Author's Note:
This chapter will contain content and spoilers from Xenoblade Chronicles 1. You have been warned.
Chapter -58: A Worthy Heart
Sarajin woke up to a velvety feeling tickling him across his drowsy body. Slowly rising from a hazy dream, he found himself surrounded by grass and a warm spring breeze.
"Ugh..." His memories were clear but it still felt like there was an incomplete gap from the last few minutes.
"I-I was at Dyntos' workshop and then...that light. What was its name?" Once he was halfway up he froze as three two-legged beasts darted in front of him.
They were wingless birds with long necks and colorful plumes of feathers on their bodies. Their heads were disfigured slightly, moreso on the younger kids, but they managed to get on just fine.
And as they ran across these grassy plains Sarajin saw vast landscapes of green and curved plateaus stretching overhead, littered with trees and other wild birds perched at the edges.
Sarajin stood to greet the midday rays of sunlight slipping in and out of view and looked up to see the cloudy skies and beyond that, a more magnificent sight awaited.
A towering entity consumed by moss and withering stone stood high above the clouds, so mighty that its head couldn't be seen as its size faded into the horizon.
And while his mind was vulnerable by awe, he noticed on his way down that the land he stood on was a part of this titan.
"What is this place...?" He murmured, alone, in a land that thrived but seemed devoid of any other living beings like him.
Then his mind clicked with a spark of clarity and he swung his head around, seeking the light and trying to beckon it to his side through its name, "Alvis? Hey! Heeeelloooo?!"
His voice blew through the land but the only thing that responded were a few bipedal reptiles wielding clubs tied to sticks and tribal clothing.
They snarled their tongues at him and then ran after him with aggression.
Sarajin flinched and flew off to higher ground nearby. At least some things still made sense here.
While observing the reptiles tilt their heads he surveyed the horizon again for anything that might be of interest.
He cautiously waved his hand towards his sheath just to be reminded that he was without a weapon. The shock made him re-evaluate his current standing with nature and decide that it'd probably be wise to not trigger their attention.
"I could fend them off with elements, but who knows how they'd respond..." He closed his eyes and following a billowing sigh he tried to see the brighter side of things, "Maybe this is part of the trial? Hmmm..."
He decided to head further along the plains for now, sticking to higher ground where he could find it, but not too high so the birds couldn't get him.
...Really he kept calling them birds but that's only because of the wings. It was weird to see them without feathers...or being bigger than he was without factoring in the wingspan.
This whole place was weird, even for another world.
"Is this place Alvis' world, or Dyntos'?" There was really no way to tell, because while there were crystals jutting out of rock fixtures and trees similar to in the god's workshop, this place felt a lot more welcoming like the light that had taken him.
He kept walking for an hour and came across all manner of creatures, including a gigantic orange furred monkey that seemed rather...territorial around other people.
He eventually made it to a large stretch of land that was made of metal wires and grates. It was like a bridge. He studied it closely, and made a remark of, "So if you twist metal fibers together, it strengthens them? Hmm, this could help enforce the bridges back home."
He kept wandering around and only after passing through a ravine to find more to see, realized the scope he was dealing with.
The titan stood looming in the same position, but from this angle he could see something sticking out of its chest. It looked like an in-grown piece of metal that for it, was but a wound, but for him it would be catastrophic if it were to break off.
It was around this time that he let himself wander around like he was back at home. The wildlife really wasn't a threat if he didn't disturb them.
Good thing too because if a giant monkey wasn't bad enough there were giant spiders too, so on top of a new sword, Sarajin would probably be taking arachnophobia back home with him too.
Eventually he made his way through a winding ravine, where the path seemed to be straightening out, like guiding him to a final destination.
It was to admit he felt relief when he saw a settlement beyond the rock walls.
It would take one more climb up a short hill and through a gate patched together out of all the spare metal the people here could seem to find. But there were homes, he saw roofs poking up over the fences.
