Book 6. Chapter 22: Divine Vault

Book 6. Chapter 22: Divine Vault

Tanda was a little excited as they met their mentor for the second time, her wings fluttering in excitement. Their time spent with him previously hadn’t been long, but he gave helpful guidance. It was from his advice that she chose the Flames of Vengeance Technique over the other one, which looked attractive due to meshing with her cycle.

However, the Flames of Vengeance actually ended up being perfect for her, enabling her to maintain her damage output in their complicated fights. If she had been too busy maintaining her cycle for both the bow and scythe, she thought things would have been far too difficult to get the most out of it.

Over the past few months, Lord Guan Yu had provided her with several updates and congratulations. He recommended she purchase a few books and training primers, to help guide her progression.

There was even some guidance for expecting mothers, which helped make sure she gave her all to ensure Nora was born healthy and safely. Of course, her family had all found similar topics, but that he had been thoughtful showed he cared about more than just her path as a warrior.

Lord Guan smiled at Ophelia. “I’ll have to thank Hestia, Brigid, Cernunnos and Athena later. Such an outcome is unprecedented for you two, and sets an excellent foundation. Now I know my prepared gift for helping with your balance problem will be even better.”

Ophelia asked, “A gift... But what about the laws of balance for the great game? Won’t that make things more challenging for us?”

Tanda knew what Ophelia was asking. If the item was above their Tier, if they hadn’t earned it in some way, it could affect them negatively. Something like when the Life’s Haven boss battle where the boss suddenly powered up, or was stronger as a result could happen. This had been from them being Champions, but receiving powerful items from a patron would have a similar result.

At this point in their lives, few things of the second Tier could really impact them significantly, their hearths performing well above the standard–their races already reaching the third Tier was proof of this.

Something that could fix Ophelia’s need for a death body to go along with her life soul and energy would likely be something unique, and powerful.

“Normally yes,” Guan Yu responded, “but this is why the gift is special. Contained within it is a Trial to win over the inheritance. Personal power is not given freely under the Framework, it must be earned. This item has difficult side effects, and will require constant effort and vigilance.”

Tanda frowned with worry, the ears on the top of her head flattening. “A Trial? Does that mean Lia could be hurt?”

Guan Yu gave Tanda a confident smile. “She could. Even with your strong family’s help in healing, it could take some time to recover if she fails. But the gift and Trial is not only for her, it is for you as well.”

Lia frowned. “Tanda too? But she already has a life body?”

“She does, and that will put her ahead of you for a short time–but not for long. Eventually, your tempering would surpass the life aspect provided by her auril heart and beastkin body, and it would not be able to keep pace. This will fix that.”

An elaborate... burial urn of some kind appeared on the ground. A dark green and black color, it was filled with mysterious scripts and designs, and some strange statues of...what looked like demons. Their visages looked...angry, or even hateful.

“Um...what is it?” Tanda asked, her wings fluttering in anxiety. The moment it appeared, all her fur stood on end, and she was filled with dread. Somehow, it felt like a...terrifying item.

“I can only tell you so much before you begin the Trial. It is Skanda’s Divine Vault of Asura Confinement. Contained within is the sealed energy of dozens of Divas and Asuras, tied to life and death.”

He continued, “You won’t much remember my instructions because your memories will be sealed when you enter the Trial, only remembering what the artifact wants you to. You may not remember family or friends, unless they are vital for the way you are tested. In the Trial, you will be tempted. Only by holding on to who you are and your virtues, can you hope to form the sigils and form the groundwork to obtain an Asura or Diva body–earning the responsibility.”

Tanda asked, “Responsibility?”

Guan Yu nodded. “Once the Divine Vault is consumed in its entirety, the seal the Divas died to create to end the war with the Asuras will have been passed on to you both. Of course, this was just an individual world’s Asuras that were sealed, not all of them. It will take quite some time for you to consume all the energy contained in this treasure. I fully expect for it to take until you’ve reached the third Tier.”

Lia frowned as she looked at the statues. Many of them had numerous heads and arms, and in Tanda’s opinion, they were kind of ugly humanoids. Lia pointed at a particularly fat one, “I’m to have a body like that?”

Lord Guan ran a hand through his long beard. “You will keep your Hearthian body. But the sigils formed on it, like tattoos, will store and grant you the power of one during battle. Asuras are Third and Fourth Tier beings, much like Jake’s Garuda. Their bodies can hold higher elements through their hate and resentment, from bathing in the blood and perverting the power of their enemies–the Divas.”

