The last staircase seemed endless to them as they climbed toward their final destination. Yune and Micaiah had concluded that Lehran wouldn't be coming, and both were unhappy about it. Even though Micaiah had sensed his pain, she had hoped he would join them.
Sanaki was lost in dark thoughts of her own, Leanne and her brothers were trying to comfort her. Nala was carrying the still unconscious Maian. All the healers had agreed that they had never before seen anyone survive such extreme exhaustion, and that it would be very unlikely she would wake anytime soon.
Just as Micaiah's thoughts returned to Lehran, he released another, final memory.
"Lehran... I will not... countenance this plan."
"Hear me, Goddess Ashera... Yune's imprisonment within the medallion has begun to change you. Order and chaos, you are one being, comprising both parts. The one must naturally affect the other."
"Even so, I will not return Yune to this body. She is unstable, and I need to be perfect in order to protect this world. It is as I have said. Yune must be destroyed."
"Ashera, you mustn't!", Lehran protested, alarmed. "You cannot survive without your opposite. Please, you must not do this! Your world still needs you."
"Lehran, you have always been a wise and kind-hearted child. In deference to you, I will place my faith in your kind one last time. For the next thousand years, I will sleep as well. When I wake again, I hope it is to a world of peace and order, where all prosper as equals. If I do, then I will know that you have advised me well. I will reward your counsel. I will also allow Yune to return to me. I will once again be the Goddess of Creation, whole and complete. Ashunera, the Dawn Goddess... the name your ancestors gave me so long ago. I should like to hear it again.
"However, during those thousand years, if the chaos of war should arise, and awaken Yune from her slumber within the medallion, I will know that you have strayed from your path, and I will punish your failure as I would have rewarded your success. And then, you will know my judgement. You will pay for your sins, every one to the last."
"In the names of our people, we vow to keep this covenant", Lehran replied solemnly. "There will be no great war between the laguz and beorc for one thousand years. So pledge Altina of the beorc, Deghinsea of the dragon tribes, Soan of the beast tribes, and I, Lehran, of the bird tribes."
"If you believe that during those thousand years you have created a world that has outgrown the atrocities of war... or if you feel that the world has fallen beyond the hope of redemption, you may sing the Galdr of Release to awaken us both. Your heirs will possess that power as well... Sing to awaken us, and tell us your tale. Tell us of the world your two kinds have built in our absence. We will listen, and we will judge fairly and impartially. This is our covenant with you."
They returned to the present to notice the others discussing Maian's actions.
"I tell you, something's gone wrong, terribly wrong", Nala stressed. "This isn't the way she normally reacts to something like that... I think she overrode her feelings, so she could focus on what she felt she needed to do instead of flying into a rage."
"What do you mean by that?", Soren asked.
"I mean that she didn't grasp what was really happening. She refused to think about it, focusing every single thought on that seal. She could deal with that, but not with him. You see, normally she'd just freak out and attack without thinking... a mother would do anything to protect her daughter. Even if Maian and Sanaki aren't related by blood, she always thought of her as her daughter. Remember our battle in the gorge, when Micaiah tried to crush us with rocks?"
Micaiah flinched at that memory. Yune seemed to disapprove of Micaiah's actions, but she could also understand her reasons.
"Lady Maian immediately located the main aggressor – Micaiah – and attacked her without one moment of hesitation – even ignoring the fact that they were both hybrids. That's just what any mother would do – eliminate the threat to her child. Back there, Lehran was the threat – the traitor. But instead of ripping out his throat – which I assume is what she'd have liked to do – she started messing with that seal."
"So, that's why you think something is wrong with her? Because she didn't kill Lehran?", Ike asked.
"Exactly. That's not the way she usually behaves – something has gone wrong. Terribly wrong. I fear this will have consequences..."
"Ike? Do you have a moment?"
"I'll just finish fixing this and - " Ike stopped in mid-sentence as he took in Soren's body language. Ike knew him well enough to detect the tiny signs that something was wrong, even though Soren usually tried very hard to hide them. "You know what? This can wait."
