Light from an unknown source bathed the Imperial Jewel, giving it a holy and divine appearance as the glimmers and sparks shone like stars along its smooth surface. Oscar was still speechless, staring at the Imperial Jewel. Of all places, the essential component for Greater Marshal Exalts to ascend to the ranks of Kings was stored here, resting within a small, unassuming realm. He reached out with the utmost care, the sort of care a bird would show its newborn chick, and retrieved the Imperial Jewel off the pedestal.
The gem was light, but Oscar felt no amount of force he could summon had the means to break it. Within the gem, Ein rippled and waved around in a misty form, ethereal and beautiful. From what he knew, all Greater Marshal Exalts at the peak of their realm needed the Imperial Jewel. No amount of elixirs, natural treasures, and other means provided the pathway to King Exalt. Only the precious Imperial Jewel granted that.
As he gazed into the Imperial Jewel, Oscar smiled and wrapped it in clean cloth before storing it in his space pocket. He entertained the idea of keeping it for himself, but there was another who was more suitable for it. His master, Draven, was one of the peak Greater Marshal Exalts, and as a good student, he felt compelled in duty and respect to gift it to his master. Oscar heaved a sigh of relief at seeing nothing happening after he took away the most precious treasure.
'Whoever set this up intended for the person who entered to gain a path to Kingship.' Oscar shifted his focus, gazing deeply at the ten space pockets spaced evenly in a circle. Grinning at the prospect of more great treasures, he inspected one and was utterly dumbfounded, thunderstruck as his mind rumbled. Inside the space pocket, a collection of finely refined elixirs floated around, veins of bright lightning coursing and crackling within the liquid. Great Ein, not as powerful as the Imperial Jewel but still impressive on its own, wafted out of the space pocket, and Oscar held back the drool, hungering from the enticing scent.
"These are…grade-three elixirs, chock full of lighting," Oscar murmured, holding one lightning-filled vial close to his eyes, a thread away from his nose. These elixirs were well-suited for Greater Knight Exalts at the point of advancement. For a Greater Knight Exalt to advance to the Marshal Exalt realm, they required a dense font of Ein based on their elemental spark. Records indicated special places existed, such as an underground pool of magma, a dead cloud of lightning, and others where people traveled to make their bid for Marshal Exalt. In other ways, they required specially gathered ingredients to craft elixirs that replicated the natural phenomena.
"There's so many. It's enough for two people to try advancing." Oscar stopped gawking in awe but remembered there were nine other space pockets. Shuddering, he turned his head slowly, creaking his neck, away from the lightning elixirs to the other unassuming black orbs. His hand trembled and grabbed the second space pocket, his breathing growing more rushed as a red flush of excitement overwhelmed and heated his face. "It can't be."
But it was! Oscar leaned on Erden for support, ignoring his friend's scoff. This space pocket contained many vials of wood element elixirs for advancement to Marshal Exalt. The other space pockets contained similar vials of other elements: water, fire, earth, metal, the rare space element, the elusive time element, darkness, and light. All ten elements were here and accounted for. Still, it unnerved him to witness all of it. Beads of sweat flowed endlessly down his hair.
"It's natural to be afraid, Oscar. What sort of power can leave an Imperial Jewel as well as have elixirs of all ten elements, including the rare space and time elements here? I'm also quite frightened." Erden's fur stood on its ends. The implications of this place made both feel like they were mere ants.
Oscar wondered if he had made a mistake. The divine people who created this place were not to be trifled with. Would taking their stuff be a wise move? Oscar grimaced, feeling uneasy for the future. This act may place him at odds against the divine people. He eased his tense shoulders and exhaled deeply, rhythmically bringing his body and heart to a calm state.
"Metures and the Ancients are our only option now. Well, that's not too bad, I guess." Oscar moved the vials from their space pockets into his, but for the elements of fire, metal, and forest, he stored half of each in his dimensional cube for safekeeping. A smile curled across his face. "One for you, me, and Avril. We're making too many potential enemies at this rate, so we must be stronger."
"Agreed. Then, are we done here?" Erden nodded.
"Yes, let's leave fast. I can't feel anything outside this room." For the entire time in this strange place, no sounds or Ein could be heard or felt. This room seemed to be separated from the rest of the palace somehow, presumably by a barrier.
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Oscar placed the necklace back into the dimensional cube, which Erden swallowed to hide in his stomach, and took away the space pockets. Slamming his feet on the hard stone floor, he hastened toward the door of light and Ein and stopped right before it. Turning back, he glanced over the engravings of the divine people and the Ancients, a history never recorded in the pages of a book, and paused his gaze on the pedestal.
