Chapter 88 - The World Below - Anemus Ultimatum

Everyone faced the column of darkness as a shrill roar shuddered through the air.

The darkness vanished as wings spread and a dark platinum scales dragon emerged from the hole, making everyone there, but Ella, feel overwhelmed by the intense fear of that terrifying presence.

Ella was about to transform when suddenly the dragon threw a body towards the group's direction.

"Huh?"

The group exclaimed in surprise and Lobana followed the body with her eyes and realized it was a child.

No one but Lobana moved to pick up the child. She jumped off Achilles' back into nothingness toward the child who was falling to her death and shielded the girl with her body as they crashed against the dark earth floor.

When Lobana looked at the dragon to complain, the creature had disappeared and in its place was a woman with long extremely black hair and dragon wings.

Her hair had changed, her eyes were darker, but Lobana would recognize her even if she was bald and eyeless..

A smile appeared on Lobana's red lips as involuntary tears made their way down her face.

"Athena..."

Lobana felt the guilt disappear when she saw that her friend was really alive and her complaint melted with the joy that filled her heart.

That guilt was for failing to save Athena two years ago. A guilt that plagued her even though she knew she shouldn't feel that way.

But now that unreasonable guilt melted into happiness as see that her friend was alive even though she didn't know if that friend was fine.

Fotiá didn't wait for Kima to get close to Athena and, taking an impulse on the beast's back, she jumped into her mother's arms.

"Mommy!" Fotiá smiled a smile full of happiness and longing.

Athena's eyes sparkled when she saw Fotiá. She flew towards her daughter and gave her a tight hug full of love, longing and a warmth she hadn't felt in a long time and was very familiar, but Athena couldn't find the word to describe it.

Still hugging Fotiá, Athena landed and stroked her daughter's reddish-black hair and then pulled away from her.

"Look at my little girl, you are so beautiful now!" Athena said with a smile she never thought she would have, the proud smile of a mother.

Fotiá didn't look anything like Athena, not that she should, but her cuteness had become a stunning beauty.

Athena made Fotiá turn to get a better look at her little girl.

Fotiá had a slim body with the right sizes in the right places. her breasts were larger than Anemus's, but still small, and her legs were long, making her as tall as Athena. Fotiá had large, round eyes, an upturned nose and thin pink lips.

The only thing she and Athena had in common was their long, straight wavy hair, but no one denied that they were mother and daughter.

Athena felt proud to see that her beautiful daughter was doing well and stronger.

"I knew you were alive even though everyone said otherwise!" Fotia said and hugged his mother again.

"Of course! I won't die, I made you a promise never to leave you." Athena said and kissed the top of her daughter's head as she, Fotiá, lay her head on her chest.

Lobana looked at the scene and seeing Athena's naked body, reminded her of that fateful day, two years ago.

Lobana wiped her tears and smiling, she and Athena exchanged glances.

"Wear something, you exhibitionist..." Lobana said and Athena laughed.

Everyone landed around Athena as she pulled a plain white sleeveless dress from her subspace and put it on.

Dressed, Athena greeted almost everyone there and met some new faces like Yrio and Hein.

She didn't remember meeting these two and Lunnia had to help her remember why Yrio was about to tear his hair out.

Yrio always thought he had formed a friendship with Athena and that they were good battlemates and was frustrated to find out otherwise.

After hugging little Samy, her good friend she met in Tarna, and talking about the new store he had opened in Veand, Athena met Edrik.

However, when Edrik presented herself as Fotiá's lover, Fotiá herself fainted Edrik by making the oxygen around her evaporate by creating a fire barrier around the girl.

Athena laughed at their relationship, hugged her daughter and whispered something in her ear that made Fotiá's face get red.

And finally Athena looked at Anemus. Her heart sped up and her pupils dilated and an involuntary smile appeared on her lips as if she was falling in love with the girl all over again.

But that smile faded when Anemus gave a shy smile and walked away from her.

"Anemus..."

***

The brief moment when darkness manifested its presence in the world, it was like a beacon to those who hid in the world's shadows.

With the exception of Lucifer, the demon lords abandoned their thrones and flew to where the darkness called them.

In fact, it wasn't just the demon lords who were attracted to that energy. The demons, greater and lesser, began to move in order towards that darkness.

In the elves' forest in Basilica, Nimo was terrified as see and feel that evil energy in the sky that had turned black for an instant.

This phenomenon brought back old and painful memories that she thought she had already forgotten.

She couldn't stay out and do nothing about it, and began her preparations to leave the forest for the first time in four thousand years, but just then, she received three unexpected visitors.

Other beings and creatures with significant powers sensed that hideous energy, but as usual they just ignored it.

These were fairies, dragons, giants, angels and Lucifer.

But of course, there were always exceptions, and a blue dragon was one of those exceptions. Also, the king of the vampires, the leader of the kindreds, and a certain deity that shouldn't even exist in this world.

They all moved because of Athena, who was oblivious to them all.

***

They stayed there for a whole day, killing homesickness and telling stories.

During this time, Lobana told what happened after Athena's supposed death.

All J: Flashbacks will begin. :v

"I really didn't know what to say to Mifa..." Lobana said. "That's why I lied."

"Lied?" Athena asked as she swallowed a piece of dried meat that Fotiá, who was sleeping using Athena's legs as a pillow, gave her. "What did you tell her?"

