Chapter 16: The Lost Warden - Oran
Back of the Makers' Forge - Near the Foundry
"So the time has come..." the Warden spoke.
"What is the Foundry, to begin with?" Alito wondered.
"It is a holy site, where soul is fused with stone." the Warden replied.
"So it's where the Constructs were created...Still, doesn't look so holy from here." Death shrugged.
"The darkness has spared little in our realm, but the Foundry is a place of magic. It is strong, and with help from you three we will claim it once more." the Warden simpered.
"What became of the other Wardens? Surely it ain't just you alone, right?" Chris wondered.
"In my dreams I have felt many of my brother, but only one still calls...Oran, a Warden most ancient...his song still haunts me, though his stone is lost..." the Warden replied calmly.
Chris's eyes widened as she recalled seeing a few odd-looking stones during the few times where the team travelled to the Charred Pass, Drenchfort, and the Lost Temple.
"Hang on...during the time that Death, Alito, and I travelled through the Forge Lands, I have seen some strange-looking stones that looked like you. Could that be...?" Chris asked.
"It could very well be Oran! I can feel him somewhere within the Forge Lands, but since you saw those strange-looking limbs, perhaps you can help us Constructs?" the Warden asked.
"It shouldn't take long in my Le Mans Quattro. Besides, it would not be great to have voices haunting your mind now and then, would you?" Chris questioned with a simper.
"Of course, it will be great help." the Warden nodded.
"But we still have the Foundry, and the Key must be required to activate the Constructs inside the building." Death replied.
Chris shook her head. "No problem at all."
The mountains near the Forge, where Oran's body resided.
The ancient being's body was greyish-blue and had a slightly plump, yet similar, appearance compared to the Warden of the Lost Temple.
"Here goes..." Chris exhaled calmly, buffed her hands with Project Tundra, and unlocked the heart inside Oran.
"Alright, Death, you ready to receive it via the Item Transporter device?" Chris called Death via the transmitter.
"Well how am I supposed to work out this techno mumbo-jumbo?" Death gave a frown.
Chris gave a small chuckle along with Alito. "Just relax, Pale Rider, and stop whining."
"What?! I'm not whining about..."
"Sending 'em to you now!"
*BZZZT!*
"Oh hey...Heh...that's a surprise. I still have no idea what this does but, I suppose it's your world's way of transporting stuffs?" Death replied.
"Locally, but we're planning to expand it across continents and eventually, across dimensions that we have reached to a diplomatic understanding." Chris nodded.
"Well then, I will be going then. If you can catch up, do so." Death nodded.
"Right away, Pale Rider."
The Lost Warden's heart glowed blue as its forehead glowed along, awakening it from his slumber. It yawned and blinked several time to rid the blurring from its eyes.
"Who disturbs my sleep?" Oran wondered.
"We apologise if we disturb you, but the Warden of the Lost Temple told us about you. We figured that we awaken you to stop the haunting voices in the Warden's head." Chris bowed politely, along with Alito, while Oran bended over slightly to have a closer look.
"Hmmm...A fleshling in the Forge Lands. You have the look of neither Angel nor Demon. When I last woke, they were the children of creation. Humans, I suppose?" Oran's deep, gruff yet calm voice ruffled the grasses and flowers near him.
"Yes, we are. But we came not from this dimension; we came from the other dimension under the Dimensional Adventurers' Agency's sanction." Chris nodded.
Chris and Alito explained their purpose in travelling to this world.
"I see...When I last woke, the humans have not existed yet. I learnt of their arrival through the Councils' prediction in my dream." Oran spoke.
"How long have you been sleeping, o warden?" Alito wondered.
"How long? That I do not know, but I seem to be half my normal stature. When constructs sleep, the stone wanders. Perhaps you might find my wayward self, and return it to me." Oran replied.
"How can we do that?" Chris wondered.
"Take this." Oran gave a blue stone fragment with a spiralling carving upon its center. "It is a piece of me to reawaken the old stone, and remind it of life."
"Thanks, Oran." Chris and Alito bowed again.
"My name might be Oran, but that was me when alive. Now I'm in stone, and I have no name." Oran replied.
Chris scanned through the energy signatures of Oran's heart fragment and commanded the satellite to detect Oran's limbs based on the same energy signatures.
Triangulations process start - locate Oran's limbs based on Heart Fragment's signature level.
Locations detected - Charred Pass, Baneswood, Forge Lands, The Fjord.
Isolating specific locations - retrieving coordinates.
Coordinates received, uploading to Multi Media Interface of Audi Le Mans Quattro, Project Tundra, and Project Ventus.
As Chris and Alito attempted to find the third limb in the Forge Lands...
"My Lady..."
"Yes, Chris?"
"What if one day...I end up losing one limb while we are finding out the meaning of humanity, will you still...take care of me?" Alito wondered, giving a shy gaze over.
