Chapter 12: Life
Secretly, Ariel became ecstatic to finally meet Dane in person, holding him and physically looking into his eyes through her own and not some lens of a pseudo body. For Dane, the adjustment was far more significant; her angelic beauty did well to hide her daunting power.
Ariel took him by the hand and showed her home to Dane, explaining everything as they walked. The most prominent feature was The Gate of the Past. Three doors stood at the end of a hall made purely of magic, appearing as thin vine-like designs. The first door, colored green, led to The Hall of Memory, where every memory of every person was stored in countless scrolls.
At the door and inside the hall stood the Memory Knights. These creatures appeared as floating chest plates of armor and helmets sporting plumes of fabric-like green fire from the torso and helm. The scrolls were tended by the Monks of the Green, clothed in full-body robes with long sleeves, with a white smiling mask covering their faces.
To the right was The Corridor of Regrets. Its door was blue while ice encroached up its pillars. Beyond the door was a mausoleum of hourglasses. The grains of sand within them represented every choice not taken that may have led to some other favorable outcome. It also housed every pending choice that could lead to personal loss, great or small, or have consequences that remained yet unseen.
Qualm Knights, similar in appearance to the Memory Knights save for blue fire, guarded the corridor. Within the corridor were dozens of Monks of the Blue, dropping new sand grains into the hourglasses as new regrets came into being. To the left of the Hall of Memory was a door of red; smoldering rocks infected the marble of the door, smoking as though it were lava.
"Is there some fire-breathing creature Behind this door?" Dane asked, creeping closer to the door only to back away because of the heat emanating from the rocks. Ariel chuckled at his action.
"No, no, nothing so primal. This is The Chamber of Oblivion. Here, a record of everything that everyone was unaware of in their life is kept."
"Unaware of? Why would such a record be kept?"
"It is a way to show people signs and warnings from their past so that similar events can be avoided in the future. It is unfortunate, but it is the only way for humans to gain wisdom."
"You once told me things were hidden from you; is this one such thing?"
"It is. Only my mother Minerna and those of the Red are allowed through this door. This is the chamber I spoke of when you asked about the journal and those before you." Ariel said, looking over the door with a disappointed sigh.
"Why should you be barred from somewhere in your own home?" Dane asked, trying to spy what he could through the crack between the doors.
"I have asked that very question of my mother. She will only answer that 'those who are oblivious to what things could have existed, are only shown them when discovery is made on their own. If all is revealed, the infinite choices will leave one frozen in uncertainty and regret'. She has never given me any more of an answer than that." Dane maneuvered to allow him a small glimpse of a vast space within, housing millions upon millions of bowl oil lamps upon golden stands. Thousands of Oblivion Knights stood silently as the red fabric-like flames thundered below and above them.
"Have you seen all you wish, visitor of the goddess?" a stern, hollow, metallic voice asked. Dane jumped and turned to see another Oblivion Knight. This one was darker, almost black, with gold designs on its chest and a gold chain hanging from the spiked pauldrons across its chest.
"Y-y-yes, I mean no. I have not seen anything." Dane stuttered. Heavy blackened gauntlets slid out from the holes in the shoulders, hanging beside its body.
"Goddess, why have you brought a human to this area?" the knight asked dryly as its glowing white eyes appeared in its helm.
"This is Dane, my contracted and beloved. I would assume someone such as he would be allowed to visit here under my guidance and supervision."
"He may be one with which you have contracted, but the fact still remains that he is… human. And if records from the Hall of Memory serve as any sort of projection, humans tend to pry into things that are better left alone." The Knight floated behind them, escorting them away from the door, standing with a great ax in its hands once they were far enough out.
"How strange that even a Goddess is forbidden from entering a place of her own home," Dane commented. Ariel chuckled a bit as she took his hand and led him to another part of the temple.
"This place was originally the home of my mother Minerna before my brothers and I came to be. There still may yet be secrets that I have not found." Dane peered around the knight and looked to the door behind him.
"Seeing as there was no mage before me, would the Hall of Memory contain the journal's origin that started me on the path?"
