Transcendence: Black Horizons Book II

[Sarrin 100]

If you have not read book one turn back now, you will be so lost.

Here's a link to help~

Transcendence Book 1 New Dawn

Enjoy that for me

 

ALL OF THIS IS COPYRIGHT BY ME OFFICIALLY

Moving on to the main event, allow me to present to you --

 

Transcendence Book II Black Horizons

 

 

 

 

Bloody Evolution Part Start

 

Chapter One: From Ruin

 

 

  “Calus how is your end?” Haleigh's voice rang clearly in his mind while he made his way up a mountain of rubble. Seven feet tall, dressed in the thickest leather vest, showing off a plethora of tattoos painted across his arms and chest. Amber colored eyes shifted though the desiccated landscape, if you could call it that. “Shit.” A deep voice replied shortly.

 

   “Any more specific?”

 

   “Deep shit.” A slight of wind caught his dreadlocks, he saw the motion below.

 

   “Lovely, C-3 is almost clear, I should be heading your way soon.”

 

   Unnaturally crawling on the ground below was a creature made of what looked like black diamonds. Calus's eyes stuck out when compared to his dark skin, almost predatory, a beast about to strike down its prey. “N-7 is clear.” He leaped from the overhang, free falling through his decent. A ring of light rapped around his fist accompanied by numerous letters and symbols.

 

   The voidkin looked up, with what he assumed to be it's head, in the split second Calus struck. Dispersing violently into a cloud of dust and smoke, turning to nothing in the force of the impact. He had landed unscathed in the space it had been only a moment ago. “Child's play.” This he said aloud to himself.

 

   Something took his attention in the stale air, a presence. He looked up to find a spire of black crystal four times his size crashing down on his head.

 

   As the dust begun to settle a figure strode towards the newly marked grave. “Child's play.” Dressed in a tight fitting hooded trench coat, his face hidden behind a mask resembling the uncanny likeness of a white fox.

 

   Halting his stride, having noticed a small black swirl on the ground. Two, three, six in total had already surrounded him. “Tsk.” Foxface put up his guard the instant chain links sprung from each of them.

 

   In just seconds they had bound him from the neck down. He watched from behind his mask as a shape shrouded in darkness emerged from his own shadow. Calus rose from the black with the intent to kill strung across his calm.

 

   “These chains are a stalwart ally of mine.” He said reaching for the mask.

 

   Foxface hadn't moved a muscle when his finger tips touched the surface. Calus kicked himself back, narrowly avoiding the crystal spears that crashed into the ground he stood upon. An invisible force seemed to soften his landing, the ever watchful eyes assessing the situation.

 

   “You're wasting your time.” One by one each chain snapped off of him. “I'm much more than this.” They were blown away with a cloud of dust as he vanished from sight.

 

   Calus lunged forward with the same blinding speed. Meeting him in the middle they had reappeared, their fists slammed together creating a sound like that of a thunderclap.

 

   Another spear flew to his neck stopping short by only mere centimeters. This caught Foxface's attention, a single chain link had coiled around the center. The links wipped back returning the spear to its master with much added force. Black crystal pierced through his body, splashing the ground behind him in blood.

 

   Foxface stumbled back one hand clutching at his wound. His low chuckle had almost confused Calus until he saw it.

 

   The spear had started to shrink, melding into his body as if it were a piece of him returning home. A simple chuckle had grown into laughter as the air around them sparkled with a dark shimmer. Foxface had surrounded them with countless shards.

 

   A grin formed upon Calus's face. “That pressure.” His locks raised slightly like the hair of a cat, just as the amber eyes lit up. Black ink painted across his arms and chest shown gold.

 

   Striking all at once, they jetted towards their mark. Calus had barely moved a muscle before a towering pillar of scarlet blaze engulfed him all the while consuming the projectiles entirely.

 

   Walking out of the blaze was a woman. She tossed back her gray hair with her hand, wearing a bemused grin. Dressed in a slim fitting combat dress, she held a fierce elegance that matched the dispersing inferno she came from.

 

   “And Lady Valestani joins the frey.” Foxface commented to her arrival.