Whether people were living here was another story. He could feel vegetation and fields of dirt beyond the walls but no signs of life. More than likely the people here aren't too strong, but that was the optimist in him talking.
He kept walking until the gates were towering over him while he was at the base of the hill.
He looked off to the right and saw there were many perilous pathways extending out below the cliffside all covered in grass, stone and wildlife.
He decided to take a break and enjoy the scenery one last time, brushing his hand against his hair as the breeze blew by.
"This is what I'm fighting for," He voiced with the serenity befitting the mood, until a little melancholy snuck in, "I wonder how much longer it'll take..."
He was over thirty now, it felt like just yesterday he celebrated his twentieth birthday. Now he had a wife, a kid, and a whole bunch of friends he trusted to help achieve his dream.
"...Progress may be slow, but we're making it. I can't lose sight of what we're after," He then took one last gaze out towards the sky and smiled, "Even when it's staring right at me."
The moment he swerved away he found he was standing beside another person.
They were just a little shorter than him with light tan skin and shoulder-length silver hair. A red, coffin shaped jewel was dangling from his neck, and he wore a violet jacket with a fur collar, along with faded purple trousers and white boots.
He carried the vibe of the wind, serene and mysterious, standing there with an abstract smile.
Sarajin slowly withdrew his hand from his face and murmured in a friendly tone, "Are you from this tribe?"
The man turned his smile upon him and removed a hand from his jacket, his voice suave and unflinching towards the presence of a stranger, "In some manner of speaking."
Sarajin gestured his hand out, "My name's Sarajin. Uhhh, I know this might be a weird question, but have you seen a floating ball of light around here? He goes by the name of Alvis."
The man slipped in a quick dry chuckle before responding, "The name is familiar to me."
"Now, I hope you don't mind if I ask a strange question of my own," He said, tucking his hand back into his pocket, "How have you taken to these unfamiliar lands so far?"
"I feel like I've only begun to see everything it has to offer it-it's...really beautiful. And I've been to a lot of places like this too." Sarajin said, his smile creeping out into a feeling of intimidation the more he thought about it.
The man smiled back, sincere in its appearance. And then his gaze drifted back out towards the blue horizon, where he craned his head back and spoke fondly towards his company, "There are some scenic spots I am fond of. This is one of my favorites."
Sarajin thought he had seen this place for all it had to offer but maybe a second look was in order...
Curiosity drew his head back and made him look towards the sky, where yet another monolithic titan stood way out in the distance, motionless atop an endless sea.
It had nothing resembling a human shape even in its arms or legs. It had no face, instead having a head shaped like the helm of an armored knight. And stretching from its right arm all the way to the titan they were on was a giant sword with ridges carved along the edges.
"What...are these giants?" His voice wandered out.
"Monuments," Murmured the stranger beside him, a hint of nostalgia in his voice, "To an accident, born of well-intentioned dreams."
Sarajin looked at the man with a quizzical expression, to which he responded by tilting his head with a marginally bigger smile and saying, "Some of us see ourselves as larger than life. But we'll always be small in someone's eyes."
A chill went through Sarajin's body and he bit his teeth down to shiver.
"Our eyes are limited to the scale of what lies before us. But the vast universe is infinite, and with it...comes infinite possibilities."
This person was human, but his voice felt ethereal. Like his presence evoked a higher power.
Yet it held comfort, like a friend would.
"...Ah," Sarajin gasped, facing this man with his fist raised before his waist, "I used to be a boy sitting in the clouds. Now I've explored many other worlds different from my own."
"The experiences, the memories...I wouldn't trade them for anything...But no matter how far I go, home is the place I'll love the most."
"Your world must be a wonderful place." The man whispered.
"It's rough around the edges, but...I think all worlds are. I want to do what's best for my home and help it to shine, but it's tough...Despite my best efforts, it's still dirty."
He then pulled back a moment to murmur to myself, "W-Why am I saying all this to a stranger...?"
