On Astral Tides: From Humble Freelancer To Astral Emperor

Sitting outside a café, a little to the north of where Hyacinth and I had been while in the Territory of Princess Eleanor, I was sipping a coffee, trying not to pay attention to the stares of passers-by. Well, we are quite the eye-catching group. Even making an effort to blend in, with hats, sunglasses and other accessories, we attracted notice, considering we had a hulking, muscled man like Grulgor, as well as some incredibly beautiful women with us.

“So, here we are, Aki.” Shiro was saying, a smile on her face, her dark eyes hidden behind a big pair of sunglasses. They didn’t really suit her, but then again, Shiro looked good in anything. “What’s the play?”

“A good question.” I mused. “Well, for once, hopefully we are being proactive, rather than reactive. If we had a Ring Gate, that might make our choice easy, but we don’t, and even if we did, if something happens here in the Material, we’d be screwed. But yes, proactive.” I repeated.

“Indeed, we can not-not wait for matters to slowly come to a head.” Shaeula, who was wearing a wide-brimmed hat to shade her doll-like features, as well as a more Western-style dress than her usual yukata, pointed out. Her small hands were clutching a coffee as well. “We have many-many demands on our time, and while I do appreciate your efforts to save troubled females…” her lips twitched into a smile. “… we can not-not travel halfway around the world and put all our own plans on hold, just-just for her. If she was not-not one of these Princesses Tsukiko spoke of, at least.”

“I dooo not like her.” Hyacinth, in the modest maid outfit, muttered. She was wearing a coat over the top, and sunglasses, so she looked simply like a pretty young woman with care taken to dye her hair in vivid, colourful streaks. Even so, passers-by shivered unconsciously from the aura she was giving out, as she was in a foul mood. “If she was tooo die, it would serve her right for spitting ooon what Akio has given her.”

“No, she listened, at least a little.” I shook my head, exasperated. “I think in a way it’s praiseworthy to always believe in your friends. A little stupid, considering, but worthy of praise. After all, I believe in you all, right?”

Shaeula, Shiro and Hyacinth perked up at that. Even Grulgor stood taller, muscles bulging under his suit. The only one who seemed out of place was Chen Na, who wasn’t in disguise, as there was no need. Fortunately, as Haru-san’s Chosen Hero, she could now understand Japanese, but I spoke to her in Mandarin when I could, as it seemed to ease her anxiety. Though considering her crimes, that’s probably unneeded courtesy. No, there’s no point holding it against her during this mission…

“Of course you do, Aki.” Shiro snorted. “Though if you think about it, Shaeula, Grulgor, Hyacinth, Chen Na, me… we’ve all been enemies at some point, right? Though I’d argue it was Tan, not me, who attacked you. I’m the only one who would rather have died than hurt you.” She boasted, and Shaeula sniffed.

“Do not-not be foolish. After all, you accepted Tan, thus responsibility lies with you. You are not-not any better than us!”

“I’m glad everyone is so relaxed we can banter.” I said, drawing their attention back to me. “But seriously, we need to resolve matters quickly. Ideally, taking Max Power and Mary Stuart into custody would be a good start, Shaeula, you can use your befuddling winds, buffed by Shiro, to easily make them spit out the truth.”

“Grulgor thinks it will be difficult to find them. Surely it will not be so easy.” the troll interjected, showing off his higher intelligence. Shaeula snickered at Grulgor contributing to the conversation, but his point was good.

“Yes, Yasaka-san might be able to give us some clues when he recovers, but from the way Max Power, or whoever replaced him, seemed to give us misleading nonsense when the Book of Providence was asked, I’m not convinced. No… I have another plan. We touched on it briefly on the flight over, right?”

“Force their hands.” Shiro said, nodding. “If we start causing a situation where they believe that their plan to get to Eleanor is in danger, they’ll be forced to act, and since nobody knows we are here or what we can do…” she clapped her hands together loudly. “… the trap is sprung.”

“Yeah.” I agreed. “But we have to decide on just how to pull that off. A lot will depend on what Hyacinth can do.” At my words, she stood straighter, face hidden behind her sunglasses radiating pride.

“I can dooo it! Although, they will nooot live without a suitable source of nourishment.” She warned, and I nodded.

