I feel like the important part of this is who is going to be there to protect Sophia and Ray tbh, so I trust inana to do a good job there.
also we definitely need someone to do a close read of the language details! there's something there, I'm sure of it, but I don't have the focus rn. sap kinda stands out to me too and it's definitely aria backstory hints overall, right? whatever is going on with her was known to the ancients etc
I trust Perun to protect our friends more than Inana, honestly.
So much to talk about here, I didn't expect the murderer to be Wilhelm honestly but the explanation is sound. I'm leaning towards the possibility that he's secretly an exiled priest like Ray because he knows details about the demon under Olympia he frankly shouldn't. Though that still begs the question of what "Wilhelm" is and why there's multiple of him. Looking back, he is wearing a mask so it could just be a title or an alias for members of his group perhaps?
Charizard trying to say Aria's "Dragonborn" or "Dragon-Blood" sounds about right given the broken translation we got. With the chrysalis comparison it could also be something like "Newborn Dragonkin" or "Awakening Dragon", since she hasn't come into that power yet?
Also poor Sophia is so down bad that she's killing chairs. Aria is going to give her a heart attack one of these days.
There's something up with the talk of heroes in this update and Pilgrimage being used as a term. our fantasy version of a heroic journey? something to do with the blessed people?
I think if I read all the details we've gotten there's probably at least one lore secret available now so I might do a summary in a bit
You nearly drop her when Sophia slams the chair she pulled from the floor so hard that it shatters. You blink, and Sophia looks somewhat embarrassed by the move before picking up another chair.
"Not that one," Sophia says, trying to laugh it off.
You take one more break before you finish the final stretch. Though the mood has slowly been improving, the realization that Wilhelm's plan is far bigger and more dangerous than initially expected has made the rest of the climb rather tense.
Debora decided to stay behind, taking care of the other prisoners to make sure they'd survive until the situation was resolved. She did not look very happy to see the Centurion, but still took some rations off your hands to help the man regain his strength.
"Do you have any plans?" Ray asks. You purse your lips.
"Not as such," you admit. She sighs, though it sounds more like resignation, which you vastly prefer to upset. "We got his Tauros knocked out, and we vastly outnumber him. If we can manage to avoid being zapped by the staff, I think we can just overwhelm him. Though his plan involves the unsealing of the demi-god, he can't do it without all his sacrifices, and he can't sacrifice us yet."
"Why do you think so?" Sophia asks. Ray's eyebrows furrow in thought, answering for you.
"Because he'd have done it already," Ray says. You give her a nod, smiling softly. "There's something he has to do before, probably whatever we caught him doing last time. After so long, the demon must be hibernating. Dying in its vicinity can't be the only thing, or it'd have been unsealed by the aging population of Olympia."
"He can't risk killing us because more kidnappings mean more exposure of his operation," you say. It's a solid assumption, but then again, it's not impossible that you're giving the man too much credit. "So if you overwhelm him, and take his staff, he's powerless. I've beaten him before, he's not nearly as good as some other warriors I've met."
"He uses tricks and subterfuge," Sophia says, shrugging. "Inattention and arrogance will be our biggest enemies, an operation like this is ridiculous for a single person."
That is also true, you find. Leif told you Wilhelm started out with petty thefts before moving on to major artifacts, so either he honed his craft or he has slowly escalated to avoid drawing too much attention to himself.
Stealing the Marchioness' flute and a staff that is locked in a vault nobody can access? Maybe you are not giving him enough credit.
"Sneaking didn't work last time, so I'd say we go for the direct option," you say. "Spread out, pincer him. If he focuses on one side, the other swoops in and gets him from behind."
"Yes!" Sophia and Ray say together. The Pokemon grunt on agreement.
Charizard gives you a nod, eager to get started. You see its anger at the possibility of the giant demi-god returning, destroying the resting place that it is meant to protect.
Of course, no plan survives contact with the enemy.
