Chapter namesake: Saint - Jordan Mackampa
Luka kept up his pleasant expression, swallowing down the knee-jerk reaction of abject horror and pity. This was the last thing he needed to show them. Luther was ultimately right. What was done to those angels, the amalgamated form they were forced to take, was disgusting, to say the least. But they were not too far gone. Horrifically fused as they may be, they collectively still held an angelic presence that couldn't be mistaken. The light that emanated was real as was his own. He didn't need to approach them because the angels were eager to meet him as well. He was swept up off his feet as though a powerful gust of wind pushed him off the ground before they had even touched him. It was an absolute torrent of movement. Hands violated his personal space, primarily poking around as they were checking whether or not he was there.
A wing went over his chest, some hands grabbed onto his arms, another onto a leg, vaguely shaped upper bodies, and a head floated in his face. The boy was tugged around, from one point to the next, stretched but not to the point of pain. Luka flailed around as best he could, exclaiming his surprise and frustration at being treated like this. Voices filled his mind of such a wide variety that he could not discern at all what they were saying. Some were pleasant and welcoming, others thunderously ecstatic.
Then it all stopped, with all of the appendages retreating. There were but only several figures left, keeping an appropriate distance. He was left levitating in a messy golden aura. A few moments passed and a collective apology came, for vaguely treating him like many of his foes did.
"Well, that was not the best introduction." Luka let out a joyous and awkward laugh. "But no worries, we can just try again."
"Okay…let's do this again." He steadied his breath and let a serene calm take hold of him once more, taking inspiration in the beautiful landscape. "My name is Luka. I'm…a friend, trying to be a good hero. It's nice to finally meet all of you."
The gesture was returned in kind, this time, in a far more pleasant unison, greeting like a literal angelic choir that the boy had read and heard stories about. Whispers of gratitude came from left and right, one after another, for the ever-shifty Luther fulfilling his promise and for the bright-eyed Luka seeing and acknowledging them.
"You have saved me from quite a few fights, so this was the least that I could do. Is there really any other way to thank someone other than face-to-face? Thank you, all of you, for helping me, not many would consider doing that in your place." Luka asked with a curious tilt of his head. One of the angel figures stretched their arm, which was wrapped around with other legs and arms. Several other arms lagged beyond, overlapping with one another. The hand reached out to gently caress his cheek.
Luka clasped the hand in place, looking forth at the figure that touched him. Though it was a pleasant sensation, it served to remind him of the unshakable sense of eeriness in it all, although it was slowly drowned out by the chatter that took place. Foreign thoughts filled his mind, ones that belong to them, and made no attempt to hide them. They spoke about his adventure from their perspective, the places visited, people met and the memories they invoked, the struggles that Luka faced, and of Luther's own personal stories as well. He noted the care and kinship they displaced and engaged them eagerly, there was very little he had to hide.
"You know, I find it kind of strange how nobody seemingly knows that all of you are trapped inside this sword. Stories about Heinrich never described him using a living sword. I don't think any description included anything similar to Angel Halo." The fake hero curiously observed, their light dimmed and brightened, and a couple of the angels nodded along. "And well, the way Alice presented the blade it seemed she didn't quite believe what she was saying herself and was trying to frighten me – does she even know about you?"
A soft hum reverberated across the peculiar shrine there were in, the thoughts that came resembled the ones he first heard, sporadic and uncoordinated. None of them were entirely sure of what knowledge Alice possessed even after passing through their individual memories.
"She didn't really do much with the sword, did she?" Luka only needed to conclude their train of thought, but something else was still bugging him. "If so, then why suddenly start doing things with the sword? Sure, we- Luther, recently discovered that you're trapped here, but so far Angel Halo had only appeared to be a weird magical sword in his history, no matter who held it. Why help me of all people?"
Kin. They answered him with a single word, and that was all that needed to be said. Luka sputtered before growing completely silent, his eyes becoming wide. He brought his hands close to his face, simply staring at them, lightly moving his fingers around. Everything became a dull haze. It felt as though time became incredibly still, the connection he had to the angels being the only reason he was still in reality and not entirely submerged in thoughts. They explained to him that they sensed it; a light showing itself very briefly, that now was a roaring presence emanating from him. A small part of him was angelic, distant ancestry, although they confessed that none of them were responsible for it. The revelation kept him silent, observing his own body and speaking only with his mind before he finally looked back at them.
"I want to help you, what happened to you just isn't right." He earnestly said to them, not simply because of gratitude or repayment for their aid, or because they were angels or kin. It was the simple fact they needed help that no one was willing or there to provide. "And I don't mean just making whatever this is easier to handle, I-"
You can't. Was the single thought that came into his head, it wasn't his own, and only Ilias knew how much he wished that were the case. The response was barely a whisper but it was loud enough to silence everything else. Of course, that only made sense and what they said was nothing more than an unfortunate reminder. For all the powers and skills he possessed and would learn in the future, for all of the angelic power in his veins, he was still a mortal being. Even if he dedicated his life to studying the prison he couldn't compare with the machinations of the unholy craftsmanship used to create Angel Halo. Destruction of it was possible, but it would result in their demise. His lips thinned, he supposed that they had the right idea. The only thing that seemed possible was to provide some company and comfort.
But that's not enough. I can't just say that I did my best and leave it like this. There must be something that can be done.
"No, No! I'm not just going to give up." Luka interjected, his golden aura grew bright and its foggy angelic feature became more pronounced. He seized two hands and clasped them together and shook them, ignoring that they were not a proper pair, both right. "I am going to help, in whatever way is possible. I promise. It doesn't have to be this way."
They simply stared at him, out of curiosity, astonishment, and some just affirmation. Luka glanced toward the night sky before looking back at them. Time passed, and none of them kept track of it.
"I have to go now. I can't exactly leave Luther hanging. We'll speak again when we have some more time, Hope to see you soon."
With that, the wondrous boy vanished and they were left with their widely ranging thoughts and a window to the outside world, whose limitations they uncovered bit by bit. As the others discussed or bickered, one figure raised a single hand to their "face" and clenched it.
Luka awoke from his supposed slumber. It was such a strange sensation that he couldn't really call sleeping – simply going from one plane of reality to another. Regardless, he readjusted himself, respectfully putting Angel Halo back into the sheath. He had once wondered how the irregular blade had managed to fit in it. The answer was simple, the blade simply altered its shape and size, and somehow that was probably the most believable part about it. Luther sat beside him, seemingly staring into some far-reaching corners of the woods seemingly without a care in the world, but Luka knew better than that, and so he waited.
Luther finally decided to break the silence, their eyes meeting. "How did it go?"
"It was all fine. I saw what I needed to see and said what I needed to say." Luka's patient smile faltered before mellowing out. He averted his gaze to the ground and sighed, shivering slightly. "I can't even begin to imagine what it's like to be trapped there…Y'know I thought this adventure was going to be simple, really. I was going to travel away from home. I meet some people, then eventually reach the Monster Lord and save the world."
Luther listened intently, hearing the boy scoff and say. "To think that was going that simple, it was just another one of my stupid ideas to be rid of, and maybe that's for the best. Because this journey is just a mess, I'm not really sure what I'm doing. The Monster Lord turns out to be the person I'm traveling with and isn't evil, just a bit nasty…but monsters are still out there, and some humans don't seem to be that good either, the weapon I have been using turns out to be some prison. More and more things keep piling on, but…"
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that it was in over my head, but I still need to move forward. There are people that still need help, others that need to be stopped. Alice still wants to go across the world for her food and she is really one of the few ways I can get strong, it's kind of funny now that you think about it."
"The Monster Lord is training a hero that is supposed to be one to vanquish her and save the world." Luther concluded. They both shared a momentary chuckle until the man stopped with a frown. He knew all too well there was bitter irony in it, purposeful irony. "Well, I guess that is a good way of looking at things, I'm glad your meeting helped sort that out. Guess they have been good to you as they were to me."
"Right, about that…"Luka paused, his face scrunched up into deep thought. He glanced at the blade for some reassurance. The singular open eye flashed and the boy nodded before looking at his friend. "I'm part angel."
"Only a small amount really, they had trouble sensing that part of me until now. That was why they helped me. We're family in some way." Luka elaborated as best as he could while still having to recover from the long-term shock at the news, but the more he thought on the matter the more it made sense. He waited for an answer, a reaction, anything.
Silence.
