Hiya my beautiful readers!!
Omg I'm like, literally so happy with this chapter!
Gonna give you guys some spiritual relief with this one lol.
Anywho, onwards and enjoy!
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|Arthurs POV|
I pulled Tess up to her feet, smiling gently at her, who looked so tired yet relieved. As she stood, she turned, burrowing her head in my chest. Wrapping my arms around her, I looked up at everyone else.
"Sorry, hi guys." They simply smiled, replying with nods. Feyrith, who stood in a corner, looked away from me. He kept his head lowered, as if ashamed or...guilty?
"So you are the lost pinnacle of power? It seems you won't rest until this war is over." The mysterious older man said as he observed me. His left eyebrow lifted as I nodded slowly. He stood with his hands behind his back, nonchalantly but I could feel that he was a pinnacle of power himself, albeit peaceful.
"While I thank you for helping the Dicathians that made it down here, I'd like to know who you are." To that, the room went silent as he regarded me with a nod of understanding. Everyone seated themselves while I walked Tess back to her chair. She sat down gingerly turning to the table as I stood behind her.
"Yes, to start, I am what your people have labeled as an "ancient mage." My name is Levis Caelestis of the Caelestis clan. A clan of mages that thrived in the edicts of vivum; life and light creation." He says as he conjures an orb of aether in the palm of his hand. I watched as the orb of lavender aether slowly turned white, before it slowly started to branch out. The branches elongated as the space around it warped and small buds of gold sprouted from its branches until he held a small aetheric tree in the palm of his hand. It melted down into his hand as he channels it into his arm, where runes glowed in electric blue and white hues. It slowly faded as he pulls the aether back into his core, which I couldn't even feel at the moment.
The atmosphere within the room changed into a more peaceful, tranquil aura as his gaze levels my own. He wasn't manipulating the aether at all, it wasn't being forced into shape. It simply molded itself into being, like it had its own consciousness. It didn't heed his call, the aether itself simply flowed with his will.
Like it molds and morphs to accommodate to his will. It was mesmerizing.
"Before my clan was completely wiped out, this place was made for the cultivation of my people. The earth had already set the ground work with the many tunnels and caverns, not to mention the abundance of aether. This was the place for the young ones of my clan to learn and cultivate their abilities." He stated as his orange eyes closed.
"I only survived because my brother sacrificed himself in a foolish attempt to fight back against the Asuras. At the time, even though we had the power and insight to fight, we ancient mages never used our capabilities to cause harm. The Asuras saw us all as a threat to their rein of power, and thus, decimated our lands, killed the young and tortured the old in an attempt to make us reveal how we utilized aether in the way we did." Levis continues. Grim expressions washed over everyone as they sat silently, listening intently to the old man whose voice held a quiet somber timbre.
"They took kin from from my clan as hostages, as well as kinsmen of other clans back to "Ephoetus". My brother was taken. And it was there, these hostages were killed under the command of Kezess Indrath. He ordered the total annihilation of every single one of us when he didn't get the results he wanted." His voice wavered with silent anger, fists clenched at his sides yet he didn't tremble. Even though no one else seemed to feel his fury, I did. The steady fluctuations of the aether within the room. The purple specks seemed to tremble in response to his anger.
"W-why didn't your people just tell them what the Asuras wanted to hear? Why keep quiet and get killed for it?" Curtis asked hesitantly. Levis chuckled humorlessly as his eyes opened once more.
"The edicts of aether can not be taught, young one. Aether is the material that virtually makes up the universe. The existence of life and even death, mana, light. None of that would exist without the existence that is aether. It is simply something that you have to have your own comprehension of. Just knowing aether exists can lead into you being able to someday utilize it. What the Asuras were asking us of was nearly impossible for us to do because aether cannot be learned through words." Levis explains. He glances over at me for a moment before an amused expression graced his features.
"Take young Arthur for example. He subconsciously retains the aether I gave to him and molded it into a small core, giving him a somewhat physical form in place of his incorporeal Astral body." At this, everyone turned to me as my eyes widened.
Subconsciously retaining?
My eyes closed as I stood back. I relaxed, narrowing my consciousness to only feel the aether around me. It's presence is dense and ever growing....
