The Secondary Saga

[Gamzee Makara]

Ach thank Gott Christa still has a shred of sanity left, which is more than I can say for most of the fools left standing here. The trials of this journey are exerting a great stress on the hearts and souls and minds of its participants, that much is clear. I made my presence known during this squabble with intents to take a side, but find myself withdrawing from the group once again.

Bah, I don’t need to embroil myself with such infighting. It will only lead to ruin, and considering my most recent interactions with ruins, I would rather not go back to such a place. I consider making sure Captain Crow isn’t pondering stomping back in the swamp to go recover his crew, but I decide that he’ll do fine on his own. He doesn’t need my help.

As such, I distance myself from the noise and arguments, and find myself standing alone at the edge of more woods.

Woods. More Woods. Forest.

I make a sound of disgust. I’m tired of trees.

“Poor Richtofen… So far, far from home.”

Ach mein Gott, nicht diese Scheiße wieder.

“I do not fear you, apparition.” I was slightly apprehensive about this apparition.

A sense of false courage fills me and I have no idea as to why. A fake smirk plasters on my face once again.

“I know what you are, spirit. I know what game you are playing.” I don’t know what this spirit is or what it wants.

If I could see the damn thing, I am sure its smile would be grander than mine.

“They are dead. You know they are dead.”

“Ruhig! Silence!” I am well aware my companions have been lost to the murk.

Why do you care, Edward? What does it matter to you?

“Quiet you!” I wasn’t talking to the ghost. If I could see it, I’m sure it would be looking at me as if I was crazy.

That is to say, laughing at me.

That’s because you are crazy.

I look up at the sky. “Could you do something about this please? Honestly, it has grown to be tiring.”

The mists from the banks of the mire and the depths of the forest all begin to flow towards a central spot in front of me. They swirl into a vortex of fog, and I shield my eyes because the expanse of white is blinding. When I am able to see clearly again, there she is. The Ghost Girl levitates directly in front of my face, similar to the way Samantha did in my hallucinations.

She doesn’t answer my question.

I stare back at her blankly, unmoving.

“Richtofen, why are you here? Why do you care?”

“Oh you know that’s funny, I was asked that same exact question only moments ago.”

She frowns. I do nothing.

“What do you want with me, spirit?”

She calmly floats down, feet delicately making contact with the soft earth below. She stares at me for a moment, as if she was a curious scientist, studying a botched experiment that might not be so botched after all.

Der ironie.

“Richtofen, as this sad display progresses, you continue to astound me. You do not make bonds or ties, or anything even mildly substantial with any of the other secondaries. At least the others are doing something interesting. They’re making friends and memories. Are these ideas foreign to you? Are they unappealing?”

Up until now, I was holding her dead gaze. My eyes drop to the ground in front of me, and I am hit with a tidal wave of conflicting emotions.

“I do not understand why you care, or why I should even give you the liberty of an answer when you deny all of us the same kindness. But I imagine it is the only way I will get you to leave me in relative peace until the next life threatening occurrence.”

I swallow air, raising my head to meet her otherworldly eyes once again. “I do not care to make friends. My friends, colleagues, companions, or whatever you call them, are all dead or in another Universe, another world. My relationship with these beings is one born of necessity, much like my co-operation with my three allies in the trenches. As you have so graciously pointed out, many of my companions have fallen and I am sure there are more to follow. There is no point in becoming so emotionally attached to things so fragile...”

I shift my head, so that I may look back at the group of secondaries, still squabbling. I spot the witwer Klaud standing away from the others, no doubt choosing to be alone in this time of grief. I point her out.

“...Lest I am forced to endure a pain such as General Klaud’s.”

Even now faced with my freund Roger’s death, I am admittedly bitter and distraught at the loss of my countryman. There is no point in multiplying such terrible feelings via body count.

An exercise in futility, one could say.

The ghost girl stares at me blankly as I explain my logical reasoning. Do ghosts see logic and reasoning? I don’t think it’s registering. Her face isn’t changing. Why isn’t she doing anything?

Because you’re an idiot!

“Tch...What are you staring at? Either rid me of my tormentors, aid in my quest, or begone, demon.”

Saman-

The ghost girl nods, giving me a thoughtful look.

“As you wish, Dr. Richtofen. I cannot help you vanquish your inner demons, but I wish you luck on your journey. I shall remain ever watchful, as always.”

And without a word her form begins to dissipate, mist flowing back into the forest, back into the swamp.

I am alone.

Again.

I’m not really sure how to interpret this exchange.

I don’t know how to feel about her watching me either.

At least you have a dead girl’s luck.

Yes. Quite.

Translations:
Ach mein Gott, nicht diese Scheiße wieder. = Oh my God, not this shit again
Ruhig = Silence/ Quiet
Ironie = Irony
witwer = widower
freund = friend