14/07/337

Audra

The sky began to darken as night fell over the world, though it was dark at least the rain had stopped. Still Erefus continued onward towards the rendezvous point.

“I feel something near Vasuki.” Faust claimed. Audra’s heart dropped.

“What do you feel?” She asked, terrified of what that means.

“It feels like Felix. Boreal would be able to handle him, but Vasuki? I think not.” Faust explained.

“Is he okay?”

“Alive? Yes. Okay? I can not be certain. Though he does feel like Boreal, the texture of his presence is not the same.”

“Same taste, different texture? That’s how you’re trying to explain it?” Audra asked.

“Precisely.”

“That’s…weird.” Audra considered telling Cabana, but she’d want to go back, and farther away from where they need to be.

Erefus came to a stop against the shoreline.

“Your ride is over, I know you enjoyed it much more than me. Consider it an honor from yours truly.” Erefus said, as his body shifted to be lop-sided, forcing both of his passengers to slide off.

“Thanks for the warning before you did that.” Audra claimed.

“You’re very welcome.” Erefus retorted, changing to the size of the average wolf before striding past them.

Even with her contract to him, Faust was still invisible in the ocean of darkness in front of them. The only thing that kept him from being truly invisible to even her eyes was the girl laying on his back.

“Helloooo!” Liz yelled out, waving at them from the middle of the sea.

“Should I launch her?” Faust asked.

“Let her be, she’s on our side.” Audra reasoned.

“She’s immortal, it’d be funny and you know it.” Audra rolled her eyes and gave a small laugh, as he quickly brought her to the shore.

“Erefus. It’s great to see you again, boy.” She greeted, getting on her knees and wrapping him in a hug.

Liz stood up and held her hand out.

“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced just yet. I am Liz Agano, Zadkiel’s sister…unfortunately. And the sole survivor of the Southern Isle Massacre from his hands.” Audra shook her hand.

“Audra Sandalious, from Kiaveen.”

“And I’m Cabana Esen.”

“Cabana Esen, the most recently retired Amethyst? It’s nice to know we’re in the middle of this mess with a legend.” Liz complimented, “Makes me ease up a little.” Cabana looked away from the summoner.

“Don’t put me on a pedestal. I might’ve met my match.” She said rubbing where her arm had once been, “With Faust and Erefus here are we going to be safe for a while?” Liz nodded her head.

“Erefus told me they can hold off the weaker demons, what’s up?”

“We need to rest, whatever that thing was that we fought was enough to exhaust us. And Aura doesn’t have a weapon anymore.” Cabana explained. Audra nodded.

“If we’re going to be heading into Larkinge, with who knows what inside the city, it would be best if we at least got a bit of rest.” Liz snapped her fingers.

“Erefus, you think you can go hunt down some food?” She asked. Erefus snorted, “Is that an attempt at a joke?” He said, a small smirk forming on his canine face. It gave Audra an odd feeling from the appearance of him smiling, it was almost human-like.

They spoke about how Liz and Erefus had come to be together, how Zadkiel had caused the massacre of the southern isle, and her time in the prison under Daemerall before Vasuki got her out. Up until Erefus returned and began to skin and cook the deer he had captured.

“You must have went through unimaginable pain.” Audra commented, “I’m glad that Vasuki was able to get you out.” Liz nodded playfully.

“Especially with Awls coming out like that! I wonder how long it’d take for me to heal from that blast of energy!” Faust lowered his head next to them.

“On the subject of Vasuki. I felt Felix near him not long before we reunited.” Cabana stood up in panic.

“Ease your mind, he is alive. But now I seem to feel both of them in Larkinge, as well as Zadkiel. I don’t feel anything else other than them and demons. I doubt many people there are still part of the living, if any at all.” Audra furrowed her brow.

“Guess this time we’ll be saving him, I still owe him a nice hit in the jaw for almost killing me.” Erefus chuckled.

“The bigger threat is that Phoenix.” He claimed, “He’s more than meets the eye.”

Erefus sat up, his fur was beginning to rise.

“I was not created by Runahera, if my power were to be restored I would be equals with the Destroyer himself.” A dark chill seemed to be swirling from him until Liz began to rest her hand on the back of his neck.

“Want me to tell this story?” He shook his head.

“My true creator is Zaurah himself. Back when he caused chaos simply as his job I stood by him. I was his creation and saw him and Awls begin to grow closer. When he revealed his intentions to her and by extension the other ancients I turned my back on him and was punished heavily for it. As for why he didn’t destroy me when he had the chance? I am unsure.” Audra watched Erefus’ appearance a bit more. Looking through him with her true sight she could see symbols crawling through his fur, a creature seemed to call out to her, as if beckoning her forth. A face full of black and white lines reached out to her. She backed away and the vision faded to normalcy.

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Everyone eyed her with confusion.

“You okay, Aud?” Liz asked.

“Erefus…your soul…what is it?” Audra asked. He let out a guttural laugh.

