Second weekend of March, Mysterious Island unidentifiable in the middle of the open ocean with no land on the 360º horizon, had 200km2. Morrigan and Maeve had been sent by Otrera to this island to rescue a precious treasure from the Royal Guard, the place where they were was very beautiful, the island mixed wild environments, forest and temples and civilization, a lot of marble and columns that seemed to be from Ancient Graekus, torches of eternal flames everywhere, several paths, some ritualistic constructions, it was even a place that emanated an energy unlike anything that was in that world, it seemed to be much older than everything else.
– What is this place exactly? – Maeve asked, who was walking with Morrigan through that island/temple-fortress/mystical forest with masonry and stone columns, she didn't really know how to label that place, but they had very well made dirt roads adorning the paths.
– I'm not surprised not to know, few people do, even among the master mages... This is the Island of the Royal Guard. – Morrigan said.
– And what would this place be and why have we never heard of it before? – Maeve asked.
– I, Otrera, Edward, Margaret, George, Anitta, Queen Aria and Princess Emma are the only ones who know... Astaroth and the master mages of the last Great War also knew... This island is a tract of land from the primordial universe that was brought here by the goddesses Lunes and Sefrim during the celestian revolution, Bricttany was being manipulated by an evil force, Ohana, a goddess from another universe, and so they helped the queen of the time to seal and defeat Ohana and her brothers, it was not just her, but 7 in total... It was on this occasion that the twelve master mages were created and sacred here, this island was created to serve as a base where the enemy could not penetrate or meet the celestian forces, and because of them we have a connection with the zodiac, not only do we manage to extract magical energy from the zodiac as you well know, but it's much more than that, the multiverse seems to have the zodiacal gate as a reference point in any and all universe of this multiverse, that's why the main key It's powerful and closer to the true gods than anything else... And we were given tools that would allow us to use this power an even greater bonus, and also to stop this great evil and the source for this power resides on this island that is extremely protected by magic from the primordial universe and only accessible by the Grand Master and the Queen, as well as whoever they allow... Some theorists about the multiverse even say that this multiverse originated from two dodecahedrons of gods, 24, and that the number of universes is a multiple of 12, 144 to be more precise... We are right now stepping on the most stable point of direct connection with the primordial universe, the home of the true gods. – Morrigan said, she was talking and walking as if it were something like "I like cake".
– You mean that we are on a giant piece of stone that is actually the direct connection point of this universe with the primordial universe? Besides being the ancestral gift that the redeeming goddesses left for us? – Maeve said that she was dumbfounded.
– Exactly! – Morrigan said as if it were something simple. – I chose you for this mission because I needed someone strong and skillful, able to deal with the dangers of this place... Otrera is busy and Edward is on a mission, so you were the next most plausible option. –
– If the island is ours, why not just get this divine object? – Maeve asked.
– This island is enchanted by the magic of the goddesses, an insurmountable magic, not even I, Otrera and Edward together managed to scratch the magical defenses that hide this island... We have to prove our worth to the island and the way will show for people. – Morrigan said.
– I understand, but these challenges should not be easy, after all we are talking about an extension of the primordial universe in this world, no wonder this island is a secret of the elite of the Royal Guard of the most sacred. – Maeve told reflectively.
– I'm not even sure what they are, but Otrera insisted that I didn't come alone. – Morrigan laughed.
Morrigan and Maeve walked until they reached what seemed to be an abandoned city in the middle of the forest, all made of marble and white stone, in the center a temple erected in honor of Lunes and Sefrim was almost five hundred meters tall, had some parts falling to the ground. pieces and others still very whole. Everything seemed very calm, until four beings of white stone yellowed by time emerged from the ground, five meters tall each, armed with spears, not looking very friendly.
– Why do I have the impression that they are not the welcome party committee – Maeve said , she went after two of the guards conjuring water slides to try to cross the guards.
The blow wasn't as effective and one of the guards hit the Aquarius mage with everything and the other jumped to trample her, but the mage wouldn't be defeated so easily.
– Aquarius: Ganymede Inverse Rain. – Conjured Maeve who created several magical seals from which ascended mighty water dragons that spiraled upward at high speed reinforced with thorns of ice.
The blow was enough to destroy one of the guards, but she still had another to face, she was hit by another punch she couldn't stop, he was much stronger than her, maybe physically, even stronger than Alister Bull, she was thrown against one of the nearby buildings and everything crashed to the ground.
– I've seen that you can't play with them... Aquarius: Rose Water Bloom. – Conjured Maeve, this was her second most powerful technique, she trapped the soldier in what appeared to be a giant rose bud made of water that rotated at absurd speeds, and then it would bloom with the edges of the water "petals" being blades furious that were serrating the target as it opened, and when it reached its apex the petals peeled off and advanced again towards the target, culminating in a pillar of vigorous water.
