Chapter 29 – Dawn.
Velvet charged heedlessly into the night.
Steel boots clanked harshly against shingles underfoot as she bounded from roof to roof, her figure silhouetted by the full moon with a cascade of raven hair trailing her every move. Her breath came out in short, quick exhales, her eyes unceasingly keen as she scanned her surroundings.
In the sea of buildings before her, patches of smoke rose outward to vanish into the cold night air. In the streets below her, groups of civilians and soldiers scrambled to and from in a near universal panic amidst the shadowed moonlight. The occasional distant boom of energy in the distance spontaneously rattled the cobblestones and walls of the city, driving the city dwellers into even more of a confused frenzy.
She briefly extended her daemon arm and slammed it onto a rooftop below, the momentum propelling her across a major thoroughfare to land atop a stopped waterwheel on the other side. Perching atop the giant mechanism, her eyes narrowed as she spotted activity across from her.
There, in the middle of a street, huddled a group of civilians shakily wielding swords against a pack of lizardmen hellions. The children in the group had huddled tightly against the adults, terror in their eyes. The hellions snarled as they stepped forward, raising their swords and batting the weapons of the parents heedlessly aside. With inhuman deftness, they moved to skewer the civilians.
She didn't give them a chance to do so.
"DEVOUR!"
Her monstrous claw slammed into the leader of the hellions, greedily consuming the malevolence while it struggled helplessly. Without even pausing in devouring the hellion in her grasp, Velvet twisted her body around and used its struggling body as a club to bash away the others with inhuman strength. Blood flew in an explosion of gore as the hellion was consumed, leaving her claw free for more.
She charged, parrying the curved swords of the lizard hellions while thrusting her own into their hides with fierce cries. Her claw consumed hellion after hellion, each disappearing into the appendage with grotesque squelches after the next.
Within moments, she had annihilated the entire squad of scouts.
Catching her breath, she stood up straight. A cool night breeze tinged with the scent of ashes brushed past her as she did, toying with her hair and clothing in a soft symphony of clinking metal. During the battle, the street had been filled with the repetitive sound of metal on metal and of the squelching of her claw devouring victims. Now, it was completely silent.
She glanced at the civilians huddled in the middle of the street, unsurprisingly finding nothing but terror and fear in their expressions.
She waved her hand to the side. "Go on," she said dryly, heedless of their expressions. "The underground ruins are being used as shelters right now – I suggest you go there."
"Y... you," one of the women in the group stammered, pointing directly at her while looking as if she'd seen a ghost. "Y-you're the-!"
"The 'Demon of the Shepherd,' right?" Velvet sighed, shaking her head while callously waving her monstrous arm in the air. "Yeah, yeah."
"You're... really letting us live?" another of the group, an older man, said in disbelief.
"If I wasn't," she said at length, giving the man a look, "would I really be wasting time talking to you right now?" She shook her head. "The city's being invaded," she said curtly. "It wouldn't be wise to linger." She raised an eyebrow questioningly at them. "...That is, unless you want me to devour you too?"
She got a much livelier reaction in response to that. Together, the group of men, women, and children hurriedly gathered up their dropped belongings and started moving down the street together, giving the monstrous woman a wide, wide berth in the process. She shook her head in exasperation is they did, glancing up to the sky as she planned her next move.
"E... Excuse me, uh... l-lady?"
She blinked and looked back down. She found a young boy with his eyes wide and bulging at the sight of her hellion arm, and yet still shuffling up to her nonetheless. She laid her human hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow at him. "What is it?" she asked.
He gulped, glancing back at his group who had stopped to gawk in horror at him before meeting her gaze with effort. "Um... I..." He squeezed his eyes shut. "I-I wanted to thank you again!" he said quickly in a tumbling manner, sharply jerking his body forward and back up again in a jerky bow.
Velvet's eyebrow rose further. "'Again?'"
"Y-yeah!" the spiky-haired boy nodded quickly, seemingly gaining more and more courage the longer the monstrous woman hadn't seen fit to eat him alive. "You saved me and my father from wolves once, when we were traveling to the city." He swallowed, failing briefly in his battle to keep his eyes away from the enormous claw at her side before snapping his eyes resolutely back to her gaze. "Back then... I... I didn't realize you were... well..." The boy coughed awkwardly.
After a moment, Velvet huffed in amusement, managing to finally place the boy in her memories. "There's no need for thanks," she said, a small, wry smile inexplicably forming on her lips. "I was just using you and your father for information."
The boy snapped his gaze up towards her with a surprising degree of ferocity in response. "I don't care about that!" he shook his head sharply. "And I don't care what the big wigs say about you either. I get, yeah?"
He gave her an earnest smile, all hints of fear apparently melting away to his eagerness. "Sometimes, you just need to act scary enough, so that the scary things run away, right?" he quoted reasonably.
Velvet blinked.
