Chapter 32
She Lost Herself
~They were Goddesses part 2~
"If I lose myself tonight, it'll be by your side."
~One Republic~
Her body shook with trembles of pain. In her eyes, Lynn could see the coldness emanate from the faces that stared down at her. The higher ups of the Covenant were giving their last final judgment for her 'negligence.' At least that was what they assumed her crime to be.
Lynn coughed out more blood and stumbled with her feet. She feebly stood in the center of a large meeting hall; the ceramic tiles, tainted under her blood, glowed gold with the light that shone over them and her. All around the cylindrical room, people used her as the subject of their attention. In the center of one of the most decorated walls was a mezzanine with three elders, sitting in their respective chairs cloaked in robes, their faces concealed. It was obvious that they were the supreme, what with the church-like stained glass décor adorning the roundish walls behind them. The rest of Lynn's audience was composed of the other ranking Templars and as well as the three Paladins.
Woozily, her half-closed eyes stared up at Wyatt. His face was contorted, filled with despair and pain at having to helplessly watch her. Lynn didn't have to look at Darius to know how he felt, and before she turned her stare, her legs gave out. Her knees touched the golden tiles, and were zapped by the powerful energy that emanated from them. Her strident cry made Darius stand in haste, but he was immediately subdued by Wyatt's lone hand on his arm.
Pulling out her last shred of strength, Lynn forced herself to stand, having no other option.
"Templar Commander Lynn," a man in the crowd of faces to the left of the Paladins, stood on behalf of the elders and spoke. His voice boomed with authority. "Your spirit has been completely broken. Due to your lack of responsibility, your failure to aid the city of Oakhurst, and most of all, your utter incompetence and tardiness with providing a proper report, you will be sentenced to rehabilitate with your Patron. Only once you have completely recovered and gained your spirit prowess will you then be reassigned to a new post." Before anyone could speak, one of the elders slammed a gavel on the marble table that was placed before them. It was blatant that Lynn's sentencing was inexorable.
Those words were like knives to her heart, the pain she felt all over her body may have drained her energy, but the fact that she might not see Mia again was what really started to kill her.
'Everything I have ever done was for her...everything I continue to do is for her.'
Her eyes looked up at the elders that had their faces concealed; it was then that a quiver took control of her lips. Lynn felt them shake with want, with a desire to express the relentless pain that battled inside her. Her vision may have been blurred, her body may have been hunched over in pain as her one arm sustained her, but beyond all that, her voice could not be silenced.
"I did it all for her..."
The elders looked at each other in confusion.
"What was that?" yelled the man with the gavel.
"I did it all for her!" A rush of warmth drenched her cheeks and that's when she realized that her tears escaped their imprisonment. "I fought for Mia; I rid her of a demon you all failed to see, and I may have not protected the city, but I was there to fight the growing evil that is threatening humanity!" She stopped her chain of thoughts when a cough shook her throat, causing her to heave out more blood. Lynn didn't need to look herself in a mirror to know just how sickly pale she must have appeared.
"What insolence!" yelled the female of the three elders.
"I know not of any insolence, for I only speak the truth. Ezekias Halder is the man you all need to focus your attention on!"
The elders scoffed in derision. "No witch or Immortal by that name has ever been archived here. Now shut your insolent mouth and abide by our laws." The man with the gavel spoke firmly as he pointed the small hammer at Lynn, sending a golden wave of light to rattle her body.
Lynn screamed in agony but allowed her body to submit to the fatigue that claimed her.
Darius, unable to contain himself, swooped down and caught Lynn in his arms before she could fall to the ground face first. He cradled her to his strong chest as if afraid that he would never see her again, the tears of his blind eyes coating her pale white cheeks.
"Lynn...its ok babe, I will take care of you," he whispered softly.
"Tread lightly, Paladin Defender Darius Colt..." the voice of the female elder rang in his ears, and he wanted nothing but to smash her face in.