"It is a possibility. The Hall of Memory is vast." Taking his hand once more, they went into the hall and requested the Monks' help that roamed there. Hours passed as they searched innumerable scrolls for any mention of where the journal came from. No matter how long they searched, any mention of the journal would only go as far back as when Dane found it within the knowledge depository in Margata.
"Seeing as the journal is from the future, then there would be no mention of its origins in the past." Dane surmised. Ariel closed the scroll in her hand, handing it back to a monk before answering.
"That would explain much. But the future is so fluid, as it has yet to happen, that anything will alter time weather in a massive or small way."
"Is there a Gate to the Future?" Dane questioned, leaning against a column within the hall.
"There is such a gate, which shows all of time yet to be, even timelines parallel to our own. It is a place of infinite possibilities where nothing is ever certain." She put away a scroll and took him by the hand, leading him to a large mirror framed in golden sand, constantly in motion.
"With this, I have seen a Great Disaster looming on the horizon of recent time if the world continues without deviation."
"What is this?" Dane asked with awe, reaching out and letting the velvety sand making up the frame wash over his skin.
"This is the Mirror of Time. It is a small window into the Gate of the Future. Here, I can see what actions will lead to the most favorable result." Ariel waved her hand over the mirror as the image she had studied for so long appeared in it. The split road of time loomed over them like a dark cloud.
"Though, it is never certain. I can see the fine details, but they always deviate when it becomes a reality. I can, and have, forced time to flow in a certain way for an exact outcome, but that has always led to disastrous results." Turning back to the scene she presented, Ariel waved her hand over the mirror again, revealing the children who could be the ultimate weapon against the Darkness.
"If this is what we did for the world, we could save it from the disaster." Dane took in the entire scene, stepping back to better see the full view where time split to peace or destruction.
"Who are these children? And what does it have to do with us?"
"They are one or both of our children. They will lead our world to a state of peace." Dane slowly let go of her hand and stepped away from her.
"Am I nothing but a tool to you?" Ariel moved to him, taking his hand and putting her other around him.
"Above all, you are the one I have chosen. I would still have chosen you if this disaster did not exist." Dane tried to pull away again, but Ariel held on to his hand.
"Is that something you saw in your mirror?"
"No, I feel this in my soul. This disaster can be avoided by our union, our Light. From what I know of human tales, a child is often the culmination of their love. I would say that our love, our Light, would create a child who is not only a symbol of our love but a warrior of Light to ensure the world would be guided to peace." Dane sighed, lowering his brow and remaining silent. He understood her reasoning but knowing that he might just be a pawn in a game of deities stung. He began to question his time with Menodora: was he also only using her as a piece to advance his own mission and goals?
"Come, there are still things that I wish to show you," Ariel soothed, leading him to another part of the temple where countless fountains of sand stood sentry along the paths. She could see her plan wasn't received as well as she hoped, and he would need time to process his thoughts and feelings.
James fell to his knees, his chest burning for breath as Pharamund blasted an Omen away. They were called to the deserts of Arentia to escort the queen's caravan to and from Orion.
"These damned Omens are getting tougher by the day!" Pharamund huffed, looking around to ensure there were no more shadow creatures.
"But at least there are fewer of them. How long has it been since Master Dane left?" James asked, waving to the caravan to signal that all was clear to begin moving again.
"Just over two and a half months. I hope that whatever he's after, it's going to be worth the wait. I don't think Mars or Vieren can contain Orchid or Lotus much longer."
"You and me both. Those little terrors are getting out of hand. Their magical power is getting stronger and stronger as Mars teaches them."
"Mars knows Magic? Since when? I didn't think that Master Dane would even teach us any magic beyond using Light through these Shining Rods!" Pharamund said, shaking his staff to add emphasis.
"Master Dane didn't teach him anything. Mars is the one expanding his own knowledge. I've been searching here and there to expand my skills as well. As far as I am aware, Master Dane didn't say we couldn't learn any magic beyond the Order's. It could be he's just been too busy to teach us any," James answered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Well then, it's no wonder you can overpower these Omens much more easily than me." Pharamund laughed, the rest of the trip to Arentia remaining peaceful. The guard captain handed them a large bag of Meso for their services or protection once they had returned to the palace.