 

    “I prefer Madam Scarlet.” Her eyes had settled into a light gray. “Have we met?” She wouldn't get a response. Calus had darted ahead without a care for the makings of their conversation.

 

   Standing his ground until the last possible second, Foxface caught his punch effortlessly. “Like I said,” He lifted his leg, parrying Haleigh's thin blade with the bottom of his boot. “More.”

 

   They were both stunned, not by the fact that he had stopped the pair of them, but that he had done it like it was nothing. Foxface spun his body, releasing Calus's arm only once it had snapped, and countering Haleigh with his other boot in her stomach.

 

    She stumbled back just missing him disappear. Having slipped his wrist back in place Calus lunged for Haleigh. Confused at first when he grabbed her, but then she saw the seven foot spike that now stood where she once did. Another struck out, and then another after that. “We need to split up, it'll be harder with multiple targets.”

 

   Calus released her, but even this proved almost fatal. They dashed back from one another only just managing to evade another, twice in size with several attached to its base

 

   Encased within the clusters center had been Foxface, his body frozen in crystal and limbs folded to his chest. The duo knew what came next. His body sprang to life as the cluster exploded, sending the shattered fragments soaring to their marks.

 

   A perfect circle of fire absorbed the brunt of the attack for Haleigh, while Calus had summoned a wall of overlapping chain links.

 

   “Oh to hell with this.” Her eyes flared up as she went for Foxface. Calus joined her effort gladly.

 

   They pursued him down the open street of the desolation that remained of New York City. Entrapping chains failed to snare him as he also evaded an arsenal of scarlet blaze, each movement faster than the eye could follow. Keeping up with him had been no challenge at all, yet each offensive. no matter the distance, could not touch him. Whatever they threw at him was met with either an impossible dodge or instantly forming crystal shields.

 

   “Calus I have an idea.” Haleigh's words rang through his thoughts. Neither slowed in the slightest with their attacks. Dozens more crystals had come forth, dangling high above them for less than a second before they jettisoned to the pair below.

 

   The air began to ripple and the temperature rose by at least thirty degrees. “Now!” Calus vanished from sight; a vicious dome of Haleigh's inferno surrounded Foxface along with herself. Not one of the raining spears penetrated the all consuming tempest.

 

   Inside had become an entirely different world. Every inch coated in a fierce red glare, and the sound. Deafening beyond measure, a roaring blaze true in name and strength. Foxface stood in the center taking in the dilemma now before him. She couldn't help but smile. “I would start taking shallow breaths, the air here isn't going to last long.”

 

   “What of you?” Another spear sped through the air, Haleigh didn't even bother to flinch. Once it made contact her body exploded into a flurry of crimson.

 

   “Me?” Her laughter seemed to echo in her formless state. The embers began to reshape her yet the blaze held its strength. “I'm the one breathing all of the oxygen,” From the bottoms of her boots to the tips of her waving hair, every part comprised of the scarlet blaze. “I am fire.”

 

   Projectiles struck down upon her, passing through her only slightly disturbing her new form. “You aren't the only one with more to offer.” Haleigh lifted her arm as if she were reaching out to him, having conjured a symbolence that then became encased in flames. Overlapping circles, strange and foreign letters shown beautifully, if only for a moment. Haleigh staggered back when it exploded in front of her. Through the blast itself Foxface emerged, halting his advancement once his hand had firmly taken hold of her throat.

 

   Gripping tighter the flames began to retract, showing the skin of her neck. “H-how..?” She struggled as the embers dispersed, watching the dome do the same.

 

   Six spikes came to life floating symmetrically behind his back, almost like a deadly pair of wings. Simultaneously they moved in just as Haleigh had closed her eyes. Stopping just short, the closest barely grazing her waist, something had garnered his attention. In his free hand a blade took form, swinging it at the ground to sever the chains attached to his ankles.

 

   Foxface released her, his back unnaturally bent as Calus drove his elbow in. He dropped down low, using his legs to sweep out his. Landing on his free hand, Foxface sprung into the air spinning wildly until his wings righted himself. Descending gently onto the high ground he stood, almost waiting for them.

