Ascension - (Alarian Warriors)

Aveyon was connected to the fates in a way she couldn’t quite explain. They didn’t need to speak to one other, they all simply knew what had to be done.

Once everyone was no longer lingering on the battlefield the three fates took hold of each other’s hands and stood in a line. Starting from the base of the stairs they slowly began to walk. As they moved their robes expanded, covering the area behind and around them. The cloth rippled in the air before settling on the fallen warriors and demons alike. The outlines of the bodies seemed to melt away under the cloth as they moved, the cloth washing over them in a magical display. Inch by inch the fallen were gathered beneath the waves of their ropes.

Lahk turned her head slightly to address the survivors. “You may follow if you so wish it, we will put them to rest in the rivers of souls.”

Aveyon was the first to move, she stepped forward. Her bleeding had finally stopped, and she was no longer stumbling. “There is one other.” She told them before she moved deeper into the palace. Navigating the ruins was surprisingly easy, though it had been a long time since she had been here it was still her home, she’d grown up here, she knew it. However, it did look a little different now with the chipped walls, the lack of greenery and the missing roof in some places.

She quickly made her way to the throne room, the room where all this had started. Her emotions ran high as she saw her mother’s dried corpse still lying where she remembered. Kirra had followed after her, for which she would be forever grateful. The priestess handed her some cloth, and they delicately wrapped the already mummified remains of her mother, the former Queen.

“Hi, mum.” She could feel the tears welling up. “I have returned, though it appears far later than I had first thought.” She wrapped the stained material around the woman. “I had wished to join you today, to see you again in the next life, but I fear you will be waiting for me a little longer.”

Kirra helped her pick up the wrapped remains, being careful not to have them break apart. They were old and exposed to the elements for so long. She then left Aveyon to carry her mother out, joining the others standing the front of the palace. Aveyon appreciated the care the priestess took with the dead, more so now than ever.

They formed a convoy behind the three fates. It was a fair walk to the river of souls, but it was what she had intended to do alone if needed. After the trek was complete, everyone stopped and gathered at the edge of the once-flowing river that spanned the entirety of Alarious. It lay dried up and void of water save for a single mucky muddy puddle. The river used to be a site to be seen, life flourished around it. Now it lay barren and abandoned.

The three fates continued into the murky depths of the small pool that remained. Walking out onto the water, their robes seeping in and under the surface. They released the bodies they had collected into the waters. As each person’s remains were accepted into the tiny pool that remained of the river a projection of their face was shown on the murky surface. Watching the faces appear was far harder than any of them had thought. Many people began to cry and weep as the smiling faces of friends and family appeared and disappeared forever. The fates returned to Aveyon’s side as the display continued.

“Thank you for this.” Aveyon smiled sadly at them.

“You freed us, it is the least we can do.” Clo returned the saddened smile as she took a seat on protruding rocks that framed the once river.

Sira’s face appeared in the water, her smiling expression caused an unsettling feeling in Aveyon’s stomach. The tingling sensation tickling at her nose returned as she tried not to lose control of her emotions. Her hand still lightly gripped her mother’s corpse as she felt a familiar presence by her side, Kai.

“We have lost a lot, but we have gained much more. We all had no hope before. They gave their lives to give us that which he did not have before.” Kai tried reassuring her.

“I agree, it is only because of the people we have lost, that we have managed to come this far. I would not be here without any of them, or you.” Aveyon responded.

Lahk spoke up. “We may be the three fates, but you my dear, you are all our hopes.”

Aveyon shook her head. “No, we all are, together, we will take back the world from Ashera. We will save it and purify it.”

With that being said, Aveyon had one last task to complete before her new plan could be put into motion. A few people gasped as she stepped into the waters. The fates stopped anyone who tried to reach for her.

“Come now, she is restarting the cycle,” Atro explained.

“The cycle?” An elf asked.

“The cycle of rebirth, the babies will no longer be stillborn,” Lahk added.

Vincent’s eyes widened and she felt a spark of fear from him.

Do not fear, I will not be returning to the waters with my mother on this day. She told him through their bond.

Aveyon smiled at him before turning her attention to the corpse in her hands. She very gently laid her mother into the waters, her body dissolving into nothing as the faint glow of her beautiful face reflected in the mucky water. “Be reborn into a better life, live and flourish well.”

Next, she unhitched and drew her dagger.

Vincent felt his heart stop.

She slid the dagger down her arms allowing her silver blood to spill into the pool.

“NO!” He pushed past the fates and jumped into the water, he cradled her in his arms and clapped his hands over her bleeding forearms.

“This brings back memories.” Aveyon laughed.

“Don’t be an idiot! I won’t let you!” He pleaded.

“You once said you understood, but I am glad that you would try to stop me. It fills me with a warmth I never knew I needed.” She started, leaning into him. She gently pulled his hands away from her wrists. “But Vincent, I am different now, I can truly say that I love you. I would not leave you, not now. Not like that.”

