It was a place that she remembered all too well. Stretching out before them a field of ash and pain. Like statues, frozen in time, most of the Voiran’s remained, now more dust than flesh. Images flashed before her eyes and she fell to her knees amidst the ocean of gray. Both torment and her memory assaulted her. She saw their faces. White and pure, happy and content, fearful and horrified. She had destroyed this place out of malintentions and now that she was back, it was no better. The sorrow overwhelmed her. Like she would never see the sun shine ever again, or a clear blue sky after the rain. It was all choked by a dim haze.
Her mind wandered, had she become a revenant again?
“Zima, I’ve no more strength… Can you dispel this curse?” Fear asked, clinging onto her as she similarly struggled to stand against the despair that suffused this site.
Zima blinked as Fear’s presence became present to her again. It was a comfort in such a terrible place of her own making. It gave her focus but even that wasn’t enough. She couldn’t do the entire thing, could she? That realization was grim but she had to try. She held up a hand, palm flat against the air. There she sent forth some of her strength to wrap them in a bubble of protection. She did this the only way that made sense; She took the despair and the sorrow back into herself. For it ultimately came from her.
Once within the bubble, Zima took a few deep breaths and then collapsed. The pain in her chest was spreading, like a hot knife and it was becoming unbearable. Now only coupled by the crippling misery that clung heavy in the air, she felt as if she was both drowning while being burned.
Fear laid next to her, and murmured. “We can take it slowly, one at a time. There’s no rush after all. We’ll bury them all, and then we’ll go wherever the luminous winds take us next, I think.”
"I…" She coughed violently before taking a painful breath. It was somehow funny to her that she thought she needed to breathe at all. "I don't think… I'm going to be able to." She whimpered. "It’s too much. So little time." She winced, stifling a groan. She twirled a finger and her once concealing clothes vanished away into the high cut dress she once wore. Zima sighed and that dispersed as well, to reveal the full extent of her affliction upon her body.
Like veins of gold, it spread through her arms and down into her legs, making it look as if the spirit had blood pumping in her. The worst of it was her chest, darkened from Mair's fire and now tinged with a beating, golden mass. Like a heart. It did not keep her alive like a mortal's would, no, it slowly killed her with its molten fury. She could never escape it. "I was struck by something in our fight with those dark ones. Like fire inside…" A weak smile crossed her lips as her voice strained, "It's a fitting punishment for one who caused so much pain, don't you think?”
“Not at all.” Fear gently rebuked, as she inspected the injury with an evident dreadful apprehension and frustration the longer she looked upon it all. Fear could not smile in return, and averted her gaze as she whispered to Zima. “You don’t deserve this.”
"Maybe…Maybe not." Zima answered in return. "Let’s not dwell upon it. Okay?" A tender hand touched Fear's cheek, "Hey, promise me something? Do not…" She gritted her teeth as the pain flared, "Do not let them control you. Your family… They love you but you have to be… Your own person, with your own thoughts and your own dreams. Too many voices… Not good."
“I understand. I promise.” Fear said as she glanced back at her, and shook her head when she began to cry again. She quickly began brushing the tears away as her other hand hovered over the macabre wound. “You know you’re my family too.” The crying champion added, after her hand retreated and she realized there was nothing she could do to heal the affliction.
A smile formed on Zima's lips. "I… Regret not being kinder to you. That I did not get to know more of you as I am now. It seems so short a time." She rubbed Fear's cheek with her thumb. "You're so strong and brave, Fear. I am honored to know you consider me family. I have… No one left. Mish, oh Mish. I wish him well wherever he may be, my only other friend." Her hand fell down to her side, where she moved it over her chest. She sighed, "I'm sorry, I do not wish to leave you so alone here when I am gone…" Her voice broke.
Fear became quiet for a time, after she seemed to fumble and forget how to speak. She trembled, because it was both cold and so she shivered, but also because she was afraid of what would come soon. “I’ll bury them all like they asked, and then I’ll come find you. You don’t need to say sorry, Zima. I’ve told you before; it’s not your fault.” Fear reassured feebly, as she held onto Zima’s hand and refused to let go.
Zima gave her a reassuring squeeze, golden veins beating faster as they moved up her neck. “No…” She tried to shake her head, “You mustn't find me. Where I go…” her voice faltered, “I’ll be okay.” She lied. In all actuality she knew not if she could even try the trials again… if she even wanted to. “I want you… To live a happy life and I will…” Coughs wracked her chest, a golden fluid escaped the corner of her mouth. “I will make sure it will be comfortable. Do not weep for me, my Fear… Do not be scared. Everything will be okay, you’ll see.” her breaths became more labored as the pain burned even hotter and her skin further dimmed.
“Heh, don’t be… silly. Wherever you go, I’ll seek you out and tell you you’re not alone. Parting ways for a time is just how it is, but we’re family. We’re together even in the end. I’m afraid I’ll have to cry more when you’re gone, but I’ll be happy when you’re back. Everything will be okay.” Fear repeated, her words seeped with sorrowful denial or some truth, while she began caressing her companion with what little time remained.
Zima shut her eyes and smiled. “Always the stubborn one.” her eyes opened, bright blue melding with gold. The veins spread up her face ever further. “Come… Closer.” She murmured.
Fear slowly leaned over her, with hesitation and a question burning in her eyes. Zima looked upon her for a time, just taking in her presence before she, with great effort, lifted her head up to place a kiss on Fear’s lips. Her pain washed away momentarily, as blissful as it was. Her smile did not fade as her head rested itself again.
“Zima… would you connect with me?” Fear asked quietly.
The spirit blinked, but nodded. The few shifting symbols of the Gnosis that lingered upon Fear began to increase in number as she began the ritual she had previously performed twice in the past. Her presence became both intangible and ethereal, as her body seemed to sift through Zima and vice versa. Their minds lingered upon the precipice of merging, with thoughts and memories being shared with each other, and Fear revealed as much of herself as she could in the ephemeral moment they had.
The presence of others could be felt along the edges of their connection, as the remnants of the Sacred Septet distanced themselves and provided the two with a modicum of privacy. Fear found herself tenderly touching upon the experiences and emotions that Zima had accumulated throughout her life, and exchanged all of her joyous encounters and wondrous discoveries, along with love and laughter and excitement she felt throughout her own life. She sought to remember what they were together, in a way so that it would never be forgotten by engraving it upon her being.
“I can never let this go… this love shall remain with me when I am missing you dearly.” Fear expressed as she sang and danced, for words could not quite convey her feelings. There was little need for speech, as they transcended the painful barriers between themselves, and their connection allowed them to be truly intimate with each other. Zima likewise reciprocated all that was given and all that was shared. For a time the pain seemed to fade, lessening its terrible grasp upon her.
She managed to breathe a soft murmur, “Perhaps more than family...” With the slightest of chuckles. Fear reflected that hint of mirth along with Zima herself, as she shared her senses and showed what she saw. The air rippled like liquid laughter, and the world was warmer and seemed brighter because of the spirit, and Zima herself could perceive how she was seen by Fear; beautiful and innocent, freed from darkness as she shined like a brilliant source of light beside the champion who was afraid of being alone. From Fear’s perspective, Zima could see an imaginary version of herself, where she and Fear were with the rest of her family, and had found happiness after living a long life filled with bliss.
Zima partook in the dance with Fear, waltzing around as if on the stars themselves. Then the spirit held her close, taking her all in before she kissed her brow. It could have been a few moments, days, or even years - but that time shared together, as beautiful as it was, was not meant to last forever.
Zima’s breaths became shallower and she was pulled away from Fear's connection with a blink. She found herself longing for it again but she did not want Fear to share in her death. That would be too much, connected. The veins around her skin began to shimmer as the dark heart beat even faster.
Death gripped her now, its poison calling her to sleep forevermore.
"At times," she whispered, her throat raw, "I'd imagine being somewhere else. In another place, in another time. In the deep shade of a lonely tree, a gentle breeze in my ear. Or before a field of flowers greeted by the sunrise. Covered by dew, like little drops of honey.” She let out a longing sigh, “A warm breeze of salty air. The smell of falling leaves just before winter." She squeezed with what little strength she had left, tears falling from the corner of her eyes as she looked at Fear. "But none of those places, none of those times… Ever did compare… To just being with you… My… Love…" Her eyes began to dim, golden veins pulsating.
"Tha…nk… You…" She managed to say. Her smile was faint now but it was there and Zima took her final breath, eyes closing as she became very still, her tender grip upon Fear going limp. The veins in her body froze, the dark heart dying with her, having completed its deathly work.
Zima was gone.
But her duty was not. Her body, in her lover's arms, blew away in a sudden wind. The poison that had killed her, drifting away like golden leaves. It swirled around Fear as the sorrow crept back in like a predator sensing its wounded prey. Except something happened then that should not have been so. The golden leaves turned blue around Fear, a small orb coming into being in front of her. It seemed to pulse before the saddened champion, then flew into her. It became a part of Fear and thereafter, her inner fire reignited, banishing the pain of a diminishing flame.
The leaves around her then became many, shooting up into the sky on a strange wind. Then the leaves exploded above that field of sorrow and it rained, bringing forth a warmth as the cloud and haze overhead began to break up, revealing a brilliant blue sky. Where it rained the land became saturated, green shoots sprouting from the earth. Wherever a voiran had laid, there sprout a strong and sturdy pale oak, whose leaves shimmered with a verdant green upon its white bark. A stream began to flow past Fear, surging forth with life unfettered. It was only when the haze had gone completely was Fear able to see that that field of sorrow was no longer connected to the land itself but had become a floating island when the dance had destroyed the north. But beauty came regardless. All around her sprang up small flowers of spectral blue. Their petals seemed to change shapes, or had it just been her imagination?
When the rain finally stopped and the sky was clear, did at last that sorrow become hope. For even with loss, life could begin again.
Fear had arisen from where she had lay, and stood staring up at the sky for a time, until eventually she would walk among the pale trees, and listen as the leaves sang with the cool breeze. She mourned in serene silence until her hurting heart had healed enough, and she had finally regained most of her strength. Her wandering feet had taken her to the edge of the soaring isle, where she could watch the rest of the world, still mostly frozen, and she wondered what would await her arrival. She glanced back at the sacred grove, and gave another burning prayer that all those that rested here would rest in peace.
She let out a breath, and turned around. “Let’s go.” She said, before she leapt and was away, leaving only a trickle of tears behind her as she departed.
Teleported to the Field of Sorrows, Zima and Fear begin their task. The wound inflicted upon Zima worsens, and she is swiftly dying. Fear forges another connection with her, and they share in each other's love before Zima perishes. Upon her death, the Field of Sorrow was cleansed, and the Voirans along with Zima could rest in peace.
The journey north was shorter than any expected. With Skydancer’s enhancement, they were soon enough on the cusp of the giantlands. With bated breath Zima watched it unfold at blinding speed. Dark storm clouds blanketed all in front of them, like moving mountains they encompassed the north like an impenetrable wall. Worse, she could see no end in sight and no direction they could take to avoid them. So they went through and none were prepared for what awaited them.
A fierce gale battered Skydancer, bringing with it bitter cold and biting sleet. The divinity of the boat protected them from the worst of it but Zima could not help but think how any others would fare. Eventually the new Homura dipped the bow of the boat and they flew down. She could hardly see outside of the boat, the wall of white made it seem like they were in a tunnel. It was disorienting to say the least. She had no idea how long this went on for but she found herself moving closer to Fear, even if she was unable to feel her as she was. Zima hated herself for what she had done to her… Was it even right to call her a friend? A companion? Such guilt weighed on her heavily but she had to try and make things amicable. And then…
It was instant. One second the storm consumed them and she felt they would be directionless forever and the next… It was all clear. Well, the wind and snow stopped, the clouds still hung, now higher up in the sky. Yet, something else wasn’t quite right. She stood to get a better bearing and gasped. The northern land was far off yet but they flew over ice. Where once had been the ocean, now a vast sheet of ice stretched before them. She looked back and saw the massive wall of a blizzard grow fainter and somehow wider.
“What’s going on…” She whispered. Zima looked back to where they were heading. Something else caught her eye. The faintest blue light, like a pillar, stretching up into the ominous sky. It lay to the far east and then she looked to the west to see the same. It was almost as if…
“He’s freezing the world!” Zima spun, looking to Fear and then to Homura. “If that storm makes landfall…” She grabbed her head and fell to her knees.
Shysie stirred, Rowan firmly held against her chest. “Many will perish. I told you,” she turned to Homura, “He sees us all as feverish. He wants us dead and he has started with my home.” she lamented.
Home.
Zima looked back toward the ever growing shoreline. It was all blanketed with snow, a white expanse upon white, with peaks of green trees shooting up into the sky. The only reminder that at one point there were different colors. The brown of bark. The green of foliage. The blue of water. The yellow, red and purple of wild flowers. It was her home and she was returning to a disaster. All sorts of emotions welled up inside of Zima but the only thing she truly wanted to do was scream.
Fear’s hand inscribed with the shifting symbols of the Gnosis reached for her’s, and Fear spoke softly to her. “I promised to protect Rowan, and I promise I’ll protect you too. Even if I’m afraid, I’ll still stand against those that bring such suffering, so we’re going to cure Viho and Chailiss, and save those that have been lost.”
Zima looked up at Fear, grabbing her hand after a moment of hesitation. "I hope you're right." She whispered, unable to hold her gaze.
“The Childan await us, we must reunite with them first.” Homura II said, as Skydancer swiftly reached the shore and soared over the bleak frozen forest now buried by a cold god.
The snow was so thick in places it covered the ground and rose to the middle of the tall pine trees. Nothing stirred that any could see and all was blanketed in a deafening silence. Only the snow fell, as if the very sky itself wept frozen tears.
They soar past much of the same, just snow covered hills and valleys and plains. Little there was to mark anything, yet Shysie guided them onward by some unknown intuition. She could feel the flame still burning, so she said. And upon twilight did they see a small light on the horizon, endless dark all around it. It was where the flamekeepers kept watch and now perhaps the last safe place any could find in the North.
As they neared it became apparent just how true that was. There were fires everywhere and so many Childans. At the center of it all, the blue flame towered over all and it was where Homura II brought Skydancer down. Immediately they were descended upon with curious gazes and cheers.
"Spirit Mother!" They called.
"She hasn't abandoned us!" They said.
The irony wasn't lost on Zima.
"Shysie!" A taller woman stepped through the crowd as the spirit looked on at what could have been. A people she would have loved but it had not been so. Regret panged her features and she sat down on the boat, hanging her head low.
Shysie stood and held Rowan close. "Chilali!" She exclaimed, clasping the hand of the other childan woman.
"What has happened? Where is Alona and the others? Mair?" She asked, looking towards Zima and Fear with interest. Zima could not hold her gaze.
"Quiet down!" Shysie yelled out. Chilali turned and raised her hands towards the gathering Childan. Both women and men alike looked on, fidgeting with sorrowful faces. Many of the women clutched small bundles at their chests. Death crossed her mind again but she clasped Fear’s hand and tried to banish such thoughts of her own demise.
"The spirit father has gone mad! He has brought this great dying upon us all!" Shysie called out, much to the clamor and outrage of some. "We must prepare for the end! If we do not then our people will be lost forevermore. If you do not believe me then…" She turned to Homura II, "Then listen to the spirit mother!"
“Your father has betrayed you all. He brings this deathly cold to you, and he seeks your demise. Know; winter’s wrath will come.” Homura II proclaimed, standing upon the tip of her silver spear so that she stood over the congregation, and was easily seen by all. There was little comfort to be found in her stoic visage and stern voice.
Homura II held up a hand, and an unseen force passed through those gathered all around, subtle yet felt nonetheless as it evoked warmth and solace akin to the peace found in families gathered by a bonfire during the night. Visions swam through the sea of people, showing them what they had not seen before, and slowly banishing the dreadful sorrow.
“You are not alone, and you have not been abandoned. You have each other, and that connection shall guide you through this calamity. Continue to cooperate, be compassionate, and have faith, and you shall have salvation.” The demigoddess continued to speak with clarity and conviction, as she stepped from where she perched atop her spear onto the whispering wind, and walked upon the balmy breeze.
“Evil is not eternal, and united we shall overcome it. There is hope within all of you; let it light the way ahead. Chailiss desires your despair, for your suffering, for you to eat each other and fend for themselves, but I believe the Childan have virtue in their hearts. Valor and love. Winter will pass. The seasons will change. Spring will come.” Homura II came to a halt after soaring overhead, close to where Skydancer had alighted and she became silent as she stood on the tip of her spear once again. The demigoddess glanced towards Zima and Fear, and tilted her head with an enigmatic expression, as if seeking an answer to an unspoken question in order to understand.
Zima held her gaze for a time before letting it falter. Perhaps there was hope, the slimmest of hopes but it yet endured.
"You see my sisters! My brothers! We have not been abandoned!" Shysie called out. "We will endure as we always have! This is our home and it will be ours again!"
To this the Childan let out whoops and hollers and for once there was joy as children laughed and babies cried in surprise. Zima looked out over all the faces and her own problems seemed to fade. At least a bit. She would help them now, in any way she could.
Homura II held up her hand a second time, and suppressed the sounds of the Childan with an aura of quiet. She spoke, rising higher as her spear extended further, and her voice reached farther. Her next words were instilled with purpose, and urged the Childan to heed them.
“These lands belong to Chailiss, and you will not find sanctity here. Arise, and prepare to depart. You must leave this realm of death, linger too long, and you will be consumed. There is a battle ahead, and I call upon warriors to stand with me now.”
To this came many more murmurs.
“Where will we go?”
“We would abandon our home?”
“We have lost too many.”
To this Shysie and Chilali shared looks and then the taller of the two, Chilali spoke with wisdom and sincerity. “Our mother is right, we cannot stay here! We must not linger in the dark where the cold will bite at us. You must go! For we Flamekeepers can never abandon our watch.” She turned to Homura. “I will spare every Keeper we can.”
“Now hold on!” A male Childan sprain to the front. “We have warriors, we will fight for our home and the women. Let us do this!”
Chilali shook her head. “We cannot have all our braves fight for us, some must go on to protect the others. You must.”
“Please, let us help.” Another man stepped forth and then another. With heads bowed in shame did more add to this plea until at last another woman stepped forth. As tall as a cave bear, wielding a large copper hammer. She donned the pelts of lions, with a mane of white fur upon her shoulders. Her hair was raven dark and her gray eyes were fierce.
“The tragedy of Lansa is the debt of all men. Leave with us three dozen of your best fighters. The rest will go with the women and children. So it is that our short spring fades to the end of all times. Yet smile, for the spring came anyway and with it, a future.” She placed a hand upon her stomach. Though what was underneath was obscured, all knew of what she spoke.
“Wapeka, you are with child. You cannot stay here with us.” Chilali sprang forth to her.
Wapeka eyed the woman, who was a full head shorter than her and chuckled. “Little Chilali. I have always fought for my people. I will not abandon you to such an end.”
It was Shysie who spoke up next. “Wapeka, please see reason. She unwrapped the small bundle to reveal Rowan’s small face. Inquisitive blue eyes stared back at the Childan. Shysie held him up high. “This is the last of the Voiran’s! A people who lived to the west, utterly destroyed when…” She glanced at Zima, who went numb with panic. “When the great whirlwind struck! That is tragedy itself! So please,” She looked at Wapeka and held out the baby to her, “Think of this future and the one that not yet is but could be. There is no greater duty to our people, then carrying the next of our kind.”
Wapeka handed her hammer to Chilali as she took the small baby in her hands. She seemed awkward with him at first, as if she knew not where to grab or hold him but eventually she got him into a position where Rowan could freely move within his bundle. He cooed as Wapeka looked at him and Shysie dismounted from the ship, placing a hand upon the taller woman.
“He will need a mother. You are not abandoning us, brave Wapeka. You are ensuring our people’s survival and of the last Voiran.”
Chilali looked upon Shysie with awe and a smirk upon her face as the great Wapeka nodded, pulling Rowan into the safety and warmth of her pelts. “So it is that little Shysie becomes the newest voice of reason. I shall go, carrying this memory with me in my heart.” She placed her own hand upon Shysie and squeezed.
Zima remarked that the moment was inspiring yet all she could see were the dead faces of all those mortals she had murdered. They had had lives as complex and beautiful as this and she ruined them. She defiled them and they could never be as such again.
All of the Childan’s looked to Homura once again and that was when the screaming started.
Zima froze and then frantically looked at where it was coming from.
Wapeka turned and scowled. “They’ve found us.”
“We must hurry, please Spirit Mother, please!” Chilali turned to Homura as the rest of the Childan broke into a panic.
Alarmed, Zima gave one look to Fear and then she was gone, into the direction of the screams and shouts. She could not allow anyone to die anymore. Not while she could do something!
“Warriors, defend those that cannot fight! Wapeka, lead the others and follow Skydancer.” Homura II swiftly ordained, gesturing to the luminous vessel as it began to turn and face southward, before she strode towards the source of the screams accompanied by Fear.
There came a flurry of activity as all moved to action with their respective tasks. Wapeka barked orders to those who could not fight and those that could, followed after the Spirit Mothers. While a few stayed back to protect the growing convoy. More wood was placed upon the flame as they passed, for it would light their way.
Once the crowd had thinned and they were behind the band of warriors, the screaming had stopped. Now only replaced with a cold wind. There was no sign of Zima, not until a tree somewhere before them cracked and began to fall. There were shouts of alarm as many braced but the tree fell in another direction, with a resounding crash that shook the ground.
They progressed onwards still, before a new noise came into being. Only audible at first to the demigod, then Fear. It was a strange note, almost with a vibrant feel but molded by death. The sounds of a fight came forth and something crashed into the tree next to them. Blackened by frost, it had once been a wolf but now the creature was misshapen with golden eyes. It looked at Fear and then lunged for her throat.
Numerous spears of glittering ice burst forth from underneath it, swiftly impaling the baleful beast until it had been completely eviscerated, as Fear found herself fumbly halting. She had been surprised by the tentative touch of Homura pressing upon her mind through their connection, and suddenly recoiled. “I can fight for myself, so don’t do that…” She muttered both aloud and telepathically as they carried onwards, with Homura II not providing an answer in response.
“Zima!” Fear called out with desperate weariness, already feeling the absence of Skydancer’s aura.
More trees snapped and broke. The warriors with them prepared, arrows nocked and war clubs at the ready. They then came upon a scene of carnage as the broken trees gave way to a horrific view. The bodies of creatures, now blackened with frost like the wolf had been, were strewn about, impaled, torn limb from limbs, skewered and crushed. What once were wolves, lions, bears, eagles and more- now dead. The bodies of a few Childan lay amongst them. A final resting place. The stoic warriors around them said little and touched nothing as all opened up in their formation. In the distance, through the gnawing blizzard, was the vaguest shape of a fight.
Zima fought back a horde of monsters, having taken to the form of ice. She still resembled the same wispy being she was, just much taller and more defined. The ice that composed such a form was more akin to water in how it moved and rippled across her features. She impaled foes with long claws, or impaled and crushed with icicles. Her newest opponent was none other than a Wehniek. The only distinguishing trait was that it held burning eyes instead of a dead gold like all the rest. It fought her, having subsumed the body of a panther. Frozen flesh ripped apart at the seams of fur and sinew, whilst long claws and fangs bit into her ice. Yet it seemed Zima wasn’t having any of this, and impaled the creature through its abdomen, legs, and finally its head. Then she did it again and again and again until it was forced to abandon its body.
She growled, turning to the others as it flew to another body. Her voice was sharp as she pointed and yelled, “BURN IT!” Before she was again assaulted by the monsters. Somewhere in the violent wind, it sounded as if someone was humming.
Rivers of pale fire poured forth from Homura II’s palm, and with her other hand she proceeded to toss Fear towards Zima before she turned to the Childan. “Return to the others, only enemies remain here. Quickly; go now.” She instructed in a firm voice as she strode backwards with her silver spear extending and dancing around her - into the battle on her way to join Zima and Fear.
The Wehniek was destroyed with a bloodcurdling scream, causing many of the Childan to cover their ears. Confusion followed as many looked unsure of what to do or who to look to. Before any could react to the godling’s command, the humming grew louder, as if what produced it was approaching. Even Zima, who had caught Fear, gave pause as the afflicted animals backed away into the thicker, more obscuring wind. Then it became deadly apparent.
It was a trap.
Black arcs of lightning struck through the trees all around them, with no direction discernable. Their aims were true however, striking many of the Childan down. Even Zima was not spared as a bolt struck her left side. She spun and crashed to her knees, shielding Fear. Childan and Flamekeepers alike fired back with arrows and fire as more sought cover.
“Return to Skydancer!” Homura II shouted as she transformed her silver spear into a towering shield, and summoned numerous luminous barriers of shining ice between the Childan and the cold darkness, creating a lone path where she stood and called to them.
“She’s saying we’ve got to fall back!” Fear cried out, and held onto Zima.
The black lightning struck the shield, creating a strange high pitched whine. But it did allow them enough time to gather themselves. The Childan began to retreat, dragging the wounded with them. Zima’s form fell to the wayside and she created a newer, smaller one, around the same size as Fear. She stood with her and said, “I know what she’s saying! Now come on!” Zima caught Fear’s hand within her own and pulled as they ran to Homura II. The lightning came so fast now there was barely any pause from the arcs hitting the wall. The whine became an unbearably high pitch. One that shattered Zima’s form.
She became like the wind and instead wrapped herself around Fear for an even quicker escape. There was a blur of motion, as Homura II was suddenly beside them, and the demigoddess grasped Fear’s arm again. The Pearlescent Chains that had fused into the anxious champion’s armor were peeled away and fused into the shield Homura II held, before the demigoddess vanished with another surge of speed.
“There must be something we can do!” Fear exclaimed with panic and pain at the sight of the wounded and fleeing. Bright flames coalesced around her as her spirit manifested, and though she moved more swiftly, it was with an almost aimless desperation that hindered her. “We’re always abandoning them…” She muttered in a mix of frustration and sorrow, looking at Zima with a lost expression.
Zima was forced to let go of Fear, having to hold herself up by leaning next to a wall. “Too warm.” She murmured to Fear. “D-Don’t worry. This isn’t your fault. It’s mine. This was… An ambush.” Zima’s head tilted back down the long corridor to see the Childan fleeing. They would be safe, for now but too many had died.
Zima stood as the high pitch never stopped. Now a boom exploded nearby, as if something had slammed into the walls that shielded them. The spirit looked to Fear. “The only thing we can do is fight. We took life, now we must protect it.” Something shattered. “Are you with me?”
Fear nodded.
What came through the chink of armor that was the walls was something unexpected. Zima paused, narrowing her brow, trying to understand just what she was looking at. Beings tall, dark as shadow and fair as the stars strode through with an uncanny step. Their hair, for all of them had hair, was a vibrant gold that seemed to glow softly. They wore nothing, for they had no discernible differences in gender. All of them looked the same, from their height, to their facial features. Unnaturally beautiful but gaunt, with striking electric golden eyes. Something that caught Zima’s eyes were their ears, knife-shaped, pointed. One of them lifted a finger towards the two of them and in a blink, the humming started as they ran with blinding speed towards them. If either of the two had blood pumping within them, their hearts would have been beating to the harmony of a dangerous revel.