Luka blinked, giving the man a resolute and analyzing stare. As bland as Luther made himself out to be and as blank as his facial expressions could be, Luka could still see through it, of only a little. Yet that was enough to tell the boy what he wanted to know. Luther didn't speak, not a single noise came from him except for the occasional intake of breath, he just blankly stared at him almost like the boy wasn't there. Luka knew a minor war was raging within his friend, and there was only one thing to do – push on.
"You knew that somehow, didn't you?" Luka asked. It wasn't an accusation, just a simple confirmation. The last thing the fake hero wished to do is accuse his friend of hiding something.
Luther took in a deep breath, his shoulder dropped, and his blank expression softened. The hard part was done for him. He had little wish to play the guessing game with the boy. He casually strode toward Luka, raised his hand, and simply flicked him on the forehead, earning an audible exclamation of pain and annoyance. "Of course, I knew that. Who else but someone with some angel blood would be able to do the miracles you can do? You're stronger and faster than normal humans, all of us know that. You can heal yourself by meditating, something that has only been done by an angel…The only thing that I can say is that Alice is absolutely right about you"
"Huh?"
Luther grabbed him by his shoulders and lightly shook him. "What kind of dumbass doesn't see his angel wings and halo?"
"Oi, I resent that! It just happened, okay, there is nothing to it!" Luka flushed as he yelled back, pointing his finger at Luther's face.
The man could only laugh at the boy's flimsy defense, but it seemed neither Luka was convinced by his own words as the laughter proved to be contagious. "Do yo-do you know what the worst part is about Luka? I expected that to happen, I expected you to not notice them until we had this conversation. The first thought I had was that expectation when the answer was right in front of my face."
"So what, what should that matter?" The boy indignantly asked, watching his friend let go of him and put his hands to his head.
He ran his hands through his hair and then messaged his face. "That's not good Luka, not good at all…the fact that exact expectation was the first thing that came to my mind says more about you than it does about me. You shouldn't give that kind of impression to people. Honestly, what's more of a surprise is that Alice hasn't managed to put two and two together, though that might be because she is not working with a full hand."
"Or maybe it's because she can't really imagine an Angel settling down among humans long enough for me to eventually pop out." Luka offered an alternative, murmuring as he continued. "She doesn't exactly have the best opinion on them."
"Speaking of which, do we tell her all about this?" Luka questioned, gesturing at his own chest with an unsure look on his face.
"We keep quiet for now." Luther answered quickly. He showed no signs of hesitation in giving this suggestion, which slightly unsettled the fake hero. Seeing this, the man elaborated. "It's just being careful about this information. You said it yourself - Alice doesn't have the best opinion of angels. I think you should just wait until she sees Luka as Luka, instead of Luka the Fake Hero or Luka the Adventurer."
Luka raised an eyebrow at this. "Luka as Luka? I don't really get what you're saying, who else am I but me?"
"I'm saying you should show yourself wholly. Let her see you as someone with multiple sides before revealing your ancestry. If you do that the idea of Luka the angel will be just a passing thought in her head. "Luther explained, growing silent and then frowning. Luka nodded, having accepted his proposal, yet something was still off, it didn't feel right to do. It was a good idea, yes, there were cases of relationships breaking off due to simple revelations but he severely doubted Alice's prejudice ran that deep.
"And what about Angel Halo? Do we say anything about that?" The boy gestured over the sword. They were listening in, but he had nothing to hide from them. He lowered his head a bit, his tone becoming somber for a moment. "They don't seem to believe they could be freed from the sword…but there has to be something that could be done. We just need to find out more about the blade."
They don't believe they could be freed, the way he puts it, it seems like they collectively lost hope of escaping. That…makes sense in all honesty, they haven't at all brought up the concept of escape to me and it's likely that Luka did so first. Luther mused quietly to himself, his young friend had the right way of thinking about the predicament the angels were in. After so much time he could see the angels not having any hope, at least most of them, it was only recently in their history that were they able to actually communicate with someone on the outside. They likely haven't moved the blade until recently either judging by Alice's curiosity on the matter. Curiosity…we could use that.
"Honestly, I don't think there is any way to accomplish that without any help, we're only human mostly and don't exactly have the time to find and research such information, if it even exists. This is where Alice may come in handy." Luther said, moving toward the hard part, which was easier said than done. "Knowing the tenuous relationship Alice has with anything even slightly to do with Ilias, a direct approach might not be the best."
"I mean, sure, but the angels don't really hate Alice, to them she is really just another Monster Lord And it's not like she knows about them, I think when she said that it was only to mess me," Luka interjected. He looked into their minds as they did with his, none of them held any real animosity toward the lamia, and some of them didn't care or even found her amusing at times. "I don't see why we can't just arrange a meeting."
Luther huffed, considering what Luka had told him. He admitted that it did make things easier. Having only one party involved harboring slight hatred might not make a direct meeting a complete disaster. Still, there were far too many variables. "First, I don't even know if monsters can learn hamon. Second, even if they could, what if this meeting goes badly, it would ruin all the progress that has been made thus far. We all have to do this carefully and use her curiosity to our advantage. Here's what we do - prod at what she knows about Angel Halo, then what she truly thinks about the whole concept of angels being imprisoned. If she gets some sadistic pleasure out of that, things will be hard, to say the least."
"But if she shows some sympathy…"
"Or pity, or even just plain fascination…we could work with that." Luther finished the train of thought and waited for an answer, hoping that it all would go well. "For now we just keep them company."
Luther clenched his teeth and looked toward the night sky. If he was being completely honest, the entire plan was less about securing a safe escape and healing those angels and more about his own selfish design. The man could see Alice helping them, if not out of kindness than out of spite for a goddess that refused to help her closest servants, with a little encouragement from Luka of course. He was a rotten bastard, he had to admit, but it was the only thing he could do – Angel Halo in its current state was far too useful to simply let go, more useful than a bunch of freed angels whose loyalty couldn't be secured, and they were longer hurt by their current state. It might be a betrayal of what he and Luka promised, but they didn't need to hear about it.
Besides, life is unpredictable and it turns out in ways no one expects. It's even possible Alice wouldn't even know how to free them if she wanted to. He glanced at Luka, who had a resolute look in his eyes. Not like that would stop you, would it? Best to play it safe for now.
"Alright, that sounds good, a nice and smart way of doing it, I like it." Luka nodded to himself, having received the sign of agreement from his angelic benefactors in the form of a minuscule twinkle of light. He softly yawned, which proved to be contagious as Luther followed suit. "Now let's get back to camp, I think we can fully call it a day now."
San Ilia
They walked through its wide stone streets, amidst the large crowds of people – its many inhabitants, merchants, travelers passing by, and the countless number of pilgrims here to pay respects to their faith. Luther cautiously observed his environment, looking toward the myriad of houses, shops, and the churches and cathedrals that dwarfed them in size, and the largest of all was in the middle, where the king resided, apparently the very first piece of the city built. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the entire city felt so strangely oppressive and suffocating. Such a thought was strange to someone who for most of his life was perceived to be a city boy, after all, San Ilia beyond the religious iconography was perhaps the closest thing that resembled a modern city in this world both in scale and structure. Yet, the colors and architecture, as grandiose as they were, were too muted and impersonal for his tastes. The tall walls that surrounded the were supposed to give a sense of security to its denizens did nothing more than make him feel more trapped, and the statues of angels and past rulers dotted across looked down, as though they were judging him. Perhaps he had simply grown accustomed to the open wilds of the wide forest and plains with an oddly welcoming atmosphere of the simpler settlements. Whatever it was he hoped his stay here would be short. The only comfort to be found here was the massive sea of souls he swam through, they were not like him, no, but just similar enough to find some spiritual kinship with these strangers.
Luther shook his head, glancing toward his odd companions. Alice strode just like she always did, confident albeit disinterested, she walked toward them and casually radiated a presence that had no wish to cross. Luka followed along with a hesitant but bubbly expression, there was a natural bounce in his step. He lagged behind, and Lyra kept the same pace with him, her hands uncomfortably fidgeting around.
"People are staring at us." Lyra quietly stated, loud enough for only their group to hear. She noted the certain distance that the folks kept from them and the passing glances that they made. She sighed and shook her head. "Maybe I'm just being overly paranoid."
"Well, we're not exactly the most inconspicuous group, even if we all appear 'human' to them," Luther replied, subtly gesturing over to Luka and Alice as if pinning the blame on them. Lyra's disguise had little flaws, if the man hadn't known any better and wasn't able to feel what little darkness was radiating off of her, then, he would likely just assume her to be a human. "They let us through the gates so we're not too suspicious, that's what counts."
