"I am surprised the girl wasn't culled then and there in the church. Perhaps the priest was scared of the fallout should those lunatics find out. The church is just as old so they must know something." Azahl said as he mused while examining Dalene's status.
"I don't understand. Who is Proth?" Quillis asked.
"Proth was an old Legend that made a name for herself shortly after the fall of the Kyirix," Azahl shook his head as he looked away from Dalene. He opened his arms wide as he looked up at the ruins of the tower. "Proth was the source of destruction for many Kyirix ruins. If it wasn't for that damned witch so much more knowledge could have been recovered. To think of the losses is maddening. To imagine wha--"
Serin slapped him on the back interrupting the momentum of his tirade.
"Explain why its important to us." Serin demanded.
Azahl simply sighed. "Kyirix destruction alone wouldn't be cause for concern to you," he stressed, "but it was instead why the destruction was caused that is problematic. During that time Proth and few other Legends gathered to create an organization. It is unsure what they called themselves then or what their purpose was. Proth, however, at some point betrayed the group. She slayed one of the Legends splintering the group and starting a war that lasted nearly a century. The records of the devastating war are only the scars it created in its path and what Proth's cult declared after they came out victorious. They told everyone that they were betrayed and it was only right to battle against the traitors. Which is why even today members of that cult are known as The Betrayed."
"Why would my daughter's class bear the name of Proth? That doesn't make any sense. Why my daughter?!" Quillis yelled in frustration.
Azahl was unfazed by Quillis outburst. "Who am I to say why the system gives classes as it does. Although, it can be interpreted two ways. Either there is actual ancestry with Proth or that the system simply has given her class modeled after Proth. Neither is good as The Betrayed will still seek her out. Honestly, this is quite beyond me. The Betrayed have been quiet the past few hundred years but I am certain that they still maintain a Legend in power and numerous near legends in their ranks. You three should leave before The Betrayed destroy more of Kyirix history when they come here for the child."
"What do you think will happen if they get her?" Serin asked. Her voice carried a sort of sober finality to it.
"Mother, they wont get her! They can't have my daughter!" Quillis protested.
"Hmm," Azahl hummed as he thought. "Its difficult to predict what a cult would think. But with it having been thousands of years since Proth. People start to become skeptical of the past even cultist. I can imagine at the very least that the child's class will validate the cult's beliefs. She will almost certainly be used as some sort of idol. They will groom her to fit the role needed as a mascot of their cult."
Serin frowned. How arrogant of me, Serin thought. To think that I could ever change her fate with such adversity.
This wasn't the future she wanted for Dalene. To be used as a tool for some cult. To become naught but a puppet that would never know her true origins. That was no legend to be a part of. A self destructive feeling rose in Serin. She would rather all of them die than allow it.
With that thought a flash of inspiration overcame Serin and a plan started to form. There was an important note on one the maps she had received before leaving Tzekal. To give wide berth of a certain mountain range just west of their current position. She was certain if they left now they could reach it before dawn.
"Thank you Azahl. You've done more than enough." Again she felt a regret that he was so infatuated with the Kyirix. Otherwise she would have asked him to come and help. "We'll be leaving."
Azahl frowned when he looked at Serin. Something about her facial expression must have given him insight to her mad plan. "Serin, what is coming isn't something to be fought. Give them the child. I will be waiting here for your return."
"They will never have my girl." Quillis spoke in defiance that went ignored by all accept his daughter who cooed excitedly at his rise in voice.
Serin hugged Azahl one last time and turned to leave. "Lets go Quillis."
"What are we going to do mother? You're not going to let them have Dalene, right?"
"No, I wont, son. Give me Dalene. From this moment on she wont leave my side. I will tell you on the way, but we need to hurry. Knowing what we know now, I fear our pursuers will be here much earlier than expected."
Quillis seeing her resolved look nodded and handed over Dalene. Then with haste they boarded the reptilian illusion and set off west once out the the Kyirix ruins. On the way Serin spun a tale full of half truths that was believable enough to have her distressed son grasp on to it. It was the only hope he had to keep his daughter and as such he had to believe it.
