EPISODE 81: LOST
— ???, Year: ????. Season: ???.
Turmoil has racked the capital of the Edryan Queendom. Edrya has experienced massive turbulence stemming from the War Throne Palace. It is unknown the exact cause, but a terrifying sound emerged from the palace. Royal Guards and others are out en masse to calm the citizens and assure them that everything is fine.
The guards have stated that a magical experiment resulted in some drastic changes that came unexpectedly. The citizens of Edrya have seemed to take this quite well, but the undercurrents of the city are scrambling . Something dangerous has begun in the Edryan State.
There have been no sightings of the Queen. However, the royal criers have released a message from her after the citywide phenomenon. The presence of Goddess Madris was felt throughout the city, its origins in War Throne Palace. We do not know what has taken place within, but we have transcribed Queen Titiana’s message.
”Be calm, my citizens, and know that such a magical mistake will never occur again within the bounds of our Great Edrya. The appropriate punishments have been delivered, and protective measures have been put in place to ensure no such magical accident occurs again.”
The city's undercurrent, those with power understand that as a simple message to placate the populace. Elder’s Eye no longer has contacts within the walls of War Throne Palace after the purge. The truth of the matter remains a mystery as we wait for news of the Edryan’s Chosen of this final war.
— Excerpt from a report sent by Elder’s Eye.
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Madria SCREAMED … but no sound escaped her lips as she tightly hugged Lawruthian to her body. Space swallowed, then flung them chaotically, the young woman held no control over their movement, and a second silent scream built in her chest, ready to explode. She suppressed the second scream, as that would not save their lives. Their only protection was a weakening pink light whose strength rapidly faded. Lawruthian’s body was limp in her arms, and Madria held no clue on whether he was dead or alive. Only a strange black and whiteness surrounded them as they were flung through the space that supported reality. Blood trailed from a severed limb, leaving a trail of color in this realm of black and white.
Madria felt a creeping, crawling sensation as if something or some things were watching her. It was the pink light that kept these entities at bay as a hesitant tentacle reached toward them. The glow of [A Mother’s Gift] grew stronger, and the limb turned to ash as it connected with the light. Yet not once did Madria see a thing. Not once did she see the slitted eyes that seemed to gaze through her and onto the burden within her arms.
At this moment, Madria did the only thing she could do… she prayed . She prayed to her Goddess for protection. She called for Wisdom…
“I pray to thee, to the incarnation of Sage! Guide me! Give me the wisdom to return to the Mortal Realm with Lawruthian alive and safe. Guide me, oh Sage. Show me, teach me…,” her voice spoke into the ‘emptiness’ of the void, yet no sound emerged.
Wisdom answered all the same .
Madria’s head tilted ever so slightly left as the divine mana within her body seemed to act on its own. The same moment her head turned as they were flung through the chaotic space, was the same moment an opening appeared. Madria didn’t hesitate to expel her mana in the same manner she watched the Imperius Army and Lawruthian do. Although the war never came to pass, its illusory battle became very real to those grasped by the Law of Illusion. To them, those memories were real and fresh.
Five seconds.
The opening showed dark grey storm clouds that spat snow and flickered with blue-yellow lightning. Madria’s mana emerged from her feet in a self-proposed jet of golden flame. They flung forward like an arrow shot from a bow, divinity guiding Madria to stay straight and true. Yet, just as quickly as the tear in space opened, it began to close. Madria was far, over one hundred meters away, and her self-propelled flight felt like she moved through molasses. Time was running out .
Four Seconds.
“Faster,” she spoke, no sound emerging in the surrounding space. “I have to go faster, I have to be stronger, I must be the [HERO] Lawruthian needs!”
The necklace around her neck spluttered and its light flickered. Her thoughts clear, the young woman focused, channeling her mana and divine mana in conjunction. Both were forms of power, expression , and more, but both were vastly different in the applications that could be applied with them. Divine Mana or DP held a trace of the Goddess divinity within it, allowing its user to cast certain spells that required divinity. Spells such as blessings, or life and limb restoring magic such as (Madris Touch). Other spells like (Smite), (Heal), and more weren’t divinity-dependent but would gain massive boosts under the power of divine mana.
Three seconds
Madria focused and all else faded from her vision besides the tear in space that led back to reality. Her mana and divine mana mixed in an explosive propulsion which shot her forward at lightning speed. Madria reached for… everything … and she began to burn her Health Points as a plus multiplier. After all… every Life Point could be expended in some format.
Two seconds.
One hand clutched Lawruthian’s neck in a protective embrace, and the other held tightly onto his body, ensuring he didn’t slip from her grasp. Her face held a determined expression that said nothing would stop her from accomplishing her goal… but… she was not fast enough… not by far. A distance of roughly twenty-five meters remained, and the crack in space began to close. The light around her neck dimmed to the point its radiance barely covered her and Lawruthian. Its light grew increasingly weak and would blink out shortly.
One… second.
A single tear slipped from Madria’s eye as the light of the tear began to close, and the pink glow sputtered as its magical juices ran dry.