Nevertheless, he did contrary to his heart's desire as he stood with defiance but obedience all the same. "I will see that she is taken to the rehabilitation room."
The elder with the gavel nodded in affirmation, and Darius proceeded in leaving the audience. He didn't know what he was thinking, but he understood that his actions were based solely on his emotions alone.
Whatever was to come, he knew that he needed to make sure Lynn was safe and with her sister.
"There is nothing that you want more than to live a regular life with your little sister." Darius whispered to her while walking down a long corridor that led away from the meeting hall.
It did not take long before he was alone with Lynn. He carried her battered up body in his strong arms, almost solemnly. Ever since the attack on the city, something ate away at his soul. Why did was the Covenant being so hard on its officers? Lynn was not the first to have her spirit broken and put into rehabilitation. Numerous officials—even some who weren't involved—were sentenced under the judgment. Of course, the elders simply justified it, claiming to need more 'capable' soldiers.
Then there were the Aberhants...
'Those beings were kept under watch by the Covenant. No one else coulda' had access to em.'
Darius was determined to find out the truth, and he was planning on doing some digging as soon as he made sure Lynn was in the chamber. His hands were tied; no matter how much he despised having to leave her, Darius could not disobey the elders.
At least that's what he told himself.
'But what if the Covenant was guilty...? What if they tried to kill Lynn?' His mind screamed at him.
Would he turn on them?
Even though he could not see, Darius knew well how Lynn looked. Her beautiful scarlet hair was always tied in a long braided pony-tail that fell on her right side and her eyes—as striking as they were—were always intense. No matter what was going on, Darius always noticed how Lynn's demeanor reflected a serious tone. She was too wound up, but he did not mind it. If anything he loved her more for it.
'Yea, love. Funny thing ain't it...'
He stopped before the door that led to the chamber where it all began for Lynn.
At some point, they had reached a secluded area of the Covenant facility. It was the part of the building where every rookie covenant official was tested; the same place where they are first given the llyrium and watched to see if they could harness a patron. Nothing was fancy about it; if anything, it came off as a ward—the door of every room being an insipid cream color that rivaled the ceramic tiles, just one rectangular glass coated it.
Before anything else, Darius kissed Lynn's forehead and hugged her close to his body. The tears fell again, and he could not help but weep for his beloved—the memories of their first encounter becoming vivid.
"Promise me babe, that you will not lose sight of yourself..." he said, as he took one look at her unconscious face, picturing Lynn how he wanted her to be.
~~~~Flashback~~~~
He swung his feet back and forth, watching the glow of the sunlight that shone through the captain's window. Darius did not know why it was so important for him to be up so early and in the captain's office no less. All he knew was that there was a surprise, and he need not miss it.
Like any boy his age, he was very curious as to what the surprise could be, excited more than anything. With impatience, his light blue eyes shifted towards the door when he heard the shuffling noises. As expected, the captain—head of the Templar brigade number five—walked in. He was perfect in every way—neat styled grey hair, stern electric blue eyes and a suit that adorned his formal appearance.
"Captain Thomas!" Darius exclaimed in joy as he ran to hug the man.
"Whoa," the captain chuckled at the endearing gesture. "I'm glad to see you to."
Looking up to see his face, Darius spoke, "Where's Wyatt?"
"I left him on an important mission," the captain spoke sternly.
Upon hearing the reason of his friend's absence, Darius became indignant. He wanted nothing more than to prove to everyone that he was just as good or possibly better. Now that he knew Wyatt was off demonstrating his skills, Darius figured that he needed to step up.
Crossing his arms over his chest, Darius backed away from Captain Thomas. "I want to go on one too," he said with a scowling expression.
Captain Thomas made pretend as if he was taking the demand into consideration, as he tapped his chin. He then moved to sit down on his desk and stared at Darius.
"Are you sure? I think it's best if you think it through..." Even though he spoke seriously, his smirk told otherwise.
Darius scoffed, "I don't need to think it over."