Ike put down the cloak he'd started mending during their short break, and got to his feet. Soren gave him the tiniest of smiles before turning and walking away from the others. Once they were a good distance away, he stopped and shuffled his feet.
"So... you really weren't joking when you said you couldn't remember the day we first met."
"Yeah, Lehran sealed that memory away, too. Possibly by accident."
"I talked this over with Maian, and she said that it would have been possible for a very powerful sage to do that... Well, Lehran's powerful enough, no doubt about that."
"But I remember now... Mother went shopping with Mist, and I was wandering the village alone. I walked over to the edge of the forest, looking for a stick I could pretend was a sword. A boy with very dark-green hair was lying on the ground."
"I remember the giant oak tree in the clearing... I was sleeping in the hollow by the roots."
"He looked my age. He was as skinny as a twig, wearing rags, and covered in dirt. He looked as if he were near death. I took out my lunch and handed it to him. He made a noise like a scared animal and shied away. He was suspicious of me, but in the end, he took my sandwich, and started to eat. It was as if he'd never eaten before in his life. I didn't have anything else to feed him, so I told him to come to my house. He kept shaking his head no."
"I was afraid that you were going to trick me. Afraid that you were going to chase me away after taunting me with food, just for a laugh…", Soren whispered.
"I told the boy that I would be back with more food the next day, the same place, the same time. He finally nodded when I said that. It made me happy. I felt like I was doing something right, helping this boy. Like I was the only one who'd do that."
"I was happy, too. Not only because I wasn't hungry any more, but because someone finally would talk to me. So, I went back to the village the following day. I was scared of the villagers and their rocks and sticks, but I still went back."
"That's right. That was Gallia back then. The beorc abused and tormented the hybrids because the laguz shunned them. They wanted to avoid upsetting the laguz."
"The villagers threw stones at me, calling me an animal and a devil. But on that day, the village was littered with corpses. Peasants and soldiers were in panic."
"It was my dad. He went crazy when the spirit of chaos within the medallion touched him."
"I walked through the empty streets, checking bodies to see if you were dead, but I couldn't find you. I decided that you had to be alive. I took money and food from the village, and headed for Crimea, a land of the beorc. On my way to Crimea, I met the beasts of Gallia. I was terrified, but after a while, I noticed something. They never attacked me. They all noticed something about me, and then pretended they couldn't see me. That look was burned into my mind. They'd scowl, then walk away like they'd never noticed me. In a way, this left me colder and more alone than if they had attacked me. Hate was something I could understand. This was denial. They made me feel that I shouldn't exist. That my simply being here was an affront to the world. That was how the beasts treated me. And I hated them for it. It sat in my heart like a lead bar. Like a glacier.
"When I reached Crimea, I took refuge in a church on the way. They took my Brand as a sign that I had been taught in the arcane arts, and took good care of me. They taught me many things. Once I had learned to speak and behave like other people, I wandered Crimea for several years. Then, I finally found you."
"But I'd..."
"Yes. You'd forgotten that day in Gallia. But I didn't care. My only wish was to see you again. I just wanted to see the only boy who had held out a warm hand when I had nothing…" Soren made a small sound and turned his head away.
"Soren... don't cry."
"Don't cry? What? I'm not crying."
Ike smiled. "It's all right. You don't have to hide it... we all know you're not as bad as you always pretend to be."
Soren wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his robe, smiling weakly.
At long last, they reached the top of the tower. There was something like a bed in the centre of the room, and a long thin curtain made of silk hanging from the ceiling around it. A tall woman with long red hair clad in black stood in front of it. Feathers were growing out of her hair and the hem of her dress.
"It's her..."
Ashera didn't seem too pleased to have them walk right into her bedroom. She glared at them without saying a word.
"Ashera", Yune said. She rushed forward. "Ashera, it's me... Yune! Can you hear me?"
Ashera just closed her eyes.
"Ashera, please, listen to me! There is no need for you to pass any more judgement. You can return the people to normal!"
"I cannot. There are still people left in my world who are made of fallible flesh. This imperfect world has passed beyond control. Now, I shall pass my final judgement!"
"Wait! You can't violate the terms of the covenant, Ashera! One thousand years still haven't passed. We were awoken by galdrar, not by mankind's war."
