Chapter 21 – Flock.
A murder of crows cawed raucously from their perch upon the jagged, naked limbs of the dying tree, challenging the insistent rapping of worn hammers, the loud hollering of tired workers, and the ever-constant roaring of rushing water. High up above, more crows circled lazily above in the grey and sunless sky, endlessly searching for scraps of food and trash among the laboring humans.
Well-trodden mud squelched underneath Rose's boots as she came to a halt, giving way to a group of workers laboriously heaving a heavy bundle of planks down the opposing path. Once the junction had cleared, the woman headed up the path the workers had come from, quietly humming a chipper tune to herself. Behind her, the cawing of the crows continued, incessantly demanding attention amidst the dreary grim, dreary weather besieging the west bank of the Griflet River.
"…stores of lumber are running exceedingly low."
The dangling green ornaments hanging from Rose's outfit trailed to a halt behind her as she stopped by the side of the path, discretely tilting her head to listen in on the voices coming from inside one of the tents lining the muddy trail on the outer edge of the campsite.
"It would seem that the project requires far more materials than the engineers had initially suspected." the man inside concluded gravely. "Princess…"
"I understand." replied a distinctive, feminine voice. "I shall see to it that additional resources are procured. Rest assured that you will receive whatever you deem is necessary for the completion of this project."
A pause followed as the other man leant forward in a bow. "Princess Alisha. I dearly appreciate the aid you've provided. It has made things far, far easier for all of us ever since your arrival. Thank you."
"Do not hesitate to ask me for anything else." came the reply. "Keep up the good work."
Rose watched from the corner of her eye as two royal guard soldiers lifted the flaps to the tent, allowing the foreman to exit the Princess's tent and letting them fall shut after he had left. She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side curiously.
On the other side of the fabric walls, Princess Alisha let out a quiet breath as she returned to her workplace, a temporarily desk and chair setup amidst the damp, poorly lit interior of the tent emblazoned with the crest of the Royal Family. Her armor pieces clinked quietly amidst the muffled sound of construction outside as she leaned forward, picking up the quill inside the inkpot while procuring a fresh scroll meant for royal decrees.
"Hey there. Alisha, right?"
The princess let out a soft gasp, her free hand reflexively wrapping around the royal dagger sheathed at her waist as she registered the intruder in her tent. Her expression morphed into one of confusion as she found a familiar merchant standing in front of her desk with a friendly, nonchalant smile on her face.
"You're… Rose, of the Sparrowfeathers." Alisha mumbled, blinking in confusion; her hand was still wrapped hesitantly around the handle of her dagger. "How did you get past the guards outside?"
The familiar merchant called Rose casually laid a hand on her hip, confidence clear in her stance. "It'll take more than that to stop the Shepherd's Squire from dropping in to say hi." she boasted, a friendly grin on her face.
Understanding dawned upon Alisha's expression, her eyes widening in surprise. "...Oh!" she gasped. "Then you must be a new Squire of Sorey's!" Her hand fell away from the handle of her dagger as she stood up from her chair. "I take it that means Sorey and the others are here as well?" she prompted.
"Yep." Rose's hand fell from her hip. "Though we sure didn't expect to find you here." She gestured with her head towards the accumulated paperwork laid out on the desk. "Don't princesses usually have better things to do than this kinda stuff?" she asked curiously.
Alisha blinked, remembering the decree she'd been working on still lying unwritten on the surface of her writing desk. "While that normally the case, the council members voted unanimously in favor of such an assignment for me." She pursed her lips, shifting on her feet. "They explained that they considered it the best thing for a princess recently suspected of treason to do to 'redeem' herself." she quoted dully.
Rose narrowed her eyes. "In other words, it's a big slap-in-the-face insult." she summarized, crossing her arms. "You're the princess though, right?" she reasoned. "Isn't there anything you can do about it?"
Alisha frowned in response to her words. "Strictly speaking, there are avenues of legal action that I could take for retaliation." she replied neutrally. She shook her head, her blonde hair trailing with the gesture. "Yet after all that has happened in recent days with the war and all, I decided it would be best to not aggravate the council members more. Political capital is something that is best conserved, to be used when most effective, after all."
"Politics, huh?" The merchant shook her head in sympathy, waving her helplessly hand in the air. "Must be hard, trying to singlehandedly push ten tons of idiot up a hill every day."
Alisha couldn't help but break into a stifled giggle, smartly covering her offensive smile with her gauntleted hand. "That's one way to put it." she laughed. "Nevertheless," she continued, "those are the rules of the game. One that I shall continue to play for the good of this country, regardless of what trials I must undergo."
The merchant tilted her head to the side, giving her a quiet, measuring look. "...Either way, you're doing a swell job here, for sure." she replied with a light grin. "I'm sure those greasy councilmen didn't expect you to gather so much favor from such a lowly job as this – I'd expect nothing less from the famous Princess Alisha herself!"
The woman in question tilted her head to the side. "Truly?" Alisha modestly interlaced her fingers together. "If the head of the highly reputable Sparrowfeathers says as much, then I truly must have done a good job." she noted with a smile.
Rose happily rested both hands on her hips. "Looks like Sorey really does have good taste in Squires, huh?"
Unable to help herself, the princess held a hand up over her mouth. "Well, I can hardly disagree with that." The two women shared a laugh over the sentiment amidst the sheltered ambiance of the tent. Through the thin walls of the temporary dwelling, the clamor of construction continued, punctuated with the cawing of the resident crows circling above.
"I trust that Sorey, Velvet, and the others are doing well?" Alisha asked after a pause, changing the subject. "It's been weeks since I last saw them."
Rose's expression shifted strangely. "Yeah... about that." the merchant began. "Sorey and the seraphim are out buying stuff from the traders right now." The omittance in her statement was not lost on Alisha.
Before she could ask, Rose quickly held up a hand, halting her inevitable questions. "Just hold on." she urged her quietly. "I think it's best if he told you what happened."
Visibly swallowing her unspoken questions, Alisha nodded, hardening her expression. She wordlessly secured her writing desk, placing the unwritten decree inside a drawer before she stepped around it and up to the merchant. Without wasting another moment, Rose turned and, stepped out of the tent, the princess in tow.
The framework of the reconstructed Griflet Bridge stood out from amidst the raging waters below, jutting out of the unnatural pillars of raised rock dotting the length of the river. It consisted of a haphazard yet sturdy series of embedded stone and wood that linked the pillars together, managing to create a foundational surface functional enough to support a single loaded caravan across the hazardous waters.
The Shepherd stood by himself near the raging river's edge, his cloak fluttering behind him amidst the rushing winds as he watched the figures of the workers moving to complete the rest of the bridge - the project that he had enabled by his own hand. He turned away from the scene, however, at the sound of their approaching footsteps.
"Alisha!" he exclaimed with wide eyes, finding the princess walking up to him amidst the dirt and grime of the Griflet River construction encampment. "What are you doing here?!"
"I heard one of the workers mention her." Rose called, trotting up to the Shepherd behind the princess. "Turns out she's been assigned here to keep her out of sight, courtesy of those bums leading Hyland."
"Sorey." Alisha greeted without wasting words. "While I am pleased to see that you and presumably the rest of the seraphim are well, you must let me know what has happened." She took an urgent step forward. "What happened to Velvet?" she implored, concern flooding her eyes. "Is she alright?"
"I didn't tell her." Rose added quietly. "I figured it would be best for it to come from your mouth."
His expression growing grim, Sorey nodded, returning his gaze to meet his former Squire's worried eyes. "Alisha..." He briefly shook his head, starting over.
"Velvet lied to us." he stated quietly. "She's... a hellion."
The Shepherd watched mutely as a myriad of emotions flickered through the princess's expression in response to his words. Eventually, confusion made way for disbelief, driving her to step forward with wide eyes. "But that's impossible!" she exclaimed loudly. "How…"
She shook her head furiously. "...How could Lailah and the others not have known the whole time she was with us?!" she demanded.
Sorey let out a grunt of surprise as the princess abruptly latched onto his hand without his permission, squeezing her eyes shut and waiting silently for an audibled response amidst roaring of water. The rest of the seraphim, unseen by the princess, turned to Lailah as she stepped forward.
"Alisha." Lailah answered softly, her words reaching the partially resonant woman through Sorey's touch. "What Sorey says is true." she confirmed sadly. "Velvet had indeed hidden her true nature away, undetectable to even us seraphim."
