Chapter 22: Prepare
So many things went wrong in creating the future of peace, as revealed in Ariel's Mirror of Time. With every look in the mirror, Usoria moved closer to that future, but the disaster still loomed in the shadows. Darkness was gone from the word; Dane and Ariel had achieved what they set out to do! It was gone from the world, but they hadn't vanquished it. Ariel now clearly saw the one who would bring about the disaster she saw in the mirror: Dane. She now understood why the Monk of the Red had told her she had blinded herself.
" I never thought… I never even considered you to be the cause of the Disaster we were trying to avert, Dane. I believed you would be the one to find the answer, " she thought, her feet beginning to feel the cold of the snow.
With Darkness gone from the world, Usoria began to heal: food began to grow again, the Omens were gone, and the people all started to seem happier. But now, she couldn't allow Dane the freedom to come to the Temple of Time and tried to dissolve her contract with him. When it failed, she remembered that Dane also had to dissolve the contract willingly. Doubting that he would consent to it as he was now, she blocked his entrance to the Temple by sealing the entrance created especially for him. Dane now wielded Darkness mixed with Anti-Magic, creating something even worse. Even Minerna might not be able to stand up to this power forever.
She could only watch as Dane moved through the remaining dark places of the world, gathering like-minded people to him. The first he recruited was the former shamaness of Azwan, and soon after, Arkarium and a Dracova joined his cause. These umbral leaders slowly gathered more followers around them into a new threat calling themselves The Black Wings.
Rhinne became catatonic, wandering through the temple with Clank at her side, often visiting the Hall of Memory to relive her life with Will. She wasn't sleeping much either, frequently screaming for Will when she woke. Ariel sometimes cast a spell over her mind, allowing her to sleep peacefully for a few hours, but Rhinne's tortured mind often broke the spell, allowing the nightmares to return.
To honor Rhinne's love, Ariel created a new pseudo-body and set up a monument in Al Neth overlooking the snowfields far below. Standing atop was a statue of Will holding a book in one hand and reaching out with the other as if waiting for Rhinne to take it and follow him. At the foot of the monument sat a small brass ring set into the stone, a token of the life Rhinne and Will might have shared in the future.
"I'm so sorry, Will," Ariel whispered, about to disintegrate her body and return to the temple when she met Dane face to face. The sight made her jump back, calling a flame into her hand.
"Now, now, Ariel. There is no need to become violent," Dane said calmly, pulling the hood from his head to reveal his face. His cheeks had thinned, and his eyes seemed dull, but he was still the man she loved, the only thing holding her back.
"You know why I hold this spell at the ready." She sneered, holding her stance to unleash the flames brewing on her palm. Miserably, Dane smiled and nodded, heavily sighing while dropping his head.
"I know." He finally answered with a muted whimper. "But I've done it! I've rid the world of its Darkness, and now everything is so bright and happy."
"Yes, but at what cost to you? You absorbed all the world's Darkness!" pressed Ariel, raising her hand further, readying to strike.
"The cost is great, my love. But this is what needed to happen. And now, our daughter can wipe this world away to begin anew with the power I will give her. Darkness will never rise again. All I need is for you to allow me entrance to the Temple," He explained, extending his hand to her. Ariel dispelled her attack, standing with shoulders back and footing firm.
"I cannot allow you within the Temple as you are; The Darkness within you must first be purged. Rhinne is half-human and is unable to resist the influence of Darkness completely. Who's to say what would happen if she were to give in to the throes of its power?" Dane closed his hand, the hopeful, sad smile fading into a blank stare. When he spoke again, there was an edge in his words.
"Ariel, do remember our contract? There is a line that states, and I quote, 'The power of our son or daughter shall be to the benefit of all once the research of the contracted, Dane Altoor, is completed. Upon completion, Dane shall pass his knowledge and power to the son or daughter which will erase Darkness from the world and create a new world', end quote. We both wrote this contract when I first came to the temple, do you remember?" Clenching her jaw, Ariel nodded, looking away from him.
"That was before you became this. I heard the voices of Tahir and Will before you killed them; you have succumbed to the influence of the Darkness," Ariel growled, facing Dane with hard eyes. Dane let out a long breath, and the air around him became uneasy as he closed his eyes and lowered his brow.
