Chapter 893

Chapter 893: Side Track – Home

“Canceling and leave behind a massive hole in the ceiling?” returned the flushed Igna.

“I mean,” added Gophy, “-not big a loss?” she stared at the ceiling where once laid beautiful works of arts – a dome roof taken by cracks, smolders of ash, and burnt marks. By the time he decided to follow the stare, Intherna quickly pulled his elbow, “-what brings you home?” she asked, aura friendly and energy high.

“Brought a visitor,” he returned, the duo turned towards those in question.

Sight swapped for a watch-tower turned resting area on an eastern extension of the castle. The added wing had capacity for newer flying planes, beasts, and technology in-between. Take Marinda as a place of magical development and added the hardened facts of technology and industrial evolution, the end product; The Shadow Realm. Growth, unlike anything he’d seen before. The more time elapsed, the deeper a feeling of strangeness pulsed.

Sat two by two on the seats, butlers flooded the spiral stairs with drink and snack-filled trays. On the menu, her Gophy snarl and Intherna grin, laid coffee of a lighter color. “-is this the reason for the earlier argument?” Gophy, settled beside Igna, rose her fingers, and crossed her legs, she simply looked down her nose and sipped. Intherna sat to the right, rose her arm, and giggled.

“Yeah,” said her sudden rise in morale, “-milk from Judath cow is a delicacy, never mind the green color, think of it as herbal tea.”

“Yeah, green,” sighed Igna, he looked to Gophy who simply disregarded the struggle. Strange mug in hand, the bubbling concoction boomed – at a point, a visage through the amalgamation of the foams sneered. Faint prayer in mind, he gulped to a pleasant surprise, “-this is good.”

.....

“I know,” cheered Intherna, “-anyway,” she passed him and looked at Gophy, “-about earlier. I’ll ask the maids to keep the milk away from your precious beans.”

“No,” returned Gophy, “-suppose the milk is an acquired taste. Similar to dark chocolate. I’ll make an effort.”

“And I’ll try to enjoy the virgin broth.”

“All’s well that ends well?” said Igna inquisitively. The duo turned and smiled. By the respace of the peaceful world, a sense of completion cuddled the heart and soul. Two small figures summoned above his shoulders silently. They simply swayed and smiled, breathing in the atmosphere as did Igna.

“The guest,” inferred Intherna finishing her mug, “-what’s a stranger doing in the Shadow Realm? Is he a prisoner?” moment the words captive escaped her mouth, Gophy’s brows rose and long lashes fluttered.

Keep the lust in check,” said Igna finishing the drink, “-here,” he stood and moved to the edge of the watch-tower, there, leaned on the balustrade and faced the goddesses; the wind carried his long hair and rose part of the outfit, “-he, my dear friend, Intherna, is heir to thy bloodline.” Cue to lower the shirt, a very baffled and enchanted Gustv unbuttoned and displayed her mark – a perched phoenix, “-lady Intherna,” he said, “-my name’s Gustv, and I was born to the Rah family bloodline. I bear your symbol,” he said.

Gophy rose her head above Intherna’s shoulders, “-looks authentic,” she whispered, “-assume you’ve had some fun in the mortal realm?”

“Don’t you start,” she returned, confused and albeit amazed, “-I haven’t visited the overworld in a long time. Last time I was there was when Staxius summoned, there’s also the time of incertitude after the death. I don’t remember, and I wouldn’t know,” she looked to Igna, “-what does it mean?”

“Your symbol,” he said, “-the boy has a few questions to the Rah family. It’ll be a great help if he knew where the legacy began. I mean, he is family, am I wrong?”

“My crest is the mark of my blessing,” she rose on her feet majestically, an implosion of power, grace, and godly aura washed her gestures, “-Gustv, childbearing my blessing, rise,” she opened her arms, “-and truly be part of my family.” A motherly warmth, way different from the scorching hotness associated with a Rah. He obeyed and accepted the embrace.

“Feels good,” said Igna, Gophy watched over the balustrade.

“She found a member of her family. Celestials,” she said thoughtfully, “-they’re very strange. The stage between mortality and immortality, I’d say a level shy below angel in raw abilities but blessed powers abled to rival a demi-god, if not a god. All comes to the potency of their crest, blood, and pride in their name,” she examined the looming silence, “-what plans do you have for him?”

“Plans?” he turned, “-nothing great. The boy needed answers and I figured, why not.”

“éclair’s been worried, the world’s in utter chaos. Won’t you return?”

“No,” he said, “-I rather not interfere, not yet. éclair’s doing what needs to be done. Don’t forget, it was my closest allies who pulled the plug and fired a missile. I was assassinated by those closest to me. I know I can still trust them, however, another part of me says to be on edge.”

“Which part,” she knowingly looked at his shoulder, “-is it the Founder or the Cursed King, which part speaks?”

“Who knows,” he smiled, “-and who cares. Tis hard to say who I represent anymore,” one hand hauntingly rubbed against the other, “-a quest to find myself – what is it I represent, what is it I wish to do? I don’t know. Gophy, I had a sliver of what I can actually do, I had a taste of what lives within, and frankly,” he stared coldly into her ominously black pupils, “-I’m afraid of what could happen if the death element fully awakens. I felt the pulse, it reinvigorated my whole being – through it, I was able to change and truly utilize both Alfred and Staxius’s power,” the tinge of purple flashed across the bicolored pupils, “-as a watcher of the Shadow Realm, I’ve truly reached an unsurmountable pillar.”