Then, she chuckled, shaking her head slowly at the kid's words. "...That's right," she agreed softly. "Though sometimes, that might not actually be necessary."
"You're with that Shepherd guy, right?" the boy continued, starting to bounce up and down repeatedly, apparently completely forgetting about the large claw hanging off the woman's torso. "Is he coming here to save us or something? 'Cuz if so, that's awesome! My dad's been all sorts of worried about everything lately, like, about the war and the food and stuff – it'd be so nice if someone like the Shepherd could come over here and make everything okay."
"He won't be the answer to all your problems," Velvet replied dryly, shifting on her feet. "There'll always be hungry wolves out there, you know."
The boy seemed slightly deflated for a moment, before realizing something. "That's fine, we'll definitely be okay!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. "'Cuz you taught us how to deal with them, didn't you, lady?"
"...Guess so," Velvet huffed, briefly glancing up at the rest of the group of civilians who were watching the exchange with increasingly befuddled expressions. The older man who had spoken to her earlier met her gaze with a tilted brow. She shrugged wordlessly in response.
"So then," the boy said, drawing her attention again. "If you're here, lady," he said, pointing to her, "then where is Shepherd Sorey?"
Just then, a brilliant flare of artificial red light flashed out into the night in the skies above the city, rising in a curved arc before falling slowly back down towards a section of the city. Velvet and the rest of the civilians watched the unnatural light drifting slowly back down, burning strangely amidst the starry skies.
Velvet pointed a human finger towards the falling light. "He's right there," she said dryly.
And right on cue, a terrifying roar echoed out above the city of Ladylake, thrumming outwards across the surrounding waters in all directions. The foreboding sound of enormous wings beating against the wind in erratic pumps drew closer and closer as the world stood frozen in the wake of the initial roar.
FWOOSH!
A brilliant flare blotted out the night sky above as an enormous column of fire erupted from the heavens upon where the red light hovered. A fully-grown dragon dove through the skies above, its maw gaping open and dousing the area with white-hot flames. Its wings beat powerfully as it skimmed the top of buildings at the lowest point of its dive, its belly brushing against the fires that its breath had set alight.
It swooped up, briefly regaining some altitude, before banking to the left, inadvertently giving them a clear glimpse of a lone figure clad in brilliant white clothing accented with traces of azure standing up on the back of its neck.
The Shepherd Sorey, riding upon the back of a hellion of legend, let out a fierce cry as he fired a barrage of arrows upon those below.
Beams of pure blue energy tore through the night sky in brilliant streaks of light, crashing with point-blank accuracy upon select targets below. The dragon continued to bank in a steady orbit amidst the night sky, enabling the barrage to encompass all angles in the area. Devastation reigned in the wake of their combined might.
"That.... that's so freaking awesome!"
To Velvet's amusement, the kid at her side began to cheer and whoop as the Shepherd continued bombarding the area from atop Eizen. "Go, Shepherd Sorey!" he crowed.
Watching as the dragon banked its body for another run, she put a hand on her hip. "Looks like they finally found the main forces," she said, stepping back as the world briefly became aglow in the light of flames again. She glanced down at the kid. "Be careful," she said. "It'll be a bit longer before hungry wolves can be your only problem again."
"Okay!" the boy replied brightly, fierce determination forming on his expression. "Thank you for everything, lady. I'll be rooting for you and the Shepherd, with everything that I have!" He bowed once more, this time with far more grace than his initial one. "Goodbye!" With that, he hurried on over back to the group that he had been with, waving off their half-hearted scolding.
As they set off again at an urgent pace towards the underground shelters, the boy turned around and gave Velvet one last enthusiastic wave before following suit. She watched them leave with a thoughtful expression.
There had been a time, she recalled absently, when things had been different. Once, she had been a stray wolf, strutting freely amongst a flock of clueless sheep. An intruder, in every respect of the word.
It was strange how long ago that seemed.
Shaking her head, she glanced back up at the sky as Eizen and Sorey banked around for another dive upon Heldalf's forces pushing into Ladylake. With the help of her daemon claw, she pushed off the street and flew high into the sky, gracefully alighting on the rooftops above.
Without any more hesitation, the former Lord of Calamity pushed forward into a run, charging heedlessly towards the future.
---
The sound of Eizen's roars echoed loudly into the night sky beyond the glass windows as the group of intruders tore into Rountabel Palace. The entirety of Ladylake sprawled outward from the tall vantage point of the upper floors, visibly marred with patches of soot, grime, and flame. Flashes of brilliant orange occasionally lit up the starry skies outside, accompanied by fierce detonations of mana that caused the foundations of the grand palace to tremble.
Every turn they took, signs of battle lay strewn across the bloodied carpets.
Sorey glanced briefly over his shoulder as he ran. Velvet, Rose, and Alisha ran by his side. Lailah, Mikleo, Edna, and Dezel followed swiftly behind.