"I tried to stop their lives from being lost; you must believe me. But the Darkness was so powerful that I did not anticipate its overwhelming power. I have since risen above it; I now control it. It does not control me." Dane's voice tremored as if on the verge of tears, sometimes hitching as he spoke.
"And what of the other Clerics and Acolytes? Were they victims of your inability to maintain control?" Dane lowered his head and arms as Ariel slowly approached him.
"Dane, my love. Rhinne is in much pain right now; she loved him greatly, and the darkness tore him away from her. Your power killed him." Ariel explained, motioning back to the monument.
"I don't think exposing her to so much concentrated Darkness would be wise. Her heart has been shattered, and we both know how malleable the human heart is when it's in pain." Silence fell over them as they stood in the snow, but the tension surrounding them filled the small valley. A presence colder than the Al Neth winds blew through Ariel, making her back away from Dane as whispers hung thick in the air.
"You would deny me the right to see my Daughter? You would deny the promise of our Contract?" he growled, chains springing from the ground, all tipped with spears aiming for Ariel.
"As you are, yes." The sound of metal slamming into rock rang behind her as a chain stuck in the ground with unseen speed, the links singing as they pulled tight next to her cheek. The spines on each link brushed her skin, making her bleed. Surprise launched her away from it, her skin healing over but leaving a scar. The strange feeling made Ariel reach up to run her hand over the raised skin, her eyes widening and her breath coming in short gasps as her hands began to shake. Even in a pseudo-body, she could heal wounds without leaving any trace.
" A scar? But how? I should be able to… "
"That's the first scar you've had, isn't it?" smiled Dane, raising his head enough to see her from under his brow. The shadows around his eyes made them glow even brighter.
"Mixing Darkness and Anti-magic like this, what could you possibly hope to gain from something so terrible?" Ariel asked, holding a hand behind her and beginning to weave a disintegration spell for this body.
"I hoped to rid the world of its Darkness. And I have. But Anti-Magic was needed to do so. I call it Black Magic; it can even kill DEITIES!" he shouted, hurling another chain at Ariel's heart. The pseudo body disappeared in a plume of smoke as the chain drove through it, burying itself into the ravine wall.
"You may think you can protect Rhinne by blocking my path, Ariel! But I will come! I will come, and she will fulfill her destiny!" he shouted to the skies. Behind him, Orchid and Lotus shivered across the snow, watching the scene before them.
"We have to do something." Orchid hissed. Lotus shook his head, pulling Orchid away and leading her back through the woods they had lived in for the past month.
"There isn't much we can do. We tried to make sure Human Dane didn't get lost in his research, and it happened anyway," Lotus seethed. With a heavy sigh, they gathered what little food they had within their makeshift shack to have a meal. Life was difficult in the Al Neth region, but at least they weren't anywhere near Dane and his lunacy. Lotus' eyes widened as they ate, darting back and forth as he dropped his spoon.
"Lotus? What's the matter?" Orchid asked.
"It isn't Dane in control; it's the Darkness. It's in control of him! And the Darkness wants to destroy everything. He's not after Rhinne to make the world a better place; he's after Rhinne because she can destroy everything."
"Then why doesn't he just go after Ariel? She has the same amount of power and is way more experienced."
"That's exactly the point! Ariel knows how powerful she is and can use that to resist the Darkness. Rhinne doesn't, AND she's half-human; Rhinne's an easier target!"
"So? All she has to do is use more power, and she'll be fine."
"Rhinne still thinks like a human. The Darkness could easily corrupt her."
"So?" Orchid huffed, taking another bite of food while Lotus growled, gripping his hair and stomping around the room.
"Uhg! You're so annoying sometimes!" he growled, sighing hard. "Look, The Darkness can't do much damage by itself. It started a famine and influenced people to hurt each other, but that can be stopped by enough people being nice to each other. Dane absorbing the Darkness gave it an avatar, and just from the feeling we saw over there, The Darkness has enough power to destroy a continent. But Dane's body has limits, and The Darkness doesn't want to destroy JUST a continent; it wants to destroy everything , all existence. " As Lotus spoke, Orchid lowered her brow as thoughts connected in her mind and realization spread across her face.