"Good then!" the captain exclaimed, making Darius look at him in surprise. He felt somewhat nervous at his sudden change of emotion. "You can come inside now!"
Captain Thomas's voice yelled across the room, past Darius—the boy was utterly confused, his stare shifting back from the captain to the door behind him. Who was he talking to?
Before anything else could be said, a young redheaded girl wearing a pair of glasses opened the door. She was young, around his age or maybe younger, and all over her body, she bore bruises and scratches that seemed to have dried up after bleeding profusely.
Her blouse and skirt were tainted and dirty, but it did not seem to bother her. The expression on her face was deadly cold.
"Darius meet Lynn; your important mission is to take care of her." When he assimilated the words, Darius turned to face the captain. He looked at the man as if he just grew another head.
"What! How come I get stuck with babysitting and Wyatt gets cool missions?" he protested, ignoring Lynn as his emotions got the best of him.
Captain Thomas laughed loudly, his deviousness reflecting in his two pupils. "Who said my son was on a combat mission? Wyatt is taking care of Lynn's baby sister."
Darius became mute, watching Captain Thomas's expression. The man was serious. It did not take long before he turned back to Lynn; she was still unmoving and quiet. Something about her irked Darius. She just did not seem normal.
"Why don't you let her get dressed and then you two can get to know each other. Show her around the facility." Captain Thomas more demanded than offered.
Darius slumped in his posture, defeated. "Alright fine," he said in disappointment while leaving the room. Lynn followed in tow, the silence in her never changing.
It was snowing, making the training yard inoperable for obstacle course runs. Nevertheless, after Lynn had gotten into nicer clothes and all washed up, Darius decided that it was a suitable place to chat. The girl might actually like it and start to say something.
Unfortunately, much to the poor boy's luck, Lynn simply sat on a pile of cold haystacks found in the middle of a course path. Every now and then, she would only lift her gloved hand and stare at the snowflakes that fell. No matter how much Darius would try, she would say absolutely nothing.
"So, why are ya here?" Darius asked, his scarf muffling his voice faintly. Lynn stared at the dark skinned boy through her iced glasses, but remained ever so silent.
It made Darius scoff in rendition, but as common human nature dictated, he would just simply try after a good few minutes of the cold quietness. Even if he did not want to talk to her, there was no one else. In addition, he was stuck with her, so making the best out of the situation was preferable.
"I'm only fourteen but I'm here cuz I know I'm strong enough to become a Paladin Templar." At some point, Darius climbed atop a few monkey bars, and dangled off them from his legs. His actions reflected his words as he tried to somehow impress Lynn.
But she did not even bother to look at him, her constant attention always plastered on the falling snowflakes as she caught them with her palms.
"Captain Thomas is ma best friend's dad. He's a good guy; he took me in after he found me livin' in the streets," Darius said with a big smile on his face as he remembered it well.
Somehow those words caused Lynn to look up at him. Her green eyes stared at his light blue ones—the color a heavy contrast on his dark complexion.
"What? You didn't know I was an orphan?" he asked with a hint of laughter behind his voice.
Lynn turned back to her snowflakes, and with one nod in a show of a negative response, Darius received his first gesture from the girl. At least he knew now that she wasn't deaf.
The hours turned into days and days into weeks, but Lynn still failed to say one single word to Darius. No matter how much time they spent together, it seemed that she only cared about the snowflakes. Every day, Darius would take her outside to the same place, and they would talk—or he would talk. Even though it was a one-sided conversation, he felt happy to have someone that would listen to him.
During the passing of those days, Lynn trained with Captain Thomas, and Darius would watch. He was amazed at just how nimble the girl was; her strikes and hits were always spot on and behind those green emerald eyes, there was not a hint of remorse. Lynn was definitely talented, and she fought like an assassin—never holding anything back.
Still, in Darius's head, he knew that she was still no match for him. It was natural since he had much more time training than she did.
