STAGE TWO: A CELESTIAL'S POWER
"Lenfiare, please don't let your guard down. They may be humans, but the number of assassins after you is growing alarmingly." The celestial guardian Astrid warned, standing by the bathroom's door, guarding his master as she bathed. "You haven't awakened fully yet. We don't know what tricks they have up their sleeve. Just like the last time."
"Yeah, you're right Astrid." She agreed, her voice echoing. "But you know, I was wondering why assassination attempts to the Lenfiare surprises you, guardians. I mean, it's not surprising for royals to be under threat all the time, right? Have you ever heard about the 'Sword of Damocles?'"
"Maybe to humans. But no one would dare assassinate the monarch of Celestia. If the Alfiore or Lenfiare dies without an heir, no one will be able to control the core and it will most certainly affect Celestia and other dimensions too." He explained. "You know that already, don't you, Lenfiare?��
"Yeah. I was just so unlucky to be the exception to that. But I've been thinking… they must have a very good plan to replace me as the heir, don't you think? Who knows, maybe there's already an heir in Celestia as we speak." She said, half-jokingly.
"That's impossible." Astrid interrupted. "If there was, then you, more than anyone, would have felt that. The Lenfiares and Alfiores share the same life source. And that goes for us, guardians."
"Then, I wonder how Celestia is doing now?" She thought out loud.
"Without you, they are definitely not in a good situation. That, we can say at least."
Freyja sighed, stood up and dried herself up. She wore a clean change of clothes, before heading to the inn's mess hall to join Alaric and Kirin for lunch. But just before she could go inside the dining area, she sensed a knife flying straight at her. She didn't move an inch. Instead, the knife that could have killed a normal human was deflected without her consciously telling her aura to do so. "You want to play? Come out." She called, before a couple of assassins revealed themselves and attacked her head on.
"You okay?" Alaric asked, stepping out to check the commotion. But when he did, it was already over.
"Just some hired bandits." She yawned, heading inside dining room.
"She's not using her aura anymore. It was purely instinctive, just like how Kirin deflects attacks even when he's asleep." Alaric thought, realizing Freyja's fearsome progress.
It's been thirteen years since Freyja started learning how to use her aura. It's a given that she's a celestial and would do better than most humans. But this still bothered Alaric to no end. "Kirin really is a fearsome teacher. But it makes me wonder… who's stronger now? Kirin or Freyja? Well, obviously it's still Kirin. Freyja is still far from him when it comes to combat abilities. But if she would use her guardians, will it make much of a difference? Freyja will still be defeated by Kirin… with his inhuman speed, he'll just take her down even before she could summon them. But the Aethelmaer clan descended from celestials too, right? We've been together for years, but his power is still quite a mystery… even more mysterious than Freyja's white aura if you ask me." Subconsciously, Alaric found himself staring at Kirin.
"Thanks!" Freyja snatched a fried squid from Alaric's plate all of a sudden, snapping him out of his daze. "Hey! That's mine Freyja!"
"What's wrong? You've been spacing out again." She asked.
"Why the hell are you looking at me like that, its creepy." Kirin groaned in disgust. "I wasn't!"
Alaric shrugged it off and continued eating. They were peacefully having their meal, until a couple of townspeople barged inside the restaurant, with their belongings on their backs. "We have to leave! Hurry! A big wave will come tonight!"
"Wave?" Freyja asked. "So what?"
"We can't leave! We'll die out there in the forests! The wild animals will eat us even before we can escape!" One of the waiters shouted back. "We just have to think of a way to keep ourselves safe!"
"We're leaving!"
"Hey Hey…" Freyja tugged Kirin's sleeve, "…do you have any idea what they're talking about?" But even before Kirin could answer, a woman warned them. "You are travelers, aren't you? A tidal wave is coming tonight. Last night, it barely washed out the houses in the shores. But tonight, is especially strong! It's going to drown the entire city!"
"So that's why the houses were a total mess over there…" Freyja mumbled, still calmly eating her favorite fried squid.
