Chapter -72: A Life for a Life
The winged beings brought Sarajin straight to a tower positioned in the center of this sprawling world. It was a stone monument that reached up and beyond the skyline and seems to have been holding together through centuries of history.
There were continents of vibrant forests and a land of crystal snow far off to the north. This place seemed to be thriving and in a much better shape than all other places Sarajin had been to so far.
He could also feel a thick concentration of elemental energy in the air, or at least, something close in nature to it.
"Yeah, I'm feeling confident about this world. I'll find something here. I know it."
He may have wanted to hold his tongue on that one...
Upon reaching the base of the tower, the environment started to lean more into the mystical side of things, with the air inside looking more in line with the skies of Ginnungagap and runes climbing their way up the tower. More than likely they were helping to hold the place together.
But the biggest takeaway was that there were giant ingrown roots twisting their way around from the bottom upward.
From the hard blue light bridge, the red-haired swordsman turned and waved his hand at the two other winged humanoids with a soft order of, "I can escort him from here."
The humanoids bowed and then flew away into the sky.
The swordsman then eyed Sarajin through his bangs. Despite clearly being shackled and dragged along against his will, he looked normal, without a single feature out of place.
A spectator to these events would very likely have trouble figuring out who was in control here.
Sarajin then tried to strike up another conversation with the mysterious man while he took him towards the glowing platform between the two flights of stairs.
"Can you tell me your name now?" He asked politely.
The man remained silent. He was a professional on Gabriel's level, but even the samurai once offered his name when pressed.
Still, one act of rudeness doesn't prompt rudeness in return, and so Sarajin raised his head back slightly and remarked, "My name is Sarajin Stratos."
He was unresponsive again.
"..." Sarajin's expression faltered a little with annoyance, "Soooo, is this like your Lord's palace? It's very...atmospheric. Almost reminds me of the place I was just at. What's it called?"
When he was brought to stand atop the platform the added height in perspective caused him to see what shouldn't have been seen.
Below this expanse and spiraling downward into the planet were lines of coffins. Full coffins.
As he stood there, quietly agape, the swordsman made a remark that came across more unnerving than it should have, "This...is the Tower of Salvation."
Then Sarajin and him were silently warped away deeper into the tower.
Higher. Higher they went, moving at blistering speeds that they were out of the atmosphere in seconds.
By the time they were through the two were now in an actual palace, complete with grandiose décor and a timeless structural integrity.
Which made it a miracle that somehow, parts of the palace had been broken apart to expose the purple haze skies and a barely visible view of the planet below...Or above, however this worked.
As Sarajin craned his head back he still had to shake off the shocking sight they left behind. The swordsman put a hand on his shoulder to both lock him down and guide his path.
"This way." He remarked, body posture slanted towards the towering doors behind them.
Sarajin started to feel a little more tense in his arms and steeled his nerves, "Maybe I was too quick to judge..."
Kratos raised his hand, adorned with a red jewel on the back, and with its shine the doors opened.
Slowly peeling back, they revealed a floating platform far out of reach and a broken throne with a singular man sitting atop it.
From here Sarajin could see that he was wearing a full body white outfit and had the grandest wings out of all the humanoids.
One more act of teleportation magic brought Sarajin directly before the man himself, with the mysterious swordsman leaving his side to stand next to him.
The man was like the first herald descended from heaven. With dashing blonde locks of hair and an overall shining presence, he sat atop his throne as though he was God.
There was a deep blue jewel stuck in the center of his chest, surrounded by a golden piece with an arrow pointing downward.
He had made his first impression last. Now the true discernment of his personality, and where he would stand hereafter, came from how he spoke.
"A human?" He spoke with both curiosity and mocking laughter.
The swordsman closed his eyes and gestured his hand out, "It doesn't appear to be a mistake."
The Lord of this twisted heaven raised his brow and smirked, "Hmmm, no, it's not. This human is...different. I sense a level of mana in him comparable to a Summon Spirit."
And without pause to give Sarajin a chance to breathe in his presence the man rose from his throne and adorned his wings with pride, "You stand in the presence of Yggdrasill, the supreme ruler of Cruxis. And you will answer my questions."
Sarajin took a quick look down at his shackles and then up at Yggdrasill, who knowingly smiled back. Sarajin looked deeper into his eyes and felt...pain.
