Raya Marin
The Blacklight River, as its name suggests, the long river is entirely in the presence of darkness. And with the heavy rain on top, the river looked like a bottomless pit, a bottomless verdict. And across the river is a sea of fog.
The rain did not soothe in any way, in fact it rained even harder. The small water drops falling on us were beginning to get irritating. Klein sat across the river, staring at it with an unreadable expression. His hair was all wet, his clothes were damaged to the point I could see his skin in various parts. I, on the other hand, was watching the dark, cloudy sky. My expression... I did not know what was on my face. All I could think was to be quick. Grey`s time may run out and all I am doing is looking at the sky.
Virginia sighed deeply as she stood next to me looking at Klein, left hand holding the morning star loosely.
"Were you and Fates Masterpiece close?" she asked in an aloof voice.
I ignored her. The woman placed a hand on her face, probably annoyed by my attitude. My eyes slowly left the sky and pierced the river. My hands clenched into a fist, my knuckles turning white. Brows furrow, eyes narrow I let out a hard snarl. Virginia stared at me in disbelief.
"Come on Raya. Don`t act like a little kid throwing a tantrum."
My teeth gritted against one another.
"And what should I do?" I kicked a pebble out of my way.
The small rock got lost in the embrace of the long weed of the Golden Lowlands close to the edge of the Blacklight River.
Klein`s gaze watched the small puddles the rain made on the dark river. He raised his hand for a moment, towards the river, but near the next second the hand faltered back.
I shoved my hands deep into the ruined pockets of my academy uniform, my gaze standing unchanged. Virginia glanced at my hands for a mere moment of acceptance, then she dropped the morning star off her hand. The spiky weapon made a hard sound as it fell on the wet golden grass beneath. Virginia`s broad shoulders stiffened and then hunched. The wind coming from the river made our hairs swirl in the virtue of the Battle Island. Virginia`s entire body turned towards me, his eyes gave a determined gaze.
"I know you are at unease of Fates Masterpiece`s fettle, but—"
"His name is Grey," I corrected her in the haze of a whisper.
Virginia nodded defeatedly.
"Right, 'Grey'," She muttered, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I weep for you, really," She stopped herself just for a sole instance before continuing. "How long will you keep this act of indifference? Soon all will already fall into oblivion, the mark of the aether may do it, or maybe you yourself may do it." Her hand left my shoulder as it went firm. "There are no good or bad people, only people. If the Dream King sees and recalls his demand then Grey has the chance to live with all his limbs attached. Just be hopeful."
"There is no reliability, there are no chances." I teared my eyes off the river, finally looking at her. "And there is no hope." I said, devoid of having any interest to continue our unnecessarily lamentable conversation.
Aside from us, Klein was throwing little pieces of gravel across the river, most of them bouncing on the water for a couple of times before falling into utter darkness lurking down there. Virginia and I both peered at Klein.
"He looks worse." she pointed out.
My face curled into a smile shorn of any emotion behind it.
"He has a tendency to help all those around him." I said in a rather respectful tone, not the same I spoke with Virginia before.
Virginia peeked at Klein with more avocation than necessary, a genuine smile flashed on her.
"'Hero of Dawn'." she murmured to herself.
Virginia flexed her finger as she then raised them, leveled towards the many aetheric motes around us.
"What shade do you see them?"
I bit the inside of my cheek before answering.
"Blue," I replied calmly.
Virginia grinned.
"Powder blue," she cackled.
Her head moved unnaturally slow whilst turning to look at the sky blue particles surrounding us.
"What do you think your Awakened Weapon will be?"
I did not ponder about the question. I did for a time earlier in the past, but now... I did not care.
"Whatever weapon it shall be, doesn't matter. I`ll master it nonetheless."
Virginia`s face fell at my response.
"Such arrogance, child."
My eyes stared down, looking at the golden grass under my feet. My feet fidgeting, moving wonderlessly through the sward.