“Peered at my soul did you? That creature you saw was most likely a beast of the Rift. I pray none of you have to meet one in person.” Audra could feel a chill run up her spine. She had seen one of those in the mirror in Daemerall, what was the meaning of that?

“Now, as for the battle coming. You two will need to help Vasuki with Felix.” Cabana leaned forward.

“Why can’t you help us?”

“I got this one!” Liz called out, interrupting Erefus before he could speak, “He can’t help because of Felix’s heritage. Him being a Phoenix Variant makes him able to incapacitate Erefus with a flick of his wrist. If I fought him with Erefus I’d be down to using just my hands and feet.” Liz theorized, “Am I right?” She asked Erefus excitedly. He looked at her almost annoyed.

“Something of the sort, yes.”

Once they finished their meal, Audra sat in front of the fire while everyone tried to sleep as much as they possibly could before they finally confronted their enemy.

“Are you alright?” Faust asked.

“Yeah, just…what’s the word I’m looking for?” Audra asked.

“Scared? Anxious? Overwhelmed?” Audra nodded.

“Yeah…any advice?”

“I think you know who to talk to.” Faust mentioned. Audra let a small huff from her nose.

“Yeah. You got a point.” She focused on herself, the feeling she got when Lusalene took her into the lake, she focused on the tree, the lake itself, her reflection, the sunset in Lusalene’s eyes. She barely registered her transfer over, only when arms wrapped around her did she realize she had appeared in the mirror-lake.

“Took your time.” Lusalene claimed, her voice warm and pleasant.

“Sorry about that.” Audra replied, pulling her Ascender into the hug, “I got caught up in a lot of trouble since The Storm started.” They both gave a sad laugh as they separated.

Audra didn’t need to tell her what she was here for, they both already knew.

“So, you get tainted by Runahera himself, get taken over after he corrupts me, releases the storm, fight whatever the fuck that thing was. Now you need a weapon.” Lusalene claimed, her arms crossed “Am I on point?” She asked, rhetorically and leaning towards her Ascendee, eyebrows raised knowingly.

“You always are. I need to finish my Ascension, there’s no way we can beat Felix without me doing this.” Lusalene chuckled.

“You are always late to the punch, aren’t ya?” She snapped her fingers, and in the blink of an eye the mist cleared up, a lush garden surrounded the lake on all sides. The tree that stood in the middle of the lake flourished with bright green leaves.

A warm wind swept across them. Audra could see the purple tint in her eyes yet stared directly at the color of the sunset in Lusalene’s. They both raised their right hand in tandem, a mixture of golden and red lights rained down into Lusalene’s hand, while the water from the lake raised itself into her hand. When they flexed their hands their own saber appeared in their hand. Lusalene’s was as golden as the light she shed, Audra’s saber held a tainted purple hue as the sunlight hit her blade, the same shade of blue as waves upon the shore. Art of the same scales on her arm rode the first-third of the flat sides of her saber. The golden handguard fit nicely around her hand, tight but she had enough room to reposition her fingers nicely around the depths of the blue leather that wrapped itself around the handle.

The blade sang to her, and with a single swing a shockwave rode out of her blade, a powerful melody of magic shrieking out in a synchronized chorus as a blast of water left waves crashing against her calves.

“Seems Keen Piercer rubbed off on you.” Lusalene mentioned, swinging her blade to no effect, “Kind of jealous, that’s pretty badass.”

“Thank you Lusalene. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Thank me by beating Felix’s ass!” Lusalene demanded, “And by giving me a small taste of what you can really do.” She held her blade out towards Audra.

Audra took the first strike, a screaming chorus released from her blade against Lusalene’s torso. She caught her footing in the shallow lake, Audra was on her as quick as she could carry herself. Their blades connected, a vibration of power shook Lusalene’s blade with each swing that struck together. Each swing sent a blast of air in the water, forcing it to splash against them.

“Fuck me! Keen Piercer must really like you.” Lusalene said a small strain in her voice, kicking Audra’s stomach. She tossed her blade up and caught it with her other hand, then began to ball her hand into a fist before releasing it.

“All that vibration was making my hand go numb. And your strength is so much more than I could have imagined it would be.” She looked directly into Audra’s eyes with a smile on her face.

“I couldn’t have done it without such a helpful Ascender.” Audra claimed. Lusalene let out a small laugh holding her hand out, ready to snap her fingers.

“No matter what happens tomorrow, whether you come out the victor and the vanquished, I’m proud of you Audra. I will make sure each swing of your blade is just as sharp as the last. Kick his ass.” She snapped her fingers and she found herself sitting in front of the remnants of the campfire they had made the night before.

She looked ahead, dark clouds covering the sky, keeping it hidden from the sun’s grace. She reached out and felt the water come alive in her hands before solidifying into metal, her Ascension had reached the final step that Lusalene could give to her. She could see Lusalene’s reflection in the blade.

“It seems the garden has gotten a little out of control.” Lusalene claimed.

“How shall we deal with this, Cursed Knight, Audra?” Faust asked.

“Let’s cut it by the root.”