 

   “This is getting out of hand.” She griped rubbing the base of her neck. “I feel like he's toying with us.”

 

   He held up a single finger. “Why are you even here? Elipses has disbanded and Yggdrasil has sealed itself off. The Aesir do not fight and the world has gone mad with disarray. Balance doesn't exist anymore.”

 

   Neither knew the response he was looking for. “Look around you, the world itself is willing its own end.”

 

   “What?” Haleigh looked to Calus in sheer disbelief then back to him. “I have a better question; Why are you even talking? We're here. The End.” She whipped the air with her saber. “Are we going to kill each other or what?”

 

   Before Foxface had a chance to respond the ground burst, devouring him within another fiery tower. Haleigh had been no less than pleased with her work. The flurry ended leaving its prey scorched yet still standing. Parts of his coat still burned with living embers. Foxface raised his head to meet their gazes. “I accept.”

 

   Lighting struck the ground, blinding the trio in it's brilliance. As the disorientation left them they discovered another had been added to their company. This one was different from Foxface, his cloak was much heavier accompanied by several straps on his arms and chest, with a large gauntlet fitted to his left hand. The mask he wore was featureless save for a single slot for the left eye.

 

   “Not another one of these guys.” Haleigh tiscked.

 

   “Behind.” Calus sensed the next arrival approaching from the rear. This ones mask was painted to the likeness of a clown.

 

   A gale of relief past through Haleigh, greatly settling her nerves. “Carmicheal.. What are you..?”

 

   He acknowledged her before turning his head to the two young men ahead of them. Their gazes were locked in on one another. Something about it was strange, and somewhat frightening. This moment was for the two of them not meant to be witnessed by others.

 

   “You just had to show up.” Shifts in the space behind him became a portal into the unknown. He stepped back into the folds until it closed in on him, calming the distortion.

 

   Each of them waited as the significant level of tension diminished. Waiting for a sign of danger that never came.

 

   “Calus, Haleigh, It is good to see you.” Carmicheal greeted them.

 

   Haleigh nearly took a double take. “Good to see us? Where the hell have you been? Who is this guy?”

 

  “That's just Vwiess, don't mind him he doesn't talk much.” Stepping out from behind Carmicheal was another hooded man, clearly much younger by the pitch of his thick Irish accent. Definitely the more cheery of the two he dawned no mask just a lighthearted grin and emerald eyes.

 

   Carmicheal removed his before pulling back his hood, freeing the black mess underneath. His eyes weren't as vibrant as Calus's surrounded by dark circles and age. “This is Leon Wynguard, and that would be Hunter Vwiess, my personal guards.”

 

   “Hunter?” Calus took notice of the title.

 

   “You have a Hunter as your personal guard? When did that happen?” Haleigh looked him up and down. “How old are you?”

 

   “We're actually not to sure about Vwiess here, but yours truly turned seventeen last april.” Leo answered for him.

 

   “Seven-? What have you been doing Carmicheal?”

 

   “Take a breath Scarlet, we'll have enough to talk about back at Olmhold, frankly I don't prefer the view here.” Carmicheal waved his arm through the air and a portal came forth. “It's horrifying.” He passed through as the other two followed, Calus behind them.

 

   Haleigh took one last moment, looking at what Carmichel had been. A black hole hanging in the sky above the city, and the bottom half of the Empire State Building still hanging out of it. “No, it's sickening.”

 

 

Two Months Earlier

 

 

   “Take us back.” Sophie ordered with the two siblings right behind her.

 

   “I cannot.” Curdis replied flatly.

 

   “Can't or won't?” Tyler snapped back. “Personally speaking, compared to what I've seen in the last week dulls in contrast to taking us back to where we just came from.”

 

   He took a deep breath through his nose, rubbing the space between his eyes. “When I told you we could not go back, whether you choose to accept it or not, this is the path you now walk.”

 

   “What?” Stephanie couldn't keep a level head any longer. “That is our brother. We are going back, even if I have to take us myself.”

 

   “Stephanie..” Verdandi couldn't think of what to say to any of them.

