With Sahra's fiery presence burning just below his sternum, Eizen Rangetsu-Crowe was glad to begin the journey back southeast towards the Igraine Shrine, where he would finally continue to work towards attaining the power he needed to stop Niko.
Sahra quickly proved to be a breath of fresh air to their somber party, always smiling and cheerful and starting conversations whenever things got too quiet. She was more…thoughtful, than anyone Eizen had ever known, always thinking of questions and suggesting answers, but she didn't brood unless the subject of Eizen's father came up, which they all quickly learned to avoid. What Eizen appreciated most, though, was that she and Sadie seemed to get along well, the Squire seeming to relax more and more with each passing day they shared in the fire seraph's company. Sometimes he'd catch Sadie smiling, or hear the sound of her and Sahra laughing together at night during the conversations they always held after everyone else had gone to bed - the two were already friends, and Eizen was happy for his Squire.
Still, she was a seraph, an old one, and it showed in several ways. Her revelation about why dragons couldn't be saved came as a shock to both Zaveid and Edna, though Eizen thought it made perfect sense; still, the fact that she'd only just learned about the curse from the Heavenly Realm served as a reminder that Sahra was from Ages long gone, and it was unsettling the way this didn't seem strange to Edna or Zaveid at all, a reminder that they too had been around since long before the dawn of the Age of Calamity Eizen's parents had brought about. It would have felt uncomfortable for Eizen to be reminded of his seraph allies' extensive pasts, that he had only been around for a short blip in their lifespans, if not for the fact that it proved impossible to be uncomfortable around Sahra. Any time he started to feel awkward or out of place, Sahra would just smile at him, her brilliant green eyes flashing, and he'd relax; it wasn't his fault that he was human and would never live as long as they would, he was what he was.
Wherever they went, there were still hellions, as always; they quelled whatever they found, and Eizen took care to armatize with Sahra whenever Sadie didn't claim her first. Even without the spiritual power of fire, uniting with Sahra's blazing essence just felt more right than Zaveid or even Edna did, because she also was practiced in the Rangetsu style, so their movements were coordinated in battle and she didn't have to just be a passenger when they armatized. In addition, the weapon of the fire armatus was a massive sword, bigger than even his father's swords but still a weapon he was more familiar and comfortable with using; having to two-hand the weapon was new, but with Sahra's strength augmenting his own, he found himself using the Rangetsu style with it naturally.
The journey back across the Great Camelot Bridge was uneventful, and they stopped briefly in Pendrago for a night; they didn't deviate far enough to meet up with Morgrim, as she'd requested. Then, finally, they passed the Pearloats Pasture into the Meadow of Triumph, and the seraphim had to start directing Eizen on how to get to the Igraine Shrine.
Head south, and look for a pass in the mountains, Edna instructed. That'll open up into Biroclef Ridge, and Gododdin is just beyond that. The Igraine Shrine is right next to the village.
"Hard to believe a village would be stationed right next to a shrine to one of the Great Lords," Eizen remarked.
Humans set up a settlement there so they could mine vermillion ore, Zaveid explained; it's the spot where the stuff is most abundant in the whole world.
"Why is that, Lord Zaveid?" Sadie inquired.
Vermillion ore is created from powerful fire-based seraphic artes, the Prime Lord replied; Lord Musiphe's power is strong enough to make it in abundance.
I wonder if I'd be able to make any, Sahra mused.
Hard to say, Edna replied. But you are pretty powerful, more so than Lailah was, even though you're younger than she was. Maybe it'd be worth trying, once all this is over.
I'll pass, Sahra decided. But thanks for the compliment, Edna!
Eizen was just as surprised as Sahra; Edna didn't hand compliments out often. To bring that up felt like it would ruin the point, though, so he didn't interject, focusing instead on the many hellions that barred their path down to Biroclef Ridge. The creatures around here were much weaker than those across the Great Camelot Bridge had been, and Eizen briefly wondered what determined a hellion's strength before setting the question aside to be pondered later.
I'm surprised there are so many hellions, Sahra eventually remarked as they neared the southern border of the meadow. There were about this many around when I exiled myself, but you said Heldalf had been spreading malevolence for years by then. And Niko has only been the Lord of Calamity for about a month and a half?
That's right, Edna confirmed; she's a lot stronger than Heldalf was, though, and the number of hellions we're finding is just one of several things proving that point.
"That's why we needed you, Sahra," Eizen added; "Niko's power has all the other fire seraphim too afraid to fight her, at least head-on."
That's kinda backwards, Sahra remarked; we're lucky we have a Shepherd heading her off so soon after she turned into a hellion, rather than several years down the line - they should want to nip the problem in the bud before it gets any worse.
They don't think they can, Edna said wistfully, and Eizen knew she was thinking of Isan. They think they're too weak to be of any help to us. And maybe they are.
But not you, baby! Zaveid added. You're the best help we could get. I'm glad we found ya.
Me too, Sahra said, sighing only slightly at Zaveid's words; the sentiment behind this statement was clearly something much deeper than what Zaveid's flirty tone had implied. Eizen had noticed that she was thoroughly unimpressed with his uncle's attitude, but she had yet to make a fuss about it, so he didn't comment.
At the southern corner of the vast plains, Eizen found the pass Edna had mentioned, but what looked like a recent rockslide blocked their path. Remember to use my power to remove any earth-based blockades, Edna reminded him as they approached.
"I know," Eizen said calmly, and he called on the power of his earth seraph and thrust his hands forward, the boulders obstructing their way shattering and revealing the stony terrain beyond. As soon as they crossed the threshold, though, Eizen noticed something worrisome. "You guys feel that?" he asked his seraphim as they emerged.
"Yeah," Sahra frowned. "There's no blessing here."
A distant roar sent all of them into defensive poses, but there was nothing nearby but the rocky ledges of Biroclef Ridge and the grunt hellions wandering around.
"Let's get to Gododdin," Eizen said at last; "if the Lord of the Land has been corrupted, maybe we still have time to save them."
"Here's hoping," Edna muttered, and the three seraphim returned within Eizen's chest so he could carry everyone across the occasional chasm with Silver Wind.
