Chapter 22: War

Days went by after Ariel had mobilized everything in the Temple in uneasy silence. All communication with the Sanctuary on Mount Anima, the custodians of the secret entrance to the Temple of Time on Usoria, had since gone unanswered. Ariel had dispatched a small squadron of Monk of the Green to investigate the state of the Sanctuary. They had since changed from their robes and donned cloth clothing, resembling a group the humans of Usoria called Ninja.

"Goddess, I and my party have returned." Called the monks, bringing with them two teens.

"What is it that you have found?" Asked Ariel with almost stern stoicism.

"There is nothing left of the Sanctuary. Arkarium might have done the most damage when he first came, but the forces of Magus Sloe have since decimated the rest of it. Their forces number in the thousands. Despite our best efforts, we were discovered by his forces; two of the monks with us were run through by chainsand joined his ranks." Ariel let out a long sad sigh, bowing her head and clenching her fist tightly.

"They will be reminisced in the Halls of Memory. For now, we have no time to mourn. We must prepare for the immanent attack." Turning from the returning squadron, she was about to give an order when that same cold wind blew through her.

"GODDESS! BEHIND YOU!" a voice screamed. Ariel's armor appeared around her shoulders and torso as she turned to face what was behind her. One of the monks that had returned lunged for her, his arm having been transformed into a mass of thorny chains. The face of the monk had become scared and twisted as it leapt past her. The other four monks that had been part of the squadron began also twisting and deforming into masses of chains and deformed flesh.

"I…I'm sorry goddess…" the first monk wheezed, the chains making up his arm readying to attack once more.

"I bare you no ill, good monk." Ariel smiled, holding her hand out as a bright white light erupted from it, enveloping the monk and obliterating him. The other monks lunged at her, chains flowering from their arms and met with the same blast. These monks however did not disappear when Ariel's light hit them, only tumbled across the floor of the temple. Scrapes and squeals howled in the air as the monks pulled themselves back to their feet. Ariel again unleashed a blast of light on them only to have the same thing happen, sending them further across the floor. Some of the Qualm Knights in reserve summoned their spears pinning the monks to the ground. Ice crackled down their spears encasing them within seconds.

"What were those things?" the Monks of Blue asked in surprise.

"Those appear to have been Monks of the Green I sent to investigate the Sanctuary. Somehow Dane is able to forcefully pull others under his control."

"Should we pull the Memory Knights away from the front of the temple? If they are turned, there's no telling what would happen!"

"Whether we pull them back now or regroup later, the risk is the same. This was only a warning. Dane is trying to scare us, but we must stand fast. Whom was the one that called out to me before the Monk attacked?" Ariel asked, looking around through the ranks of Qualm Knights surrounding her. Two teens stepped from the crowd appearing to be twins.

"Were you the ones that warned me?" The twins nodded vigorously, standing stiffly as she neared them.

"You two were once helpers of Dane back in the temple of the Aurora." She smiled, her features softening. Again, the twins nodded vigorously still nervously stiff.

"There's no need to be afraid of me, unless you have joined ranks with the force that is coming." Ariel's features hardened, light springing to life in her hand once more.

"No! No no no no no no no. we were trying to come here when we were met by your scouting party at the Sanctuary." The boy answered, waving his hands back and forth with just as much vigorousness as he had his head.

"I'm Lotus, this is my twin Orchid. We told the monks that we needed tell you some vital information when we were attacked. Once the attack was over though, your monks came back for us." With a wave of her hand Ariel dispelled her power and her features softened once again. She remembered when these two were but sprites of the forest under the care of Guwaru, and when Dane had made them human.

"I see. What is it that you needed to tell me so badly?" Lotus looked to Orchid who urged him on.

"Dane isn't coming after your daughter to make the world a better place. He is being controlled by Darkness." Ariel sighed hard and nodded her head, folding her hands behind her.

"Yes, I am aware of this fact. Ever since he took in the Darkness from the world, he plans to use our daughter for his own selfish gains."

"No, he doesn't. It's far, far worse than that. The Darkness within him wants your daughter so that he can destroy everything, permanently!"