"I suppose now we can return to Aurora?" Pharamund asked, securing the bag within his knapsack. James nodded, squaring his shoulders and cracking his back.
"It'll be good to sleep in my own bed again."
"And a bath; I didn't think I'd even know what it felt like to have dirt skin." They laughed heartily as they turned towards home, holding up newly created Prisms allowing them to teleport directly to the chapel. As they turned the crystals to catch the sun's light, a rough man stepped from a nearby road, loosely holding a dagger. Pharamund and James lowered their arms, tucking the crystal back into their belt.
"Can we help you?" James asked, shifting the hold on his staff.
"You two are part of that sect I've heard about killing off those shadow creatures?" the man said, tightening his grip on the dagger.
"We are clerics of the Aurora, yes. What can we do for you?" James pressed. The man brought the dagger to bear as four other men stepped out from the alleyways around them.
"Then you aren't doing your job well enough. All of us have lost family to those…things." Pharamund shifted his staff hold to a more aggressive position when James put a hand on his shoulder.
"These men are hurting Pharamund. They are seeds of Omens. We need to help them before it becomes worse." James whispered, handing off his staff to him and stepping forward.
"I'm sorry you've lost your family. I can't imagine the pain you carry." James had furthered his research of Darkness, studying grief and its stages of release: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This man appeared to have latched onto his anger, wishing to channel it somewhere. The Aurora happened to be the target of choice.
"Don't insult me! You're the one responsible! You waste your time escorting nobles and princes while the rest of us are left to die of hunger and get butchered by those foul monsters!" James held out his hand as he neared, slowly stepping closer.
"I'm not trying to be mean. You've suffered, but channeling your anger like this won't honor their memory." James stepped within arm's reach of the man lowering his arm to his side. Pharamund noticed the others inching closer, making him shift his stance lower.
"Come on, James, wrap it up." He thought. The man looked down at his dagger, opening his fingers slightly to look it over the polished wood handle.
"You might be right, cleric." He murmured, grabbing James's hand, hauling him close, and plunging his dagger through his gut while leaning down to his ear.
"But I will act on it rather than wallow in my tears!"
"JAMES!" Pharamund cried out, readying to teleport forward, when he felt a sharp pain in his back, watching a sword appear from his chest. Pharamund stared down at the blade in shock, watching his blood streak the steel and stain his robes.
A third man drove a dagger through James's lower back, twisting hard, making him gasp silently as pain ripped through his body. Pharamund fought against the sword's cold stun, pulling away from the man with a swing of his staff. A pulse of light knocked the man to the ground. Small spears of light caught the other two men by their sleeves, pinning them to the buildings. In his adrenalin-fueled actions, he overlooked the fourth man of the group. Another dagger plunged into his back, making an arctic cold flood his chest. He turned and slammed his staff into the man's head, staggering to James.
"Pharamund, I can't feel my legs!" James wheezed as Pharamund picked him up. Fatigue washed over him, and searing hot spears stabbed his chest as he breathed.
"Hang on, James," He coughed, blood painting his mouth. Agony wracked him as he reached into his pocket for his prism, holding it up to the light. Just as the transport spell was activating, one of the men charged. Light enveloped them all, taking them to the newly finished Aurora chapel, where the man tumbled across the floor, locking his gaze onto Vieren and lunging with a feral yell. Vieren quickly knocked the dagger away, pinning him to the wall with spears of light.
"Acolytes! Attend James and Pharamund!" Mars called. The newest recruits rushed to their teacher's side, carrying both of them to the infirmary. Pharamund could be heard heaving with gurgling breaths as he was taken away.
"Why did you attack these clerics? What wrong have they done to you?" Mars demanded as Vieren held him in place.
"Are you that sect's leader who preaches they are dealing with the dark creatures?!" the man shouted, struggling to free himself from the spears of light.
