It Began in a Tavern - Official Legacy Roleplay (Part 2)

[IgnitedxSoul]

The Queen's carriage trundled through a wooded passage in the twilight hours. The two guardsmen had just traded the carriage lines, the younger of the two dozing off, then waking up again in small fits.

Beta tsked between his teeth as he watched from between branches ahead of the carriage. They were tired, and they were getting sloppy. Perhaps even the Queen herself had fallen asleep within that gold carapace. Beta's hands twitched with anticipation, small pools of ether gathering at his fingertips, the expectation running so deep within him tiny sparks of light ignited. He quickly stuffed his hands into his pockets, he cannot give himself up. Not yet.

Despite his constant pleading for immediate action, Delta pressed on and on for patience and planning. He said they should have executed Arespeth long ago, and now she's on a war path to Cliff Cross, like the Queen, Hemios, and Barnabas. It seemed all fates were converging, and he couldn't shake the feeling of coming devastation.

He could have put an end to at least one variable long ago. He could have taken action against Delta's wishes and taken Arespeth out himself anyway. But he obeyed, made passive by Delta's imposing presence. Her cold ferocity and total dedication to maintaining the moral high ground. Yet so many have died by the hands of the Queen and her entourage. How many people were captured by Arespeth and experimented on by Barnabas? Countless. Unforgivable sin. He cared little that she was Gamma's daughter.

The carriage steadily approached his position. Just as it passed beneath him, Beta vanished in a hazy plume of smoke, reappearing once again in the branches, a hundred or so feet further down the path. He scanned the faces of the guards; the one without the reins had fully fallen asleep, his head lolling to the side. The other was alert, but not looking anywhere near Beta. He was still in the clear.

Being on watch irked Beta so thoroughly that he could scream. Gamma, keeping watch over Ravenna, Olive, and Katara. Alpha, gathering intel from the nobles in the city. And Delta, relinquishing a violin to the brain-damaged rightful heir. It was all so passive, despite their efficacy as mages.

Beta imagined jumping down upon the wagon as it passed beneath him again, setting the carriage, guards, and horses all ablaze in one fell swoop. Their cries of anguish a punctuation to this whole prophecy.

And then he imagined the stone spike that would most certainly rise up from the ground to meet him squarely in the chest. Time and time again, Delta warned them of Melina's power, how greatly it exceeded the power of the Alphabet Society combined. In an instant, she could open the floor beneath him and crush him whole. So, Beta sighed and kept watch.

As the carriage passed beneath him once more, Beta felt a chill rush over him and his vision darken. Regardless, he vanished again in a puff of hazy smoke. Only this time he appeared in a totally void space, nothing around despite feeling the ground beneath him. Slowly, his surroundings appeared, as if forming from nothing. He was standing on the forest floor in a clearing well out of sight of the carriage. He could not hear nor see them at all. In fact, the silence of the space raised the hair on Beta's arms. There was no sound at all.

The moonlight dimmed slowly, until the entire clearing was cast in oppressive darkness. Beta felt eyes upon him. He spun, taking in the edges of the clearing where the trees quickly faded away into a shadow so dense, dark, and isolating. Beta's breath lingered in as white wisps in the air.

"Who's there?" Beta called out. He took a readied stance, ether pulsing in his palms ready to erupt.

A metallic voice called out to him, sounding at once as though from within his own head and all around him. "My, my. You're a feisty one. I feel the rage rippling from within you."

Beta spun again, shooting out a short-range arc of fire. The darkness in the clearing held firm despite the fire, and that same voice began to laugh. It was a sickening sound, like glass shards scratching against metal.

"Show yourself!"

The shadows in the trees darkened beyond shadow, so dark that it seemed as though nothing at all existed within that space, as if the world beneath had vanished into a void. The shadow slunk to the ground, slithering slowly toward Beta.

It spoke again. "You've been a thorn in my back for quite some time. You and those three other self-important mages."

Beta balked, stepping back from the approaching shadow. It knows about the Alphabet society, it knows who he is. How? The shadow bubbled and roiled on the ground, growing up from the soil.

The voice resonated in Beta's head, so strong he felt a pressure pushing outwards from within his ears. "I noticed you sparking that pestilent light in the trees; it sickens me. I clouded your sight with images of my creation, where we can be alone. Do you want to know how I deal with pests like you?"

Before Kurai finished, Beta dashed backward and shot another blast of fire at the shadow. It shrunk down against the ground, the fire burning pointlessly above it, and raced across the grass directly at Beta.

As soon as Beta landed, the shadow wrapped itself around Beta's right leg. It constricted like rope pulled taught against his skin. Beta kicked with the right leg, attempting to shake it off, but the shadow only crawled further up his body. In a haze of smoke Beta disappeared, only to reappear in the center of the clearing, no clinging shadow.

"What?" Beta swore aloud. "No, this is not where I meant to go." He turned, searching frantically for the shadow, shooting blasts of fire at every shadow in sight. His lungs burned against the effort it took to apparate so suddenly. His ether wavered, he was channeling it at a volume he hadn't in years. When had his training left him?

"It's useless," Kurai said. "You won't be leaving this clearing."

Beta, not able to find the shadow, took off. He sprinted full force into the treeline, weaving between branches, hopping over fallen logs. The presence of the shadow loomed behind him, the coldness permeating the air as he ran. Ahead, moonlight broke through the branches and Beta bee-lined toward his escape.

Except he found himself in that same clearing, once again. He hadn't turned once, ran straight the entire time, but ended up there regardless.

The shadow bubbled up again before Beta, accompanied by a chilling chuckle. "This was fun, but I have more important things to attend to."

It pounced, and Beta parried with a full stream of fire, several feet in diameter blasted directly at the shadow. The light grew, and Beta felt the heat from the fire intensify. It was working!

Then Beta felt a pull at his ether and a constriction wrapping around him. His vision went completely dark as the shadow enveloped him. Beta tried to channel his ether anywhere, against anything, but nothing came. He felt severed, claustrophobic in a vast field of nothing. He struggled to breathe as the shadow coiled in tighter and tighter against him. Then, like his vision, his thoughts vanished. There was nothing.

 

[ps102]

The shadowy figure, featureless and blurry, cut through the summery light that flooded the scenery. Behind her, the subtle sound of waves curled and clashed on the shore. And somewhere near, the leaves of tree branches rustled gently in a breeze.

And this shadow faced another, one who held the violin. The waves clashed louder, the sun shined brighter. Droplets of the sea rained behind this shadow as strands of her long, red hair waved in the direction this breeze carried them.

Then, the moment the droplets faded in the searing flares, she spoke. Muffled and short, but certain. It was something and nothing at the same time. Nothing and something. Nothing and something—as always.

It didn’t have to be. It musn’t be.

The shadow brought her arms behind her back. She smiled—“Play again,” she said, so clearly. So loudly. Her sweet voice pierced the scenery. She grew far away as the whole scene zoomed into absolute darkness. She grew farther and farther until there was nothing.

Yet, even in that darkness, her last words for that instance were clear.

“I loved it.”




Olive’s eyelids thundered open. Night crickets chirped in the distance, and the milky night sky sprawled above her. She rolled around. Ravenna slept on the floor—and Katara kept watch. She, with a parchment in hand, faced the mountain range as her pen scribbled the paper.

