There had been many things in Isabelle's lifetime that could be considered truly terrifying to her. Every Umbran Witch shows their true fear the first time they combat the Laguna, or when they summon an Inferno demon for the first time to their side, always running the risk of it getting out of their control. Fear is something that is stripped away over the years with experience and determination. A fleeting emotion that can be seen as a weakness in the eyes of both their angelic foes and even fellow sisters.
Isabelle has been able to contain and bury her fear for hundreds of years, her life as an Umbra has shaped her into an unrecognizable person from when she had first started.
But none of that compares now, as she stands and listens to the excruciating, harrowing wails of Rosa as she cradles her lifeless daughter in her arms.
The near-dead valley echoed with the Umbra Witch's cries, the stoking fire blazing behind them as it continued to spread. The Crescent Valley had become a massive gravesite in the matter of one night. And the slowly rising morning sun began to creep up over the horizon, pushing the black sky out with a rather beautiful purple hue. Its grace was lost, however, as the billowing smoke obscured it from sight.
Rosa had folded in on herself, struggling to catch her breath in between each shaky sob. Her body convulsed as she gripped onto Cereza. Somewhere within her cries, she was muttering broken sentences, barely uttering phrases like 'please don't' and 'please wake up'. She placed a hand down over her little one's heart, sending out a small twinge of magic from within her. She waited to feel anything in return. She prayed, to any God or demon, that she would feel the familiar weaker magic bounce back, what little energy Cereza was capable of. But there was nothing, just a still and numb sensation. Her dark magic had dissipated into nothing.
Rosa's words morphed and devolved into just pained blubbering, denial leading to acceptance, all in one painfully loud howl. She pressed her forehead to Cereza's temple as her blood-soaked hands gripped on tightly to the small handmade dress.
Balder couldn't be more of the opposite. He never moved, his body seemed frozen in time, as his eyes became devoid of any life. No sadness, no anger, no pleading words. Just still. Caught in a true form of denial, his gaze not able to focus on the sight in front of him. He remained slumped over, his head hung low. The only form of emotion he emanated was the vice grip he had around Cereza's wrist.
Isabelle managed to bring herself back to reality as she could feel Jeanne moving further behind her, the little girl's nails digging into her as she remained clutched around her leg.
Isabelle's head slowly moved down to look at her daughter, seeing her just as curled up as Rosa. Her small body shook and trembled, though Isabelle knew she was stifling her cries, suppressing any weeping in front of her own mother.
Isabelle let out a wavering gasp, Jeanne's vulnerable state finally brought out a true and realized revelation within her. Her own daughter would not be here if not for Cereza. Almost a casualty amongst the Laguna's nondiscriminatory bloodshed. Isabelle would have been in Rosa's position, unfathomable to her how she could cope with the loss of her own.
But she almost did. Her duty as an Elder and her need to fight the Laguna blinded her, leaving her child to defend herself in an impossible situation. She feels she has awoken from a bad dream, only to see one realized in the waking world. A maternal instinct that she had fought for so very long to suppress, spilled out of her like a flooded dam.
Raw emotion washed over her mind, and she finally knelt down to meet Jeanne at her level. Trembling but gentle hands cuffing around Jeanne's head, as Isabelle brought her in close. The embrace was a catalyst for Jeanne, and her quiet tears turned audible cries. Her mother's hug only cemented the truth that her best friend was gone. And she had witnessed it all happen, as it will remain as a burned site within her consciousness forever.
Nobody wanted to move, the grief that grappled the two childless parents had broken reality for them. But despite Isabelle's need to comfort her own daughter, she realized there was still a job to be done. And they could not spend an eternity in their dead valley, not while the roaring flames still inched closer with each passing moment.
Isabelle looked and observed her surroundings. The sight of the many spring flowers that were in bloom had offered a feeling of relief. The many colors and shapes were recognizable to her, as an idea came to mind of what she can use them for.
Carefully, Isabelle pulled away from Jeanne's hug. Her tiny hands still holding onto her mother's arms, afraid she would slip away the same Cereza did. Isabelle cuffed her face more, using her thumbs to wipe away the tears.