Biroclef Ridge was like a much less treacherous, much more manageable version of Westronbolt Gorge, with more caves than narrow rock bridges, but it was also a bit more confusing to navigate. After a couple of wrong turns and several boulders shattered by Giant's Strength, they at last climbed one final ledge up a ridge to the alcove where Gododdin had been formed…
…and were met with a horrifying sight.
Gododdin had been annihilated - the brick wall that had contained the village had been shattered, nothing remained of the buildings but rubble and charred bits of wood, and there were even some bodies lying around, most burned or dismembered or both. Zaveid, Edna, and Sahra emerged, all their expressions as shocked as Eizen and Sadie's were, staring at the devastation.
"What…what happened here?" Eizen asked softly.
Another roar sounded, this one much closer, and they looked up to see a dragon circling overhead. Just one, so it wasn't one of Niko's dragons, but…
"The Lord of the Land," Zaveid remarked. "Damn…must've turned on the village after she was corrupted."
"Who was the Lord of the Land here?" Sahra asked.
Out of the corner of his eye, Eizen saw the Prime Lord turn to her, and as he did so, Eizen thought he saw the fire seraph's green eyes flash with light for a moment. Suddenly, Zaveid gasped, and Eizen turned to the wind seraph just in time to see his face drop. "Aw, hell," Zaveid muttered under his breath.
"What is it?" Eizen asked.
"Forsea," Zaveid sighed. "Damn…" He looked up at the dragon above them, then settled into a stance, mana glowing under his skin. "Hey, babe!" he shouted at the distant beast. "Remember me?!" And he shot an arte into the sky.
Wind mana struck the dragon's wing, and it roared, turning down to look at the intruders. As it swooped lower, Eizen got a better look at the dragon's eyes, and was surprised to see some sort of emotion burning in them. But dragons don't feel emotions…
They scattered as the beast dove into them, but instead of being confused, it turned and followed Zaveid specifically, lashing out at him with massive claws and bellowing wrathfully. Zaveid dodged, turned to face the malevolent behemoth, then froze as fire gathered in the monster's jaws.
"Uh-oh…" he said softly.
"Uncle, look out!" Eizen shouted, jumping forward and slashing the dragon with his katana in hopes of distracting it.
The dragon didn't even seem to notice, though the wound Eizen left was solid. Surprisingly, it was Sahra who darted forward and shoved Zaveid aside before tumbling out of the way herself, the fire blast from the massive lizard exploding against empty stone.
"Folks," Zaveid announced as he picked himself up, "I've got bad news and worse news."
"What's the bad news?" Eizen asked as he continued striking the dragon that didn't even acknowledge his blade.
"The bad news is, this isn't a drake," Zaveid answered, leaping to dodge a lash of the massive tail. "It's a fully-manifested dragon."
"Then what's the worse news?" Sahra exclaimed from the other side of the monster.
"The worse news is that even though she's a dragon, I think she actually remembers me," Zaveid told them, desperately working to evade the increasingly furious attacks aimed at him alone. "So she's not gonna let us escape as long as I'm with y'all."
"Remembers you from-? Oh don't tell me!" Edna groaned from somewhere on the battlefield.
One massive paw caught Zaveid midair and threw him against a nearby cliff. "Yeah," he groaned, barely managing to push himself back up in time to avoid another attack, "that's right."
"I said don't tell me!" Edna snapped. "Seriously, none of us wanted to know."
"Wanted to know what?" Eizen asked, completely lost by the conversation, though he was careful to focus on the fight.
"Don't ask, baby brother," Edna advised him.
Despite the two seraphim and two humans attacking it from all sides, the dragon kept focusing all of its energy on the one wind seraph; any blows the others took seemed to be entirely accidental as the monster lunged around, assailing Zaveid with what almost could have been described as desperation, teeth and claws and tail and wings and fire all focused on destroying the Prime Lord alone. All of the remains of Gododdin were a battlefield, rubble tossed about underfoot as the dragon raged, and a small battlefield it was for such a massive beast - if not for the fact that it didn't seem to care about anyone but Zaveid, Eizen had a feeling they would have been quickly crushed. After all, it was a dragon. A fully-manifested dragon, he thought as he swung his katana as fast as he could. We don't have the power to fight a dragon. Luckily, it wasn't fighting them - all four of them working together to hit it as hard as they could were slowly chipping away at its health, but still, it ignored them, throwing all of its power at Zaveid.
The targeted seraph was tiring, Eizen could tell. Whatever Zaveid had done to make the former Lord of the Land so mad at him, the dragon was relentless in its assault, and all the power of the wind couldn't help Zaveid escape. More and more blows found their mark, and Edna cast the occasional supporting arte on Zaveid in between strikes directed at the dragon, but it wasn't enough. Then, during one of Zaveid's leaping dodges, the dragon caught him in the air with its paw and pinned him to the ground, massive talons forming a cage around the wind seraph's chest as he was crushed.
Zaveid struggled helplessly, desperately, and though his allies didn't let up, Eizen knew they wouldn't be able to kill the dragon in time to stop it from unleashing the devastating fire blast it was charging in its jaws. At the last moment, as Zaveid gave up and looked certain death in the face, Eizen jumped back and raised his left hand.
"Fylk Zahdeya!"
Moments before the torrential flames annihilated him, Zaveid dissolved into light that merged with Eizen's flesh. Through the armatus, Eizen felt his uncle's wounds, but at least he was alive.
That was too close! Zaveid all but sobbed. Thanks, kiddo.
Whatever's going on, I wouldn't let you die, uncle, Eizen assured him, and he popped a gel to heal their now-shared injuries, then blasted the dragon with wind artes, prepared to start dodging the assault he thought would be turned on him.
Maybe the dragon didn't understand the concept of armatization, though, because it didn't focus its fury on Eizen. Instead, it turned and roared loud enough to shake the earth, and the tide of battle turned against the five adventurers immediately as the malevolent behemoth shifted its aim to destroying the pests that wouldn't stop hitting it. The dragon struck hard, devastatingly hard, and they couldn't land any more blows without taking risks. Several of the emergency grape gels were used in quick succession, for no real gain besides keeping everyone alive; there were no openings, no opportunities to fight back, as the giant monster raged at every living thing it could reach.
Kiddo, de-armatize with me, Zaveid said suddenly. I have an idea.
