Chapter 3: Light

"You promised that her power would never be used for personal gain." Ariel seethed, looking in his tepid eyes under the shadow of his cloak. Holding up his hand, a scroll unraveled, revealing a highlighted sentence in the middle of the page.

"Our promise states that our child's power would better the world once they came of age. You should remember; we both drew up this contract." Sloe growled, holding up the contract for Ariel to better see her own handwriting.

"You don't want to better the world, you want to destroy it! Why… Why would you want to destroy it all? There is such beauty here." Ariel cried as he reached up to cup her jaw, stopped by Ariel, grabbing his wrist.

"There is nothing worth saving." He said, tilting his head to the side almost as if he too were sad that it had to be done.

"But why her? Do you know what such an act will turn her into? Her heart will be lost to the Darkness if you do this." Ariel begged, looking away until he gently reached up to the hair on the side of her head, gripping it so hard so quickly that it made her yelp as he turned her head to face him.

"It will create in her the power she was always meant to have: The End. Now let our daughter come with me to fulfill what she was always meant to be." Sloe hissed, obviously holding back a great deal as he spoke through clenched teeth.

"I will never hand her over to you!" Ariel swallowed, glaring at him from over her cheeks, making him chuckle.


Dane and Menodora visited dozens of people within Margata, taking note of people's reactions they invited to a town-wide celebration of music, dancing, food, and good company. With each invitation, the Darkness appeared to separate from the person for a short while. As they continued, Dane felt a strange phenomenon; it was as if the Darkness became agitated, trying to gain a better grip on the person invited. Menodora noted the same feeling, beginning to wonder if the Darkness was more than merely an imbalance of sorrow in people's hearts.

Those who suffered loss, disappointment, or had been depressed for some time were invited with a much gentler tone. Both Dane and Menodora noticed the Darkness clinging felt as if it were eating away at their very soul. Unknowingly, the two of them would accelerate their conversation just to get away from the spirit-crushing presence hanging around those people. It was difficult at times since the people whom this Darkness gravitated to talked with such depressing tones, trying to infect them like a virus. But eventually, the invitations were given out, and on the appointed day, scores of people came.

Everyone laughed, children played freely amidst the food and drinks readily available to everyone. Between talking to people, grabbing up snacks, and monitoring the atmosphere of the celebration, Dane and Menodora would venture to the outskirts of the city. Stark changes could be felt as they left the main square; the streets were dimmer and colder than they were at the celebration. The Darkness felt as if it were waiting to infect them once the party was over.

"It is a start, but this is still not enough." Dane sighed, writing down his thoughts as he would walk.

"I didn't expect that it would cure the world. I mean, there are some in the square that you can still feel a heavier presence around." Menodora answered sharply. Dane nodded, looking back over his notes and confirming what she had said.

"I, too, noted this. Perhaps there is something else, something far deeper that we aren't seeing." Dane interjected. Menodora chuckled, and Dane felt a rise of Darkness near him.

"I know of something that you don't see," Menodora muttered under her breath. Dane looked over to her, noting that the rise he felt was centered around her.

"What was it that you said, Menodora?" Dane asked, tucking his pencil and notebook away. Throwing her arms forward with a frustrated huff, Menodora almost shouted at Dane.

"Don't tell me you can't see it!"

"I honestly do not have a clue what you are talking about Menodora. What is it?" Menodora threw up her arms and stamped her foot, turning back to Dane with a reddened face.

"You're so blind! You honestly can't see all of the women that you talked to at the party were flirting with you! And you did nothing to sway them!" Dane sighed hard, thinking back over his interactions at the party and noting that there were, indeed, quite a few women that would freely talk with him. But he gave no thought to them or how it would affect his relationship with Menodora.

"Why would this upset you? It should be well established that I have no intention of courting another woman." He answered. Menodora clenched her fist tightly, eventually throwing her notebook at Dane.

"Why would it upset me?! Why would it… You wouldn't make them go away! You just sit there and listen to their compliments and adoration, smiling as if you were enjoying it! Isn't my adoration enough? Can't I be the only person you need?" Menodora asked. Dane picked up the journal, walking over to her reaching out to put his arms around her. Menodora backed away, her brimming eyes waiting for an answer.

