Clash of the Elements Part 0: The Winds of Days Past

by mewmaster93

2000 years ago, there was a hero of renown called the Elemental Overlord. Many have spoken of his daring feats and accomplishments, but his past has remained unknown...Until now. Hidden within three journals left behind by his wife are the details of his journey from young boy to the hero of legend. Venture to Genestasia, to uncover the many truths hidden in the distant past...

94. Chapter -71

Chapter -71: Regret and Redemption

Sarajin took a night of rest, forced on him at Auris' behest, but come the morning he was still determined to follow his path.

She was reluctant to see him off and he saw it clear in her eyes that she did not approve of his continued meetings with her father.

"This is my last attempt at finding the answer." He swore to her on his way out the door.

"Promise?" She forced him to swear harder.

"Promise." He said with an uplifting smile, which she then gave back with less energy in her cheeks.

Sarajin then ventured all the way over to the palace and caught Gabriel watching over the entrance.

"Again?" He inquired, more inclined to go along with his casual manner of approach than decline it.

"Is Lord Borealis around?" Sarajin asked.

Gabriel eyed the interior of the palace with a forlorn glance and sighed, "As though he ever leaves..."

Sarajin nodded with a tinge of sadness and then walked inside without further prompting from the man on watch. He then made his way to the back of the palace, dodging the attention of any other Sage that may be occupying the building, and knocked twice on Borealis' door.

There was no verbal response, no invitation, just the hardening of the door's frame indicated by a metallic sheen.

"Tsk...!" Sarajin grabbed hold of the handle but it's golden glaze felt like winter nipping at his skin and he pulled back, shaking warmth back into his hand.

"Borealis, I need to talk! Please, let me in!" When there was no answer, Sarajin delved into his pocket to employ drastic measures.

He brought the Gaia Temporis before his face and began to whisper, "Think you can get me-"

A quick responsive flash emerged from the stone and the next thing he knew he had been warped inside of Borealis' chambers, standing far in front of the man's raised golden gauntlet and soon coming eye-to-eye with his puzzled face.

"...in?" Sarajin squeaked and watched as the man went from bewildered to draping his eyelids in exhaustion.

"Must you defile my privacy too?" He uttered as bitter as the cold he had employed against him.

He then turned to his cauldron and whisked his fingers around in the area, pulling out books and flasks from the shelves. With a curt gesture of his thumb the door behind Sarajin flung open as though hit by a gale.

"There is the door. Make your presence scarce." He murmured in as soft of a demanding voice as he could push himself to manifest.

Sarajin instead approached, making the man's stature stiffen in place.

"It's not going to take that long, I just need to ask you one question." Sarajin insisted, resuming his advance while the atmosphere around him grew tense at the squeezing of Borealis' gauntlet.

The books and flasks all clattered to the ground around him and he turned to look at Sarajin with his brows furrowed and his eyes puffed with disapproval.

"Fine," He said firmly, "What is it?"

Sarajin stopped beneath the stained glass ceiling and with its many colors beaming down upon him lightly he waved his hand out and got down to business, "Do you know how to bring people back to life?"

Borealis immediately spurred his boldness with an aghast expression and a tightening of his fists behind his back.

There were seconds of unease silence, with Borealis putting his right hand out and gesturing it in a neat, tight circle before pointing a finger at Sarajin.

"You...seek the power to bring people back to life?" He said, reduced to only aping the question posed at him.

Sarajin nodded, and this shook Borealis further.

"...Why?" He whispered, his eyes now halfway shut.

Sarajin took on a tone that felt like it was undercutting the mood entirely, "Because...? I want to save lives?"

"...So you claim." Borealis uttered in turn.

"What?" Sarajin spat up, "What do you mean by that?"

"I can see right into you. The power...those beasts have gifted you continues to grow. But it's not enough. Your thirst cannot be quenched by the elements alone, no...you seek dominion over life and death as well."

"T-That's crazy...!" Sarajin sputtered back.

"Is it?" Borealis gestured his hand out, "Then why the urgency? Who perished so that you-"

His eyes slowly widened and a dull utterance of "No" began to ignite a fire in his gaze that burned white hot through Sarajin's body, "You did NOT...!"

Sarajin hastily stood his ground against his anger and yelled, "No! Of course not! She's alive and healthy! And your grandson is too..."

