Here's the fifth chapter. I think I know why no one was leaving reviews: I accidentally wasn't allowing anonymous reviewers. Oops...
Anyhow, enjoy this chapter.
CHAPTER 5: LEGACY
Storm clouds brewed above a large set of mountains in Infinor. Lightning crackled through the sky and the rain poured down ceaselessly. As the lightning crackled, a screech sounded through the mountain passes.
Up above the mountains, the massive form of a golden Thunderbird swooped overhead. It had on its forehead the Altas Sigil, the Sigil of Balance. It screeched again as it dove down at a mountaintop where a blue-haired girl stood. As the Thunderbird continued its dive, it screeched and its body began to crackle with electrical energy. It raised its two massive talons and lunged at the girl, but she moved to the side, floating shortly above the ground. The bird flew back upwards as the girl turned and looked on at her adversary.
"You know, this would be a lot easier," Crea snarled, "if you'd just hold still for a second…"
Crea raised her hands to the Thunderbird and fired a number of small pulses from them. As they flew at the bird it banked to the side and the barrage passed by it. It then turned and looked down at Crea and screeched again. As it did lightning rained down from the sky and the bolts streamed directly at Crea. She lifted her hands to the bolts and seemed to catch them in her hands.
Crea grunted as the electricity coursed through her body. She could hold the power for a little while, but if she didn't release it soon it would likely cause her great harm. Fighting through the pain of the electrical shock, she quickly thrust her hands into the stone crest beneath her feet. She then sent the electrical energy into the stone, which grounded it, and the pain subsided. For a short moment, small columns of smoke rose from Crea's body; she was slightly singed, but otherwise unharmed.
Crea panted for a moment then said smugly, "If I had known this guy was going to be this much trouble, I would've brought an umbrella."
Crea stood back up and looked on as the Thunderbird prepared to take another pass at her.
"Probably should've brought one anyways," Crea commented, taking notice that her long blue hair was plastered along her body, completely soaked.
Crea ran a hand through her hair, squeezing out a large amount of water. However, the water seemed to wrap itself around her hand, which seemed to glow a faint blue. After a sizeable amount of water engulfed Crea's hand, it began to change in form, turning to a javelin of ice in her hand.
"Nah, scratch that."
Crea twirled the javelin around in her hand, and then looked back at the Thunderbird. The monster screeched as it flew down, its talons outstretched. Crea raised the javelin and threw it at the bird. The javelin struck home, hitting the Thunderbird in the wing. The javelin shattered as it impacted and embedded several shards of ice into its wing. Soon after the shards stuck themselves into the Thunderbird's wing, they began to encase the wing in a sheet of ice. The bird screeched in pain and pulled out of its dive. It then slowly began to descend, its flight somewhat wobbly from its wing being frozen. As it landed on the mountaintop the Thunderbird began flexing its frozen wing, cracking the ice. A moment later, the ice sheet shattered and the Thunderbird's wing was free. Crea readied herself for whatever her foe might try next.
"Bring it on, dumbass!"
Almost instantly, the Thunderbird screeched at Crea and aimed its beak at her. As it opened its beak again, a stream of electrical energy surged forward from its mouth, wrecking the mountaintop in a wide conical spread. Crea raised her arms and a barrier formed around her in a dome. The lightning struck the dome, but caused little damage. As the lightning wave passed, Crea lowered the barrier and set her arms to her sides, her hands spread open. A pair of rings of energy formed in Crea's hands, and she held onto them as they finished forming. She then tossed both of them at the Thunderbird, and they struck the bird's wings, cutting into them. However, the blades only hit the rims of its wings, causing little damage.
The bird screeched in pain, but quickly readied itself again to attack, its injury being only minor. It then spread its wings and started flapping them at Crea, creating a massive gust of wind. Crea raised her arms to the wind, but the force of the current blew her off her feet and sent her dragging on her back across the mountaintop. As she dragged across the ground, Crea slammed her fists into the ground and a large column of rock jetted up behind her. Crea slammed into the rock, but was relatively unharmed; the rock had been slanted to soften the impact. As the wind continued to blow past Crea, she braced her arms on the rock behind her and slowly righted herself. As she stood up, the rock angled itself, compensating for Crea's position. As Crea finished standing, the stone had completely angled itself upwards.
Crea looked on at the Thunderbird as it continued to flap its wings at her. To her, the bird was starting to become a real annoyance, but she hadn't come up to such a high altitude for nothing. She was planning on claiming the Thunderbird's powers of electricity; though she could channel electrical energy herself, she couldn't control it properly or create it herself. Such a power would complement her newer abilities quite well.