"Jeanne...do you remember the Meadowsweet flower? The one with white clusters?" Isabelle's voice soothed her tone, barely a whisper.
"Y-yes…" Jeanne heaved, sniffling through her tears and dripping nose.
"I need you to go and get me a few. A good handful is all. It's for Cereza. Can you do that, Jeanne?" Isabelle asked, adding some encouragement in the hopes to help distract Jeanne from the situation at hand.
"Okay mummy…" Jeanne sniffled, wiping away her own tears, her cat doll was still clutched in one hand.
"Make sure you take Charles with you, he can help," Isabelle placed a hand on her head, and with a subtle smile so warm it gave just enough comfort for Jeanne to start moving her feet again.
As Jeanne carefully tottered off to the white bushes that were in her eyesight, Isabelle rose to her feet to turn back to her grieving sister. Rosa's loud cries had diminished to sharp inhales, her weeping almost becoming muted as she pressed her face down onto Cereza's head. Her whole body rocked back and forth.
Isabelle approached her as carefully as she could, each footstep shifting the stones beneath her feet with a loud crunch.
"Rosa," Isabelle's voice felt like an echo to an empty chamber, the two grief-stricken individuals in front of her didn't react to her voice. But she remained calm and firm.
"We need to preserve her, so we can move her out of this valley, safely as possible," Isabelle continued, until stopping at Rosa's feet. She knelt down, her eyes moving from Rosa to Cereza's still body. The wound was deep, and her small dress was almost unrecognizable with the amount of blood that had seeped into it.
"I can perform the incantation, it will still her body in a time long enough too…" Isabelle knew what she wanted to say, but could find the strength to say it. Rosa was still in shambles, the words Isabelle had been saying already had fallen on deaf ears. But to tell her that they would preserve her body long enough just to give her a proper burial later? It made her own stomach knot up, feeling disgusted thinking about it.
She refrained from finishing her sentence, knowing that these dreadful thoughts had to be going through their heads already. She silently rose up and moved around Rosa, extending a hand out to the Lobelia bushes to pluck the deep-violet-colored flowers. She grabbed just enough of what she needed.
She returned to the base of Rosa's feet, a cluster of flowers in hand. Isabelle wasn't sure if it was the site of the flowers, or her words finally settling in, but Rosa slowly separated from Cereza. A painfully slow descent as she carefully placed her back down onto the ground, the grass a soft cushion for her.
Balder's hand retreated from his daughter's wrist, as he wearily looked up, his eyes shifted from Rosa over to Isabelle.
Their eyes met, and the Elder could feel a painful pulse reverberate in her chest. A man that was her enemy, a kind she had eliminated years prior, stood here broken and vulnerable.
Isabelle looked away, placing the flowers down before rising up to grab more. Not too long after, Jeanne came back. Walking carefully up to them, with a massive cluster that was barely being contained in her hand.
Isabelle turned with a stretched-out hand, taking the flowers from Jeanne as she set them in a pile in front of her. Bringing a long, thick strand of her hair around her shoulder, she lengthened it until it stretched out to her own height. She then cut it off with a magical prick of her long, curved fingernail.
Using the hair, she crafted a vine with the flowers intertwined, all the while she began to whisper the Enochian words of the spell.
"Brgdo, Bransg, Bliar, Etharzi...Brgdo, Bransg, Bliar, Etharzi…" She repeated, as her clipped hair began to slowly wrap around Cereza's body. The flowers dispersed as they coated her in a complete blanket of prismatic petals. The hair and flowers combined, created a magical seal around her. The potent smell of the sweet flora erased the harsh scent of iron-rich blood.
Jeanne stood by her mother, watching with wide eyes as her friend became lost under the sea of vibrant tones. Rosa and Balder watched on, silent and unmoving. Rosa's cries had ceased completely, watching as her daughter's face disappeared under the blanket.
When the spell was complete, Rosa finally moved again by slowly placing her arms back under Cereza's body. She lifted her back up into her arms, rising to her feet. Her face that had been contorted with unyielding pain and sorrow quickly diminished to an empty stare that mirrored her husband's.