"My...grandson..." Borealis spoke as though the reality was only now hitting him, and his expression soon melted away into a mix of confusion and regret.

Sarajin bit his teeth down and felt an ounce of pity for this man, "You really haven't gone to see Auris since she left here have you? Why? You're missing out on so much. She's built a home. We have a kid. You're just...going to let that all slip you by?"

Borealis swung his fist out in defiant rage and uttered in a haste beneath his breath, "Do NOT make this about me you arrogant cur!"

"...I-I wasn't trying to," Sarajin started off subservient to the man's rage but upon further thinking, found himself fed up with his attitude and blurted out, "But that's no excuse to act like this!"

Borealis widened his eyes and Sarajin pointed at him with a hint of ferocity to his motions, "I've done NOTHING but try to be friendly with you, Borealis. Even AFTER you essentially enslaved my best friend and let the other Sages go wild on the Tribes-"

"What are you talking about?" Borealis uttered with sincere confusion, the likes of which wasn't tough enough to halt Sarajin's advance.

"Vermilion? Nimus? Glade? They've all been launching attacks on the Tribes and people have nearly DIED because of them!"

Borealis' mouth as partially agape and with a gentle stutter in his gasps he proceeded to steel his gaze and remark, "If the savages you've chosen to defend have put their lives on the line, defending those foul beasts of burden, then that is no fault of my Sages."

"What," Sarajin stated blankly, "What what are you SAYING? Vermilion has been killing people, GLADE has poisoned two Tribes ecosystem-"

"Do not presume you understand MY Sages," Borealis stated firmly back at him, before softening into a more wise, melancholic tone, "Vermilion...is a troubled soul, loathe though I am to see her act out as she does it is the only way upon which her soul can know peace."

"And Glade...he is a studier of poison, not a spreader. Has been ever since that awful day long ago." Borealis then propped his head back and felt titanic with every word he uttered henceforth.

"And even if he was not, would you come to me with proof, or accusations?" When Borealis felt even a hint of Sarajin regressing into himself he continued to speak coldly, "Of course not. Because power has blinded you into believing that you can disregard laws and regulations."

Sarajin bit his teeth down and refused to let him hold that accusation over him, "YOU'RE the one who is blind, Borealis."

Borealis' eyes widened and as he stood stunned Sarajin wailed on him verbally, clenching his fist to emphasize the weight of his words, yet his demeanor appeared soft, showing how even now he couldn't bring himself to hate.

"You want to keep on believing that the world is what you want it to be but it's NOT," His thumb pushed out and, aimed at its chest, Sarajin pushed it in a few times while craning his head back and declaring, "And I've seen the proof of that, but YOU refuse to."

Borealis' hands trembled at his back and with a wavering gaze he whispered bluntly at Sarajin, "So you've managed to create a few constructs, that doesn't CHANGE what humans are beneath the surface."

Sarajin shook his head and closed his eyes, "You're not better than us. No one is better than anyone."

"This is our world. And we're all equal parts of it. That's why it's important for us to do our best to keep each other alive instead of trying to kill each other."

Sarajin then opened his eyes with a narrow, determined glare and finally boiled down this entire argument to the climax, "THAT...is why I want to bring the dead back to life. Because nobody deserves to lose their chance to be a part of this world."

"..." Borealis closed his eyes and shook his head, "Arrogance..."

He then tried to plead with Sarajin as his authority could grant him the voice to try and do, "You're not the one who can guide this world away from violence and suffering."

"Maybe not..." Sarajin admitted without flinching, "But I'm going to keep trying, and trying, and trying some more. And someday, I'll convince you of the strength and beauty of the world."

Borealis narrowed his eyes and with a clutch of his fists to stop the clattering he waved a hand out and muttered, "...Then waste your time. I AM the leader of my people, the shepherd of those poor savages who have been led astray...And I...WILL not, become like them."

"...Then you don't plan on telling me how to bring people back to life?" Sarajin said, deducing the obvious.

"Never." Borealis uttered with a raspy hiss.

"...Alright," Sarajin nodded and then turned to face the door with one last look over his shoulder, "Then I'll have to keep trying until we can see eye-to-eye."

He then left the room and Borealis shut the door with a weak gesture of his finger, immediately falling back against the rim of his cauldron with a hand on his head.

He brought his other hand around the piece of stone around his neck and began shaking.

"I don't need convincing..." He whispered tenderly.