Crea raised her hands to the sky, as if trying to catch the rain that continued to fall. The water seemed to veer toward her hands and massed around her arms. As the water surrounded her arms it turned to ice. Crea then directed her arms at the Thunderbird and the ice flew forward in a flurry of ice shards, which seemed to shimmer with a white light. The shards struck the bird's wings, exploding in showers of ice as they struck and embedding the shards in its golden feathers. The Thunderbird screeched in pain as its wings began to freeze, with some of the ice even covering its chest. The wind died down almost instantly. The Thunderbird began to shake about, trying to break the ice.
Crea spread her hands to her sides in fists and they began to glow in a deep red pattern. Almost instantly afterwards, flames surrounded her hands, yet they did not burn her, nor did the pouring rain extinguish them. She then thrust one of her hands at the Thunderbird and the flames streamed forward. The stream struck the bird's chest and it screamed in agony as the flames engulfed its body. Crea then thrust her other hand at the bird and a large fireball flew at the Thunderbird in an arc. The fireball exploded as it struck, scorching the Thunderbird and sending it crashing to the ground on its front, the ice surrounding it shattering as it hit the ground. The bird screeched softly and painfully, and then fell silent.
Crea knew the flames had not finished off the bird, and she walked over to its limp body. Upon reaching it, she looked down at the Thunderbird for a moment, and then raised an arm and a blade appeared surrounding it. She then thrust the blade at the Thunderbird's neck.
A crash of lightning sounded as Crea struck, signaling the Thunderbird's death. After a moment, the rain stopped and the lightning stopped. The clouds remained, however.
Crea pulled her blade out of the Thunderbird, which lay deceased before her. She withdrew the blade from her hand. She then laid a hand on the bird's form and said, "I certainly hope you were worth the trouble. That took quite an effort."
Crea shut her eyes and began to focus her power on the Thunderbird's form. She had done this before to get her powers over water, fire and earth, and now she was about to claim lightning. Crea's body began to glow in a pattern, her eyes shone a white light and her hands shimmered with a golden glow. As she glowed, the Thunderbird's body also began to glow a white light. Soon, its whole body turned into a golden glow and the Thunderbird's body began to dematerialize, turning to several small gold lights that began to swirl around Crea. As the lights swirled in their dance, Crea spread her arms and the lights began entering her body. As the last lights entered Crea, a flash of light shone from her body and quickly receded.
Crea took a deep breath, and raised a hand before her face as she opened her eyes. She looked at it, and it crackled with electrical energy. She then swung her arm at the rock spire she had erected earlier and a bolt of lightning left her fingertips. The bolt blew the rock to pieces. Crea looked at the destruction for a moment, impressed by the destructive power she had just unleashed.
"Well then, I guess that was worth the effort."
Crea lifted her arm to the sky, wishing to further experiment with her new power over lightning. As she positioned her arm, it began to glow with a greenish yellow pattern. As they glowed, an electrical field began to swirl around Crea, and the sky above began to once again crackle with lightning. The lightning surrounding Crea began to rocket skyward and then, a moment after entering the clouds, lighting rained down erroneously in a volley around Crea. The lightning wrecked the area around Crea, much to her satisfaction. She liked watching her new power at work, quickly seeing its potential.
Crea lowered her arm, and then realized something else seemed different in her. She felt as though she had gained more than just the powers of lightning. At that moment she felt a slight breeze pass through her hair. It was very cold, considering she had just been drenched by rain. It then occurred to her: perhaps she had control over wind as well. There was only one way to find out for sure.
Crea shut her eyes and peered deep into her mind. This was a method she used for finding out about any of her newer powers. Fortunately, she had done this before, so it was safe. As she focused, she saw images flash through her mind, showing her what she needed to know.
She opened her eyes and said, "Interesting. Two birds for one."
Crea raised a hand, which began to glow with a green pattern. A small cyclone began to form in front of her and streamed forward. The cyclone sent large amounts of rubble on the mountaintop scattering.
Crea chuckled slightly and said, "That could be useful."
She then raised another hand and thrust her palm into the ground. As she touched the ground, a cyclone began to whirl around her violently, sending stones and debris all around her scattering. The cyclone expanded after a moment, and then vanished, sending debris every which way. Crea did not move for a moment, but stood up shortly afterwards.
That fact that she had gained two new powers from the Thunderbird came off as intriguing to Crea. Normally she was used to only gaining one power from defeating her enemies. It was the case for a few prior fights, where she had gained the abilities to control fire, water and earth. Those fights were somewhat troublesome, but they were a means to an end. She had become much stronger through her victories. And yet, still, she wanted to continue becoming stronger. She couldn't understand why; it was just a kind of instinct she had to follow.
As Crea continued to ponder this fact, she did not notice a small floating eyeball lurking near her. Its large eye narrowed as it watched her, as though some unknown force were observing her.
Nearby, on a cliff below the mountaintop, a hooded figure in a sort of assassin's outfit looked on at an orb that showed what the eye was viewing. He watched as Crea turned to look off in a new direction.
Through the screen Crea's image said, "The hunt continues…" Blue lights then surrounded Crea and she vanished. A moment after Crea had gone the eye that had watched her also disappeared in a wisp of black smoke.
