The cold wind aches,
Yet I do not break.
All in service to His Majesty;
And still, I live in travesty.
A thousand years, a thousand fears.
***
She wished she could do more than fiddle her fingers, she wished she could do more than aimlessly stare at the Doctor in front of her. Dr. Haschwalth, Amiya remembered hearing and speaking that name constantly during a time long before, ingraining it deep into her psyche. She had shortened it to merely Doctor, and would occasionally have a certain accent leak out when speaking it.
He would usually point fun at her when she was little, but... now?
His gaze was almost empty, but Amiya would say "stern" was the more accurate word. It seemed impossible to receive any humor from his features. What was just as cold as his current demeanor, was definitely his body. The blizzard, when it forms and blows its howling breath, affects a wide area. Amiya was confident she was the closest to it, and therefore, would be the most affected.
...Really, it hurt.
Physically, the Doctor's body should have been in a decrepit state from prolonged cryostasis taking a toll on the body, but he didn't look one bit perturbed at all. Unless, of course, he was putting up an alloyed front, something the Cautus was very familiar with back before he had... unfortunately, suffered amnesia.
"What is the situation now?"
Amiya turned back, hearing Guard speaking in his communications device placed in his ear. She knew who the person on the other side was, Dobermann.
"We've just woken up the Doctor after... er, a brief scuffle, which also involved Reunion." He spoke somewhat vaguely, for a reason everybody understood why. After all, it wouldn't do them any good if one of their teams were thrown into the same confusion as everybody else, especially when separated.
Fortunately, no other questions were asked about the scuffle, most likely because Dobermann hadn't noticed from the undertones that the scuffle involved the Doctor.
Guard continued speaking while surveying the room, taking a glance at the Reunion corpse just by the door they had broken through. "Yeah, we remember the plan, and we'll rendezvous at our chosen place soon. Yes, yes, I'll relay this to Amiya and everybody else, too. In fact, I'm pretty sure they're all listening to me right now."
Everybody nodded, save for the Doctor, when he turned around to assess everybody. A few hums were thrown in the mix, filled with anxiety more than anything else. Medic in particular, was jumping her eyes between Guard, the Doctor, and the doorway, her emotions becoming clear to Amiya.
"They all nodded," Guard said, turning back.
A brief pause was given, the muffled voice of Dobermann, although incoherent, was enough for everybody to get a general gist of what it was attempting to communicate. "Yes ma'am! We'll get there as quickly as possible, then!" Especially with the last words of Guard.
"Guard," Amiya called to him, "are there any other important things Dobermann said?"
"Mhm, just to keep out of the sight of Reunion. We don't want to get into conflict and get ourselves distracted, especially with the trouble it'll bring." Guard scratched the back of his neck, before craning it. "So, uh... Doctor..." His attention—along with everybody else—turned toward the aforementioned Doctor. "Is everything alright now? We're in the clear with the misunderstandings back then, right?"
The Doctor stared silently at them, now standing up straight in front of the medical bed he had been set down on before. "If you believe so, then I have no qualms." His tone was a sturdy brick wall, his eyes laid to rest after continuously scanning the room before. "Even if I haven't a clue who you all are." Still, his voice was still level—neutrality present.
"Amnesia, right..." Guard whispered. "Well, as long as we aren't at each other's throats, then we can put the entire scuffle behind us. Don't worry, we're all in this together." He awkwardly stared at everybody else, not receiving much of a response from either them or the Doctor.
Amiya was about to break it for him, but paused when Guard took a step forward and placed his crossbow to the side, extending a hand toward the Doctor. Swiftly, and without any hint of failure.
"You already know who I am. My Operator codename is Guard, Doctor... Haschwalth. I've heard a lot of things about you."
"...I don't believe they hold much weight or merit when you regard a man with amnesia, do they?" Jugram stared down at the hand, and without a hitch, extended his own from underneath his white cloak, monotone, and carrying the bite of winter.
"Don't know what to say to that..." Guard nervously chuckled, shaking his hand. A bead of sweat could be seen trailing down like a dried river from the back of his neck, something Amiya's keen eye spotted.
"We'll discuss this all later," Amiya chimed in, taking the spotlight in order to get things moving, apparently much to the relief of everybody—barring Jugram—once more. "Dobermann instructed us to arrive at the rendezvous point, we can't keep her waiting." She received multiplicative signs of agreement. "And, Doctor..." She walked forward, as Guard stepped to the side to make room for her.