Morrigan proved more ingenious, she managed to escape the onslaught of the guards and trapped them in a trap spell.
– Ophidian Black Swamp. – Conjured Morrigan, who created a swamp of darkness in the form of snakes of darkness that transformed into the swamp that tried to drag the guards down.
The guards were very resistant breaking the mage's spell and running her with their spears, but the mage was very ingenious, used her body switch and was there wonderful and whole.
– Got it, I'll have to appeal... Pisces: Dark Corruption Core. -Summoned Morrigan and then she expelled crawling from her arms what appeared to be snakes of darkness, but it was more like ancient rune sequences in snake form that climbed the guardians' legs and multiplied by them paralyzing and discharging black energy, finally they fell apart as if the magic that had brought them to life had been nullified.
– Morrigan I'm stupid, you got rid of them as if they were nothing. – Maeve said, remembering the work she had with her two guards.
– It's all about knowing which spell is suitable for each situation, and not having a limited repertoire, by the way, I'll definitely want to learn that spell of the water rose, beautiful and powerful. – Morrigan commented with an analytical look.
– You showed why you are one of the legendary mages, got rid of two stone guards from the primordial universe so easily. – Maeve said that he remembered Otrera saying that they didn't even imagine the things that 3GLWM could do.
– Let's go ahead, there must be other dangers. – Morrigan said that in his mind he thought, – I was waiting a little longer, although if I had to face those four, I could have got in trouble, those two were destroyed by very little. You should see me using my scythe. –
– Why don't you use it? – Maeve asked.
– That bitch of Fernanda Allure stole me during the war, I never saw her again, nor my scythe. – Morrigan said.
– Maybe she's dead already. – Maeve said.
– Believe me, she would prefer to be dead. – Morrigan said completely calm with what he was saying.
The two mages entered the temple, it was large and almost confused with the structure of a conjuredle, and perhaps it had been, perhaps a kind of headquarters of the first mage masters during the rebellion and terror of the seven gods sent by Pelupdus to destroy this world. And in the main hall of the temple the two were surprised by two replicas of themselves.
– Great, one more fight. – Said Maeve already preparing for battle and his clone also ready for a fight.
– Calm down, some things are not resolved with violence, but with intelligence... They are two replicas of us, that is, even if you do away with you, you could end up being killed by my clone. – Pondered Morrigan putting her hand in front of Maeve for her not to advance.
– I see, how do you intend to eliminate these clones? – Maeve said.
– Honey, it's all a matter of skill and having the correct techniques to resolve the situation, luckily they're not made of primordial divine magic, they're a mirror-protection spell, it was made by the first queen of Celestia to protect the ruin, and to the misfortune of this spell, I am more powerful than the conjuror... Null and Void! – Conjured Morrigan with a macabre smile, a wave of shadows and darkness enfolding in the dissolving retorts.
– I'm shocked! - Maeve said in disbelief.
- It shouldn't, Queen Celestiana was very powerful, but we 3GLWM are more powerful, this spell was powerful, in addition to being a reflection of a spell from the primordial universe, dangerous, but if it was the spell of the primordial universe in fact, I and you could be dead and torn apart by now, neither would I have saved myself. – Morrigan said direct and sincere.
The noise of falling water was heard in the temple.
– What is that noise? – Maeve said.
– A waterfall, the entrance to the underground cave that leads to what we are looking for. – Morrigan said.
– And where is it? – Maeve asked.
– There! – Morrigan said that with a shot of energy destroyed a solid marble wall 50 meters thick and a hundred meters high as if it were nothing.
Maeve gaped, it was a hidden waterfall, the veil of the waterfall was very powerful, violent and with a pressure that would kill anyone who passed directly by.
– I think this is your specialty, no dear? – Morrigan said elegantly.
– I got it! – Laughed Maeve, she used her magic, but even her expertise on water didn't allow her to undo or bend the veil so easily, the magic in that door was too great, but she tried even more, used her magic raising it to a such a grandiose level that Morrigan was impressed by that massive amount of concentrated magic.
Maeve managed to open the veil of the waterfall, it was almost as if he had recognized the value of a master mage of Celestia giving her all.
– I'm impressed. – Morrigan said, and Maeve blushed.
