Chapter 6
Sol City
Part 1
The defeat of the two guardians in Firetop Mountain and Permafrost, Muspell and Garmr, results to the disappearance of the two Dark Seal that locks the northern mountains. Right after the purification of Garmr in Permafrost, Sol and Otenko hurriedly climb the mountain wishing that they can reach the Sol City before the day end.
However, the road to Sol City is longer than they expected to be. Five hours of walking, and they haven't reached the lake near it. The only thing that pushed them to stop is when the sun completely sets, painting the sky black. Traveling around the City of Death, specially at night, is as dangerous as entering a vampire lair without any weapons in hand. So without having any other choice, the Solar Girl and the Messenger of the Sun call it a day and slept in one of the giant trees they saw on the street.
As early as seven in the morning, the two already leaved and continue their journey to Sol City. And at last, after another five hours worth of walking, they reached the said lake.
"I believe that Sol City is not that far from here." Otenko's voice break the long silence between them. Hearing this sentence from him, Sol looked up the clear sky without feeling any pain as the bright sunlight hit her eyes.
"So that's Sol City?" She asked.
There, high above the sky, there is a some kind of floating building. They seems to form a shape of a sun when you look at it from below. Still, even with the long distance between her and the city floating above, she can notice some small floating rocks on some areas.
"Yes. But we have to walk a little more from here so we can reach it more faster when we fly."
"Hey, Master Otenko... There's something I wanted to ask."
Sensing the sudden change of atmosphere, Otenko looked at her with a confused face. He then notice her face, painted with depression as she look at the wooden bridge below them.
"Now that we are one step closer to Sol City... Can I ask something about my family?"
He didn't reply. He only stared at the azure sky, avoiding her gaze. Sure he expected the one of these days, Sol will ask this question to him. There is no way to avoid it. Taking a deep breath, he finally replied.
"What do you wanted to know?"
"Who really are they?"
"So don't know them?"
"Like I said before, I grow up knowing only their names and their titles. I only saw their appearances in a fading family picture but other than that, I know nothing. Can you please tell me more about them?"
"I can only tell you the details before I leaved your father. That is when Cressent is still very young."
"That's okay." Was her quick reply. Otenko only give one more heavy sigh before making an eye contact with her.
"Your father, Ringo, is one of my greatest partner. The strongest vampire hunter during his time and when it comes to guns, nobody can defeat him. He's fearless. Strong willed. But sometimes, tend to pull some jokes from you... We traveled around the world, saving towns and the innocent people, purifying Immortals and undead just like what we are doing right now. And during that journey, he met your mother."
"My mother?"
"Your mother, the Moon Beauty, And the one you should thank why you are so unique from any other Solar Child. She looks exactly like you when she was young. But she had a purple hair and a pale red eyes instead... I'm sorry, but she told me before to keep her identity a secret even to her own children."
"Then what about brother?"
"I only know a little fact about Cressent. The last time I saw him, he's only 5 months old. But I do believe that he got your mother's abilities since I can always see him summoning and playing with Lunar Bugs during full moon."
"I see..."
"I'm sorry, but that's the only thing I can tell."
"No its okay. At least I got an idea who they really are. Though, I hear more about father than mother or brother back in San Miguel. I guess its not surprising..." Sol said, putting both of her hands behind her head. "Anyway, lets go. We have to finish this before the sun sets again."
Part 2
- Sol City -
- May 21, 12:36 PM -
- Time before sunset: 5 hours and 24 minutes -
Using the magic warp Otenko summoned right below the Sol City, Sol, together with Otenko of course, flied to the city of the Solar Children that was abandoned countless of years ago. As she walk out in the room, the first thing that she saw made her panic.
She was 1,500 feet above the the land and to continue on, she have to cross the very narrow path. She keep on telling herself to stop looking below and got dizzy by the sky high view of the whole Istrakan. but then, she still have to look below, making sure that her feet still touches the very narrow road or the road wont collapse under her.
At last, it was over. She finally reached the entrance building of Sol City. Letting out a breath of relief, she let her legs be weak and collapse into the stone flooring.
"Are you okay?" Asked by Otenko, with a really concerned voice.
"I do understand that being close to the sun feels great for a Solar Child but building a road that only fits one person at a time DOESN'T help at all!" She said, half shouted. "What if someone falls down from a city floating 1,500 feet above the ground? I don't get it! What is wrong with my ancestors anyway!?"
