"Terro, you know you can't REALLY end a soul or a spirit, right? You can only help them pass, and neither of us have the ritual capabilities to deal with that."
"When do I ever go in half-cocked with no plan?! I showed you what I got specifically for this!"
The Pale One's palm met his head, "First off, always... second, I know, I just don't know if they will actually forgive you. That's how this works, right? You have to bind one of their souls into that sphere along with yours, and then once you're forgiven, they travel alongside you?"
Terro just stared at the sphere; he didn't need to respond. And they went off.
The entrance of the cave, not that it bothered either of them, but the humidity was literally dripping off the cave and some nearby moss surrounding it. It was quite beautiful. This time of year was full of vegetation. Animals were not in mating season, so none of them would be giving the two brothers trouble. The sun was hidden between some dense yet spotty clouds in the sky, so rays could be seen for miles.
The two walked forward. The pale one in his lofty rags, the Rugged one wearing nothing but pants, and some makeshift boots he had held onto. That's all he had been wearing that day, hoping he would be more recognizable to his brother. He didn't see a point in trying to reason with his father. The plan was to save his brother, while his bro handled the mental battles of his father long enough for him to get away and then for him to flee. The key difference in the two was the speed capability between them. That's why it was rare for physical battles to break out with the two together. What the rugged one lacked in strength, he made up for in his martial prowess and Battle IQ.
He had gotten to the spot where it happened, memories starting to flow in as if it were yesterday. It was supposed to be an easy slide down, his father had consoled them both that it would be a slow slide despite the water dripping, and they would land on one of the rocks beneath. None of them knowing a deep river had been running beneath them.
"BROTHER HELP, I CAN'T SW..." a gargle, "HELP," could be heard underneath the water, his dad and him both dived in after, but by the time they got in, his brother was too low, and his father drowned trying to go after him, in pitch-black water. The 2nd luckiest, and darkest moment in his life was coming up for air, and his father and brother both being gone.
Little Terro came to, realizing some water had dripped onto his head and been streaming down his face. He had shed a tear on top of the cave drop. Slowly the "slide" had become a small waterfall.
"HUH?!" Little Terro had just realized his entire leg had been caught in the water, as if he was being held to it.
"Achelous, is that you? BIG BROTHER, DID YOU FINALLY COME BACK TO SAVE ME?!" an ear-bleeding voice had shrieked, as if his brother were being held in his chest as he was before.
Achelous stood there, the water constricting his leg, and the water slowly pouring down his face, his tears mixed in from the dirt of the water. He stomped his leg to easily shake off the water. His brother's memories were that of a 5-year-old, powerful yet only rooted so far, whereas Achelous had been alive now for 333 years, with much deeper emotions and strength to easily shake off the water. He glanced around the cave as he moved away from the dripping water, looking to where the voice of his brother had been casting.
"Little bro, where are you? What happened to you?" Achelous was concerned, the only things he wanted were his little brother safe and to reach the next level. Unfortunately, the cave was a bit large so pinpointing where it came from was difficult. Little Terro wasn't sure if it was coming from the water or beneath him.
No response was heard. He moved about through the cave, but nothing was happening. He suddenly heard his dear friend's voice, "Remember, sometimes you can only hear the voice from the place spirits passed." His voice reverberated through the cave giving Little Terro some sense of direction. Achelous moved back to where it had happened, the water dripping back onto his head.
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"I'm sorry. Dad and I tried to go in after you. But I can save you now!" The water started to pour faster, and his body slowly became soaked.
"HOW CAN YOU SAVE ME WHEN I'M ALREADY DEAD!" He felt water around his body and constricting harder this time causing Achelous to wince and clenching his jaw from the pain.
"I need you to tell me where exactly you died. I can take you with me on my journey now and explain to you all that's happened to our home!" The water seemed to let up slightly; he remembered how his brother would like to simply play at home, run around playing tag and waiting for his mom to shout out for dinner. It wasn't much, but they always made the best of it.