Before jumping right back in with a swift apology, "I-I'm sorry, all of this must sound really bizarre."
"Hmmm, and what is so bizarre about expressing oneself to a friend?"
Sarajin fluttered his eyes and stumbled over his words, "Wait did I hear you correctly...have we...met before?"
The man turned aside and chuckled, "Don't think too much about it. Isn't there something you have to do...?"
He brought his hand out for a flicker of a moment to wave at the walled village, and as if he had conducted the future, loud sirens began to blare out through the sky.
Sarajin was shaken by the large birds flying away past him and then stiffened his focus towards the sky, where he saw large metal constructs flying down towards the village.
It was a small unit of various appearances but each one was bigger than a human and looked like they were packing deadly armaments all over their body.
A flash of the past had Sarajin recall the brown-furred creatures whose world was oppressed by metal machines and with his teeth grit and his expression feverish with sweat he thought, "It's just like back then...!"
His body tightened up and he sprinted towards the village, forced to a halt when the man said to him in an unfazed tone, "Is this the right choice?"
The man gave a smile with subtle, sinister vibes, "You'll be fighting without a weapon."
Sarajin swung his exasperated expression back in the man's face and yelled, "So will they...! Ghh...!"
He then ripped himself from this spot and darted towards the gate while the man's expression intensified with focus.
Sarajin got into the village right as the largest of the machines crushed the opposing gate on landing. From there smaller machines popped off like seeds and unfurled into bipedal form, unleashing their laser ammunition upon the main gate to the village.
Two citizens were caught in the explosions and thrown aside in their attempt to fight back, while fire spread up the metal walls slowly.
"HEY!" Sarajin shouted to make the machines flinch.
He then ran at them hunched towards the ground, scooping his fingertips across the dirt until he was below the smallest drones.
He then dragged the stone beneath up into an arc, skewering the metal multiple times. Its wires frayed, it soon exploded, leaving plenty of scrap flying for him to use.
Sarajin was now the primary target and the machines were one-by-one turning to rain their fire upon him.
He grabbed hold of the scrap and flicked his hands in and out to shred the closest drones until the pressure from their explosions forced him to the air.
He pressed his fingers together and summoned lightning around his hand, then stabbed the air to pierce one machine.
Immediately after the tallest of the machines latched onto him with a three-pronged claw attached to a tether.
It brought him to the ground and slammed him around awhile, then pinned him down and detached spikes to enforce itself.
The small machines surrounded him and readied their weapons, their combined glow filling his vision.
Sarajin grabbed hold of the sides of the claw and pushed them to their breaking point then used a combination of ice and wind to slide away, followed by fire to blow up a machine from below.
He then flipped and landed hunched and skidding across the ground. His gaze turned to the right and he saw more people running and roaring out of the smoke armed with their own weapons.
"EAT THIS, MECHON!" They shouted.
"No!" Sarajin shouted back.
When they tried to do damage to the machines their own energy blasts had little effect besides forcing their attention to new prey.
Thus, forcing Sarajin's priority on the ones who weren't attacking him anymore.
He grabbed the Gaia Temporis, stopped time, and leaped between laser fire from both sides with his hands cupped before his chest.
He resumed time when a pressurized wind blast had been completed, allowing him to spear a machine through the head and repel to safety, where he quickly summoned a wall of steel to catch the dead machine's stray blasts.
He then ripped the wall out and used it to shield his charge, then as a sharp implement to quickly slice the machine's legs back and forth.
He then returned it back to his side right before he got grabbed by a second claw, his expression ferocious, as though this machine could dare to hurt innocents without a care.
He then pulled back with all his might and slammed his palms against the steel plate, reforging it into dozens of spears that flew through the titanic machine's body and forced it to topple onto its knees.
"Just a few left...!"
With the largest threat disabled, Sarajin sped around, using his body as a weapon and shield to keep the machines from harming even another patch of ground with their parade of carnage.