Mikleo crossed his arms with a serious expression. "I know you held her to some degree of respect." he added, shaking his head. "But you have to understand, she tried to manipulate Sorey because he was the Shepherd. She's essentially an enemy of ours, now."
"An enemy…?" Alisha mumbled quietly, her grip on Sorey's hand faltering. "How could this be…?"
Sorey watched mutely as disbelief dominated the princess expression. Yet he pushed forward.
"Alisha." His voice caused the distraught princess to open her eyes and release the Shepherd's hand. "There's important something I have to ask you as well." When she replied with a hesitant nod, he pressed forward.
"Where is Maltran?" His tone was urgent.
Still clearly processing the evident betrayal of one of her supposed allies, Alisha struggled to answer the Shepherd's question. "Lady Maltran…?" she parroted tentatively, clearly failing to see the importance of such a request. "...My master has been off supervising efforts on the front lines." she eventually replied, tilting her head to the side in clear confusion. "Why?"
Before Sorey could respond, a yell from behind the princess drew their attention.
"Princess Alisha!"
Everyone present turned towards the newcomer as he jogged up urgently to the princess, huffing and puffing. "A runner... A runner from the Basin arrived just now." he breathed urgently, coming to a halt with a tired yet proficient bow to his superior. "The Royal Advisor has issued a summons for you, princess. You are to head to the front lines to meet her at once."
Alisha flashed a confused glance at Sorey's alert expression before returning her gaze to the still-exhausted messenger. "I-I understand." she replied, nodding in affirmation. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention."
Catching his breath, the young man seemed to glow with the princess's gratitude. He blinked before remembering suddenly, "Oh! There's more. The foreman was just informed about developments regarding the issues of the third pillar. He wished to pass on that message as well."
"The cracks in the foundations, you mean?" The princess leaned forward intently. "Have the men found a way to address them in a safe manner?"
The messenger opened his mouth to respond.
Edna's boots sank into the grass behind Sorey as she stepped up to his side, unseen by the other humans as Alisha fell back into her position of authority. The earth seraph's translucent umbrella whirled soundlessly upon her shoulder amidst the overcast weather as she spoke up quietly, ignoring the logistical conversation of the princess and the messenger.
"You gonna tell her?" she asked in an inflectionless voice.
Standing beside her, Lailah pursed her lips, shifting on her feet. "Alisha has always held her master in the highest regard." the fire seraph contemplated soberly. "If she were to learn that her one true pillar of support has actually been manipulating her this entire time..."
Dezel stood motionlessly amidst the winds. "Regardless of how strong they are, every human has their weak spot where malevolence can seep through the cracks." He crossed his arms grimly. "Put some thought into whether this might backfire in the end."
"Maybe that's what Maltran was shooting for when she revealed herself to us." Mikleo considered. "That we'd tell her, and then she'd fall to malevolence. ...But there's too many unknowns. We have no idea her intentions, and now with these summons..." The seraph sighed, shaking his head. "I don't like any of this one bit." he finished glumly.
The Shepherd shook his head slightly, his eyes determined as the Princess of Hyland finally turned back to face him again, having dismissed the runner. The decision came to him naturally the moment he was faced with the princess's trepid, uncertain expression.
"Alisha." Sorey prompted without hesitation. "I'd like to ask you to re-establish the Squire's pact."
The princess's eyes widened. "S-Sorey...?" she stammered uncomprehendingly.
Mikleo put a thoughtful hand to his chin. "...I see." he mumbled. "Take Alisha with us." He let his hand fall from his face. "It's probably the safest option on the table at the moment."
Standing behind her, Rose crossed her arms. "Hey, not a bad idea." she remarked, drawing Alisha's incredulous gaze. "If we have her tag along for a bit, then she'll be out of danger. Smart." She pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "I'm sure the workers here are going to be alright without a princess helping them – besides, for what it's worth, those grease bag council members probably won't bat an eye if Alisha goes missing for a few weeks."
"Wh-what danger am I in that could possibly warrant this?!" the princess asked urgently, turning away from Rose and back towards him. She shook her head. "Beyond that, what of my resonance?" she pressed. "Won't you begin to lose your eyesight, just like last time?"
The Shepherd shook his head. "Your resonance won't be a problem, Alisha." he stated firmly. "I've grown stronger since the last time." His lips drew into a thin line as he met the princess's gaze resolutely. "This is all because of Maltran, Alisha." he explained quietly. "She can't be trusted."
Alisha's eyes were wide and incredulous as she struggled to comprehend the meaning behind what she was being told. "W-why in the world would you even say that?!" she demanded hotly.
Sorey's sad expression didn't change.
The seraphim, Rose, and Sorey watched mutely as the princess's eyes widened in slow horror, understanding dawning as she interpreted just what the Shepherd's look meant.
"...You... You don't mean...?!"
She glanced over her shoulder at Rose, only to find a similarly grim expression on the merchant's face as well. Her lower lip began trembling for a brief second before she forced her mouth to close, squeezed her eyes shut, and curled her hands into fists by her sides, struggling to contain her emotions.
Silence fell, filled only by the rushing of water and the distant clamor of construction upon the Shepherd's bridge. High in the air, a lone crow cawed loudly amidst the sea of grey above, the rest of its companions having descended to return to the rest of the murder.
"…Lailah." she breathed softly; her eyes still squeezed tightly shut. "If you would."
After a pause, the humming of the Prime Lord's powers rang in the princess's ears as she felt the strangely familiar sensation of the Shepherd's powers coursing through her veins. She felt it all return at once, slowly arising from obscurity with her reawakened senses – the malevolence, the seraphim, the mana that flowed through the air – all of it.
She slowly slid her eyes open to find them all standing before her; the Shepherd's Squire once more. She gazed at them all, her expression growing stronger with each passing moment. Her hands fisted tighter by her sides.
"...I trust you, Sorey." she said quietly. "Thus, if it is what you believe is safest for me, then I shall accompany you for the moment." She shook her head, her blonde hair swaying from side to side. "Nevertheless, please...
"Tell me everything that's happened."
The Shepherd's eyes were soft as he nodded, accepting her request. "We will." he promised gently.
Rose nodded as well, stepping forward. "We'll give you the whole rundown on the way, don't you worry." She waved her hand in the air. "But for now, I'd say it's best to get going – who knows what Maltran will do when she figures out that Alisha's onto her."
Alisha let out a quiet breath, clearly attempting to collect herself with a clenched fist pushed up against her chest. "...Okay. Where are we headed?"
"The last and final stop for the Shepherd on the path to power." Mikleo, now clearly visibly to the newly reappointed Squire, answered. "The Shrine of the Trial of Fire."
The flowing of the river waters continued unceasingly in the background, rippling with fierce, untamed power amidst the stagnant weather.
The torches lining the stone walls burned eternally amidst the smoldering heat, fueled by the seraphic artes surging through the walls of the ancient underground shrine. Rusted metal bars embedded in gaps of stone brick allowed for glimpses of the lake of underground lava smoldering menacingly amidst the massive cavern outside. Through it all, the group's repetitive footsteps were the only echoing sounds amidst the forebodingly silent fortress that served as the Shrine of the Trial of Fire.
Princess Alisha mutely trailed Shepherd's group, staring down at her gauntleted hands coupled before her as she stepped perfunctorily forward. Her armored boots clanked a steady and repetitive rhythm underneath, the sound echoing in her ears as her thoughts consumed her.
Walking near the head of the group, Mikleo crossed his arms soberly. "...Alisha hasn't said much, has she?" he said quietly. "I can't imagine what could be going through her mind right now. First we had to break the news of Velvet being a hellion... and then the same for Maltran."
Lailah nodded deeply, walking alongside the water seraph. "Yes." she sighed in dismay. "Alisha had looked up to both of them, her mentor the most above anyone else. The shock from the revelation must have been incredible."
"We threw into doubt the one pillar of support she's been counting on." Edna observed matter-of-factly. "It's no wonder she hasn't said much ever since yesterday."
"The fact that she hasn't succumbed to malevolence already is perhaps a sign of her inner strength." Lailah supposed, interlinking her hands before her with a distraught expression. "And yet..." she added in a subdued voice, "it's clear that she hasn't fully internalized it."