Under the moonlight the journey across the dunes was well lit and calm. If not for the seriousness of Serin and Quillis. It would have seemed peaceful.
They managed to reach the mountains without trouble. Dawn was just breaking and Serin tensed as Quillis set the tent. Her actual plan wasn't much a plan as it was more a desperate last ditch effort. This was her all or nothing against enemies should could not hope to surpass. And it for it to fully succeed it relied on them coming at night.
When the tent was set all three retired to it to keep from out of the sun. Other than Dalene no one slept. They just waited for the inevitable.
The Betrayed arrived exactly as the sun had set.
Sitting in the tent with Dalene in her arms Serin felt a large influx of mana a short distance form the tent. Serin quickly exited and just beyond their camp was a wall of golden mana forming a flat elliptical formation just above the ground. As Quillis stood beside her Serin quickly took the tent back into her storage ring.
When the formation finished, the center of it cleared and an image appeared inside of its golden borders. There a man sat on a throne. In resplendent armor of archaic style, with long bone white hair framing a stern, noble face, and even through the skill his aura spilled out putting a heavy pressure on Serin's lungs. A true Legend.
"You won't believe how much trouble it has been to get to this point," he said with an eloquent yet strange accent. "Between the church and any other opportunistic fiends waiting for an chance to hurt us. There have been many obstacles in my way to finally see with my own eyes the Daughter of Proth. What a glorious moment, though."
He rose from the throne and walked closer to the formation. To Serin's utter shock he did not stop right in front of it, but instead began to cross through it. She had thought initially it was simply a skill to share vision between two points. But this skill was beyond the likes of travelling through the void. This was a true merging of space. The mana to accomplish something like this was unimaginable to Serin.
His hand was the first to cross and before Serin could do anything a flash of gold shot past her. A thud sounded in the sand behind her. She quickly glanced to see the outcome and saw her son on the ground with a large hole burned through his chest. Even his speed had been incapable of dodging the attack.
"A variable to the future that I cannot allow to exist to spread further danger to the Daughter of Proth." The Legend explained matter-of-factly as he stepped onto the sand through the portal.
Serin looked away from her son. She did not say anything in response. There was nothing she could do about it. The only thing she felt was sadness as she looked at Dalene that was oblivious to her father's death right beside. She was now an orphan.
"Did you know the second greatest source of danger, though, is not any one of my old enemies? It is you. Every future my Seer predicts has you in the end slaying your granddaughter before she can reach my hands. If I arrive at any other time you will foil our efforts to the death. How selfish can one mortal be?"
"She has no future with you," Serin replied, her words laced with hate.
"Do not grow even more arrogant because I have deigned to speak with you. You hear my words and not feel my spells burn you only for the fact you hold the child hostage. Just because you are not involved doesn't mean she has no future. Where else would the Daughter of Proth have opportunity to grow the most than with her own people."
"Dalene will learn from my failures and grow more than you could imagine. She will rise farther than I ever--"
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"Why struggle in your failures when she can recreate my successes," the Legend interrupted. "I tire off this. Surrender the chosen child now and I will only punish you lightly for your transgressions. Your life will remain in light that you protected the child while our enemies occupied us. Know that the Seer has already predicted your foolish plan. It will not succeed."
Serin did not believe him. She could not. Everything hinged on him being wrong.
With a cast of [Shadow Mockery] a great winged beast quickly emerged from the shadowy fogged that appeared. It was draconian in origin. The body of the monster was thin and lithe built entirely for speed. As it swooped its long neck underneath her to scoop onto its back she heard the Legend sigh.
"After I deal with this, I will come for you and I will burn your heart Night Hag," the Legend promised.
Serin was mentally shook for a moment as he announced her class aloud. But her resolve quickly pushed away the distraction. She commanded her mount to rise into the sky. All knew that to fly in the skies was an affront to the true rulers of the sky. Serin counted on this.
Once high enough she commanded the mount to roar. It bellowed out in a slow, building rumble until reached the peak and unleashed into screaming roar that echoed out into the night sky. There was a loud silence afterwards. Then it came. There was no buildup. It was aggressive from the start, which spoke of its blinding anger. A roar much louder and piercing than what her mount had made reverberated through her body.
