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Eventually, we reached a large spherical room with a large double-door on the other side with two touches burning on either side of it. I was going to ask how in the hells they could still be burning while there was no sign of civilization near the Kozxv lu Gsv Hovvkrmt Tlw but I decided against it. I pulled the Key of Seventh Heaven over my head, but the key didn’t fit the small lock in the crystalline doors.
Nea came forward, with a key of her own which unlocked the door.
“It’s been handed down through my family for generations.” She explained as I pushed open one of the large doors. The halls up until then had been about twenty feet high and ten feet wide, but the following straight hall was only seven feet high, if that, and three feet across.
I started forward, but stopped when I realized Nea wasn’t following.
“Aren’t you coming?” I asked.
She shook her head saying, “No. You must go on alone, Akhy.”
“I’m guessing Alunia’s chamber is straight ahead?”
“Yes.” Nea replied.
As I continued alone, I noticed something else different about this hall. It was the walls and ceiling, they didn’t reflect all different colors like the other walls had. Instead, they sparkles silver at all times. The floors stayed the same though, hard, flat and black stone. I reached another door, this one single with no keyhole. I pushed against it, but it didn’t give. I scowled and scanned my memory if anybody had said something about a door that didn’t open at the end. It was made of the same black stone as the floor, so there was no hope of cutting through it…or at least with a normal sword. I drew Skyevi’s Sword, and held the tip to the door as I rammed forward, flopping right though the door like it was nothing but air.
I landed with a thud into the next room, cursing as I bit my tongue and tasted blood in my mouth. I stood up, getting my first look around this small room. It was spherical, and made of the same silvery crystal as the walls in the hall prior. The main difference is that when I looked down, I saw water. It was solid, even though when I walked ripples appeared under my feet.
I could see easily because of the six lights under the water. They were large crystals that produced light, that is. I looked ahead of me, to see the grave of Alunia. That is, if you could call it a grave.
What I saw was a young woman imprisoned in transparent crystal. She looked peaceful, with her eyes closed in an eternal sleep. I looked up, noticing that the ceiling was at least fifty feet above me. The crystal pillar she was inside lead up to the ceiling, even though she only hovered a few feet above the floor. Her skin was as white as Akiko’s had been first I’d seen her since my five year nap and her silvery hair tumbled around her shoulders. She wore red armor similar to that of the valkyrie in Valkyrie’s logo. She also wore a long white skirt that stopped above her knee-high boots. My eyes steeled on what I wanted, and it was the hilt of the sword protruding from the scabbard at her side.
I hesitated before touching the crystal, remembering what had happened when Skyevi had found Reluzera deep under Neivila. After all, I had a Skyevi’s Sword, Skyevi’s Pendant, the Blood Crystal, Infinity Tear, Key of Seventh Heaven, and Tear of Two Souls with me. I’d imagine that kind of divine power would rival the power it took to break an ancient divine seal. I didn’t want to rely on the fact Alunia had been sealed of her own will and Reluzera had been forced into his slumber.
The crystal was icy cold but I didn’t get much time to dwell on it, for I was sucked into and dreamland. Or at least, it played out as the dreams I eavesdropped on.
I saw Alunia, looking very alive with her sword drawn with who I suspected to be Myoninla at her side. Myoninla was dressed similarly to Alunia, only her armor was blue and she had a bow and arrows rather than a sword. I recognized where they were as the grassy field inside Neivila, the one you saw upon entering.
“Submit to imprisonment or death!” Alunia called, jumping forward. Reluzera blocked her easily with the long blade of a lance. He didn’t wear the impressive attire like Alunia and Myoninla did, for he wore black pants, boots, and long-sleeved shirt. He didn’t look all that different from the way he did presently, only a little less greasy, dead-looking, and younger.
Is that possible though? I wondered, if Alunia and Myoninla were sealed shortly after he was, how could he of aged when they didn’t? I don’t think he aged at all between now and when he broke through the seal with Skyevi’s help…or did he?