Chris pushed the brake on her supercar as it screeched into a halt, and placed her left hand on Alito's right.
"Why would you say that?" Chris gave a puzzled look.
Alito sighed. "When I saw just how vulnerable Oran was, I couldn't help but think this might inevitably happen to one of us. I mean, the monsters we will be facing after stepping past the Tree of Life will be stronger. What if..." She shook her head.
"Why would I not take care of you, Alito? I promised that I will take care of you, and vice-versa, when we did the Loyalty Oath four years ago, right?" Chris replied with an affectionate gaze upon Alito's eyes.
"Really?" Alito simpered.
"It's thanks to you that I'm able to overcome my nightmare yesterday before Corruption can get me. I know that even if it might take some time, you will follow me on my journey because we have a common goal - finding the meaning of Humanity and seeking the solace we so desire." Chris blushed as she gave a peck on Alito's lips.
"I promise, Alito...I promise. You trust me, yes?"
Alito squeezed Chris's hands slowly but firmly, giving a confident nod. "Yes, I do, and we will face the problems at hand, right?"
"Even if it takes us a lifetime, Alito, yes..." Chris gave a soft smile.
Alito pecked Chris's cheek. "Thanks...my Lady."
"It's thanks to you, my Lady...that I'm able have solace despite my pains too..."
After finding Oran's remaining two limbs...
Chris and Alito returned to where Oran was and nodded.
"Well...here goes nothing." Chris cracked her knuckles as she raised Oran's Heart Fragment.
Oran's eyes glowed blue as it soon began to attach his arms, and slowly lift himself to attach the legs on its hips. The Lost Warden slowly picked himself up, stretched, and gave a huge yawn.
"You are whole again, Oran." Chris simpered.
"Yes, my stone is whole once more. Thank you, fleshlings." Oran smiled, but his expression soon turned to a frown of concern. "But the makers...I feel their despair. The Corruption spreads, fleshlings...but perhaps there is still time."
"Then again...despair is a powerful force, Oran. And Corruption, even more so. I mean, it has nearly consumed me in my dreams, but not until she gave me the solace I need to sleep through last night." Chris simpered, eliciting a blush from her confidante again.
"There will be time; Death is finding the Guardian inside the Foundry." Alito nodded.
"True...But there is also a weapon besides the Guardian. The will of the remaining Makers must be rekindled, the will to fight the surrounding destruction! They must be reminded of the wonders we are capable of! Have you heard of the Makers' Chronicle?" Oran wondered.
"I'm afraid not, old one." Chris replied.
"It records our history, our lore, and our songs! Memory of it has faded, but it cannot be lost. Fleshlings...it's no mere coincidence that you revived me. We must find the Makers' Chronicle." Oran explained.
"If it is a weapon to counter the dimensional disruption's perpetrator, count us in." Chris nodded.
"Yeah!" Alito nodded.
"I am too large for secret places. But you are nimble, and small! I will need your help in finding it..." Oran replied.
"Right...Death should be powerful enough to find the Guardian; we will help you with the Chronicle. Where is it, though?" Chris wondered.
"Ah...it's been so long since I held it...I do not know where it lies. But if there is a shaman among the living makers, she will have the answer." Oran replied.
"She?" Chris mused on for a moment, only to recall passing by a white hair shaman with a blue shawl cloth wrapped around her eyes, holding a stick with potions in her waist.
"Right, we will return with the Chronicle." Chris nodded, and nodded to Alito.
Makers' Forge - Muria
"You must be the Shaman Muria that Death and Elder Eidard mentioned before, right?" Chris wondered.
"Yes, and I have heard about all that you have done so far for the Makers along with the Pale Rider. You have our gratitude, Chris and Alito." the white hair Shaman bowed.
"You don't have to mention it, Shaman. We do not want our realm to fall into darkness either. But this is not the reason we came for you." Chris replied calmly.
"Yes, what is it you seek, may I ask?" Muria wondered.
"The Makers Chronicle; Oran needs it." Chris replied.
"Oran? Do you mean the Lost Warden?" Muria asked.
Chris and Alito nodded.
"Blessed be the Stonefather...the most ancient of the Wardens is found. And we thought we lost 'em to Corruption. You have our thanks." Muria sighed in relief.
"It will be great if you could tell us the Chronicles' location." Alito simpered.
"I see...unfortunately, it lies hidden. Even I do not know where, but a Lodestone could show the Chronicles' location." Muria replied calmly.
"Lodestone?" Alito wondered.
"Yes...You see, the artifacts were hewn from the same stone, and they will strive to be united again. Should you carry a Lodestone, it will guide you to the Makers' Chronicle." the Shaman replied.
"Where can we find one?" Chris wondered.
"These stones are precious. They can be used only once. It will be impossible to separate the Lodestone from the Chronicles, once they are united." Muria warned.
"There is only one Chronicle, right? A single use is all we need." Alito replied.