"I saw its beauty. Its strength..."

He clutched the stone tighter until his tears dripped down between his shaky fingers and he let out a gasp of painful remembrance, "And I'd give anything to see it again...but Lords help me, there is simply no way to part the boundary of life and death..."

Sarajin left the palace and for a while, it appeared he was steady and in a good mood.

But the moment he rounded the pyramid, and no eyes were watching, his pace began to get sluggish and his body tensed up.

Immense frustration welled up inside his hands and he thrust his fist out against the pyramid wall with a grunt trapped behind his quivering teeth.

He then held his knuckles against the stone and took a deep breath in and out, allowing his arm to fall back down, limp at his side.

"Having troubles?" Spoke the voice of Atrax, very, very close by.

Sarajin jolted upright and then turned around to see he was standing behind him, heels deep in his shadow.

He reached for his sword but upon letting his heart settle a little, slowly withdrew it away and muttered, "Atrax..."

He then gestured his hand out to ask, "How long have you been there?"

"Not long," Atrax grabbed hold of the bottom of his mask and rubbed it in a manner suggesting he was smirking underneath, "Just got to see the tail-end of your latest verbal laceration with Borealis."

Sarajin squirmed and, rather than feel insulted or invaded, squeezed his fists and then gestured his hand out in an arc while he asked, "I...I get why Auris hates being around him. It's like he...he's scared to let anyone see any side of him other than the strong headed leader of Sancturia."

"A smarter person would take that as a sign to give up." Atrax advised with a light, dry chuckle.

Sarajin admitted with a sigh, "I should, shouldn't I?"

"But I don't HATE him, I just...don't understand why he's the way he is."

Atrax lowered his hand to the belt on his waist and twisted his head around. Then, he froze up and tilted his head aside towards Sarajin to whisper, "I can tell you why, if you're interested."

Sarajin rose with a shine of curiosity not unlike that constantly present in his youth, "P-Please! I...I could really use all the help I can get to get through to him."

Atrax's hands ducked partway into his sleeves and he whispered, "Of course, I could fill your heads with lies."

"..." Sarajin paused for a few seconds and then waved his hand out and admitted, "Your messages have helped a lot lately. I'm...I'm willing to trust you on this."

Atrax shivered and with a feeling that a smile was growing behind that mask he spoke up, "Right. It all began before you were ever conceived."

"Borealis was to be coronated as the next in line to inherit the Ten Sages by his father and the Sages of the time. They had gathered in their private chamber and had prepared drinks in celebration."

"But alas, when the Sages partook of drink and splendor alike, they were all bled dry by the poison that had been hidden within their cups...All of them, save for Borealis, whose keen eye spotted the tampering just a second too late."

"Thus he and many other Sages young and adolescent alike had their minds warped by the grotesque sight of their elders writhing and vomiting their innards, each of them gasping their last breaths caked in a sanguine mist."

Sarajin trembled, "W-Who did it?"

"The culprit remains unfound," Atrax remarked, "But in Borealis' eyes it could only have been the savages outside his walls."

"Why?"

"Because his eye dissects the truth. And all he observed was the shaken souls of mankind in his youth. Had he perhaps seen a stable soul, been offered proof that humanity can produce sincere, undying selflessness, there would have been room for doubt. Perhaps...he would have been led down a different path."

"But the unyielding ideal that serves as the foundation of Borealis Aurora...was born from tragedy not once, but twice over."

"He would then go on to lose his wife to the birth of their first child-"

"First?" Sarajin said with a puzzling tilt of his head.

"...Naturally, Borealis had planned to have multiple kids with Lady Sivilis. Now are you going to keep interrupting me?" Atrax spoke with some mild impatience.

"S-Sorry." Sarajin said, looking a little dejected.

"And while he cradled his newborn child in one arm and his dying wife in another, he craned his head back and screamed to the heavens, demanding he be brought one person, one face, of whom he could manifest all his wrath and grief upon..."

"But...that is the true tragedy of a tragedy...We want so desperately to pin the blame of all our suffering upon one person but a 'one person'...doesn't exist...Life simply happens, and it is up to all of us to take responsibility for ourselves and our consequences instead of shifting the blame unto others."

"Borealis could not take this lesson to heart and he continued to delve deeper and deeper into this delusion until all he could focus on was blaming every single member of humanity in equal measure for the deaths of his family and his most cherished light."

