Seto let Altima ride with him on his horse because she's wounded and he doubt she can pull the railings. On the other hand, Amara will be the one using Altima's black horse.
They didn't waste any time nor let themselves rest first, they immediately headed back to the shrine. The sun's almost setting down and with each second passing by, the more those monsters and demons wrecked havoc. Smokes erupted from different sides of the road and turned the skies to pitch black. Along the way, villagers run in chaos and most of them were bleeding. They have reached the central land.
"Hide the maiden shrine to Lady Maggie's house." Amara muttered and looked at them over her shoulder. "What about you? Where are you going?" Seto asked.
"I can't fight empty handed." The only answer she gave before turning to the opposite direction as them. She's heading to the ruins in hopes of recovering her armor. Taking the path to the ruins will be hell, it's where the demons rose after all but she can't fight those first tier monsters. Especially those band of nine tails.
"It's fine. I can do this." Amara whispered to her self. They aren't complete yet and that'll give her an advantage. The real strength of the nine tails lies on the eight and last tail.
Minutes later, the old cathedral came to view and as the golden bell rang for emergency, various monster appeared to be hunting on the ground. Each house is either burnt or destroyed. Some of the wood planks got thrown on the road, completely blocking Amara's path.
She decided to jump down and pat the horse's back. It run away as she started walking towards the grasses. She can hear everyone's cry and plea from every direction, awakening her inner humanity and conscience.
"The last time you helped them they turned you away and call you a monster." She whispered, as if she's debating with her other self.
"Miss."
A child's voice dragged her back to reality. The weak state of a young girl and it's tattered clothing breaks her heart.
"Help me." The little girl begged while tugging the hem of her cape. Amara knelt in front of the girl and stare at it's forlorn eyes and scratched cheek that's still bleeding. She smiled and pat the child's head gently.
"Where are they?" Amara asked in a serious manner. The girl held her hand ang pulled her to one of the smoking houses towards the cathedral. "My brother's inside." The girl said and she started crying afterwards.
Amara stare at the huge flame eating the wooden house and with the door blocked by a huge trunk of tree, there's no way in or out.
She opened her basket and looked for something to use. She only have seven gold ornaments left and it'll never be enough to battle the nine tails if she'll use one now. The only choice she have is to use the talisman. She hopes it'll work.
"I want you to hide over there and don't come out till I come, okay?" She whispered to the girl. The child nodded her head and run away to the near stall.
Amara grabbed her stash of talisman and prayed silently for the spell to work. Good thing she spend the last hundreds of years to write and embark warding spells on the talisman.
The brown talisman are drawn with the four elements while the white ones are purification spells. But her stash of golden talisman is inside the huge box sealed by her own powers and was buried below the cathedral. She just have to undo the seal and her armors will be restored. That means she have to rescue the little girl's brother as fast as she could.
"Makoto." She muttered as she throws the piece of talisman to the door. It sparks of lightning before releasing a wave of water. The fire was put out and she immediately went inside, knocking the wood planks. She coughed her lungs out. The smokes are too thick inside and it's making her visions a blur.
"Who's there?" She called. She can't see anyone, all there is fire and smoke.
"H-help me. Please!" A little boy cried out. Amara followed his voice while trying not to get toasted.
The boy is crying and shaking while leaning his back against the wall. A huge fire is what separates him from where Amara is standing.
"Can you jump?" She asked. The boy immediately shakes his head and gestured on his wounded knees. He can't stand nor even walk because of it.
Amara stare at the brown talisman in her hands. She only have a water talisman left and she's saving it for them to go out. The woods made a breaking sound as the roof is nearing its limit. It's about to collapse.
"Extend your arm and when I say jump, jump. Just try." She muttered, breathless. The smokes are hard to breathe in. She readied the talisman and extended her arm to the boy.
Amara then throw the brown talisman on the huge fire and it swayed to every direction, making a path for the boy. The air can't put it out so she need to hurry or it'll condensed the spell.
"Now." She muttered. The little boy nodded and tried his best to stand up and run towards her. Amara took a step forward and reached for the boy's hand but he's still far away from her reach.
"Come on." She grunted. The flames swayed frantically, her wind aren't strong enough to let the part constantly stays in place.
