by A. J. Morton
He scrambled to his feet, looking at his arm, shocked. However, it simply regenerated. Still, he seemed terrified of me. “I-I’m sorry!” He said, before running away.
It was a strange thing to say. Especially considering what I’d noticed him wearing. The uniform of the Umbran Empire. Although he didn’t carry himself remotely like any of them.
I shook my head. That was unimportant right now. I felt my power leave me and I fell to the ground. I didn’t pass out this time, but I felt like I’d just run a marathon. I fell to the ground, completely out of breath.
The lady walked over to me. I was far too exhausted to stand. In fact, my vision was blurry and I could hardly see her face. “Are you okay?” She asked me. I was awestruck by how sweet and pure her voice sounded.
I lightly muttered the word, “Yeah.” My voice came out hoarse and raspy.
The lady placed her hand on mine. Her aura gave me a blissful feeling, almost as though I was being swept off my feet. “O’ Lumos, the god of soothing light… Let your power soothe this man and ease his blight!” Light began to emit from her body. It was warm and soothing, restoring my vitality and energy. She let go and I rose to my feet.
“Are you better now?” the lady asked me in her pure, singsong voice.
“Y-Yeah…” I looked at her face and my mind almost stopped working. She was the most gorgeous girl that I had ever seen. Her skin almost seemed to glow. Her twinkling golden eyes almost seemed to glow. Even despite the struggle we’d just been in, not a single platinum blond strand of her hair was out of place.
“Are you sure that you’re okay?” She asked, concerned. “I mean no offense, but you’re staring at me like a man who’s concussed.”
I snapped out of my daze. “Yes,” I responded, shaking my head at my own idiocy. “That man, he was of the Umbran Empire, wasn’t he? What did he want from you?”
She sighed. “I fear that I was not the one he was after…” The lady told me. “He was after my twin sister, Dia.”
“Dia?!” I remembered the name that Strelitzia had told me as we sailed to this city. “Miss… What is your name?”
“Ana Luz,” she answered.
Ana Luz… So that would make her sister Dia the girl I was looking for. “Miss Luz,” I tried to sound as professional as I possibly could. “My name is Xander Faust. I’m actually here on behalf of lady Krysta Tanda of Kronos. I’m looking for your sister. Could you take me to her?”
“So you’re a Kronian then?” She looked into my eyes. I realized why, but I realized it far too late. “Wait… Those eyes! You’re a Glacian!” She took a step back from me, visibly wary.
So do you remember how I said that Glacians were feared throughout Ubiaxus for their power?
Yeah…
“St-Stay away from me!” She began sprinting out of the ally. She didn’t get far, though, before a sudden tremor came, causing her to trip. I could feel the earth itself beginning to violently shake. Something clearly wasn’t right here. I, too, ended up falling on my rear from the force of the tremor.
Out in the distance, above the buildings, I could barely make out the image of a man with a brown aura, contrasted by the blue armor that he was wearing. He, seemingly uncontrollable, unleashed a barrage of bolts of brown energy. Each time one was released, it instantly fell to the ground, and we could feel another tremor as the aftermath. Occasionally one would hit a building, causing it to crumble. It was then that I realized who it was.
The man causing all this destruction was none other than my best friend. Travis.
Chapter 4
Now when I said that I hoped Travis got his power soon, I did not mean right now. Or in this way at all. Buildings crumbled before him and the ground shook each time one of his bolts connected with one.
I turned to see Ana on the ground, her graceful expression now turned to one of pure terror. I extended my hand to her. “We need to get out of here.”
She nodded her head but didn’t take my hand. “D-Don’t touch me, Glacian.” She seemed to be just about as appalled at me as she was about the disaster happening around us. But she still got to her feet to follow me.
Just as we started walking, Krysta suddenly manifested in front of me, holding Strelitzia’s hand. Strelitzia seemed just as confused as I was. “Ah,” I realized that she must have stopped time and brought Strelitzia to me. Smart move.