"The entrance is not that narrow before. To tell the truth, that road was once a open area. Maybe the Immortals did something through it?"
"If that's the case then I already figure it out why they made the path so narrow."
Gathering her strength once again, Sol stood up from her seat and continue on moving forward. As she reached the door, she took a deep breath, preparing herself for another narrow path that she might walk on.
Strangely, the next room is rather... Big. It looks like a giant plaza with a small garden in the edge. But the garden is not as beautiful as the garden in Bloodrust Mansion though. There are giant pots made from the same stone that used to make the flooring and each of them reached up to her chest level. Above every pot, there are some sort of plants with large leaf. Surprisingly, even in a place inhabited by Undead, these plants grow so healthy, so green, so...
"KEH!"
A loud screeching sound break her free from her own illusions. Looking at the source of the noise, she saw a four feet tall chicken with brown feathers and green skin. If she's not mistaken, those are...
"Cockatrice!" Sol shouted and quickly grab Otenko's head. Hugging him on her stomach level, she quickly roll behind one of the giant pots, avoiding the purple colored laser shoot out by the cockatrice.
While hiding, her sapphire blue eyes tracked down the direction where the laser hit. The result, of course, made her gasp.
The plant that was hit by the laser immediately turned into stone. It's a petrifying ray. Anything that was hit by that laser will automatically turned to stone. Well, that exclude a rock itself, but it will be a very dangerous weapon.
"This will be bad..." She whispered to herself before looking at Otenko, still on her arms. "Master, I know I don't have the rights to command you but you should disappear right now. It will be bad if those things hit you."
"I understand. Be careful, Sol. May the sun be with you." And with the usual line, he disappeared.
Grabbing the Gun Del Sol from her gun case, she lean a little to the edge of the pot and immediately fire multiple Solar Shot. However, once it hit the cockatrice, it only made the situation got worse. The cockatrice start to run around like crazy in the whole area, firing petrifying rays on random directions.
'Argh! I forgot that they run around wildly if the attack didn't hit behind!' She thought, half angry on herself while hitting the helmet on her forehead with her palm. Suddenly an idea pop in her mind. 'If the Flame lens shoots out Fireballs and Flamethrowers, then maybe the Frost lens can freeze!'
Testing out her new idea, she immediately grab the lens she found on the Permafrost. Equipping it on the Gun Del Sol, she fire numerous blue colored Solar Shot at the running cockatrice. As the Solar Shot hits the cockatrice, the body part that it touches immediately freeze. The next thing she knows is there is a giant chicken inside a very large piece of ice.
Sol slowly walked near the frozen cockatrice, trying to see if her attack did work. Laying a hand on the cold ice block, a smile formed on her face.
"Well, I do really surprise myself sometimes." She said proudly but something feels wrong. It feels like there is something missing.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, her insides told her to dunk. Having faith on what her insides was telling, she did dunk, dodging the petrifying rays that she didn't notice behind and hit the ice block containing the cockatrice instead. The ice block immediately turned to a stone in less than five seconds, making her gasp. She quickly turn around to see the attacker.
"Oh dear..." She whispered.
Behind her, there is actually three more cockatrices charging at her. Pointing her Gun Del Sol in the front of her once again, she quickly fired three Solar Shot before rolling on the other direction. It seems that the cockatrice learn pretty fast since they dodged all of the Solar Shots that she fires at them. Quickly moving behind the giant pot, using it as a shield from a petrifying rays, the young Solar Girl glared at the sky.
'Okay... This is a LOT more harder than I thought to be.' She thought, trying to use her senses to locate the cockatrices' locations. 'I need to find a way to reflect their attacks back... Like a mirror or something...'
And so her search began. She keep looking on both left and right side, trying to find something to use. But as she tilt her head to the right, something catch her attention. It's not an object lying in the floor, rather its the hilt of her sword resting on her back.
"Wait a minute..." She whispered to herself and pull the sword a little to see her reflection on the silver blade. 'I got it!'
Part 3
The three cockatrice patrol the whole area. They have to find, and if possible, kill the blonde haired girl like what their leader command them. Their mission is, after all, protect their leader from any vampire hunter or trespassers.
Their focus, however, was interrupted by a loud and sharp whistle from the north. Looking at the direction where the sound come from, they saw the blonde haired girl they are looking for. But there's something wrong... She doesn't hold her Gun Del Sol for some odd reason.