The roof shakes and the woods started falling. She knew it'll be too late so she grabbed the boy on the arm and cover him with her body. A burning sensation on her back made her grimace and as the smoke consume her, she managed to threw all the brown talisman and it spurs all the elements.
She pulled the boy and put her cape around him before they started sprinting out of the house. And they made it out just in time the whole house was eaten completely by the big fire.
Amara inhaled so hard and steadied her breathing while the boy starts to cry of relief. Her sister who's been hiding came running towards them and immediately hugged his brother.
"Miko." The little girl cried. Amara sighed but then she heard a loud noise coming from the cathedral and though she's quite tired, she stood up and head to the cathedral. She heard the child's gratitude and she just responded with a smile.
The sun is setting in a minute and that's all the time she needs. If there aren't anything that'll compromise. She throws a piece of talisman each time she passes an ominous aura on the way, thinking that it'll need a little purification spell. Hope it worked.
When Amara reached the main gate, she hurriedly run off to the cathedral's entrance only to find a few monsters. There are at least five of them and are breathing some kind of poison. She can hear a lot of people are inside the cathedral, hiding.
She fished out a doll from the basket and enchanted it as a decoy before the raised it up in the air. The monsters turned to her when she whistled and she immediately throws the doll away. They chased the doll and she took that chance to go inside the cathedral and when she did, the fear in the atmosphere intensified as she saw the villagers on the altar. Their faces are pale and some of them lost consciousness and are lying on the cold marble floor.
"A priestess. Thank god!" The pastor muttered a sigh of relief. The others sat down in fatigue.
Amara dragged some bleachers and blocked the door. The other sees her and helped her. The buzzing sounds and cries from the outside become a defining silence which is a bad omen.
"No one leaves the cathedral." She muttered as she made way and walked at the center, making her way to the Pastor who's staring at her with malicious eyes.
"What are you looking at?" He uttered in fear. Amara held the Pastor's arm and dragged him away from the crowd. They turned to the left hall and only when they're ears away that she let him go.
"Lead me to the secret passage." I answered. He stare at Amara from head to toe before turning away with arms crossed oh his chest.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He lied.
"Look, I'm kind of in a hurry so I'll appreciate it if you undo the seal at the door." She sighed. His eyes widened in utter shock, surprised that she knew.
"Guess we have to do it the hard way." Amara muttered nonchalantly. She grabbed her holy dagger and pointed it at the Pastor's neck.
"What are you doing? This is a crime to the holy forefathers!"
Amara smiled meekly as she put the cold blade on his skin, on the verge of getting a slit on his neck.
"What you're doing now is a crime against humanity. Now do as I say or I'll strangle you by daybreak." Amara warned but the Pastor laughed a little, trying to act unfazed.
"You're a priestess. You can't kill me." He uttered with confidence. Amara shook her head, gesturing that it's a big mistake for him to assume that.
She grabbed the chains on the side and bind him on the blink of an eye. She strikes the dagger to the side with much force that the wall crumbled. The cement pieces fell on the floor, one by one.
"What are you doing?" The Pastor panicked when he saw some monsters swarming around outside and if the wall collapse, he'll be eaten out alive.
"Take my advice. Repent while you still can." She said nonchalantly before running to the left hall. She felt her armors calling onto her and she needs to hurry.
"PRIESTESS!"
"I am not merciful." Amara whispered to herself when she followed the faint whispers of her armor, calling her to one direction.
She opened the dark double doors and a long staircase situated on the small room caught her attention. As far as she remember, there wasn't any stairs inside. But she held on the railings and climbed down. The path is so dark and with careful steps, she reached the underground.
Amara used the flare talisman and the room immediately illuminated. It's a bedroom with large mirrors on either side of the wall. There aren't any doors left for her to open so her treasures are got to be somewhere down here. She looked everywhere, every drawer and even below the bed that familiar calling suddenly disappeared. The murmuring stopped. Amara grabbed a gold hair ornament and maintained a broad view. There's something wrong with the room, like someone's obstructing her from finding the armor and treasures.
She hurriedly dock and avoided an arrow that was purposely shot to her direction but she was able to sensed it first before it reaches her. Amara caught the arrow and she examined it closely. The carving on the wood stick looks haunting and thus she immediately looked at where it came from.
A woman dressed in black and red clapped her hands at Amara and smiled in awe. Her hair is silky black like Amara's and the crown on her hair has the same ornament too.