They fell easily to electricity and the other elements could weaken them enough to make lightning's job easier.
He kept this going until only the one that carried them here was left, rising from the ground with reduced energy to move.
Sarajin calmly walked towards it and stretched his hand out, ripping a shard of metal from the wall to wield.
Then he turned it into diamond and leaped straight for the machine's head, bisecting it to the neck. Electricity frayed from within and the whole thing collapsed to the dirt before becoming consumed with flames.
Sarajin landed and dropped the metal, panting with faded vision. This was nothing. But he had gone without stopping to breathe. A toll had to be paid, but at least the village was safe.
He was welcomed by silence and puzzled glances from the villagers, followed by excitement and cheer.
He wanted to join them. His vision then quickly filled with white and blue and before he knew it, he was outside the village, back where he started.
His heartbeat was quicker but his posture was still the same as it was mid-sprint. The machines were once again descending towards the village.
"Is this the right choice?" Echoed the voice of that man he shared words with.
He looked over his shoulder and saw him smiling, swearing it was a little wider, a little more mischievous.
"You'll be fighting without a weapon."
"I know...!" Sarajin yelled, "But so will...they?"
He paused, then shook his head and sprinted towards the village.
The machines were dealt with in short order, but something felt contradictory about the encounter. He was using the power of water and nature, and didn't he...not? ...Last...time?
When he stood exhausted and victorious atop the tangled, crushed remains of the largest machine, there was a flash of blue and white in his vision.
He was standing outside the village, watching the machines descend to wreak havoc.
"Is this the right choice?" The man said, sprinkled with a little more arrogance, just like the display of his face.
"You'll be fighting without a weapon."
Sarajin squeezed his fists tighter and exclaimed, "They need my help!"
He ran in and fought the machines, dispatching them with masterful control over the metal around him.
A flash of blue and white.
He stood outside the village, trembling at the thought of the machines coming to kill the innocent.
"Is this the right choice?" The man uttered, making his heart quiver from the punctuation of his words.
"You'll be fighting without a weapon."
Sarajin looked back at him but was all gasps and silence, nevertheless steeling his gaze and running towards the village.
Machines smoldering in fire.
A flash of blue and white.
"Is THIS the right choice?" The man had to enforce his voice upon the mind of the one before him.
"You'll be fighting without a-"
Sarajin grunted and ran in.
Machines fall.
Colors weave into a blinding flash.
Sarajin already began to run, but then the man broke the mold with a seemingly unrelated question, "When will you be satisfied?"
Sarajin's skin froze with goosebumps and all at once, the weight of a hundred loops came crashing down upon his mind.
He jerked around and glared at the man with a hint of ire, "Wh-What are you doing?"
The man tucked his hands into his jacket and smirked, "I was thinking the same thing."
"Is it not part of your agreement with the 'higher-ups' that you're supposed to enforce the balance of these worlds?"
Sarajin swung his fist out and yelled, "Why would that matter with innocent civilians?!"
"Time is a tangled web stretching across infinity. Pull apart one strand, and the rest of it unravels," The man spoke like a wise if not cold sage, "Perhaps the purpose of this moment is for someone to die, so the trauma of the survivors can carry forth experience to future generations, and raise the morals of a hero destined to save the world."
"Are you truly cognizant towards the consequences of your actions?"
"I-If that was the case, then what would be the point of helping anyone?!" Sarajin exclaimed, venting his frustrations to a stone-faced listener, "I shouldn't have to be afraid of the consequences of something that hasn't happened yet! If someone needs help, I want to be able to save them!"
"Even if the balance of the world would fight back every step of the way?"
"I...I get that there're rules that need to be followed on other worlds..." Sarajin swayed his arm out and defied the man's cynicism with all the strength of his conviction at his side, "But I can't accept a destiny for people where their only reason for living is to die! We should be able to make our own choices...live out our own dreams!"