"It doesn't matter, even if these witless fools suspected or sensed something, I doubt any of them have the guts to do anything." Alice huffed, her words carried a type of assurance that made Lyra feel she wouldn't have to worry about it on the off chance that they did. "Honestly, loosen up a bit, being tense only serves to make you more suspicious."
"I wouldn't worry about it. All sorts of people come and go here all the time, so it's not like we look all that special." Luka said, keeping up his jolly expression as he looked around in awe of the city. He knew well enough that none of the humans there regarded with any malice, minor interest, but not malice. "Besides, with such high walls and so many soldiers, the idea that anyone they meet or see here is a monster is probably so unlikely that no one can even imagine a monster being here."
"Oh, if only they knew…"Alice chuckled darkly in response, causing Lyra and Luka to share an awkward and concerned glance and Luther to simply roll his eyes in exasperation.
In time they reached the central castle-cathedral, to say it is large would be an understatement, it towered every building in the city, and it could be seen far behind the walls of San Ilia. A true architectural and engineering marvel, its stone and structure appeared to be well maintained, despite it seeming improbable. Luka had recounted how the city was built around the structure, a story that was quite hard to believe. Luther couldn't imagine how long it took to build, the sight of it almost made him forget his previous feelings.
"My castle is bigger." Alice boastfully scoffed in a casual manner at their astonished faces.
"I'm sure it is." Luka was quick to say, his countenance composed into an impressive poker face.
"Is that sarcasm I hear?" Alice questioned.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Luka replied.
"In all fairness, the Monster Lord castle is an old creation and was built with magic. It doesn't make this any less impressive." Lyra remarked, eyes traversing the white architecture.
Before them was a sizable line of travelers, pilgrims, and would-be heroes, standing in front of the main gate and applying to enter. Out of the castle-cathedral a small booth extended outward, with much of its offices on the inside, armed with trained soldiers and lowly bureaucrats guarding and overseeing the registration process of all visitors. Surprisingly it didn't take too long for them to reach the registration booth, Luka and Luther half expected Alice to simply go bored and barge right through or teleport in if they had to wait any longer. The registration process was quick, faster than at gates outside the city, with a quick scan of their possessions, the writing of names on a list, and the information that certain areas were restricted.
"So, we're finally inside the famous cathedral." Alice drawled as she paced through the seemingly endless glittering halls of the cathedral. With squinting eyes she glared at the many religious paintings and symbols, as though there were not enough of them on the outside, the inside had to be chock full of that as well, to a headache-inducing extent.
No matter where she looked there were signs of her nemesis here, although she wouldn't publically deface the displayed artifacts piqued a sense of mischief in her. She shook those feelings off as she turned towards Luka. "I don't see what all the fuss is about. It's all gaudy and bright, too bright in fact, it ruins the atmosphere completely. Though I suppose, to you, being here must be some sort of wet dream."
"I mean…" Luka turned slightly red, but he stood his ground against the snake. "Yeah, it's been part of my dream for a while. I planned to visit this place on my hero's journey…I have only heard stories about it when I was a kid, so you can forgive me for wanting to enjoy myself."
"And it is a worthy goal to have for travelers such as ourselves. I desired to do much of the same, yet to not the extent of going out of my way to do so. Still, I think I should thank you for such an opportunity." Lyra curtly nodded to them with a soft smile, before facing the grumpy Alice. "While I don't wish to encroach, my Lord, perhaps it would be better for you to set aside your bias. This cathedral might be venerating Ilias, but it was painstankely built and painted little by little by gifted hands, who had nothing but love for their craft. Art is still art, no?"
Alice crossed her arms, once more observing the architecture and art, she sighed as her shoulders relaxed. "I… you're right, the artists and workers did care when they made all of this, and it's all just a bit too much for my tastes."
Luka gave a content nod. Luther let out a neutral hum in response and followed the loose formation of his group as they ventured forth through the interior. If the outside had stunned him with sheer size, then the inside captivated him with its beauty, everywhere he looked it could be found. It was the present distraction from the isolating city.
Still, this is not much of a castle. More of an object of prestige and piety than an actual defensive structure, it's all art, artifacts, and shrines. I can scarcely see any military implements, and it's doubtful some of the structures here could withstand a siege. I suppose that is the kind of thing you sacrifice for beauty, but I can say, this cathedral is certainly built to last… like that matters much considering the amount of workers paid to maintain the damn thing. Luther thought of the cathedral, he did note that it had multiple floors, and according to the schematics he had managed to steal a peak at, it also included an underground basement, likely containing the less savory elements of the building.
His thoughts ended as he reached the famed goddess statue depicting Ilias and just stared up at it, ignoring the spiel that Luka went on about it. True to its supposed story, the statue was extremely lifelike apart from its size and material, possessing extreme detail. Unlike many of the other sculpture or statue depictions, this one was only made from a single material – pure white marble. He didn't know why he couldn't look away from it and it wasn't fascination. Lyra stood beside him, marveling at it and loudly wondering how some of the details were made.
"'Point your sword at the Goddess and thou shalt cry', Hmm, I do wonder if that commandment applies to the statue, it certainly does not to all depictions of her, but this statue is apparently special." Hand on her chin, Lyra pondered with a curious hum, a slightly mischievous smirk appearing. "And would any weapon work in this instance, I haven't read Ilias's holy book in its entirety but the passages are rather specific. What if someone just does it by accident? It has existed for a long time so-. "
Luther just stood there, unresponsive to her quiet musings, absent-mindedly staring at the statue, he had long stopped tracing its details. Tusk manifested itself and landed atop its user's shoulder, inching closer to the left side of his face. Slowly, he took a deep breath.
The man's right arm suddenly sprang forward out of his coat pocket, index, and middle finger forward, and covered in spiral energy, he pointed toward the statue before him. The act was subtle enough not to be noticed by any other human. A screech went off in his mind, the remains of his self-preservation and Tusk awakening, attempting to restrain him but in some perverse manner, his consciousness held on.
He remained like this for a while, seconds feeling like eons as he waited for some kind of rebuke or judgment. Nothing, there was absolutely no response, just silence. A hand came, and he felt gently placed on his shoulder, bringing him back to reality. Hand quivering he let go of the breath he was holding in and brought his gaze to the ground as his arm dropped beside him. Luther gathered on some resolve and looked to his right, where Lyra stood, hand still on his shoulder looking on at him in utter horror of what he had done. He still refused to meet her eyes.
They didn't say a word to one another, instead opting to move far away from the statue with Lyra leading the way. With a light push, Luther was sitting on one of the few vacant benches in sight, his breathing getting noticeably faster as he slumped into his seat, becoming immobile aside from shudders and twitches. Lyra took a step back, her touch leaving the man as she brought her hands together.
"Are you… alright?" The satyr asked with nothing but concern on her countenance. The mere question caused the man to tense up into complete stillness.
"I'm fi-"The man began to say, before suddenly cutting off and growing quiet again. More silence came as Lyra waited for a response, the two of them becoming invisible to the cathedral and its visitors. Luther leaned against the side of the bench for support and straightened out his posture, swallowing. "No, I'm not fine. I've not been fine in a long time now…"
"Something was done to you." Lyra stated and Luther only weakly nodded. She looked to the side, the direction where Luka and Alice went away. "I've only gotten a hint on it. It was recent, wasn't it? The others know, but they always avoided talking about it. What happened to you?"
He coughed to clear his throat, looking right in the eyes. "Do you honestly care…?"
"Yes."
For the longest time, the man said nothing, his brow furrowing as he stared intently at her. He sat up properly, with his back firmly against a hurt surface. Despite the awkward and seemingly unending silence, Lyra hadn't backed off and just patiently waited. Luther sighed. "I'm sure you know that I and Luka came from the Ilias continent by ship…there was a storm we had to cross, the one that constantly plagued the region and destroyed many ships, the Poseidon bell was the only reason we could cross it. Alma Elma was the one responsible for the storm."
"Alma Elma, the Heavenly Knight!?" Lyra exclaimed in shock, quickly muffling her mouth with her palm. Little by little the pieces began falling into place, her mind going to more horrible places by the second.
"She came down to the ship, likely wondering why our vessel wasn't capsized. She attacked, and we fought for our lives- Luka was the one who did most of the fighting until she got bored and went for me instead." Luther pushed on and continued the story.
"Alice didn't take her seriously until-"
"She…took something from me, and I had to get it back. We fought, I wasn't myself, and I pushed her to the brink." Luther gestured to his chest, to the general area where received his fatal wound. The pain and ache from it were long gone. "Alma punched me here, breaking through my ribs and almost right through me…
"How are you-?"