"How did you know that something like that will come?" Alaric asked.
"Urgh, just ask the elder seer! There! I've said it. I no longer care if you die! I'm leaving!"
Kirin sighed. "Afra can hold you underwater, can't he?" He asked. Freyja nodded. "He can hold us all in fact."
"So, there's nothing to worry about it."
"A wave that will engulf the entire town… don't you think it's too much of a coincidence that this happened when we're here? The last town we visited had something like this as well." Alaric's observation made sense to both Kirin and Freyja. But they both didn't make a deal about it. "The last time, it was because of an assassin. Not some natural phenomenon." Kirin argued. "Good guess, but you're thinking too much about it, Alaric."
"In any case, don't you think it's a good idea to ask that elder person or something?" Alaric insisted.
"Hey, are you saying that we're at fault?" Kirin dropped his fork and sneered at the rune master.
"I'm just saying that there's no harm in assuming that we are."
"I understand." Freyja interrupted, cutting the brewing argument. "Alaric has a point Kirin. Why don't we give it a try? It's not like we are in a rush, right?"
Despite the chaos, Freyja, Kirin and Alaric calmly consumed their meals before heading towards the elder seer with visibly relaxed expressions on their faces. More than fifty people bumped on to them on their way, but it none of what they saw added to their sense of urgency. It was something they knew they could totally handle. After about fifteen minutes of walking, finally, they arrived at a shabby house, not something they expected from a town's respected 'elder.'
"Hello, may we come in?" And inside, they saw an elderly man sitting calmly on the floor. The old man too, was surprised too have visitors in such a time. Even so, he let them in politely. "Please do enter."
"Aren't you going to evacuate? It's pretty chaotic out there already." Alaric asked, looking around. The old man just sighed as he looked at his thin legs. "These legs can no longer run. As for someone like me, only my gift of foresight is useful. So, it would be pretty much useless to escape. How about you youngsters?"
"What idiots, they didn't even save the one person who can save them in the future." Kirin mumbled, making Freyja and Alaric sigh.
"Speaking of gift of foresight, what's this ruckus anyway? They're shouting this 'wave' thing." Freyja got straight to the point.
"Last night, I have foreseen a monstrous tidal wave coming. A big, big wave that will engulf this entire town to nothing. When I was a child, something like that happened, and it almost killed every single one of the townspeople. My entire family died, but it was a miracle that I lived. Since then, I've discovered my gift of foresight. People come to me to know who's going to die, who will give birth and for things like these."
"Okay, so we're not at fault. It's a tidal wave, nothing we can do about." Kirin turned his back. "Let's go."
"One more thing," Freyja added, "Some people wouldn't want to evacuate despite your prediction."
The old man looked down. "You are travelers, aren't you? And I guess I no longer need to explain that out there is a forest infested with monstrous wild animals. It would take a miracle for ordinary people to come through that alive. Others would want to take the chance, but it would be easier to accept fate."
"That's right Freyja. For normal people, that forest would be hell. Even for us, we already had a hard time warding off those creatures. What more for them?" Alaric explained.
"Freyja?" Kirin asked, noticing an undecided look on the girl's face.
"Thank you very much, we'll be leaving now." Freyja smiled before heading out. Kirin couldn't help but ask. "You're not going to stop that wave?"
"What do you think of me? Some kind of charity office? Why do you think dimensional barriers exist in the first place?" Freyja's explained nonchalantly. "Humans need to learn how to fix their own troubles. We cannot interfere all the time. Just the same that you are all made unaware of the issues of Celestia, or Phrein, or anywhere not in this world."
"You sure? You love sticking your nose to things like these." Alaric joked.
Freyja momentarily fell in silence. "You're right, you're absolutely right Alaric. If this happened a couple of years ago, I would have jumped in there and pledged my life to help them." She explained. "I want to do that now. But I know I mustn't. The more I interfere with human affairs, the more I damage the barriers and make things worse, right?"
