The Second Archon War, Carmen Dei 17 (Patreon)

Carmen Dei 17: Who Do You Say Am I?

To say that the theater was packed would have been a gross understatement. Keith briefly flirted with calling the fire marshal before something disastrous happened but decided against it. There couldn’t be anything more dangerous than having Scion himself show up, or Allfather. He’d known there were ties between American Neo-Nazi groups and the Gesellschaft, but having it so blatantly exposed was something else.

Still, the excited atmosphere was thrilling, and Keith found that he was grinning with eager anticipation. He turned to his companions and half-shouted over the crowd, “Have you seen them perform before?”

“Yeah bro!” Itul said excitedly, his deep voice easily piercing through the noise. “Me and the Tone Deaf Bards, we go way back!”

“He means they met less than a month ago,” Cookie said, sounding bored as she leaned in close to her friend, using Itul as a cushion.

“I, uh, well, that’s…I was at their first performance!” Itul defended, looking embarrassed. Then he leaned in close to Cookie and hissed, “Don’t make me look bad in front of Legend!”

“Don’t blow his cover and we’ll count it even,” Cookie said with a shrug.

The three of them were in Bremen for the final night of their concerts here; this being the first time Legend had been free to show up, and Keith was a bit disappointed he couldn’t have brought Arthur and Keith Jr. with him.

The lights finally turned down low, and the audience went silent. Keith even found himself holding his breath in anticipation. The curtains lifted, and the stage lights flicked on. Legend blinked at the sudden light, as a glitterball sprayed lights across the audience. Before he could recover, a familiar song began to play, and The Tone Deaf bards appeared in a swirl of green wind.

Where have all the good men gone

And where are all the Gods?

Where's the streetwise Hercules to fight the rising odds?

Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?

Late at night, I toss and I turn

And I dream of what I need

It took a moment to register, but when it did, Keith’s jaw dropped. Venti was meeting his eyes, those blazing green orbs boring into his soul. Images flashed through Keith’s mind, and he felt a dizzying sense of vertigo. Images of impossibly huge beings flashed through his head, only for someone to take his hand and give it a squeeze.

It’s alright. You’re free now. But we need to talk. After the show, of course!

“Hey. Hey, bro? You good? You need some water or something? Shit, Cookie, can you heal him or something? Keith? Legend!? Come on, man, talk to me!”

Blinking, Keith came back to himself and realized he was being held up by someone who was shaking him gently.

“I, I’m OK. Just, uh, jet lag,” Keith managed, steadying himself as both Itul and Cookie looked at him with expressions of concern on their faces.

“Right on, bro! If you need anything let me know, I snuck in some energy drinks!” Itul said, giving Keith a thumbs up and offering him a can of something that probably had enough sugar in it to give Keith diabetes.

He smiled and shook his head, but he did notice Cookie frowning at him. She probably remembered that he’d teleported in, not flown. However that still did mean that for Keith, he’d been up for far longer than a normal rest cycle…for someone who wasn’t one of the PRT’s Elite. This was just a normal day for him.

The music played on, however, and Legend lost himself in the joyful music along with the crowd. It felt like for just a few hours, he really was just Keith, and not Legend the Hero. He cheered, he sang, and he cried when they played Halleluiah. It was a roller coaster of emotions, and the best concert Legend had ever been to, bar none.

“Thank you for being a wonderful audience!” Venti called, waving to the crowd. “This is our last night in Bremen! But don’t worry, you’ll find the Tone Deaf Bards wherever the wind may roam! Good night, everybody!” Venti called, and the crowd cheered wildly. Then he looked up, met Keith’s eyes, and winked at him, and walked off stage.

Clearing his throat, Keith asked Itul and Cookie, “So, any idea where Venti might be heading off too?”

“”The bar,”” they said together.

A short while later, Keith walked into a bar across town. He’d considered coming as Legend, but that didn’t feel right. He didn’t feel right. His powers were…quiet. He was tempted to fire off a few test blasts to see if they even worked, but he’d flown all the way here, and he was clearly still a parahuman. Something was just off, and he couldn’t tell what.

Behind him, Cookie and Itul were panting for breath as they stumbled in, and Keith turned around, smiling somewhat sheepishly. “Sorry, I guess I pushed things a little hard.”

“Hey, no problemo, compadre,” Itul wheezed, clutching his side. “I’m Itul ‘Runs a Marathon and Asks for More’ Armbust. Little jog like that? Pfff, that’s nothin’!”

