Note: I do not own Fairy Tail and all rights go to Hiro Mashima. I only own the OC's that will appear.

Chapter 5: Legends, Myths, and the Wild North

Ever since my eventful encounter with the so-called Braveheart Mercenaries and subsequently 'befriending' the old man known as Hendrickson, the night sky had gradually ebbed, replaced by the light of dawn. As I cracked my eyes open and regarded the brightening sky, I felt discontent once again. In this particular week, the light of the moon had become extremely important to me. It made me feel good, warm, and comfortable. It was as if I was being watched over by a higher power. Protected.

Anyhow, I glanced over, through the dim visibility in the cave, at Hendrickson. I frowned, realizing he wasn't at all sleeping. He didn't appear to be tired for an old man. On his side was a humble bag that looked made of leather, and in his hand was an old, time-worn book with tattered yellowish pages. He regarded me when I shifted, sitting right up and looking at his book.

"What are you up to?" I grumbled.

"Reading up on old lore that might interest you after what we discussed hours earlier. How was your beauty sleep?" Hendrickson asked kindly, too kindly.

"It was… pleasant," as pleasant as they could possibly be when your mind is cursed by hellfire. I hate that fire dragon so much! He ruined my life! I couldn't see my own face, but surely it was grotesque with barely concealed anguish and un-glistening tears.

I sensed his gaze and looked up, "Yeah, it was fine. What are you doing again? Old lore?"

"Old lore pertaining to the Great Calamity that led to the turning of the millennium. Some world leaders decided to reset the calendar to the year zero after the Twilight of the Gods had ended and all gods vanished from the world."

"Who gets to decide that?" I was curious.

"I have no idea," Hendrickson shrugged. "Must have been influential people, though."

"This… 'Great Calamity' was a war between the three top mythical races in the world, demons, dragons, and gods?" I slipped into a cross-legged position and astutely watched Hendrickson skim through the book of ancient, but somewhat important knowledge.

"Yes. The dragons had always lived in Earthland. The gods had their own world, but they saw fit to walk among us mortals whenever they felt like it. Some gods were great for us, nurturing the land in which we lived and benefiting our lifestyles. However, some gods were cold, pragmatic, and sometimes malevolent. In the grand scheme of things, they're the living aspects of all things in nature, and we are not entitled to their eternal protection… least of all me…" he sighed.

This brought a thought to the forefront of my mind, "Do you know of Selene, the Goddess of the Moon?"

Hendrickson nodded, "I do. Her story is controversial and tragic."

I was a bit intrigued, and so I jumped right in, "I know she was banished from the Divine Court because she consorted with demons millennia ago. But one thing confuses me all the time, why would a god fall in love with a demon? Least of all one like her?"

Hendrickson's gaze was solemn, "I have no idea, Olivia. The mystery behind this transcends our world. But… perhaps you can figure it out if that is an aspect of your destiny in Earthland."

Hendrickson's cryptic statement made me raise my eyebrows, "What gave you that impression?"

"It seems you know nothing of your lineage," Hendrickson stated. "You're a Vespertine."

Upon hearing the word 'lineage' and the enunciation of my last name, a multitude of emotions passed through my heart and soul. Shock, disbelief, relief, and happiness. I felt my face contort into a smile, one so strong that it kind of hurt. But I didn't care about measly discomfort, this information is real!

"Hendrickson… what am I, really? I'm a Vespertine? But how could I be from some Earthland bloodline when I hail from another world? How could my last name be…" I halted, unwilling to get ahead of my happiness by doubting the possibilities.

"You're hardly human, but I assumed humans exist in Elentear. Well, there are as many humans in the world as there is a grain of sand in some desert. I wouldn't be surprised if the name 'Vespertine' is shared in another world entirely," Hendrickson began explaining, and those words dampened my spirits. He continued, nonetheless. "However, one interesting trait of the Vespertines is their affinity with the Spirit Arts and their connection to Selene."

