OH MY GOD! I am soo late! GAAHHH! I am so sorry T.T some serious shit happened in my place, like for example my finals coming up and the storm, the blackout and not to mention my laptop crashing causing me to redo the whole thing. And for the first time, I felt what it was really like to be like one of those anime characters whose souls have left their bodies and what's left are the empty husks. I'm not really satisfied with this chapter since not much was going on here so I apologize to those who were looking forward to some Syncietta action. I promise that there will be some on the next chapter. (Bows head)
Chapter Thirteen: The Search for Answers (Part 1)
Somewhere on the other side of the world, a place where no one dares try to thread was a valley of volcanoes. Molten lava seeped out from their openings and spilled onto the ground, scorching the earth and creating a sea of fire. Toxic air filled the sky making it uninhabitable for any living creature, so much so that no one could even last a minute in that place. But for a being such as his self, that wasn't any problem. Creating an air-pocket around his body, Sylph swiftly navigated through the air, safe from the noxious fumes and observed the terrain.
"Five hundred years and still nothing has changed. That person should really redecorate." he thought before shaking his head. Smoke obscured his vision for a moment before finally catching sight of what he was looking for and dove down. Almost hidden from view was a cave etched deep into the mountain wall, carved by years of erosion and age. Softly landing unto the blackened soil Sylph released his power and let the heat surround him. Normally that would've been enough to scorch a human being alive or give an intense burn but to him it was no different from a soothing sauna and waltz right in. The moment he set foot inside he sensed something coming his way and immediately ducked. And just like a repeat from Ea's room, a big fireball came rushing out of the darkness and missed his head by a few millimeters. Patting the feathers on his head Sylph whistled and raised an eyebrow at his assailant.
"Is that how you should greet your sibling Effie?" he asked good-naturally.
"The name's Efreet." The other snapped.
Sylph chuckled at that, "Well, it's kinda hard calling you something else when you're in that form."
Instead of answering him, the other stepped out of the darkness and revealed her form. She was a beautiful woman, tall with tan skin and graceful features she looked like a princess and like Sylph it was hard to decipher her age. She wore a long gown that went past her feet and dragged on the floor as she walked. She carried a fan which she gripped in her hands, her knuckles white as if any moment now she might break it, but the most prominent thing about her was her hair. It was a vibrant shade of red, yellow and orange, just like the colors of a flame and it glowed in the dark.
The Aggregate Sentience of Fire glared at him as her hair glowed brighter and illuminated the whole room. "You know why I'm like this." She said as she walked closer to him. "And why are you still in that form? Shouldn't you be a woman by now Sylph?"
"Well, I quite like the way I look right now so no." he said.
"It's been thirty years already Sylph, get over it."
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." He said his smile still present but Effie could see right through him. She narrowed her eyes at him, wanting to confront him about this but thought otherwise. There were more important things to discuss.
"So what exactly are you doing here?" she asked.
"Can't I visit?" he countered but Effie just glared at him even more as her hair burned brighter to show her anger. "Alright, alright already." He said, raising his hands in defeat. "I just wanted to know something."
Effie raised her eyebrow at him, "And what's that?" Sylph decided to take a deep breath first without the other noticing because he knows just how much Efreet hated weak people. Bracing himself, he spoke the question out loud. "The last time I contacted Lorelei something felt off." He said, "I felt his presence weaken, like that time when the tyrant, Van, took hold of him. And since you're the one closest to him please tell me, has something happened to him while I was gone?"
Effie narrowed her eyes at him, "Instead of worrying about him you should be more be concerned with your own task. Unlike you, Lorelei can still manage even in his weakened state." She sneered. Sylph flinched at that but immediately got his composure back. "I see." He said, and just like that all traces of mirth that were usually present on his face was gone only to be replaced with seriousness. "But that isn't the only reason why I'm here."
"Go on." She said.
"Everything is going smoothly." He said, "Ea has gathered everyone and are already set for the task ahead. All that's left now is for the catalysts to awaken."
"Good, I'll make sure that I pass that on. Is that all?" she asked. When Sylph nodded, she turned her back towards him. "Then you're dismissed." Leaving no room for argument, Effie left. Sylph sighed at his sibling's attitude and got ready to leave.