"Amara." The woman called her. She extended her arms, hoping Amara will welcome her back with a hug. But the priestess took a stance, on guard.
"Didn't you miss me?" The woman acted a little hurt.
"Why are you here?" Amara asked, completely ignoring what she just said. She knew something was up and judging how the lady managed to reach the cathedral in no time.
"Is that your way of saying welcome back?" The lady now crossed her arms on her chest and looked at Amara with a cold stare. Amara took a deep breath as the lady grew impatient. She's waiting for her response and it's making Amara boil in anger, as if the woman is completely oblivious to what happened in the past.
"Solara." Amara silently called. The word tastes bitter against her mouth and for the very first time in a long time, she called her by her name again.
"Why are you here, Solara?" Amara asked once more. The maiden cleared her throat and a wicked grin replaced her smile.
"To awaken the last tail." Solara answered. She flicked the wall an a passage right below their feet opened. Amara quickly fired an arrow to the opposite side and used the rope to climb up when she felt the bricks fell.
"I was hoping you'd do that." Solara whispered from behind her and when Amara turned around, Solar already had drag her below the ground.
Amara fell into a black shallow water beneath while Solara stood proudly on the water, defying gravity. She laughed when she saw Amara's face that emerges after getting wet. Amara tried to stand up but the liquid felt heavy, as if dragging her and pinning her feet on the water bed. The water continues to flow when Solar opened the canal beside the silver tomb.
"What are you doing?" Amara asked as she struggled in the water.
"I knew you'd do anything to prevent him from resurrecting that's why I prepared a small gift to bind you there." Solara answered. Her eyes glowed while her hair began to flow.
"Don't. Once all the tails showed up, it's over." Amara begged. "That's exactly the plan." Solara muttered with joy.
"Why are you doing this? You're supposed to be the once cleaning the evils, not leading them."
Solara flowed to where Amara is and cupped her face with force. She breathe gently and looked at Amara in the eyes.
"You're the priestess who protected the first maiden shrine!" Amara whispered.
"I was!" Solara screamed. "I was, not anymore." She gripped Amara's neck and choked her until Amara turned pale.
"People eventually betrays each other when one sees no value anymore, when one can't use her anymore." Solara spat. "They betrayed me after I defeated the monster for them. They betrayed me and this is what they're getting."
Solara rose up and a green light opened up above. Black vines appeared and bind Amara more. She called Solara numerous times but to no avail.
"Mother!" Amara screamed this time. Solara shot her a look but didn't stop drawing the ritual. "Too late." Solara whispered before the tomb opened. The green light shown upon the coffin inside that was filled with chains and talisman.
Amara closed her eyes in defeat. It's too late. The seal's been broken and now the ninth tail is about to be resurrected by Solara, her mother, who also happens to be the eighth tail.
The coffin opens up and Solara helped him up. A chill passed Amara's neck when she saw who it was. The black robe and the silver nails made her cry.
"Rise, my Lord." Solara muttered softly as she bowed in front of the man who's now standing between them. His silver hair swayed gently when the wind suddenly blows.
"Solara." His cold voice filled with authority sent nostalgia to Amara. That familiar baritone voice and tone of speaking brought more tears to her eyes. "Now that the nine tails have completely risen, we'll start with our revenge." Solara whispered to the ninth tail. "But I brought you a little present." Solara gestured in front of her and the ninth tail turned around to see Amara struggling.
"Well if it isn't my dear Amara." He grinned. "It's been a long time."
Amara gritted her teeth and tried to pull her hands away from the black vines. "You won't get away with this, the nine tails won't live for another decade."
The demon laughed without humor and he bowed a little to plant a soft kiss on Amara's forehead. Amara was taken aback by his daring move.
"I'll see you on the battlefield, if you survive tonight." He whispered to her ear. He held Solara's hand and they both disappeared in a blink of an eye.
She pulled her hands again and stronger this time but the vines won't break. The water's getting higher too, almost on her neck. She regretted not killing her mother in the first place. If she didn't let her emotions get in a way, Solara wouldn't have had the ninth tail resurrected right away.
Amara took a deep breath and closed her eyes to concentrate. She needs to use an enchantment right away without using any sacred weapon or talisman. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes afterwards.
"Burning flames of Icarus, almighty Phoenix. Grant me the power to produce fire at this moment." She enchanted.