Transcendence?

***Norfolk, Sarn-Valley, Southern Col***

***Ascathon***

“The clean-up will take us quite some time.” I look down at the pass-road and wince. “What a waste. This is a major trading route. Look at it now! It will take us months until a carriage can pass the col again.”

“If a certain someone had been faster, then there would be less damage. We had to bombard it to rubble in order to keep the enemy troops at bay.” Den throws an accusing look at me.

I am currently sitting in a wheel chair. The fucking poison was strong, I still can't move properly. Not even Celes could do much with all her medical knowledge. After she carried me back, she took some blood samples with her needles and cut some tissue samples off of me too! It took quite a while and I had the feeling that she was actually torturing me. Then she ran off to analyse them.

I was placed in a camp bed in her tent. At least some guards could organize the wheel chair for me.

So I headed out to take a look at the situation. There are still plenty of enemies left, but their supplies got destroyed during our bombardment. They are currently executing an organized retreat back the way they came.

It doesn't make any sense to me to hinder their retreat. They are leaving our land and that's exactly what we want. There will be more than enough deaths on their way back. Reaching the next town by foot will take them about two weeks.

Walking such a distance without food is harsh. I guess most of them will turn into bandits and rogue elements on their way back. Our intelligence says that the principality on our southern border assisted them with supplies, so I have no qualms about letting the retreating army loose on my neighbours.

“There he is!”

I look around and see Celestial with Sera. “Argh! No! Not again! Den, hold them off while I flee!” I turn my wheelchair and start turning the wheels with my arms.

“What's wrong.” Den looks confused in Celestial's direction.

But I don't get far. Celestial materializes out of thin air in front of me and I bump into her. Looking back, I see that Sera is waddling into our direction. Celestial's skills become more frightening each day!

“What are you thinking!? To run around in a condition like that!” She grabs the grips of my wheel chair and turns me around. Back into the direction of the medical facilities!

I grab the wheels and try to hold them with all my might. “I am okay! The poison is weakening and I can move my arms just fine!” But Celestial relentlessly continues to push the wheelchair forward.

I admit that I can't win this fight and let go of the wheels. “There is much to do! Why can't I at least take a look at the current situation.”

Den steps out of the way and I am brought back to Celestial's private tent. Arriving there, she instructs the guards not to let anyone inside. Then she rolls me inside. The tent is actually nothing like a normal tent would be.

It's huge, luxurious and the room inside spans at least ten square metres. “Celestial? Why are you so silent? If there is something you want to say, say it. I can take harsh news.”

Sera follows us inside and the guards close the entrance to give us some privacy. I am rolled a little farther into the tent and then Celestial pulls the breaks of the wheelchair and walks around to face me.

Suddenly she kneels down and gets into a dogeza-position in front of me.

“I am sorry!”

“Hah!?” What's wrong!? Am I going to die!? No. That wouldn't be so bad! Am I going to be paralysed for life!? I already experienced such a life! Please kill me if it's that!

“I am sorry for all the times I mistreated you at the Academy. And for blackmailing you into the current situation, while always thinking of my own good! I will at least try to be a proper wife from now on! So please forgive me.” Celestial looks up again.

I close my mouth which fell open during her speech. “Hrm. I must admit, you surprised me … wait a moment! What does that have to do with the current situation!?” I point my index finger at Celestial. Something is fishy!

Then I realize that her eyes aren't focused at me, but at something at my side. My head snaps to Sera, who is standing behind me. She immediately hides her hands. Was that sign language? “Sera? Do you have something to say? For example why your mother is acting strange all of a sudden?”

“~No. I am just a moral help. Everything she says are her true feelings.~”

I squint my eyes. “Sure. But the woman I know as Celestial would never apologize for something like that.”

“~That's why I am here! I had a long and serious talk with my mother. About the past, before I was born. And I deemed it necessary that she has to apologize.~”

“I see. But I still have the feeling that you found a weak point of hers. Tell me!” I look deep into Sera's eyes.

~Daddy. Don't you always say yourself that someone should never show all his cards. But you are deviating from the issue here. And that is to clear some things up. Celestial apologized. Now it's your turn!~

Hah!? This little critter! “I have nothing to apologize for!”

Sera shakes her head.

“~Haaah... that's why I deem it necessary to become active. Dad. You treated mom like a slave for quite some time. And while you might think that it was a proper way to get back at her, it wasn't okay! So apologize now, and then we can start to work on other issues.~”

“I hope you realize that you are talking to your father? There are some things which I can't tolerate in our relationship!” I look down at Sera, who is biting on her lip while thinking.

“~I will tell everyone about the treasure box!~”

My mind freezes. “I don't know what you are talking about.”

“~In your lab. Hidden under a stone slate. There is a box with a false bottom. And inside...~”

I reach for Sera, but she evades with more grace than I would have believed possible and dances out of reach.

