Chapter 45 - The Secret of the Spire

Still basking in the afterglow of Ria’s presence, the first rays of dawn found Skyle sitting with his back against the tall rock in the middle of the nest. He was staring up into the skies, but his mind was still blissfully trapped in dreams of yesterday’s visit.

It was a long time before the grin pasted on Skyle’s face finally faltered. One moment he had been staring up into nothing, lost in youthful daydreams. The next, a great splotch of liquid fell from above and splashed his face, covering it with a sticky substance. Skyle was shaken from his fantasies, reflexively reaching towards his face with a questing hand. Drawing it back to study it, he saw dark blood staining his fingers. Skyle couldn’t hold back the dry retch that rose up in his throat as he scrambled to his feet.

Frantically wiping away the rest of the blood from his hands, Skyle almost failed to notice the great shadow that settled over him where before only warm sunlight had alighted. Craning his head up, Skyle realized the great bird was back. His gaze was drawn by a flicker of motion as the giant bird spread its wings at the end of its glide in order to perch upon the same rock it had used before. However, at the last moment it seemed to falter, one of its wings drooping slightly. This small, seemingly insignificant change caused the bird’s landing to go askew, its whole body unexpectedly twisting sideways while its shoulder smashed heavily against the tall rockface. Pieces of debris fell in a great shower all over the nest, and it was all Skyle could do to hastily scramble back. Watching countless rocks, some as big around as Skyle himself, the young boy grit his teeth and unhesitantly summoned the Farsight.

Instantly, Skyle’s perspective seemed to shift away from his own body. It was as though he were an outsider watching the ragged figure of a small boy who stared with otherworldly intensity up at a massive wave of rocks, too much concentration in his gaze to have any room for fear. In this view, the trajectory of the rocks seemed to accelerate until they should have been a barely visible blur, but to Skyle each frame was etched in his mind as clearly as if everything stood unmoving and he were studying each element in detail.

This trance-like state passed within the blink of an eye, but by then Skyle’s body had already moved with startling decisiveness. Guided by the information he had gleaned from the Farsight, Skyle was able to weave his way through the tumbling rocks as though he were a ghost and not flesh. He seemed possessed by an eerie calm, as though he were absolutely certain of his every step even though many rocks came so close to striking him that they tugged at the edges of his clothes. These close calls didn’t seem to cause Skyle any concern, as he seemed certain that he would not be struck by so much as a pebble.

Perhaps it was his overconfidence, since Skyle’s shock was all the greater for it when he finally did stumble. Skyle was simply moving too quickly, his steps weaving a complex dance that shifted his weight in too many directions in too short a time. While his mind, still aglow from the aftereffects of the Farsight, was more than capable of issuing all these lightning fast commands, his small body fell woefully short of the task. If not for the grueling training regime he had been subjected to by his father, perhaps the young boy would have stumbled within the first step. As it was, the absolute confidence on his face cracked like a mirror and Skyle cried out in alarm as his feet became tangled on a branch. Only a quick roll sideways saved him, as no sooner had he moved than a heavy rock fell right into the space he had just emptied.

In the end, a thick layer of dust slowly settled to the ground as Skyle coughed out his relief. How many times had his father told him never to become complacent, never fall prey to overconfidence? Skyle had been too focused on the Farsight, on trying to minimize the drain and weakened state it left behind whenever he used it. Because of this, Skyle had tried to use a similar technique as what he used with the True Sight, activating the ability, absorbing as much information as possible in the shortest amount of time, then exiting it before the drain on his mind exceeded his limits.

Skyle had simply underestimated just how incredible the Farsight was. Not only did it grant him a vision that perhaps bordered on prescience, but it also left his mind in a heightened state of activity during which his thoughts seemed to be racing faster than lightning. To his surprise, the drain on his mind this time had been far smaller than the times when he had used the Farsight on living beings. Maybe inert matter didn’t draw as much power as living beings did, since there was no element of choice involved. While with Leon the Farsight had displayed numerous shades representing his possible actions, with the rocks it had been a far more straightforward affair. With only a single track of movement, it seemed almost too easy in comparison.