“We know,” she added nonchalantly, “-we know and we’ve watched the journey. Igna, us guardian goddesses have always said one thing, we’re friends, and we’ll keep an eye until the day thee truly require our help. Trust when it comes, the whole universe, the legacy thee crafted in thy last life shall rush and destroy. Peace is good an all,” a somber cloud rose above her open palm, “-I like chaos, the population grows by the day, life expectancy is long – the cycle of rebirth and immortality is common knowledge. People who die are reawakened in another body and simply carry on their earlier life. A realm ruled by death and time is also unaffected by death and time.”

“From the days of barely affording means, stealing to feed Eira – we’ve sure come a long way,” a gust blasted the duo, “-it’s good,” he said, “-no matter what happens to me – the Shadow Realm will always exist as proof of what my soul accomplished. Alfred, Staxius, you’d be proud.” Therein, the figures sat over the shoulders turned into orbs, “-we’re proud,” they said and vanished.

“Was that?” blinked Gophy, “-them?”

“Alfred and Staxius,” he said, “-we’re one of the same.”

Discussion between Intherna and Gustv arrived at an end, marked by the slowing of speech. Gophy and Igna turned, “-I’m ready to go back,” said a cheerful Gustv.

“Good,” added Igna, “-suppose we ought to leave,” Intherna and Igna traded places, a beam of white snatched the duo – a faint trail of golden feathers floated. Intherna moved to where he stood and peered onto the view, Gophy closed the gap and held onto the railing.

“How does he look?” she asked with mild anxiety.

“Igna seems fine,” smiled Gophy, “-the transformation’s begun. Inheritance of Lucifer’s wings and faith endowed by the people, without a place to rest, has flooded into the Death Element. The dormant heart won’t beat, it can’t beat for there’s a massive hole preventing the production of mana. Instead, the flood rushes through the whole, heals the part of the destruction, and flowed directly into the Shadow Realm. There’s a brighter vibrance to the sun, the mana, and the spirits are fulfilled by the pure essence. He said something about the element pulsing.”

“That’ll be the absorption of soul,” said a blond-haired lady, “-every time he uses the element, restoration is shattered.”

“The day Lucifer’s wings overflow the element is the day the heir to death inherits the death element.”

“Doubtful, he’s cursed to never be a god. Instead,” she walked with high-heels and looked upon the same cityscape, “-Igna may just become a being who we’ve never seen before. Like Alfred, Igna’s a reject, flaws remain.”

“Purple,” added Gophy, “-I saw it. The powers of Alfred, it’s returned.”

“I know,” said Miira, “-and we’ve already seen it in action. Sen, God of Harvest, was pulled from the seat of godhood and forced to give a fragment of his element. By all means,” she said fearfully, “-if even he decides to fly into the heavens and wage war on the gods, there will be blood spilled, and I fail to see how they could win against him. An entity backed by the Shadow Realm and Alterian Gods. Time will tell,” she smiled, “-and we shall watch the growth.”

Lilith, straddled upon a dragon, halted to a stop beside the watchtower, “-there’s a festival in town,” she cried, “-let’s go. Saniata’s performing,” and there, the guardians paid visits into the capital-city where the populous sang and drank on celebration of a new-years for the nation of monsters.

*Hurl,* “-we arrived in style,” cringed Igna, “-too bad the trip takes a toll on the stomach.”

“My fine,” hurled the young fellow, “-give me a moment,” thick green mixture with morsels laid upon the yard. Hands in pockets, Igna walked into the manor, after whom Gustv followed.

Days turned weeks – as promised by Xinfe’s head, Lord Fife abdicated his position to the young Djen, a quiet ceremony whereby key members of the council watched and applauded the bold decision.

Yet another day rose over Rosespian II – an armistice between Igna and belligerent familias, birthed by the fear of an epidemic, had the household relatively peaceful. The manor landed at the feet of the volcano, a place where the lesser celestial resided. Reports in hand, Igna exited the shadow of his cave(study) onto the clean wooden floor hallway, he walked straight towards the washroom, on way, Tania’s ajar room caught his attention, he glanced inside to see the lass on her knees before a painting of her brother. “-I will find you, brother,” said murmurs, “-and when the day comes, I’ll make them pay, and if I have to kill to get my word across, I will,” a nostalgic tenseness lingered.

He simply watched and continued the promenade. After the toilet, Igna found himself downstairs on the veranda sat beside a bottle of liquor and cigar, ‘Danio’s military was spotted around key areas near Orn,’ a crinkled map held marks and poor handwriting, ‘-to flee from Celestial’s torture, many parents are sending their children to Orn as to combat the cruelty of famine. The journeys are dangerous, many bodies are found mutilated. Those who make it to a certain area are escorted into the growing village. To stop Orn’s flourishment, lords of other villages have built checkpoints at key locations. Orn has the means to make good on items, the limiting factor is supply and raw material. Food’s not a problem, my grotto’s served a good purpose. What to do,” he drank and thought, “-can’t exactly mount an attack on the checkpoints.”

“Teach,” scurried young Tania, “-I’m ready for battle,” she said, “-let’s go!”

“Right, the battle,” he stood, flicked the cigar, and turned for the common area, there, grabbed his coat, armed guards rallied for a hearty salute. ‘Today’s battle is against a member of the Danio faction. She seems excited, long as her morale is high, we’ll be fine.’ They traveled by carriage on the rough path, the volcano growled – as for the air, warmer and harder to breathe. On arriving into town, the place wasn’t much to speak about – less effort and poor quality of building materials, everyone held strained expression. ‘-an arena built into the mountain.’