The sisters were about to talk about their side of the story, but before they did, Orion used 'Calm Analysis', slowing time drastically to think about a few things he learned from Tiohr-nam.
'There is quite a bit to focus on. I know most of it might get answered by the sister point of view, but there is still necessity in arranging what I know and what I don't.'
Time was almost completely stopped. Everyone was moving so slowly it was like they were frozen in place.
'Alright, to begin with, let's go other the other Remnant that was with Tiohr-nam at that moment. Her name was Tia-Norun. She also talked about another called Enri-Ann, but there's really no information about her to go about.'
'Tia-Norun might be related to some of our current events. If what she said is right, then she either can change the outcome of some events with an ability close to clairvoyance. The Remnant do possess power related to their notions it seems.'
Orion thought about the previous black spot painted on his chest that had a hard time erasing itself, which Tiohr-nam easily removed with her abilities controlling 'Life'.
She was, in many ways, the polar opposite of the Miasma.
'With that in mind, I wonder why we never saw her. She seemed to be extremely knowledgeable about the state of our world and what could happen. She could be extremely helpful in avoiding terrible endings for us.'
But this thought immediately bothered him.
'I sound like a coward. Whatever is in store for us cannot be changed by mere clairvoyance. I make my own future, and I fight for my vengeance. I cannot bother with a third party's input on where to go and what to avoid.'
'No challenges in our way is equal to never improving.'
He completely erased the idea, and even banished the thought of asking for help if he ever encounter her.
'Alright, there's another detail. What was that giant explosion she talked about. Something powerful enough to make most of the Remnant shiver in fear, and able to break half of the continent?'
'And from what I know, the sisters came flying from that place. That's why Tiohr-nam had to catch them, and they were dying at that, which led to them changing to being half-human, half-fairy.'
'I really never realized, but I guess I wasn't the only hybrid, and not the first at that.'
A smile formed on his face. Most of his actions weren't affected by the time slowing down, because his brain was processing that fast. His actions were simply getting faster, but in return, each slight movement drained his energy faster.
Even that smile caused him to lose a lot of energy. The longer he thought with this ability activated, the worse he will feel at its end.
'What I can gather from the details, is that it most likely was a light and dark user, and the only one who previously was with the Dramia and Drania, well... I can only think of the Hero Noah.'
'That only gives me one lead. Noah died there from the explosion, or from something else.'
He was on the right track. This matter would be easily answered by the sisters after stopping the ability.
'There's also the fact that every Remnants seems to despise the Miasma, and that they all loved their creations. Does that mean that there is, beside the Miasma, no other deviant Remnant? I have a feeling that it can't be just one.'
No one knew if there was other Remnant who wanted to end the continent, even the Remnants themselves.
They didn't knew each others for most of the time. Some never moved from the place they appeared at, or others didn't cared about anything other than their surrounding.
But some liked to move around. Velridar was one of them, as he liked to swim around the continent.
The only one who guessed the number of Remnant on Triazils at the time was one of Tiohr-nam's past form, when she could observe everything from the mountains.
Before being reduced to nothing by Reon... inadvertently. It was a miracle the mountains were almost untouched by the pure destruction he caused.
'So, there's the fact that the Remnant knew about Noah. Of course, that would be obvious as I believe he removed all of the corrupted creatures from the continent by himself.'
'Such achievement can only lead to everyone knowing you. But with Tia-Norun, it feels more personal. She knew him personally I believe.'
Orion felt a slight migraine forming in his head.
'Out of time. That's already a lot of organized information. Let's hear about their story now.'
Before the headache formed totally, Orion cancelled 'Calm Analysis'.
"It's going to take some time, but this is something we decided that you had to know."
Dramia walked to the chairs, grabbed them, and placed them in front of Orion. In front of him now was Dramia and Drania, and Tiohr-nam behind them.
"I really didn't want you to learn about us like that, but there's no escaping it."
The worries and regrets were clearly seen on Drania's face. She was still working on accepting the reality.
'She hide her worries behind that airhead attitude. I will hope that she manages to accept her past, though I don't know how hard it is for her, or them. Dramia seems affected too.'
He stared at Dramia, who was looking at her hands on her knees. She was stopping herself from shaking.
"Girls, take control of your emotions. He can see right through you."