The man leered at him with a piercing remark of, "So you will continue to charge into that village no matter what I say?"
Sarajin narrowed his eyes and the man shivered.
With that, Sarajin turned and started running towards the village, only to stop when he saw smoke and fire rising out over the walls.
He could no longer sense the machines in the area. The villagers had managed to repel them...for now. But it no doubt came with a cost. Just as war always does...
With a stiff jaw agape and his fists trembling, he was vulnerable to the man's approach, and his voice made clear the light of this destruction...
"This has been happening for thousands of years. One man, driven mad with revenge, slaughters the inhabitants of this titan like cattle to deprive the titan's master of its power."
"He does not hate these people. But he does not love them either. He has become so consumed with grief and hate that he can only see salvation in a world stained with blood."
The man turned and waved his hand towards the second titan, far off in the distance, "He lives alone at the top of that titan. You would easily be able to reach him."
"If your hatred for this destruction is true, then all you would have to do is cut it off at the source. Or perhaps...he can still be reasoned with. Maybe...a spark of humanity still burns in his heart."
Sarajin hung his head and cracked with laughter, "What would be the point of trying? If I'm not allowed to change these worlds..."
He dug his teeth down deep and swallowed, "...I know I'm helping out, but am I...REALLY making a difference wherever I go?"
He stood aside and weakly raised his fist towards the man, "Nothing changes. Wherever I go, violence and distrust is waiting for me."
He then swung his hand out, tired and worn down in his voice, "Why does it have to be this way...? Who decided that the world has to be so cruel to people who have done nothing wrong?"
The man closed his eyes and approached him with a gentle calm, "You're letting your vision expand too much. Learn to focus on the smaller moments..."
"Saving a world is a herculean task, but it's not a plateau one need reach to make a difference."
"A single life saved is still important. Kindness spared one day can inspire hope the next."
"Your worth in this world is only a figment of the imagination. There is no quantifiable value given to every individual."
"You are human, ergo, you are free. That is all that matters."
"What's important isn't whether you can see the future or not. It's the will to make a choice, and the strength to seize your destiny."
The man eased his head back and closed his eyes with a level of fondness enveloping his smile, "Those words...are my most cherished ones in the world."
Sarajin felt comfort in those words too, like he could hear the strength of the person saying them, even far away.
The man then looked back upon his face and said, "You're a very interesting individual, Sarajin Stratos. And it is always an honor to share this moment with you."
Sarajin got chills.
"Y-You're..."
The man closed his eyes and his body began to disappear into a green mist, materializing a four-pointed star in its place, "The administrative computer of a phase transition experiment facility...but that will mean little to you. Continue to refer to me by the name you know me by."
"...Alvis?" Sarajin spoke.
After a prolonged silence between them, Sarajin settled down a little and tried to approach the light. It was abundant with warmth, casting off energies that looked hazardous to be near.
Sarajin tried to reach out, but the light kept itself suspended out of reach. Instead it chuckled, with a lighter air surrounding his voice than before.
"I suppose...I can't expect you to try anything different."
Sarajin withdrew his hand to his chest, wanting to confirm his own heartbeat. He then looked towards the light and wondered, "Was all this...part of the Trial?"
"Indeed it was," Alvis remarked, "And I regret to inform you...that you have failed the test."
Sarajin was stunned, and was left to let his regret stew for some time...
"..But," Alvis uttered, sparking hope amidst despair, "In doing so, you have succeeded in your first Trial."
"I-I don't understand..."
"The Trial was meant to test the strength of your ideals. And despite the overwhelming despair stacked against you, you have chosen to keep adhering to them. Just as you always have."
"Never lose sight of who you are, Sarajin Stratos. Inspire future generations with the strength to follow their dreams. I shall look forward to seeing what possibilities arise from your endeavors, as I always have."
Sarajin remained in doubt about his feelings, especially now that Alvis made him question his memories. So he had to ask...
"Alvis...when have we...met before?"