"Him too...?" He thus chose to be obedient out of a sense of curiosity and replied with little more than a nod.
Yggdrasill gestured his hand out and started off with a hard one, "How did you access the Ginnungagap?"
"I don't know if this is a world that knows about other worlds. I hate it, but I'll have to think of a good lie..." Sarajin then craned his head back and sputtered, "O-Oh, it's hard to get in there? I just walked inside, no problem."
Yggdrasill's brow drew downward and his smile flinched to the right, "I'm not fooled."
"So that wasn't my best effort..." He thought while closing his eyes and sighing, "I'm not sure I can tell you..."
"Not sure?" Yggdrasill started off jovial in tone before gritting down on his authority, "I don't recall ever giving you permission to choose, human."
Sarajin flinched and then grit his teeth down and shook his hands up, "I-I'm not trying to be an inconvenience, I just...really can't say it. I can tell you what I was doing though."
Yggdrasil eased up the tiniest bit as he remarked, "Fine. I'll accept that, for now."
"Ratatosk had been awakened prematurely. I was making sure he got put back to sleep." This time it was the truth, just with some details omitted.
"Ratatosk?!" Yggdrasill's eyes lit up and even the swordsman seemed unnerved.
"Impossible. He shouldn't be able to awaken."
Yggdrasill then let out a disconcerting hum and remarked, "Kratos, I may need to send you into the Ginnungagap to make sure this doesn't happen again. It would be troublesome if Ratatosk were to get in the way of the Chosen's Journey."
"You don't have to worry about it," Sarajin spoke up, shocking the two as if they had suddenly forgotten he was here, "Ratatosk should stay asleep for a long time."
"And how are you so sure?" Yggdrasill wondered.
"Well I'd want to take a really long nap too if I went through the stuff he did," Sarajin then shifted into another line of thinking, "I-I'm surprised you're concerned about him though."
"Concerned? Ratatosk poses no threat to me now." Yggdrasill said, trying to assert his authority when that was the least of Sarajin's worries.
"No I mean...Ratatosk seemed to hold a grudge against humans, and I get the vibe from you that you're the same."
"Humans are not worthy of my hatred," Yggdrasill stated coldly, "You are all the same. Liars, thieves...murderers. I cannot change what you are, so why bother hating you? No...I pity you humans, for being born inferior to us."
All Sarajin could see when hearing Yggdrasill speak...was the shadow of Borealis standing beside him.
Yggdrasill closed his eyes and remarked, "Hmph. Now, I am not done with you yet. Where did you come from, human? And why do you bear the power of the elements?"
Sarajin tightly held his fists and closed his eyes to think quietly.
"I don't know if this is the right call. No. It's definitely not. But...this world appears to be thriving, even if it seems to have been built on tragedy."
He forced himself once more to look into Yggdrasill's eyes and he saw that same feeling of sorrow inside, "Even if Yggdrasill hates humans, I can't see him as someone who is completely evil. I look at him...and I want to help him."
And so, Sarajin made his decision without giving it another thought, "I am not from this world. I come from a planet far, far away from here, called Genestasia."
"Never heard of it." Yggdrasill replied.
"I didn't think so," Sarajin nodded, "But it's a world that's been on the decline for a long time. I've been working on mastering the power of the elements to help it out but...it's not enough. So I've been venturing to other worlds in search of answers and it happened to bring me here."
"So your encounter with Ratatosk...?" Kratos tried to piece together.
Sarajin shrugged and remarked, "Just a fortunate coincidence."
"Doubtful," Yggdrasill added with a glare, "But what does any of this matter to me? Whether you're from another world or not, you're still human, and I will not abide having one tampering with my world."
Sarajin then looked straight into his eyes with a piercing calm and laid it out as plain as he could understand, "Look, I'm not looking for trouble. If there's laws I have to follow, I'll do it. But threatening me isn't going to make things better for either one of us."
"So you threaten me in turn?" Yggdrasill laughed.
Sarajin shook his head and then gestured his shackles up, "I want to make it clear...I could have escaped anytime before now. But I didn't."
He then lowered his hands and said softly, "I'm serious. If you can help me with my world, I'll help you out in return."
Yggdrasill waved his hand out and said, "And why should I believe you?"