"She probably won't until she sees Maltran again with her own eyes." Edna spun her umbrella in a perfunctory movement, letting it roll endlessly upon her shoulder as she walked. "If she accepts it at all." she added matter-of-factly. "Humans are fragile like that."
Mikleo put a finger to his chin, frowning. "I do get what Sorey was thinking when he broke the truth to her and had her come along, but even still..." He shook his head, his eyes sober. "I have to worry what would happen if Alisha were to succumb to malevolence." he muttered quietly. "Especially since she is a Squire once again."
In response to his words, Lailah exhaled worriedly, glancing over her shoulder at the distraught princess with worry in her eyes. By her side, Edna walked on, twirling her umbrella once more in time with her repetitive steps.
The flame-lit corridors of the immense fortress of flame twisted and turned like massive hollow serpents of stone, leading the Shepherd's group deeper and deeper into the quiet depths of the enormous lava cavern. Tendrils of magma seeped through the walls in veins of varying sizes, radiating almost unbearable heat into the hallways and serving as haunting, ominous figures embedded in the walls that watched the group as they passed in silence.
"Hey, no hard feelings, right?"
It took Alisha a few moments to register that the uttered words had been addressed to herself, whereupon she blinked and glanced to the side to find the redhaired merchant walking alongside her with a light expression on her face. She found her voice. "Hard... feelings?" the princess parroted, blinking in confusion. "Whatever for?"
Rose raised her right hand in the air in a helpless gesture. "Well, I kinda took your place, didn't I?" she reasoned. "I heard from Sorey and the others that you were his previous Squire for quite a while before he ran into me. I didn't want you to resent me for pretty much taking over your spot or anything like that."
Alisha found herself quickly shaking her head in response. "Oh no! I feel nothing of the sort, Rose." she reassured honestly.
Her expression grew distant as she crossed her gauntleted arms. "...Truth be told," she admitted, her eyes drifting to the side, "a part of me does wish that I had continued my travels with Sorey and the others. The time that we had spent together had taught me much about the world… So much so that I found myself growing more and more accustomed to having a purpose alongside Sorey."
The princess let out a breath, letting her arms fall from her chest. "But in the end, my resonance simply was not sufficient to be the Shepherd's Squire." she finished. "If anything, I'm glad that you accompanied Sorey after I left, Rose." She smiled quietly, meeting the other woman's eyes. "Especially considering… everything that happened afterward." Her voice faltered.
Rose looked on with an empathetic expression.
Abruptly, the merchant raised her arms up in the warm air and casually stretched with obvious relish before resting her hands behind her neck. "Well, either way it looks like your resonance isn't a problem anymore!" she pointed out. "You and I are both Sorey's Squires now, even if it's only for the time being. And from the looks of things, he's doing just fine."
Her statement drew the princess's gaze towards the Shepherd walking at the head of the group as they continued deeper into the strange cavern.
She held a fist up to her chest in worry. "...Is it truly so?" she pondered quietly. "Are the spiritual powers of three of the four empyreans so mighty to as have cured my effect on his vision?"
"Quit being a worrywart." Rose's reassuring voice drew her gaze. "If Sorey says he's fine, he's fine." the merchant drawled. "He's gotten pretty good at learning his limits lately. If there's one thing that he's learned in the time I've been with him, it's been that."
Alisha pursed her lips, returning her gaze to the topic of their conversation. "…I imagine it was Velvet's words that elicited that from him." she guessed softly.
The merchant nodded.
The princess frowned as the topic that had similarly consumed her mind reared its head once more. "...Even with everything that I've been told, I still find it hard to believe that the woman that I traveled with for so long was and is the same as those monsters that we've been fighting." She fisted her hands. "Infinitely more so with my master."
Rose shrugged. "It doesn't bother me myself."
Alisha blinked. "Truly?" she asked in confusion.
"The way I see it," the merchant explained, "you and I lived for the longest time without knowing that seraphim and hellions ever existed. We got around just fine back then." She waved her hand reasonably in the air. "If Velvet or Maltran turn out to be just plain old monsters, then we'll just have to go to work purifying them. That's our job after all – the Shepherd's duty or something other."
She shrugged. "But there's no use in overcomplicating things or worrying about things that are outta our control. Simple as that."
"…I see." Alisha mumbled. "So that's how you see all of this."
"Yep." Rose grinned confidently. "For me, Squire or no Squire, hellion or human, evil is evil and good is good. That's just the way I think."
She blinked, catching herself soberly. "But… I'm sure things are different for you." she conceded, absently resting her left hand on the opposite shoulder. "The way the two of us look at things have to be fundamentally different after all... We do have totally different occupations, after all."
Rose drew Alisha to a brief halt, holding her shoulder meaningfully. "But listen. You let me know if you need any help, alright?" she urged with a friendly expression. "Being a kickass warrior princess aside, everybody needs a helping hand here and there."
She smiled gently. "And us Squires need to stick together, right?" the merchant reasoned.
Alisha found a small smile forming on her own lips. "I thank you dearly for the support, Rose." she replied softly.
She shook her head, her blonde hair swaying from side to side. "And I am genuinely glad I finally have the chance to travel with you, Sorey and the others. Even if it is under these circumstances, and only temporarily. Perhaps I might continue to do so, once we have determined my master's… intentions." She faltered slightly.
"Well, one step at a time." Rose reassured gently, waving the princess on. "C'mon."
Together, the two resumed their steps through the hallowed halls of the shrine, following the rest of the seraphim and the Shepherd deeper into the silent abyss. Up ahead, Sorey's eyes were alert and ready as he walked at the head of the group, surveying their eerily silent surroundings amidst the hellish cavern. His hand never strayed too far away from his sword at his hip. By his side, Dezel walked at a steady pace. "
…Not a single breath of wind." the seraph muttered under his breath. "No insects in the walls, no plants or shrooms in the dirt." He moved his head in Sorey's direction. "This place is dead."
The Shepherd nodded, absently wiping a gland of sweat off his forehead with the back of his glove. "It feels unsettlingly like a grave." he agreed, running his eyes along the length of the stone brick walls lining the corridor. "A pocket of the underworld long since buried and forgotten. It's quite incredible..."
The wind seraph too seemed to glance around, crossing his arms in the process. "...Hey. You sure you know what you're doing with that princess?" he uttered lowly, drawing Sorey's gaze. "You sure didn't pull any punches with her yesterday."
Sorey nodded resolutely, focusing his eyes forward. "Alisha's strong." he replied calmly. "I believe in her that she'll pull through." He shook his head. "Besides, I believe that I don't have the right to keep what's happened from her. She has every right to know."
Dezel grunted, letting his crossed arms fall. "Then what about Rose?" he growled lowly. "You going to let her know about me as well?"
The Shepherd glanced to the side, staring out of a pocket of iron bars at the lake of magma outside as they passed. "That you were controlling her before we met?" he considered quietly. "...To be blunt, I really don't know." he replied honestly. "Maybe."
"Maybe…?" Dezel bared his teeth. "You've got some nerve kid, you know that?" he growled aggressively.
"I'm still just trying to figure things out as I go." Sorey gave him a self-deprecating smile in return. "But it's like you said, Dezel. The world won't be saved by a soft Shepherd, right?"
The wind seraph went silent for a moment.
His lips upturned in a sneer. "…Hmph. At least you're learning." he muttered, raising his hand to adjust his top hat seated atop his head.
Abruptly, he tensed up, flexing his gloved hands as he readied the pendulums hidden up his sleeves. "Hey." the seraph warned loudly, drawing the attention of the rest of the group. "There's someone up ahead."
"About time." Edna sighed in exasperation, tapping the tip of her umbrella upon the stones. "I'm sick of cooking in this heat."
The vaulted room was walled with both raw rock and reinforcing stone brick, lined with large gashes of glowing magma oozing out into pools of red-hot liquid dotting the circular space. An ironclad chandelier hung from ceiling far above with a nest of rusted chains, blazing brightly with abnormally brilliant flames powered by seraphic artes that illuminated the lone figure shirtless figure sitting cross-legged in the center of the room below.
Long black hair trailed from the man's head, his warrior's build clearly defined in the stark lighting of the chandelier above. His eyes were closed shut, his palms empty and his arms resting casually upon his crossed legs. He breathed in and out at a steady pace amidst the silence, not reacting at all as the Shepherd's group entered his chamber.
