Chapter 002

Intruders.

Antarctica.

The world's biggest ice continent. Four black dots were disturbing the white solitude, passing through the infernal blizzard, leaving snow traces which were rapidly erased. It was clearly that the extreme weather was hostile for any human being. And it was even more clearly that the nature itself was trying harder than ever to defend itself against the intruders.

But with their energy shields, the four shamans managed to maintain themselves on their feet, even though one of them was consuming more furyoku than the others. It was the small figure leading the other three, from which the one in the middle was the most imposing and the two in the back were about the same height.

The girl with silver hair, which was easily confounding with the vast snow, was wondering why the energy field around the others was of a much lower intensity. The extreme cold didn't seem to bother them too much. She was looking thoughtfully in the back, especially at the two summary dressed girls with an indecent behavior. One of them accidentally observed for a moment her look and had a nasty smug. Oh goodness, there she starts again:

" This is what earthlings call "extreme" temperatures? It's like a more heavier winter on our Planet!"

"Tell me about that! This will definitely be a light mission.-"

She was silenced by the severe look of her father. Both girls tried to hide their flustered expression by looking guilty to the ground.

"Don't underestimate the Airikoh shamans. They also aren't simple earth beings."

"Airikoh? Is that the name of the ancient shaman civilization that is guarding the…?"

Sethim chuckled with a serene expression which hid something quite strange…an aura of power which was impossible for Miyako to fully comprehend.

"Of course. Since the beginning of the Great Scission. But they had ran away from fate far too long. It is time for them to face the natural placement of spiritual order."

His golden eyes hid a complicated and dark truth only the Erraths would know.

X

The Great Himalayan mountains, seen from above, were piercing the dense white clouds with their rocky peaks covered by snow. Those massive rocks were the perfect place for the Gandhara hidden Temple. No simple human being would risk his life wandering these dangerous monuments of nature.

And also the weather wasn't too welcoming. The currents of air would usually pull down many planes if the altitude was too low, more specifically low enough to discern the relief and possible traces of shamans. The Tao jet plane was also confronted with the strong air and was slowly being pulled towards the knife-edged cliffs. Everybody was holding their breaths, trying to see what was the next measurement Ren will take. Not only that they trusted him, but he locked the command room after he entered it so they were doomed anyway.

"Master Ren, the currents are too strong, I strongly believe NOW is the time to evacuate!" The pilot was speaking loudly, as white as a sheet.

Ren's golden eyes were absorbed by a serious thinking. He then smiled reassured to the middle aged man.

"Allright then. Thank you for your services." And pushed the eject button on his chair.

"Master, what are you doing?! You can't pilot a pla-aaaaah!" his voice was screaming as we was thrown in the open air. Ren put his hands firmly on the steer, having a dangerous grin.

"How hard could it be? Attention crew, captain Ren is speaking. There are some turbulences, as you have noticed, but do not worry. I just need to see the exact location of the Gandharas before this cheap machinery will crash. Please put your belts on."

After the plane made a 90 degrees rotation to pass between two death cliffs, the sealed door was brutally opened with an icicle.

"REN, what the hell are you doing?! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE because of you!" Horohoro shouted exasperated. The purple haired boy restrained the strong urge to punch him, and instead answered with an annoyed tone:

"Shut up monkey. I just need to catch a glimpse of it…"

"Before we're going to blow up?! No, you're landing this thing right now-"

"Ugh, let go of my plane you moron! I know exactly what I'm doing!"

While the two battled over the command of the aircraft, the others already has their straight faces, expecting the most natural thing which will happen…

A crash.

X

A sparkle of light.

The luminescent globe was simply shining in the nothingness. A ball of golden light in the vast whiteness, and four persons watching it with interest, because this was the thing they were looking for in the hostile continent of Antarctica.

"Soo…how do we activate it?" Marla asked excited.

"I can't wait to use my powers! Do we blast the crap out of it?" Martha spoke with a full excited smile but shortly shouted her moth concerned that her father was near her.