"Oh and Sylph," Effie called, stopping him in his tracks. "Let me remind you that you are not the only one keeping an eye on things." She said. "The only reason why we chose you for this mission is because you're the only one among us who's more human but if you keep associating yourself with them then I'll have no choice but to intervene. You don't want that do you?" she asked, looking over her shoulder. "Do not make the same mistake twice." She warned. Sylph didn't say anything, his face devoid of any emotion which irritated her.
"You don't want Shadow to be upset again do you?" she asked in mock concern.
And that was the reaction she was looking for, even though it wasn't visible to the naked eye Sylph's jaw clenched and his hands formed into fists. "I understand." He said and left. Once his presence was gone Effie sighed. She never did like being tough on him, sure he was annoying at times but he was the type of character you could never truly hate. Putting her fan by her side she made her way deeper into the cave. Torches adorned the walls creating deep shadows as she walked; the only sounds came from the crackling fire and the steps of her feet. But as she reached a fork something felt odd.
The right tunnel led to her living quarters where all her possessions stayed and torches lit the hall, all the way to her room. But no torches lit the hall to the left and the fire spirit could feel a slight chill coming from that area despite the fact that she was inside a volcano. Narrowing her eyes at the sudden drop of temperature she entered the dark tunnel, her glowing hair providing for the lack of light. Very soon the tunnel led to a small room, it was bare all except for a stone bed that was carved right in the center of the floor. And someone was lying in it.
"Oh you're awake…" was all she said. The figure lying on the stone bed shifted at the sound of her voice. A gloved hand appeared from somewhere beneath the cloak he was wearing and brought it up to his face. The cause for this chill was because of this man who had been sleeping for a long time now under her care, this man also known as the Aggregate Sentience of the First Fonon, Shadow.
"I've been awake for quite some time already." The man responded, his voice soft like velvet. He removed his hand revealing a handsome face, pale skin, sharp features and hair as black as night. His eyes that were closed slowly opened to reveal blood-red eyes which seemed dazed for a moment before sharpening and shifting towards her. "Tell me is Sylph here? I can sense him." He asked.
"No, he just left." She answered.
"I see." He said more to himself, "He must've found himself a new charge then. That must mean mine is as well."
"Where are you going?" she asked when he stood up.
"To meet my new charge." He said, walking past her.
"You can't be serious?" she said incredulously. "I saw the girl for myself and she was nothing more than just a simpering weak brat. Wait another century you'll get a much more decent one."
"Yes, but that's only your point of view Effie." He said, surprising her by using her pet name. "I must see her for myself." The fire spirit sighed in defeat as she saw the resolution in his eyes. There was no changing this person's mind no matter how hard she tries. "If you're so adamant about this, then fine." She said. "But Shadow," she called, something in her voice made him stop, effectively stopping him in his tracks. "If you're going to the surface world then please keep an eye on Sylph. I'm worried that his closeness with humans might cause him to do the same mistake again."
"This is new." Shadow commented, "You sending me on mission. Did something happen while I was asleep?"
"Believe me a lot has happened while you were asleep." Effie said, "But right now you're main concern is to just keep a close watch on things, meet your charge if you want, I'll tell you everything once you get back. Just be careful, okay?" she said, a touch of worry in her voice. "Don't use too much of your power alright?"
"Of course." Shadow nodded and faced the opening of the cave, the wave of hot air and molten lava the first thing greeting him after years of sleep. He breathed in deep, wondering if anything has changed to the world while he was gone. "It's been awhile since I last explored this world. Now it's finally the darkness turn to reign." He said as the shadows engulfed him and disappeared, taking him with him.
Effie watched from her spot as her brother left and couldn't help but sigh. "Shadow and Sylph huh?" she thought, "What could be more dangerous?" she sighed. Having one was enough, but two? Now that was asking for too much. She could only pray that the outcome won't be disastrous.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"Alright, the plan is simple. Everyone has their designated places to be and we all meet before sundown. Is that clear?" Jade said as he put down the maps he was looking at before directing his attention to everyone.
Silence…
Jade blinked in surprise at the sudden subdued atmosphere in the room and sweat-dropped. "Aree…is it just me or is there like this thick fog covering the whole room?" he said more to himself.
"If it makes you feel better I can feel it to." Ea said next to him. Jade turned around and saw Ea sitting by a chair with one of her knees propped and her chin resting on it. "And the source of all this tension is…" she trailed off, as both she and Jade turned their heads to the youngest members of their group. "Ah." Jade said in understanding.
