Carmen Dei 25: Red Sky at Morning
There were times where Capri's life simply didn't feel real. She'd spent most of her life as a practically broke wanderer who never really knew where her next meal would come from or what her next gig would be. Heck, even as Venti's bandmate, she often had to wonder where she'd get money for gas if Venti didn't feel like blowing some spare change into her window. A large part of her self-image was that she was still that same traveler: An outsider who was triple reviled for her gender, ethnicity, and sexuality.
Then she had times when she dressed up in her fighting pajamas, had to put on a serious face, and pretend to know what the f*ck she was doing.
Standing atop the stairs to the Knights of Favonius headquarters, Capri nodded to the Polish delegation as they arrived. "Welcome to the conference. We're looking forward to- OOF!"
Despite her Vision, Capri felt like one of her ribs was going to break as the man she'd extended a hand to wrapped her in a bear hug.
"Ah, at last, I get to meet you! Big fan of your music, big fan!" the bear of a man with copper-colored hair and great rippling muscles laughed as he set her down. His blue eyes sparkled as he stuck out his hand. "I am Szlachta! Happy to meet you at last!"
"Capri Cohen, uh, don't really have a cape name," she admitted, making sure to infuse her hand with a little electro as she took the massive paw before her. It didn't feel like Szlachta was trying to pulp her bones, but he certainly had a firm grip.
The man's bushy red brows drew together, and he frowned. "Ah. Then I am Ajaks. Ajaks Jedynak."
They nodded to one another, and then Ajaks leaned in close and whispered, "I hear there is going to be a big fight. You don't think I could spar with Venti, do you? I've always wanted to duel an Archon."
"Uh…" Capri felt her lips twitch, and she tried to fight off a smile. Was this guy serious?
"Down, boy," a woman's voice said, and a hand grabbed Ajaks by the collar, pulling him back. A woman with a pale mask covering half her face smiled at Capri. "Sorry, dear. This dog tends to get too excited when he smells a fight brewing, but I'll make sure he behaves."
"But Roz, I was behaving," the big man whined, even as he looked down at his much shorter partner.
Ignoring his pleas, the woman smiled at Capri and bowed her head. "I am Rozalyn Kruzchka, known as the Azure Witch. Call me Roz. We are grateful for the invitation from the Knights of Favonius to this council meeting."
Standing next to one another, the two Polish capes couldn't have appeared more different. Ajaks was built like a red-furred bear, dressed in cashmere and silks, with a bear skin hat with an eagle's feather on the brim, like the old Polish nobility of his cape namesake. He was called "the Slavic Alexandria" and in many ways that was true. Functionally, his powers made him into the standard flying Brute cape, but what he could really do was manipulate his own personal gravity. He could make himself fall in any direction to mimic flight, and turn his body super dense to turn his blows into multi-ton force. He could also manipulate the gravity of non-organic things he touched to a degree, allowing him to lift larger objects than he should be able to even with his own ability to multiply his own strength.
In contrast, Roz the Azure Witch was a Master and Thinker who was waifishly slender. She wore a pale blue half mask that obscured the left side of her face, along with a form-fitting blue and white body glove covered by a thin blue cape. Her most notable feature was the six small blue wisps that floated around her. She could generate up to half a dozen of the moth-like constructs, which would obey her mental commands and could fly up to a kilometer or so from her. Roz could see through her constructs, granting her unparalleled information-gathering abilities in a small area. Her whisps were icy cold to the touch, and while they couldn't directly hurt organic matter, touching one was said to be like being dunked in ice-cold water. Distracting and disruptive, especially if you weren't expecting them.
"I confess, I was a bit leery of such a powerful group of capes appearing in Germany, especially Venti himself," Roz said, smiling at Capri. "His actions against the Gesellschaft were encouraging, but, well, historically, when Germany grows strong, Poland grows nervous."
"And then the Russians got an Archon too, and now we're like a nut between a pair of over eager squirrels," Ajaks said, making a face. "I like to fight, but even I'm not mad enough to take on two Archons."
That made Capri smirk. "You think you could take even one?"
Ajaks grinned at her. "Haven't found out yet! But I would like to see how Venti spars."
"We're not here to pick a fight, we're here to listen," Roz said, rolling her eyes.
"I didn't say I would pick a fight! Just a spar. A small one," Ajaks said, holding up thumb and forefinger as if to demonstrate.
"Venti's not really the sparring type. I've only ever seen him fight maybe half a dozen times, and only once seriously. That was in Munich. You think you could take an Endbringer?" Capri asked.
