In faith and steel, we pledge our ties,
Child of light,
In silence, we kneel to rise…
Solemn words boldly written on a large plaque. Embellishing a crystal pedestal, the stone tablet, neat and humble, was situated in a not-so-crowded area. It looked quite plain despite the golden letters, glistening like an amber lake.
Moulin stared at the words as though in a trance. He recalled that long before… he was the only person who knew of Morhas, the forsaken child god. He was but a whisper in his dreams. Like a breeze, soft yet fleeting. Condemned since birth, used and abused by his own sire, and forced to rely on a mortal to exist. A sharp ache pierced Moulin's chest the more he thought of it. However, he was also captivated…
Despite all of it… Morhas chose to protect him, a foreign soul.
"Do you like it?" Ghana approached the youth from behind at a leisurely pace. "Most of the soldiers might be indifferent to the lavish devotional art the inner fortress is so fond of. It's not the most good-looking one …" She shrugged. "… but they try their best to express their loyalty in their own way."
"Mmn..."
Ghana silently watched as the youth softly gazed at the shrine. "Do you like it?"
"..?" Moulin replied, "Why ask ?"
Ghana cleared her throat and looked away, "Since… well… No one is as spiritually connected with the Child God than you. Everyone has already deed you his sole patron…"
Moulin briefly thought over her words in his head. He looked at the bold letters before him, golden etched in stone. Fingers itched to touch them. "I… know he would be as pleased."
With Morhas's intervention with his fate, Moulin will make sure his na spreads far and wide. His na shall be chanted from miles away by hundreds of thousands of souls. He will no longer be called the Forsaken Child but the bringer of Hope in Corhan. The corner of Moulin's mouth lifted slightly.
A soft breeze fluttered past the slender youth, lifting his hood slightly. Even with his face half-concealed, others could not help but glance at his mysterious beauty.
A chuckle floated in Moulin's ears. "That's good enough…"
Just then, a sudden noise interrupted them. Moulin and Ghana turned their attention to the source of it and saw a group of people heading towards the shrine. In the next instant, Ghana's eyes widened.
Oh no…
Silver eyes squinted slightly at the familiar person leading the group. Wavy dark brown hair, tall build-
Wait…
Before he could react, Ghana yanked the hood over his head lower and began dragging him away.
"Damn! Of all people, it had to be that bastard…"
Moulin blinked before he shot him a glare. "Don't call my brother a bastard."
"Yes, yes, you siblings and your strange affections." She rolled her eyes. "Stop looking back! Hey!"
With a trail of mages and sentinels behind him, Emlen approached the shrine and imdiately recognized Ghana's departing back.
"Ghana!"
He watched her flinch, stopping in her tracks with an arm around an Arcan Sector mage. His grey eyes narrowed. Aside from Jagra, he knew no other mage she was close with…
He and his companions watched as Ghana and her friend whispered sothing briefly, putting their heads together before she patted his back and strode towards Emlen with an obviously forced smile.
"That person…" Emlen started as he gazed at the mage's departing figure.
"He's no one!- Ah!…" Ghana coughed briefly before looking away. "A friend… Now, what brings you here, Second young master?"
'She's honestly terrible at hiding,' Emlen and the n inwardly thought with a sigh.
...
As Ghana continued to bombard him with questions and other nonsense, Emlen secretly looked past her shoulder. His grey eyes fell on the lone figure in the distance, growing smaller and smaller.
Moulin lowered his hood as he walked. Emlen looked well, to his relief. It appears he's already fully recovered. But what was he doing here? And those people... Moulin recognized most of them were pathfinders.
Worry crept into his heart. Was there going to be a new expedition?
…..
Whoosh!
A strong breeze surrounded the garden as Moulin's figure materialized at the center of the garden in a flurry of white. The air cooled and brought a breath of freshness, stroking each leaf and petal. The figure in white stood while his surroundings settled.
"You certainly took your ti."
Moulin flinched as a familiar voice disrupted his thoughts. He sighed, 'They took notice quicker than I thought. Honestly, Ordan…'
He turned around and saw Na'El standing gracefully while carrying a potted plant in one hand. He was garbed in plain robes and exuding a strange calm aura despite catching that Moulin had snuck out. And behind him was Ordan, wearing an apologetic expression.
"It was my idea…" Moulin confessed.
Although a serene smile graced Na'El's face, Moulin couldn't feel an ounce of calmness around them.
Before he could speak, the elven oracle suddenly approached him and reached out a hand to briefly tap the center of Moulin's chest. A buzzing feeling abruptly spreads throughout the youth's body from his chest.
'The gem…' Moulin swallowed, unconsciously touching his chest. The shard thrumd with mana, startling his nerves.
"No matter how far you go, this shard will help us find you. Keyed to your heartbeat, the pulse of your soul, and your magic. You are like a current we cannot contain, but we will follow whichever turn you pursue."
Moulin raised a brow, "How creepy…"
"No one could cage a spirit as stubborn as yours. I no longer have the energy to chastise you, so best do everything as discreetly as possible lest we trigger the ire of the Royal Court or worst… Lord Hercullio." Na'El sighed and turned around, walking towards the house. "Co… I'm sure you have so concerns to share."
