I only remembered the sensation of sailing...sailing through the air until I collided with the statues pedestal.
Up ahead my mother had donned a strange white brilliance.
Her form shimmering like a mirage.
Every time the monsters pincers apparently struck her. Her body would suddenly disperse into white light and she would appear somewhere else, counterattacking fiercely with what looked to be a glowing white spear.
I should have been scared to death. But there was something natural about the valiance she exuded.
Unfortunately she was quickly losing ground, and the glow of monsters eyes was slowly changing from a glittering pitch-black to a menacing vermillion, its crystal horn reflected this change, a glowing poisonous green sun of energy growing above it.
Even I knew that not much time had been bought for me. I placed my palm on the pedestal "Ewa epsol memphfa'ar Theo".
And with the strange words I mouthed a desperate prayer that I had said them right.
My eyes hungrily searched for any signs of success. And there it was at the spindles tip, a tiny orb of violet light grew with each passing second. By the time a few seconds had elapsed it was already the size of a basketball.
But with my success came an unforgiving wave of fatigue. One like nothing I had ever experienced before. I stuttered on my feet and my eyes drooped heavily.
But regardless of that I still had the determination to scream, fiercely biting my tongue; "Mum! I op..." The words I was about to say never made it past my throat.
My mother on her knees as a spherical glowing white barrier flickered weakly around her.
[BANG]
The horrid monster smashing its pincers relentlessly against the weakening barrier. The volatile orb of vicious green energy floated above its horn, expanding with every breath.
I was already racing forth. My previous promise already at the back of my mind, but I wouldn't get there fast enough. And I new it.
The orb of energy had expanded to the size of a wrecking ball, blazing like a miniature sun. In a single moment several things happened.
A weak, pallid, face appeared in my line of sight. Blood trailed the corner of her lips and her eyes now gave of a somewhat fractured light. One expression was written on her face.
'Resignation'.
The miniature sun ruptured. And the volatile green light swallowed her.
My vocal chords erupted with a scream as a small explosion engulfed a radius of 200 meters ahead of me. Massive tendrils of force lashed at the world, provoking winds that battered my now soulless body.
The sound of a menacing scuttle began to fill my eardrums as a single figure appeared from the raging elements.
A monstrous one. Its now jet black eyes were locked on me, determined to see the end of my life. And frankly. That was perfect for me as well.
An incomparably wrath filled every atom of my body and before I knew it I was charging the six meter tall monster without an ounce of trepidation.
Our figures met with the clap of thunder and it jabbed its pincer at me with bone crushing force. I Immediately threw my body to the extreme left, barely sidestepping the attack. The monster made an annoyed sound as it tried to repeat the attack.
Surprisingly I felt remarkably calm. My mind was clear as every acre of the battlefield opened itself to me. When it's muscles tensed I could vaguely predict its movements
I took notice of its pulsing crystalline horn. Immediately I kicked off both my legs. Leaping across a distance that would normally be impossible for anyone as I grabbed its horn with all the strength I could muster.
I immediately felt a massive torrent of energy crash into me. It was a sensation that felt like no other. I disappeared within a fiery hell and an ice purgatory all at the same time.
A rioting current raged within me, and brought with it it an incomparable pain. But my grip only tightened. The monster let out a grunt. One indecisive between contempt at my petulance or a grudging respect for my tenacity.
It threw its head back in an attempt to dislodge me, however I did not let go. A massive force wracked my body as I sailed through the air yet again.
I was vaguely aware of an outraged roar as I collapsed on the muddy earth.
'Danger' an isolated word appeared in my mind as I groggily got to my feet. I could only make out a strange whistling sound, and as if on cue an inhuman scream escaped my lips the next second.
Several sharp foreign objects had lodged themselves inside my body. More than five in my limbs. One within my sternum and 3 in my abdomen.
Fortunately I had long since banished any delusions of surviving this encounter.
'This is was okay too.' I whispered 'Mum I'm coming to where you are soon'.
As for the torrential pain that tormented me it was penance for failing to protect her. Despite my bodies state I became surprisingly clearheaded and my vision cleared. I saw the voracious beast scuttling forward with perfect clarity.