"Menodora, you are the only person I have ever needed, and the only person to ever try and understand how I think. I am not seeking attention from others. I have all I need in you." Dane replied, holding out his hand to her.

"I could finish this journey on my own. However, I do not wish to," as Dane spoke, he noted that the dark feeling around Menodora dissipated, not entirely, but significantly.

"You never cease to amaze me, Dane. How can you be so infuriating and so enticing at the same time?" She asked, sniffling slightly as her brimming eyes receded.

"That is my curse, I suppose. Every time I look in a mirror, it is a constant reminder that I am unique in so many ways. In some cases, so much so that it has left me feeling isolated, that no one person could see the world as I do. And I have found that in you. You surprise me, as well. Your compassion to so many, your deep thoughts in watching a sunset, your thirst for finding answers in places that no one would think to even peek." Menodora sighed long, reaching out her hand and placing it in his, immediately feeling better than she had in the past few minutes. She knew deep down that Dane didn't entertain any thoughts of other women, but it was still frustrating that he did nothing to dissuade the multitude of women that would attempt to sway him.

"I'm still mad at you." Menodora huffed as Dane smirked and put his arms around her, this time pulling her in close.

"I am aware. In the future, I will attempt to curb other's approaches. Though I can't say that I'll always remember." Menodora breathed in a sigh: being with Dane was many things, but at least it would never be boring.

The day after the party, the entirety of the city seemed brighter. The mood had lifted, allowing those that had been stuck to charge ahead without reservation. Menodora and Dane wove through Margata, talking with dozens of people. Those that had been depressed expressed how they were genuinely able to smile. Those who had lost loved ones expressed how they were able to share memories, and still, others simply thanked them for the beautiful gathering. Their wandering brought them to the Great Circle, where they watched the scientists perform experiments on Dr. Long's new body. Despite some of them failing, no Darkness appeared nor did any swell around those involved.

Dane and Menodora compared notes in the evening, confirming that whatever this 'Darkness' was, it was countered by 'Light.' Menodora concluded that to understand what 'Light' was, they would need to find a city with an abundance of happiness and compare it to Margata. Once all their needed supplies had been gathered, Dane and Menodora left to find this place, planning to watch the sunset as it painted the deserts of Nihal. But as they exited the borders of the city, a weight dropped onto their chest, forcing them to their knees. The world around them became darker, nearly bringing them to tears as an invisible force slowly flowed around them towards the city.

"What is that?" Menodora asked, struggling to compose herself and regain her footing.

"This must be the Darkness within the world. How could Darkness still be so powerful? And flowing toward the city no less." Dane exclaimed, reaching into his sleeve to consult the Mage's Journal. Menodora managed to regain herself and look over his shoulder as he turned pages, putting her hand between the sheets when she saw something that caught her eye.

"Wait, go back." She asked. Dane returned a few pages reading over what Menodora had found as she read it aloud.

"Why is it that as I enter a city, the Darkness seems to subside? However, as I leave, I notice that the point where I ceased feeling this Darkness is closer than before. Is this my doing? Perhaps I shall find my answers as I travel. Do you think he had the same experience we just did?" Menodora asked. Dane read it over again, holding his chin in thought.

"Perhaps he did, but to a much lesser extent, it seems." Dane surmised, turning to later pages for something that would explain it. Yet no clues or additional mentions came as he reached the end of the journal.

"What if the Light is attracting the Darkness, or settling back into place?" Menodora asked, taking out her notebook and reading over some of the statements from the people of Margata that she had written down.

"How do you mean?" Dane asked. He had a theory of his own, but as he had seen many times before, Menodora could come up with answers that he hadn't considered.

"Think of a pond. If you were to throw a massive boulder into it, the water would be pushed aside quite quickly but eventually settle back into its original place. What if the Darkness od the World and the Ultimate Light works the same? After a mass gathering of Light, it pushes the Darkness away, and it slowly comes back into place." Dane concentrated for a few moments, the glow of magic igniting in his eyes, and he looked over the dunes outside Margata. All around him, he could see portions of the Darkness seemingly pulled into the city rather than merely flowing back in. Dane pointed this out to Menodora, as her eyes too glowed to see the Darkness.