"I oversee the Aurora until our master, Dane, returns. I ask you again; why have you attacked these clerics?" Mars narrowed his eyes, noting the haze of Darkness surrounding the man.
"This whole sect is responsible for the loss of my older brother and father. Those creatures almost took my wife! And yet you stand here in your rich temples and do nothing! Tell me what you are doing to stop them instead of being escorts to the rich and the nobles?!"
"We of the Aurora have our limits; You are not the first to bring this to our attention. The Aurora is currently the only Order trained to handle the Omens…"
"LIES! If you were truly the only sect capable of taking on the monsters, you would be able to do so much more! You also claim to be helping with the famine. But I have seen you do nothing but escort the wealthy and royalty!" the man roared, pulling an arm free before being pinned to the wall again.
"Look around you! Do you honestly believe we have endless resources at our disposal? Only recently have we begun training others! We can't protect every city! We can only suppress the most dangerous Omens!" Mars shouted in return, his voice thundering through the entire chapel, turning it silent. An acolyte's running steps cut through the silence, the color draining from Mars' face after hearing what the acolyte whispered to him.
"Thomas, Eleanor. Take this man to the broom closet and keep him there until I say otherwise. Vieren, go with them to ensure nothing happens." He commanded, jogging to the infirmary.
"Master Tasia!" as acolyte called, laying James on a bed while two more acolytes sat Pharamund down on another. Tasia looked up from her medical alchemy notes, her eyes becoming massive in horror.
"What happened to them?!" she called, running to Pharamund first and looking over the sword sticking out of his chest.
"Grieving men… attacked us…" James gurgled. Tasia quickly looked over their wounds, calling for bandages and salves. With quick movements, she stopped his bleeding and covered the wounds, moving to Pharamund and again using a balm to stop the bleeding.
"The blade has gone entirely through your lung and three ribs. Just try to relax." Grabbing a nearby parchment, she drew a circular matrix and pressed it over the blade's point to his skin.
"Brace yourself," she warned. Pharamund nodded as Tasia tapped the matrix. The flesh around the blade widened, allowing her to pull the sword free without further harm. She left a few drops of stanching salve in the wound and slowly closed it over, which was also done for James's injuries.
"I can't… feel my legs…" James wheezed. Tasia carefully turned James on his side, feeling the color drain from his cheeks.
"What's wrong?" he grunted as Tasia lowered him back down.
"It looks like one of the knives cut clean through your spine. I don't know how to repair this injury, though."
"I thought master Dane had taught you medical alchemy for this very reason?"
"He taught me how to use it, but it still requires knowledge of the human body to use. This kind of injury is far beyond what I am familiar with." They sighed heavily; Tasia could eventually learn how to heal James' spine, but it would take many months before she could even attempt it with any confidence. Until then, James would be confined to a bed or chair. Tasia looked up from her hands, about to explain what it would mean for him, when she noticed something strange about his appearance. Tasia could see the color fading from his hair and wrinkles beginning to appear with a closer look. Glancing at Pharamund, she could see the same thing happening to him.
"Get Mars! Hurry!" Tasia demanded, reaching to her cabinet of medical supplies and injecting Fern's Dew into them in hopes of countering what she thought to be poison. Nothing she did seemed to be slowing the aging down. After pressing an alchemic matrix to their chests, she saw the entirety of their bodily functions were slowing down as if they were indeed aging.
"What's wrong?" Mars demanded as he entered.
"I've healed their physical wounds, but they are aging rapidly. Whatever this is, it's beyond my abilities."
"Take these two to the laboratory," Mars commanded, following close behind. Inside his lab, Mars summoned the twins hoping they could offer any insights he was missing. As he waited, Mars passed his healing spells over them, attempting to find the problem.
"What do you mean you don't know what's wrong? Can't you see it?" Orchid exclaimed, pointing to the air above Pharamund.
"There is nothing to see, child!" Mars angrily shouted, shifting the intensity of his spell to isolate and stop the aging. Orchid rolled her eyes, grabbing either of his temples and turning his head towards the air above them. Mars blinked as a surge of power buzzed in his head when a pale blue trail of glistening smoke rising from James and Pharamund appeared.
