Soul Chains

Chapter 55: A Change of Pace

A few hours later, we all shuffle outside to bury Kaltrina and Shitau by a beautiful cherry tree on a hill in the direction of their village. Dimitri and Ayette went out in town to buy two sleek black coffins for them and they got headstones for them. Dimitri and Zen dig the graves and we carefully place each casket in their respective places by the headstones. Ayette bends down and places a bouquet of flowers by each grave before she walks back to Dimitri, who places his arm around her waist.

"To Kaltrina and Shitau Evensce, two wonderful siblings we had the pleasure of getting to know on our journey of life," Reine starts as we all stand in a close group in front of the graves, "Kaltrina was a fearless, sassy, and fiery girl who guarded her heart and her brother well. She used her gift to its fullest potential and was respected by all. In the end, her gift was overcame by her grief and the two collided, making her think irrationally and lash out, but she truly loved every one of us. Shitau was a kind boy who was riddled with inner demons and angst, consumed by his anxiety and depression. It makes me sad to say that he's gone, but I'm glad we were able to make him smile when he was with us and that we were able to help him as best we could. In the end, he chose to sacrifice himself, unlocking his gift and using it to save Ciana. I'll be forever thankful to him for saving one of my best friends, but I wish he didn't have to perish in the process. Both of them will truly be missed and we should forever honor their memory. To Kaltrina and Shitau, to Harmony and Revival. And may the next Harmony and Revival be just as wonderful as they were in order to honor their memory."

"Rest in peace," Ciana sniffles and wipes away her tears as she stands next to Aislinn and Nathan.

"That which is full of beauty and pain can only thrive for so long on giving beauty to others alone before it itself will eventually wither from no sustenance being provided in return. It is on this principle that which states angels who leave this world too early are simply flying to live their next life in the heavens where they finally receive the safe haven they deserve," Reine states, "for death is not the end, but a new beginning. Rest now, Iegashyias, and take peace with your soul as we protect thee by ours."

Mikasa closes her eyes and clasps her hands together as Aislinn and Nathan fill the graves. A bright light swirls around Mikasa's hands and her earrings glow faintly, her hair blowing in a gentle breeze as the light bursts from her hands and swirls around the area, surrounding all of us, before it shoots upwards into the sky and forms into two orbs of light that criss-cross in a path of white energy before they disperse in an explosion of light, raining down light particles all over the area. Rain then slowly begins to fall from the sky until it's lightly raining and Ayette tilts her head back to look at the sky as rain washes down her face. The atmosphere around us becomes visibly less tense and dark and we remain there until we deem it respectful to go back to the house.

***

We all meet up in the living room to discuss what happened and also what information Zen has for us.

"So," I start, "when Ciana, Aislinn, Ayette, and I faced off against Coralyinn, she revealed that she's Aislinn's half-sister on her mother's side and that the mother Mikasa saw was actually her foster mother. I'm not sure how Mikasa wasn't able to see the whole truth, but that's what Coralyinn told us. Coralyinn could be lying, but it's something we should take into account. She also mentioned about following her father's plans, despite never knowing him."

"I...honestly had no idea that Coralyinn was related to me," Aislinn grimaces when all eyes turn to her, "but...she did claim my mother was unfaithful, which was indeed true, thus how Mercury was born. Perhaps my mother gave Coralyinn away in order to protect her from my father, but then why would she have kept Mercury?"

"And that leads me to my information," Zen starts, "Coralyinn's father was a cruel abusive man who planned to take over multiple armies and sectors. Coralyinn managed to find her father's old journal after trying to hunt him down when she fled from her village after her foster mother was killed. In her time of weakness and anger, Coralyinn saw truth in her father's madness."

"Where is he now?" Ciana asks.

"I'm not sure about that, but I confiscated Coralyinn's journal a few months ago," Zen says as he reaches into his jacket and pulls out a tan leather book bound by twine, "This should tell us where she's going next. I did some reading ahead and, if she's following her father's plans, she should be going to Zanu. Her father was extremely powerful and he was most likely the one who kept the truth about Coralyinn hidden from all, including Mikasa."

"Zanu?" Nathan furrows his eyebrows.

"Zanu is an adjacent sector that lies between Spring and Summer," Reine explains, "what does Coralyinn want from Zanu?"

"Zanu is where Coralyinn plans to use the relic and turn every sector to snow and ice, starting with Zanu," Zen explains, "since Zanu is practically the desert capital, turning everything frozen would completely ruin them."

"I will write a letter to Renee in Orina and inform her to continue moving as many people as possible to Orina and for them to start setting up fortresses around the sectors. I will also...inform them of what has happened," Reine says as she gets up and heads to grab a piece of paper and a pen.

"If we're going to Zanu and want to beat Coralyinn, we should leave shortly," Tien says, "and bring clothes that are applicable to the desert."

"We'll need a sand ship as well," Dimitri says with a sigh.

"A what?" Nathan raises his eyebrows.

"A sand ship," Dimitri repeats, "it's how we'll get across the desert to the capital city."

"Do we even know how to operate one of those?" Ayette raises a brow.

"How hard can it be?" Dimitri shrugs.

Turns out, it's probably very hard.