"Ah, they do not trouble Poland! I've only seen one once, and by the time I made it to Cologne, I only got in a couple of hits against Behemoth before the coward turned tail and ran!" Ajaks laughed.
Capri's face went blank, and all traces of good humor vanished. Roz looked horrified, and even Ajaks seemed to realize he'd gone too far that time. "But, ah, I do wish I had been there sooner. To help," he added lamely.
"Well, let's hope this time you're not too late," Capri said and turned around to lead them inside.
The former headquarters of the Meisters had been taken over by the Knights of Favonius, who while not sponsored by the German government, were more or less the national cape team now. They were even something of an international organization, with capes from Austria and the Netherlands, and even the two capes from Liechtenstein.
Now, however, capes from a dozen nations were present. The two Polish capes were just the latest to arrive: There were four capes from the Mousquetaires of France, three more from Belgium, an Estonian representative, five from Finland, a Vision Holder from Switzerland, several from Slovakia, the Ukraine, Hungary, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic had sent three. Even Sweden, Norway, and Iceland had sent teams. Notably absent were the team from Belarus, who had declined to attend, and of course no Russian capes at all.
It made the central meeting chamber quite crowded, and Capri showed Ajaks and Roz to their seats before heading to the front of the room and approaching Cookie at the Grand Masters seat, looking harried and slightly frazzled. She wasn't wearing her cape costume, but instead a business suit with her hair pulled back in a severe bun.
"Have you seen-" Capri began, but Cookie shook her head.
"No, I haven't. Naomi was supposed to make sure he wasn't late! Where is he? I know he's not off drinking somewhere for once, but he should be here for this! It was his idea in the first place, and he's the reason they're all here!" Cookie hissed, holding a folder up to her face to try to obscure the conversation, her face going as purple as her vision with anger.
Grimacing, Capri dropped her voice as well. "You know how he is. He wants to interfere with mortal affairs as little as possible. This is going to be your show."
Cookie growled several implications about Venti's heritage, mental acuity, and sexual prowess, then strode up to the podium right as the clock chimed 10 o'clock.
"Good morning, thank you all for attending the first Grand Conclave of the Knights of Favonius," she said, and the various representatives quieted and took their seats, turning to face Cookie. "Lord Barbados will be joining us soon, but for now I wish to extend the greetings of the Knights of Favonius to our fellow capes from other nations."
There was polite applause as Cookie shuffled some papers on the podium, but when the audience quieted she looked calm and in charge. "As I am certain you are all aware, a new Archon has appeared in Europe. She is known as Dantalion, the Cryo Archon, and has appeared in Russia."
Silence fell, and several faces looked rather grim. Many of the representatives, including many of the Germans, well remembered the long iron rule of the Soviet Union in their lands. For many ended less than a decade ago, when the Soviet Union fell amidst the chaos and destruction in the wake of Behemoth's 1995 destruction of Moscow.
"I can already tell you a little about her from my discussions with Lord Barbados," Cookie said, looking over the crowd with a somber expression. "She is young, for an Archon, and ruled over a nation as their Tsaritsa. Our sources indicate that she has already claimed this title here on Earth Bet. And, that she has awakened the Sleeper."
There were startled gasps around the chamber, along with cries of "Impossible!"
"Do you mean defeated?" Ajattara of Finland demanded, the leaves of his costume rustling as he shifted in his seat.
"She does not," Rozlyn said, shaking her head and looking grim herself. "My sources just told me of this not long ago. A man claiming to be the Sleeper has sworn himself to the service of the woman known as the Tsaritsa. And the bubble in Mordovia vanished at the same time. Considering what other Archons have done…we must assume the worst."
"This could be a good thing, no?" Hoidja of Estonia asked, looking around the room hopefully. "Archons have rid the world of several grave threats, from the Leviathan to the Beast of Munich, to even Farasha and the Simurgh. Perhaps this is more of the same."
"You want to bet on that?" Hospitalar asked, looking around the room. "Would you gamble on Russian benevolence?"
"I, for one, am glad," Ajax laughed, tossing his red mane back and grinning widely. He spread his arms wide. "Now I get to fight the Sleeper and an Archon! Truly, a great day!"
"You would fight an Archon? Madness. They have done nothing but good for the world," Chaff Goby of Ukraine argued.