"Looking for me?" She said with a very confident voice. The three cockatrice only glare at her as a reply though. The smile on her face grew wider as she apart her knees. "Then come and get me."
Like what she expected, the three cockatrice shoot out their own petrifying rays at her direction at the same time. Instead of dashing out of the way, Sol quickly pulled out her sword from her back. She held its silver blade to support it more before letting the purple laser hit it. Instead of turning the blade into a stone, the petrifying rays bounce back at the cockatrice like a mirror. She did the same to the other two, making sure she angled it right to hit the cockatrices.
The next thing she know, she got three statue of cockatrice right in the front of her. The statue suddenly got numerous cracks before they explode in tiny pieces of stone and dust.
"Well, that take care of that." She said rather playfully and turn around to continue on walking. However, a sound of something falling made her stop. It sound like a thick glass hitting the stone floor. Sol quickly turn around and ran on the origin of the sound. To her surprise, she found another lens. This time, it is color green as a leaf from a healthy tree.
"Master?" She called without looking away from the lens resting on her hand.
"What is it, Sol?"
"What lens is this?"
"Ahh. That's the Earth Lens. If my memory serves me right, that lens is supposed to be in the hands of Gaea's Children. But considering that Lito doesn't have it, and there is no way for him to reach this city, maybe the Earth Lens didn't make it to his hands."
"Then I should return this to him after my mission."
"Yes. But since it's a Lens, you can use it in the Gun Del Sol like what you do to the Sol, Flame and Frost lens."
"I see."
"Anyway, Sol, lets continue on to the highest floor."
"But shouldn't you summon the Pile Driver first? This area seems to be big enough to fit it in."
"Yes but you see, I used too much energy in summoning the warp that we used to fly here. Maybe we should summon the Pile Driver when you actually beat the Immortal."
"Okay." And with that said, they continue on walking deep inside the Sol City.
Part 4
The young woman was sitting on a wooden chair, reading an old book while playing the locks of her short black hair. The emotionless expression on her face haven't change at all. Suddenly, she felt a spark on her spine, making her brown eyes widen.
As an Immortal, she could sense the number of the undead in the whole Sol City. And it seems like the number of her servants were quickly decreasing as the time goes by. Her eyes revert back to its normal emotionless expression but this time, a smile escaped from her lips.
"So she's here." She whispered in a low tone of voice. The vampire hunter she have to kill already arrived in her home. Black already warn her about the Solar Girl and her skills but it doesn't mean that she can take her easily.
Closing the old book on her hand, the young woman stood up from her seat.
"I guess it's time for me to prepare for her arrival." She said with her eyes starting to change from brown to crimson reed.
Part 5
A loud clang signals Sol that the express elevator she was riding already reached its peak. The young Solar Girl step out of the metal platform, examining the entrance. No surprise, more plants in the giant pots and a sky high view of the whole Istrakan. She was taken aback by the very amazing view.
She can clearly see every dungeon she traveled for the past days. The Fog Castle, Bloodrust Mansion, Firetop Mountain and the hard to miss Permafrost.
"We are here, at last…" she whispered to herself. She took a deep breath and without any second thought, dashed inside the door less building.
The thick oak door is the only way to get farther. And inside, she could feel a very strong Dark Matter covering it. She reached for the handle of the door but Otenko appeared beside her.
"Wait, Sol." He interrupted. "This could be a trap."
"I know. Everything we've done up until now maybe is a trap. However, if this trap can bring me to the location of both Mani and my brother, then I will gladly play in their hands."
"I know that, Solana. But at the time like this, please understand the other side." his voice made Sol froze. "Cressent is missing for like nine years and nobody can fill up Ringo's role except for you. Heck, even if Cressent was here, we cannot be sure that he will do the job as a Solar Child because he is a Moon Beauty."
"…I …" she don't know what to say anymore. Finally, she let go of the doorknob and let her hand fall down to her sides.
"I keep on telling you this; no one can replace you yet. So as much as possible, be careful with everything specially dealing with Immortals."
"… I'm sorry, Master." She apologized. "I totally lost my cool since we reach this far."
"No, it's okay. I think it's natural for you to act like this since the truth behind your family is just beyond this wooden door."
"But if this is really a trap, then how can we enter it?"
"I'll go first." Was Otenko's quick reply. "Follow me when you get the signal."
