Traversing the crystal fields once more put Derzina at ease, she was more familiar with them now and they seemed almost pleasant compared to the streets of Merstaneon. Dangerous as the creatures attracted by the freely available magic were, it was a peaceful enough journey so long as she remained at a distance from them and kept her wits about her. Though she did keep a careful watch on the colours of the crystal to ensure the invisible colour-eaters didn’t take her by surprise. To her relief, the colours along her path were vibrant and showed no signs of fading.

“Did you ever visit a land as strange and magical as this during your time on Oelindrey?” Derzina asked, speaking inward.

“None where so much magic leaked out into the world, though it does remind me of Estalius’ garden to an extent.” Atasimon’s tone grew wistful, tinged with both sorrow and joy. “He filled it with a staggering variety of beautiful plants and flowers, many of them his own original creations. I recall there being several pools of reflective water near the centre, where the plants were densest, and you could see all the colours of the garden reflected within them.”

“I would love to have seen it, though I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of Estalius.”

“He was not much of one for public appearances. Regrettably he and his garden were both lost long before your time. I passed many afternoons there when my travels brought me to his doorstep. At least until the war came, then there was no time for such indulgences.”

Derzina could only guess at the tragedies that had befallen Atasimon during her long life. She imagined that the fall of Ortesia and the city named for her, terrible as they had been, were not even the worst things Atasimon had faced. That single event had almost broken Derzina, yet the goddess had suffered so much more and kept on fighting. Derzina doubted she could ever be that strong, but she found the example encouraging. If the goddess could do all that, then she could do her duty and put an end to Meztraxia.

“Were there ever times during the war when you just didn’t know what to do?” Derzina asked. “When things seemed completely out of your control?”

“Oh, all the time, especially towards the end. Why do you think we ever agreed to the wizards’ plan? But you learn to get used to it, you have to.”

Derzina nodded. It seemed she still had a lot to learn, as she didn’t feel the least bit used to any of this. She doubted she ever would be, that sort of fortitude was surely beyond mortals. Still, there was no use fretting over it. One way or another, her task would come to an end soon. All she could do was try her utmost and hope it worked out in the end. At least she could look forward to leaving the Great Rift and the crystals behind.

Clinging to that thought inspired her to yet greater speeds as she traversed the broken landscape, running around the wider rifts and leaping over the smaller ones. Focused on the physical challenges of the journey as well as staying alert, she was almost able to forget what lay ahead. Yet no matter what she did, some shadow of it remained with her always. It was hardly surprising; she probably wouldn’t be free of trepidation until the day she died.

“Did you have anything you desired from the future?” Derzina asked. “Before the demons invaded, I mean.” Such a calamity would surely have disrupted almost anyone’s plans. Before Derzina’s city fell, she’d planned to be a Paladin one day. That had been the extent of her hopes and dreams for what was to come.

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“I believe my foremost concerns were with my children, though I struggle to remember any of the details after what happened during the battle.”

“Oh, my apologies. I didn’t mean to dredge up painful memories.” Or the lack thereof, the goddess’ fragmented memory sounded maddening. As much as their fate saddened her, remembering her family helped Derzina to maintain her resolve. They, more than Ortesia or her former city, were what she was fighting for. She regretted being too caught up in her training to spend more time with them, but there was nothing for it now. The only way she could make up for the past was to avenge them. “Was there anything else you wanted to do?”

“Beyond my family, I was mostly concerned with travel and petty intrigue amongst the gods. However, none of that was important then, and it’s certainly not important now; I have no desire for either of things anymore. There’s no where in this blighted world that I want to go and the gods have far more important things to worry about than silly squabbles.” The goddess sighed. “Had we set them aside long before the invasion and worked together, perhaps this terrible calamity could have been avoided.”

“I’m sure you all did what you could to protect Oelindrey.” Hollow words, given that the war happened long before Derzina was born but she wished to believe in the gods, especially Atasimon. There was precious little else to believe in now.

“I wish I was nearly so confident in that as you are.”

Hoping to raise the goddess’ evidently low spirits, Derzina changed to a topic she hoped would be at least be amusing. “You know, horrible as it was, Merstaneon was somewhat of a funny place. Full as it was of Mortisflor’s followers and their bizarre devotion. Despite all the time we spent there, it still doesn’t quite feel real.”

“Indeed. I found myself wondering at times if we weren’t afflicted by some form of illusion magic, despite knowing that couldn’t possibly be the case. It seemed a more reasonable explanation than the city and its people being real.”

“Hopefully we’ll never have to go back there again,” Derzina said, relieved that she’d been successful in distracting the goddess from her tragic past.

“Indeed. Her citizens were somewhat bearable, but I never wish to meet Mortisflor ever again, unless it is to slay her. She disgraces the memory of Oelindrey and all those who fought against the demons, especially the gods who fell in battle against the Demon King.”

“I didn’t realise you felt quite so strongly about it.” Though it was hardly surprising, Mortisflor was an abomination onto the world.

“I tried not to let my feelings influence me too much while we were there, our work was too important. As appalling a creature as Mortisflor has become, she seems content to seal herself away in the Great Rift.”

“What about all the people who live in the city under her rule? Do you not wish to liberate them from her influence?”

“I do, and were it within my power I would gladly do so. Though even if we were to depose Mortisflor, I doubt they would ever return to normal. They have likely been twisted beyond recognition by the very nature of their home and she who rules it.”

During her time among Merstaneon’s inhabitants, Derzina had developed a small measure of sympathy for them, and Atasimon’s insights were painful to hear. If there was any chance of saving them, then Derzina wanted to do so one day. After deciding that, she realised she now had something of a goal beyond defeating Meztraxia. It wasn’t much, but it made her feel a little more alive.

She continued to run all day and night, following the vague directions provided to her until the towering walls of a city came into view. They were of a more elegant, sweeping nature than those of her home, and much of the stone was decorated with simple designs of green and gold. Impressive as the walls were, Derzina’s attention was immediately drawn to the tower that stood beside them.