A revel of death.
Zima barely had time to react, taking the form of ice again as a clawed hand tore into her ice with a deathly touch. She wanted to scream but instead it was anger that drove her to backhand the figure, or at least she tried to but its reflexes were too fast and it dodged, striking her and then another one descended upon her and did the same. They smiled silently at her, teeth too white and perfect, hungry for her destruction. She glanced at Fear and saw even more attacking her.
Fear was grinning a sadistic smile back at her foes as Veil commanded her body and took delight in the sudden violence. She fought more fiercely, with no qualms in inflicting harm upon others, and took advantage of the restored connection to her sisters as she emulated their techniques and maneuvers. The difference between Fear and the rest of her sisters became apparent once more, as what she lacked in conviction and wisdom, she compensated with her incredible strength and agility.
“I’ll protect you, Zima.” The much more vicious Fear growled, as she fought for her companion.
Zima erupted in spikes, skewering one of her assailants, whilst the other dodged with a spiraling motion backwards. More flooded through the hole as other bits of the wall began to shatter under the onslaught. The Childan sections were still holding but it wouldn’t be long. They had to make a stand where they were. Zima shouted at Fear as she produced a shield and scythe of ice. “Remember not to lose yourself!” and then the fight started, for every handful of blows she received she could only land one on an assailant but it was usually fatal.
She took no joy in it but it was strange. When one of them died, they made no sounds. No screaming, no yelling, no final words. They simply fell, bleeding a dark liquid flaked with gold. They attacked her even when they had no limbs or were almost certainly moments from death. Their humming was a chorus that she wasn’t even certain they were physically causing. It was unnatural and propelled them forward as the bodies began to mount upon that darkening snow.
“I cannot mourn for them.” Fear said, as her Black Gauntlet was thrust through the skull of her foe, and she began using the spasming body as both a bludgeon and shield against her other opponents. Her spiritual flames were fluctuating, flickering weakly before bursting with vehemence, as the cycle repeated again and again. She was smeared in gore, and staggering back and forth like a whirlwind of destruction, tearing apart corpses as she savagely lashed out.
“I cannot mourn for them.” Fear said, and yet visible were the tears that trailed across her bloodstained cheeks as she wept for her slain kin.
“Do not halt! Return to the others, return to Skydancer!” Homura II’s voice echoed throughout the incandescent passage, infused with cosmic clarity that washed over the Childan and temporarily quieted the terrifying hum. The demigoddess appeared sporadically to aid the wounded with her healing powers, and protect those that were pursued by the hostile horde.
As the hum quieted so did their foes grow far slower. It became easier for Zima to combat them, and they were beginning to make real ground back to the others. Then came the monstrous animals, leaping over corpses with little abandon. Worse yet, the very ground shook as great tusked beasts trumpeted like the sounds of a demon. Matted fur was torn asunder, giving way to darkened flesh. They charged forth being ridden by more of the dark ones and along with them came no longer a hum but a quiet and defiant song. The words were meaningless but it was abundantly clear, one of them was singing.
Zima shouted for Fear to come to her as the lethargic dark ones began to animate once again. They were growing close, so close she could see the raging of Flamekeepers as they fought against the same foes. Fire, hot and bright illuminated the world in a red haze.
Fear dashed towards Zima as the remaining flames of her spirit dispersed, and she glanced back and forth between what lay ahead and what loomed behind. Her frightened features revealed it was Fear and not Veil that was in possession of her body, but she spoke with Pride’s voice. “It’s still not enough. We can neither flee nor fight.”
Another voice resonating with divine authority came from the collection of Childan gathered around Skydancer. “Is this what you wish for? Do you not wish for life? Then let the enemy hear the roar of your fiery hearts!” Accompanying the words were streaks of emerald fire that joined the inferno of the Flamekeepers.
Homura II continued to focus on escorting the Childan, as she slowly lingered behind and hindered the baleful beasts and behemoths with obscuring columns of bright fire and towers of radiant ice. “You shall not have them!” She called out to the horde.
“No! We can always fight!” Zima exclaimed to Fear. “Do not give into despair! Remember why we do this, remember why we can’t give up. For them, Fear. For them!” Zima roared, taking the form of ice and growing tall. As tall as the beasts. Her shield became a tower, as thick as the trunks of trees and her scythe became a sword. She met the first behemoth with a ferocious assault of glancing ice and bulky weight but with a quick thrust, she pierced the things head and it slumped over, shaking the ground as it did. The dark ones began to chip away at her feet and Zima cried out for Fear.
Fear lunged towards the nearest enemy that stood between her and Zima, as flames enveloped her again, granting her the strength to sunder them. Before she reached Zima, Homura II intervened as the demigoddess leapt onto the ice spirit’s head, placing her palm upon Zima’s crown. The shifting symbols of the Gnosis spread along Zima’s body, until her frozen form was almost completely covered. The attacks of the dark ones below became harmless as their claws passed through Zima’s feet.
“We cannot surrender to despair.” Homura II affirmed, before she leapt again and fought their foes elsewhere leaving Zima with the limited protection of her spell. Fear continued to clash with those imposed between her and Zima, calling out as she came closer and closer.
It seemed to be working. They were fighting back the endless tide of beast and monster, the two identities fading into one. Zima bashed her shield against the face of another behemoth, shattering its tusks and sending it to the ground, where she dealt the killing blow. But before long the lethargic nature of the dark ones was overcome with a final push of their hauntingly eerie song. Whoever sang, trilled a final note that tore away the dampening of the humming, letting it surge forth like a river after a downpour. Worse, the song did not stop, it added its own melody to the chorus of chaotic revelry.
The dark ones grew more frenzied, smiles growing wide as if in some insane delight overtook them. Worse, even the beasts seemed to fight stronger and harder. More sporadic but just as deadly. Arcs of black lightning began to hit Zima and though the first volley was harmless, the second she began to feel like tiny pricks. Thinking fast, Zima assaulted another behemoth, driving her spear into its head with a sickening crunch of ice upon bone. There she left it and slammed her shield into the ground. She exploded her form, sending shards of ice in every direction except the Childan’s and Fear. Then Zima flew to Fear, grabbed her and went back behind the shield.
"Don't let any past!" She yelled out, slipping to the other side where more behemoths, beasts and dark ones came. She called upon the blizzard itself and those ferocious winds. She became those winds and like a gale of spontaneous power, she blew upon their foes. The effect was immediate, as they slowed even in their unnatural speed as her gusts whipped at them, sending shards of ice and even bodies like a volley towards the shambling horde. The singing and humming were almost silenced at the sheer strength of her wind but maybe that was only because she was nothing else at that moment. She just had to buy time.
She had to.
There was suddenly another intense burst of bright emerald flames, cacophonous and immense as the shimmering storm engulfed the center of where the Childan had encircled Skydancer. A colossal shifting silhouette began to arise from the remnants of the blazing fire until swiftly the undulating shadow that emerged was shaped into an elongated and broad luminous vessel that possessed similar aspects of Skydancer with its ornate and bejeweled aesthetic as it serenely hovered in the air, but with a prominent difference in its functional design. The reforged ship possessed a massive entrance built into the back, accessible via an inclined slope that slowly lowered itself to the ground close to the Childan.
The second divine voice resounded throughout the fields again, suffused with power and haste, before it was combined with the kindred voice of Homura II as the two of them both repeatedly chanted over the battle. “Take shelter in the Ark!”
The Childan obeyed as the world around them crashed into discord. Flamekeepers surged forth, providing walls of flame and projectiles as the battle waged on. More and more behemoths, ridden by the dark ones approached from all directions and those that Zima battered against were still pushing forward, trailed by the dark ones as they used the massive bulk of the creatures as a windbreak. Frustration hit Zima but there was little more she could do. The song being sung was reaching its peak, even the spirit could hear it now. There was no escaping its violent rhythm. And then something happened she thought impossible. As the song reached a crescendo, something exploded from the depths of the far trees and flew against her wind. It was small, so small that only the best sight could have even noticed it. A golden dart that cut through her wind and pricked her form. Zima gasped and pulled it out. As she did it melted into a vile substance and blew away in the wind.
She felt fine but the song was beginning anew, this time different and somehow deeper. She turned to Fear and thrust one last time, sending spikes of ice to skewer the attackers. She then bolted, grabbing Fear and making a mad dash towards the Ark, now protected by a row of Flamekeepers.
“Whatever happens… don’t leave me.” Fear whispered to Zima as she was pulled along, before the two of them reached the throng of remaining Childan still being shepherded by Homura II and the Flamekeepers. Numerous structures and walkways could be seen within the Ark through the entrance as they approached, with the interior being spacious enough for all of them and many more. Standing upon one of the smaller structures close to the entrance was another Herald of Honor wielding the green-fire, and calling out instructions to the Childan.
“I… I wouldn’t.” Zima murmured to Fear as they landed down upon the top of the large ramp. The last of the Childan stragglers arrived on deck and all those that remained were the Flamekeepers and their Eternal Flame. They fought with a brilliance that dazzled Zima. Their conviction in the face of such demise was true bravery but Zima could not help but reel in the face of it all and she knew, deep down, they wouldn’t be coming. She saw Shysie down at the bottom cradling a woman with a deep gash across her chest. With her hand firmly grasping Fear’s she ran down the ramp.
The enemy came further, their speed cutting down more keepers. A sense of urgency overtook Zima and as they arrived before Shysie, they could see who she cradled- Chilali.
“Shysie!” Zima breathed. ‘I’m so sorry. For everything but we have to go now.” An ashen face looked up at them. Her cheeks stained with tears, Shysie lamented, “Then go. I will die with my sisters, as any keeper would.” She touched foreheads with Chilali and rose, turning away.
“But…!” Zima exclaimed as a fiery explosion engulfed the foreground. A keeper had made the ultimate sacrifice.
‘There are no buts, spirit daughter. Go on, keep my people safe. Defeat the death in the north and remember us.” Shysie said, turning her head to face them. Her eyes glowed with a blue fire.
“Shysie…” Zima wanted to cry.
“Tell Mair the child is safe. Tell her… I loved her.” Shysie turned and marched off into the chaos, joining her sisters in battle. Her fire burned hot and true, blazing blue rivulets escaped her fingertips as she hoisted her arms to unleash a powerful torrent of flame, burning a behemoth in its tracks. Zima began to walk forward but the heat gave her pause and she turned to Fear, head low.
“We must honor their sacrifice.” She said in a shaky voice, pulling her back up the ramp and onto the deck.
“We will.” Fear replied quietly afterwards, as the Ark began to ascend when the entrance sealed itself, and the noise of battle could only be faintly heard. “We should find Wapeka and Rowan.” The anxious champion continued, as nearby Homura II started to sort the Childan and tend to the wounded, while the other identical demigoddess gave a brief speech regarding love and support in times of disaster before venturing elsewhere on the ship.
Zima stopped in her step and placed a hand upon the wall, strangely she could touch it but it was quickly lost on her as she felt a wave of fatigue overwhelm her. She clutched the wispy cloth at her chest, letting go of Fear. “Just… Give me a moment, please.” She asked, forcing a smile. She slumped her back against the wall and buried her head in her hands. A few tears came but her thoughts prevented her from thinking about anything else. It was overwhelming and she felt as if her entire world was spinning. Her very chest hurt, she knew not if it was physical or something else. She just felt sick, could she even get sick?
Fear was silent and still, simply standing beside her before she shifted and struggled to speak for a moment. She slowly reached out towards Zima, reluctant to be apart. Zima’s hand found hers, bringing a moment of clarity in an ocean of conflict. Like a rock, she clung desperately to the one she had heart over and over again. It still made her sick, the very fact Fear needed comfort from her and she knew she was so selfish to accept it. But now… Fear was all she had left. Mish was… Somewhere out in the storm. Her father had become a monster and everyone else she had known was dead. Zima buried her face into Fear’s chest and wept.
Fear barely suppressed her sorrow, becoming rigid and letting her own tears trail silently down her cheeks to blend with all of the black and golden blood she was stained with. “Stay with me.” She said as she held onto Zima, after glancing away from the sight of the Childan and Homura II. Her hands quivered, and she clung to Zima tightly.
A distant explosion sounded far away, yet the shockwave hit Skydancer, rocking the ship for a brief moment. It dawned upon them that the last light in the north had faded. The Flamekeepers sacrificed themselves so they could all escape. There was nothing greater than that; the duty for a people. But now the dark had truly come, bringing cold and the end of all things. There seemed to be no hope. Yet, both Zima and Fear took solace in the smallest of truths; They had each other and in that moment, it was all that mattered.
Homura II, Zima, Fear, and Shysie arrive in the North and find the remaining Childan. An ambush occurs, and folks are fleeing from the cold darkness. Another demigoddess comes and transforms Skydancer, then the last of the Flamekeepers perish to protect those escaping the North.
Homura II =10
Desire =10 -10 (5 due to demigod penalty) to shift Skydancer into an immense ark, greatly increasing its storage capacity and resilience.
Fear =6 -2 to empower herself for her fight to protect life. -2 to prolong her enhanced strength and agility throughout the extended battle. +4
Zima =24 -2 To do some cool powerups +4 =26
The Sacred Septet -3 to proliferate hope among the Childan; in times of woe and catastrophe, people will come together and help each other. United, they can endure. +2
Without warning, the rumbling earth suddenly opened and ejected Skydancer as the radiant vessel soared upward with incredible swiftness, yet even though it flew faster than spoken words when carried fast and far with the wind, its journey was rather tranquil immediately upon departing the devastated remnants of the underground magical Labyrinth. Freed from the strangling presence of stone and shadows, now serenely descending to the surface where the voiran and childan awaited, Homura II chose to concentrate on what would come afterwards all of what had just transpired. Even at the apex of her power, as she ascended to becoming half divine, it seemed she still lacked the ability to save those she loved. She felt alone.
The fused relic in her hand sang to her, its ethereal voice alerting her to the absence of Fear beneath the surface and instead guiding her back towards Keltra. The demigoddess concluded that her sister must have discovered a portal that had led her home, and allowed herself to feel relieved, yet her awakened senses refused to ignore the ominous signs in the world. Something malevolent was stirring, and the Galbar was suffering - she could hear it crying in pain, calling to her. There was still much to be done, and so she must return to Keltra as well. Skydancer slowly alighted afore the two mortals, and Homura II spoke, subtly seeking their purpose and names within their minds and bodies as she stared at the two of them. “There is little that lingers here meant for us. I would bring you to Keltra, if you are willing.”
Her authoritative voice awakened Mair, seeping into both the pale warrioress and Shysie, as a surge of strength and cosmic clarity was bestowed upon them. She could not remain idle, and required either their aid or their promise not to interfere. The two would only be a hindrance against the two revenants that haunted her sister, and did not wish for them to needlessly die. She would return them to their homes or wherever they wished after the danger had passed, regardless of their intentions. She felt opposed to her own actions, and how much she was reminded of the strange truth - that she had become a Reflection of her mother.
"Are you well, little bird?" Shysie asked Mair, who was groggy, blinking heavily with dark circles under her eyes.
"I was…" She seemed to realize what the lingering words in her head were and looked to Homura II. "You… Did you kill her? Was it worth it? What she did…” Her voice broke, eyes forlorn. “Tell me it was worth it. Tell me." Her voice ended on a bitter note. Shysie dipped her head and placed a soothing touch upon Mair.
“Come with me, and you will see for yourself.” Homura II answered, before she leapt from Skydancer, and kneeled beside one of the last among the people of Voi. She had received the memories of Fear waking before she became Vale, and Homura II knew that she herself had become something else now. All of the Sacred Septet had continually endured the risk of losing their individual minds and becoming permanently merged ever since they forged their connection long ago. It was terrifying living with the risk of losing the thoughts and memories that formed your identity, and forgetting yourself. An unfortunate fate equivalent to meeting one’s demise. Homura II reached out to soothe Mair, hoping she could alleviate a little of that anxiety, and slowly heal her of the hatred in her heart.
Mair grew tense at her touch, unable to relax or be soothed. “What are you? There were others… More of you, sisters? Where is the Wanderer?”
“I am the Reflection of Homura. Wanderer and her sisters merged into a single being. An ascendant, half-mortal and half-divine. Now I must return to Keltra swiftly, and speak to my remaining sisters. I am inviting you to come with me, as there is a Voiran named Rowan that should be among his kin. We cannot tend to him when we are… this way.” Homura II explained.
Mair looked to Shysie, who gave a slow nod. Mair, now looking both troubled and anxious, spoke to the demigoddess once more. "Very well, we'll go with you. Even if you are less than forthcoming. I need to see him with my own eyes. But…" She rose on unsteady feet. "Are you stuck as one now? How does that even work?"
"Perhaps it is not for us to know, little bird." Shysie said, rising as well. "How far away is this Keltra?"
“I will elaborate more when we are traveling towards our destination. With Skydancer, we will soar very far, very swiftly. Keltra stands on the other side of northern Termina, beyond the Tlacan Sea and below the Szrnelici, it is a sanctuary for the faithful.” The wondrous flying vessel did not sway even when Homura II vaulted aboard and stood at the helm again. The damage it had sustained beneath the surface remained prominently visible, yet such did little to diminish the dazzling beauty and power bestowed upon it as it shimmered in the air. Completely mending Skydancer would require time and energy, but Homura II sensed the urgency in the world, and something apprehensive in the connection with Fear and Pride as well. It was concerning, akin to waiting for an event profuse with unknown elements to occur.
The two shared a pensive look then nodded at Homura II. Shysie helped Mair into the boat by placing her in it, much like a parent would put a child somewhere. This was not lost upon Mair who hung limpy and tried to cover her face in shame. Shysie grinned and then climbed on. Since she was so big, she used the remaining seats, her legs even went to the prow and also forced a blushing Mair to sit on her lap. "We are ready." She said with confidence, hand upon Mair’s head.
Without a word, Skydancer gracefully ascended, sailing higher and higher above the land, yet the wind was gentle and the boat did not wobble at all. Courage was considered adept at piloting the flying vessel, hence she commonly stood at the helm when she and her sisters flew forth from Keltra. Homura II was the majority of the Sacred Septet merged into an amalgam of them all, and so she possessed the same skills and abilities they did, as well as much more. Steering Skydancer towards Keltra and directing it forward at a proper speed was now something she did with ease, and the segments of her that consisted of those that were rather inept at piloting felt a surge of satisfaction. Courage could not have flown through the quaking earth even with the aid of a goddess, and was the only one among her sisters that felt a hint of annoyance as they proceeded onward in their flight back home.
Fear felt as though she were running away again, yet even after her head had shattered and she had been banished by her mother, she did not believe that any of her sisters would suffer for her actions. A piece of her that was what remained of Pride was attempting to reach out and remind her of their responsibility; protecting Rowan from Chailiss and Viho. The Keeper of Keltra had given her stray sister one last thing through their connection, before separating herself again, but Fear barely heeded her own overwhelmed mind, refusing to accept all that had happened and the consequences of her actions. In her distraught state, she was vulnerable and susceptible to becoming a sacrifice to the minds of her sisters. Perhaps she should accept becoming possessed after all - she served little other purpose, it seemed.
She could hear their voices, and sense their emotions, Courage, Kindness, Curiosity, Wanderer, and Pride, and another she had yet to meet known as Desire, along with their Reflections. She heard them simultaneously complain about her cowardice, forgive her, praise her, and yearn to be reunited with her. It was all too much, and Fear sought solace in an internal silence that ever eluded her. She felt confusion when there were differing sentiments from each sister, as she realized the effect including their Reflections into their connection had; allowing the Sacred Septet to express more aspects of themselves when they shared their minds. The strangest, much more bewildering experience was hearing the voice of her own Reflection speaking to her.
“Leave me alone!” She cried out.
The large southern passages that led out of the keep revealed a landscape that was unfamiliar to Fear, as she was helplessly carried along by Zima and still held onto the crying Rowan. Fear did not see, with her vision blurred by tears, but she remembered. Wherein once the fields within the fortress were desolate, there were glittering gardens spread throughout the region, similar in aesthetic to the subterranean domain of Garle, yet smaller in scale and less diverse. There were two towering structures that she recognized as the Temple of the Tapestry and the Temple of Resurrection because of her bond providing her with memories that belonged to her Reflection. In her mind, her sisters told her to go to the shorter, crimson building that resembled a smaller version of the keep with the addition of more windows and ornate decoration.
Her sisters shared with her the secrets of the temple, and explained an adjusted strategy to her with details regarding what she must do to survive and succeed. It was a desperate plan, yet it brought hope. Fear chose to listen to her sisters as she pointed to the temple. “Zima, we need to go there!”
The wind that was the spirit hastily changed course and to the shorter temple they headed. She heard a gentle voice in her ear, despite all the blowing wind. "You must not blame yourself, Fear. I… I want you to know that." And then Zima’s voice was gone but her presence was all around them. She sounded mournful, full of regret.
“I can’t understand why Chailiss is doing this, and why won’t Homura help us…” Fear whispered, incapable of finding any way to soothe the sorrowful Zima and crying Rowan with words or gestures. Her attempts at helping others always went wrong, again and again, until the worst eventually happened - the death of a sister and the Eternal Fire extinguished. Upon the verge of being broken, she struggled even to emotionally weep, with silent trails of tears falling from her somber face as she came closer and closer to the Temple of Resurrection with the tainted Viho pursuing them. She felt only afraid of what was to come.
The open doorway beckoned them, and they flew through it into a vast and mostly vacant chamber with a single passage at the far back. Fear had known the mysteries of the temple, what awaited her within, but the sight of her sister’s soul standing beside the lone altar still surprised her, still left her bereft of bravery and acceptance. Though her body had perished, Pride remained within Keltra and indicated for both Fear and Zima to approach with an angry flick of her ethereal hand. “There is little time left, hurry!”
Fear choked back a sob, as she staggered onwards ridden with grief. She pushed herself to go faster as she gently placed Rowan behind the altar and stepped up beside the spectral remnant of her slain sister. She stared at Zima, and attempted to smile. “I’m not leaving you, no matter what.”
Zima’s wind coalesced into a woman before Fear, who wore a long flowing dress. She did not make eye contact with Pride, her eyes downcast as she glanced away, if not in shock, then out of guilt. She walked over to Fear and stood next to her, placing a hand upon her shoulder. That in of itself seemed to surprise her but she pushed forward. “I could say the same, Fear. I… Will be here, as long as you need me.” She glanced at her and gave a forced smile before she looked to Pride, actually looking at her this time. “My father… He was… I’m sorry for what happened.”
Pride merely shook her head in annoyance, and slightly shrugged. “I have twice been killed by the gods and goddesses of this world, and it’s really irked me, but I don’t blame you. I’m mad you didn’t retrieve my scepter though…” She simply snorted at the loss of the artifact and her demise before turning her attention to Fear, and holding out her hand. “It is time.”
Fear shifted her gaze between Pride and Zima, settling upon the latter with sadness in her eyes. “You’re the one mistake that I’ll never regret. My one miracle…” The anxious champion said to Zima before she grasped hands with the soul of her small sister. The shifting symbols upon Fear’s skin were their usual black, but the Gnostic glyphs on Pride were white instead, yet there was no friction as they fused into one with a blinding flash of light. Standing afore the altar was the amalgam of Fear and Pride, which wielded the bright pale flames of the Phoenix, as she stepped forward. Zima took a step back, a mixture of awe and sadness upon her face.
The combination of Fear and Pride held up her hand, armored with the Black Gauntlet, and tapped into their spiritual power. The relic was sheathed in light and shadows, as it expanded and covered more of her arm until it halted at her shoulder. The light became pearlescent chains coiled around an extension of the Black Gauntlet; a dark vambrace and rerebrace connected to an intricate pauldron. The two that were one chanted together. “Connect!” Then the three relics combined, with the lustrous chains seeping into and adorned the black metal armor. When the ritual was complete, they stood at the entrance in preparation for their foe’s arrival.
Zima stood forth as well. "I made him like this. Only by my hand did he fall. You must not blame yourself for how you had acted, Fear. That too is my fault." She sighed. "I don't know how to break his curse. It must be different than my own and I never knew him like you did, Fear. I don't know if you are the key but we must try else we will be defeated. You've fought me, you know how this works. Be careful, okay?" Zima looked toward the entrance, as a darkness settled in at last.
Three things happened next almost simultaneously. The very foundations of Keltra shook and rumbled. Even where they stood in the temple could they feel it. Next, a roar that made Zima grasp her ears ripped across the air. A screeching agony and of something unnatural. And finally, as the world seemed to break, Viho landed in the entrance, bathed in twilight.
He wasted little time leaping forth and attacking, striking his talons at the two that were one. Zima began to coalesce in wind, that hit him of course. She was like a gale that kept pushing the owl back. That was until Viho put his wings to his side and used his talons to dig into the stone to advance. Step by step as Zima's fury never abated.
With what little time was gained, Pride telepathically uttered to the cold spirit. “Focus on hindering his movements, and we’ll focus on breaking his curse!”
Pride plus Fear dashed forward, and leapt high onto the back of the large owl as they curved through the air around him while riding the wind currents. The combined champion was engulfed in the pale flames of the Phoenix, and held onto the rim of the golden gorget that protected his throat. She stared at the haunting afterimages of Viho emblazoned upon his armor, and felt sorrow thrum in her heart as she attempted to heal him.
“You don’t believe in goodbyes, Viho. Remember the open skies and seas, our time together, and a promise. I am freed from the parasite, and Zima is free from her curse. You can be free too!”
"I can never be free!" He roared, letting go of the floor and opening his wings. The sudden airflow made him spring back into the air, right for the ceiling. He was going to crush Fear and Zima was not going to be fast enough to stop him. The ceiling came closer and closer, and then he collided with the crimson stone above with the sound of the intense impact echoing throughout the empty chamber as something cracked.
“That’s not true!” Fear shouted still intact, as she buried her feet in the fractured ceiling while her hands pushed down against the accursed armor that threatened to pulverize her. She was trapped between both sturdy forces, but endured the weight of the owl champion as she continued to call out to him. “Even dying wouldn’t be enough to imprison you for eternity, so please come back to me! You’re a hero, Viho. You can defy death!”
The owl let out a hiss of frustration as he fell, then flying against the top of the ceiling again once freed from Zima’s wind. The spirit herself tried to do what Pride had commanded of her but was failing with each miss of her wind. "You murdered me, you ate my flesh and let me die! If I was a hero, now I'm only a monster!" The owl raged.
“You are still a hero… that’s what I believe. A monster wouldn’t remember our friendship, or care to remember it! Within you is the one that saved me, and he wouldn’t let himself become like this! It was the parasite that possessed me, and it’s Chailiss that has corrupted you, but our curses can still be broken! You’re not a monster, Viho!” The owl plunged to the ground, turning himself so his back, and by extension Fear, were facing the ground. With a thunderous crash that shook the stones, Viho landed and was on his feet in moments.
