I steeled my resolve. I knew what I was about to do. I could only imagine what it must have felt like for Gilgahlad. At least there were epics written about him. He not only sealed away the Great Ones with the help of the Minor Ones. But, he also killed a Minor One by himself. But, then again, he was the son of a Great One. I was the daughter of a Minor One. And, I would in turn receive less help from the Minor Ones. I had to weigh my options carefully. I had to balance the consequences. I took a deep breath and let all my fear, my anxiety, and my doubt fly from me. "I have made my choice."
Adrian rose to his feet. He walked over to me and faced the throne once he was standing next to me. "I will not ask you of your choice. What I have to say in the matter makes no consequence. She will know." He put his hands together and lowered his head, almost as if he was praying. "Oh child of the temple, priestess divine, I call upon thee. Grace us with your presence."
Lightning struck the throne. A loud crack of thunder echoed in the temple. A second strike of lightning hit the throne again. The smell of ozone assaulted my nose. I blinked. When my eyes opened again, a young lioness was seated on the throne.
Does lightning strike whenever I am about to teleport to? Or is hers just special? I thought to myself.
"Mara, Daughter of the Ram, welcome to House of the Founding." Her commanding voice belied her small stature and lithe frame. "I am Rosemawry Borhithe, Head Priestess of the Brotherhood of the Word."
I bowed. "I am honored to meet you." While I didn't know what I was supposed to talk to her about, it seemed they both harboured an idea of what it was. I decided that I would have them tell me. But, I thought I would at least play the part of a diplomat. For now. "Pray tell, what is the Brotherhood of the Word?" Another religion I had never heard of. I was not about to commit some cultural atrocity because I didn't know enough about what they believed.
"You may know it on Earth as The Followers of the Faceless Gods." Her response was not what I was expecting. "Now, Harvey came to me a little time ago and tried to fill me in with as much information as he could about what it is the Minor Ones have in store for you. He asked a very big favor of me." She switched gears quite abruptly. "I don't generally do favors. I want you to understand. However, when your betrothed comes to you with the fate of the multiverse, you are at a great crossroads. I was going to ask if you were ready; however, I can already tell the choice you have made."
I once more calmed my heart. I nodded. "I know what I must do."
"Bear with what I am about to do. It will hurt quite a bit." I thought I saw her flash a mischievous grin, almost as if she was reveling in the pain it would cause me. She took a deep breath. She began chanting some prayer in an obscure language, well obscure to me, and waving her hands around in a comical yet bizarre fashion like she was trying to unlock a door that didn't exist. When her dance finished, she extended her hands towards me, emitting a green flash. "Flash Raise."
Strings yanked all my muscles from my bones. My skin peeled away. Every atom in my body exploded into a mist. I stifled the urge to scream like a banshee, mostly because even if I opened my mouth, nothing would come out except a rush of hot air and a din of silence. The throbbing twinges of torture remained after all the other effects dissipated into oblivion. My eyes rolled back into my head. My legs buckled little by little struggling to retain my balance. I could feel each muscle in my body tense and ease as if it were a tide. My breath was ragged. I desperately gulped like a fish out of water. Steady. Easy. I warned myself. My heart beat a cacophony it called a symphony of discord. Once more unto the breach… I recited. It was a line from some long forgone play my uncle used to recite. It helped me a lot when I was younger, braving me through the hardships. Slowly, my domination of my body returned to me. My breath eased into a slow-paced rhythm. My heartbeat restored. My vision was still black. I refused to open my eyes.
"Mara?" Rosemawry called out to me. "You still with us?"
I slowly opened my eyes, carefully letting the world take shape before me. I peered at my hands, my arms, and whatever I could as I stretched my hands out before me. "What exactly did you do to me?" I looked no differently than before. I felt no different either.
Rosemawry smiled. "I used a gift given to me by Kaddyr. I forcefully raised your potential. It is as if you trained nonstop for three of your lifetimes." She paused. "I had never seen someone go through it in the same way you did just now, however. Usually, it ends after a minute or two."
"Yes," Adrian chimed in, "you have no idea how hard it was to keep Rosemawry awake and able for three days."
Three days? How in the world was that possible? It only felt as if it were merely a moment or two.
We took turns retaining your consciousness. I could hear Kaddyr say.
"This is the first time I have ever used my ability on a Fraction." Rosemawry was seated on the throne again. I could tell she was depleted.
Have a look for yourself. Lillith said.