So easy, in fact, that Skyle had been blinded by the intoxicating feeling of being in control of every aspect of his environment. Laughable, he now realized, since he hadn’t even been able to properly control his body. However, if in the future Skyle could train his body and hone his reflexes until he could actually act upon all the information provided to him by the Farsight, just how terrifying would that be?

The farther Skyle delved into the mysteries of the Desolate Star Technique, the easier he found to accept and understand just how amazing Fierro Latimus must have been at the peak of his strength.

A cry of distress shook him from his introspective thoughts. Glancing to one side, he saw Birdy anxiously flapping its wings while raising its head towards the rock. Great keening cries came from the young chick, obviously worried for the safety of its mother.

Skyle’s head followed Birdy’s gaze, searching through the rubble for the great bird. He could have never imagined such a scene happening, so possessed of grace and elegance the great predator had seemed. As though suddenly remembering something, Skyle looked down onto his hand where a great patch of fresh blood not his own painted his skin crimson.

As Skyle began to draw his own conclusions, a great, melodious trill rose from the rock high above. Looking up, Skyle saw that most of the dust had settled enough to see the great figure of the bird, calmly perched upon the same spot it had occupied yesterday. Though there were signs of destruction all around it, the bird sat calmly as though nothing was out of place, gazing down at Birdy with obvious affection and tenderness. Still, as the dust settled further and Skyle was finally able to fully inspect the bird, he gasped in spite of himself.

Great furrows had been carved all along the great bird’s flanks, and many scorch marks could be seen on its wings. The translucent, jewel-like feathers had been cracked, or torn off altogether in many places. Under its left wing there was a particularly hideous gash that ran so deep Skyle thought he could see the bone. Blood constantly flowed from the wound even as Birdy’s cries grew more shrill and disconsolate.

Another sonorous call came from the great bird, and though it sounded faintly reassuring, Skyle thought he could detect some hints of sorrow underneath. However, that seemed to pacify Birdy for the time being, as it kept its silence and the great bird once more closed its eyes.

Rising painfully to his feet, Skyle squinted as he inspected the wounds on the great bird more carefully. Aided by the incredible magnification of sight he had gained along with the True Sight, Skyle was able to examine the injuries as though they were right under his nose. After a moment, a grim line spread across his lips as his heart began to thump loudly in his chest.

Although it looked as though there were only a handful great wounds, Skyle could now see that the whole length of its body was covered in small scratches and nicks. Although the great majority of the wounds had not been able to pierce its incredible defenses, just this evidence was enough to chill Skyle’s heart.

First of all, the patterns of these attacks were far too uniform to be caused by wild beasts. The marks of tooth and claw were easily distinguishable from that of blade and arrow, and Skyle was almost certain that the great bird had been set upon by the latter rather than the former. More alarming still was that these small nicks were simply too numerous, as though an entire army had been directing all its attacks upon this one bird. Although they had failed to pierce through its great defenses, this was not just a large hunting party or even a coalition of such, even should humans dare to venture this deep into the forbidden zone. This was army, a vast one at that.

Last of all, there were the handful of attacks the great bird had not been able to ward off, leaving great gashes and wounds on its body. Skyle could see that the great majority of the attacks against it had been completely nullified, barely leaving a mark on its crystalline feathers. Just how strong, Skyle couldn’t help but ask himself, were those few attacks that wounded the beast so deeply? Especially that great wound on the bird’s flank, not only was it deep but upon closer inspection Skyle could see that the edges of it were burnt, as though the feathers and flesh had been seared by a terrible flame. As he shifted to the True Sight, Skyle couldn’t hold back the grimace he felt as countless furrows of chaotic red essence displayed themselves under his scrutiny, spread out all over the great beast’s body. Clearly, it had been wounded far worse than its outside injuries showed.