“Don’t you see, Alunia?” He said urgently, presentably blocking her attacks, “We can be more than Gaia’s toy soldiers with Ariest’s help!”
“If you were truly a minion of Gaia, you’d respect her and accept her commands.” Alunia retorted, “Rather than trying to create armies of other minions with your power to overthrow her.”
“You can’t truthfully say you didn’t once wonder what it would be like without Gaia’s control over you. You have no real free will, do anything she doesn’t want you to and she’ll crush you like an ant.”
“She is a true god! She understands the things we don’t, and stops us from doing things that could cause unrest in this world.”
“See? Isn’t that proof?” Reluzera demanded shortly, “If no ‘unrest’ is caused how would anything ever change? Not even a god can handle absolute power, there is no way for it not to be corrupted!”
“Maybe it will be corrupted by a human, or even one of us,” Alunia grunted while blocking his attacks, “But gods can handle it! And Gaia has one to answer to just as we answer to her.”
Reluzera’s eyes lit as he said, “So you admit it! You admit Gaia and Ariest are not almighty, and even they have to answer to Armayon!”
“And so do you!” Alunia said, making an extravagant sweeping attack to make him turn around. He blocked it easily, but fell for her trick as he was shot through the heart, the tip of Myoninla’s arrow protruding from his chest.
Myoninla’s hands shook as her bow fell to her side.
“That will only subdue him.” Alunia said softly. “We need to get him to the sealing site under Mt. Neivila.”
She looked up to Myoninla when she didn’t reply, seeing her friend’s tears. She walked over embracing Myoninla in a sisterly hug saying, “You did what you had to. Nobody blames you.”
“He does…” She managed, dropping her bow and clinging to her friend.
I was pulled away from the memory and into a dark abyss, similar to the ones I spoke to Skyevi in.
“Even though my loyalty to Gaia has weakened,” A familiar voice echoed, “I still wonder why Gaia did intervene when Myoninla and Reluzera had a child together.”
I turned around, to see Alunia more as she looked now, with pale skin and forlorn eyes.
“After a few thousand years alone, although I hate to admit it, Reluzera was right about Gaia’s control over us. Even though she still had to answer to Armayon, her control over us was more absolute than I first realized. I suppose I didn’t really see until Skyevi revived Reluzera. Skyevi is much like Reluzera, I think that is why they were drawn to each other. Skyevi was a minion of Ariest, but sealed due to her deep connection to Armayon. Ariest feared since Skyevi was closer to Armayon than herself that she’d be able to surpass Ariest in power if she were not sealed. As it turned out, Skyevi’s deep connection to Armayon has caused much ‘unrest’.”
“Alunia, what about Akiko and me? Are we really minions of Ariest like you and Myoninla are to Gaia?”
“In a way, yes.” She replied, “But not completely. Ariest didn’t want her minions to be like Gaia’s, so she had them incarnated through Armayon rather than her own body. She didn’t make the mistake she did with Skyevi, for she made sure she had control of you two but when she entered her sleep Skyevi broke free, and after time she was able to awaken Akiko through the power of Armayon. She could not release you at the same time though, and it took her an additional eight years to release you completely, for in her attempt that failed you were fragmented.”
“Define ‘fragmented’.” I said warily.
“You were not born with your soul. Ariest still sealed the souls of her two servants with the key to her resurrection, End of Time. Skyevi pulled Akiko from End of Time in Dalmara, but you were not complete. That is why you were so drawn to Skyevi when you were young, because she was pulling you in in a hope to release your soul from End of Time. She did this because End of Time would perish without the souls of her two loyal servants acting as the key to revive her consciousness.”
“Then…” I paused.
“Yes.” Alunia said firmly. “If you invoked End of Time you would regain your soul, giving you abilities rivaling Skyevi’s. But there is another risk in this, because Ariest may try starting the harmonization with you instead of Skyevi. It’s unlikely, but you have to be ready to fight for your persona.”
“Tell me something else, why wouldn’t Skyevi know to avoid Reluzera if she had so much power and a link to Armayon, if it is truly this almighty power?”