“Hopefully what I retrieved before we left should cover that. If it works, a lot of our problems will disappear.” As we were talking the sound of sirens could be heard, and several ambulances raced past. Since that was a daily occurrence in a large city we paid it no mind and continued planning.

“We don’t know if Max Power really has exerted some sort of mind control on everyone. So we want to avoid killing where possible.” I looked at Chen Na. “Your skills will be invaluable. You’ve learned to do what the Judge of Death was doing with your powers, right?”

She nodded weakly. “I can trap people in barrier bubbles. Though as he found out, it isn’t impossible to escape…”

“It doesn’t need to be…” I said, more ambulances screaming down the road past us, sirens blaring, followed by a military truck. Around us, people were looking at their phones, and panicked murmurs were spreading, so I motioned for everyone to be silent.

“… have you heard? The Tower of London was attacked by terrorists…” one man was saying to his wife.

“I know, it’s not a joke. The BBC is showing footage from outside the Palace as well. Don’t look, it’s horrible. To think a grandchild of the Queen could be so horribly maimed…”

“Aki, you don’t think…?” Shiro began, fumbling for her own phone. More ambulances, police cars, fire engines and military transports were roaring towards central London, and overhead helicopters were flying. No way. How can we be too late? This time we planned ahead!

“… scenes live from Buckingham Palace.” A female reporter from the BBC was saying. “… before he could be put into the helicopter and airlifted, Prince Henry’s mutilated body was seen as a gust of wind blew the blanket that was covering him away. Some… no, all viewers will find the following footage distressing.”

Prince Henry? Hurt in the Palace? He must have been in the Boundary. I warned him about that, and Eleanor knows the risks, so… Footage came up on the screen, and it was of two paramedics rapidly carrying a wrapped body, only for the wind to blow, and as they stumbled, the blanket revealed a pale, horribly burned prince Henry, one arm missing at the shoulder.

“Damn, he looks worse than I did.” Shiro said softly, and she took off her sunglasses, meeting my eyes. “Tan thinks those burns are tainted with adherence, just like mine were.”

“In that case…” I stood up. “Looks like the situation has turned for the worse.” Behind us, the TV in the café was now on, displaying the scene at the Tower. It was cordoned off, surrounded by ambulances, police, and a number of soldiers. Though the press couldn’t get close to the Tower grounds, it was still possible to see the dead bodies being carried out. This makes Kyoto look easy to cover up. It’s not like they can say the Prince got attacked by terrorists inside the palace, and if he’s healed, who would believe it done by science? “… let’s go.” I urged them to follow me. “Looks like as always we’re a step behind, but this time, at least it’s only a single step, and we’re on the scene as shit is going down.”

“It’s a real shame.” Shiro commiserated me. “Our plan to catch the mice with a threatening cat and some tasty cheese was pretty good. You’re becoming quite the planner, Aki.” Before I could retort, I caught sight of a man talking to the police and soldiers on the screen. He was young, and I had caught a glimpse of him at Princess Eleanor’s gala. He’s one of her party, right? Donovan, I believe? He exchanged some words with the defensive cordon, and I was obviously unable to hear them, as the camera crew were interested in other matters, and then he was past, running towards the Tower.

“We should move. Our plans may have changed, but what we must do has not-not.” Shaeula affirmed.

“Right. The question is, just what’s going on in the Material? We should send…” my words were interrupted by the news anchor on the TV, who looked shocked, before saying in a grave voice. “We bring you breaking news, the Queen and Prime Minister are holding a joint press conference regarding the matter of the Tower of London and the fate of Prince Henry.” Phones around us started beeping, and all of the British were getting alerts delivered to their phones with a link. “It seems that the prototype Emergency Alert system is being used, every citizen who can watch should.”

The second anchor spoke. “This is unprecedented. I think history is being made today, a grim one to match the eleventh of September, or the seven-seven attacks. No, even then, the Queen never…”

“I have to stop you there. The broadcast is going live in five. Four. Three. Two. One.” Phones lit up around us, and every TV screen was displaying a haggard-looking Queen, her expression completely at odds with the sly cheerfulness of when last I had seen her. Beside her, his bluster gone, stood the blonde Prime Minister, looking grave and solemn, and on the other side, a man I didn’t recognise, in full military uniform. Subtitles then came up, referring to him as General Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff, and highest military officer in Britain.