Out of all of them, Rosa was the first to take a step forward and begin down the path that would lead out. A slow and careful step as she regained her footing. She brushed past Balder, no verbal or physical exchange was given between the two. Balder's gaze was unwavering, staring off into the empty air as he remained in a dissociated state. He looked over to see that Chesire still remained slumped over in the grass.
The Lumen Sage reached over and picked it up, clutching it tightly to his chest as he slowly rose as well. The bloodied doll remained close to him as he then turned to follow suit with Rosa.
Isabelle arose and Jeanne remained close to her, finding security by hiding behind her leg once more. But Jeanne wasn't anticipating Isabelle reaching down and hoisting her up into her arms. She brought her daughter in close, and Jeanne immediately dug her face down into the crook of her mother's neck. It was such a rare occasion for Isabelle to fully embrace and hold Jeanne. She had always encouraged the little one to walk on her own, those maternal desires to ever cradle and cater to her child's need suppressed as she remained focused on wanting to make her strong, independent, and most of all, prepare her to suppress and conquer her fears the same way she did.
But feeling her child shake in her arms only twisted a disgusted knot in her stomach even more. The influx of emotion crashed over her. Guilt, regret, and even failure. But swimming deep within all of the darkened thoughts, she managed to pluck out a sense of gratefulness. Happy to actually be holding her daughter, and that they are still both alive amidst the historic tragedy.
Isabelle stalked closely behind the Sage, their footsteps slow and heavy. The fire that had engulfed their forest behind them was still nearing the river. But they would long gone before it could get to them. The mountain pass ahead had a small opening, narrow enough for only one person to enter at a time. A ragged stairway had been carved into the mountain's stone that steadily went up into its base, disappearing ahead to a bare rock face wall.
The Umbra and Lumen Sage carefully stepped over each stone, the sunlight was obscured from the tall rock walls around them, the sunset glow lost within the cold, damp pathway.
They stopped at the dead-end, with Rosa still in front. She carefully lifted a shaky hand that had encompassed Cereza's body and placed it on the frigid stone. With a barely audible whisper, Rosa cast forth a simple incantation, and the stone wall gave in. It dissipated into a transparent haze until it fully disappeared and opened a new pathway within its wake. A pitch-black cavern that continued on with the same uneven ground below.
Without any words, the group pressed on, using small incantations to light their way. Balder held up a single feather, with just enough energy to flow into it to give its luminous glow. It became their guide, as he held it up with one hand overhead.
Without the Umbra's magic, this path would never have been discovered. Balder couldn't even sense it when he had approached it. He even looked back slightly to see the wall slowly form back to its original state. Their magic is all they had now to light the way. Balder turned his gaze back in front of him. An unending feeling of forlorn overtook him as he watched his wife in front, her head hanging low, pressing close to Cereza's forehead, that was lost underneath the soft petals.
The journey felt longer than it was with the heavy silence that inhabited them, only the sounds of clicking heels against stone, which reverberated into the chamber without end. The light from the feather illuminated another dead-end wall at the end of their path. Rosa's mumbling could barely be heard, but the incantation quickly dissolved the wall for them to pass through, only to reappear once more.
Clearing out past the mountainside led them straight into a thick forest. By their luck, another beaten path remained, as well as some footprints that were left barely indented into the dirt. More than just one set. Some Umbra did manage to get through, and they had no intentions of slowing down. The tracks showed signs of the witches' haste, with kicked-up mud and smeared imprints. Isabelle was the only one of the group to show signs of some relief of the surviving Umbra, hoping that it was not too late to regroup with them if they had not already fled the entire valley.
Their journey had led to the safety they had longed desired, breaking out into a vast clearing, with looming rolling hills and the sight of ocean shore line. The very edge of their home, where the Umbra's rule ended by the beginning of a rich blue sea. And in the sprawling fields of lush grass were the remnants of abandoned homes. Much like the worn down houses that occupied further within the valley, the stone walls barely held their foundations, as well as the roof tried to keep the elements at bay.
Rosa descended carefully down the steep hill, and as she neared the bottom she heard a woman's voice cry out from afar.
"Sheba be praised, more survivors!" An Umbra cried out as she cleared around the building's wall, her veil still wrapped across her face. It didn't take long for three more witches to come outside to stand by their sister's side.