"I've got nothing to gain from lying," Sarajin replied, "I don't even know the first thing about your world. Just that it seems to be in good shape."
"Hrrmm..."
Kratos then turned to him and remarked, "Should I detain him in Welgaia?"
Yggdrasill gestured his hand up towards his face. Then he slowly pulled it away, hanging his head in contemplation for a small period.
He then opened his gaze partway and remarked, "A person very close to me perished a long time ago."
"Who?" Sarajin pondered.
"My sister, Martel," Yggdrasill's tone became a little more reflective and openly nostalgic, "She was a...kind-hearted soul who sought to bring unity between humans and elves. But humanity betrayed her kindness. Killed her without a second thought."
"However...her body remains preserved in my care. For the past 3,800 years, I've been seeking a vessel that can accept her soul."
"But if you were able to revive her with the power of the elements, then I would have no need for one."
"Hmmm..." Sarajin hung his head a bit and remarked, "I've never considered...reviving someone with my elements."
"So you CAN'T help me?" Yggdrasill said with smug confidence.
"I didn't say that," Sarajin retorted, "I wouldn't know unless I tried. But I might not be able to do it right away."
"How come?" Yggdrasill inquired.
"Because my time here is limited," Sarajin then hastily leaned in and shouted, "But I promise you, Yggdrasill! I will help you revive your sister somehow! So if you have to wait a while, then-"
Sarajin blinked and the next thing he knew he was standing in the white void in front of Yen Sid.
"-please..." Sarajin froze with mouth agape in a somber gasp.
Yen Sid gestured his finger out to erase his shackles and then remarked in a cordial tone, "It seems you ran into trouble."
"...Why then?" Sarajin muttered to himself.
Yen Sid then tucked his hands into his sleeves and sighed in a disapproving tone, "You treaded a fine line, Sarajin Stratos."
Sarajin raised his brows while rubbing the soreness off his wrists, and got his answer with impeccable timing, "The balance of these worlds must be delicately maintained."
It was a blow to Sarajin's will but one he honestly should have expected. Nevertheless he stood up and politely questioned, "I thought it'd be ok to offer my help in saving a life."
"Martel Yggdrasill's story ended long, long ago," Yen Sid said in a slow, somber tone, "The desperation to bring her back to life...is the foundation for the tragedy that is Mithos Yggdrasill."
"...Yen Sid, was Yggdrasill...I mean Mithos, telling the truth about what happened? Did humans...really kill his sister?"
"He did not utter a single lie," Yen Sid replied, "But that is not the same as willingly obscuring the truth."
"Oh..." Sarajin said with a tinge of guilt.
"But regardless of what truth he chose to accept in his heart, it can only invite sorrow in his final days. Eventually, he will bring his sister back to life for a few, fleeting moments. And, unable to stomach what he has become, she will leave him heartbroken, with only his delusions to comfort him."
"That's awful," Sarajin murmured, "Can we really do nothing to help him?"
"It is far too late. Such is the curse of eternal life...Eventually, your body becomes nothing more...than a fragile shell, barely held together by grief and rage."
"But...it IS possible to bring people back to life though?" Sarajin found his thoughts straying towards.
"Indeed. But not every world has that capability," Yen Sid looked straight at him with his firm, world-weary eyes and remarked, "I urge you to cast Yggdrasill's sorrow out of your mind. His is not your burden to bear, Sarajin Stratos."
Sarajin hung his head with a pensive look in his sagging eyes, "Would it hurt to try though?"
Yen Sid then closed his eyes and murmured, "I am sorry...you could not find what you were looking for this time. Hopefully, next time will be better."
He then peered open and with a readying gesture of his hand he whispered, "Return home and rest your weary mind. And may your heart be your guiding key."
Sarajin was sent back and though there was an initial feeling of depression over the promise he had left behind, he was able to take his mind off it somewhat by returning to Aquamoria to help finish assembling the first boats.
That, and the first test out on the open seas, seemed to wash away these feelings deep inside his mind.
But a few days later he started to think about it again. How he could have done something to help, but wasn't allowed.
It was a risk anyway. He wasn't certain he could bring someone back to life...But he also never had been given a reason to try.
People die. That is the inevitable conclusion of life.
