Chapter 14: To Move a Mountain Part II!
The Construct Hulk hammered its arms on the solid ground, unleashing a huge shockwave upon the team.
The team managed to dodge out of harm's way as Death sprinted swiftly towards a Corrupted bomb that dropped from a hatch hanging above a ceiling.
The Pale Rider threw the bomb to the Construct Hulk's face and shot the bomb with his Redemption, causing the bomb to explode and bringing the Corrupted to its knees.
Noticing the corrupted core detached from its large, rocky chest, the team charged into the fray, fending off the surrounding Corrupted warriors summoned by the Corrupted Hulk's distress call in the process.
Several Corrupted Warriors managed to get close to the team, but Death managed to slice them apart by unleashing a powerful charged shockwave to the core with his possessed Armblades, the Slice of Death. The powerful aftershock that came after blew the Corrupted Warriors up.
Just as the Corrupted Construct Hulk's core rose up to connect itself back to its body, Chris's left eyes and Lifebane's hilt glowed with their respective elemental symbols. The Icy Maiden unleashed a powerful uppercut, her Lifebane slashed through the fibres of the Corrupted Core, freezing it.
Chris unleashed two slashes, joined her dual-Lifebane together into a big scythe, and threw it as a buzz saw towards the frozen core.
Death unleashed a huge, charged shockwave with his Slice of Death at the core once more, followed by flurries of acrobatic slashes upon the frozen core.
"According to Project Tundra, the core's energy level has fifty percent remaining!" Chris called out.
"Push on! We're nearly done!" Death rallied.
The Corrupted Construct Hulk punched the floor rapidly, unleashing multiple shockwaves and dropping several Corrupted Bombs that exploded upon contact.
After the team successfully evaded out of harm's way with several acrobatic flips from, Chris leapt towards the Construct Hulk, quickly plunged her Lifebane in the Construct's left eye, and gouged it out in one fell swoop.
The Icy Maiden managed to leap out of danger as the Corrupted Construct Hulk gave off an anguished roar and unleashed another huge shockwave by slamming his axe-shaped arms on the floor.
Death managed to evade the shockwave once more and picked up a dark, inert Corrupted Bomb.
As the Pale Rider threw the inert bomb towards the Corrupted, the latter attempted to slam its axe shaped right arm towards Chris and Lifebane.
Chris's left eyes glowed with the Rune of Ice once more.
"Magnetic Ride Dampeners set at maximum. Maximum Strength - Engaged; Damage absorption and damage increase at the ready. Applying Project Tundra's signature element - Ice."
The magnetic fillings upon the muscle fibres and bone marrows of Chris's body concentrated, solidified, and buffed both of her arms. Veins bulged out of Chris's biceps and triceps, and her ice crystals covered both her arms.
The Construct Hulk hammered his right axe arm down, but Chris raised her right arm up, halting the axe from going down any further with ease. A huge blast of cold air burst out from Chris's body as a deadlock ensued.
With both of her hands and a short battle cry, Chris grabbed the Construct Hulk's right arm, tore it off with immense might, and swung it back to the Corrupted's ribcage!
The inert Corrupted bomb contacted the Construct Hulk's face and exploded, bringing the already staggered construct on his knees once more.
"END IT!" Chris, Death, and Lifebane shot out.
Blasting off the approaching reinforcements, Chris used her twirled her merged Lifebane on one hand, switched into another hand with expert ambidexterity, twirled around on the spot while delivering a few more slashes on the core itself, unleashed a large cleave upon the core, and ending with a piercing huge icicle that erupted just below the core for good measure.
Death transformed into his Reaper Form, sliced the Construct Hulk's left arm off, and unleashed an uppercut slash on its chest. The impact was so strong that it sent the corrupted core flying.
With a strong, solid cleave, Reaper Form Death sliced the core in half. The Corrupted Construct Hulk roared its last as it crumbled apart, raining rocks upon the battlefield.
"I suppose that's more of your Project Tundra at work? That's something." Death praised.
"Your huge Reaper scythe too...Slicing off the Corrupted's left arm, impressive." Chris nodded calmly in return.