"What if the intentional direction of the Ultimate Light is the cause?" she asked, looking back at the city then back at the Darkness.

"The people of Margata are expressing their joy, or rather Light, in an inward direction: the city of Margata. If this is the case, then it won't spread to the world. It may push the Darkness back initially, but because of its inward focus, it will pull the Darkness back in given enough time." She further explained, gaining momentum as she looked over her notes.

"That could explain why we felt such a stark difference; the source of joy and Light was the city of Margata. Our Light was being extinguished once we crossed the threshold between Darkness and Light because we were no longer within the city's protection, despite its inward-facing property." Menodora spoke faster and faster, talking so fast that her face began to brighten in a broad smile. Her smile was infectious, and soon Dane could feel the corners of his own mouth turning up into a grin. Around them, the air seemed to brighten, lessening the pressing presence.

"What… what's happening?" Menodora asked, looking around at the air around them.

"I believe that we are creating our own Light, a light that is turned outward to the world around us." Answered Dane. Immediately the two of them furiously wrote the finding in their journals. Menodora had to sharpen her pencil twice as her excited penmanship blazed across the pages and snapped the lead. Deciding to stay within Margata instead, they watched the people more closely, discovering shades of Darkness, as well as pockets and hues of Light, appearing and disappearing.

People who exuded Darkness almost always directed it outward, searching for someone to feel as they did and know the pain they felt. By contrast, those that radiated Light often directed inwards, unwilling to share it with those around them unless they too had a similar "hue" of Light. The inward-facing trait of this Light also led to those people being affected by Darkness all the faster. Inward directed Light not only absorbed and fed off other's Light but would equally absorb and feed off another's Darkness. If they lingered too long near a source of Darkness, their Light would eventually be overcome and create another source of outward-facing Darkness.

There were, however, some sources of outward-facing Light; this hue was brighter and more potent than others. It was always created by one person genuinely wanting another to feel joy, one who cared for the hurt others felt. The Light was strong enough to burn away one's Darkness, and re-ignite the Light within them. Unfortunately, it often came at the price. The person exuding the outward Light would become drained after some time as if they were giving their own Light away. Menodora witnessed one of these people give so much of their Light away that they became another source of Darkness.

a"This outward Light must be the path to 'The Ultimate Light,' it has to be," Dane said one evening as he and Menodora ate dinner.

"I'm sure it is. But for now, sit down and enjoy the food. We won't be able to find this path if we can't even walk." Menodora commanded jokingly, spooning out a large helping of potato salad onto her plate before reaching for the basket of bread. Dane smirked, staring at her and thinking over the day's observations. Menodora had taken a few moments to dance with children or watch as they fiddled with alchemic experiments. Her smile was infectiously radiant, and Dane soon realized that she was a source of outward-facing Light. Menodora stopped when she noticed his stare, smiling awkwardly.

"What? Is something stuck to my face?" She asked, instantly reaching for her napkin and wiping the sides of her mouth. Dane shook his head, fiddling with a fold of the table cloth.

"No, I was just thinking about the path we've taken up to this point. I don't ever remember seeing you this happy before, Menodora." Dane smiled, chewing a large forkful of food.

"To be honest, I'm a little surprised myself. It's been almost three years since we've been studying this together. And you've been studying it for longer if I remember." Menodora answered, taking another bite of her food.

"Eight years in all; it's hard to believe. I almost shudder to think about how dark this world be without your existence." Menodora lifted an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly.

"What's this all about? Are you getting all philosophical?" she teased. Dane smiled and chuckled under his breath.

"No, not in the strictest sense," Dane replied, pausing for a long moment, staring at the woman sitting across the table from him before reaching for her hand as a realization came to him.

"So that's it. It's all so clear." Dane almost whispered in awe.

"What is?" Menodora asked, wiping her mouth and tightening her grip on his hand.

"I've figured out what the Ultimate Light is." He grinned, running his thumb over her fingers.

"Well, don't leave me in the dark, what is it? Menodora asked eagerly.