"So the Darkness needs a more powerful body," Orchid whispered as Lotus nodded.
"Yes! And since Rhinne is still so young, she doesn't know she could easily resist or even destroy the Darkness outright. Can you imagine how powerful the Darkness will become if it gets hold of her?!"
"But Rhinne is back in the Temple of Time. As long as she stays there, she'll be safe."
"Didn't you hear what Dane said? He can hurt deities or even kill them. The Darkness within him has evolved; It's no longer a matter of if, Orchid, it's only a matter of when."
Clouds of sulfur and oxides billowed as Hilda mixed more and more ingredients into her potion. With the help of Arkarium, she enhanced her youth potions by a hundred-fold, extending the time she needed to consume them by years. The door opened as she poured the last of her liquified moonlight in, and a lone figure came in on gliding steps. His cloak filled the doorway, thundering as it caught the breeze behind him.
"Did your meeting with Ariel not go as planned?" asked Magnus with a smirking growl, reclining on a broken couch, watching Hilda.
"That was not my purpose, Dracova. I wanted to test her resolve to keep that girl from me," Sloe answered, reaching for a vial of a dark substance and consuming the contents.
"And how is her resolve?" Asked Hilda, maneuvering her hand over her potion and drawing it into one of a dozen bottles sitting within a cabinet.
"Quite high. But even that will fall. Are your armies ready, Hilda?" Hilda darkly smirked as she shut the cabinet, walking to Magnus and leaning back against him. He put a hand around her waist and held her firmly against him, prompting sensual surprise from Hilda.
"I am waiting for one last ingredient for my spell to complete. Once finished, we will have a legion of the undead at my command." Magnus glared at Sloe from under his brow.
"My specters are ready at any time. Thanks to the power you've given me and the help of Arkarium, I've multiplied and strengthened my forces." Magnus grinned, revealing a broken fang amidst his teeth.
"Good. And what of Arkarium? Where are his forces?" Neither Hilda nor Magnus could answer his question, shrugging and pointing where Arkarium last was. As Sloe walked to the room, the old alchemist's giant snake familiar opened its eyes and reared from its sleeping position. Spreading its hood wide, its tongue flickered while locking its unblinking gaze on him.
"Ah, Master Sloe, I was wondering when you would return. I have some concerns that I must bring before you."
"Arkarium, are your forces ready?" Sloe barked, staring at him blankly.
"That is what I wish to discuss with you. Shouldn't my force of Serpent Sorcerers be the Vanguard? Magnus' forces will only draw unwanted attention-"
"I assigned the right flank to you for that express purpose. You will launch a surprise attack while Magnus and his forces draw out Ariel's vanguard."
"Yes, but he is brutish and unrefined. Shouldn't the position of Vanguard be for someone with the power to move through the front lines unimpeded? My forces would be much better suited for the task; it was I who assisted in creating the Gran Umbra Arca, after all."
"Your experience with Dark Alchemy is unparalleled, but you have no military or battle experience, let alone in heavy combat. Your forces would be destroyed in an instant. You will have the right flank."
"But Master, I-"
"You will take the position I give you. Is that understood?" asked Sloe, whispers hissing around them. Arkarium bowed his head as Sloe left. Once Sloe had gone, the old alchemist tightened his fists and clenched his jaw.
"The vanguard is mine by right! My research propelled Magus Sloe to the heights he now stands!" Arkarium seethed to himself. "I should be the ONLY one Sloe needs. Magnus has been here for a few months, and Hilda focuses on her eternal life and beauty! The two of them fornicate more than they contribute!" His thoughts swirled and mounted until a dark smile spread across his face. Gathering his solid Jade skull focus, he further woke his familiar and summoned a force of his Serpent Sorcerers. He was determined to win Sloe's favor as he left the confines of his laboratory, leading the company through the streets of Kritas when an old woman flagged him, calling that she had an urgent message.
"What do you want?" Arkarium barked, standing straighter and tilting his head enough to glare at her from over his nose.
"Where are you going with such an impressive army?" the old woman asked, a burlap hood pulled low over her eyes.
"What business is it of yours? Tell me what you want!" Arkarium demanded. The woman pursed her lip, her fist clenching before continuing.