"And how do you know this?" Ariel asked with an edge in her voice.

"We are creatures that have been altered by Darkness. Thus, we understand it the most. Darkness only wants one thing: vengeance for the wrongs that make it up by destroying everything that anyone loves. And for something like this, it extends across all existence."

"So, we aren't fighting against the twisted will of one man, we are fighting the festering wounds of the world." The realization didn't impact her as the twins had hoped, rather just made the situation all the more desperate to keep Rhinne away from Dane. An explosion against the barrier outside the temple rippled through the floor shaking all of them where they stood.

"He's here!" shouted a Knight. Ariel lowered her brow holding her hand out as an enormous axe formed in it and more armor appearing around her body.

"Let us meet our foe! For we shall ensure the survival of all who live in this world and the worlds beyond! Let them sing of our war and remember those that have fallen! Stand strong! Stand tall! Stand, AND FIGHT!" The roar coming from the knights made the air quiver as they divided up to their tasks. Ariel flew to the front gate, calling Qualm Knights to her side and readying to charge should some of Dane's forces break through. Outside the barrier, thousands of warrior skeletons summoned by Hilda filed up the path. Warrior mages donned in black armor and cloaks pummeled the barrier with sword driven spells, slowly cracking it.

"We would help you if you would have us." Orchid said. Ariel nodded, turning her attention back to the gate.

"Help wherever you can, he must be kept away from the temple." Ariel commanded, adjusting her sweaty grip on the axe, letting the cutting-edge rest on the ground. Qualm Knights summoned their spears as the plumes of blue flames coming from their body flared brighter. Eventually the cracking Barrier did break with the sound of shattering glass. The knights began to redrive their swords only to freeze when chains pierced through their armor. The reserve memory knight quickly charged, pushing those hit with the chains outside and re-erecting the barrier. Ariel could only watch as the metal making up those knights screeched and squealed into new shapes, darkening to gunmetal while the flames lost their color to black.

Once the chains pulled from their bodies, the tear in the armor healed over. The former knights began to break through the barrier. Ariel felt a pull on her mind again, remembering the feeling as a prayer from someone. She flew as fast as she could to the fountain the pull was coming from finding that it was the same fountain the Dracova Warrior had called to her from. Waving her hand, she saw the same warrior in red armor kneeling on the ground.

"Goddess Ariel of the land called Usoria, please hear my prayer…."

"I am here Warrior. I have heard your prayer and I answer. What is it that you beseech?" she asked, staying her want to return to the font gate where she was needed.

"I have gathered a force of Dracova Warriors who ready and willing to help defend against Magnus, if you will allow us. I know that we are from a different place and may believe in deities much different from you, but Magnus is one of our own. I do not wish the people of Usoria to face him without at least our trying to help." Ariel nodded, waving her hand again as the portal became bigger, a stairway appeared at the bottom.

"Come Warriors of the Dracova. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated. Step through that portal. It will lead you to the bottom of a mountain. Take the path up that mountain and it will lead you to the rear guard of a force that has come to my temple. Be careful, as they are powerful."

"Thank you, goddess Ariel. We Dracova will do all that we can." He answered, calling back to his warriors in another language. Ariel didn't stay long enough to listen or watch as they went through, returning to the front of the temple where the newly corrupted Memory Knights were breaking through faster than before. As soon as the barrier broke, the chains once again shot through, piercing through another few Knights. The reserve Memory Knights once again pushed them outside the barrier and were trying to erect it again, but the process took too long. A few fast-moving skeletons and wisps of black vapors came through. Qualm Knights at the order of Lilynouche broke rank, attacking the infiltrators.

Within seconds the skeletons were reduced to nothing, their bones scattering across the ground. However, the wisps were harder to deal with as some became shadowy mages, while others appeared to be swordsmen, blasting and cutting the Knights at will. The knight's armor bodies screeched as weapons punched through the steel after being weakened by fire. Another few minutes passed as the wisps were dispatched, ultimately killing the knights as the damage to their bodies was too severe and released too much of their mana.

