Chapter 8: Blade of the Sea
Umi walked over to the small mound of dirt that she remembered so clearly. She sat down and tried to wrap her mind around what she was seeing.
What seemed like so long ago in her life, Umi had witnessed Presea's death while she had been creating the Escudo swords for the Magi Knights. They had all three felt guilty and responsible for her death. Later, when they returned too Cephiro, Clef had told them that Emeraud's final wish had been to restore all the lives that had been lost during the long battle with Zagato. They had met up with Presea again in their battle with Debonair, but this…this was her gravesite.
Umi was puzzled. She had always wondered if Emeraud had restored all the lives lost, why Inouva never returned and why there were less innocent citizens around. She had figured that many citizens must have died before they could make it to the castle, but now she wasn't so sure.
"Oh Presea, what's going on?" Umi asked more to herself than to what may or may not have been contained in that grave. She felt a strong presence as she placed her hand on the small wooden cross that marked the spot of Presea's burial. Presea's aura seemed to fill Umi's heart. It comforted her, and she felt warm.
A piece of the dirt on the grave began to fall away and a beam of light made its way into the air. Slowly, more dirt was up heaved for this mysterious glow. Umi's first reaction was to draw back in fear, but then she understood.
Umi placed her hand above the light and gripped the stalk of glowing air. Something began to materialize in her hand.
A Sword!
Umi held the handle and pulled it fully out of the grave. She swung it around in the air in triumph and relief. It was not her sword. Not the one Presea had given her life to create for her from the legendary ore, but it was the sword that Presea had loaned to her to fight off the monsters in the Forest of Silence so they could get to the Spring of Eterna.
"Thank you," Umi said to Presea. "And we will not forget you." Umi started walking on into the forest. She did not know the answer to the mystery of Presea, but she felt that she had learned much and staying in one place wouldn't benefit anyone. So she moved on, equipped to handle just about anything.