The first Umbra didn't observe the approaching group very well and seeing the people in front of her finally clicked everything together, as she laid her eyes upon each one.
"My Elder! R-rosa? The Lumen Sage? What is-"
Her stuttering words stopped abruptly as she finally could make out the small figure being held by Isabelle, as well as the covered little one still held close in Rosa's arms.
They all stood silent, a fear that could easily be read even just with their eyes that pierced from behind their veils.
Rosa didn't acknowledge them, she brushed past them all the same as she weakly struggled on to find the doorway to the house. Balder was following close behind her, until an Umbra unclipped their weapons from their hilt, aiming it down at the disheveled man.
"Enough! Let him pass." The Elder's words hissed, the loudest she had been since Fortitudo's demise. The underling quickly retracted her guns and moved aside to let the Sage through, despite their mix of confused and glaring looks that jumped between themselves and him.
"What has happened? Is there anyone left?" Another Umbra spoke up, reverting to their common tongue.
"No...we are all that is left," Isabelle said, her words heavy as they slowly came out. She felt Jeanne's grip tighten for a moment, but she placed a reassuring hand on her back. "Are you the ones that made it out of the valley?"
"No, there were four more, but they did not stop. We had asked them to wait here with us, at least until the mid-day sun had fully risen. If no one else had arrived, we would leave. But they were scared...and rightfully so. They took the path that will circle back around to Vigrid. Who knows how far they have gotten."
Isabelle sighed, her eyes wavering shut for a moment.
"I wish they could have stayed, but I do not blame them. We can only hope for them to survive and make their leave."
"What will we do now? Rosa and her…" The Umbra stopped, her eyes glancing over at the stone building to gesture towards the solemn witch who had passed her.
Isabelle couldn't find any words to say, and the other Umbra realized the severity of it all.
"What will happen to her?" Another whispered.
"Her chains are gone, she has been set free? But what of her crimes? And the Sage, how can our enemy be an ally now?"
"Please, be silent!" Isabelle's words whipped out and snapped at them harder than she meant to. They recoiled back to an obedient bow.
"There is much that has happened, that I will tell you of it later. But right now...there is far too much that needs to be handled. I just need you to trust me, as your Elder," Isabelle's voice was quiet, but her usual fierce and stern tone could be heard.
"Yes, my Elder," The three bowed and spoke in unison.
Isabelle approached the doorway, before turning to the others that stood back.
"Keep an eye out, and stand guard. I need to...discuss matters with them. If anything happens, signal me," Isabelle said, and the remaining Umbra gave a swift head bow.
Isabelle hesitated to enter at first, but then stepped up through the shambling doorway, seeing Rosa and Balder standing close to Cereza's body. They had placed her on the only remaining table that could be found within the barren house. It was just large enough for her to lay on.
Rosa kept a hand over her little one's chest, as Balder cuffed his hand over hers. His fingers were intertwined into the Lobelia flowers that clustered around her heart. The two remained close to one another, not saying anything, or even shedding any more tears. Just still but heavy woeful silence that hung over them.
Isabelle carefully placed Jeanne down, gently guiding her to a nearby spot to sit. The little Umbra shuffled up onto a makeshift bedding area, the collected dust alluding to how long it has been since someone had occupied this shelter.
Ensuring she was comfortable, Isabelle turned her attention back to Rosa, who remained focused on Cereza.
"Rosa…" Isabelle finally breathed out, the words cutting the air like a knife.
The mourning woman remains still, her eyes unwavering behind the curling butterfly glasses.
"It's all your fault…" Rosa's words were barely audible, but they reached Isabelle's ears nonetheless. Balder's eyes perked up as he looked over to Rosa as the damning words spilled out.
"Rosa, I-" Isabelle didn't have a chance.
"It's all your fault!" Rosa turned and stared down the Elder with a newfound fury, her voice a crashing thunder. "None of this would have happened if you had not locked me up! I could have protected her, I could have been there for her and we could've escaped. You took the only thing that mattered most to me in this world!"
Isabelle didn't falter, her face only offering Rosa a sense of understanding, rather than anger or hurt. But Rosa's flame was ignited, and she could not stop.