"He is my lover." I said in a very low tone that it could`ve been mistaken as a whisper.
Virginia arched a brow, not understanding what I meant at first. But, she then traced my eyes down to the aureate grass.
"Well, that was a little unexpected." she said through thick surprise. "He`s a lucky one." She added lastly in a gentle tune of a whisper.
I pulled my hands out of the pockets I hid behind for so long. My eyes went up to the Rune of Freedom. I stared at the Concept Rune for a sole, lone minute before squeezing my hand into a firm fist.
"'Liberator'." I rolled the name around my tongue. "They believe I am one just because of a mere rune I wield." I released my fist, staring at the rune once more. "Why wouldst they follow someone so bereft of real grace around the world?" My eyes clenched shut.
Virginia chuckled briefly before stopping herself. I opened my eyes to glance at her sudden chortle. Virginia`s face was soft yet I could feel the weight of her meaning behind her ice blue eyes.
"All they did was chant a name." She picked up the morning star from the grass and held it slouchy in her left hand. "No Awakened needs a true Liberator. Or else what's the point of being an Awakened in the first place? They don`t want a saviour, they need a leader."
I gazed at Klein.
"Can someone like me even be a leader?"
Virginia shook her head without any hesitation.
"Oh, Raya, you have nearly no capability in being a leader."
My eyes narrowed.
"But there is no need to be in such an aspiration." She glanced at me, demanding that I give my right hand. I did as she wanted. Virginia held my hand, or more specially the Rune of Freedom. "This means nothing. Your desires and dreams mean nothing; if you want to be a leader you have to accept that." Her gaze sharpened. "But when I look at you, I don`t see a leader, all I see is a child needing a rope of hope. Don`t be a leader but an anchor. But not just any anchor. Be an anchor that requires everyone to rely on to mean something, to be something." She moved my fingers inwards gently, hiding the rune. "Wear the crown, hide the girl. Go silent, be greater." A knowing smile spread across her face. "You can`t gain a freedom that is already there." She pointed to my heart with her index finger. "Don`t concern others with yourself, but always do remember this: Even if you are uttermost detached, always follow the world. You can`t know what it`ll offer you in nigh future."
I pulled back my hand, my eyes down, a grimace on my face.
"Leaders are inglorious." I muttered.
Virginia inhaled all the fresh air around us. She cracked her neck and smiled relieved.
"Do you want me to tell you a tale?" she asked in a playful voice, her brows rose in anticipation.
"Is it necessary?"
Virginia nodded her head eagerly.
"Absolutely."
I let out a dull sigh. Virginia walked over the fire we had cauterized and next to it, she grabbed her bag full of equipment. She pulled out a small, brown blanket. I dragged myself next to her. Virginia smiled gently as she placed the blanket around my shoulders.
"What are yo—" Before I could finish my sentence the Awakened ruffled my hair. strewing my already untidy hair.
"There, there. You remind me of Pixie, my cousin."
I growled in exhaustion. Virginia grabbed a bottle of water from the bag and drank it in a single breath.
"Oh, needed that."
I waited for her to finish whatever she was doing.
"Aren`t you too comfortable?" I asked tightly.
"What, bored already?"
I looked away, biting my tongue in order to not start a verbal sparring. I crossed my arms as my foot played with the grass under it.