The two went down the stairs that were after the waterfall's veil, the staircase was made of cavernous black stone, they were entering an underground cave, full of waterfalls and waterfalls, but that was the least, which drew attention it was the main courtyard made of white ivory with gold accents, in the center a golden zodiacal circle with the twelve signs and in the middle of it a double, almost royal statue of the redeeming goddesses. Lunes, goddess of forges, crafts and volcanoes, she had strong brown eyes, her black hair with a slight golden hue on her neck, her brown skin, her right arm was mechanical with the symbol of Olympus on the mechanical arm, she it held a replica of the goddess's legendary sword, Fifi, it had a six-foot thick blade but impressively cut, it was either sword, shield or club, and the goddess was depicted wearing full battle armor difficult to identify; Sefrim, goddess of power, women and marriage, she had white skin with shades of gray, close to silver, her eyes are silver, her silver hair, long and wavy, she was depicted wearing an armor that resembled a snake, in addition to be holding fans.
– These statues ... – Maeve said impressed with that place.
– Yes, the redeeming goddesses of Celestia... Lunes and Sefrim, one goddess of power and the other of forges, these statues protect a sacred artifact, an urn forged by the energy of the primordial universe power exhaled by Sefrim and forged by the abilities of Lunes, but you must pass the test. – Morrigan said.
– Test? – Maeve said worried.
– The mage must stand before the statue of the goddesses and they will assess the conviction of the candidate's soul, if he doesn't pass, he dies. – Morrigan said as if it were something simple.
– I understand... Do you want to go? – Maeve said.
– No, you will… You have more spirit, more soul, more courage, I'm more cold and analytical, maybe I don't like the receptacles the goddesses left behind. – Laughed Morrigan somewhat mean.
– Do you think I can do it? – Maeve said.
– Otrera thinks, she thinks you and Edward are the liveliest two of the twelve of us so go ahead and rock. – Morrigan said that he estimated 67% of Maeve succeed, but was willing to risk the colleague.
– Right! – Maeve said that she took courage and placed herself among the statues of the goddesses in the middle of the zodiacal circle.
The statues started to move, turned to Maeve, analyzed her from top to bottom, the zodiacal circle shone and projected symbols representing the twelve signs in addition to the astrological symbols, it was something shocking, the tension was great, the fear too, but courage surpassed all that.
– Maeve Waves, master mage of Aquarius, Twelve's Sea Master, your heart is pure and loyal, faithful and courageous, proved even in the face of adversity to be a worthy member of the Royal Guard, deserving of the Ark of Redemption. – Said the statues of the goddesses almost in unison and cavernous.
Soon after, the zodiacal circle glowed brighter, the statues returned to their starting position and from above descended from a magic beam an ark in at least seven different shades of white and silver, a 40x60 cm deep box with the symbol of the Guard Real on the lid in high relief, on the horizontal side it had the twelve signs represented in triplets of three on the four sides of the box. The artifact emanated more power than even Morrigan had ever felt, even though she had faced Ohana along with the other 3GLWM and Astaroth.
Maeve went to Morrigan with the chest.
– This box, I've never felt a power like this, it must even be capable of… – Maeve began.
– Seal gods. – Completed Morrigan. – Congratulations Maeve, after seeing this scene, I swear to you, you have all my confidence in matters of the Royal Guard, being recognized by the statues of the redeeming goddesses is the greatest honor any of the master mages could receive... Otrera does not want lose no one this time like she lost in the past... If Stroika is back, she fears that M. Stroika is wanting to use the evil gods sent to this world millennia ago and have fallen asleep. –
– I see, are we going? – Maeve said that she was not only happy, but also proud.
– We will! – Morrigan said.
***
Royal Guard Tower, Otrera's office, the Grand Mistress and Morrigan were alone in the room with the sacred artifact on the table.
–... I see, it must have been quite a mission, we haven't set foot in that place for a long time, with this urn we can take more energetic measures if the situation is necessary, if we had used it the other time, it could be here , but water under the bridge, this time let's be prepared. – Said Otrera analyzing the artifact from all angles.
– Yes, thrilling to see, she is even faithful to the Royal Guard until the last gram of magic in her body... This artifact, I've never felt anything so powerful, we could seal not only Ohana, as the "others". – Morrigan said.
– The "Others" are properly sealed and hidden, if necessary we'll talk to the others, but I've already thought about opening the game with them... A lot happened in the meantime before we left here last time, and not Say you also didn't think that might be the case when Eddy came after us? – Said Otrera.
– I thought so… Where do you want to put it? – Morrigan said.
– With you of course, friend, you are one of the few people I would trust to keep this artifact, I know you will take care of it, and you have more time, experience and skill to analyze this object. – Otrera said.
– I'm honored, let's find out how, and let's honor everything that's already been done and end the Stroika this time. – Morrigan said.
– Yes, things are getting more dangerous, but let's handle it. - Said Otrera.
So things were going, Otrera got ahead, prepared contingency plans, she knew that Madame Stroika could be very dangerous, and involved with occult entities, a priori she did not want this position, but since she was in it, she would give her best and will save everyone he could, wouldn't leave anyone behind.