Her blood dropped into the water. “Now watch, it may be my life force, yes, but it is also the source of great power. This realm, I am a part of it, and it me. I will not perish. For the rivers to run once more, the power must be returned to the waters. I am but a medium in this case.”

“You don’t have enough blood to fill the entire river.” His voice was shaky.

“That is why I will change the river to something else.” She informed. It had been her goal from the start. Making it into something small and manageable. Something that could be moved later once Alarious fell.

As the silver blood pooled into the water it formed rings upon rings that rippled on the surface. Small firefly-sized lights started forming on the surface of the water, slowly they grew in size. Once formed they disconnected themselves from the water and floated high into the sky before disappearing completely from sight.

“What in the world...?” Vincent was shocked and yet he was mesmerized.

“Souls, I’m letting them return to the cycle of life, allowing them to be reborn. Ashera corrupted the waters using my father, so they stopped flowing and dried up much like the land. Now they will flow once more.”

The small pool of water slowly transformed. The water itself seemed to be purified by her blood, it changed from a mucky brown to sparkling clear. He felt the ground beneath him shift as she closed her eyes to concentrate on her work. Marbled stones emerged to form a ring around the small pool and its remaining water. From the centre rose a marbled statue of a woman holding a pale of water, she looked to be tipping it into the waters below. Water erupted from the new marbled structure and ran down the front splashing over them.

Aveyon slumped against Vincent as her strength waned, the wounds had closed on their own as the waters worked to circulate themselves to cycle through and release more souls in her stead.

Slowly the area around them began to change as life flowed from the fountain up into the skies. The blinding white stony edge was covered in beautiful greenery, the same as she remembered the lake to be framed with when she lived here. The grass and plants blooming with unexpected life around the newly formed small fountain. It was a little patch of heaven in the decaying realm.

Vincent helped Aveyon from the fountain, but she stopped him and Erosvent while the others made their way ahead of them. They all headed for the palace once more, Atro stayed behind curious as to why they lingered.

“Eros...” Aveyon’s eyes were wide as she looked to the waters, seeing something that no one else could.

Atro smirked, pleased that the person they had chosen could see as they did into the other realms using the waters. But more than that, she could see the souls and their destinations.

“You must leave now. It is Elaina, the child is coming!” She exclaimed.

Erosvent looked at her in disbelief. But his face soon grew serious with understanding. “It’s premature, is this due to the cycle?”

Aveyon nodded grimly. “If the child survives the birth, it will live.” Turning to Atro she continued. “Can you open a fissure to the Sanctuary?” Aveyon asked. Her new powers prevented her from doing so.

“We must be careful, we can only open so many fissures as I am sure you are aware, opening a portal to another realm is very draining on Alarious...”

“Indeed, this we will also be used to get everyone back to the earth realm.” Aveyon concurred.

“A sound plan, I agree. I will open it at the palace for everyone.” Atro was far more accommodating of Aveyon now than she had been in the beginning.

“Take Erosvent and go. I need to speak to Vincent before joining you.”

Erosvent reached forward, embracing her. “This is not goodbye.”

“Far from it uncle, you will be back in the realm once more for what I have planned. But for now, your wife and child need you and your healing abilities.” She lightly patted his back.

He released her and hurried away with Atro in toe. They rushed back to the palace, not taking thier time. They both flashed to a stop before the gathered group and Atro got to work opening a fissure. Many others gathered in confusion. “There is little time to explain, we must get you all out of here and soon. Everyone must leave now. However, Kirra, Erisena, Vincent, Samuel, Zerophenous, Vexous and Damon will remain for now.”

“Not Eros?” Kirra asked confused.

“His child is coming, he needs to leave now, we a restricted with the number of fissures we can open.” The fate explained.

Back near the newly formed fountain. Vincent frowned confused. “Is something the matter?” He asked Aveyon.

Her gaze moved to rest on the fountain again. “I saw a great many things when I restored the cycle.” She looked up at the statue. “This woman was the first Alarian to be created from a human. She was also the first to turn into an aura. That aura in turn one day became mine. And much later it became you.”

Vincent half laughed. “I can’t hide anything from you, can I?”

“Your doubt was... concerning.” She turned to him holding out her hand to him. “I would like you to meet her, speak to her.”

“That’s possible?”

Aveyon nodded urging him to take her hand. His fingers interlaced with hers and she turned to the small pool of water again. Leaning down she touched the surface with her free palm and summoned the soul she was searching for. The soft blue glow of tiny light floated to the surface. “She refuses to pass on without speaking to you.”

It was the oddest sensation to feel the disarray of the souls that resided in the pool. But if she had the ability to help them pass on, to be reborn, then she would do all that she could.