"All my powers, all my strength, none of it mattered!" Rosa broke away from Balder's grasp as she stumbled towards Isabelle. "You promised me that as an Umbra, she would be safe and that you would look after her as one of our own. You lied to me, you lied to my little one. And now here we are, left broken and scattered. And it's all your fault!"
Rosa's words poured out like an overflowing dam, her pain choking her as hot tears began to flow once more. Her posture broke, as she could barely hold herself up. Balder quickly took to her side, holding onto her tightly before she could crumble to the floor.
Rosa's fingernails dug into his arms, the pain became overbearing but Balder did not flinch to it. She pushed herself into Balder's chest, trying to find any sense of security to hide within his blood-stained robes.
"My little one…" She whimpered, the wave of anger overtaken by grief like a spinning wheel.
Isabelle waited, her eyes drifting from Rosa to the floor, her fingers clutched into one another. She was building up the courage to speak again when she heard a small muffled sob come from behind her. She turned to see Jeanne had curled up on herself, also trying to hide from the crumbling world around her. Rosa's pained screaming only caused her to dig further away from it.
The small cries caused Rosa to lift her head from Balder's chest, looking down at the scared Umbra on the dirty floor. This dark place that she had receded to suddenly began to melt away. She watched as Isabelle knelt down to comfort her daughter, calmly reassuring her that everything was alright. Warm memories flooded Rosa's mind as she witnessed Isabelle do the same thing that she would have done for a crying Cereza.
Rosa wanted to be angry and to let all the sorrow pour out of her, not caring who it expelled to. But looking down at Jeanne, she could only see her own scared child that would hide away from it all. She felt guilt grip her consciousness, knowing this small child had nothing to do with it. It was not her burden to bear more grief that wasn't already dwelling with them.
She instead returned to hide in the Sage's chest, her glasses scuffing against the fabric. She felt Balder's arms raise up and pull her in closer.
"Fortitudo said she is now in the land of Paradiso...our little one now surrounded by the very things that scared her the most…" Rosa's voice returned to his pitiful whisper. "And we'll never see her again...never be able to comfort her."
The Sage had remained quiet, but the words had suddenly clicked for him. His brow furrowed as his expression gave away the many thoughts suddenly processing through his mind.
Uncharacteristically, he gently removed Rosa from his grasp. He looked down to her for a brief moment, the idea still occupying his focus. It threw her off guard, a newfound pain could be seen in her eyes as her only comfort suddenly disengaged, and with no reason as to why.
The Sage looked to Cereza, still thinking. His eyes darted as he was going through every step in his head.
And without another word, he began to step to the door, disregarding the now perplexed Umbra. Her arms reached out to him as he fully left her embrace.
"My sunlight…" Rosa said, the heartbreaking beg caused Balder to snap back into focus. The realization of what he was going to do became more clear, a guilty presence rang in his mind. He stopped and turned back to her.
"I'm going to bring her back."
Rosa's pained face twisted to a more confused look, she shifted back on her heels as the words struggled to wrap around her brain.
"What are you talking about?" Rosa said, shocked. Even Isabelle turned her attention towards him as she let Jeanne rest once more.
"Her soul, it would still be roaming Paradiso before she is taken away for eternity. Her body, since it's being persevered, there's a chance I could…" Balder stopped, still thinking through it all. He was tripping over his words, panic breathing catching in his throat as he struggled to properly explain his thoughts. Rosa stepped closer, her breath catching.
"Balder…" Rosa seemed unconvinced, believing her lover was merely in denial, a sudden spurt of energy to try and cope with the event.
"I could bring her soul back, and return it to her body." Balder remained confident, and firm. His dedication to his idea started to pull apart Rosa's doubts.
"Is that… possible? Balder, do not say such things if you do not mean it. Do not give me this false hope," Rosa said, reaching her hands out to grab hold of his broad shoulders. A familiar forlorn tone returning to her.
"It is possible," Isabelle spoke up. "Though… no one has ever tried to bring someone back from Paradiso before."
"To bring a soul back from beyond? From Paradiso or Inferno?" Rosa looked at Isabelle with bewildered eyes.