Silence returned for another moment and slowly a keening high pitch sound started resonate out from the mountains.
Serin immediately commanded her mount to fly with haste.
Behind her the mountains exploded outwards as a beam a pure fire blasted out where she last was. Even a from a distance away the heat of the beam scorched her skin. Dalene burst into a painful cry as her delicate skin charred. Serin quickly took out a healing potion as feed as much as she could through the crying infant's mouth. It was enough to heal the skin, but not the memory of the pain as Dalene continued to bawl.
From the rubble a dragon crawled from its subterranean den. Unlike the lithe creature Serin had summoned this dragon was massive. Despite its bulk its body was serpentine with a deep chest and concaved belly. As the dust settled its dark crimson scales shone in the moonlight.
With a scary intelligence the dragon eyed her mount. Dragons were the nearly the only creatures born with mana vision, so it clearly saw that what she rode was a crude imitation of its own kind. The dragon spoke something in its rough language. Just hearing it made Serin's brain feel an unbelievable pressure that caused a dull pain.
Serin urged her mount faster.
However, her haste went unneeded as the Legend finally stepped in.
The dragon was about to take flight when gout golden flames washed over its scales. The flames had been enough to cause the dragon pain which was both surprising to Serin as well the dragon. The dragon made a mewling sound as it was burned from the Legend's skill. Which as the anger of the dragon took over slowly turned into the same keening noise as it charged another fiery beam aimed at the Legend. Simultaneously, she saw the dragon begin casting spells. Few saw more than a dragons breath attack. Only true threats could force a dragon to use their skills.
This was all Serin needed to see and kept traveling north without looking back. She hoped the dragon killed the Legend. But regardless the fight should be long enough for her to hide. It had finally come true. Serin was going to take Dalene to an undiscovered dungeon in the Northern Wilds. Even with a Seer once they were in the dungeon the prophetic skills should lose effectiveness. It was all she could hope for anyways.
With the quick creation of the draconic mount she hadn't included anything modification for comfort. The flight was rough. Cold wind buffeted her and Dalene. Serin tried to squeeze the girl in her arms to keep her warm. She had long since cast another [Shadow Mockery] to create warmer clothes around them yet it was futile. The wind cut right through.
She flew all through the night and made good time. The journey that had taken them so long was shortened significantly through flight as they nearly reached Tzekal. Yet she was not there yet when the sun rose forcing her to land her mount and start walking with Dalene.
It was difficult to walk in the sand holding Dalene. The baby had long since cried herself to sleep. So she was thankful for that, however, the weight of the child still was arduous for Serin over time. It only got worse as the sun climbed higher and the heat rose with it.
When Serin felt she could go on no longer she cast [Poison] on herself. The effect she applied was a stimulant. It would damage her organs but at the same time give her the energy and strength to complete the journey. When the damage felt to be to great she could take a healing potion. It was not something she could maintain for a long duration, but it would be enough. It had to be.
When the stones jutting out of the sand the signaled Tzekal's entrance came into sight, Serin was worn beyond belief. Her veins visibly pulsed with dark corrupted blood from overusing her stimulant. Her body was in state that being supported by the poison in her body. Without it she would collapse.
She barely had the mana to activate the portal. Going through the city to adventurers guild was hazy. She handed over another crystal for the portal master she wasn't coherent enough to judge its value, but the man seem happy enough to send her off.
Serin was delirious when she arrived at the closest outpost to the Northern Wilds. She vaguely recognized a clerk trying to warn her of the dangers ahead. Producing her B rank badge was enough to keep her moving out of the building.
All Serin could think of was that she was in a race against time. If the Legend slayed the dragon he would simply use his skill in conjecture with what the Seer foretold her location to be. She needed to reach a dungeon before that.
She brought out an old map from a time she went on herb gathering mission for the guild years ago. Serin at that time had spotted a few dungeons that she kept secret. At that time she had hoped to bring back Quillis when he was older. Now, she would bring Dalene instead.
The trip was a blur. Serin was wobbling through the forest her vision was doubled. Her limit was so far behind her at this point. The only thing that kept her going was the idea of ensuring Dalen's future.