Despite the situation, Krysta appeared to be just as calm as always. “James, we need to calm your friend down.” She gestured towards Ana. “The girl is coming with us as well. We’ll need her.”
Ana blinked. “Wait… What’s going-”
Krysta cut her off. “No time to explain. Not even a spare second. We need to get to Travis. And you three are going to do it.”
Ana and I both just stared at her. “You must be joking,” We said in unison.
Strelitzia just laughed. “First thing you two need to know about Krysta. She never jokes. But her plans are always spot on.” She turned to Krysta. “So. What’s the plan?”
“There’s only time for me to explain this once. So, listen closely…” Krysta explained her plan for taking down Travis.
* * *
The first thing Strelitza told me to know about Krysta was that she never joked. The second thing she should have told me was that Krysta was a sadist.
I say that because only a sadist could come up with a plan like this. I frankly thought it was a bit unfair, but I couldn’t think of anything better, so I didn’t object either. So, without further discussion, we began Krysta’s plan.
The first phase of the plan was to get Travis to the ground. Apparently Strelitzia had the power to turn into a phoenix at will. I’d seen this before when she arrived at the island. Right now she was the only one with the means to get up into the sky to take Travis down.
Before our eyes she was bathed in a brilliant scarlet light and transformed into a phoenix. She took to the sky to take on Travis.
The second phase was all on me. Strelitzia would be unconscious after exiting her phoenix form. It would be my responsibility to bring him down after Strelitzia got him out of the sky.
Ana just seemed confused. “So… Why am I here?” She asked Krysta.
Krysta whispered something in Ana’s ear that I couldn’t quite hear. Whatever it was, Ana’s eyes widened after hearing it. “Really?” She said, pulling away from Krysta.
Krysta nodded. “Do that for me. Okay?”
“Got it,” Ana replied, and she took off down the opposite street.
“What did you tell her to-”
Krysta interrupted me. “That’s not important right now.” She looked to the sky. Strelitzia was weaving around Travis, launching balls of fire from her mouth (or beak). Every one that hit him brought him down a bit more. But other than that, he didn’t seem to be sustaining any sort of damage.
“Travis is in a state called a Trance,” Krysta told me. “Essentially what that means is that the full wrath of Terra is currently flowing through him. He likely has little control of himself. You’ve been near this state before, when you were facing that group of Umbrans.” So that’s what that was. I remember the cold words that came out of my mouth as I took their lives. Things I would never say to anyone.
“Do you know what triggered it?” I asked her.
“My guess is that something angered Travis,” Krysta explained. “His Essence is that of the Warrior. His power reacts to emotions of rage, a brutal and untamed emotion.”
“What could’ve made him this angr-”
Krysta interrupted me again. “Also unimportant,” She answered before I even asked my question. “What is important is what’s going to happen next.” I blinked and when my eyes opened again, Krysta was gone. I looked directly into the sky. Travis was considerably lower in the sky than when I last looked. However, Travis shot a bolt of energy at Strelitzia, which slammed directly into her chest.
I gazed with my mouth agape as Strelitzia fell to the ground before me. Her phoe
nix form subsided, and she was rendered unconscious. Travis summoned a bronze greataxe and charged towards Strelitzia, ready to decapitate her.
I can’t quite describe the feeling that I had at that exact moment. Every hair on my body stood on end at the same time. I could feel the cold of my own aura, the air around me turning into hail. I moved so fast that it almost felt like I’d teleported. Before I realized I’d even moved, I was standing in front of Strelitzia, holding a shining azure shield.
Now, before I tell you what happened next, I must inform you that even without the power of Terra on his side, Travis could knock a full-grown bison back 7 feet by ramming his body into it full force. But I couldn’t even feel the impact of his axe hitting my shield. Instead, he was the one who ended up getting knocked back by his own attack.
My mouth was forced open and it wasn’t my words that came out. I had a feeling they were Glacia’s. “Terra… Can you please calm down? You know who always wins in our fights.” Glacia brandished her… our… shield effortlessly. “Unless you want a firsthand demonstration how I can still do that, I would recommend that you stop.” For a second, I swear I could feel the air around me beginning to freeze.