"Do you think Sergei and the others will be okay?" he asked, briefly interrupting his rhythmic breathing. His voice echoed off the surrounding walls as they continued to run together through the vaulted corridors.
"They've got Eizen kicking butt for them out there," Rose replied easily, briefly coming to a halt in front of a large doorway and checking inside before beckoning them through. "I'd be more worried for the sake of Heldalf's sea of goons than anything else."
"However, we have yet to see hide nor hair of Heldalf himself," Lailah said, her long hair slinging behind her as she started running again, "despite having confronted the bulk of his invading army. That is... worrisome."
Dezel grunted, his boots slamming into carpet underfoot. "I'd say count your blessings while you can," he said darkly. "If Maotelus gets thrown into the mix, that dragon out there won't stand a chance."
"Guess we should all give up then," Edna supposed, her closed umbrella trailing after her in her loose grip. "All hail Lord Kittybeard, ruler of the world."
Mikleo chuckled, glancing to the side at Dezel. "We managed to make it through Marlind with the help of Edna's brother," he pointed out reasonably. "I wouldn't count us out yet."
The wind seraph's teeth bared in the light of the flickering candles lining the walls of the corridor. "The hell kind of a group is this?" he growled lowly.
Velvet gave him a look over her shoulder. "It's a little late to be realizing how stupid their plans are, don't you think?" she asked dryly. She returned her gaze forward callously. "You're either willing to do what needs to be done or you're not. I suggest you figure it out."
"Don't you lecture me about that!" Dezel snapped back.
"Poor, indecisive Dezel," Edna said sympathetically, an indulgent smile on her face. "Be careful, you might die of old age before getting anything done if you keep being afraid. Old man Dezel. Oldezel."
A wordless growl of indignation followed.
Mikleo had a wry look on his face. "Guess you should think twice before doubting Edna's brother," he supposed. He shook his head, returning his eyes forward as he ran. "Still, it really is worrying. Why wouldn't Heldalf be at the head of his own army when invading Hyland?"
"We'll find out, one way or another," Sorey said resolutely, his white cloak flapping behind him. "Alisha, are we getting close to the safe room?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder.
The princess nodded; her features carved in determination. "The chancellors should have evacuated there the moment word of the invasion came," she said, her lance gripped tightly in her hand. "Yet, these bodies..."
Her eyes were sad as the group ran past even more signs of battle – slaughtered Hyland guards lying lifelessly in pools of blood in the corridors of the Rountabel Palace. She shook her head, focusing her thoughts away from her slain countrymen. "...I fear we may be too late," she said urgently. "We must hurry!"
"This much effort to save those sleazebags, huh?" Rose said, shaking her head. "I swear, they'd better take those prices off our heads when we do."
"I understand how it might seem distasteful," Alisha allowed, briefly glancing to the side and out the windows of the corridor as another distant flash of orange lit the skies. "Yet be that as it may, those chancellors are truly the leaders that keep the kingdom together. That is why I asked that you did not kill them, back then."
"Yeah, yeah," Rose sighed, briefly leaping over a fallen shield lying on the floor with agile grace. "Lesser evils and all that, huh?"
Together, the group charged further and further onward, deeper into the palace.
Another series of bursts of distant flame from outside rhythmically illuminated the final corridor as they came to a ragged halt, weapons held warily at the ready. A single, heavy door made of thick metal laid at the end of the corridor, its surface emblazoned with the symbol of the Hyland royal family.
It was hanging slightly ajar.
Exchanging wary looks, the Shepherd's group stepped forward, their figures silhouetted by the windows on either side of the corridor. Sorey's sword was perfectly steady as he approached the safe room, his eyes narrowed. With his offhand, he reached forward carefully and, after a moment, yanked the metal door open.
The smell of blood and gore washed over him in a putrid wave. He winced, then narrowed his eyes as the scene within.
A single figure stood in the middle of the safe room; her clothing soaked in patches of blood. The bodies of all the chancellors of Hyland laid in various parts of the room, their expressions frozen in the terror of their final moments. The lone intruder turned slowly to face the Shepherd and his group, putting her back to the massacre that she'd committed.
Maltran, the acting military advisor to the Holy Kingdom of Hyland, stood in a calm straight-backed posture amidst the dead silent room, seemingly unsurprised to find Sorey and the others at the entrance.
"Ah, you're here," she said calmly, flicking some blood off her metal gauntlets before sweeping a few stray strands of magenta hair to the side. "Good. I was getting tired of waiting."
Alisha's eyes bulged in shock and horror. "M-Master?!" she gasped.
"Maltran." Sorey stepped forward, his eyes hard. "Why?" he asked quietly.