"Yes?" Jugram let his arms fall underneath his lengthy white veil, obstructing any action that could possibly be read.
"...I hope your memories resurface soon, I pray and believe that they will." Amiya looked upwards, taking note of his hefty height. "For now, I know everything's going to be very confusing for you, and—"
"I understand," he brushed her off with his words alone. "Perhaps I will come to be aware of these past experiences you are speaking of, or perhaps not." His eyes shifted to the entire room, blonde locks shifting with his movement. "But as you have said before, the situation does not call for these ruminations, with a clear threat coming after your... organization, Rhodes Island." His eyes darted toward the corpse Guard had glanced at before, the one he had caused with his own hands.
Somebody whispered under their breaths, "Nice reflexes, though..." Which had left them embarrassed when most of the attention was turned their way.
"I'm glad we're on the same page, then." Amiya visibly brightened, despite invisible clouds still lingering over her. "But, um... I'm not sure if I remember you being able to fight so well..." Her voice lowered. Truly, she hadn't remembered the Doctor being capable of throwing a syringe so fast, and utilizing some sort of Arts which caused his veins to glitter azure.
The other Operators shared the same sentiment, glancing at one another and shrugging. For them, the Cautus was confident that nobody had been debriefed on the possibility that the Doctor could fend himself off in battle, considering his records in the past for not being suited for such responsibilities. Colored them doubly surprised when he had restrained Amiya and slit the throat of an enemy within the blink of an eye.
Sharp and aware of his surroundings? Sure. Acting quicker than everybody else in taking direct action? Nearly unfathomable. He was the type of person to fall off of a burdenbeast and scream for help.
"Question it later," he deflected. "Where exactly is our rendezvous point?" The blonde-haired man glanced toward Guard, the person who had spoken on the communicator device.
"I can provide it." Amiya shot up, speaking for Guard. "Please, take this." She reached into her pocket with her small hands, procuring a phone-like device that could fit in the Doctor's hands comfortably. "It's called PRTS. You can find out rendezvous point on it."
"I see..." He squinted his eyes when receiving it, hovering it underneath him. A few seconds were given as everybody watched him register it with his piercing gaze, as if attempting to make heads over what it was. "PRTS..."
Amiya folded her hands in front of her, shifting her feet ever so slightly.
Five seconds.
Ten seconds.
Fifteen—
"Identity verification required. Select verification method."
A feminine digital voice filled the room, the device shining its artificial blue lights into Jugram's eyes. His lips thinned, his head tilting while analyzing the object, as if stabbing it through with an imaginary sword.
"Touch interface detected. Verification method selected. Fingerprint match found. Verification complete. Security clearance: 8."
A low hum escaped the Doctor. For a fleeting moment vanishing into the obscurity of time, a flash of confusion could be seen crossing his features, before steeling once more. The visage was completely pulled back and guarded.
"Welcome home, Dr. Haschwalth."
Amiya smiled softly toward the Doctor, closing her eyes and giving the warmest expression she could possibly muster. Her efforts would eventually come to waste, as she could only feel... conflicted emotions from the person she was directing it toward. There, her eyes opened and her smile quivered, watching him continue to blankly stare at the screen, conflict and turmoil rushing to the forefront of his mind.
Although he held an indomitable front, walls not even a Getsatzwachter's Arts could tear down, the Cautus could tell otherwise. She wanted to comfort him, and help him, but...
"A rather advanced piece of technology, I must say. Though, I worry if this device can be sabotaged in any fathomable way." Jugram immediately snapped out of the silence he had brought upon himself, balancing the phone between his single hand.
"You needn't stress about trivialities, Dr. Haschwalth."
He looked seldom visibly taken aback, before turning down toward the phone. Amiya slightly smiled seeing the almost aghast look on his face—if that was actually what she was seeing—when PRTS had spoken.
"You can speak," Jugram said, his natural demeanor coming back as quick as a flash of light. "Rather, converse would be more accurate."
"Indeed. Based on your worries about sabotage, it can be safely said this device has in-built defenses against EM waves and hacking attempts. There is no need to worry."