I remembered Spirit Arts as well! I furrowed my brows, "My Spirit Arts, I had forgotten what it was… what was it? Did I ever even learn Spirit Arts?"

My… sisters. Hakune, Mimi, and Yoko… were all practitioners of Spirit Arts back home.

Tears once again trickled down my cheeks as I failed to recall their demonstrations.

"Hah... this is so unfair!" I complained.

"I would have said life was unfair, but that doesn't have to be the case. When the gods walked among us, fairness was far easier to come by," Hendrickson stated.

"Is it because they dictated the lives of mortals?" I asked glumly.

Hendrickson scrunched his nose at that, "Well, that's part of it. Humans are predisposed to believing in higher powers when life gets too stressful. Even non-human races do that. We sometimes even share some gods."

I huffed and wiped my tears, feeling pathetic for crying in front of a stranger, "Let's backstep. Did the Vespertines worship Selene?"

"Certainly, they were among the most devout. Some would even call it fanatic. But I believe they have whole-hearted, positive faith in her. After all, the legends say Selene's divine blood flows through their veins."

"Is that so...?" That explains my connection with the moon. But something in the back of my mind told me that wasn't all there was to it. In fact, what he just told me felt laughably unsatisfactory. It felt unsatisfying.

"I believe those legends," I began. "But that can't be all?"

But Hendrickson shook his head, "That's all I know about their connection to Selene. She's their patron goddess and divine ancestor. Far too many religious factions reject that claim, however."

But then Hendrickson blinked, "Oh... it seems I've forgotten to mention something quite troubling for you."

My heart dropped, what? "What... is it?"

"Selene's fall was controversial because she consorted with a demon. Do you know what would happen to the mortals, divine-descended or not, who believed in her and wielded her blessings?"

My heart fell into the dark, cold abyss, but I was still unsure, "Uh... no?"

I didn't think about it. I distanced myself from speaking the answer, even thinking it.

But Hendrickson heralded the bad news, "If the followers of other gods didn't get to them first, it was surely the gods themselves that cast divine judgment upon them."

"Were... were they eradicated? But I..."

"They still exist, deep in the Oriental Empire. Your lineage has been judged by the gods. However, since the Vespertines are a sacred lineage to that empire, all news has been suppressed about the nature of the judgment and their current state. However, that didn't stop their reputation from completely falling among the followers of the gods."

"This was made exceptionally worse when they began praying to an imposter."

It was these words that brought a shock to my system, "What do you mean?"

Hendrickson's face sank, "During the Twilight of the Gods, the dragons had taken to power in this world. They tore down many of the physical locations that gods had dwelled when they were here. Tore down monuments, altars, shrines, all of it. They tore down the legacy of the gods!"

"That wasn't the worst thing. In the recent centuries since dragons began to die off- good riddance, six dragons emerged on this continent and five took supremacy. They had fled from another continent and dethroned all the gods."

"In the current era, they are called the Five Great Powers, or the so-called Five Dragon Gods," Hendrickson glared at me with baleful eyes. "One of those damnable dragons is female, and she coincidentally wields the power of the moon and stars. She calls herself-"

"Selene..." I cut Hendrickson off, my gaze narrowed into slits.

"Yes. That dragon calls herself Selene, and your lineage worships her as the Goddess of the Moon as well. In fact, even beyond them, the populace of Guiltina call her the Moon Dragon Goddess. Total blasphemy! As if some arrogant lizard-"

"Shut up!" I screamed at Hendrickson, my magical power exploding into the outside world and gushing out in all directions. It slammed against all angles of the cave, causing the earthen structure to shake violently as cracks appeared. I was completely furious with Hendrickson!

That's it! That's what I was missing!

Selene, the Goddess of the Moon.

Selene, the Moon Dragon Goddess.

Doesn't matter if they are the same entity or completely separate, I will tolerate no slander!