"Alice saved my life, a little too late of a rescue, but I'm willing to bet she was as shocked as her subordinate when it happened." Luther wasted no time in explaining.
He hung his head low and brought his hands to his face, the expression on it was blank and apathetic, but showed little hints of sorrow, stress, and fatigue. Tusk floated down to his level, sitting on his lap, clinging close to him. "The thing is I don't feel alive, maybe I did for a moment when Alice's power was still in my system, but not anymore. I've been trapped in this fog, nothing feels real. I've been trying my best to ignore it, but it just keeps getting harder. Only today do I realize that it was a wake-up call – I've always felt like that, my entire world has been a haze or a river that I have done nothing but drift in."
"Have you told them how you feel? They seem completely oblivious to this."
"I look fine, and that's that. It is for the best. "Luther solemnly replied with his head still low.
"Like hell it is! You have been hurt, damaged, and they're acting as though nothing happened all while you suffer in silence. That is simply not right. I know you don't want to be a burden or 'spread your misery', but if they're truly your friends, then they'll listen and help you. If not, then you should reconsider the company you keep." She argued, clutching his shoulders as she pushed him straight back up, her presence taking on a fierce resolve before her usual calm returned not long after.
"…"
Lyra's gaze softened as she recalled Luther's words as well as her grip on him. Carefully she considered what to say, but nothing came of it, instead, she spoke through her heart. "Drift…that is exactly what we do. We all drift along the river that is life, across the depths of despair, through the peaks of joy and accomplishment, braving the waters that are challenging and hardship. Some do it better than others but we all seek in eventually, lose ourselves to the tide. We can become so immersed that we lose our sense of reality. Nevertheless, if you don't forget who you are, what you lived through, what you want out of life, you will never lose yourself."
Again, she clutched his shoulders, closing the distance between them. "Who are you?"
It started off as a mere murmur, an unsure whisper that was caught in his throat as he took what she had said. Luther looked back at her, and said. "Luther Chambers."
She placed a hand on his chest, where his heart was. "Do you feel your heartbeat, the air in your lungs? That you're still alive in spite of everything that you've gone through, despite the pain others have caused you?
"Yes, I do." Memories flashed before his eyes, they came one after another, too quickly to fully process, but he knew what each of them meant.
She asked. "What do you want out of life?"
Silence came in once more as he searched for an answer within himself – only one appeared that reigned supreme above all else. His eyes became watery. He answered unwaveringly, voice cracking at the end. "I- I… don't want to be a failure."
Lyra stiffened, freezing in place for a few seconds before continuing. As she slowly let go of him, backing away and giving the man space." Then you're not yet lost."
Wiping away at his eyes Luther found the strength to stand up before her, perhaps at one point in his life he would have felt embarrassed, at having to be consoled like he was speaking to father again, for appearing so vulnerable in such a place, but he couldn't care less. She had glanced to the side with a momentary frown, where the statue stood motionless. Recomposed, he tapped on her shoulder and tilted his head in view.
"Why do you care?"
"Why did you spill your heart out to a stranger? Because we're both in this together in the long run, our journey won't be short. I'd like to at least leave some positive impact on the world." The satyr answered with a smile. "Now then, we are in line for an overdue conversation."
"Not yet, I need some more time."
"Of course."
The moment was interrupted. A sudden crash resounded throughout the halls of the large castle, the walls shuddered as a reverberation traveled through them. Lyra and Luther jumped at sheer intensity and sound, collectively retreating out of shock. They heard shouting, yelps, cries of help, and sounds of panicked evacuation, faintly through noise pollution the sound of clashing steel could be heard. Lyra was the first one to take off in the direction leaving Luther to watch and curse his fate before running after her.
Luka didn't know what to expect when he followed the guard captain into the throne room of San Ilia at the king's own request. What was worse was that they had been separated from the others with no time to reunite, there was only him and Alice, the Monster Lord of all people inside the very heart of the Ilias church. At the very least Alice opted to be quiet and observe. Although the urgency of it all didn't make it any better. Worries filled his head to no end – did they find out he was unbaptized unlike most pilgrims here? Did they know that Lyra was a monster? Or perhaps- No, Alice has nothing to worry about. Even if they have Ilias's protection, she can easily just teleport back home and be done with. I'm- I'm the one in danger here, and so Luther and Lyra! Oh... what do I do? What should I do?
The fake hero took in a quick sharp breath as he went past the threshold that separated the rest of the cathedral castle from the throne room. He put on a brave face, and with a long inward war cry stopped his hands from shaking. Calm down and think. You have to be like Luther, yeah! Tough and unfazed, like a stone wall…oh who am I kidding, I'm not Luther, I'm going to crumble, just-
Okay, just don't overthink this. They haven't said anything yet, I'm fine. Miraculously he had managed to ease his nerves or at least keep his panicking to a bare minimum. A rainbow of light shone on them through the angled stained glass windows depicting a number of angelic figures. Luka squinted and looked forward to the one sitting on the throne, there he was, the king of San Ilia. Seeing him Luka allowed himself a modicum of relief, the painted depictions were not accurate. Even in his throne and official garbs the king was not fearsome in the least, instead he appeared rather meek and timid, but wise.
The king dismissed the guard captain and now there was only him, Luka, and Alice. Only now did Luka really notice how unguarded the throne room was, if there had been a need for punishment he wouldn't have been escorted and left with the king so carelessly. The old king stared at Luka, humming as he nodded to himself. He spoke carefully. "The traveler that calls himself Luka…I wish to ask you a question. You have not received baptism, have you?"
Luka pepped up, relief immediately flowing into his mind. It was about his baptism, of course, if anyone had any justified suspicions it would be the very head of the Ilias. Thankfully it was, as it may be, the least of his troubles. The boy gritted his teeth as he dwelled on the course of actions, was his lack of baptism really worth lying? He turned to Alice for feedback, who beheld the throne room and the old man with nothing but disinterest and muted contempt, noticing she merely shrugged in response.
"Yeah…that's right, I'm not baptized. I was there too late, sorry." Luka gingerly confessed, ending on a solemn note. Disgruntled grumbling came from his side. He could just about hear her say that he had nothing to apologize for. The fake hero shook his head. It was only the proper thing to do.
The king leaned forward from his throne, his eyes widening. One who had appeared so composed and inanimate was now lively and brimming with emotion. The suddenness of the shift in demeanor caused him to take a step back, now he had really done it…that old king would be calling the guards any second now and he'll have real trouble on his hands.
"Ah! So truly it is just as Ilias revealed to me in a dream." The man exclaimed as he stood up from his throne and clasped his hands together, his words putting Luka in immediate ease.
"Seriously?" Alice scoffed as the king continued to elaborate.
"Last night, Ilias came to me in a dream." He recalled as though the entire ordeal happened just a moment before their arrival, looking to and past the ceiling of his throne room. "With her beautiful hair and pure face. Her angelic appearance was like a breath of…"
"That part doesn't matter, just get to the important part already," Alice commanded as she rolled her eyes at such a recollection.
Despite Luka's protests at such callous treatment, the king of San Ilia gave in to her demands, falling victim to her authoritative presence that far outpaced his. The king explained that he had received a revelation that he would meet an unbaptized traveler that was destined to defeat the current Monster Lord, as unbelievable as it sounded. He stated his role in Luka's destiny, that he would bestow the boy a weapon to aid in his quest after he proved himself by demonstrating his power to three wise men scattered across the continent.
They watched as the old man pulled out a viewing case from the side of his throne that held a longsword, which held a dazzling brilliance and shone a radiant light that had momentarily blinded Luka when he laid his eyes upon the weapon. There was a confident glint in the old king's eye as though the thing's presence had somehow reinvigorated him. He presented. "This is…the Goddess Sword, the sword of a true hero. If you wield this sword, it's said that all monsters – even the Monster Lord herself `- will bow to you."
Luka nodded slowly, before casting a curious gaze toward the sword that was his supposed reward for the entire ordeal, glancing for a moment to his monstrous companion. Alice was completely calm, beholding the sword with more annoyance and slight offense rather than subservience or submission. He thought about it. If this blade was so supposedly powerful, shouldn't it affect her in the slightest, even while it's not being wielded? Furthermore, beyond the surface it simply lacked that kind of presence, he wasn't as in awe or in fear as he was when he first witnessed Angel Halo.