"Why?" Maltran seemed amused by the question, letting her armored hand fall to her side. She gave Sorey a disdainful look. "It is a simple matter. In war, you do not merely beat back your enemies so they can come and fight you another day." She gestured towards the grizzly sight behind her, a callous expression on her face. "You crush them, wholly and completely."
"Who are your enemies, then?" Rose asked, glancing around at the bodies of the dead chancellors before meeting Maltran's gaze. "I don't get it. Why did Heldalf kill the emperor of Rolance just to abandon the throne? Why'd he then put you up to this?" She gave the hellion an inquisitive look.
"You appear to be confused," the advisor said with a vindictive laugh, metal clinking as she crossed her gauntleted arms before her corset. "The lowly foot soldier asks not why this, or who that," she said deliberately, her eyes cold. "The soldier only does as they are told, for the sake of the future they believe in."
"And do you?"
Alisha's voice trembled with emotion, yet her eyes were firm and determined as she stepped forward, facing her former master. "Do you truly believe in his future, Maltran?" she asked, her gauntleted hands curled into fists. "The 'beauty and grace of a world imbued with nothing but pure, raw malevolence.' Such nonsense!"
"And what do you offer in its stead, pathetic princess?" her master replied derisively, repeatedly tapping her index finger upon her arm. "A world of nothing but purity? An all-encompassing utopia wherein malevolence is stamped out and painted over with a sheen of white? Don't make me laugh!"
She thrust her arm out behind her, towards the bodies of the chancellors. "I told you, did I not? Humanity will always fail you – It is their very nature!" She curled her armed hand into a fist with the subtle squealing of leather and metal. "To try and purify hellions... to forcibly erase the most base and innate desires of mankind is the greatest of sins itself."
Maltran met Sorey's gaze, loathing and hatred in her eyes. "...I revile high and mighty types like you," she seethed lowly, every word dripping in spite. "Who try to ignore the realities of this world – what depravities people are truly capable of. That is my answer for why, 'Holy Shepherd Sorey,'" she spat mockingly.
At Sorey's side, Velvet watched Maltran, her lips drawn into a thin line.
"...I believe that is enough," Maltran stated, lowering a hand and reaching into a pouch strapped onto the side of her arm. "Let us finish this now, as is proper." A brilliant, tainted glow shone outward from the gem that she withdrew.
Rose blinked in shock. "Wait, that's-!"
A blinding flash of indistinct colors suddenly exploded outward, the group stumbling backwards recoiling from the enormous wave of energy that accompanied it. An almighty tremor shook the walls of the palace, rattling the windows at a frenzied pace. When the light and the shaking subsided, Sorey and the others found the safe room completely empty.
Outside, the world began to rumble.
Exchanging looks, the group quickly fell into motion, charging out the opposite end of the corridor. Alisha threw a regretful glance over her shoulder at the bodies of the slain chancellors lying in the room before following suit.
A dreadfully icy chill wind washed over them as they emerged outside, coming to a halt atop a large balcony on the very upper floors of the enormous palace.
Alisha put a hand to her mouth in horror.
Above, heavy, foreboding clouds had begun to gather at unnatural speeds, coalescing into dark masses that blotted out the light of the distant rising sun and plunging the world back into darkness. Down by the shorelines of the city, the waters had begun to recede drastically, leaving behind the sodden lakebed lying naked and exposed for the first time in centuries.
Thunder boomed loudly as the heavens suddenly opened, unleashing a cascade of water falling unceasingly onto the city underneath. The winds began to grow even stronger, whipping the falling rain in contradicting directions.
There, in the center of the growing maelstrom, held aloft by a pair of deep violet wings pulsating in malevolence, was Maltran. Her magenta hair and royal formal wear whirled wildly in the forces of the developing storm. A glowing iris gem shone brightly with a corrupted purple hue, embedded directly into her chest.
She beckoned them, a cold smile on her face.
Alisha grit her teeth.
As thunder boomed and torrential rain crashed down upon her, the princess of Hyland curled her armored hands into fists and glared up at her former master, resolutely. "I will not stand for this," she said determinedly, her voice almost lost amidst the horrible winds. "If this is truly what you believe, Master, then I shall show you the strength of my determination against such words!"
Her lance cut through the rain as she raised it against the hellion hovering in the storm, ferocity in her eyes. "The strength of a knight that which you have forgotten!" she cried.
"Let's go, guys!" Sorey yelled, wrenching his sword out of its sheath.
Brilliant flashes of color rivaled the bursts of rapid lightning as the Sorey, Alisha, and Rose armatized in sync before bursting into motion.
Her body illuminated with the neon green of wind, Alisha took to the skies in a fierce burst of speed, streaking directly towards her master. Rose appeared in a flash of blue and white, raising a bow of azure and taking aim from the cover of the palace walls. Sorey, his body alight with crimson, bounded to the edge of the balcony and thrust out his hand. A blinding red glow shot out from his palm, its light shooting out brightly into the downpour. Within moments, a distant roar answered his signal.