"Then you forget the Second Sino-Japanese War, or the Blackout that the Raiden Shogun caused," Cookie stated. "Archons are like the old pagan gods. You can argue they're angels if you want, but there were fallen angels too. They can be mighty boons, but they're fickle, temperamental, and liable to be out drinking instead of attending important meetings like they said they would."
"Well, make sure you tell me who it is, because I'll make sure to have Capri give them a very stern talking too," Venti said from behind Cookie.
The Grandmaster closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and very obviously counted to five. Venti appeared to have set up a chair behind her several minutes ago, but no one had noticed him during the discussion.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Lord Barbados," Cookie ground out, gripping the sides of the podium like she was imagining it was Venti's neck.
"Are you sure? He might be an imposter. Maybe I should punch him, just to be sure," Ajaks offered, earning him a swat from Roz.
"I'm afraid the only contests I'll agree to are a dance-off or a poetry slam," Venti said with a wink.
"If anyone gets to smack you, it's me. Now get over here and explain to all the nice people just why you've called them here," Cookie ordered, stepping and jabbing a finger at the podium.
Venti nodded, standing and coming up to the stage. He looked out at the audience, and the mischievous twinkle vanished. He sighed, and leaned against the lectern. "I've call you all here to deliver a warning: The Queen of Winter has arrived. And she is a jealous one."
"So, she is dangerous?" Ajattara demanded leaning forward. "This Cryo Archon."
"She is an Archon. A young one, by the way such things are reckoned. But her story is not mine to tell," Barbatos said with a shake of his head. "No, I am here today to tell you plainly that soon, you will be faced with a choice, between her, and me."
"Why should we choose either of you?" Ajaks demanded, and this time the joviality had vanished from his tone. "Poland, we have been squeezed between the Bear and the Eagle before. I am thinking, this time, we can squeeze back."
"I'm not here to squeeze anyone," Venti said with a shake of his head. "My way is not to rule over mortals directly. Even convening this conference…that was Cookie. Normally, I wouldn't interfere in mortal affairs beyond a few songs and drinks. But the arrival of Dantalion makes this a battle between Archons. And that is my domain. You don't know her, but I do. So I'm here to answer any questions and warn you that soon, she will be contesting my borders."
"You will fight her?" Hospitalar asked as mutters broke out in the room. "We march to war?"
"No, absolutely not, at least to the second," Venti said firmly. "If at all possible, I want this to be resolved diplomatically. I've already dispatched two messengers to her to welcome her to this world and ask for peace. However…we have a long history. And not all of it pleasant. I've known her since, well, since she was an allogen. I suspect she won't respond to my greetings warmly."
"So you ask for our help to fight her?" Ajaks demanded, folding his arms over his chest.
"No, not that either. If we do fight, and I pray we do not, I will not have any mortals caught in the crosswind," Venti said with a shake of his head. "No, I'm not asking you to defend me. I'm asking you if you want me to defend you."
Everyone took a moment to digest that, while Cookie leaned over and returned the microphone. "Look, it's simple. The Knights of Favonius are not a conquering army. We're here to defend our freedom. We're not interested in taking over anywhere, especially not your nation, or Russia. But we also want to make it very clear we won't just stand by and watch while the bad old bear wakes up and starts gobbling up a bunch of countries again."
"Will she do that?" Ajattara asked. "Finland has remained neutral in the past. We would do so again."
"Dantalion may allow that," Venti conceded. "You could attempt to forge your own pact with her. But she is a jealous Archon. She rules over her hands with a tight embrace."
"And if we don't want any Archons to rule over us?" Roz asked, her brow furrowed in thought.
"That's your choice as well. I'm only here to say that if you choose to join the Knights of Favonius, I will fight for your freedom. Beyond that, well, that's up to all of you." With that, Venti turned around, and walked right out of the room through a side door. Capri weighed her options, then stood up and followed Naomi after Venti, even as the room behind them exploded with shouts and demands for explanations.
"Well, that was quite the mic drop," Capri said, jogging to catch up to Venti. "You're just gonna make that mess for Cookie to clean up, aren't you?"
"Cookie's a smart woman, and I told her this would be her mantle to wear before I had her summon the heroes of other nations," Venti said with a shrug. "It's not my place to run a mortal group. I'm the bard who plays encouraging music, and rouses their spirits! Not the noble hero or hard-working captain who holds them together."
"So how do we raise people's spirits?" Naomi asked as they stepped outside, near where the van was illegally parked by the curb. Capri could see the ticket on the windshield. Sheesh.