I'm not one to doubt the Goddess's word, but this sword isn't all that it seems. Maybe, he didn't get a revelation, maybe it was just a dream. I've never heard or read anything about a Goddess sword existing, there had been holy blades, yes, but…
Quickly he looked to the blade, prison, he wielded now. Even in their current state, the angels within didn't mind aiding him, serving him as his weapon. Luka met its primary eye, it narrowed slightly, and that was all that he needed to know. "Yeah, uh, no. Thank you, but I already have a sword. I don't need what you're offering."
The king jumped back in sheer surprise, his eyes widened into saucers and his eyebrows shot up to his decaying hairline There was no rage within him, only sheer earth-shattering shock. "What, what, W-WHAT? But the revelat- How coul-How could you reject your destiny, the opportunity to wield the power of our Goddess? What weapon could compare to such a holy relic."
Almost to tempt Luka into taking it or at least make him reconsider, the old king desperately opened the case and took the sword out, bringing it forth to the fake hero. Even in the hands of someone, the Goddess Sword felt no more or less powerful than it did before. Alice palmed her face, a few satisfied chuckles escaping her mouth, an unmistakable smirk could be seen, as it turned out she had no need to do anything to make this boring affair entertaining.
Luka blinked and stared the old king right in the eye and asserted himself. "Again no, sorry, but I don't think I'll need it. I already have a good sword that I don't want to replace…" Luka's words only proved to further entertain Alice, but also wound the old man and shook him to his very core. Before he could offer his protests and frantic inquiries, Luka questioned him as he elaborated. "Has the Goddess Sword really ever been used by anyone? I know mine has, it was once used by the great Heinrich himself."
"If I want to be a good hero, then why not wield what the greatest of us all used? After all, why change what is not broken?" The boy innocently lifted up the sheathed Angel Halo. The king of San Ilia glanced at Angel Halo, he saw a glimmer of light come from the eye close to the hilt as it met his eyes. "You can keep the Goddess Sword, I'm sure it is better in the hands of the church than my own."
"The sword of Heinrich, the saint!? Wh-were could have gotten such a thing?" The old man demanded to know, with a demented and stressed look, his hat slipping. However, this had not made him any more intimidating, rather, just a little bit more pathetic.
"It was…a gift."
"Ah," The old king of San Ilia retreated from the boy, some sense and clarity seemingly returning to him as he began to breathe a bit easier. He put the Goddess to the ground, careful so as to not make it scrape against the floor or carpet. "A gift? Yes-Yes! That makes absolute sense, of course! The Goddess saw fit to grant you a gift before you began your quest, yes…And I…I was given a test of faith and trust, to see how I would carry out her will. Truly, the plan of the Goddess cannot be known by mortals such as ourselves"
"Then, what of the sword?" The old man asked himself, looking at it as he readjusted his grand hat.
"You can keep it here. It will be worth more in the hands of the church than in my own. If Ilias still requires me to prove myself then I will still seek the blessings."
"Yes…then I suppose our duties have been fulfilled." He murmured, putting away the holy weapon back into its pristine display case. The king turned to them, having mostly composed himself. "Then please allow me to aid you in whatever way I can, destined hero and great companion. You may make yourselves at home here. I shall put forth that any part of the castle should be accessible to you and your fellow travelers."
Having exchanged parting farewells and informed the king of the other people with them, Luka and Alice exited the throne room. The fake breathed a huge sigh of relief as a fair distance was made, all while the Monster Lord wore a permanent smirk of satisfaction. The laughter that had been mostly held back erupted from her, much to Luka's dismay. His face flushed as she patted him on the back and repeated his lines in a teasing way.
"Brilliant, there is no other way to describe it" She remarked. It was simply unbelievable, for all the constant religious blathering she thought she'd be the one to have to wake him up, but no, it was another innocent believer that had managed to so casually shake the king's faith. "What a complete fool of a king."
"I'm sure he is trying his best, it was my fault that he freaked out like that." Luka argued, looking back at his oblivious aloofness with embarrassment.
"Oh sure, trying his best to make a complete idiot out of himself." She shot back, her grin widening. "Honestly, such a sniveling little man is more fitting to be a jester or a servant than an actual ruler. What you saw is the fate of those who wholly submit to Ilias, even with the supposed power gained, you're still chained in spirit to another's will."
"I…never mind." Seeing as it was going nowhere Luka shook his head and moved on. "Well at least coming here was enlightening, while I might not need a sword I at least got a goal out of it."
"Don't tell me you're actually considering going to see these 'wise men'?" She scoffed disapprovingly. If there was one thing that this little trip to San Ilia did, it was to solidify an idea –there was no use in seeking aid from brainwashed fools. But perhaps the fools here may yet redeem themselves in her eyes, the day was still young.
"Why not? I get to test myself and get some wisdom and blessings on the side." Luka questioned. It was biased of course, but if anything, such a goal would be perfect if she had desired for him to improve.
"If that 'Goddess Sword' is anything to go off of, the whole 'wise men' and 'blessings' spiel is also very much a sham, and not worth mine or your time." Alice argued and all Luka did was stare and throw up his hands in exaggeration. She knew all too well he wanted some alternative suggestion rather than outright dismissal, a desire she would fulfill. "Forget all that, I'll show you the Hero's way, something far better than whatever this worthless king may suggest – Seek out the Four Spirits, receive their blessings, receive their power and knowledge."
Luka stopped, relaxing a bit as he tilted his head. He had never heard about anything that she was suggesting…then again, he had never heard about Angel Halo and that turned out well. "Receive their power? Who are these Four Spirits, then?"
"Salamander, Sylph, Undine, Gnome. Each one is a manifestation of one of the four main elemental energies – fire, wind, water, and earth. They should all be somewhere on this continent. Find them and convince them to help. There, that is your trial." Alice happily instructed the boy. "Get to it then."
"Right, where should I go?"
"No, no, I'm not telling you where they are, you're going to find out for yourself." Alice held up a finger, wagging it in his face. "There is a library underneath the castle, we just got direct access to it, why don't you go look there fi- oh, what the hell- I suppose you earned a little reward for making this trip bearable. There are texts detailing information about the Four Spirits, and they are in the library. Although do be warned, I have sent out my subordinates to guard said information, wherever it may be. You will have to fight them."
"Why did you do that? Is that knowledge really so important?" He asked, looking at the several paths of the castle he could take, wondering where they could find the library.
"Last time a human gained the power of all the Spirits, a Monster Lord was killed." Alice succinctly stated.
While feeling disturbed at first, he shook off the feeling. It was nothing but a superficial reaction. Luka stepped to Alice, slack jaw. "You'd really trust me enough to have this power even if you're the Monster Lord?"
"I trust you enough. If I hadn't, you wouldn't even know half of the techniques you do now, or really, even be here. Besides, that's only if you get their blessing." She closed the distance and leaned down at him, even in her human form she easily towered over the fake hero. "Nonetheless, I'll be happy to see you try."
Then, a crash came, shaking the very foundations of the cathedral. Stone crumbled, glass shattered and wood splintered into pieces, a shockwave reverberated across the halls. Distanced yells could be heard, metal hitting metal, and some screams. Luka stumbled back from the sudden blow, his first thoughts were of a siege, of stones from a trebuchet hitting the building. Yet in his gut a feeling came, he could feel his body heat up, this was something else. Alice stood still, like a statue, completely unaffected by the crash, only showing a mere flash of amusement, then a thoughtful frown. No more words were needed to be spoken between them, Luka unsheathed his blade and rushed head first into where the sounds of combat wearing originated from.
"Everyone run! It's the Heavenly Knight Granberia!" A heavily armored adventurer ran past Luka, frantically rushing at speeds unthinkable for someone of his armor type. A certain dread filled Luka when he heard, one that came with the worst assumptions being proven true. But he did not let that stop him, he had a duty to fulfill, more so now than before.
Luka saw several bodies of guards that he had casually passed by with Alice. He couldn't exactly identify them or confirm their life status, yet even at first glance, they hadn't shown to have sustained damage. In fact, all of them appeared completely unharmed. More voices came yelps of fear, howls of challenge. Ilias damn it! Push, I need to get there, fast! There is no one here that can fight her.
Down a different hall, he heard the familiar voice of the guard captain shouting orders. "Group up, heads up, march toward the threat. You go, assess the damage, mobilize the outer forces, and bring them here! I'll escort our king to safety and link up with reinforcements."
A memory came to him of their first encounter. The captain's orders mattered little, unorganized, and caught off guard they couldn't put up any fight to the Heavenly Knight. Still, there was a king and city to protect.