Slowly drawing the pieces of the puzzle together, Skyle was confronted with a reality he was loath to admit. A large army this deep within the Black Zone? It may have sounded preposterous to anyone, but Skyle knew better. Because he had seen this army up close. He had been their prisoner. Leon and Skyle had killed their bloody way out from their midst and just barely been able to avoid their pursuit, purely thanks to fortune smiling on them.

Now, that same army was back, and Skyle’s hands slowly clenched into trembling fists as he recalled the site of the ritual sacrifice where he had been meant to be killed. He had watched from far away, perched upon the wall of the enemy’s encampment, as his fellow prisoners were gutted like animals, their blood spilled for perverse purposes.

All this made Skyle wonder, why they were here? What could they possibly want in the middle of all these ferocious beasts? The small boy could not repress a shudder as he remembered that nightmarish battlefield, with thousands of corpses strewn about and the smell of blood thick in the air. These soldiers were paying a terrible toll in blood themselves, and Skyle couldn’t understand the reason. If they were bent on conquest, shouldn’t they be campaigning against cities like New Seras? What could possibly be worth all this? He paused for a second to briefly consider an essence crystal harvesting operation, but after witnessing the unspeakable carnage of that battlefield, he quickly dismissed it. No amount of crystals could be worth that.

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Flicking his eyes back towards the great bird’s closed eyes, Skyle couldn’t help but wonder why it had been fighting that great army at all. By now Skyle was certain that Birdy possessed intelligence not far from Ash’s, and if that was any indication, then why would Birdy’s mother do something as foolish as provoking such a formidable host? Had that army pursued it because some of precious material that could be harvested from the great beast?

Glancing up, Skyle had to admit this was plausible. The great bird, even in its current poor condition, emanated a radiant aura of power and elegance. Skyle began to suspect that though this colossal beast had suffered greatly in the fight, her enemies must have suffered far worse at the mercy of her claws.

So absorbed was Skyle by his thoughts, that he barely blinked an eye when the great bird opened one placid eye and gazed straight into his eyes. Normally, this would have prompted alarm or at the very least, wariness. Instead, Skyle merely watched on as the great bird slowly shifted one of its wings to one side. It was barely an effort, the whole gesture as casual as a man stroking his chin, but the movement caused a rock twice the size of Skyle to wobble lightly at the very edge of the bird’s perch. Still unmoving, Skyle stared dumbly at this rock until it teetered over the edge, then fell forward - sending it howling straight to where the small boy lay.

Skyle barely had time to squeak in alarm as he hastily dove to one side, suddenly endlessly grateful that Ria’s visit had not been a dream, though for a new reason. His recently healed leg easily took the strain as he leapt away from the rock. It fell at his back with a great crashing boom, then strangely enough a long whistling sound ensued. After a while, another crashing sound reached his ears, though this one seemed much farther away and was followed by a long series of echoes.

Skyle rose shakily to his feet, his hair in disarray as he glared up at the great bird. In turn, the indifferent beast pretended not to notice, once again remaining still as a rock upon its great perch. If Skyle hadn’t watched it almost squash him to death with a huge rock just moments ago, he could have sworn it was simply a statue, no more.

The indignant boy thought of shaking a furious fist towards the beast, but he decided not to push his luck. As it was, he was fortunate to still be alive, let alone the fact that he stood unwounded. What was even more important, he was well aware that had he not been abducted by this great beast, he would have never met Ria. This, he decided, would have been unacceptable, and he was willing to put up with any number of crushing rocks casually tossed from above if that’s what it took.

Birdy did not seem to share any of Skyle’s reservations, letting out cries of delight as it bowled over Skyle once more and rushed towards the spot where the rock had landed. Skyle grumbled under his breath, his hand unconsciously reaching for a stick before he stopped himself, and instead settled for standing up and dusting himself off. Still, the young boy decided he might as well have some choice words with Birdy, since he did not dare to do the same with its mother. Turning in its direction, Skyle was startled to find Birdy had vanished from sight.