“Can’t sleep?” Katara looked over her shoulder. “You should. You are to keep watch in a few hours.”

She rolled to her back and thought about telling her about the shadow—about how clearly she spoke. But for all she knew, that voice was nothing but a distorted memory. A made up dream.

Maybe it all was.

“I need to take a walk. I’ll be back.”

“Sure, but don’t go too far.” Katara went back to her parchment. It was then that Olive noticed the smile on her face. She always smiled, even in the hardest of times.

Olive walked through the woods and to a nearby river, streaming down by the tall mountain range. Its water gently gurgled as it travelled down the narrow channel. It distortedly reflected the full, yellow moon and herself.

She kneeled before the water, collected some in the cup of her hands, and splashed it on herself. The water rolled around her red-swollen eyes and down her chin, where it dripped back on the river.

When it finished splashing, the water cleared. It showed her face. A face she both knew and not knew. She reached with her finger and tapped a ripple into the river.

And when the water cleared once again, it reflected herself—and Yuuna. She floated next to her with those white wings that glowed yellow just like the moon.

“You wanted to know more,” Yuuna began. “But the more you know, the sadder you become.”

Olive didn’t take her eyes from the river. She circled the water and blurred Yuuna away.

Yet, Yuuna went on. “The truth about you is out there. That insolent human you call Gamma knows, and so does that false queen of this land.“

Finally, Olive spoke. “Gamma said I’m not strong enough for it. When will I be?”

“That, I don’t know.”

“But if that’s the case”—she went on to face Yuuna directly—“then how am I ever to face what is ahead? Tell me, Yuuna!” Olive stood up. “Tell me at least that!”

Yuuna flapped her wings and floated upwards. Her own expression didn’t falter at the question. “I am older than infinity, older than the world itself,” she answered. “Unlike you humans, I make no mistakes. There is a reason I joined up with you.”

“Then, tell me that.” Olive demanded. “Tell me all about it! Why would you join up with a weakling like me? Someone who could hardly even use magic? Tell me! Or am I not strong enough for this either?”

“You’re sure putting me in a tough spot.” She floated down a rock and rested on its surface. Her wings folded around her back, and she gazed up the moon. “Like I said, I am older than this world. Before me and the other spirits, there was nothing. Not any light and not even any darkness—merely time and space existed. Utter emptiness.”

Olive sat beside Yuuna and lifted her finger in the air. She made a tiny blob of light above her fingertip. “And then you brought this… right?”

“It wasn’t just me though. There are countless spirits out there, and each one brought something of their own to colour this world with. For example, Koyo—the one that works with Gamma—brought autumn. We all cared, and we loved this world equally. We made into what it is. There were disagreements here and there, but in the end, we made everything as you know it now to be. However…” her tone grew heavier. “There was one particular, problematic spirit who wanted to plunge this world in nothing but darkness.”

“Darkness?” Olive repeated, looking outward the night sky. “The opposite of light.”

“Yes, Olive. The opposite of light. Without light, none of us can see. This world that we all put our everything on wouldn’t even be visible. What good is it all, then? It isn’t.” She crossed her little arms. “And you know it.”

“O-okay, yeah…”

“The night was his doing. Kurai’s, I mean. That’s his name. We let him create it so there is a balance. But balance was not enough. He wanted total and complete darkness. And he meant it, Olive.” Yuuna paused with an enigmatic expression. “He wanted a world that was all his. He threatened that he will make it happen, and then he disappeared. I’ve not seen him since then. But I know for a fact that he is behind the stoppage of time. He is planning something, something big.”

Olive looked up the stars and realized where Yuuna headed. “That’s to take your light, isn’t it?”

Yuuna nodded. “Likely so. Still!” She flew up from the rock and in front of her. “I am just a spirit. I may have complex power but my Ether reserves are low. I alone can’t stop Kurai. But you have an outstanding ability to produce Ether. That’s why together, we have the potential to be formidabble.”

“No, that’s—!”

Yuuna pushed her paw in front of Olive’s mouth. “I know what you want to say. ‘I can’t fight.’ You won’t have to fight. Not in the way you imagine, at least. My magic doesn’t work like that. You’ll soon discover the true nature of my abilities. Until then, just be patient.”

Olive could say nothing more. Before she could, Yuuna glew bright and vanished into thin air.




The royal horse carriage rolled down the bumpy country roads, curved through the tall grass. Queen Melina rested peacefully in her seat. She opened her eyes to the sight of high mountains in the distance—and that bubbly shadow in the opposing seat.

“I see you’re back.”

With simple and short words, Kurai made the announcement. “Beta is dead, and his spirit has been captured and bottled in the soul vial.”

“You’re dependable as always. Now we have everything that we need to execute the first phase of our plan.” Melina smiled. “But aren’t you sad to imprison your fellow spirit?”

“No,” he answered swiftly. “The summer spirit is amongst those I hate most, maybe as much as Yuuna. He wanted summers to be bright and cloudless. He didn’t even want an inch of darkness.”

“Well, not to worry.” Melina closed her eyes again. “Soon, summer will be nothing but a memory, and maybe not even that.”

At that note, Kurai bubbled with happiness.




Wren, Olten and Pria were seated around the fresh campfire. Fish skewered with branches roasted around the campfire, crisping as the fire crackled and danced with Olten’s commands.

“Be careful now,” said Wren. “Don’t overdo it or you’ll burn them again. We had nothing last night because of it.”

“I’m almost done anyway,” he replied with his hands extended towards the fire. Glowing specks of ash floated behind his bright blue eyes. “There, done.” Olten lowered his arms and the flames shrank in size. They burned just enough to keep them warm.

Both Wren and Olten immediately reached for the sticks of fish. Their nicely browned and crispy skins bubbled as the trapped heat continued to cook the flesh underneath. Wren was about to take cautious bite when he noticed Pria, who had her eyes cast to the ground.

Olten chewed like a pig, but not her. She continued to stare at the muddy ground without reaching for food.

Wren asked, “You alright, Pria?”

But no answer seemed to come from her. Not until she slowly lifted her head and said, “The Queen. How powerful is she?”

Olten slowed down his chewing and just stared at her. “She is the most powerful in the country,” he said. “With one swing of her finger, she’ll sink you to your grave.”

“Some even call her the earth itself,” Wren added to that. “But what’s up with the sudden question, Pria? What are you thinking?”

She narrowed her eyes to a frown. “Not much. I just wondered about the Queen. She is so powerful and mighty. Yet…” Pria turned her gaze towards the city frozen in time. “Everywhere we seem to go, there is suffering.”

Olten took another large bite. “Well, she isn’t a deity,” he declared with a mouthful. “She can’t fix everything by herself. She needs all of us to help make this country a better place. Isn’t that why she sent us here?”

“Yes, we were sent here. But why?” Pria asked with a heavy tone. “What exactly did she intend? What did she have in mind?”

“You sure ask a lot of questions today,” Wren commented. “We’ll figure this mess out. Why don’t you just relax and eat for now? There is always tomorrow.”

Pria got herself up. “I’m not hungry. I’ll go take a walk.”

“Okay,” Wren agreed. “But do no strand too far.”

She turned her back to them and walked beside the edge of the cliff. The whole countryside stretched before her as a land of infinite green, patched with towns, cities and villages throughout. And somewhere out there, the mother she so much loved worked hard.