"Understood," he said in response, still analyzing it as if it were some sort of foreign piece of technology. In fact, Amiya wasn't quite sure what his assessment of it even was, whether it be confusion or judgement.
Amiya decided to speak again. "Doctor, ask it about connecting to Rhodes Island—"
"Unable to connect to Rhodes Island, interference has been detected on Rhodes Island's end. Only a partial neural network can be established. Unable to establish communication with Kal'tsit, who has yet to return to Rhodes Island."
"O-oh..." Amiya's Cautus ears deflated.
Jugram merely kept silent, not uttering a single word.
"On a side note. Dr. Haschwalth's safety has been confirmed. Primary mission, complete."
"PRTS." It was then the Doctor finally spoke up, his deep voice causing a spark in the device's lightning, as if it were telling him it was listening. "What is your main function? What is your purpose?"
"Please, ask one question at a time."
"...What is your main function?"
"My main function is to assist you in any of your endeavors, whether it be combat related or for miscellaneous means."
"What is your purpose?"
"I believe the previous response is sufficient enough to answer that question."
"How exactly are you supposed to assist me in combat?"
"I can provide a full survey of an area through drone cameras, and draw an outline of its map, including any enemies and Operators present. Verbal commands are not recommended, because the touchscreen feature is quicker in response to inputs."
"...A handy feature, PRTS."
Monotone. There was only monotony from his voice, and Amiya would have believed he was attempting to mimic the voice of the A.I., if she hadn't heard him speak in such a way before. Then, pulled the device back into his cloak, presumably placing it in some sort of pocket the Cautus could not see.
"Then..." Jugram glanced to his side, reaching for something, or attempting to feel for something familiar. Based on the perturbed look on his face, it did seem like her assessment was right. "...I recommend we depart at this very instance. We've already used up enough time, as is," he regarded everybody in the room.
"I agree, Doctor." Amiya clenched her fists and nodded, a determined look crossing her features. "We'll get out of Chernobog and sort everything out." Her ear twitched. "Oh, and I also forgot to mention, PRTS has a map outline of Chernobog and where we need to go. Sorry, I got distracted and forgot what you were asking for back then." She gave him an apologetic look not long after.
"I already discovered so, which is why I hadn't sought the matter any further." Jugram waved his hand dismissively.
"By the way, Doctor." Guard raised his hand from the side, speaking as if he had been waiting to do so. "I know we're pressed for time, but there was also something else we found in the Sarcophagus with you." He turned toward another Rhodes Island Operator, dressed in the same black and faded cyan. "It looked like one of your possessions. Hey, Defender, you have it right?"
The Rhodes Island Operator, codenamed Defender, nodded and placed his shield by the side. There, he lifted an object, a sheathed blade and presented it toward Jugram while walking toward him. The blonde-haired man gave a look of recognition, and at the same time, muted confusion at the instrument of war.
"Here," Defender said, handing it respectfully. "Doctor." He nodded, when Jugram thanked him, taking a step back as he watched the Doctor analyze it.
Amiya remembered it. For some inexplicable reason, the weapon had been found inside the Sarcophagus, when Kal'tsit had briefly commented that only the Doctor had been assigned to be put inside the gray coffin. The other members most likely didn't know, but for herself, she couldn't help but stare at the object suspiciously, wondering if somebody had broken their way inside and somehow opened the Sarcophagus to place it inside—all without approval.
She watched Jugram fiddle with the sword, his blue eyes just barely wider, taking in every single feature and detail that it possessed. The weapon sheathed inside could be denoted as a broadsword, a very broad sword based on how large the bladed portion was. There was a crossguard leading up from the long blade, and the handle was... also unnecessarily large, providing even more space than two hands.
His finger trailed toward where the handle was, taking in a deep breath as his finger caressed a portion toward it. Amiya swore she saw his eyes become more tender, while he brought it to eye level. There was a still silence permeating across the room, diluting it further from the tense anxiety everybody possessed. The Doctor then brought the handle toward his forehead, pressing the handle of the sword against it, and closed his eyes.
His mouth was mumbling something, but no words came out of it.
Amiya could just barely make out a word by lip-reading.
Friend.
Then there were the emotions she felt.
Sorrow.
Regret.
They burned. They fueled the pyre, producing such a cold temperature she would have never expected from such flames. No... they weren't any ordinary flames, they were like blue flames, and yet still contradicted their nature of heat, spreading an unending cold she found herself shivering in.