Amidst the chaotic maelstrom engulfing the city of Ladylake, the Shepherd and his followers fought.
Alisha and Maltran exchanged blows in the skies above the capital, steel crashing against steel as their lances slid off each other amidst the whirling rain. They buzzed around each other like a pair of angry hornets, one leaving a jagged trail of brilliant neon green, the other leaving one of putrid violet. Their expressions were locked in fierce determination, barely visible amidst the dark and thunderous storm.
Brilliant blue streaks of light shot outward from the top of the palace standing against the downpour, harrying the hellion with careful precision shots and forcing her to take evasive action rather than attack Alisha relentlessly.
Maltran grinned viciously as she spun around in a twisting loop, avoiding the thrust of Alisha's spear while retaliating with a swing of her own while upside down. She followed through smoothly when the princess dove down into the air to avoid the attack, chasing after the armatized squire relentlessly.
The hurricane-level winds screamed in their ears as they dove and exchanged further blows, punctuated by successive booms of thunder as the maelstrom grew even more frantic all around them. Their battle cries were drowned out entirely by the horrible storm engulfing the entirety of Lake Perniya. As they neared the ground, unnatural waves of enormous height smashed into the sides of Ladylake with incredible force, water decimating nearby buildings and flooding the streets entirely.
Before she could crash into the flooded streets, Alisha twisted her body in her dive and flew upward, simultaneously jerking her finger towards the pursuing Maltran with her off hand. In response, a pair of jagged neon green wings separated from her back and flung towards the hellion with furious speed. The corrupted hellion batted them away smartly with her spear, but then was forced to dive to the side as an azure beam of energy blasted through the air where she'd been. Despite it all, her indulgent grin remained on her face as she lunged upward for Alisha once more, who was hard-pressed to withstand her rain of blows.
Suddenly, a blinding streak of crimson sliced through the torrential rain, barely managing to clip Maltran on the side as she tried to avoid it. She winced, her malevolent wings keeping her aloft as she righted herself, finding the Shepherd landing on a nearby rooftop from his fall. She snapped her head upward to where he had leapt from.
She was then met with the sight of an enormous set of fangs as a fully grown dragon tore through the darkened skies towards her, maw wide open. She gritted her teeth and willed a burst of speed into her flight, shooting off and away from Alisha as a fierce gout of flame seared through the rain towards her.
As the dragon shot past her, a lone figure leapt down from its back, a red streak tearing down from over its shoulder.
Metal squealed loudly amidst the storm as Velvet's claw met Maltran's spear.
They met each other's eyes as Velvet's momentum pushed Maltran forcibly towards the ground below. The advisor gritted her teeth in fury. "You..." she growled, barely audible in the storm and the screaming winds as they fell. "I believe shall ask you once more...!"
With a flash of malevolence, Maltran's wings redirected their momentum upward, curving high up and into the sky. Storm clouds enveloped the two of them entirely, deafening booms of thunder sounding from all directions.
Velvet's eyes were narrowed harshly as she gripped Maltran's spear off to the side, using her human hand to hold Maltran's other arm in a preventive lock.
"Why?!" Maltran demanded again, her hair slinging wildly as they tilted into another dive, plunging through the storm clouds with reckless abandon. "You failed to answer me the first time I asked! Do you truly believe in that child's foolish dream? Do you truly believe in such lies?!"
The clouds abruptly vanished all around them as they fell out from beneath and into the torrential rain once more. The entirety of Ladylake sprawled out underneath them amidst the raging gales, approaching rapidly as they hurtled back down to earth.
"Humans and seraphim will never be able to coexist with hellions!" Maltran snarled, her face contorted with effort as she and Velvet struggled. "The very nature of the Shepherd – the power of purification – is an antithesis to the existence of all hellions such as yourself! Why then do you insist on allowing yourself to be led by the nose by that boy?!"
Velvet gritted her teeth.
The two hurled into a corkscrew as the enormous form of Eizen shot past them through the murky storm, a great gust of turbulent wind buffeting the two in its wake. As the world spun around and around the two, Maltran fixated her entire attention on the therion grasping her. "I will ask again, Velvet Crowe!" she yelled, her eyes bulging in frustration. "Why do you follow Shepherd Sorey?!"
CRASH!
An enormous plume of dirt and debris exploded outwards as they slammed into the ground together. Trees already uprooted by the raging waves tumbled madly away from the impact, sending sodden branches and leaves flying into the storm. Their landing drew a deep gouge into the dirt, scattering specks of sodden grass onto the stone walkways nearby.
The rain continued to fall as the dust began to settle, leaving behind two figures in the cratered remains of the waterside park.
A steel boot clanked as it stomped into the mud. Her hair sodden by rain and her body soiled with dirt and debris, Velvet Crowe stood shakily before the fallen form of Maltran, who was breathing raggedly. The corrupted iris gem, having been dislodged from the hellion's body, lay on the ground before the advisor, who had taken the brunt of the fall.