Again, the corrupted knights broke through, and again more chains hit a larger part of the Memory Knights as they were pushed back and the barrier reinforced. But again, more skeletons and wisps broke through, attacking the ranks of the Memory knights allowing the barrier to fall again all the faster.

"Shouldn't the Barrier be getting stronger?" asked a Monk of the Blue as he watched the barrier be broken time and again.

"The corrupted Memory Knights must be the key to weakening it enough to break through. If this keeps up, we won't have enough Knights to maintain the barrier. General Lilynouche, ready your Knights, when next that barrier falls you are to charge. General Dodo! Have your Chiefs ready to engage the next time that barrier falls…" her words stopped short when she heard a badly out of tune bell reverberate in the air. Again, the sound came drawing Ariel's attention to the barrier as a ripple spread through it, turning it shades of blue and purple as though it were stressed metal.

"What was that?" Looking around, Ariel could see nothing until she looked straight up where she saw an absolutely gargantuan chain resting on the top of the barrier. When she caught sight of it, it began pulling back into a planet sized seal above them. Cracks had begun to form where the chain had hit when it came again, thrown against the barrier. It hit hard enough to send cracks to the ground where the knights stood. Some of the knights themselves began to show cracks in their armor, leaking bright green flames and blue haze from within.

"Goddess! If we don't take down the barrier now we will lose all of the Memory Knights! The barrier is directing the excess stress onto them!" a Chief Memory Knight called.

"If we lower the barrier, then all those forces will advance. The barrier must hold as long as it can!" Ariel commanded, watching as another eight large seals appear before the gate all revealing enormous spear tipped chains.

"If we don't lower the barrier we will lose almost a third of our forces!" The chains appearing at the front all launched, striking the barrier hard enough to crack it and break some small pieces from it as glass.

"GODDESS! WE MUST LOWER THE BARRIER!" the Chief shouted, watching as the chains pulled back into their seals readying to launch again. Ariel's grip on her axe tightened, her mind racing.

"GODDESS!" Lifting her axe from the ground, Ariel held it straight out from her.

"Lilynouche! Form your ranks! Prepare to Charge! Memory Knights! Drop the Barrier on my command!" she shouted as the immense chain above slammed into it once again. Sheets of the barrier broke away showing them all with shards of the dissipating barrier.

"NOW!" Just as the chains launched from their seals the air shimmered as the barrier disappeared. The chains howled as they flew, slamming into the temple and disappearing below its marble exterior were ash began to swirl in clouds from the impact points.

"CHARGE!" the answering roar of the knights spread through the halls of the temple, echoing enough to create the sound of thousands more. Skeletons, wisps and knights alike slammed into one another, swords clattering as steel and bone shattered. Ariel spun through the ranks as though she were a dancer, splitting through the wisps and breaking skeletons. Those that tried to attack her from the left or right were met with her strong wings, thrown aside before being met with her axe. Monks stayed as close as they could to the knights, healing the damage done to them by the skeletons or the wisps. But the most frightening thing were the chains that would strike from far in the distance, striking knights and corrupting them within a few moments. With each strike, Ariel found that she was taking down more and more knights, some of them having stood beside her a moment before.

Sometimes chains would come for her but were deflected away, showering her with sparks and flakes of blackened metal. Through the crowd, she caught a glimpse of him: Dane. He stood near the center of the throng, hurling chain after chain into the maw and turning Knights faster and faster as those he had corrupted before held other Knights in place.

"General Dodo! Gather your forces and go for…" before she could finish, a score of chains slammed through the whale's body spraying his golden blood everywhere before being torn apart. Ariel was frozen in place, unable to give commands. Cold ran through her body as her hands began to shake. The giant gold and dark blue helmet he wore crashed into the ground before her, splattered with his blood. It had happened so quickly she hardly had time to process it. One of the knights grabbed her and ran back for the temple, only faintly able to hear the desperate cry to fall back. Chains struck the ground where they ran, some slamming into them from behind burying them in the ground or cutting those that ran in half.