"Alright. Be careful Master."
As she said that, Sol took a few steps back, leaning on the closest wall. She watched Otenko enter the room before her gaze shifted from him to the rock floor. Suddenly, questions filled her head.
Will she really find Mani and the secrets of her family here just like what Count said? Is this the end of her journey? After she exited this dungeon… will she walk to the road back to San Miguel with her brother?
So many questions flow inside her head, but right now, she don't know if she can answer that questions. But she's sure of one thing. All of those questions will be answered beyond this door.
"ARGHHHHH!" a loud screaming voice snapped her back to reality. Without having any second thoughts, Sol quickly dashed on the room beyond the wooden door.
Part 6
Sol gasped on what she saw inside the room.
A young woman with short black hair and crimson red eyes wearing a blue dress stand right in the middle of the room. She was staring at something just below her foot without any care in the world. But that's not the thing that surprises the Solar Girl. That something on her foot is actually Otenko with his body turned into stone.
"M-master…"
"Solana… this maybe… the it for me…" she could still hear Otenko's faint voice. "I will… summon the Pile Driver… where you fought… the cockatrices… defeat her… save Mani… and Moon Beauty… Cressent… May the sun… be with you…" A crack appeared on Otenko's head as some part of his stone body fell on the red carpet. "I'm sorry… Rin… go…"
She tried to reply. She wanted to do something to save him from death. But before she could even open her mouth, the crack grew bigger and bigger until Otenko's body explode in tiny pieces of rock and dust like what happened to the cockatrice in the plaza.
"MASTER OTENKO!" Sol shouted on the top of her lungs.
With her eyes filled with tears, she quickly ran on Otenko's former location. She knelt in the ground and grab the remaining stone shards of his body. But when she touched them, it immediately turned to dust… She lost someone important to her again.
"You lost your friend. And you still keep on going?" the voice of the young woman snapped her back to reality.
Wiping the tears on her eyes, the young Solar Girl stood up from her seat without raising her head. She clenched her hand into fist, before shooting a sharp glare at the young woman. How dare she, how DARE she! Oh how Sol wanted to punch this woman in the face. The only thing that holds her back is the fact that Immortals can feel more pain during the Battle Drive than being smacked directly at the face.
"Fine. If that's your decision then." She said and for some odd reason, the young woman float in the air. "Come to me."
The room suddenly covered by light but Sol didn't even flinch. She just close her eyes like she was prepared on what can happen. As the light disappears, she saw the young woman but in different form right at this very moment. Her skin turned from pale to bluish and there are four snakes hissing on her head, replacing her black hair. Not to mention, the half of her body is just like a giant snake with thick green scales on it.
"I'm Maria of the Wind. The Immortal guarding the Sol City. You, the vampire hunter sharing the same blood as Cressent."
"Cressent…?" Sol whispered to herself. 'She know who is Cressent?!'
"You really are a foolish ignorant girl, aren't you? Well then, I will teach you a lesson that you can never forget!"
After shouting those words, Maria slammed her tail to the stone ground. The room shake a little but it's still enough for Sol to lost her balance and fell on the floor. Her face doesn't show anger anymore, rather, it shows a kind of expression like she was waiting for an answer to her thousand question.
"Tell me! Where I can find my brother!?" she asked, half shouted, making sure that Maria can still hear her even with their height difference.
Instead of answering her question, Maria used her tail to push her away from her. Sol quickly noticed her attack and quickly dodge it by rolling to the other side. She looked behind with her sapphire blue eyes glaring at her. grabbing the newly found lens she got in the plaza, she equipped it on the Gun Del Sol before shifting her gaze from Maria to its golden frame. She was surprised to see that the lens didn't glow unlike what the other lens do.
While dodging Maria's attacks, Sol keep on removing and equipping the Earth lens to her Gun Del Sol, waiting for it to send its faint glow. Suddenly, she remember what Otenko said earlier. Staring at the green piece of glass, she took a deep breath.
"Look, I know that you should be in Lito's hands and not in mine, but right now, please I need your help!"
It seems that the lens responded to her sentence since it finally glowed in green color. Instead of pointing directly at Maria, Sol fired a green colored Solar Spread in the stone floor covered with blanket. Vines quickly grow out from the floor and hold Maria by grabbing her hands and tail. She struggled on her small prison and finally, shoot out a glare on Sol's location.