'I wonder what coulda happened to bring her here...?' Darius walked in the snowy forest as he wondered over Lynn and her mysterious past. In essence, everything about the girl was cryptic. She had not uttered a single word since she arrived.
Determined, he rubbed his hands together and let his breath materialize in the cold air, as he continued on. There was something that he wanted to get but no matter how much he tried, he never could. Now that Lynn was here, he felt the need to achieve it intensify.
When he reached the mountainous region of the forest, Darius's stare fell on the ocean before him. Across the ocean lay the city of Oakhurst—specifically Oaken-Kami. However, the real focus of his attention was the small rocky island like peninsula that stretched out of the giant mountain and into the body of water.
On the rocky surface was the infamous necklace of Brisingamen, but to reach the artifact, one needed to tap into the nether realm. That was the easy part; the difficult task was surviving the creatures that protected it.
The Covenant was well aware of the necklace, for it was deemed as one of the objects needed for the ascension to Paladin. Wyatt tried numerous times to obtain it, but with every attempt, Captain Thomas was forced to rescue the boy. Thinking back on it, Darius did not understand why someone like Captain Thomas did not retrieve the item himself. Currently, the position of Paladin was held by no official, and for someone like the captain, it should not be such an arduous task.
"Darius!" Instantly, the voice of his friend caught his attention.
Wyatt came running up to him, his footsteps lagging due to the thick snow and his face contorted in worry.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"They're going to break Lynn's spirit!" Wyatt screamed the words in his face. He could tell that his friend was not handling the situation well. It was then that Darius realized the gravity of what he was being told. Neither boy—both fourteen years of age—had ever had their spirits broken. Lynn, with only eleven years, would never survive it. Captain Thomas always told them about the ritual, and how traumatizing it was—he also made sure to protect them from it.
So what had changed now? Why wasn't he doing anything for Lynn?
The breaking of a spirit was something that every Covenant official needed to go through, but it could only be done when the person in question was mentally, physically, and most importantly, spiritually prepared. It was unfathomable to even think that Lynn was ready.
"Why are they doing this?" Darius asked exigently.
Wyatt choked back between breaths, trying desperately to regain his composure but failing miserably. "I...I...I don't know...Dad, he—they said they need a Paladin now."
His friend was always the cry baby of the two, but this time, Darius did not blame him. He knew that Lynn would most likely die, and during the last few weeks, Wyatt had become enamored with the girl. Always at her beck and call, constantly trailing behind her like a love sick puppy—it confused Darius. But now was not the time to mull over such trivial things.
There was a powerful gust of wind that rattled the bodies of the boys, making the snow splash on them. Wyatt's jittery form trembled violently under the cold and when his pale face ducked inside his jacket and scarf, Darius knew that he was the only one that could do something for the girl.
Sternly, he turned back to face the island that held Brisingamen—his ticket to Paladin-hood and Lynn's pass to survival.
"Wyatt, we're gonna save Lynn, so don't worry."
Anything after those words was blurry for Darius's recollection. He only recalled the slightly alleviated face of his friend when he reassured him, but after entering the nether realm, there was little he remembered.
In the real world, Darius was gone for thirty minutes, but overall, he spent one month in the nether realm. Countless beings searched for his life during that time, but never once did he give up. Not like the other times, but back then he did not have a reason to be there—only the sheer fact that he desired to be a Paladin—to best his friend. Now was different—a life was a stake.
He was only fourteen years of age, and the understanding of life and death—how fragile it was—eluded him. Up until that moment—when Darius found himself faced with the lords of Brisingamen—he never knew how fleeting life was.
"Why have you come little one?" The man's voice boomed, his towering form nothing less than that of a god. If Darius did not feel inadequate before, he most certainly felt it at that moment.
He was must have been nothing but an ant to the lords; to make it worse, his bloodied and battered up clothes and form did not help his mien. The entire journey to reach the island of Brisingamen was summed up by a numerous demons and beasts attempting to feast away on his body. Darius's only means of survival was his wit, and especially his resolve.