Wordlessly, an agreement sparked amongst all to not intrude during the fleeting moment. One they couldn't begin to fathom.
On the other side, Guard nudged Defender, reaching his hand up and pulling down his mask. The former then mouthed toward the latter, "Shouldn't we be going right now?" urgently. In which, he received an unknowing shrug from Defender, the Operator glancing elsewhere; toward Medic.
Medic squinted toward him, shaking her head, and then let out a long-winded sight. Silently, of course. Amiya couldn't help but give a small smile at their antics, and was now the one to make space in order for Medic to walk through, parting the crowd gathered around as Jugram continued to ruminate over something. Stuck in his turmoil of emotions, only she could feel.
"Dr. Haschwalth, I hope I'm not... intruding." She kept her tone safe, attempting to not offend the blonde-haired man. In response, he had parted from the finely-crafted blade, turning to assess her. "There was also a second object we found, that I kept hold of." Medic then brought an object out, discreet, large enough where her hand had difficulty holding it, but for anybody else of considerable size, they would be able to handle it with ease. "Please, take it. We believe all of these strange items placed inside belong to you."
Amiya frowned. She would have wanted to be the one to give them to the Doctor, but immediately squashed the thought, letting it splatter. It was much more worrying why they were even present, she needed to remind herself of that, and she would surely bring it up to Kal'tsit. Hopefully, she would know. Kal'tsit always knew something.
"Strange," Jugram muttered, openly showing his confusion for once in a long while. "How utterly strange." It looked as if he were undergoing a barrage of absurd events, most likely because he was, Amiya would like to believe.
"Is something wrong?" Medic arm lowered when she felt the weight of the strange object leave her hands.
"This Medallion," he noted, placing his sheathed blade by the side while shaking off his previous mood, attaching it to some belt capable of holding it. "...Hm, nothing. Nevermind. Do not pay much attention to my previous attitude, it was unnecessary." The silver Medallion had a five pronged star, with bulges in-between each of them. Its luster was unrivaled, only being matched by the gleam of the now-sheathed blade Jugram held by his side—not that anybody would know what its edge looked like.
Amiya felt as if there was more to it than what he had said. There was something she sensed inside of that Medallion, like it was... alive? She couldn't read anything else, which further piqued her curiosity. Sadly, whatever mystical item it was, a barrier of sorts kept her from reading its emotions. Once more, the mystery kept being piled with books, each holding a thousand pages of 5 point text-sized words.
"Then let us move." True to his words, he started moving, passing by Amiya—
Amiya blinked owlishly a few times. She swore there was a blue thread of energy attaching to her heart, leading from the blonde-haired man. However, it had only appeared within a fraction of a second before vanishing into non-existence. Now she had to wonder, was it the same phenomenon—in terms of relation—toward the three red irises she saw before? Or was she... hallucinating a grand dream? She didn't want to think that.
Especially not when the Doctor's brows twitched in confusion, showing that he must have also seen the blue thread somehow. Their eyes met, and a brief silence hung between the two, dangling awkwardly. It was only after a second or so did he turn away, being the first to break eye contact and leave the situation behind them. It was too bad, because Amiya felt the urge to ask him if he had seen the strange occurrence too, but seeing how he had seemingly dismissed or ignored it; perhaps it wouldn't be a good idea to bring it up.
The Cautus felt her ears droop downwards, watching him walk past her without a single word. Considering how adamant he was with keeping things moving forward due to the dangers lurking from around the corner... Amiya decided to keep the questions inside, but still close to her heart in order to remember them.
Off to the side, Defender and Guard could visibly be seen sighing, muttering under their breaths an inaudible, "Finally."
***
The arid wind blew on Jugram inside the area's interior. Wherever this place was, it was a large institution which housed a peculiar object known as the Sarcophagus, something he had been found awake inside. A sinister contraption? Perhaps, but he was still unfamiliar with what it was, other than that it was a sufficient piece of technology. How he had come to be inside it after being exposed to an unhealthy dosage of Auswählen's heavenly starlight, was completely lost on him.
Now he was walking through a tunnel, surrounded by thousands of tons of steel, keeping his steps as silent as possible. If he had become a fogged figure of something taking the shape of Jugram Haschwalth, then it wouldn't be too out of speculation considering how well-versed his skills had become after living a thousand years. Even then, it didn't help the glacial embrace the air seemed to be battering him with.