"It doesn't matter. During my long sleep, laguz and beorc continued to fight. The children of flesh will never learn nor grow. Time will pass as always, but nothing can change the destiny of mankind."
"You have to look deeper! The first judgement didn't turn everyone to stone, and I'll tell you why. Because these people are not 'people' as we know them. Ashera, these people have become something new! People – the Zunanma – were the only living beings in this world we didn't create. Animals evolved into being Zunanma, who became laguz and beorc. And that evolution continues today!"
Yune took some more steps towards her sister, and Ike really hoped that Ashera wouldn't attack her.
"Ashera... I'll tell you a secret you didn't know." Yune pulled the glove off Micaiah's right hand and held it out for Ashera to see. "Children can be born both of a beorc and laguz parent. They are still very few in number, but if allowed to flourish, mankind might become anything! If the two races continue to evolve, I'm sure something wonderful will emerge! You can't just bring that to a halt!"
"Do not claim certainty of anything. The children of this world are born of chaos, and nothing could be more uncertain. The world does not need the evolution of mankind. My responsibility is to protect order, the balance of all life-forms. Beings that evolve without my guidance will only destabilise and threaten this world. Because of that - "
"You have to wipe out everything that is made of flesh? Is that what you're trying to say?" Yune shook her head. "Very well then. You and I have nothing more to talk about. My only choice is to defeat you."
"Yune, do not be absurd. You cannot overthrow me, just as I cannot overthrow you."
"Of course not. But they can!" Yune whirled around, spreading her arms wide. "Everyone, the time has come! Defeat Ashera, or everyone you love will be a statue forever!"
"These people, they carry your blessing, Yune…", Ashera observed. "You mean to fight me?"
Ike stepped forward.
"Ashera, our Goddess. This is the world – and we are the people – you created. You make it sound like we're just some sort of filthy creatures that decided to settle down here and cause trouble."
"Ike, don't say it like that!", Yune scolded.
"We're not perfect. Sometimes our brains tell us one thing, while our emotions tell us another. And war... the more we try to avoid it, the worse it is when it comes to us. People are probably the dumbest creatures alive."
"But... somehow you're also the most endearing", Yune argued. "It's your imperfections that make you so interesting... Imperfections very similar to ours."
"We know that we've messed up. We'll try our best to avoid more war and make peace our highest priority. Ashera, just give us one more chance. All we ask for is one more chance."
"You expect me to reverse my judgement? The Goddess of Order cannot be so – mercurial. My decision is final."
"So, that's how it's going to be, huh?" Ike drew Ragnell and pointed the blade at Ashera. "Then we will fight – and we will save our people! Make your peace with whatever the gods worship. Your end is near."
"My end – is near?!", Ashera asked, lifting her arms and jerking her chin upwards. Light filled the room, and Ike could feel the power she was emanating.
"In every battle that mattered in my life, I've always been the one left standing, no matter how slim my chances", Ike retorted, undaunted. "This battle means more than any of the others because it's for the life of every person I've ever cared about. I will win this fight!"
Ashera clearly thought him to be amusing, or mad. Or maybe both.
"Prepare for battle", Ike bellowed.
Next to him, Yune left Micaiah's body again to leave the battlefield to her.
Ashera stared at Micaiah.
"You – your eyes..."
"What about them?", Micaiah asked, sounding confused.
The goddess let out a scoff. "Never mind."
When Micaiah turned, Ike spotted the black mark on her right hand.
So that's why she's always been wearing gloves.
Ike followed Micaiah back to where the others waited.
"General Ike, what about Lady Maian?", Nala asked. "We need to keep her safe during the battle – Duchess Liane would rip my head off if I dare come home without her precious little sister."
"Are you listening to what you're saying? Keep her safe? We're talking about fighting a goddess here. 'Safe' isn't really an option here."
"Please allow me to help with that", a quiet voice from behind them asked.
Micaiah gasped. Ike spun round.
Lehran stood near the edge of the platform, his wings still out. Apparently, he had been flying to catch up with them.
"You want to help us? You would protect Maian for us?", Ike asked, taking a step toward him.