I concentrated further, tuning out everything else around me.
It was like a pulse, a heartbeat? It was small and almost unnoticeable, but the pulsations of aether rippled through me. Like a raindrop hitting the surface of a pool of water. I traced the pulsations back to its source.
The core. My core.
My eyes snapped open as I looked up at Levis, who smirked at me knowingly.
"It seems you figured out a little something. Keep that lesson in mind young one." He said as his attention returns back to the topic at hand.
"I will help you all in this new war. Those Asuran bastards need to get put in their place." He said as an mischievous smile etched its way onto his face. It was almost scary. Sighs of relief echo throughout the room as victorious smiles washed over everyone. I nodded in thanks to Levis, who turned and left the room.
"I thought we were all hallucinating that day when Scythe Seris showed up." Virion said as he stood, walking over to me and pulling me into a tight hug. I chuckled, knowing they would probably think so.
"Honestly, it surprised me too." I replied as I hug him back just as tightly before he released me from his hug. He patted my shoulder with a sad smile before stepping away.
Sylvie and Ellie were next to jump me.
Literally.
They both ran at me and jumped, nearly tipping me over. I knelt down and wrapped my arms around them. They were both silent, but I could feel their bodies tremble in my embrace. I held them tighter, kissing the crown of their heads as they burrowed further into my hold. Before long, they pulled away, teary eyed and sniffling with small smiles.
"At least you somewhat kept your promise...you dummy.." Ellie said as a chuckle slipped from me, nodding my head and caressing her cheek softly. "I will always come back." I said as I stood.
"As my rival should." Feyrith said with his chest puffed out. He got a laugh from all of us as we talked a little more, before everyone slowly filed out of the room until it was just Tess and I. She stood in front of me, her hands coming up to caress my face as I leaned into her touch.
Her emerald eyes traced over my face as her smile widened suddenly. She was beaming at me as her tired eyes watered.
"I have something to show you." Was all she said as she took my hand, pulling me out of the room and down the halls until we were outside. I walked behind her, watching her hair sway with every movement she made as she walks. She guided me away from the housing constructs and into a wide tunnel. I memorized all the turns we made as she stopped in front of a wall.
Dead end?
A gazed at her questioningly as I watched her raise her right hand to the stone wall. When her hand made contact with the stone, the light from the crystals in the right and left corners centered on the wall where her hand lay. After a moment, the wall began to tremble as it shifted. It slowly slid to the left, revealing a room.
The ground within the room was covered in moss, and glowing crystals lined the walls, casting a brilliant array of different color lights. Tess walked forward into the middle of the room and stood beside what looked like a stone alter.
I slowly made my way into the room, standing on the other side of the "alter" as tears gathered in my eyes.
It wasn't and alter, it was more of a very tall cradle.
Within the cradle lay two small bodies, but what made my world stop was the slow rise and fall of their two small chests. A clear, crystalline case separated the two small forms from the outside world as they lay on their sides, facing each other with tiny hands balled up into their chests.
"T-they look bigger..." I stuttered out as I lay my hand ever so gently against the crystalline case. Tears streamed down my face as my breath hitched. My eyes glued to the two small infants within the cradle that was covered in soft moss. I could feel and see the aether within and around the cradle. It danced around the two small bodies that moved every now and then.
I felt Tess wrap her arms around my midsection, I didn't even realize she'd moved to my side.
"Levis did this. While I w-was unconscious, he brought me in this room and healed me. I don't know or understand h-how he brought them back, but he did. He said they were incubating and needed to stay in this case until they are s-strong en-enough to come out." She hiccups through her tears as she gazed at the two with so much love.
"He said they aged to about six months because of the aether arts he used." My gaze travels down to hers as I pulled her into a hug. My face buried in her shoulder as a sob escapes my throat.
Relief washed over me as my anguish melted away. I trembled as I dropped down to my knees, burying my face in Tess's stomach. Her hands caress my locks as I cried in her tender hold.
They are alive.
My babies are okay.
It felt like a heavy weight was lifted away from me as I relaxed into Tess. A smile slowly spread across my face as I wiped my face of tears. I felt my soul calm.