Beyond the stone ledge of the waterside park, the lake waters continued to recede – a precursor for yet another wave of devastating tsunamis. Fierce hurricane-level gales continued to scream all round them, the nearby stone walls of the park providing little to no protection against their wrath.
"Why...?" Velvet's voice, tired, yet firm, rang out over the howl of the winds. She glanced around at the remains of the devastated park. "Honestly? I don't really know."
Her face filled with exhaustion, Maltran glanced up at her from where she laid. "You... don't know?" she repeated slowly, disbelievingly.
With slow, reverent movements, Velvet reached behind her and pulled out two pieces of a broken amber comb in the palm of her bandaged hand. The howling wind seemed to die down in her mind as she focused entirely on the broken item and what it represented for her. Her eyes had grown soft.
"I still hate myself," she admitted softly. "I loathe the monster that I am."
Her eyes turned upward, towards the stormy skies above Ladylake as the rain continued to fall. "You don't just forget about the sins you've committed after enough time has passed. They stick with you, hounding you, embedded in your very being," she said contemplatively. "When I betrayed the Shepherd and fought him, I knew that I wanted to die. I wanted a death fitting for a selfish person like me."
Velvet's gaze fell and met Maltran's – the hellion who was so much like her. "...But in this world, nothing is set in stone. The roles we play in this life are up to nobody else but ourselves," she said softly.
"That's the reason why, even if I don't know why, I'm here now." She shrugged, rain pattering off the broken comb in her hand. "I'm trying something new. That's all."
In the distance, the roar of a dragon echoed out above the city, the beating of large wings approaching closer and closer towards the park. Thunder continued to rumble overhead, the harsh downpour drowning the city under an endless deluge. As the Shepherd and his followers arrived atop the dragon and bounded off the beast's back, Maltran began to laugh softly.
"To think..." the hellionized advisor muttered, her lips upturning in a sardonic smile, "I would be brought down by such laughable sentiment."
Maltran glanced up as the Shepherd came to Velvet's side and met the therion's eyes with a strange degree of respect. "...Go on," she said quietly, gesturing to the corrupted iris gem lying at their feet.
Sorey met Velvet's gaze. She nodded in return.
Together, the two of them stepped up to the purple-hued gem as the storm continued to rage around them, progressively consuming the capital of Hyland. They then disappeared in a flash of silver flames.
---
Sorey blinked in surprise as his vision cleared.
He found himself standing in what appeared to be a snowy landscape of jagged cliffs and mountains. High up in the sky, the stars twinkled brightly amidst a cool night sky, watching him amidst the frigid cold. A breeze brushed past him causing his cloak to rustle, guided by the rough landscape with a trace of frozen moisture. There was not a single hint of malevolence to be found.
"That's weird," Sorey said, his brow furrowing. "The other gems were filled with Maotelus's malevolence, but this one..." he trailed off in alarm as he realized that Velvet, who had entered the gem with him, was nowhere to be found.
He was alone.
Gathering his wits, the Shepherd surveyed his surroundings carefully and chose a direction to set off in, wary of any possible danger. The sound of scrunching snow and the whistling of the frigid wind was the only sound as he trudged through the dark night by himself. Only the faintest traces of life could be seen growing from cracks and crevices of rock sheltered by snow – flowers growing in stark defiance of the cold.
After trudging through the snowy fields for a time, he came across a strange-looking door embedded into one of the walls of the mountain itself.
Despite his love for ruins buzzing in the back of his mind, he focused on the task at hand and trudged up to the door. It opened on well-oiled hinges with a metallic clank to reveal a frozen tunnel within, illuminated by lit torches mounted into the walls. Shivering slightly, Sorey stepped inside, careful to keep an eye out for any signs of life.
His boots crunched nosily on ice and snow as he emerged out the tunnel on the other side, his eyes widening at the sight that awaited him beyond.
A harbor stood frozen in the cold, metal railings and posts jutting out from the snow, frozen over with icicles. Buildings dotted the area enclosed by sharp cliff faces, their doors and windows shut tightly against the wind. Lit streetlamps glowed warmly in the night, dotting the area in an eager fight against the encroaching shadows. In the brilliant turquoise waters beyond the harbor, the jagged form of frozen shipwrecks could be seen, jutting out from patches of ice like the skeletons of massive ancient beasts.
A small figure stood at the end of the lone pier, waiting for him.
Sorey blinked in surprise. After a moment, he let his hand fall from the pommel of his sword and stepped forward into the snow. His boots thumped on creaking wood as he stepped onto the wide pier, the figure watching him calmly and patiently as he approached.
Under the shimmering light of a brilliant aurora illuminating the night sky above, Sorey stopped before the young boy with blonde hair, a curious expression on his face.