Pria reached for her pocket and retrieved the fragment the shadow handed her. It resonated with pure, complex power.

“The Queen nears, Priscillia.”

She pocketed the fragment and spun swiftly. The shadow was there below a lump of rocks where the moonlight couldn’t reach. Its shape bubbled fervently, and she maintained her composed stance. “What do you want?” she demanded to know.

“Fear me not, child. I simply wanted to tell you that the queen will be here by the next dawn.”

She clenched her fists. “Okay… what of it?”

“Do not rush and consume the fragment. It’ll only empower you for so long. There are others who will make it here shortly before the queen. A woman with green-colored hair, to be precise. You must destroy her along with the queen. Understand?”

“I… understand.”

“Good. Now stay put, and do not make your subordinates suspicious. Act more like yourself. Everything will be okay, I promise,” the shadow softened its voice. “You will save the world, and your mother will be proud of you.”

Pria’s eyes flew open at the mere mention of her. Though the shadow vanished before she even realized it. Her eyes relaxed and she reached for her pocket. The fragment radiated warmth against her fingertip.

“Okay,” she said to herself. “I can do this.”

 

[Louanne Learning]

The tender feeling welling up inside surprised Dusca. Under the night sky, with the fire crackling before them, she lightly placed her hand on Barnabas’ shoulder. “This must come as a shock,” she murmured.

He hung his head low, then turned troubled eyes towards her. “I won’t ask—I won’t ask why, uh, you never told me.”

“Barnabas—”

“I wasn’t there.”

Dusca slumped, and stared into the fire. “There was a time,” she began, “that I cried myself to sleep, awaiting your return. Humph. Seems so long ago. But, the years passed, and something inside of me hardened—”

“Dusca—”

“No, let me finish.” With furrowed brow, she turned to meet his eyes. “Barnabas … Being here with you, like this, has loosened something, I’m not sure what. It seems almost fate, that we should be together, like this, to go and rescue our daughter, from who knows what. Will you help, me, Barnabas? Will you help me get Katara into safety’s hands?”

He nodded, then took her into his arms and they held on to one another as if they would never let go.

***

Beta came to consciousness. On his back in a bed of pine needles, in the light of a single moonbeam, his head swam. He had not the energy to move. Instantly, instinctively, he knew his heatwave had been taken from him.

The smells and night sounds of the forest enwrapped him in relative comfort. He listened to his own labored breathing, and then his finger twitched. In his mind, he began to pray.

Yuuna, I plead for your protection. Be my refuge, be my deliverance from this evil that has stricken me. I am weakened, I am your servant, be with me now…

A raccoon came waddling by and poked its nose into Beta’s cheek. Beta’s eyes sprung open and he turned his head to meet the raccoon’s face. The animal did not seem to startle, but gave Beta one, gentle lick upon the cheek. Beta closed his eyes, threw back his head, and loudly groaned.

He called upon all his stores of determination and was able to get up on an elbow. He panted, and then swung himself into a sitting position. Depleted, his head hung low. A fire mage without his spark was a hollow shell; a heart without blood. He had not the stamina to be angry, only the desperation to survive.

With bleak eyes, he looked to the little creatures beside him. A family of raccoons—two little ones, and two larger—watched him. “Can I not even put fear into you?” he muttered. “Have I become a curiosity?”

With an agony shredding him inside, he threw back his head and roared with the ferocity of a cornered beast.

The raccoons scattered. Then the ground litter was disturbed by something else, something with a heavier step. A figure in blue robes appeared. Delta pursed her lips. “I told you we must act with patience,” she said.

With a slight sway, Beta got on his feet, and glanced harshly at her. “Please … be done with your ‘I told you so.’”

“We have Arthur,” Delta said, abruptly.

“What?”

“We have Arthur.”

“And … the violin?”

“He played it.”

Beta dropped his head in his hand. “So, we now have our servants of the divine, and the music.”

“But now it seems, we have a new problem.”

“Yes … Kurai is in possession of my magic.”

***

Wren, Pria and Olten lounged around the fire in their cave. In the shadowy dimness, Wren read aloud from the Scriptures:

“When the unearthliness of the mage comes together
With the artistry of the poet and the logic of the scientist,
And the faith of they who are none of those,
And when the song of the Angel Mark is played by royal blood,
Then the battle between darkness and light may begin,
And time restored,
In eternal light.”

“What about the gear?” Pria asked. “What about the fragments?”

“Well … I suppose, that’s what the battle is over.”

***

At dawn the next morning, the pale sky was golden, and cloudless. Night’s hush gave way to birdsong, and Katara awoke inspired to write a poem. Furiously, she scribbled, then roused Olive and Ravenna. They perched on their elbows. “Listen,” Katara said with some excitement, “I’ve written an ode.”

Ravenna yawned. “About what?” she asked.

“About us!” She grinned, and then huffed a breath. “Ready?”

The other two pulled themselves up to sit cross-legged. “Ready,” Olive replied.

Katara recited:

“Oh wind, fair and foul, foul and fair,
Heave ho, heave ho, across salty air,
Our compelling sails capture you,
We take advantage, through and through,
“Press forward!” we cry, until hoarse.
Our three-masted ship stays the course.
Not the water, nor the clouds, shall daunt
Our resolve on our little jaunt.
Begone fear, go on, walk the plank,
And we have one another to thank.
We will make the sea clear again.
Bet on it—and aye, aye, Captain!”

Olive and Ravenna, giggling, enthusiastically applauded, and Katara, grin puckered, bobbled her head in self-appreciation. “Are we the ship?” Ravenna asked.

“We’re the masts, and the sails,” Katara replied. “See, with three sails, we have more sail area, which means more wind power. Olive is the mainmast, which gives us our main energy. Ravenna is the foremast, giving us forward drive. And I am the mizzenmast, helping to steer. Together, we’ll outmaneuver even the most formidable storm.”

Olive laughed. “Never ceases to amaze me how you can turn from art to science in a snap of the fingers.”

Katara brightened. “Thank you! And your magic is out of this world!”

Both of them turned to Ravenna, who shyly smiled. “What do I offer?” she asked.

“I told you,” Katara replied. “Drive.”

Olive placed a light hand on Ravenna’s arm. “Every time I doubted myself,” she replied, “you reminded me to have faith.”

***

Olive was mounted on Nova, and Katara and Ravenna on Pippen, and the two bay mares walked the cliff’s edge. Below them, the countryside stretched, and all three young women gaped at the beautiful view.

A young woman, wispy and tall, and wearing spectacles, came around the bend. She stopped short, and the girls halted their horses. “Hello,” the young woman called. “I’m Priscilla. You can call me Pria. It’s not often we see strangers here.”

“We head for Cliffcross,” Katara replied.

“Oh? Well, you have arrived!” She narrowed her eyes on Olive. “Your hair is green,” she remarked.

Olive recoiled at the unexpected comment. “Is that—is that a problem?”

Pria gave a little, nervous laugh. “Not at all!”

***

The Alphabet Society congressed around their jet-black, round table. The flames of the wall-mounted candles flickered, and shadows danced in the room.

“Our holy trinity has made first contact at Cliffcross,” Delta reported.

Beta sighed. “And me, made useless.”

“I have a plan,” Delta replied, “We may be able to use Hemios and Arapseth to recover your magic from Kurai.”