###
You're back where you started. You can feel something has changed, though. You don't know how long exactly you were down there, possibly more than a day by now, and you do have a habit of passing out after exerting yourself in combat. You'll have to work on that.
That large cave you enter from a different direction looks much the same, if a bit brighter now. Wilhelm is still standing there, as if he has done nothing but bash the staff against the ground for hours, and as you spread out to surround him, Charizard attacking from above, you hear something.
Something like rustling clothes and the soft hum of a blade.
You draw your blade quickly, holding it up to block the sudden attack from above. Behind her, a yellow light shoots upwards, knocking the Guardian out of the air. Wilhelm is undisturbed, continuing his ritual without turning around.
The woman that attacked you looks… well, like a priestess. Not in the same way that Ray does, her robes are dark and she wears a tiara with the numerals 'II' carved into a gem up front. In her hand is a long, black sheath.
The Priestess draws that long blade. It is thin and sharp, like someone had honed the moon to killing. Her hair is black and long, her eyes pierce you with the color of a dark red sunrise—
She looks beautiful in so many ways that it makes you want to run away.
"I apologize," she says, her voice calm. Ray and Sophia haven't gotten very far, and the yellow something turns out to be a rather large Ampharos, with long white hair and an absurdly fluffy tail. "But I cannot allow you to interrupt him."
"We do not need your permission," you say. She nods, holding her sword up in a pose you've not seen before.
"Perhaps not," she says, "but you will need to defeat me if you wish to continue."
"Okay, change of plans," you say. Charizard is back on its feet, grabbing Amphorus by the neck and lifting it up. "You guys take care of her, I'll go kick Wilhelm's ass."
The Priestess is more skilled than him for sure, but that doesn't mean she can deal with multiple opponents at once. With her Pokemon occupied, and the others joining in to fight Amphorus, you're left with a path to Wilhelm, Inana by your side.
You rush forward, sliding underneath the swing of her blade and watching as Sophia catches it with her own sword. Ray joins in, shocks sent over the woman's hands— you turn your attention to Wilhelm, who has finally turned around. He smiles at you, as if he was waiting.
### Sophia's POV
Sophia is skilled. She has not had time to truly show off to Aria yet, but she knows how to wield a blade, and has been in the field longer than Aria has been. The problem is: so is this woman.
Though dressed in clerical garb, the way she swings her sword reminds her of stories of swordmasters from the Eastern continents. The thin blade does not have the right shape, yet the pressure she puts on with that thin of a hilt makes Sophia grit her teeth.
"You are strong," the priestess says. "May I know your name, Spectrier Knight?"
The black blade comes up and pushes her away, giving Sophia just a moment of rest. Ray has taken a few steps back, choosing to support the efforts instead of fighting in close combat with someone like that.
"I am Sophia," she introduces herself. "And I am Aria's Knight, no Spectrier Guard."
The woman's smile does not leave her face. She spreads her arms, then gives an exaggerated bow. "I am Adelheid, Priestess of the Nameless God. Would you like me to pray for your health?"
"Get back!" Ray shouts. Sophia reacts fast, but not fast enough. As the woman rises from her bow, the sword swings upward and carves the way forward. Sophia has moved her head out of the way, yet the wind carves a gash across her leg. "That sword is filled to the brim with elemental energy, it's really strong while in the tomb!"
"Noted," Sophia says, hissing as the pain from her leg shoots upward. "I suppose it won't be a boring fight, then."
Adelheid follows up with a dance. The way she approaches begins with short steps and becomes a full performance, twirling around Sophia and leaving cuts everywhere. Ray takes aim, but cannot fire off anything without risking injury to her own ally.
It's Winter who saves the day. While Spring is helping Charizard, Perun and Winter stayed behind to help against Adelheid. Using Pokemon to attack people is unchivalrous, but worse than that, it's an affront to the order of the world.
Some say that the gods curse those who would do such a thing. It is an instinct that even most Pokemon understand within themselves, which is why Winter helps by playing defence.