Sarajin bit his lower lip and began to mutter, "I-I knew he had lost his wife, but I didn't know that he...he had lost so much more too."

"Coincidentally, the day the prior generation of Sages perished was the same day Ophelia left her mark upon the world." Atrax remarked.

"Isn't that just interesting...that over a million years of violence and distrust could culminate in one. Single. Day...Where everything decides to collapse upon itself and change the world forever."

Sarajin looked down with a pensive expression until Atrax softly interrupted, "And yet knowing this, you would still extend a hand to Borealis to try and pull him out of the depths of delusion?"

"I-I think...no, I KNOW I have to try harder than ever now because I know the truth." Sarajin declared with a quiet voice.

"Hmmm. Good. I was worried for a while that you were losing focus on your ideal."

"Huh? Why?"

"You've been seeking a way to bring the dead back to life," When Sarajin winced in response Atrax raised a finger and remarked, "Don't act so surprised. I'm watching when you least expect it."

Sarajin glared a little and Atrax chuckled, "With respect to more...intimate moments. Of course."

He then lowered his hand and flipped it around, "What brought this about anyways? No one close to you has died, as I understand it."

"Well..." Sarajin quickly explained his meeting with Mithos Yggdrasill and the events leading up to this point.

Atrax was left rubbing his chin and muttering, "I've been wondering for a while...Why do you want to meddle in the affairs of other worlds?"

"Don't you have enough problems to worry about here?"

Sarajin nodded and said, "If I can help make other worlds a better place then shouldn't I?"

"You're forgetting the reason you're even going to other worlds to begin with," Atrax got a little more blunt and upfront with him, "The Rot? Remember that? That cursed stench. Those fouled beasts...The Devil. Slumbering. With no clue as to when or how its wrath will rain down upon us again."

Sarajin reeled back and Atrax advanced with a lean, wagging his finger at Sarajin whilst remarking, "There are no dragons. No wyverns. If you aren't prepared for the Devil's awakening, the world is doomed. You're on an unknown time limit. This isn't the time to be wasting effort on other worlds."

"I-I can't help it...!" Sarajin cried out, his voice getting weak as he hung his head and muttered, "This is...who I am."

"Hmm..." Atrax withdrew his body and tucked his hands back into his sleeves, remarking in a more...open, casual tone of voice, "Let me share another history lesson with you, Sarajin."

Once Sarajin raised his head the man began his speech, "Long, long ago, we Aurians were a star-faring race...Our mission, to bring our gifts and blessings to other worlds to help them prosper."

"Genestasia...was the first and ultimately last world our race ventured to on this quest. We were swept up in the Rot Horizon and our people suffered for it just as much as the other Tribes."

"We were shamed. Ridiculed. Blamed. Until ultimately, we were forced to hide away, leaving only the Ten Sages to observe in the shadows, waiting for a chance to make things right again."

"That's right. The Ten Sages were originally born from a request of our founders to bring the most trusting faces to the forefront of our society and make it easier for new races to accept us."

"But nowadays the Ten Sages are a pale shadow of greatness, too quick to focus on their individual desires and indulge in the freedom their strength grants them."

"The point...I'm trying to make with this history lesson is thus...I'm not trying to shame you for caring about other worlds. Quite the opposite. I...admire your selflessness. But if you stretch yourself too thin you'll lose sight of what you were originally trying to do..." His voice then mellowed out, and deepened with a twinge of sadness, "And that can only spell disaster."

"...Just because the Ten Sages have lost their way doesn't mean they can't find it again. If-"

Atrax raised his hand towards him and chuckled, "It's a kind gesture but it comes far, far too late."

He then tucked his hands back in and with a crane of his head back to face the sun he muttered, "I'm afraid I can't see the Ten Sages lasting past this generation. We're too astray, and in seeking our own ends we've failed to desire or produce heirs. Yes, the only one who will carry our bloodline into tomorrow..."

He looked Sarajin in the eyes and had a dry laugh that seemed to border on the absurd, "Is our fair little princess."

Sarajin looked down, then quickly backed up with a firm look in his eyes, "But if we get the world back in order, maybe there can still be another generation of Ten Sages."

"Hmmm. So do you understand where your focus should lie now?"

Sarajin squeezed his fist and looked aside, closing his eyes as he strained through his teeth, "I...you can't tell me to stop focusing on all the worlds that could use my help and expect these feelings to go away..."