“This is bad…” Shiro whispered, and beside her Shaeula agreed.

“Indeed. It does not-not take Foresight to know that something is about to change. But…” she looked at me as the Queen was about to speak. “… it changes nothing for us, does it-it? We know what we must-must do.”

I nodded, as the Queen spoke. “To every citizen of Britain, and to those of you watching around the world, it pains us to speak of this, but we must…”

No, it does change nothing. It might make our task here harder, but… if we don’t have to tread softly… I’m confident we can handle anything. Eleanor, you idiot. I just hope you listened to us, and can hang on…

********

“How did it come to this?” The Queen said, her expression crestfallen. “Henry… will he live?”

“His wounds are incredibly grave, but the bleeding was stopped by quick thinking from Princess Eleanor.” Her private physician said. One look at the Prince and an emergency airlift in a fully equipped medivac helicopter was arranged. “The burns though… they don’t look like anything I’ve ever seen. With Princess Eleanor gone, and Melissa Masters so hysterical she was unable to explain anything… just how did the Prince suffer such injuries? I fear he will never recover.”

“He will.” The Queen declared, despite her trepidation. “As for what happened, you’ll soon know. The Prime Minister and Chief of Staff will be here shortly, where we will confess to the world, and ask for aid.” This is a betrayal of the international agreements made with our allies, but… this is the only way. Unlike the Japanese in Kyoto, where there was a clear scapegoat, here we have nothing. But… The freak gust of wind that exposed Henry to the press seemed almost fated. Now that he had been seen, there were only two outcomes. And I choose the one that lets Henry live his life. Akio Moonstone Oshiro. I have seen the reports on his miraculous healing abilities. Felt his skills personally as well. He… he can save Henry, can’t he? And if he does, then Henry would have to go into seclusion for as long as this secrecy lasts. Besides… it is not just Henry at stake. Eleanor, my favourite granddaughter…

General Carter burst in, in full dress uniform, his expression matching hers. He saluted the Queen, as Head of State, before letting out a soft sigh. “The situation is a disaster. Some of our soldiers have been incapacitated and several of the Gods’ Chosen have fled the testing site. There were no fatalities, fortunately, but our pursuing forces were unable to track them. The rest… they have gone into slumber, all but a few, who attacked each other. It’s madness.”

“It seems we have been careless, over-proud.” The Queen sighed, a tear streaking down her wrinkled cheek. “We did not wish to think, just like our dear granddaughter, that we would be betrayed.”

“We could have those in our custody … dealt with.” General Carter said chillingly. “It wouldn’t be the first of these Gods’ Chosen we’ve had to put down for acts against the interests of the public and Great Britain.”

The Queen shook her head. “How can we? Those who assaulted the troops and fled, we have some grounds to have them arrested, and even shot if they resist, as legally, we believe we could make a case that their powers count as armed resistance. But those that have gone merely to slumber… what if they are rushing to aid Eleanor, and we deprive her of needed help, the consequences of that disastrous?” Those of us who are not Chosen, we understand so little. Foolish Henry, even if he was able to step foot inside Avalon, that is not his world. But it is a world we must protect… even at the cost of Eleanor’s life, my life. The Crown changes, but the duty remains the same. As a Monarch, I can’t make the choice that puts the Tower in jeopardy. But as a grandmother, I wish… “… without Gods’ Chosen, we are unable to protect ourselves from what will come. Perhaps when we speak…” The Prime Minister is making calls, preparing for a conference. And more importantly, calling for aid. Though it will be many hours, perhaps a day, before it arrives. And I can only pray that is not too late.

Her thoughts churning, the Queen continued. “… freely to the public, we will discover more, those brave souls who will choose to aid us, aid Britain. But if we slay those who can protect us carelessly, even to save my precious granddaughter…” her face fell. “There are no guarantees. Perhaps if one returns to us from Avalon, revealing the truth of the situation, matters can be managed.”