"Well, it's not called 'The Harvestor' for nothing. It can absorb souls even." Death grunted in satisfaction.
"If your Harvestor is strong enough, you could have used it often. So why aren't you?"Alito wondered.
"The Reaper Form was a power up given to me by the Charred Council when I became the Eldest of the Four Horsemen; the Harvestor came with that power up. I can use it only if the Council sanctioned it. There is a catch; the time it takes the Council to detect my Reaper Form's usage is ten seconds. That is about the time I need to finish a weakened enemy off." Death explained.
"So if the Council found out that you have used Reaper Form for more than ten seconds, they can trace you and punish you, right?" Chris asked.
Death nodded.
"Fair enough..." Chris replied.
"What about yours?" Death wondered.
"Well...Ever since obtaining the Project Programmes, I fitted in several biomechanical upgrades to complement the arcane magic that Kako imbued upon me and Alito. The magnetic fillings upon my muscles and marrows improve my stats to extreme levels." Chris summarized.
The team finally reached the sleeping Warden at the end of the temple. Birds perched upon its shoulders, pecking at the mosses, bugs, and vines. Its closed arms had a textured pattern of a seaside shell.
"Here goes nothing..." Death took a deep breath, materialised his spectral hands, and activated the Warden's 'heart' using the Makers' Key.
The ground rumbled as the Warden opened his arms and stood on all fours before standing on his feet. Moss grown out of his body as arches and slight cracks were present on his body. Two huge antler-like sticks acted like 'ears' for the Warden.
The Warden yawns deeply. "My...stone aches."
"You may ache, Warden, but you're not Corrupted. Not yet." Death replied.
"Corrupted...then it was not a dream. The makers have need of me." the Warden replied calmly in a deep, gruff voice.
"The makers say that you can reach the Foundry, and that a Guardian lies within." Death replied.
"The Foundry...yes. It is where I was...cast. But it was...lost. And now, you three will need my help." the Warden said.
"Corruption spreads across your realm, and you slumber?" Death asked in a snarling tone.
"Stone is heavy. It is easier to rest. In my dreams, I can move again. In my dreams, I am...flesh." the Warden replied.
Chris's thought wandered back to the nightmare she had yesterday. She thought she was a goner, forever consumed by Corruption. However, Alito gave the Icy Maiden the strength needed to take charge of her dreams...
"It's like...when we're in our realm of dreams...our bodies are virtually limitless because there's no limits that our normal bodies can take, yes?" Chris spoke.
"Yes...that is correct." the Warden nodded.
"But despite your limitless potential in the dream realm, wouldn't you have to face the harsh reality one day that you're still, for all intends and purposes, a Warden Construct?" Chris asked.
"Yes, but we all have someone who can support us in times of need even in dreams, right? I'm sure you will have nightmares at some point...and you think that no one can save you...only to be saved by someone who feels for you. I have it too, and so...do you." the Warden simpered.
Chris looked at Alito and blushed softly.
"In times of need...In my case, that's Alito, right? We might have no solutions into tackling our grief, but somehow we felt comforted enough to tackle nightmares when the time comes..." Chris's eyes then widened.
"Why am I feeling all of these fluttery feelings now? My heart is beating faster...What is this? Calm down, Chris...calm the fuck down." Chris took a deep breath, and exhaled deeply.
"Some people said that it's the Lost Temple, but we think it's something more. What was it?" Alito wondered.
"I...cannot tell you. It's on the tip of my tongue, but...my tongue seems to be elsewhere." the Warden replied.
"To whom does your name belong, Warden?" Chris wondered.
"I came from a Maker named Bratus. Before I became a Maker, I am also a shaman maker, planting seeds of life towards the earth. I have seen the world revolving around me, yet my heart remained throughout the years." he claimed.
"Will you help us, old one?" Death replied.
"Yes..." the Warden nodded.
Death, Chris, and Alito leapt on the Warden's legs and then towards the branches that held its shoulders.
"Shall we?" Death nodded.
"Hold on, little one." the Warden replied.