"I—," he faltered. What if his reasons weren't enough for the patronage? "I have come for Brisingamen!" Darius yelled.
The words made another being, the female one, speak up. "You have come for our beloved—the emblem of the Vanir."
"Many a time have we seen thee young one. We waited for the day that you would birth your resolve and come for us," the giant male god spoke, but although the words sounded reassuring, Darius did not understand.
"You understand the meaning of our pact. What we seek...what we want..." It took everything in Darius to not succumb into a stupor under the enthralling voice of the female goddess.
"Vow to uphold our laws. Give for those who need—fight for what is worth your blood—discarding personal gain. Will thou abide to this?"There it was—the pact that he needed to save Lynn.
"Yes, of course! Anything for her life!" he yelled at them, unsure as to why he felt so strongly for the girl.
"Then never again will your eyes betray your heart." And before Darius could utter a single reply, a scorching fire sizzled into his two blue eyes. The lords disappeared before him, everything—from the barrenness of the nether realm to the conspicuous giants—dissolved right before the last of his eyesight.
It was then that he realized the price of his pact.
At first he stumbled, his body falling to the callous unforgiving ground. He was just a child. Why did he need to uphold such a responsibility?
'Are you regretting us?' The sound of the fused voices of his lords rang loudly in his ears.
Darius cried, sobbing hard on the ground. What exactly did he think he could accomplish?
'You can accomplish anything young master. From the beginning, we chose you to bear us. No one else would reach Brisingamen because of our decision.'
'Can you take me to her?' He understood. Darius comprehended that somehow by some twisted act of fate, he was chosen to become the Paladin of the Covenant, and as his body vanished in thin air, he lifted his spirits. Before he wanted to be a Paladin but never could; now he wanted to save Lynn and because of that he became a Paladin.
"I will save you Lynn!" he screamed when he felt his body pass through an invisible force. The lords within him helped him see with his touch, and hear with his heart. Lynn was stifling her cries, but she refused to speak.
'I will do this! For Mia, I will become strong!'
It was her thoughts reaching out to him; he was finally was hearing her.
With a loud crash, he passed through the veil and fell onto the golden tiles where Lynn stood. Before the elders, a fourteen year old blind Darius, held Lynn in his arms with two enormous gods towering on each side of him.
Lynn looked up at the boy in shock. For the first time, he took her breath away, and for the first time, she spoke to him. "You...Darius why?"
He could not see her anymore, but the sound of her voice was worth that price. "Stupid, I'm supposed to take care of you."
Lynn said nothing and cried into his chest—grateful to have found comfort in him.
The elders stood in awe, and the rest of the audience clapped in honor at the sight of the young Paladin.
~~~~End of Flashback~~~~
Here he was again, saving the same girl from the same fate. Only this time, was he really saving Lynn?
"Darius..." her voice broke his thoughts, and he looked at her face, even though his eyes could not see.
"I can do this. I don't need you to save me anymore," she spoke, her voice but a whisper.
Darius let her stand, and he quietly watched her approach the door.
"I will do this for Mia. Whatever it takes for them to protect her and not use her as some lab rat." Darius nodded at her in affirmation while taking her soft small hands in his large ones. He gave her an inconspicuous flask that contained a liquid they both knew all too well, making Lynn stare at him with reassurance. She then opened the door only to close it again as she left him to enter the chamber.
"Lynn...fight for your sister and I will fight for you." There was nothing more he could do or say, and before he tortured himself with the sight of the lights that flashed in Lynn's cell, Darius took off.
There were other matters he needed to take care of—matters that urged to be resolved if he wanted to protect Lynn.
~~~~********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~********~~~~~~~~******
Every day seemed like an eternity, and she lived for more than fifty years already. But working for Ezekias made each task tiresome, each day lag on as if it would never conclude. Right that moment, Caris stared up at the darkness of the night; the starless sky appeared to be more solemn than she was. What happened to not caring? As she walked down the familiar sidewalk of the neighborhood that forever plagued her memories, Caris scanned the area for any potential distraction.