A wall of dirt appears between Sophia and Adelheid, long enough to stop her dance, and long enough for Ray to fire off lightning from a stone. Adelheid points her sword at the lightning, then releases it upward into the ceiling instead of the ground. She cuts the wall, and her blade is caught by Perun, using his frills.
"What a beautiful bond," Adelheid says, her voice rising for the first time. "What an immaculate partnership!"
Pokeballs fall from her sleeves, releasing a Nickit and Purrloin. Purrloin tackles Perun away, while Nickit decides to play tug with Spring's club. Sophia takes a deep breath, regaining her footing, regaining her focus.
"Ray," Sophia says. "Together with me."
Ray doesn't know what that means, but Sophia's movements begin all the same. The black blade comes down into the ground, slight sparks shooting up as the walls of the tomb give off electricity. With one swing, she sends dirt into Adelheid's eyes. The woman flinches back.
Sophia swings her sword back down, and though she cannot see anything, Adelheid blocks it, parrying the swing away from her body and leaving Sophia open. Ray attacks, pieces of ice raining down on Adelheid and stopping the counterattack.
"Perun, help Winter!" Sophia orders. Perun does, rolling onto his back and kicking Purrloin away. The cat gathers dark energy in its mouth, but Perun is already prepared, sending up its own beam of lightning and knocking it far away.
A cage forms around Wilhelm and Aria, but Sophia cannot let herself be distracted. As Perun bites into Nickit's tail, Sophia leaves her sword pointed down, rushing forward with a shoulder charge to meet Adelheid head on.
Adelheid does not block this time. She takes the hit, grunting in pain before wrapping her arm around Sophia. As Ray takes aim again, Adelheid spins around, using Sophia as a shield against the strong current of water that follows. Sophia kicks upward, driving her knee into the woman's stomach. The grip loosens, but so does the priestess' footing, leaving you both to be knocked onto the ground by Ray's water stone.
"We'll have to work on that," Ray comments. It takes all of Sophia's effort not to roll her eyes. She drags herself out of the mud, catching a glimpse of Perun holding Nickit up with his frills while Winter uses her club repeatedly to swing at the fox as if it owes her money—
Adelheid stands up calmly. "Your fighting lacks elegance, but I suppose pragmatism is normal in the lives of the faithless."
"If your faith involves the sacrifice of lives at the altar of your god, I cannot condone it," Ray says. She steps up, holding various stones in her hands. "Your power doesn't come from the sword, it's that tiara, isn't it?"
Surprise is a reaction inherent to every human being. Adelheid raises her hand up to her forehead, as if she could hide the gem from sight. At that moment, a stone underneath her feet exploded with flames. Had her clothes not been wet, she'd have likely burned right there. Instead, she is forced to retreat even further towards the cage that Wilhelm and Aria are fighting in.
"Also you're wrong," Ray says, pointing at her field of red stones that she had slowly hidden across the field. "Pragmatism is something every faithful should be familiar with, it is a good way to convince people to convert."
Sophia jumps back in. The stones will not explode on their own, meaning that any misstep will work out very badly for Adelheid. The woman deflects one blow with her blade, kicking into the gash on Sophia's leg to force her to her knees. The sword pierces into Sophia's shoulder, reaching all the way down and pinning her to the ground.
Sophia refuses to scream in pain.
She really wants to, though.
"If you want to blow me up," Adelheid says, smiling at Ray. "I'm afraid I'll have to take your friend with me. I like those odds."
"Do you?" Sophia asks, her fingers digging into the ground around her as she focuses on anything but pain. "Most people are not so eager to die."
"Dear Sophia," Adelheid says. "I am not most people."
"Sure you aren't." Sophia's fingers find their target. "Winter, now!"
Sophia holds up a large fire stone. One of the real ones, red and orange and yellow. Ray begins to charge it up from afar, and Winter creates a massive flood of dirt all the way up to Sophia's hand. Adelheid's arm is trapped by it, still on the sword pinning Sophia down.