Vincent watched on in wonder as the small floating light burst to life, he had to shield his eyes for a moment. Aveyon made sure to hold his hand firmly, connection to her was vital for this to work. The shimmering translucent outline of a woman stood before him; her appearance mimicked the statues. She had long braided hair, a firm build and a stern look. She was a warrior through and through.

“Hello, Vincent. When we created you, we never had the chance to speak with you. I’m glad we get the chance now.” Her expression saddened.

“We?” He asked.

Aveyon hovered her hand over the surface of the water, with a flick of her wrist the vast space behind the spirit exploded with an abundance of more translucent figures. All the souls that had resided within her aura were here, waiting.

Vincent reflexively took a step back stunned. Muttering voices calling his name echoed from behind the spirit before him.

“Aveyon tells me that you have been questioning your existence. I am here to relay to you that of which we should have a long time ago.” She began.

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Aveyon gently squeezed his hand as she stood upright to be beside him, reassuring him it was okay.

“Was I once a part of Aveyon?” He questioned concerned.

“No, you were born or pure energy. More preciously our energy.” She answered. “We had no choice but to create a vessel that could house our energy, lest it fall into Ashera’s hands.”

“You are her ancestors though...” He didn’t want to say it out loud.

The woman shook her head. “We are not, we chose her as our wearer yes, but she is of our creator’s bloodline, not ours.”

Aveyon giggled beside him. “Were you worried we were related?”

He flushed; the thought had crossed his mind along with many others.

“As for your feelings and your soul.” The woman started with a frown. “I have no explanation. Our souls were returned to Alarious when you were created and yet you have your own. At a time when no souls were being cycled down to the second realm, it is quite puzzling.”

“I have that answer.” Aveyon’s gaze rested on something over Vincent’s shoulder as she smiled sadly, tears coming to her eyes. She’d never had a chance to mourn him before, she could now.

Vincent looked over his shoulder to see a translucent version of himself behind him, the ghost-like man had his eyes closed as he floated in place, a tether of light connecting them. He wore an armour set he had never seen before. “Anzel...” He breathed shocked.

“You have my guardian’s soul. The moment you were created Anzel’s soul was lingering, having attached itself to my aura as he died. He refused to leave the aura unattended even in death. A wandering ghost, yet to return to the rivers. He attached himself to you as you were being formed knowing you needed a coniceness.”

“We had speculated as much given my appearance, but to see it...” Vincent trailed off.

“I hope this helps to set your mind at ease. You were created by my aura as a means to protect itself not for me. You have Anzel’s soul, but it was reborn as Vincent, you’re not the same person. In a sense, he is your past life.” Aveyon explained as the female figure nodded along.

“Your mind, your feelings and your decisions are your own. As with any reborn soul. Forgive us for the appearance, we were in a haste and the soul that is bound to you was the last to touch us, we used its image to form your vessel.” The female figure bowed in apology.

Aveyon broke the connection as she felt a huge drain in her body, she knew what had happened, and it wasn’t her body that had drained. Releasing his hand, the figures vanished from Vincent’s view as he was no longer able to see them. “I wish we had more time but-”

She was cut off as Vincent abruptly fell to his knees coughing blood. She winced, the vial that he had been given had worn off and his body was beginning to rapidly decay. She helped him to his feet and allowed him to lean on her as they made their way back to the palace. Vincent would need to be first to ascend after her, or else they would both fade to nothing.

“I feel I have become a burden.” He commented grimly. “But thank you for showing me this.”

She shook her head. “I regret nothing. You got me here; I could not have done any of this without you.”

Approaching the remains of the palace steps Zero came to her aid. “Is everyone alright?” She asked.

“Now that serum has worn off, we are a little sore but alive.” The sorrow that haunted the Alarian’s gaze made her heart clench.

Kirra was seeing to Lady Vexous with the help of Samuel. There wasn’t much she could do for the goddess at this stage, she would need to spend time with her sleeping form and shift through her memories to find what had happened to her, what the curse was and hopefully how to break it.

Next on her list was the Demon. She turned to Damon, as much as she wanted to assist Vincent, the only way to save him was to put him through the assertion. Damon, however, needed to be purified so that he wouldn’t cause any harm to himself or others.

He lay at the bottom of the steps with limbs bound. His uncontrollable thrusting was going to make this difficult. She drew her dagger, and as she was to stab him, Erisena came to her aid holding him as still as she could. It took several minutes to dig out the Chaos that was embedded in him. As each one was removed his violent behaviour subsided and the black ooze stopped flowing. When the last one was removed, he seemed to lose consciousness. His skin slowly turned back to normal, and the black substance was no longer being produced.

She returned to Vincent so that Zero could carry Damon inside. Vincent lightly squeezed her hand, reassuring her that she was doing the right thing. But it also meant all too soon saying goodbye, not just to her newfound friends, but to him as well.