Their footsteps echoed more prominently as they reached the opening to the chamber with the altar. Light from up ahead flooded their vision. And the power being drawn to this chamber could be felt moving by every one of them.
Some of them had been here before so this was a familiar feeling. Some hadn’t liked Abigail or Frederek so they likely found this sensation strange. He just hoped that whatever happened today, that they would never need to return here.
This will be the last time we step foot in this place if I have anything to do with it.
He stepped into the light being exuded off the many protruding arcane roots that ran all across the wall, ceiling, and ground below. At the center of this chamber, was the woman lying flatly on top of the altar with her mother standing beside it.
Evelyn stood at the ready between them and the altar. With both hands wrapped purposely around the hilt of her sword and the tip of the sword on the ground, she looked as ready as ever to attack them once more. For now, at least, she remained unmoving with her face hidden by the helmet she wore.
The six of them stood beside each other prepared for further conflict. He wondered who would strike first. Would it be them or her?
Before he would receive an answer, Lady Meredith chose to cut through the silence. “You all must be so eager to finish what you’ve come here to do.” She spoke with her back turned to them. With an unyielding gaze fixated on her sleeping daughter, she had little interest in looking them in the eyes. “I’ve never witnessed such persistence before in regards to an undying desire to murder an innocent life.”
“You may twist or interpret our intentions all you like,” Yorais responded, “but we have come to restore order to this domain. Your flagrant disregard for all others except her is done so in error.”
“A mother’s duty is solely to her offspring.” She turned around revealing the pained look on her face. “You would have me deny my sole purpose in living to ensure she can have a future.”
“She has no future,” Aphelia said. “Her future died years ago. You’re only prolonging her suffering.” Aphelia stepped forward crossing one arm over her heart. “This is no life for her. To force her to remain here like so is truly reprehensible. Her body is broken. It cannot be healed as proof alone of her inability to awaken or improve after all of these years. Please, just end this already for not just our sake but hers as well.”
The shadows within the lines of Lady Meredith’s face became more noticeable. “His betrayal, I can understand. I can even understand Bridella’s betrayal. Yours, however, I cannot. I suppose it makes sense. You are not truly my child. You are an aberration, or rather, an anomaly. Your existence is not in accordance with the laws of reality. So I suppose considering what you are, I cannot hold it against you as much as I would like. Nor can I, as I suspect, expect any of you to understand a mother’s unyielding devotion to her offspring as I imagine none of you have had children yourselves. Am I wrong in my assumption?”
Their silence answered her question. Although, at least for Kiran, he couldn’t say one way or the other. Since he didn’t fully recall his past, for all he knew, he had children from his previous life but simply couldn’t remember currently.
“I cannot reasonably expect those who have not had children to fully understand. I am willing to do just about anything to ensure she lives. That is my responsibility as not just her mother, but as someone with the responsibility to ensure our family lineage continues.”
He could understand a mother’s devotion to their children. It was a noble and truly good thing to pursue and have. However, this situation was not something at all reasonable. This was taking something good and twisting it into something evil. It was a complete bastardization of an otherwise good concept.
There was also the fact that she had another child. Alanora was not her only offspring so that made her justification for continuing the Duvaugn lineage a bit shallow.
“You’re a truly wretched old thing,” Abigail pronounced. “I question whether you believe a single word you’ve said to us. I would actually have a little more respect for you if you just came out and said why you’re truly doing all of this.”
“What exactly are you implying?”
“I’m implying that your true intent goes much further. You like the power that these conditions provide to you, don’t you? You have nearly every lord and lady beneath your thumb. Without you, they will die. You’re their sole reason for living since you’re responsible for them receiving the resources they need to persist in this inhospitable environment. Why if that weren’t the case, you would’ve long ago given them your stash of arcane roots that you’re clearly intent on monopolizing for yourself.”
“If any of what you just said were true, I would’ve never given Lucias those arcane roots to ensure he and his people could survive. You may think whatever you want of me, but I am not doing this out of a desire for control. I simply wish for my daughter to be made whole again.”
Abigail’s line of thinking made a lot of sense. But at the same time, he didn’t get the feeling that Lady Meredith was operating purely from an angle of power and control. Her entire purpose did come across as someone desperate to cling to someone dear to them. That was just his feeling about it. At the end of the day, it was possible Abigail was right. It was hard to know what truly lived within a person’s body and soul. That was even true for those like Lady Meredith.
Sometimes lies are more accepted by the person perpetuating them rather than the ones listening.
“My lady,” Evelyn said. “Let me finish this for good. They will never listen nor leave things be. We can only solve this with their deaths. Including hers.” She pointed towards Aphelia who likely felt immense turmoil within.
“Let it be done,” Lady Meredith said softly.
Evelyn knew that she would likely struggle to actually defeat them since she clearly struggled earlier. Unlike the previous time before, she had an additional source of power to draw from. She grasped onto a long protruding arcane root with a gauntleted hand.
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Power surged through her armor. The geometrical lines etched onto its surfaces glowed brightly turning from a light blue to pure white.
“Let me handle her,” Aphelia stated approaching another arcane root. “This must be resolved by me, and me alone.”
“What?” Abigail said. “You’re insane. We’re not just going to let you fight her on your own.”