“That Viho is gone. You killed him.” Zima, for her part, rocketed forth and struck the Owl, who became off balance. She then whipped around and struck him again, making him tumble. Fear flew towards him like a scarlet comet, leaping onto his helm, and holding onto the visor as she peered into his crimson eyes. Golden metal bent as her armored hand clenched around it.
“Stop spouting lies. He isn’t gone, and I didn’t kill him. That’s not the truth. We’ve found our way home before, we can do it again. Let’s have faith in ourselves.”
“Never.” he whispered and then slammed his head onto the stone. Zima shouted, pestering him with more wind but Viho, with a flick of his wing, a wave of shadow washed over her and Zima went down, squirming as black fire covered her. Viho recovered himself and tried to pin down Fear with his talons. The fused champion evaded as her sister prompted her to hurry with whatever spell or speech she was going to attempt, since their time would eventually expire. In a battle of attrition, without the Eternal Fire, they would not last against a revenant. There were also external forces awaiting them, and neither would wait forever. Fear felt a hint of laughter within her when Pride pointed out the similarities between the enraged owl and herself.
“I’m a little stubborn at times, aren’t I…” Fear admitted, feeling a forlorn smile form as she bound back and forth and dodged each of Viho’s attacks. He was clumsy and lacked experience compared to her, but a single strike from his talons would end the fight, so she dedicated herself to defense until she could devise another strategy with haste. Her strength had yet to fade, but Zima was vulnerable, and Fear couldn’t afford to risk her companion or Rowan. Even now, she sensed the malice outside and the otherworldly presence inside, coming closer to bring an end to this confrontation. The fused champion recalled the words Zima had said in regards to freeing herself from her curse.
“An epiphany…” She muttered. “We are still stuck even if we’re free, as the gods will create more blessings and curses that will continue to trap us. Even so, as long as we're together, the good and bad, love and hatred, it will all come together to create harmony. Perhaps my wish won’t come to be, but Viho; you haven’t died alone, and neither will I!” Fear proclaimed as she separated from Pride and pushed her spectral sister to the back of the temple. She remained behind and no longer sought to evade the deadly talons of the owl champion. There was no calm before the coming storm, but Fear felt an ephemeral peace within her as she arrived at the outcome of her choice.
Somewhere Zima screamed, the shadows closed in and a baby cried. Viho’s aim was true and the owl champion grasped his once-friend and pinned her to the floor with strength enough to break the stone. He looked upon her, as he always had but there was no fondness or love behind his gaze. Now it was just anger and hatred. So great it was that it exuded from his very being like a plague. Dripping in the smoke that clung about him. “Of course you’d give up!” he shouted at her, “Of course you’d think some act of sacrifice was the only way! Of course of course of course!” He lamented. “And now you’re right here, so close under foot and I…” he paused, voice losing its edge. “I failed…” he began, bending his neck low. “My last trial… I plunged into that place of screaming, only to be saved by more suffering. Do you know what it was? My last trial…? You were there, the one I loved. How could I not? But you were a monster… You wanted to kill me and even then I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t. So I fell.” His voice grew quieter. “And now? Before me you lay, accepting your fate. And I…I failed.” Viho looked at her again. His chest puffed out, the air swelled around him, grasp tightening and then, with a flap of his wings, he was gone. Leaving them all alone once again.
Inadvertent tears fell Fear’s sorrowful eyes, yet something pushed at her heart without relent. It was the voices of her sisters, shouting at her to stand, to rise and retrieve Rowan, while Pride was the most audible among them, her words both within her mind and outside from further back in the temple. “Flee then! The living can’t linger when a Gate of Nebel has been opened! Find the rest of our family and seek a way to save us, you fool!” While the soul of the Keeper of Keltra spoke, grey mist poured forth from the passage behind her, and the bellowing of chthonic beasts could be heard coming closer. The world of the living and the world of the dead were converging, beckoning souls and spirits from the afterlife to attend this strange spectacle.
Fear was drowning in despair, flailing helplessly in her head as she staggered to her feet and stared at the ghostly phenomenon in front of her. She was being exiled once again, and she sought out any that would not leave her now.
They came first through the mist, like a river of blue cutting through a mountain. All was washed over in their path and the babies coo’s were silenced. The baying of the beasts became muffled, the way was being blocked now as the souls of a people came forth. They were the Voiran’s, pale faced and white haired with eyes of crystal blue. They walked past Fear, a great multitude of them as they headed for who laid further in- Zima. Fear found herself weakened after enduring the presence of a revenant and now without the aid of the Phoenix flames to protect her, but she refused to let the souls of the dead harm her companion.
“Fear, go now!”
She could not see the soul of her shouting sister amidst the sea of other souls, and she had lost sight of Rowan behind the looming lonely altar as well. She could only see Zima, as the haunted visages of the Voirans marched towards her. It was neither warm, nor cold, as the mist filled the hollow chamber of the temple, and Fear fought desperately against the lethargy that hindered her movements.
Zima was grabbed, arms held as she was forced to stay on her knees, though she didn’t seem bothered by what was happening, almost as if she was at peace. Though her facial features told a different story. Haunted but accepting. Soon enough the Voiran presence within the chamber was all consuming. They came to a halt, like silent statues.
Zima’s eyes finally found Fear and she gave a small smile to her. “Fear. Listen to me! You have to go. What happens next, happens to me alone.”
“I won’t leave you! Come with me, please!”
Fear cried out in refusal, but then both she and Pride were grabbed by a multitude of the Voirans and brought opposite to Zima, who went wide eyed. “No! No! Let them go, it was just me! It was just me!” She struggled in their grasp but they were unyielding. A young Voiran girl stepped forth and Zima froze as she looked at her.
“The Daughters of Honor shall bear witness.” She said, her voice stern.
“Don’t hurt them, please. Just me. Just punish me.” Zima begged, looking to the floor.
“Zima.” She pointed at the spirit, “Daughter of the Spirit Father, He Who Claimed Death. You murdered us all and for what? You slaughtered an entire people. Wiped us from the face of the Galbar. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”
“No… I have nothing of value to say, only that I regret such actions and I will hate myself forever more.” Zima said with a sad sigh, she held her head high now. The Voiran’s faces were still devoid of any emotion but most could not look at her. Or maybe they wouldn’t.
“Then do you accept whatever punishment we deem to give?” The girl asked, stepping forth before her.
“Yes. I do.” Zima nodded, glancing at Fear.
The girl raised her finger again and pointed to the spirit. In the voices of a thousand people, she delivered judgment. “Then, as these champions as our witnesses, this shall be your punishment; Return to the field of our massacre, bury the bodies of us that remain so all may have proper rites and let sorrow bloom into hope.” Zima blinked, she looked shocked but quickly nodded.
“I will. Thank you. All of you.” She said sheepishly. “I do not deserve-”
She was cut off by the girl raising her hand, voice returning to her own. “No. You do not. But long have we come to understand that even those as wayward as you, deserve only pity. It is more likely that you will die trying to stop the Death that runs rampant in the North. Either way, we shall have our recupance.” The girl then turned to Fear and Pride.
“Your Mother stole the shard of Souls and now our god has vanished.” She pointed to Fear. “Return us the shard, even if Death claims you.” She pointed to Fear, “Deliver that message to your kin.” She then looked to Pride, arm falling to rest at her side. “You have received the proper rites of burial, even so cruelly as you were taken. You could linger here forever but know such souls who refuse to go on invite both monsters and pain. To pass on, your trials await. Bar any…” She glanced at Zima, “Unforeseen circumstances.” She then took a step back and all of them were freed. The girl looked to Fear again and tilted her head. “The owl’s soul is not so blackened yet. Only murder deepens the shadow. Look only to his own perceived failures to break what binds him. Forgiveness comes in two forms.” She then turned to leave, the Voirans beginning to dissipate.
“You must leave, the Iqelins grow emboldened and they would claim any lost soul not strong enough to fight back.” She glanced back to Pride. “We can guide you to your first gate, if you wish. Only follow.” She then dipped her head and vanished into the moving mist. An eerie silence descended upon the chamber, muted were the macabre calling from the depths and the thunderous tremors outside, only a continual haunting hiss lingered as a subtle ambient sound. It was dreadfully quiet.
Fear finally reached Zima, and held onto her. Tears gathered and trailed down the weeping champion’s cheeks, as she clung onto her companion. Fear trembled with distraught after the harrowing ordeal. “You, ah! Enough! We’re going together, so no more crying.” She said with a fragile smile that barely held itself. Instead of becoming sobbing she began the process of helping the spirit stand, as Pride stayed silently pensive closeby. Zima followed her up slowly and then, when standing, pressed her hands on either side of Fear’s cheeks.
“Okay, okay.” Her thumb, tentatively rubbed a tear away from Fear’s left eye. The spirit tilted her head, “I told you. I won’t leave you.”
Someone else came into view, another spirit, swadling a cloth bundle. Zima seemed to shrink and went to the side of Fear, looking to the floor as she grabbed a loose fabric that clung to Fear. The spirit that arrived before them was a woman, distraught with grief. She carried Rowan in her arms, reluctance in her posture as more Voiran’s traveled through the gate.
“Thank you.” She spoke to Fear, “For saving my Rowan. Please. Please, “ she begged, hands and arms shaking as she passed him towards her. “Take him. Keep him safe. Now is not the time for him to come with us. Please.”
“Seek Skydancer and our sisters. I will investigate this theft.” Pride added quietly, as Fear received Rowan and nodded her head at his mother with hope that she would rest reassured that her child would be protected. The anxious champion felt uncertain she conveyed such, when she barely felt reassured by anything at the moment with herself. The pressure in her mind became more potent, as the soul of her small sister continued to urge her to leave the temple, and Fear found that she forlornly accepted all that had happened with another slow nod. There was nothing that remained for her here.
The woman glanced at Zima and glowered but she dipped her head in thanks to Fear. “Thank you…” She said, leaning in to kiss Rowan’s brow. The boy cooed gently and then the woman returned to the lingering crowd. They were almost all gone.
Zima stepped forth after a time and called out to the smaller champion. “Pride?”
Pride scoffed when addressed. “Fear has faith in you. I’m lacking such… go on.” She said with annoyance, after Fear attempted to telepathically chastise her through their connection. With a free hand, Fear still held onto Zima.
Zima twirled her pointer fingers as she nervously tried to hold Pride’s scrutinizing gaze. “I… Noted. I just… If you go through with the trials, trust yourself. Go with your… Inner flame.” She then did something very odd. Having seemingly finished her conversation, Zima’s form shrunk into a small, translucent mink that slipped up Fear’s arm, hiding behind her neck and hair. She poked her face out and then said, “That’s all, good luck.” She then vanished again.
Pride tilted her head in response, before looking at Fear. “Farewell sister. Try to be less foolishly stubborn next time.” She said, until she was suddenly rushed and embraced. Fear awkwardly hugged the soul of her sister, with a reminder between them that such was a tradition whenever any of them parted ways, before she stepped back and smiled softly. Fear began her journey outside, stating to her sister that it wasn’t a goodbye while she also recited Viho’s words. Without the Eternal Fire, both she and Rowan would soon perish, but she didn’t stop to lament or lose herself to those thoughts, and carried onwards.
“Everything will be okay, Fear. You’ll see.’ Zima whispered in her ear. “Pride is… Strong. She will succeed in the trials and… Well, a part of me believes her place in this world is not yet over. Take heart, my… Fear. We’ll find a way through this.”
“It’s overwhelming, but I can still breathe when I’m with you. I’m going to help you bury the dead too. It’s always been my intention to go back there…” Fear replied, carefully carrying Rowan in her arms as she passed through the passage leading out of the temple. Zima pulsed, rummaging through Fear’s hair but said nothing.
Keltra had become even more desolate after the coming of the corrupted Chailiss, cold and dark where his presence had tainted the stone and purged the warmth that once emanated from the Eternal Fire. Though it was a disturbing sight, Fear found cruelly ironic fortune in the great gaping wound in the western section of the wall, which would allow her to walk out of the fortress without difficulty. The anxious champion trekked quickly across the bleak fields, averse to entering the interior of the empty keep and bringing forth more pain. She said nothing, as she sensed the departure of her sister’s soul, and felt a solemn silence in the connection they shared.
Zima let out a small sigh. “Such destruction. My father is truly gone then. The God I knew would never have stooped so low. What… What went wrong?” She seemed to ask herself.
“I don’t really know. The Divine can become lost too, so somewhere he stumbled along the way. I want to help him, but I can’t think of anything that will at the moment. Too much thinking, and I’ll burn out. We can look for Mother when we’re safe… she’s a goddess, and closer to him.” Fear said, though she could not find the conviction of her words within her voice.
“I would say some cannot be helped but… That wouldn’t be so true.” Zima murmured. “But I will say, your mother’s recent antics do frighten me as well. We know not her side or why she has done such things but Garle had no reason to lie and the Voirans. We should tread carefully around those that could kill us so easily.”
“It’s funny, I’ve thought of running away from it all so many times. I didn’t want to be used by the Divine, to be what my Mother wanted, to stay forever afraid of myself and everything around me, but what can I do? I can’t hide any longer, because I’ll be weak when it’s my time to stand up for myself. Too weak. Pride says… that Mother will grant us the strength we need, so I’m going to have to look for her, at least for the sake of my sisters.” Without warning, Fear came to a halt. “Um, now that you’re not trying to kill them, maybe we can all be sisters.” She hesitantly said before she resumed her journey towards the sundered wall.
“Sisters? O-Of course.” Zima said in a sheepish voice. “You should not think of such things. I mean, of what you are or what you were meant to be. It does not matter, Fear. We should only rely on ourselves and each other, because that’s what matters. I think at least. Umm, you are honorable, even now. It is something that I… Admire, very much. But I will go with you, wherever you wish. You followed me enough…”
“I’m meandering now. Adrift… My family acts as an anchor, but being close to them means being close to her… Don’t blame yourself for your curse, Zima, because how could you have known what would happen or fought against it?” Fear kept walking, and passed through the threshold of the fortress and proceeded into the forest. “There was a time when Mother didn’t want us to leave Keltra until she deemed the rest of the world was safe for us. My sisters and I disagreed before we discovered the nature of our relationship with our Mother, the one that held such power over us.” Fear gazed upon her hand, and felt the weight of a phantom blade pressed into her palm. “She made me kill Courage, as she killed the others… Trapped in a horrific nightmare. There was not a choice or act I could’ve done to change what happened. It was as if it was pre-written. Meant to be.” She let her hand drop, and let out a sigh as well.
“Do you really believe you don’t deserve forgiveness?” Fear asked.
"Yes…" Zima murmured, poking her small head out. "Fear, what your mother did was awful. What I did to you was awful. What I've done to the world while… That thing…" her voice faded as if she was caught in the moment. "It is not something most can just forgive." She said again, emotion seeping into her voice, "You should hate me, Fear. I abused you. I hurt you. I stole you away. I destroyed your very memories so you would stay with me, like some sort of doll. A servant without your own will. Even if my fate was pre-written, I was still active in my choice. I didn't have to make others hurt. I didn't have to kill or destroy or or…" Her voice broke into small sobs. Zima then pounced from her shoulder and became a young woman again, landing before Fear to stop her from walking. Her features were vaguely ethereal, misty and blue. She stood a little taller than Fear and her hair was frazzled.
Zima's mournful sobs soon became angrier however as she poked Fear in the chest. "Why do you forgive me so easily? If you had told me you never wanted to see me again I would have left. I would have respected that choice. Perhaps I still should. It's only my own selfishness why I stay, me thinking that I can do good by you." She grabbed the dress she wore and flailed her other arm. "You don't need me, Fear. You've never had anything to prove!"
The baby stirred and Zima eyed him, calming herself with a deep breath. Her voice became softer while her arms rested at her sides. "You've simply wanted to live and be free and you have. You are strong, the strongest of your sisters. And your heart is forgiving. Perhaps too much." The spirit gulped, "I… I'm sorry for everything. But I'm not… A victim, Fear. You were. Of cruelty, from both myself and your mother. I will never guilt you into doing anything ever again."
She crossed her arms. "When you told me you wanted to return to the Field of Sorrow, I almost agreed. But I have to do that by myself. You are free of me, Fear. You're free… And I should be dead." She whispered, looking to the ground at their feet.
“I don’t want to be free of you though.” Fear replied, stepping closer to her spiritual companion. “And if you should be dead, then so should I. If I should live, then so should you… That’s kind of what I believe, at least.” She added quietly, as the shifting symbols of the Gnosis manifested over her open hand, before she softly placed her hand upon Zima’s shoulder.
Zima looked to the touch, her lips trembling as she looked to Fear with wide eyes. "Why?" She asked. Even though sustaining the spell exhausted her further, Fear found herself holding onto a small smile as she answered.
“I’m not afraid when I’m with you... You’re a source of joy, excitement, gratitude, and hope for me. I would be incomplete without you. So… I feel like I should thank you.”
Zima took her hand and pushed it away. "Fear… Don't you see how wrong that is? I," she pointed to herself, "I possessed your body. I gave you a parasite that required you to murder innocents. You've barely known me as I am now. There was no joy or excitement or gratitude or hope before. Just sorrow and suffering. You cannot say such things. Do not be thankful for what I did. And certainly don't say you'd be incomplete without me. Are you unable to see what I see? The brave daughter of honor before my eyes. She is already complete."
“I am Fear, the daughter of honor that was born to bring terror into the world. You helped me when you were a revenant, and I was what my mother wanted me to be for a time. It was very painful, and I wish to never feel that way again, but it was something that I had resisted for too long. I have changed, and I’m stronger now because of our terrible actions. Maybe… someday I will be strong enough to defy Mother. You’re not her slave, and it’s like I can see a light whenever I look at you, even when you were shrouded with shadows. It brings me hope… that there is another way. I was more free with you, and we can be more free together.” Her words spilled forth in a rush, as her mind swirled with contradictory thoughts and the voices of her sisters all arguing for or against what she had said. Fear let out a tired sigh, as she released the spell and glanced south-west in the direction she felt her physical sisters were in, so far from Keltra now.
Zima’s stare was downcast as she looked at Fear. She said nothing for several moments before taking another deep breath. "Oh Fear. Perhaps we're both too damaged for our own good. I only feel guilt and you wish to thank me for it. I don't know what else to say to make you see. But I know I wish to help you and you wish to help me, so maybe with time… We can heal and I don't know, try to move on?"
Zima sighed and the corners of her lips turned into a slight smile. "I will stay with you Fear but I swear, if I deem my presence is doing you more harm than good, I will leave. Whether you wish me to or not. Being apart makes us see what we are often blind to. Would you respect my choice if it comes to pass?"
“Would you be willing to stop saying that you should be dead then?” Fear asked.
The spirit smirked. "Yes."
“Then I’ll, um… accept your choice, Zima.”
“We rescued Rowan when we went to find Zima on behalf of Chailiss long ago, and encountered grim and cruel creatures hunting him and his mother. We thought he was the only one among his people that had not been killed by the Revenant, as neither our Mother nor Voi ever sought to reunite him with others like himself.” Homura II explained while Skydancer flew over a sea of clouds that hung over the land. It was less loud at such an altitude, far enough away from the people that lived on the plains so that she did not have to hear them all throughout the journey home. The demigoddess was aware that it was the non-divine half of her that sought to listen to the world with a newfound ability to take notice of all that was the Galbar. Her heightened perception had become both a gift and a hindrance at the moment, it seemed, so she focused on elucidating all that had happened.
“My Lord had to have known I was alive… Why wouldn’t he…” Mair muttered, growing quiet. She looked out at the horizon, growing stoic. Shysie put a hand on her shoulder but even this did not stir her.
“How did you feed him?” Shysie asked Homura II with a raised eyebrow.
“Transmutation. I cannot say for certain what the exact changes to his body were, but he is sustained by the Eternal Fire which acts as a source of energy for life. I can ascertain another way of feeding him when we return to Keltra and have properly observed his body.” She replied, and silently recalled a time when she had eaten the food offered by her brothers among the Childan as the Holy Quintet… resulting in the temporary corruption of the water inside her. She smiled with the realization that in this new form she could eat as much food as she liked, and cleanse her body immediately afterwards.
Shysie let out a large laugh. “I could surely tell you. You nee-” She was cut off by Mair, who snapped back to attention.
“You changed his body? To feed off fire!” She said, anger in her voice. “What else have you done to him?” she demanded.
“Primarily cuddle with him, as well as weave for him a dress. We noted his inner flames were being consumed by the earth and water of his shape, but that is common among most mortals. His shape will change as a consequence of this, but that is again… common among most mortals. He remains akin to an average Voiran child, according to the visions we glimpsed in Pride’s memories. You may verify whether this is true when you see him, I suppose.” Homura II answered.
"What are you even talking about right now?" Mair huffed, crossing her arms. "Inner flames? Earth? Water? Do you even know what we are made of?" She grew angrier, "He better be alright when we get there! He's the only other one who remains and I swear if you've brought harm to him, unknowingly or not I'll fu-"
Shysie put a hand over Mair’s mouth, but it was more her entire face, much to the protest of the Voiran woman. "Calm Mair. Calm. All will be well. They saved us at least, how much could they have done to harm the baby?"
She released her hold over Mair and the pale warrioress began to grumble. "Whatever. As long as he's fine. I can't say I trust them, even if they did help us. They only helped me after they almost killed me. What sort of half divine's solution to undoing a possession is to batter the possessed with rocks? Aren't you a Divine now? Couldn't you have done something else?"
Shysie sighed.
“Hmm… I intended to eradicate your bodies completely, preventing the revenant from possessing others, and afterwards, I would have apprehended her and brought her back to Keltra. Then I would have resurrected you and anyone else that was obliterated as well when the threat was removed. Those were my intentions, yet I am not infallible, and events unfolded differently.” Her voice, so alike her Mother’s now, was ever stern, and the demigoddess pondered the fact that she had so few memories of this specific voice employing a gentle tone. Homura II sensed a hint of anger deep within her, but it felt too far away to ever reach the surface, reduced to being irrelevant in the larger system of her being that constantly interacted with the world. With her greater perception, she noticed her anger grow immensely, yet it still remained insignificant in comparison to everything else. She idly wondered what Mair would do; when she progressed further along the Sacred Path, and joined the Divine as well.
The look of abject horror became apparent on their faces. It was Mair who began to shake with anger. "That's not right…" She began, "How dare you!" She jumped up, charging forth but Shysie grabbed her forearm. "Let me go, let me go!" She screamed, fighting Shysie, who remained calm despite everything. "She doesn't care!" Mair began to cry angry tears, "None of them do! We're all just playthings to them! Useful tools!" She began to stop struggling, going limp as more tears came. "He let everyone die. She would have let everyone die. I hate you."
“Your presence was an unforeseen addition to the equation… it was only meant to be myself, Zima, and Fear. Shysie, please tell me why you thought you two were capable of intervening - why did you involve yourselves when you would have inevitably perished and provided the revenant with more souls to taint? Were there more of you?”
Before the Childan could say anything, Mair snapped back, "Because someone had to put down that demon and by the sound of it, you let her live!"
"Mair please. Relax little bird." Shysie said.
"Don't tell me to relax!" She shouted, Shysie winced but Mair kept going, "She thinks us incapable of doing the very task we set out for. Just to justify her own failures. They have to be right because if they aren't, then someone else gets blamed. There is nothing left inside, just the coldness that all gods exude."
“If the revenant remains, then I will seek her until she is freed from her curse. The cavern was empty when I returned for Fear, and neither of them were powerful enough to endure the manastorm. I currently sense my sister in Keltra, therefore she survived… if the revenant accompanied her, then they will have to contend with Pride who possesses an equal amount of stone to hurl at her target. You should rejoice, as the threat is being removed.” Homura II offered, before she conjured a meal similar to what the Holy Quintet had received, and began eating the contents of the levitating bowls and platters laden with resplendent food from where she stood. She contemplated the frivolous nature of calling upon the Gnosis to create such a strange source of sustenance, but found that she still enjoyed the taste of it all.
“Would you like some as well?” The demigoddess asked.
"Unbelievable." Mair said, smoke beginning to waft from her pores and Shysie, alarmed, let go. Instead of attacking the demigoddess, Mair turned to her giant friend and through gritted teeth said, "Make. Sure. The baby. Is. Safe." And then she was gone, transformed into a white raven and became lost in the wind of Skydancer's wake.
Shysie almost tipped the boat as she tried to move positions to call after her, but her voice was lost in the wind. She grabbed the sides of her head and looked to the demigoddess, tears pooling in her large eyes. "I hope you're happy."
“You should hope Mair finds happiness, as her hatred will not heal her.” Homura II replied halfheartedly, as she glanced between two bowls filled with a mixture of Bjork and Childan cuisine, and deliberated upon which she should consume before the other.
Shysie looked up at the sky, a laugh escaping her lips. "You don't think I know that?" She said, looking back down at the indifferent demigod. "I tried to be there for her, to make sure she wouldn't be alone. I tried to steer her away from vengeance but she is stubborn and can be like a child. Just as you, spirit mother."
Shysie hugged herself and looked to the floor. "I pity the spirits. Especially you. You are everything we are not and more. I only feel as if it blinds you, poisons you. I only hope you know what you are doing. I have seen such good intentions turn cruel."
“I am what I am, regardless of whether or not I am what I wish to be. What I once was is suppressed in the depths of my being, to prevent becoming possessed. What I will be, I have yet to decide. I cannot promise salvation, but I solemnly seek to protect the Galbar and its denizens. I digress, what will you do when we reach our destination?” Homura II asked after finishing her meal, and resumed her motionless stance at the helm again.
"I only wish that you are able to protect us from yourself." She sighed. "I shall ensure the child is safe and return to the north. My people must know what has transpired."
“Tell me, have the men and women of the North reconciled? When the Holy Quintet visited, they spoke with a tribe that dwelled upon the southern shores where all of the Childan first awoke. They heard of the prophecy that Wapeka the Brave foretold; that when the sky danced, the tribes would come together once more.” Homura II felt a yearning to return to the North as she spoke, since she could feast alongside her brothers without concern now. Even though she could not predict the future, and a paramount choice awaited her, her mind repeatedly returned to reminiscing the times when there was less divinity dictating the world around her. She realized with regret that she wanted to enjoy what she would simply call her adolescence again, but she was aware that with great power, came great responsibility.
