"The only way to stop him is to exhaust the power source. If the aura supply runs out, the barrier will weaken and we can break out. That would be a lot easier than going against Aneurin head on." Freyja explained.
"I'm not exactly sure what they're doing. But I'm sure they're going to perform a large-scale spell. And they need us both inside, Freyja." Kirin joined in.
"I don't think so." Alaric interrupted, "Ahrin was quite surprised to see Freyja back, so I'm sure it won't matter if she's here or not. The key ingredient is definitely you, Kirin. He even had Kristril's army to secure you." Kirin looked away, unable to counter.
"But I have to agree with Freyja. If you guys are correct about having a celestial guardian in the manor, then Freyja is the one and only person here who can track it. Correct?" Keon said, looking at the girl. "I'll do it."
Even before they could finish planning, aura-covered arrows started raining from above. Alaric conjured a barrier, but the arrows pierced through it as if there was no barrier at all. Kirin took Freyja in his arms as he, Alaric and Keon jumped to the nearby trees for cover. The rune beast disappeared, masking their presence.
They can't hide forever. Kirin jumped out of hiding and started striking the surrounding soldiers one by one. Despite his skill however, the numbers kept on increasing and surprisingly, the minions started to emit same type of dark aura as his. Kirin was taken aback.
"Since when-"
"They are test subjects, you dolt." Keon joined, "Father has been playing with your aura samples, implanting them to humans, don't you know?"
"I know, but I never expected the research to go this far. That bastard!" Kirin cursed and cursed as he continued to strike them all down.
Keon and Kirin fought back-to-back, but the numbers kept on increasing its driving them crazy. After beating two, four would come. After taking down five, there will be ten of them before you know it. "At this rate, we'll be drained without even reaching Aneurin!" Freyja bit her lip. Looking at Alaric it doesn't seem he has recovered his aura yet, after fighting Ahrin. Freyja was about to summon Astrid, when Keon puller her hand back. "Don't."
"But..."
"Go on. I'll take care of them."
"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!?" Freyja exclaimed, "We can't leave you by yourself." Keon sighed. "Are you worried about me then?" He asked, punching an Aethelmaer soldier in the face. "Of course!" She drew her short sword and hit another enemy soldier.
Freyja was feeling bad about Keon's plan. For some reason, she felt that if they leave him there, they'll never see him again. "You're crazy."
Keon killed a couple more enemy minions before facing her. Leaning to her ear, he whispered. "Thank you, Freyja." And then, he pushed her rather forcefully, towards Kirin.
With just one look, Kirin understood what Keon wanted. Kirin grabbed Freyja, carried her, and dashed away from Keon. Alaric conjured one last thunderbolt spell to help Keon, and followed the two.
"Kirin, put me down! We can't just leave him there!" Freyja shouted and resisted, she could only watch countless Aethelmaer soldiers attack Keon. Kirin's held her tighter, and ran faster.
~ o 0 o ~
To their surprise, there wasn't a single soldier guarding the main house' gates. Afraid this could be a trap, the three of them entered with utmost caution. When they are finally back inside, there was not a single soul in the mansion. No soldiers, no servants, nothing EXCEPT for a strange presence from underneath the mansion. "Freyja?" Kirin noticed she's turned pale all of a sudden.
"S-something..." she stuttered, "s-something is under us."
"Kirin, what else is in the basement? I did see some kitchens and..." Alaric suddenly remembered the disturbing painting he saw, but brushed it off right away. "Nothing special. The servants' quarters and some treasury rooms." He shrugged.
"Let's go there." Without further question, the three of them rushed downstairs placing all of their trust to Freyja's instincts. They went through every single room, checked every suspicious object but found nothing. Freyja was positive it's the same feeling as those of Astrid and Aria's seals. But what they saw proved otherwise. There's absolutely nothing special at the basement... even the treasury rooms.
"Freyja, we can't look here forever. Maybe it's actually somewhere else?" Kirin was worried about the time, and they agree with him. Coming into a consensus, the three of them headed back up, to confront Aneurin.
Still not a trace of a living soul, they ran around, and up, and around and up. Freyja was aware that the Aethelmaer family has many tricks up their sleeves. The 'feeling' she's having may actually be a trap. After all, she didn't receive any form of message just like how Astrid and Aria tried to reach her. Freyja snapped out of her thoughts upon hitting Kirin's back. "Why did you stop? " Freyja's eyes widened, seeing an unusually angry Ahrin Aethelmaer standing right in front of them. It is the worst timing ever. They could have reached Aneurin's room in a few minutes had not there been someone to interfere. Nevertheless, Ahrin is not your usual enemy. He is far more experienced than any of them in combat. They faced him many times before, but they couldn't manage to strike him down for good.
And right now, they can tell that Ahrin is serious. This time, he won't hold back. Freyja, Kirin and Alaric stood on guard, ready to fight any moment.
Freyja summoned Astrid in his rune blade form. Hastily, she charged straight at him, hoping to kill him as fast as possible. Alaric and Kirin backed her up right away. Alaric summoned ice columns from below while Kirin used his agility to distract his brother.
Ahrin discharged large amount of dark aura that threw them all off in an instant. "What happened!?" Freyja couldn't believe that Ahrin possessed such an amount of aura. He was unlike before, they were sure something must have happened to him. Gripping the while aura blade tightly, she enforced it with even more aura.
The ground shook, and the dark aura shrouding Ahrin started getting bigger and denser. It's almost covering the entire room! Freyja blamed herself for not killing him when she had the chance. She must stop him. Freyja was about to charge again, when Alaric stopped her.
"Don't waste your aura. Remember, you are the only one who can face Aneurin!" It was very unusual for the soft spoken Alaric to be so assertive. "If you run out of aura, we will all die for sure. Go ahead!" Alaric stepped in front of her, summoning a long ice-spear.