A few more steps, one more corner, and he was faced with the Dragon Knight as she knocked aside several armed soldiers, forcing them to crash into walls and pillars. Luka couldn't believe that he was seeing her again this soon, he wasn't ready, but there was little that could be done about that, except give it his all and hope for an intervention.
Granberia's gaze met him, recognizing him immediately and acknowledging him with a slight nod. With her mere presence, it felt as though it was physically pressing against him, pushing. However, the fake hero pushed on, his approach becoming faster. Never again. A step forward and he lunged, the speed and suddenness of the attack causing her eyes to widen ever so slightly. She brought her sword up for a parry. Blades clashed, and Luka immediately attempted to leverage and slide his weapon to her. Yet it was no use, their swords were caught in a bind.
Granberia used the little spare time to look upon her opponent. She smirked, eyes brimming with interest and curiosity. The bind slipped, and Luka sliced at her, managing to hit her thigh before a casual kick sent him flying back. Much to her amusement the boy landed on his feet, gritting past the pain. She remarked. "Ooh…yes, you've certainly changed. You're completely different from when we last met in Iliasburg. There is a fire in your eyes that wasn't there before, boy. And that attack just now – Thunder Thrust – a pretty good execution."
"What are you doing here, Granberia?" Luka glowered at the Heavenly Knight, his grip on Angel Halo's hilt tightening. He wasn't alone in this…he had to remember that. "Aren't you breaking the Monster Lord's decree by attacking San Ilias so openly at this time of day?"
Granberia paused for a moment and Luka could swear he could see her eyes frantically dart around much like a child would hoping they were not caught. Only the sound of several pairs of armored boots came to her. She shook her head. "Nonsense, there is no reason for me to attack some castle in the middle of nowhere.
"I came here to cross swords with you, to see whatever the other is exaggerating your abilities." The dragon knight pointed her sword at the fake hero, her gaze resolute once more. "Let's have a match!"
Are you serious…? Is that all there to this madness, this all just mere entertainment for her?
No words were needed, Luka was the first one to move. He growled as he swung overhead, the strike was effortlessly blocked, but he let the weapon slide off. "First, there was Iliasburg. Then, one of you hurts my friend." Granberia's main hand quivered, Angel Halo slipped, and Luka used the momentum to slash at her exposed abdomen, the blade phasing through the armor. "And now this!? When will you just stop? People like you are the reason this world needs heroes, true heroes!"
Unfortunately for the boy, she took in and brushed off his attack, she didn't show a hint of slowing down. Luka's words likely have hurt her more than he could ever physically do now. Faster than he could see, the fake hero felt the side of his chest get slashed as he retreated. He gritted his teeth, baring the pain. The cut made wasn't deep, but blood still slowly seeped out of the wound staining his hand and the floor tiles below.
Granberia grimaced as she stared at the blood trail. She took in a deep breath, the sound of more soldiers approaching only grew louder. She longed for a good fight from a hero, she came here to get it. What was done, was done, might as well further goad the boy into giving to her. "I suppose so, but what are you going to do about it, little man? This world is divided into losers and victors, those who are weak to do anything, and those who can take what they want. Which one are you?"
Luka didn't answer as he glanced at his bloodied hand, but he could feel his blood boiling. The only thing keeping him together was fear in the back of his mind, it didn't consume him, no…merely anchor him to reality. He was more aware of the gravity of the situation. She approached and Luka found it in his best interest to avoid her and think of a proper plan of action. Their blades crashed relentlessly, both sides searching for a proper opening. The fake hero was now caught on the defensive. Frustration bubbled forth as nothing worked, Luka attacked as furiously as he could but nothing could break through Granberia's guard and his minor wounds kept piling on. He was weakening, slowing down.
"No, over here, we must stop her!"
"We must assist this hero!" A steady stream of armed men whizzed past him, charging the scaled beast with immeasurable valor. Alas, they moved far too slowly to prove effective against a Heavenly Knight. Luka grimaced, time slowing down to a standstill in his mind. He thought back on his previous encounters, recalling details he had seen before his unwitting duel – particularly the unconscious bodies that lined her arrival.
Looks like she was genuine when she said she had no desire to attack San Ilia. Everyone was either knocked out by her or just plain fainted like last time. It's likely that soldiers will just keep coming until she is surrounded by a small army, hmm…The gears in his head turned, and his dour demeanor soured even deeper, but he let anger take reigns. He remembered Luther's and Alice's lessons. No, I have to win somehow, she is not someone that can be beaten yet. I just have to stall her, until either she is satisfied or tired out and utterly surrounded to the point where this isn't worth it. Luther will come here, he must have heard that crash as well. If she is unwilling to harm these soldiers, then I'll just use them as distractions. Forgive me for doing something so unheroic.
Luka took in a deep breath as he recomposed himself, allowing focus and a sense of peace to take centerfold. He stood by as San Ilia's soldiers reached her, and regretfully watched the all be effortlessly knocked aside. The only strength that they ever could be commended on here was their bravery. Soon all of his wounds closed, blemishes and bruises faded away as his angelic heritage did its work, a renewed surge of energy flooded into him. He exchanged glances with Angel Halo – giving a reassuring blink, then charged forth with little of the armed forces remaining, weaving in between them.
"Away with you!" She commanded, knocking them aside with one blow. However, it proved to be a mistake, having taken the soldiers out she overextended and allowed Luka to get one good and heavy cut on her main arm before she could defend.
The grip on her weapon weakened noticeably, she immediately retaliated swinging her sword down like a guillotine, yet her momentary weakness made her miss and hit a statue. From one strike it smashed into many pieces, and stone particulates flew into the air. Several more attacks came to her, and she snapped into motion, parrying all but one. Luka analyzed his opponent and sighed in exasperation, all of that accomplished frighteningly little.
"Is that all you got?" She huffed, stepping forth with a lunge. "All you've done now has been slinking away and striking like a coward, hiding behind people and statues. Here I thought I was going to duel 'true hero'."
What else am I supposed to do, you thick-headed lizard? We're nowhere near on equal terms. Luka bit back his rebuke, he couldn't possibly put into words how much loathed using such tactics almost. He hated it, it made him feel so wrong. Yet, there was little other choice. The only way to win is to use everything, mental and physical.
"Everyone charge!" A booming voice came from behind Granberia, it was the captain with a whole squadron of soldiers packed close together in the hallway, armed with halberds. They followed his command, aiming their polearms, cutting off any point of escape
Granberia moved faster than they could see, one cleave with a blunt edge sent several men flying, a punch to some others, and a kick to the chest sent the captain and the rest of his men tumbling down. All their steel proved to be useless against her scales and armor. She barrelled right through them like a battering ram. Just like that the squad was dealt with, but it gave the fake hero enough time and distance to leap at her neck.
What no! This just isn't fair! Even with her back turned she avoided the attack, Angel Halo managing to only nick her neck. Luka frantically turned, cursing this technique's weakness. He expected to be punished, but nothing happened. She was simply standing there, rubbing the side of her neck
"I admit, that was a good Demon Decapitation, a little slow on the recovery, but much better than the last one." She commented, seeming…satisfied for a bit, but her typical stern gaze returned. "Looks like there won't be any more of them for a while. Finally, no distractions."
I'm not alone, I'm not alone.
Unfortunately for the boy, the battle continued, they moved slowly across the hallway as they clashed. No interventions came, there were no live distractions that he could use and perhaps it was better this way. They were too engrossed with their match to notice a faint melody fill the castle's atmosphere. Luka was forced by everything he had -Angel Halo, every fiber of his wit, strength, and new found ferocity. Inside it disheartened him that all it ever managed to do was make her use a modicum more effort in order to manage him. She did, however, dignify his efforts with a satisfied grin, proving to be at least some source of entertainment. Luka inwardly prayed for aid, he couldn't keep this up forever, as all he had but one trump card left up his sleeve that he had no wish to use so soon in its unrefined state. An intervention did arrive of some sort, a curious one. For lack of a better word for it, she was…slowing down, making mistakes that someone of her caliber shouldn't. The fake hero's hope grew brighter- he may have been cutting at her reserve with what little attacks he had managed to pile on her. When he crossed blades, he looked at Granberia's face and frowned. Her eyes were dull, muddled as though the dragon knight didn't seem entirely aware of where she was.
Ground underneath trembled, tremors reverberated across the stone tiles as though something was quickly burrowing through. Roots and vines sprouted on the foundation of the castle as though nature had decided to take its revenge. Long, flexible, and tough, they lashed around. Luka cursed his luck further and backed away immediately.