After a pause, the man let out a breathy exhale, opening his eyes to reveal a vibrant, abnormally glowing yellow gaze.
"About time."
A sly grin crept into the Empyrean's expression as he locked gazes with Sorey, his powerful domain thrumming through the air and in the stones below with his awakening. "C'mon." he urged, sweeping up onto his feet while rolling his neck and shoulders. "Let's get this show on the road."
Rose's eyes widened as the man in the center of the chamber fell into a fighting stance. "Hey, hold on a sec!" she called in surprise. "We're just gonna fight? All the other Empyreans-"
"They're all boringly stiff." Musiphe drawled, shaking his head casually and holding his right arm over his shoulder.
FWOOSH!
A blinding flare lit up the room as a fierce blade of fire shot out from the Empyrean's fist, coalescing into an enormous longsword of pure flame that he rested easily upon his bare shoulder behind his neck. He gave them an amused, challenging grin. "What's the point of being a god if you don't take advantage of it once and awhile?" He waved his free hand in the air.
Rose's expression was incredulous as she automatically shifted the weight of her body onto the balls of her feet. "Is this guy for real?!" she demanded.
Lailah cheeks had reddened. "Well this was… rather unexpected." she chuckled nervously, reaching for her own casting cards.
"Fighting an Empyrean head on?" Mikleo muttered, conjuring his staff and falling into position. "Something tells me this won't go too well for us."
Edna sighed, taking a step back and raising her umbrella. "Annoying." she muttered.
Dezel bared his teeth, flexing his gloved hands. "I say bring it on." He curled his hands into a fist. "A chance like this doesn't just come by every day."
As the rest of the seraphim began to ready themselves in preparation for battle, Sorey glanced over his shoulder. "Alisha?" he prompted quietly.
The princess nodded back, a resolute strength in her stance as she readied her lance. "Do not concern yourself with me, Sorey." She gripped the lance readily, her gaze moving to their opponent in the center of the chamber. "I still remember how to fight."
Sorey returned her determined gaze, satisfied. With that, he turned back to face the Empyrean standing readily in the center of the chamber, hardening his stance. The Shepherd's blade sang loudly as it was the last weapon drawn, the sharpened ceremonial blade glinting in the harsh lighting as it was lowered readily at his side.
Facing down the Shepherd's group, the Empyrean grinned broadly as he slashed his sword with vivid familiarity, the flames of the generated weapon flaring as it sang through the air before him. "Good. Don't hold back." he warned lowly, his thrumming voice echoing off the surrounding walls.
His smile widened fiercely.
"You wouldn't want to disappoint me!" he roared, exploding into action and lunging forward.
"Let's go, everyone!" Sorey yelled, similarly breaking into a forward charge to meet the Empyrean head-on. Both Alisha and Rose flanked him on either side, determination in their expressions. The first of many seraphic artes fizzled and sang over their shoulders cast by one of the four seraphim behind them.
With barely a second thought, Musiphe batted Edna's arte away mid-stride with a flick of his wrist, the enormous longsword of flames intercepting and redirecting the projectile to explode off to the side. In the very next step, the tall, imposing warrior lashed out in a powerful, lightning-fast sweep that encompassed all three humans before him.
Rose leapt back in a dodge along with the rest of them, landing in an acrobatic stance upon the brick underfoot with narrowed eyes. "Watch out, he's tough!" she warned, kicking off and rushing to their opponent's side, her blades held down low at the ready.
His boots scuffing on the stones, Mikleo skidded roughly to a halt with his staff at the ready, artificial winds humming around him as his arte finalized. "His blade can reroute artes!" he called. "Sorey, Alisha, Rose. Focus on keeping him occupied!" His eyes flashing a bright, abnormal hue for a split second, the seraph unleashed his powers, sending a torrent of water mana through the air.
CLANG!
Musiphe's grin was untouched as his blade bounced off Alisha's spear, the sheer power of his blow sending the woman stumbling backwards. Without a glance nor a second thought, he flicked his wrist once more to deflect Mikleo's arte off into the distance as he advanced upon the woman. "C'mon!" he goaded, easily bringing his sword back down in a follow-up swing. "Is that all you got?!"
CLANG!
Sorey grunted as his own blade met Musiphe's in order to block its path towards Alisha. Without pause, the Shepherd stood his ground against the immense power jarring through his body and deflected the flaming blade into the air, lunging forward and getting inside the reach of his opponent. "Searing Gale!" Razor-sharp winds commanded by his blade exploded mid-swing.
The wind arte was blocked with a quick curtaining swipe of the grinning Empyrean's blade, who blocked Sorey's sword in the same swing. His sandal crunched in the brick underfoot as he stepped back, pivoting his arms to bring his weapon back down upon the Shepherd.
"Rending Strike!"
"Driving Thorn!"
Alisha and Rose's blades met with a resounding clash in the wake of their simultaneous artes as their quarry dodged them in a prompt backwards leap. The two exchanged a quick glance of shared amusement before disengaging, leaping away as a blade of flames tore through where they had just been standing.
"Now, Dezel!" Lailah's long hair ripped through the air as she finalized her arte, eliciting a violent burst of flame in a ring around the Empyrean, instantaneously engulfing his figure in smoke.
At her side, Dezel pivoted to the side and made a fist. "Vengeant Fangs!" he snarled. The circle of flames and smoke that had consumed Musiphe were promptly crushed between two enormous jaws of wind with an ear-piercing crash that shook the very cavern itself, rattling the chandelier hanging in the ceiling above.
Collectively, the Shepherd's group came to a halt, warily eying the simmering flames and obscuring pillar of smoke as a deceptive calm gripped the chamber.
"Not bad…"
The smoke and flames were snuffed out a waft of the Empyrean's sword, revealing the swordsman leaning back with a two-handed overhead grip and a fierce, indulgent grin. Mana swirled in copious amounts at his feet, seeping out and filling the domain with pure, foreboding power. Sorey's eyes widened in alarm.
"But let's seen what you've really got!" Musiphe declared with a roar, wrenching the blade directly into the ground before him.
An enormous spiderweb of pure power exploded out from the point of impact, almost instantaneously reaching the opposite end of the chamber and engulfing the two seraphim standing together. Alarm flooded the expressions of Lailah and Dezel the split second before the searing white paths of power detonated underfoot with a shattering, all-encompassing roar.
BOOM!
The entire expanse of the cavern shook violently as the Empyrean's power poured through the earth, disturbing lakes of boiling-hot magma and caving in ages-old tunnels throughout the entire underground region. Slowly, the surging mana began to fade with a ponderous groan, reducing the strength of the power engulfing half of the chamber and revealing the results of the Empyrean's handiwork.
The two seraphim had apparently vanished without a trace, leaving behind only an empty, desecrated subsection of the chamber behind. A satisfied grin was on Musiphe's face.
"TOWER OF BLOOD!"
He was quick to lunge to the side, avoiding an enormous surge of flames as Sorey, draped in the angelic garb of the Fire Armatus, swept his longsword through the air with a fierce roar.
Immediately, Musiphe was met by piercing blades of wind as Rose swept in overhead, her glowing yellow eyes flaring with power as she jerked her extended index finger at him.
"WINDS!" she declared; her voice combined with Dezel's.
CLANG! CLANG!
The enormous longsword of mana deflected the barrage of singing wind blades as Musiphe batted them away at inhuman speeds, sending them crashing into the ground all around him with rattling explosions.
"Now we're having fun!" He let out an indulgent roar as he followed through with his last deflection, slashing in the air towards Rose's gliding form with a burst of power. Her eyes widened as she belatedly registered the ball of flame hurtling directly towards her, unable to change her trajectory in the split second before impact.
BANG!
The fireball slammed directly on target, engulfing Rose in flames and sending her careening violently into the floor. The glowing neon green wings on her back crumpled in disarray as she tumbled to a halt, pushing herself up with her arm with gritted teeth. She forced her head up only to widen her eyes the Empyrean bore down upon her with full force, his eyes wide and enthused amidst the lust of battle.
Time slowed down. Alisha took it all in all in an instant – the gleeful smile of the Empyrean as he brought his sword back in preparation for a cleaving strike. Rose's eyes widening as she tried in vain to scramble to her feet, the wings of her armatus clattering against the stone floor...
"'...stupid, insufferable princess...'"