The explosion creates a wall of fire. Adelheid screams in pain, and by the time the blaze ends and Sophia is freed from the earth, what is left is— an intact arm?
Sophia stands up. Her own palm is burned badly, that'll take a while to heal for sure. Regardless, Adelheid is now standing far away, Nickit and Purrloin next to her. She's missing her arm, which looks like it has been ripped off right off her shoulder and is now hanging off the sword that is still stuck in Sophia's shoulder.
She dodged the flames by sacrificing a limb. She does not say anything, she makes no comment. Her eyes move to the cage, and she sees something that Sophia and Ray can't make out. Without a word, her Pokemon return to their Pokeballs, the light shooting up her sleeves.
Amphorus vanishes in a burst of lightning—
And in a flash, Adelheid is gone. Sophia feels her shoulder lighten, noticing that the sword is gone now. The arm is still on the ground, though, showing that whatever happened could not have been an illusion.
"What the fuck?" Ray asks. Sophia just nods, unable to find her voice. The wound on her shoulder is bleeding, and the gash on her leg remains worrying. She has to believe in Aria, there's no way to break through that cage right now.
### Back to Aria's POV
Maybe it was a bit too easy, you think. The Priestess is clearly not so unskilled to let you through so easily, even if you attack her from multiple sides. It makes sense, of course, when you see how happy Wilhelm looks to meet you again.
"Ah, Aria," he says, raising his arms wide. "I admit, I still cannot remember you, but my partner over there has informed me that you've arrested me before. Is that true?"
"I'm not in the mood for games," you say. Inana nods. Sword and shield in hand, you are ready to fight and win once more. Wilhelm looks like he does not think you can do it. "Surrender and this will be painless. Fight me at your own peril."
"I admit, I didn't expect you to get past that guardian over there," Wilhelm says, looking up at Charizard fighting Amphorus. Spring is under them, trying to hold Amphorus down as it uses the electricity around the cave to float. Gumi is redirecting all the lightning that could take Charizard down towards herself. "Then again, you are just full of surprises."
He slams his staff against the ground, and out comes a Drilbur. It looks… off. Its eyes are not all there, its claws glowing blue. It runs at you, and Inana blocks the mole from continuing its charge. They wrestle in a show of strength, the ground under them starting to crack.
Wilhelm sends lightning at you. You are ready, holding your sword to the ground and bending down, making sure that the path of least resistance comes in the form of that Skarmory steel. The lightning dissipates in the ground, leaving cracks everywhere. You don't let him get another shot off, your feet hitting the ground running and your sword swinging for that man's arm. He blocks the attack with the staff, clearly struggling to hold you back.
So you do him a favor and kick his legs out from under him. He yelps as he hits the ground, unwilling to let go of the staff to do his weird acrobatics and stay upright. He kicks forward himself, his back on the ground and both his feet coming at you like spears. You block the attack with your shield, yet find that his own physical strength has improved significantly.
There's no other explanation for why this clown should be able to lift you off the ground with his legs.
You adjust your own torso in the air and brace for impact, bending your knees as you touch the ground. Wilhelm has drawn one of his blades, working with what is familiar, and tries to drive it into your throat.
You hold the knife away using your free hand on his wrist, then turn and pull to send him stumbling forward. Your shield bashes into his arm, but he does not drop the sword. Your sword cuts across his chest before you kick him away again.
"You're such a pain in the ass," Wilhelm says. You shake your head.
"I'm the righteous blade," you say, puffing up your chest, trying your best to imitate his voice and failing miserably. "Would you like to dance, my lady?"
Wilhelm does not seem amused. He throws one of his knives, drawing the other as you block it and drives the other knife into your leg while your shield is high. You hiss, returning the favor by taking the knife out of your shield and stabbing him in the shoulder. He draws the blade out of your flesh, leaving both of you to take a few steps back from each other.