The knight carrying her disappeared from her side as a chain drove him into the ground and she let momentum carry her into the temple. Qualm Knights and a few remaining Memory Knights shut the door behind her. Just as the doors were to meet a huge chain burst through the center, splintering the door apart and slamming into the wall, instantly beginning to turn it to ash.

"Goddess, what are your commands!" a Chief Memory Knight thundered. Ariel only stared at him, his voice sounding as though he were a long way off. She had known Dodo since she first existed, and he was just… gone. Willing her mind to focus, she brought her attention back to the present.

"Stand… Stand firm! We must not let him into the temple!" she commanded, finally gaining her senses and summoning her axe to her hand. They may have lost one of their generals, but the fight wasn't over just yet. Squaring her shoulders, she walked to the front lines behind the door, holding her axe high and back. The few remaining Memory Knights all gathered on either side of the door. Ariel nodded and the company charged to meet the oncoming force. Ariel swung hard unleashing a wave of ice.


"It seems as though her resolve is beginning to break Master Sloe. It must not have been that strong if she was frozen by the mere sight of a general dying." Hilda said with a laugh, holding her staff forward making the skeletons that had been broken before gather back together and shamble on.

"She is an immortal deity that has never seen brutal death up close. I intend break her entirely." Sloe seethed, summoning another chain, breaking through the front gate to make it wider.

"And what of the temple? Shouldn't we try to preserve it if only to have a place to rule from once this is all over?" asked Magnus, motioning towards the chains still buried in the temple's front and the one currently within the temple itself through the front door.

"This temple is a monument to all that is wrong in the world. Once we have Rhinne, the other deities will be easily dethroned. Even Minerna herself will be unable to stand against us." Proud eyes stared up to the sky above the temple; finally, the world would pay for what it had done. They would ALL know what it was to loose what they loved most, to feel as he felt.

"You do know that this will not satisfy your need, don't you?" a voice asked in his mind. Sloe grit his teeth, biting down on his lip hard enough to make it bleed. The bothersome sliver of Dane that remained still pestered him with questions about his purpose, his reasoning and his path. This was the best way to ensure that justice was served. A shout from the rear guard comprised of Arkarium's forces made him turn around to see soldiers sporting dragon's wings coming up the path, cutting through the serpent sorcerers.

"Magnus, do you know of these coming from our rear?" Sloe asked flatly.

"Yes, that is Kaiser Vulcurion, the reason I came to you. Let me vanquish him for you Master. With the power you've given me and my more powerful Specters, I will overwhelm him." Sloe nodded and Magnus sprung into the air. Throwing his hand out and drawing his massive sword, meteors of black magic struck the ground. Dozens of mage and swordsman Specters formed amid the ranks of the Dacova warriors. Magnus dove for the Kaiser, calling his name as their sword met with so much force the soundwave shoved Arkarium's forces away.

"Do you think he can handle him?" Hilda asked as she watched the fight, sparks flowering with each sword impact.

"That is not our concern. It is his. Our task remains ahead." Sloe answered, walking towards the temple following after his turned Knights of the Temple. Hilda stood in silence, dread beginning to build in her chest making the lump in her throat harder and harder to swallow. She had only known Magnus for a short time, but her heart was already his, at least, what was left of it.

"Magnus, don't do anything rash." She thought, turning and following after Magus Sloe. She hesitated only long enough to watch as the Kaiser and Magnus flew into the air, sword blows echoing like thunder.


The skeleton forces eventually pushed their way into the temple: no matter how many they cut down, there were always more that came. Each minute that passed pushed them further and further back in the temple. The second line of Qualm Knights had been broken and they were half way to the third line. After them, only the force of Oblivion Knights remained.

Releasing a blast of light, Ariel obliterated a massive file of skeletons. The wave rallied the Chief Qualm knights beginning to push them back, cutting down all that were in her way with swings of her axe and blasts of her power. As she swung through a particularly large creature made of shadow, her axe stopped hard. When she saw what had stopped it, her blood ran cold as the strength left her legs. Standing before her was Dane, holding back her axe with a taught chain eating away at the metal.

"Hello Ariel, My love."