"Yes."
"Like I'll believe you!", Nala hissed furiously. "I won't leave her in your care, traitor!"
Lehran sighed quietly, closing his eyes. Ike heard the heron-siblings gasp.
"What's wrong?!", Naesala asked, alarmed.
"He – he just dropped his mind-barrier!", Reyson whispered.
"What do you mean by that?", Ike asked.
"Well, all herons project a shield around their minds – a barrier to keep others from looking into our minds. We all do that – just like Maian. No doubt Lehran taught her... Normally, we'd never let anyone into our minds. The fact that he is willing to go that far – it clearly shows that he is serious, especially since he can't stop us from exploring his mind now."
"He speaks the truth", Rafiel said quietly. "He will protect Senator Maian with all his might."
Leanne nodded in agreement.
"Reyson? Micaiah? Do agree with this assessment?"
"Yes."
"We do."
"All right, then. Nala, hand her over."
Nala let out an angry growl. "I'm warning you just this once, birdie. If there's a single scratch, bruise or anything on her afterward, I'll tear you to pieces myself."
"Of course", Lehran said softly, carefully taking Maian into his arms, cradling her against his chest.
The tenderness, the care, was plain to see.
"Lehran, what is the meaning of this?", Ashera's voice thundered across the room.
Lehran looked up at her. "Forgive me, Goddess. I must end my service to you now. My dear Goddess, Ashera! Please forgive me!"
"Lehran…"
"Everything I've done was a mistake", Lehran rasped, looking like he was on the verge of tears. "It was all the result of my weakness. The changes were unbearable to watch, too frightening to understand. It grew painful to accept change, and with that, my heart filled with cowardice. I was overwhelmed by that pain, and could think of nothing but soothing it. As long as I suffered, I was blind, even to the beautiful things of the world. I can see it now... the people deserve compassion. They deserve to have their lives back!"
So, finally, he's seeing sense.
"No", Ashera replied. "You were always too flexible, too inconstant. You cannot sway me any further."
"Ashera... my Goddess... please. Five of my surviving children stand among them – I could not bear to lose them as well."
Ike thought he'd misheard. He was pretty sure he knew how to count correctly. There were Rafiel, Reyson and Leanne, and then Sanaki. His descendants. But who was the fifth?
Ashera, however, was unmoved by his pleas. "Irrelevant. Be silent now and watch as I erase these beings that confuse your simple heart."
"It's no use", Ike said to Lehran. "We already tried... not even Yune got through to her. You just sit here and stay out of our way."
Lehran gave a jerky nod and lowered himself to the ground, placing Maian in his lap.
As Ike started issuing orders, Micaiah drifted over to his side and crouched down next to Lehran.
"I'm so glad you decided to come", she said quietly.
Lehran glanced up at her. "Thank you – for your kindness."
"You – you are my - "
"Yes. But now is not the right moment – we will have plenty of time to talk afterwards."
"Oh – right. Sorry to bother you."
"Child, you could not possibly bother me", Lehran replied with a smile. "But I do not believe Ashera will allow us much time to talk. I have angered her... Go now. We will speak later, I promise you that."
Ike frowned slightly, but decided not to press the issue, not when the fighting was about to start. Lehran resumed watching Maian's pale face, wrapping his wings around them both in a protective way.
Micaiah got to her feet, and they all turned to face Ashera.
"You see that barrier?", Soren asked. "We'll need to get rid of it before we can attack her directly."
"Will physical attacks work?", Tibarn asked.
"Yes. It's like hitting a wall – if you do it long enough, the wall will collapse. And we have a considerable amount of strength at our disposal."
"Right", Ike said. "I suggest we attack her from all directions, and try to keep her busy. And watch out for any counterattacks!"
Tibarn and Elincia took lead of the flying units. The dragons encircled Ashera and doused her shield with their flames. The beasts and horsemen attacked and retreated again swiftly, for Ashera did counterattack. And her magic was stronger than anything Ike had ever seen – very soon, all the magicians were busy healing their companions. Fighting Lehran had been a picnic by comparison.