The words that her master had supposedly said surfaced once more in her head sharp as knives which caused her to grit her teeth in fury. Then, without thinking, the Princess of Hyland opened her mouth and let the familiar syllables flow.
Mikleo's eyes widened in surprise as the familiar sensation of the Armatus activated within himself, directly channeling his body through the Squire's pact and into Alisha's link.
"LUZROV RULAY!"
Blinding white light shot out from the princess's body as she was engulfed in mana, all while she fell into a shooting stance, drawing her strong arm back while closing her non-dominant eye as if it were second nature. The incoming attack forced Musiphe to abandon his lunge and leap to the side in avoidance as it drilled a hold into the opposite side of the chamber.
"Alisha?!" Sorey's glowing eyes were wide as he took in the form of the armatized princess.
"Oh my!" Lailah's disembodied voice exclaimed in pleasant surprise.
Musiphe jerked his blade up to deflect a follow-up barrage of bolts of water further preventing him from capitalizing upon Rose's momentary disability. "As the Princess of Hyland… the Squire of the Shepherd... and as the pupil of my master...!" Drawing her back once more, Alisha had a ferocious expression on her face.
"I, Alisha Diphda, I will not fail!"
Emotion surged forth with the outlet of power provided by the Armatus as the princess unleashed another barrage of water upon the one threatening Rose's life. "OPEN THE WAY FORTH!" Alisha and Mikleo declared simultaneously, unleashing a full-fledged torrent of water mana.
Edna raised an eyebrow as she jerked her umbrella up once more, finalizing her arte to jut a blade of earth towards the Empyrean. "She figured out how to activate the armatus on her own." she observed matter-of-factly.
"Looks like I underestimated her." Dezel grunted as his Armatus with Rose dispelled, reappearing with his pendulums at the ready. "She's not as fragile as she looks."
Rose herself had a smirk on her face as she danced away from Musiphe's blade, flinging daggers towards the Empyrean to distract him as Dezel's pendulums attempted to penetrate his guard. "Heck yeah! Thanks for the save, Alisha!" she called, twisting her body in an abrupt backflip as the Empyrean's blade swept underfoot.
CLANG!
Sorey's armatized longsword and Musiphe's blade bounced off each other as the Shepherd inserted himself between the Empyrean and the squire, his expression carved with determination and vigor. "Rose! Have Dezel heal your wounds." he ordered through gritted teeth as the two exchanged another set of crashing blows. "Alisha! I'm counting on you!"
The armatized princess had a wide, determined smile on her face as she swept her feet to the side, sacred bow held at the ready. "I am at your service!" she replied forcefully as the Shepherd exchanged more blows in the center of the chamber.
"I'm impressed." Mikleo's disembodied voice resounded strangely in Alisha's mind and out loud as the two leapt to the side, avoiding two fire artes Musiphe had briefly swept their way. "I had my doubts, but it would seem that you're stronger than ever, Alisha."
The princess shook her head, drawing her bow back once more and narrowing her eyes. "No, Mikleo." she disagreed, her eyes abruptly being drawn away from the battle. "I've simply figured out a way of looking at all of this."
She shook her head, closing her non-dominant eye as she gauged the distance and predicted effects of her intended action. "Regardless of what she is or what her intentions were in doing so, Lady Maltran raised me to stronger standards. Therefore, until I see her face-to-face and confront her for myself, I will simply consider this her latest test of my will."
Her aim steadied. "And I for one, do not intend to disappoint her!" With a fierce cry, the princess released the projectile and forcing the powers of the Armatus to flow through her once more.
CRACK!
Both Sorey and Musiphe snapped their heads up in alarm as the chains holding the ironclad chandelier above were pierced with a deafening, grating squeal, sending the burning metal mass careening down like a flaming meteor.
At that very moment, Rose let out a cry, slamming her fist into the ground before her. Mimicking her movements, the stone fist of Edna's Armatus crashed into the earth with a thundering roar, mana surging from the fist and through the crushed stone towards the Empyrean. Sorey's Armatized form vanished in a plume of white as he instantly separated himself from Lailah, allowing both of them to independently dive away for cover as Musiphe's form was engulfed between the spear of rising earth and the freefalling metal chandelier.
CRASH!
Metal and earth slammed against each other in a godly explosion of flame and dirt, igniting the trailing gasses leaking from the structure and instantly creating an explosive column of flame that blinded those inside the chamber for a brief moment alongside a deafening roar.
Breathing hard, Sorey pushed himself to his feet, kicking off the bricks to put some distance between himself and where the chandelier had crashed.
"Ack!" he exclaimed belatedly, turning around to face the point of impact while readjusting his grip on his sword. "Whoa! That was super close!" he gasped, wiping his face with the back of his free hand while facing the now-simmering flames of the fallen chandelier crackled.
Alisha put a hand to her mouth, her eyes wide. "Oh no!" she gasped. "I'm so sorry! I... I was carried away in the moment!"
"Alishaaa!" Lailah voice whined petulantly as she backed hurriedly away while automatically drawing her casting cards in her hands. "My hair nearly caught on fire!" she pouted.
Dezel crossed his arms incredulously. "Aren't you a fire seraph?" he asked gruffly, warily studying the pile of debris for further movement.
He gulped when the prime lord shot him an uncharacteristically murderous look in return. "You should know it takes hours to comb my hair to make it look like this in the morning!" she seethed. "For shame, Dezel! Shouldn't a grown male seraph such as yourself should have a little more tact when speaking to a lady like me?!" she demanded, flames in her eyes.
The wind seraph looked away quickly under the weight of her piercing words, sweat unrelated to the heat dripping down his temple. "O-okay." he stammered.
"Haha…" Sorey chuckled nervously, giving the distressed Squire behind him a thumbs up in the wake of her attack. "Well, no harm, no foul." he remarked, a grin on his soot-covered face. "Thanks for the help, Alisha."
"Yeah!" Rose shared the sentiment, a wide smile on her face as she readied herself for further combat with the Armatus. "And you figured out how to armatize on your own!" She pumped a fist in the air enthusiastically. "That was kickass, Alisha!"
The princess's face reddened.
She cleared her throat. "I-I thank you for the complement, Rose." she accepted while shifting on her feet, her bow held at a low ready before her. "I'm just happy I can be of service to you all."
"Hey. Sword nutso's still moving."
Edna's words drew their attention back to the smoldering wreckage in the center of the chamber. The group tensed in alarm as flaming debris shot out, pushed out by the form of Musiphe as he rose from the ashes, his partially naked body completely untouched by the flames dancing around him. Pleasantly standing amidst the fire without any visible damage to his body, the Empyrean shrugged casually, rolling his shoulder.
"Not bad at all." The man's easy grin glinted the light of the flames as he waved his free hand, snuffing out the surrounding inferno without a second thought. "I'd say we should stop here, unless you wanted to revive the volcano that we're in." he reasoned with a sly grin.
A shocked silence fell.
His body wrapped by a fading glow in the wake of the dispelled Armatus, Mikleo stepped forward in utter aghast. "You're telling us that we've been fighting inside a dormant volcano this whole time?!" he exclaimed incredulously. "Just what the heck kind of Empyrean are you?!"
Rose dispelled her Armatus with a wave of her hand, shaking her head. "I don't think you could be more different from the other three even if you tried." she exhaled, catching her breath with her hands on her knees.
Musiphe chuckled in amusement at their reactions, stepping off the smoldering pile of ashes while swinging his blade of flames around idly. "The soul I ate was a bit too rowdy to suppress like how my fellow Empyreans have done theirs." He shrugged, resting the blade upon his neck in the process. "Still, it's been awhile since I actually showed up in this form. Figured if everyone else was doing it, why not take advantage of it?"
Alisha held a fist up to her chest, furrowing her brow. "And these recent abnormalities with the other Empyreans were the result of Velvet's presence... starting with Eumacia?" she asked hesitantly.
"Correct." Musiphe's voice echoed amidst his powerful domain as he swiped his blade forward, angling it towards the princess across the room. "That hellion lady sure caused a stir with the others. Turns out they hadn't suppressed their consumed souls nearly as well as they'd wanted to." The man shrugged nonchalantly, lowering his sword.
Sorey stepped forward. "Did you also know Velvet from your time?" he asked seriously. "Just like the others?"
