The Legends of Anigma: Ethiel Archer | ONC 2023

PART XX

Around them, the whispers roared in disturbance, every spirit in the orbs beckoned them. Ethiel and the others couldn't understand which one of them was the spirit that would help them escape the void. They all, in a sense, said the same thing, just in different ways.

"Free me! I will help you!"

"I am your way out of here! Trust me!"

"Please set me free, and I will help you in return!"

"Help me... Please... We can help each other..."

The only difference was in the way they were saying it and their voice. Some whispers were downright evil, some were desperate, some were sweet-coated poison, some others were cold and selfish, and yet some others sounded kind and almost genuine.

"How do we do this?" Ethiel asked.

"Hmm," Lord Veer started thinking.

"The spirit of the cave didn't mention any limit," Maya said. "Maybe we can try freeing the spirits that sound kind and genuine? Even if we go wrong, we will eventually end up freeing the right spirit."

"Sounds like trial and error, but we can't just stand here," Tifa shook her head. "Ethiel, maybe we should try Maya's way."

"You did hear that all the spirits except for the right one are harmful, right?" Red Wings. "This is a very bad idea."

Ethiel ignored Red Wing's words. "Let's try it then. Where do we begin?"

"With a kind and genuine sounding one? Let me go first." Tifa walked in the void.

Her cute, round head turned left and right as she heard the whispers, trying to figure out which one of them sounded true. Ethiel walked close to her, his bow and arrow ready; he wanted to keep her safe.

"This one." She stopped and pointed at an orb.

It whispered softly, "I will take you out of this place. But first, please free me."

"It sounds true; don't you think?"

"Hmm," Ethiel thought briefly, and then nodded. "Can give it a try. Get behind me." He raised his arms and touched the orb.

The orb burst violently and magical blue dust blew past them all like a wave. Ethiel immediately covered Tifa.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, grabbing her shoulders.

"Behind you!" She screamed and lifted her staff.

Without even looking back, Ethiel instinctively took her in her arms and sprang away. Maya screamed his name as he felt something swiftly slice through the back of his jacket. Upon landing, he immediately looked over his shoulders.

A tall handsome monster stood where the orb floated, smiling at the ripped piece of Ethiel's jacket hanging down from his blade like hands. "Oh my, wasn't that close?" It giggled in the most mocking manner. "Will you really trust–"

It didn't get to finish. Lord Veer's hammer smashed into its face, throwing that psychotic expression off of that lunatic face before sending it flying far away into the void. It wasn't going to come back, that much was sure.

"Are you hurt, Ethiel?" Lord Veer asked.

Ethiel's heart pounded. A moment ago, he was an inch away from getting sliced. Cold fear caught his mind in a terrifying grip. Tifa was with him too. The slightest of delay could've meant...

In his arms he felt her. He turned back to her. Fortunately, she was fine. The fear pressed on him until his hands became shaky.

"I will be more careful. I won't let anything happen to you."