Lia was incredulous. “I’m going to have to kill Divas to grow? And uh...hate and resent?”

Lord Guan chuckled. “No need. Those contained in this vault have already done that, but are sealed by the Divas of life inside. Balance must be maintained, which is why Tanda here will receive the other half of their power. The sigils will hold the power of the beings, granting your body the energy you require. It will be a struggle even once the Trial is completed, but I believe you two will be perfect for using it to the fullest.”

From Lia’s thoughts, she understood this was a profound gift. It was clear it was powerful, solving their issue of forming a life or death body. Bloodberri had the chaotic chimeral body, and Fhesiah had her odd Yin-Yang body, able to swap between forms.

Tanda was weird, having a life body and death soul, and so this was the reason why, for Jake and Tanda’s sake, she would need to go with a deathly body, instead of just matching her soul.

For Jake and each other, they would do it. If she wanted to be strong enough for the battles to come, she would need to temper her body and soul alike. Ophelia and Tanda’s minds were in sync on the matter, the two’s eyes meeting.

Lia said, “We’ll do it. How do we begin?”

***

Whispers of hate and anger filled Ophelia’s mind as she fought a faceless being, her body, armor and shield battered and bloody. A black energy roiled on her skin, empowering her blows. She knew not why she was fighting, but the enemies continued to come.

The whispers promised her strength if she gave into the hate, and she could feel the power added to her blows by the darkness without it. Cleaving off the monster’s arm, she deflected the other with her shield and pierced the enemy’s skull. The enemy turned to dust, leaving her alone in a corridor.

She continued her march forward, only one direction available. Ophelia had no idea how she arrived here, and her mind was frantically searching to understand. Her only recollection was that she had entered this Trial, and took this terrifying power for Jake. It was horrible, the voices were so loud that she could hardly hear herself think.

With each worry or fear she had, the voices would capitalize and increase them. Thus, Ophelia did her best to ignore them, to bring calmness in her mind and focus on her task: finding Jake.

Exiting the stone corridor, she never could have expected what she saw. It was an immense valley, an entire world laid out in front of her to explore. However, in the distance, Jake was wounded and unconscious.

Her sister wives fought against several of the faceless enemies. The voices screamed at her hateful things, and despite doing her best to ignore them, thoughts creeped up in her mind. She couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy, that they were defending him instead of her.

Why wasn’t she there with them? Why was she suffering alone? Jake need only will it, and she should be by his side.

The whispers increased in volume, their voices loud and discordant. They said hateful things about how Jake left her to die, or how he clearly loves them more than her, and similar. But then she noticed something far off in the distance.

It was several ormrfolk, and they spotted her upon her exit. They were filled with fear, and they were running away. Somehow, the voices seemed to make a connection.

One held her mother’s spear, filling her with turbulent emotions.

The whispers became shouts, becoming even more hateful and louder, screams wracking her mind. The black energy roiled all along her body, and she screamed in return. Only one thought filled her mind, her unable to think for herself as dozens of voices all said the same things.

Vengeance.

Not only that, but a low growl nearly escaped her throat. How could she stay and enjoy this perfection while others suffer, the wicked free to run loose unpunished? Tartarus was still ever present, and even if this heaven was safe, she wanted no part of it while others suffered.

“This is not my paradise. Highlands is my home, for all its flaws and challenges. I must find my way to return, and get back to the fight.”

A voice laughed. “Good! Good. That you can refuse the siren’s call of paradise while having such compassion is special. You shall make a worthy inheritor. Please, use it well.”

Suddenly, immense life energy surged toward Tanda’s shoulder, forming a powerful sigil. The world faded away as she basked in the powerful energies of life entering her body.

Tanda’s memories returned, slamming into her mind as she groaned and Nora disappeared. She realized that she passed the Trial–she only hoped that her dear friend passed hers.

***

Ophelia slayed the last faceless creature, the girls having worked together to defeat them. The entire time she fought, the voices shouted in rage and hate. Deathly energy roiled along her skin, empowering her and dragging her into the depths of hatred and despair both.

She fell to her knees, exhausted. The voices continued their shouts, and it was a struggle just keeping herself from lashing out at her sister wives. Stirring her vajrafire flames, she did her best to fight off and purify the effect.

“He’s not waking up–something’s wrong!” Tanda’s voice was desperate.

