Percy pondered over Rei’s question. At first, he thought it was a simple one – that she was just patronizing him. But the more he considered it, the more he realized he couldn’t come up with a good answer.
‘A soul… it’s who we are, isn’t it? Deep down. Beneath the flesh, and even robbed of our memories…’
This had to be true. After all, Micky had lost all his memories, but he still had the same soul. So, that should make him the same person…
Or should it? Weren’t a person’s memories an integral part of themselves? Their experiences helped shape their personalities, and to inform their choices and actions. Was there even anything left without them?
Then… did that mean that souls were just blank pieces of paper?
“I don’t know.” he conceded after a while.
The woman nodded, having probably expected that response.
“Nothing wrong with that. Our ancestors spent millennia asking that very question. The answer we have settled on, is that your soul is a record of everything you are.”
“Everything I am?” he raised an eyebrow.
Percy’s eyes widened, having never expected that. If this was true, it was no wonder she’d been able to do what she’d just done.
Actually, that even explained why the life clones his relatives created were so undeveloped. They were mindless creatures, incapable of truly experiencing anything by themselves. As for newborns, they were blank slates. More malleable, and open to outside influence.
Then, both of his earlier answers were correct in a way. Souls weren’t the same as one’s memories – they went deeper than that. But they were also inextricably linked to them, even if those experiences weren’t directly remembered.
“Does that mean it’s literally impossible to completely forget anything?” he asked.
“In theory. As long as you’ve lived through something, it’s part of you forever.” she shrugged. “But you’ve got to understand, there’s a limit to what we’ve been able to test. Before today, at least. Other people die long before they shrink to your current size, let alone any more injured than this. It’s the main reason I still think you’re just a fiend, lying to us.”
Percy clicked his tongue, but didn’t reply. He was grateful to her for helping him, but he wasn’t interested in trying to convince her of his origin. On the flipside, he wouldn’t mind discussing more philosophy with her – this information might come in handy one day. But something else took precedence.
“I see… thank you again for helping me remember. I suppose I’ll need some time to digest all of that.” he said, nodding at the medic politely, before shifting his attention to his host.
One thing he’d confirmed upon recovering his memories, was how much Sol had changed since their previous meeting. Back then, she’d been an arguably spoiled and self-absorbed teenager, resulting in some friction between them.
Sure, it had been a few years since then, so she was bound to have changed a little, but he couldn’t help but think that she’d matured a lot faster than she was supposed to, her youthful innocence long gone.
‘Sol… what happened to you?’
She sighed. Waving Rei goodbye, she exited the tent, remaining quiet until they reached her own. It was night already, the traffic around the camp having died down a lot. It wasn’t until she entered her tent, sitting where Percy had first found her, that she replied.
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‘Our town got attacked not long after you left. My dad fought to protect our home, but he got killed...’
At the same time, she showed Percy a few images of the event. A man whose face he’d never seen before, but whose voice he faintly recognized. He was covered in blood, fighting against a bunch of scaled beasts that vaguely resembled wolves. There were others fighting alongside him. Sol was among them, though her spells looked a bit clumsy for a Yellow’s. She’d clearly never fought before that day.
As soon as the flashes stopped, Percy noticed two streams rolling down his cheeks, dripping from his chin.
‘Sol… I’m so sorry… Is this why you are here now?’
‘My friends told me not to join the hunters. That it wasn’t a place for me. That I’d get killed without any experience or a proper trait… But I know they were just trying to protect me. Truth is, the hunters were more than happy to have me. Turns out, being a Yellow is more valuable than any combat trait… And I wanted to make a difference.’
Percy wasn’t sure what to say to that. On the one hand, it would be hypocritical of him to criticize her after all the reckless stuff he’d done on Remior. On the other, he couldn’t help but think she was gambling with her life just to cope with her grief.
‘Are you sure this is what you want to be doing? What your dad would have wanted for you?’
She chuckled, but it was hollow.
‘I’m not a child anymore, Percy… Risking my life is the last thing I want. I don’t like fighting much either – never have. But I don’t have a choice. Our enemies are already attacking our cities. The fight is coming to each and every one of us, sooner or later. Perhaps, if Yellows like me had been more proactive, we could have prevented this. Stopped things from getting this bad… Maybe my dad would still be…’
She failed to complete her sentence, but Percy could feel the bitter lump stuck in her throat. He was torn between consoling her and asking more about the situation. He had no idea how he could help, until he learned more about this world.
In the end, he didn’t get a chance to do either, however.
“ENEMY ATTACK!” somebody screamed.
At the same time, a pained shriek sounded in a different direction. Sol was already on her feet, shooting out of the tent, mana gathering in her hands.
It was pure chaos out there.
A cacophony of footsteps, screams and hisses. Strange shapes pierced through some of the tents, as splashes of orange were barely visible under the faint starlight. It didn’t look like there was a moon on Melodia. Not tonight, at least.
Sol didn’t waste a moment joining the battle. She shaped her mana into a dozen bird-like constructs, shooting them at the enemies. It was difficult to make out their colour in the darkness, but Soul Vision more than made up for it, the silver silhouettes burning clearly within their bodies, tracing their shape.
They were beasts, but not the same species that had killed her father. These resembled snakes – somewhat – though their circular maws were filled with rows of serrated teeth, dripping with liquid. The droplets sizzled whenever they landed on something else.
Sol’s attacks sank into their bodies, piercing the creatures’ souls full of holes. The ones she had attacked were both at Yellow like her, but Percy was amazed that they still stood after the attack. In his experience, soul magic was extremely lethal to anything of the same grade – often even a grade higher than that.
‘Have the beasts on this world evolved sturdier souls, to survive against these people?’
Either way, the creatures had turned toward Sol, abandoning their previous victims. They lunged forth, though a second barrage finished them off before they reached her. Two of them. Resistant as they were, soul mana was still a potent weapon.
Scanning their surroundings, Percy noticed similar scenes playing out around the camp. After the initial surprise had faded, the sapients were doing a better job holding their ground. There were Yellows and Oranges on both sides, though neither had brought any Reds in this place.
One battlefield stood out, in the middle of the camp. Three Green snakes and over a dozen Yellows besieged a Green humanoid. A rare Green-born most likely – since Melodia didn’t seem to possess a means of advancement. The leader of this expedition.
The natives were disadvantaged in that their affinity had no defensive power, nor did it grant them any mobility. The only thing they had going for them was the danger their spells posed. Luckily, that was more than enough to give the monsters some pause, keeping the more cautious ones at bay.
Sol ignored all that, rushing towards the perimeter, at a spot where her people were losing. Three beasts were swallowing just as many bodies, their brethren having almost overwhelmed the last four. A Yellow and three Oranges.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t fast enough. By the time she reached them, an Orange snake had landed a nasty bite on the Yellow’s leg, opening a way for the rest to decimate the squad. Watching the creatures tear the bodies to shreds made both Sol and Percy sick. But they suppressed the urge to throw up, as they had a bigger problem to deal with.
While half of the creatures were busy fighting over the bodies, the rest had shifted their attention to the newcomer. There were three Yellows and twice as many Oranges, all facing her, their souls ablaze with unconcealed hunger.
It was bad – way too many for her to fight by herself.
That was when Percy spoke, his voice brimming with determination.
‘Sol… I wasn’t there for your father… but I’m here now. Let me help you.’