Gamma appeared distracted. “I must go to her,” she said. “I must go to Olive.”

“No,” Delta insisted. “Now is not the time to interfere … remember the words of Scripture … we will know when we are needed.”

 

[ps102]

Olive, Katara and Ravenna followed Pria up the rocky cliffside path. Save for the distant roar of thunder, no words were spoken. Dark, grey clouds covered the skies and stretched far beyond the horizon, where they sparked and roared.

A single rain drop fell on Olive’s nose. She wiped it with her finger and stared at its spherical surface, then the dark skies. The wind picked up, whispering as it flowed through the mountains.

Pria continued to walk in silence, her hands clasped tightly. The droplets of rain increased in frequency and splashed on the dry rocks. It quickened with each loud step they took and became heavy rainfall.

Near, lightning struck the sea. Thunder boomed, and the world was flashed with white. When it faded, Pria no longer walked. She stood still. Katara looked around and they were no longer in the narrow path, but at the mountain top, near a cliff that overlooked the ocean shrouded in misty darkness.

Pria turned abruptly. Olive, Ravenna and Katara stopped. Pria’s wide eyes, sharp as swords, pierced them. Wet strands of her hair dripped dripped down her forehead, and then down those sides.

Before anyone could say or do anymore, the wind turned violent. Katara swiftly attempted to shield herself from its ruthless current while Ravenna stood her ground firmly and kept her eyes glued on Pria. She, too, stood still as a stone.

Olive, with her eyes half open, attempted to keep still. There wasn’t much time to think. Pria started to raise her hand. With her palm straight, she sweeped the air, and the wind came to an abrupt stop.

Momentary silence ensued, followed by one thud, then another. Olive looked over her shoulder. Both Katara and Ravenna laid flat in their backs, motionless.

Pria lowered her arm and walked forward slowly. And Olive walked backwards in response. She clasped her hands tightly with both anger and fear. How was she meant to fight? Not one person ever taught her. The power of light seemed useless here.

Once again, Pria raised her hand. The wind swirled around her and she thrust forward. Before Olive could blink, they stood side by side. Pria’s palm was right against her neck. “It’s nothing personal,” she muttered. “I am only doing what must be done.”

She released a thrust of built-up, wind shaped like a sharp blade against Olive’s neck. The blade hit her in an instant and burst into a mixture of wind and golden light that swirled in all directions.

Olive’s eyes blinked. She was alive.

Pria swiftly leaped backward on top of a boulder and put herself in a defensive stance. Her sharp eyes narrowed, and her hands trembled slightly. “You— you green haired witch! How are you still alive?”

That, she didn’t know herself. She just stood there awe-struck. So much unfolded so fast. She looked over her shoulder. Katara and Ravenna remained flat on the ground. Only their hairs moved, lifting up with Pria’s wind.

She looked forwards again. Wind burst around Pria. Lightining roared in the dark skies behind her. Pria moved her hands in a circular motion and directed the powerful gusts to flow around them.

Rocks and pebbles rolled along the currents. They clashed and crashed against each other. Olive’s feet felt lighter and lighter the more she lost her grip on the ground. Little by little, the emulated tornado lifted her up in the air.

Olive could not hold for long. The forces tossed her up in the vortex. The rocks, splinters and mountain debris violently rolled around the storm alongside her. They hit and slashed her skin. And all the while, the ground beneath her feet distanced with each laboured breath.

Before she even reached those overcast skies, her consiousness faded.

***​

Queen Melina exited her carriage. Clad in her dark steel armour, she admired the tornado up in the mountains of Cliffcross. “Priscillia has engaged Olive,” Kurai reported behind her.

“What wonderful magic.” Melina smiled warmly at the sight. “She works her element with such precision. I am almost sad by what is about to happen to her.”

Kurai bubbled. “Speak for yourself. She is nothing but a pawn in my game, just as you are.”

Melina laughed. “I love the way you think.”

“Let us make haste.” He crawled towards the mountain. “We must be there. Yuuna is with that green woman. You never know what tricks she may pull.”

“Yes.” The queen followed suit. “Yes, indeed.”

She squished the soul vial in her hand with pure excitement. At last, everything was to start. The end of the beginning, and the beginning of the end all at once.

***​

Delta stood in the conference room all by herself, hood down. Her old, wise face stood against a tall doorway etched with ancient symbols from an era long past. They twisted, intertwined and met at a single point in the center. She placed her palm there and the door lit up in a bright blue.

It hissed with steam and opened to reveal a long hallway built by old stone bricks, cracked and covered in moss. Light was on the other end. She followed it to the other end and broke through to the other side.

She stood on thin air. The sunless, moonless sky stretched to infinity in both directions. Just clouds drifted beside her. The mark in Delta’s forehead glowed blue, and a cyan fox appeared beside her.

“We have failed, Sally,” she said to Delta. “Olive will die. That is her fate.”

Delta showed no particular reaction. “I realized it myself.”

The endless sky whispered to them, and Sally sat down beside her good old friend, Kori—the spirit of wintertime. “The more this day passes, the more it conforns to the predictions Kurai made. The cogs of time have turned to his favour. We shall enter a new era of darkness.”

Sally’s gray hair gently swayed in the breeze. The clouds moved before her on a journey of infinity. Is their destination predetermined, or subject to change? She moved her palm and blew a frosty breeze, shifting one of the clouds.

Sally got back to her feet and turned around. Now she faced a jungle of tall purple-leafed trees with white trunks. Their countless vines reached down on the earth, dense with with bushes that eminated blue sparkles of light.

She walked towards a shallow cave. Kori followed her through its cavity, lit up with phosphorous white ore disperesed throughout. When they met its end, a body encased in a big crystal of amber stood there in stasis. Her eyes were closed, and so was her brown hair, stuck in the middle of a motion. And her expression? It portrayed pain. Discomfort.

Kori’s red eyes narrowed. “What are you thinking of, Sally? Why did you come here?”

There was no reply at first. She merely traced that woman’s eyes behind the smooth amber. “’And she who carries the light, she who plunders the world in its blight, shall be crushed one with the earth’,” Sally quoted the scroll of Kurai. “That’s the prediction.”

“And it will happen it seems. But what is your point?” Kori raised her voice. She looked at Sally straight in the eye. But her own eyes were still occupied with that of the woman in stasis.

She took her palm off the amber and clasped it tightly. “I refuse to give up this fight. Olive will die. There is no questioning that. But”—she brought her book of spells out and turned it to a specific page—“What if we… use this?”

The moment Kori read the full spell, she understood everything. “Can your heart handle this?” was the only thing she asked.

And Sally turned to the frozen woman once more. “I don’t know. But she would want this, I am sure.”

***​

Olive was completely unconsious. Pria had her in her firm grasp, floating up in those dark clouds. She released the tension from her hand. The tornado abruptly burst and faded to nothing.

She watched as the uncounsious body dropped from the sky. She fell, and fell, and fell, until she dropped right against the tip of the cliffside and burst into a pool of blood. Pria’s stomach pulsated with disgust. She collapsed to her knees and hurled.

For a minute, she just stayed there and stared at the gound. Stones and pebbles still rained. She questioned herself. But just as quickly as she did that, a vivid image of her mother struggling at the farm appeared.