“Skyevi was sealed before her consciousness could take any shape. It was only a small will with great potential that created the goddess we know today as Skyevi. When she finally did break free though, she had to memory or understanding of the divine beings and Armayon. She did not know who and what Reluzera was, only could sense he was much like her in the way they both wanted to be free of divine control. It was only after Reluzera told her of Armayon and the others gods that she decided to stop the risk of Ariest’s awakening, and she realized her worse error may have been awakening him.”
“Reluzera himself suffered side-effects from his sealing and murder by my hands.” Alunia continued, “At first, Skyevi and him clashed because he was still exenterated from our battle, even though thousands of years had passed. But when the unhealed wound made him fall unconscious, and he truly ‘rested’ he lost memory of who and what he was for over one year. I’m not sure what triggered his memory, although I believe it was when Skyevi learned of the ‘sealed god’ when traveling to Dalmara and when she told him of it, or when he entered the shrine of End of Time.”
“Wait a second,” I cut in, “Are you saying he wasn’t just stringing her along?”
“Correct.” Alunia replied, “While Myoninla and even Akiko are only ‘toy soldiers’ to him, I believe before he regained his memory he did love her. The Reluzera Skyevi met is hardly the same man we have both fought.”
“I don’t know, he sure does seem to have a way with making women fall in love with him just so he can use them as tools.”
Alunia smiled softly saying, “Well, Myoninla and Akiko for sure. Do you have any other questions for me?”
“Actually, yes. Does this mean you’re going to awaken?”
She shook her head saying, “No. Although if I wanted to, I could awaken because you have disturbed my slumber, I have chosen to stay asleep a little longer. Although, the next time you come seeking my guidance I have every intention of awakening.”
I nodded saying, “Fair deal. Thank you for telling me where my soul is, but I still need your sword to kill Trenxi.”
“Ahhhh, yes, that.” She said, smiling a little looking embarrassed for evidently she’d forgotten. “Just grab the hilt of my sword and you’ll leave this dream world with it.”
I walked forward, but she stopped me before saying, “Oh, and one more thing. The Key of Seventh Heaven is not the key to releasing End of Time. The reason Trenxi wanted the Tear of Two Souls so badly is because that is the true key. It was not created from any god either, rather, it was created by you, Akhy. The first time you called upon the power of Armayon to protect your sister.”
“What?” I asked sharply. “Then where does it get it’s abilities?”
“The Tear of Two Souls is like the Blood Crystal in the sense humans can use it. However, the price of using it is high. Before falling back into your possession siblings could use it to save the life of a fallen sibling. It was created by your desire to protect Akiko, and Niketa was able to use it to save Lena as Katsu used it to save Kazuki. Since Ariest created Akiko and you to have a bond closest to that of ‘sisters’ unlike what Gaia did, that bond lasted even when you two were reincarnated, and even as a soulless incarnation Skyevi and you were able to create an access to your soul with that bond.”
She could tell by the look in my eyes that I had more questions, and she grabbed my hand quickly and closed it around the hilt of her sword as she said, “But that is all I can say.”
I was pulled out of the dreamland abyss before I could react or object, and when I came back to reality I pulled back, blinking as I looked at the double-edged blade in my hand. I blinked as the scabbard clattered to the floor before me. I picked it up, still a little dazed and added it to my sword belt on the same side as Skyevi’s Sword. Before heading back to the others, I cast one more look at Alunia still sleeping in her prison.
That night I sat on my bled cleaning and sharpening my swords, an activity that had become a real chore with the three of them, thinking of the inevitable battle I had coming tomorrow. We knew where the Blood of Fayt was in Niveldon, but we’d still have to take it my force. They’d probably be ready for us, too. I hadn’t checked my pistols for ammo or malfunctions when I started getting tired. I set an alarm an my phone to wake me up in an hour, and stretched out on my bed to take a nap. We were leaving for Niveldon early, so it was probably a good idea.
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