It was here that the Childan woman briefly smiled before her face dripped into an immeasurable sadness. “The sky danced and with it came spring, like Wapeka foretold. Many came together but with the onset of spring beset a tragedy that we cannot ever forget. You see, our homeland to the west was torn asunder by the dance. We knew not what happened, only that we lost many that day. The Worst was yet to come, for a few of us Keepers were asked to go to the very reaches of the north. There sat a domain inhabited by the Spirit Father yet… He was not the same. He had grown mad. There in that place I was with three other sisters, Mair and a daughter of Chailiss, Aurora. Her mother was Rosalind, so she said and before the dance ripped our land apart, they had been with us. We feared them dead. But now Rosalind sleeps in the highest tower, guarded by Chailiss to keep the fever at bay. We tried to escape when we realized he was gone. The spirits… Some were kind. They would have carried us away but the Father found us and he killed them. My sisters before Aurora whisked us far, far away. I must return, to tell my people and then… I must save Aurora.”
“I would help you on your quest, if you have no qualms with my assistance.” Homura II said, then Skydancer descended beneath the sea of clouds, and the endless waves of golden and silvery mists around them briefly shone with a resplendent radiance as the colorful light of the soaring vessel was reflected before swiftly parting through it all. Shysie was too mesmerized for further talk.
Beneath them now spread the vast crimson forest of Kel-Phelena, sprouting from the southern shores to the northern mountains - and in the distance stood the immense fortress of Keltra, towering over the throng of red trees. They had already traveled from the western edges of Termina to the eastern edge during their limited conversation, and it had been only a short while since they departed their home in search of their stray sister, yet it seemed much had changed since then.
The demigoddess did not steer Skydancer towards the fortress, but instead flew towards the section of the forest directly beneath them. There was no turbulence, nor disruption to their surroundings, as they lowered themselves through the canopy of scarlet leaves, carefully navigating their way through the white branches as they moved closer to the ground, until they alighted before the one they sought. Homura II hid her grimace as she internally strangled and rearranged the flow of thoughts and memories through the connection she shared with Fear, preventing her sister from accessing her mind while she retained all access, as there must be caution with such interactions between mortals and those that had become like her.
Fear was not alone, but Homura II could see and understand what had happened, so she hastily processed both her sorrow and relief as she spoke aloud. “I am Homura II, and I intend neither of you harm.” Her strange yet familiar words were accompanied by a surge of sustaining warmth in her sister and the child that she carried in her arms, as the aura of Skydancer and her own divinity provided for both of them. Slow and steady, she let pieces of her mind reach out to Fear to alleviate any lingering dread that the anxious champion had held after her recent ordeal and the concerns of further consequences for her companion.
“What happened? You’re a Reflection of Mother, but you’re also my sisters? Courage? Kindness? Except you’re not…” Fear questioned quietly, confusion and apprehension shimmering in her eyes. She was the opposite of composed, trembling and on the verge of being overwhelmed as she barely struggled to stay standing, because confronting what was before her and accepting what was behind her, left her feeling deeply lost and lonely. She could hold onto the facsimile of a smile with Zima, but the amalgam of her sisters that had transformed into something too similar to her maker was becoming a source of much stress. Fear reached out to Zima, but her hand passed through her, much to the spirit's dismay.
“Indeed; I am not your sisters.” The demigoddess agreed with an inner reluctance that she refused to show, keeping her impassive visage for her sake, and for Fear. The remnants of the Sacred Septet within her sought to reduce the pain they would inflict upon their sister as much as they could, and that meant cutting themselves away from her sooner rather than later.
More fragments of her thoughts seeped through their choked connection, and Fear was becoming aware of what would come next, but she hadn’t comprehended the entirety yet. She stepped closer to Skydancer, glancing at the Childan she recognized seated upon the hovering boat too small for her size, and Fear recognized that this was the woman she fought in the tomb of Voligan. Vale was hushed by Courage and Kindness, as the lingering persona became angered at the sight of the Childan - and Fear was left hoping that she could make amends and receive forgiveness after what she had done.
Shysie gave them a scrutinizing look, one of true disdain and perhaps more bitter as she looked at Fear and rubbed her new appendage. She glanced at Homura the second before leaning back. "I will take the child.” Shysie said, outholding one of her hands to Fear. “It would be pointless to fight you with her here but give me the baby, so I at least can hold onto something of value.”
“No! I promised to protect him… from Chailiss, and anything else that would hurt him. I… I need to hear you say you won’t hurt him… Then I’ll let you hold him. Otherwise, I’m going to keep Rowan and Zima safe, even from you.” Fear hesitantly replied, her stare switching between Shysie and her melded sisters with desperate resolve, as the truth that she could not defy either of them at the moment was evident in her now painfully tired and reluctant expression.
Shysie’s brow hardened. “My friend is one of the last Voirans, she wanted me to watch over the only hope of her people. I will not have someone who, just before this meeting now, devoured my flesh and who keeps such company.” Her eyes found Zima, the spirit looked to the ground in shame. “I would never hurt him, I couldn’t. But you? You are the ones no one in their right minds should trust, even if you are somehow less inclined to evil acts. Now give him to me.” Her hand grew impatient.
Fear slowly obliged, offering Rowan to the childan before stepping back and imitating Zima’s ashamed stance. Shysie took the small boy and gingerly pulled him in close, inspecting with an inquisitive eye. “We’ve promised to atone.” Fear whispered, then returned her remorseful gaze to the demigoddess. “We’re going to perform burials and funeral rites for the Voirans… They told us to.” The anxious champion explained, as her hands became restless without holding onto anything.
“Hmm… you would not survive the journey without a source to sustain your inner flames, and I wish to see what has befallen the northern lands as well. You have now found Skydancer and the remnants of your sisters, or perhaps it is we who have found you. I digress, I shall accompany you to the cursed fields where the corpses await.” Homura II proclaimed, as Fear averted her eyes and winced.
Zima looked up at Homura II. “It must be an afterthought for now. I’m sure you already know what has befallen Keltra but as it stands, the Spirit Father has gone mad, stealing the remaining sleeping humans. He must be stopped, by any means. He will kill us all and the world in his insanity. Please.” She dipped her head again. “Please, let us make it right. Let us help.”
“We lack the strength to directly oppose Chailiss, but we would seek to protect those that cannot protect themselves. I will not forbid you from choosing to fight. However, I must first find the truth; the world is on the verge of annihilation regardless of our actions, unless I discover the answer to overcome our demise… Precious time is waning, let us depart swiftly.” Her voice remained impassive, but her mind conveyed the implicit urgency to Fear through their connection. Homura II hurried the two that had yet to board the boat, turning Skydancer so its side faced them, and causing the earth beneath Fear’s feet to rise and lift her.
Rather than endure the tight confines of squeezing too many passengers on the small vessel, Homura II channeled her sacred power into Skydancer, swiftly changing its shape and size. Skydancer became slightly wider and further elongated until there was plentiful space for all aboard, with additional rows of seats and an open section in the center - letting Shysie, Fear, and Zima sit comfortably in ruminative silence, as Homura II stood at the helm. Surging forth from the hands of the demigoddess, arcs of red streaked all around followed by the manifestation of glittering golden filigree which decorated the hull and an ornate platinum phoenix figurehead adorning the prow. Then soon afterwards the newly altered ship ascended above the forest of Kel-Phelena before gracefully soaring towards its next destination like a bolt of celestial light taking flight towards its target.
A chill darkness awaited them…
Homura II emerges from the earth after failing to find Fear. She senses her missing sister in Keltra, and some other strange and perturbing phenomena afflicting the Galbar. She returns to Mair and Shysie, then the three speak before they depart for Keltra upon Skydancer.
Fear flees with Zima and Rowan as Viho pursues them. They head into the Temple of Resurrection where they see the visible soul of Pride, and then Fear fuses with her slain sister. They prepare for their confrontation with Viho, hoping to avoid their deaths by attempting a purification ritual despite lacking the power required.
Viho is winning in the battle of attrition with the amalgam of Fear and Pride, so the latter pair unfuse, and Fear accepts her fate. Pride opens a Nebel Gate, which will allow the spirits of the dead to flood into the temple. However Viho does not kill Fear, and leaves before the Voirans that Zima had slaughtered manifest.
Zima is issued her punishment for her crimes, Fear is told to return the Aspect-Shard of Souls, and then the Voirans begin to leave. The mother of Rowan appears, and thanks Fear while asking the champion to protect him. Pride bids farewell to Fear and Zima, as the latter leave the temple, and the former begins her journey in the afterlife.
The desolation of Keltra affects Fear greatly, and she struggles to cope. The anxious champion attempts to be resolute, but finds that she is lacking conviction. She clings onto her companionship with Zima, but they are both broken and only time will tell whether they are able to find solace. They make a promise with each other.
Homura II, Mair, and Shysie converse on their way to Keltra, but the demigoddess angers Mair and the Voiran leaps from the flying boat. Homura II and Shysie discuss a little more, before they reach Kel-Phelena, and they find Fear, Rowan and Zima. Homura II informs Fear that she is what remains of her sisters. Shysie receives Rowan from Fear. Fear and Zima explain that they must go to the North to atone and stop Chailiss. In the end, they all set out on Skydancer.
Pride =17 -12 to create the Pearlescent Chains -2 to empower herself while fused with Fear during their fight with Viho. +4
Fear =16 -12 to create the Pauldron of Protection -2 to empower herself while fused with Pride during their fight with Viho. +4
Zima =20 +4
Viho =21 +4
Mair =15 +4
The Sacred Septet =5 -5 to empower their ability to “connect” their artifacts, granting the fused tools even greater potency. +7 (Completion of previous Quest)
Homura II =10 -10 (reduced to effectively 5) to empower Skydancer, allowing the boat to change its shape and size, plus further increasing its speed and durability.
“You should… Go on.” Shysie grunted between the pain. “I’m no good now. Too… Weak.” They had managed to cauterize her wound but she had lost a lot of blood and her voice, despite the pain, was growing weaker.
Mair stood, hands upon either side of her friend’s face as she stood to the side of her. “I am not going to leave you here. That’s not what we do, you know that.” Shyshie nodded, gritting her teeth as a wave of pain washed over her. With her good arm, she grabbed Mair’s shoulder.
“I knew.. You would say that.” She took a breath. “But unless we figure out something.. The minute we step outside these flames… We’re done for. I’m tall but that King is taller.” She chuckled, sighing and looked away.
“What is it?” Mair said, the hurt in her voice apparent, as the woman looked back.
“It’s nothing that can’t be talked about later.” She stated. “Now do you have a plan?”
Mair shook her head and looked to the wall of flame. “I feel strong. Stronger than I have in a long time but right now… I feel a bit powerless. They can wait us out for as long as it takes but… I’m surprised they haven’t tried… That monster…” She recalled what she had asked earlier. “She said something about others. Maybe they are out there? Maybe not.”
“There’s really… Only one way to find out.” Shysie commented. “And I’m with you. Till the end.”
Then a voice reached them from beyond the flames, unfamiliar and yet it felt as if they had both heard it before, a long time ago. “The Childan is hurt, would you let me help?”
"Who was…" Mair began but her friend put her large hand over her face to quiet her. A moment of protest later and the giantess spoke.
"Sounds like the one that took my hand. She sounds… Less fanatical but still. Use caution Mair."
The pale warriorress nodded and scooted closer to the wall of fire. "Who are you? Friend or foe?"
“I am Wanderer, a friend. You would have known my sisters; Courage, Kindness, and Fear when you awoke in the North. We’re the Sacred Septet.” Wanderer replied in a nervous rush, as the ground rumbled along with her words.
Mair looked back at Shysie and the woman nodded. "I… Like smaller flames of the Spirit Mother. Of course. Still, it could be a trick. Ask a trick question. Something only the sane would know."
Mair furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't…" She grumbled and crossed her arms. She didn't really know what to ask. She groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose before waving her hand over the flame. A narrow slit opened up, just wide enough for one to peek out. She saw the red hair of a different woman and behind her the battle raging on. It was good enough for her.
The wall separated and she pulled this Wanderer in by the straps of her dress, the flaming wall going back up behind them. "You try anything and you'll regret it.” Mair threatened as she let her go.
Wanderer nodded as she reached a hand into her chest, the appendage passing through the skin as though it were an illusion before pulling out a large red feather in her grasp which glowed with a white aura. She pressed her other hand on Shysie’s shoulders, and more ivory flames spread from her palm and along the giantess, healing the blackened burns and wounds in its wake. The feather she held pulsed with power, and white fire burned brighter, its dancing form traveling along the length of Shysie’s arm and creating flesh and bone to replace what was lost. Wanderer spoke softly as she worked. “You should find shelter. This cavern is dangerous.”
"By the spirits." Shysie gasped. Both of the flamekeepers' mouths were agape at the new flesh the giantess flexed. "Thank you." She said, voice full of emotion. "To think a daughter spirit would bless me with a new arm… How How I could weep with joy forever." She tried to sit further up but she was still weak and Mair pushed her back down.
"You must rest Shysie." She said before turning to the Wanderer. "We know how dangerous this place is, we ventured here ourselves on the trail of the murderer. I will not leave until my vengeance is had and it would be wise of you and any others, not to get in my way." She said softly, not intending for the threat to sound so… Final. But she was so close. So close.
She turned back to Shysie. "With any luck we can move the fighting elsewhere. You still need to recover and even trying to fight could be more detrimental to our cause."
Shysie frowned. "As much as I want to disagree with you, it would probably be best if I sit out for a time but… If things go bad… I won't hesitate to join you. Especially if…" her voice carried off.
Mair went and put a touch upon her shoulder. "He won't, he's too cowardly. And like I said, once we’re done here… We shall go back for her. I promise."
Shysie touched Mair's hand with her own and shut her eyes for a moment. Mair blushed at the intensity of the touch but she did not shy away. Shysie then opened her eyes and nodded. "We owe it to her. If this was part of her plan… Well… Keep your promise little raven."
"I will." She turned back to the Wanderer. "If there's anything you need to tell us, now is the time. Already I grow restless, knowing she is right there."
“Could you distract her?” Wanderer asked.
"Distract her?" She said, crossing her arms. "I could but why?"
“Rituals take time to perform, and we cannot let her interrupt us. Give us a little bit, and we can all get through this, ya. We’ll cast a spell that will save us.” Wanderer replied, changing from her more reserved demeanor and now grinning at Mair.
Mair narrowed her eyes but nodded. "A distraction. Sure." She knew in her heart any distraction she could provide would just be seen as that, instead of her earnest attempt to slay the demon. That, she would keep to herself. "Let’s get to it." She turned to Shysie who nodded at her and she nodded back.
She took a deep breath. "Get ready." She said, and then the wall came down.
“You need to calm down!” Courage shouted as she and her Reflection dodged another explosion, and barely avoided being cut in half by the gargoyle slashing wildly at them with his deadly axe. They were harmlessly passing through the brunt of his attacks; those magical bursts and scattering fragments of metal and stone, simply sifting through the majority of it all with their spell, but the blinding flashes still disoriented them, and concealed each of Garle’s incoming strikes. Courage and Courage II felt the fatigue of continually performing evasive maneuvers, and the pain from their prior wounds which had yet to completely heal, but neither of them had the opportunity to mend themselves before they would have to dedicate themselves to hastily eluding death by rampaging royalty.
It was not a battle wherein mighty blows were exchanged between opponents - it was a hunt, and they were the prey, as Garle pursued them throughout the immense cavern. Courage and her Reflection accepted their role of distracting the gargoyle with a little indignance, but if it meant that the rest of her sisters were in a slightly more safe situation, and that they could rescue Fear, then she would be content.
“There is nowhere you can flee or hide from me. Why prolong the inevitable?” Garle asked as he threw his golden axe at her, while copies of the weapon manifested all around him, granting the earthen king both protection and a means of attacking her Reflection that he currently closed in on.
“We’re not finished yet!” Courage II replied, frantically dodging the multiple blades that swung and thrust at her, as she attempted to retreat farther and farther back, yet the distance between her and her foe became shorter. “How about some of your own tactics, ya!” She shouted as she unleashed a blast of pearlescent flames at Garle, aiming for his obsidian eyes. Though it would inflict no harm, it provided her a very brief respite as it temporarily blinded him.
He became still, hovering in the air above his horde of earth elementals as Courage and her Reflection awaited his next assault. “How vexing…” He muttered to himself. “I am surrounded by deceivers and assassins, the truly sinful. I should not be surprised to discover that the servants of the Red Devil are as disgraceful as she. This is a mockery of me and my father… sending little devils such as you to creep into my realm.”
“You’re the one that attacked us! We’re just trying to save our sister! It’s what we’ve been saying the entire time we’ve been down here!” Courage and Courage II called out from where they danced and leapt from earth elemental to earth elemental as each endeavored to capture them.
“Your Maker betrayed my father, and murdered him! She has stolen his shard, and abandoned the sacred earth, just to satiate her endless hunger! I will not rest until she has answered for her sins!” His roar rumbled the entire cavern, a violent earthquake caused by the ferocity in his voice. He flew towards them slowly, ominously approaching at a speed that did not force them into immediately fleeing from him. “You would choose not to heed her crimes, nor accuse her of treachery and tyranny because she has corrupted you… Your minds have been maliciously manipulated into obeying her orders… She has deprived you of choice!”
“We aren’t here on behalf of our Mother, you idiot! We just want our sister back!” Courage combined with her Reflection as she cried out, and surrounded herself in blue flames with green arcing bolts of electricity spreading outwards. She leapt at the gargoyle with a burst of speed, her blurred form appearing directly in front of him before she unleashed hundreds of consecutive punches upon his face. She twisted, rolling in the air before she brought her leg down on his head, and she let out a growl as she prepared her next attack, only to be thrown aside by an array of golden axes that had swiftly hewn into her.
The gargoyle shook his head as he watched her fall back to the floor of the cavern, where she caught herself despite her grievous injuries and fought against his soldiers as they tried to subdue her. “If the Red Devil does not come, then your sacrifice will have been for naught.” He proclaimed somberly, as he descended to bring an end to this foolishness.
“So many lies… All will have to die then…”
The element of surprise was all hers and Zima wasted none of it. With her invisibility she dashed ahead, to where they had Vale captured and slammed her palm into the floor at Herald’s feet. A wave of black flame erupted forth all around them, avoiding only Vale and herself. She broke the chains confining her companion and whispered in her ear, “You must fight or they will win and they will take you away. We would never see each other again, Vale. If they are in your head, then you are in theirs. Now fight!” She was then gone, only to arrive next to Kindness, who she proceeded to strike with her flaming claws. Kindness was enveloped in a flash of light, and where there was one, there now stood two of her. Neither could perceive Zima, but both of them poured forth pale flames from their palms in two wide arcs as their other sister split as well and began creating more cascading walls of fire.
Vale stood unsteady with her mind besieged by her numerous sisters, but summoned floods of shadow that drowned the light nearby her. She staggered forward and pointed at her Reflection of her past self, rage burning in her eyes as she challenged the creature claiming to be her. “I’ll burn you to ashes!” She screamed, and fought back by surging towards her vulnerable doppelganger.
More white fire fell from above as the second Wanderer alighted between Vale and Fear II, and struck at Vale. She wielded her Bow of Light like a spear, now fused with her staff and her Reflection’s second bow, causing the weapon to be coated in shards of glittering ice that she stabbed into her foe. Vale recoiled from the burning touch of the bright ice, before shrieking. “Stay back! I will never be weak again!” Shadows gathered into her hands as she spoke, and solidified into a black and jagged spear which she swiftly thrusted at her two enemies. “I will never be afraid again!” She continued, retaining her shaking stance and retaliating against the two whenever they came near. “I won’t be alone again! Zima wouldn’t ever abandon me!” She said, as she stared in the direction where she thought her companion was fighting Kindness and her doppelganger.
Zima weaved through the fire, having sudden experience with it, as she was besieged on all sides. She propelled herself ever forward, giving away her position as her own flames washed over theirs. Where the two fires met, they danced in a terrible unison. She landed on the stone, away from her fight, having escaped with little effort. She picked up her long discarded weapon and gripped it tight. Now was the time to end this.
Her opponents watched as the scythe was lifted, and seemed to stare at where she stood. Curiosity and her copy began moving towards where Vale defended herself from Wanderer II and the copy of Fear, seeking to switch positions with Wanderer II. At the same time, Kindness pointed with the accursed ice dagger she held, and called out to Zima. “Let us end this.”
“Of course!” Zima shouted back. She tucked back inside her cloak the invisibility gem and once again turned visible. There was no more hiding now. She began to spin the scythe within her hand, channeling a large amount of power within it. The flames around it grew and grew. “Now you shall witness true sorrow!” Zima floated in the air as the unlight of her scythe seemed to swallow all light.
Kindness and her Reflection leapt towards Wanderer II, and tapped the Blade of Mourning against their sister’s combined bow as they all chanted. “Connect!” While their weapons melded, the three Heralds of Honor also fused, and became one champion wielding a crystalline sword shining with celestial light. The three that had become one surged forward with their blade, and slashed at Zima. “We will win against you!” A river of light flowed from the sword they held high, its radiance swiftly rushing towards the revenant.
The wall of unlight greedily lapped up their sword luminance but it was too much, far too quickly. There was a deafening scream as the two lights mixed and then exploded, sending both opponents to the floor. Seconds later, the flaming cocoon fell and thus stepped forth Wanderer and Mair. The pale warrior spotted the downed Zima and wasted little time to go after her. Wanderer dashed towards the fusion of her sisters, and gestured back to where Garle and Courage fought after she reached them. They could see their most brash sister bounding towards them with the vehement gargoyle close behind her.
There was a flash of light as Courage and Courage II ended their fusion while in the process of running from the enraged Garle. Courage joined Wanderer and the amalgamation of her other sisters, while Courage II sprinted towards Skydancer. Magical explosions continued to wrack the immense cavern as the artillery among the horde of earth elementals repeatedly fired upon the Sacred Septet, blasting apart more of the stone and metal that the cairn of the dead god was composed of. In the ruins of the section where Courage, Wanderer, and their fused sisters had been before being bombarded, only a single figure remained.
Garle glared at the five that had become one, flying forward as he hurled his golden axe at them. They chanted together once more, “Connect!” as more of the artifacts they had forged amongst them swiftly melded with the shining sword they wielded. The thrown axe clashed with their blade, eliciting a terrible clamor as magical metal scraped against cosmic radiance, unleashing a sonorous pulse and electric screech simultaneously. The immediate impact pushed the fused sisters back, but they deflected the axe and dodged to the side when Garle came crashing down where they had stood.
His weapon returned to his hand, as copies of it manifested in a hovering circle around him. He slashed at them, but they countered and parried his blows aside, ensuing more thunderous pulsations and screeches that tore apart the cavern as they battled. “This desecration can never be forgiven. I demand the death of you all.” Garle impassively intoned as he brutally lashed out, blinking out of existence in bursts of blue light before reappearing from behind them and attacking.
He could not match their agility, and their seeming ability to predict where he would strike from even when he stepped through portals, or obscured his presence. He had realized that their cowardly Maker would never come to their aid, as she lacked loyalty and conviction, which meant that these irksome pests served no purpose, and he must exterminate them.
They could not match his strength, and endless endurance as he never relented in his assault, never hesitated to strike or pause to regain his stamina, just an onslaught of furious blows without any concern of receiving damage in return. They had realized that they still lacked the power to overcome him, but they were getting closer and closer, except they seemed to be coming closer to their limitation as well. Steam rose from their hands, as the blade they wielded burned their palms, and they could feel their innards begin boiling with the increasing heat of empowered inner flames. None of them knew how much longer they had until they immolated themselves, but they could not let themselves be defeated.
“You are those that defile the land. If you wish to atone, then perish.” Garle continued, ignoring the searing pain that spread across his scalp as the Peculiar Crown defied him once again. He remained certain that his reserved might would be more than enough to overwhelm all of them, as he gained greater speed and power the more he endured as the battle persisted.
“We seek to protect the land! To protect life! You’re the one ravaging it!” They rebuked, as their defense faltered and they sustained more wounds that required too much time to mend in the middle of a fight.
“I am the son of Voligan, and I will unite the mortal tribes in order to protect the earth from your insidious kind. Homura is not divine; she is a demon, and you are her fiendish servants. I must not let you taint others.” The gargoyle muttered, quietly reciting his statement as he slashed at them again and again, until he battered their bright blade out of their grasp and raised his axe high to finally strike them down.
“We’re allies of Voligan!” They cried out, as his weapon chopped through their arm and tore into their shoulder. The combined sisters let out a scream of agony, as Garle pulled the head of his axe free and roared.
“Lies! Enough lies!” He shouted as he brought his axe down again.
Fear II and Curiosity could not step near Vale, as their lost sister summoned an endless tide of burning shadows, and stabbed at them with her stygian spear. However, their pallid sibling could not pierce their protection either, as white fire and shimmering ice guarded the two of them from her assault. They had reached an impasse, until Vale unleashed another wave of darkness that spread in all directions, shielding her from sight briefly. When the darkness was dispersed, Curiosity and Fear II saw that their sister had sheathed herself in umbral armor and began pushing through their defenses with renewed vehemence.
As Fear II persevered in her attempts at prying apart the shadows that warded her mind from fully connecting with her other self, Curiosity reached out with words spoken aloud. “Fear, we’re not here to hurt you! We want to help you and Zima!” The inquisitive champion could barely hear her own voice over the cacophony of cackling flames, but it seemed that Vale had been able to discern what she had said. Curiosity felt dread at the sight of her sister becoming even more enraged, as Vale raised one hand marred by slits that opened to reveal toothy maws, and then pulled forth more tenebrous tendrils that covered the limb entirely.
The shadows solidified into a black gauntlet with serrated edges and beastial mouths engraved upon it. With her spear and armored fist, Vale rapidly ripped through both ice and fire, striding towards the retreating Curiosity and Fear II. “You were never my sisters! You left me! Now you will suffer!” They crouched to avoid her, but she simply adjusted her aim to still eviscerate both, until a radiant blur too fast for any of them to acutely perceive slammed into her.
Skydancer came to a halt, a little ahead of where Curiosity and Fear II stood up before leaping aboard the flying boat. Courage II chuckled at the sight of her concerned sisters, reassuring them as she reversed the direction Skydancer flew. “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. This isn't a relief for you two, ya. Come on, let’s go!”
The prow of the soaring vessel turned to face where the rest of their sisters fought back Garle in an intense battle. They could sense through their connection that the fight was becoming too much for their siblings. They could sense the weakening grip of their sisters on the hilt of the luminous sword and the stress upon their bodies from harnessing such a vast amount of sacred power.
The earth elementals had begun firing explosives at them with Vale no longer in the way for collateral damage. Though the magic and shrapnel did little harm to them, the explosions were enough to briefly blind them. As their vision returned after they had evaded another barrage, all of them suddenly cried out as each of them experienced excruciating pain that spread throughout their arm and shoulder. They watched as Garle removed his axe from the now gaping wound inflicted upon their sisters, and surged into action despite the agony they felt.
Skydancer crashed into Garle as the three champions hastily disembarked, the bejeweled boat thrusting into the gargoyle’s chest once more, and bringing him along with it as it soared towards the distant edges of the cavern. “Chailiss is going to be so angry because we broke his gift.” Curiosity morbidly commented as she collected the severed arm of their fused sisters, while Courage II and Fear II staggered towards where they lay bleeding out.