"She ate me. In this very spot, actually." The Empyrean's expression was nonchalant as he flipped the flame-sword in his grip, resting the tip upon the stones at his feet. "And that was a long time before this volcano was converted into a shrine." He gestured to their surroundings – the deserted, forgotten underground cavern wreathed in silence.
Alisha stepped forward, confusion plain in her expression. "And you… harbor no resentment towards her?" she asked, her voice echoing off the walls.
"Nah, I don't give a damn." The tall, powerful warrior easily rested his blade of mana on his neck once more, waving a nonchalant hand in the air. "She deserves my respect, if anything. My little brother grew into a warrior fit for the family name by her side." His lips upturned into a smirk. "Without her, he never would have gained the strength to cut me down back then."
"…What?" Sorey breathed in disbelief.
Behind him, Mikleo's expression was incredulous. "You respect her…?" he repeated incredulously. "A Lord of Calamity?"
"That's a fancy, meaningless title. Nothing more than that." Musiphe waved a hand flippantly. "Sure, she's capable of wrecking the world if it comes to it. But so is the Shepherd." He shrugged easily. "That's why we Empyreans now go through all this trouble to do these tests."
He paused, seeming to study Sorey in a new light. "...Well, in any case," he declared loudly after a pause, "you've now officially passed all our tests Shepherd." His blade of flame sang in the air as he angled it towards Sorey, a glint in his eye. "Question is, will she pass yours?"
The Empyrean held the Shepherd's hardened eyes, his fanged expression growing intrigued.
He let out a sigh as lowered his longsword, rolling his shoulders in the process. "You've a lot headed your way in the near future." he remarked. "Not many Shepherds in the past have had so much on their plate as you do. You can be sure that we'll be watching your actions with great interest, Shepherd." he promised, easily dispelling his flaming blade with keen shine in his gleaming eyes. "You can count on it."
With that, the Empyrean vanished in an explosion of flaming mana, disappearing back into the depths of the fiery volcano without a trace. And in his wake, the full extent of the Elemental powers surged through the air to converge upon Sorey, flowing through his veins with the true strength of the Shepherd.
He held up his hand, mutely examining the sacred symbol upon the back of his glove as the power transfer finished amidst the silent cavern. The newly reassembled full power of the Shepherd, now at his fingertips to wield.
For the battle against Calamity.
Alisha's high-pitched giggles were uncontrolled despite her best efforts, ringing out past her muffling hand as she rocked back in her seat in amusement. Rose was in a similar predicament, bent over holding her stomach as she guffawed with near tears in her eyes.
Meanwhile, Mikleo and Sorey exchanged long-suffering looks, the former leaning his forehead against his fist whereas the latter had slumped over in his seat cushion, hanging his head glumly.
"Erm, Gramps…"
Sorey's voice was drawn-out and defeated. "Do we have to keep on looking at these?" the human implored, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Yeah, c'mon. This is embarrassing." Mikleo mumbled, his cheeks red. "I didn't even know you had so many drawings of us as kids."
Ever powerful and wizened in his deceptively diminutive stature, Zenrus turned his gaze upon the two boys he'd raised. "Seraph Carmina spent much time when you two were young laboring over those depictions." the aged seraph explained at length, gesturing with his simmering pipe towards the two Squires giggling over the scrapbooks at their feet. "She made them with the hope that they had the potential to one day be shown to Sorey's own children."
The seraph let out an amused huff, inserting the tip of the smoking pipe back into his mouth. "As that has yet to come to pass, these two humans will simply have to do for the time being." he stated matter-of-factly, reaching for the wooden ladle among the utensils laid out upon the wooden board in front of him.
"My own ch… children?!" Sorey's face had grown a distinct shade of red. "Gramps!" he exclaimed in mortification.
Mikleo valiantly rallied to his friend's defense. "That's hardly a matter that a human of Sorey's age should be concerned about. Especially not one burdened with the duty of the Shepherd." he reasoned.
Zenrus didn't spare him a glance as he tended to the simmering pot, carefully adding a dash of salt to the bubbling mixture. "Before, many of the seraphim here had not seen much less interacted with humans for much time." The wizened seraph gave Mikleo a brief, stern look as he set the ladle down. "It is only natural that some would take pride in the human Sorey has become, Mikleo. Do not blame them for wanting to also feel the renowned feelings of heritage experienced by the kind of a different species, such as that of parents sharing pictures of children, or of grandparents at the sight of a warm, cohesive family to survive them."
Mikleo's eye twitched. "But seraphim live way longer than humans!" he shouted.
Meanwhile, Sorey had simply buried his face in his palm, seeking to blot out the embarrassment with darkness. Unfortunately, that meant he still had to listen to the sounds of his two Squires giggling on the other side of the room at drawn images of himself and Mikleo in particularly romanticized fashion.
"Their cheeks are so round!" Rose chuckled in awe, eagerly flipping the page. "Squishy, even!"
Alisha was essentially beaming as she flipped the page again. "…Look!" she abruptly exclaimed, pointing to one of the weathered drawings adhered to the bound book. "This must be the boys playing with the goats."
Both women cooed, to the joint embarrassment of the grown boys desperately trying to ignore their comments through any means possible. All the while, Zenrus continued to tend to the stew. The elder sucked softly, breathing the smoking tobacco through his recently returned pipe with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
A light, refreshing feeling encompassed it all.
The circular room was filled with a warm, soft aroma of cooking stew, originating from the gently simmering pot in the center that was being stirred. Bright sunlight, intermittently interrupted by high passing clouds, seeped through the round windows embedded into the slanted structure wall, warming the room to a toasty temperature.
"These illustrations are fantastic, sir." Alisha smiled, ducking her head in respect to the aged seraph sitting across the hearth from her as Rose closed the scrapbook with a satisfied expression behind her. "I thank you for sharing these, as well as for allowing Rose and I to stay in the shrine."
Zenrus quietly slid the pipe from his lips, slowly exhaling a plume of tobacco that mingled with the rising steam of the stew.
"...The first time you appeared in this place," he recounted seriously, "I was prepared to do anything I needed in order to ensure the safety of this shrine and its denizens." His aged features crinkled in a frown. "Had you shown any signs of threatening our kind, purposefully or not, I would have struck you down without a second thought."
Alisha's eyes were wide in shock.
A kind smile quietly upturned Zenrus's lips. "Yet as has it has emerged, Princess Alisha, you are of yet a human of significant character and resilience. Sorey is fortunate to have met you as the first human in the prelude to his doubtlessly arduous journey."
The princess returned the seraph's words with a small, earnest smile. "He is not the only fortunate one." she added genuinely. "Thank you, sir seraph."
Zenrus nodded and lowered his gently smoking pipe. "A similar sentiment applies to you, Miss Rose." he added, turning his head slightly to face the other woman. "The boy can be smart at times but utterly thickheaded in others." He shook his head in exasperation. "It is reassuring to know that he has someone with intelligence such as yourself by his side."
"Awe, that's sweet. Thanks, Gramps." Rose grinned, crossing her arms in self-satisfaction.
"...There yet remain great challenges to you all as champions against the malevolence." Zenrus declared to all, his voice growing grave and serious as he included Sorey and Mikleo in the conversation. "Know that the warnings of history are not to be taken lightly. Take care in your stride and find the truth within yourselves."
His teeth clacked softly on the glazed wood of the pipe as he returned the tip of it to his mouth in satisfaction. "That is all the wisdom I can provide." he finished, tilting his head back and drawing deeply from the pipe in the wake of his words.
Sorey nodded seriously, getting to his feet as he stood up on the matted floor. "Thanks, Gramps." he returned gratefully. "We won't forget what you've said."
"As it should be." Zenrus tapped the wooden ladle on the rim of the pot three times, patiently letting the excess liquid drip off the utensil before setting it aside. "...And there is one final matter, Sorey."
"Hm?" Sorey tilted his head to the side.
"There is one who wishes to speak with you." the aged seraph stated ambiguously. "They await your arrival at the ruins on the far side of the shrine." He said no more, instead focusing his attention entirely upon the preparation of the stew.
Sorey exchanged a confused glance with Mikleo in the wake of the ambiguous declaration. "…I see. Then I guess I'll go see what's up." He returned his gaze to the seraph and nodded. "Thanks, Gramps."
Stirring the pot once more, the old seraph's gaze followed the Shepherd as he left; a strange, thoughtful expression etched on his face.
