Night had fallen when they reached Gododdin, seeing that few people were still awake...yet malevolence was heavy here. "Where's the Guardian Seraph?" Rose asked herself worried about Forsea. "Rose!" A voice shouted, catching her attention. She looked to her left in surprise, seeing the village chief running toward her. "Hey Chief, what's going on?" Rose asked, meeting him halfway with the Seraphim. "I'm glad you're here, everything's gotten horrible ever since the Shepherd left." He explained and Rose grew worried. "What happened?" She asked, following him to his house.
Once inside, she noticed several sick villagers, some had covers over them completely. Lailah gasped in horror, Zaveid looked off to the side in anger, Edna lowered her head, Mikleo's eyes were wide with horror, Dezel clenched his teeth even as Rose clenched her hands into fists. "What happened?" She asked the Chief. "The Shepherd had left yesterday after getting his wife checked." The Chief said and Rose stiffened...they were married?
"One of the villagers said they weren't feeling good, at first we thought it was just the heat...but then things began to go downward." The Chief said, looking at his people. "In just a day's time, several of the villagers fell ill and we haven't been able to find the reason." He explained and Rose growled. "I think it might be the malevolence that's doing this." Lailah whispered to Rose, who nodded. "We'll look for Forsea." Mikleo said and Rose gave a small nod, showing she agreed. "I'll look around and see what happened, I'll try to fix this." Rose said and the Chief nodded, Rose left and watched the Seraphim split up, listening to the villagers and trying to learn what was going on.
She herself decided to check on the Fire Temple though, see if maybe there were clues there. As she reached the entrance to the cave where the Temple lay, she noticed it was barricaded and she froze in shock; they sealed it? "They sealed it?" She questioned herself, when she felt someone behind her. "We had too." A young voice said and Rose turned around, looking at a small child. "The Chief told the adults to try and barricade the entrance; monsters were coming out and attacking us." The child said and Rose sighed sadly, kneeling down to him.
"I see, what's your name?" Rose asked the child, giving a soft smile; the child returned the smile. "Vuli." He responded and Rose smiled. "Vuli, huh? That's a nice name." Rose said, patting his head and the kid grinned. "Do you remember having heard anything else Vuli?" Rose asked the kid, sitting more comfortably; Vuli nodded. "Mmhm, the adults said that the cave was too dangerous to go into ever since the Shepherd left; the monster's got super aggressive and no one is allowed near the cave." The boy said, before looking at the cave.
"They even asked some of the villagers to guard the village at night just in case something happened, yet nothing has happened tonight." The boy explained and Rose nodded, standing up. "Why are you awake at this hour then?" Rose asked him and he chuckled. "I wanna protect the village just like my papa does, that way I can be just as cool." He said and Rose smiled. "Keep up the good work kid, though you need some sleep." She said and the boy yawned.
"I guess…" Another yawn interrupted him and Rose smiled, rolling her eyes. "Here, I'll take you home." Rose said and helped the boy home, before leaving. It was odd, everyone seemed highly afraid to even open their doors, even for their children yet the mother was quick to usher him in and thank her. "Their so afraid of everything it seems." Rose mumbled before she felt the wind breeze past her.
She spun around, only for her eyes to widen as she saw Moria standing there, the woman glaring at her. Rose readied her weapons when Moria held a finger to her lips and looked around. "I didn't come to fight Shepherd Rose, I merely wish to talk." Moria said and Rose narrowed her eyes. "Why should I believe you?" She asked and Moria looked around, the odd thing was Moria wasn't emitting any malevolence at the moment. "I need to speak to you about a Seraph." She said and Rose lowered her defense's. "The Seraph...of Gododdin?" She asked and Moria nodded, looking fidgety. "Can we talk quickly please, in private?" She asked, eyes swinging side-to-side in worry.
Rose nodded and sheathed her daggers, following Moria out of the village, making sure no one saw her. They took a right near the village and got near a cave before Moria stopped and looked around, seeing they were alone. She snapped her fingers and the wind seemed to part, showing a wounded Forsea and Rose gasped. "Forsea!" She shouted, running toward the wounded Seraph and kneeling to her, hugging her. "What happened?" Rose asked Moria, who looked around in worry again.
"When we tried to leave, Forsea attacked us, stating we were creating malevolence...when Sorey attacked her, himself." She explained and rubbed her head. "Alisha begged him to stop and he did, leaving Forsea to die...but Alisha wouldn't stand for it. She asked me to help her, so I did." Moria said, crossing her arms with a sigh. "I usually don't do things for others but Alisha seemed so worried and I like her, I think she's sweet." Moria said, before bringing out a dagger and handing it to Rose.
"Alisha said she had a feeling you all would follow us here, so she asked me to pass this onto you." Moria said, handing the dagger to Rose before looking around. "I must get going before Sorey gets suspicious, I made an excuse to come back and lead you to Forsea, as that's what Alisha would've wanted." Moria said and Rose looked the knife over, seeing it was inscribed with "I'm well" proved to Rose that she was fine. "I should be thanking you, though I don't know how to feel about all of this seeing as you all killed Nigel." Rose said, glaring at Moria who smirked, shrugging her shoulders.