"Fine then," Wilhelm says. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
He stabs the staff into the ground. A bright light envelops the area, and before you can react, a large cage of electricity appears around you, all the way from the wall to right behind you, cutting you off from your allies.
He draws the knife out of his shoulder. Now he looks like the fool that you left bleeding in the snow.
Inana is still fighting the Drillbur, though their wrestling has instead become a rather weird exchange of blows with their sharp claws, continuing to try to cut through each others'.
It's not surprising that you end up doing much the same with Wilhelm. He moves the blades in tandem, trying to slash at you while you keep swinging your sword. Sometimes you are stuck on his hilts, sometimes he gets stuck against yours.
The twist arrives when he miscalculates a stab from above. You bend down slightly, then shove off the ground and drag your sword up, knocking both blades out of his hands. He grabs your head before you can follow up, and slams his forehead into your face. With how close he is now, you can't swing your sword properly, so you have no other choice. You let go of the blade behind you, and return the favor.
"If you still can't remember me kicking your ass," you grab him by his stupid hair and pull back your head. "Then let me refresh your memory!"
Stars fill your vision when you bring down your forehead onto his nose. It breaks with a sickening crunch, blood splattering everywhere. You let go, watching as the man reels back with heavy steps. Both of your faces are now full of blood, but you are more hardheaded, or at the very least more accurate with your headbutt. He's not able to stand straight anymore, and just as you are kicking his ass, Inana has already won against Wilbur, sitting atop the mole and cheering you on.
You give her a theatrical bow as you bend over to lift up your sword again and hold it up against Wilhelm's neck. He stays upright by holding onto— the staff?
Wilhelm stops smiling. Maybe that's not quite accurate, he's not been smiling the entire fight you've been having. But even as his face twisted into disdain and malcontent, his eyes kept reflecting a kind of mirth that is no longer there.
"Seven souls to bind it," he says, holding the staff to the side. "Let's do some calculations, if seven seals are required— are six not enough?"
You frown, withdrawing your blade as electricity gathers around him. If you cut him now, you'll likely take the full brunt of the staff's power. "I think you're going more and more mad, Wilhelm. Just surrender and save all of us the headache."
The staff starts to crackle, he holds it up, and you hold your sword up, once again ready to redirect the blast. Instead of attacking you, however, he does the unthinkable.
"Come to me, Regieleki! Carve your name across this continent, free your brothers and sisters!" The sharp end of the staff pierces into his chest, as if it were made of butter. It sinks deep, clearly taking lungs and heart with it from the sheer amount of blood that spills from his chest and his mouth. Your mouth opens, but no words come out at the sight of the madman's suicide.
Above you, you see one of the red eyes light up. You see chains appear out of thin air, seven in total, and one of them starting to light up and crack.
"If six isn't enough…" you murmur. "What have you done? Wilhelm!"
Your shout is drowned by thunder. A flash of lightning strikes down on the man, the staff becoming a rod that redirects the powerful energy from above directly into his body. The man screams in pain, before the screaming becomes laughter. He should be dead by now, but his skin does not look burnt.
Instead, his hair starts to stand up straight, crackling with lightning. His eyes lose color until all that is left is white and yellow. Even the blood begins to evaporate, flaking away from his body—
After what feels like an eternity and what must have been only the blink of an eye, Wilhelm is gone. Whatever is now in front of you feels more like Ray, yet it looks more like… well, a demon. Solid electricity, if such a thing is even possible, the staff in his chest is the only thing that still looks right to your eyes. He looks like a golem of lightning, whatever lies behind that sheen of yellow is no longer visible to your eyes.
He opens his… his mouth? And out come high-pitched sounds. Beeps and boops. Though you cannot understand the ancient language, you do know whatever it is saying is not kind. It bends its knees, readying an attack.
You can't dodge it. The demon appears in front of you, its fist hitting you where you manage to guess your shield into position. The wood smells like home. The next thing you feel is pain in your arm, and a stinging in your knees as you skid back a solid distance away.