“It’s a great shame that the military hasn’t developed any Gods’ Chosen of note. Though sadly, it seems to be a game of numbers, and our Armed Forces have reduced in scale year-on-year of late. So we can’t be surprised.” General Carter said, letting out another long sigh. “If we had trained military Gods’ Chosen, they would be able to report on the situation clearly and we could respond. Fighting blind, when both ally and enemy is unclear, and each loss is irreplaceable… we need intelligence.”

“Supposedly, that is what our foolish grandson was doing, reconnaissance. Not that we were able to get much out of Melissa, the poor girl. She is sedated and a doctor is watching her. It is no surprise.” It must be horrible. Apparently Henry’s arm and leg are there. They have put them on ice, but they are beyond saving. Eleanor’s healer did the best she could, but…

The Prime Minister entered, his expression tense. “Your Majesty, we are ready, your media team are assembled. Are you sure about this? I’ve made the main call myself, and have Gerard making other contacts. I’ll say, it didn’t go down well, but… well, no time, I’ll tell you afterwards!” he said, taking his post beside her, as did General Carter.

The crew quickly positioned the cameras and microphones, while a servant tried to do the Queen’s makeup, since she was looking so haggard and dark-eyed, but she waved her off angrily. There is no time for such foolishness, not when my granddaughter and the country itself is at stake.

“Your Majesty, we’ll be going live in Five. Four. Three…” the Queen took a deep breath as her Press Secretary counted her in, steeling herself, the Prime Minister and General beside her, and she looked at the camera. I will owe Britain’s allies a great debt for this, but the secrecy is slowly beginning to shatter anyway. I am simply the first to speak of it openly. Perhaps that is arrogant of me. Other countries who have little diplomatic relations with the West may have already started moving… Taking a deep breath she spoke to the people of Britain, no, of the world.

“To every citizen of Britain, and to those of you watching around the world, it pains us to speak of this, but we must be honest, and no longer hide the truth. You are surely aware of the terrible events that have occurred at both the Tower of London and at the Palace today. We appreciate all your outpourings of grief for the brave people who have lost their lives, and our grandson Henry. As you may have guessed, Henry’s injuries are no accident. Even now, as our son and daughter-in-law rush to be beside him, your prayers are welcome.” She paused, letting her grief show. No more hiding matters.

“We are at a crossroads. By we…” She managed a smile, finding some small, bitter humour even in the situation now. “…. We do not simply refer to ourselves, but the country, you the people, and the Monarchy. We can no longer cover up the truth. We have had a solemn duty for as long as we have borne the crown. Just as our father did, and his before him. Even when Britain changed hands, before even there was a unified England, a United Kingdom with Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, our Royal family, every Royal family, had this duty, unbelievable as it was. We found it hard to believe, despite the records. Yet it is true.”

She took a long breath, feeling the eyes of the world on her. “It is hard to fathom, in our neat, ordered world. We press a button, and there is light. Turn a faucet, and there is water. We can speak to someone half a world away, no, even outside the world, if they are floating high above us on the International Space Station.” Her words were powerful, assured, despite her grief, as she realised that this might have been the moment she was born for. And my burden still pales compared to Eleanor’s. Be safe, my granddaughter. I pray that your friends will stick by you…

“But science is not all there is. No, it is merely a way to understand the world, and there are other ways, other powers.” She gestured, and her Press Secretary sent some files to the BBC. “We have no doubts there will be scepticism. But we can prove it. Show it to the world. This is about more than just us. Long ago, there were powers beyond our understanding, of Fae, Spirits and Gods….”

Her words continued, explaining that the powers merely faded, the Spirits and Fae retreating to another world parallel to ours, that contained more of this energy, a shallow pool left over from the boundless seas of Avalon, in which the Earth was now a pebble cresting the surface, dry yet now beginning to absorb more moisture. As she talked, even her own staff struggling to believe it, she moved on to Eleanor, and the truth.

