Closing her eyes once again, Aella took a deep breath before centering herself. As she exhaled, she raised her fan slowly, beginning a dance. Her movements were fluid, like the wind that weaved around her; each step and turn was performed with precision.
She was out of practice. It had been years since she had partaken in her tribe’s rituals. Luckily, many of the skills she picked up from those peaceful days stuck with her through the countless battles and fields of bloodshed that brought her here, allowing her to move with poise.
Even if her elders would kill her for the crudity of her movements, it should have been enough to get her point across. The dance told a story, a tale of the land and sky, of the winds and the seas, and the cycle of life and death, which all fall into eventually.
Aella moved with the rhythm that she hummed, the world beginning to move with her. It was small but the wind gathered around her despite her not controlling it all. The leaves of the tree and the scarce flowers blew around with joy to her tune as her energy resonated with the land around her.
As the dance progressed and Aella readjusted to her nearly forgotten roots, her movements became more intense and passionate. She danced much like how she fought. With the fierceness of a storm, the gentleness of a breeze, and the steadiness of the earth beneath her feet…
There’s nothing steady about the way she fights… Ignore that last part.
Her hands moved through the air, drawing patterns that seemed to glow with ethereal light, her fingers tracing the unseen threads that connect all living things on this planet, as few as they were.
Her orbs of foxfire were like whisps, swirling around her in a mesmerizing display as if they were drawn to her spirit. The tree seemed to lean in closer, their leaves rustling in a soft chorus; through the dense clouds, the moon did its best to shine through for Aella.
As a dim light fell upon her like a spotlight, her dance reached its crescendo, throwing her head back and her arms open wide as if embracing the clouded sky. In that moment, there was a palpable connection, a profound bond that seemed to link her to the world.
The land beneath her feet began to rumble, but she was undeterred, her movements not yet slowing down. Around her, a cage of vines started to form as she began to cough out blood.
‘Almost there… Just reveal yourself already, Will of the World!’ She shouted inwardly, her body falling apart as her Mana had long since hit 0, sacrificing her own HP in place of Mana.
With the cage becoming more complete, blocking out all but a little light from the moon, Aella’s dance began to slow. With bloodied feet from the shards of concrete, her movements became softer, more subdued, until she finally came to a standstill. She stood there, breathing heavily, her heart beating in time with the rhythm of the earth as she tried to stabilize herself.
She failed at that, however, falling to the ground and coughing up even more blood. In front of her, the vines began to expand, slowly taking the form of a crude humanoid.
While it formed, Aella gave the mental command to view her status.
=
Aella Rossi | Foxin | Young Dragon
EXP: 77,500 | Level 35 (50%) | Stat Points: 0 | Skill Points 34
Dragon Slots: 1 used, 0 remaining
Dragon Core: Auilanthros Stormweaver | Rank: 2
Health: 11,842/51,000 | Mana: 2/65,000 | Stamina 2987/9522
Traits: 2 Tails | Whirlwind Maestra
Dragon Skills: [Dragon’s Breath] | [Electricity Manipulation] | [Water Manipulation] | [Wrath]
Personal Skills: [Foxfire LV 2] | [Transformation LV 2] | [Charm LV 1] | [Appraisal LV 1] | [Whirlwind Maestra LV 1] | [Advent Compass LV 1] | [Shared Consciousness LV 1]
STR: 170 | DEX: 140 | SPI: 130 | AGI: 160 | MND: 45 | CHA: 120
=
‘Dear me, I cut that close.’ Aella thought to herself, chuckling as the world spun around.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“[Avatar Enbodiment], huh? Even if you’re dying, you still are the Will of a planet.” Aella scoffed sarcastically, a little annoyed that this thing took its sweet time to show itself, nearly forcing her to self-destruct.
Naturally, she’d stop before that happened, but the [Will of the World] didn’t need to know that. Despite her irritation, she couldn’t hide the small smile which graced her face. She enjoyed the act. Her joy was different from when she battled. It wasn’t a thrill or excitement but a serene feeling.
A feeling that she hadn’t felt in centuries, like she actually did something right for once. An act of hers that didn’t lead to the death of millions. She wanted to make sure she never felt like this again. ‘Serenity is for the sinless.’ She thought, waving at the now fully formed Avatar.