Another high-pitched beep. On its blank face is now one of the red orbs. You dare not glance up, guessing you'll not like what you see up there. This isn't some manifestation of the sealed demi-god, this is it. A seventh of its power, powered by that staff to grant itself those sacrifices it needs to become free again.
You cannot let it escape.
You cannot see a way out of this, either, but that doesn't matter. You do not have a flight reflex when it comes to something like this, for nothing can keep you going like the possibility of innocents being hurt.
"Okay," you say. That's all you can really say. A nod to Inana invites her to the fight, this is no longer a matter between humans. Whatever has taken over Wilhelm's body, Regieleki as he called it, is not something you can face by yourself.
It's truly unfortunate the Guardian isn't here, but then again— are you so full of doubt? Do you truly think you cannot beat this?
Drake did not raise a loser.
So you cannot lose.
The thing appears again, and though fast and powerful it is mostly mindless and without strategy. The exact same punch, the exact same attack, and Inana jumps up from the floor to cut into the electric body with her claws. She gets some of the charge sent back at her, but it lowers the strength of the attack significantly.
Enough for you to stay in range for your own attack. You carve into the body, your sword leaving a trail of air as shocks run up your arm. As you reach the staff that is still embedded in it, it just phases through.
"Okay, this is going to be harder than I thought," you say. Which means you'll have to give it a try without practice again. "Inana, can you freeze my blade?"
Inana looks confused at the suggestion, quickly dragging you out of the way of the demon's swipe. You hold the sword up to her. She drags her claws over the blade, creating bits of ice along the edge. The blade feels like it doubled in weight, even as the ice looks thin and fragile.
"Element cuts element," you say, nodding at Inana. She does the same to her own claws, a thick sheet of icicles appearing. You block another hit, this time deflecting the punch and impaling the demon on your sword. It actually stays stuck on the sword, allowing you to lift it up and swing the sword to throw the demon backwards.
Inana follows up, spinning after a jump to drill a hole into Regieleki.
It looks… angry. Its body twists and shatters, electricity sent into every direction. When it pulls itself together again, the hole is gone. You hear the high-pitched screaming again, this time from above.
What a mess of an opponent.
"Inana," you say. "Any tricks I don't know about?"
Inana rolls her eyes, then gives you a nod. Then, she raises her arm up, pointing at her claw.
"One time only? Okay," you say, nodding again. "Then lets make it count."
The ice on the sword is still there, so you have another chance. You don't let it recover any further, jumping back into the fray and stabbing the sword into it, driving the sword into the ground. You start roaring in anger when it tries to resist, and it feels like your voice beats it back down and forces it to stay.
Inana appears behind you and starts charging… something. You move out of the way, staring up at the rather large dark orb that begins pulsing above Inana. She looks exhausted already, but she does not let up. The dark sphere moves forward, hitting and engulfing the demon.
It takes a solid minute before the screaming stops, but when all is said and done, only the staff remains. You sigh in relief, it's over. You give Inana a thumbs up, and she returns a salute before falling onto her back, breathing heavily.
You turn around, catching sight of your friends alone, the Priestess nowhere to be seen. You try to give them a thumbs up as well, but something behind you begins rumbling.
The staff starts floating up. Your eyes widen, going to your knees in front of Inana and raising your shield to stop whatever is coming. It reforms in a flash, and the ground underneath your feet begins to glow bright and yellow, the world of empty stone becoming electricity manifest.
It does not say anything before appearing behind you. This time, it kicks you, and you cannot help but scream at the pain that shoots through your entire body. The force knocks you away, and you roll over the floor until you're near the edge of the cage.
"Aria!" you hear Sophia's voice in the distance. "Aria, stand up!"
You want to. You really do, but you cannot. The shocks through your body hold you down, your limbs all numb.
It beeps once more, and you turn your head to find it kicking your sword that was left on the ground after Inana's attack. The sword bounces a few times before ending up right next to you.