You sure? Eizen asked.
I think I know what to do, Zaveid insisted. Let me try something.
There weren't exactly many options, and Eizen severed the bond, allowing Zaveid to manifest on his own once more.
"Hey baby!" Zaveid called.
Instantly, the dragon turned its wrathful gaze on the wind seraph.
"You didn't get me!" he jeered. "Wanna try again?"
With an angry howl, the dragon lost all interest in the other fighters and lunged at Zaveid. Zaveid dodged, and then a shout from across the alcove where Gododdin had been caught everyone's attention.
"Over here!"
It was Zaveid. But Zaveid was still where he'd landed after dodging the dragon's latest attack. Clearly confused, the monster turned to the new source of its fury.
"Hey, check me out!"
There was a third Zaveid now.
Without warning, there were suddenly a dozen Zaveids in the ruins, and all of them joined in the fight, charging artes or whipping with pendulums. Baffled, the monster roared, then started breathing fire in all directions, trying to destroy every single Zaveid it saw; but though the ones it attacked winked out of existence the moment they were struck, more took their place. From behind, Eizen and his other allies kept assaulting the dragon with their own weapons, though Sadie's focus was clearly disrupted by what Zaveid was doing.
Most of the conjured Zaveids clustered together in places far away from any real person, leaving everyone safe to continue to fight. With all the additional fake Zaveids joining in, the dragon weakened at a much more noticeable pace, though it didn't stop trying to destroy the wind seraph it hated so much for some reason. Their strength wasn't much, but with Zaveid's constant distraction putting time on their side, eventually, Eizen leapt forward and dealt a final, killing blow, his katana burning with the flames of purification that couldn't save their already-dead target.
With one last shriek, the dragon disintegrated, white fire exploding along its body and leaving nothing behind. Just like that, the ruins of Gododdin were empty and peaceful. The illusions vanished, leaving the five of them alone, all panting for breath; Eizen turned in time to see Zaveid collapse onto his back, his chest heaving.
"What…" he gasped, "the hell…was that?" His eyes rolled back in his head, and suddenly, he went still.
"Zaveid!" Eizen exclaimed, as did several of his allies, and they all ran over to where the wind seraph lay sprawled out on the rubble-strewn ground.
Edna poked him with her umbrella. "He's passed out," she declared. "He'll come around in a couple of minutes, don't worry."
"What exactly just happened?" Sadie questioned.
"Yeah," Sahra agreed, "how were there suddenly so many of him?"
"Zaveid took an oath a few hundred years ago that lets him cast illusory artes," Eizen explained. "I've never seen him conjure illusions that could fight, though, or even that had this much physical presence…"
"I have," Edna spoke up. "He used to try it back when he first took the oath, but it never seemed to work the same way it did for Symonne, and he stopped trying before too long." She shrugged. "He used to complain about how it was too much work."
The wind seraph groaned and opened his eyes.
"Are you alright, uncle Zaveid?" Eizen asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Zaveid replied, pushing himself into a sitting position, a hand going to rub his forehead. "Just haven't done that in a while…It takes a lot of energy to cast illusions that powerful, more than I can usually spare."
"You might have overdone it just now," Edna remarked tonelessly.
"No," Zaveid sighed, shaking his head, "I don't think so. Against a full-manifested dragon, you can't pull any punches. Look, can we focus on the important thing here?" he asked abruptly, forcing himself to his feet, though he seemed unsteady.
"Yeah, uncle, what did you do to make that dragon so mad at you?" Eizen asked.
Edna stabbed the Prime Lord with her umbrella before he could answer. "Just take this as a lesson, baby brother," she told him: "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."
"I didn't scorn her!" Zaveid exclaimed indignantly. "I gave her a good time, that's all! I told her from the start I'd be gone before the sun rose, she made her choice and that's on her!"
"Keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep at night," Edna said dully.
"I didn't lie to her!" Zaveid insisted. "I never do!"
"Oh!" Eizen gasped as understanding struck him like a lightning bolt. "Oh!…Oh. Oh." He shook his head. "Oh, uncle…"
"Ow!" Zaveid exclaimed as Edna jabbed him again. "The hell was that for?"
"For probably being the reason Eizen has any idea what's going on," Edna answered.
"Look, enough about what I did, that ain't the point here!" Zaveid snapped. "The thing that bothers me is that she recognized me. She was a dragon, and she recognized me. That ain't possible - you know that as well as I do, Edna."
"To be fair, you probably know better than me," Edna pointed out. She frowned and added, "But you're right, that is strange. My brother didn't recognize me after he turned."
"And I highly doubt Forsea hated me more than your brother loved you," Zaveid told her. "As far as anyone knows, dragons lose all their memories and every trace of who they used to be when they finish turning…in fact, if Sahra's right about why dragons can't be saved, they're technically already dead. So how the hell did she remember me? I mean, it's weird enough that I remember her - it's not like there was anything particularly memorable about our encounter, and it was centuries ago-"
"Oh!" This cry came from Sadie, and everyone turned to see her face turn bright red, as she also apparently understood the implications. Eizen wanted to comfort her, but he sensed that they were on the brink of an important revelation.
"So dragons can't remember anything, but this one did," he mused before Zaveid could go on reminiscing. "And Lailah and Mikleo…well, it's hard to tell if they remember anything, but they aren't mindless killing machines, they obey Niko's orders and don't seem to do anything unless she tells them to. If Niko can control dragons…"
"You think Niko did this?" Edna asked.
"Well, of course Niko was behind this," Zaveid shrugged, "that much is obvious, but-"
"No," Eizen stated, cutting him off.
Everyone turned to him, and he met their gazes with a grim frown.
"Look around you," he told them gravely; "Gododdin has been destroyed, and everyone who was living here is dead. That's not what Niko wants. You've all heard her, except for you, Sahra: she wants to create a world in which no one ever dies. This isn't her goal."
All was still as this sank in. The conflicting facts chased each other around in Eizen's head, and the more he thought about it, the more he understood exactly where Zaveid's concern for the situation was coming from.
"Maybe…" Sahra said slowly after a minute, toying with her braid. "Maybe…Niko was trying to create a dragon that remembered who it was, but something went wrong and she lost control?"