“Speak for yourself, I’m horribly out of shape,” Cookie groaned. She lifted up her sweater, showing a slightly flabby belly and pinched it, making a face. “I’ve really let myself go to seed. Gonna have to get back to training…”

“We can hit the gym together bro!” Itul said excitedly, flexing his admittedly impressive muscles. If Keith were a few years younger and single…well, let’s just say that he was pretty sure Itul would be very popular with Legend’s own fan demographic.

“Are you kidding?! I could barely keep up with you BEFORE you got your powers, and that was WITH my Vision! Now you toss around half ton weights like it’s nothing!” Cookie grumbled. “Ugh, anyway, this is where Venti probably is. Now, I gotta get out of here, before he finds me and-”

“Cookie!” a merry voice laughed, and the bard himself popped up behind Cookie, wrapping her in a hug as she stiffened. “Glad you could make it to the show! How’s about treating your favorite band to a few drinks as a thank you, eh?”

“-makes me pick up his bar tab,” Cookie sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Fine, fine. I guess I can deduct it from that payout I promised. But we still haven’t gotten the Genius Invocation Cards to print! Hasn’t even been a month yet.”

“Oh, I’m looking forward to that, more games would be fun!” Venti chuckled. He raised a fist to Itul. “And lookie here! The Red Oni is in the house! Whattup, my man!”

“Yo! Rockin’ show tonight, Lil Green!” Itul said enthusiastically, giving Venit a fist bump. “Oh yeah! This is my new buddy, Le-”

“Keith!” Venti said excitedly, coming forward. Keith extended his hand, but Venti just brushed that aside and wrapped him in a hug. “It’s alright. You're free now. You can lay that burden down, Keith. You don’t have to be the Legend for me.”

Tears welled up in Keith’s eyes, and his knees buckled slightly as he rested his head on Venti’s shoulders. “I…I didn’t…I don’t…”

He found himself crying, and the next thing he knew, he was at a booth in the back corner of the bar, his favorite cocktail, a cosmopolitan, in his hands as Venti sipped at a tankard of beer. Keith blinked the tears from his eyes, then blew his nose on a napkin. “I didn’t even realize I’ve been holding that in…what…what did you do to me?”

“What I could. Did you know what you had inside of your head?” Venti asked curiously, pointing to his own skull.

Keith froze, his drink halfway to his lips. He knew perfectly well what the source of his powers were, having been one of the first to get a Cauldron Vial. He’d been a homeless youth, kicked out of his home for his sexuality at the age of 18, and he’d been living rough on the streets of New York for months before he’d been offered a chance to be something more than a bum.

“I… know that’s where the Corona Pollentia is, but… I still have my powers,” he said slowly.

“Hmm, I see. Well, obviously, I didn’t take away your powers,” Venti said with a chuckle. “And to think, this time, Scion didn’t even stop by to say hi!”

“You speak to Scion often?” Legend managed, giving Venti a smile as cold sweat trickled down his back. “He’s, well, I don’t manage to talk to him often, but he’s the greatest hero alive, after all.”

“Mm, personally, I think Raiden probably has him beat. That giant fish wasn’t the first monster she’s slain!” Venti said cheerily, slamming his mug down. “Another beer!”

The bartender came over with another drink for Venti, and Keith hastily ordered some food, something to give him time to think without impairing his reflexes or senses. He didn’t have any powers that would help me burn off the alcohol, not without transforming into his breaker state.

“You, uh, know Raiden?” Keith managed nervously. “We were wondering about that little…confrontation… that the two of you had.”

“Ah, well, the first time I met her, I found her and her sister bathing in the hot springs together! Me and Morax- ah, well, story for another time!” Venti said with a dismissive laugh. “So, what brings you all the way from America?”

Despite himself, Keith took a long pull from his cocktail, searching for what to say. “You…know who I am?”

“A bit,” Venti said, leaning on the table. He dipped his finger in the beer, then used it to trace an odd shape on the table. “I'm still new around here, still, trying to pick things up, but even I couldn’t miss the Legend of the Protectorate visiting little old me!”

“About that…” taking a deep breath, Legend met Venti’s eyes. “Who, exactly, are you?”

“To quote a famous man… who do you say I am?” Venti retorted.

For a moment, Legend didn’t get the reference. Then something he’d heard in church as a child clicked.