Just as the tear was fully closing, Madria felt something grasp her and Lawruthian in a clawed talon… and within that second their speed dramatically increased.
Minerva shot forward at an accelerated speed. The divine bird was several times larger and could comfortably hold both Lawruthian and Madria in one clawed grasp. A single flap was all it took for her to cross the distance in space, and the party shot through the gap the moment it closed. The moment they passed, Minerva shrank and went limp. The trio shot from the air and into the white, glistening snow.
A storm raged, blue and yellow lightning shot through the clouds in inconsistent bursts. Roars of thunder came from the heavens and clapped against the earth in challenge — a battle against oblivion was fought above. The trio impacted into the snowy mountain, and their bodies tumbled through the dense material as it cushioned their fall, preventing serious injury. The heavens seemed angry, and the earth responded in kind. Madria breathed heavily, Lawruthian still in her arms as she did her best to shield him.
Imperius Saintess Madria Gamal — Level 26
HP: 93/255 (+0)
SP: 42/195 (+0)
MP: 54/450 (+0)
DP: 122/450 (+0)
For several moments she lay there, her chest heaved up and down as she caught her breath and gave thanks to The Sage. The cold chilled her body, but it felt good as the solid ground beneath her reassured Madria of her presence on the Mortal Realm. The startling red that began to soak into the snow was what brought Madria’s attention back with a resounding force.
Time was running out and Lawruthian was dying . The passive healing aura all priestess held did nothing to stop the {Mortal Wound} from taking Lawruthian’s life. Madria held precious seconds to save him and if she didn’t act now… he… would… DIE.
A small distance away lay Minerva, the owl’s chest heaved up and down and showed that she was still breathing. Her breathing seemed to perfectly match Lawruthian’s and, as one, their breaths began to slow.
Dying.
They were dying.
Madria acted quickly, reaching to the bottom of her robe and tearing. She flicked a finger at one of the many spatial rings she kept as accessories, but the item didn’t respond. In fact, it only felt like a lump of metal to her now and not the runic device it once was. Madria did the only thing she could do, and the young woman wrapped the rip cloth across the clean slice to help staunch the blood. If Lawruthian was not as high leveled, and if he didn’t possess insane amounts of regeneration, Madria knew he should’ve been dead by now.
She thought over her list of skills and began to use two in conjunction. The first…
(Imperius Divine Mend) — Heroic
Description:
Mend wounds with a touch and restore health.
Function:
Target any open or internal wounds and mend them close, restoring 30 Health Points per thirty seconds. Divine Point infusion into this skill boost regained HP by 30%.
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Cost:
10 MP every thirty seconds.
…Began to mend Lawruthian’s arm closed as she applied stable healing magic. Madria’s right hand glowed a golden-red light as it applied this effect with her DP boosting the skill. While the second…
(Imperius Purifying Hand) — Heroic
Description:
Disease is a battle against decaying elements and aliments. Imperius Hand sweeps them away nevertheless.
Function:
Target any known and unknown disease or ailments upon the target. Divine Point infusion into this skill boosts its effects by 30%.
Cost:
10 MP per minute.
…Did its best to cure any unknown disease or ailments Lawruthian could be suffering from as a result of the attack. Madria did a once over just to ensure Lawruthian was clear before shutting the skill off.
Madria glanced fearfully at her thirty-four mana points remaining. She only gained twelve Mana Points per five-minute period, and the young woman remained uncertain if she’d have enough Life Points to finish the job. Through the freezing cold and raging snowstorm, sweat dripped down her forehead as she struggled.
“You saved me… SO I WILL NOT FAIL TO SAVE YOU! Come on Lawruthian, LIVE !”
Her voice was dry, raw , and filled with desperation, and Madria found her left hand raising… then coming down hard on Lawruthian’s chest. Her surroundings grew darker, as if the heavens were mocking the setting. Mocking her attempts in saving Lawruthian. Her Goddess was silent and at this moment Madria didn’t think to call upon her.
“ LIVE ! You are the [Chosen] sent to guide us! Sent to protect the magi and lead us to a glorious future.”
Her hand raised again, and she channeled divine mana infused with her life affinity into the blow. Her next words emerging as she brought the blow down.
“ LIVE ,” she shouted. “You are my prince and meant to be my king! You are my… [Hero]. You saved my life and I WILL SAVE YOURS.”
Her hair was matted and disordered, far from the perfect bob she kept it in. Her hand raised once again, divine mana gathering as she ran out of resources. Tears streamed down her face, but determination colored her eyes as her voice found purchase within the realm. Yet under the touch of her right hand, Madria could feel the fading Vitality of the prince, his heartbeat slowed with every passing second. He was dying, his skin held a slight grayish hue as the blood drained from his body. His regeneration was unable to continue to sustain his Health Points as the {Mortal Wound} sought to consume his life.
He was dying… and Madria… couldn’t … save him.