“No. I must defeat her myself.” She began to touch an arcane root just like her sister. She even went so far as to touch it barehanded.
“Yorais,” Frederek said quietly. “I thought touching an arcane root of this magnitude would kill anyone who touches it.”
“Neither Aphelia nor Evelyn are like us. They are themselves, a distortion or anomaly born from the root.”
Abigail’s mouth began to widen as air fled from her lungs. “Huh? What exactly do you mean?”
As they watched power surge through Aphelia and Evelyn, Yorais held up the arcane root she had been using. “What our ancestors never realized about these objects, is to what extent they can cause strange anomalies to occur. Small ones such as these seem to effect reality on a smaller scale if at all. However, that altar over there and these large arcane roots in here, are an entirely different story. Aphelia told me during our journey back to Valak in secret, that she is not truly born from the flesh of Meredith Duvaugn. She and her sister manifested one day from Alanora and that altar.”
“So they’re not sisters whatsoever?” Frederek asked.
“Precisely. All three of them may look alike, but they’re not truly related by blood. They merely have the appearance of the woman soundly asleep on that altar. If you wish to ask me why any of this is the case, I cannot answer that. Just know that much like this darkness, they are a result of this place and its interference with our reality.”
Aphelia’s hand found itself removed from the large arcane root. A sword made out of pure light manifested in her hand causing shadows to flee from every nearby object around her.
Evelyn pulled away from the root she became empowered from. Her sword grew in size and appeared practically weightless judging by how she moved with it in her hand.
“If they’re not related,” Kiran said, “why are they so passionate about Alanora?”
“She and that altar are their entire reason for being. I imagine that has something to do with it.”
Aphelia had kept this detail about herself a secret from him. He had no idea she wasn’t entirely flesh and blood like himself and the others. Nor was she a familiar either. What is she truly then? That at least explained why she unlike everyone else could use magic in this domain. It was still hard to fully wrap his mind around as he pondered all of the implications of this.
The two of them began to fight. Kiran was glad they were standing safely away from them. Either one of their swords would destroy their bodies beyond the norm.
“Shouldn’t we help her?” Abigail muttered aloud.
“You are so eager to fight, aren’t you Abigail?” Frederek said with a laugh.
“Hey now. This is serious business we’re dealing with here. We can’t just leave things to chance.”
“Don’t worry,” Yorais said. “I believe Aphelia has become resolute in her purpose to allow her a chance to win. And if I am to be honest, I’m not sure we could defeat Evelyn with just the five of us anyway. If Aphelia cannot defeat her, then we will die.”
“She’s that powerful now?” Lar said.
“Beings born from the root are unlike us mortals. The power they can wield is truly unfathomable. I questioned the veracity that such beings could even exist. But then she told me of what she was and how she came to be.”
“Why’d you not tell us this sooner?” Abigail said angrily. “That would’ve been especially useful to know, you know!”
“When someone tells me something that they want me to keep to myself, I try to keep my word. Someone like you ought to understand that considering your line of work.”
A sigh escaped Abigail’s mouth. “I suppose you got me there. But still…”
Their fighting continued. Neither of them appeared capable of landing a blow to end this fight of theirs. All he could do was stand in awe of the power the two of them were capable of wielding.
If he dared touch one of those large arcane roots, he’d perish. And yet here the two of them were, capable of doing it themselves and wielding enormous power that any other mortal would not ever achieve.
When both of their blades slammed harshly against each other, the ground beneath their feet began to break. Vibrations reached his own feet and even the arcane roots within this chamber began to dim a little.
Then suddenly, Evelyn’s blade shattered. Her body awkwardly moved to her left while Aphelia’s sword went into her helm.
Evelyn fell to the ground with the helmet broken completely apart. She summoned another sword defending herself as Aphelia kept her pinned to the ground.
“Let us put an end to this!” Aphelia yelled aloud.
“No!”
Evelyn managed to get back up and defend herself, but the rest of her armor began to take blow after blow after blow.
A shoulder piece shattered. Then bits of her breastplate. She began to go to her knees holding her sword up as Aphelia appeared ready to shatter it as well.
The sword broke apart allowing Aphelia the chance to finish her. However, she prevented the momentum from carrying it any further. The blade of light remained an inch above Evelyn who appeared worn down.
“You’ve gotten stronger,” she said.
“You gave me no choice,” Aphelia said. “You…y—”
A small knife-like object appeared in her hand instantaneously. She thrust it into Aphelia’s leg which was unprotected. She kicked Aphelia backward and took advantage of this moment lunging for a finishing blow.
The knife transformed into a hammer. She raised it above her head readying it to go right into Aphelia’s fallen body.
From the ground, Aphelia grabbed the sword of light that fell from her hands preparing to send it right through her chest.
However, right before either of them could try to end this once and for all, a blinding white light appeared within all of their vision.
Kiran covered his eyes finding it intolerable to look at. He tried to look through his fingers only to become further blinded. He closed his eyes hoping that the brightness would fade away. It remained there for a while still, until it too disappeared.
He opened his eyes and pulled his hand away from his face to witness what had produced it.
There between both Aphelia and Evelyn, was the butterfly that hadn’t shown itself to him for quite some time.