A gentle breeze met Sorey as he stepped outside, caressing his face and welcoming him into the soft sunlight basking the familiar rolling green hills of his home. Brilliant blue skies wrapped around the world, bordering the horizon of clouds obscuring the distant worlds below and overlooking the isolated collection of mountain peaks of the Shrine of Elysia. Home.
It was extremely peculiar, Sorey reflected as he set off down the hill, being back in the place in which he and Mikleo had grown up in. He waved with a gentle smile towards the familiar faces of his family, calling out their names and chuckling at their joking remarks as he passed. So much had changed, in both the world and his own perspective and place in it, and yet here they all were – his family and his home, forever unchanging in their existence.
It felt almost wrong.
Another soft gust disturbed the Shepherd's cloak hanging from his shoulders as he stepped alongside the stream chuckling down the rolling incline towards the distant entrance to the shrine. The sound of grass scrunching under his boots, the gentle breeze, and the distant laughter of conversing seraphim all served to draw his wandering thoughts away from the present and towards the night before.
"Back to Elysia?" Sorey blinked rapidly, caught entirely off-guard by the suggestion.
On the other side of the campfire, Mikleo nodded in tandem. "Yes." the water seraph confirmed, setting his empty bowl on the grass before him. "The rest of us have been talking it over. We figure that we ought to stop by home, especially since we're so close for once."
"But we've only now finally gotten the rest of the Elemental Powers!" Sorey pointed out urgently. "Shouldn't we be looking to confront Heldalf or Velvet now?"
Edna squeezed the normin doll attached to her closed umbrella lying in her lap. "Sure." she agreed readily. "We can run through the entire continent if you'd like. Turn over every rock." She shrugged. "Kittybeard and Lady Grouchy are bound to show up in a century or so."
Rose tilted her head to the side. "Eguille and the others will let me know if any of them catch wind of the two." she assured reasonably. "There's no reason to run yourself into the ground after all the action we've seen lately." She splayed her hands, grinning. "And besides! I still haven't seen your home or met your folks yet. Why don'tcha introduce me?"
Alisha nodded deeply in agreement. "I myself still have to thank the seraphim in Elysia for allowing me to stay with you when we first met, now that I can see them. But that aside..." She set her empty bowl aside, leaning forward in her seat seriously.
"You've changed quite a bit, Sorey." she confided honestly. "I worry that the burden on your shoulders may be consuming your thoughts far too much." The princess indicated to the people around her with her hand. "All of us agree in that we believe it would be best for you to have some time to truly rest. If for just a moment."
"Yes." Lailah bobbed her head as well. "Many a Shepherd has in the past, overwhelmed themselves with their purpose and good intentions." she observed soberly. "Simply taking a break and seeing some old faces again might do wonders for the soul." Her smile was soft and genuine.
Sorey glanced around mutely at the faces of all his followers around the campfire, finding their concern and worry for him clear in in their eyes and gentle smiles. He exhaled slowly, visibly untensing his shoulders as he nodded slowly.
"Thanks, guys." he replied softly. He nodded his head, a distinct shine appearing in his eyes as he concluded, "Then let's go pay Gramps and the others a visit."
Alisha's expression brightened immediately. "Yes." she breathed, nodding her head wholeheartedly. "Then our next destination shall be Elysia!"
"Heck yeah!" Rose whooped pumping her fist in the air. "Hot food, warm beds, and good company. It's about time!" she cheered.
Standing in the shadows nearly out of reach of the flickering light of the campfire, Dezel let out a scoff under his breath, turning away to face the darkness beyond. "…Fat waste of time." he muttered darkly.
Behind him, Rose's ear twitched.
"…HEY!" Dezel wriggled in utter irritation and annoyance as arms wrapped around his neck in a harmless chokehold, accompanied by the weight of a full-grown woman playfully latching onto him from behind. "Get off-!"
Rose's smile was devilish as she leaned back, forcing the struggling seraph to stumble out of the shadows and into the light of the campfire. "C'mon, Dezel!" she drawled, still tightly clinging onto the seraph's back. "There'll be animals up there too! You can always hang out with them if you're too scared of interacting with actual people." she assuaged patronizingly.
The stumbling wind seraph bristled, baring his teeth in fury. "What the-?! Why the hell would I be scared of something as stupid as that?!" He wrestled against the iron grip of the two deceptively thin arms wrapping around his shoulders. "Get off already!" he roared.
Edna hummed noncommittally, idly blowing on the freshly brewed tea simmering in the mug in her grip. "Who knew Dezel could be such a softie." she remarked dryly.
Lailah fell into a fit of giggles, hiding her smile from view with a fan of casting cards.
Sorey's smile was soft as he turned his gaze down from the commotion, staring at the burning campfire cackling merrily away at his feet. Slowly, he focused, trying to let the tension fall from his shoulders in acceptance the well-meaning intentions of his close, loyal friends.
He found that he couldn't. Not quite.
The fire continued to burn, long and endlessly into the night.
The monolithic collection of ruins stood as quietly and mysteriously as they always had, silently perched upon the edge of the cliff while overlooking the world below hidden by the vast sea of clouds. A pair of eagles circled lazily overhead amidst the bright sunlit day, occasionally letting out piercing cries as Sorey traversed the overgrown cliffside path by himself. He came to a halt at the end of the path, putting his hands on his hips in soft nostalgia as he beheld a length of rope tied off on a tree that snaked off the side of the cliff to the ruins below.
"...Still here, huh?" he said out loud, scratching his head with a soft smile. "Come to think of it, I was pretty proud of that knot. Looks like it held up after all this time." Dirt and grass crackled under his boots as he stepped up as close to the cliff's edge as he dared, leaning over to catch a glimpse of the ruins below.
His brown hair ruffled in the wind as he smiled in soft, familiar awe in the face of the massive structure beneath him. "This was the place where I first met Alisha." he reminisced quietly, shaking his head in disbelief. "...Funny just how long ago that all seems, now."
His gaze was drawn away from the ruins, instead towards the thick, impenetrable sea of white clouds obscuring the land beyond. The world that he now had a duty to – the one that he was tasked to change.
The smile on his face quietly faded away.
"...Shepherd."
A soft, feminine voice drew his attention, causing him to turn his head to find the one Gramps had allowed to enter into his domain walking up to him.
"Hey there." he greeted curiously, turning around to fully face the stranger. "Gramps said that you wanted to speak to me about something?"
Red hair cascaded down from her head and framed the middle-aged woman's expression as she watched him with similarly green-colored eyes, studying him keenly. The golden ornaments hanging off her long, regally accented white and blue dress waved mesmerizingly behind her as she quietly shifted on her feet, habitually holding her hands together before her dress.
"Yes." she confirmed; her voice strong with a hint of authority. "I thank you for coming out to meet me, given the circumstances." She paused for a moment, her sharp, vibrant green eyes digging into his gaze with an almost off-putting intensity.
Sorey returned the gaze evenly, rested a hand on his hip as he examined the sensation he was feeling radiating from the woman. "You're a seraph, right?" he prompted, breaking the silence. "I take it that's why Gramps let you enter his domain."
The stranger nodded; a strange look upon her face. Then, still holding the Shepherd's gaze, she opened her mouth and began.
"I have been following your actions over the past few weeks." Strands of red hair swept across her face amidst the breeze as she spoke. "Judging by what I have been told, I have come to believe that it would be best for me to speak with you now." Her measuring gaze seemed to pierce Sorey's with untold authority and experience behind her eyes. "It relates to someone that you, as one with the role of Shepherd, have an obligation to confront."
Understanding began to form in Sorey's expression as he straightened, scrutinizing the seraph standing before him in a new light. "...You knew Velvet too, didn't you?" he asked quietly, already knowing the answer.
Sorey watched as the strange seraph broke eye contact and turned to the side, her hair rippling amidst the gentle breeze as she stared off into the cloudy horizon. "Yes." she confirmed quietly, a strange look in her eyes. "From a different time, in different life. Before I had been reborn as a seraph."
Sorey furrowed his brow. "That's right... humans can be reborn as seraphim, under certain circumstances." he recalled quietly. "Then you used to be human..."
The nameless woman's boots crunched on the grass and dirt as she stepped off to the side, her expression hidden beyond the curtain of her hair as she stared off into the sea of clouds beyond.