 

   “Ask yourself why.” Skuld spoke from behind his fiery exterior. Haleigh stood behind him clearly agitated. Apparently he had rerouted himself through the portal leaving a flaming incarnation behind. “Why did he choose to stay behind?” Turning to Gilgamesh as he said this. “It's better this way right? For everyone.”

 

   “I'd hardly call it better..” Gil mumbled, following up with something no one picked up.

 

   “Like it or not Caleb realized what he was becoming before we even had an idea about it.”

 

   “Are we supposed to believe that?” Haleigh muttered wearing a scowl.

 

   Curdis took another breath. A chair came to life beneath him as he sat to rest a set of aching knees, his cane planted before him with both hands on its handle. “In truth I believed Caleb to be of great importance, in fact I believed he would be the one person to save us all.” He looked each one of them over. “Jeremiah I have cost you the whereabouts of your son, I have cost the two of you your brother, I have sacrificed so much from you all to put us on this course. Since the day I locked Sarrin inside of that book I have been guiding us to this. But I was wrong. There was still so much I myself did not understand, and so many things I never knew about.”

 

   Verdandi tilted her head slightly. “Do you remember what you told us in the manor, about Caleb? The heir to the void yes? Let's start there. Sarrin happens to be the voids current master by the looks of things and that was made apparent by the second conflict, so my thoughts lie on when our young Caleb inherited this right and why he is only just now surfacing.”

 

  “Emissary of Nell..” Skuld thought on these words.

 

   “Yes. Nell is the first piece to this puzzle.”

 

   “Stop there.” Verdandi bent down to look him in the eye. “I'm going to make this clear for you; I don't want you talking in circles, I want to know how we got here.”

 

   Curdis wasn't caught off guard, it was an expression most of them hadn't seen before. It was like a parent being talked down to by their own child. “You searched through an era long before your time and what did you discover?”

 

   “Aeolus.” Stephanie spoke up. “I watched everything I could find on him read every record.”

 

   “And why did you do that?”

 

   “We discovered that his life seemed to only begin and end with the void conflicts.” She took out here phone pulling something up. “The first recorded event of Aeolus Pride names him the hero of the first and the days before the second all records of him stop.” A puzzling look dressed itself across her face. “Sarrin and the second void conflict aren't even recorded, I've only just started adding what I've learned about it.”

 

   “Did you learn anything else?”

 

   “Um.. I think it's safe to say that we don't know enough about the people involved with the void exploration. Their mission is where all the records end before the aftermath of the second conflict.”

 

   Curdis placed his hat in his lap. “Aeolus Pride, Ludious Alcross, Alistair Harknet, Essence Bell, and Ketos Prori. Four of these members were personally selected by Aeolus himself. Their objective was to discover if life existed within the void beyond the voidkin, and to seek out the heart. Ragnarok.”

 

   “They were in that place for so long there's really no telling exactly what happened, but only two came out. Aeolus and with him Nell.”

 

   “We were astounded, the other Aesir and myself. We never believed he'd come back, let alone with her.” His tone was sharp. “The two of them knew nothing of what they had done.”

 

   “Aeolus Pride and his team were not to return, they had been sent there to die.”

 

   “What?” Jeremiah finally gained the nerve to speak.

 

   “We knew even then,” The Urd wasn't going to be interrupted. “We knew Aeolus would cause the second void conflict. So we sent him to his death, and he returned with the void itself. What choice did we have? We needed to understand the void, control it.”

 

   “And then we did. A key had been forged from Nell, at the cost of her life. We had the power of the void now, it was supposed to be over but somehow Aeolus managed to get to her side in her last moments. From there you know the rest, Sarrin killed Skuld and Verdandi took the key and fled into the void. Just a few years later he returned to take his revenge and then I imprisoned him.”

 

   “I personally saw to it that most of Aeolus's life was kept secret.”

 

   Haleigh stepped forward. “To cover up what you did?”

 

   “Yes”

 

  “You selfish bastard.”

 

   “Haleigh!” Jeremiah was appalled.