“We must attend to more pressing matters…” They heard Kindness remark, as the Sacred Septet came together to perform one last ritual. “We cannot channel enough energy to attain a victory without suffering self combustion.” Kindness II added without any inflection to indicate her apprehension. The shifting symbols of the Gnosis had completely covered their bodies, as Curiosity and Courage healed their sister, and Fear II watched as Garle sundered Skydancer from afar.
“Well if we don’t make it… it’s been a joy, ya.” Courage said as she and Curiosity were finished, and both of them along with their fusion turned to look at Fear II. They all clasped hands, then began to merge into one as the ritual started.
They all merged, and their single shape ignited in a great column of crimson flames that continued to grow in size and blinding intensity. The explosives that the earth elemental artillery fired merely melted in the air before any reached the inferno itself, but the stone and soldiers that stood close to the fire seemed unaffected by its presence. From the flames came screams that were as reverberating as the rumbling in the cavern and the external roar of the colossal bonfire, yet there was no sight of the Sacred Septet. Their loud-piercing cry was a sound no other creature could create, continually increasing in pitch and potency in an expression of enigmatic suffering beyond comprehension. Then in an ephemeral moment, their voices synchronized and shouted. “Ultimate Fusion: Apotheosis!”
Immediately the flames began to reduce in size, becoming smaller and smaller until the immense bonfire had become a little blazing sphere within which a colorful crystal resided. Cracks appeared on the crystal, and blood seeped forth in swirling streams that hung in the air. Swiftly, the blood coalesced around the crystal into a familiar shape, and simultaneously solidified and acquired coloration. The fusion of all nine champions wore the attire of their goddess, and possessed a prismatic aura that manifested along the contour of her form.
They held out their hand, and summoned a silver spear. The shaft of the ornate weapon was adorned with glittering gemstones and gently glowing glyphs, and its pointed head was a singular scarlet. Instead of facing the incoming Garle, they turned their attention to the battle between Zima and Mair.
Zima and Mair battled in the heavens of that earthy tomb. One of fire, one of darkness- Each vying for total control. For victory. One for vengeance. One for sorrow. There was no better opponent, save perhaps, for the Revenger himself. But Mish-Cheechel was not there and his unbeknownst disciple would have to do. Zima knew her to be the will of a dead people, the vengeance for their souls. As they spun and washed the bejeweled stalactites with waves of fire, Zima recalled that fateful day.
She could feel nothing. But that was a lie. She could feel it all. All the terrible things. All the pain. All the sadness, suffering, sorrow. In that inexplicable moment that she had gotten her revenge, she had held her face in her hands and had wept a single tear. It was the loss of her innocence. That part of her she hated. She knew now if she was to protect the one she made, her companion, the girl she… Felt for… In her selfishness, she had to win.
Mair was fixated on her death but she would not give it to her. She would not let any of them achieve what they had come to that tomb to do. All except herself. For she was Zima and she was the Revenant and she would make them all suffer as she had suffered.
This she knew.
Mair’s body burst alight with stronger flames as she hurled another large fireball at Zima. Her cloak fluttered in the wind as she caught it with her darkness and sent it back. It washed over Mair like water over a smooth rock. No resistance. The flame was her element. Zima needed a new advantage. She glimpsed below at Vale… Who was… Knocked out? Where was Garle? Where was… The screams started and Zima looked to the inferno. The tides of the battle were changing and not in their favor. She had to act quickly.
Then it struck her, quite literally, as a snaking tendril of fire caught her cloak. The flames bit at her before she flung her cloak away and with it, the gem. She cursed under her breath and glowered at the ever focused Mair. No matter… It was time to unveil her greatest trick. Something that no one had seen, save for Vale. Perhaps the Heralds knew of it but… Now or never.
As the Homuran champions screamed and shouted, Zima stopped fleeing from Mair and charged her with scythe in hand. Mair’s fists alighted with white flame and as the two met, Zima exploded into smoke. Mair swung madly but it was far too late. She entered the pale warrior, who’s inner being burned so bright it hurt her. But Zima was determined, even as Mair struggled, beginning to scream as Zima’s tendrils wrapped around her mind.
Her will was strong, so strong… Was it enough? It was too strong. She began to slip, to burn away. No! No! No! This would not do. She began to laugh at the thought of what she had to do. Whilst still inside Mair, Zima called forth all the power of order. She knew what Mair had done, what those Heralds had done as well. Now, now it was their turn.
A dark sigil, a mockery of the glyphs the Homuran champions used, materialized all around Mair and within seconds they absorbed all of the light. Mair’s body went rigid, arms outstretched on either side of her as Zima felt her fire being contained. It was working.
Before long Mair was enslaved to her will and she opened her crimson eyes in the body of a pale goddess. She flexed her hands and felt the strength within. She turned her attention to the Champions of Homura, only then realizing that they wielded a weapon at her.
Only then, for the third time and for the strongest time yet, did that feeling of dread wash over her. It was not the spear that frightened her so, but past that, on the very fringes of her vision.
Two orbs of crimson.
Glowing with hate.
“Release her.” The combined champions called in a voice that did not quite belong to any of them, yet felt familiar nonetheless. Rather than wait for Garle to come to them, they leapt to where Zima stood and stared at the revenant that had possessed Mair, repeating their command.
"I…" She began, blinking. The eyes had vanished. The feeling gone. Had she just imagined it? Her attention went back to the champions and she rolled her eyes as she looked them over. "I won't. You'll have to kill her to kill me." She then attacked them, wielding the power of Mair. Black flames shot forth!
“I did not wish for this… to have to hurt you.” The visage of those that had confronted her so long ago in the Fields of Sorrow said, as they deflected the ebon flames with a swing of their spear that shimmered and rippled while singing through the air. “But I will do what I must.”
The combined champions jumped backwards, ascending higher and higher, soaring to the top of the cavern at an incredible speed. Even from such a great distance, it was easy to discern the smallest details of their shape, as they thrust their silver spear outwards. The sacred weapon expanded, more and more until a sudden mountain of red metal came crashing down near the center of the cavern and crushed all beneath it.
Zima used a shield of flame and her own power to brace for the impact. In the final seconds before it came down, she looked for Vale but did not see her and then all went dark as she strained to avoid such a crushing fate.
The stone beneath her feet was much less resilient than her strength and fire, all of it crumbling and crunching as the weight of the spear pushed down on her from above. There was no means to discern the depths she plummeted as the pressure did not abate, until it finally came to a halt and receded. There was a mixture of grinding and whistling as the spear then excavated itself, leaving an enormous crater where it had struck. One could see with ease that the center of the cavern had doubled its height, by virtue of the huge hole that replaced what was once the floor.
Slowly, yet still tumultuous in its languid motion, the cairn of the dead god was toppled - its gigantic mass sliding into the hole like heaps of dirt used to fill a dug grave. Somewhere unseen, Garle let loose an echoing bellow.
She could hardly believe the strength of the Heralds and all it did was anger her and that anger manifested in a burning aura of shadowy flames. Once the spear was truly well gone Zima made a frantic dash to fly out of the hole. Vaporizing rock and debris as she made her ascent in the landslide. Even the body of the dead god was not spared. But unlike normal stone the earth God's corpse was made of hardy stuff and her flames did little but scorch. It was the closest gap she ever had to eek through and it did not leave her host unscathed. Mair’s arms and shoulders were scratched deep, and her torso was gashed across her belly button. Something smashed into the right side of her head, blinding her eye. Zima felt blood pour from that wound and over her remaining good eye. Then, simultaneously, something smashed into her right side, breaking her arm and crushing her chest. That last blow almost doomed them both but even with a broken body, Zima could endure. Just as she had within Fear.
The angered Revenant made it through the falling debris at last and to freedom as a plume of smoke and dust erupted right after her as the corpse settled. Zima flew down upon the ledge and there she left the body of Mair who instantly yelled out in pain. Or at least she thought she wanted to yell, it more or less came out as a garbled whimper. Zima looked down upon her. Half of the champion's face was caved in, blood gushed from her mouth and her right arm was bent at an odd angle. Numerous cuts bled but Mair, ever the Revenger, looked up at Zima with a fiery eye. Zima took a step back… Something inside of her felt…. No! She did not feel. She… She shook her head before a wash of flame sent her to her knees.
The giantess had come, tears streaming down her angered face.
"It was… Them!" Zima shouted, escaping the fire into the air. The giantess paid her no mind and tended to her friend.
Zima looked back to the Heralds.
Far away, they seemed to have forgotten her, turning their attention to the broken Vale that they had laid upon a horizontal slab of stone. The black armor Vale wore was fractured and sections of it were gone, but it had protected her from the brunt of the attacks she sustained. Her accursed sisters sundered and tore the armor apart with ease, before pressing their hand upon her head. Even from afar, the combined champions exuded visual clarity, the minutiae of their movements and details of their shape were easily discerned; and Zima saw it all as if she stood beside them. She saw their hand sink into the pale flesh of Vale as if she were a vessel of water, and their appendage was simply sifting through liquid in search of something within.
Zima's heart panged. Nervousness welled and she spring forth towards them. "No! No!" She shouted, "Leave her alone! You can't!"
They glanced at her as she rapidly approached, and had the audacity to softly smile as they spoke. “We will be free from this despairing darkness soon.” Their hand was withdrawn from Vale’s body, and they stood up. Their gaze passed from Zima, to the bellowing behemoth behind her that had also begun marching towards them. In a blur of motion, they were gone and already across the distance between them and Garle as the thunderous sounds of battle swiftly reached the revenant. They had abandoned their sister again, and were preoccupied with fighting the enraged gargoyle now.
Zima went over to Vale, ignoring the battle. She bent down, tentative to touch her. "Vale? What did they do to you?" The infection they had instilled slowly revealed itself, buried beneath layers of black flames within Vale’s body, but not hidden from Zima. The warm flickering of flames lost long ago - returned and shielded by celestial light. Vale had yet to awaken, but her mind was clearly burning as the bright barrier and dark fires clashed with each other.
Anger overcame her, yet she did not know what to do. Zima cursed under her breath as rumblings and the earth shook. "This…" She breathed, "Is all thei-" a sharp voice cut in
"Your fault."
Zima looked behind her, to the dull golden shape of the enemy they had once most surely killed. But his glowering crimson eyes, not unlike her own, peered her down with a malice she had never felt before. The same eyes she saw so far away. The same feelings of dread palpated from him. Choked the very air with hatred tinged pain.
It was Viho, the champion of her father and Fear's friend… He had become a Revenant.
Before she could move he had her pinned with a vice-like grip in his talons of black. She attempted to turn into smoke but it didn't work. Her powers were betrayed by the after images of Viho.
"Long did I think how best to take this revenge." He said in a voice as cold as the abyss. "I pondered while I flew. As I always had and I came to the only logical conclusion." He squeezed, Zima felt the confines of her form crack, if that was even possible. She lit herself on fire with her black flame but that fire didn't even touch his talons. It was as if they were compelled away. "It was pointless taking revenge on you in this form. No…" he paused, head moving closer. "I'd have to change you back for it to truly work and I will Zima. For there can only be one of us."
Words caught in her throat but she shook her head nonetheless. She looked to Vale but her companion was still gone.
"Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt her. Not yet. Not until they've purged the corruption away from her. Not until she was who I knew. That way… All your effort is wasted. All those years gone in an instant. All that work… Gone. Only then will I kill her and the rest of them. When you can feel what it's like to die all over again."
"Y-You can't!" Her voice exploded only to be quickly crushed by his weight.
"Can't I?"
Crimson crashed against gold, as copies of Garle’s mighty axe cooperated together to withstand the strength of the silver spear his enemy wielded. He deflected the sudden strike from the combined champions with his weapon, but barely blocked the second stab as the copies of the golden axe formed an improvised shield in front of him. Though the barrier was not penetrated, it was vehemently pushed back and slammed into him with enough force to launch him high, nearly halfway to the cavern ceiling. Fury had obscured his mind, as his body became berserk, trembling with a frenzied anticipation.
His foe flew towards him, thrusting their spear once more with incredible swiftness. The shield composed of copies manifested itself before him again, but the spear shifted as it soared towards its target. It twisted and turned in the air until it had encircled the gargoyle, then lashed out like a deadly serpent. The crimson blade cut through the stone that was his skin, and severed the hand that carried the golden axe, as the surprised Garle watched it all unfold. He had little time to react to the injury before his conjured protection had vanished, and he was unguarded in front of the foul servants of the Red Devil. He activated his magical gemstones, ignoring how little mana was remaining in his possession, and passed through a portal leading to the ground where his hand and weapon had fallen.
He hastily pried the golden axe from the tight grasp of his dismembered appendage, and attuned to the artifact before seeking where his enemy was. “Face me!” He shouted at where he saw the fused champions tending to the two assassins that had encroached in his domain. “Do not mock me, servants of the Red Devil! Little dishonorable demons!” He continued to shout, and he called upon the earth to replenish his supply of magical ammunition and to hinder these trespassers, as he stomped towards his enemy. He halted himself before reaching them, for the earth did not heed his summons and remained silently spectating the battle instead of aiding him. He struggled as even the stone and metal within his body became burdened by an unseen weight and stillness.
The many that were one then stood as they finished healing the wounded assassin, and gazed back at him. “You have committed many sins, child of stone. Do you wish to continue accumulating sins and sorrow by insulting the Divine? You are acting an aggressive fool, blinded by anger and ignorance, but I believe you may potentially atone and make the world a better place. I will repeat myself one last time, I do not wish to fight you. Let us end this needless violence and work together.”
“Never!” His answer was accompanied by him hurling his axe directly at them, but the weapon was deflected with a terrible screech of metal grinding against metal before the axe returned to the sole remaining hand of its infuriated wielder. “You are slaves of the traiterous fiend, and I will avenge my father by slaying all of you!” He tore a large boulder from the ground and threw it at them, then ascended into the air before he also threw his axe at them from above, attempting to overwhelm their defense.
“You have made an unfortunate mistake.” The boulder broke into pieces and transformed into colorful motes of flame, and the axe was parried aside again, as his unobstructed enemy stared at him with anger. “I am Homura II, and it is you who are enslaved by grief and hatred. As a king, you are a disgrace.” The silver spear surged towards him yet she barely shifted, as the rest of the world around him slowed, moving at such a languid pace that he found himself with a painful plentiful amount of time to realize he was witness to his own defeat.
He defended himself, but was tossed back by the force of the blow. He crashed against the ceiling of the cavern, and then began to fall as his wings were left limp and refused to carry him with his body having already surrendered. He was not provided with mercy, as the Reflection of the Red Devil soared towards him, and struck him again. He smashed into the far wall, embedded in the crater his bulk had created, until his enemy pulled him forth from his feeble prison, and threw him across the cavern once more. His strength left him as he heard the voices of the earth weeping as they begged the red demigoddess to have pity and let him live. His inner power swelled within him, and he prepared to meet his demise despite the plea of his home, as his soul demanded he die upholding his honor.
“You have not been forsaken, Garle. Yet you must begin a new journey. Do not be afraid.” The simulacrum of Homura said, as she stood upon his cracked chest with her silver spear poised to strike. The gargoyle could not truly articulate what persuaded him into defying the urge to reach for the lingering vestiges of strength he still had, as he lay still while his limbs protested. The blade penetrated his chest, sinking deep into his core, and then spreading in all directions to cut and pierce every part of his body. Metallic fluids and gemstones seeped from gaping lacerations that formed now and during prior fights, slowly flooding his form.
His enemy leapt from his chest, and quietly observed as he sank into a pool of earthen ichor, buried by his blood. She glanced back at the two mortals that remained in the cavern, and swiftly returned to their side.
“We must leave here soon.”
Viho peered down at Zima, his gaze beneath that golden mask unrelenting. “Let us start by uncovering your very nature. Once a favored daughter of the Cold god, innocent and naive.” The owl spat, releasing some of the pressure on her. Just enough to speak.
“It won’t work. Whatever you're going to do. This is a curse! You can’t break it.” She growled.
“A curse can be lifted. This one is no different. I gleaned many things from our Lord upon my awakening.” Zima’s eyes went wide. “Did I forget to mention…” Viho whispered. “That it was our Lord Father who brought me back… Who donned me… Who turned me into death?”
Zima shook her head. “You lie! He would do no such thing!” The talons squeezed, cutting her voice off with a gasp.
“You should see the destruction… Wrought by feverish hands. The North dies and Chailiss has gone mad. The world ends, Zima. Everything… is wrong.” He chuckled, his black feathers ruffling.
“This is all your fault. All of this. Had these heralds not been occupied with you and Fear, they could have helped. I would still be alive. He would still be sane. Like a pebble starting a rockslide, you Zima, have caused all of this.” The bitterness in his voice was not hidden. But Viho was a fool, it wasn’t her fault. None of it was! They should have just left her alone! Anything that happened to the North now was beyond her grasp. She wasn’t even there and she didn’t believe Chailiss had gone insane. Yet… Doubt flooded into her.
“Now where was I? Ahhh… Sweet and innocent Zima. Slain, sacrificing herself out of some misguided attempt to save her friend. Did you ever stop to think that perhaps he was better off without you? That you brought him only pain? Sorrow? Suffering? Even then…”
“Mish used me like a weapon. The same thing you say Chailiss is doing. Stop this Viho. It won’t work, I am beyond redemption.” Zima’s voice was weak but she carried conviction within it.
“Redemption? Is that what you think this is… No, this is punishment.” he sneered. “I know the truth of your curse, whispered like smoldering coals. Tell me, do you think your suffering is your own? That the Gods said you must suffer, only you, upon the day of your rebirth?” He scoffed. “That twisted mind of yours, unwilling to admit that you were always wrong.”
Zima shook her head, trying to break free, snarling like a mad woman. “No!” she yelled. “The whole world and the gods and you and them, they will all suffer for what they’ve done to me! They all deserve to die!” She had to get out, she had to break free.
“Always the victim. Still a child.” He mocked. “This Revenancy strips us of our former selves, but… I can see the cracks are beginning to fill in, Zima. This anger, this hatred, so strong on the onset of our existence, melds with time, don’t you think.” he stated. “Come now… Do you feel nothing for this one?” His other talon hung over Vale like an ax ready to fall. Zima looked away, while a part of her screamed inside to help the slumbering girl.
“Look at her, Zima. LOOK AT HER!” He boomed.
While reluctant at first, she submitted and looked upon her companion. The one who she had tortured and hated. Despised and manipulated. Who she was jealous of. Who she had pained. Who she was cruel towards. Something else bloomed. Something that should not have.
“You made her suffer. You brought her sorrow. Was it because you sought companionship? A slave? Bah.” Viho settled his foot back down and turned to look at Mair and Shysie as many heralds in one fought Garle somewhere off in the distance. “How many more suffered like she did? Possessed by a creature so bent with hate, she would kill the world. Look at her, broken and bloody. You did that. You, Zima, brought her suffering.”
Zima grew numb, it was the only way to stop him. It was pointless. All had to suffer, she had to remove them from life. She had to get back at Voi!
“If only you realized the simple truth.” She looked back up at Viho. “You are not unique. You aren’t even special. Just an ant in a world dominated by Gods. A vindictive child who thought herself so wronged she would kill everyone. All because she could not see what was right in front of her all this time. Everyone suffers.”
She stared at Viho.
He stared back.
The words of her truth washed over Zima like a slight drizzle at first, growing stronger, until it only poured. She looked away, shut her eyes but it only made it worse. She could not see it. She could not allow herself to understand it.
She wouldn’t. She couldn’t. It drove her mad.It made her sad. She was fine. She wasn’t. Mish killed her. She killed herself. She got revenge. She should have stayed dead. She brought suffering. She suffered. She brought sorrow. She was sorrowful. It was their fault. It was her fault.
The world hated her. She hated herself.
Over and over images flashed in her head. Of death she brought, of the child she murdered. Of the children that followed. Of her cruelty and her hate. It made her head spin. She drowned in it, it consumed her. How had she been so stupid? How had she not seen? She brought suffering when it was already there. The children were thin. Her cruelty was unneeded. Fear was broken.
Fear. Oh Fear.
That was her name. That was always her name. She sought to play God by forging her anew. She only made a monster in her own image. Zima floated in the abyss, eyes wide as her truth splayed out it all and she realized… Viho was right. She was not special. She was not unique. She was just a depressed spirit, too blinded by arrogance to see any different. When it rained, people suffered. When it was too hot, people suffered. When it was too cold, people suffered. When they died, their loved ones suffered. She had added to that suffering like a hungry fish and she would have swallowed the world just to realize that it would never end. There would always be suffering and sorrow. It was unbearable. It was unstoppable.
She should have stayed dead. The world would have been better for it.
That was the easiest path to take. She had died by immolation. She had traversed the trials. She had wanted more than peace. But Zima had been a fool. It was better to be dead than to suffer. Yes… She faded. It was better that way. She wanted to drown, to be done with it all.
Yet.
For the first time in a long time, she recalled what it was like to laugh. To smile. Mish had laughed. He had smiled. He had kept going. She remembered Fear, pleading with her to go with them to help. How she had saved her, when she should not have. What did she see? What did she… Despite all she had done to her, what had she seen? She did not want either of them to suffer. Or… Her father. How far had he fallen? Was Viho right…?
He was going to… To kill Fear.
She needed to know. Was it because Fear didn’t want to see her suffer? Was it because she was just a big fool? She felt her lips curl into a smile at the thought. A big fool. Who had been… How had she been? Soft? Comforting?
Perhaps… She could help her. Maybe that was why… She was not made to bring suffering.
But… To stop it.
Blue eyes snapped open to meet crimson and the dark owl champion laughed. For his plan had worked.
Zima no longer cared what he thought.
She needed to keep Fear safe.
No matter what.
The horde of earth elementals had divided itself; half of their number dispersing and passing into the stone or through tunnels, while the other half began to build a cairn for their fallen king. The chthonic dirge remained unheard by those that could not hear the voices of the deep earth, but the sorrowful song was also accompanied by rumbling and shaking throughout the entire cavern that was audible to all. The ominous clamor came before the ceiling ruptured across multiple sections, and debris descended from above like chunks of the Moon crashing upon the Galbar. It seemed as though the cavern would collapse in on itself soon.
The silver spear simply sank into the hand of Homura II as she gestured for Mair and Shysie to follow her through the destructive expanse. Shysie did as told, carrying the now unconscious, but healed Mair.
The demigoddess led them to where Skydancer had been tossed aside after being sundered, and she began the process of mending the flying boat as the cacophony of chaos reigned all around them. The fractures in the luminous bejeweled hull began slowly sealing themselves as celestial light poured forth from the palm of Homura II, and cracks beneath their feet formed across the trembling stone, while more large chunks fell from the ceiling.
The falling rocks that descended towards them turned into prismatic flames before reaching them, harmlessly washing over them with a gentle warmth before fading away. As she restored Skydancer, Homura II turned her gaze back to the heart of the cavern, as half of her mind concentrated on her work with a furrowed brow and protecting her two companions, but the other half of her mind reached out to the sister that was left behind. There was little time remaining before this subterranean realm was lost, as the labyrinth began to reshape itself because of the condensed mana becoming unstable when it was no longer commanded. Homura II hoped that it was not too late.
Skydancer was repaired, and Homura II leapt to the helm as she called for Shysie to come aboard with Mair with haste. “Hold on.” She said, as they ascended to where gaping cracks in the ceiling allowed them to fly out of the cavern. Among the shifting and clamorous fissures, the only source of illumination was the radiance of their boat, which shined upon the rippling stone walls, undulating with the occasional burst beside them.
There was no passage that led directly to the land above, so Homura II summoned her spear and created a path. The slightly smooth flight upwards considering their dire situation immediately became a very violent and rugged journey as they forced their way through the stone, eliciting more disruptive bursts and the need for sudden maneuvers to avoid colliding with the walls too much. Higher and higher they flew, though there was no means of truly discerning the direction they traveled, nor ascertaining the distance between them and the surface. As they battled the primordial powers of the earth, Homura hesitated before she touched upon the receding presence of Fear through their connection, and silently prayed for her.
Her mind was in turmoil as a myriad of memories and thoughts rushed her and tore her apart before her scattered fragments melded together into a single entity - this process repeating again and again, until the overwhelming swirling feeling forced her to surrender to the ebb and flow of this broken and then mended existence. Her vision was distorted, as though she were peering through a translucent pane or curtain, but she could see a colorful sky and thousands upon thousands of tiny versions of herself coming together and assembling something she could not quite discern.
She could not feel or see her body, only the miniscule horde of herself as they continued to work, and as an indeterminate amount of time passed, she realized what they were constructing. They were building her body. She could see her limbs and torso, composed of tiny clones linking together by entangling themselves, and slowly sensation came back to her as she started to stir ever so slightly. There was a break in the repeating cycle of being broken, as she stayed complete, long enough to breathe in and out.
She heard music and a gentle voice singing, lulling her into a serene state as she watched the world around her change. She drifted through a suddenly dark passage, before reaching a bright opening, and beyond lay an otherworldly ocean inhabited by strange spirits of the sea. Instead of aimlessly floating, she swam forward, and saw strands of light appear all around her - the presence of these glowing threads ushered a welcome warmth within her, and whispered a word into her ear.
She awoke to shadows and thunderous destruction. Directly beside her, the blue shape of an ethereal woman struggled in the grasp of… Her eyes followed the tall figure. Legs gave way to feathers, covered in dull gold, swarmed with black smoke. Crimson eyes bore down upon her as she found its head, hidden behind a helmet.
“Fear!” The voice of the woman, so familiar, called out. “You have to run! Please!” She cried.
“There will be no running. No escaping.” The owl craned its head, as the woman struggled in his grasp. “Do you know who I am? Who this is?”
So many memories flooded her being, as she cried out. “Viho, why are you doing this!?!” She was struggling just to stand, yet it became easier as her mind finally found balance when both Fear and Vale within her agreed to an armistice for the sake of Zima and Viho. The internal conflict had come to an end, allowing her to comfortably move and focus herself.
“Ah, so you do remember me.” Viho twisted his head at an angle that would have broken most necks as he looked at her, unblinking. “Is it not obvious? I tried so hard to help you and you killed me. My friend, eating my flesh as if I was nothing. You didn’t even try to stop yourself.” His voice grew angrier. “Somewhere out there my corpse lies rotting. Do you know what it’s like to die all alone? Betrayed by everyone you ever knew? Forgotten? I hate you.”
Her head shook vigorously in response. “You were never forgotten! All this time, the parasite tormented me with memories of hurting you, but I wouldn’t let it win. I promised I would find you, and bring you back if you were alone. You’ve saved me, so shouldn’t I save you now?” She staggered forward despite the warnings she heard, and fell to her knees. “I’m here now, so please don’t hurt Zima. Please, hatred will not heal any of us.”