"You are not Dane! Dane died when he took you in." Sloe laughed, pulling the chain away and swatting at her, smacking the axe to the ground hard enough to make Ariel's hands numb.

"You are very much mistaken my love. I am very much alive. I simply have awakened to what I am capable of. Stand down and let me see my daughter."

"No! Never!" Ariel screamed, swinging her axe hard only to be slapped aside by a chain. Ariel spun on the ball of her foot, unleashing a wave of ice. Chains broke through it as others hurled at her, crisscrossing the halls from different seals. Spinning her axe as a blur she managed to deflect the majority of them, ignoring the searing pain in her wings as some ground through them. A blast of power launched from Ariel as another blast of equally intense power from Dane met and obliterated it, the resulting explosion forcing all fighting to the ground.

Taking advantage of the resulting smoke Ariel lunged with a hard swing. Bind as she was, she was unable to avoid the spear chain shooting up, cutting through her side. She tried to glide away, but the injuries to her wings made it impossible. She was only able to go a small distance before falling to the ground. No sooner had she hit the ground then chains wrapped around her body, the thorns on each link digging into her skin. Ariel screamed in pain as they tightened, digging further and further into her flesh.

"I will see my daughter. Cease this pointless battle!" he demanded, tightening the chains even further. Ariel began to feel her arms and ribs give way under the pressure: if they wound any tighter her chest was bound to collapse. She could hear the bones beginning to creak within her body when a large metal spear shot over her, cutting through the chains. Both turned to see whom had thrown the spear to see a Qualm Knight with a small red and white ribbon hanging from his pauldron.

"Clank!"

"Goddess, Quickly! This way!" he shouted. Ariel disappeared in a flash of light, teleporting behind him as he backed her away from Dane.

"You cannot stop me Ariel!" he shouted as chains burst from around him, slamming through the ranks of Knights.

"Lilynouche! Rally your Knights! Push Dane back!" Ariel called as a wave of blue formed before her. Each of the Knights, chiefs included, summoned their spears and drove them into the ground. Ice flared across the ground crackling like thunder. Everything before them was frozen in place, including Hilda and more importantly Dane.

"General, keep him there as long as you can. The temple will fall and there is only one thing I can do now." Ariel commanded.

"You would do such a thing? Where would you go? There is no place on Usoria that you could go and remain hidden!" Lilynouche shouted, their attention pulled to the ice surrounding Dane as it began to crack, black vapors seeping from them.

"I don't know, I only know that I must. Please Lilynouche." Ariel begged as she healed her wounds, fresh scars all over her body still glaring scarlet. Lilynouche whinnied softly as shards of ice formed around her and a single horn formed in the middle of her head.

"I will do what I can, goddess. Go." Ariel picked herself up, running through the ranks when she felt her wings were too damaged to fly. Behind her she could hear the sound of breaking ice, Lilynouche and the Qualm Knights fighting hard to keep Dane at bay. All too soon those noises were silenced and as she looked back, she could see Dane, Hilda, and an army of skeletons and former Knights if the temple flooding through the halls after her.


Orchid coughed hard, finally waking her from her stupor. Something cold felt like it was wedged in her gut. Looking down she saw a large sword stabbed through her into the ground while a broken skeleton lay beside her. She tried to pull it out only to have the sharp edges of the sword cut into her hands. When the sword wouldn't budge, she looked around to see where she was, finding Lotus a few feet away from her with spears through his back.

"Lotus. Lotus answer me." She called. Lotus stirred, his head falling to the side but his eyes dull.

"Orchid, is that you?"

"I'm over here. Reach for me." Orchid called weakly, reaching out her hand.

"I can't move Orchid. My body won't move." Orchid tried to move, but the pain of the sword in her halted her movement.

"Please Lotus, reach. I'm scared. Don't leave me alone." She pleaded. But Lotus didn't answer, nor did he move anymore. Orchid called again and again, the pain of the sword stopping her from calling anymore loudly.

"Lotus, please don't leave me alone." She whispered, before the dark closed around her vision, and she fell limp.