"She only woke up a few hours after your fall..." Lobana, with a complicated expression, began to tell everything in detail.

Two years ago, when Mifa woke up, Lobana was beside her with a dark expression.

Mifa didn't understand why Lobana was there instead of Athena and with a raised eyebrow, she asked. "Lobana, where is Athena?"

"..." Lobana pressed one lip against the other and as if she was chewing something sour, her mouth contorted. "She..."

Mifa frowned and sat up, facing the woman across from her. "Lobana... Where's Athena?"

Lobana closed her eyes regretfully and opened her mouth. "She disappeared..."

"Huh? What do you mean with 'she disappeared'? A person doesn't disappear like that!"

"After using incredibly powerful magic, Athena... She began to fade away like a illusion." Lobana said without looking Mifa in the eyes. "I've heard that things like this happen when a caster uses more mana than he has..."

"No..." Mifa said in a low voice with wide eyes. "Athena no..."

Mifa ran out of the tent and went to where she last saw Athena.

"On that day, Serien had decided that we, Basilica's army, would stay in Tarna for a while longer. She said that Tarna would be part of Basilica and that she wanted to save as many people as possible from the wreckage..."

During this period when they stayed in Tarna, Mifa stayed the whole time where she was in Athena's arms for the last time.

She stood there, just staring at nothing... as if she looked to the place for enough time, Athena would end up appearing in front of her.

Mifa was on the verge of a silent breakdown or maybe she had already break.

Lobana couldn't tell if her lie would keep Mifa alive for a long time or if her lie would be discovered and Mifa would die along with it.

Because of that, because of this concern she had for Mifa, Lobana spent all her time in Tarna, beside or watching over Mifa.

But to Lobana's surprise, Mifa's mourning period lasted only three weeks, the time Serien found satisfying in her search for survivors.

In Basilian, after Athena's funeral, Mifa entered the royal palace library and was immersing herself in books, studying magic on her own.

"It was then that, after solving some matters with the Valkyries, I left Basilica. I had to recover at least your remains to give you a decent burial..." Lobana looked at Fotiá. "Two years after I started my search for your remains, a few days ago, that's when I found your 'daughter' and her problems."

Athena frowned at the last part. "Problems?"

"Yes..." Lobana said in a joky smile. "But that I'll leave her to tell you."

Athena sighed heavily and tucked her hair behind her ear as she looked down at Fotiá. "You've been through so much..." Athena looked at Lobana with a smile. "Thank you, my friend."

"No problem..." Lobana looked at the starry sky. "But if you could do me a favor..."

"What? What favor?"

"Don't tell Mifa I lied... I feel that if she finds out I lied, she will hate me forever."

"She won't..." Athena said with a mocking smile. "She's a good girl and couldn't hate you."

"Yeah? So I say you don't know your girlfriend." Lobana said and the sound of a wooden plate falling to the floor was heard.

The two women looked back and Anemus was there, stunned with wide eyes.

"Anemus." Athena said and Anemus turned her back and flew. "Anemus!"

"What was this?" Lobana asked and Athena's face shook. "What are you doing?" Lobana frowned and asked. "Go after her! I'll take care of your daughter."

Athena switched places with Lobana, thanked the woman, spread her wings and flew after Anemus.

"Anemus, stop!" Athena screamed but Anemus increased her speed and Athena did the same. "Anemus, you haven't talked to me since we met, wait!"

"Leave me alone! Go back to your girlfriend!" Anemus said in a tearful voice.

"Wait! Are you jealous?" Athena said smiling without realizing it.

Anemus hovered in midair as she turned with a furious expression. "I'm not jealous! And why the smirk?"

Athena touched her lips and continued to smile even after realizing it. She approached Anemus, who tried to move away from her, but Athena hold her hand.

"Two years ago, what I told you is the truth but…" Athena took a deep breath, feeling her heart sink in fear of being rejected. "Does it really matter?"

Remembering Naph's words, Athena threw all the past behind her and wanted Anemus to do the same, because just then they could walk together into a future.

"Huh?" Anemus made a confused expression and then her face cleared as she understood what Athena meant. "No... It doesn't matter." Anemus looked down, still avoiding Athena's eyes.

Anemus had already forgiven Athena and now that she had gathered the courage to talk to Athena, but the existence of a girlfriend made her heart shudder and her courage fade into fear.

Fear of losing Athena or maybe having already lost her to someone else.

"But it doesn't matter anymore how I feel about you either…" Anemus muttered.

Athena gave a slight smile. "Of course it matters..." Athena pulled Anemus closer and lifted her face. "I love you as much or more than you love me!"

Looking into Athena's dark eyes, Anemus wore an expression of mixed hesitation and happiness.

Happiness to hear those words and hesitation because the other person in Athena's heart.

"But what about your girlfriend?"

"What have about her? She and I already had this conversation. I told her that I loved you too and she said she'd have trouble sharing me." Athena caressed Anemus' face with the back of her hand. "What will you do?"

Anemus frowned again and backed away from Athena. "No..."

"Huh?" Athena's happy smile turned into a frustrated smile.

"I will not share you with anyone else, Athena." Anemus' face was slightly red and Athena could see the flame of anger in her eyes. "You will have to choose, Athena. She or I, who do you choose?"