"We are the Ultimate Light. I don't know how or when it happened, but you have sparked a new outward light within me. Together our Light resonates and is made all the stronger. We, together, can be the cure for the world's Darkness." He answered, getting up from the table, not letting go of her hand and kneeling before her. Menodora took a moment to take in what she saw; his posture, his position. It made her stop and think harder before her eyes became wide with realization.

"Will you be the Ultimate Light with me, Menodora Parnell?" Dane asked, reaching to his pocket and pulling from it a ring of moonstone and gold. Menodora nodded, unable to speak as the ring was slipped onto her finger, slimming down to the perfect size.

"We still have a long road ahead of us, but at least we will not travel it alone. Right?" Dane asked. Menodora's smile became all the brighter as she tackled him to the floor. It was ecstasy.

"Wait, if we're this Ultimate Light, then how are we going to counteract Darkness? There's only so much that we can do." Menodora asked, holding herself up from the floor over Dane.

"I have a plan to travel the world. We can be the beacon for others to look to. We can be there to help others. The world itself may be warped and dark, but by sharing our Light and doing what we can to brighten every corner, even by the smallest amount, we can combat this Darkness once and for all."

"What about turning Margata's Light outward? It may not be a lot, but it would still provide something."

"That is something that will be much harder. For now, let us attempt our hypothesis outside Margata where it may be better received." Menodora grinned wide before hugging him once again. It felt like her heart would burst with all of this joy she felt. The next weeks were a blur as preparations for the grand wedding were made.

Bakers, tailors, mechanics, alchemists, and florists buzzed through the city, turning the once dreary, greasy square into a palace courtyard. People from all disciplines donated their talents. Most offered their help as thanks for the joy the couple brought to the dreary city. Dane made note that as preparations for the wedding progressed, the inward Light of the city felt as if it were slowly ebbing outward, spilling into the world, and pushing back the Darkness of the world lingering at the outer border. Those which had been shrouded in Darkness for some time began to glow with their own Light.

When the day finally arrived, the very air seemed to shimmer like gold. Anticipation and bliss reverberated in everyone as the couple married in a service talked about for years to come. None was so grand as the marriage between Dane and Menodora Altoor.

Soon after, the two of them set off to share their Light with the rest of the world, taking with them a heavily loaded horse-drawn wagon full of food, decorations, and small trinket gifts. Their first stop was a small village south of Arentia. Menodora could almost see the Darkness permeating everyone in the town. Wasting no time, they began inviting all that they came across to a celebration that night only to discover that the Darkness didn't suspend itself as it had in Margata as people were invited. The two of them spent the day emptying their cart of its cargo, bringing life to the drab, sand-etched square. When the time for the celebration did come, it was anything but; everyone was lethargic, dull, and uninterested. Dane and Menodora began asking different people about their lives, trying to ascertain why such a lively event would seem so dead.

"I suppose there really isn't much to celebrate." One farmer said.

"Don't misunderstand me, I am thankful for this distraction. But when tomorrow comes, it will all be nothing more than a distant memory."

"What do you mean?" Dane asked, noting that the Darkness hanging around this particular individual seemed as if it was forced on him, yet a part of his life.

"The new queen of Arentia has made our lives difficult. All of us have been taxed heavily with really no explanation. Because of that, it is getting harder and harder to just get by." Dane and Menodora both looked to each other, feeling defeated and a little embarrassed that they would try and force upon these people happiness that would only fade once they were gone. This Darkness was much more rooted than what existed in Margata.

"Perhaps we would be able to speak to this queen on your behalf," Menodora suggested, handing the farmer a glass of punch.

"It won't work. Many people have gone to try and speak with her, even traveling Bishops have tried and failed. Some rumors say she's even killed some of them." Dane sighed and set his hand on the man's shoulder.

"Then she has not met us. We will speak to her on your behalf." He said, noticing the area beginning to feel lighter, but hesitant. Perhaps this reluctant feeling was another hue of Light: hope for a new and better future tainted with past experiences of failure. When the small celebration was over, Dane and Menodora both left the next morning for Arentia, determined to help these people. As they trekked, the story would be repeated through every town they stopped in. More and more people were downtrodden and despondent, searching for some way to make their lives better. It was becoming clear that there would need to be a different approach to fixing the world of this Darkness. The cure would not be one of distraction and celebration but of reassurance and hope. And it would start by speaking with the queen.