Although, that hope was destroyed as in front of her the golden mana appeared once more. The Legend did waste time and quickly came through the portal once it formed. The same aura spilled through that put pressure on her lungs. Now though his armor was battle dressed, his light hair was stained with blood, and his left arm was missing.
Serin couldn't help but laugh when she saw him missing an arm. It was a spiteful, ugly laugh that she hardly believed came from her. Which only made her laugh more and she fell back on her butt startling the weakened Dalene awake. In her rush Dalene had not had an opportunity to eat or drink.
The Legend did not speak as he calmly moved forwards and with his remaining hand scooped Dalene away. Serin did not have the energy to even fight him off.
The Legend signaled and someone stepped out of the portal. Serin with blurry vision saw the figure come and retrieve Dalene from him. Once retrieved the figure stood to the side with Dalene in their arms.
With his hands free the Legend looked back to Serin.
"Why is it so unfair?" Serin asked the Legend. "I wanted to join the ranks of the legends, but couldn't. Now even this. I wanted to be by her side and watch her take the path that I couldn't. Must I be repulsed by fate. What else was I to do?"
The Legend did not answer her.
"For the crime of attempting to pilfer the Daughter of Proth, I will take the flesh of your hand." He preceded to grab her right hand with his own. Golden flames erupted from his hand and Serin screamed as flesh was melted away. With a careful control the Legend left the the bones of her hand.
Her scream caused Dalene to start crying.
"For the crime of endangering the life of the Daughter of Proth, I will give you the pain that we The Betrayed felt as you denied my surrender, summoned a dragon's ire, and recklessly travelled."
The Legend's right hand lingered above her heart and she felt a sliver of his of mana seep into her body. The mana slithered like a worm inside her and she felt it creep close to her heart. Serin wondered what its purpose would be when she felt a sharp chest pain as it pierced into her heart. With it she felt mana course through her veins.
Instantly she felt a refreshing sensation similar to that of a healing potion. The poison in her veins was cleansed. Her weary body was relieved. The cauterized wound before her hand even healed leaving the bones sticking out past a healthy fleshy nub. Her body was being rejuvenated by the Legends mana which confused her.
"Why?" She asked with a now clear head.
"You will feel the heart ache of all of The Betrayed. You cannot die until each pain is dealt."
"What?" And then she felt the first pain. The same mana that was keeping her alive congregated back at her heart and ignited. Golden flames burned inside her chest incinerating her heart. She screamed the whole time with a high pitched piercing scream. She clawed at her chest her with her good hand. Then it was over and she was healed again.
Away from the pain Serin could hear Dalene's cries again.
The pain came again and Serin screamed as loud as she could while the flames melted her heart. She healed.
This time she noticed the Legend leaving with the servant. Dalene's cries were distant.
"Wait," Serin begged.
The pain came again.
She healed.
Dalene's cries were no longer heard. The portal was gone.
The pain came.
She healed.
Serin laughed the same hateful laugh she did earlier when she saw the Legend with one arm. This time she was laughing at herself though.
The pain came.
She healed.
Over and over again. Serin could not keep track as the days passed. But she felt every single ache that The Betrayed felt as the Legend had assured.
The pain came.
Serin died.
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Serin blinked as she looked upon the goblins. The goblin infant was crying. Much the same cry as Dalene made as she was taken from her.
She digested the memories further.
She felt much differently as an undead. Her motivations were different with death no longer on her horizon. Reaching level 100 was no longer a feat that she couldn't accomplish just because there wasn't enough time. She didn't need to watch her granddaughter achieve it.
Perhaps the Legend was even right that Dalene was better off learning underneath them. That may be where she belonged.
Yet she had vowed to herself to be there for her.
There was no way she could allow The Betrayed to raise her granddaughter. She belonged at her side.
With that a cruel smile crossed Serin's face. With this new life she was going to inflict her own punishment onto that Legend and everyone that considered themselves one of The Betrayed.
This wasn't something she could do alone though. Serin took in the goblins looking at her with a mixture of admiration and fear as the wolves laid dead or paralyzed around them.
Her smile transitioned into one of joy as she examined the monsters. They would do nicely for a start.