"Now. Yesterday. And tomorrow. You needn't worry over such trifles. I merely view the world in a...different way than most."
"...Clairvoyance?" Sarajin took a stab at guessing.
"Ha ha, an astute observation. Your time with your wife has been well spent."
Sarajin flinched and though he wanted to pursue the matter further, something told him he'd just be led on forever.
"Now I shall return you to Dyntos' workshop. Continue your trials as they come." With Alvis' reassuring voice leading him on, Sarajin found himself enveloped in green light.
He then looked to Alvis and said with a smile, "Hey, if the 'higher-ups' send me here again, say hi, ok?"
"Tragically, I'm afraid we shall never see each other here again..."
Sarajin was sent away feeling a tinge of melancholy from the light's tone.
One blink and he was back in Dyntos' workshop, staring at the man flipping meat on a wide, hot grill and whistling.
Dyntos slapped a patty of meat down and then looked over his shoulder with his eye wide open.
"Oh, back so soon? I only got to grill one side of my burgers, so if you're hungry then-"
"Soon?" Sarajin fumbled over his words, "B-But I was gone for hours..."
Dyntos turned around and tucked the spatula behind his back to tug at his beard, "God's sense of humor, kiddo! ...Ah, mortals."
He then grinned and remarked, "So if you're back then Alvis must've been satisfied. Which means I'll be able to trust you to use my sword properly."
Sarajin looked at the god and wondered, "Hey Dyntos."
"Yes?"
"How do you know Alvis and...what IS he exactly?"
"He's an administrative computer of a phase transition experiment facility." Dyntos answered sincerely.
"Yeah but what does that MEAN?" Sarajin said with a mix of frustration and confusion.
"How the heck'm I supposed to know?!" Dyntos shouted, "He ain't the talkative type about his past, said it's only meant 'for the ears of one person'."
"As for how we know each other well, hmm, that's a long story. If you've got the time, well-"
"I'm...fine with the short version."
"Hmph, what did I ever do to you?" Dyntos grumbled aloud, "The abridged version is that we're both similar beings fulfilling similar purposes."
"So he's a creator?"
"That's the gist of it," Dyntos smirked, "I reckon he's even more powerful than me!"
Sarajin stood completely stoic and Dyntos growled, "You're supposed to be in awe, kid!"
"S-Sorry, it's just...you haven't done anything yet."
"And you know WHY I haven't?"
"Beeeecause you're busy cooking meat?"
"Because you've still got two more trials and you're wasting my time jabbering!"
Sarajin threw his arms around in recoil and Dyntos snickered for a few seconds after. Then he snagged his beard and went into deep thought.
"Now lemme see here. I reckon it'd be a good idea to gauge your strength and how you employ your elements in battle."
"So you want a fight?" Sarajin murmured, then steeled his gaze towards the god, "Well, I'll try not to hold back, but I wouldn't want to hurt you."
"HA HA HA...! I'd crush ya into a paste kid! Nah, I need to employ somebody else for this job, someone a little more on your level..."
And while he was busy thinking about this matter, they were distracted by the sudden arrival of a free-spirited young woman shouting out loud...
"HELLO HELL-O!"
"Oh for..." And Dyntos was immediately back in the grouchy old man mood.
He spun around and threw icy daggers out of his gaze at the woman descending into the workshop while resting in a laid pose and...uhhhh
She had a very interesting taste in clothes, to put it lightly.
She wore a long toga dress where the cloth draping down her right hip had been cut open with a knife to expose her thigh with the rest of her legs, even the foot, bare skinned.
No, wait, back to that toga dress. It was DRENCHED in ink save for splotches of white on the chest region that spelled out "Welcome Hell".
What WAS this wardrobe? She was also wearing bangles with chains dangling a miniature blue and green planet on one and the same planet on the other, only surrounded in a scarlet fog.,
The only thing that seemed to be in decent taste was her silky-smooth red hair and even that was lost in the black choker around her neck and tilted leafy tiara across her mangled bangs.