He snapped his fingers, "Like that."

He then faced Atrax, "But...you're right. I should be putting more effort into the Rot over anything else."

"Hmmm. That's good enough for me."

The two of them then just stood there for a moment, leading Sarajin to rub the back of his head and mention out of the blue, "You know, I...I never expected to have this kind of conversation with you."

"Oh?" Atrax perked up.

"But when I'm talking to you. Like this? I feel...oddly comfortable. I really, really want to keep trusting you Atrax. So can we keep it like this? Please?"

Atrax put his hands to rest by his sides and muttered, a crack nearly forming in his voice, "It...means a lot to feel trusted. I'll try not to let you down, Sarajin."

"When you say that...I believe it. It's weird. It's really...weird. But in a good way."

"Heh, well, I should let you be then. I imagine there's some matters that need attending to, messages that should be sent."

"I'll leave you to that. I should...probably get home and tell Auris what happened."

Sarajin made a few nervous gestures over his shoulder and prepared to turn and leave, letting a stray thought whisper out as, "Maybe there's no secret to bringing the dead back to life after all..."

Atrax hung back, quiet and contemplative. Then, the air grew colder, and with a stiff raise of his hand he remarked, "You know...You never asked if I...may know of a way to bring the dead back."

Sarajin slowly turned sideways and glared at Atrax with his pupils shrunk and a meager gasp of, "What."

Atrax put aside his hands for now and began walking closer, "There's one avenue you haven't explored. But it involves a theory. An unproven one at that."

Sarajin kept still and there was a sense of growing curiosity looking in his downward glance. He then looked at him and asked, "What is it?"

Atrax stopped a few feet away and began pacing left and right slowly, gesturing his hands where the situation called for it, "Supposedly there are...TWO afterlifes. A place for the selfless, and a place for the restless. One blessed with Light. Another...cold with Darkness."

Sarajin's eyes lit up and Atrax chuckled upon looking his way, "You're already piecing it together, aren't you? That's right, what governs the passage into the world beyond life...Just so happens to be the two elements you're still lacking."

"Light and Darkness have been with us since the beginning, ergo, they are considered the strongest elements."

Sarajin waved his hand out and spoke, allured by the words he was hearing, "So if I had them, I'd be able to reverse death?"

"It's not that simple," Atrax retorted with a sweeping raise of his pointer finger at him, "The two afterlifes exist on different planes of reality, and our mortal world is sandwiched between them. It's not enough to force the dead soul back to life, you must...appease a certain balance, a certain...Chaos."

"Combine equal parts Light, and equal parts Darkness...That will bridge the gap between both afterlifes and bring life back anew. But you also have to understand the powers you're fiddling with. One mistake...and the weight of both afterlifes will crush you and your soul into oblivion."

With a dreadful air coming off his final sentence, he immediately swung back into levity by stating, "But this is mostly conjecture, again, no one, not even the old Aurian scholars, have made this theory a reality."

He then gestured to the contemplating Sarajin and remarked, "If you had either Light or Darkness, you would have come up with this idea yourself. But for some reason...you've never visited Caimanabel. Why?"

Sarajin flicked his hand away from his chin and then with a forced grin he rubbed the back of his head and struggled to look him in the eyes, "W-Well, it's a...personal reason."

"Well I can't force you to go there...But you should. Infusing your body with a new Wellspring fragment will lead to greater strength."

Sarajin froze in place as Atrax continued to flick more tantalizing ideas into his head, "You'll be faster, stronger, more capable of defending your comrades and their homes. And that will free up more time to focus on other endeavors."

Atrax waved his hand out and punctuated his point with something anyone could get behind, "There's nothing to lose from this."

"Mmrrr..." Through every grunt and squirm of his mouth, Sarajin's resistance was waning. But he still made an effort to tell Atrax, "I-I need to think about it and also...Have a talk with someone."

"I'll leave you alone then. It was...nice to have this conversation with you." Atrax then retreated away inside of Sarajin's shadow.

And from there Sarajin didn't return home, but rather, made his way over to the library.

There had been some unspoken tension left behind after the last time he spoke to Justek but he hoped that he would be here this early. He hoped...that he would be willing to hear him out.

Inside the lighted building, his friend wandered, guiding the young Lunis by his side.