Drawing closer, he followed Birdy’s enthusiastic trills until he discovered the place where the rock had fallen. There he found a great, gaping hole right in the middle of all the branches and twigs that made up the bottom of the nest. Under it lay a layer of rock that had been deceptively thin, now cracked and sporting a gaping hole twice as big as the rock the great bird had sent plunging down.

Inside the hole, Skyle could see flashes of light but other shapes were difficult to make out due to the contrast between the sunlight bouncing from his eyes and the deep shadows below. Though reluctant at first, Skyle thought that anywhere Birdy could go shouldn’t be too dangerous, and the trilling was still continuing to echo out from the hole below Skyle.

Taking a deep breath, Skyle stared into the darkness for a few moments as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light. Grateful that another side effect of gaining the True Sight included exceptional night vision, Skyle’s vision gradually cleared up until he could easily see into the gloom. Still, he blinked for a few moments and even rubbed his eyes in order to confirm what he was seeing.

Just inside the hole, Skyle could see a snaking wall that nearly blinded him now that he was used to low light vision. He had expected rock or mud, but instead he found it was made from crystals. Countless multi-faceted gems glittered under his gaze, reflecting what little light was available until his head began to spin. Staring in wonder, Skyle carefully climbed down the hole, and had to catch himself with a hand against the wall as he almost slid on the slippery surface. Underneath his feet, more crystals crunched wetly, and though the footing was slightly precarious, there was a winding pathway made entirely of more crystals that wound its way down in a spiral, with a circular space in the middle. Skyle had to assume that’s where the rock had fallen.

Upon closer inspection, Skyle realized these crystals were different from the ones he’d taken from the magical beasts’ bodies. Whereas those were all different in proportion and structure, the thousands of crystals lining the sides of the walls and floor were all uniform in both color and shape. They rose in great waves all along the walls as far down as Skyle could see, each shining brightly in his vision with an inner spark Skyle had not been able to distinguish before. He briefly considered using the True Sight, but decided against it. After having his brain almost burned away just by looking at Ria, he did not need another fireworks display going off in his head.

Just a few more feet further down the ramp, Skyle saw a frantic Birdy busily pecking away at the crystals on the walls. Already, its cheeks were bulging with its skin distorted by the shape of the dozens of crystals stuffed inside its mouth. As he continued watching in mute stupefaction, Birdy finally seemed to decide it had harvested enough, and pushed past Skyle in a great rush, hardly sparing a backward glance. It rushed off and out of the hole before Skyle could even utter a sound, looking as excited and panicked as though it had pulled off a daring heist.

“Just what is this place?” Skyle murmured, his mind still reeling.

Extending his hand, Skyle felt the cool touch of the crystals but was startled by a surprising moistness on his skin. Drawing his hand back, he rubbed his fingers together and stared as his skin began to glow faintly in the dark, accompanied by a tingling feeling. Skyle reached out once again to lay his fingers on the crystal, and when he took his hand away, he could distinguish a faintly glowing handprint upon the wall. Within moments, this spot condensed a drop of glowing liquid that grew until it finally slid down the surface of the crystal, then fell towards the floor. It didn’t stop there, but rather kept rolling towards the center of the shaft.

Skyle followed the droplet with rapt attention as it trickled down until it hung on the very end of the ledge. This gave Skyle time to carefully crane his head toward the center, giving him a perfect view of the moment this glowing drop finally detached itself and fell into the air. Incredibly, the mysterious drop of shimmering liquid seemed to defy gravity as instead of plunging downward, it airily drifted sideways through the air as though it were a feather stirred by an invisible wind. Skyle’s incredible vision was able to track this drop as it floated towards the center of the shaft, where it hit a surface that the boy hadn't noticed until now. As the drop touched upon a structure at the center of the shaft, a shimmering glow was released. There, it seemed to merge into what Skyle now realized were countless other streams  that pulsed with a similar faint brilliance. All these ropes of light snaked down the surface of the structure, and as Skyle's eyes finally stopped focusing on that one final drop and took a step back to identify this massive shape, the breath Skyle had been holding became stuck in his throat with a silent gasp as his eyes went wide in recognition.