"What are we doing wrong?" Dr. Long asked, combing over the data of their latest test. It had been almost a decade since the beginning of this project. Yet they were no closer to solving the problem of the parts breaking down. Every time they would try to activate a component, something would fail, and they would have to start again, sometimes from scratch.

"Even differing our approach to bio-mechanical, it still won't fully amalgamate," Maxus added, looking over the data in more detail. There was just some force at work, preventing that last little bit they needed. Adelia picked up one of the sheets, pointing to a line of numbers.

"Perhaps the bonding polymer between the artificial tissue and the mechanical components is too viscous when it is introduced, vaporizing the tissue. Right here is shows that there is a massive spike in temperature just before it becomes solid… no, that wouldn't work either." She sighed, bringing out a pad of paper and writing out equations.

"Making the polymer thinner would only increase the temperature spike, and making it thicker would lower the spike, but the reaction needs to be sustained for a longer period, and that could induce necrosis." Maxus sighed: being the Master of Metallurgy, he thought of and tested thousands of alloys that would be stable enough to meld with the artificial tissue, and he had found it. But…

"It appears that we almost need to suspend or slow time for multiple reactions at once." He sighed.

"I could introduce some agents into the Polymer that would slow the reactions, but it would weaken the final bond between flesh and metal." Adelia answered, all of them sitting in silence for a long while when a voice spoke behind them.

"What if standard alchemy alone was not enough?" a man asked. Long and Maxus looked up to see a young man with long black hair draped over one of his eyes sitting at their table.

"You're Russel, Madae's apprentice, are you not?" Maxus asked. The man looked up slightly, his hair falling away from his face and revealing a small mechanical brace on the side of his eye.

"Yes, I am he." Dr. Long set the datasheet aside and grabbed his chin in interest.

"What do you mean 'standard alchemy alone is not enough'?"

"I couldn't help listening, but it sounds as if you need to slow your reactions for bonding the components, is that right?" Dr. Long nodded, simultaneously interested and suspicious.

"Then perhaps it is time to look beyond mere science. A man living in a city named Kritas is an expert with a form of alchemy that works outside of the natural laws of science, allowing for the construction of wonders beyond our imagination." Maxus and Dr. Long looked to each other before Long answered.

"What you suggest sounds like it dabbles in Magic. We are men of science. How can fairy tales and misdirection help us?" Dr. Long asked with conviction. Russel smirked darkly.

"I have been to Kritas. And I have seen firsthand the results of these 'fairy tales and misdirection' as you call them. It is real. It has allowed for even the creation of their enormous guardian golem called Hekotone. His art is known by a few names, but it is known prominently as Dark Alchemy. I believe that by using it, you can have what you seek." Russel grinned. Maxus sighed, calling Dr. Long to a more private corner.

"I don't think we should pursue this. I've seen where 'dark' can lead by watching my son's research. If we do this, we could travel down a road with no return. We could become depraved lunatics, not men of science." Dr. Long took a long breath and looked back over his shoulder to Russel as he looked over the data left on the desk.

"It is the nature of our research to investigate and pursue any leads that move science forward. I am the lead of this project, and I hear your concerns. But we must move forward; if at any point you believe that we are beginning to cross a line, I want you to stop us." Maxus thought long a hard about his responsibility. Even when Dr. Long had started this project, Maxus warned the entire group that they were stepping into dangerous territory reserved for gods. Toying with human life in such a way would open a pandora's box of possibilities, but still, they pressed on. How much farther was left until it was too late? Eventually, Maxus gave his consent, very unsure that using this 'Dark Alchemy' was the answer they sought. He very much wanted to stop Dr. Long, but the man was so close to his goal that such concerns would only be heard and not heeded. With Maxus's agreement, they returned to the table.

"This expert in Dark Alchemy, what is his name?" Dr. Long asked, gathering up the Datasheets. Russel smiled, proud that he had brought something of interest to Margata.

"His name is Arkarium."