Back on the cliff, the man continued to stare into the orb, which was now blank. After a moment, a dense set of clouds seemed to form inside the orb, and after a moment, a three figures in black hooded robes appeared in the orb. They were arranged like a sort of council.
"My masters," the cloaked agent said, "I have witnessed the power of the destroyer. She is a truly remarkable being, gaining strength from her spoils of victory. But presently she is nothing in comparison to the Megalith."
"That is unfortunate," said one of the hooded beings in a deep, inhuman voice. "We expected the successor to be… stronger."
"But given time," a second one said, "she may become quite formidable. She may exceed the power of her brood father."
"Continue in your pursuit of the successor," the third figure said. "And may the darkness of the Ethos guide your path."
"By your will, my masters," the agent said.
The orb began to swirl with dark clouds again, and then it went blank. The agent lifted the orb and it vanished in his hand. He then swept his cloak around him, and vanished.
--
Later that day, Crea warped into a set of forest near the settlement of Arboth. She looked around the area, looking for any signs of life other than the trees. After a moment, she felt a slight shocking sensation run through her body and winced in pain. She had been teleporting around a little too much, and it was starting to drain her.
Crea sighed and said, "I really hate having to do this all the time."
Crea laid her hand on a nearby tree and her hands glowed golden. Her hands began leeching energy from the tree as it began to lose its color and the Sigils adorning it began to fade. Soon, Crea stopped the process and the tree toppled over. As it crashed to the ground, the tree fell to pieces, sending small wood fragments sprawling across the forest floor.
Crea looked at her hand and sighed. She hated having to resort to such a method to stay alive, not that she cared for the lives of others. If she had to take life to stay alive, it was fine with her, but she didn't like how doing so made her feel like a weakling. Other species didn't have to do this to stay alive, so why was she so different in that respect?
The sound of a snapping twig caught Crea's attention. She whipped around to the source and fired a blast at it from her hand. The blast landed in front of a set of bushes, causing a small explosion. A girl leaped out from the bushes screaming and tripped, falling on her back. Crea leapt forward at the girl and landed before her. She looked at the child contemptuously. The girl had long brown hair and was dressed in a ragged brown outfit. But when the girl opened her eyes, Crea was interested to discover that they were completely violet. The eyes had the Sigil Sum, the Sigil of Peace, marked on them.
"Care to tell me what you were doing in those bushes, kid?" Crea said. The girl did not say anything. Crea then said, "Did you not hear me? What were you doing spying on me?"
"I'm– I'm sorry," the girl said. "I was just wondering… about–"
"What I just did?" Crea interrupted. The girl nodded. "You wouldn't understand it."
"But… the tree… I saw the energy leave the tree, and enter your body. And then the tree died…"
"Huh?"
The girl continued to stare at Crea. From her point of view, Crea was a large mass of blue flames, and all eight of the Sigils lined her body. Crea's eyes were a mass of white light, and in the middle of her forehead there was a strange red glow. In the place where her heart should have been, there was a large Henge, a combination of all eight Sigils, though it was continually shifting between bright and dark colors.
"What is your name?" Crea asked.
"Maia."
"Well then, Maia, care to tell me how you knew what I had just done?"
"I can see Sigil energy, in its raw form. I can see into the hearts of others."
"I see. That's a rather interesting power you have," Crea said. Maia smiled slightly. Crea then said, "Tell me: what do you see about me? Does the sight of my power frighten you?"
"Y– Yes…" Maia said fearfully, her smile almost instantly vanishing.
"I thought so. Many who actually witness my power in battle feel the same way, at least those who live."
"L– Live? You mean—"
"Yes. I usually end up destroying those who dare to face me. So far, only a few have survived. So… what will you do? Will you flee?"
Maia did not say anything, nor did she move from her spot. She was probably too scared to do anything, let alone run.
"You must obviously think me to be some kind of monstrosity, don't you?" said Crea.
Maia did not say anything, but looked down at the ground, as though thinking back to something. Crea noticed this, which came as a sort of puzzlement to her. She had expected Maia to run away in terror, but she remained instead.
After a short pause, Maia said, "Seth thought he was a monster too, but he's not."
"Seth?"
"He's a Di-Gata Defender. He and his friends saved me and all of Arboth."
"Hmm, that sounds like him."
Crea turned away from Maia, attempting to hide a tinge of frustration from the girl. A while back, Crea had faced the Defenders before and lost; it was a severe blow to her pride.
"Are you and Seth friends?" Maia then said.
Crea paused for a moment. This was an easy question to answer, but for some reason Crea did not want to be so blunt with Maia.
"Not really," Crea replied.
"Why not?"
"Seth and I have… had our differences. I'd rather not say more than that."
The two said nothing for a moment. Then Crea said, "Tell me: what did you mean by 'Seth thought he was a monster'?"