"At least you're acting more like a celestial now. But don't overdo it. Just do whatever you want." Kirin ruffled her hair.
"How about you Kirin? Alaric? You're both humans, so you're free to… um."
"Same reasons. I don't save people for charity." Kirin said, cutting her off instantly.
The three of them calmly sat on the port, watching the setting sun as if it was an ordinary afternoon walk. From a chaotic atmosphere, the town suddenly became so quiet. As soon as the sun set though, Kirin felt the ground tremble. "It's an earthquake."
"So, the old man was right all along." Alaric stood up all of a sudden.
"And it's… stronger than I thought!" Freyja fell onto the ground. She could no longer stand straight as the ground was shaking so hard, as if a monster is buried underneath and wants to come out. Posts and Fences started falling, the ground started cracking. "Seriously though, this is really strong." Freyja summoned Avice and flew up high. From up there, she confirmed the unusual strength of the quake. It was something she never expected to happen. The sea water was pulled back, clearing the shore in an instant. "Uh oh… this is bad." She rushed down to Kirin and Alaric. "That seer guy is the real deal!"
The town was filled with screams once again, as the people's houses started to collapse. Freyja's fists were trembling, but she stayed put. She stayed put, until she saw a young man and his wife, about to get hit by a falling roof from not so far away. "Screw this!" She shouted and fled straight at them, shattering the roof into pieces with her celestial sword. "Go and run!" She commanded.
"Lenfiare!" Astrid spoke. "I can sense a strange presence from the sea!" Astrid's cue made her heighten her senses. It is true, it began as a faint irregularity, building up, building up. It was the same feeling when she first came into that world, and when she left for the first time. It was… "A Dimensional rift!"
"A dimensional rift is causing this! I should have known!!!" Freyja shouted, happiness written all over her face. The first wave stroke, washing away the nearby houses to the sea. There were a few people who're washed out, But Freyja immediately summoned Afra, who materialized a barrier around them before pulling them back to the shore. "Hurry and run! Get as far away as possible!" Alaric shouted, assisting the people in evacuation. "Hurry!"
It could have been easy, if not for additional guests arriving. Freyja felt a dimensional hole. "Now, I must get involved. I need to close that rift as soon as possible. This is a job for a celestial." Now that Freyja knew that the tsunami is caused by that dimensional hole acting up, she felt blood rising up to her head in anger. It means that someone, most likely phreinians, are trying to open dimensional barriers again. She was right. They didn't have to wait long. Seven phrenians clad in armor, riding a rune water beast emerged. "I knew it." Freyja clicked her tongue.
"Wait, Freyja!" Kirin stopped Freyja from charging straight at them, after he saw a familiar phrenian being chased by the armor clad phrenians. "Its Alyon!"
Alyon, the phrenian prince was being attacked by his own kin, much to their surprise. He was trying to stop them, but ended up getting attacked and wounded. Alyon was equally surprised seeing Freyja and her friends, but his lips curled up in relief. "I am lucky, after all. I'm glad I followed that familiar aura."
Seeing this, Freyja charged at the phreinians with her celestial rune blade, giving Alaric the chance to escape and recuperate. "Hey Alyon! What's up!" Alaric greeted with a smile.
"Wow, you all looked more relaxed than I thought." Alyon mumbled, making Alaric and Kirin smirk. "We got this."
"But why are they after you?" Alaric asked, occasionally shifting his eyes to Freyja, who's singlehandedly fighting the phreinians.
"I am no longer the prince of Phrein. I was disowned, and exiled. And now, they've included me in their kill list, next to you." He explained, also glancing at Freyja from time to time.
"So that's why—"
"No time to explain! Close the barrier! Tell the Lenfiare to do it! She's the only one who can do it!" Alyon shouted, sensing that the rift is getting stronger. There were only a handful of phrenians to deal with, so the real threat would be the rift.