Whether it was on purpose or not, Anise, Arietta and Sync suddenly found themselves sitting next to each other. Not too close, but definitely not too far away from each other. Anise was sitting by the window looking at the outside world while Arietta was sitting on a chair holding her doll close to her chest and Sync was leaning against the wall. His mask making it hard to tell just what he was thinking, but judging from his posture it looked as if he didn't care at all. The others were feeling the tension as well and were starting to fidget because of it.
"S-Say Guy, how long will it take to get there?" Luke asked.
"T-The technicians says about 3 more hours." Guy said.
"Then maybe we should have some lunch once we get there." Natalia suggested. "After all, it's a town we're going to right? So we might as well stock up on the things we need."
"That's a good idea. How about you guys?" Guy said, directing the last part to the silent trio.
"Sure."
"Okay."
"Hm." was their subdued replies. Feeling his eye twitch in annoyance, Guy and others huddled up.
"Well that was a big failure." Natalia said.
"What exactly were we trying to achieve in the first place?" Luke asked.
"I don't know something I guess, this silence is killing me." Guy said, exasperatedly.
Just as those three were busy whispering to each other, Tear came in with Mieu in her arms. The moment the former soldier walked in she noticed the tense atmosphere. "Did I miss something?" Tear asked as she approached Ea and Jade.
"Oh nothing much," Ea said nonchalantly, "Just some stiff tension between former enemies."
"Ah, I see." Tear sweat-dropped.
"This is even more serious than I thought." Ea thought as she narrowed her eyes at the scene before her, "Even after all these years they still don't trust each other. This will be a problem if they can't work with each other. Sylph was right, looks like I have my work cut out for me."
"A-Ano…" Snapping out of her thoughts, Ea looked up and watched in interest when she noticed that Mieu had gotten out of Tear's arms and was talking with Arietta
"Your name is Arietta right?" the little cheagle asked. Taken aback by the attention focused on her, Arietta was hesitant at first, gripping her doll tightly before nodding. Mieu immediately brightened up at that and floated closer to her. "Nice to meet you! My name's Mieu." He said cheerfully.
"Um…same here." Arietta replied, unsure of herself.
"Isn't this place amazing!?" Mieu went on, "The Tartarus can carry lots of people and can go really fast!"
"Uh, yeah…" Arietta said, not knowing what else to say, but it seemed like it didn't matter since Mieu continued speaking. Prattling on and on about this and that, that Arietta was left speechless. She tried to keep up with him but that was soon proven impossible since the other was talking in rapid fire. "How can a little guy think up so many things to say in such a short time?" she thought in panic. Soon Mieu's ramblings even managed to draw Anise's attention away from the window and Sync, even though it was barely noticeable, took a look as well.
"Ne, ne can I ask a question?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. "But you already did." Arietta thought but decided to humor him, "Okay."
"Why do you carry that doll around?" it was just a simple question and yet it caught everyone's attention. Arietta looked a bit flustered for a moment before answering, "It helps calm me down." She said, it was the first thing she could come up with which was a fatal mistake.
"You still need a dolly with you? What are you a kid?" Sync sneered at her.
"T-That's not true!" Arietta protested, "I keep it with me because some of my friends can't distinguish the difference between humans so with this doll they know exactly who I am."
"Oh yeah?" Sync countered with a raised eyebrow, "How come I don't see any of your monster friends here?"
"That's none of your concern!" Arietta shouted.
"What sort of animal is it?" Mieu asked, referring to her doll.
"Yeah, I've been wondering the same thing for quite a while now too." Anise piped up, "What is that?"
"You don't know?" Arietta asked incredulously.
"Am I supposed to?" Anise asked.
"But it's so obvious?" Arietta said with a slight pout.
"Maybe to you it is but to us it's not." Sync said. "It's weird and it has too many eyes."
"It's not weird! You guys just don't how to look!" Arietta shouted.
"What is there look? Is that supposed to be a head or a hand I can't tell."
As they continued to argue, Ea noticed the change in the atmosphere. When she looked around, everyone else was watching the scene some like Guy and Luke were smiling in relief while Natalia almost let out a giggle but managed to stop in time. It was like someone had pulled the plug and all the negative energy in the air was sucked out. And it seems the one responsible for that was the cheagle. "Heh." Ea muttered under her breath, as she eyed the floating ball of fur.