"Look, Raya, don`t be so impatient." Virginia snarled, finally sounding ready. "The First Dream King, Metrophanes Legia, in 1323 AS, waged a great battle with my ancestors in the most wile wyldings of the Dark Vale." Her eyes stared over me, towards the Blacklight River and what it embodied. "He defeated them, felling the Hiems in a single, mere night. And that night was to be named: 'Night of the Six Stars. But the vicious Awakened did not stop there. After the conquering of the Dark Vale and the Glassoath City, Metrophanes marched to the doomed citadel, the Twin Suns City to claim the throne of the realm. The battle lasted for nearly two days. And in a showdown between Metrophanes and Romulus, former Emperor of the Realm, arched across the entire planet. Following the demise of Romulus and the Great House Lyncesta, Metrophanes declared himself the Monarch of the Realm, the Dream King. He effectively established the reign of Storm City as the citadel, ascended into Conversion and became the first ever Awakened in the Dream Realm to do so." She stopped herself just until a wind brushed our skin. Then she continued in a much more murk voice: "But the Dream King did not triumph just by the army he held. His great intellect and perfect Will was at a pedestrian none can reach. People loved him, men died for him, women cried for him, kids praised him. Even the most tenacious of the Awakened Beasts lowered themselves before his holy presence. 'The Conqueror', 'The Monarch', 'The Dream King'... He held so many epithets just at the age of twenty three. " I shifted uncomfortably in the wording she used. "But this is only the beginning of Metrophanes`s dynasty. The Lord of All Dreams was not satisfied, he conquered all the cities of the old era and the new. He tamed even the most vile of the beasts. Even aether nudged a veneration for the young monarch. The tyranny of the Conqueror`s flames did not stop spreading, eventually he ruled over the west, south and east. Only the north remained untouched. The final city to resist his ascension, the Eternal City of the Crimson North, but—Great House Pagina stood no chance, Metrophanes slayed half of the city, The Lord of the Paginas had to bend a knee and kiss the hand of the Young Monarch in audience of the view of the entire world."
Full stop. Virginia let out a long breath of relaxation. She just summarized the entire conquest of a man I never even heard of before. The history of her realm was fascinating. The Green Realm never really had any kind of a real war happen in its distinct past. And then, there was only a single question left to ponder.
"Why did you tell me all this, why?" I asked, baffled and amazed.
Virginia gave me a tiny, happy smile.
"Of course, to educate you." she said simply. "Yet, I also wanted you to gather further insight into my realm and its history." Her hand lingered in the air. "Perhaps I wanted to tell you this for it to be a warning, a limit to you. Maybe I wanted you to see the difference between a Tyrant and a Liberator. If you choose to be one anyway."
My mouth itches.
"Why? Do you believe I`ll become either?"
Virginia`s smile widened.
"You will. You must." she replied in an indifferent moan. "I could only see you becoming one of them. Lean on the more free side will you?" She chuckled energetically. "I believe and hope in your dream of liberty."
I crushed my fingers into my palms until blood came dripping from my nails.
"I... A dream? To liberate my realm? I never asked for that? I can`t just replace the rule of the Five!" I barked.
Virginia`s smile fell, all the joy on her face drained in a spew of her eyes.
"What?" she uttered in a long gasp. "Why? What kind of a liberator doesn`t believe in themselves? What about all the speeches you made about freedom? I-I don't understand."
Virginia relaxed a sudden, taking two steps back, then raised her hands apologetically.
"Forgive me, Raya, I shouldn't..." Her words trailed off when she saw my face.
An expression full of dread.
"The Endless Greatness of the Five will just eliminate all the threats that there is, that could be or will be." I gripped my chest. "There was a girl in Lineage City, she spoke and then she was gone. That girl was just a normal kid like me." My voice broke. She jumped off a bridge, lost in the Devisee Sea. They say that she was forced to jump. Or that, she was ruined to jump. My older brother always believed that they broke minds. That would be erased from our minds. The Five never even acknowledged it."
"You are scared." Virginia uttered in wide eyes.
"Of course I am!" I snapped. "They sieve all that could be a danger to their reign! I don`t want to die. What purpose would freedom serve if I die!?" I let go of my chest and my hands went stiff by my sides. "My dreams are just the hopes of a small girl. Nothing more, nothing less."
Virginia`s hand moved slightly.
"Then why are you here? Why do you keep fightşng to get stronger?"
My upper body lowered so much that it could have been recognized as a bow. I had only one, minor answer for Virginia`s question.
"Becasue I want my Grey back." I said, eyes almost tearing.