'Come,' the demon seems to say. 'Stand up and fight me.'
That must be Wilhelm still bleeding through that monstrous appearance. Inana shouts something, forcing herself to stand up. The demon turns around, beeping at her. Inana makes a rude gesture, and then dodges the flash of lightning that follows.
"Aria!" Ray's voice joins Sophia's. "This isn't the time to fall asleep!"
You wheeze out something that sounds like language to you. You can't lie down here. You can't stop here. You can't give up.
You grab the hilt of your sword and use it as leverage, pulling yourself up by its hilt. Inana is still dancing around the demon, distracting it. If you fail here, people will die. Thousands of them, including your friends, including your partners. And this close to the border, who knows how fast the emperor will send help?
Where will Regieleki stop? What are borders to a god?
"Have faith, but never lose yourself to it!" Ray shouts. "Believe, but do not let belief fool you! Aria, that thing isn't a god! You can win!"
"Our journey just started," Sophia says, "there's still so many things we have to experience together! There's so much I have to say to you! Aria, get up and beat that monster!"
You grunt in agreement. You know you can beat it. You were just… taking a short break. Catching your breath.
As soon as you are able to stand straight, you hold your sword up with both hands. It's not the size of Drake's sword, but right now it feels like it is in your hands. You feel… powerful.
And once again, the thing's eyes flash and it asks you a question. This time, you understand it. This time, you know exactly what it is trying to say, to ask.
"Who are you?" it asks.
"Why is my name ▅▅▅▅?"
"It's the name your mother gave you," Grandma says. "Not your adoptive mother, no, the one that gave birth to you. I know you don't like it, princess, but I'd still like it if you could keep it in your heart."
You hear your blood rushing in your ears. You hear the cry of the world, and the people, and the sun.
That energy that you harvested, that boost of power that let you face the Guardian Charizard, is no longer here. That tug of war is won by the other side this time, and you can feel the breath of the stars on your lips—
"If you ever feel doubt in yourself, know that she loves you," Grandma says, her hand is warm on your face, her smile is beautiful. "And if you need her, call the name she gave you."
The sword in your hand resonates. Steel sharpens steel. Inana stands with you, not in front of you or behind you, but right by your side where she belongs.
"And do not say it meekly, dear." Grandma rubs her fingers through your hair, ruining the hairdo that the maids have been working on so hard the entire morning. "Say it loud, and be proud of it. Take a deep breath and shout it at the top of your lungs—"
A hole appears in the ceiling. Sunlight streams down between dirt and stone, and you can hear the people of Olympia shouting down. You hear the people who put their faith in you. You hear the righteous path like a choir in the back of your spine.
"I am Aria," you say, loud and proud. The sword in your hand sings. You hold the blade to your face, closing your eyes in deep thought. "I am Adrianne!"
Not was or will be. Your name shakes the earth, and your blade carves mountains across continents. With a swing of the sword, the demon is pushed back until it hits the far wall of the cave. With another swing, you cut the distance between the two of you.
Inana appears next to you once more, mirroring your attacks and cutting into the demon with her claws. It begins with one, carving shoulders to waist. The electricity reforms, and it tries to move, but then comes two: hip to throat.
Head to legs. Knees to chest. You become faster, each attacking slowly removing piece by piece of the demi-god's influence on Wilhelm's body. Slowly, but surely, you see the man's charred corpse underneath it all and know that this is your chance.
You reach out and grab the staff. The high-pitched voice turns into a long screaming-like noise, desperation audible to anyone who is listening. You cannot show mercy, and though you know that this spirit yearns to be free, it cannot be today.
"Inana!" you order, pulling with all your strength. "DESTROY IT!"
Inana does not hesitate. You feel something inside your pockets warm up, a bright light enveloping the Sneasel that has been your trusted companion since your departure from the Order. As her claws come up to shatter the staff, her body changes, growing slightly, the blue feather on her ear turning into a headdress.