"Is something the matter?" Jade asked, hearing the little noise she made. Ea shook her head and smiled, "Looks like I have to give some credit to that cheagle. He's sharper than I thought." She said. Meanwhile, Arietta had just about enough of their teasing and stood up from her chair, catching everyone off guard as she stomped her way to Asch.
"Asch you know what this is right?" she asked as she raised her doll up for him to see. Asch, who had been minding own business was slightly taken aback by the sudden question but merely looked at the doll before answering: "It's a Liger." He coolly said.
Arietta beamed at him before turning back to the two, "See! At least he gets it."
"No way!" both Anise and Sync thought as they stared at Asch in disbelief. At that, everyone couldn't help but laugh.
"Looks like I had nothing to worry about after all." Ea thought.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
(AN: This part is where all the guys will be separate so I'll be narrating what happened in each of their sides. You can read it in any order, it's up to you.)
Asch's and Luke side:
Near the edge of the continent Rugnica lays a vast amount of mountain ranges spanning across the whole peninsula. Ravines and cliffs litter the mountains making it dangerous to cross and not only that, fog seems to perpetually cover the whole terrain day in and day out. Not even the sun could penetrate the icy walls that seem to permanently cover the whole area. Anyone who tried to go there was either a desperate fool or a reckless adventurer and in this case it was both.
"Remember boys, it just rained recently so be careful, there might be parts that are slippery." Ea called over her shoulder.
"Now she tells us." Luke muttered under his breath.
"Stop whining and just focus on where you're stepping on." Asch said.
Hours before, Jade had drop them off somewhere near the boundary upon Ea's request and were now on their way now to the City of Sound. It was still midday but the temperature was close to freezing, and strong gusts of wind would sometimes blow. Forcing them to wear their cloaks and tie their hair up because their hair kept getting into their faces. And now here they were, walking on a very narrow path, so narrow that they had to walk in single file and hug the wall as if their lives depended on it. Literally.
"Whoa!" Luke cried out as he slipped. Asch grabbed him in time and pulled him back to the edge.
"Be careful you idiot!" Asch scolded. "Next time I won't be there to help you again."
"Sorry." Luke said once he regained his balance then turning to the woman in front, "Hey Ea, are you sure we're heading the right way?"
"I'm pretty sure." Ea said then added as an afterthought. "I think."
"She thinks? She says." Asch said in disbelief. "If it weren't for Lorelei we wouldn't be in this place."
"Yeah, and I'm kinda glad that not everyone could come. I doubt this rock path could support all of us." Luke said, grimacing as he looked behind him and saw nothing but a gaping abyss. If Asch hadn't caught him in time he would have surely died.
"Hmph that would have caused even more trouble than it's worth." Asch said.
"But it's amazing that a place as big as this wasn't part of any map." Luke commented. "Makes you wonder why nobody has ever discovered this, huh Asch."
"It just goes to show just how little we know of our own world." Asch replied.
"Aren't you glad that we saved it though?" Luke said with a big smile, "That way we have more than enough time in the world to explore it." Asch harrumphed at that and turned his face away but if you looked closely there was no sign of anger on his face. "We should keep moving, Ea is already way ahead of us."
"Huh? Ah! You're right. Hey wait up!" Luke called as he tried to speed up his process while trying to hard not to fall again. Ea who had heard everything couldn't help but smile at that, "I forgot to mention that sound travels fast in these parts. Oh well." She thought. After an hour of fighting monsters and traversing other difficult obstacles Ea had finally made them stop, making the two redheads sigh in relief. Their hands and feet hurt from all the climbing and they were pretty sure that they had more than enough blisters to last them a lifetime. By then both Asch and Luke were panting like dogs and were looking a bit rough around the edges while Ea was still prim and proper.
"How can she still manage to look like that after everything we've been though?" Luke said in wonder.
"She's done this before so it's no surprise." Asch said.
"Alright, we're here!" Ea announced.
"Here? You mean…" Luke trailed off, confused but Asch continued, "There's nothing here." The other redhead said, growing a bit suspicious, "Nothing but a pile of rocks." And what he said was true. The place that they had stopped in was nothing more than just a giant stone cliff with a sea of fog covering the abyss in front of them. "Of course there's nothing here silly. The place we're looking for is right on the other side of this." Ea said, pointing to the massive fogbank in front of them. Her two companions looked at her strangely, wondering if they heard her right. "But…it's a cliff." Luke said uncertainly, "How are we gonna make it there?"