By now, my eyes had become monstrous once again. My body increased in size. Scales and fur grew along my forearms and neck. My dark violet hair gradually turned a fuzzy white. I leered down at the cowering old man, "I will tolerate no slander!"

Hendrickson was stricken with complete alarm by now. He struggled to even breathe under the oppressive magical power I was pressuring him with. He tried to speak, but they merely came out as raspy gasps.

Suddenly, I realized my mistake. Before I could dispel my accidental transformation, I felt my body temperature skyrocket. A scream tore through my lips as that same malevolent power erupted from within me! My blood boiled. It hurts! It burns! It feels like I'm- I'm being liquified!

"...ah!" I collapsed against the wall, writhing on the floor in a futile effort to put out the flames.

"Oh, gods!" Amidst the agony, I barely heard Hendrickson's voice. "All that lightning, all those flames!"

By now, the entire cave was shaking as I, through lidded eyes, saw flashes of red-hot lightning strike everything. Rubble fell as bolts pierced through rock. I couldn't pay attention to everything happening because the light of the flames blocked my vision, but I could at least sense that same corrupted magic manifesting into reality and spreading above me. I felt the immediate area around me tremble; there was a sound of rocks smashing into something above me.

"...Guh!" When the flames dissipated, I grunted and didn't budge an inch. Through lidded eyes, I saw the ground beneath me painted in soot. The ground was faintly red with cracks glowing with heat. I felt abnormally warm on the inside still, and when I rolled off the heated ground, I winced at the cold chill I felt from below. So hot was my exposed skin that contact with the cold earth actually stung.

"Girl, are you fine? Gods!" Hendrickson scrambled to his feet and walked over, looking over me with stunned eyes. Gazing up at him, I wondered why he wasn't taking advantage of my current weakened state.

As if reading my mind, Hendrickson furrowed his eyebrows, "I'm not so cruel as to take advantage of a child that has absolutely nothing to offer me. You're broke. You have nothing. Why can't I be concerned?"

"Hah..." I rasped. "...it seems you haven't lost any dignity."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hendrickson frowned. "You think you stole my dignity or something?"

"..." I didn't reply.

He scoffed at me, "I'd rather die than let a child steal my dignity. All that magical power you have, and you can't even control it. It's a wonder if Magical Overload is even a concept to you."

"Overload...? I have no such weaknesses."

"Oh, you're hardly human, is that right?"

"...yup..."

"What was that, anyways? Are you also a fire mage?"

That incensed me again, and I cast him an indignant glare, "I'm just cursed or something."

I planted my hands on the earth, wincing from the pain in my hands, and forced my back against the wall, "Every time I- cuh... I go overboard with my magic, that happens... I'm used to it. It won't... kill me."

I was lost for breath.

Hendrickson cast me a gaze of sympathy once again, and it I couldn't suppress my disbelief, "Are you... serious?"

"What?" Hendrickson raised a gray eyebrow.

"Stop looking at me like that. I-I just don't get it!"

"What do you mean?" Hendrickson frowned.

"Aren't we enemies?" I forced between gritted teeth. "I keep threatening you. You gave me that look twice!"

"What- sympathy?" Hendrickson curled his lips. "Is that an issue with you?"

"I just don't understand it..."

Hendrickson sighed and knelt down before me. His hand was raised toward me, but when he saw me flinch at it, he halted. He rested it on his bent knee.

"Listen, Olivia," Hendrickson began, looking into my eyes. "I don't understand the totality of what you feel, but I do understand being lost. Forsaken, and bereft of any peace of mind. I'm also cursed. This eye," he gestured to his masked eye, "is a result of my mistake. My grave error."

"What did you do?" I asked pryingly. "Steal from a demon? Curse the gods too much?"

Hendrickson snorted, "I'd never curse the gods-" but then he caught himself.

I raised my eyebrows, "Well?"