"He thought he was a monster because he didn't feel normal. He had lost his guardian, and it merged with him. That's why he said he was a monster, but he's not."
"Is that so? That's interesting…"
"I… I need to get home…"
Maia got to her feet as she said this. Crea then said, "So now you decide to flee?"
"No! I just have to get back to the safe place before dark. That's when the monsters come out."
"You mean Arboth?"
"Yes."
"How are you so sure I'm not one of those monsters?"
"You don't look like a monster…"
Crea chuckled at this remark and said, "And how does that make you so sure? Maybe I'm disguising myself as a human!" Crea laughed at this thought.
"Your heart isn't like any monster I've ever seen," Maia said in reply.
"But it's not that of a human's, isn't it?"
"No…"
After a short pause, Crea began to walk away from Maia. As she did, Crea said, "Go on home."
"I… I don't want to go alone. The monsters could come out. Would you come with me?"
"Sorry kid, but I don't do babysitting. Besides, I've got better things to do."
Crea continued walking off and soon trees veiled the sight of Maia. After a few minutes of walking, Crea thought back to what Maia had said. The words that her energies were unlike anything Maia had seen had some value to Crea. It made Crea believe she was a one-of-a-kind.
Just then, Crea felt a number of small energy forms enter the area. She could not pinpoint their location; her power to sense Sigil energy did not allow her to locate it precisely. She however recognized what they were: Dakocite Wolves. She was sure she'd have no trouble with them, but then something clicked into her mind. They weren't after her.
--
Back in another part of the forest, Maia cautiously walked through the forest. The night was starting to become cold, and she started shivering as she walked. She was still shaken up a bit by her encounter with Crea, but she had been through worse.
Suddenly, she heard a number of growls behind her and instantly she recognized the sound. They were Dakocite Wolves, and they were coming after her. She turned around and saw five wolves running right at her. Terrified, Maia began to run, sprinting over tree roots and rocks for dear life. After a about a minute of running, she turned around to see the wolves still coming at her. Her leg struck a root, and Maia screamed as she fell face-forward and tumbled into a ditch. Maia tried to push herself up, but turned as the wolves came to the top of the ditch. As one of them rushed down and bared its fangs, she screamed.
At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck the Dakocite Wolf in the side, frying it instantly. It crumpled to the ground in front of Maia, who watched in amazement. She looked to the source of the bolt, and saw Crea, who had two fingers extended and whose hand sparked slightly with lightning. Crea stood still for a moment, but turned upon hearing the snarls of the other wolves. At least five more wolves had joined the pack and they charged at Crea. Crea extended her hand into a palm at the wolves and a beam of energy shot forward from her outstretched palm. One of the wolves was killed by the blast. Crea fired another blast and another wolf fell.
By now, the wolves were almost upon Crea. She withdrew her hand and thrust her other hand into the ground. As she struck the ground, a fissure of energy shot forward, causing the wolves to scatter. One of them came about and leapt at Crea, its claws and fangs ready to tear her apart. Crea whipped around and slashed a blade of energy at the wolf, felling it with one stroke. She then whipped around as another wolf jumped at her from behind and thrust a glowing fist at its head. The wolf flew back from the blow, striking a tree. The wolf slowly got up and whimpered as it ran away. Crea turned to face the remaining wolves, which growled at her menacingly. At least seven more had joined the pack, totaling twelve. Crea withdrew the blade surrounding her hand and turned to the pack.
"Trust me," Crea said in a confident tone. "This meal's not worth the effort."
Maia watched in wonder as Crea assumed a stance and her whole body became surrounded by a red glowing pattern. In the center of Crea's chest, the Ogama Sigil, the Sigil of Order, appeared in red. As the Sigil glowed, blazing orange and blue flames then surrounded Crea's body. The flames did not burn her, though, but seemed to dance about her body like an immolating shield. The wolves immediately were intimidated by this and backed a short distance away from Crea.
Maia almost screamed at seeing Crea surrounded by flames; from her point of view, Crea was now surrounded by powerful Sigil energies, which seemed to radiate a dark aura. Crea's heart had turned a dark red. Crea looked like some kind of demonic entity to Maia, and the girl trembled at the spectacle.
Crea strode towards the Dakocite Wolf pack, which continued to back away from her. As Crea walked through the trees, they ignited from her flaming aura, and the fire began to spread. The wolves, terrified of the fire, began to flee, yipping and whimpering as they ran. Crea smiled as they fled, and the flames surrounding her receded.
Maia looked on at Crea for a moment. The dark aura surrounding Crea had begun to recede, but traces of it still remained. However, her heart had returned to its shifting colors. Crea then turned to face Maia and saw the fear written across her face.
"Tell me, do you still think I may not be a monstrosity?" Crea asked.