Whoever created this place did so to ensure at least a pathway to King Exalt for the person it was meant for. No other reason existed to justify the elixirs of all ten elements and an Imperial Jewel being here. Oscar didn't want to think about it. To do all this for one person was outrageous for any faction to pull off, but it showed him how these rare and precious treasures might be mere goods to the divine people. Turning back around, Oscar stepped through the door of light, concerned for the future.
'I'll need to investigate Gilbert. He's most likely the one who was supposed to find this place.' Oscar clenched his hands, finding himself back in the Lighthouse. Brigg was dead for only a short moment, but already, his skin was blue, and his hair became icy white. A loud crack caught his attention. His one remaining blue antler from the Guise was beginning to fall apart, fragments falling to shatter on the icy floor, quite a dangerous sign.
"Erden!" Oscar mounted Erden and flew through the palace halls, remembering his route from the courtyard. Erden's antler wings blazed in red fire, bursting in waves from each swing. Out of nowhere, a chunk of the ceiling fell down. The walls tremored, no, the entire palace was shaking. Erden roared and increased the intensity of his flames, reaching the limits of his speed. Still, the cracks along the walls, floor, and ceiling swept past them, and the structure began to collapse, pillars toppling over, walls crumbling down, and ceiling falling straight down.
Sharing their vision, Oscar and Erden navigated a course through the chaotic destruction. Did the palace have a self-destruct function that activated after he stole away the treasures? These divine people sure were thorough. Zipping past the last clutter of rubble, he flew out into the open air, hovering over a blanket of white snow.
"Os!" Fred shouted, waiting for him by the portal, waving his hand over in a rush, shouting his name again. His friend seemed wounded, a pale face unable to mask the pain he certainly was feeling. "Hurry up! The rest of us are out! Charles and the others can't hold on for much longer!"
"You really stayed, you idiot!" Arriving by the portal, he grabbed Fred by the arm and rushed out through the portal. Soon after, Charles, Robert, Elizabeth, and Suen joined them, not far behind in the spatial domain. Their fur cloaks were shredded, barely clinging to their bodies. Blood had frozen over their skin, and their Ein Shroud was flickering like dying embers.
The dark void of the spatial domain disappeared, replaced by snowy mountains and the great arches over the portal. However, screams and roars burst in his ears, followed by cannon fire exploding and thunderous lightning clapping along the slopes. He landed smack in the middle of a fierce battle. Warships from each side fired ceaselessly as the soldiers in the air and ground charged valiantly into one another.
"Os. You don't have much time." Fred noticed his flimsy, cracked antler. "We need to get out of here. Come on!" He tugged on Erden's antlers and pulled into the air, creating a wind barrier to deter any projectiles. But, a hostile group of Earth Core Academy Knight Exalts stood between them and the ships.
"Fred. Let's fight." Oscar growled and summoned fire to his side.
"Damnit. Always the same." Fred raised his twin blades.
They charged together straight into the crowd of Knight Exalts.
…….
In a land under a single sun, stunning yellow light enveloping the fields of blue flowers, a melody caressed the winds and rode along, blooming every flower it glanced upon, and they danced to the sonorous voice that followed after. On a white chair, a beautiful woman hummed, her bright red lips closed into a faint smile, one that would enchant any who would stare at her. Her hands moved slowly, her delicate fingers plucking the strings of the harp beside her.
She sighed and stopped strumming. Her bright blue hair swayed slightly to the wind, held into place by star-shaped hairpins. Deep ocean-blue eyes rested on her beautiful face as if a master sculpted it from the purest white marble. She stretched her hands up, her light green dress hanging loosely down to her feet.
"Hah…it's been over four thousand years. I wonder if he's still alive…Isaac." The woman glanced down at her hands. She bit her delicate lips to the point of bleeding as her eyes trembled. She deeply regretted leaving her beloved but had no power over the family. At least, not yet. Her gaze sharpened, determination shining in her pupils.
"Aunt Evelyn!" A shout came from behind. It came from another woman who had the same blue hair and blue eyes, but her smile was more mischievous, a cheeky look in her eyes. Her blue hair was tied into six ends, held together by golden rings, and her face and stature were smaller.
"What is it, Charisse? More requests from the family? Tell them I'm not interested." Evelyn scoffed but rubbed Charisse's head. Her niece was the only one who she liked.
"No! The Lighthouse has been opened. The family is excited." Charisee gleamed, an excitement flushing her face.
"More of their schemes? I wonder how many times they'll try. None have succeeded so far." Evelyn lost interest and went back to playing the harp.
"Didn't they fail thousands of years ago because you went against their wishes and married someone else?" Charisee said innocently.
Evelyn closed her eyes and smiled fondly at memories of the quirky man who stole her heart. "You wouldn't understand."