...But people are also killed, taken from this world too soon.
Martel.
Johnathan.
...Ophelia.
If there was a chance to correct a mistake, take back a life that has been lost, then shouldn't it be pursued with every effort one could muster?
Sarajin's pursuit of knowledge had guided him towards the conclusion that life could be created from the elements.
But was there a piece he was missing that would show how to bring it back?
When he had time to spare it was back to the books for him, which meant he could reliably have Justek by his side to offer his thoughts and feelings.
It wasn't as simple as putting his efforts towards searching for a title saying "How to revive a person". He would have to comb through every book he could related to the elements until he caught something close to that.
That meant a LOT of reading, and sometimes having to carry his work back to Auris' home.
He found himself distracted from taking care of his son a few times more than he'd care to admit. Auris was there to offer a blanket when he was sitting up too late in the cold, but she watched over him with muted concern.
A few days into his research he found himself dozing off at the library mid-afternoon, bobbing his head and mumbling while trying to keep his eyes open.
He felt cold metal at the base of his chin helping to prop his head up, and turned to see Justek offering his rod as support.
With a tiny smile Justek then pulled a book free from under his arm and sat down at the chair in front of him.
"Getting enough sleep lately, old friend?" He said in a marginally joking tone.
Sarajin shook some of the crust off his eyes and with clearer sight, saw that his friend's eyes were looking a little saggy as well, with wrinkles forming on his cheeks and a few gray hairs growing.
"...I should be asking you that. Everything ok?" Sarajin aired his concerns with immediate priority over his own.
Justek merely tapped his glasses up and opened his book, "Oh, you needn't worry about me. I'm...fine."
"Justek..." Sarajin muttered, "Talk to me. Is it about the kids?"
Justek's expression flinched ever slightly at his smile.
"They aren't causing you trouble are they?" Sarajin sprinkled in a little humor to liven the mood.
Justek raised his smile and pushed it in Sarajin's general direction with a light chuckle, "They're fine. But thank you for your concern."
"Though I'll admit, they are at that age where a father worries about them the most."
"Well, they're lucky to have you as their father. You'll get them through this." Sarajin then watched as a single tear broke out of his friend's eye and rolled down his cheek.
With a quiet gasp Sarajin watched as Justek brushed the tear dry with his robe and then turned to face him, closed eyes and smiled faintly.
"Must be dust in my eye." He said in a cracking, jovial voice.
They let silence be silent for a few moments after, then re-engaged the conversation with Justek coughing and inquiring, "So remind me again what you're researching?"
"A way to bring back the dead." Sarajin replied nonchalantly.
"Hmm, tampering with life again are we...?" Justek said with more appropriate concern.
Sarajin put the book in hand down and remarked, "This is different."
"Is it? Instead of putting into this world what shouldn't belong, you're restoring to the world what should be gone."
Sarajin raised a brow and following a nudge of his glasses Justek murmured, "It's a line from a novel I've been reading recently. It's about a man who struggled sleeplessly for days on end to wake the woman he loved from her eternal rest."
"He shook her, cried for her, slept by her side until she was little more than bones and rotting flesh until alas, his grief robbed him of his sanity, and he started putting her back together with the dirt at his feet and the sticks wilting off the trees."
"And he became so invested in keeping her together, that he lost the flow of time, and failed to notice that he himself was coming apart."
"It's a heart wrenching tale but with a powerful if not subtle message...That it is best to keep living for those who've died over living your life...pretending that they have not."
"..." Sarajin tapped his fingers along the edge of the table then waved his hand up to say quietly, "I-It's not like I'm trying to bring back every single person who has ever died. I...I get it. I know. People die. You can't stop that. But-"
"Sarajin. It doesn't matter if someone dies from illness, old age or murder. Death is death, we are not the masters of it, and to try and defy it will only invite greater tragedies into our world."
"What, did your books say that as well?" Retorted Sarajin with a snarl.
Justek flinched and Sarajin recoiled slightly, biting his teeth down and muttering, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."
After a bit of flirting around the awkward silence Sarajin gestured his hand back out and remarked, "You've...never, ever thought about bringing someone important you love back to life?"
Justek laid his book to rest on the table and closed his eyes with a deep, brow-furrowing sigh, "I'm not heartless the thought has...crossed my mind, more than once."