A decisive glint appeared in my eyes. In my right hand a crystalline horn rested, its base was jagged from being broken off, a perfect fit for the crevice in the monsters skull that unceasingly bled.
The monster lunged its pincers, aiming at my throat.
Then for the last time i let out a primal roar, reaching deeply into my soul with an aggravated hunger for every ounce of strength I possessed.
As the beast scuttled past as I threw my body to the extreme right with a roll, narrowly avoiding death, then with my last act of vitality I kicked of one of its insectoid legs and drove its horn into its side, stabbing a deep gash into its flesh.
A sorrowful wail shook the earth as the monster collapsed into a flurry of blood coloured light.
I too was in quite a wretched state. Staring at the void in a puddle of my own blood.
I hadn't noticed that the colour of the gate I summoned had changed into a deep purple and that from it a vague female figure was rising.
I felt a strange warmth as he dregs of my awareness faded into oblivion. But even then, a feeling lingered. An illusory phenomenon. The promise I made to my mother reverberated within my memory and my lips started to move on their own, telling a story with a single word. The journey of a thousand miles in a single step.
***
[what is the infinite? What is the orthodox? Why must a thousand cycles take place if they are as good as one?] A sagely voice rang out within an unknown space.
'hmm to hallucinate as I die, I never thought I had such an imagination.' I thought in self-derision.
Contrary to my expectations a figure appeared within the dark space. A sagely woman with a kind smile. Her skin was a creamy peach and she possessed a beautiful mane of viridian hair. Her eyes were closed and the gown she wore was apparently woven out of mud, bones, and twigs.
Her temperament as was refined as it was gentle. A calming aura spread over to me. It reminded of a similarly gentle woman, and the depth of what I had lost.
'Infinite... heh is the bleakness that encumbers us all. The orthodox?.. The dark path history cannot help reliving. That man should return dust. That every smile, every cry, every whisper of love, should perish with him, be consigned to oblivion. Life, the journey of a thousand miles is as valuable as a single step.
A man may gain so he must lose'.
[ For your comprehension to be this profound at your age you must have gone through something horrifyingly painful. No wonder it is said that loss makes a man wiser.]
Her expression returned to its gentle equivalent. [ Live, love, that is if you wish for her soul to rest peacefully. I deem you worthy…..of humanity's possibilities.] Her figure burst into a golden brilliance, one that permeated every corner of my soul.***
*Somewhere beyond the known worlds*
Two hooded figures appeared in a dark expanse.
Beneath them a rioting crimson sun raved. A mass of overflowing destructive energy. As the two neared it their skin cawled and they felt their souls unravel.
The taller figure raised his arms in ecstasy. "The nemesis of heavens light. The mother of destruction 'Kei'eshi'". He yelled in a enamored voice.
The other wasn't as fearless. Terror crept in his voice as he beheld the terrifying sight before him. " Is the head certain about this. She is the devourer of worlds, wh-" the other figure held up his palm in annoyance.
"Our lord has been mocked for the last time. The house of Gradyl must perish in ten days time". As he spoke a mysterious object appeared within his palm. A hollow wheel within a hollow wheel, spinning on its own axis.
"Don't worry mother" he softly cooed. "Their fragile wards are not even worth mentioning in the face of Orpheus's dais. Your son shall set you free".
Deep within the large orb a devilish glint took form.***
Rays of sunlight rich with a golden hue streamed into my eyes as they reluctantly fluttered open. My back straightened as I uprightly sat. The very first thing I did was to check my right arm.
Muttering a desperate prayer that all did I experienced was a dream. The crystalline horn flashing with a brilliant white light, as well as the dried blood on it warned me that it wasn't.
My vision cleared further to reveal my surroundings. An impossibly lavish room and, ….!!!!.
"My oh my you've finally awoken, how exciting." A chime like voice happened upon my ear lobes. Seated on a golden stool beside my bed was shockingly the idolized upper sixer Theia Gradyl.
She was dressed in the familiar colours of St. Reece's academy that did nothing to hide her wonderful figure. I for one was never able to look past her face whenever she entered my gaze.