"I cursed the gods in my worst days, but that didn't leave me cursed. I... I tampered with..." He hesitated to speak, almost unwilling to give me an answer.

"Well? Go on," I urged.

"I became associated with demons as well, just as the legends said of the moon goddess."

The mention of her made me gaze pointedly at him, "Do you hate dragons?"

Hendrickson's expression was stone, but I smelled his loathing, "I do."

"Then it makes even less sense... for you to be so kind to me," I replied. "I'm something of a dragon."

"How is that possible...?" Hendrickson was in mild disbelief.

"I know I'm not entirely human, and that dragon-thing called me a hybrid and I wield power capable of harming them."

"But I'm sure you're a descendent of the Vespertine lineage."

"I hope I am so I can get answers directly from them," I looked at myself and scowled at my tattered clothes. They were basically rags at this point, and I'm not interested in walking around naked with this old and cursed bag of bones. I felt for my magic, realizing that it was still in good condition, and forced myself to my feet. Hendrickson followed suit.

Looking out of the cave, my gaze landed on where the seventeen men were supposed to be.

They were gone.

"I need to steal their clothes," I told Hendrickson. "I can track them down, but do you know where they'd be headed?"

He cringed, "You don't want their clothes. They haven't washed in days."

I looked at Hendrickson, "Have you washed?"

"I do. Every time I get the chance."

"Give me your cloak."

"W-what?"

"Give it to me! I need something to wear. Do you want to follow a naked girl around?"

"Bah, of course not! Here, take it."

"Thank you, Hendrickson."

As Hendrickson stood to the front of the cave, I did my best to tie my rags into a suitable waist garment. It was shoddy work, but it did the job. I regarded his cloak and sniffed at it. Good, it had little to no foul odor, just sweat. I'm already dirty with soot anyways. No real difference. When I slid it on, it suited my body nicely. After all, Hendrickson wasn't a tall man. He was short.

I suddenly caught a whiff of something less than pleasant coming from Hendrickson's direction. It was wholly a spiritual scent. He didn't notice me standing beside him before it was too late.

"AH!" Hendrickson jolted and grasped at his left chest, right where his heart was. "Gods, you caught me off guard!"

But my eyes were full of warning, "I can smell your emotions, so I know you're thinking something less than favorable. If I were you-"

"I know, I know! I get it!" Hendrickson cut me off. "Let me explain how this little arrangement of ours is going to work. We both know we could use each other's insights and skills. I have the knowledge, and you have the exotic legacy and powers. What do you say?"

"That's your only choice; being of use to me," I drawled. "Or I'll have to kill you."

"Do you have to kill me?"

"You know too much, and I know too little," I suddenly felt impatient. "We've wasted enough time already. Tell me what you learned about Tahlia's Tablet. That's the most important thing to me right now."

Hendrickson smiled, but it was full of dread.

"Berchta's Mausoleum is an interesting first location for you," Hendrickson said. "Berchta is the Goddess of Winter and is supposedly entombed there. What were you planning on doing when getting there?"

I threw my hands up, "I have no clue, that dragon-thing didn't tell me anything of value. But he does hold it in great disgust. That's something."

"It's a dangerous place to go for anybody. That mausoleum is quite mysterious and reclusive. It's one of the oldest mausoleums since the gods vanished from this world. However, they do have an active following. An extremely zealous group with immense mastery of ice magic. The whole Bargo region is essentially their territory. I hope you're ready for their attention."

"I'm very good at ice magic. It's one of my favorites," I said dismissively. "I can handle some ice mages."

Hendrickson shook his head, "They are followers of a god, and their magic is considered to have been bestowed upon them by Berchta. Their magic might be way beyond the norm."

"You think I'm not? I'm a Vespertine, I won't lose to people who serve a dead god. Especially if they're purely human."

"You're arrogant," Hendrickson said. "And the Goddess Selene is dead, you have no god."