It was hard to remember that there was a day when she was barely standing below his hip. Now she was already close to his shoulder, her hair tied in a glistening silver ponytail, while she was wearing a more grown-up looking robe.

She was only in her early adolescence but she was a bright and shining example of pure happiness and curiosity that every adult would envy. Even Sarajin, to some extent.

She was clutching a book against her chest while Justek carried a few more under his arms.

When she caught wind of Sarajin's approach she trembled and then stepped beneath her father's cape, poking her head out only to let out a meek, friendly, "H-Hello, Mr. Sarajin!"

Justek raised his head with a minor frown and then pulled the books out, handing them off to Lunis with a whisper of, "Dear, take these to our room. I'll be right there."

Lunis snatched them up and with her cheeks bright and rosy she nodded twice and then sprinted past Sarajin.

He was caught unaware when she ended up moving faster than the wind, but for a brief moment he was able to look at her face and saw a glimpse of hesitation and tiredness underneath.

Puzzled, he stared at her departing from the library for a few seconds until his friend's shadow loomed over him.

He then turned around and saw him trying to muster up a smile, only to have wrinkles under his eyes betraying his will.

"Still at it?" He remarked with a sigh.

"A-Actually, yes. But...I wanted to talk to you about that." Sarajin then gestured past him towards their usual table and with a glance back Justek nodded, and the two went over and sat themselves down.

Once they had settled in, both sideways with an elbow laid down and their fingers tapping away at the wood, Sarajin started, attempting, a conversation, "...Justek, do you...still remember the promise we made when we were younger?"

Justek slowly nudged his glasses into place and smiled with a jolly laugh, "You'll have to specify, you've made a lot."

"R-Right..." Sarajin laid his hand down and then looked directly at him, "We promised that we would visit every Tribe together. So...for the last ten or so years, I've been avoiding Caimanabel because, well...You wouldn't be there with me. It just...didn't feel right."

"And-" When Sarajin tried to continue, Justek pushed out a childish snicker and couldn't restrain himself from laughing a little further beyond that.

Sarajin stared with a few blinks as his friend patted the table beside him and remarked, "Aaah, are you serious? You've avoided the Light Tribe...out of a promise we made as friends?"

"I-I know, it is stupid, and childish, but it really, really would mean a lot to me if you were there."

"I'm flattered, old friend, I truly, truly am..." Justek calmed himself, casting his younger mind aside to speak on a level befitting his age, his voice cast in gloom, "But we're grown-ups now. We have obligations we must commit towards."

As Sarajin began to let the gloom sink in as well, his friend explained it in a way meant to assure, not dismay, "You vowed to bridge the gap between all Tribes. You can't keep ignoring the Light over a mere childhood promise."

He then curled his fingers in and muttered, "But I suspect you seek more than that out of this venture."

Sarajin looked his way and was hesitant to say, "I-I might have a lead on a way to bring back the dead."

When Justek grumbled and began to look away, Sarajin raised his voice to state, "B-But even if I'm wrong, I'm mostly going to further my connection to the elements. I swear, I'm not losing sight of my dream! Or you..."

Justek pulled the sides of his mouth up in some manner of a smile and then chuckled, "Of course not..."

He then closed his eyes and with a heavy sigh laid his hand to rest and remarked, "Go, Sarajin. You have my blessing."

Sarajin smiled and with a hearty stand he leaned towards his friend and bowed his head with a gasp of, "Thank you...!"

He ran out the library and in his absence, Justek fell into a slump, pushing his glasses back up until the flare of the lens covered his eyes.

"I am not worthy of your promise. Not when I am exploiting your kindness like this..." With this murmur, he thought only of his children, and the pain they sheltered from him, too helpless to do anything himself...

There were no pressing matters that needed to be attended to today so after running his plans by Auris, Sarajin prepared to venture out by himself to the Tribe of Caimanabel.

It was sandwiched between Pulsa Minoria and Obscura, the only glimpses he caught of it being when he'd fly to either location beside it.

He recalled it was a walled city in a similar vein to Pulsa Minoria but with a large double-sided slanted roof covered in sleek wooden slats. The outer walls were made of marble and sparkled when the sun hit it just right. There were also lines of gold on the support pillars on the corners.

When he came to approach this city on foot, he was greeted by a massive door dividing the front from the roof to the ground. They were made of solid gold with any ridges emphasized with silver.