"Tell me Hero, what type of trickery is this!? Did she teach you magic as well?" As though suddenly woken up, the dragon knight quickly accused the fake hero but didn't sound so entirely sure with her last question.
"I'm as confused as you are! She never said a word about teaching me ma-." Luka shouted back, and then suddenly grew silent. The plant life lashed, whipped around, attempting to curl around limbs to restrain. His eyes widened, they were all gunning exclusively after her.
Granberia expertly avoided the roots, cutting down heaps of them with quick wide swipes, yet for everyone that was removed, another took its place. A strange nostalgic smile came to her as she curiously sniffed the air. Clearly, it was someone's doing, and likely not the handiwork of any of San Ilia's mages, the magic being too druidic for their tastes – just another thing to deal with…
She was mostly preoccupied with the rouge plant life and, well, Luka couldn't look a gift horse in its mouth, it was the perfect opportunity. Without hesitation, he scaled the walls. By the time Granberia decided to look back at her opponent he was gone, having already reached the ceiling and leaped off it. Her eyes widened, and she recognized the move –Demon Beheading, one that Alma recalled him using, he was compensating for his lack of wings by climbing.
Made sure I wasn't even looking…in any case at least he has his head on his shoulders. Granberia mused. It was too late to stop him, he was already falling like a guillotine blade and her head was on the chopping block. The sound of marching boots outside made her ears twitch, there were many, much more than the few squadrons she took down. Enough was enough, she had seen what she wanted, and the time for games was over. Though the boy's attack was fast and fierce she avoided it, using his momentum against him, stomping him to the ground. The dragon knight followed the scent of magic and found its source, a lone woman standing there, playing her flute and maintaining her spell.
"I've had it with these distractions. You. Why are you helping him?" Granberia's eyes narrowed on the woman, she was all too well of her nature, it was simply too easy to decipher behind the illusion. The foreign monster didn't answer the question, instead, she stopped playing and freed her hands and mouth to cast more spells. Granberia blinked, then growled, so this was the one responsible for such a vile trick, befuddling her mind like that.
Fine, if she doesn't want to speak, then I'll have to beat it out of her. What self-respecting monster would help a hero like this?
"Lyra? No-!" Luka noticed and tried to yell out but was kicked aside as his opponent approached the satyr.
Unfortunately for Lyra, the Heavenly Knight was too quick. She charged before even power for the spells could be cast, moving faster than any of them had seen. All Lyra could do was brace for impact and pray. Sword in hand, Granberia prepared to restrain the traitor monster. Yet, another shockwave resounded across the castle, the sound of someone kicking the ground hard, it made Granberia waver for a bit in confusion before she pressed on and swung the blunt edge toward Lyra. It didn't find its mark, having stopped abruptly as though it hit a wall but Granberia couldn't pull her sword away.
A deep shock went through her being as Granberia truly looked at the thing. This was supposed to be a simple excursion and duel... A dead man was in front of her with pale skin and dull eyes. He held her blade in place with a hand that looked like it was cloaked under the stars of the night sky. Alma Elma was wrong…
"Déjà vu much?" The man scornfully teased. What little life that Granberia saw in him – anger, directed at her. Again, he surprised her, twice- no three times: one for being alive right in front of her and two for stopping her blade yet again.
"Yo-You, but-how?" Granberia sputtered, inwardly cursing how pathetic she sounded. Inside there was turmoil, a flow of questions filled her mind, one so unrelenting that she couldn't begin to answer them. How could he stop her attack with a bare hand? If he could, why didn't he do it with Alma? Just what was done to him? And- "You're alive? How?"
Regardless if it was good that he was, it meant Alma at least had less to be guilty about.
"Am I not supposed to be?" As if to mock her further, he answered her with another pointless question. The sound of marching men grew louder. Glancing around, Luther sighed. "Alice didn't want me to die, she thought I had no legitimate part in this entire conflict... That changed on that day…"
Before could comment any further, Alice appeared in a flash of light, all of the attention in the room drawing to her, including the few soldiers that had managed to make their way there. Granberia leveraged the blade away from the distracted Luther and moved to stand in attention, but was seized by her shoulders.
"Enough, I've seen enough." The Monster Lord said and they vanished together before their very eyes, leaving them to recover.
…
Lyra immediately rushed to attend Luka, to see if he had sustained any wounds. "Are you alright, dear?"
"I'm up, I'm up!" Luka exclaimed. He stood up with her aid and looked no worse for wear than he did before the fight, only pieces of clothes remaining damaged. Meditation did wonders, though he was still out of breath. "Wow…I thought it would never end, I thought she was going to win."
"As did I." Lyra admitted, before looking to Luther with gratitude. "Where do you think they went?"
Luther didn't answer her. The man intently stared at his arm still covered in his power. Tusk popped out from behind and its user hummed curiously, both of them ignoring the soldiers that went in to access the situation.
Granberia found no safe landing when she was transported outside. In fact, she was slammed, pinned hard into the ground, the force of which caused a crater to tear open from the earth. Her weapon, her most prized position was ripped from her hands and cast aside like trash by her Lord. The dragon knight's mind was playing catch up, attempting to anchor itself back to reality. Granberia stared up at the glowering visage of Alice, the sheer killing intent seeping out of the lamia making her pale. She had never seen so much rage in her Lord before. It was useless to struggle, all that Granberia could do was steel her nerves and catch her breath.
"Tell me, Granberia, what are you?" Alice asked, breaking the deadly silence. Her voice further betrayed her rage and her magic eyes glowed with power.
"I…I am a Heavenly Knight, the closest servant of the Monster Lord." She was quick to answer, her voice portraying nothing but submission and disciplined obedience.
"Really?" The Monster Lord let out a sadistic maddening laugh that sent a chill down her spine. "Because that doesn't seem to be the case. Because a random monster that Luka and Luther managed to find and pick on the road here seems to have an easier time following orders compared to the lot of you! Her name is Lyra by the way…"
"Remind me again, what were my orders to you?" Alice asked.
"To not- "
"Right! To not harm any humans unless I explicitly say so. Good job, at least you remember that." She spat, interrupting her subordinate. Granberia tried to speak again, to defend herself but again she was forced down. "What did you do? You attacked Iliasburg without my permission. Fine, I let that slide. But, then you attacked San Ilia, crashing right into the damn castle – hold on, I'm not done- yes I know, you wanted to test the hero. Fine, do that, but not while attacking a human city in broad daylight, for fuck sake!"
"You randomly attacked San Ilia, you randomly attacked Luka, who was still recovering – no thanks to Alma. You're lucky they already hate us and we're basically at war with them, anywhere else it might have caused a major diplomatic incident as if Tamamo needs more work piled on her desk. That's not the worst of it. The worst was, you trying to attack a monster that was trying to stop you!" Granberia choked back a sob of pain, the grip on her grew even tighter to the point where it seemed Alice was trying to squeeze her in two. But before that could come to fruition to hold loosened immensely, anger burning out and turning into something worse… disappointment.
"First there was you, then it was Alma." She said, stressing the last part." Then it was you again. Before I even sat on the throne, I expected some issues, I expected you to bend some of my commands behind my back. But this is unpreceded, pure insubordination, something I thought none of you would do, least of all you! Honestly, at this point, I'd rather have a bunch of incompetent apes under me, because at least then when they fail it would be purely my fault for overestimating them."
Alice leaned in closer, cupping the dragon knight's face. "Let me make things abundantly clear, because it seems that I didn't back when we fought for the throne. I. Am. Not. Your. Friend. I am your ruler; you are my servant."
"You either stop this madness or I will. Now then, as I've asked before, as my Heavenly Knight, will you obey the command of your liege?'
"I will, will!" Granberia yelled out, doing something that she had never expected to do in her life, begging for mercy because the beast in front of her, that had replaced her Lord, could do far worse than just take her life And, as much as her pride hurt, she had stepped outline, let anger consume her as it has done her Lord now. "Forgive me, it will never happen again, I swear on my life."
"Good, I won't tolerate any further insubordination from my lieutenants," Alice stated, a renewed vigor passing over her. "After all of this is done, expect a long talk with your fellow knights and me. For now, pass on this message."
Granberia relaxed ever so slightly. Alice had mostly run out of steam, she said all she needed to say, at least to her. The lamia's grip loosened even further and her eyes no longer shined as bright. Alice took in a deep breath. "How is Alma doing?"
"Recovered mostly, eats less, and is less active than usual but doing fine." Granberia answered, wanting to know where this was all going, however, she found no answer.