"Such imprudent girls… Your powers will be for no use for this artifact recuperation. Excuse me, Miyako"

He took her hand and put something which felt strange on her hand.

Hair? When she looked at it, it was a blonde strand of hair she was holding right now.

"For the activation of the entrance, we need their DNA. And I also need you to put your palm on the light globe." He spoke looking at her with a slight appreciation for her utility, thing which made her blush a bit. She didn't know why.

Concentration. Miyako changed her look proceeded the task. The golden light tingled her skin, as the ground was shaking and the melting snow was rapidly revealing a metal gate opening with a runny noise.

An underground chamber?

"On second thoughts, Miyako and I could do this mission unbothered. Martha, Marla, you'll just have to guard the entrance." Sethim spoke with a slight disappointment. "May we proceed?" he asked the silver-haired girl with a gentle tone.

"But father, we can also contribute!-" the girls were pleading.

"I've heard enough. " he started going down the stairs which made a metal noise each time a step was taken, followed by the confused lonely girl.

X

"YOU MORON! Look what you've done!" Ren punched the blue head of the inuit shaman, in the middle of crumbled metal pieces of the aircraft.

"Me?! If it weren't for me, the we would all have been dead by now!" he pointed at the others who all survived, but didn't seem to be pretty much alive either. Except for Anna who landed afterwards with her shinigamis. She interfered in their fight with a dangerous look which made both of them silent.

"You are both idiots. You already made a fool of ourselves with this whole scenery in front of the Gandharas. "

To also break their confused look searching in the nothingness, she threw her pearl necklace in mid air. With a shamanic enchantment she broke the furyoku barrier which made the entrance to the temple visible again. The gates seemed to be made of stone and copper and resembled the peaceful figure of Budha with an open mouth.

"A camouflage! Why didn't I think of that!" Ren slapped not his, but Horohoro's face.

At the gates, Sati was watching them among her crew with a childish smile. After all, she was still a girl almost their age.

"Hey guys, good to see you again! I've been expecting you. It's a good thing we observed your plane early enough to save you."

"Wait, so our crash was amortized?" Horohoro asked astonished.

"It was kind of obvious. Look at the remains of your plane! You would have been meat pie by now. Even if I wanted you to be like that during the first shaman fight, there Is no need to fulfill my wish now, hi-hi!"

The guests were staring with a straight face at the little girl who was laughing so innocently.

X

Their steps were echoing through the empty large hall. The passage was illuminating itself as they were going further.

Miyako felt strange. A weird warmth was enveloping her and made her feel uncomfortable. It was the first time she felt something like this. Was it because he appreciated her? But why did she care?

Truth is, even if she didn't want to admit it, she admired Akihiro. And it has been only a short time since she first met him face to face. This weird consideration didn't suit her. But he made a goddamn good first impression. Why did this man made her feel so weak? And why did she already feel a connection with him?

She shook her full red head. She couldn't allow herself do think about it. All of this was explainable. Since she never had a father to appreciate her, and now she unconsciously developed a strange attachment to Akihiro… She doesn't know how to react near him. Especially when she looks at his perfect features…The Oedip complex came into her mind but she shortly removed it by concentrating herself on the strangely high developed chamber…which supposedly was build more than 500 years ago…

"How come this shaman civilization is so advanced?" she asked and flustered herself shortly after, because it was her voice which broke the silence and started a conversation.

"Was. This initially was a mixture between two pure races and had access to the proper technology. But then spoiled itself during reproduction with human beings. Because of the weaknesses they couldn't open portals through galaxies anymore and therefore couldn't provide more equipment. This is why the temple is now a rusted metal wreck. Oh, please do not feel offended. "

"No offence taken. " she responded. "I do not like my people either. But why didn't they chose inbreeding?"

"Hmph. Because their intention wasn't evolution. Their intention was abolishment of their race."

"Why through this way?... How come they didn't destroy themselves?"

Akihiro chuckled at her naïvety, making her feel a little embarrassed.

"They still need to protect these essential artifacts. Also, the ultimate spirit key wasn't allowed to be destroyed. It just had to be well hidden. And the only way this was possible was through the diversity of the genes."