"By the Great Mother, what in all light is that?!" he shouted.
"Don't you humans know anything? Someone is taking this guy's life force!" Orchid huffed.
"But how?! The only thing that's happened to them is the stabbing!" Orchid let go of Mars's head, and the cloud faded from sight.
"Aren't you supposed to be the smart ones on this? How come you can't see it? It's totally obvious!" Lotus growled. Mars called to one of the acolytes, requesting Tasia's presence while grabbing sheets of parchment and scrawling spell circles onto them, where he placed the ends of his shining rod.
"I'm here, Mars; what is it?"
"James and Pharamund's life forces are being drained with a spell. Uhrg… I can try and isolate and nullify the spell, but I need you to watch over them while I do so." Mars grunted, light spreading from his staff and encompassing both his friends.
"Orchid, Lotus… your assistance, please!" Mars demanded. Lotus and Orchid sighed but came to his aid, standing to the sides while holding their palms forward and amplifying his magic. Tasia moved almost in a blur between them, using salves, pasts, herbs, and alchemic matrices to maintain their bodily functions. Mars was able to Isolate the spell and slow it down significantly but not stop it entirely. Hour by hour, their life force slipped away before Mars's eyes until his strength failed several hours later. Mars pulled himself up to Pharamund's bed, collapsing into the mattress, too exhausted to fully cry in frustration. Orchid and Lotus simply left, unsure what they should do, as Tasia pulled the covers over their faces and sat next to Mars.
"Mars, we did everything we could," She soothed, placing a hand on his.
"But it still wasn't enough! They were my brothers, and I failed them!" Mars whimpered. "Where is the sword that stabbed Pharamund?" he grunted, using his staff to stand once again.
"It should still be in the infirmary. Why?"
"Bring it to me, but be careful not to touch the blade." He instructed. When Tasia returned with the sword, Mars cast numerous detection, and magical decryption spells over it, unable to find any spells on the blade. He called for Orchid and Lotus again, hoping they could see anything covering the sword, but they couldn't see anything either. Looking to his closest friends, he clenched his jaw and then left to gather supplies throughout his lab.
"Where are you going, human?" Lotus snarkily questioned.
"I am going to find where their life forces were taken. If I have not returned within four days, I would like you and the master to come and find me." Orchid huffed and threw her arms wide.
"Oh, come on, Marssy. Just cause Dane's away doesn't make you the master of the Aurora." Lotus simply scowled in his direction.
"I know it doesn't. I ask you to tell the master what I am doing if he should return before I do. Whoever is able to drain a life force like this must be very powerful." Telling Vieren of his quest, Mars appointed him as interim leader of the Aurora. Eleanor ran after him as he walked out the door, pulling on the last of her heavy armor.
"Master Mars! You shouldn't go alone! Allow me to accompany you." she called.
"I know you want to prove yourself, but I think I'll be fine."
"You said it yourself; whoever can drain a life force is powerful! Going on your own would be a fool's errand." Mars sadly chuckled at her eagerness.
"I may not be as powerful as Master Dane, but I know a thing or two." Mars insisted, quieting her third protest and leaving her at the door. As he walked, Mars concentrated, thinking back to those few moments when Orchid grabbed his head. Sometimes he could see remnants of blue smoke hanging in the air, leading to the west.
"Good work, gentlemen. I'm sure that will get his attention." Hilda smirked, slowly waving her hand over a bottle where a gentle stream of glistening blue smoke gathered and distilled into a thick liquid. The three ragged men she spoke to stared blankly at the bottle as it filled, one of which pressed a question.
"So, where is our money?" he asked with a huff.
"Don't worry; you'll be compensated."
"I thought we agreed payment was due after attacking the Aurora priests?" one of the men asked.
"I did. But only when I've received my prize. And it hasn't come yet. You will be paid when it comes." Hilda replied deviously, looking up from under her lowered brow. She rested her chin on the back of her hand before turning her attention back to the bottle.
"That wasn't our deal, Hilda! You promised payment now!" The man barked, slamming his hands down on the table where Hilda sat. She looked at him again, her golden-brown eyes now dark with malice.