"Fine enough for me, dismissed." With that order she released Granberia, shoving the weapon back into her hands. Not long after she vanished leaving the lamia alone inside the crater with her thoughts.
I intended this to be a simple trip, where I could observe humans, to see if-…Erubetie, Granberia, and Alma…those three are the reason I need someone like Luka or Luther. After my death, if it comes to that, there needs to be someone to keep them in their place. At least Erubetie keeps to herself.
She transformed back into her 'human' form and teleported to the exact same spot she apprehended her unruly subordinate. Cheers and yells greeted her, causing her to jump in surprise. All sorts of manner of soldiers and servants surrounded her, calling her their savor while keeping a cautious distance. She looked through the crowds to find her companions sheepishly looking at her.
"OUR SAVIOUR HAS RETURNED, CHEERS FOR THE HERO WHO BEAT GRANBERIA!"
Oh. Despite all that transpired, Alice could find it in herself to smile again, in fact, it took all her willpower to not start laughing at them. Why was that their only conclusion? Was it because the alternative was impossibly more terrifying to them? Instead of questioning it, she humored their misguided belief. Maybe this day isn't wholly unsalvageable, I can use this…
For the victory made today against such a fearsome foe a celebration was needed, and called upon by the king of San Ilia in their honor. It was only at the behest of Lyra and Luther, and subsequently Luka who didn't wish to take too much advantage of their ignorance, were the parties toned down into something more private. A feast was held, one that the king's retinue and servants would participate in. The festivities continued well into the night, with men and women gorging themselves with as much food as they could eat, drinking themselves half to death, chatting up their group of saviors. In the end, they were thankfully left alone, the rest of the celebration being too busy voiding the content of their stomachs in private, being drunk, confessing their love to one another, or simply asleep.
Lyra watched Luka finish his meal in private, seated in a corner far away from everyone else. While a wannabe hero this much attention had seemed too much for the boy, especially after Granberia…and the debacle in the library. She approached him casually, hoping that a familiar face might be enough to stifle his discomfort. "Hey there, how are you holding up, Luka?"
"Lyra! I thought I almost lost you in the crowds." Luka said, awkwardly looking around at the people that still remained seated at the main table. "I, uh, don't really know how I feel today after all that happened – I'm happy to be alive and well, I guess. But it's to finally get a break from fighting Granberia and those other monsters in the library."
Lyra huffed, remembering that particular incident. Somehow that proved to be more stressful than having a Heavenly Knight charging her. Might as well vent while the time was good. "Honestly, it's hard to believe someone so childish is the Monster Lord."
"Huh?" Luka raised an eyebrow at the complaint.
"While you and Luther were occupied. Alice saw fit to cook a potato by staring at it intently. It worked, the potato burst into flames, but so would the library had I not stepped in." Lyra recalled, putting into words she found herself laughing at the ridiculousness of it all – her panicking, Alice's nonchalant attitude while a battle raged not too far away from them, all after facing down Granberia. It was insanity and she…loved it.
"Really? That was all she was doing?"
"Yes, so if you ever wonder what your mentor has been up to while you are fighting – it's probably causing mass destruction by sheer accident." Lyra sighed. "Speaking of my Lord, what has she been up to lately, have you seen her anywhere? And what of Luther?"
Luka waved her off. "Luther left as soon as he could after the library, saying he wanted to go outside the city. I haven't seen Alice anywhere, she just up and went, it's probably nothing too bad."
A dark shadow stalked the halls of San Ilia's cathedral castle, it was stretched far and wide. Skulking and towering over any drunken servant or soldier that dared stumble through the castle. It paid no mind to them, its mere passive presence being enough to give a sense of dread enough to wake them sober. No, its target was someone else. An old man carefully entered his humble abode, it was barring only containing the necessities for minor comfort. Not long ago the king of San Ilia decided to momentarily retreat back to his personal quarters. The shadow slipped through the gap left, making sure its presence was completely unknown. It eyed the Goddess Sword poking out of his robes.
The old man mumbled something to himself, a prayer of some sort that became silent before he put the sword in another decorative case covered in religious symbolism. His gaze lingered on the sword, admiring and revering its sheer presence, but there was still a shred of doubt and confusion within him. He shook off those feelings and closed the case, turning away from it.
A crack and pop. The sound stopped him dead in his tracks. He was slowly at a snail's pace turning back to the holy weapon in sheer horror, praying that the noise that he heard did not originate from it. His eyes bulged out as he saw cracks on the Goddess Sword. He reached out to it, but before he could even touch it, the cracks spread, splinting the blade in half and finally turning it into small fine shards.
The old man's legs gave in, and he dropped to his knees, grasping his head.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Nothing too bad." Luka repeated as he shrugged and went to finish his meal. He stood up, rubbing his eyes. "I'm going to my room. Fix up my clothes and then it's off to bed for me."'
"You can sew?" Lyra inquired with great interest.
"Yeah, I made about half what I'm wearing now." The fake hero admitted with a subdued sense of pride as he wistfully looked up at the ceiling. "Mom had me learn how to do a lot of stuff by myself…she probably knew that I was going to be left all alone…"
"You're not alone, you don't have to be alone." She argued
"I know, I'm all the more happy for it, it's just-"Luka suddenly grasped her hand, but his grip on her was loose enough for Lyra to simply slip out of it. "Don't needlessly endanger yourself for my sake, both you and Luther.
Lyra nodded and Luka let go, with that he left without another word said, leaving the satyr to ruminate on the recent events alone. She couldn't stay here, having used a considerable amount of energy her illusion was beginning to strain her. It was the only choice that could be made, trade comfort for safety. So Lyra left the premises of the castle and walls to the outside with her camping bag. She breathed a sigh of relief, there were far fewer people here, far less noise. Tracking down Luther would prove to be a simpler matter than first thought with his unique energy. As she ventured into the forest, she made a mental note about the others.
It wasn't long before she crossed Luther, sitting beneath an oak tree, engrossed in a book and singing to himself, unbothered by the fact he was alone in a forest.
"-But whether a lad be sober or sad, or mellow with ale from the horn, He'll take no wrong when he lieth along 'Neath Oak and Ash and Thorn." Luther stopped, noticing Lyra's presence approaching him.
Lyra sat down on the grass in front of him, her illusion finally dissipating. She wondered whether or not to ask about the song, but saved it for later.
"Do you always wander off like that? The others don't seem all too bothered by it." She asked. Perhaps not the best icebreaker, but it would do.
Luther closed the book, placing it in the neat pile beside him. "I leave them alone, they leave me alone, that's how it works. Alice prefers it that way and Luka thinks that if I have a problem I'll just tell him."
"And you are yet to do so, I'm guessing." She shot him a grave look and all the man could was just nod, his promise remembered. The satyr glanced at the pile of books, raising an eyebrow, barely managing to look at the title on the top one. Magic...fundamentals… now that might have confirmed a certain theory she had. "So this is what preoccupied you for so long. What have you been reading here?"
"I've been trying to see if I could learn magic," Luther said with a slight hint of shame. "But it looks like I have no idea where to start."
"Magic?" She chuckled, but it didn't sound as though she was mocking him. So, it was as she suspected, whatever power he was using definitely wasn't magic, which intrigued her further. "I know that it looks like we wave our hands around and things just happen, but it isn't so simple. For people not born with such talent and instinct it usually takes years of study and practice to start."
"So learning magic for me is pretty much impossible. Not unless I settle down somewhere." Luther murmured as he gazed down at the books. He didn't have that kind of time; it was yet another idea thrown in the trash bin.
"Ye-"She stopped herself, pondering for a minute or two, recalling memories of his peculiar powers. "Maybe…at its core magic is about how well you can control the internal energies inside of you and expel them. You seem to have an uncanny degree of control of yours, admittedly unlike anything I've ever seen. Which leads me to inquire – why not ask Alice to help you? She does seem to like to foster budding talent."
"Many reasons, the main one being – I don't want to rely on her more than I do. She won't just train me, but treat me like an experiment, and will also try to pry out every secret I have." Luther explained with a frown. "I just want to learn or have someone actually teach me."
"Then perhaps I may be of assistance. I think I know enough to help get you started." Lyra offered and in an instant, Luther's eyes lit up, curiously with such contrasting emotions – greedy opportunity and child-like wonder. How unfortunate that she had to crush it. "Not right now, I can barely cast some basic illusions as it is. Today we just rested."
With a shared nod they went on to unpack their camping equipment, curiously Luther had not left. At first, she thought he was merely helping but she was left wondering why he insisted on staying.
"Another thing I found about myself – I hate cities."
"A shared sentiment."