"Remember what I said of how I first got there?" she asked. It took a moment for both redheads to register what she said and once they did they both did a double take.
"You cannot be serious." Asch said
"You don't actually expect us to do the same, do you?" Luke said incredulously. "I mean we could die."
"Of course not, granted you might get some broken bones but you'll live." Ea assured.
"That doesn't make me feel any better." Asch said
"Again, are you sure we're in the right place?" Luke said, almost pleaded.
"Of course I am. Here look," Ea said as she stepped towards the edge of the cliff and put her hand out. But as she did so something blocked her hand, it was just for a moment but both Asch and Luke managed to see it. A shimmering wall appeared right underneath Ea's hand before it disappeared. "What was that?" Luke said as both he and Asch stepped forward to examine it but when they tried they felt nothing.
"It's a barrier obviously." Ea said. "I knew this would happen after my last visit. I guess the townspeople have become even more cautious than ever."
"How come I don't feel anything?" Luke said, waving his hands around.
"That's because this barrier only allows Seventh Fonists through." Ea explained.
"Why's that?"
"Why do you think this place is called the City of Sound?" Ea countered. "Look, I don't really know much but from what I understood there are probably six other cities just like this one. All of them are ruled by a specific element and that the one thing that they all have in common is that they're hidden and in each one they only allow certain people with certain qualities to enter. And in this case you guys are the only ones who can pass through."
"I see." Luke said, understanding.
"For such a place to exist…is that truly possible." Asch said. With the boys distracted, ever so discreetly, Ea stepped back without them noticing until she was behind them
"Wait, that means that Tear can come inside as well."
"True." Ea said, "But I doubt the citizens would allow it."
"Oh yeah, I forgot." Luke said with a trace of disappointment.
"Well, with that said…" Ea said then, with a mischievous smirk she pushed them with all her might. Caught off guard, both redheads stumbled forwards and fell their resounding cries echoing through the whole mountain range. "Good luck!" Ea called after them with her hands cupped around her mouth. "Now then I should probably head to that place as well."
Meanwhile….
"AAAGGGHHHH! Oomph!"
After what felt like hours they finally stopped, albeit painfully that is. Both redheads stayed like that for a couple more minutes before finally Luke turned himself over until he was facing the sky. He grunted in pain and noted that there was severe pain around his chest making it hard to breath. He bit back the moan that was threatening to come out of his mouth and instead said, "Its official, that woman's crazy." Beside him, Asch groaned before he lifted himself up with his arms and glared at the direction from where they came from, "My respect for her has gone down a few notches." Asch said his voice a bit hoarse, before turning his attention to Luke. "You alright?" he asked.
"I'll live." Luke said, "But I think I broke a few ribs."
"Here, eat some gel." Asch said as he tossed a few towards him, before sitting up and eating some himself. Luke caught the gels and started to eat, the pain started to fade away and soon he was strong enough to sit up. "Can you walk?" Asch said and Luke nodded and they both stood, but as they did so they noticed one big problem.
"Um, where exactly should go?" Luke said as he looked around. The fog was so thick that he couldn't even see five feet away from him. "I have no idea…but it seems as though we don't have to worry about that." As he said that, Luke heard footsteps approaching them. Luke was about to grab his sword but Asch stopped him, he looked at him questioningly but the other just shook his head at him. A beacon of light soon pierced through the fog and three shapes appeared.
"Halt! Who goes there?" someone said. Asch and Luke looked at each before nodding and walked closer. Once they neared they realized they were actually three men wearing long cloaks and that the light came from the lamp that was being held by the one who spoke. "We don't mean any harm." Asch demonstrated as he showed his empty hands.
"Wait," the one who was holding the lamp said as he stepped closer. He held the lamp higher until Asch and Luke came into full view. "Red hair…these two must be the ones." He said to his companions. Asch and Luke looked at each questioningly before turning to face the men again, "Come with us." The one holding the lamp said, "We will take you to the shrine." Then without waiting for a response the three men left leaving Asch and Luke the decision to follow them.