“Our beloved granddaughter, Eleanor, she was one of these who a God has chosen. The Green Man, one of the oldest beings to walk Britain in ages past. Now, religion is a… troubling… thing. We have no wish to become embroiled in a debate on whether these are truly Gods or not, or what is righteous. What we know is they are powerful. And though their blessings, a handful of us have become powerful too. Our granddaughter is a superhero.” She smiled bitterly. “Still a scared cry-baby at times, but she has grown remarkably, and I am happy to see it. Sadly though, she has a cross to bear, carrying our burden, that of Britain. If we do nothing, that which protects Britain will be lost, and our granddaughter and those who fight for our cause will perish, leaving us alone and unprotected in the new world. We cannot allow this. So we implore you all…”

These are the most important words I can say. “… set aside your anger, your greed, your grief, your envy. Work with us, not against us. You may be angry, or hate us, but we have the best of intentions. If you wish to hurt Eleanor, as a grandmother, I say… please. Relent. This is your Britain, your world. We implore you, if we do not all work together, then we will fall together.” She stood and bowed humbly, showing her sorrow at the necessary lies until now.

“I am General Carter, Chief of Staff for the Military. Needless to say, this is not a prank, nor a misunderstanding. Allow me to brief you on some urgent particulars…”

As the Queen sat down, mentally exhausted, the Prime Minister leaned in. “Good job, your Majesty. I think you covered everything. It’s unbelievable, but sooner or later people will accept it. The footage you released of Eleanor testing her abilities should allay some doubts.”

“We have done her a disservice. Keeping her skills secret would be of benefit to her, but as a Royal, she has to make many necessary sacrifices. We pray…” her lip wobbled, her distress plain. “… that is the only sacrifice she has to make. Do we have any news on what is occurring in Avalon?”

“Not yet.” The Prime Minister shook his head. “However, I do have one piece of welcome news.”

“Oh? We could use some good news now, and a lot of brandy. But we will not drink until Eleanor and the Tower is confirmed safe.”

“Well, hopefully you can crack the bottle shortly. I’ll be right there with you, your Majesty. I spoke to my opposite number, Prime Minister Abe in Japan. Apparently Akio Moonstone Oshiro should already be in Britain, along with some companions.”

How surprising. “Did he say why? And… how did they get in without your knowledge?”

“He says it was a private matter, and apologises for the stealthy entry. Considering the circumstances, we can hardly complain at the insult when we are seeking aid.”

“There are only two possibilities.” The Queen said, her expression pensive. “Either they are behind this outrage at the Tower, which seems unlikely, as we think it is rather strange they then would have admitted anything, and it does not fit their efforts to warn us of this disaster and prepare us, or…” hope surged inside her. “… they are here because they were waiting for this to happen, and are ready to aid us!”

“I think so. If we could use them even to get some clarity on the situation, we could use the military to put down the traitors, we have most of their sleeping bodies, though not all…” The Prime Minister said.

“We dare hope for more. Ask for aid, beg for it. We will pay any price to save Eleanor and what the Tower protects, and to preserve as many loyal Gods’ Chosen as we can. We will even allow those who aid us the chance to see if any of the treasures we have hoarded from all over these isles are compatible with them.”

“What if they want something else?” he asked quickly, seeing as the General was finishing and it would soon be his time to speak.

“Then we will grant it, so long as those three things are not compromised. Go, speak quickly.” As the Prime Minister grabbed his phone, stepping aside, the Queen adopted a stony, regal poise, though behind that perfect mask, her thoughts were racing…

********

All around us there was uproar, people looking at their phones or televisions in disbelief. Arguments were breaking out, and people were spilling out of shops and homes into the street. While the General was talking, detailing a little about Gods’ Chosen, footage was also playing of Eleanor, vaulting a wall and running at a speed that would shatter all world records in sport, as well as other, older images of her regenerating injuries during testing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“So, looks like the cat’s out of the bag, not trapping the mice.” Shiro snickered, though I could see worry in her eyes. “The situation must be bad if this is the result. It’s going to cause havoc all over the world, especially back in Japan, right?”

“There’s no way that Kyoto won’t be seen for what it was now. The public were angry, now they’ll likely be aggrieved we lied to them.” I said, concerned. But that’s for later. “The situation is shit, so we need to respond. We’ll find a place to enter the Boundary, and then we’ll head for the Tower there. But…” I remembered that Donovan was in the Material. “… we need someone to head to the Tower here. Just in case. We need information, and he’s a prime source.”