I raised my body, wiped the tears before they even formed, firmed my voice and let the hard rain drops wash over me.
"I will complete this trial. I will not let Grey suffer." My eyes stared down at the woman. "You were right, I can`t gain a freedom that is already there. My life compared to the worst is still manageable." Virginia frowned and opened her mouth and probably to scold me, but before she could I spoke: "Yet, if I must fight in the further days to come, I will. For my people. After all, I made a promise."
Klein Cylrit
The harsh rain dropping over me and the river soothened my nerves. I stared at the short-lived puddles forming on the surface of the river. I was hugging my knees firmly, my entire body and clothes were drenched wet because of the rain.
"Orginizer did not lie." I murmured to myself. "Grey is okay."
In the back, Raya and that woman... Virginia was having a conversation about ideologies, I imagine. I never understood Raya that much. To tell the truth, did I ever understand any of the people I call "friends"? I can`t even understand my own twin brother. I was so oblivious.
"This is all so stupid!" I hissed.
I breathe in the rueful air, it tasted weird. Maybe all that weirdness came from me being weird. I feel foolish. I feel even more helpless than I was when Grey disappeared. Knowing he is alive is more drear than was believing he was dead. Now I know he`s out there and yet I can`t do anything about it.
The thoughts of my long laments were cut off when I heard Raya`s voice. I did not turn to look, only listened to her with acute ears.
"She hid her emotions well long enough." I thought.
The same goes for Opie too. I am not an idiot to at least see through sadness that is hidden in laughter.
I picked up a small rock right under my legs. I stared at it sullenly then threw it to the river, the little one bounced on the water four times before falling deep into the darkness.
"How vacuous," I whispered. "...How ironic."
This watch of the rocks falling into utter dusk is hilariously entertaining.
"I wonder what is swimming inside the water." I let go of my knees and placed a hand on the soil. "What insight could I even gather from here?"
I let go off the earth after hearing the close steps of a keening girl. Raya stood right next to me, watching the river in silence. Her hands on her teared pockets she simply sighed briefly. I curled my legs up and brought them to my chest, my elbows rested on my knees and my chin on my elbows.
"You sounded awfully indecisive back there." I said without looking at her. "I wonder what kind of a mind you were in the Golden Lowlands."
Raya did not give a damn about me. I could see her face from the mirroring of the water. She had an unreadable expression. The rain had soaked her blue locks and water had glistened under her sky like eyes.
"How is Nico?" she asked all of a sudden.
I almost squicked.
"Why? Have the need to break his heart again?" I said bitterly.
Raya did not react to that. I let out a soft chuckle.
"I am just joking. Nico deserved it."
Raya`s eyes fell down and she looked at her sullen reflection on the surface of the water. Behind us, Virginia walked closer. She came to stand a foot behind Raya.
"Further the mist is the Queen`s Webbing." Virginia said in a low voice. "We`ll cross the river when the rain stalls."
I exhaled and stood up using my knees as support. Arm raised, I stretched them till I heard the satisfying sound of my joints.
"Whats so special about that place?" I asked in cheer.
Virginia`s morning star was hanging loosely in her hand. She responded while staring at the endless mist across the mad river.
"Across the mist is a webbing of Awakened Beast." Virginia said. "Its the last region, all we have to do is cross it without getting ourselves killed."
"Easier said than done." I murmured determinedly.
We looked ready enough. Virginia`s straight hair was tied into a ponytail and the bag was on her back. Raya was still sullen. To be the honest guy, I don`t like seeing my friends dolefully. She slowly pulled her hands from her pockets and flexed them. I narrowed my eyes offishly.
"How`ll we cross the river?" Raya asked.
Virginia gave a very simple reply:
"We wilt swim across it."
I stepped in first. My feet touching the water I examined the temperature of the water.
"It's manageable." I confirmed.
Virginia came next. She stepped in with both feets. Then she motioned Raya to come next. She placed her feet inside the water
"There should be some liquidspats but aside, there is nothing to be frightened of."