"Like say for example she didn't realize her test subject was harboring resentment for a certain wind seraph that had been festering for hundreds of years," Edna added.
Zaveid flinched, and Edna turned on him.
"Congratulations," the earth seraph said tonelessly; "you might be the only reason we were able to kill this dragon, but you're also probably the reason Gododdin was destroyed and everyone here is dead. Well done, you."
"Oh come on, that ain't fair," Zaveid grumbled. "On a list of bad things I've done in my life, this ranks extremely low. If things here really did go down like you're suggesting, well, then it's-"
"Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes?" Edna finished with a smirk.
"Edna," Zaveid sighed heavily, "I nearly died just now, for a relatively minor offense. Can you at least let me be the one to say it?"
"Huh?" Sahra asked, looking between them in confusion.
"'Just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes' has become Zaveid's favorite catchphrase as of late," Edna told her.
"Well, I guess this qualifies," Sahra remarked, throwing Zaveid an added glare of disgust. Then she turned towards the cave in the far rock face. "Come on," she said; "whatever Niko might be up to, we can't do anything about it without the blessings of the Great Lords, and the Igraine Shrine is just in here."
But Eizen couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in his gut. "Guys, I don't like this," he told them. "What is Niko doing, and how? If she's managed to create something that should be impossible even as far as uncle Zaveid knows…" He shook his head. "I don't know, this feels bigger than just the Lord of Calamity."
"Didn't Lord Isan say that this Lord of Calamity was a pawn in a bigger game, and that the true source of her power was something ancient?" Sadie asked.
"That's right!" Eizen gasped. "Something even older than my parents! But…but what?"
"Beats me," Zaveid shrugged. "I've never heard of any ancient power behind malevolence - besides the Heavenly Realm, but I don't think even those stuck-up seraphim would try to pull something like this. Far as I know, malevolence just…is. There's no greater force behind it, not like-" He cut off before he broke his oath.
"…Not like the flames of purification coming from Maotelus," Edna finished for him.
"Something's going on here that we don't know about," Eizen stated. "Something that might be far more dangerous than what any Shepherd has ever faced before. I don't like the idea of us proceeding without knowing what we're up against."
"Does it matter what we're up against?" Edna asked. "We have to fight it either way, we're this world's only hope."
"That's right," Zaveid agreed, "we can only do our best."
"Both arguments have a good point," Sahra commented, having turned back to them. She frowned and tugged at her braid. "But if it's really that big of a deal, we'll probably find out sooner or later, and there's no point worrying about it too much in the meantime - it's good to be mindful, but worrying won't accomplish anything. Let's be careful, but carry on doing what we can." She shrugged. "It's either that or give up, and giving up is the only way we can be sure we won't stop Niko."
"Agreed," Edna concurred.
"Yes," Sadie nodded, "Lady Sahra is right. There's no reason for us to give up before we have any cause to do so."
Eizen looked between his comrades. "You're right," he relented. "We have to take the trials, we know that much at least, and we're here now. Let's get the spiritual power of fire."
At last, he unstuck his boots and moved in Sahra's direction, the others joining him.
"Hey, Zaveid," Sahra said as they started walking towards the caves, "just now…you couldn't say Maotelus's name. And come to think of it, you didn't when you guys were catching me up on what's been going on, either; Edna had to do all the talking that involved him, or the malak he was before."
"It's the Prime Lord's oath," Zaveid shrugged. "Certain topics are taboo for those of us who carry the flames of purification."
"Be glad it's him and not Lailah," Edna added; "under this oath, Lailah would burst out into nonsense every time the subject came up. It was really annoying, one thing about her I definitely don't miss."
"As if Zaveid needs help spouting annoying nonsense out of nowhere," Sahra remarked drily.
"True!" Edna chuckled as they ventured through the tunnels that led to the shrine of the Great Lord Musiphe. Zaveid didn't protest, and they all retreated to cross the threshold within their vessel.
~o~
Through a door in the cave wall emblazoned with wavy designs that brought to mind a raging inferno, Eizen and Sadie were hit with a wall of intense heat, far hotter than Zaphgott Moor at high noon. Eizen stumbled from the force of it, and he heard Sadie gasp behind him.
Now this feels like home! Sahra declared from within his chest, and he could almost see her grinning.
"Home?" he asked, already sweating.
I told you, I came into being from Mt. Killaraus, she explained; this is the kind of heat you find in a volcano.
Fitting, Edna noted. Run on ahead, and you'll see. Be careful, though - this place is a maze if I recall correctly.
Eizen took a moment to fortify himself, then charged forward, Sadie behind him. The whole shrine was lit with torches, but that couldn't have been the source of the heat. Then, through some cobblestone rooms, they found themselves overlooking a massive pit that was lit by the orange glow of lava.
"Whoa," Eizen breathed. "No wonder it's so hot…"
What did you expect of the Igraine Shrine? Edna asked pointedly.
"True." He looked around; there were multiple directions to take. "Where are we trying to go? There's no seraph here to tell us what the trial is…"
Are we aiming for that big platform in the middle of the lava? Sahra suggested. Edna, you've seen this shrine; what are we supposed to do?
I's a basic rule of etiquette that we not tell the Shepherd how to get through these things if we already know the answers, Edna sniffed. But if we just look around and see what there is to do in here, it's not that hard.
"Right," Eizen nodded, and on a whim, he turned to the left.
As always, there were hellions, all of them fire-based in a place like this; never before had Eizen realized how sorely they were missing a water seraph. Still, the Rangetsu style could cut through anything sooner or later, and they faced no real challenge. Edna might have been exaggerating when she'd said the place was a maze, but Eizen found nothing but locked doors and dead ends.
"Hey Sahra, can I use your power?" Eizen asked her. "I'm thinking lighting these torches might do something." For there had been several dead sconces in the rooms they'd searched.
Of course! Sahra replied brightly. I'm not sure how you do that, though…Edna? Zaveid? A little help?
He knows how to use our power, Zaveid told her, and it's no different with you. Just let him channel your energy.
Okay…
Calling on the blazing presence just below his sternum, Eizen waved his hand over an unlit torch. Fire spewed from his palm in a short burst, and he was amazed that it didn't actually burn him despite lighting the empty sconce.