“You are the Messiah,” he muttered before he could stop himself. “That’s…in the Bible.”

“Yep! In all of the Gospels but John, actually,” Venti said with a nod. “But no, I am not the Jewish Messiah, as Naomi will happily tell you, nor am I the Christian God. But still, you haven’t answered my question. Who do you say I am, Keith Nathan Andrews, known as Legend?”

Swallowing, Keith took another drink. Finally, he met Venti’s eyes again. “You are… something I do not understand.”

“Ha ha! Well, I suppose that makes you the wisest of the PRT, eh?” Venti said, raising his stein in salute. He took another long pull as Keith forced himself not to fidget. “Let me tell you a story, Keith.”

“Uh, sure,” Keith agreed, smiling at the waitress as she brought over a platter of schnitzel and dipping sauce, along with yet another beer for Venti.

“Thank you, my dear!” Venti said, and plunked a cord on his lyre. That caused Keith to do a double-take. Where had Venti gotten a lyre from? And, how had he changed clothes into that old-fashioned green ensemble?

“Once, there was a far away land, a land of seven nations that lived in relative peace and harmony. The furthest east of these lands was known as the land of Freedom, and it was a place blessed by the winds,” Venti began, plucking away at his harp.

“It was a land of song and wine, and there, a lonesome bard plied his trade! He wandered the land, playing to the people, bringing them joy with song and verse. What was his name? Ah, perhaps only the wind remembers!”

“One day, after entertaining the people of the city, the bard fell asleep at the church, and dreamed of a distant land. When he awoke, he found himself in a distant land! How to get home? The bard wasn’t sure, but this too, was a windy land, and it reminded the bard of home.”

“He set out once more, learning new songs, making new friends, and singing to the people! However, one day, he noticed a child crying, lost and afraid. ‘What’s wrong, my young friend? Where are your parents?’ the bard asked.”

“They’ve been taken away to be fed to the dragon,’ the boy said, tears dribbling down his face.”

“A dragon? I have heard tell of this dragon, was it not defeated long ago?’ the bard asked.”

“The boy nodded, but he still wept. ‘Yes, but monsters have begun to attack the land, and none of our heroes could defeat them! In our desperation, we called upon the dragon to save us! But dragons are greedy creatures, and the dragon demanded tribute. And so, my parents were chosen to be fed to the dragon, and I fear that one day, I am next.’”

“Taking pity on the boy, the bard attempted to dry his tears. ‘Worry not! I’ll sing you a song, and I’ll drive the dragon away, and save your parents!’”

“‘But sir, if we do not serve the dragon, the monsters will destroy us, or the dragon will! What can we do?’”

“‘Call upon the wind,’ the bard told him. ‘I will defend your lands.’”

“And so, the bard gathered a band of heroes, and set off to face both the monster and the dragon! The monsters were tricky, but some listened to the bard's song, and gave up their evil ways, shedding the form of monsters and becoming men once more.”

Venti’s playing trailed off, and Keith found he was hanging on the bard’s every word. He blinked, sitting up. “Well? What happened next? What about the dragon, or these monsters that the bard freed?”

“Why don’t you ask yourself that, Keith,” Venti said quietly. He nodded behind them. “And there’s someone else who wants to speak to you.”

Keith turned around in the booth, and spied a nervous looking woman and man, who were holding hands and fidgeting.

“Um, hello,” the woman said, giving a nervous wave with her free hand. She was somewhere in her mid-twenties, with dark blonde hair drawn back into a loose ponytail, and a modest blouse and dress. “Venti said…Venti said that someone would be here to… here to…”

“We’re looking for, um, Legend,” the man said, looking around, sweat beading on his forehead. He had messy light brown hair, and dark circles under his eyes. Actually, the girl did too, though she was hiding it with some light make up.

“I think you three have a lot to discuss,” Venti said, standing up. He put a hand on Legend’s shoulder. “Remember, not all the monsters were saved, but for the ones that were…perhaps they can be forgiven, for doing the dragon’s bidding.”

“What?” Keith asked, completely baffled, but Venti walked off to go sit at the bar with Cookie and Itul, who were laughing and drinking with his bandmates.

“Are you…?” the woman asked nervously, looking to her companion. “Geoff, do you think he’s…?”

“Venti said to talk to him, so, even if he’s not Legend…he sounds American,” Geoff said with a shrug. The two of them took a seat across from Keith, still looking incredibly nervous.