"Third Rank of Qualm. Ready your spears and Charge!" Ariel shouted, running past the line further into the temple. She stood waiting far from the final line of Qualm Knights as they unleashed their wave of ice. The oncoming ranks froze in place only to be swept aside as splinters of ice with chains. The knights tried valiantly to fight off the chains fired at them, but they quickly fell to the impaling links, turning around and beginning their onward march. Ariel forced her hand out, blasting the roof of the temple making it collapse in their path, blocking it up to slow them down and give her time.

She had tried everything that she could think of battling against the thousands of his soldiers and still he came as though he were brushing aside a lock of hair. The last-ditch effort was to run to the inner most chambers where Rhinne was for safe keeping and escape from their home, the Temple of Time. Running past the final line of defense, she called the Oblivion Knights to attention, telling Lykyra that they must hold the line.

The red bull nodded, turning his attention to the sound of marching down the hall. Fire blazed around his hooves and horns, billowing from his snout. Ariel could hear the sound of her final and most powerful General let out a desperate billow, the thunder of his hooves fading down the hall and crashing into the oncoming soldiers.

She hoped that she he could hold Dane long enough to gather Rhinne and escape. When Ariel burst through the doors she realized she was too late. Dane was already standing next to her bed, gently brushing his finger across her cheek as she slept.

"I'm surpised she's managed to sleep through the sounds of battle." Dane smirked.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Ariel screamed, holding her hand out as a flame roared to life. Dane appeared before her, grabbing her wrist with leisurely speed and locking eyes with her, malevolent whispers hanging in the air around them.

"Mother? What's wrong?" Rhinne groaned as she woke from her slumber when she saw the black cloaked figure standing before he mother. The grip on her wrist made her hand begin to turn white. Rhinne looked around for her personal friend and guard whom had eased her to sleep, but he was nowhere to be seen. The man standing before her made her blood run cold, realizing this was the same man that had slaughtered Will.

"LET HER GO!" Rhinne screamed, throwing the covers off and readying an attack spell, fear thick in her eyes. The sight of Will being run through so many times flashed through her mind, petrified the same would happen to her mother.

"RHINNE, STOP!" Ariel commanded. Instantly Rhinne froze in place looking down to see a dozen small chains at the man's feet, all pointed at her. Looking over his shoulder, his stare made Rhinne's face drain of color, unable to run, unable to breathe.

"Were you honestly going to break your promise to me?" Dane asked placidly as he turned back to Ariel. Rhinne looked to Ariel with questions burning in her eyes.

"You would use her for such a deed?" Ariel asked in return, making him smirk as he eased his grip on Ariel's wrist.

"You and I both know what our contract says. Weren't you the one that said this would be the best course of action?" he asked brushing her long, battle tangled red hair from her face with the backs of his fingers. Ariel tried to pull away but he mirrored her perfectly, his pressing, soul chilling presence making it hard to move.

"Mother? What does he mean? What deal did you make?" Rhinne asked, fear settling into her heart when the sounds of battle raging within the temple began to draw her attention. A strong explosion shook the floor, making Rhinne run to the balcony that over looked it. The sight horrified her, seeing Knights of black battling with the Knights of the Temple. Metal and blood stained the marble floor of the temple, the empty shells of the Knights and corpses of the Monks scattered everywhere.

"You promised that her power would never be used for personal gain." Ariel seethed, looking him in his eyes under his cloak that stood out like torches against his pale skin.

"I never made such a promise: if you recall, the contract which we both drew up states that his or her power would be used to better the world we live in when she came of age." Sloe said, flipping his hand down as a scroll unraveled to a paragraph revealing to Ariel exactly the phrase he so heinously remembered.

"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.

"This world has become too corrupt to save as it is. All must be wiped clean to start again." 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 Dane!" Ariel swallowed, glaring at him from over her cheeks making him chuckle.

"You said it so well before, my love. Dane is dead; all that remains is Magus Sloe. Now, let her know her father and her destiny." Sloe hissed, slowly easing his grip on Ariel's hair, following her as she walked to Rhinne who stood in a horrified trance on the balcony. Pulling her eyes from the battle below, Ariel brushed a few locks of her silvery hair back.