Pria got up to her feet and went to the cliffside. She stared down at the young woman. A single tear rolled down her cheek, and she looked away. Then she raised her palm and gently blew air to push Olive down the cliff, which met the infinite sea.

Clapping sounded behind her. She turned around to find Queen Melina on top of a big boulder. She smirked and made encore. “Amazing!” she laughed. “You did it. Congratulations.”

The image of the frozen city flashed through her mind next. She bit her lips and put herself in a defensive stance. “You’re next.”

“Very brave, you’re!” Melina stomped her foot in the ground. A small earthquake pulsated before them. “But can you really defeat me?”

Pria reached for her pocket and retrieved the special stone. Once again, the image of her mother in the farm flashed in her mind. This time, she smiled against the backdrop of the sunset. She stood there, embracing a young version of herself.

Thousands like her mother existed. People who were worked to death, often for the benefit of the royals or other aristocrats. “If it’s to free this world of your tyrrany, I shall,” Pria declared. She raised the stone in her mouth and consumed it.

Nothing happened at first. It took a second, then two. A burning sensation appeared in the pit of her stomach then. Her muscles stiffened, and her legs locked up. Fear flooded her mind. A sense of pure, petrifying terror.

She raised her shaking hands. She started to hyperventilate. Every pore of her being was suddenly overflowing with power—power she swiftly realized she had no hopes of controlling. She collapsed to her feet. The corners of her vision started to darken.

The last thing Pria saw before she lost consiousness was the Queen. She smirked, as usual, on top of that boulder. And that shadow lay next to her, happily bubbling.

***​

Katara woke with a headache. Her temples pulsated with pain. Ravenna was next to her, still unconsious. Olive was nowhere to be found. Somewhere near, commotion ensued. She got to her knees and crawled up a rock to meet a flat surface.

There, a woman in steel armour stood on a boulder proud and tall. She recognized her immediately. She was the queen of her country. Her skin crawled.

But she wasn’t alone. That… black-haired woman from before was also there. She kneeled on the ground. Katara rubbed her eyes and squinted them. Her trembling body was pulsating with blue light as a shadow crawled over her.

Katara slowly backed away. She ran for Ravenna. “Hey, wake up!” she rapidly shook her shoulders. “There are all kinds of things happening!”

Ravenna’s eyes twitched and she woke. Though before another word could be exchanged between them, Alpha, Gamma and Delta appeared before them.

Gamma came forward. “We’re in crisis,” she announced swiftly. “The Queen has tricked someone into consuming one of the fragments.”

Katara was smart. Her mind quickly jumped to Pria. “What for, and why?” she could only ask.

“They will use her astronimically elevated power to destroy the sun,” Delta explained.

“When someone consumes the fragment, their mind is lost in a sea of power. They can no longer think clearly. They’ll use her confusion to trick her into it. Kurai in particular will. It’s his forte.”

“Okay.” Katara nodded. Olive told her of Kurai. “I understand. What am I to do?”

“A certain scientist knows all about these fragments. Bring him here. Until then”—she turned towards the battlefield along with the others— “we’ll do our best to distract Pria. Understand?”

“I understand.”

“Good. Go now!”

Delta, Gamma and Alpha went and surrounded Pria, who rose to her two steady feet. Her body was a blue shadow, and her eyes shaped like white black holes. She had no mouth, and her hair floated upwards. Space around her distorted, twisting and expanding as she breathed.

Katara and Ravenna exchanged glances. They turned and ran as fast as they could.

 

[Louanne Learning]

In the briny deep, the Oceanids heard Yuuna’s call. “Heal her,” Yuuna bade.

They obeyed and rose from their seaweed beds. These primordial water spirits gracefully flitted through the water, like ribbons of benevolent light, emitting emotional moans and sighs. Their haunting song vibrated through the drink and echolocated the battered body of Olive, not far from shore.

The spirits coiled underneath her and cradled her. She breathed. Restorative energy, the essence of life itself, first used to animate the original souls, now used to soothe and close all wounds, beamed from them. And when the bearer of the Angel Mark was renewed, they lifted her from the water and gingerly laid her on a large, flat rock seaside.

“Awake,” Yuuna said, “awake, now.”

***

Katara ran ahead, and Ravenna caught her by the wrist, bringing her to a halt. “Where are we going?” she asked, her voice shrill with panic.

Katara yanked her arm from Ravenna’s strong grip. “To find Olive!” Wide-eyed, she panted, then said, “I don’t know much, but I know that without Olive, we are doomed. Let’s go!”

They traced their steps back to Nova and Pippen, and mounted the horses. The winding descent to the seaside was achingly slow, along rocky cliff edges.

Ravenna beckoned, “Katara.”

“What?”

“I am afraid of what we will find.”

She snapped an impatient glance at Ravenna. “Don’t go losing your faith on me, now.”

Blinking, Ravenna gave herself a rapid, fortifying nod. “I need one of your poems,” she said.

“What? Now? Are you crazy?”

“Pleeeease,” she begged.

Katara looked into the swirling waters, down below, then her gaze followed the jagged shore. Softly, she began, “Three minus one makes us two—but never fear, we will find you—we are real, they are contrived—our trinity will be revived—”

Suddenly, she sat up straight in the saddle. Wide eyes then narrowed on the distance. “There!” she exclaimed. “There’s Olive, on those rocks!”

***

Wren examined his jars of specimens stored in a crevice near the cave entrance. He was no closer to discovering which particular fragment had been removed from the Cliffcross area. The queen would not be pleased.

Seven fragments existed, representing the colours of the rainbow, and they had been scattered throughout the country. Disturbance in their distribution interfered with the normal passage of time, which apparently had happened here. Who—or what—took the fragment from Cliffcross was another question altogether.

Olten came and stood beside him. He leaned on a leg, hand on his hip, and in silence they stared at the jars together. “Where’s Pria?” Olten asked.

Wren shook off his distraction, and snapped eyes over to him. “What do you mean, where’s Pria?”

“She’s been gone a long time.”

“Uh, well, I’m sure she’s alright.”

“How do you know?”

Wren blew out his breath. “Well, go and look for her, if it makes you feel better.”

Olten crossed his arms across his chest. “I guess our work here is done,” he remarked.

“We can’t return without some answers,” Wren said, with a tone of finality.

He popped his brows. “Or Pria.”

“Then, go get her.”

“So … next stop, the Ruins of Kodama?”

“Yes, yes … we need to proceed to the abandoned ruins.”

***

Kodama Abbey once housed two hundred poet-monks. Now, all that remained were their graves and their ghosts, in and around the sprawl of roofless, crumbling stone walls between broken arches. Three high towers still stood mostly erect, their stone steps leading to lookouts housing birds’ nests and offering views of waving grasses speckled with wildflowers.

Araspeth and Hemios, trotting on their horses, approached the ruins. Hemios was a wreck. “I must rest here, bide a bit,” he said.

“What?” Araspeth questioned, with surprise. “But we are almost to Cliffcross.”

“I am no good. I must rest. Recharge my magic. I am over-fatigued. Please, I need a nap.”

“Well, if you hadn’t of used up all your stores pinning me to the ground—”

“Please, woman! I did not sleep well last night!”

“Your snoring could have awaken the dead! And don’t call me woman!”

He side-eyed her with condescension. “Yes, yes, I can think of a few more choice words for you.”

“Fat, old fool!”