"Very well, but I need something in return." Muria replied. "There is a dying species known as Shadow Leaf. Its seeds have powerful healing properties. Bring me the Shadow Leaf seeds, and I will point you to a Lodestone."
"Scattering the seeds of the Shadow Leaf to preserve and expand it for healing potions...sounds fair. Alright, we'll bite." Chris nodded.
"The stalkers and prowlers roaming the land enjoy eating the Shadow Leaf...you may have to carve the seeds from their bellies." Muria informed.
"The Fjord, let's go!" Chris shot out as it typed in the coördinates into her Scouter.
"What happened?" the Shaman wondered.
"Throughout our travelling in the Forge Lands, I set forth certain coördinates into my satellite system launched into this world. Those coördinates will become waypoints on my navigation device, which allow us to fast-travel." Chris explained, just in time for a flash of white light from the sky to teleport the Icy Maiden and Alito to the Fjord.
"Ready?" Chris asked.
Alito responded by transforming into Lifebane.
"Let's..." she replied.
Within minutes, Chris and Alito managed to find the six seeds needed to 'pay' for the Lodestone that Muria promised.
"Well...that's certainly sticky for a Prowler's blood and belly juice." Chris huffed calmly.
"Remind me why I never like jelly in the first place..." Alito snarled.
Chris and Alito teleported back into the Makers' Forge and hand in the six seeds.
"You're back..." the Shaman simpered.
"Have a little faith, will ya, Shaman? Here are your seeds." Chris replied.
"Thanks for your help, Chris and Alito. Just to be curious...why do you want to help Oran find the Makers' Chronicles, besides its use?" Muira wondered.
"If there's anything to counter the Corruption, the Makers' Chronicles will do. We do not want Corruption to destroy our world and yours." Chris clenched her fists in determination.
"Rest assured, Muira, we will do whatever we can to destroy the consuming darkness!" Alito nodded as she held Chris's hands.
Muira, despite being blind, could feel a small glimmer of light among the tainted darkness in Chris and Alito's wounded soul.
"My staff could feel the light upon their wounded soul with my staff...It seems what Eidard said is true." she simpered.
Few minutes later...
Chris's Project Tundra and her satellite systems managed to isolate the Lodestone's energy into the system, triangulate areas of the Forge Lands, and search for any areas with the same energy signature as the Lodestone.
Within seconds, the super computerized satellite managed to single down to several fallen columns on a broken structure North-west of Baneswood - the pathway to the Fjord via Stonefather's Valley.
Column Structures - Baneswood
"My Lady, look!" Alito's eyes lit up as she noticed a sparkle of light levitating and floating down towards Chris's Lodestone.
The item that emitted the light revealed itself a thick book with covers made from Lodestone. It has several cryptic writings craved in the book covers; the language of the Makers.
"The Makers' Chronicles...Let's get back to Oran!" Chris's eyes lit up and nodded.
Alito nodded happily.
Oran
"Here's your history, Oran." Chris handed over the Makers' Chronicle to the Lost Warden.
"The Chronicle-at last! It is as though the very souls of the Makers remain close to us through this tablet...I'm sure you will understand." Oran simpered.
"We do, Oran. It's nice to see that your Realm still hold out strong against all odds. You have our respect, old one." Chris bowed.
"It must have been hard on you, may your realm survive through the darkness ahead with the memories of the makers." Alito followed.
Oran chuckled softly. "The ones whom they called you the Icy Maiden and the Icy Wind, Chris and Alito...You are not as cold as you would have us all believe!"
Chris blushed and Alito blushed.
"It will be great if you could keep it to yourself, Oran...I'm just confused..." Chris sighed calmly.
"About your emotions and the meaning of Humanity, right?" Oran simpered.
"We believe that if we find the answers to these questions, the rest will be revealed to us. We just don't know where to start..." Chris shook her head.
"Start by seeking solace...when your soul is at peace, and your mind is one with your body, you are in a state of mind where you can tackle anything. You are in the right path, because you have each other." Oran chuckled.
Both the Icy Maiden and the Icy Wind looked at each other once more and blushed...
"My Lady..." Alito could feel her heart racing faster by the second.
"We can achieve this, yes?" Chris asked.
"Of course, my Lady...If anything, I want to achieve a peace of mind with you too!" Alito simpered.
Chris wrapped her arms around Alito's waist, simpering shyly as she locked her in a strangely warm embrace.
"We might not have the answer yet...But in our journey to solace, we still have each other..." Chris thought.
A few minutes silence, however, was broken by a loud crash.
Chris and Alito snapped out of their dreamy, looked up the skies from the Makers' Forge, and frowned as they saw big clouds of smoke and fire.
"Chris, Alito! Trouble at the Foundry, the Guardian is corrupted!" Death exclaimed.
Chris and Alito's eyes widened, "WHAT?!"