"The demons we make pacts with see fit to the souls they get, as well as the Laguna for Sages and any other mortal being. There had been some myths or even legends of some Umbra trying to retrieve their fallen sisters from Inferno before their souls were relinquished to an eternity of torment… but it has never been done successfully," Isabelle pondered.
"I had always assumed they were just stories… just made up to tell a fantastical tale. But to return a soul from Paradiso?" Rosa looked back up to Balder.
"No one has ever tried to deny their passage to heaven. It's a foolish thing to even think about. Why deny an eternity of peace or duty to the light, and risk seeing the pits of Inferno?" Balder said, his eyes looking up to Cereza.
"They would still have her soul, to guide her past the Ed-Nas, and to wait to be granted access to eternal rest instead of becoming an angel. The mortal beings pass through there, the final walk to their final end," Balder walked back to Cereza. "There is still time to get there and bring her back and reunite her soul to her body."
Rosa's eyes glowed with newly found vigor, a desire and motivation to take this leap, a hope that had fleeted just a few hours prior. As well as the same burning fire that has had been rekindled within her core, a burning passion to kill the Laguna.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Rosa said, turning back to the doors, her hands already reaching for her guns. "I have a few words to say to Laguna anyway."
"Still yourselves, and think this over! You are talking about invading Paradiso on your own, in the mere chance, you could return her soul to the mortal plane. It would be suicide to do so!" Isabelle objected, stepping forward to halt Rosa from stepping any further.
"It does not matter to me. If I am to perish while trying to bring her back, then I see no better way to die," Rosa turned cold, her gaze striking down Isabelle with a hostile glare. The words pushed Isabelle back.
"Rosa-"
"You cannot stop me. You cannot hold me back anymore. You made this decision to set me free. This is my choice, of my own free will, to do this. I will not let my little one be robbed of life here to spend it among those creatures."
Isabelle tilted her head up, her eyes studying Rosa carefully. It could be read on her face, she didn't want to lose any more of her own, especially Rosa. Isabelle knew, however, that she hadn't any place to interfere. Rosa was right, what power did she have over her anymore?
Isabelle granted her a nod.
"Very well, I cannot stop you. But how will you even get there in time? Vigrid is the closest city with direct access to Paradiso, and it's across the entire valley," Isabelle's arms gestured out, still baffled by this sporadic plan.
Balder reached behind him to magically summon a large peacock feather. It glowed like the others, but its aura illuminated with a more contrasting gold, reflecting the light around it like it was metallic in nature. Running his fingers over it, the feather seemed to hum in return, a quiet and subtle hymn played off of it.
"The Laguna had offered me the means of safe passage to Paradiso in times of emergencies. As their Right Eye, it was imperative that I would return safely rather than risk death and lose the Eye to the hands of another. I don't believe they would have anticipated me to use it against them," Balder placed the feather carefully in his hand. "A portal that I can open to the many standing golden arches that the Laguna use for transport between realms. We will use it to go through there."
"Just a one-way trip then, Sage?" Isabelle asked.
"No, I will be able to control it to open and close, as long as the feather stays with me. However, we can only leave through the same gate we have entered through," Balder said, carefully tucking it into behind his robe near his pectoral. "And my name is Balder, Elder Isabelle."
Isabelle's lips pursed, her expression twisted to great offense to her name rolling off the tongue of a Lumen Sage. But Isabelle had simmered down to give him a mutual nod.
"Very well, Balder," She said, her words giving away how much she disliked his abrupt approach, but saw the error in her ways of being rude.
"This still leaves us with one problem…" Rosa spoke up again. "Her wounds...they are far too great for her to survive if we do bring her soul back." Rosa stepped back towards her daughter, resting a hand on her once more. The overwhelming aroma of sweet nectar filled her nose.
"I can remedy that," Isabelle said.
"You can?" Rosa asked.
"The Left Eye offers me more than just greater fighting prowess and the many responsibilities of seeing the world's fate. Though the Umbra is not known for their many healing spells as the Lumen Sages, I could remedy the wounds on her body as best as I can to prepare her soul to be returned. It will take some time, but I should have it done before you return," Isabelle looked over the little Umbra she had worked so hard to cover up. Her fingers pinched her own chin as she pondered over the idea.