"Is Selene dead?" I raised my eyebrow. "We still have her. She is with me. The moon is my guide. Regardless of whether they are separate entities, the moon is my one true source of contentment."

"You align more with that dragon?"

Ignoring his statement, I weighed him with a hard glare, "I have a god."

Hendrickson paused, "Wait- you have the power to hurt dragons?"

I deadpanned at him, "You bring that up now? Yes, I can."

Once again, I had no reference to base that on aside from what the strange dragon-thing told me.

"That means you're a dragon slayer."

"Is that a job?"

"No! It's a type of magic geared toward killing dragons. You're a dragon slayer," Hendrickson gazed at me sharply. "You dragon slayers do humanity a good service."

My gaze sharpened as well, "I'm not a dragon slayer. Didn't I just tell you what I was?"

"If you're truly something of a dragon, then your magic has the properties necessary to hurt a dragon. You're a dragon slayer," Hendrickson stood by his claim. "Are you an Ice Dragon Slayer?"

"NO!"

"Shame, that would make things a lot easier when we get to that mausoleum."

"Too bad."

In the land of ice and snow that is the Bargo region, temperatures have plummeted. The rocky, moist, and dark aspect of Maul's Gorge was replaced by a sea of white and cold blue. Snowy peaks, meandering rivers cold enough to freeze people's arms off, and dangerous ice elemental monsters fill the landscapes outer section. Further inward, water struggles to run, people struggle to survive, and the monsters get deadlier.

In order to even enter this arctic tundra from Maul's Gorge, one must reach the Outer Bargo Pass. It is a series a winding, perilous pathways carved through towering cliffs with jagged icicles and hazardous footing, narrow ledges, and deep valleys prone to avalanches. While there were entrances leading to steep ravines and through caverns, the dangerous, high-rise passage allowed for a magnificent view dozens of miles out when the sun and moon cast their rays across.

The Bargo region had been inhabited in recent centuries. Even still, humanity has struggled to pierce far into tundra. It was only by the grace of the lingering will of the Winter Goddess, Berchta, that many had been able to do it. Though dead in the mortal sense, her consciousness lives on in her mausoleum, acting as a tether between the realm of the dead and the living world. Such is the legends told throughout the seemingly endless tundra.

Across countless miles we follow a meandering river system. It was vast enough that ice sheets had formed, traveling deep into the horizon. Through the lengthy expanse, between towering peaks, and through dense forests capped with snow and icicles, a thinner river carved onward until it reached a large lake situated near a settlement. Outlined in shimmering gold light, the settlement was the only welcoming thing in sight.

Under the dim gaze of the sun on this very cloudy day, two children played near the lake, launching balls of snow at each other and engaging in rough play. But they weren't getting their snowballs by digging them up and packing them into a dense ball. With magic pulsating from their bodies, the snow around them gathered into spheres of myriad sizes before being launched.

A girl of ten years, clad in dense white furs, squealed as she ducked out of a massive snowball's path. She rolled over as the snowball crashed and rolled into a nearby line of trees. She sprung up and threw her hand at the boy who attacked her. An iridescent blue magic circle manifested, summoning a suction force that gathered large amounts of snow and packed them into dense spheres that were hurled right back.

This continued back and forth until an aged voice called them from afar.

Her brother who was the same age pouted, "But mama! We weren't out here long!"

"Yeah, what brother said!" the girl argued.

"I'm sorry, you two! But it's important!"

The woman they were replying to peered into the sky warily, daring to lock onto the dim gaze of the morning sun before it was obscured by the vast clouds. For as far as she could see, the sky grew darker, and snow began to fall. She looked down as her kids closed the distance, their boots crunching on snow.

"Mom, what's the matter?" her daughter inquired in worry.

For a moment, the mother was unsure, "It- it doesn't concern you two. The elders have simply come to the decision that it isn't safe to be out there today."

"Since when?" her son questioned, suspicious.

"Since now. Come on," the mother urged, gripping her children's hands and pulling them along. She cast a wayward glance behind her, peering into the distance.