"Let's get going then." Asch said then followed. The whole trek was silent as the other three had not spoken a word and the atmosphere was so dense that nobody really wanted to talk. After what Asch estimated to be fifteen minutes, the terrain started to change slowly from stone to earth as the fog started to fade and they were finally able to see again. And what they saw wasn't anything they expected at all. What greeted them was a vast city situated in the middle of ginormous basin. The sound of rushing water filled the air so when the two redheads turned their heads they saw that there was a huge waterfall coming from one of the mountains surrounding it. The water pooled into a large lake at the foot of the mountain which then branched off into a river leading into the city then out to the other side and into a cave that lead to who-knows-where.
"This is amazing…" Luke breathed out. Beside him Asch was also quite taken aback but had a frown on his face. "This is impossible." he said. "How could a city as big as this stay hidden for all these years?"
"That is because we are protected by a barrier that had withstood the world for centuries." The man holding the lamp said. He and the others removed their hoods to reveal that they all fair hair and complexions but aside from that they had nothing in common at all. Two of them were in their mid-forties while the one who held the lamp was in his twenties. "Pardon my rudeness, my name is Kael and my companions are Noel and Lenard. We're just ordinary guards that patrol the borders of our land."
"And what exactly were you protecting this place from?" Asch said.
"From intruders, people who may harm this city." Kael answered as he turned off the lamp. "This land is a sacred place for it is here that one of the Deities of this world resides."
"You mean Lorelei?" Asch confirmed.
"Yes." The other nodded, "He is our God, Leader and Protector. Thousands of years ago, our people was faced with a great famine, seeing the hardships that our people went through Lorelei decided to take pity on us and led us to this secluded land. It was through his guidance that we were able to thrive in peace. Now come, the Spirit waits." Kael said as he took the lead, leaving the two to follow him.
As they walked, they also noticed that there were traces of fog in the air, almost as if there was an invisible dome covering the whole city. But that wasn't the only thing that made Harmonia so inaccessible; it was the fact that there was a huge chasm blocking their way. Asch was starting to have doubts again but that soon vanished when Kael raised his lamp and turned it off and on three times. There was a loud screech, like the grinding of gears and very soon a drawbridge was lowered from the other side and landed at their feet. Kael took the lead and the others beside him, forming lines of two with Asch and Luke taking the rear. They weren't anywhere near yet they started to hear music. Once their feet stepped unto cobbled road the music became even more definite, the elegant sound of a violin and the soft lilting melody of a flute reached their ears as they finally made it to the city.
"Welcome to Harmonia." Kael said.
The music had come in full blast then with laughter and cheers all around. The air was much warmer and Asch and Luke couldn't help but stare, it was like they were transported to a whole different world. The city was filled with people, children playing on the streets, couples walking side by side and friends having nice long chats in outdoor cafes. A big contrast to the lonely mountain road they had traveled through earlier. The atmosphere was lively too as everywhere they went there was always music present. The tempo would change every so often, first it would be fast and lively, then switch into something soft and soothing and then into something wholly different. Either way, you would never get bored listening.
"Is there a festival going on?" Luke asked.
"No, it's always like this." Noel said. "Especially when there are visitors coming so we like to make a good impression on the Spirit's scions."
"Scions?" Asch repeated, "You mean this is all for us?"
"Yes." Kael said. "Lorelei has already told us all about you and of your coming so we have made all the necessary preparations for your arrival."
"You…didn't have to go so far." Luke said, sweat-dropping.
"Oh but we must." Kael said. "It's been years since the last scion has come and usually that signifies great prosperity on our humble city. So we are very grateful."
"You definitely went out of your way on this one." Luke commented.
"It's nothing really. Now come, the Spirit awaits your presence." Kael said, as he led the way through the bustling streets of Harmonia.
Harmonia was like any other city you would see, complete with its own school, hospital and shops. But the thing that made it different from other cities was the huge megalithic structure that overlooked the entire city. "I'm guessing that's where we heading, aren't we?" Luke said, referring to the huge building on the hill. "Yes," Kael answered, "That is the temple where the Spirit resides in."
"I still find it amazing that a city such as this managed to survive in this secluded place." Asch commented.
"It was through Lorelei's guidance that we managed to make it this far." This time it was Lenard who spoke. "We may be closed off from the world but we still keep in touch."
"Then what do you do about food? Or money for that matter?"