The doors doubled as a mural depicting a winding serpent with feathered wings, a particular pair laid before it's eyes.

Two priests stood guard at the front with pearl hoods and a cloth that covered their eyes. They had only a dagger of gold to defend themselves, thinned out to resemble a snake's fang, and the rest of their bodies were draped over with white luminescence.

With a silent bow they moved aside with the weight of phantoms and waved their draped hands towards the door.

The doors then began to part open, light being flushed out like a blinding tidal wave.

Sarajin pulled his arm down when the light pulled back, leaving behind a white mist trailing across the floor to his feet, touching down with the warmth of paradise.

The guards then resumed their neutral stance beside the door hinges.

Sarajin's heart began to beat calmly as he bathed in the light and made his way inside. His vision became encapsulated in white and above all else, he felt his body melting away into bliss.

Any aches or tension seemed like a distant memory as his body fell downward, levitating above the beginning of a marble staircase.

And when the white faded, all he was left with was the pristine sight of heaven brought to land.

The stairs were the peak of paradise, allowing him to gaze out and see multi-tiered marble houses dotting the horizon and a gargantuan palace in the very back lined with gold statues and the same serpent design appropriated at the top, standing tall, coiled at the base, with wings outstretched in angelic silver.

The wings took in light from the very back of these lands and cast warmth throughout the air, producing endless serenity.

This was the largest city in all the land and every house appeared occupied, making it the largest population as well.

There were other unique buildings of note but none could draw his attention as much as the temple.

Sarajin could hardly believe the lack of weight he felt in his legs with every step he took down the stairs.

It coiled between the houses and he wound up wandering around in awe of all he saw. Each house was blessed with a fluffy feather above the door and every person had been gifted a white silky robe with a sash of red linen and bracelets made of gold.

He recognized people from Aquamoria and Tanglefae by the color of their skin, while the likes of people from Cryofloe and Canofloe could be identified by their hair color.

There was no one from Oreore or Pulsa Minoria. And the rest seemed to be unknown, and all he could speculate was that they were descendants of the old Electricity Tribe, or the regular citizens of these lands.

They moved with an ignorant energy to them, casting off any earthen woes to just...enjoy life. No restraint, yet not indulgent in sinful pleasures.

There was room for kids to play with balls filled with light, or read and write. There was a small lake, where men and women bathed together under the veil of a wool towel.

And on the approach to the temple, Sarajin caught a library with its doors swung wide open, shelves filled to the brim with rolled up scrolls.

On the right side of the stairs there was a hall full of illustrious tables where the citizens were allowed to sit and eat to their heart's content.

There were groups lined in wait with priests guarding the entrance. There seemed to be a system in place to avoid overeating, but everyone was given just what they needed to get through the day.

"This is...what the Light can provide?"

He remembered Mother Divine's words, and with that came the temptation to admit...maybe she had a point.

Sarajin closed his eyes and with a quick shake of his head he focused on the stairs leading up to the temple and continued to climb until he was surrounded by marble ridges.

Atop each one stood one of the hooded priests, who met his presence with a descent onto one knee and their arms crossed in an "X", bringing their hands to cover their eyes.

Sarajin then stopped partway up the stairs and watched as the towering, golden temple doors flung open, bringing with it a wave of ethereal golden fog to wash over the city grounds.

The rest of the citizens were silent as a pure white silhouette exited the temple, leaving the doors to seal shut behind them.

And upon the golden light's departure, there stood only Mother Divine in all her grace and glory, with a strut that radiated confidence.

A halo of rainbow refraction outlined her body and her skin was as pure as silk. Here, upon her land, she was a true saint, a true messenger of heaven.

And even Sarajin...felt compelled to fall on one knee and bow in respect.

But upon doing so the graceful mother gestured her hand outward, and he felt as though it brushed against his cheek.

"Stand. I command you, stand."

And so Sarajin did, allowing the mother to press her lips in a smile full of sublime intent as she turned her body aside and wondered, "You have wandered here. Lost. Seeking. Why?"

"I've...come to learn about the Light element." Sarajin spoke upfront, keeping, almost forcefully, his gaze locked onto Mother Divine's presence.

"Hmm," The mother gestured her hand forward at him and remarked, "Then you only need to become one with this land. Forget the travesties of war. Accept the daily blessings of My Radiance. Then...only then, can the Light become a part of you."