Ike slashed and stabbed at the shield. Nothing his father had taught him mattered right now – this was just about brute force.
Tibarn and Naesala tore at the shield with their talons and beaks, Elincia and the others used their weapons, the beasts their claws and teeth.
The three herons had centred around their ancestor, taking on his offer to shield them as well, and were chanting continuously.
A spray of light raced across the battlefield as Ashera unleashed another attack. Ike jumped sidewards and then rolled across the floor, trying to dodge the magical onslaught.
Mist desperately urged her horse forward. Ike could hear Boyd shout a warning, but his sister ignored him. He could see Alondite flashing through the air, encountering the barrier and – slicing right through it.
A sound like that of shattering glass filled the room, and rainbow-coloured spheres danced through the air.
Ashera let out a scream of rage, and a burst of light erupted from her hands. It hit Mist squarely in the chest and threw her off her steed.
Boyd was next to her instantly, checking her pulse, while Rhys hurried to his side, his staff ready.
A hand lightly touched Ike's arm. He turned his head to lock eyes with Yune.
"We have to put an end to this. Take all the power I have."
Ike nodded once. "Thank you. I shall use it well."
Ragnell gleamed golden in the light as Ike lifted the blade over his head. Yune closed her eyes, and blue fire erupted from within her body, engulfing her completely. The next moment, it took the form of a serpent, leaving Micaiah's body to soar high into the air. And then, it descended onto Ike and his sword, making him glow in a bright, blue light.
Ike suddenly felt that he had a new understanding of power. He had never before felt like this – it was exhilarating. Ike made the blade cut the air in front of him. He was ready.
Ashera instantly realised that he was the greatest danger to her now, filled with Yune's spirit – the spirit of chaos. Ike rushed forward, determined not to give her any chance to use her magic against him.
She attacked, and he dodged again. When the next spell slammed into an invisible wall right in front of him, Ike realised he was being shielded by the magicians.
Seeing everything through the strange blue haze, he lunged himself at Ashera.
She wasn't used to being attacked. She didn't know anything besides her powerful divine magic, and certainly nothing about how to block a blade. Ike's strike went right through her body.
Panting, he stood there, waiting to see what would happen now. Ashera's neck started to glow blue as her body bent backwards. More light appeared at her feet, knees and arms as her body dissolved into tiny little sparks. In the end, nothing of the goddess remained.
Ike gasped and staggered as the blue light left him. Again, it rose high into the air, took the shape of a gigantic bird, and then touched onto the ground, taking a new shape.
Ike stared at Yune. If he had ever wondered why she'd always acted like a child, well, here was the answer. She was one. A child-goddess.
Her whole body was surrounded by the familiar blue flames, and she didn't appear to be solid. Her contours blurred, similar to the heated air in a desert.
It was very quiet, nobody made even the slightest sound. Yune took a few steps in Ike's direction, who backed away, still panting.
Yune stopped a few feet away, almost at the same time as he did.
"What of you? Are you leaving?", Ike asked.
"I am. But I believe it's for the best. This world does not need gods. We have always failed you. We've made you weak. That's why we must – go…", she replied in a sad voice, her gaze dropping to the floor.
Ike closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath.
"You don't have to leave."
"Hm?"
Yune lifted her head, clearly surprised.
"It's true, we don't have much us for gods. But, well... you show us what we should aspire to. We need inspiration. You give us a reason to grow – to become more than we are." Ike crouched down in front of her. "And if we don't have that, Yune, we're nothing more than – statues."
"Can you forgive me for the pain I've caused?", she whispered, her eyes big and sad.
"I don't know. But you have already forgiven us. How could we not?"
Yune sighed.
"We're all family. We will try to understand one another, even when we disagree."
"You're right. I will try. One more time."
Ike got to his feet again. To his surprise, Yune started to fade away. Ike reached out, trying to touch her, but there was nothing left but thin air...
He pulled his hand back and examined his empty fingers, then, he looked over to the place where Ashera had stood. Nothing.
A strange sound made him look up, toward the ceiling. A small orange bird was soaring toward the light, twittering cheerfully.
Ike watched her go, a feeling of immense relief washing over him.