Raya frowned slightly, her eyes resisted to look at the cloudy sky.
"They don`t sound monstrous." I said before Raya`s mouth could make any mulishness.
Virginia snorted at my words. She pointed her morning star at the Blacklight River.
"They are not." She grinned knowingly. "Just a couple of big fishes with impenetrable scales and sharp, venomous teeth."
Both Raya and I immediately pulled our legs out of the water in a yelp and stepped back to the golden lands. The water wrinkled as if it was angry. Aether surged towards Virginia as she raised her weapon and that swirled it into the water then out in a single weary second. My eyes stared at the silver scaled imp on the spikes of the morning star. The fish`s empty round eyes were wide open, its mouth hanging violently to bite Virginia`s throat. The thing that really made me terrified was not the sharp teeth or the empty white eyes. It was that the fish had no gills at all. Virginia channeled aether into her weapon and the spikey metal ball reacted in return. The spikes on the morning star grew larger and longer in an instant as it then only could properly penetrate the hungry liquidspat`s shining scales. Crimson blood flowed Virginia stepped away from the water as she then thrusted her morning star at the ground. The fish withered atrociously as Virginia forced her weapon inside the imp`s body. After ten seconds of pure scrape the fish finally lost the one sided battle.
Virginia removed her weapon from the liquidspat`s body and released the aether that was in the morning star. The spikes immediately got smaller and shorter.
"What the fuck is that?!" Raya cursed foully.
She looked at the river where there were small puddles forming, and before we could process, in a sheer bash four more liquidspats jumped from the water towards us. Raya`s eyes widened in awe. Mine`s furrowed. Those things were fast, their mouths were open to savage us. Their silver scales reflected the faint light. I let out a grip of a breath. My body moved on its own as aether flowed through my veins until they found the Rune of Space. My legs shifted in the ground and colors dimmed from the world. My feet were off the ground as I found myself mid air, right next to the four slow creatures hanging on the utter air. My right hand dashed through the bodies of the four liquidspats in a trice. Aether vanished from the rune as I stumbled back almost falling to the water. Fortune was on my side though. Before my body could hit the water Raya gripped me by the collar, her eyes were glowing purple and her body felt almost ethereal. Her right hand was firm in holding me. She gritted her teeth as she pulled me back and I collapsed onto the golden grass, panting. Aether left Raya`s rune and her features turned back normal. It all happened in just a mere second for even thoughts were coming slow to my mind. The corpses of the liquidspats had lost their momentum and fell short next to me.
I lay my back on the wet sward, arms resting open like wings.
"Hell not, I will never do that again."
The Rune of Space`s surge faded as color came back to my vision. The world felt much faster again.
Virginia and Raya stood over me, both young women were out of breath. I smirked at the two. And opened my right which was closed since the deactivation of my rune. Inside my palm were four silver hearts the size of an apricot. Virginia crouched to look at my palm then glanced at the dead liquidspats intensely.
"You used the Rune of Space quite impressively well." she said with what sounded more proud than amazement.
Virginia then turned to look at Raya.
"You were too."
A tiny hint of a smile shaped in Raya`s face. She simply nodded her head in a thank you.
Raya offered me a helping hand. I gladly took it. I stood straight, a grimace on my face. I glared at Virginia unpleasantly.
"Next time be more clear, please."
She rolled her eyes tauntingly.
"Yes, yes, of course."
Raya crossed her arms to her chest.
"Please no second time." She sighed heavily. "Now, how are we supposed to cross the river?"
Virginia`s brows relaxed and her stance calmed.
"We could craft a small boat or just swim much, much carefully."
I shook my head, finally dropping the unbeating hearts.
"We`ll do neither." I pointed at Raya with a tilt of my head. "She`ll just fly us through."
Raya snarled annoyed:
"I can`t even use the rune to get myself flying properly."
I smiled warmly and gave my friend a kind glance.
"You`ll manage it."