Sarajin looked around him and seeing the citizens in an unquestionable state of peace put his heart to rest for a short while and again, made temptation all the more enticing.

But he again shook his head and gestured out towards the woman, "W-What you've done here is incredible, but I need to be able to give this peace to all the other Tribes as well."

Mother Divine gestured her head back with a pressed scoff and stern narrowing of her eyes, "Hmph. If peace is what they seek, they will find their way here eventually."

"Can't you let me learn about the Light anyways? Or better yet, just let me see the Titan, he or she will probably understand what-"

"The Titan slumbers, and I, in my endless benevolence, doth offer my body as it's Voice," Mother Divine then stretched her arms out like ready to take Sarajin in a warm embrace, "If you offer thyself to me, then you will be accepted without question. For as the Proverb of Luminesca speaks, 'All of us, children of grain. Though thou seeds may scatter, we must never forget we were once together.'"

Sarajin bit his teeth down hard and forced through them, "I-I'm sorry. I can't spend the rest of my life here."

Mother's arms fell like feathers and her posture stiffened with a look of disgust, "Then the Light is lost to you. Begone. Let naught your presence taint my radiance."

When she turned and prepared to leave, Sarajin took one step closer and shouted, "D-Don't go!"

The priests cut through his tension with a gesture towards their daggers, frozen in place by the gentle raise of their mother's hand from beside her hip.

She then tilted her head back and gazed past her shoulder down upon Sarajin, non-verbally allowing him one last chance to plead for her mercy.

"Is there NOTHING you can do? The people outside these walls need all the help they can get!"

"And I repeat, if they seek help, they will come. They do not need to be led astray by false idols."

Sarajin curled his expression with an insulted glare, "I-I'm not trying to do that."

With a bitter smirk she replied, "Then why seek power? When the weak let themselves be governed by the strong, the sudden absence of strength leaves them scattered and confused."

She then brushed her arms towards the city, "Look no farther than your surroundings for proof. There is no confusion. No clouded judgment. Our flock has prospered and flourished into a population surpassing all other Tribes in number."

"Members from many Tribes have gathered, united in spite of former differences."

"You seek unity? Then seek no further. For my arms are as far-reaching as the Light that blesses these lands, and my grace as welcoming as the warmth in my heart."

She then put her hand out and remarked, "Just take my hand, and you will come to understand...the guidance of Light."

"I...can't." Sarajin didn't have to put any extra thought into this. There was nothing wrong about what she was providing, and he couldn't deny what she was saying. But for most of his adult life, he has worked towards one ideal...

"You're right, if we all relied on people stronger than us, then we'd never get anywhere in their absence. But I don't want to be that kind of person..." Sarajin swung his arm down and stepped one foot forward in defiance, "I'm going to inspire hope in others, and give THEM the motivation to realize they can be strong on their own! Because if we don't all do our part to save our world, then none of this will mean anything!"

"That's why..." Sarajin steadied his gaze towards her face and said, "I have to take the power of Light. Not just to keep giving people hope, but to help ease your burden as well!

Mother Divine curled her bottom lip and slanted her brows, deepening her voice with disgust, "You lie before the Voice of Her Radiance?"

She then faced herself towards Sarajin and clutched a pair of raised fingers by her shoulder, "Fine. A greedy soul like you needs to be enlightened...directly."

With a resounding snap two of the priests ran to her sides, one donning her shoulders with sharp, floating pauldrons of silver while the other summoned a complex, golden circle with eight spiked spokes on the outer edge to float behind her back.

She waved her hands out and summoned a tome with bright, golden pages in her right hand and flicked the other fingers in Sarajin's direction.

If you intend to make a mockery of me, then you shall be judged. And ceaselessly...shall a torrent of light flush out the truth from your lies.

"She wants to...fight?" Sarajin shook all over, but quickly drew his sword and pointed it her way while declaring, "I'll prove I'm not lying! And when I do, I want you to promise me that you'll let me speak with your Titan directly!"

Mother Divine smirked and whispered coldly, "I...make no promises to those led astray."

She then levitated off her feet and floated closer to the temple doors with Sarajin in pursuit until he was at the top of the stairs.

Both of them, bathing under the heaviest light of the serpentine statue, readied their arms for battle.

But while Mother Divine shone with confidence, this was the first time in a long while Sarajin had doubt over whether he could prevail...

Next Time: Vector to the Heavens