Inana evolved into a Weavile.
And that Weavile's sharp claws carved the staff apart like it was nothing but paper.
"No!" Wilhelm shouts. You try to contain your surprise as you hear his voice, charred and broken from his sacrifice. "I cannot fail here, I cannot!" His eyes return to normal, and though they are unfocused you can see the recognition in them. "AriaaaAAAAAAAA!"
"You finally remember me," you say, smiling widely. You lower your sword, raising a fist instead. "Goodbye, Wilhelm. This time, please stay down."
Your punch knocks him out. He will not survive those injuries, but at the very least, he will not suffer the pain any longer.
You fall backwards, letting Inana catch you. Your body feels broken in so many ways, burnt in so many places. Exhaustion takes over, allowing you to move only your head. To your left, you see the electric cage finally dissipating, and your friends rushing towards you, worry in their eyes.
To your right you find yourself staring at what remains of your sword. It's broken beyond recognition, shattered in so many pieces even the most talented of smiths will never be able to repair it.
You sigh as you close your eyes. Drake is going to be so upset…
Though it was brief, it was brilliant. Divinity is a different kind of beast, and yet the indomitable spirit of your soul would not bow down to the demon that Wilhelm had summoned into his body.
Inana has evolved. That proud Sneasel is now a very, very proud Weavile. Your Authority has become Adept. Your voice commands respect. You are— Adrianne. Once upon a time, that was your name, all eight letters in the shape of a smile on the face of a girl holding the hand of her grandmother.
You never truly hated that name, did you?
Ray says that there's no rhyme or reason for the attention of deities, so maybe that's the case for you, even if there's this nagging voice in the back of your mind telling you otherwise.
That tug of war is still going on. You dream of them, those strange beings that have so much control over the world.
You dream of…
[ ] A young serpent that dreams of devouring the sky one day.
[ ] Stardust and prayers chasing the light of the sun.
End of Arc 3
To be continued in:
Arc 4: The Crown-Prince
###
Really quick and dirty sketch (I am not on my main PC with my main setup and my main program)
The Priestess Adelheid
I agree, it's usually a hamfisted way to do a scene transition. I'll have to give you credit for only just now making me realize it's been a bit of a thing here lol.
But not consequence free babyyyyyy. Now to wait for her to show up again and find out what the villain health care insurance looks like. I hope she isn't able to get it grown back.
To your right you find yourself staring at what remains of your sword. It's broken beyond recognition, shattered in so many pieces even the most talented of smiths will never be able to repair it.
Sophia stands up. Her own palm is burned badly, that'll take a while to heal for sure. Regardless, Adelheid is now standing far away, Nickit and Purrloin next to her. She's missing her arm, which looks like it has been ripped off right off her shoulder and is now hanging off the sword that is still stuck in Sophia's shoulder.
She dodged the flames by sacrificing a limb. She does not say anything, she makes no comment. Her eyes move to the cage, and she sees something that Sophia and Ray can't make out. Without a word, her Pokemon return to their Pokeballs, the light shooting up her sleeves.
That is an impressive level of willpower, for sure. What's up with these people? Why go through so much trouble to look the same, why do they act like this in battles.
"Ah, Aria," he says, raising his arms wide. "I admit, I still cannot remember you, but my partner over there has informed me that you've arrested me before. Is that true?"
Assuming he means Adelheid, I guess she's more tapped into their little network or got gossip more recently? I assume that's how they usually coordinate the shared identity thing.
Not was or will be. Your name shakes the earth, and your blade carves mountains across continents. With a swing of the sword, the demon is pushed back until it hits the far wall of the cave. With another swing, you cut the distance between the two of you.
"I apologize," she says, her voice calm. Ray and Sophia haven't gotten very far, and the yellow something turns out to be a rather large Ampharos, with long white hair and an absurdly fluffy tail. "But I cannot allow you to interrupt him."