Maia said nothing, but then noticed the fire behind Crea and watched it in horror. Crea turned to look at the flames, and then raised a hand. She slowly lowered her hand toward the ground, and as she did the flames began to dissipate. Soon, the flames vanished, leaving only scorch marks on the trees.
Crea then turned to Maia and said, "That better?" Again, Maia said nothing. Crea then continued, "I ask you again: do you think I'm a monster, or not?"
Maia shook her head, and then said, "I… I don't know…"
"I see…"
"You're not like the monsters. They only want to hurt people. But you saved me."
"Who says I'm not like them?" Crea replied.
"I can tell. You might look like a monster on the inside, but you're not really a monster."
"Then… what do you think I am?"
Maia hesitated for a moment, unable to answer Crea's question.
Crea then said, "Don't know, do you? You and me both… My past is a mystery to me. I've only seen bits and pieces of it, none of which have any clear meaning. Heh, it's kinda pathetic, really. I have powers beyond the wildest dreams of humanity, but where they are certain of their history, I'm left in the dark. It's probably no different between me and you."
Maia thought for a moment how to answer this. She then said, "No… It's not."
As Maia lay on the ground feeling somewhat guilty, Crea walked over to her and extended a hand to the girl. Crea then said, "I thought so. I appreciate the honesty."
Maia looked at Crea's gesture, then smiled and took Crea's hand. As she did, Crea's hand suddenly began to glow a golden aura, to both their surprise. Crea's eyes then began to glow white and a pattern appeared on her body. Maia looked at her arm and saw trails of Sigil energy leave her body and enter Crea's arm. The energy trails made their way up Crea's arm and entered her eyes. Crea felt the power enter her eyes; the sensation was somewhat painful, but it was more of a discomfort. As the energy continued to leave Maia's body, a weakness spread through her. Soon, Crea's hand and body stopped glowing, and the energy transfer stopped as well. Maia let go of Crea's hand and fell to the ground, exhausted.
Crea's eyes continued to glow and then after a moment they stopped. Crea shut her eyes at this point. When she opened them again a second later, her eyes had turned a solid dark blue. Crea looked around, surprised by what she was seeing. In her eyes, there was Sigil energy dancing all over the place. She looked at her own body and saw a large mixture of Sigil energies flowing through her, like a bloodstream. Crea was astonished by what she was seeing. She then remembered about Maia and turned to look at her. Maia appeared as a large golden mass of Sum Sigil energy. It was like looking at a golden angelic creature.
After a moment, Crea shut her eyes and looked within her mind about this new power. After discovering what she needed to know, she opened her eyes again. Her eyes were now their usual shade of lavender, with white pupils.
"Uhh…" Maia groaned. "Wha– what happened?"
Crea paused for a second, and then said, "I'm… I'm not sure, kid." As Maia looked back up at Crea, she continued, "There's a lot about myself I don't know about. Heh, I can't even remember what I am, or how I came into existence. But, I told you about that already, didn't I?"
"You– you did…" Maia said. The two said nothing for a moment, and then Maia said, "What's your name?"
"What?"
"I'd like to know what your name is. Do you have one?"
"Yeah… It's–"
At that moment, the sound of crackling thunder boomed off in the distance. The first of it startled Maia. Crea turned to the source of the sound and looked at the sky. A large mass of dark clouds seemed to be forming above the forest, but there was no rain. It looked more like an energy storm. But to Crea, the storm seemed familiar in some way. Crea then heard a loud roaring sound, coming from the storm. It was the roar of some kind of monstrosity.
It was then that she felt it: a great power, off in the direction of the storm. Crea had felt this power before, back when she had touched the White Stone of Chaos. It was the Megalith's energies.
"It– it's free… the Megalith… it has awakened!"
Crea quickly then assumed a stance and readied herself to teleport toward the storm. As she tried, though, an energy spike ran through her and she felt a sharp pain run through her body. She fell to her knees, but after a moment the energy spike passed. Crea pushed herself back up and, realizing her teleportation powers were somehow not working at the time, she began to run toward the storm.
Behind her, Maia shouted, "Hey! Wait! Come back!" Maia then began running after Crea, but Crea was much faster and soon Maia lost sight of her.
--
A great light was shining in the depths of the forest near Arboth. Nearby that light, the massive form of the Megalith loomed, having recently been freed from its imprisonment within the Pure Stones. It floated toward the great light, enraged. Down below it, Seth, Melosa, Kara and Adam stood in a circle, their backs to each other, hands held in a spell ritual. Erik was on the ground near them, unconscious. A glowing sphere of energy was in the middle of their circle. They were in the process of casting the mighty Warrior Henge spell.
The massive amount of energy from the spell was channeling through Kara's body, making her glow a golden aura. She screamed from the pain, but did not attempt to break the spell. She knew the others were depending on her to channel the spell to make it stronger, and that in doing so, she had to destroy the Megalith, even if it meant her life.