Moulin stared at Na'El's back with wide eyes. A sudden unease filled his chest as he glanced at the clueless Ordan before hurriedly catching up the elven oracle.
…..
"I'll be outside…" Ordan reminded him as he closed the door behind Moulin.
While Na'El went to return the potted plant to the small greenhouse, Moulin took the chance to survey the elf's temporary room. The scent of the air reminds him of Artheia, fresh with a hint of wood. A tall glass window illuminated the small drawing room, making it a cozy and calm space.
Given Na'El's gardening hobby, Moulin expected a room filled with exotic plants. But everything still seed to suit Na'El's spirit. Within the hidden realm, everything seed removed from reality, an illusion crafted to confuse its inhabitants. Moulin still felt like it was close to ho… perhaps even the elf felt the sa.
Click! The sound of the door sounded.
"I visited the Aether Vaults." Moulin began.
Na'El nodded as he entered with a tray of freshly brewed tea. A pure sound ca from the crystal beads hanging from his waist, clinking together as he moved. Moulin gazed beyond the windows, observing the realm's blue sky. He felt Na'El approach him and offer him a teacup.
"Deciphering the seals is progressing. I offered a little help. Of course, they could handle the rest themselves."
When Na'El looked at him deeply, Moulin continued as he sipped his own tea. "Gaile's soul is… deteriorating. I was able to stabilize it, but if Uldher's will is still imprinted in him. He's condition won't get better…"
"You searched him?"
"I did."
"And you saw sothing…" Na'El continued. His eyes were quietly observing the pale young man beside him.
Moulin's response was soft as his gaze turned dark. However, Moulin would be lying if he wasn't curious about how Uldher had controlled and owned Gaile's being. Swimming into a corrupted soul, dark yet devoid of malevolence. It was easy for him to sift through the tangles of dark magic inside Gaile.
But in doing so, these evil energies clawed af him, desperately reaching for him like countless starving hands fighting to tear him apart. But they couldn't touch him, and Moulin let them writhe around him as he delved deeper and explored.
Then everything had turned red. Sothing stronger had co to challenge him; perhaps, it had been intrigued with Moulin's actions. It wrapped around him, tauntingly, probing him mockingly without attacking. Moulin felt it had been hidden in the deepest depths of Gaile's inner soul. He had never encountered sothing like it before. It was taunting him.
To ensure nothing terrible would happen to Gaile, Moulin passively acted. He was careful not to disturb anything that might cause harm. Especially the strange energy irritatingly toying with him.
Moulin explained everything he had experienced and concluded, "Uldher's magic goes beyond mind control and animacy... I'm afraid his goal wouldn't be as simple as creating monsters to wreak havoc and sending followers to capture-..."
...
Na'El's eyes darkened significantly as he glanced at the youth, "An heinous foe, indeed..."
A vision abruptly flashed in Moulin's mind. A gigantic red creature with huge wings, powerfully tearing through the sky. Its amber eyes glowed intensely, almost magnetic and mind-shackling. But deep within, desperation burned so great that it felt as though it would burst out of its gaze.
Why?
Why had it reminded him of soone familiar?
A piercing ache filled Moulin's chest... and then a sudden sense of foreboding.
Moulin flinched as he lifted his head. Fingers trembling around the teacup handle. He quickly turned to the person beside him.
Na'El paused, sensing the sudden abnormality. It seems he felt it too.
A rush of confusion filled the youth's expression. Sohow, everything moved too fast. He followed Na'El out of the room, startling Ordan, who looked at them with a face full of questions. Moulin had no ti to explain and simply followed Na'El.
It was a strange feeling. Like he could hear the drums of doom beating in his ears, erupting fear in his chest.
.....
The Arcan Chambers...
Moulin and Na'El arrived a few minutes after and witnessed Lady Calanthe and Lady Celeste before the Arcan Crystal.
"You're here." Lady Calanthe turned to them.
Moulin and Na'El wasted no ti approaching the two. Silver eyes assessed the chambers hurriedly. The runes were pulsing, quick like a heartbeat. The purified water boundary seed calm. Everything seed fine, but Moulin still couldn't shake off the strange feeling.
"Sothing feels wrong..." He muttered.
Lady Celeste nodded. "We felt it as well..."
Na'El turned to the sentient crystal with a respectful bow, "Your Divine One, We greet-"
"Sothing happened." Moulin interrupted, unable to resist his impatience. "What is it?"
The other kept their mouth shut in shock and watched as Moulin approached the pedestal in haste. Before a sacred entity, they couldn't believe how blunt Moulin was as he spoke to the god.
Mana thrumd in the air and surrounded the entire chamber. Morhas, who had been silent the whole ti, finally spoke. His voice, laced with deep desolation.
"They have made their move..."
"The earth is drenched in blood, and souls are lost."
There was a rumble in his voice as it pierced Moulin's ears like a rockslide falling upon him.
User Comments
0 comments from readers