Chapter Nine
Most people have to search to find meaning for their existence.
Will had thought it was a gift, knowing why she was here. Why she existed. Because it was, undeniably, a noble cause.
Being chosen by Xin Jing had not only touched her with magic, but led her to her four dearest friends. To a thirteen-year-old girl, who struggled to even get along with her own family, they were a gift greater than magic itself.
As even her magic was something unstable.
Will remembered how violent her electricity was when it first manifested. How leapt from her fingers with the slightest shift of her mood and scorched whatever it touched. It was overwhelming, going from defensive, peaceful magic to one of the most volatile of the five. Where her four friends had over a year's practice with offensive attacks, she had none when facing the endless waves of Nerissa's thralls.
Lightning wasn't just throw-and-go like water. Aim and shoot like fire.
It wasn't movable like earth, or endlessly malleable like air.
It was vicious and cruel.
Wild and unforgiving.
It made sense it was the natural element of one like Prince Phobos, who didn't care who was caught in a burst of power. Yet, it seemed wrong for the Light of Infinity to have that same power.
But it was fitting, as quintessence, near identical in looks, sparked from her fingers as well. The element of life. So, of course, she had the element of death as well.
The yin and yang of life and death, lightning and quintessence.
It also made sense, on paper, that Nerissa was chosen to wield that power before her. She was strong, resourceful, cunning, and had a deep sense of justice. Too deep, even. And, seeing Nerissa damn near move heaven and Earth to reform her old team, to bring Cassidy back to life, she also had a deep love for her friends.
It wasn't a perfect love. It was selfish and needy, with Nerissa not valuing them until they were gone. Leaving her alone to face a world who decided one mistake would define her legacy.
Will wondered, based on everything she knew, how the Oracle spoke of Cassidy's death, and even Cassidy's hazy account, was her death an accident? Was Nerissa just unable to control the same power that shot wildly from Will's own fingers, in her moment of anger and desperation? Was that really a reason to lock a sixteen-year-old girl in a cell, alone, with no plan to release her? Because they left her alone, to be taken care of by magic, for near fifty years before the council learned she had escaped long ago, with the help of the one simply known as the mage.
From what people could gather, piecing it all together after the fact, once Nerissa was sealed in her jeweled prison around Elyon's neck, the mage knew Nerissa from her time as leader of the guardians. She felt an endless imprisonment, for one so young, was too cruel. So she freed Nerissa, using her magic to trick the magic bonds.
There was a part of Will that worried she might hurt someone in the same manner. That electricity mixed with her temper was dangerous. And the thought of hurting, killing, one of her friends was terrifying. It drove her to control her lightning right down to every single spark. She knew where it would hit and how it would cascade out in a network of blinding light and deadly power.
Nerissa was her cautionary tale, to not take her powers lightly.
But, seeing Nerissa slay Phobos' previous incarnation, intending to weaken Meridian, to steal it's heart and, ultimately, regain the Heart of Kandrakar, Will realized she had been projecting her own worries on to the older ex-keeper. Whether Cassidy's death was an accident didn't change how Nerissa used her powers that day. That she used her powers time and time again to hurt and deceive. She made plans that took decades to come to fruition, when she could have done countless other things, good things, in that time.
She even walked out of Caleb's life before he could form a single memory of her, all to keep her plan in motion.
How many times did they see the mage back when fighting Phobos? Trill? Dozens of times. Even more for Caleb. And not once did Will recall Nerissa even sparing Caleb a second glance. He was a tool for her vision, just like everyone else.
Just like Phobos.
Will felt her heart calm as she stared at the prince, one hand on her shoulder, the other on her elbow, body between her and the charging demi god.
Strange how everything turned out.
Nine years of fighting every massive magical problem in all the realms, and here she was, back where she started, dealing with Phobos. Just this time, it was to help him. To seek forgiveness from Elba for the wrongs of her magical lineage.
Nerissa was a keeper, chosen by Xin Jing, the embodiment of the nymph's will on the mortal plane. While Xin Jing didn't order or condone the action, it was still her magic that caused the killing blow.