Berri could be seen sending healing energy into Jake alongside her, and Fhesiah was quick to join them.

Fhesiah swept over him with Divine Sense, “Something is tainting him from within. Something...” She turned to Ophelia.

“Oh no, Lia!”

Tanda flew over and tried to heal her too–but the dark energy lashed out at her. “Eep!”

Faye walked over, her expression grim. “It’s her. The energy is coming from her, and hurting Jake.”

She was hurting Jake? The...dark energy?

“I’m afraid... she’s too far gone. We have to end her to save Jake.” Fhesiah’s voice was somber, but hard to hear over the voices.

Tanda gasped. “No! There must be some other way!”

She lies, the voices assured her. Fhesiah only wanted Jake all to herself, she was quick to sacrifice Ophelia–she never liked her as much as the other girls.

Berri tried casting her Divine Intervention on Ophelia, but the tainted energy hardly faltered. Ophelia railed against the deathly energy, but her will, her mental energy was well and truly spent.

Berri had tears in her eyes. “We can’t save Lia, either. What do we do?”

The voices only screamed and got more angry, saying hateful and more terrible things. They reminded her of the ormrfolk, that if she ran she just might be able to slay them and get her revenge. But she shoved those voices and thoughts away, focused on looking at Jake. Darkness was crawling up his body, and despite being filled with despair, she knew she needed to act soon. What she needed to do.

With tears in her eyes, Ophelia said, “Please, just end me. And...take care of Jake.”

Blood hefted her large axe. “I’m so sorry, sister. I don’t know what happened to you, but I know your will. You would rather give yourself up than to be the one to kill Jake.”

The energy on her skin roiled and raged, and Ophelia was filled with despair as she fought against it–as it tried to stop the axe from falling. But the world blurred and faded away, the energy disappearing.

“You managed to control your hatred and anger, having a truly pure heart. Then you had such loyalty to your loved ones, and such strength of will in a warrior. You will make a fine inheritor of the Vault.”

Sigils formed on her shoulder, the deathly energies from before drawn in. But rather than the tainted visions from before, a much more purified version of death flowed. It now felt much closer to Tanda’s deathly hunt or flames of vengeance.

The two returned to their bodies, and the burial urn had changed. Several of the Asuras had been switched to Divas on the outside, and they stood or sat in positions holding mudras–various hand symbols meant to seal away the evil.

The treasure now emanated the deathly energies contained within Ophelia’s new black sigils, and also Tanda’s life energies within her green runes. For now, the strange lettering was just on their shoulders like a tattoo.

“Well done. An excellent outcome.”

Ophelia frowned. “There was more than one outcome? Aside from...being infected by the hate, I guess?”

“That you had the control and will to submit yourself to the object of your loyalty was the best outcome. You discarded all desire and resigned yourself to your fate, all for the sake of your lover and lord. In truth, you had passed the Trial when you rushed to save him over seeking your revenge.”

Tanda’s ears were flat on her head, and tears filled her eyes as she realized how terrible Ophelia’s vision must have been. “That sounds horrible! It’s like you died for Jake a second time. Um, I don’t think my Trial had anything like that?”

Guan Yu nodded solemnly. “Her burden is bigger than yours, and thus the Trial was more challenging. The power earned is also greater, the Asura body not just providing death energy, but great strength.”

“Oh! That’s great, Lia!” Tanda beamed, happy for her friend. Ophelia was relieved as Tanda hugged her with arms and wings, but both of them were mentally exhausted.

“It will be a challenging power to master, and will require great vigilance. The voices you experienced in the Trial will return even in combat, and can be more insidious and harmful to you if you do not control it. You both must also grow your sigils in sync, as they are linked.”

He added, “So congratulations, you two. You have gained much. For now, rest a bit with your loved ones, and we shall continue training for battle later.”

Guan Yu disappeared, heading to one of the areas they set aside for the guests.

The two then teleported to their nature preserve, and began watching their kids playing happily. The kids chased the spriggons and fire spirits through the forest, trying to tag and capture them.

Ophelia sighed. “That trial was horrible. To think I didn’t even remember my own daughter... I was really prepared to die. It felt so...real.”

Tanda hugged her from the side tightly. “And you still did it for Jake! You’re amazing, Lia!”

Even though Jake was busy with his training, he arrived and joined them in their hug. His love and feelings for the two girls was sent over their bond, wrapping them in warmth and affection. Once again, they had a difficult Trial, but had become stronger as a result.