"As Shepherd," she pronounced into the open air, "you are charged with the duty to use the powers at your disposal in order to shape the world in a manner that you believe is best. To lead the flock to greener pastures, and to vanquish the evils that threaten them."
She turned her head over her shoulder to face him, her eyes meaningfully holding his gaze. "It is an enormous burden – one that requires unparalleled will and strength. As such, you must know what you are doing." She cut her hand through the air in a decisive gesture. "You must know, in the depths of your heart, what you believe is best for this world." She raised an arm up to sweep across the cloudy expanse behind her, her lips drawn into a firm line.
"For there will always be a risk of Velvet Crowe losing herself once more, becoming a threat to the lives of those who live in this land." she declared boldly. "By extension, such is the threat of malevolence and of all the monsters that spawn them. Such is the nature of the world that has been entrusted you."
Sorey's expression darkened. "...You said you knew her?" he asked lowly, his eyes digging into hers.
The woman's gaze was steady as she let her gloved hand fall back to her side. "I am warning you of the choice you will have to make." she stated simply. "The path of the Shepherd demands the strength of conviction in the face of chaos. The savior of the world often has little allowance for hesitation."
Her fingerless gloves crinkled as she made a steady fist, her expression shifting as she averted her gaze. "I should know." she added, emotion coloring her dramatically softer voice. "The trials that I had gone through myself as a human were just as demanding and trying."
Sorey's breath hitched as he registered the seraph's meaning. "...You were a Shepherd as well." he realized quietly.
The Shepherd of a different time nodded her head slowly, holding her gloved fist up to her chest in reminiscence.
Beyond, the sea of clouds rippled and churned softly amidst the billowing winds of the sky. The shadow of one of the two circling eagles briefly flashed upon the ground between the two as it passed beneath the warm sun overhead. Behind them, the tranquil expanse of trees rustled as a stray breeze managed to reach their leaves, briefly disrupting the cool shadows of the canopy under which the overgrown ruins peacefully rested.
"...For what it's worth, I do hope you save Velvet from herself."
In contrast to her earlier unyielding voice, the seraph's voice had taken on a strange, almost nostalgic tone, drawing his gaze back towards her. Her expression changed strangely as she smiled softly at him, turning her body to face him as well.
"I saw the true horrors of the world and fought in vain to change it for the better." She shook her head slowly, closing her eyes briefly. "It was my dream to build a world in which all beings could coexist... Humans, seraphim, and hellions."
There was a hint of longing in her eyes as she reopened them. A distant look mixed with sorrow. "At the very least, that had been my intention." she finished sadly.
Sorey watched mutely as she stepped up to the edge of the cliff beside him, the winds rippling her dress and sending the cloak on her back flapping into the air behind her.
"It was what I had seen during my travels alongside the supposed 'Lord of Calamity' that had convinced me such a future was possible." she uttered softly. "My dream had thrived off of the hope that Velvet left the world, inspired by the strength of will that she held in the face a misguided man."
She paused. "...A man who too called himself the 'Shepherd.'" Her expression was hidden from view by the curtain of her hair as she stared out into the distance in reminiscence.
Sorey's eyes were wide with shock.
He opened his mouth to respond, yet nothing came out. The implications of the stranger's words were impossible for him to comprehend in an instant.
Her seraphic figure was framed in the sunlight akin to an almost holy figure as she turned to face him; a gentle expression on her face.
"...The roles we play in this life are up to nobody else but ourselves." she finished, smiling quietly.
She shook her head, her red hair rippling with the movement. "I failed to turn my dream into reality before I died. Yet I stand here before you, holding not a speck of regret nor shame for the actions I took." she said gently, holding Sorey's gaze. "I urge that at the very least, you strive to say the same come the end of your journey."
Grass and dirt crackled under her boots as she turned on her feet, directing her steps away from the Shepherd and down the path without another word. It took Sorey a moment to register that she was leaving for good.
"H-hold on!" he yelled, stretching out his hand towards the departing woman. "You never told me your name!"
The strange seraph came to a halt, drawing her boots together as she glanced over her shoulder at Sorey. Her smile was soft and empty. "I don't exist anymore." the woman replied sadly.
Sorey blinked in surprise.
"My memories returned long after I had been reborn, hundreds of years after my reborn self had developed a new identity of her own." Her foreign eyes held a strange look. "This 'new me' came here to share these memories with you out of respect for who I was and what she knew I would want. This will be the very last time that I will be remembered in such a way." She held a fist to her chest, her expression distant. "...Such is the agreement that she and I have reached."
Dirt crackled underneath her white boots as she turned away from his incredulous expression, facing the opposite path and towards the wilderness beyond.
"...You need not tell Velvet of my existence." the stranger added quietly. "There is simply no reason to haunt her with figments of a lost time." Behind her, the golden ornaments hanging from her foreign dress rippled in the breeze.
"She has suffered far more than enough as is."
With a gratuitous hum of power, the seraph vanished into the warm sunny afternoon like a specter from the past, leaving behind not a trace of her existence.
For some reason, Sorey knew that he would never see her again.
His mind raced with conflicting thoughts in the aftermath of the exchange; his heart unable to decipher the strange emotions coursing through his head. It all seemed impossible – the conflicting accounts of all those who had interacted with the person he'd once considered his friend. The one who had lied to him throughout his journey – the one he had been tasked to destroy.
High up above, the two circling eagles let out simultaneous hunting cries, announcing their intent to the world at large amidst the heavens.
CRASH!
Sorey was forced out of his thoughts in a jolt of shock as deafening booms of artificial thunder reverberated through air, shaking the ground underfoot with a dull boom that rang in his ears. Alarmed, the Shepherd kicked off into a run, sprinting down the path at a breakneck pace while reaching for his sword.
The distant volatile thunder continued in the distance, generated by the clash of domains.
The rest of his seraphic family stood at the ready at the entrance to the village, Rose and Alisha among their midst as they stood against the enormous break in the world beyond. He ran as quickly as he could to Gramps's and Mikleo's sides, giving them a quick, serious nod as he drew his own sword, readying himself as he faced the mass of malevolence encroaching upon the treasured world within which he'd been raised.
The grip on his sword tightened as her form emerged from the darkness beyond.
Velvet Crowe's glowing red eyes were fixed on his as she came to a halt just beyond the clashing boundaries of her domain against Zenrus's, her expression cold with sharpened determination. By her side, her enormous claw pulsated, flourishing amidst the whipping chaos of her corrupted domain.
"Sorey."
Her voice carried easily above the thunderous crashing of energy as the boundaries of her malevolence fought with Zenrus's lightning. She rested her human right hand on her hip, her inhuman eyes locked onto his. "Come to the outskirts of Lakehaven Heights. You'll remember where." the Lord of Calamity's voice rumbled amidst the heavens. Her eyes were emotionless and determined. "It's time to settle this."
The eyes of Sorey's family and followers turned to him as he stepped forward, lowering his sword while holding the hellion's gaze.
The words of the Four Elemental Empyreans recounting experiences with this being in past lives. The storied rumors of the Lord of Calamity – the woman who had manipulated and lied to him. Moments of levity and of trust with the friend he'd travelled with. The face of the woman who'd urged him through his hardest times – the face of the woman who had betrayed him this entire time. The strange words of a mysterious former Shepherd.
"Your job is to kill me, Shepherd."
Her own words rang quietly in his ears, steeling his expression.
Slowly, he nodded his head, deliberately sliding his sword back into the sheath at his side. "Got it." he replied evenly. "I'll be there, Velvet."
With that, the clawed hellion turned around and left without another word, her steel boots crunching on the dying grass underfoot. In her wake, the clashing domains slowly began to quell, her departure allowing for Zenrus's holy aura to retake the area fully once more.
A strange silence befell in the wake of the hellion's departure, the dull rumbling of the conflicting domains fading out in the background.
Zenrus quietly exhaled a plume of smoke as he lowered his pipe with his offhand, staring out to where the intruder in his domain had disappeared. He pursed his lips, tilting his head up towards the blue skies above in heavy contemplation.
"A time of reckoning..." the aged seraph muttered softly, watching two lone eagles soaring above the expanse of the shrine.
His jaw set. "...Hmph. So it would seem." he agreed darkly.
High up above, the pair of birds flapped their wings to gain altitude, soaring alongside the surging currents of the wind as they continued their journey towards the distant horizon.