"A plan based on the development of a whole species…" Miyako said thoughtfully, thinking about how precious and powerful was the thing which they were protecting, so important that the concept of an individual had to be sacrificed..

"I would not call it like that. They are just mongrels, made by the superior extraterrestrial races to maintain the order of the system established by them."

"There is a galactic order?"

"Of course. They call it the Milky Way Senate. They are the ones who make sure chaos won't take over their policy of the cosmic society. They don't involve themselves too much, only in the emergency cases. And when they do, they send other races to do their dirty work. Like portal openers, to mix up with our pure race, in order to stop something which is inevitable."

…

There were a lot of concepts to comprehend. Miyako was looking at this imposing man who came from a totally different world. It wasn't any wonder why he was so advanced on many levels. Unlike the earthlings, who are living completely isolated in their own little world…ignorants, unaware that in the vast Cosmos there were other beings and things even bigger than them happening… But soon they will wake up, and they have no idea. Something big will happen with this planet, something which even the Senate of the Galaxy wanted to prevent…

Akihiro looked at her with warm golden eyes, giving her a little shudder. He put his big and protecting hand on her shoulder.

"I am sure, Miyako, that you are the right Queen this planet deserve. I studied Earth for a long time. We, Erraths, are connected with it since the beginning. It is a shame for the inhabitants there are, but Terra has beautiful ecosystem and such potential that it has to evolve. But it never will with this species… That's why we have to interfere."

This is why she allied with them since the beginning. She knew that a random Shaman Fight won't be enough to make her obtain the Great Spirit. She knew that there were things beyond the human race control, and she had to attach herself to the strings which will stir the future of the planet.

"I saw those capacities in you and this is why I chose you. I am sure you will not be a disappointment."

She won't. No matter the circumstances, she will succeed. She will show the world the rise of the fallen, how demons can be perceived as angels in matter of seconds.

A deafening metal noise followed by an earthquake disturbed their conversation. The floor was suddenly opening, revealing a huge hole with deadly electric spikes at the bottom produced with the Tesla effect.

Traps. So simple. She immediately made a black bridge, binding some tentacles like thick ropes.

"They were activated by our voices." Said Sethim with a slight smirk.

"Have they discovered us?"

"Oh, that would be absurd. This passage has not been used for a long time. They can travel through portals, didn't I mention that?"

"You…did…Sorry."

She blushed again. She felt like a little child in front of him, thing which was unbearable, because she was used with psychological dominance.

"This passage hasn't been used for a long time. But it was specifically made for people which do not have their powers. A five days journey, and the whole process must be done in complete silence. Perhaps this was not only a psychological test, but also an important information which would be given only to their ally."

"Do we have to walk for that long?"

He chuckled. She felt embarrassed again and didn't like it, didn't like this feeling at all. She felt a warm hand patting her hair in a parental manner.

"Of course not. Come, I will show you my dear."

They walked a little more in complete silence, and after half an hour they discovered a strange pattern on the wall, with a whole different language script.

"This is for the chosen one. The one which had a connection with the Errath's Great Spirit, and it can be activated only with our power. A direct access to the first key.

How foolish for them to still believe in their prophecy…"

She wanted to ask which was the prophecy, but abstained herself this time. She did not want to ask another naïve question.

He put his fingers on the script. Then the hexagon symbol on the forehead charged with energy.

His eyes sparkled and his mouth opened, enchanting something in a completely different language.

The second gate was opened.

X

"Rilury, are you ok?"

The girl found herself starring in the darkness with her eyes wide opened, but came back to reality when she heard Hao's soft voice. She realized she still was in the tent, still safe in his arms.

"Oh, sorry. I just had a bad dream."

And the most frustrating thing was that she couldn't remember the dream which made her scream in the sleep.

I'm really back this time! And I really want to write everything till the end! My laptop was broken for a period of time, so I was absent for a while, sorry :/ If you are confused about the outer-space things I've written about just ask, I'll give explanations in a way that I won't spoil anything xD