The boy nodded in response to his unspoken question. "Hello, Sorey," he greeted. His voice had a bright and youthful tone, yet his demeanor bespoke care and reservation. "I'm glad to have this chance to speak with you."
Sorey frowned, taking a closer look at the boy. A large metal band rested on his shoulders around his neck, a yellow jewel dangling from its center. He wore a white cloak adorned with blue colors. His green eyes were calm, his expression collected.
And a telltale hint of malevolence seeped from his body, evaporating into the air around him.
Sorey met the boy's eyes again. "You're Maotelus, aren't you?" he asked softly. "Heldalf mentioned these gems are linked to you."
"That's right," the boy confirmed, habitually reaching with his hand to hold his other arm. "Heldalf... is distracted, right now," he said, glancing up towards the starry sky. The shimmering aurora reflected subtly in his calm eyes. "There are times, when he isn't focused on me, that my consciousness clears somewhat. That is why, right now, I can reach you through the Earthen Historia."
The trails of malevolence continued to hover innocuously around his form, draping his pure white colors with tainted violet.
"We'll take him down, Maotelus," Sorey said solemnly, holding a fist out before him resolutely. "Me and everyone else, including Velvet – we're all here to save you from him. I promise."
At the sound of Velvet's name, Maotelus had taken on a distant look in his eyes. He turned and stepped to the side, facing outward towards the frozen ships and the darkened horizon beyond. After a moment, he tilted his head upwards towards the aurora above, a contemplative air about himself.
"I have to ask, Shepherd Sorey." His words were accompanied by puffs of mist in the snowy air. "Do you know why it is that birds fly?"
The familiar words rang in Sorey's ears. He paused, thinking for a moment under the shifting reflections of the aurora, before stepping forward. The frigid wood creaked under his boots as he came to a halt beside Maotelus, also staring up towards the skies. The two of them stood amidst the cold, watching as strange waves of motion ebbed and flowed over the ribbons of light above.
"I think it's not up to me to say," Sorey said finally, the shimmering curtains of colors reflected in his eyes.
The trials he had undergone through his journey – all the things he had seen and experienced – flashed in his mind in an instant. He nodded to himself after a moment, a calm and resolute determination steeling his voice.
"I believe all beings in this world have the choice to choose their paths." He shook his head. "Why they choose to act the way they do... their reasons are something that only they know," he said softly. "That's what I think."
By his side, Maotelus smiled gently. "...I see," the boy said, bobbing his head in understanding. "So that's your answer."
Together, they stood there at the end of the pier, quietly watching the brilliant aurora above as it slid its way up and down the starry night sky.
After a moment, Maotelus spoke once more. "I'm glad that you helped Velvet," he said, a wistful smile on his face. "I couldn't do anything else but watch helplessly through the Earthen Historia, but you found it in yourself to lend her a hand. One that she desperately needed. Thank you."
Sorey shook his head. "Actually," he replied with a soft smile, "I think you might be underestimating her."
Maotelus tilted his head boyishly at him. "How so?"
The Shepherd crossed his arms with a shrug. "Just a hunch," he replied with a chuckle. "She has a pretty scary side, to be sure, and I'm sure a big part of her felt like she needed to atone for stuff she's done, but..." He shook his head, briefly unable to find how to describe his thoughts. "I... just got the sense that there's more to it than that, you know?"
To his surprise, Maotelus burst into a fit of soft boyish laughter in response. "Haha, yeah, I could never truly figure her out either," he admitted with a nostalgic smile.
Sorey tilted his head to the side. "Do you know where she is right now?" he asked. "I came into the iris gem with her but..."
The boy nodded his head in understanding. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wanted to speak with you alone first, so I separated you guys. We can go see her now." With that, he lifted his left hand and concentrated.
Sorey watched as the world around them began to wobble, the subject memory of the iris gem shifting and dissolving until it reformed into another from a different time.
In this memory, he found them now surrounded by thin, tall trees decorated with vibrant yellow and orange autumn leaves. A gentle breeze blew through the area, rustling his clothing while simultaneously playing with a wind chime dangling from the roof of a nearby wooden house.
There, in the front of the door to the home, stood Velvet clad in simple maroon clothing, her hair short and tied up into a ponytail. She was grinning brightly as she patted the head of someone standing beside her – a small boy, around the same height as Maotelus, ducking haughtily away from her hand.
After a moment, she noticed the two of them standing there, her eyes widening slightly.
Then, she turned and shooed the young boy back inside before stepping out to greet them in the tranquil yard in front of the house. Leaves fell softly, pattering onto the ground in a gentle rain of color as she came to a halt in front of them.
She sighed, putting a hand on her hip with all the mannerisms that Sorey was familiar with, heedless of her dramatically different appearance.