At a similar time, further in the village and atop a high hill, stood three elderly women. They were also wearing dense white furs. Their clothing was also ceremonial and distinctive, designating them as the village elders. At this vantage point, they could see the entire village. All fifty huts were in their range of sight whenever they felt like taking a good look. But their attention was trained on the distance.

One of them glanced down slightly, seeing the mother and her children rushing into their home closer to rocky hillside.

"It's been about eight years since they've last graced our village," one stated cautiously. "Not even owls were sent to inform us of anything. They've gone silent."

"This doesn't bode well," said another. "I'm deeply unsettled."

"Well, as long as we receive them correctly, we can learn about what happened. Let's get the village prepared for their arrival."

Meanwhile, thirty miles north of the village which would take one to the furthest depths of the tundra, towering mountain peaks loomed. Their silhouette was heavily suppressed by the heavy snowfall that only intensified the further in one went. The howling wind was harsh to the ears, and skin-peeling in its frigidness. This was clearly no place for regular humans. In the surrounding environment, groans could be heard echoing as tall figures moved behind the wall of snowfall. From time to time, electrifying azure would arc across their shadowed faces. Elsewhere, near a tall plateau, was a cave. Within that cave was a slumbering behemoth with long tusks, a white hide, and a hulking build. Each rumble of its throat sent mighty vibrations through a great area, which compelled many ice monsters to give that plateau a wide berth.

The only such entity that dared intrude was a woman.

Tap... tap... tap...

Her heels clacked on the cold stone ground as she strode toward the behemoth, not bothering to be discreet in her approach.

"..." The behemoth let out a distinct growl and shifted its massive head. A chilling blue set of bestial eyes appeared in the darkness, gazing coldly at the woman. It shifted its massive bulk, pulling its arms below its chest to rest on its crystal-tipped elbows to look down on the woman. She was very tall, standing well above six feet and icy blue in her skin. She was clothed in a black overcoat made from black fur with a scarlet interior framing her figure that was clad in a blackish, skin-tight dress. A white-furred hood also crowned her neck and shoulders. In her blue, clawed grip was a tall, gray-wooden staff with a flaming blue orb. Enhancing her already imposing figure was a massive mane of flaming whitish-blue hair that swam down her backside in flaming, watery waves. It was like she had a glacier on her back.

In contrast to the cold, white and blue eyes of the behemoth, the woman's gaze was black with beady blue in the center.

"Bewilder, how's your day?" the woman's blue lips curled into a sly smile.

"..." the behemoth grumbled in response.

"Oh~ Well sorry for intruding, but... you've been sleeping here for quite a while. Looking at your body, it seems to have healed a long time ago. Can you to take control of patrol for at least a few months?"

"..."

"You know- it's pretty important that you obey, right? I'm your master. I hope I haven't coddled you too much," the woman frowned when the behemoth barely budged. Her irises turned a scarlet red. "Now is not the time to disobey! The ritual to connect to our goddess Berchta is scheduled to begin in a few months and the last thing we want are intruders getting in the way!"

An eruption of magical power flooded the cave, making it tremble. Such trembling was amplified as the behemoth groaned and raised its heavy bulk to its full height. Cloaked in a blackish-blue aura of that made her wild mane of icy hair fly, the woman looked upon the beast severely, "Remember, guard the borders!"

"Dragomira, status report!" Dragomira jolted, she looked at her wrist. On it was an intricate bracelet with brown leather. Installed on it was a purple lacrima that was glowing faintly with pulsating energy.

"I'm almost finished. Stop pestering me!" Dragomira replied rudely.

"Is Bewilder in good condition health now?" the voice from the lacrima brushed off her disrespect.