"Are you okay, Doctor?" Then there was the concerned voice of the bunny-eared girl, Amiya.
He addressed her, "There is no concern needed." After all, he had been in far worse conditions compared to a little cold. The only reason why it had affected him so, was because his body had just left from cryostasis. "The effects will subside." Even then, his body...
"If you say so..." Amiya was trailed behind by the rest of the Operators from Rhodes Island.
The girl... he didn't have much of an opinion on her. The features she possessed surely escaped the realm of ordinary, as he didn't remember humans back in the World of the Living possessing animal characteristics, but the Sternritter Grandmaster had come to consensus with himself; and that was to not be surprised by it. After all, he had somehow entered a body which he speculatively concluded was an alternate universe counterpart of himself—in some way.
"You're following the map, right?" the rabbit-eared girl said again. "The one PRTS showed you."
"I am," Jugram said. It was best to follow along with them, they were the only allies he had, and the only source of information he had access to.
"You're not looking at the device, though..."
"I already memorized the entire map."
"H-huh? Really?" Amiya attempted to match the same rhythmic footsteps as the blonde-haired man, seeing how silent they were. "You did?" she whispered. They were all whispering, in fact, in order to not alert nearby enemies.
"Yes," he curtly said.
She gave him a proud smile. Strange for a girl her age, but he ignored it.
Currently, all he knew was that they were in an Ursus city called Chernobog. They were attempting to extract him and bring him back to where Rhodes Island was, which happened to also be a pharmaceutical company. Reunion, their enemy who had a very noticeable uniform—were for some reason—attacking or targeting them. Reasons? Unknown.
Troublesome? In no way was it troublesome, merely confusing. It didn't matter much to him, after all, he had been in unfamiliar land before, being sent toward frigid wastes and blade-ridden battlefields in order to conquer land for the Wandenreich. Either that, or he had to clear out dissenters who had "dared" to point their fangs toward His Majesty, the Father of All Quincies.
Suddenly, a pang hit his heart, causing him to widen his eyes and place his hand on the side, retching and coughing.
"Doctor!" Amiya was the first to react, snapping into motion. "Are you alright?!" Her voice miraculously kept a low tone, not exerting her vocal chords in the slightest.
"...Indeed." Jugram sucked in a deep breath while stabilizing himself, feeling the rabbit girl latch onto his side, attempting to support him. "There is no need to aid me, I am quite fine." He brought himself back, and lightly pushed the girl away.
"Doctor..." She held a complex look.
"Trouble yourself no longer, and you will not trouble me." Standing once more with a straight posture, the blonde-haired man now looked presentable. For his own standards. "Keep moving." His steps were a pitch faster, before everybody else started to follow his lead.
His heart... there was something clotting it. He didn't know what, but it must have been an aftereffect of Auswählen. How foolish was he to believe that having his powers sucked away from him wouldn't lead to—wait, in fact—his abilities were still present. The Balance and... every other Quincy technique he had learned before.
Although his mind had pushed it to the side, it still bothered him how he mysteriously possessed anything at all. Him surviving could be expected and brushed off as happenstance. Still holding the abilities granted to him, and which were supposedly stripped away from him in blinding blue lights? Impossible. Illogical. Yet here he was, possessing them in the palm of his hands, fingers still clenched, with his essence ladened inside.
"Please, if you need help..." Amiya's voice brought his attention back to her. "Just say so..." Her voice was more meager than before, her rabbit ears twitching as she gave him a saddened look.
Then there was this girl. His Soul Distribution Power had immediately activated upon passing her, much to his surprise—and she had also seemingly felt it. "My condition may seem concerning, but it is surely no bother," he clarified once more. "You have—"
A rumbling sound was heard, clamping against the ground, rattling the steel.
He felt a shadow cast over his face as the Operators around, including Amiya, widened their eyes. They immediately sprung into action, adrenaline spiking through their veins as they drew their weapons and shield.
Jugram covered his eyes with his hand as his brows creased, head arching upwards.
Three red irises, a pair, now numbering six in total.
Two from the front, stomping their feet and brandishing crossbows. They were all pointed toward his group.