Sweet! Sahra exclaimed, and Eizen couldn't help but agree.
Lighting the other torch opened one of the doors that had stymied him, and he proceeded through even more rooms of hellions and cobblestone. Then there were more unlit torches, three in a row, and he tried to ignite them, but the first one wouldn't catch, though the second and third did just fine. Confused, he went back to the first one and cast Flame Burst, and this time it activated, another door opening.
What's the deal with that, Edna? Sahra asked.
You and Eizen need to figure it out on your own, Edna told her sharply.
Eizen could feel his fire seraph thinking, but she offered no ideas. Frowning, he examined the torches. They looked identical, but after staring for a long minute, he noticed patterns on the floor around them: an outline, and tick marks, each one different - the middle torch had one tick, the far one had two, and the first one had three.
"Oh, okay!" he exclaimed. "I have to light them in order."
Okay, I see! Sahra agreed brightly. Let's pay attention around here, we have to think as well as act. I like it!
From there, proceeding seemed to be easy, and Eizen soon found himself overlooking the central chamber once more, on a balcony that held a massive statue and a single unlit torch. He cast Flame Burst, and lava spewed from the back of the statue - or was it the front? - when the sconce lit, pouring down into the central chamber and causing the liquid fire to rise.
"Was I supposed to do that?" Eizen asked.
Yeah, Sahra said, I think it needs to rise before we can cross to the big platform. Am I right, Edna?
Stop asking! Edna snapped.
Sorry, Sahra laughed. I'm just super-pumped, I don't like waiting around in here. Something about this place is energizing, don't you think?
Pretty sure that's just because you're a fire seraph, Edna grumbled.
Eizen chuckled and turned around; there was nothing more this way. Though he couldn't feel the same thing Sahra felt being here, just the fact that they were so much closer to getting the power they needed to stop Niko had him wanting to hurry.
Now the mazelike quality of the shrine became apparent: there were paths, staircases down, and more paths, and Eizen wasn't even sure where they were going. Still, he didn't ask more questions, he just proceeded methodically, trying each individual place he hadn't gone before. At one point, there was an arrangement of torches to light that had different markings at their bases - the outline and tick marks were still there, but the ticks were only on one side of each torch. On a hunch, he was careful to cast Flame Burst from the direction of where the marks appeared, and they lit without issue.
Nice going! Sahra told him enthusiastically as the next door opened. I was stumped there, myself.
"Thanks, Sahra," Eizen smiled, and he kept going.
They reached another balcony with a torch and a statue, and Eizen lit the flame, causing yet more lava to pour into the central chamber.
That looks like the last one, Sahra said. Now we just go, right?
Stop asking! Edna shouted.
Laughing, Eizen ran down for the central chamber, only the occasional hellion fight slowing him enough for Sadie to keep up. Platforms had risen with the lava, and were now on level with the central space Sahra had said they were aiming for; Eizen had to cast Silver Wind to cross the magma-filled gaps.
"What would I do if I didn't have a wind seraph with me?" Eizen wondered out loud.
I could probably get you across in a pinch, Sahra answered. Still, I'd rather trust Zaveid here, at least with that kind of thing.
You saying there's something you don't trust me with? Zaveid asked with absolutely zero indignation or shame.
Sahra didn't dignify the question with a response, which was probably for the best. Thanks, Sahra, Eizen thought at her, shielding the words from his other seraphim.
For what? she asked.
I know you despise my uncle, he said frankly, but you never let it get in the way of what we need to do. Outside, you didn't say anything about…about his involvement with the seraph who turned into that dragon, either. I'm just glad to have someone who stays focused on what's important on my side.
You're welcome, Sahra said slowly. As they stepped onto the platform right in the middle of the room, she added, in a darker tone, Master Rokurou always taught me to focus now and think later.
Yeah, Eizen couldn't help responding, he taught me that too.
All three seraphim emerged, ending the conversation, and Sahra's face betrayed nothing as she manifested. After a moment, the platform they stood on descended below the pit of molten rock; it was even hotter down here, but there was only a single hallway leading to another chamber, this one also edged with a moat of lava.
"We're here," Eizen grinned, jogging ahead, his allies hurrying to keep up.
Across the room, he could see a crest on the wall that he thought was associated with Musiphe. At four regular intervals around a round platform, dark stone monoliths stood, similar to one that sat on the left side of the pathway leading into the chamber.
"What's this?" he asked, looking at the first monolith. "It's covered in writing…but I think it's in the ancient tongue. Dang." He knew the basic principles of the ancient tongue, but actually translating an entire inscription at a moment's notice without a reference guide was beyond him.
"Here, lemme take a look," Zaveid said, striding forward. He rubbed his chin and hmmed, then read, "'To those of good will who would stand against evil: Place thine hands upon the monuments in the four cardinal directions, and my - Musiphe's - purifying flames shall be bequeathed unto thee.'"
"How do you know the ancient tongue, uncle Zaveid?" Eizen asked, surprised.
"I know the basics because I'm a seraph, and the ancient tongue defines our identities," the wind seraph replied with a shrug. "The finer points, I learned from Sorey while we were searching for Long Dau's Dust - I got bored during the long voyages across the sea, and it was something to pass the time."
"Huh." Eizen looked around at the other monuments thoughtfully. "So…I just touch those four monuments around the room, and we get the spiritual power of fire?" He shook his head. "I don't know about this. It all feels so…formal, much more formal than the other trials, and to just touch four stones is too simple. Too easy."
"Indeed," Sadie concurred, and everyone turned to her; her brown eyes were wary as she glanced around the room. "The Great Lord Musiphe is a fearsome entity, said only to appear at the beginning and end of the world. Unlike the other Great Lords, who maintain elemental balance in nature, the Great Lord Musiphe is a harbinger of destruction. Some say he is the reason fire even exists."
"I think the legends were exaggerating," Eizen said with a nervous laugh. "Musiphe appeared when my mother called on him to stop Innominat, and the world's still here."
"I don't know," Edna remarked. "His appearance coincided with the fall of Innominat and the rise of Maotelus; some might call that both the beginning and the end of the world, or at least the world as it was back then."
There was no arguing with this, and despite the heat, Eizen shivered.