Dragomira took another look at Bewilder, looking at where his heart would be. On that compact pectoral was a four-pronged, star-shaped wound. It was gnarly, with cracks in the flesh crawling away from the center. The flesh largely looked healed, the blue blood having clotted and allowing time for the wound to mend. She swept her gaze all over Bewilder- at least what she could see. There were lacerations and deep claw marks digging into the bulk of the beast. On the crest of its skull, most of its horns were missing, and that made her queasy. She hated seeing anything asymmetrical! So unbalanced and ugly.

She pursed her lips, "He's fine! That little flesh wound seems to have healed already! You really think that just because that lesser demon can command fire that it can kill this monstrous friend of mine? It's got heaps of dragon blood in it! Hell, creatures like this are the closest thing to dragons in all of Guiltina!"

The purple lacrima pulsated as a voice came through again, "That thing was no regular lesser demon of fire, and you know it! It was empowered by Ignia, one of the damnable Five Great Powers!"

"So what? There's no way that demon could have assimilated enough of that dragon's power to come close to killing my Bewilder! A Dragon God's power is too strong for some puny demon to handle!"

"You're correct, but it's troubling nonetheless that the Fire Dragon God is tampering around," the voice replied hotly. "Make sure Bewilder is able to do his job!"

"Fuck off, and I'll do it!" Dragomira sneered.

"As long as Goddess Berchta graces us again with her divine majesty, Ignia will stop pestering us-"

"I know that! Fuck off already!"

The voice on the other side groaned in frustration before the purple lacrima dimmed, going silent.

On the other side of that purple lacrima was another woman. Her skin was a pasty white, and her hair a glistening sheen of silver. While her body trembled with rage, she contained the outburst. She stood tall, almost equal in height to Dragomira, and walked into the corridors of a silent, dark castle. Blue flickering flames lit up the path as she strode toward a tall set of double doors with the intricate carvings of the gods with Goddess Berchta, a towering figure carved in stone with hair designed in a manner to replicate a tree extending its vines to nurture the earth. All around her statuesque form was a world of ice, devoid of any fiery imagery. With a press of her hand, the doors groaned and opened. Inside, the woman shivered as a peculiar sensation engulfed her.

Inside was a vast room with very little decorations installed on the walls against them. All that existed to give this room life were hanging chandeliers of crystal, a few busts of humanoid figures of divine origin- intermixed with some mythical beasts once subdued by the Goddess Berchta, and a long, luxurious carpet that led the woman directly to a magnificent altar of ice. Forever did this altar emanate a magical power that not only filled the entire castle but shrouded it in so much power that it formed a barrier on the outside. It was a barrier of mountainous mist that cover a good half mile in diameter.

This was a condition that hadn't existed since the death of the Goddess Berchta. It originally wasn't a mausoleum when constructed, only a hideout that could allow Berchta to heal in this ethernano-abundant zone that was unmatched in richness across the entire Bargo region. However, they missed one vital energy source.

Spiria was a vital power source to certain gods as well. Because Earthland hardly had enough to begin with, Berchta eventually succumbed to her injuries and died.

This is when Berchta's Mausoleum was established.

"In this hallowed ground, we will begin the grandest ritual ever seen; one to revive you, our goddess!" The woman began firing off words to the altar. "Since this mausoleum was constructed, the ancestors have worked fervently to amass the power needed to bring you back to us! We had to invade the Silver Plains and go to war with that cursed lineage to do it!"

The altar replied "..."

The indecipherable words transmitted to the woman's ears filled her with joy, "Yes, yes! That lineage is cursed. But they are tenacious! All the centuries and they still aren't extinct!"

"..."

The next set of words transmitted to her ears stunned her, "There's a wealth of spiria headed this way? In the body of a girl?"

The altar eventually fell silent, and the woman turned on her heel and walked off, her mind dazed.

"A girl from another world has descended to Earthland and is fated to be my vessel," the woman repeated the words of her goddess in her mind, and she felt giddy.

What joy!

"A human from another world with rich and abundant magic! Hahahaha...! What joy!"

- End of Chapter -