"I figured you were responsible for this," she said, aiming her words directly at Maotelus. She tossed a hand carelessly into the air. "What good does it do anyone to dredge up useless old memories like this, especially with what's going on?"
Maotelus had a coy smile on his face. "I just thought that Sorey here would be interested in seeing this side of you, Velvet," he replied, shrugging his shoulders innocently. "That's all."
"Uh huh," Velvet replied dryly. "I can see you're still the same little brat that you were back then." Contrary her words, emotion had begun to appear in her eyes as she took in the sight of boy standing before her.
Maotelus smiled back up at her warmly.
After a moment had passed, they both moved simultaneously towards each other. Velvet kneeled and embraced the boy tightly, a warm and unsteady breath escaping her as she did so. "We'll save you," she said softly, holding Maotelus tightly. "I promise, Phi."
"I'm glad," Maotelus replied, his eyes closed as he held the therion in turn.
After a moment, he gently separated from Velvet, who let him go and stood back up. He glanced at both Velvet and Sorey in turn, a serious expression on his face. "But I should tell you now," he said meaningfully, "Heldalf may not be the sort of person that you think he is."
With a shake of her head, Velvet muttered, "Always the softie. Leave it to you to say something like that about the person who took you hostage."
Maotelus shook his head, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips. "Wouldn't be the first time," he pointed out impishly.
Velvet blinked. Then irritation showed in her face. "You little..." she grumbled.
Sorey, who had been watching the interaction between the two, smiled gently. He stayed silent, content to simply observe a side to his friend that he had previously only ever seen sporadic hints of.
The world suddenly wavered yet again as Maotelus closed his eyes in concentration. All around them, the autumn colors of the strange, ancient village began to swirl away, replaced with brilliant hues of muted green and blue in the light of a blooming sunrise. Sorey glanced around curiously, finding himself in now-familiar terrain.
The city of Ladylake perched atop Lake Perniya below the cliffs upon which they stood. Rolling hills and lush forests splayed out from their vantage point up in the Lakehaven Heights, filled with varied patches of trees and rough cliffsides. The sun was beginning to rise in the distance across the lake, basking the world in the crisp newborn light of a new day.
In the light of dawn, Maotelus stepped forward towards the edge of the cliff, grass scrunching softly under his small boots. There, both he and Velvet, who had returned to her normal appearance, looked out into this new world together, a gentle breeze ruffling their clothing and hair.
The light of the rising sun glinted in Maotelus's eyes as he looked outward, thoughtful. "It's all... very different, now, isn't it?" he asked gently.
Velvet exhaled softly, looking out beyond the cliff with her arms hanging by her sides. Memories from long ago erupted all at once. Faces, once blurry from misuse, suddenly materialized in her mind as clear as day. Fragments of a time long past, indistinct in form yet sharp in hue, made up a mosaic of emotion that tinted her every thought.
Yet she found small smile forming on her lips.
"I think it's a little silly," she admitted, the wind playing with her long raven hair. She glanced at Maotelus, her smile widening as she contemplated this strange, new, and foreign world. "But... I find myself wanting to move forward, now," she said softly.
Maotelus shook his head. "I don't think it's silly," he replied brightly. "I'm glad."
He glanced over his shoulder at Sorey, standing at a distance and allowing the two to share a moment together, before meeting Velvet's eyes again with a kind expression. "I really am," he promised.
In the distance, a slow, purple haze began to creep into existence, forming around the corners of the memory and seeping in to taint the environment. Gradually, tendrils of malevolence began to slide closer and closer, slowly blotting out the brilliant light of the rising sun behind a tint of violet.
Maotelus turned to the two of them as Sorey stepped up, a somber expression on his face. "It's time to say goodbye for now, Velvet, Sorey," he said gently, taking a step back away from them as the sea of malevolence began to return. "I'm looking forward to seeing you both again."
Velvet's eyes were hard, yet she made no effort to stop him. Instead, she nodded curtly, a reaffirmed determination clear in her stance.
"Goodbye, Phi," she said tenderly. "We'll see you soon."
With a final nod in response, the fifth Empyrean closed his eyes and began to fade away, his form retreating from the memory itself. In the wake of his departure, a dull thrum echoed throughout the surrounding world, marking the collapse of the corrupted gem. Colors slowly began to swirl together, meshing into nothingness. A dull white began to overtake everything, halting the encroaching malevolence in its tracks.
Velvet and Sorey met each other's gazes and nodded resolutely in the wake of their interaction with Maotelus. Then, together, the former Lord of Calamity and the Holy Shepherd turned and faced the approaching dawn rising amidst a curious mix of light and malevolence.
Despite herself, Velvet found that she herself was content.
Regardless of the trails that they were sure to face soon, there were no lingering doubts in her mind anymore. No more questions regarding what needed to be done. No more gaping wounds that needed to be ignored.
She felt no need to expel malevolence anymore.