“… live ,” she said a fourth time. Her voice weak and horse. Her blow this time was weak and lacked hope but…
Rasheed opened his eyes wearily, a single, deep, and long breath escaped from his large scaly nostrils. Then, just as slow and long, a single breath was inhaled. Dust and permafrost removed itself as a single beat expressed Power into the surroundings. Two bright, aged, yellow-gold eyes illuminated the area like lanterns in a dark misty forest. Sparks and flashes of magic erupted as Rasheed’s two eyes completely opened. Those aged eyes gazed around and at the large pillars that rose from the ground to the ceiling. Each pillar was as tall as a mountain and held the weight of several. These pillars held several hanging fire pits that ignited as Rasheed’s eyes swept around. Rasheed’s lair was something that pierced the heavens… and was the center of the Wyverns that Roosted around.
A second heartbeat, one that thundered, emerged from Rasheed’s chest as his bodily functions began to return to full force. A single scaled cover palm emerged from under Rasheed’s neck as his large head raised. The palm was placed gently on the ground, and a second palm helped pick Rasheed up. His hind legs and front arms picked him up, and the weight of a city settled upon those limbs.
Rasheed sighed, cleared his throat and began to move toward the exit of his home. His large, pointed, scaled ears picked up the sound of a girl's voice. One that didn’t challenge him as most usually arrived too, instead… it was crying .
“You saved me… SO I WILL NOT FAIL TO SAVE YOU! Come on Lawruthian, LIVE !”
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Rasheed sniffed the air and the events of the area entered his mind. A woman and man were outside his entrance… blood was in the air. Someone was dying on his doorstep, a surprise, as typically, it was within , that those who sought the rumor of him met the end of their adventure . Most only never made it to lay actual eyes upon him… those that did…
“ Interesting, So Very Interesting… ,” an ancient and rumbling voice spoke aloud.
Rasheed spoke once again yet this time in the language of magic as he commanded the surrounding mana. “|Shift|.”
…
A moment later, he was outside as the heavens fought against the earth. Lightning crackled and thunder roared as two massive wyverns of colossal proportions fought against one another for dominance. Rasheed’s large head shook in disappointment, but he gave a gentle smile back to the large temple he teleported from. Within, was the last hope of his kind… and nothing would survive the might of his wrath should anything happen to them.
He gazed down curiously at the only color upon the white snow—an imperfection within the perfectly laid ice crystals. A man, boy really… was dying. A magi-human slowly bled out as a girl did her best to heal him. Her clothing and appearance was messy, but Rasheed found interest in the pair. So he watched, a shadow loomed over the pair that the young woman never noticed. Rasheed’s golden orbs, watching curiously. The young woman called for the dying man to live twice more, yet one of her words drew attention from the waiting Rasheed.
His eyes inspected the pair, the records of their existence until now pulled up as an information panel in his eyes. The Prime System seemed eager as panel after panel of information on the pair pulled up.
‘ Hmmm, Madria Gamal and… Lawruthian… Edryani! ’
Rasheed’s ancient eyes widen by just a bit. He hurriedly scrolled through the records of this Lawruthian… Edryani.
‘ Oh, ooh, so he is of her Kin? Not just Kin, [Chosen], and right to my doorsteps… what are the odds. ’
“… live ,” Madria Gamal said a fourth time. Her hand came down weakly on Lawruthian’s chest, and she collapsed atop of him as the final dregs of strength left her body. Her Life Points were nearly exhausted, and Rasheed watched as multiple status effects began to plague her.
Regardless, every single point of mana that was generated in her was immediately used to keep Lawruthian alive. Rasheed’s eyes… softened as he watched and as Madria fell into unconsciousness, exhausted by her grueling battle to keep her companion alive, Rasheed acted. A large scaly palmed hand scooped up the pair. One dying boy and one exhausted girl. Rasheed’s ancient eyes gazed at them for a long moment. Gazing through their bodies and into their very souls to see the essence of who they were. Only so much could be shown by the records. The Aspect never noticed the tiny owl he scooped up as well. The divine beast nearly hidden to his eyes. That changed the moment it rolled onto the pair.
The Aspect’s eyes locked onto the bird, and it never left. Knowledge called for it, and Rasheed looked deeper into the souls of those present. Its eyes widen just as a hunger and thirst for what the bird was and what it represented. Yet, that knowledge was dying…
“ A Perk, ahhh, for how long have I been asleep? A third [Chosen]. A final war. Hmph Saphens. ”
A different light entered the eyes of Rasheed, one that shined with a need, a desire for what was inside the perk. The Aspect called for it. His ancient eyes gazed deep into the soul of Lawruthian, and the eyes of Wisdom gazed back.
Rasheed growled , a terrible sound that caused the storm to disperse like a figment of the imagination and the wyverns fighting, Calamity level beasts, to drop like flies into sweet honey.
“ You know not to enter my domain. Madris – not even in the form of an incarnation. ”
The presence of the incarnation receded but did not disperse. Rasheed hesitated, eyes locked onto the owl that lay across the pair. A heavy sigh escaped from between his lips as the Aspect called for the Knowledge within.
“|Shift|.”