- Contracted spirit? Who's? Mine? -said Logan as he pointed to himself.
- Yes, yours - said she smugly - How about it, happy?
- You...you're truly mine?
Tears were starting to form in Logan's eyes. After all, his efforts were finally bearing fruit.
- Yes, how many times do I have to repeat it idiot? -she gently patted Logan's head- I am the noble spirit Locus and I will follow you until death.
-...
- Death? - Logan bobbed his head around.
- ...
"He doesn't know what death is?! The other children knew so I supposed....." - she was in a predicament.
- Well, death is....how do I explain it?..... Well, anyways, just know that this noble me will follow you forever. Well, are you going to answer my question or not? Are you happy o' child of humans?
A smile bloomed on Logan's face and tears started flowing from his eyes
- Yes!!
The happiness was just to much to bear for him.
Seeing him like that, Locus felt a sense of sympathy and acceptance. She didn't know why she was feeling these emotions but for some reason she knew that it was important for her. She saw herself in him for reasons she couldn't understand.
Locus embraced Logan. She let him cry his heart out on her chest.
- It's alright. It's alright - she repeated as she caressed Logan's head.
That night, Logan had the most peaceful sleep he had in his 7 years of life.
********
- Atlas evacuate now! -shouted a feminine voice- Ashina is lost but as long as you, the king is alive, you can still get revenge!
- And abandon my people? All that I fought to protect? -the called Atlas smiled whilst looking at the destruction before him from the balcony of his palace - You of all people should know that that isn't right Chrona.
- I know...but...but -tears started falling from her eyes, she was frustrated.
She was frustrated because she knew that this was going to happen for she was the goddess of time; she had descended to the human realm to avoid this same event. She was frustrated because even though she could see into the future and should have been able to avoid this, she could not.
The other Gods were one step ahead of her due to her powers being restricted by the mortal world. That knowledge always hunted her. She feared it. This same fear was the one that made her commit that fatal mistake.
And for that mistake, his beloved, his friends and Ashina, the country that they spent so much sweat, blood and tears on, would fall.
Knowing that she wouldn't be able to stop Atlas, Chrona looked on her side. Steps away from her were 4 men dressed in neat and elegant black attires. One might laugh at one wearing these black attires but their specs was nothing to scoff at. They were specially handcrafted by the elder dwarves so their performance and endurance was far higher than average.
The men wearing these attires were known as the Wiseman. They were a set of people who grew up with Atlas and accompanied him in his journeys. They were the King's guards, his childhood friends, but specially, his family.
Hoping that Atlas would listen to the Wiseman she pleaded them to talk to him in tears; their answers, though she kind of expected them already, still left her in shock:
- If it's what the King wants - said one of them
- Sorry Chrona, you know that even us can't convince him to back off once he's set off on something - said another.
- And that's why he's our captain and King - said another one.
- Goddammit Atlas, first conquering the world and now battling Gods? You sure do pick shitty battles - said the last one.
One by one they said their part as they one by one walked to their King's side.
Before departing, Atlas looked back one last time. Sorrow could be seen on his face. He looked at Chrona's face. She wasn't crying anymore.
Chrona was a beauty. Black lustrous beautiful hair tied into a ponytail that fell gently on her neck. Rosy cheeks. Nice bridged nose.
She had all the qualities of a human but there was but one difference; her pupils.
If one looked closer to them, one could see that her pupils hosted a set of strange drawings; her left pupil hosted a golden clock whose hands appeared to be counting minutes and the right one hosted a silver clock that appeared to be counting seconds. Both of them over a red background.
Some might have seen this as freaky but Atlas could not help but get attracted to them....
*********
4:00 am. At that time in winter, the sun had not even appeared on the horizon yet. It was still completely dark in Duskae for there was no one awake but a couple of guards.
Winter was unforgiving in Gand. Once in the middle of winter, food was scarce and the outside was biting cold. No one but someone contracted with a fire spirit or a wind spirit could survive the cold of the outside. This was one of the many reasons why Chapels like that of St. Gaia allowed any that needed it shelter in the winter months.
All by now should have been covered by a couple feet of snow; that's how it was....excepting a place behind the St. Gaia Chapel of Life.
In the big backyard behind the chapel, below the trunk of a tree full of green leafs lay a snow less area. The area surrounding the tree looked like it had been cleaned of snow by a shovel but the perfectly smooth walls and radius of the circle of the area denied the involvement of humans and low ranked spirits.
If one were to enter this area, one would find it abnormally warm and comfortable for winter.
If one were to look closer, one would see particulates of green light surrounding it.
Currently, in this area were two children. One of them, a girl with silver hair who was awake, and the other, a boy with black hair who was sleeping peacefully on the girl's lap.
It was at this moment that the boy woke up. He slowly opened his eyelids and looked at the face of the silver haired girl. As if it was the most natural thing to do in the world, the boy, Logan, caressed the girl's, Locus, cheeks.
The girl turned red, the area around them turned warmer all of a sudden but Logan's next words made the temperature drop to its former one.
- Chro.....na..... -murmured Logan with an affectionate voice as he gazed into Locus's eyes.
Locus had heard this name somewhere before and she tried to recall where. But as if something was sealing her memory, every time she tried, she was assaulted with waves of unimaginable pain.
"What is....happening to me?" - thought Locus.
Feeling that something was wrong, Logan waked up of his daze and lifted his body up. He looked lost for a moment for he was not in the usual bedroom.
As he recalled last night's events, he turned his gaze towards Locus and in a worried tone said.
- Are you okay spirit?
-.....Ha.....Yes, I am -she clearly looked tired- This is nothing for the noble me.
Locus pushed the pain aside and decided that she would deal with the problem inside her at a later date.
- Are you sure you are okay? - Logan was genuinely worried.
- Yes.....I am..... okay...
There was a large pause. Logan didn't know what to do in this kind of situations for he didn't have any experience in dealing with them. Fortunately for him, the silence did not last long for Locus suddenly asked him a question.
- Ano....why are you talking so formally with me o' child of humans? I even gave you my name didn't I?
- .....Ahhh, that. I don't even know it myself but I recall from somewhere that I should always talk formally with those I'm not too familiar with. Hmmmm.....
Locus inquisitively looked at Logan. She recalled the events of yesterday. It was only yesterday that they got to know each other but even that was enough for Locus to confirm that Logan was still a child and lacking in the area of intelligence.
If that was so, then what was this maturity she was feeling from him? Why did his eyes suddenly started looking so wise?
"Another question that needs answering...great" - thought Locus as she puffed out.
She decided to leave it be (again) and focus with the problem in hand.
- Kuhum! - She tried to get Logan's attention - Focusing with the task in hand. We're going to be working together for a very, very, very long time. The sooner we drop formalities the better and seeing that you still haven't told me your name, we shall use this opportunity to introduce ourselves to one another once again. I'll start.
Locus stood up.
- My name is Locus. From this day onward, I'll be following you. Nice to meet you and please treat me well.
Locus formed a fist with her right hand and showed it to Logan. He didn't know what it meant at first but then he remembered a dream of his.
A girl with strange pupils in his dream and Locus seemed to have fused into one and for a moment Logan was dazed.
- Please...It's a bit awkward if you leave me hanging like this.
Locus's face turned red like a tomato.
- Sorry..... - Seeing this, a smile bloomed in Logan's face and he, as well, stood up - My name is Logan. Plain Logan. Nice to meet you and also, please treat me well.
Logan returned the fist bump.