Sarajin was suffering his first case of cultural whiplash and it was blowing him all the way to some other time.
"I-I...who?" Was all he could get out, to which the more coherent but angry Dyntos could answer.
"Hecate you cocky little imp, what've I told you about loafing around in my workshop?!"
This weird woman was all smiles and waves as she finished her descent and landed on her feet, swishing her hand out beside her hip and slanting her posture loosely to show her unflinching attitude.
"Yeah yeah, give me a break old man, I ain't stepping on your toes or nothing!"
Dyntos drew his hands out and groaned, "I'd prefer THAT to the constant headaches! Now get out! I'm bu-"
The woman's eyes widened with a bewitching glow and she scuttled past him.
"HEY!" He shouted, watching as Hecate bent forward and rolled her head up the front of Sarajin's body until she was staring at him from under his chin.
She was a small woman but something told him that under that diminutive frame (and bad clothes) was an explosive amount of power.
All that, hidden behind a mischievous smile and childish giggle, "Never seen YOU around here before! What's your name?"
Dyntos dragged his hammer out from thin air and hauled it over his shoulders, "Hey! No hecklin' my customers!"
Hecate spun around and fanned her fingertips over her smile, "Actually, I'm hell-klin' him!"
Dyntos' face turned the meanest shade of red and immediately, Hecate retaliated with a swift comment of, "Btw, your hamburgers are burning!"
"GASP!" Dyntos spun around to deal with the black burnt meat and smoke and that left Hecate to focus on her target.
"So, gimme the name."
"Uhhh, Sarajin Stratos." Sarajin said, feeling a little inferior at the moment.
"Ooooh, that's a nice name! I'm Hecate, Goddess of Hell!"
"FORMER Goddess." Dyntos murmured.
Hecate threw a quick glance back and shouted, "Oh Hades played dirty and the bastard knows it!"
She then smiled and flicked her gaze back upon Sarajin, "Ah whatever, I don't care that much. It's been a lot more fun being free of that crappy job anyways. Soooo, tell me a bit more about yourself!"
"How the HECK am I supposed to respond to that...?" Sarajin closed his eyes and sighed.
Dyntos then intervened with a violent swing of his hammer down upon Hecate's head, which she warped out of the way of and started curling up to laugh.
"Aaah, you're so fun to be around, Dyn!"
"Mrrr..."
Sarajin weakly gestured his hand into the conversation to say, "Is...this is a bad time now?"
Dyntos turned and with that, his smile grew wide and wily, "Actually, this is perfect."
He then flicked his hand out towards the goddess and declared, "For your second Trial, I want you to rough this delinquent up a little!"
Hecate's eyes sparked wide like jewels, "Ooooh, you're setting me up with a fighter? Then he must be pretty strong!"
Sarajin was nudged towards her through Dyntos' elbow, along the way he began whispering in his ear, "I'm tellin' ya, don't be afraid to hold back, give her Hell!"
Sarajin was now reduced to being a third party in a weird spat between two gods, "Haaa, but if this will help get the new sword..."
From acceptance came determination, as he faced Hecate with a fire in his eyes and a ready desire to fight, just this once.
And at that moment it was like a switch clicked, as Hecate's expression grew fiercer, with eyes widening and her body exuding raw power capable of cracking all the crystals around them.
Sarajin immediately retracted his courage and looked to Dyntos for a second opinion.
Dyntos simply gave a thumbs-up and nodded.
Sarajin felt sweat coming down his face as Hecatia's voice became like the hottest flame and the coldest ice both at once, "Show me what you got Sarajin and don't be afraid! Cause we're going to ride this wild train of freedom to our hearts' content!"
As she levitated off the ground and shedded a crimson aura around her body, Sarajin took his stance and one last deep breath to prepare himself, "Guess this is what I get for breaking so many swords..."
Next Time: I (Heart) Hell