"More waves will come… and stronger ones." Kirin saw the sea backing up again. "Hey Freyja! Leave those to us and close the barrier as fast as you can! Alyon says its urgent!" Kirin shouted, hurling twenty freshly-summoned aura daggers at the phreinians. "Go!"
"I'll close the crack in the dimension." Freyja shouted back. "Kirin, Alaric, be careful."
She ordered Avice to fly faster. As she fled further into the sea looking for the rift, she felt the thick, dense swirling aura in the air grow stronger and denser. Soon, Astrid alerted her from inside the medallion. "Lenfiare! It's here!"
Just above the water, swirling, blinding light radiating out of thin air. Freyja recognized it immediately. Though a very small crack in the dimension, it's emitting such a powerful aura that even for her, she couldn't easily get close to it. Seeing another strong wave coming at her, Freyja flew high, desperate to avoid it. But she couldn't. She was hit and thrown into the sea. If it wasn't for her guardian Afra materializing a barrier around her, she would have drowned and pulled into the sea.
Freyja could sense another wave, much larger and stronger than the previous ones, building up. "This must be the giant wave that the elder saw in his vision." She thought, using the small gap of calm to fly close to the rift.
"Celestia, Lenfiare Leafen calls upon your power." She began praying, focusing all her aura in her hands. She felt her hands burn, but she continued. "not enough…." She thought, still calling forth more aura from inside her. "More! More!!!!" The sea grew more and more violent, Freyja was running out of time. Though she had more than enough power inside her, for an incomplete celestial like her to call forth such amount is still a hellish feat. "Celestia!!!!"
Just a few seconds before the wave dislodged, Freyja released a tremendous amount of aura all at once, from her tiny hands, aimed at the dimensional rift. She groaned in pain while she criss-crossed her arms, as if stitching the crack with her aura.
Slowly, the rift got smaller and smaller…. Until there was none. The ground stopped shaking and Freyja almost lost her wings due to the fatigue. But Avice held on, keeping her on air.
However, she was too late. The wave got past her and is heading straight to the shore.
"Lenfiare, please rest." Astrid suggested. "I can't. I have to… stop the wave."
At once, Freyja fled back to the coast, overtaking the gigantic wave that scared even her. She was panting when she returned, pale and almost out of breath. "THERE IT IS!!!!" Alaric exclaimed, overwhelmed by the approaching wave. "SHIT." Even Kirin started looking around for anything that could save them. "Lenfiare…" Alyon called her, and Freyja nodded. "Chill, I can still do this."
"WHAT!?" Kirin grabbed her by the waist, but she looked at him with resolute eyes. "Kirin, I can still do this." Kirin let go of her and nodded. Freyja smiled. Then, she took a deep breath before summoning Avice again. She fled up, straight at the approaching wave. Freyja stretched her hands out, summoning Afra, the mighty barrier in his true form. "AFRA!"
A gigantic winged serpent with silvery-white scales and eyes that looked like a pair of rubies, materialized in front of her. The creature then exploded into a thick mist, creating a massive dome-like barrier before her. The barrier was so large, it covered the entire shore.
"So that's the form of Afra…" Alyon could only stare in awe.
The giant waves crashed against Afra, nudging Freyja off a bit. But, the waves aren't strong enough to repel a celestial's barrier in that scale. Freyja twitched, panted, in pain while maintaining the barrier for as long as she can. She has used so much of her aura in closing the dimensional rift that she could barely keep Afra's form. Even so, she endured.
Alyon sighed in relief, looking at the Lenfiare. "There's no way mere water can pass through that." He smiled. The wave started to collapse and weaken soon after.
Looking at Freyja, shrouded in that light, her hands dancing with the winds, her aura repelling the violent waves, flying high up in the sky, Alaric couldn't get a word out as he witnessed the power of a celestial. He had seen the real form of the guardians before, but every time he does, it just doesn't fail to make him speechless.