Freyja's brows creased. Her fists trembled. First Keon, and now Alaric. Even before she could complain though, Alaric surprised everyone with a very unusual angry expression on his face. "You are in no position to complain Freyja!" Alaric raised his voice at the person they would least expect him to. "You said we will escape, and I believe in that. So do you job properly!"
Freyja's white aura blade disappeared. Astrid went back inside the medallion, as the shocked Freyja just stared at the angry rune master. "Stop the melodramatics and just go ahead. If not, we will all die, remember that!"
"If you really care for us, for Keon, for me and for Kirin, then you would understand." He continued. "Stop being selfish Freyja and fight!"
Kirin admired the rune master's bravery. He knew how strong Ahrin is, but that didn't stop his resolve to fight him one on one. At the very least, Alaric was hoping to buy enough time for them, and they all knew that. But what he just said made perfect sense. He's right. This is the only way for all of them to survive. Kirin walked to him, and tapped his shoulder. "Don't die." Just in time, Ahrin launched another attack with his dark aura. Ahrin didn't look like his usual self at all, he's attacking mindlessly like a possessed puppet. But this is actually good for the smart and level-headed rune master. He smirked.
Freyja and Kirin rushed past Ahrin, leaving Alaric to face him.
~ o 0 o ~
As Freyja and Kirin came closer and closer to Aneurin's quarters, Freyja's heart raced, sweating harder than ever, and her hands are trembling. Finally, they reached his room.
Freyja could feel an overwhelming black aura from inside the room, its scaring her. It is much stronger than the aura sealing Astrid and Aria. Her body is starting to go against her resolve. She stepped back.
Freyja shook her head, shoving all of her fears aside. She tried to get every single strand of courage in her together, but it was no use. With every step forward, the images of a dead Keon, Alaric and Kirin, a barren Celestia, a land without the Leafen clan, all came flashing in her mind.
Freyja became so terrified with every step, she could almost see her certain death behind those doors. Knowing that she is the daughter of a 'seer,' amplified her fears. "I'm going to die..." Her chin trembled.
"Freyja?" Kirin noticed she's not acting like usual. She's being extremely hysterical at the moment. "Freyja, are you alright? Tell me, what's happening?" She has never looked this terrified before "FREYJA!"
"No!" Kirin held her in his arms tight. "STOP THAT! I won't let it happen!" He shouted. Freyja closed her eyes, letting him spoil her at the moment. She needed it badly. "No matter what, I'll protect you." Freyja felt Kirin's warmth run through her entire body. She gazed at his sparkling emerald eyes, almost teary.
Freyja took a deep breath and pulled away from Kirin. She stepped forward, and pushed the doors open.
Sitting on his chair, Aneurin welcomed them with a straight face. He lazily stood up with arms crossed. "So, how long are you going to make me wait?"
Freyja won't stop trembling. She was too afraid to even take a step forward. Even before she could fight him, she must first win over her fears. The disturbing images flashed before her eyes again.
"It's no use." She felt overwhelmed all of a sudden, "We can't be this unequal!" The black aura surrounding Aneurin is too powerful, the most powerful she has seen first-hand.
Normally, Freyja would summon Astrid and charge straight at her enemy. But this time, there is definitely something wrong with her. She can't even muster enough courage to summon the legendary Astrid. Kirin didn't fully understand what's going on, but he knows he must do something to calm her down. And that 'something,' is to attack his father in her place. Hoping she would collect herself soon, Kirin summoned his black aura sword and charged straight at Aneurin burning with murderous intent.
Aneurin was extremely fast, that even the agile Kirin could not land a single attack on him. "So you're back. That was fast. Kristril is really useless isn't she?" He even managed to crack a comment in the middle of the battle. Kirin didn't stop. He kept attacking him, not giving up until his strength runs out. "Just die and go to hell!" Kirin cursed, pulling out every bit of aura he can manage.
Aneurin slashed Kirin with his black aura blade, twice the size of Kirin's. Kirin managed to block it, but ended up being brutally thrown across the room, bleeding.
"Kirin!" Freyja ran to him. Even before she can call Aria to heal him, Aneurin swiftly charged at her, pinning her against a wall, his hand strangling her neck. "A-A..." Freyja's vision started to blur. He's strangling her so tight that she thought she'd die. Kirin, however, forced himself to stand, and attacked his father another time. Aneurin evaded his attack without breaking a sweat, but ended up letting Freyja go. Freyja fell onto her knees, desperately gasping for air.
"It's alright, concentrate." Kirin squeezed her hand. "Relax, you can do it... just calm down. I'll buy you time so take your celestial sword out." Kirin whispered before rushing to attack his father another time.
As Kirin continued to attack, Freyja closed her eyes. "I can defeat him. I have the white aura, I can!" She thought, giving her more and more courage. "ASTRID!"
The celestial dragon Astrid finally came out of the medallion. He encircled her right hand, forming a majestic rune blade, the celestial sword. Freyja closed her eyes, gathering all of her aura into this one strike. She must end this quick.
White aura engulfed her body. She consciously released white aura like never before. Keon, Alaric and Kirin are at the moment, are fighting for their survival. For them, for Celestia, she will end Aneurin's life.
Freyja opened her eyes, with the blazing white celestial sword in her hands.
"Die!" She ran straight to Aneurin. She saw nothing but Aneurin.
As Freyja came closer and closer, Aneurin faced her, without moving a single step from where he's standing. Freyja slashed him with all of her might. Her hopes, her dreams, every single bit of her courage is in that attack. Aneurin Aethelmaer took the attack head on.
~ o 0 o ~