“Well, I wouldn’t call you fat—”

Araspeth let out a loud groan. “One hour!” she exclaimed. “You have one hour, and then we proceed on our way!”

Within ten minutes, Hemios was snoring in a bed of green moss in an inside corner where two stone walls met.

***

Barnabas and Dusca came upon a wild blueberry patch roadside. They dismounted and gorged on the little bursts of sugar and flavour, juice dripping down their chins. Barnabas reached over and dragged his finger up, towards her mouth, collecting one run-away fall. Their eyes locked. His finger lingered on her lower lip. Melting, she opened her mouth, and his hand moved across her cheek to cup the side of her head. She leaned into it, and in that moment, nothing else existed. “I’m sorry,” Barnabas whispered.

Dusca smiled. “I don’t want you to be sorry. I just want you to be with me, now.”

“I’m with you.”

Her grin grew. “I feel like I should warn you about Katara.”

“What’s she like?”

“She took after you, more than me.”

It was his turn to grin. “Really?”

“Always wanting to know—questioning everything—” She closed her eyes, and her brows knit with a pang of uncertainty. “I don’t know how to tell her about you.”

“Dusca, open your eyes.” She obeyed, and searched his penetrating gaze. “I’m with you,” he said, “—and I’ll be with you in that, too.”

“I’ve been alone for so long.”

He drew her into his arms. She rested her head upon his chest. The embrace made her feel that she was not alone anymore.

Soon, they mounted, and rode, and the ruins of Kodama Abbey came into view.

***

Arthur felt silly, a man alone on his horse with a violin strapped to his back. Chasing ghosts was folly. Why, oh, why, did he leave Joan? But she encouraged him to go! “You won’t be able to rest unless you go,” she had said.

He dropped his eyes and let the horse decide the path. His sister had tried to kill him. And now he was enlisted to save the entire world from her? It boggled the mind. What did he owe the world? But his little peaceful corner of existence relied on him in more ways than one. And thus, his command performance must be seen through.

He tried to recall the Scripture lessons from his youth. Bits and pieces came to him, but he was too cynical for his own good. A strange gnawing came into his gut. He hadn’t had a case of the nerves in God knew how long, but here he was, filled with apprehension. And something more, something he dare not name.

Revenge. There, he allowed the word to form in his mind. Joan would not approve. The maker of the melody he carried on his back would not approve. But some drop of that stolen royal blood still coursed in his veins. It was a matter of righting wrongs. Melina, he thought to himself, you will meet your match in me.

He came around a bend in the bridle path, and the ruins of Kodama Abbey came into view.

 

[IgnitedxSoul]

The storm did not yield, lightning cracking by the minute, thunder so resonant it vibrated down to the bone, and wind whipping through the air like razor blades. The front of rain in the distance was so dense it obscured everything beyond it, and that front approached the scene of the battle fast.

Despite it all, Queen Melina grinned. She did not expect to get so lucky. Delta, Gamma, and Alpha swarmed around Pria, whose ether has expanded so thoroughly as to transmogrify her body and warp the very fabric of space around her. Melina decided to stand firm and wait out the scene before her. Best case scenario, Pria depletes her ether killing the spirit wielding mages, and then is so thoroughly exhausted as to not pose a threat to Melina herself. She readied her stance for any surprises, and watched.

~ ~ ~

Rage.

Every ounce of Pria’s body pulsated with a power so immense she felt it roiling within her skin, weaving between her muscles, threading through her veins. The ether consumed her, empowered her, enraged her, and defiled her, all at once. The air around her breathed in time. She held up her hand, looking at the rich blue glow encapsulating her darkening skin, and a gust of wind burst forward into the empty space leaving a wall of dust and rubble.

Standing equidistant around her were two women and a man she did not recognize. Their robes were garish and they yelled incoherent words towards her. She needed it to cease, she needed everything to cease. Pria swiped her arm, forcing away the nuisance. The razor gust of wind sliced through the yellow mage’s robe, slashing her stomach in a flash of blood, and knocked the woman back several feet.

“Gamma!” The other woman, the one in blue, cried out. She broke rank and sprinted toward the yellow mage, leaving the one in green alone to face Pria. He steadied his stance, a look of grim determination settling on his face. Pria swiped again, but this mage was quick. Deep green roots shot up from the earth, wrapping themselves around his feet to ground him. Around his wrists, gauntlets of wood formed and took the brunt of her attack. Deep gashes sent bark flying, but the mage did not budge.

The green mage shouted into the wind. “Priscilla, you have to fight it!”

Pria had no mouth, and could not speak, yet the words that formed in her head burst outward anyway. The voice she heard was not her own, but something resonant, ancient, and angry. “Insolent gnats, every one of you. I’ll revel in your demise.”

She raised her arms and slashed them down across each other, sending an x shaped current at the mage. Another flurry of roots shot up and erupted into a cloud of shattered bark and flora that settled to reveal an empty space where the mage once stood. Although Pria could not see it, she felt the displacement of air behind her as a wooden disk shot toward the back of her head. She spun, slashing the disk to meet three more, all just as quick as the first. As she shattered those three, the ground beneath her quivered with roots. Pria launched herself into the sky, propelled by a downwards burst. Just beneath her feet two large masses of wood crashed into each other where she once stood.

Pria landed on the mangled wood and looked down at the green mage. Despite his still readied stance, his was visibly shaken. He heaved uneven breaths and his hands shook. He did not have much more stamina, but Pria was only getting started.

~ ~ ~

Katara and Ravenna raced to Olive’s side who fluttered in and out of consciousness.

“Do something!” Katara cried out.

Over the cliffside Ravenna heard the fight growing in intensity and the deep resonant voice sent harrowing chills down her whole body. Olive was still alive, but she was wounded bad. A large gash ran up the entire length of her back. Most of the blood had washed away from the water, and the wound was partially healed somehow, but it was still a threat to her life.

“I…” Ravenna stammered. She felt for the pouch on her waist, fumbled the latch, then reached in. Her hand settled on the syringe within. She still had two more vials of preserved blood. With how badly she was hurt the last time, she didn’t know if she survive another injection, especially not without Charin’s antidote. But if Olive died… She couldn’t bear the thought.

Nari… Alisso… You’ll understand, surely…

 

[ps102]

Olive was surrounded by nothing but darkness. Her gaze was cast to that of the void―of its endless abyss that stretched to infinity. And there she clenched those hands of hers. A tear rolled down her face, splashing to the void.

A hand reached for her shoulder. “I am here with you.”

She knew the voice. But Olive did not dare look back. Her heart could not bear the truth of what was before her. She kept her head down and said, “I have disappointed all of you.”

Warmth filled her. She was embraced from behind by an existence much larger than hers. “I will never let harm come to you. As long as there is light, it will protect you.”

Olive’s very soul trembled with fear. It was remembering something she could not. “Why?” she could only ask. “Why would you? You hate humans.”

And with sincerity, Yuuna replied with her true voice. With her true form. “I do not hate you.”

Light purged the darkness. Yuuna’s entire existence shined like the morning star. If Olive dared to look back, she’d turn blind.

Her soul wept. Tears rolled down her face uncontrollably. Overwhelming sadness crept up on her from deep below forgotten gardens of her soul. For just a brief moment, a field rich in golden wheat flashed in her mind.

Then Yuuna said, “Let’s become one existence, Olive.”