"Our land is fertile and will continue to be so for many generations to come. As for money we never had any need for that for we support one another and tend to each other's needs."
"Well that's helpful." Luke said then muttered in an afterthought, "Wish our country was like that."
"Shove it." Asch muttered beside him and so Luke decided to shut up. Some of the citizens started noticing them and stopped them from time to time, offering the two redheads food or drinks until Kael told them to stop. "You can enjoy the festival after you've done your business so for now please hurry and follow us. We have kept the Spirit waiting long enough." Kael explained.
The journey through the city was less tedious then but the trek up the hill was no laughing matter. Both Asch and Luke were panting from exertion even though their companions looked fine. By then the music coming from the city had also diminished into a low hum. Once they reached the entrance they finally had a good look of this "shrine". It looked old alright, the exterior worn by weather and age and the whole thing looked as though it was carved out of stone. Not only that, it was built in a weird shape quite different from the normal architecture found in most shrines. Random spikes jutted out from the building with some holes scattering across from it. It was reminiscent to that of a seashell, the kind that you put into your ear so you could hear the ocean.
Another strange thing was the gate. It seemed to be made out of the same material as that of the building and carved right out of the ground. It was pure white and had shiny stones embedded into the framework. But the grilles were flat and pressed together so much so that there were barely any gaps in between that Asch and Luke couldn't see through it. Kael had taken a step forward then and placed his lamp on a hook that was attached to the wall and picked something out of an alcove. Upon closer look it was a small hammer which he used to strike against the grills. Ting! Ting! Ting! Came the consecutive sounds as he struck them at a certain pattern, almost as if it was a xylophone. He put the hammer back to where it belonged and stepped back.
Nothing happened at first but then the ground suddenly shook and there was a grinding noise. Luke and Asch turned their attention back towards the gate and noticed that it was starting to change shape, mechanical-like as the grills shifted until an opening was made. Luke and Asch stared at it in awe for a moment before Kael spoke up. "You must go now; the Spirit has been expecting you for a long time now."
"What about you?" Asch said.
"This is as far as we can go." He said. "Only those are invited are allowed inside."
"I see, thanks for the help." Luke said before facing the entrance and together they entered the shrine. Once they did so however the grinding noise came back and the entrance to the shrine was shut off once more leaving them in total darkness. A second later, sparks flew and one by one stones embedded on the walls started to light up and lit the way. Asch and Luke looked at each other before nodding and descended down the path.
In contrast to the city outside, the shrine was absolutely quite, the silence so heavy that it made their ears rings and the atmosphere overwhelming. The hallway was a bit cold and having no idea which way to go or what exactly to do they forged on, following only the halls that were lit. And after a while it seemed that their hunch was right, as the hall they were walking on soon opened up into a large room. Light spilled out from somewhere above and thick shadows covered the edges making it hard for them to discern just how wide the room but judging from the way their footsteps echoed, it was huge.
The moment they set foot inside, the song that they heard from the entrance when Kael struck the gate was emitted and runes covering the whole floor lit up in tune with the music. It resounded throughout the whole room, bouncing off the walls and creating echoes. Once the last tune was heard, something started to glow in the far corner of the room. Curious, Asch and Luke approached the thing and found out it was a shrine. Food and other offerings were left on the floor near the shrine and unlit candles stood by the sides. The light came from a small orb situated on a cushion and the closer they got the brighter it became until suddenly it exploded. Caught off guard by the sudden explosion, both Asch and Luke were thrown off their feet and landed some distance from where they originally stood. At the same time, the light that had manifested grew brighter and larger, floating up into the ceiling and lighting everything in its way. Then it started taking shape, becoming even more solid until finally the big glowing orb of light turned into the familiar head of the spirit.
"Welcome Asch and Luke, I have been waiting." Lorelei said. At the sound of his voice, both Asch and Luke picked themselves up and dusted off their clothes and stood in front of the spirit, all the while showing their respect.
"Sorry for the late arrival, we had some difficulty coming here." Asch said.
"Yeah, if it weren't for Ea we would have never found this place." Luke said.
"So Ea has been doing well I see. That's good." He said.
"So it's true that you two really do know each other?" Asch said.
"Yes, Ea has been a loyal ally to us for many years. You can rest assured that she is a trustworthy person."
"How exactly did you two meet?" Luke couldn't help but ask.