"The same way I always do! By ensuring the winds of freedom blow across their lands, and by providing them with songs to cheer their hearts!" Venti sobered as he opened the back door, looking back at the Knight's guild hall. "I don't know what they'll choose. It's not up to me. But I fear for those who leave themselves to Dantalion's mercy. For she has none left."
"You knew her well, back on Teyvat?" Capri asked as she snatched the ticket up and stuffed it in the glovebox.
"I knew the mortal girl who would become Dantalion," Venti said quietly. "But I fear I know her heart not at all now. It was my mistake. And she was right to accuse me. Still, I wonder what it means, that Rozalyn is here, now."
"What does the Azure Witch have to do with all this?" Capri asked as she drove away.
"Nothing, and everything. Stories repeat themselves across the tapestry of time, as the wind carves new paths through the sands. Perhaps this time, the outcome for her will be gentler than it was in the previous tale," Venti said, rolling the window down and letting his fingers trail through the air as the van rumbled along the road.
"Right. So, where are we going?" Capri asked.
"Let's go to the park, and perform a little concert there! Then we'll meet with some of our new friends at the bar later, they'll want to talk to me privately," Venti told her.
"Sure," Capri agreed and headed for the park. Venti's little whims were always odd, but they did seem to work out remarkably well each and every time.
"What about Dorothy and Geoff?" Naomi asked. "Will they succeed? Will there be peace?"
In response, Venti just pulled out his guitar and plucked out a mournful tune.
Capri swallowed and glanced at Naomi, who looked fearful. That probably meant the worst. For a minute or so, they drove in fearful silence, holding hands over the dash.
Then Naomi swallowed, and turned to Venti who was still playing a haunting melody on his guitar. "Whatever happens…we trust you. We're with you. Even if you end up fighting this Dantalion."
"And we choose to do so, so don't try saying some BS about violating mortal will or whatever," Capri added, glancing in the rearview mirror at Venti.
"Thank you. I will always be with you," Venti told them. "Even if you will not always be with me."
Capri tried to process that and nearly asked Venti what he meant, but Naomi had tears in her eyes and shook her head, so Capri just drove the rest of the way to the park.
They ended up setting up on a brown field spotted with snow, their breath misting in the wind as Venti began to play his guitar for passersby. Capri was hauling instruments out of the van, when she paused to whisper to Naomi, "What did he mean, about him always being with us but us not being with him? You think he's planning on leaving again?"
"I don't think so," Naomi told her, going misty-eyed again. "Think about it, Capri. How old is Venti?"
Capri opened her mouth, thought about it, then shut her jaw and shrugged helplessly.
"No matter what happens, Venti will be around long after you or I are gone. Not just that though: If this does become a war between Archons…then can we even stay with him, if he becomes the Wind again?"
"We'll find a way," Capri said stubbornly and hauled Naomi's drums out to where Venti was playing. She tried to lose herself in the music, as a crowd gathered about them to watch their performance, but a part of her mind wasn't there.
What was going to happen? There was change upon the wind, and more than that, would Venti have to leave? She didn't know what she'd do if that happened. Either way though, she'd never let her dream of using her music to spread freedom for all eternity. Even if she had to fight a god to do it.
Once more, Alexandria hovered above Times Square, smiling down on the crowds. Even at her elevation, she could hear the noise of the sea of humanity as people cheered and shouted. There were still a few minutes before the ball dropped and it was officially 2004, but she'd come from Los Angeles to celebrate three hours early.
"To a new year!" Wyatt said cheerily, raising a glass beside her. "And to our new president!"
"Don't count your votes before they're cast," David said, but he smiled as he did so, raising his own glass of champagne to Alexandria. She smiled and clinked glasses with both of them in turn before sipping at her drink. She couldn't get drunk even if she wanted to, but the pleasant burning fizz of the drink warmed her slightly. That was new, something that had come with her Vision. More and more, as she was further attuned to it, she was able to experience the world more fully than ever before.
"Cheers," Alexandria agreed. "Thanks for coming to meet us, David. We called Keith, but he's at a party in Brockton with Arthur and his own team."
"It's not New Years in Houston for another hour, I can get back in plenty of time," David said with a shrug. He wasn't dressed in his hero garb for once, instead wearing a suit that Alexandria just knew that Keith had picked out for him because there was no way David had fashion sense enough to have selected it.