"You have our thanks, truly," Balder's voice did a poor job masking the surprise that he had.
"It is...the least I could do," Isabelle said, her eyes looking back to Jeanne.
"However, I must add since you are walking into a death trap, and the odds of either of you returning are slim, I will only give you so much time. You have until tomorrow's sunrise to return. If neither of you returns, and Cereza's soul remains in Paradiso, I will see to her proper burial. But then we will be leaving this valley," Isabelle said, returning her gaze back to them.
The air was still for a moment, the solemn words only reinforcing the severity of their situation. But Rosa's unyielding determination in her eyes proved that she will not be stopped now.
"Then it is settled?" Rosa turned back to her husband. "We are doing this?"
"It is just as you said. I have nothing else now, besides you and our little one. No clan, no patronage from the land of light," Balder faltered, his striking silver eyes welling with tears that were threatening to spill over. "No home…"
Balder turned his head away from her, his own tears finally escaping his eyes after fighting to keep them down. Rosa quickly closed the distance between them as she placed her warm hand along his cheek, pulling his eyes back to look at her. He closed his eyes tightly, pushing his sorrow back as much as he could.
"I have to do this. I should have watched over her more closely...It was my one job to protect her and yet..." He said, removing his eye monocle to wipe his tears away, inhaling a sharp breath. "I have to fix this."
"Hush now, do not fill your mind with those thoughts anymore."
Rosa offered him a soft reassuring smile and placed a small kiss on his forehead.
"I am with you until the end, my dear sunlight," She cuffed his other cheek, bringing him in to rest her forehead against his. "My Balder."
He returned her smile with what little he could muster. To see comfort in her eyes again is all that he needed.
He broke from her embrace and grabbed his glaive that was still leaning up against a poor excuse of a chair, waiting in the doorway. Rosa turned to Isabelle, who had begun to slowly remove some of the protective blankets to access Cereza's lethal wounds.
"Isabelle...the curses I had screamed at you earlier," Rosa began.
"You were right," Isabelle stopped her. "It is my fault. I was so wrapped up in my own devotion as an Elder, and I had forgotten my most treasured thing...my pride got the better of me. We had put up a vicious fight until the very end. But it doesn't matter now, as only we remain."
Isabelle's eyes had become heavy, not looking up to Rosa. Her spine shivered as Rosa's hand lay softly on her shoulder, the blood-soaked glove leaving its mark on the Elder's robes.
"Regardless of what happens to us. You need to take care of Jeanne. You still have a future here, and she can grow up to be just as capable as you," Rosa's tender words melted Isabelle. Her eyes observed a long lost friend that has not spoken to her in what felt like a millennium. A stranger that had occupied her being now stripped away to remind her what they had so very long ago.
Isabelle placed a hand over hers with a grip that gave her a reassuring confirmation.
"I will," Isabelle whispered, "I promise."
Rosa replied with a quick nod, turning away to depart once and for all. She brisked past Balder in the doorway, who remained in his spot as she went. Isabelle looked up to see the Sage remained at his post, as he stared her down.
"Through our history between our clans are now bloodied and soiled, and the odds of our future being anything but grim is more than likely futile. So let this be a moment, one that shall be remembered with both Eyes of the World present, that there is peace once more between the Umbran Clan and Lumen Sages, even for just this moment."
Balder held himself back up proudly, his left hand placed over his chest and his Right Eye fizzling to life with a low azure-colored glow. Isabelle stood up straight to her usual strong poise, as her Left Eye seared a crimson red once more.
"It shall be known, and it shall not be forgotten," The two eyes glowed with a unified hum, the magic emanating from them was fierce and could be felt to the remaining few who surrounded the small home.
"You are a better man than I had blinded myself to see. I know there are no words that I could muster that could even begin as an apology for you," Isabelle said.
"There is no need for words now. Keep your promise to Rosa to protect these little ones, and that will speak more volumes to me than anything else," Balder said with his head tilting up, his eyes remaining level with the Elder.
"Then it shall be done," Isabelle placed her right hand over her chest. "May the light always find you, Father Balder."