Two from the back, holding melee weapons, ready to take upon the opportunity of siccing the group like a pack of hounds with their rusted blades. Upon their hands were also leashes, letting go of them and letting feisty dogs trained for slaughter charge them headfirst, most likely as cannon fodder.
"...Two crossbowmen arriving behind, two machete-wielders arriving in front." Jugram's voice broke through the tense air, speaking his commands. "Someone must fire immediately toward the back, and someone else must shield us from the front. Ready your tools."
Mouths dropped open at the rapid-fire commands, before they immediately shut. A simple command executed from the machine, and they were going to follow it. Although they started off on a bad foot, the rumors they heard about the Doctor had sprung into their minds, unconditionally setting them toward their destined positions.
"Guard, fire two shots now, both angled fifteen degrees left and right from your axis, even if it's toward empty air," Jugram commanded. "Left first, right second, with a half interval delay. Their heads are higher than five feet, no more than six. Keep it in that range."
Guard pointed his crossbow toward where the crossbowmen were fated to appear, and fired off two rounds in preparation, despite the thinly-veiled hesitance he held. "A-are you sure?!" he called out, but he had already felt the recoil of two bolts exiting.
"Defender, toward the front. Amiya, if you can do anything, I suggest you act." He still didn't know the capabilities of the rabbit-eared girl, so he gave the best commands he could. "Medic, stay back, be prepared to treat any injuries." He received nods of approval, albeit restrained. The only person who wholeheartedly followed him was Amiya.
"Yes, Doctor!" Amiya said. Although surprised by his actions, it would be a lie to say she had ever doubted this side of him.
"R-roger!" Defender unlatched his shield, the barrier clanging against the ground as he ran in front of Jugram. "Amiya! Now!"
With those words, the Cautus raised her hand, sparking with black and red lines. Some black ore could be seen on the back of her hand underneath the cuffs of her outfit, radiating a strange signature to Jugram. He ignored it, temporarily.
At that moment, the enemies had appeared. The two crossbowmen, who had peered from the corner, were embedded with two crossbow bolts as predicted. One of them had one going through their right eye, while the other had one going through their mouth, both dropping down. A corpse, and a writhing existence of pitiful torment soon to vanish.
Jugram didn't take regard to it, but he could hear Guard audibly let out a breath in amazement, along with Medic's mouth droning open. His attention turned back to Amiya, as the hounds of war finally burst through the door, let out from their binding leashes, charging toward the group. Her powers... they weren't Reiatsu or Reishi. They were something completely foreign.
A large spark which left the girl shocked herself rumbled out, immediately tearing the hounds apart. To be more accurate, they had been pulverized into red mist, leaving Amiya agape at what she had caused, as if it were wholly unexpected.
Jugram surmised it was his Soul Distribution Power coming into play, improving the strength and growth of others. He thought of tearing it away back then, something he could manually do, but since he was in the presence of allies, then it wouldn't be harmful granting them all the benefits.
He took a step forward, passing by Defender who was whistling at the gory sight with mixed emotions.
"What are you doing?" Amiya broke away from her stupor and addressed Jugram with a panicked breath. "Please, leave it to—"
"There's no need to be so troubled," he said, still advancing forward.
Although the two Reunion melee swordsmen were afraid from the sight of their hounds being burst into nothing but puddles of blood, they still were still driven by some fervor. They charged forward, screaming like buffoons toward Jugram. Zero sense of preservation, was it?
He blindingly flicked his wrist underneath his cloak.
"Fool," he chided, face ever unmoving.
A glint of silver pervaded the scenery at fierce speeds. Like the heat of the Earth rising up into the sky, and then like a star falling onto the crust of the planet, the Sword of Judgement completed two motions. Now they knew the steel paintbrush paints, and this time, in the color of burgundy.
The soon-to-be-carcasses split, flinging backwards at tremendous speeds and crashing against the ground. A trail of blood followed them, splashing uncontrollably, but none of them had so much as reached a feet of staining his white cloak. With a flick of his broadsword, Jugram dispelled all blood tainting its sheen, and resheathed it—once more in two motions.
The Operators lowered their weapons, sights all focused on his lone figure.
Jugram glanced behind, expression muted, emitting not a single visual note they could read.
A cycle of thoughts ran through all of them, with one coming out the most prominent from that cluttered mess:
They were in good hands.
Hands that beheld the Almighty.