“Do I know you two?” Keith asked, wracking his brains, but for the life of him, he couldn’t place them. The voices niggled something, but he couldn’t put a finger on it.

“I am…Dorothy Schmidt. This is…Geoff. Um, we are married, but…”

“We’re still figuring that out,” Geoff admitted, but he gave Dorothy a tender smile, and she blushed heavily.

“Uh, congratulations,” Keith offered, still confused. “I’m not sure-”

“You…might know us by another name,” Dorothy continued, looking down, shame filling her voice and eyes. “I was… Nacht…or Night.”

“I was Nebel, you probably would have called me Fog,” Geoff agreed, trying and failing to meet Legend’s eyes.

At the first mention of Nacht, Legend was sitting up, one hand pointing at each of them as he drew power into his hands. He knew these two. He’d fought them once before, when the Empire 88 had clashed with the Protectorate and Armsmaster had been wounded badly enough he’d been forced to call for backup. They were utter monsters.

But some listened to the bard’s song, and gave up their evil ways…

“If… if that’s what you decide,” Geoff closed his eyes, and gently pushed Dorothy to the side. “It was my fault. I… I was in on it. I forced Dorothy to-”

“Geoff!” Dorothy cried, and she grabbed her husband. “No! That’s a lie! We were both kidnapped, brainwashed, we… I know… we did so many horrible things, but whatever happens to Geoff, I deserve it too!”

“Dorothy, please,” Geoff begged, taking her hands, tears trickling down his cheeks. “I… I can’t… I can’t see you die. If he’s going to punish us, let me take it. I’m just really getting to know you, but I think-”

Letting out a strangled sob, Dorothy pulled Geoff into a hug. “I know! I’m starting to think… I might…  but what we did… we both deserve to die…”

Slowly, Legend lowered his hands, letting his power fade, his brow creasing as he looked at the two broken people before him. “You said… you were Nacht und Nebel. What changed?”

Starting, they both looked over at Legend, and said one word. “Venti.”

“I see,” Legend agreed, nodding once. “Tell me.”

“It was the music,” Dorothy whispered, tears once more filling her eyes, but instead of sorrow, her face held one of awe and joy. “And his eyes… He saw me.”

“I had lost my faith, before the Gesellschaft had tortured me, even. I’d gone to church as a boy, but…” Geoff leaned forward, his eyes shining with passion. “He’s real! God is real, and he’s right over there!”

“God really is one of us,” Dorothy agreed, her own gaze locking on Venti, who currently appeared to be having a belching contest with Itul. “But… He’s not a sinner like we are.”

“No,” Geoff agreed, nodding. “He forgave us. But… that doesn’t mean our sins didn’t happen… and… and we understand…”

“We want to make it right,” Dorothy agreed quietly, meeting Legend’s eyes, and to his shock, he found courage and resolve there. “So, if you need to arrest us, or even kill us… we understand.”

“Just, please… spare Dorothy? She’s the only beautiful thing that happened to me when I was… after I… well. While I was a monster.”

Legend looked back and forth between the two villainous capes. No… the former villains. “I see. You know, there are other former villains working for the PRT. I think the Meisters have a similar policy.”

“But you know what we did!” Dorothy said, her face distorting as horror gripped it. “Those children, those families…”

“We… we hurt your friends. Helped kill some of them. Especially… if they…” Geoff swallowed. “I can remember hating people because they were gay, but… I don’t understand why now…”

Legend closed his eyes, and Keith let out a long, slow breath. “I… can understand. Venti did something to me too.”

“Then you understand! He’s Lord Barbados!” Dorothy said eagerly, grabbing Keith’s hand, and he managed not to pull away. “He’s the God of Freedom! He’s come to save us!”

Keith looked over at Venti, who was now draining mug after mug of beer with Itul as an exasperated Cookie looked at a stopwatch. Naomi was laughing, while Capri seemed to be trying to hide her face in embarrassment. He turned back to Geoff and Dorothy. “You really think he’s a god?”

They both nodded solemnly. Keith let out a heavy sigh. “I’m not sold on that. But as to you two… what was that line again?”

“Be free?” Dorothy guessed.

“Go, and sin no more,” Geoff said solemnly, and his wife nodded emphatically.

“That one,” Keith agreed. He stood, and pulled out a hundred Euro note, tossing it onto the table. “Tell Venti at least a few of his drinks are on me.”