"I would watch your tone, mercenary. I could have easily taken those clerics myself. However, that would defeat its purpose. You will receive your payment, you can be sure of that. But if you press the issue further, I can and will revoke payment." The man backed down, unnerved by the cold and unfeeling light in her eyes, calling the other two men to leave with him. Hilda smirked, her fire-red hair caught in a slight desert wind.
"I haven't forgotten about you, White Mage."
It only seemed like a few days as Dane was escorted around the temple by Ariel, showing him things no mortal should ever know. Despite this, questions about Ariel's motives still lingered in the back of his mind. Was she simply using him? Old wounds began to resurface as well, especially surrounding Menodora. Had she orchestrated her death and then claimed ignorance or complacence to win him over? She had professed numerous times that he was not just a tool to her; that he was so much more. But it did little to calm his doubts.
"A meso for your thoughts?" Ariel gently pressed as they overlooked the temple's main gate. Dane said nothing, turning away while breathing long and slow.
"Do you still not believe that I could never use you as a tool?" Again, Dane said nothing. With a heavy sigh, Ariel walked to face him.
"What can I say that will convince you?" Dane Looked up to her under his brow, his eyes brimming.
"How much of my life was part of this plan? Was the disaster in Margata part of it? To break me down and build me back up into what you needed me to be?" Ariel stumbled back.
"Is that truly what you think? That I would be so vile as to casually play with your life as such?"
"You're the goddess of time, you tell me." Dane sneered, light humming on the end of his staff while streams of haze began to appear around him. The haze of Dane's Darkness couldn't fully form in her temple, but if it could become visible, it was exceedingly powerful. Grabbing the end of his staff, she put it to her chest, where she could feel the searing warmth of the light on her skin.
"If that is what you believe, then empty your rage and sorrow onto me." The light became brighter, beginning to hum with a lower, gritty sound.
"My powers could hardly harm a goddess." Dane snapped, shoving the staff forward and knocking Ariel off balance. Ariel kept her grip on the weapon, not letting Dane tear it away as she took the silver crown from her head, holding it away from her. Within moments, her crimson hair faded to gold, and her eyes shifted to blue. Within a few more moments, her wings disappeared from her back, and the pressing presence she once had faded away.
"But it could kill a mortal. If you truly believe that I am that sort of goddess, I won't stop you from striking me down and freeing yourself of this plan," she whispered, her voice hitching as she dropped the crown and waited. Dane tightened his grip, the light flaring brighter every second, beginning to turn the skin on her arm and chest a bright red. But Ariel's firm gaze kept him from releasing the spell.
"RRRRAAHHGG!" Dane tore the staff away from her grip, hurling the spell into a nearby column and breaking it in half, the shockwave echoing through the temple. After a while of silence, Dane felt Ariel's arms wrap around him, but it was much, much weaker. A slight breeze drifted through the hall, allowing Dane to catch a whiff of what he guessed to be perfume: the scent of roses and lavender. It was so familiar, almost as if…
"I'm sorry I led you to believe I reduced your life to a mere tool. But you must know, I love you too much for that to be the case," she whispered, pulling her arms tighter around him. Dane could say nothing, pulling from her embrace, reaching for her crown, and setting it upon her head. After a few moments, her hair, eyes, and wings returned to normal, as did her daunting presence.
"I need time, Ariel. I think it would be for the best if I return to the Aurora while I process what you have told me." Ariel sighed as her sun-burnt skin healed.
"I must warn you; time flows differently here in the temple. You may return to Usoria and find it much different than when you left, or you could arrive moments after stepping through my gate on Haim's tree." The news shook Dane. It was something he never considered after coming here. For all the Aurora knew, he had abandoned them right when they could have needed him the most.
"If I leave through the gate again, will it take me back to Haim's Tree?" Dane asked, half disheartened by the long trek that awaited him if it did.
"It can, but from this side, it can take you anywhere you please. Simply think of where, and you will appear there." Ariel said with a muted smile, escorting him back to the gate while loosely holding his hand. As he stepped through, she held out her hand to ensure their fingers touched for as long as possible.