The huge construct traversed through the Stonefather's Vale in slow, but big steps. His steps shook the earth, the skies, and even the birds perched among the trees. The stalkers could see the looming figure from miles away and escaped in fear, for even the beastly animals know the power of such towering proportions.
"In my slumber, I have felt the Guardian, reaching to my dreams. He is the strongest of us all. But in his heart, there is a hunger. The Guardian was built to destroy. He has much in common with Corruption." the Warden spoke.
"Wouldn't that mean I have much in common too, since I destroy heartless creatures?" Chris replied.
"I have heard about you and Alito in my dreams via the wind from the Stonefather's Valley. You are not heartless...for you destroy heartless creatures, and care for those who are innocent. The Guardian, however, was built with three Heart Stones from three Warrior Makers. They are strong and loved fighting, but that's all they do. They have a one-tracked mind; they desired fighting with no one's help." the Warden replied.
"I desire solace...so why am I not Corrupted?" Chris wondered.
"You have someone who is with you, right?" the Warden simpered.
Chris looked at a simpering Alito, and nodded.
"Yes...but...why?" Chris wondered.
"As I have said, I can connect to anyone's dream when I'm asleep. It just so happened that I wandered into your nightmare last night. You were running away from your sorrow, only for Corruption slowly pulling you down to Oblivion. However, someone is willing to share your pain. Someone is willing to help you bear the burden, to help you in achieving solace, even when the solution has not arrived yet. You and that 'certain someone' cleared off the Corruption that infected your wounds." the warden simpered.
Chris looked over to Alito, who blushed lightly and nodded lightly, simpering.
"Thank you...Alito." Chris simpered.
"Always...my Lady." Alito bowed.
The Warden bent his back down as the team leapt to the ground.
"You must speak with Eidard, and make your peace, before we can cross over. There may be no crossing back." said the Warden as he climbed over the mountain leading towards the Foundry.
The team looked on, as Chris broke the silence.
"Well...this is it. We activate the Guardian, clear off the Corruption, and get to the Tree of Life." she exhaled calmly.
"Well, let's get moving..." Death replied.
Makers Forge - Eidard
"We've restored your forge, and brought life to stone. But are we any closer to the tree? Tell us now, Old One, or you may never get the chance. I hear the Foundry is dangerous." Death asked.
"As is the tree, Horseman, and the entire forest, that is why you must awaken the Guardian. But have you asked yourself, 'Why seek the tree?'" Eidard questioned.
"The Tree of Life is where I will find my brother's absolution."
"And what is the reason for you both?" Eidard asked Chris and Alito.
"Destroy the perpetrator of Corruption, bringing stability to this dimension and ours." Chris replied and Alito nodded along.
"The Tree of Life is a gateway. From it, one may travel to places undreamed of. Whether a world of oceans and forests, or ice, or endless night...the Tree exists there. It may appear different, yet it is the same Tree and its roots connect all the Realms. The Tree of Life is not where journey's end, but where they begin." Elder Eidard explained.
"However, I know that the both of you wanted to seek something more than just destroying Corruption, right?" he continued.
"What you say...The meaning of Humanity, and is feeling emotions weak? What constitutes to being...human?" Chris wondered.
"There are some things that can only be solved by you. You will not find the solution immediately. Sometimes the destination might take years to get there; it is not something that you can put your hands on. One thing's for sure...it starts with you." the Elder simpered.
Chris looked at her right palm and clenched it.
"Thanks...Elder Eidard. These few days talking to you have cleared my mind. Alito and I might not have found some answers soon enough, but it could have been worse if we have not speak up." Chris nodded and simpered wistfully.
"You might be directionless at the moment, but all I can say is...You are headed towards the right direction. I believe in the both of you." Eidard smiled.
"One day...Can I? Will I?" Chris wondered.
An after image of Kako Takafuji flashed upon Chris's mind; the Fortune Lady's smile struck the Icy Maiden's usually icy heart.
"Finding our humanity one day...What do you mean by that? Will we ever do that?" Chris sighed.
She looked at her confidante, who gave a wistful simper, and calmed down.
"At least solace is still round the corner...and at least...I have Alito by my side..."