And now it had to be her magic that fixed it.
Will didn't know exactly how, but she knew she had to do it.
She had to make things right.
So, letting her mind clear, her fear slip away; she readied herself. This was her fight now, and Wilhelmina Vandom, Light of Infinity, had no intention of losing.
Phobos was unprepared as he was shoved away. His head snapped towards the woman he was once shielding and saw the look on her face had changed. She may not have access to her powers, but she was that same creature that descended on him hours ago; fearless and ready for battle.
The look on her face was jarringly different from the playful, hothead he had become accustomed too in their time in the forge. Her brown eyes were no longer honey soft, but dark and deep. Her lips were straight, not conveying any emotion, just like the hard set of her brows.
Deimos charged through the empty space she once occupied as they both quickly regained their footing.
"Stay back," she warned him, voice hard and authoritative. "He's after me."
Phobos, not one to be ordered, and definitely not one to listen to authority, especially hers, yelled back, sarcastically as possible, "No, and here I thought Elba send him to give you riding lessons."
"Not the time," she warned through clenched teeth, Deimos now turning to face her, gaining her full attention.
Phobos grew annoyed at her sudden bravo, as he had decided to protect her. Her acting on her own made that a harder plan, as she was an equally stubborn force as the wild demon horse charging at her. But he knew part of his growing interest in her was her fighting prowess, so it wouldn't make much sense for her to passively wait while he thought of a solution.
He was struck with the memory of examining her bloodied fingers after trying to claw her way free of the titan's grip. This time, she wouldn't feel that sense of desperation, or fear, even when facing death, as he was, somewhat begrudgingly, invested in her safety now.
The horse charged at her again, but this time she was ready, luring the creature away from the prince and towards the inner section. To blinded by its rage, the unicorn charged with all its might, making her gamble possible as she leaped and rolled aside, leaving it to crash into a pillar. It shattered from the force, scattering stone and dust all around.
Unfortunately, the unicorn wasn't fazed, and the sudden, expanding cloud of dust benefited it as it once again charged at the Keeper.
Phobos reacted, pulling the glowing sword free of the bones and, as he couldn't get a clear view of the demi god, called out, "Slay it!" as he threw the sword to the red-head.
She caught the sword easily enough, but held it with clear inexperience as she looked at him in shock.
"He's your brother!" she called, appalled.
"It's not my brother," he scoffed, appalled in return at the implications of being related to a horse, demi god or not.
Deimos emerged from the dust just as she flipped the sword so its flat end took the brunt of the horn aimed at her. The impact made her slide back as she pressed her palm to the other end of the sword to hold it in place. By the strength granted by Xin Jing, she could hold her ground, face to face with the demon red eyes.
"Yes!" she called, frustrated, dark eyes flashing to him. "He's your brother. Elyon's your sister. And you need to stop trying to kill your siblings!"
"I never tried to kill my sister," he pointed out. "Only obtain the Heart of Meridian. And, once more, that creature is not my brother."
"We saw the same shit, right?" she called, taking a few steps forward and, impressively, forcing the horse back. "That you were a fucking unicorn, right?"
"I wasn't a unicorn. A past incarnation of my soul was. There is a difference."
She gasped at him, shocked. "Do you not even care?"
"What is there to care about? What we saw changes nothing about me. Other than having a very interesting reason to kill Nerissa, if that crone ever crosses my path again before she ages into dust."
"How- how can you not…? What the hell is wrong with you!?" Will called, growing more frustrated with the prince than with the demi god trying to kill her.
She was already at a loss on how to handle a literal god, but she was even less prepared for Phobos to just… not care? He seemed bother while they watched everything unfold. But now he was already over it? That wasn't possible. There had to be a part of him that was angry? Upset at being used? What the fuck was wrong with this man?
Deimos finally gained enough footing to toss her aside, shaking its mane in frustration before pawing at the ground. The ground sparked and black fire ignited on it's hooves before engulfing the horse.