Travis lowered his axe, sighing. “Hmph. I knew that would draw you out…” His voice sounded unusually harsh. I took it that this was Terra talking through Travis. “Now how about I annihilate you now?”
I felt an odd sensation throughout my body. It was like I was feeling what Glacia was feeling. Are you… scared? I asked her. She just shook her head and smiled.
“The War of the Heavens is over, Terra.” Glacia said, her icy calm intact. “We’re on the same side now.”
War of the Heavens? I asked. She shook her head again.
Later, Xander. Glacia assured me. In case you couldn’t tell, I’m a bit preoccupied right now.
“Ah, the War of the Heavens… I’d almost forgotten,” Terra looked of wistfully into the sky. “However, that isn’t the reason I wish to do battle with you.”
“What?” Glacia tensed up.
“You say you could wipe me out of existence, Glacia,” Terra answered. “But that is simply a bluff, isn’t it? You and I both know you’re nowhere near as strong as you used to be.”
I could feel Glacia beginning to shudder. “You couldn’t possibly know about…” Something about what Terra was saying seemed to make put Glacia on edge. But I had no idea what.
“Don’t worry Glacia,” Terra said. “I’m not here to spread gossip, I’m just here to off the boy.”
“Terra, he’s just a child-”
“Yes. A weak child who has no idea how to use the power he possesses.” Terra seemed like she was glaring into my soul. “Be realistic. A child like this can’t win the war, Glacia. He’s weak. Incompetent. Slow. Not to mention-”
“Shut up.” These words weren’t Glacia’s. They were my own. I’d spoken without thinking, my fists clenched in rage. “I know. I’m weak. And all those other things you said are probably right on the money too.”
Terra laughed. “See Glacia? Even the boy agrees with-”
“But I won’t let that stop me,” I interrupted her yet again. “Everyone will know my name. I will be this nation’s symbol of peace. Someone who can protect anybody.”
Terra paused, taken aback by my words. However, it didn’t take long for her to go right back to laughing at me. “HAH! For an ice mage, you sure have fire, boy!” The way she laughed at me… it just made my blood boil. “But words are just that: words. If you truly mean what you say, then taking me out should be a piece of cake. Right?
I could hear Glacia’s voice in my head telling me not to fight. I didn’t listen. The only thing in my head was a cool determination telling me to prove Terra wrong. I looked at the shield in my hand and the Earth goddess standing before me in the body of my best friend… Looking down on me as though I was nothing… My choice was obvious.
“No, Terra. I will not do battle with you,” I submitted, dropping my shield. “Just free my friend. You can take my life if need be. You’re right. I’m worthless anyway.”
Terra blinked, clearly shocked by my unwillingness to fight. “Wh-What?” She slumped her shoulders. “You’re… Kidding, right?”
I remained silent.
“You… You piss me off, Glacia…” Terra’s fists clenched. I could feel the ground suddenly starting to rumble. “Your judgement is honestly terrible…” She raised her axe and was fully ready to strike me.
Then, without warning, she sighed and dropped her axe. The earth’s rumbling subsided. “Ugh… Fine, Xander. You win. You can have your friend back and I won’t kill you either.”
I was stunned. “R-Really?”
“Yeah… You’re pathetic. I wouldn’t even feel right if I killed you now. She looked me right in the eyes. “Heh… It’s funny. Glacia used to give me the exact same look.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank the gods…” (Yes, I do realize that one of said gods was just about to kill me, but that was irrelevant.)
I winced; my relief abruptly switched with a pain in my temple. I must’ve overused my power summoning that shield. I fell to the ground, immediately exhausted. I felt my eyes beginning to close. Before they did completely, I could see that the same thing was happening to Travis as well. I smiled weakly. I had my friend back.
Suddenly, I felt a pure wave of calming energy rushing through every inch of my body. I rose to my feet, completely revitalized. When I turned around, there was a girl standing behind me with unmistakably brilliant blonde hair and golden eyes. “A-Ana?”