The world around them fell apart, tumbling into depths of smoky abyss. It was loud but at that moment there were only the three of them. Upon the edge of a god’s grave did they stand, staring at one another, unmoving despite the danger. No one said anything, even as Zima quietly struggled, even as Fear silently begged before the darkness that they had created. It was Viho who broke that deafening silence.
“I lied…” His head returned to a more straight position and he peered down at the spirit between his talons. “You won’t get to watch, Zima.”
Within seconds, he tightened his grip, slammed Zima into the cavern floor and then threw her into the crumbling abyss. Discarded like a plaything, Zima fell without words. He then launched himself at Fear, talons wanting only to rip her apart. She lunged forward, and sank into the stone like a shadow to avoid being struck before she reappeared behind him with her hands filled with gemstones imbued with magic she had intended to use against her sisters. She threw a glowing topaz at him that burst with blinding radiance, and held up a diamond that hid her from sight as she leapt into the darkness in pursuit of her companion.
An explosion of darkness erupted behind her. Despite being blinded and hidden from sight, Viho chased her. “You cannot hide from me! I know your very essence.” He hissed. Far below, a hint of misty blue could be seen through the falling debris.
She briefly lamented the loss of her wings of light, while she frantically aimed herself as she fell. She unfortunately possessed little practice with diving through the sky, and found herself fumbling as she attempted to roll towards a wall or falling debris for something else to jump from. “Zima!” She desperately called out.
There was no response from her companion, so far below, falling without course but Fear was gaining. Viho was right behind her, smashing into the rocks with little care. A talon closed in right behind her as Viho hissed with frustration. Without any choice, she used the single sapphire she carried to create a portal to Zima, leaving her without a means of returning to the cavern above. The echoes of the destruction far above gave her little hope of fleeing anyway.
She passed through the portal and appeared beside the faint swirl of blue mist, calling out to her companion once more as she shed her shroud of invisibility and flailed helplessly. She found out why Zima did not respond, the spirit was unconscious. Shimmering between the vague shape of blue mist and the form of the woman she knew. Loud bangs echoed from below, they were nearing the bottom.
“Wake up! Please!” She begged, reaching out with a chain of shifting runes to protect Zima from the fall. Fear did not know whether a spirit would actually suffer harm from falling such a great height, but she did not want to risk finding out. The spell would protect them from the force of the impact, however there was nothing she could cast or create that would protect Zima or herself from Viho. It was difficult to weep while falling, she realized.
Zima stirred with sudden awareness and in doing so, she stopped falling entirely. As Fear slipped by, Zima gasped and flew after her, becoming a part of the wind itself that wrapped around Fear, stopping her fall. They floated for a time as the world rained ruin around them. “Where’s…” Zima began but before she could even answer, a dark shape rocketed into them, sending them full force into the rocky ground below. Zima sprang forth, setting Fear up on her feet and taking the form of a woman once more. Zima glanced at her but quickly looked ahead as Viho dove down in the dimming light.
Fear prepared to evade as she explained the situation to Zima. “I have no mana left!” She did not have much spiritual energy left either after expending so much to create relics that had been lost. Her black gauntlet was not enough to grant her the strength needed to combat the owl champion in his golden armor and dreadful talons. Vale could not provide her with any of the powers that she once possessed either, as Zima was no longer a revenant, which left Fear with little to nothing at her disposal. “How did you free yourself from your curse?” She asked as she swiftly leapt around in order to avoid being hit.
“Don’t worry!” Zima shouted on the other side of Viho, who had landed and buffeted them with wind. “And uh… I had an epiphany!”
“Do not lie!” Viho hissed again, clawing the ground where Zima had just been. The spirit danced in the air, floating and flying, becoming the wind as she avoided capture. “I freed her,” he proclaimed. “Now she gets to feel everything. All the death and suffering she caused. Knowing what she’s done, knowing she got her dear friend murdered.” Viho swiftly turned his attention back to Fear, swiping at her but a falling boulder hit him, shattering against his armor. This did little but enrage the owl champion, who exploded in darkness. The blast caught Zima in her wind form and she was propelled into a wall.
“Can’t we free you as well!” Fear rebuked, dashing towards Viho and jumping in front of him. Though she had learned the techniques her mother imparted on her other sisters, she did not share their bond with the phoenix, or carry as many relics, and she was aware that dodging attacks would not lead to victory.
He scraped the ground at his feet, wings at his side. “You cannot.” He spat, crouching and then he pounced. His talons glowed, leaving a faint glow of death in their wake. Fear had wondered what lay beyond life ever since she fled from Keltra with Zima long ago, and wondered whether she would ever atone and return to her home. Her beloved friend that had saved her now no longer wished to speak with her, and sought her demise, so she could not even offer her other companion time to recover with a distraction. She mused at how the broken halves of herself, Zima, and Viho, had all intertwined, and accepted her fate with forlorn reluctance.
A cold talon wrapped around Fear before pinning her down. Viho stared at her, eyes ablaze with malice. “Why do you care for her?” he asked. “Why would you leave everyone else? Why did you leave me to die so alone?”
Her wards were crumbling at the mere contact, as necrotic power erased the glyphs from her flesh. “She is family. I-I left because I didn’t want them to hurt her. I didn’t want to hurt you either. It takes two to find love; I couldn’t abandon her. I’m so sorry for leaving you alone. Forgive me, I wasn't what you needed when the parasite possessed me, made me into a monster…” She sobbed, barely clinging onto the relief she had felt when she realized that her sisters had freed her from the tyranny of the parasite, and finally became a goddess that could succeed where she had failed. Now she would endure the punishment for all of her sins.
Viho dipped his head low, brooding. It took several seconds for him to do anything as the rocks fell larger and larger. Then he finally looked up and at her. “You were my only family.” Then in an instant he squeezed, shattering the glyphs of protection. A rock smashed into him, knocking the owl off balance. It didn’t come from above, but from the side. Suddenly Zima was there, wearing the rock as a body. Her form was small but strong as she pried a talon loose enough for Fear to be freed. Viho lifted his other foot and brought down his full weight, which Zima caught and struggled with, they very rock of her form cracking. Worse, where her hands had formed and touched the talons, they grew ashen. “Go,” she gasped, “Get out from there!”
Fear let half of her body pass through the stone beneath her, before she twisted and pulled herself away as if she were swimming through water. She lifted herself from the floor, standing up, and sought a solution to the tragedy unfolding. There were no tunnels to flee through, and far above was the alien sight of a vehement mana storm obliterating what was once the tomb of Voligan. She clasped her hands together and prayed. “Chailiss, Lord of Winter, hear my plea. Aid us now. Save your children.”
“Oh no.” Zima’s form crumbled under Viho’s weight but she flew backwards into Fear and spun around to her. ‘What have you done?” She asked, appalled. Even Viho stiffened.
Reality stilled. Rocks ceased their falling, the storm chilled itself to quiet and the very air turned cold. Zima hovered over Fear, looking in every direction for some unseen threat. And then before them came a tear in the space between spaces. Like a black knife it slit itself apart, revealing a deathly shimmer. Chailiss ushered forth, his armor rippled as if it were alive. Cloak hiding his face as his hand held a weapon that dripped with power.
He tilted his head, looking at them. ”Hello Fear.” His voice was wrong, he was wrong.
”Pride has been waiting for you. Won’t… Come home?” He turned to the side, letting them have a clear view of the portal, which shimmered, becoming transparent. The image revealed Keltra and it was dying.
Chailiss outstretched his hand. ”Come now… Death awaits.” And he pulled them all in as the tomb exploded.
Mair is attempting to tend to the wounded Shysie, and trying to figure out what’s happening outside her orb of fire, when Wanderer reaches them. She persuades them to let her heal Shysie, in exchange for a favor. Courage continues to fight against Garle, mostly trying to just distract him long enough for the sake of her sisters. Garle becomes more and more enraged, and decides to try to eliminate all of those within the cavern. Fear II and Curiosity are battling against Vale, while Kindness is assisted by Wanderer II as she fights Zima. Mair provides a distraction, as she and Wanderer emerge from the orb of fire. Courage combines with the fused Kindness and Wanderer and their Reflections, which grants them enough strength to stand against Garle, but they cannot sustain it for long enough to win. Vale calls upon the shadows to forge artifacts that give her an advantage against Fear II and Curiosity, but she is hit by Skydancer before she can defeat them. All of the Heralds of Honor perform a ritual and combine into one being. Mair fights against Zima, as the revenant senses something dreadful beyond the battle. Zima possesses Mair, and faces the fused Sacred Septet. Zima forces them to battle her while she remains in the body of Mair. The cavern is devastated as Zima is pushed back by the power of her opponent. The fused Sacred Septet reach an unconscious Vale and return her memories of being Fear, but are attacked by Garle. Zima leaves the damaged body of Mair and returns to Vale, before she encounters Viho. Garle quickly finds himself overpowered by his opponent, as the combined Sacred Septet ascend and becomes a demigoddess named Homura II. Garle is slain. Viho begins the process of ending Zima’s curse, so that she can suffer more painfully. Zima realizes the truth, and breaks the curse upon herself. In her restored state, she seeks to protect Fear. Homura II evacuates Shysie and an unconscious Mair through the earth on Skydancer, as the tomb of Voligan becomes the site of a dangerous manastorm. Fear awakens with her memories, and confronts Viho as he overwhelms Zima. They descend deeper into the earth where Fear tries everything to save herself and Vima from the murderous Viho. She finally seeks divine guidance, and prays, causing the arrival of a god.
Zima =13 +4
Fear/Vale’s =45 -12 to create the Stygian Spear. -12 to create the Jagged Armor. -12 to create the Black Gauntlet. +4
Garle’s =11 ded
Mair =11 +4
Viho? =14 +4
HOMURA CHAMPS Courage =25 -2 to empower herself for the fight against Garle. -16 shared with her sisters during fusion. +4
Courage II =23 -2 to empower herself for the fight against Garle. -16 shared with her sisters during fusion. +4
Kindness =10 -7 shared with her sisters during fusion. +4
Kindness II =19 -8 shared with her sisters during fusion. +4
Fear II =11 -7 shared with her sisters during fusion. +4
Curiosity =10 -7 shared with her sisters during fusion. +4
Curiosity II =20 -16 shared with her sisters during fusion. +4
Wanderer =20 -16 shared with her sisters during fusion. +4
Wanderer =11 -7 shared with her sisters during fusion. +4
Chailiss
-1 To open a portal
Homura II
=10
The Revengers
4 Prestige +2
The Flamekeepers
5 Prestige +2
The Revenant’s Veil
8 Prestige
-5 To enhance the powers of the members, making their attacks more potent and far more intrusive.
+2
The Warforged/Battle-Born.
2 Prestige (not sure total [doesn’t matter]) ded
Sextuplet
18 Prestige -5 Prestige to enhance the Septet’s ability to wield the artifacts they forge or wield, allowing them to connect and empower even more artifacts into a single greater artifact temporarily. -5 Prestige to enhance the Septet’s ability to fuse with themselves, allowing them to combine without a limitation on how many members can join into a single fusion. -5 Prestige to enhance the Septet’s ability to fuse with themselves, allowing them to share their spirit with each other when they become fused. +2
Phoenix
6 Prestige -5 Prestige to empower their healing abilities, allowing them to restore lost body parts to a creature that has been hurt. +2
The screams were unsettling but they were necessary. They were always necessary. That’s what Chailiss said. She believed him of course, for he was never wrong. No, never, to think any different would have been… Unthinkable. Besides, she was just helping out of course. He needed her help. That was right, that was what she told herself.
She gripped her head and closed her eyes tight, banishing such disruptive thoughts. At least she tried to. She looked over to the girl, Aurora, who sat watching her with such haunted eyes. Chailiss had forbidden her from giving her tongue back, even if she had wanted to. Losing a tongue was rough, for sure but necessary. Nothing could be done about it without upsetting Chailiss. Yes. Aurora tried to motion to her, pleading with her eyes but Zenia knew if Chailiss found out she had even so much as talked to her, she would be punished. She didn’t want that.
Her sister, now more of an object of faith than an actual person, laid upon her bed unmoving. She wished Rosalind would wake, if only so Chailiss had another object of ire. Zenia was unsure of what Chailiss would do to her in the waking world, but it couldn’t be all that bad, right?
She rubbed at the bruise along her arm and wanted to laugh. She was a Goddess, why did she bruise? It didn’t seem very fair but she had been stupid and talked out of line. She shouldn’t be doing that again. More screaming. She was relieved, not because she could stop it, (which she never would have, that would have been stupid) but because it meant he was elsewhere.
Preoccupied. For however long.
Chailiss had gotten paranoid after Viho left and in his wisdom, moved them down into the frozen depths of the glacier. Down were all his experiments were taking place. Where the screams all molded into one chorus of sad suffering. But Chailiss needed help and she would help him, she had to. It meant he wouldn’t be upset with her and hit her, so was most often eager to please.
The door opened, when had the screaming stopped? Her eyes glanced at Chailiss, wearing his dark robe, before they glanced down to the floor at his feet. A red drop landed where she looked, then another. She knew what it was, oh she knew.
”Come Zenia. You are required.” he commanded in a gruff voice. She obeyed, even as Aurora gripped the cage bars, even as her face twisted into rage. Zenia followed, for it was her place to follow.
He led her through the icy halls, brimmed with the glow of a thousand white crystals. Their light gave little warmth to the blue depths of their home. It was not long before they came to another room, whose door was opened. Chailiss drifted through and she followed, stopping in her tracks at what she saw before her. A large table sat in the middle of the room, chained to it was the form of childan woman. Crimson flowed from the top, down the sides and pooled on the floor. Her heart sank a bit at the sight, it was such a sad sight, but why Chailiss had done it was probably for good reason.
The woman groaned a whimper, it seemed she was still alive. Even though her chest cavity had been peeled back and her organs lay fresh upon the table. She looked at Zenia with a gaze that could only convey true pain but it was lost upon the Goddess.
Chailiss came to a stop across from her, on the other side of the table. ”It is as I feared, Zenia. Tala, and by extension, the rest of the Childan, are useless. Their fever has infected them to their very core. If we are to rid the world of this infection, we need another way. We cannot have tools that feel the fits of life.” A blood stained, skeletal hand caressed Tala’s face, while frozen tears fell from her eyes. Zenia watched, fidgeting as she tried to hold his gaze. ”Though it is possible to change them even now, as I will with her, why go through all that trouble when I know where those ready and willing to join us reside? They are untouched, awaiting a sculptor and his vision. The perfect instruments, waiting to be brought to death.”
”Of-of course, my Lord.” She eked out. Her eyes fell further down, at the freezing blood.
”Very good Zenia, I knew you would agree.” he waved his hand over Tala and her eyes fluttered shut. Then Chailiss hovered over the table and wrapped an arm around Zenia, walking her out of the room and further down the hall. She shivered at his touch but kept her head down.
”I have decided,” he began, ”That I shall travel to Keltra. There I shall acquire the remaining, untainted humans and turn them to our will.” Zenia nodded along as they entered a chamber of darkness. It smelled faintly of lingering decay but they came to a stop before a single pedestal. Chailiss raised his hand and from the pedestal rose a frost covered ball, containing a black substance or liquid. ”With this we shall have peace, Zenia.” he let go of her and she relaxed. ”When I find where they rest, I shall break this and usher in a new age. In order for this to work you must also contribute to their creation. Make them revel in blood, Zenia. Make them… Find happiness in such efforts. Do you understand?” he asked, standing before her. He caressed her cheek and lifted her chin up. Zenia did not resist. ”Do this and I shall be truly happy.”
Zenia’s eyes widened and she gave a quick nod. She had no idea what he was really talking about but if it made him happy, it was the least she could do, right? His plans were beyond her, thus she asked no questions. It was better that way, she liked it when he was gentle with her and not… When she said something dumb or spoke without thinking. ”Poor your essence into this power of mine, Zenia.” he prodded, outstretching the ball towards her. Tentatively she touched it with the tips of her fingers and felt a jolt of electrified power, surging through her briefly. Then she did as he asked, pouring her strength into the vessel. He wanted happiness through blood, contentment and revelry through the darkest acts and she obliged, for Zenia was a simple goddess and it was no bother to her. When that was done, she let go and awaited Chailiss.
He retracted the orb and hid it away in his cloak. ”Now I require armor suited for a god and a weapon suited for slaying such gods.”
”A-Are you sure?” she asked, dread in her voice as she realized the question. She felt a slight pressure as Chailiss dug his hand into her shoulder but it abated rather quickly.
”If Homura is there she will attempt to stop us. Any other god still alive is either under her thumb or just as insane as she. We must be prepared for anything if we are to succeed. Now, do as I ask. Just as you did for Viho.”
She nodded and summoned her strength. She envisioned what she gave Viho and then did the same, only this time, she made it in the vision of a humanoid. It started out as gold, the color of her hair, but as it fit itself around the skeletal frame of Chailiss, it twisted and darkened in color. Red black it became, embossed with high ridges, overlapping plates of godmetal, fitting his frame as his black cloak became a long flowing cape with a cowl that obscured his head. It came alive, as he or the armor leaked through a wispy blue smoke. When it was done he flexed his guantled hands and took a step forward. ”Truly our powers have little limits, with this I feel… So invigorated. Well done Zenia. Now…” he outstretched his hand and before him from the very fabric of reality came forth a chain of glowing white that wrapped itself around his forearm.
It was intricately crafted. Each chain link itself, shown bright like a star, reflecting light from a thousand facets. But beauty brought about death, for each of those chains were spiked like the claws of some fierce beast. On both ends the chains became small daggers. One side was as a cutting blade should be but the other was like the mouth of a shark, serrated. He motioned to Zenia and she added her strength to them. The chain became flecked with gold and hummed with newfound power.
Satisfied he turned to Zenia. ”Keep a careful watch upon Rosalind. If any attempt to invade this place, you know what to do.” he pointed at the pendant around her neck. ”I shall return and all shall be well.” And with little more to be said, the god of cold and earth departed, leaving Zenia alone.
It took the Goddess some time to gather her thoughts but when she did, she returned back from whence she came and shut the icy door behind her as she was greeted with the anxious eyes of Aurora. She looked away and went to her chair, where she summoned for herself more wine. She took a sip.
Everything was going to be okay.
Zenia POV, so like the Goddess is doing her thing, and Chailiss comes to get her where he then goes on and on about some sort of plan in a room with a dissected Childan and then they go somewhere else and she makes some more armor and then empowers some pretty chains and then Chailiss leaves so she goes to drink some wine.
Zenia
17 Vigor
-5 to forge the Armor of Indulgence; Suitable protection from the most destructive of attacks, this armor was created by Zenia with one overwhelming purpose; It feeds on what the wearer indulges in, making them stronger in the process.
-5 to empower Sunder
-3 to add her own essence to an orb
4 vigor remaining
&
Chailiss
7 Vigor
+3 Cause Chris loves me
-3 to add his own essence to an orb
-5 (10 vigor Artifact) To forge the chain of Sunder. A powerful weapon, made with a deranged mind. Its sole purpose is to be strong enough to slay any in its way, including the very gods.
Aurora awoke in pain, head throbbing and throat raw. Her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room and what she found made her stomach leap. She was suspended in a cage of ice, overlooking the room that Rosalind resided in. The sleeping goddess still lay undisturbed upon her dreaming bed but the room itself was changed. A golden fire burned in in the corner of the room, where it had once been empty. The fire was surrounded by blankets and pillows. An icy table held empty goblets and plates, strewn about and left to be forgotten. Signs of inhabitants was abundant but Rosa was asleep… Then who?
Furthermore, she was trapped. As soon as her hands touched the cold bars, they stung her and she winced in pain, throwing them under her armpits. She scooted closer to the edge of the cage and looked down. There was nothing of note below, just the floor. She craned her neck to look up but the ice was thick and she had no idea what suspended her. Probably more ice. There was a theme to this place after all.
What was she going to do? How was she going to escape? Were Mair and Shysie alright? Could she do that again but with herself instead? Could she bring Rosa? She sighed, none of that mattered if she was stuck. Or did it? She concentrated, or at least tried too but her head still throbbed and nothing welled up inside. She groaned and kicked the icy bars with little luck. She was a prisoner now.
How long would she wait here? Was Chailiss so gone… Alona's brutal death flashed before her and her breath quickened. She grabbed her head and shut her eyes tight, trying to banish those memories but she couldn't. She began to cry. Alona was dead. Druska was dead. Ahusaka was shattered and dead. She let them die, she should have gone with them. She should have-
"...B-But, like, maybe we should go?" came a soft voice that jostled Aurora out of her panicked state. It came from behind the frozen door. Her gaze fell upon Chailiss as it opened, cloaked hood obscuring his lack of features. Behind him came a new woman, one she had never seen before. She was beautiful, tall, with golden hair that flowed down her back. She wore a simple blue dress that left little to the imagination. Aurora felt herself blush but as she looked closer she could see the bruises and the downcast eyes. It made her blood boil.
"H-Homura sounded s-serious." she said, walking over to the table and going through the empty goblets.
Chailiss walked over to the foot of Rosalind's bed and stopped. "She cannot be trusted."
The woman paused and craned her head at Chailiss. "B-But-"
He cut her off, "No!" he spun around to face her and she went rigid. "She lies!" he hissed, "We would go there to be slaughtered like lambs. Homura cannot be trusted, she is a fiend and a fool! They all are! Don't you see? All of them are infected!" he rushed over to her in a blink of an eye. The woman froze as he caressed her face. His voice softer now, "This plague… She hungers for our shards. It's just us now. We will be free from her possession. Besides… Who would watch over Rosalind if not for you, Zenia? You've done such a good job of it."
She looked to the table, leaning away from his touch. Aurora could only watch. "Oh o-okay. If-If you, l-like, say so."
He rubbed his thumb under her left eye, then moved it to her shoulder. Zenia looked anywhere but at him. "Have faith in me. We shall secure our future and the Galbar’s, together. I just…" he began to play with her hair, "We need to stick together."
Zenia nodded quickly. "O-Of course. I understand." Chailiss hovered over her for a few more uncomfortable seconds before he drifted back over to Rosalind.
"I cannot forget you, dearest Rosalind. Sleeping Rosalind. Dreaming Rosalind. Feverish Rosalind." his voice hit a note of spite and his form hovered parallel to her over the bed. He reached out to touch her but this sent a chord of disgust down Aurora's spine.
"Don't touch her!" She shouted, "Don't you dare touch her!"
This jostled Chailiss, who turned his attention to her at last. His cold aura washed over the cage as he floated up to meet her. "Ah, Aurora. Another traitorous daughter. Where did you send your companions?" he asked in an icy voice. She noticed Zenia looking up at them too.
This was not the voice of the god she knew. It was a horrific monstrosity that had supplanted itself in Chailiss' place. Her heart panged with hurt but those cracks were filling with hate. She scowled and shook her head. "Even if I knew, I would never tell you. You killed them. You killed my friends like they were nothing. Like they were just toys made to be broken. You sicken me!" Angry tears fell down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around herself and scooted away from him.
"I will not argue with a feverish child of matters that are beyond you. But fortunately I believe you, we will just have to find them…" his voice dropped to a veiled whisper and Aurora's heart sank with dread.
"N-No! You can't! They aren't sick, they don't have a fever!" She screamed, rushing forth to grip the bars. The cold stung her hands but she didn't care. "I'll do anything, please just leave them alone!"
"I will send one who has always been loyal to me and he will make sure their journey to the afterlife is swift." The God spoke to himself, ignoring Aurora as if she were nothing but an annoyance. It made her frozen blood boil.
"You're the sick one!" She yelled, "You aren't right in the mind! You killed innocents!”
”Quiet.” Chailiss commanded, the air growing colder.
“No! You’ve imprisoned me! Your own daughter! Simply because I saved my friends from a certain death!” Her hands gripped harder against the icy bars.
”Be quiet!” His voice raised, anger palpable in the air.
But she wasn’t done yet. “You've become a monster! A cruel beast! And Rosalind would be asha-"
She was cut off by his thunderous voice. ”HOLD YOUR TONGUE!”
Her words were cut from her mouth with sudden precision. She moved her jaw and felt a coldness that sent her stomach into a pit. She touched her lips, fingers quivering and then she outstretched her tongue. What felt like the loudest crack she had ever heard rung in her ears. She blinked, briefly overwhelmed and shocked by the noise then her eyes looked down. Down at her hands, which now held something frozen. She quivered as realization dawned in her eyes.
Chailiss had frozen her tongue off.
She recoiled and from her mouth came a garbled scream. She shouldn't have done that, for her mouth and throat exploded into pain and she grabbed at her neck to little relief.
"Now look at what you’ve made me do!." Chailiss lamented with anger. He smashed his fist into the icy bars before her and they shattered into pieces. She would have lunged forward but now she felt something she hated most of all- Fear.
”C-Chailiss…” She heard Zenia say, almost having forgotten she was there. ”Let me, like, help-”
"No!" he yelled, floating to the ground as her prison’s bars reformed. She peered over the edge just in time to see him slap Zenia across her face. She stumbled but remained standing, looking to the floor. ”No one needs help here.” ”Y-Yes… Of course.” Zenia squeaked out.
He touched her face again and she closed her eyes tight but a blow never came. ”I would never hurt you, Zenia. Now come, we must prepare our loyal champion.” His hand found her wrist and he pulled at her to follow. Zenia caught Aurora’s eyes, golden tears falling down her face. She looked mournful and then she looked away and they were gone.
Leaving Aurora alone, without anyone to talk to. Without a voice to be heard. She looked at Rosalind and wept.
He only knew pain. The pain of loss. Of betrayal. Of anger. Of rage. Hate.
Death.
It was all such a foggy haze. Where was he? Who was he? He… He remembered a dreadful sight, a last flight and then…
A gate of souls and and…He remembered he was hunting nice fat voles prancing about in the tall grass…His sights set on the fattest of the bunch and he grabbed it and looked upon its fearful eyes before he became repulsed and let it go. He could not kill such a creature.
Next he met a beggar upon a long winding road. He had nothing but feathers and the man was starving. He could have walked away, he could have let the man starve but instead he plucked three of his feathers and handed them to him. Perhaps he could trade for food…
Then he was… He met a Childan and they talked for a time. It felt like a life age and then he moved on.
Now he was larger and she was there. As she was before her fall, before… before she betrayed him. No… she was not right in the mind. Wasn't that… Long ago?
Chailiss appeared too and they stood side by side upon a white canvas. She spoke to him and told him to come to her and they could be happy together. But then Chailiss spoke and he told him his duty was to travel ever on, for it was his destiny to discover. The canvas changed to a cliffside overlooking the sea. His creator father pointed off into the horizon. The girl he once called friend held out her arms to him. He felt conflicted because his duty was his purpose and she had hurt him.
But his heart could no longer deny her, even as his God shouted and screamed and blew a freezing wind upon him, Viho chose himself. For that was his name. Viho, the wandering owl! As soon as he embraced his Fear, he was somewhere else entirely.