She definitely redefined the phrase 'hourglass figure'. Factoring in her flawless chalk white skin bathed in the golden rays that filtered through the windows, even in my depressed state I couldn't help blanking out for a moment.
Sadly, the tiny smidgen of infatuation that appeared was devoured voraciously by my bottomless desolation. I couldn't help but chuckle at how much the world had changed in my eyes due to the disappearance of one person.
Still... I made an oath.
" I should not be alive" I realized the truth of my own word as I said them. Not only was I alive, my macabre injuries had faded as if they had never been.
"ha" she left out a soft chuckle. "we truly have quite bit to discuss. For now though, my name is Theia Gradyl, the current head of the house of Gradyl, and you are now bound to me as my servant." ***
"Are you enjoying your food?" A teasing elegant voice inquired. And indeed in a grand hall and on an elegant dining table I was wolfing down entire dishes in a way that would certainly have shamed my mother had she been alive.
I normally wasn't that barbaric though; I had just been through far too much on an empty stomach.
"Are you enjoying it." Theia spoke, her eyes dancing with infectious humour.
"My lady is just that good of a cook" I politely replied.
"I do not deserve your praise. It is a trade mark of my race". When I heard her use the word race' I fell into a brief reverie as I contemplated how much more simple my world had been a few days ago.
Beyond the great walls of the hall I now sat in was a magnificent jade black castle under a crimson sky. Wherever I was, it was not your friendly Vancouver. I wondered if my friends would notice my absence as mysterious, or how the local authorities would handle the random disappearance of two people.
Either way, my mother's death had done irreversible damage to my ability to care. As if able to read my mind Theia smile sadly and consoled. "It indeed is regrettable what happened to that demigod. Does it hurt hurt?" she asked.
"More than you can imagine." I replied with cold smile.
"Good, that is what you owe her." She said calmly. Somehow her words provided solace. No superfluous or pretentious words. She understood the grief born of loss.
I shook my head, unwilling to dwell on the topic. Instead I asked a question I wanted to know since the very first time I saw her. " What are you?
I was never a rigid person, and humanity only understood 4% of the universe I wouldn't cling to misguided perceptions just to regain some pathetic sense of normalcy.
Surprisingly Theia shook her head in disapproval. "What am I? That is the question you should ask, or do you think every one can best a tri-centauri with their bare hands? As for the answer, it isn't actually a single answer but rather an entire story. Are you prepared to listen?"She asked.
The indifferent shrug of my shoulders served as her answer. Her silky voice began to prance. "Before the earth gave birth to man. Several primal forces crystallized from it. Sentient beings of unspeakable power. Your people call them gods and that indeed is suitable term. They weren't really divine though. Not in the sense one might think of God. They became a permanent part of the world long before humans took form. And with them several lesser gods. Spirits in fact. Only slightly more powerful than human beings. 'Cloud spirits, water spirits, fiery ghouls, and etc.' As well as a multitude of magical creatures. The era of man swiftly followed and it brought about a new era, the era of heroes. Yes demigods, half breeds born of the mortal and immortal beings. And when the gods vanished, they become the only traces of divinity left in this world.
Afraid their legacies would fade into nothingness they began to arrange marriages solely for the sake of the purity of their divine blood. This decision elicited a miraculous realization. When two pureblood demigods mated, the ichor in their blood received a certain stimulation. Their offspring would have a higher concentration of divine blood than the parents themselves. As such demigods finding human mates became rare as each faction hoped that their house would be the first to produce a pureblood god.
Unfortunately, that dream was never realized. Despite the countless generations that followed no one was ever able to cross over to the divine, always stuttering on the brink. However, we evolved into something greater, pseudo divine beings." Immediately a pair of beautiful jet-black feathery wings erupted from her back and similarly dark horns jutted out of her head and curled upwards beautifully. Her violet eyes seemed to glow as she continued.
"We became 'Shuras'".
My breathing accelerated. She gave an apologetic smile, again as if she knew the vaporous thoughts that raced through my head. "Afraid?" she asked teasingly.
"No" I replied after a deep breath so that my answer would be true. " I am more curious actually, as to what any of this has to do with me".
"You are not entirely human either. Your mother should be a legacy of Phobos".
***