They both looked at Orion after hearing Tiohr-nam's remark. He had a warm smile on his face that ever so slightly appeased their troubled emotions.
The sisters looked at each others, and exchanged a few words.
'We've decided when we buried Noah. We can't back down now.'
'Of course. We want to help him, right?'
With a renewed determination, they both took a deep breath and started their story.
"Both of us are orphans. We've already told you about that."
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"Our village got trampled by a horde of corrupted beasts."
The sisters began to alternate between each other.
"The one who saved us at that time was Noah. We travelled with him, learned how to use our magic and began to understand him as a person."
"He was a pretty wild and strange individual, saying words and expression we never understood."
"What we want to tell you is our last moments with him. Before he fought the Miasma, what happened between them, and what we left to do."
'So everything was connected to Noah in the end.'
Orion had guessed it right, but he never expected the story that was about to be told to him.
Dramia and Drania sighed, and the story began.
~
"Noah's listening again to his strange device."
"You know that it is his way of calming himself. Don't go bothering him."
"But I want to know! He's always been so secretive about it."
Two girls with brown hair were discussing around a campfire, while the Hero Noah was further away.
The short girls were trying to remove the tension that was weighting over them with jokes.
"What do you think he's listening to?"
The always energized Drania was trying to listen to what was happening around Noah, even though she knew she would not be able to.
"I don't know either. Stop asking every time."
Dramia was as cold as ever. She had a feeling the one Noah was listening to was someone important to him, because he always had a smile on his face when he did that.
Then, a sort of light appeared near Noah that caught both sisters' attention.
"She's back."
"Yes, sis. That means bad news."
A woman with pink hair was standing right next to Noah the moment the light died down.
They were able to hear the conversation.
"Noah, I'm sorry. There's no other solution besides depending on you. Perhaps if we had more ways to counter him, we would've been able to do something, but we are powerless."
Noah closed the device and turned to look at the woman with a slightly displeased face.
"Tia, I don't care about your apology. I've been at it for ten years, and I still have no clues as to why I am here. If slaying the corruption is my duty, then I will do it. I'm not doing it for you either, or because you ordered it."
"I know. I just wanted you to hear that."
He crossed his arms and stared at her.
"So, when and where should we go. As usual, give me what you know."
"Fallain plains, in two days. The fight will happen before sunset."
"Great, we don't have much time, and we'll have to go around the mountains."
"No need to worry, I already made arrangement for you to go quickly over there. When you're done resting, go this way."
She pointed to a nearby forest.
"Fine, I'll go have a look later."
The sisters quietly spoke between them.
"He really don't like her, isn't it?"
"Of course he doesn't. She keeps sending him where there's corruption. I don't like her either."
"She's a Remnant you know? What would happen if we become her enemies?"
"Nothing. Noah is too strong to be provoked at this point. The moment she raised her arm, it will fall on the ground. That's why she's so careful around him."
"Don't you think she just likes him?"
Drania eyes weren't mistaken. Tia-Norun definitely showed affection toward him, but most certainly not romantically.
When they looked back, the conversation seemed to be done, as a bright light happened again. She had disappeared, leaving Noah on the spot.
He walked back the campfire, and sat in front of the sisters.
"You heard her? Two days from now, we'll fight the source of the corruption. I still wonder where she gets that information, but anyway."
He shrugged and looked at the stars.
"You really like the stars. Why is that?"
Drania asked something she always wanted to know.
"Because they are a constant mystery. The light that you see in the sky appear to be brightly shining, but can you believe that most of them are already gone?"
"Huh?"
Both sisters made a weird expression, and looked at the stars too.
"Yes, the time light takes to come to you, the star itself most likely already died. That's the strange appeal I have with the stars. A bright light that can disappear when you expect it the least, that's how I see the stars."
Only the crackling of the firewood was heard.
"Sorry, that was a little depressing. Anyway, go to sleep, we're going to that forest tomorrow."
With that, they all slept, preparing their minds to the last fight.
The next day.
"Well, I wasn't expecting a dragon to be our lead. Color me surprised."
"My name is Diramoi, the very first dragon to have been created by our father, Velridar."
"How did someone as great as you came to help me?"
A tall, imposing red dragon had landed in the forest where Tia-Norun pointed at a day before.