As soon as the waves subsided, Freyja let go of Afra. Even Avice couldn't keep her wings anymore. The guardians were all dispelled as soon as she lost consciousness in mid-air. She could barely move her hands, they felt like burning. But she wasn't afraid to fall. Because she knew that her friends would catch her from below.
And indeed, a pair of warm arms caught her in no time. "Freyja! Hey!" Kirin called, squeezing her closer to him. She sank her face deep into his chest before letting herself drift in a long, deep sleep. Kirin held her forehead, checked her pulse and breathing. He sighed. "She's alright. But she's gravely fatigued. Freyja needs to rest." Holding her gently in his arms, Kirin headed to an inn, with Alyon and Alaric following him.
~ o 0 o ~
Freyja slept for an entire day, and was groggy for one entire week. It's been a long time she's used that much aura, and it certainly took its toll on her incomplete celestial body. Her entire body was hurting, and she had a high fever and bad headaches for days. But knowing that the city is finally back to normal, it relieved her.
Finally, when she's already in the condition to resume their journey, Alyon asked her to speak in private. She can't say no, especially after hearing about what happened to the phreinian prince.
"I heard about what they did to you in Phrein. I'm sorry Alyon, I…" Freyja was feeling at fault, but Alyon cut her off immediately. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault. I acted on my own accord and had no regrets."
"If there's something I can do Alyon, don't hesitate to ask."
"I will do so then."
"So, what are you planning to do now?"
"I'll have to recover first. I'll be wandering around for a while, before I could jump dimensions again." Because the prince has nowhere else to go after being exiled from Phrein, he is planning to go in hiding in that world. He wanted to investigate on his own, while keeping contact with Freyja and her friends to exchange information.
"You sure you don't want to join us?"
"Joining you would be more of suicide rather than 'recovering'"
"Well, that's true." Freyja laughed.
"By the way, Lenfiare, before I go, there's something I should tell you" Freyja could sense the hesitation in Alyon's eyes. Before he could change his mind, Freyja urged him to continue. "Go on, I'm listening."
After taking a deep breath, Alyon pulled a scroll out of his robe. "You want to see your father, no?"
"What do you mean?" A confused look warped the girl's face. "Why would you want to know that?"
"Summoning souls has been practiced by both the Leafen clan and the Reinis of Phrein. I am not sure about celestials but, I know a way." Of course, Freyja knew what he was trying to say. Alyon was basically suggesting that if they temporarily summon the soul of Alfiore Kinju, Freyja might get a lead as to where the final celestial guardian is hidden and how to open the gate to Celestia. "If you are lucky and the soul of Alfiore Kinju hasn't fully integrated yet with your power core, then you may summon him, at least for a short while. You can ask him for leads as to where the last guardian is sealed, and how to open the gates to Celestia." Alyon explained, observing Freyja's reaction very carefully. "And once you recover your throne, I need you to help me come back to Phrein, that's my intention for helping."
"I have no problem with your condition Alyon, but, that's one thing I cannot do." She immediately denied. "Summoning souls of the royal Leafen clan is restricted to the Leafen clan only. Even Astrid or the other guardians don't know anything about it. It is something I should learn at around 500 years old, so I don't have a single clue."
"I can help you, Lenfiare. I wasn't idle these past years, you know." Alyon's words shocked her. "Further up these mountains, there is a shrine there, said to be built by celestials. There are monks guarding it at the moment, and as I've seen myself, the lake emanates a strong aura similar to yours. I can teach you the phrenic way of summoning. I am sure you can study the fundamentals and re-create the Leafen summoning ritual by yourself." He explained. "The lake's not usually that strong in power… it's a rare chance that it is being active now. Maybe it has something to do with your presence?"
"…" Freyja stared at Alyon blankly, then, she looked away.
"So, are you not interested?"
"…"
"I see then. Forgive me for bothering you. I'll be on my way… Fare—". Just as soon as he turned his back,
Freyja quickly grabbed his arm, and shifted her eyes to Alyon's scroll. "WAIT. We have a deal."
~ o 0 o ~