Great. Just great.
Now, unable to block, she was forced to run, grabbing another pillar and swinging out of the horse's path.
Phobos pinched the bridge of his nose. Was she really not going to kill it? The sword would slay it, and she was quick and strong enough to do it.
Why was she risking her life like this? What good could come of this?
Looking around, he saw the only useful thing was the sharp, white horn gleaming in the moonlight.
While she may believe he should hold some type of care for the creature, he found the only feelings that swelled in his chest were for her.
The stubborn, hot-headed, too righteous for her own good, Light of Infinity.
So he grabbed the horn, ready to snap it from the skull, only the bones became ablaze in white flames. The bones compacted, collecting towards the horn in a thin line. Shielding his eyes from the white blaze, it confused him to feel a powerful surge of magic through him after hours of having nothing.
But this was magic he never felt before… no… he knew this magic. The light of the moon. Life.
It wasn't magic that appealed to him.
External healing magic was pointless to him.
Yet…
He reached out and grabbed the staff before him, releasing a wave of soothing magic into the corrupted spring.
"Oh!" Elyon gasped, feeling a tremendous surge of magic enter her, body now glowing. "What? Where is this…?" she asked, confused, standing and looking at her hands.
"Ellie?" Cornelia called, worried. "What's happening?"
"I don't," she started, only to gasp again, feeling the new magic coil in her. She felt so… strong. "It's so much. Just so much magic."
"He's healing the gate," Galgheita called, walking over to calm the queen. "So you are feeling that new connection. As all magic that flows into Metamoor is yours to command."
"Oh, like a power up!" Irma called, excited. "I wonder how pissed Phobos would be, knowing he just made you a shit ton stronger?"
Miranda snorted and said, "Please, let me be there for that conversation. All this would be worth it."
Irma winked at the spider. "Girl, I got you."
Miranda grinned widely, and Cedric couldn't help but smile at his mate's excitement.
"I can feel it," Elyon said suddenly. "I can feel where…" she stopped, head turning to the side, her eyes wide, and she teleported away.
Will could barely follow exactly what happened.
There was a surge of magic from Phobos and a… staff? She barely had time to look before the white magic blinded her and Deimos, causing them to stumble. When she regained her sight, she saw the gate was changing, pure magic now seeping through. Magic and…
Wisp.
So many fucking wisps.
It was a wave of fluffy, glowing balls that surged out, happily chiming as they rushed to Phobos and spread throughout the room. Everything was brighter. Pure.
And then suddenly Elyon was there in a flash of light, floating in the air just as a familiar red flame appeared. Only it surrounded her and Phobos just as Elyon called out for her, hand reaching out and yelling, "Will! Give Up! You have to give up-"
And they were back in the stone room, confused.
The flame larger than before.
"Irma, stop pouting," Cornelia called as she rolled her eyes, looking over the sword and staff Elyon brought back along with the new guest. She shooed away a cluster of wisp that floated near the white staff. "It's not like they're even yours."
"But I went and got them! And now he just gets to use them without even asking?"
"How the hell is he supposed to ask?"
"I don't know, stomp his hooves?"
"Be nice and share. He's been through a lot," Hay-Lin said, petting the soft black mane.
Elyon nodded, scratching behind his ear, making his red eyes close as he laid his head on the beanbag chair, the blanket tossed across his back. "Look at how tired he is," the queen pointed out with real sympathy.
"From trying to kill Will!" Irma argued, more annoyed at the loss of her items than anything else.
"It's just a misunderstanding," Taranee said, leaning over to pet it's velvety soft muzzle. "Once we can clear everything up with Elba I'm sure Deimos will be fine with Will."
Deimos let out a huge sigh, drifting off to sleep at the gentle pets.
Irma rolled her eyes, giving up and joining them with petting the demon horse. "Fine, I guess he's kinda like your brother now since you guys are both related to Phobos."
Elyon laughed. "Yeah, I don't think that's how that works… but I'll definitely take Deimos over Phobos any day."
Everyone nodded in agreement.