"We should name them." I said as I looked up a Tess. Her eyes were closed, but opened at my suggestion. Her lip trembled as she nodded enthusiastically, a beaming smile that I hadn't seen in so, soo long gracing her features as I stood once more.
"You name our daughter, I'll name our son?" She asked as I nodded, wiping away her stray tears. We turned to the cradle, gazing at the two small infants we made. They looked so content, so unbothered as they slept silently. My gaze fell to my daughter, who started growing auburn hair. Her fair skin unblemished as she curled further into herself. The aether surrounding her trembled, vibrating almost before it settled and danced around her in a slow sway.
"Aria." I whispered as I watched her small hand reach out towards her brother, who slept just as soundly. His hair was a mixture of short silver and auburn. I watched the aether around him react erratically and swirls around him, it was almost like watching a very small storm.
"Achlys." Tess said as she smiled at the small form of our son. Her hand traced lightly over the crystal as she looked up at me. I lay a hand against her cheek, leading her closer to me and laying a chaste kiss on her soft lips.
"Hehe, we did a good job if you ask me." She giggles as she pulls me down for yet another kiss. I chuckle against her lips before pulling away.
"I say we did pretty damn great as well, although, you did most of the work." I said. Her emerald eyes glimmers in the light of the crystals and I caught sight of a pink hue tinting her cheeks, up to her pointed ears that twitched.
Some things just don't change.
We stayed like that for awhile, watching over the two lives we created and sharing chaste kisses. Holding onto one another tightly.
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Tess and I walked back to the houses, stopping past Levis abode to thank him. He simply waved us off, saying he was simply doing what he couldn't do long ago.
After meeting with him, Alice pulled me aside. Tess hugged me once more before walking into the housing construct that Alice, Virion and Tess shared.
We walked around in silence for a little while, stopping to watch fish, that strangely looked similar to the koi fish of my world, swim about in a clear pond.
"Art...gosh I don't even know where to start.." Alice said as she sat before the pond. I silently sat next to her, staring at the water which ripples every now and then as the fish broke the surface of the water.
"......" I didn't know what to say. I'm pretty sure if I was in my physical body right now, my heart would be seizing. Anxiety creeped throughout my being as I stayed silent, letting her collect her thoughts.
"I-I'm so sorry, Art. I've hurt you more than I'd care to admit and honestly, I wouldn't blame you if you'd never forgive me. You've always been trying your best, constantly going away to get stronger. You've protected me since you were four, Art. You've always tried your best to...to be my son. You are my son. I don't know why it took you dying for me to realize that. I've raised you, fed you, cared for you, changed your diapers and healed your little boo boos when you were small. You came from me. You are my baby boy and I'm sorry I pushed you away—" She choked back a sob as she turned away from me. Her shoulders shook as she wraps her arms around herself.
My eyes watered as I sat in silence. My expression neutral as I continued to stare at the fish, that thoughtlessly swam near me.
"You told me a truth that you thought I deserved to know, and I watched you break down whilst telling me. And all I did was deny your pain, your sorrow, your regret. And after the death of your father, I blamed you and practically disowned you and I'm so soo sorry Art." I felt her hands against my cheeks, turning my face towards her as her brown eyes traced over my every feature. Tears blurred my vision as I leaning into her, laying my head on her shoulder. She held onto me tightly as I shook from the quiet sobs that racked my form.
"I love you so, soo, sooo much my son. My baby boy. I can only hope that you'll let me heal this wound too." She said as I wrap my arms around her.
"Thank you....mom thank you." Was all I could say as I felt her breath hitch.
I felt my form waver, and the tale tell tug on my chest as I broke our hug. I smiled at her, wiping away her tears.
"I have to go." She nodded as we turned to look at the pond.
The last thing I saw was a content smile that I hadn't seen for awhile grace her face.
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DID I BAMBOOZLE YOU?!
DID I???
I think I did.
Anywhore, what do you think of the baby names?
Aria (Ar-ee-yuh) meaning; Music, Melody or Symphony.
Achlys (Ack-lis) meaning; eternal night before chaos; storm bringer.
Too bad if you don't like it cause I'm not changing a goddamn thing.
See ya!
(2,775 words)