Raya`s eyes looked down at her right hand to the Rune of Freedom, after looking just for a sole second her eyes went up to the sky. Virginia approached Raya and placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it softly.
"If you don`t want to that's okay. We will manage one way or another." Virginia adjusted her tone into something a little more stoic. "But if you really want to reach Grey fast, I am sorry dear but our time is running out."
Raya`s eyes met hers and a silent exchange happened between their uneasy gazes. My griefful friend then glanced at me briefly. Raya scowled. Virginia pulled her hand away, she stepped back to give Raya the privilege of the space she needed. Raya`s face shifted into many unsure expressions until one left permanently. A slight worry and a heavy resolute attachment was left on her fine face. Raya accepted.
Raya Marin
Aether welcomed me into its embrace as I empowered my rune with aetheric particles. I felt free of the burden that gnaws at my heart. I did not float the moment I activated the rune, my thoughts though, they became much heavier within myself. This never happened before. I almost faltered because of the rush of thought coming at me like a tide. But they were stopped short when I managed to ease the mind of one person... or two perhaps. I clenched my teeth as I floated off the Grey-like grass.
I balanced myself in midair. The feeling of the wind sliding through me like a beacon of light had gave me a smile once more. Flying freely was probably—not properly, it is the best and the most cardinal of all. Klein`s eyes knit into a crust of happiness.
"Wait, up!" he said. Klein jumped a little to grab my leg.
I scowled at him.
"Couldn`t you just use your own rune?" I asked. The tip of my feet on Klein`s warm face. "We`d be in a much... comfortable position."
Klein with his free hand swayed my feet away.
"Nah, my rune control is worse than yours. I could just end up in the farthest depths of the river."
I gave him a sneer and chuckled auspiciously.
"Of course, like I got any proper training." I taunt.
Virginia huffed and flicked Klein`s forehead tenderly.
"Can we please stop how bad you art in aether and start flying."
Klein yelped and turned his head while Virginia held my arm tightly. I almost fell straight to the grass. I never accounted for the fact that I would be carrying two equally weighing persons as me.
"Don`t fall now will you." Klein mocked.
I shot him a warning look as I then gestured with my eyes for him to cling onto my arm stead of leg just like Virginia. Klein snorted but despite himself he gladly clinched to my arm. Klein on my right, Virginia on my left I tried to ascend up further. I gritted my teeth and a curse escaped from my tongue.
"This will not work." I muttered.
Klein whispered something to himself and Virginia just let a drained breath skip her mouth.
I released the aether on the rune as the three of us fell to the grass. I scoffed. Turning to my belly, I slammed my fist into the grass.
"Damn it!"
Klein and Virginia stood dull in a dire need of rest.
"Can`t you just carry one at a time?" Virginia asked, looking at the Blacklight River.
I shook my head in a dense jest.
"N-no. I can`t even move."
"We could seek help." Klein suggested. The boy was looking around the vale. "I am sure at least one Awakened has the necessity of crossing the water." He finally turned to stare at us. "The 'Voice' said there were over two hundred thousand Awakened here."
Virginia did not take her gaze off the river.
"That was before. Now, if I am accurate enough, there are only ten thousand remaining."
Klein narrowed his eyes.
"How could you even possibly know that?" he asked.
"It doesn`t matter if I am wrong or right. But I am most certain that there is no other Awakened aside from us here."
"You can`t know that." I hissed in a low tone.
Klein and Virginia faced to look at me with expected gazes. I got up from the grass and stood firm, my face far away from a smile. I embedded the Rune of Freedom with aether once more. Blue particles danced around me, giving me an audience. I raised my right hand fully and placed my left leg in front of my right feet. Then I began to perform the moves of the enigmatic dance. My eyes were shot close to seek guidance from aether. My movements were balanced and gentle. Even if my eyes were closed, I still could feel the focused stares of my companions. But my own center was slowly detaching from the physical world that had circled me for a lifetime. I gave aether my undivided attention. I felt my will floating around in black. There was nothing until there was something. I saw purple treads that were swirling around the darkness. Soon those same treads knit together to form paths. Paths I could reach and hold in my hands. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands of them. Though, not all of them were at my reach, yet. I embraced the purple paths, and as I did, they showed me places. One of them was a land beyond this sea of fog, the Queen`s Webbing. My legs pour with aether in sync, every dance movement made me closer to the path I needed. And after a dozen or more movements I finally reached it fully and transcended it.