She was not the flirtatious person she claimed to be; it was a simple façade that she picked up after years of feeling the solitude eat away at her resolve—especially after everything she had lost.
As time would have it, Caris strolled down the pavement where that night had occurred. It was not anything fancy; it didn't even come off as odd in comparison to any other street, but Caris, who stopped under a streetlight, knew better. Her stare shifted to the large house that was surrounded by a stone gate. The very same building stood unmoving just like back then. It was a normal household, two floors, shingled roof, sliding glass windows and cream color sidings adorned its façade—just your everyday modern home. How she wished that the building could speak, for it was the only witness to what happened that night on the very spot she stood.
Her eyes shifted back to the path in front of her when a scoff escaped her throat. She did not need anyone to tell her about that day; her Wiccan blood did that for her. It was also due to her powers that she knew...
She knew about Anise and her demise.
The grief struck her just the same as it would any human being, but she dealt with it by keeping a level head. At least that's what she told herself.
'If I was keeping a level head, I wouldn't have decided to do this.'
Her feet made her continue her journey—the destination unclear. For so long, she believed that using Ezekias was the best way to defeat him, but what had she accomplished? Anise—much like her—had been in the same situation. Her motives were different, save Margery Whyte, but in essence, they shared the same goal.
Now Caris remained alone again, bearing in mind how her only comrade failed after many years of trying. Anise killed Margery—although on some level, both she and Caris knew that it would come to that. It all started with a vision—sometimes the Wiccan gift was similar to a double-edged sword. Witches can learn things and prevent them, but most of the time, they are inevitable. Anise's vision occurred when she met Ezekias—none too surprising since the old witch tainted the lives of so many. From there, her life was torn upside down. She saw the death of Margery Whyte, and many others she did not know at the time die at his hands on the second Black Night.
Changing the future by altering the present was her only option. There was no other solution to it; visions were always held supreme. They came to pass no matter what.
'What cruel irony; Margery died nonetheless.' It was true; Anise changed the future, but in the end, Margery's fate was sealed just like in the vision. The only thing left to do was wait—wait to see if her premature death could be a catalyst in Ezekias's plans.
"One could only hope." Caris spoke to herself, her expression changing drastically when her eyes fell on the distraction she was searching for.
She hated acting the way she did, but instead of alcohol or drugs, Caris opted for another vice.
"Hello there, oh you have such a cute dog." Her sensual stride led her to a man with scruffy blonde hair and a pair of glasses. It was obvious that he was walking his dog to have it relieve itself.
Nervous at the strange girl's show of comfort, he stuttered with his words. "Uh, um thank you—he's a toy poodle."
"Oh, well aren't you the most precious little thing." Caris wasted no time to bend down and smother the animal as she spoke in a cutesy tone. The gesture gave the man a very clear and nice view of her somewhat large breasts, making him ogle wide-eyed.
With a smirk on her face, she stood—pup in her arms—and spoke. "You should try to be more discreet when you check out a lady." She giggled at his embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean—" the man's words came out rushed and Caris stroked his one arm to calm him down.
"Its fine, I don't mind it much. If you want to see them, then ask me." She leaned in closer as if afraid the pup would hear. "We can go to your place."
The man looked at her in disbelief but saw no reason to mull on the proposal. "Su—sure! Um, my name is Joseph—"
"Oh there's no need for first names, Joseph. Let's just go and have some fun." He nodded unsure but agreed, as he led Caris away to his home, which was in the proximity.
'It's just a distraction...nothing more.' Caris told herself when she entered the premises of the stranger's home. It wasn't considered decent female behavior, and it was also very risky for a girl to engage in such, but Caris was not a normal defenseless girl. Hypothetically speaking if she were not, no one would even care if the man turned out to be a psychopath and killed her after she fell asleep.
Hell, she barely cared herself. She only wanted to go through the emotions—to survive another day...