Rose Blumen ~ Exogignesthai

(Rose)

R – Good Morning General.

G – Hello...

N – Bad night again?

G – Ah. Yeah... I think the drinks were really spoiled with toxins that night you arrived.

Nightmare and I try our very best not to laugh. Gosh, we’re so mean. But I prefer for them to pay the killing of the wings with a few bad nights than with their blood.

R – Going easier from now on?

N – Okay... It was good fun.

I smile so much I’m feeling guilty. The men are still quite merry actually, only a little less rested, as Nightmare plays with their minds at night. I’m sure a few nights of insomnia will be fine.

R – Have you read anything interesting in these dozens of memories?

N – I haven’t looked that much, but the most important things, yes.

R – Enlighten me?

N – They haven’t lied.

R – That’s a good start.

They’ve been honest with us.

N – They have a second smaller camp with a more militarised armoury. It’s their heavy emergency supply, which they’ve used occasionally against monsters we would qualify as daiûas.

R – What do you mean by militarized?

N – Armoured vehicles, canons, weapons of all sorts. Even a helicopter that they take good care of.

R – A helicopter...

I’ve never really seen one.

N – The thing is they’re surviving by being practically at war with our kind.

Ours. Hm...

R – Meaning, if they saw Blume, or where the roses on my chest really start... It would cause problems?

N – Yes. They’ve suffered and lost so much, to beings-like-us. They won’t be recklessly curious like you are if they see another. They won’t take any chances with anything.

That’s an uneasy situation we’re in. We can’t really ask neither the beasts nor the men to make peace.

R – Can’t we?

N – You never learn, do you?

R – It’s not impossible for you and Blume to talk to them, and me and you to talk to the men.

Nightmare isn’t sold on the idea.

N – You know how that could all end, lord of chaos...

R – Ouch... Okay... I get it, I could make things turn for the worst by trying to make them better.

N – Clever girl.

R – I wish there was something we could do.

N – Learn what we want, and leave.

I hate to admit, she’s probably the most sensible one of us two here.

~

A little later in General’s office.

G – Leaving tomorrow then?

R – Yes. We feel it’s better.

G – You know what that means?

R – ?

G – Party!

Rough and loud enough he yelled, so that the replying cheers erupted from the city outside. I laughed.

R – Thank you!

G – Here, we found you a hunting bow and arrows by the way. No sword though.

R – Thank you very much. That’s perfect.

A good looking modern bow, and real clothes to replace our rags are also very nice.

G – You were a nice conversation partner Rose.

R – I appreciated our time here as well.

G – And I hear your wild sister had her fun too.

R – I... believe so.

I’m embarrassed.

Whilst I was drawing Feynman’s diagrams on paper and learning of QCD, she was let’s say, learning of basic human biology.

R – She’s... Adult, and responsible enough. I won’t meddle.

G – If you’re worried, we can help. I hear she has reasonable medical knowledge.

R – Thank you. But whatever she did and does, I think she will be fine.

~

Nightmare probably enjoyed the pleasure of sex, but I wouldn’t be surprised if her aim was mostly to gather new raw materials indirectly for later experiments. I wouldn’t rule that out...

The hunting party that returned that day was in disarray and wounded. I didn’t think much of it at first.

But we quickly noticed the brambles scraps, ripped vines and thorns like spikes perforating some limbs, and what it all meant.

They met Blume. And it did not go well.

The men were now in crisis mode. They feared retaliation from that new monster they just fought.

– It’s not safe to go yet. We must kill that thing first.

R – No, you...

Nightmare glared at me like she never did before. I felt hate. She scared me into listening to her.

N – If my creation dies, I will not forgive you Rose.

R – I don’t want it either...

Nightmare is afraid and vengeful. I’m concerned. The men are not entirely sure of what’s happening, but they’re not stupid.

R – Are you with me?

N – ... Yes.

Her shade shifts and melts into mine. Nobody noticed. I call Blume as well through our sleeping bond.

Blume. They will come back soon. I will try to stop them but...

Prepare for the worst...

~

R – Night’. You go first. I will try to explain...

Nightmare has very mixed feelings about this. But she agrees.

She rushes through the gates before they’re closed.

While the wounded are being cared for, a larger group is arming itself.

I stop the General to talk to him. We must.

Before the worst decisions are made.

~

He couldn’t quite believe in magic.

Magic doesn’t exist, and he’s right. T.I’s effect on things around here is rather mild.

But I try to explain to him that there are creatures and fights that are better avoided.

Because they don’t all want to mean them harm, and especially because they could kill them all.

G – They could win against us all?

R – Yes; They could. If you go after them... If you kill her child... You will all die.

G – Child? They reproduce?

R – It’s more complicated than that. But yes, they can create life, in more ways than one.

General is thinking very fast. About me, about beings-like-her, about humans and the world.

About what’s possible and not.

What could be, and at what cost.

Competition of species. Twilight of humanity.

Humans that can’t reproduce anymore, while demons can, and can bend all the rules of biology to their will.

The need to dismay the threats, methodically and efficiently.

A choice, at the crossroad of chaos.

G – If we do nothing, we’re doomed... If these demons have the powers we need to survive...

I close my eyes.

Der wille zur Macht ist connatus...

~