"I am an oracle for The Keeper of All Time. You are marching to Ariel's Temple, are you not?"
" Ariel is the Goddess of Time. There is no other deity-"
"Listen!" the woman interrupted. "How do you plan to approach her temple? You are but a mortal, and Dane was the only human allowed within its walls by Ariel with a gate made specifically for him."
"Dark Alchemy will pave the way." Arkarium sneered, beginning to walk away until the old woman caught his arm. Arkarium tried to pull away, but she had much more strength than he thought possible.
"There is another way." The woman's dry voice hissed.
"Then tell me before my patience runs dry." Demanded Arkarium, setting his staff on the ground with a loud metallic clap. The woman straightened, her fists tightening before speaking.
"Go through the forest of peace to the Mountain of Healing. Climb to the peak, and you will find the Anima Monastery that guards the path into the Temple of Time." Arkarium squinted, standing in silence for a while.
"Why would you betray your patron, woman? Who are you?"
"I have told you; I am the oracle of the Keeper of All Time, not Ariel. Your actions are necessary," she declared, turning away from him and stepping back. Arkarium was silent for a moment before barking a command to his serpent sorcerers and marching toward the mountain. Once they were out of view, the woman slipped into an alley, where Minerna removed the burlap robe, stretching her shoulders and unfurling her wings to relieve the discomfort of being confined under the tight cloak.
"I'm sorry, Ariel. I hope you can forgive all that I have put you through."
Upon returning to the temple, Ariel was greeted by the sight of the Temple Knights patrolling the halls much more intensely. The most powerful of them, the Oblivion Knights, were stationed at each hallway, while the Qualm and Memory Knights patrolled.
"What happened? I gave no order to mobilize," Ariel asked, catching one of the Monks of the Red by the sleeve as he passed her.
"Clank watched your meeting with Dane. Word of what happened reached your mother, Minerna; she ordered the mobilization," Replied the monk. Ariel took a deep, agitated breath behind closed eyes and let him go.
"Very well. Please continue and have the Chief of the Oblivion Knights come see me."
"Yes, my goddess." The monk answered, turning away down a hall while Ariel summoned up a creature made of an hourglass having small wings on the top.
"Show me to my daughter, Rhinne," She commanded. A single eye within the hourglass's sand bubbled up, looking around for a moment before sharply turning and flying in the desired direction. The creature led her to Rhinne's room, where Clank stood guard.
"Has Rhinne said anything since I've gone?" Ariel asked. Clank's eyes glowed to life within his helm as though waking from a nap.
"Rhinne has been quiet. I must return to the barracks, my goddess, as my mana is running quite low." Ariel nodded slightly to release him from his post as the knight immediately left for the barracks, clouds of sand dust kicked up along his path. Knocking softly on Rhinne's door she listened for her voice a moment. When no noise came, Ariel called to her, slowly opening her door to see her curled up on her bed, lying as still as stone.
"Rhinne?" Ariel called again, carefully closing the door and moving to sit on her bed where she could see her reddened face and tear-soaked pillow. Reaching over, Ariel ran her hand over Rhinne's silvery hair.
"Why did he do it?" whispered Rhinne, staring across the room with salty riverbeds of tears clinging to her face.
"He was such a good person. He didn't deserve it. Why didn't you save him?" Turning her head toward Ariel, she revealed her eyes to be dull and distant, unable to reflect the light coming from the small sparks that floated throughout the temple.
"I couldn't. The magic eating him would have required more power than his body could withstand." Rhinne's eyes squinted shut, rolling her face back into her pillow. Just as Ariel began to speak, one of the Memory Knights came through the door.
"Goddess, your presence is needed urgently." Nodding, she kissed Rhinne's head and departed, closing the door softly behind her.
"What is the matter?" Ariel questioned, stopping when an explosion echoed through the halls.
"A thin man with long white hair and beard is assaulting the temple's front gate, commanding an army of Serpents." Lowering her brow, Ariel spread her wings and hurried towards the noise. Upon arriving, a bolt of fizzling black-colored magic flew past her face, disintegrating part of the wall behind her overlooking the main gate of the Temple. Ariel extended her vision to survey the area where a thousand serpents stood waiting as the front line of serpents hammered the front gate.