"If there is one seraph in all this world who is not to be trifled with, it is the Great Lord Musiphe," Sadie stated. "So…I agree with you, Eizen. Touching four monuments is too easy of a task to earn his blessing."
Just the fact that Sadie was agreeing with him made Eizen smile; she'd become so much more open since they'd met Sahra, but it was still an amazing feeling when the girl who had scorned him for so long took his side. "Let's do as the monument says," he told her, "but be ready for anything."
She nodded, a hand on her battleax, and again, his heart soared. With his Squire behind him, Eizen climbed the few steps onto the platform in the middle of the chamber and started for one of the monuments.
Suddenly, a malevolent domain slammed down on them, their three seraphim vanishing in an instant. Alarmed, Eizen looked around for some sign of Niko, but was instead met with the sight of a hellion that appeared to be a cross between a dragon and a knight leaping down from an alcove in the far wall, horns and wings blazing orange with heat as it wielded a sword and a shield in its clawed hands.
"Sadie, look out!" he exclaimed, drawing his katana, but she already had her ax at the ready.
"The domain," she said, frustrated. "We can't fight it like this."
"Keep it busy as long as you can," he told her as the beast began charging what would probably be a fire-based arte. "I'm going to touch the monoliths and see what happens."
"Got it!"
Sadie charged at the monster, and Eizen turned and ran for the nearest of the four stone monuments. All the malevolence hindered his movements, as though he was running through water instead of air, but as he placed his hands on the first of the stones, he couldn't help but notice that the domain felt…different, somehow, from the one Niko had used against him. He acknowledged this, then set it aside: Focus now, think later.
The Squire fought valiantly, but Eizen could hear her cry out with pain as she was cut and burned by the fearsome hellion, and he urged his legs to work faster, pushing through the cloying darkness with all his strength as he made his way around and slapped his hands against the stone blocks. Each one glowed as soon as he touched them, and when all four were lit, Eizen felt a rush of tremendous power surge through him and his bonds with his allies.
"There we go!" Zaveid grinned as he and the two Sub Lords manifested; though the domain didn't go away, the pressure making it hard to move eased. Glancing over at Sadie, Eizen saw that she appeared unharmed despite how often he'd heard her cry out in pain.
"We're all charged up and ready to fight!" Sahra declared, drawing her daggers and assuming the defensive stance signature of the Rangetsu style. "Let's take it down!"
"Shame we don't have a water seraph," Edna remarked, brandishing her umbrella.
"We don't need one," Eizen told her, turning on the dragon knight. "Let's do this!"
Five versus one might have seemed like an easy fight, but the hellion proved to be tremendously strong, even without the domain crippling them. Sometimes it would summon some fire-armadillo hellions to join it, but these were quelled easily, and didn't do much but serve to emphasize just how strong the primary threat really was. Eizen armatized with Edna and cast Earth Revolution, and it barely seemed to make a dent; Zaveid and Sahra weren't much help against a fire-based foe, though they did their best.
"Cut them down!"
A sudden shout from Sahra froze time, leaving only her in motion.
"Witness my master's ultimate teachings!" the fire seraph declared, fire blazing along the lengths of her daggers, and she danced around the hellion as Eizen had only ever seen his father do, each lightning-quick slash of her flaming blades possible only for a true master of the Rangetsu style. "Blazing Heron!" she shouted, leaping and summersaulting away. Behind her, a bird-shaped burst of fire erupted under her foe - that much, at least, was not part of the Rangetsu style.
Mystic Arte or no, fire-based attacks did almost nothing to the hellion. Still, with Rejuvenation artes and the power they'd attained thus far, along with both Eizen and Sadie's lifelong training in their respective battle techniques, they wore it down, and it began to grow more violent as its strength failed. Eizen de-armatized and slashed the beast.
"Fast as a bird!"
Carving out the forked pattern that was already familiar now, Eizen closed his eyes. "Behold, the mastery of my ancestors," he intoned as he allowed his katana to move of its own accord, slicing his enemy to ribbons, before stepping forward and performing the move known only to the finest of his clan: "Swallow Return!"
With that final blow, the hellion fell. Nothing else happened, though.
Eizen stared at the felled beast. It wasn't just that it had refused the flames of purification, he hadn't felt the seraphic fire even try to get through to it. Between that and the odd feeling to the malevolence around them…
"Sadie, wait!" he exclaimed suddenly as his Squire stepped forward, battleax raised in preparation to kill a hellion that wouldn't be quelled, and he grabbed her arm with his free hand.
Surprised, Sadie froze, staring at him with wide eyes.
He turned to the dragon knight, which pushed itself to its knees and met his gaze. "You…You aren't a hellion, are you?" he asked softly. "This isn't really malevolence, it's just an illusion, like what Zaveid conjured outside."
"Well spotted," chuckled a deep voice that could only be coming from the downed beast. "Never before has a Shepherd been able to discern the truth of his own accord. Most impressive." It stood and walked over to Eizen and Sadie, the other seraphim running over to join their allies. "You have passed the strength trial of the Great Lord Musiphe," declared the hellion-that-was-not-a-hellion. "Only one step remains. Lift up your sword."
Cautiously, Eizen raised his katana - then barely managed not to drop it, as the blade suddenly erupted into flames that turned the metal white-hot.
"With these flames, the Binding Brand shall be carved," the mysterious creature told him. "Now you must choose either yourself or your fire seraph, and with this power, char their face."
"What?!" Eizen gasped.
"Fret not, the target will not die," the monster told him. "In order for Lord Musiphe's power to bond with you, it must be etched into your being…or that of the fire seraph you travel with. Which will it be?"
"Well, that's easy," Eizen stated, and he brought the blazing sword to his own face without a moment's hesitation.
"Eizen!"
Ignoring Edna's alarmed cry, Eizen steeled himself as the heat searing his face grew more and more intense with each fraction of an inch the metal drew closer to his cheek, drawing on all the resolve his father had taught him. Fire licked at him hungrily, and his skin began to blister and scorch. Gritting his teeth, he forced the white-hot sword even closer, until he felt the edge of the blade touch him. He couldn't help crying out in agony as his flesh sizzled, melting and crisping in the heat, he could smell it cooking as he dragged the sharp, burning metal along the side of his face, yet he didn't stop.