“You… Are a foreign soul grafted with my crust…” The being spoke and resonated within the cage, “Who are you? Who sent you here?”
Aella couldn’t tell where the sound came from. It clearly wasn’t the Avatar itself, as it lacked any features that’d allow sound to be created in such a sophisticated way.
‘Another being with the ability to manipulate sound. Or perhaps it’s the vibrations? Curious…’ She mused, preparing her answer.
“An information panel refusing to let me choose a harder difficulty. And I’m sorry, but what do you mean, grafted? What did that fucker Velfius do to my soul, and how the hell did I not notice?”
The Avatar made of vines looked Aella up and down despite lacking the eyes to give such an action reason.
“Vel…fius… I see; my other self sent you to assist me.”
“Sure?” Aella nodded. “But seriously, what did Velfius do to me? If it will prevent me from killing him, then I need to think of a way to eliminate the changes.”
The Avatar shook its head. “It is nothing of the sort. Rather, you should already know what it is. The smell of Dragon permeates you.”
‘Stormy? That’d make sense.’
Debating whether to press the question further, Aella quickly decided against it. Aggravating the world with countless questions seemed unideal, especially when she lacked the Mana to retaliate. For now, she’d answer and ask the essential things.
Like why the Avatar looks so ugly… Ahem.
“Child of another world. What do you think of me? Of what I have become?”
It didn’t take much thought to notice the thing was referring to the world she was currently in.
“Frankly, it’s a shitshow,” Aella responded blankly, slowly getting up, her head still so dizzy to the point that she couldn’t correctly tell up from down. “What happened to it?
Without mincing her words, how else could she put it? If this city were a reflection of the rest of the world, the world would end within the next decade. With how thin the Mana of the world is, Aella was sure of it.
“You are acquainted with Velfius, yes? Why… do you think he works for that council of tyrants?”
Aella’s eyes widened at the mention of the [Divine Council] as her killing intent flared up. The mere mention of them sobered her right up.
“He betrayed you?”
In denial, the Avatar shook its head, “He was forced to join after I was destroyed. To make sure they didn’t target my other selves. That being is a being of incomprehension… He brought you here for a reason. Whether to turn you into a weapon against the council or as a-”
“LIKE HELL!” Aella screamed at the top of her lungs. “That bastard invaded my world and destroyed it. Even if this is all his arrangement, he’ll die by my hands too! Velfius, the council, nobody who has wronged me has ever gotten away alive. Just because I lost one battle doesn’t mean that’ll change! I’ll grow stronger and stronger, Sylpheed will dine on all of them!” She retorted with anger.
“Even if it means I can never redeem myself.” Her tone quieted down, still as sharp as when she was screaming.
The Avatar, no, the [Will of the World], went silent as if contemplating her outburst and bloodlust.
“Your Will has been heard. Then, in your quest for vengeance, might I ask you for a favor?”
Aella was taken back at that. By the Avatar’s words, it should have a decent relationship with Velfius. She didn’t expect it to retaliate for him; not everyone was as immature and volatile as she was. But to think it seemed to not care in the slightest and even asked her for a favor.
“It depends on what that favor is. Seemingly, I need to do this for you to complete the task given to me.”
“That is one way to look at it.” The Will confirmed, manifesting a tiny glowing seed and making it rise from the ground, “Take this fragment of me and nurture it to adulthood. I wish for it to have a fulfilling life.”
In disbelief, Aella didn’t know how to respond. The words she was thinking wouldn’t leave her mouth. She wanted to accept the task confidently, but only words matching her state of mind could escape.
“A fragment? That’s the seed of a [world tree], right? I could overturn half the universe with that thing, you know!”
“If that is your wish… I wish for this little one to live. If it stays with me, that will be impossible.”
A [World Tree] was something unimaginable. Despite traveling the cosmos to slaughter countless of her enemies, she’s only ever heard of two of them existing, each granting the group that owns them unimaginable power. Now, she is presented with a seed for a third one.
“Very well,” Aella stated, “But I have one question for you.”
“Speak.”
“Platinum chains which bind the soul… Do you know anything about them?”