She shook her head. “Dia.” I was surprised by how identical she was to Ana. The only difference between the two was their voices, Dia’s being slightly deeper and more sophisticated, and their clothes, Dia wearing a white habit. “Pleasure to meet you.” She winced when she made eye contact with me, clearly taking note of my gray pupils. Unlike her sister, she at least had the decency to conceal her uneasiness, moving along to heal Strelitzia, who was still laying right next to me.
I turned around to look at Travis. Ana was doing the same thing to him as Dia did to me. He was up and running in no time as well.
“Good to see everything went as planned.” I jumped and turned to my right to see Krysta standing next to me again.
“Mind showing up like a normal person next time?” I sighed.
“I find this is far more efficient,” Krysta answered. “I’m frankly just glad that everything worked itself out. There were far too many variables in that plan. It was making me a bit nervous.”
It was the moment she said that when I realized something. She was the one who separated me and Travis. It’ll work out better this way… Trust me. Those were her exact words. From anyone else, that statement would be normal enough. But from someone who had the power to see into the future? Part of me refused to overlook that as a coincidence. “Did you-” I started.
“Plan every single moment since you got to Lumos? Yes,” Krysta interrupted. “Even Travis’s Trance was part of my plan.”
Wait… Now that I thought about it… What caused Travis’s Trance? Travis was never the type to fly into that much of a rage. I walked over to Travis. “Travis… What happened to you?”
Travis clenched his fists in a way eerily reminiscent of Glacia’s. “I saw… One of those Umbran idiots.” He told me.
Strelitzia overheard. “An Umbran? In the city of light?”
“Yeah I saw one of them too. He tried to take Ana thinking she was Dia.” I informed her.
Travis continued. “I was so pissed… To see one of them here.”
“I get the picture…” I said. Travis hadn’t been showing it, but losing his entire home had to be hurting him.
“I’m so sorry…” Travis lamented.
Krysta approached Travis from behind me. “It was inevitable for us to have an eventual quarrel with Terra,” Krysta told him. “I just decided that it would be the wisest to get that problem out of the way immediately.”
“I see…” I didn’t need to be told what Krysta’s essence was. The way she made all of these decisions so quickly without us even noticing… It had to be wisdom. I’d heard stories of the god of time being cunning, always being one step ahead of the other gods. Krysta was the walking, talking embodiment of that.
Dia and Ana both cleared their throats. We all turned to look at the two of them. “Excuse me…” Dia started.
“What, pray tell, are you talking about?” Ana finished.
“Ah!” Strelitzia exclaimed. “I suppose still haven’t told you why we came seeking you, have we?”
Strelitzia then proceeded to explain everything to the two of them.
“So long story short…” Dia said. “You need me because of one of these ‘disciples’ prophesied to bring about the end of the Umbran Empire?”
Ana looked at us suspiciously. “And we’re supposed to believe you? Even though you came with this Glacian scum?” She glanced at me as she said that last part.
“I’ll have you know that this ‘Glacian scum’ saved your life,” Krysta told her. “Unless you’re just conveniently skipping over that part.” Ah. So, she must’ve planned that part as well. If I had gone with Travis, I wouldn’t have been there to save Ana, and she wouldn’t have that leverage.
“That’s… True… I suppose.” Ana replied hesitantly. “But… You can’t just…”
Dia gently put her hand on her sister’s shoulder. “I understand that the fate of the world lies in my hands.” Dia told us. “I know what must be done.”
“Dia please!” Ana pleaded. “Don’t leave me alone again…”
Dia put her finger to her lips, shushing Ana. She gave her sister a smile. “I will come with you,” Dia told us. “But I must insist that my sister comes as well. I will not leave her alone.”
Strelitza glanced at Ana and then at Krysta. Krysta nodded. “I know that you won’t back down if we don’t let your sister join us so very well.”
Ana grinned. “Dia…” She hugged her sister tightly.
“So, when do we leave?” Dia asked. “Tomorrow?”