"He meddled and Vukan didn't want anyone knowing where we were." Moria commented and Rose stood, helping Forsea up. "Did Sorey order it?" Rose asked, wanting confirmation and Moria went silent, looking to the ground. "He was unaware...we couldn't risk anyone knowing where we were, couldn't risk someone taking Alisha from him." Moria said before she turned around and sighed. "I'm only doing this because I was asked...and…" Moria turned to look at Rose, giving a small smile, "you remind me of my sister." She said before wind swirled around her and she disappeared.
Rose stared where she once stood before sighing and looking at Forsea, who seemed exhausted. "Let's get you home." Rose said and Forsea nodded, letting Rose take her home. When they entered Gododdin, the malevolence immediately began to recede as the blessing was restored with the Guardian Seraph back. Rose smiled and continued to the school that Forsea used as her vessel when she felt arms wrap around her from behind. "Where did you go?" A voice asked with a deadly serious tone and Rose paled.
She looked over her shoulder, seeing Dezel looking at her very unamused before she heard a throat clear and looked before her, seeing Lailah and the others. Lailah had her hands on her hips with a frown, Edna was giving her a flat look, Mikleo had his arms crossed with a glare, Zaveid simply glared at her and she felt the anger radiating from Dezel. "Uh...I found Forsea?" She questioned, before feeling the woman chuckle.
"That doesn't answer the question Rose." Mikleo said, before giving an exasperated look. "We literally freaked out when Lailah said she felt you very far away." He said and Zaveid growled. "We thought someone took you, mainly Moria as we felt her lingering presence and Lailah said she felt you with her." Zaveid said and Rose sighed, she had to tell them.
Rose explained her encounter with Moria, also explaining Moria did what she did because Alisha asked her to. Forsea then explained the Shepherd attacked her with Alisha begging him to stop, she also explained that Alisha had asked Moria to keep Forsea safe and help her recover. "So, Alisha's the reason you're alive." Edna said, closing her umbrella. "Yes, she's a sweet woman, I'm surprised the Shepherd had turned and that she's with him." Forsea stated and everyone nodded.
"We believe Alisha might be able to bring Sorey back to his senses; as she's the only one he cares about, she's the only one could can return him to normal." Mikleo explained and Forsea nodded. "Well, then it might be working." She said and they seemed surprised. "Why do you say that?" Zaveid asked, confused. "If the Shepherd was completely tainted, he would've killed me and everyone else in the village yet he left them all unharmed and even stopped his assault on me." Forsea explained, before seeming thoughtful.
"His eyes, which are red now, even flashed back to green for a few moments and the malevolence around him dissipated for those few seconds." She explained and their eyes widened, could it be possible Alisha was purifying him without knowing it?! "It lasted for just a few seconds and he looked regretful for what he had done, before they bled red again and they left." Forsea finished and Lailah seemed happy.
"She might be purifying him!" She exclaimed happily. "How though?!" Mikleo demanded, confused. "Alisha is completely pure, just like Sorey was; as a result, her power of resonance is increasing and by being his squire, her purity is pushing the malevolence inside him back!" Lailah explained, looking ecstatic. "I agree with the young Prime Lord." Forsea agreed, nodding her head. "Then that means that Alisha is really the only one who can change him back to normal." Dezel said, rubbing his neck.
"We still need to rescue her." Edna stated, tapping her umbrella against her shoulder. "Why?" Rose asked; wouldn't it be better to leave her with him then? "The malevolence will affect the child, despite them being so young." Edna said, looking worried. "The malevolence will tear the child apart, either that or one of the Seraph's might without meaning too. The purity a child has when born is high and the Seraph's will feel threatened and force malevolence unto the child to obscure the purity the child radiates." She explained and they all paled.
"Then we need to find them, quickly!" Rose said and Edna nodded, she agreed. "Forsea, do you know where they were headed?" Rose asked yet Forsea shook her head. "I fear I do not know young Shepherdess." Forsea said and Rose cursed. "Then it looks like we'll have a few long weeks ahead of us." Rose said and Edna scoffed. "Or month's." She commented and Rose glared at her. "Let's go, the sooner we leave, the faster we find them." Dezel said and everyone nodded, running off.
Forsea watched them, before sighing sadly. "I hope you all can save Alisha...before the child within is born and destroyed by malevolence." She said softly, watching as Rose was running, hand-in-hand with Dezel, Mikleo with his hand around Edna's wrist and Lailah with Zaveid making battle strategies as they ran. "I hope you all stick together and let those bonds forming grow, it might help the Shepherd see his wrongdoings." She commented softly, before they were out of sight.
Moria is an odd one, ain't she? She doesn't act like the other Tainted Seraphim, at least not always and she seems to be more on the nice side like Sorey pointed out but what we need to keep in mind...is there a reason she acts as she does? Could there be ulterior motives or does she truly have a nice side to her?
Well, just gotta keep reading to find out. ^^