"Mother? Why are the Knights fighting?" She had never seen the terror of war, and certainly not when that war included the Knights of the Temple. She was not new to the sight of death as she remembered watching helplessly when Will was killed. But she never imagined how war could make death so much worse.

"They fight for you, my child." Ariel answered mournfully, trying to hold back her tears and keep a pleasant face.

"Why?"

"Because you are important. He will keep you safe." Ariel answered, looking back to Sloe.

"You would give me to the man that killed Will?" Rhinne asked, recognizing his features as Dane her father despite the deep shadows cast by his cloak.

"How can you trust him? He's the one that killed Will! He;s the one that blew up his own Order!" Ariel sighed a ragged breath spying a sand glass on a table behind Rhinne. With understanding tears in her eyes, she wrapped her arms around Rhinne and held her for a long while. Sloe stared down at them over his nose, holding out his hand waiting for Rhinne to take it. He was so close, so very close to his goal.

"You are bound for great things, far greater than I could even imagine. He may not be the one I expected, but he is the one the world needs, and for that, he needs you." She whispered.

"Mother I don't understand…"

I know my child, I know. I'm going to miss you." Ariel cried, hugging Rhinne tightly. Sloe felt a rise in power surge through the air. Following its path, he watched the Sand Glass rise from the table and shoot over to Ariel's outstretched hand.

"Ariel! NO!" He ran forward to stop her. Ariel teleported away in a flash of light. Sloe stumbled a bit as he caught his footing after they had gone.

"You choose to run when you should stay. Your violation of our contract will not go unpunished!" he hissed, closing his eyes too feel where they had gone while whispers hung thick in the air around him.


Light burst in the air as Ariel and Rhinne appeared in a room deep within the temple, even deeper than the inner most chambers. Rhinne fell to the ground as the teleportation spell's distance was greater than she was used to making her dizzy. Grabbing Rhinne's hand, Ariel picked her back up and lead her to the center of the room resembling a great coliseum.

"Wha-what are you doing?! You said that I was going to be safe with him." she asked as Ariel worked quickly, casting a strong spell over the sand glass she had grabbed a moment before.

"I'm sorry Rhinne. That man is the one trying to take you to use your power." Ariel answered, finalizing the spell and turning to Rhinne with tears staining her eyes.

"That was my Father! Why would he want to use my power?"

"What you saw was not your father. That is a great evil masquerading as a man." Ariel answered.

"I don't understand. Why is all of this happening? Why couldn't I just have had a normal life with Will?" tears began to sting her eyes as Ariel pulled her close and hugged her tightly.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I'm afraid I used you too." Rhinne pulled from Ariel's embrace, backing away from her with shock in her eyes.

"What do you mean? Am I nothing but a chess piece to you?!" Bowing her head, Ariel turned the sand glass over and over in her hands thinking back to many years before Rhinne was born.

"Many years ago, Dane… no, Magus Sloe and I created a contract between a Deity and a human. In it, it stated that our child would be the one to vanquish Darkness from the world. I encouraged such a contract when I saw the world edging closer to a great disaster with no way of avoiding it in the Mirror of Time. You were the answer to that disaster; to steer the world towards peace. I never imagined that it would lead us here." Rhinne clenched her fists tighter with each word Ariel spoke, tears stinging her face and her jaw sore from clenching.

"I am nothing to you! To either of you! I'm just a means to an end! No wonder both of you are always so distant from me!" Her tear riddled voice quivered, steadily becoming a shout as her power raged, shaking the temple around her as shadows began to gather around her.

"Rhinne, I know this is not the kind of life you wanted, and I am sorry for it. If there was something I could do I would. But please hear me when I say you are not just a means to an end. You are my daughter, my future successor, and my greatest treasure of all time. I know I haven't shown that to you, but I need you to know." Slowly Rhinne calmed, releasing her hands and slumping to the ground, weeping hard on her knees. Ariel went to her, putting her arms around her for a bit looking down at the sand glass in her hand.