"How did this army come here?! There is no path leading into Usoria!" Ariel demand.
"That isn't true, goddess. There has always been a secret path into Usoria, hidden and guarded by a monastery on the Mountain of Healing, created by your mother." The knight quickly explained.
"Another secret kept from me?! How many more things did Mother keep from me?!" Ariel bellowed, surveying the area where the serpents stood, poised with unnatural stillness, when something slammed into her face, throwing her to the ground in pain. She quickly healed the area around her right eye, but the Chief Knight explained nothing had hit her.
"Someone within that company can see my extended vision and hurt me via that. As far as I am aware, Dane's…" She paused for a long while, remembering Dane was gone, but there was no other name for him.
"Black Magic is the only thing that could do something like that. Whoever this is must be in league with him. General Dodo!" Ariel called. A large shadow loomed over them as the enormous creature slowly and gracefully lowered itself into Ariel's view.
"Drive them back; do not let them enter the Temple ground at any cost!" Ariel commanded. The Whale-like creature gave a wailing hum in acknowledgment, humming out commands in a language of sounds and clicks. The Memory Knights charged from the Temple, storming the front gate just as it collapsed. The knights formed their swords and devastated the few Serpents who entered, leaving the path slick with strangely colored blood.
General Dodo slammed his body down, squashing scores of serpents, leaving only a few for the knights to dispatch. With the serpents finally eliminated, only one attacker remained: the thin man. In one hand, he held a green skull and a black staff in the other while his great cobra familiar coiled behind him, rising and spreading its hood.
"Fools, all of you! I am Arkarium, Master of Dark Alchemy and Earl of Devastation, second in command to Magus Sloe! Only your submission will save you and your daughter!" Arkarium shouted, holding the skull forward as it lit up, casting discomforting light around him. General Dodo lifted into the air as a whining groan came from him, shaking the ground. The Knights encircled Arkarium, jamming their swords into the ground, each of their pommels linking with a thread of bright blue energy.
A hearty laugh escaped Arkarium as beams of red light shot from the top of his staff, only to strike a barrier rippling before him. With a raised eyebrow, Arkarium released a darker beam, tearing through the barrier and obliterating three knights in its path. The barrier wavered as more knights filled the space, driving their swords down, linking with the others, and reforming the barrier. Arkarium laughed harder, releasing another dark red beam. It growled and snapped before striking the barrier and ricocheting into the ground. Arkarium stared in befuddlement, his brow contorting over his eyes with angular fury as he unleashed an even greater beam of energy, only to duck and weave to avoid being hit before it dissipated.
"What is this?" he asked, surprise or fear thick in his voice. General Dodo hovered before him, speaking with a slow and deep cadence, making the air quiver.
"The Barrier of Memory. Once broken, that which broke it before will no longer work." Growling as his teeth creaked and his face wrinkled, Arkarium released another much larger beam, his familiar glowing and rising behind him. The old alchemist summoned enough power to break the barrier and obliterate a few knights, but as before, more knights came and rebuilt the barrier. With a yell, Arkarium released the same beam, having to cast a counter spell when it bounced back toward him.
"Impossible! Dark Alchemy can break down all magic!"
"Not when that magic counters itself. The Barrier of Memory mimics a human immune system, Arkarium," Called Ariel as she glided down to the circle, armor appearing on her shoulders and torso.
"Its power comes from that which broke it before, immune to that attack for all time." Arkarium sneered, looking for an escape route when he spotted a smaller strike force of his serpent mages appearing near the front gate.
"If I can't break it from within, then I will break it another way! ATTACK!" he shouted. The serpents lept onto the knights, tearing pieces from them. Within seconds, the barrier weakened as the serpents mangled more knights, pulling them away until it shattered like glass. After another few moments, blood, bodies, and metal lay strewn across the ground, but Arkarium was nowhere to be seen.
"He must have fled! AFTER HIM!" shouted a Chief Memory Knight.
"Belay that order!" called Ariel, dispelling her armor and looking at the devastation around her.