At last, with a final sweep of his katana, the flames died down, leaving him in near-crippling agony. He gasped for breath, each movement of his jaw sending pain lancing through his entire body, but he forced his burning eyelids open and looked up at the one who had set forth this task.
"Tell me, young Shepherd," the monster mused. "Why did you choose to inflict such pain upon yourself, and not your fire seraph?"
"Because," Eizen rasped through the agony of moving his facial muscles, "Sahra has a future. She will outlive me, outlive this whole ordeal. But I am the Shepherd, brother to the Lord of Calamity, scorned by many as hellion-spawn due to my parents' history; there is no future for me, I am fated to stand alone. What difference is a disfiguring mark on my face for someone like me?"
"I see," the creature said slowly. "Very well then. Armatize with your fire seraph, and complete the pact."
"Vuswos Kakwa," Eizen spat through his charred, cracking lips.
Though he hadn't felt the power through the haze of agony, as he armatized with Sahra, he felt that primal bond merge them together as only those blessed by the Great Lords could merge. With Sahra's essence imbuing his flesh, the pain of the burns eased, and he straightened up. Taking in his hands the massive sword that was the weapon of the fire armatus, Eizen slashed at the monster, then called on potential power that he should not have had after the fight - the work of Musiphe, he supposed.
"Lord of Fire!"
A domain froze time, and the already-massive two-handed sword they carried doubled in size.
"Crimson flame!"
Too heavy to be lifted, they had to drag the point of the weapon along the floor, sweeping around in wide circles, relying on momentum to deal damage.
"May it burn your soul!"
With a final spin, they unleashed an eruption of unfathomable fire on the beast:
"Flamberge!"
When the fire dissipated, so too did the thing they had been fighting, as well as the illusion of a malevolent domain. Reluctantly, Eizen de-armatized, prepared for the pain of his charred face; but as he was returned to his normal form and Sahra manifested, he felt the agony fade away, replaced by a cool wash of relief.
Surprised, Eizen put a hand to his blisters, and he could feel the swelling dying down, the skin knitting back together, and within a minute, no trace remained of the ordeal save for a slightly raised line along his cheek where he'd branded himself - not nearly as raised as he would have expected considering what had created it.
"Well done," said the same deep voice they'd been hearing, and a strange creature manifested. It wore a white robe edged with red flames, reminiscent of the one Pawan had worn, but instead of a mask, its face appeared to be a cross between that of a snake and a fox, the hands poking out from under the robe's long sleeves also scaly and clawed.
"What are you?" Eizen gasped. He could sense no malevolence, so it wasn't a hellion, but it looked too demented to not be a hellion.
"This is my true form," answered the…person? Seraph? "I am the seraph Ekseo, captain of this trial on behalf of Lord Musiphe."
"A seraph?" Sadie asked. "I knew seraphim could take the form of animals, but…"
"Indeed," Ekseo answered. "We come in many forms, even those of us who were human once."
"Whoa, you were reborn too?" Sahra asked him brightly, stepping forward. "So was I!"
"Yes, you are a kindred spirit," Ekseo chuckled. His slitted red eyes passed over all five of the adventurers. "I must admit, when Lord Musiphe told me of the group coming to take the trial, I was skeptical. A stone-hearted earth seraph with a child's face; a fire seraph of less than fifteen hundred years with power far surpassing even that of the late Lady Lailah; a wayward wind hunter who, despite having abandoned and been abandoned by life itself, chose to become the current Prime Lord; and a lone she-wolf, daughter of misfortune and bigotry, standing as Squire." He looked at each of them in turn as he spoke, and then his gaze turned to Eizen. "But the one I doubted most of all was you, young Shepherd. Brother to the Lord of Calamity, son of yet another, strength and ancient mastery ingrained into you since birth, but with a pure and honest heart, and a noble disposition worthy of the admiration of even the Great Lord Musiphe himself." His scaled, clawed hands spread. "Yet here you all are, exactly as I was told you would be."
"Lord Musiphe might be a little biased in my favor," Eizen mumbled, blushing. "Fifteen hundred years ago, he was incarnated with the soul of my father's brother, Shigure Rangetsu, and Shigure stands by my side now, in spirit. He helped me draw the Sacred Blade."
"Yes, so I've heard," Ekseo nodded. "Still, I am not biased, and I see exactly what Lord Musiphe sees. That you would not hesitate to carve the Binding Brand on yourself speaks of goodness beyond measure. However…" Though it was hard to tell with his snout, Eizen got the impression that Ekseo was suddenly frowning. "One thing you said does worry me."
"What's that?" Eizen asked.
"You said that the Shepherd is fated to stand alone," Ekseo said. "This is simply not true. A Shepherd alone will surely fall."
"But-!" Eizen exclaimed.
"Look around you, young Shepherd," Ekseo told him. "Are you not surrounded by allies, family and friends you know you can depend on?"
"I am," Eizen said, "but Shepherd Sorey always said that the duty of the Shepherd is to stand alone between the light and the dark, forever a sword and shield to the people, people who will never thank him or accept him as one of their own. I have no place in human society, or seraph society; I trust my allies, but to be the Shepherd is my only fate. I have no future."
"Take care you do not fall into despair, for that is quite possibly the darkest form of malevolence," Ekseo said gravely.
Behind him, Eizen thought he heard Zaveid mumble something in what sounded like agreement. "I don't despair," Eizen told Ekseo, shaking his head. "I have my family, and that's all I need."
"Hmm."
Eizen turned around to face Sadie and his seraphim. Edna was looking at him with wide, sad eyes, Sahra was frowning and fiddling with her braid, and Sadie…Sadie was gazing at him with an expression he couldn't read. Was it…respect? Maybe even admiration?
"Let's go, everyone," he said. "We need to find a water seraph and take the trial of Amenoch."
"Any ideas where to look for one?" Sahra asked.
"Elysia," Edna spoke up, surprising Eizen. "Now that we've completed the other trials, surely there's at least one water seraph in Elysia who'd be willing to help us attain the spiritual power of water. They don't have to be fighters, or even stay with us for very long, and the Lefay Shrine isn't far from Elysia anyway - as long as Eizen gets Amenoch's blessing, we'll be able to stand against Niko just fine whether we have an actual water seraph with us or not."