And endless forest. She was there again. He knew what was coming, for his body shook with anticipation and dread. Slowly he watched as Fear became a twisting, terrifying monster. One he knew he had to stop, one he had to end. But the owl hesitated and stepped back. Could he kill his friend? Could he not help her instead? Could he… He begged her to stop, to fight the corruption, but it was useless. Her bones snapped and her mouth widened, showing rows and rows of sharp teeth. She would devour him for good now but he couldn’t…
So he fell.
Into a realm of blackness and screams.
But when all seemed lost and he had consigned himself to such a fate, a golden light beckoned him forth. It whispered his name… She spoke his name with gentle warmth. He could be saved, all he had to do was go to the light. Did he find salvation in that light or did he accept his damnation?
It was such a simple choice…
It came to him in a dream.
He dreamt of endless destruction night after night but this time it was different. A dark hole was upon the horizon, whose maw devoured all into the abyss. It flayed his flesh time and time again, for he could not escape its pull. He could never escape its pull. It was his doom. But before he could die, he would suffer for an eternity.
He watched them, his children and the land, cry out in pain as they met grisly ends. Aurora was there and he tried to save her but she always slipped through his fingers into the maw. Zenia was there too, but his fellow Goddess, try as he might, could not be saved either. All the faces he knew, all the friends he once had- They all died and he was forced to watch over and over again.
It never ended.
For this was his punishment for the weight of his failures. He was weak and cowardly- a fool.
The sky fell apart, swallowed by the feverish maw, then the stars and all of that which was above. He had no eyes but he could still see, despite how much he wanted to wake from the nightmare.
A pale light, of dwindling hope, reached out to him in a desperate bid for survival. Chailiss reached for it, the pale crystal emmenating a quiet he did not know he craved and then it was before him. He looked upon it and whispered sweet nothings, of gentle hope and the blossoming of good fortunes. They were safe for now, together at the end of all things.
It whispered back, a promise of removing such a fever if he wanted or let it be cast from him forevermore. Something screamed no, far, far away but he could not distinguish it from the roar of the maw. He was nearing it and so, he agreed. Anything to stop the fever. To stop this abomination of life. He was rent into two halves as he took the shard within him, and he could only watch as his other half drifted into the void.
So Chailiss became death and the true nightmare began.
….
”You have done well, Zenia.” Chailiss spoke to the smaller Goddess, who’s eyes were fixated upon his dead son. Except, he was not dead, but neither was he alive. No, he was stuck in between.
”W-Will h-he be… Like…” She could not finish her sentence as Viho squirmed in pain, beating his wings into the floor as his feathers turned black.
“H-HELP!” he screamed but there was nothing they could really do. Voi’s curse was absolute on those who were tempted to leave the afterlife. It was necessary, after all. How else would he create a Revenant loyal to his cause?
Zenia made a move forward but his hand shot out to grasp her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. The Goddess shivered.
”He will be fine. Soon, he will feel nothing.” he commented, watching as Viho’s face feathers turned gray as the curse finalized its newest prisoner. His gleaming blue eyes looked on in horror, before they flooded with a crimson glow and all emotion vanished from the champion. ”Now is the time, Zenia. Just as I instructed. Armor for our true servant, such that none shall ever again hurt him. Such that he may have his revenge.”
Zenia watched as the darkened owl straightened himself, peering down before at the two Gods. She very slowly raised her hand and pointed at him. A noise like a chorus of war song sprang forth, followed by the iron rich smell of blood. It washed over Viho, donning him in Reverly’s finest. Light enough to fly with, strong enough to block any paltry attack. The armor was golden, but as it touched Viho, his afterimages darkened the metal. It covered his back, the tops of his wings, belly and head. His face was obscured, all that remained were two crimson eyes.
”Very good Zenia.” He gave her a squeeze. He looked to Viho and spoke, ”Viho. You have been rewarded in death with false life. You will seek out those who struck you down, for another seeks her as well and you will kill them all, my son. For they are feverish and their intentions cannot bear fruit. Do not let any get in your way. None at all.”
He raised a hand on that endless patch of ice and cold, the palace well behind them like a crystalline beacon. He forged for his son deathly shackles, talons forged of the darkest ice any had seen. They tore into the ice as they fixed themselves to the feet of the owl champion.
”Now fly Viho, fly and be once again free.” said the death god and so he was answered, for without any words, Viho left.
Zenia shivered. ’Will h-he be alright?” she said, looking to the icy floor at his feet.
”Of course, dear one. He has never been better. Free of his fever, free of a true death. What more can of of us ask for? Come now… Rosalind is lonely, let us return to the palace.”
”O-Okay.” she murmured under her breath, walking off before he could say anything more. It was all coming together. They would all see. Just how feverish the world was.
Aurora is imprisoned in the tower of Rosalind after her stunt. Two gods enter the chamber of the third, and Aurora is surprised to find the newcomer to be Zenia. How and when she got there is a mystery but she’s been keeping a close watch on Rosalind and being physically and emotionally abused by Chailiss, who by this point, has fallen into madness. Aurora protests and gets her tongue frozen off in a fit of rage. They leave her, Zenia powerless or too afraid to do anything. We skip to see Viho’s journey in the afterlife, for he died. He almost passes all his trials but falters when confronted with having the courage to kill a monstrous Fear in Rosa’s trial. But, it is not his end, no, he is saved by Zenia but it was just a ruse by Chailiss. For doing so marks him with the revenant’s curse. It is then revealed that Chailiss has in his position the aspect of death and he and Zenia empower Viho further to hunt down those that killed him and the ones who escaped the Palace. We end the scene on a grim note.
Zenia
21 Vigor
-1 To rip a hole into the underworld to free Viho
-3 to forge the artifact, Armor of Revelry. At the behest of Chailiss, Zenia was forced to turn her darkest parts of her aspect into a suit of armor fit for a champion. Wearing the armor enhances one's lust for battle, bloodshed and murder.
17 Vigor Remaining
Chailiss
0 Vigor
Claimed the Aspect of Death. His death. Where the Soul aspect deals with what occurs after the body is dead, and the Doom aspect deals with the slow marching end of all in perpetuity, Chailiss' Death deals with the finality of the physical self. The death of the living, breathing, fighting vessel that houses the soul. His twisted psychosis sees all life as feverish and in need of death to set them free, to stop the spread of life's feverish intent. Thus he uses it in his perversion to bastardize that which was once sacred, turning against the natural order of all things. For once dead, the fever has stopped and one’s body can be repurposed to propel the madness of the Cold God.
+10 Vigor
-3 to forge the artifact, Talons of the Death God. Blackish ice, formed into armored talons. Capable of cutting through most objects with ease and biting deep with necrosis. Beware the deathly fervor.
At first there had been emptiness. The loss had come as such a blow, stripping everything else away, save for a bottomless pit of grief. But that endless void soon flooded red. Swelling with the only other emotions any in her position could digest. Anger, hatred, rage. That void inside her began to fill unbridled.
She was angry it had even happened, angry at herself for being a failure, for being on some task that her silent god had sentenced her to. Hatred came next. For the one who had done such a terrible thing. For the one who took her everything in the blink of an eye and for the father who had let it all happen. Rage strengthened her now, it was the only thing that made her focus. Cold and terrible her wrath would be on the one who had unleashed such pain upon her entire being. This she swore and none would get in the way of it.
For she was Mair, born anew as a Revenger.
The passing of time came irregularly to her, all melting into the same abyssal cycle. Waking hours she spent training, molding herself into something new. Weak muscles became hard, her mind sharp, reflexes quick. Strength building to new heights as she learned of herself and pushed harder everyday. Sleeping hours gave way to the waking, if she slept at all. It was so cold there and she could not leave. Not yet, for the cold god prevented her flight. For Chailiss' cryptic talks gave little understanding, even to the others. What was he waiting for? So this went on and on for the longest of times. It became harder to tell the passing of days, for the sun remained high at all times and then it would be dark for even longer. She swore it was not as it should be, that time worked differently there but she kept such thoughts to herself.
Her only company during those long days and nights was what she alone endured. For this path was hers to tread and she would walk it until her vengeance was known. Yet she could not deny that the restless fire in her blood was tempered through compassion. She was of course, not alone in that Palace of Rime.
Shysie, Keeper Alona and a few other flamekeepers had joined her there, not long after her arrival. They taught her their ways once it became evident that she would not relent on her quest. And perhaps because she would not stop pestering them about it. Besides, it gave them all something to do and soon enough, Mair had become inducted into the sisterhood of the Flamekeepers. It had not been easy but she was a natural learner and quickly surpassed all expectations. So it was, for she was dedicated to the path of vengeance and all it might offer. But becoming apart of the sisterhood also claimed its own challenges but they would be worth the risk.
Keeper Alona assured her, as long as she kept the Eternal Flame's interest at heart and adhered to their core tenants, all would be well. Mair knew if it came to and the sisterhood got in her way, she would cast it aside in pursuit of her one true goal. But that was a secret none but she could bear.
There was also one other in that Palace, two in fact but they only saw one. Aurora was often by her side and unlike Shysie's warmth, Aurora was a roaring inferno of optimism and empathy. On many a times she was the one to almost bring Mair back from her foolish quest but in the end nothing could stop the pain. So she turned it to fuel that would keep her going until the end. Even if that fuel pushed everyone else away…
Yet there was a greater shadow looming above and poised to suffocate them all.
"We need to act before it's too late."
"In this we agree, Mair." Alona said, shivering over a meager flame. They had been told it was beginning to be cold enough that even the giants of the north shivered.
Aurora didn't know what to think of that. Or much of anything. She was immune to all such cold but watching the Keeper's shiver alarmed her. Where had it all gone wrong? She had trained and trained and trained but felt no differently. In fact she felt worse about a lot of things because truth be told, she wasn't good at learning or training or getting better. Not like Mair and Shysie.
"Aurora?" Shysie touched her arm, eliciting a small gasp from her lips. She blinked and looked up at the giantess. Her amber eyes were worrisome. "Do you agree? Have we waited long enough for the Father to see reason?"
Aurora studied the faces of those around her. They were all looking at her, of course. She had spaced out again. Mair had crossed her arms over her chest, she wore practically nothing. No one knew how she stayed warm. Alona and the other Keeper's were a mix of concern and indifference. Alona being indifferent. Shysie cared though, she had a heart twice her size. With Mair being… Difficult, Shysie had leaned on her and she gave support when she could. But now what came before them was a monumental task.
She sighed. "He's not well and we are but mortals. How do you help a god from falling?" She clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes, "He promised and he broke that promise so long ago. Now is the time, if there were to be any better time, I do not know."
"What of the Nisshiniek? Will any side with us?" Alona asked.
"Churi has been helpful but they are stubborn and loyal. We should expect only a quarter of those here to provide any aid, half, if we are lucky." Aurora frowned as she saw their faces harden. All except for Mair's.
"Even without their help,” She began, “We would still need to go. They can survive the cold but not his madness. So let's get to it." She finished on a spin, beginning to walk off. The others exchanged glances and then followed behind.
“Is our transportation ready?” Alona asked.
The spangled girl nodded, “When the time is right and we have left through the front, Churi and the like-minded Nisshi will be waiting.”
“And what if they aren’t? What then?” Alona’s tone hardened.
Aurora shot her a glance. “He will be there. Just stick to the plan and don’t do anything stupid. For this to work and to avoid any unneeded deaths, remember what he discussed.”
The older woman nodded and then continued on.
“Will you be alright, Aurora? I know… This can’t be… Easy.” Shysie whispered to Aurora as the two drifted farther back from the pack. There were only a handful of them to begin with. Keeper Alona, Shysie, Druska, Ahusaka and of course, fiery Mair. If any of them died… She shuddered to think of it. Conviction and revenge drove Mair, pushing everything else away, even logic and reason most of all. She supposed this would always have been inevitable, whether Chailiss saw reason or not. Oh Chailiss…
Aurora looked up at Shysie and forced a smile. “I will be okay, don’t worry about me. He is no longer the God he once was. The one I wanted to know.” Those words were a lie and she hoped Shysie would believe them. This was the hardest thing she had ever done. It was hard to believe at one point, she had wanted to see the world. Maybe she still did, but now, there was a bigger problem. One she could never have thought of- She cared too much. Was that a problem? Not necessarily but right now, it definitely was.
She wanted to help her father and abandon him to the endless cold and this silence he had created. But it was maddening all the same, to be powerless to do anything. As a god withered away. And now, she was prepared to do what needed to be done. She had never told any of them her real plan. She was not going to leave. Her last ditch effort would be to get to Rosalind. She had not seen her creator… mother… friend in what felt like an eternity. She was locked away. But no more. She would try to wake her, no matter the cost.
“Uh oh.” Shysie whispered loudly.
Aurora blinked and looked up. Down the hall, Mair had run into the one being she should not have.
Yuma.
He was the Nisshi in charge of the Palace’ and he made sure everyone knew. She likened him to the stories of the Keepers, a bullish man who sought power by bullying others. Right now, he loomed over Mair and the Keepers in a form of white glass, in the visage of an armored behemoth. She walked faster as the shouting started. Today was not the day he was supposed to be out walking the halls, he had a routine!
But before she could do anything. Anything at all. It was already over. Mair had cut him in half with a powerful lance of fire, and his top half slid to the floor with a mighty crash while the spirit inside, now caught on fire, screamed. And that scream echoed out into the silent halls, like a beacon in the deepest quiet of winter. A kindled flame, giving way to a forest fire.
Alona reacted quickly and added her flame to the screaming, thrashing Yuma. After a moment he turned to ash, then drifted to the icy floor like gray snowflakes.
“What have you done!” Aurora shouted, pushing in amidst the Childan’s to stand before Mair.
The pale girl turned to her with a look of disdain. “He would have given us up or worse, he had to go, Aurora.”
“Don’t you see what you’ve done! The plan is ruined, more will be coming now! Honestly, I can’t believe how stupid you are!” She poked her in the chest. Mair winced, a fiery expression overcoming her features but before she could open her mouth, a deep rumble could be heard from somewhere deeper in the Palace.
The nisshi were mobilizing.
“We need to go, now!” Aurora shouted, running down the long corridor. The rest followed, and more rumbling could be heard somewhere behind them. “Forget the plan, get to the outlook and pray Churi is there!”
From down the hall a cold wind spurned them, heckling them ever on. Their meeting place was in the most remote corner of the palace, away from prying eyes and icy ears. Where they had to go was on the complete otherside of the Palace, down through the ramparts and through the last courtyard. There to the left was an outlook that oversaw the vast nothingness that surrounded them. She hoped Churi would catch on to what was going on and meet them there. If not, Chailiss would not forgive them this time.
So they ran through the hallways and up and down stairs, until at last they came to their first obstacle. Three Nisshien Knights (a term no one knew the exact meaning of) patrolled in their way. They spun around, and hissed as they saw them approaching. There was no time to waste. Druska and Ahusaka outpaced her before the fray started, working in unison to send a biting flame down the hallway. It struck one of the knights, who shattered to ash with a dreadful scream as the other two also worked together, summoning a cold wind to snuff the fire out.
The icy wind buffeted them enough to slow them down, as the knights advanced. Shysie shouted something from behind, and two more knights approached them from the rear. They were being pushed back! Panic struck Aurora, a dark flighty sensation- lulling her to dance… She shook her head and slapped herself. No! She couldn’t fight but that didn’t mean she needed to give up, for she was surrounded by fierce warriors. As Druska and Ahusaka summoned their flame to fight the wind, Shysie and Alona sent fireballs down the hallway. Aurora found cover behind a pillar of ice as she watched the battle unfold.
A fireball from Shysie smacked the hand of one of the knights, melting it asunder. It quickly used the melting water to form in its hand’s place, a large spike. Alona fought the other in hand to hand, occasionally setting her hands on fire to great effect. The other two flamekeepers were holding out and the wind was growing fierce as both sides sought to outdo the other in a cruel game of reverse tug of war. But wait… Where was Mair? Aurora looked around but could not find the pale one. That was until, on the side of Druska, a wave of fire melted the knights to ash. Mair had somehow gotten behind them but how?
There was a scream. Shysie’s scream. Aurora snapped her head back to see her friend had been cut across her brow, down her right cheek. Scarlet glistened in that icy room. Alona dispatched her knight by thrusting her hand inside its chest and immolating it. Shysie fended off her attacker, then Alona went in for the kill, cutting its head off and then engulfing the body in fire until it was ash. Then all was quiet and Aurora rushed to her friend.
‘Shysie! Are you alright?” She only ever came up to the girl’s waist but even from where she stood, it didn’t look good. Alona was already inspecting it before she muttered, “You’ll thank me later.” Before she put her hand over Shysie’s face and her hand glowed red. Shysie cursed in her own language, or at least Aurora thought so, and then growled. She pulled back, a handprint burned into her face, but at least the wound had stopped bleeding.
“I’m fine!” She snapped, wiping away what remained of the blood. “Let’s keep moving!” Shysie pushed ahead, past the dying light of the flames. Deeper into the frozen solitude of Palace Rime.
Their trek was longer than any had anticipated. Every winding turn and long hallway brought a new challenge. The Nisshien Knights were relentless in their pursuit but it became quickly evident that not all of them thought the same. A battle the likes none again would ever witness was raging in that nowhere place. Spirit fought spirit, between brother and sister, with great screaming and tremendous power. Since the Nisshi did not wield fire, they resorted to bashing their opponents until their vessels were broken and they were too tired to continue. They never killed one another… Perhaps that made them better than squabbling mortals, fighting over petty things, taking life without a second thought. Still, they had no qualms about killing her friends and for that Aurora brushed aside her poetic insights. After all, she only had what the Firekeepers told her about the world, maybe her own view was skewed? It didn’t matter, because they were getting closer and closer to their destination.
By a stroke of good fortune, a pair of Nisshi had battered open the very walls, giving them quick access to bypass the throne room. He who dwelled within would be their greatest threat. If he slumbered then not even the fighting would wake him. Still, it was dangerous and they were beginning to feel the chill and weariness of wounds. Throughout, Aurora felt weakest but knew in her heart that her moment would come, she just had to see them all off.
The last of the knights that stood in their way, not engaged by their brethren, were felled by Mair. The pale warrioress barely seemed winded but protected them all as they continued on. Then silence at last rang out from where they were and everyone took a deep breath as they exited the last doorway to see Churi and other like minded Nisshi, in the form of icy eagles. At their full power, Nisshi were massive, as was everything else in the land of giants. Behind them stood in the infinite icy wastes of the true north, a certain death on foot.
“You’ve made it at last!” he called out, “The fighting has commenced and many have fallen, they will surely suffer for a time but if it meant letting you escape, then it was worth it. Come now, we must hurry before he wakes.” he let down a wing and the others followed. The flamekeepers each found a nisshi and settled in.
“Shysie!” Aurora called to her friend, grabbing her wrist before she could get upon one. The tall warrior looked down and raised an eyebrow.
“Aurora..?” She asked, perhaps seeing the tears falling down her cheeks.
“I…” Why were words so hard when they needed to be said? “I… I’m sorry about your eye. I…”
“Come on!” Alona shouted from atop her eagle. “We need to go!”
All eyes were on the pair, even Mair’s who waited for her on Churi.
“It’s alright Aurora, now come on, let’s get out of here.” Shysie said, pulling away and clambering up her eagle. Aurora stepped back, hesitant in that moment. She looked back to the doorway, then to Churi. A smile on her face. She nodded at the Nisshi and with a great deal of reluctance, Churi nodded back slowly, looking away as he did. With two powerful flaps of his wings, he bounded off the ledge and into the sky. The rest followed, and with them the shouts of her friends. She didn’t have the heart to wave goodbye and quickly fled into the dark palace.
She had to get to Rosalind. That mournful tower had only one entrance and it stood directly in the center of the palace. Directly behind the throne. For Chailiss did not want any to meddle with such a feverous goddess, even if it had already begun to consume him entirely.
Now Aurora walked through empty, scarred halls. Bits and pieces of Nisshien knights were strewn about, now motionless. Any who remained standing did not attack her, as they hadn’t in their mad dash to escape. Even in madness, did Chailiss still care for her wellbeing. As much as it was beginning to sicken her. No words were spoken on her slow march forth to the throne, for none knew what words of comfort there could be. She steadied herself before the great doors and opened them.
The air there had no scent as it rushed past her. It was cold, unpleasant and uncaring. Before her the hall was empty, save for the statues of Nisshien knights lining the sides. And of course, there was the throne. Aurora’s eyes widened in horror and her heart jumped to her throat.
It was empty.
Before she had any time to react to the emptiness, there came a tremendous cracking sound and the ceiling broke apart. She dove to the side, behind a pillar to avoid the shattering ice that skated across the floor all around her. When it came to a stop she peeked out and saw Chailiss standing in the middle, a pile of… broken eagles. She clambered to her feet, or at least she tried, but tripped on the slick ice.
The cloaked god ripped one of the living eagles in half, then blew upon the spirit that tried to escape, freezing it. It fell to the ground and shattered. Aurora screamed. He spun around to her, blazing blue eyes boring into her soul.
”Aurora.” he stated with cold fury. ”I couldn’t let them get close. They are sick. Infected with the fever.” It said it with such certainty, Aurora almost believed him but she knew he was wrong. He picked up something, lifting it by black strands of hair. It was Alona, who struggled weakly, her body now battered and bloodied. ”We can’t let them…” his other hand grabbed her chin and where it did her skin began to blacken with frostbite. ”Escape.” His hand twisted her head with one quick motion. A loud crack echoed throughout the room and then it was over. Alona was dead, discarded to the floor as Chailiss rummaged through the ice.
Aurora’s knees grew weak and her vision began to go black. She couldn’t breath, she couldn’t breath! Her wobbly knees gave out as Chailiss lifted Druska high but he seemed dissatisfied and tossed her aside. She did not move from the cold floor. Ahusaka was next, she at least had some breath in her, because she tried to fight back. But her blows only did enough to cause herself harm and then Chailiss blew upon her a cold breath, and she froze into a statue, face twisted into agony. For good measure he threw the statue into the wall, leaving nothing of Ahusaka behind.
“S-Stop.” She cried out weakly.
Then he lifted Shysie, who was lifeless as could be but Chailiss did not toss her aside. In fact he held her a loft and with his other hand, he raised Mair up. ”Sick, so sick.” he shook his head. ”We cannot let them continue. No, we cannot. Isn’t that right. Wayward Daughter. Zima.” His gaze burned into Aurora’s. She could hardly react, could hardly even think. She knew what was coming. She knew and knew but why was she so powerless. Why? WHY!
“S-STOP!” she cried out.
The God ignored her and walked free of the shattered eagles. ”You will see. No one can ever leave. Ever again.” his voice bristled with anger, their necks were beginning to blacken. It was in that moment, that she screamed and felt the world explode into a myriad of endless color. She grabbed them both, swarmed them with a thousand dancing lights and ripped them from the grasp of the cold god. She was the wind, the howling, rushing wind and they escaped that northward place into the green. For she was the sky and she flirted with the moon and the stars. It was overwhelming and all consuming but she knew she had placed them far, far away from his grasp and as the vision faded she was at last useful.
But her vision had not just faded to black. It was like her eyes opened again and she was back in that cold throne room. Chailiss stood before her, empty handed. She laughed, wretched and then passed out.
An undisclosed amount of time passes in the Place of Rime, probably years. Mair trains up and becomes a Revenger and a Flamekeeper, beware her power. Aurora trains too but nothing really comes out of it. We come to the eventual present and those humans at the palace realize they have to leave. Cue an epic flight to the ford to find the eagles to escape. But it’s all self contained in the palace. Aurora knows she can’t really leave without Rosalind, so she sees her friends off much to their shouts of protest. Eventually she makes it to the throne room, because Rosalind’s tower is guarded by Chailiss directly. Except he isn’t there and then all of a sudden he is, by busting into the ceiling and dealing with those who thought they could escape. He kills three people and goes to kill two more before Aurora spirits them away but she herself stays behind. What happens next idk.
What’s a vigor, precious?
Aurora
Starting = 9
+4
-2 To propel some friends to safety using her powers.
= 12
&
Mair
Starting = 12
+3
= 15
The Revengers 5 Prestige
+1 for playing a role in the present post +1 length
Total: 7 Prestige
The Flamekeepers
Starting = 6 +1 For significant role +1 For length
It was pain that drove him. Away from it all… No wait- he had to be somewhere. Where was it? Memories flashed before his vision, clear as day. A maddened, white haired girl, clawing out his stomach, feasting upon his flesh. He wanted to scream but his throat felt dry. He was so thirsty, so terribly thirsty.
Viho glided now, midday sun bearing down upon him with indifference. Truth be told, he always knew he was never going to make it back to Keltra. No… He was nowhere now. The only place he was going was the faintest smell of water that had drifted to him, way back when. Now he was coming towards a small body of water. A pond? A lake? It didn’t really matter, long as he quenched his thirst. A small comfort before the end.
He landed with a thud and skidded before the sandy banks. The water lapped at the shore, fresh and sweet. He opened a crusty eye, blinking back debris. He was so close. So painfully close. He used his good wing to pull himself forward, well, at least he thought so. He was getting just a little closer… Just a wing length away. Oh how delicious it would be. Just had to keep going. Yes… But Viho’s eyes began to close. The last of his strength spent, the last of his icy bandages melted.
Zima landed back upon the hill in the morning. There was nothing to be seen save animals all around them, here and there. She once saw a faint trail of smoke but it vanished before she could find the source and with her mind running wild with thoughts, she gave up searching. As her feet touched the ground, blackening it, she knew two things as a certainty. One, those against them were many and she and Fear, who could not truly be trusted, were alone. Two, those that had come before them, the god of Hunger, Viho the owl champion and now this Grimm, had all been unexpected. She knew soon enough Fear’s sister’s would come to hunt her down, whether tasked or not.
What could be done? How could she cement her power evermore? Grimm had alluded to raising the dead but this did not truly appeal to her. Perhaps… She knew not if her destiny was to be opposed so openly by so many, or if she was supposed to take a more secretive role. Her allies were so few and her enemies were often backed by the very Gods. She had no such benefactor, an awareness that she found to be only angering. To strike at the heart of champions could only bring higher powers to bay. Was she willing to accept such consequences? She could not die… But she could be imprisoned.
Should this bother her? Was she not meant to bring about sorrow and suffering untold? She had destroyed the Voirans and their wretch of a God had done nothing to her in retaliation. But that was a dangerous line of thought. She sighed and looked out over the open plain. Such an empty land. Even if she had learned to raise life in a deathly state, there was nothing around here to let her do so. Why did it have to be undead? Dead meant the soul would still go to the afterlife but what if… She outstretched her hands and looked at them.
What if she was the solution she was looking for?
Was she not the perfect state of being? Unable to die, unable to live in such a flawed life? She had tried to spread it already, she had been almost successful but Fear was a champion and not so easily corrupted. Other life? Well… She balled her fists, a rare smile forming on her lips.
Wolfish.