"All beings have a debt toward you for purging the corruption. Even dragons do not forget that. We have our pride, yes, but the least we could do is help the one cleaning our continent."
"Alright. Then let's not waste time."
The dragon lowered his body for the three to climb unto.
"Do not fall down."
The dragon Diramoi flapped its wings, and flew high in the sky.
In only a day, he flew over the continent, over the mountains and over the plains of the north.
He landed where he had to, and left with only wishing luck to him.
One night was all that was left to them at the moment.
Noah was preparing his weapons, the little shards of metal stored inside the pockets strapped on his sides.
"Why so you make so many of these?"
Dramia asked. She knew of his ability, but not why he made so many to begin with.
"I don't know, it just occupies my mind when I do so."
The earth element in his open hand began to create another piece of metal the size of a pebble.
"I'm really not good at this. It takes so long to create one."
Two minutes for one piece. Indeed, that was a rather long time for something so little.
"I see. Since they break the moment you use them, I suppose it is a good thing to have a lot of those."
Noah nodded, and looked at the sisters.
Dramia was sitting with her sister sleeping on her thighs.
"She's scared. Even if she hides it, there's no way to hide it. Noah, do you really have to do this?"
He sighed.
"No one on this god forsaken continent seems to want to bother defending it. The great Remnants are useless beings that never fought in their life, and are scared of the corruption."
"The dragons refused to help because they were created recently, even if a hundred years is not recent for me."
"What choice do I have?"
His face dropped as a sign of defeat.
"..."
"Right, none. I can't do anything. I can't even flee."
"So let's make this the final struggle. I want to be done with it, I've seen enough corruption as it is."
He looked straight at Dramia, and spoke the most pivotal words she had heard.
"Whatever happens, you two have to stay alive. This is a request from me. Live, be happy, fall in love, found a family, and have children. That's all I want from you."
"Why are you saying that as if you don't want us to fight?"
She looked angry at that.
"Because I won't let you. I took you from that village because I was scared of letting you go. You two were two broken at that time to live. You were the first, and there was no safe haven to put you in."
"I helped you grow during the past years, but never once did I thought of using you. You are companions, not party members."
"I don't understand. What's the difference?"
"Support members don't fight, that's all."
He threw a branch in the fire.
"We can't accept that-"
He glared at her menacingly.
"I'm ready to injure both of you if it's to avoid you losing your life. Are you ready to fight me?"
Gasping, she had no choice but to accept it.
"Good. Don't make me do something I don't want to."
"Go to sleep. Tomorrow, you'll have to witness what happens."
With that, they all fell asleep. Leading to the final fight of the Hero Noah.
~
*sigh*
Orion looked at the roof.
'This guy...'
After listening to the fight Noah had with the Miasma, and what the sisters had to go through to bury him, he was speechless.
'And them.'
He looked at Dramia and Drania who were fighting their emotions not to cry, but couldn't manage to stop them from flowing.
"You've endured too much. That's not something you should have lived through."
He stood up and walked toward them. Crouching in front of them, he hugged them both.
"You've done well. He should be proud of what you became."
They silently cried in his arms, as he patted their heads.
Looking at Tiohr-nam's Avatar, who had her eyes closed, he had something to say.
"So, you Remnants are useless?"
She opened her eyes and looked at him with a frustrated look.
"Do you know why us Remnants do not fight openly like Velridar?"
"No, that's why I'm asking."
"It is because our notions are too precious to fall to corruption. The corruption inverse our notions, and bring the opposite of what we do. There is no Remnant of Purification for the simple reason that the Miasma WAS the purification."
"Wait, was the Miasma normal at first?"
"I have no idea. Maybe it was, maybe not. It appeared already in its grotesque form and began to corrupt before we noticed. There is a lot we do not know about the Miasma."
The conversation ended like that. Orion learned more about the past, and the relation between the Remnants and the Miasma.
It was the most dangerous aspect for them. Falling to corruption was worse than a death sentence for them, as they would bring more harm in that state.
"It's time I get the girls over here. There are more things we need to talk, and now that the heavier stuff has been dealt with, I can bring them back."
Orion stood up after caressing the sisters' hair one last time.
"Dry your tears, and once it's done, I'll open a portal."
After five minutes, they were back to normal. Orion opened a portal, and Amelia and Karteira walked out of it.