My eyes opened wide and I felt a breeze wash through me as my legs shifted... or more accurately, the ground shifted before me. It all happened in a mere instance. I shaped through the rain and the Blacklight River all together. I felt my body getting aethereal. And with the sound of a rain drop falling down from the sky, I found myself on the other side of the river, beyond the mist.
I smiled potently, for a second I thought that the wide smile would never leave my face. Until I felt a rush of intense energy flowing down my entire body in a thrust. I fell down to my hands and knees. Trying to stand up felt impossible. My vision blurred as motes of blue surrounded my entire extraterrestrial existence. I could feel blood leaking and flowing down from my nose. The joints in my arms and legs were stiff and impossible to look at. Management of my flesh and bone like not even in my brain. I felt like a separate entity from my own presence. I tried to channel aether into the Rune of Freedom but it was in no vain. The Rune of Freedom did react to the aether but it did not tide with it. Wanting to escape from the state I was in, I embedded my rune with more aether, or what was left of the aether inside my anyway. I could feel aether throughout my body, and I also could feel it draining fast. The rune ate it all.
"F-Fuck...!" I cursed.
I tried to close my mouth and even that was now a task of unfeasibility. Blood poured out of my mouth and I puked it all onto the hard mossy rocks. The lichenous rocks drenched crimson in my blood. My throat felt grave. I had no idea what I had even done. I knew the dance had more to it, but yet, what the hell did I do?
I couldn't comprehend how much time had passed since I had crossed the river. I wondered what Klein and Virginia were doing. I raised my head in the force of pressure. Only my eyes could follow what my brain wanted, the muscles were not refusing my command, they just couldn't fulfill it. Yet when my eyes looked up, all they saw was webbing in a place swirled by large trees. There weren't many trees, but their sheer size was taller and bigger than those in the Sargula Forest. The trees had no leaves, only their gray bodies. Actually no, the trees did have leaves, only they were not leaves. All these trees were covered in white webbing strings. It was not long for me to hear the skittering of... spiders? They were coming towards me with their large, furry legs. An irritated gasp escaped my mouth.
"Ha... ha." Laughter spewed from between my teeth. My eyes twitched, my fingers itched. "I will die in the mouths of some colossal spiders? Haha." I would return back to my inception point like this? I shook my head, tears welled behind my almost rolling eyes. "No." I barked. "I will not be felled by some annoying spiders." I stood up, getting support from my knees. My body still hurted but it did not hurt enough. I charged the Rune of Freedom with all the aether that had left in my body. Trying to reach the outer aether around me was not possible anymore. The spiders were swallowing them all with their unnatural, brutal mouths.
"He, he, freaks."
In the swaying presence of destined death I wondered. Would I die on this island five times? Or would I die here only once? Nah, that's not the time for that.
I couldn't comprehend how much time had passed since I had crossed the river. I wondered what Klein and Virginia were doing. I raised my head in the force of pressure. Only my eyes could follow what my brain wanted, the muscles were not refusing my command, they just couldn't fulfill it. Yet when my eyes looked up, all they saw was webbing in a place swirled by large trees. There weren't many trees, but their sheer size was taller and bigger than those in the Sargula Forest. The trees had no leaves, only their gray bodies. Actually no, the trees did have leaves, only they were not leaves. All these trees were covered in white webbing strings. It was not long for me to hear the skittering of... spiders? They were coming towards me with their large, orange and brown furry legs. An irritated gasp escaped my mouth. The spiders were enormous, their mouths were open to bite and their multi eyes scarlet red.