Somehow, she knew what that meant. “But I am not ready,” she cried. “I can’t go. Not yet. I have to see that place first. I have to know who I am!”

The light around her was blinding at this point. “Kurai will destroy it all. What good is it all, then?”

“But I— I don’t want to die! Not yet!”

“It’s the only way. Don’t you want to protect your shores, Sophia?”

Her eyes widened, and her heart raced. Sophia. That name pierced her like lightning. This was her real name. She just knew.

Sophia, she repeated in her head. Sophia! What a beautiful name. A lump formed in her throat. Her shoulders trembled with sadness. “I want to see that sea.”

“You will.”

“But I’ll—“

Yuuna put her hand over her mouth. “Didn’t I tell you?” The arm that stretched over her shoulder was pure light. She shut her eyes tight and listened only to her voice. Yuuna’s true form was too much. “I won’t let any harm come to you.”

Her words clashed and spewed like waves in a storm. She would die. But she wouldn’t be harmed. What did that mean? Sophia gave up and submitted to Yuuna’s light. She let her warm existence seep into hers.

“I’m going to take over now.” Yuuna took Sophia’s hands. “I’ll stop Kurai and Melina.”

She laughed in response. “I am so weak, you must do it yourself. What a joke I am.”

Everything started to fade. “Not at all,” Yuuna’s distant voice assured her. “You are strong. Stronger than you can ever imagine. It is why I need you. Now…” her voice became muffled. Almost inaudible. “Rest.”




Katara noticed the syringe Ravenna put out of her pocket. She immediately reached and grabbed her hand. “What are you doing?”

Ravenna looked away. “It is the only way.”

“Last time you did that, you became bedridden for days.” Katara kept her hand clasped tightly around Ravenna’s. She looked at her, stared daggers at her, but Ravenna did not look back. “You’ll die this time.”

Ravenna smiled and looked Katara in the eyes. “It must be fate. What good am I anyway? Olive must live to stop this insanity. My life has little worth in front of that.”

Those words pierced Katara’s heart. “That can’t be true,” she could only say.

“How so? The scriptures said we are all needed. This must be my use.”

Katara’s grasp around her hand tightened. “The scriptures can’t possibly be this lame!”

An explosion burst overhead. Lightning danced in the clouds, and rain suddenly began to fall. It intensified between their silence. It pattered Ravenna, who in spite of it all, looked happy.

“You don’t get it, Katara. You have a mother, a grandfather, and surely, a father somewhere. I have nobody. Most likely, they are all dead. And I—“bright, blinding thunder flashed in the sea behind her—”really want to see them again.”

The thunder boomed, a firey explosion sounded once again in the distance. Katara’s grasp slipped away. Then, just before anything more could be said, Olive rose to her two feet.

“O-Olive!” Katara uttered. “You—“

But her words were cut short when she realized that something really big was different. The mark in her forehead glowed the brightest she had ever seen—and strange markings began to sprout, spreading all around Olive’s body. Almost as if they were taking root.

“Nice to meet you two face-to-face.” She raised her head. Katara and Ravenna immediately noticed the change in her eyes, coloured like the sunset. And her face. It had a big, confident grin. “I am Yuuna, the spirit of light.”

Yuuna! In full control of Olive’s body, which rapidly underwent change. It grew in size, aging entire years in mere seconds. She was at least ten years older, stronger, and bolder. Her whole existence emanated pressure in the atmosphere. Both Katara and Ravenna were speechless.

Wings sprouted from her back. Pure, white wings that she spread wide and proud. Yuuna then extended her hand and summoned a scythe made of pure light. “I don’t really want to resort to this,” she said, overlooking the cliff where explosive chaos unfolded, “but I have no choice it seems.”

“What… are you going to do?” Katara finally found the words.

Yuuna turned to face the fiery cliff. She walked five steps closer. “I am the spirit of light. Killing is not my thing. I would never kill another being. My purpose was to grant the light to the world so it sees—so all of you can see. But Melina has abused her gift. She wants too much for herself. So, I shall take it from her. I shall take her light. And once I do, I shall settle things with Kurai once and for all.”




“Tell us how we can help.” Katara took a determined step forward. “We’ll do anything!”

But although she looked ready to step in the battlefield, Ravenna crestfallen in the backdrop. She held her clenched palm over her heart. Yuuna looked outward the overcast skies and said, “Your part stretches beyond this fight. The world is about to shift. To change forever.” Yuuna turned around to face them. “And a lab rat, poet and mage shall reshape it. You three will form a new, fairer world, free of the current imbalance. That is what I imprinted in the scriptures. It is my wish.”

Katara’s eyes gleamed. “And we will fulfill it!” She raised her arm in the air.

“Yes, you must.” Yuuna smiled and turned around once again—to face the battlefield. Her wings spread in readiness for take off. “I shall go now. You won’t see Olive for a little while. No matter what the outcome of this fight is, keep going. Oh, and Ravenna?” Yuuna looked over her shoulder just briefly. “Your family is still alive. Work hard to free them—and the world.”

Then, a bright light burst around her. Katara and Ravenna shielded themselves briefly from the brightness of a thousand suns. When they lifted them down and opened their eyes, Olive was enveloped in golden aura. She exerted great pressure. Their hearts quickened. And before they could utter another word, she took off into the skies.

Ravenna’s eyes shot wide open at the almost angelic sight. Indeed, Yuuna was the very light they saw the world through. She shed a small tear and quickly wiped it. “Katara,” she called. “Let’s go and find this scientist Gamma mentioned.”

***​

Pria grabbed Gamma by the neck. “Insolent woman!” Kurai’s metallic, demon-like voice, spoke through Pria. “I shall mince you at once.” He squeezed blood out of her neck. It crackled and crunched as Kurai laughed manically. “Die—you and Koyo! Die!”

But Gamma didn’t falter. She grinned and with a shattered voice said, “You won’t win.”

Kurai’s laughter ceased. “Shut up!” He shouted. “Don’t smile at me! Suffer! Show me your suffering!”

“Never.” Gamma broadened her grin.

The blue shadow around Pria’s body destabilized and bubbled. “You!” Kurai tossed her at the ground. “You do not get to taunt me! I will make you suffer just as I did!” He manipulated Pria’s arm and pointed it to Gamma. A sphere of air formed around her. “I’ll pulverize you! I’ll—!”

“Enough!”

Yuuna, behind Kurai, jetted into the battlefield. She landed and immediately swinged the scythe of light. Kurai instantly blew air at the ground and pushed himself several meters back before contact could be made. Then before him, she was there—in human form. His own borrowed human vessel trembled. “Yuu”—he paused out of disbelief—“na.”

Delta and Alpha took advantage of the moment and dashed to Yuuna, whom now stood next to the defeated Gamma. They, along with Yuuna, kneeled before her. They whispered among each other. Then, they took Gamma and vanished. Just Yuuna remained. She faced Kurai and readied her scythe.

Golden light beamed around her host body. But it wasn’t stable. It had fluctations. Kurai grinned. “You didn’t spend long enough with her!”

Yuuna ignored the comment. She tensed her body and launched like a shooting star. Kurai summoned the fragment’s power and drove Pria’s body to its limit. Space distorted, and a violent vortex of air spawned around them.