The couple stood, clinging to one another, and Keith could see Dorothy was trembling slightly, while only Geoff’s lip quivered as he tried to be brave. “What about us?”

“If Night and Fog were here, I’d arrest them, or call the Meisters to do so.” The closed their eyes and nodded, but Keith held up a hand. “I said if Night and Fog are here. You’re not Night and Fog, are you?”

“No,” Dorothy said, shaking her head. She bit her lip, looking around nervously. “I, um… well, we should go outside.”

Keith nodded, and they went out the back of the bar into an alley.

“Our powers have changed,” Geoff explained. “I can turn into mist still, but I’m not hungry. I can sort of fly, and my powers work better in sunlight, but I think…”

“He heals people now!” Dorothy said excitedly, taking her husbands arm and beaming. “We were at the hospital today! He can’t cure cancer, but he can help with lung problems, heal wounds, it’s amazing!”

“Really?” Keith asked, shocked. “Are you certain?”

“The doctors said so, and, well, I told them I’d come every day I could,” Geoff said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. Then he grinned. “But Dorothy! You should see her now!”

“Um, i-if you don’t think I’ll scare anyone,” Dorothy said, biting her lip and looking shyly at Legend.

“I fought you before. Can’t your powers only work if no one is watching?” he asked, frowning slightly.

“Not anymore. She’s beautiful. Show him, Dorothy,” Geoff encouraged.

She nodded, and stepped back. “Um, would you mind turning around? I… if I do it with my clothes on, they rip.”

“Sure,” Keith agreed, turning his back, and Geoff did the same.

“Um, I-I don’t mind if you watch, Geoff…” Dorothy said nervously.

“A-are you sure?” Geoff asked, blushing furiously, and Keith had to fight back a grin. They were like a couple of love sick kids.

“Y-yes… it’s easier… if you do watch…”

Geoff turned back around, but Legend closed his eyes politely. After a few moments, he heard the rustle of fabric, and then Geoff stepped forward, helping his wife undress.

“Ok, I’m ready. Um, you’re gay, so, uh, it’s not as lewd…”

“If you’re certain?” Keith asked, not bothering to fight the smile anymore. “I might not be into the ladies, but I understand if you don’t want me to see you.”

“N-no, uh, I’m covering myself,” Dorothy assured him.

Keith turned, and he found Dorothy with one arm wrapped over her breasts, the other her groin, mostly preserving her modestly. “Before Venti, I couldn’t transform if anyone was watching. Couldn’t control it, actually. I would do it automatically, I couldn’t… if Geoff fell asleep in the same room, I’d have ripped him apart. I slept locked in the basement…”

“It’s alright,” Keith said gently. “But, now you can transform with others watching?”

Dorothy nodded, and closing her eyes, she relaxed. White tendrils wrapped themselves around her like a great cocoon, and mere moments later, a great moth, with fuzzy green wings that had the anemo symbol on them. The moth fluttered her wings, hovering in mid air, about the size that Dorothy had been.

“She can’t talk like this,” Geoff explained, coming over to gently rub the moth's head between her two great faceted eyes. “But she can fly, and when she flaps her wings, she can send out gusts of wind! Isn’t she amazing, though? Like a great emerald beauty!”

“It is… something else,” Keith said, shaking his head slowly. He didn’t understand any of this. He was going to have a long debrief when he got back home.

He glanced back at the bar, then shook his head. He turned to Dorothy, who was still fluttering in place, the alley barely large enough for her wingspan. “I don’t see Night and Fog. Instead…hmmm. What do you call yourselves now?”

“Venti said she was Evening,” Geoff said, giving Keith a nervous grin. “And I’m…Mist.”

“Evening Mist,” Keith mused. “It’s almost poetic. Fitting. Well. I see no reason to arrest the Evening Mist.” He floated up into the air. “I’ve been given a lot to think about, and learned a fair bit. Good luck to you both. I think we’ll see each other again.”

With that, Keith took off into the sky, and turned towards New York. He stayed subsonic until he was out of the city, then poured on the speed. To his shock, he never transformed into energy, and he was slightly slower than he had once been, maxing out at several times the speed of sound instead of continuing to accelerate. A glowing barrier formed around him, slicing through the air and keeping himself from being torn apart by the winds, and Keith knew something for certain:

Whatever had happened, the world was no more the same after Venti’s arrival than it had been after Raiden’s.