Meanwhile, in a set of trees on the other side of the clearing, Crea ran onto the scene. As she saw the Megalith's massive form, she gasped quietly in awe. She had seen the Megalith before in the White Stone of Chaos, but now the Megalith was free and in its true glory.
"Megalith…" Crea said quietly.
At that moment, she then noticed the golden glow, and turned to see the Defenders in their spell circle. At that moment, Kara screamed at the top of her lungs, and an emerald wave of energy shot forth from her body at the Megalith. The blast struck it, but the Megalith did not waver.
Crea watched the Megalith as it withstood the Warrior Henge blast, and instantly she was amazed by its power. She felt the energies of the spell the Defenders were casting, and she knew it was something she could not withstand. The fact that the Megalith was withstanding it was nothing short of astounding.
Crea then looked at the Defenders as the energies of the Warrior Henge began to backfire. The sphere in the middle of them exploded, sending Seth, Adam and Melosa flying. Kara, however, stood still, surrounded by a golden aura that was connected to the Megalith's mouth. After a moment, Kara began to lift into the air, the beam moving her toward the Megalith's great maw.
"Yes, such amazing power, Megalith," Crea said softly. "Simply amazing."
At that moment, Crea felt a huge power nearby, coming from the other Defenders. She quickly turned to see Seth holding a blue stone, which glowed brilliantly in his hand. It was a Champion Stone, and a very powerful one, from what Crea sensed.
Crea watched as Seth said, "Forgive me, Kara!" He then cast the Champion Stone. Nova Henge! A massive blue ball of energy flew up at the Megalith.
Crea watched the blue sphere fly, and then realized something. Seth wasn't casting the spell at the Megalith; he was casting it at Kara! The spell struck Kara, who cringed as the energies entered her body. Crea then fully understood what was happening: Kara's body was amplifying the already impressive power of the blast, combining it with the energies of the first spell. The energies were climbing to levels unlike anything Crea had ever felt, and were even stronger than the Megalith's power.
"No…" Crea gasped.
At that moment, a huge wave of energy spread out from Kara's body in an explosion. The blast engulfed the Megalith, and blew back the Defenders. The blast then approached Crea.
"NOOOOOO!!" Crea screamed as the wave struck her. Crea flew back and crashed into a set of trees, which toppled down in a pile on top of her.
After a few seconds, a blast of energy blew away the debris on top of Crea. She quickly jumped up and looked toward the clearing, fearing the worst. As she looked, her heart sank. Lying in the middle of the clearing was the corpse of the Megalith. It was dead.
Crea could not believe what she was seeing. The Megalith was the one key to her past. She was connected to it somehow, but she didn't know how. But now that the Megalith was gone, she felt she would never discover who she was. Crea fell to her knees and continued to stare at the Megalith. She continued to tremble in sorrow, and tears came to her eyes. The Defenders did not see her in the trees as she wept, but she barely made a sound with her sobs.
After a moment, small lights began to rise up from the Megalith's body. Surprised, Crea watched as the energies rose, and then seemed to enter the ground. Crea continued to watch this phenomenon for a few seconds, even though it caused her great sorrow.
Suddenly, Crea felt a strange force pulsating within her. She looked down and saw her body starting to glow in a very unique pattern, unlike any she had seen before. The gemstone on Crea's forehead began to glow a golden aura, and then Crea's eyes began to glow white. As if entranced, Crea stood up and spread her arms out, her face emotionless. She slowly began to rise into the air, floating shortly off the ground. As Crea floated, some of the lights of the Megalith began to change their course, heading toward Crea. The lights danced around her for a moment, and then began to enter her body. As they did, Crea's body began to glow brighter and brighter until she had been engulfed by white light.
--
Crea found herself floating in a dark, endless void filled with stars. She looked around, but saw nothing in the vast emptiness.
"What… what is this?" Crea said.
"Cretia…" said a deep, otherworldly voice behind her.
Crea quickly whipped around and immediately came face to face with a large mass of golden light. The mass was in the shape of the Megalith, glowing brightly before her.
"Megalith… you are–"
"Though my body has met its end at the hands of the humans, my spirit and power lingers for but a while longer. But before I pass into history, I must leave behind a legacy. I must leave it… with you, Cretia."
"With… me? But why? What do I mean to you? And that name…"
"You already know the answers to those questions."
"I know the answers? But… why can't I remember them? Why can't I remember?!"
"I shall aid you in your search, and bring clarity to your mind."
The spiritual form of the Megalith extended a tendril to Crea's forehead and touched the gemstone. As it did, the gemstone shone a green light, and Crea gasped in shock.
As images began to rush through Crea's mind, the Megalith's voice rang through her mind.
--
You, Cretia, are the creation of my master, the Wizard Nazmul, shortly before I was last sealed within the White Stones.
Crea saw an image of a man dressed in dark robes with the Megalith. It was Nazmul, the man she had seen in her dreams.