It was a woman. Or rather, it was the statue of a woman. Only, no woman could ever hope to match such sublime  beauty. Each detail of the statue was carved with flawless strokes that Skyle would have never believed were possible. From each strand of hair so lifelike Skyle could almost imagine running his finger across each individual fiber, to the graceful robe that covered each of her perfect curves, the boy's heart began hammering uncontrollably at the peerless craftsmanship, and beyond that, the perfection of this woman that seemed to transcent anything he had believed possible. This feeling was strangely familiar, and Skyle was instantly sure it was nothing as base and common as excitement or lust. No, the heart-aching throb that seemed to fill his heart to bursting at the moment could only be described as deep, unalloyed awe. It was, Skyle realized, the same feeling he got when he stood at the feet of a majestic mountain and gazed at its peak soaring past clouds that seemed forever out of his reach. Or when he witnessed the first rays of dawn burning through the morning mists and breathing life and warmth into a new day. This feeling, it was the same grand reverence one felt towards a force of nature, a law of the world.

"To a God.." Skyle finally let out the breath he had been withholding, and with it came a strange calm that surprised him all the more because of the incredible sight before him. This was an unexpected sense of peace, and with it came a faint aftertaste of sorrow.

Indeed, as Skyle's eyes continued to drink in the sight before him, his racing heart swiftly calmed down as though influenced by an aura he could not fully distinguish. All he knew, as his eyes traced the contours of the statue suspended in the middle of the shaft, was that this could not be any ordinary place.

The statue of the mysterious goddess, for there was no longer any doubt in Skyle's heart that this could be no mere mortal, hung suspended in the air as countless drops of shimmering liquid gravitated towards it. After merging into its surface, they ran down in rivulets that merged into two final points. These, Skyle realized with a start, were the goddess' eyes.

The goddess was crying.

One by one, endless drops swirled deep within the goddess' eyes before falling into the void below in a continuous stream. With one hand outstreteched down over her head, her pose as well as her demeanor depicted her as a celestial desperately reaching down from heaven, perhaps towards her worshippers below. Her expression was one of both deep benevolence and even deeper sorrow. They tugged at Skyle's own heartstrings until he too felt tears slowly pooling in his own eyes.

Self-consciously wiping the unexpected tears from his cheeks, Skyle forcefully tore his gaze away from the statue of the goddess to follow the endless stream of tears that fell from her eyes.

They sparkled beautifully even within the deep gloom of the shaft, falling for a long time before reaching the bottom with a silent splash, sending a brief glow upon the surface of a circular pond that quickly grew dark once more.

For a long moment, Skyle stood there with dozens of questions firing off in his head in quick succession. Finally, and careful not to look anywhere near the statue of the goddess, he decided to cautiously open the True Sight to investigate the shaft.

Instantly, Skyle was nearly overwhelmed by the shower of colors that assaulted his senses. Thankfully, he had been somewhat prepared this time, and after blinking a few times, Skyle composed himself enough that he was able to examine the sight set before him.

Bright, pulsing veins of elemental essence ran in a maddeningly complex series of forking branches all across the walls surrounding him. It seemed as though at the end of each vein lay a crystal, constantly feeding itself from the light given off by these streams. Each crystal, in turn, continuously condensed all the essence into a central focus point. Upon this spot a small droplet slowly began to take shape, all the while glowing with increasing intensity. Finally, a single drop rolled down the surface of each crystal, and floated up in the direction of the goddess' statue. In stark contrast to these floating drops of liquid, at the very center of the shaft a constant flow of teardrops blazed with blinding brilliance as they fell to the bottom.

There were the goddess' tears, which burned in Skyle's vision as though they were each an incandescent star made of pure elemental essence, Skyle was suddenly thunderstruck as he recalled Fierro Latimus’ final words.

“Go..Shrine.. Of Tears..”

He had finally found it, thanks to sheer, dumb luck.

He had found the Shrine of Tears.

He had found his way home.