The title struck a nerve in Balder's mind, it was once something that would bring him joy, or even a boastful feeling. The words now soured in his mouth, the light had betrayed him, and it did not feel right for Balder to accept it.
But to hear it come from an Umbran Witch, the Elder no less, made him realize how important it was to hear it from her. The final seal of unified respect between the two dying clans before they set off to meet their end.
"And may the shadows always be with you, Mother Isabelle," Balder bowed to her, then took his leave out of the shambled house.
Balder returned to Rosa's side, who had waited patiently in the sprawling landscape ahead of them. They stood silent, the nearby ocean shore crashing against the rocks, and the cool wind whipping their fabrics about.
Balder reached under his shirt to remove the feather, its content untouched by the bloodstains. Balder flinched slightly as the feather grazed his wound left by the Seraphim.
"Will you be alright? That wound looks deep, it should be mended before we leave," Rosa turned her head in response to his sudden jump.
"No, we don't have time on our sides. I will be alright, my magic is slowly returning. It should heal on its own," Balder reassured her. He held the feather out in front of him.
"Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
With a deep inhale, and eyes closed shut, Balder began.
"Drilpa Ge-Iad, Drix Ilsi Pugo Il Londoh!" Balder's voice boomed to life, as the feather began to weave and thrash in his hand, before being let go. It rocketed itself forward, before disintegrating into a blinding light, forming a massive golden portal in its wake.
The new commotion got the attention of the other Umbra Witches, as they came racing around to see it. Isabelle stepped outside, just as her sisters broke into view with frightened looks.
"Be still, they are departing to the land of Paradiso. They have unfinished business with the Laguna," Isabelle kept her eyes forward, watching the luminous gate spark to life.
"But my Elder! Won't that-"
"This is their choice to make. Whether or not they make it back is up to them. You will do your duty and continue to stand guard and watch," Isabelle said, as the underlying hesitantly obeyed, watching the portal in front of them take life as a reflection of Paradiso could be seen beyond its water-like window.
"Shall we?" Balder swung his glaive to his side, another feather at the ready.
Rosa unclipped the Unforgiven from their hoisters, brandishing them.
"Ladies first," Rosa said, as she stepped through the reflective entrance. Disappearing into the light, Balder followed closely behind her. And as he passed through, the portal closed shut behind them, leaving the valley as quiet as they entered it.
With a satisfied nod, Isabelle returned to her work inside, while the remaining Umbra saw to their duties of protecting the home.
Isabelle stood quiet, her hands returning to Cereza's flower cloak as she tried to remove more of it.
She felt another tug on her robe, and spun her head down to see a tired Jeanne had quietly moved herself over to her side.
"Where did they go mummy? Are they going to bring Cereza back?" Jeanne's voice cracked as she tried her best to stay awake. Despite the traumatic events she had seen, fatigue was still able to wash over the little Umbra. Her voice rang with more curiosity than sorrow, which brought relief to Isabelle's ears.
"They are going to try Jeanne," Isabelle leaned back down, brushing the little strands of hair off Jeanne's face. "You get some sleep now, you have had a long night and you need your strength for tomorrow."
"But I wanna stay up for when Cereza comes back," Jeanne whined, her usual toddler self peaking back through. Her mother's eyes softened.
"Sleep now, little one. Or else you won't be awake enough for...for when Cereza does come back," Isabelle hesitated with her words, but saw through it to the end.
Jeanne nodded weakly, rubbing her eyes as she could barely keep them open. Isabelle ushered her over to the same spot she laid before. As Jeanne curled back up, Isabelle could see her shiver. The morning air was still cool, as the sun had yet to shine out over the open fields before them.
With a furrowed brow, Isabelle carefully brought her air around once more, magically extending its length until she made enough to cover Jeanne. With a snip of her nail, and a wordless spell cast, she wove the platinum air together to weave a makeshift blanket. She had worried that it wouldn't be enough, but as she laid it down over Jeanne, a comforting smile drew along the little Umbra's face. Isabelle tucked her in as she watched her quickly slip away into slumber.
She ran her fingers through her daughter's hair before turning back to continue her work. The sweet smells of the Lobelia flowers faded, as the familiar scent of pungent blood stoked into the air once again.