"Do you think you could stop me using this?" she said and her eyes suddenly glowed in crimson color.
In a few seconds, the vines that hold her down turned to stone. And with a little effort, the stone turned to dust, breaking her free. Sol gritted her teeth. Sure she does expect that to happen but she didn't expect for her to break free so fast.
Opening her mouth, a purple plasma ball formed and shoot out to her direction. Sol was cornered. There is no way she could dodge that. Unless she use something to block it. Pointing her Gun Del Sol at the ground again, she fired a Solar Spread, making another vine in the front of her come. The vine catched the plasma ball, immediately turning it into stone and crumbled to dust.
'A petrifying ball...?' She asked herself through the use of her mind.
Looking back at Maria, Sol saw another petrifying ball flying on her direction. Without having any second thoughts, she immediately pulled out her sword and used its silver blade to reflect her attack back like a mirror. The petrifying ball hit Maria directly on her face. She put her hands on both of her cheeks and her growl in pain can be heard.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Sol on her head level with the Gun Del Sol pointed at her, ready to pull the trigger. Even in a surprised state, Maria still try to counter by trying to shoot another petrifying ball at her direction. With that angle, she cannot miss. She just need to release it more faster than before and the Solar Girl will be turned to stone.
But the fate didn't allow that to happen.
The Earth property Solar Spread is way more faster than her petrifying ball. But there is something different with the Solar Spread. Instead it was shaped like a blast of light, it is actually shaped like a blade of the sword. The blade like Solar Spread pierced through her forehead. As the gravity pull her down to the ground, the spread keeps on burning Maria's body from the inside, letting out a black smoke in the progress.
She landed back in the ground, and the Solar Spread disappears at the same time. Looking at Maria, she saw that her whole snake like body start to turn into stone and fall in the ground. Picking up the blue card on the pocket of her skirt, she raised it in the air and took a deep breath.
"ELEFAN!" her shout echoed to the whole room.
In less than a minute, Maria's crumbling body was sealed inside the living coffin.
Sol stared at the coffin with a rather depressed look on her face. Elefan stared at her then, began turning right and left trying to find someone.
"Pao?" It asked.
"I'm sorry, Elefan... But Master Otenko is not here today."
"Pao..." The reply of the living coffin made the young Solar Girl to let out a chuckle.
"I don't really understand what are you saying but don't be sad." She replied. "Lets purify this Immortal then, kay?"
"PAO!"
And with that said, Sol start dragging the coffin to the plaza.
Part 7
Black slowly walk on one of the road of Istrakan. On his right hand, he carry two thick books while on the other, he holds a small bag with its contents still unknown. It's still day but the hood on the long cape he wore protect him from the burning pain of the setting sun shinning down to him.
As he took another step, a voice rang on his head. Not just an ordinary voice but a voice of someone important to him.
He look up in the sky, ignoring the burning pain of the sunlight hitting his forehead. Above him is the Sol City, floating in the sky as always. Looking closely, he can see the something shinning on it. He gritted his teeth in anger, already knowing what exactly is happening above.
"Tsk! She's already there!"
Dropping the books and the small bag to the ground, Black quickly jumped in the air. His body glowed in crimson color and in less than a second, he transformed into a crow, flying up the Sol City.
Part 8
The Battle Drive is over. Picking up Elefan on its card form from the ground, Sol let out another heavy sigh.
"In the end, she didn't answer my question about brother..."
"Pao?" Elefan's voice echoed inside the blue card.
"Ahh, no, no, I'll be fine. I'm sure I can find him someday." Sol replied with a smile on her face.
Her smile, however, quickly fade as she felt something different. A chill on her spine. Her insides quickly tell her to change location immediately. Following what her insides says, Sol quickly jumped behind, dodging the crimson sonic wave. The sonic wave is strong enough to split the Pile Driver in half, making Sol gasp.
The Pile Driver quickly fade away when the sonic wave sliced it in half. Looking at the attacker, Sol quickly pulled her Gun Del Sol and change its lens from the Earth lens to Sol lens. In all people she met, there is only one person had that kind of power. A power that can actually tear of the ground in just one effortless move.
"Black of the West..."
"I already warned you before. Now you will pay for everything you have done until today."
A/N: Ohhhh... this thing is already on its climax~!
I try to upload the next chapter as soon as possible. then I'm going to continue working on with book 2~