As Dane walked through, he thought of the cottage but instead stepped out on grass in front of the Aurora Chapel. Young people walked around the grounds, sat against trees reading, or practiced magics with their Shining Rods.
"How long have I been away?" he wondered, walking up to the door where a young woman dressed in azure armor stopped him.
"I'm sorry, but only members of the Aurora are allowed to enter. If you have come to be a part of us or have a request, I can summon a Cleric." the woman explained. Dane was about to reply when Orchid and Lotus ran to him, hugging him tightly.
"Dane! I thought you'd never come back." Orchid exclaimed.
"I didn't miss you; I just didn't want to listen to Mars or Vieren anymore," Lotus said, trying to hide his happiness when Vieren jogged up to him.
"Stand down, Eleanor; this is Master Dane, our leader," he called. The color in Eleanor's face drained, kneeling to one knee instantly.
"Forgive my rudeness, Master Dane. I was not aware. I am Eleanor, former paladin of Lionheart Castle."
"There is no need to be on edge, Dame Eleanor." Dane smiled, "What made you leave Lionheart? I understand that you are some of the most well-trained guards for the Raegonian gravesite." Eleanor stood, seeming to relax a little.
"I stood watch at the Inner court for King Lionheart. The guards of the grave are far more disciplined than I could ever be." She turned her gaze down and fidgeted.
"I was expelled from my knighthood due to… poor judgment of an emissary from the Emperor of Orion," she mumbled. Dane smiled knowingly, putting a hand on her shoulder and reassuring her that her presence was welcome.
"It's good to have you finally return, Master. Things have changed since you were last here." Vieren said as he escorted him through the halls of the chapel.
"I can see that. You've even begun expanding the ranks of the Aurora quite quickly," Dane exclaimed, looking around at everything that spread out before him.
"How long have I been gone?"
"Don't you know? It's been nearly three months! We were all beginning to think that you had abandoned us." Dane blinked and breathed a long sigh of disbelief: three months! Had it really been so long? It only felt like only a few days to him.
"I am sorry that I was away so long. Where is Mars? And what of James and Pharamund?" Vieren's face fell as he steeled himself to tell the news.
"James and Pharamund were attacked by a group of mercenaries in Arentia, of which, one came here to Aurora and is currently being held. Our brothers died within hours. Mars found their life forces were being drained and sought out where they were being taken. That was over six days ago, and we haven't heard from him since." Dane's face fell at the news, becoming stern.
"Did he say where he was going?"
"He went chasing after their life forces," Orchid said nonchalantly.
"And none of you went with him?" Dane asked sternly, making both of the twins back away from him.
"Why? Mars can take care of himself," Lotus stated with a scoff.
"Mars may be powerful in his own right, but anything capable of taking the life force would be more than he could handle on his own." Dane scolded when Orchid put a fist to her hip, wobbling her head as she spoke.
"Well, duh! But Marssy insisted on going alone. Besides, he was getting annoying," She jeered, flipping one of her long pigtails. Dane growled in his throat, walking through the chapel with broad steps as the air became heavy around him.
"Master?" called Vieren, following Dane.
"You mentioned that you are holding a man involved with the attack, correct?"
"Yes, master, we are. We've tried questioning him, but all our attempts have devolved into violence."
"Then why did you not return him to Arentia? Have you at least given him food and water?"
"Of course, Master! I decided to keep him here for a while longer to help heal his wounds. He is a man fueled by grieving rage. We've managed to calm him and hear his grief, his darkness. He still has outbursts of rage, however." Vieren explained. Dane narrowed his eyes.
"I would like to speak with him. Where is he? Magics like this are not usually known to the common people."
"He is staying in one of our unused rooms at the moment. Who or what would have the power to do something like this to our brothers?" Vieren asked, keeping his voice low so none of the acolytes would hear as they neared the room.
"Only one person comes to mind. She lives in the Buried City of Azwan. She is a dangerous woman, capable of anything to achieve her goal."
"And whom would that be?"
"Hilda."