"DON'T LISTEN TO HIM, HE NEVER REALIZED OUR TRUE SUFFERING," a deep voice bellowed through the entire cave.
"Dad?" Little Terro had almost forgotten the voice of his father. He briefly froze, the memories of his father were not the same as his little brother's. The beatings, the starved rations he got, the cold winters from sleeping outside.
"HEY ASSHOLE, WHY DON'T YOU PICK ON SOMEONE YOUR OWN SIZE?!" His frame was not very large, but his voice projection due to his Soul prowess made it seem as if he was a giant the size of a red oak! Some rocks controlled by his father's soul started to roll in the direction outside the cave,
"Little bro, that day, I am so sorry. I can't take back what I've done, But I can prove to you that I tried to go after you and couldn't see a thing, But I need you to show yourself first and touch this sphere I brought."
"And why should I trust you? YOU were supposed to hold on to me, YOU were supposed to be the one to protect me! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONE TO TAKE ME BACK TO MOM, AND KILL DAD!" Little Terro was baffled. The plan to kill his father was devised between his mom and him. Everyone had been asleep that night when they discussed it, or so they thought.
"You were up that night, then why did you come with us that next day!?"
The water hadn't tightened again yet, which meant his brother wanted to explain himself too. "I wanted to help, I always saw the way he treated you and mom, but I was too little to do anything. I figured by going along I would be able to make something happen. But Dad and I both died that day, and you lived. WHY DID YOU LIVE! BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T SAVE US!!!"
The water had completely covered Achelous' body, starting to contort his hands behind his back and bring him to his knees. Achelous could have fought back, but he felt he deserved this; his brother deserved to vent his anger. Little Terro probably would have been hateful, but not towards his brother.
"I TRIED!" he bellowed, "I DOVE IN TO TRY AND SAVE YOU AND SO DID DAD, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH NOT TO BE TRAPPED UNDERNEATH THE WATER," he let out a deep breath, breathing through the pain, "I don't know why I made it out, but I did, everything would be much easier to explain if you can trust me one last time. And then you never have to leave my side again, I will be able to protect you with my very soul instead of just my flesh." He meant every word.
His little brother finally let up, deep sobbing could be heard as the water began to take shape of a small child. Since it was water, no distinct features could be seen, but Little Terro knew it was the same short, black hair and blue-eyed brother he had many years ago.
"Terran, I need you to put your hand on this sphere with me, and it will all make sense I promise. And afterward, I can fill in the blanks. Ok?" he had spoken calmly and consolingly to his little brother.
Some water had moved across his little brother's face, as if he was wiping his tears. "Ok brother. I'll trust you one last time."
Achelous had taken out the sphere; a glow had appeared as they both put their hands on it. Little Terro's brother had disappeared. The water had evaporated off of his clothes and all into his sphere along with all of the water below him. Revealing a halo light below him, his 6th soul shard. Jumping down was easy, as the halo decreased in size, enveloping itself into Little Terro's sternum. Calm had filled his body. His brother going into the sphere represented forgiveness to his brother, and in the sphere, everything that happened that day was revealed to him, His brother and Dad jumping in to save him.
In the sphere,
"Terran son of Chaste and brother of Achelous I an Ark Angel am revealed to you under the circumstance that you accompany your brother. He is the last scion and will need you through his journey. One day, his dear friend will be forced to leave him." The celestial's voice had spoken gently to the child, in efforts not to scare him.
"OKAY! But when can I tell him? And what does that silly name mean!?" his voice was happy and relieved, his brother truly did save him. His dad had died that day alongside him, but his poor brother had suffered so much that day and forward.
"I will give you this information up to this day, so that you will mature. You can tell him once he ascends, as everything will become clear that day to him. As for that mere title, it simply means he will have a great responsibility one day." And over 10 minutes or so, over 300 years of his big brother's life had been shown to him.