"You are a great treasure of mine, and I'm going to make sure that you stay safe, as will everyone in Usoria. Please, forgive me Rhinne." Ariel cried, shoving the Sand Glass onto Rhinne's chest instantly making her feel sleepy. She lifted into the air clutching the sand glass as though it were an infant. When Ariel was sure that the spell had taken effect, she knelt to the ground and used every last ounce of mana she had, erecting a nigh impenetrable barrier around her. Lights shot through the barrier into Rhinne from the ground far below. With one final chant, Ariel finalized the barrier and was tossed aside with a sweep of Sloe's hand as he appeared behind her.

"What have you done to her?" Sloe asked with a torrid tone, just as the last few lights slipped through the barrier into Rhinne. Sloe summoned up a wall of chains to bring down the barrier only to be dismayed when the barrier scorched the flesh on his hand as the chains were shattered instead.

"I've placed her in a state of eternal slumber." Ariel grunted, reaching back for her leg which was lay at an unnatural angle. Sloe smirked, clenching his hand as his wound healed instantly.

"Then I will simply take her power after making it so easy." Sloe answered, holding up his hand as Black Magic swirled unto existence and began to penetrate the barrier only to be thrown out.

"You've done your work well Ariel my love." Sloe smiled, turning back as chains rose from behind him.

"You will never succeed. So long as she remains asleep, the entirety of her power is being used to create a world for all of Usoria to exist in. Everyone of Usoria will remain safe and you will never be able to use her power to destroy everything as you want until I defeat you." Ariel hissed through clenched teeth. Sloe only smiled, turning back to the sleeping Rhinne and chuckling to himself.

"You do realize that this is nothing more than a minor delay Ariel: your efforts will not save our daughter from what destiny has chosen her for. If I can't wake her from her slumber here, then perhaps all that needs be done is destroy the world created in her dream." Sloe smiled. Ariel tried to summon the strength to cast another spell, tapping into her infinite life force for power. Light hardened into spears around her, whining as they gathered power.

"Careful my love. If you hurl those at me, you just might hit Rhinne. You wouldn't want that, now would you?" Sloe asked, holding up his hand to the barrier once more as black power gently flared around him and up his arm. Ariel began concentrating on a single spear that howled towards him. Holding his other hand out, Sloe caught the incoming spear and crushed it within his hand. Ariel swung her hand as another spear hurled towards him only to obliterated in a plume of black violet fire, engulfing Ariel and tossing her back against a column.

Once he was sure that Ariel would at least be tamed for the moment, he turned his attention back to Rhinne, pushing power slowly through the barrier surrounding Rhinne as she slept. Just as the cloud touched her, Sloe felt his mind leave his body delving through what felt like time itself. As he rushed over what appeared to be a river, that presence again reared its head.

"Time is malleable here. Please, allow me just this one thing." Sloe growled, halting his charge and allowing Dane to come to the forefront, at least what remained of the weak fool.

"Make it quick, we don't have time to dawdle." Dane nodded, holding up his hand and swiping through what appeared to be pictures. He searched through almost fifty years until he came across what appeared to be a crowded transport. With a step, he entered the picture and recognized two of the people there. One of them was a well-dressed man with his arm around a baby, and the other a woman leaning against the window fast asleep.

"What are you doing? Hurry it up." Sloe demanded. Dane stepped to the woman, holding two fingers to her forehead. A spark of light shone for a moment sending images of what was to come into her dream. The then stepped behind the woman, leaning down to her ear and whispering:

"This is but the beginning…" before he finished speaking, Sloe pulled him back to the stream, and they continued down their path of the river.

"What was that all about?"

"You didn't let me finish, but it is nothing but a warning to two deserving people." Dane smiled. Sloe growled, reaching into his chest and pulling out a small spark of light.

"I can't have you interfering any longer, Dane. This is where you truly die!" he hissed, clenching his hand until the light shattered. Looking ahead, Sloe could see tornados of water over a vast sea before a bright light.

"That must be the world Rhinne is creating. All that remains now is to destroy it, and finally wake her to claim what is owed me. Nothing will remain: NOTHING!"