She was wearing a suit as well, largely because unless she wanted panty shots to be spread around, dresses weren't the wisest fashion choice for her. Her's was a sober charcoal color, but Wyatt had on a hilariously tacky sparkling gold suit with a bright blue bowtie and a tophat that had some sort of digital display that alternated between flashing HAPPY NEW YEAR in obnoxious neon, and showing fireworks displays across the world.
"So, any New Year's resolutions?" Wyatt asked brightly. "Aside from political aspirations."
"To have a wedding that isn't crashed by a supervillain," Alexandria said, which made Wyatt laugh. She was serious though: She woke up in a cold sweat at least once a week from a nightmare that Jack Slash, Ashbeast, or even the Raiden Shogun crashed her wedding party.
"To kill an Endbringer," David said firmly. "It can be done. We have to show we're just as good as an Archon."
"That's the same resolution you have every year. Come up with something more creative," Wyatt told David.
"Fine. To beat you at Fantasy Football for once. I swear you get your teams from Contessa," David said with a sigh.
"No, I was just a nerd in school, not a jock, so I know how to play moneyball," Wyatt teased.
There was a loud cheer from the crowd below, and Alexandria saw that the countdown had reached the one-minute mark. She drew herself close to Wyatt, hugging him tight as he caressed her cheek. "Why not resolve to get a girlfriend, David? You haven't dated anyone since you and Veronica broke up."
"I need to focus on saving the world, not get distracted by romance. Narwhal and I parted on good terms," he said testily, turning his back towards Alexandria and Wyatt.
"Why not ask Hannah out? You like, she'd be good for you," Wyatt suggested.
David just snorted at that one, taking a swig from his champagne.
After that, Alexandria let herself be lost in her embrace with Wyatt, feeling the heat of his breath on her neck, the sensation of his skin against hers. How had she ever lived without this, without feeling the pulse of his love and hers from within her Vision? She'd have thought a Cryo Vision would make you cold and distant, but she found the opposite was true. Her emotions were amplified, especially thanks to the return of sensation. A few of the Thinkers were concerned about how it was affecting her mental state, but she was all for it.
"I resolve to love more this year," Alexandria whispered to Wyatt. "Especially you."
"And I resolve to build a better world, right there with you," Wyatt promised.
The crowd started chanting down below them, and Alexandria and Wyatt locked lips together as the final seconds of the year ticked down, losing themselves in their love for one another.
Alexandria didn't see the bitter lock of jealousy that David shot her way, but she felt it. She really would have to ask Contessa about setting him and Hannah up together. David would loosen up a lot more if he got laid. Veronica had told her that she'd broken up with David because he'd insisted that they wait until marriage for sex, which she very much wasn't interested in doing. Hannah was religious as well though, maybe she'd be on board for that.
The world exploded around them as the fireworks went off, and Alexandria and Wyatt broke apart, laughing. They swooped down low over the crowd, going slow enough to high five several cheering civilians, before flying off to swoop through the fireworks display. Even if they'd taken a direct hit from a shell, Alexandria doubted that it could do more than singe her or Hero. He'd put plenty of defenses into his suit, even if it did just look like formal wear. It was some sort of complicated reactive nanite weave that could protect him from a direct hit by an Endbringer, let alone an oversized firecracker.
After the display died down, they bid farewell to David, who had floated down to hover over the crowd, though he didn't mingle, simply waving and watching.
"She looks cute, ask her out," Wyatt told David, pointing to a costumed member of the New York Protectorate, Alexandria didn't recognize who.
"Grenadine is 17! She's still in the Wards," David said, looking disgusted.
"Ah, well, tell her to call you for her birthday!" Alexandria teased. "Or better yet, call Hannah. Wish her a Happy New Year."
David just grunted, his way of saying the conversation was over.
"Well, Happy New Year. And who knows, maybe you'll be the next one married," Wyatt said.
"Happy New Year," David said, then jetted off into the sky himself in the direction of Houston.
"Shall we? We're already late for our own party," Alexandria said, holding out a hand to Wyatt. The hover boots he had on could go fast, but not intercontinental fast.
"I'm looking forward to my second New Year's Kiss," Wyatt told her, which made her laugh.
They flew off towards the past, the future chasing them from behind. Somehow though, Alexandria wasn't afraid for once. Come what may, she would not be dissuaded from her path.
Author's Note:
Hurricane Hone has passed, and I'm alright. However, Hurricane Gilma is right around the corner, though it will hopefully weaken before hitting (or missing). Either way, I'll probably miss Natlan for the first week or so as I take care of real life.