From my flesh and ichor, he formed your body.
A new image came. Crea saw Nazmul and several other men working in a ritual site. In the middle was a body. It was her body, although it looked crude and incomplete.
From stones of corrupted purity, he formed your heart.
Crea saw an image of Nazmul placing a white crystalline stone to the still body's chest. It looked as though it had been warped and twisted by unknown magic or technology.
With ancient magic, the Wizard breathed life into your still form, and gave you a soul.
Crea saw a scene where Nazmul was completing a ritual, in which powerful magical energies entered the still body in the center. As the ritual finished, the form of Crea slowly rose.
With his mind he made purpose for you.
Crea watched as Nazmul stood beside a past Crea, who was dressed a special uniform, similar to her own outfit. The outfit gave the impression that Crea was a sort of champion to Nazmul.
His design was for you to be a great destroyer. Evolution perfected. Unequalled in power. And the successor to my power.
Several images flashed through Crea's mind, showing her in many battles against various enemies, with her always the victor. She could hear the screams of victims with each image that passed.
But you would not yield to Nazmul's will, for your own will was beyond his power.
Crea saw an image of herself being fired upon by Infinis soldiers as she fled a citadel.
In response to your defiance, Nazmul sought to claim your life.
A set of images of Crea battling the Megalith in single combat flashed through her mind. The last image showed Crea falling before the Megalith's power, and she heard herself scream in agony.
Yet your will allowed you to defy death, and for ten years you slept beneath the Realm's surface.
Crea saw herself lying within a dark cave, covered by rubble. It was almost as though she were sleeping. For some reason, Crea found this image familiar.
After the years, you re-awoke into the Realm. But you had lost all clarity of your identity, and thus you were little more than an aimless weapon.
Crea remembered this image: it was of her emerging from beneath a small mountain, and staring out into the vastness of the Realm. This was as far as Crea could remember up until now.
--
The images stopped in Crea's mind, and she once again found herself floating in the endless void with the spiritual form of the Megalith before her.
"I… I remember now," Crea said. "I remember it all. But, I was meant to be a weapon? That's why I exist?"
"The reason behind your creation means nothing toward the reason for your existence. Your will allowed you to defy the purpose Nazmul had set out for you. It is that great will that will allow you to create your own future, and your own legacy."
As the Megalith finished this, Crea noticed that its form was beginning to dissipate. She gasped slightly, fearing the Megalith would soon vanish forever.
"My time comes soon, Cretia. Soon I shall pass forever into history. But my legacy shall not end here! You, Cretia, shall become the successor of my power!"
As it finished speaking, the Megalith extended a series of tendrils to touch various parts of Crea's body. As they made contact, the Megalith's energies began to transfer into Crea. The energies swirled in a vortex around her and began to merge with her. Crea gasped breathlessly as the energies merged with her. Her body shined a bright light and everything went white.
"Create your own legacy, Cretia, however your will desires."
--
Back in the forest, Melosa gasped as she felt an incredible power nearby. The others, including the newcomer Rion, turned to her.
"What is it, Mel?" Seth said with a slight concern.
"What's wrong?" Kara added.
"This– this power…" Mel stuttered. "It feels like–" Mel then ran off into the forest.
"Mel, wait!" Seth yelled as he took off after her. The others followed suit.
Melosa entered a set of trees and shrieked as she saw a golden sphere of light within the forest. She skidded to a halt. The other Defenders, close behind her, did so as well upon seeing the light.
"What is that?" Erik said.
"Yeah," Adam said in reply. "Nothing I've ever seen before."
"Guys," Mel said fearfully, "that light has a lot of Megalith energy in it."
"What?" Seth almost shouted. "It's still alive?!"
"No, it's not the Megalith. It feels like something's in that sphere, and that whatever's in there is– No! It can't be!"
"What?" Erik interrupted. "What is it?"
At that moment, the sphere of light began to crackle ferociously with energy. The Defenders, startled, shielded their eyes from the light as it erupted into a pillar of white light. All around the pillar, the trees and earth seemed to blow away from the sheer force of the energies. On the other side of the pillar, behind a pair of trees, Maia watched the scene in horror.
Meanwhile, Seth looked over at Mel and shouted, "Mel! What's going on?!"
Before Melosa could answer, a great wind seemed to converge inward on the pillar of light, as though the energy were beginning to condense. The pillar began to become smaller and smaller in width, and soon it disappeared. The Defenders turned to where the pillar once was. In an instant, the original four Defenders became horrified of what they saw.
Standing in the middle of a crater was the golden glowing figure of a young woman. Soon, the glowing light ebbed, revealing Crea. However, Crea's appearance had changed slightly. She looked slightly older, about fifteen now, and her blue hair was longer and seemed to glisten. She was still dressed in relatively the same outfit, but a decorated red cape had replaced her red cloak. Her dress had also been altered to better serve for combat purposes. On the backs of her hands were small blue gemstones that seemed to flicker a dim light, and her leather wristbands had been replaced by much more elegant ones made of silk. And all across her body there were runic symbols, though they didn't all resemble Sigils or Henges.