"Good idea, big sis," Eizen nodded. "Let's head for Elysia."
"Before we go," Zaveid said, stepping forward, his eyes looking past Eizen, "mind if I ask you something there, Ekseo?"
"I was going to ask the same of you, Prime Lord," Ekseo remarked as Eizen stepped back to get out of the way of their conversation. "But please, by all means, ask your question first."
"Were you the one conjuring those illusions when we fought you?" Zaveid asked. "And if so…how? How did you have the strength to maintain such powerful illusory artes for such a long time, and during a fight no less?"
"I'm afraid I don't understand your question," Ekseo responded uncertainly.
"I've been wielding illusory artes for over five hundred years now," Zaveid explained, "but to conjure illusions as strong as what you pulled off here always leaves me feeling all sore and drained - I could never wield them for such a long and tough battle without passing out. How'd you manage it?"
"Strange," Ekseo mused. "Illusory artes, while demanding, become easier with practice. You say you've used them for centuries? What oath did you take to attain this power?"
"I took an oath to never kill again," Zaveid answered.
"Again, you say…" Ekseo repeated. One clawed hand came up to stroke his maroon-tipped white goatee. "Perhaps…you need to find a way to increase your strength."
"I'm plenty strong, thank you!" Zaveid exclaimed.
"Not in body," Ekseo clarified, shaking his head; "in spirit. Strengthen your soul, and your illusions should gain strength likewise."
Zaveid threw his head back and laughed, harder than Eizen thought he'd ever heard the wind seraph laugh before, as though this was the funniest joke he'd heard in two thousand years.
"Do you think I jest?" Ekseo asked him.
"Nope," Zaveid chuckled, reining in his mirth. "That's why it's so funny - because, see, that wouldn't work for me, though it does explain a lot." He chortled again. "It's just another one of life's cruel, sick jokes."
"Ugh," Edna grumbled. "I'm really tired of hearing you say that."
"Hey, it's true!" Zaveid shrugged, still laughing. "Now, uh, what'd you wanna ask me?"
"The same question I ask every Prime Lord who comes through here," Ekseo answered: "What did you sacrifice to attain the power of purification?"
"Sacrifice?!" Eizen exclaimed, turning to his uncle.
All the mirth completely left Zaveid's face, almost instantly. "Yeah," he muttered, glancing at Eizen; "in order to become Prime Lord, a seraph has to sacrifice a piece of themselves." When his red-brown gaze turned back to Ekseo, it was sharp. "That's a mighty personal question you're asking."
"Pardon me," Ekseo said with a slight, almost apologetic bow. "I am simply curious to know what defines the champions of each Age, always have been. You needn't answer if you would prefer not to."
"Yeah, I think I'll pass," Zaveid sighed, tipping his hat over his face. "Even if I wanted to tell ya, we don't really have that kinda time. It's complicated."
"Very well," Ekseo conceded, and he looked around to include all five heroes in his gaze. "I wish you all the best of luck," he told them; "there is much riding on your shoulders."
And with that, the strange fire seraph was gone.
No one moved for a long minute. Despite his earlier words, Eizen was still reeling from the intensity of the Fire Trial. One hand went to the scar on his cheek, raised and defined but not nearly as bad as he'd been expecting. I wonder what it looks like…
"Well," Sahra said at last, "let's head to Elysia, then."
"You'll probably have to go in without me," Zaveid piped up. "I'm not exactly welcome in Elysia."
"You're not?" Eizen asked, turning to his uncle in surprise.
"Nope," Zaveid shrugged, shaking his head. "The seraphim of Elysia…well, let's just say they like to think of their homeland as a piece of the Heavenly Realm on earth - a safe haven, far away from all the world's troubles. And me, I'm nothing but trouble, and what's worse is that I have no intention of ever being anything else. So the Elysians and I have a little agreement: I leave them alone, and they leave me alone."
"You can have agreements with people like that?" Sahra asked, though it almost sounded more like a demand. "Why don't we have that agreement?"
"Huh?" Zaveid asked, looking confused.
"Uncle, you have to come with us to make a Sub Lord pact with whatever water seraph joins us," Eizen pointed out, ending the conversation before it started - despite Sahra's admirable focus, one thing that seemed clear was that there was some sort of bad blood between her and Zaveid, and knowing his uncle, Eizen had a feeling it would be for the best if the details about it not come out in front of Sadie.
"If a water seraph is willing to help you, they'll be willing to leave Elysia, so I'll just wait outside," Zaveid dismissed. "For now, let's start making the trek over there."
"We should go to Pendrago first," Edna stated; "it'll be nightfall soon, and we could all use a rest. Remember, we killed a dragon before we even came in here."
"Edna's right," Eizen agreed, "but maybe we should stay in Lastonbell instead, since it's a little closer, and on the way anyway."
"Makes sense," Edna conceded. "Either way, we should head out soon, the sun's probably already setting."
All three seraphim retreated to rest within Eizen's chest, leaving him both alone and not alone with Sadie, who was glancing around at the walls almost anxiously.
"Sadie?" he asked her gently. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she replied. "Are…are you?"
Eizen blinked. Did she just…? "I'm alright," he answered. "The, uh, the burns are gone, it doesn't hurt anymore."
When her brown eyes turned on him at last, they immediately zeroed in on the mark along his cheek. It looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn't quite get the words out.
"…Come on," he finally said gently, breaking the awkward silence. "We need to get moving."
"Yes," Sadie nodded, but the odd look didn't leave her eyes as he turned away and started making his way out of the Igraine Shrine.
If for some reason you can't figure out exactly why Forsea was so mad at Zaveid, or you just want to know the exact scene behind that bit of this chapter, see my Zestiria-only M-rated oneshot, "Wingman".
Also, if you're annoyed that I basically glossed over a bunch of Sadie's character development, well, one, I couldn't figure out any specific scenes to write for the trip back, and two, this story is going to be SUPER-long as it is (and even more so with the current rewrite) - the original rough draft, to which there were plenty of additions since uploading the chapters to my doc manager on this site even before the rewrite, clocked in at just over 250,000 words. In all, I'm not cutting nearly as many corners as Bamco did with Zestiria, so I think I've earned the right to cop out this once.