“I shall go.” Shaeula said, nodding. “I am more-more than capable of defending myself, and my winds will make all tell me what we wish-wish to know. I can then-then relay information to whoever is watching your bodies, before joining you.”

“That seems a good plan.” I agreed. With Shaeula handling it I’m not concerned, she isn’t that much weaker than I am, I doubt any Chosen here is her match. Though there are other concerns, like the police and military cordon… As we headed through the rapidly-filling streets, my phone rang, and I could see it was Abe-san, Japan’s Prime Minister. Picking up, he launched into his words without a pause for greetings or indeed a breath.

“Akio-san, there’s no time. We’ve been contacted by Britain’s Government, asking for aid. Politically, it’s perfect, though they already owe us for this.” His words tumbled out. “Despite the late hour, all the news stations in Japan are being bombarded with calls, as is every police station, the Government… I was dragged out of bed as soon as this happened. Well, it was too much to hope that our news stations wouldn’t immediately run with such an unprecedented live broadcast from abroad. People are flocking out into the streets, and the demonstrations are likely to flare up about Kyoto, a hundred times hotter than before.”

“I expected that.” I broke in. “Get to the point. We’re about to try and sort this mess out now. What do they want and what are they offering?”

“They want Eleanor’s safety and the Tower of London to remain in her hands. And if possible, to save the lives of as many loyal Chosen as possible.”

“Loyal? That implies some are disloyal.” I said, and he laughed bitterly.

“Apparently they can’t say for certain, but some of them attacked their guards and fled, while the rest have entered the Boundary without permission. They were administering psychological tests and interviews to try and establish if your concerns were valid…”

“How about there?” Shiro tugged my sleeve, pointing to a small business hotel. I nodded, and we headed in, Shiro quickly securing us a room.

“At least they were taking me somewhat seriously, but you can’t stop Chosen like that, not when they can enter the Boundary. Sure, you have their Material bodies, but damaging them or killing them might turn out to be a mistake, if they were innocent after all, and responding to a crisis. Then no British Chosen would ever trust their Government again when that got out. Shit.” I swore wholeheartedly. At least we can react quickly. That’s enough to be grateful for.

“In exchange…” Abe-san continued. “They have access to some ancient relics, supposedly, and any of you who aid them will be allowed to see if you are compatible with any of them. Then, there’s a lot of benefits we get as a country…”

“Try and hold out for not just us here, but a few more of us, like the girls, my sister, Ixitt, Haru-san… I don’t want to be seen as heartless, but if they’d have listened to us, this mess wouldn’t be as bad as it seems to be. So we are owed compensation.”

“Oh, and the Queen would ask for Henry to be healed, if you can.” He finished.

“Yes, afterwards. It might take a few weeks, if it’s adherence burns, but I should be able to manage.”

“Great. Well, there’s no sleep for me tonight.” Abe-san said. I could hear several female voices calling out in the background, a touch grumpy. “My wife and daughter are both going to give me hell. I’ll be on the phone with the British again now. if I get any information I’ll call.”

“I’ll probably be out of touch, but sure.” I said. “So, do we know anything?” I asked. Shiro and Hyacinth had already jumped on the bed, Shiro calling on aether as she gave us all the blessings of Anesidora, while Shaeula’s eyes were gleaming, her small fists clenched.

“They believe Max Power attacked the tower and killed the disguised guards there. Though they can’t be certain, the recordings are distorted. And they’ve lost track of Mary Stuart and her followers. Other than that, no.”

“I see. Well, I’ll leave you to the task of trying to put out fires in Japan then. Good luck.” I said, before hanging up. “All right, Shaeula, go. Grulgor…” I grinned, giving them my instructions, as he waited behind. He laughed happily, and then I turned to Chen Na. “Come on, get going. You’ll be earning your keep today…”

With nervous, resigned eyes she lay down beside Hyacinth, and moments later her body was an empty shell. With that I climbed in next to Shiro, after giving Grulgor my phone.

“Grul knows what to do.” He grumbled. “When the princess gets back, Grulgor will join you. After making sure all is well.” Shaeula had leapt out of the room, and I could feel the tang of her befuddling winds in the air.

Great. In that case… time to clean up this mess. And with that, I too entered the Boundary, just outside the area of Territory Eleanor had claimed…