"But...is it wrong that none have been spared towards my race?"
"Justek..."
Justek frowned and tapped his book upon the table and then stood up, folding it up under his arm, "Forgive me I...must go now."
As he marched towards the door Sarajin felt like he was the person in the wrong here, made no better by his friend pausing to get one last word in.
"Sarajin I...wish...my will could have more of a lasting impact on this world, most of all yours. But I know...you'll keep pursuing this line of thought to the bitter end."
He then glanced over his shoulder with eyes weighed down in sorrow and a tiny smile, "Please. If you'll hear me just once...Focus on the problems of the present. Do not let the past weigh you down."
"Ophelia...was not your fault."
Sarajin then gave his own smile back and whispered with a slight crack in his voice, "I have to try..."
Justek was stern, looking towards him with a nod, then left without another word.
He continued on with his research for a few more days, but Justek was more reclusive in his appearances.
This eventually led to another late night reading session back at Auris' house. She had cleaned up the kitchen, put little Zeno to sleep, and was on her way up the stairs to rest with him still on the couch, eyes glued to a book.
She rested her hand on the railing and then turned around, approaching him from behind and stealthily reaching over to close the book with one hand.
She kept a finger wedged in the pages he was on then walked around the couch, waving the book against the side of her head. Then she looked down at him with firm eyes and saw that he was struggling to focus up on her.
"Sarajin. We need to talk."
She nudged him aside gently to take a seat beside him and then rubbed some of the tiredness out of his eyes with her thumb.
She then rested her hand against the side of his face and welcomed him letting out a brief, heavy sigh. He squeezed his eyes and then did a little added rubbing while muttering, "Nothing. I'm finding nothing."
He looked down at his hands and muttered aloud to himself, "These elements created the world...created life! There has to be SOME way they can bring it back too..."
Auris rested her warm hand on his leg and leaned in to draw his eyes towards an anchor in reality. She then pulled back and with a somber biting of his teeth Sarajin asked, "Are you going to tell me to stop too?"
"It would be in my better judgment to say something, but I know the kind of person I am dealing with."
She then smiled and flicked her fingers up gently, "But if you're not making progress from reading books, then perhaps it's time to cut back and seek alternative options."
"You're losing sleep, and you've barely spent time tending to affairs on the outside."
"Ask yourself Sarajin...is this really so important you need to focus on it NOW?"
"It's not that easy. I've...lost people close to me. You don't get what that's like."
Auris raised her right brow with an unamused glance and Sarajin planted his hand on his face with a groggy moan of, "Uugh, I'm sorry."
After a brief pause Sarajin sat himself back up and threw a question her way, "What do you think...? About, you know, bringing people back to life?"
She closed her eyes and delicately laid her arms to rest under her chest, "I don't see any problem with the idea."
"So-"
"But," She put emphasis on that word, "If you're considering bringing the dead back to life, it's only fair that everyone gets a second chance."
"It would reflect poorly on you if you only brought the people you cared about back to life. Everyone out there has someone they wish would come back, after all."
"And that's the problem with the execution," Auris raised her finger in a crude gesture upward, "Meddling with affairs of life and death are roles only fit for a god. If someone like you or I were to try and perform the act, there would be dire consequences."
"After all, if anyone could just revive the dead with little more than a mere wish then life loses its value. You'll be more inclined to be reckless because what does it matter if you could be guaranteed a chance to keep living without fear of consequence?"
"Fear of consequence...makes us human."
"Ghh..." Sarajin grit his teeth tight and then rubbed the back of his head feverishly in frustration, "Why does every good act have to come with all these...downsides."
She offered her tender gaze to ease his concerns a little, "Think of it this way. Your search for this answer taught you more about the elements. It wasn't a waste of time."
But Sarajin did not flash his smile of satisfaction, prompting her to mutter with mild concern, "But that's not enough for you, is it?"
He then looked her way and said, "I don't think I'll be fully satisfied until I can confirm whether or not it's possible."
Suddenly there was a flash of inspiration in his eyes that Auris quickly tried to snuff out in a more blunt tone, "No. I know what you're thinking."
"I know you're not going to like it but..." Sarajin bit his teeth down and sighed, "I bet...your father could help me out."
Next Time: The Path to Heaven