"It was not I who first contacted her it was my brother Sylph as she was his charge after all. Scions of different elements cannot communicate with other spirits that is not their own unless permitted to do so."
"There's that word again." Asch said. "What does being a Scion mean?"
"Every few hundreds of years one or two individuals will be born with the same fonon frequency as that to one of the Spirits in the world. Because of this quality, those individuals have the ability to communicate with the spirits telepathically."
"So you're saying that Ea and us are one of those Scions?"
"Yes, but that is not the technical term for them. Over the years the name of these individuals has been changing over and over again but basically it's the same thing."
"Okay, now that we have that settled could you please tell us what we're doing here exactly? I mean why did you call us all the way out here?" Asch said.
"I apologize for making you travel all the way here, if I had more power this journey would not been necessary."
"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Luke asked.
"I've been using my powers for too long…pushing past my limits, straining to see what the future had in store for us and to observe so, so many possibilities that could happen. Normally I would let visions of the future come to me naturally but since time is of the essence I had no choice but to use my powers to forcefully see the future. Every time I do that it causes a strain to my body. It is only here that I can talk to you openly without fear of disconnecting the bond we share like last time. This shrine, no, this whole city is my resting place, the only spot in the surface world where I can regain my strength and communicate with humans."
"Ah, I see, I didn't know you had it tough for you." Luke said, feeling a bit sympathetic for him.
"It's alright someone has to do it and only I can, so it's nothing to feel regretful for, although your journey is not entirely wasted." And as he said that something detached itself from him. It was a small orb of light, the same color of Lorelei and barely the size of a fist and it floated right in front of them.
"What's this?" Asch said, as both he and Luke observed the orb. At first, it looked nothing special just a floating orb of light until it suddenly emitted a sound, a soft melody like a whistle. That moment it did that the orbs that were imbedded into their and served as their artificial hearts throbbed in tune, catching them off guard.
"That, my young friends will become your new mission. You two are my Scions so it's only just that you take them."
"I don't understand." Luke said. "What is this thing and why do our chests hurt and what does being a Scion mean exactly?"
"To put it simply, we Spirits cannot interact with the surface world, much less set a foot in it. Our very beings are so great that by being there might cause an imbalance to the world and disasters would occur. That's why we need the Scions to do the tasks for us, they are like messengers if you will, or to put it bluntly our servants. But the birth of a Scion is so rare that even I can't tell when the next one will be born. It's also puzzling how they can have the same frequency as us so we tried researching it but due to the lack of materials we haven't gone far. But this is the first time in centuries that a large number of Scions has been born in the same timeline this is a sign that the world will be undergoing a change. It must be the planet's will as to why you all exist today. As to why you're chests hurt, it's because that orb is made out of the same thing as the ones in your chests. They are just resonating with each other."
"But wasn't my birth an accident, I mean I'm just a replica, does that even count?" Luke said.
"Whether your birth is accidental or not, you are all needed, which brings us back to the mission at hand. That orb you're seeing is a part of me, while you two were travelling to get here I had gathered all of my essence and put it all into a single vessel." And as he said that, the orb had flashed briefly and materialized. Gone was the glow that had recently covered it but was now a fist sized gem the color of ember and light was being emitted from its core. It hovered in the air briefly before it started to descend until Luke managed to catch it within his arms.
"And what are we supposed to do with this?"
"For now, nothing, but you must travel to the other hidden cities around the world and receive the essences of other Spirits."
"Why?"
"I can't tell you all of the details for fear of disrupting the future but what I can tell you is that the enemy is closer than you think. They have already started a plan that could potentially annihilate the balance and destroy the human race. The essences will have a big role to play in the future, once you have collected them all you will know immediately what to do."
He and Luke shared a look before nodding and faced Lorelei once more. "We understand." He said solemnly, and he meant it. With the new revelation about the enemy the two couldn't help but be tense. "We're going to do everything in our power to collect all this essences and make sure that nobody destroys this planet. We swear on it."
"Thank you, Asch, Luke." Lorelei said and for a moment there, the two thought they heard relief coming from his voice. "I know that I'm asking a lot of from you but I hope you won't regret making this decision in the future."
"It's no big deal." Luke shrugged, "This world is our home too, so we're not gonna let anybody destroy it."
"Yes, it appears that all our feelings are mutual." The spirit agreed. "Thank you once again and may the will of the planet lead you onwards."