She would spread her suffering by not just corrupting the land but the people, the life that subsisted off it and she would forever mar all souls. It did not matter if she could be stopped for she would leave a legacy, as Grimm had said, and none would ever forget her terror. She would destroy her enemies regardless, they would always fail fighting her. For she could not be beaten so easily. Zima laughed a heartless chuckle. She felt no warmth and no emotional response but she knew how to laugh.
She clasped her hands and sighed, then spun around to find Fear. Fear would be the first to fall and it would not take much more to truly blacken her flame. Perhaps this push was all that was needed…
Fear remained silent and still, as if she slumbered where she stood, until her gaze languidly turned to Zima, haunted eyes flickering first, and then the rest of her features shifted to face her. Yet Fear said nothing.
“Only animals prowl this land. Maybe a passing mortal here and there. Honestly, I’m not sure what the Lord of Hunger was thinking trying to spread this parasite here. But all he said was past the desert and we obliged. Now, has it grown?” Zima looked past her with narrow eyes, towards the spot. Truth be told she had no idea how long she had been gone.
Fear simply turned and gestured to where a small red plant had sprouted from the earth, slowly growing in the short time after they had buried it. It was unknown how much longer it would take until the sprout became whatever it was meant to be, and currently the greatest danger to it would be any animal foolish enough to mistake it for sustenance.
Zima frowned and looked back to Fear. “You’re still Pride, aren’t you?”
Pride, who had remained in control of Fear’s body, nodded, and the signs became more apparent with that affirmation; the way she stood and stared at Zima with a firm stance and keen eyes which was unlike her previous mien. The last of Fear’s sisters that Annoyance sought to overwhelm still held her position before she spoke in her childlike voice. “I am. This is the first time we’ve met, but I’ve heard a lot about you, and our time together while I was a prisoner within my sister’s body has said so much more.”
Zima stood a little straighter and folded her arms across her chest. “You may exist outside of Fear, back at Keltra, but right now you are only a fragment of her mind or memory. One that is trying to battle the corruption within her and slowly failing.’ She smirked. “You are not her sister, you are Fear. I wish to speak to you properly, not Annoyance or any other personality that you’ve created to defend herself. If you cannot do that Fear, I will come back inside.”
“If you wished to speak with Fear, you should not have hurt her all this time. You’ve done nothing but inflict cruelty upon her and now she seeks death, an end to her suffering. Why should she hear you? Your threats are bluster, and your presence is sickening. I’m tempted to leave you in your disgrace now, but that would be rude. His grace tasked us with watching over his seed after all. Now, what will you do?” Pride asked, tilting her head as she peered forward and the shifting symbols of the Gnosis manifested on her skin.
Zima scowled, anger boiling. Who was this persona to mock her so? What gave her the right to speak in such a manner? Her hands dropped to her side, balled and shaking. She stared daggers at Fear and then hissed, “What I should have done when we first met.” And then in an instant, she was upon her, gripping her arms with claws. She growled and then made them tumble together down the hillside. Suddenly Fear was ablaze with those accursed flames and in a swift and unseen motion, the two of them were high above the land as they ascended with a thunderous boom.
As the wind whirled by, Fear struck with her knees and fought to free herself from Zima’s grasp, and it became immediately evident that the power of Fear differed from the rest of her sisters. She hit with the strength of a colossus, so much more mightier than any blow Zima had endured at the hands of Homura’s other champions, and her strikes ignited the air around them. Despite the roar of flames and tumultuous clamor of hundreds of attacks as Fear kicked and lashed out with her head, that haughty voice of this defiant persona was loud and clear. “Chailiss has abandoned you! Mish has abandoned you! Now I’ll abandon you! I’m seeing a pattern!”
The two came to the bottom of the hill, breaking apart from the force of the landing. It took several seconds for Zima to come to terms with the beating she had endured. It was unlike the others. This Pride… Oh this Pride. She stood up, turning to ash that which she touched, eyes ablaze as she found Fear. “Finally,” She breathed, “One of you has a fighting spirit!” Like the wind, Zima danced towards her, unleashing her own punches upon her defiant slave.
Was it good or ill fortune that she had seemed to have deprived the Holy Quintet of the strongest among them, as Fear fought with twice the strength of Courage and Kindness combined, and was twice as difficult to land a blow against. With mere steps, Fear flew through the air and in a brief period they were already too far to perceive where the stone outcropping marked the site of where the sprout would grow, having come close to where the lands were shrouded beneath the ring of darkness.
Her prey ceased fleeing, and hastily touched the earth causing massive spires of ice to arise which added another layer of obstacles that Zima faced. More and more pillars and formations, creating a palace of ice wherein Fear hid. If Zima had been at all phased by any of it, her reply was just as tremendous as the ice palace; She flung herself into them all, like a comet of black fire, shrieking like a terrible wind as ice shattered all around them, becoming naught but dust. “You cannot hide from me!” Zima shouted, crashing into more pillars as ice fell in resounding explosions. “FACE ME!” she roared.
There was a whoosh of wind from behind her, as Fear descended from above yet did not attack. Instead she held up one hand, and it became apparent that she no longer possessed two, as the other icy appendage had separated from her wrist and was now joined with an unfamiliar blue amulet that the defiant champion had worn throughout their travels together. “Hear my prayer, Chailiss! Your stray daughter shall be sealed again!” Pride proclaimed, as she came closer, gliding with wings of light and a white fiery aura that glittered like snow beneath the sun.
Awareness dawned upon Zima’s features, eyes going wide. No… She had been a fool! Of course! No No NO! She hung in the air, watching Fear with that pendant get ever closer. She had to think fast, she had to…What was she…She had to sever this unintended possession.
Yes… Now was the time.
Fear grew ever closer, Zima glowered at her, brought her hands to her own chest and embraced the Veil, as a thick shadow spewed forth from her. The night overhead grew suffocatingly dark as Zima’s power encompassed the surrounding area, engulfing the Pride of Fear. From that prison, came forth numerous, clawed hands- All of them striking for the champion of light.
Light and shadows danced around each other, as Fear gracefully eluded her pursuers, but could not reach Zima. The champion was akin to a shooting star in the darkness of the conjured night, yet aimless was her flight and endlessly came the horde of claws that beset her. Once more Pride chanted. “Hear my prayer, Chailiss! Your stray daughter shall be sealed again!” Strange was the sight of her unmoving mouth while Pride spoke clearly, as though her words were merely echoing despite there being a change in the inflection.
All around came the voice of Zima, haunting and layered, “There shall be no help here. This is a dark place, an all consuming place. Now drown. Drown in the deep.” Though there was no way of being sure, the endless night began to shrink, closing in on the lone champion. More and more hands came, spewing hatred and quiet relief from all that pain. There was nothing that Fear could do, her defeat was certain, and yet she did not show terror or anger, or cry out in denial - she danced as though she were part of a performance, and there was a beauty to her motions that unfortunately no mortal could see and appreciate. A last dance that would not be remembered.
“Hear my prayer, Chailiss! Your stray daughter shall be sealed again!” Her voice rang out a third time, and then there was a burst of violent light as the celestial sections tore at the void, and vice versa, with unnatural screaming and the world trembling before Fear appeared right in front of Zima in a flash, and thrust the blue amulet grasped in the hand of ice against her opponent’s chest. “Mother will come.” She said softly, before claws ripped her away from her foe and she was swallowed by shadows.
Within those shadows, Fear was stripped of all earthly possessions as the claws held her firm, covering her mouth. Crimson eyes watched from the shadows with inscrutable intent. Soon Fear was being clad in the same shadow and inky black that held her so tight. It was then that Zima spoke, voice coming from the direction of her eyes. “I hope she does. She’ll get to see her fallen daughter. Maybe then you’ll finally be delivered the death you want but for now, until this comes to pass, you will be a useful tool.” A veil of shadow came over her eyes, cowling her white hair with dark. Then and only then, did Zima step forth, clad in the same garb as Fear had now. She reached forth and passed her hand onto Fear’s chest.
“The parasite protects you now more than ever. A creature made of stone, only with flame do you persist. I’ve tried so hard to make you see…” Zima murmured, “If only you had listened, I could have spared you of all this pain. But alas, you sought to change me and I was the one who changed you. Even then did I fail.” There was a bitter note in her voice, “That’s all I’ve ever done, fail. But no more. You are a part of me now and we shall be joined in profane rite. I will ask you just once, join me of your own free will. Let me end your suffering. I can make it go away, you can be like me and feel nothing. All you have to do…” She leaned in closer, and whispered in her ear, “Is say yes.” She pulled away and the hand that covered Fear’s mouth dissipated.
“We’ve both changed.” Pride answered, struggling in vain. “You cannot end my suffering, and I can’t end yours. We’ve both failed and remain victims of our parent’s folly. You already know my answer, Zima.” Her last words were not articulated for there was no need to pretend she possessed vocal chords, her uncovered mouth becoming still while she spoke further, as though the wind whispered for her.
Her eyes became morose as she dipped her head down, looking at the hand that lay over Fear’s flame. “One day…One day you’ll see.” she whispered. “Willing or not… The rite begins.” Her head snapped up, morose replaced with sullen anger. “First… It’s time for you to go away now.” Zima grimaced and etched a mark of her handprint into Fear’s chest, she then pulled away and her print was replaced by the shadowy garment. She shut her eyes and felt the print. From it poured into Fear a sliver of shadow that she goaded on. It grew weak, so she poured more of her strength into it, gritting. It sunk into the parasite and burrowed deep, threatening to be consumed by it but again, Zima poured her strength into it and it broke free to see the shield around that heart of hearts. It bounced off harmlessly but it had not come all that way to fail.
Zima scowled and unleashed the paramount of her power into that sliver as it burrowed, just enough to break the seal. It poured in, and the barrier closed behind it. Already it began to fight the flame. It was not strong enough to kill it all but it held just enough… Just enough to find the memory and persona of Pride. It attached itself to it, drowned it in the darkest of night and as the flame licked it up and it became nothing- so to did that hated persona.
What remained of Fear’s inner fire was very small, and pressed itself against the shield of light where it still held, attempting to flee from the shadows. Fear became silent once more, and her body went limp, only the faint sounds of her whimpering resonating throughout the internal space of her being.
“It is complete…” Zima said, exhausted. Slowly the darkness around them faded, giving way to star-filled night. Zima caught Fear before she could plummet and for once, held her without bringing her any harm. She was part of her now after all. They fell to the ground without a word and pressed upon the grass with a sigh escaping her lips. She felt… Odd. Almost regre- No no no, she could not feel such things. This was a moment of triumph, wasn’t it? When she realized she was gripping Fear still, she let go and scooted away. “I shan’t do that again… Even if you remember it.”
And Fear fell, laying upon the ground and unmoving.
“I’ll let you rest.” Zima said quietly.
Zima has an epiphany and begins to scheme up a Holy Order. She tries to talk to Fear but Pride (Fear’s memory/persona of Pride) Is still in control. The two have a spat that devolves into a very large fight. Neither really got an advantage over the other but in the end, Zima wins and inducts Fear into her new order by forcefully removing the Persona and memory that was Pride. Fear collapses after this and Zima is a little tired too but the future looks ever bright.
Zima
29
+5 (Minimum, Medium, Long, Collab, & Main Char)
-25 Spirit to create the Holy Order; The Revenant’s Veil. Those who bring everlasting suffering and sorrow wherever they may go. They subsist off of the revenant herself, tapping into her profane power, and spreading it across all lands and life. They use their abilities to turn creatures and peoples into twisted lifeforms, not truly alive, and not truly dead. Existing as any Revenant does, inbetween. Such beings are subservient to the members of the order, with little will remaining in their shaded husks to resist. Beware their blackflame, that which taints.
-2 Spirit to cast a ball of darkness over a large area
-2 Spirit to empower a sliver of shadow to break through the parasitic heart
-2 Spirit to empower the sliver to break through the barrier
-2 Spirit to empower the sliver to destroy the memory and persona of Pride that lives with Fear.
1 remaining
Fear gains 4 Spirit. (+1 minimum, +1 medium, +1 long, +1 collab) -2 Spirit to empower herself for the fight with Zima. -2 Spirit to move at the speed of light for an ephemeral moment.
'I no longer need you to find Zenia.' Those were the words that his Lord had told him. Leaving Viho confused and perplexed. Had he been too slow? Was everything fixed? What was going on?
'Why?' He had asked, the only word that he fumbled quickly enough to say. His master’s presence was already slipping.
’She can help me no more. Her coming would spell only further doom. You are free to leave the North Viho." he had said with a cold voice. ’Go be at peace elsewhere, far from these lands.’
He had protested, he had refused but his God was already gone. Viho was alone.
Always so alone.
But he was alright with that… Right?
So he flew. Flew to the one who had given him some semblance of comfort. It felt like an age ago, perhaps it had been. But the owl champion knew he needed someone to talk to. To help him understand what was going on. And that person was one who he had saved from certain death. His only noble act so far in his entire existence. The only thing he had ever done right, it felt like.
When Chailiss spoke to him he had been over the ocean on a direct path to where he believed he could find Zenia. Now he had gone the opposite direction, back to Keltra and the land of red. Yet as he neared the land proper, a curious feeling came over him. Paranoia mixed with his own fear. Down in his gullet, it made him quiver. What was this feeling?
Suddenly the sky became lit with another glow but it was not the sun. It was directly in the path he was going- Keltra. He doubled his efforts in flight, what if they needed his help?
He could sense something amiss on the wind, all pointing to that red keep. Instinctively he used his senses to search for Fear, for when he often thought of her he almost felt… A pull.
He could see the faintest of lines reaching out towards the keep but he was still days away. But at least he had a lead to go off of. Eventually the light faded, even as the faded from dawn to dusk once more. And something else changed, the line he felt connected with, that led him to Fear, had left Keltra. What was she doing? Where was she going? He didn't know but perhaps he would find out. So Viho followed that trail, his mind sputtering with morbid thought.
The trail led him well past Keltra, into new lands of shadow and shimmering lights. Eventually he came to open plains and the sun returned in full splendor. He did not rest nor did he stop. He followed the ever wandering path that never wavered in its direction. Days became night and vice versa as the flow of time went ever on.
He began to encounter, on the rarest of occasions when he flew close to the surface of the land, burnt out villages with strange faces and always death. It was disheartening as it was chilling. For the trail always went through the middle of such terrible sights. Viho's heart sank but he dared to not think of who had done such a thing. Perhaps Fear was on the same trail, following after whatever evil was causing this.
Yes, that had to be right!
And she would need help to defeat it! Perhaps her sisters were with her as well? He pushed himself ever on, not wanting to believe any other alternative. Fear would be alright. He would see to that. Unbeknownst to him, if he had looked, several other trails led back to Keltra before they faded.
Then upon the winds of a coming storm, he found her.
The bright but fading plains let him see many a thing with precise vision. Not as well as he could in the lightless dark but even he could see a small, white haired girl, out of place near a bubbling brook. She was surrounded by tall grasses, golden and blowing in the breeze. It smelled of rain. Perhaps it would have been a beautiful, happy reunion but why was her hair white? Something felt off.
He landed across from her, she hadn't noticed him it seemed. With a closer look, he could see his friend looked worse for wear. Her skin was… It looked odd and he could see her face, as she stared at her own reflection. Such haunted eyes and general weariness.
It broke his owl heart.
"Fear?" He said her name with gentleness, not wishing to frighten her.
Words passed over her like a whisper on the wind, yet she remained preserved in an ethereal stillness, as though she herself had become an illusion, an apparition that was trapped in this mostly melancholic and perturbing scene. Even though her eyes and garb remained a familiar red, it became clearer that she had lost the luster of life she and her sisters possessed when Viho had encountered them before.
“Please leave…” Fear murmured, pain shining in her haunted eyes.
‘Fear…” Viho sighed. He walked closer, unable to just leave his friend as she was. He peered over the other side of the stream, joining her reflection. “It’s me. It’s your Viho.” he said, trying to find any glimmer in those eyes of hers.
Her still features twisted, her mouth and eyes widening in a grotesque display of madness, while the weird flesh of her cheeks fought against forming this vile expression. She choked on nothingness, gurgling and uttering unnatural sounds as she struggled. Her entire body became tense, as she clenched her hands and her arms trembled.
“Go…” She barely managed to utter, the faintly echoing word coming from deep within her as her mouth did not move, and an aura of dread surrounded her.
Viho stared, wide eyed. He knew not what to do for his friend, only that seeing her in such a state was mortifying. If this was in fact Fear, she was in a worse way then he had ever seen. He hopped over the water and landed beside her. “I’m not leaving you. Not again. Come, I will take you back to Keltra and you will be healed of whatever this affliction is.” he said, with defiance in his heart. He hoped she would agree, for if she didn’t, he would be forced to take her.
She let out an ear-piercing scream as her spine bent backwards with a freakish snap, and her entire body seemed to shatter into thousands of thousands of shards before swiftly coming back together. Again and again her shape broke apart and only horrifyingly imitated what she was before, until she was mended. Then she fell forward, stumbling towards him in silent agony. Viho lurched back, eyes unable to look away from the grisly display.
“I’m not Fear! I hate you! Begone!” She screamed as her face was wracked with violent emotions and milky tears while she struggled to push him away.
He rebuffed her with a flap of his wings. He didn’t know what was going on with Fear but he wasn’t going to leave her. “Now you listen well!” He started, nearly shouting, “I’ve been told enough about what I should do and where I should go! I no longer care to listen. I am not leaving you, even if you aren’t Fear. Even if you hate me! Whoever or whatever you are, needs help and I will help you. I can’t do anything else right but I swear upon the gods I will help you!” He finished his shouting, breathing deep. He felt ashamed of his outburst at first but that quickly melted away. It needed to be said and it felt good.
However his reprimand was followed by malicious laughter; Fear shook with a malformed mockery of mirth, and pointed a finger at him. “I don’t want to hurt you… Ah, I’m going to feast on your flesh, you nitwit!” She answered, her voice split between two tones - afraid and sadistic, both competing for dominance.
Viho shook himself, beginning to realize not all was what it seemed on the surface. Something afflicted Fear, deep inside. “Fear, listen to me. You must fight this. Whatever is going on, there are those of us who want to help you. You just have to fight. Wrestle control. I am here for you, Fear, just listen to my voice.”
“Hahaha! Cry, cry, and cry, that’s all you’re good at! No! Save her, Viho, save Zima! Ah! Nope! Why don’t we have just a little fun?” Fear quivered violently before she suddenly surged in a blur of motion and stabbed her hand into Viho’s stomach. The daughter of Homura became enveloped in red and white flames that exuded a foul odor, as she spun in the air and repeatedly slashed him, soaking herself in his blood.
Viho screeched in pain before kicking her away. He then flapped his wings forth and gusted a cold wind at her, drowning out her fire and buffeting her back further. Viho looked down at his bloodstained feathers, the wound felt like fire in his belly, then he looked at his once-friend. How could it have come to this?
He caught the sight of a shadow descending nearby, coming to form that of a woman with glowering crimson eyes. Far more intense than the madness that drove Fear to attack him. She touched her fingers together, letting them rest around her abdomen as if she were watching to see what the outcome would be. Her shadowy form exuded a dark smoke that drifted in the wind. She looked to Fear and then to Viho but said nothing, nor was her blank expression any help to decipher who or what she was doing there. What had Fear said about Zima…?
Viho looked back at the white-haired champion. Fear began curling into a crying husk, clawing at her own arms until tongues of flame seeped out of the accumulating lacerations. Each burning cut provided more putrid fire, and from her back burst forth beautiful wings of light that lifted her skyward, like a puppet pulled by strings. She did not fly like a bird, she simply came towards him as though all forces carried her to him against her will.
Fear was a poor flier, as much as he felt pride in her wanting to fly, it was far too easy to dodge and then slap her away with a quick wing. “You have to fight Fear! I know you don’t want to hurt me! Please!” Viho pleaded, eyes mainly on her but also glancing at the impassive woman standing on the side.
She met his gaze; and it was not the fragile, yet passionate, Fear that looked at him. It was something insidious that sought out suffering - a monster that was broken and intent on breaking him. It only peered at him and his wings briefly, before scanning the land and descending. She began searching through the golden grass; her attention turned away from him for the time being.
Viho could not allow her to have any advantage. The other women, he could not decipher her intent but she was not attacking. Now was his chance to strike her before this continued any further. Even now his wound ached and he dripped with blood. Viho took to the skies with two powerful beats, more akin to a large jump, before he glided back down, aiming his talons at Fear to pin her. She didn’t avoid him, as though she seemed surprised that she was even in a fight, and had only let out a startled gasp when she fell into his clutches, temporarily restrained.
It was astonishing how much strength her small form possessed while she wriggled in his grasp, loudly crying like a child, something malevolent heard between distressed wails and whimpering.
This did no further good to his mind and heart. Each wail threatened to break him further but his resolve needed to remain strong. "Fear! Listen to me! You have to fight for control! Think of your sister's, think of the happy times! Don't be consumed by… By whatever this is!" He pleaded to her as his tears mixed with salty blood.
As Fear continued to struggle, another voice floated by. "Her sister's abandoned her you know." The woman spoke as she drifted to a stop just beyond his reach. Her voice was like silk, carrying an accent of the north but… more refined? "You look like you don't believe me." She said accusingly. "They left her with me, abandoning her to despair. The Fear you knew is somewhere in there but she is far too weak to resist her other personas now. Isn't that a delight?" She stated as fact.
Yet Viho could not believe what he was hearing was anything but lies. "That is outrageous, her sister's would never abandon her to this madness! You! Who are you? Why would you do this to sweet Fear!" He shouted, eyes full of anger.
The woman tilted her head, crimson eyes never leaving his. "Why would I do this? Why does the wind blow? Why does the rain fall? The sun shine? It's the nature of the world and so it is mine to bring sorrow." She shifted forward, leaning her chin on a hand. "She said save me, save Zima. But I assure you, no one will be saved."
His eyes went wide. This was… This was Zima? Fear's earlier words came back to him now. Save her. Save Zima. How? Zima had died. Chailiss had said so! How many lies and half truths did his Lord tell him? Anger pulsed inside him but once again it was drowned by his pain. "Zima.. If this is really you. Then why? Chailiss said you had died."
"He wasn't wrong. I did die. I am dead. I am alive. Neither but both. It matters not anymore. Soon, if Fear does not do it first, I will kill you." She said, her tone darkening.
He looked down to the struggling Fear and found himself faltering. If he could not help her, then she had to find someone who could. He looked back to Zima, knowing his choice would only bring him more pain. "I refuse to play this sort of game." He let go of Fear and jumped off her. "I will not fight you. Either of you. You are both afflicted and need help. So please, let me help you."
"So be it. Fear…" Zima gestured to Viho with indifference, "Finish what you started. Feed." Fear became silent and still, frozen in her fetal position where she had curled inward like a frightened child. Without shifting from where she lay, she called out in a voice unfamiliar to Viho. A voice that resembled Homura’s, and yet seemed less mature; more childlike. “You must find Mother! Now fly, you fool!” The child commanded.
Then Fear began spasming once more and her body twisted with rage as she spoke in a vicious and cruel tone. “You can’t protect her from us! She is our toy!” She slowly began pushing herself back to her feet, chest heaving with exertion, but a murderous glee glinted in her possessed eyes - in those broken reb orbs that no longer belonged to Fear, but to whatever had claimed her as its trophy.
Should he depart? Did he have the power to find Homura and her siblings? To put a stop to this once and for all? If he would not fight them, then yes, that was the only option. “Fear…” he breathed. “I… I love you. Please, hold on. I… I will g-” The owl champion froze as a lance of darkness pierced his left wing with a flurious snap. Something broke and he fell backwards in pain. Then another lance hit him again, tattering his feathers and breaking more bones. Then another hit his leg and he felt it crumple. Darkness blurred his vision.
“You’ll forgive her, for giving you any ideas of escape. She always makes things unnecessarily difficult.” Zima chastised. “Now hurry up Fear, I grow tired of this place. We need to move on.”
The foul facsimile of Fear chuckled as she approached where he lay in agony. “I’m afraid we’re not the kind to take prisoners... Seems Chailiss will be losing another child now.” She sang softly, every sardonic word seeping into the recesses of his being, as she drew near him. Her presence paralyzed his body, as she exuded this terrible aura of gluttony that washed over him. Hiding in the shadows that pervaded his sight, he couldn’t see her, but he felt as she climbed onto his belly and began clawing her way towards his innards.
She ate chunks of meat that she hungrily tore off, and slurped greedily at the viscera she had started to swim in, nestling deeper into him like an infant seeking to be unborn. Whether it was her intention or not, she prolonged his suffering by preventing too much blood loss and preserving his vitals through her manipulation of ice that she conjured, while also devouring everything else in her way akin to an insatiable fiend. She was consuming him, and he would die if nothing stopped her.
It was a slow agony that built in him. He could do nothing, for he was paralyzed with fear- Had she truly forgotten him? Had his friend given up entirely? Or was she truly as trapped as he? It was terrible, it was excruciating and he hated it.
Was this how he would die?
Having only seen but a few lands and fewer people? Was his great purpose just a joke all along? He squirmed as Fear tore at him. Zima stared, her face emotionless, uncaring. What had made her so? Or had she always been cruel? He thought such strange things as he was eaten alive… Eaten alive?
Was he really just letting himself be killed? Was it too late to do anything? A fire began to grow inside, fueled by the only need any creature truly had- Survival. With a sudden flurry of a kick, he used his hood leg to push himself away from the one who had shot him. Then he twisted and hopped up, used his beak to grab Fear and rip her out of him, before throwing her away. Something ripped and a trickle of cold water mixed with blood began to flow. He had little time. He summoned a huge gust of wind that kicked up dust with his good wing, then used that coverage to infuse his own ice with his broken leg and wing. It would not last long but it would be enough to escape.
Pain tore through him as she took to the sky, flying as fast he could away from the carnage. Lances of darkness flew past him, wildly in the dust but none landed, thankfully. Then he was away, traveling far enough he hoped they would not follow.
He didn't have long before his ice melted and his power waned. Then death would claim him, as death claimed all. For now… He made his way to Keltra.
Chailiss tells Viho to abandon his quest and never come to the north again. He is amiss with this information and doesn’t know what to do. So he goes to find Fear, learning how to track those he’s met before. He finally finds Fear and it goes about how you might expect. He gets messed up by the terrible duo and manages to escape but barely. Death may son claim him regardless…
Viho
15
-8 Inadvertently teaches himself how to track those he has come into contact with in the past. Magic and spirit oh my.
-2 boosts himself enough to escape certain death at the hands of Fear and Zima but death might claim him anyway.
+5
= 10
Fear
-2 to grant herself an increase in strength and agility for the fight.
+4
Zima
17
+4
(+4 for completeing a small goal. Forgot to add this in the previous collab. Zima's goal was to fix Fear's body and she completed that task.)
Member
wintersoldier
Enzayne
Cyclone
Vec
Tim the Yeti
Fetzen
Crusader Lord
Timemaster