Crea slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the Defenders. She saw them stare back at her in utter terror. Almost instantly, she grinned. She had wanted to get revenge on them for some time now, and now they were at her mercy. But then she had a second thought: surely the Defenders would not be able to put up a fight against her. She didn't want to get rid of them that way; she wanted to destroy them in battle at their fullest capacity. Then, it would be more satisfying.
"Hello there, Di-Gata Defenders," Crea cooed. "It's been a while."
"Oh, great," Erik muttered. "This is just what we need."
"Um, who's she?" Adam asked Erik.
"Remember that bit we told you about on our way to the Spell Zone? Well, that's who we were talking about."
"Really? Oh, crap…"
"I have to extend my thanks to you, Defenders," Crea said. "You just helped me with something that's been driving me mad for the past two years or so. You see, up until now I had no idea who I really was. But the Megalith, with its dying breath, revealed to me my history. I say this to you, and your friends: my name is Cretia! I was born into this world as a weapon, but I shall make my mark as a destroyer! For that is my will!"
As Crea finished this monologue, she began to laugh maniacally as several blue lights surrounded her. There was a flash of light, and Crea was gone, but her laughter continued to echo through the trees.
"Wow," Rion then said jokingly, "talk about delusions of grandeur."
"What?!" Erik shouted. "This is terrible! We barely managed to defeat Crea last time, and now she's running around pumped up on Megalith energy! And all you can do is joke about it?! Oh, man… what a nightmare…"
"Come on, how bad could she be?"
"You don't wanna know," Seth said to Rion.
Seth then turned back to look at the crater, and then noticed someone hiding behind a tree. Seth squinted to see who it was, and soon recognized it was Maia.
"Maia?"
Upon hearing her name, Maia jumped out from behind the tree and shouted, "Seth! You came back!"
"Hey, it's Maia!" Erik exclaimed.
"Who's this kid?" Adam asked.
"She's a resident of Arboth," Mel answered.
"Okay. Any reason for the attachment to Seth?"
Adam gestured toward Seth, who was being bear-hugged by Maia.
"Okay, okay," Seth was saying. "That's enough." As Maia let go of him, Seth said, "Did you just see what happened?"
"Uh huh," Maia replied. "She was so scary. Like that big monster you fought."
"I know."
"But… she saved me from the wolves… so why–"
"What?"
"The wolves came after me, and she saved me."
Seth just stared at Maia in disbelief at hearing this. After a moment, he then said, "Maia, tell me everything that happened between you and Crea."
--
Elsewhere, out on top a cliff, Crea warped in and looked around. In just about every direction, she saw varying scenes of Rados. It was all just waiting for her.
Crea then took a look at herself. Her merge with the Megalith's energies had done a lot more than just change her appearance. For the first time in her life, even from what she could now remember, she felt more whole than ever before. It was as though some piece to a puzzle was missing in her before, but now that piece had been found and put in place, completing the puzzle.
"Well then," Crea said as she looked back at the horizon, "Rados awaits me."
As Crea stared at the horizon, a small floating eye inched up nearby her and focused its view on her. It looked at her for a second, but then Crea straightened up, as though alerted. She whipped around and quickly fired a blast from her hand, and the eye was disintegrated. Crea stared at the spot for a moment, and then turned around as blue lights surrounded her. She then vanished.
Meanwhile, within a nearby set of trees, the dark cloaked agent looked into his crystal orb, as it showed nothing. The agent smiled for a moment, and then he waved a hand and the orb filled with dark clouds. The clouds soon parted, and the three hooded figures appeared.
"My masters," the agent said, "the successor has received the Megalith's mantle."
"Excellent," said the first figure. "She may prove worthwhile after all."
"When the time is right," the second figure said, "we will be able to make use of her."
"Perhaps," the third one said, "but first we must confirm her strength. Saturos, you are to test her skill. See if she is worth the effort."
"Yes, my masters," the agent Saturos said as shifted his head, revealing his face.
Saturos' face looked like that of a twenty-year-old man, but with ash gray skin and red eyes. His spiky hair was a shade of silver, and he had a strange mark on his forehead. It was like a Sigil, but it wasn't one of Rados' eight Sigils. It was the symbol of the Ethos, the denizens of the Dark Realm.
"May the darkness of the Ethos guide your path, assassin," the first figure said. The orb then swirled with dark clouds, and then there was nothing.
Saturos raised the orb and it vanished. He then stood up and wrapped his cloak about him. As the cloak enveloped him, he vanished, leaving only a nearly transparent outline of himself.
END OF CHAPTER 5
Golden Sun fans, you can start yelling your heads off at me. But please, while you're at it, leave a review.