"Ha... ha." Laughter spewed from between my teeth. My eyes twitched, my fingers itched. "I will die in the mouths of some colossal spiders? Ha, ha." I would return back to my inception point like this? I shook my head, tears welled behind my almost rolling eyes. "No." I barked. "I will not be felled by some annoying spiders." I stood up, getting support from my knees. My body still hurted but it did not hurt enough. I charged the Rune of Freedom with all the aether that had left in my body. Trying to reach the outer aether around me was not possible anymore. The spiders were swallowing them all with their unnatural, brutal mouths.
Virginia dropped her weapon and rubbed his palms with a growl.
"This was just a pack of them." she said. "The Queen will know."
Klein stood up groaning.
"What queen? " He looked back at the fog which is now the Golden Lowlands. "I can`t go back to that volcano."
"I can`t afford dying either." I said.
Virginia huffed and removed the broken pad on her shoulder.
"We`ll not die." she ensured. "Just try to not get melted by its acid."
Klein and I both locked in place.
"What acid?" he asked. "That thing can spew acid off its mouth?"
Virginia nodded her head.
"Yeah, I fought a queen in the Pits. They are not dangerous, just unpredictable."
"What the heck is a 'Pit'?" I asked, crossing my arms.
Virginia shrugged.
"Just some fighting places beneath the surface. A job to hunt Awakened Beasts and use their corpses to earn gold."
Klein grinned.
"You guys still use gold as currence? Green Realm stopped using them in 1704 AS." There was a pointless smug in his voice.
Virginia shrugged again, she picked up her morning star and looked at all the trees around us.
"How much do you think there are?" I asked, a hint of unease in my voice.
Virginia swinged her morning star without a care for the world.
"If we count the Awakened who had killed many to complete their trial then I would guess there should be a hundred, maybe a little less."
I stiffened.
"We can`t defeat that many tarantulas." I argued.
Klein nodded his head in agreement.
"Raya is right. I almost got stuck under the ground fighting these beasts." he said.
Virginia clicked her tongue, then she leveled her spikey ball on one of the trees.
"We could just gain the insight and skip it."
I tilted my head.
"If we could do that, then there would be no point of the queen."
Virginia sighed deeply. I could tell she was starting to get tired of us. Can`t blame her.
"Are you two sure you are not related in some way?" she asked with a tight smile on her face.
I looked away.
"We just want to escape, our time is precious." I stared back at her. "I know yours is too. If Grey beats the Dream King, I doubt he`ll spare any who tries to hurt him."
Virginia stepped back instinctively.
"That boy is no killer." she spat.
"He may not, but he`s dreams are. Don`t you think Grey won't get his hands dirty to come back to me?"
Virginia`s eyes darted around until she met my gaze.
"For in the horns of Tarn, deathdamn, you are better than I thought."
I smiled innocently.
"Then what`ll be our infamous plan."
Klein looked at me in awe.
"Maybe first, you could tell us what you did to teleport here."
Virginia answered before I could even linger the question.
"Zero." she said in astonishment. "She learned how to use zero. And onto that, she knows the King`s Dance. How?"
I stuttered the words.
"I learned it when I was a girl." I confessed.
"But who taught you that?" Her eyes furrowed curiously. "The amount of Awakened in the Dream Realm who knows the dance can`t pass the count of the fingers in a hand."
I bit my tongue before answering.
"I thought it to myself." I said, the memories coming back in a tidal storm. "I didn`t think much of it, my brain only processed it as a gentle dance."
Klein laughed in disbelief. Virginia breathed defeated and let her arms fall.
"Are we going to kill the spiders or not?" Klein asked enthusiastically.
I could feel his optimism once again. That brought a smile to my face.
Virginia cracked her back, her lean body relaxing, I could hear the bones scrunching.
"Come on then you ruinbornes, let's kill some giant spiders."