Stamina reserves at a hundred percent. Increase of stamina levels by nine hundred thousand percent. Resistances using abilities were reduced by forty-seven thousand percent.
I was immediately relieved that I had used some of my abilities at creation to design an interface in my mind that allowed me to keep track of my abilities as well as the stamina costs for using them. My mind stuttered for a moment, trying to comprehend what I just heard. The increase in numbers was insane. If I were to fight Yog now or even Whisper, I was almost sure that I would not even falter. I still doubted that I was strong enough to take them on, however, in terms of doing lasting damage by myself. For that, I would need training. If I couldn't harm them, I couldn't take on the Great Ones.
"This should prepare you some." Adrian said. "Your strength alone will not be enough to keep you safe. You would do well to heed that notion."
I nodded. Kaddyr. Lillith. We shall return to Angelus. Something tells me the Children of Argos are better at foreseeing the future than they let on. I plan on making use of their knowledge and gaining whatever strength I can from them. "Your Excellency," I began, trying to give the deference deserved to Adrian, "I must return. The time grows near and I have to gather those I know will be willing. However, I have one place I need to go first."
"Angelus?" He inquired.
I nodded.
"Lan is probably expecting you. It would also be wise that you make a visit to Cloudend. Seeing as he is the overseer of all the Minor Ones on Angelus, it would be rude for you not to have a small audience with him."
"Will do." I assured. Once more in the flash of ozone and blur, I was again on the soil of Angelus. The only upside to teleporting was that I didn't have to waste time in the vacuum of space like my ancestors. The downside was getting used to the shifting of equilibrium.
I had used Lan's life signature to teleport. When the world came to, I was presented with a large ornate door. The door was mostly gold in color, with outlines of red and silver. I could immediately tell that I was no longer in the same place I was when I left Angelus. Two guards stood before the door with long spears at their sides. They wore golden armor and stood about seven feet tall. I couldn't tell more about their features because their armor covered everything about them. I didn't have much time to contemplate anything else before the door opened on its own.
"Enter, Mara Windmire, Daughter of Rammel." A deep voice boomed from within.
I slowly and cautiously entered. Before me was a throne room almost identical in style to the one my father used. This one, however, was colored in a vastly different aesthetic. Gold. Silver. Red. White. These colors ran the length of the room in all kinds of patterns, even accenting the reliefs on the walls. A group of stone thrones stood at the opposite end of the room, much like a council. Each one was filled with a Minor One that looked very different from the other. Only their facial features gave rise to their shared parentage.
I stopped about midway.
I bowed before the council. I didn't dare speak before they had a chance to address me. I did not know their strength nor did I want to cause a scene.
"Welcome, Mara." Came the deep voice again. He looked very similar to both Lan and Edward, with the exception of his fully white hair. His facial features were a little more grizzled than the others. "My sister, Edward, has informed me of why you have come." He seemed to choose his words very carefully. Unlike, Edward who spoke very little and Lan who embellished her words. "I am Cloudend, Lord Protector of Angelus."
I bowed once more. "If indeed her excellency, Edward has informed you of why I have come, then you must know of what she has promised me."
"I do." His tone was very matter-of-fact.
None of the other Minor Ones spoke. Not even Lan. He must be their superior. I was not going to question their dynamic. But, it did remind me of old myths from Earth.
Cloudend waved his hand in a nonchalant manner. Two attendees appeared from an archway beyond the thrones, carrying an extremely ginormous glass jar. All the way to the lid, the jar was filled with glittering red sand that twinkled and sparkled with each movement the attendees made.
"I hope you understand how hard it was to collect all of this from every Fraction. Our line stretches vast. We have also included portions of our own and that of our father." The attendees placed the jar at my feet. It was taller than I was, by just a hair. The sand looked as though it was moving about. "I have one caveat on relinquishing that jar to you."
"What is it you desire?"
"I wish to see how it is you will take in so many soul shards at once." I could tell he was not the only one curious. Each one of the Minor Ones moved forward in their seats to get a better look.
I nodded. "As you wish." I put my hands to the jar. I could feel warmth emanating from within. I closed my eyes briefly to focus. I was much too short to remove the lid and was unsure if I was able to do what I was about to attempt. But, I had to at least try it. When I opened my eyes, the sand began to swirl like a storm withing the jar, spinning faster and faster until it began to glow a bright red. I could feel the warmth against my palms grow stronger. I could feel it penetrating me, working its way up my arms and to my core. I watched as the level with in the jar sank, lower and lower, ever dropping, until there was nothing left. "It is done."