him?” I asked, again injecting E'er.

Elena glanced at Lorena and Alyssa.

“I'm not allowed to disclose that information to non-Halves,” she replied, biting her lower lip.

I turned to Lorena, who nodded and walked off the room and closed the door behind her.

“Alyssa is my lover and partner, she will stay,” I declared, looking back at the Elf.

“He was above three thousand,” she replied, and my mind almost blew up.

I... see. Holy fucking shit.

I nodded, letting go of the handle.

“What was his full name?” I asked the woman, not using the contraption.

“Perculis Valerius Sylla,” Elena replied.

I turned to Alyssa and she nodded in confirmation.

Well... that's a weird name.

“How about the rest?” I asked next, putting the scepter on the table. “The ones alive right now.”

“I don't know,” she replied. “I only know of Her Excellency Yulianna and His Excellency Miraztor.”

“Mhm,” I hummed. “People need to be a little more loose in that aspect, I barely know anything about my kin.”

“Miraztor Xipnak,” Alyssa commented. “You never asked, and their last names are not really that important.”

“Well... to you, who treat me like a regular woman,” I replied with a smirk.

“You are regular people at the end of the day,” the Luzo argued with a smile of her own.

“Hmph!” Elena harrumphed. “Couldn't be farther from the truth.”

“How so?” I questioned her. “Do you believe we come from Heaven?”

“Where else?” Elena argued back. “Divines require your protections as much as the rest of us. If we're to progress to a higher society, we need the Protectors. If something threatens the balance of the world, you're there to ensure safety. We can't reach your power in a short amount of time without suffering great losses. We're born weak. You're born strong. In the time it takes for a new Halve to appear, a single individual may reach around level 1000. You're already there from day one. Teaching you is our purpose, and we should bow to your gifts from old. Take Filestra for example, she slaughtered every Giant that stepped into Leks and drove them to the north of Makah. In ten years! Beings the size of a mountain. Millions of them! Imagine how many would have died without her. Without your kind. You ARE a higher being.”

Zealot much? I thought, staring at the Elf. But if we come from Heaven, which I don't as I came from Hell... what is in Heaven? Or is it just an imaginary place they use to justify belief?

“Though I respect your beliefs, I can't help but ask you,” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table. “What is Heaven? And who or what is there?”

Alyssa snorted and leaned back on her chair.

“That is none of our business,” Elena replied. Then, she gave me a smirk and continued, “Your Excellency asks that as if You don't know. It's alright. Not many share this belief, and Your Excellency is allowed to keep secrets.”

I let out a huge conflicted sigh. I don't want to be some Holy Being, I concluded.