“~Do I have to speak further.~”

I form a fist with my hand. “Such an apology has no meaning!”

“~But it's a start!~”

Tch! I haul myself out of the chair and get down in front of Celestial. “I am sorry for everything I have done to you! And I accept your apology!”

“What does she have on you!?” Celestial whispers to me.

“That's a secret! In return I won't ask what she has on you!” I whisper back.

“Isn't it wonderful to leave all that old stuff behind you. And now we can finally talk about making up!” Sera pats our shoulders and smiles.

I force a smile on my face. “Good. Can you help me into my chair now? Have you found out anything about the poison by the way?”

Celestial grabs me and places me back in the chair. “It will take a few weeks. But with this you will make a complete recovery. You have to drink it.”

A grey vial appears in Celestial's hand and I take it. I pop the plug off and smell the content. “Whoa! Shit. What's that! It smells like old dead fish and something else!”

Celestial smiles at me. “~It's medicine!~ Drink it, honey.”

She surely made this stuff extra stinky and bad tasting. I gulp the content down while trying for it to make no contact with my tongue.

Then Celestial brings me a glass of water, without being asked and I take it to get rid of the taste. Somehow I want to know what leverage Sera has on her. But do I need to know, as long as she is acting this meekly?

I have to change the hiding place of my treasure box in any case!

At that moment a bell is rung. One of the guards wishes to speak to us. Celestial walks outside while I continue to stare at Sera.

“I just want a harmonic family. That's all.” She hugs my leg while looking up at me. That cheating! She is cheating and she knows it!

“We will see...” I pat her head.

Celestial returns. “There is a captive. And the guards don't know what to do...” Celestial has a disturbed expression.

I shrug my shoulders. “Didn't I say that we take no prisoners? Throw him back out to the others. He can walk home!”

Celestial nods. “Yes, but she says that she is your mother. And she wants to speak.”

“Aw. Crap. Shit.” I scratch at my cheek with a disturbed expression.

“What's wrong? That isn't an expression someone should have when he hears about his mother!” Sera punches my leg.

“You have no idea. My side of the family consists of assholes, sadists and child torturers. Fortunately I got rid of most members of that family arm yesterday.” I nod while smiling and Sera is looking at me with a shocked expression.

“Really? Who? My parents will be thankful to you for eternity!” Celestial looks at me with question marks above her head.

“Well, I slit my second brother's throat and my father burned in that big bonfire. And the guy whom you hit with that rock was my third brother, thanks by the way.” I continue to explain my family situation to Sera, whose jaw dropped during my confession.

She looks down on the ground. “I lost three birthday presents per year!”

One moment! Why does she calculate relatives in birthday presents? What's up with that reasoning!?

Then she looks up again. “But from what you explained my grandmother isn't completely out of the picture. We will go and have a look at her!”

Sera starts to toddle towards the exit and I turn my wheels to catch her. “One moment! You stay here and I will talk to her! There are still issues! For example why she is showing up now!”

“For example because we are her only remaining relatives?” Sera smiles at me and I put her down.

“Anyway! I will talk!” I start to wheel towards the exit, but then Celestial starts to push me from behind and I place my hands on my lap.

We are at an improvised prison tent five minutes later. Inside are four soldiers guarding a woman. She has brown eyes and violet hair like Violetta. She seems to be an older version of hers. I wave for the guards to leave and they file out of the tent.

Celestial says nothing while standing behind me. Then I look towards my mother, Irda Arenzien. “Hi.”

She tries to smile. “Hello Ascathon. How are you doing.”

“Like you see, father and my brothers got me into this chair. But the doctor says it won't be permanent. Why are you here.” I look at her with suspicion.

She sighs. “I don't know. Maybe because my foolish husband finally got killed because of his ideals and took two of my sons with him?” Irda starts to knead her hands. “I know that I was never someone who deserved the name mother. But I want to see Violetta at least. Please.”

I tilt my head. “She is in Sarn.”

Irda starts to cry in front of me. Hey, seriously? Don't press onto the emotional button all of a sudden! She was never emotional in front of me before!

Suddenly Sera toddles past me and starts to pat Irda's hand. Didn't we leave her back in Celestial's tent!? I look behind me and find Sera's personal guards at the entrance. They look apologetic at me, nonono can't be! She got them too!? “I like her. She can stay. Right daddy? I always wanted to meet my grandmother.”

Irda looks a little shocked at Sera, but then she suddenly hugs her. “You must be his daughter. To talk like that at this age.”

I smack my forehead and sigh.

***

What felt like several hours of talking led to Irda's acceptance into my household. Sera had quite a few words to say in that matter too. I just wonder Celestial's parents will react to that.

Violetta will be happy without a doubt.

.