It sucked Yuuna in. She flapped her wings desperately in futile resistance to the currents. But it was no good. Joy overpowered Kurai. He stretched Pria’s arm and channeled even more power to that vortex. It didn’t matter how strong her host was. It didn’t matter if she drew out all of her potential.

The fragment was stronger.

“You can’t kill her like this.” Melina landed next to him and extended a vial towards him. A fiery essence bubbled inside. “Take this. It’s nearly time.”

The rain continued to pour down the overcast clouds. Melina’s wet brown hair fluttered in the strong wind Kurai was creating. He looked at the bottle—then again at the sight of the tornado tossing Yuuna around. “I’ll have my fun first.”

Kurai squeezed Pria’s hand and overpowered the tornado once again. He let her fly high and then, suddenly cut the power, instead diverting it in reverse. The currents pushed Yuuna down and slammed her to the ground—right against a pointy boulder.

It skewered her—right through the chest. Melina watched with great interest as Yuuna pulled her host body out. She went to stand to her feet like it was nothing. Light filled the hole and healed in just a single second.

“She’ll do that as long as there is light.” Melina remarked. “Just hurry up already. Your host body won’t last all day.”

Kurai didn’t even bat an eye. She kept her eyes at Yuuna. Just her, and nobody else. “Yuuna…” he called to her. “Yuuna! How have I waited all this time. Just to see you! Just to crush you!”

But Yuuna made no reply. In silence, she held her scythe from the distance, guarding all her openings. Kurai’s joy vanished. His shadow bubbled with frustration. “How fun,” Melina sneered. “Your beloved little Yuuna just ignored you.”

“She dare!” Kurai’s shadowy form bubbled violently. “I’ll make you acknowledge me, Yuuna!”

***​

Back at base, Delta set Gamma down a healing chamber. “You’ve held him well until Yuuna arrived,” she praised her. “Sorry I couldn’t be more help.”

Through her crushed neck, Gamma barely got the words through. “Go. Prepare the old spell.” Her voice came through as raspy, weak, and utterly unrecognizable. It pierced her heart.

Nothing more needed to be said. There was no time. Delta and Alpha poured their magic at the inlet and immediately sprinted away. They arrived in front of the doorway. Delta laid her hands and the ancient hieroglyphics lit up in winter colors.

“This spell will drain all of our Ether,” Alpha commented as the doorway slowly split open. “I hope we have enough.”

Delta made no reply. Her mind was elsewhere. This was a moment—a moment where was about to give up old hope for new. It was so unfair. But such was life.

***​

Yuuna remained still. The golden aura around her cast real sunlight around the dark rocky hills. Above her, the rain continued to pour, and in the distance, Kurai breathed nothing but rage.

Her aura, even for just a second, fluctuated alarmingly. Her arm jerked on its own. Kurai’s rage subsided and his host body finally made a move. “Yuuna!!!” he launched with a shout. “I’ll crush you!”

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of her. Yuuna raised her scythe and blocked his attack. Light and darkness came to meet at that point. The two forces cancelled each other and conceived a shockwave. Space distorted. Time warped, and Kurai laughed.

They separated. Yuuna leaped back, and so did Kurai. He was such a pain. The queen was her goal. That idiot was merely an obstacle.

“Looking for me, are you? I am right here!”

Out of nowhere, the ground beneath her split open with a quake. A pit stretched before her feet. She swiftly flapped her wings to prevent a fall, but Melina encased her in rock. Her scythe of light burst into particles and she fell down. Her golden aura, too, was disrupted. It lost its shape, instead pouring out of random openings in the rock.

Both Kurai and Melina looked down on her. “Let’s finish her now. It’s our chance.” She extended the vial to him. “Take it. Now.”

Yuuna’s eyes widened. This was not good. She pushed her host body further and expanded her aura. Little by little, the stone around her rapidly turned brittle and crumbled. But just as fast, the queen replenished it. “Hurry! I can’t do this forever.”

Kurai took the vial and laughed. “Yuuna!” he called for the hundredth time. “I’m going to do it. I’m going to destroy your precious little creation. The one I despised the most from the very beginning of this horrible world.”

He extended his arm to the clouds and used Pria’s heightened power to lift them with a targeted gust. The rain’s pattered stopped. A hole opened. Sun rays poured out. The sun shined brightly just as any other day.

She could no longer contain herself. “Stop!” she uttered. “Darkness and light must be balanced. They are both important!”

Kurai was the one not to respond this time. He drank the vial—the summer spirit—and embroiled it to his dark, screwed up being. The Queen immediately proceeded to inscribe a spell in the belly of his host body. “Be swift,” she urged. “Fire is yours but only for mere minutes.”

This was the moment. Kurai focused. The dark aura around Pria’s body heightened dangerously, so much so that the skin of the host body slowly started to peel away. A ball of pure fire appeared in front of Kurai, charging slowly but steadily.

Yuuna did the same. She maxed out her host body. Her golden aura expanded faster than the Queen could keep up with. She broke free, summoned her scythe of light, and leapt upwards.

Just as the scythe was about to reach Kurai, the Queen pushed her with the simple palm of her hand. Yuuna missed, fell down, and rolled up against a boulder. The Queen leapt at her—and Yuuna leapt back. She reached for her eyes. The Queen swiped her palm and created a stone wall Yuuna slammed against.

“I knew you’d try to do that!” She laughed. “But you won’t succeed. I can’t defeat you but I can stop you.”

All the while, the ball of fire grew larger and larger. It was mere seconds away from completion. Yuuna leapt backwards and expanded her golden aura even further. “Fiends!” She implored as she expanded her light even further. “You give me no choice but to kill!”

Yuuna’s speed increased ten fold. She leapt at the queen and launched a barrage of attacks with her scythe. Melina responded with walls of stone. But she could not keep up. Her scythe reached and made a large cut across her torso.

Blood spilled through her armour and she collapsed to her knees. Yuuna then immediately raised her scythe. Then just as she was about to put it down, Melina grinned. “You’re too late. It’s over.”

Everything lit up in scarlet color. Kurai fired a wide beam of fire right towards the sun. There was nothing more to be done at that point other than for Yuuna to finish what she started. She brought her scythe down and sliced Melina in half.

“Congratulations,” a voice said behind her. “You killed me. Or did you?”

She looked over her shoulder. Melina was right there. She looked down on the ground and found nothing but stone split in half. It was a clone. One she clearly practised far too much.

Ahead in the sky, the sun exploded, and darkness instantly shrouded the world. But it didn’t stop there. The beam split into a million others and targeted both stars and moon. This was the power of just a fraction of the world-altering gear.

Total darkness covered the world. Yuuna attempted to spin and attack Melina, but it was already too late. Melina summoned sharp stone and pierced Yuuna with it. She collapsed and blood pooled around her.

Melina stared down at her with no words to offer. She only addressed Kurai. “Give me the fragment. We need to proceed fast.”

On command, Kurai spit the fragment and shed Pria, whom immediately collapsed unconscious. Once again, rain started to fall. It pattered the ground and blurred Yuuna’s already fading vision.

“Leave her,” said the queen as she turned her back. “Without light, she can’t heal her host. She is dead.”

They left shortly after. The lightless rain increased and fell relentlessly. Already, the world’s balance was in shambles. She failed. Her host would indeed die. There was no way around that. Yuuna closed those eyes for the last time. But it was far from over.

In spite it all, hope remained on the horizon.