"Everyone, back to the temple. General Dodo, Gather all your Knights. Set them around the Temple and erect the Barrier of Memory around it." Dodo hummed as he turned and swam through the air back to the temple. Ariel went to the Mirror of Time, hoping her actions would avert the disaster. Peace had become more prominent, but the looming disaster still overshadowed it.
"Monks of the Temple! Gather your strength and forces and report to your generals to assist the knights. General Lilynouche! General Lykyra, I require your presence." Ariel called. Within moments, a giant Knight Chess piece made of ice and a red bull with gilded armor around its horns approached.
"We answer your summons, goddess." They said in unison.
"Lilynouche, take your Qualm Knights, set up a blockade along the choke points of the temple, and assign the Qualm Knight designated as Clank to escort Rhinne to the innermost chambers. Lykyra, station your Oblivion Knights to defend the Temple's innermost chambers and hold it at all costs." A billow of flames plumed from Lykyra's snout as the chess piece set down with a thud. Its side opened, and a woman with elongated, angular eyes stepped out from it.
"Goddess, such a mobilization has not been required since the Great Beginning. What are we preparing for?" Lykyra asked, his heart racing and his muscles itching.
"I, too, would like to know why such a call has been made. The Great Beginning was witness to many needless deaths." Ariel let out a long breath as she summoned her armor, reaching out and grabbing hold of her giant poleaxe, Maha, as it appeared beside her.
"War."
Arkarium navigated the halls of the sewers with as much stealth as he could muster, trying to make it back to his room and laboratory, where he could replenish his army of Serpent Sorcerers.
"Where have you been, Grandpa? And where is that contingent you left with?" Hilda asked, pulling her lips to the side in a smirk as she leaned against the wall.
"That is none of your concern, Hilda. Don't you have a Dracova to keep busy?" he huffed.
"It may not be my business…" Hilda's voice smiled.
"…But it is mine. I will give you a chance to explain yourself, Arkarium." Sloe boomed, appearing behind him in a plume of black vapors, making him jump and turn around almost in a blur of color.
"M-m-master Sloe!" Arkarium stuttered, his mind racing and his skin feeling damp as a cold sweat began to form. Sloe's glare made Arkarium feel as if a giant were pressing on his chest, reaching into his body and gripping his lungs.
"I took a small scouting force to the Monastery on the Mountain of Healing, located on the far side of the East Dragon Forest, eliminating all inside. I did so for easier infiltration into the Temple and retrieval of Rhinne. I surveyed the temple itself while there."
"I was never told of a path into the Temple from Usoria. How did you find this Monastery?" Sloe hissed, his presence seeming to grow.
"A-a-a-a woman claiming to be an oracle of The Keeper of All Time. Until today, I never knew there was such a deity!"
"And what did you find at Ariel's Temple?" Sloe asked, each syllable feeling like a drum in Arkarium's head while speaking through clenched teeth.
"I was not able to determine much, save for the front gate being guarded at all times. There are beings made of armor who can create something called 'The Barrier of Memory'. It becomes immune to whatever broke through it." Arkarium's lips and tongue felt dry; if Magus Sloe knew about his true intentions and that he lost an entire platoon in a matter of seconds, replacing his soldiers would be the least of his worries.
"I see. Then can you explain to me why the entire platoon of Serpent Sorcerers you took with you is gone and why Ariel has mobilized all the forces of the Temple?" Sloe demanded. Arkarium stuttered and stumbled for words, backing away from Sloe with ever-increasing panic.
"You FOOL!" Sloe roared, whispers hissing in the air around them.
"Your arrogance cost us nearly two-thirds of your forces and the element of surprise! Now Ariel has mobilized, increasing our waste of energy!" Chains began to clink into existence from seals appearing in the air, each with a spearhead at their end aimed for Arkarium.
"I will spare you for now, Arkarium, as I still have use for you. Do not delay our progress again. Is that understood?" Sloe's voice dropped to a hissing whisper, seeming to echo all around Arkarium as a spear slid across the alchemist's cheek, drawing blood.
"Yes, Master, I understand fully." Arkarium spluttered, heaving for breath as Sloe walked away with Hilda close behind after watching the scolding.
"Prepare your army, and tell Magnus to prepare his troops," Sloe commanded as he turned to Hilda.
"We go to war NOW!"a