 

   “No, he is responsible for so much death and he used his authority and power to serve his own needs and cover it all up once he was done.” She looked the Urd in the eye. “You don't deserve to be an Aesir.”

 

   “That isn't why I did it.”

 

   Her anger seemed to pause at his words. Looking at the man she had met in her youth and realizing still just how little she knew about him. “Why?”

 

   “Because Sarrin was once Aeolus Pride, and Aeolus Pride was my son.”

 

   Ringing silence filled the room. None say for one had a response to give.

 

   “Not going to mention the entire land of Avalon being dragged into the pit?” Skuld chimed in.

 

   “I'd rather not.” Curdis rose to his feet. “There has been enough talk of death.” His hat was returned upon his balding head. “Agatha I'd be interested to know why we are not in Chicago.”

 

   Lights filled the giant room, illuminating the large featureless walls and a metal staircase crisscrossing over the far end.

 

   Standing above them was a bespectacled woman with glares reflecting off her lenses. Blond hair tied up, she wore a long sleeved white button up and a black skirt stretching past her knees.

 

   “Because there is no Chicago. Welcome to Olmhold Fortress.” She began to descend the stairs. “San Fransisco, Toronto, Montreal, Chicago, Dallas, and seven unpopulated areas across North America have been confirmed as what we are now referring to as void territories.” The heels of her shoes clanged on the steps. “This happened within the first six hours. Since then we have lost contact with at least twenty four of our branches around the world.”

 

   Agatha approached them, her beauty was radiant but held a fierce intensity. “Most of our forces on this hemisphere are unaccounted for, and as of now Elipses has contact with zero percent of its remaining forces.”

 

   Jeremiah and Haleigh went stark white. Gil and the Aesir kept their eyes on the floor, it was clear they had expected something of this gravity to happen soon.

 

   “I don't understand.. They're all..?” Haleigh raced through her mind thinking of who knows what. “Where is Carmicheal?”

 

   “Where indeed..” Agatha flipped through the papers of a clipboard that had been under her arm. “He informed me when the first incident occurred in San Fransico and said he'd be returning once he had made contact with you.”

 

   Haleigh's face cringed slightly. “Carmicheal was there?”

 

   “Yes he left two weeks ago.” She adjusted her glasses. “Should I have led with that?”

 

   “Yes you should have.” Her fists tightened and teeth clenched. As the day progressed it became harder to deal with, but then all of the tension seemed to leave. “I need a drink.” The smile she now wore almost genuine. “Jeremiah let's go.”

 

   Without a word he followed her up the steps. It was clear to all of them he didn't want to be there either.

 

   Curdis approached Agatha. “I believe for now we need to see if we can make contact with any of the remaining allies we have, until then we will remain here and deliberate over the current state of affairs.”

 

   Agatha adjusted her glasses. “This is acceptable. There are several rooms upstairs.” She said gesturing to the stair case.

 

   “That won't be necessary.” Verdandi conjured a wafting portal in the rooms center. “We'll be connecting our respective domains to Olmhold.”

 

   Skulds flames began to diminish. “We are in agreement then? I'll be on my way, no offense to you Gilgamesh, but our newest showstopper was much more interesting to watch.”

 

   “Just go home.” With that Skuld had vanished.

 

  Once Verdandi noticed that the Urd to had left already she made for the light filled doorway. “Come along you two, much to do.”

 

   “Ma'am.” The two responded in unison realizing it had happened by reflex. Stephanie followed after her, while Tyler gave a brief goodbye before he departed.

 

   “Guess that's my cue.” Gil snapped his fingers and a familiar door appeared on the wall opposite of the stairs.

 

   Sophira lost track of just how long she had been starring off into space. It felt like some kind of daze. She shook it off. “Gilgamesh stop.”

 

   Halting his stride Gil didn't look at her. “No.”

 

   “But I know you can-”

 

   “No I can't!” He snapped. “Soph.. Even I can't go back. I'm sorry about Isaac and Caleb.” Gil opened the door just barely looking back at her. “It's better if you forget about them, trust me.” He said closing it behind him.

 

   She didn't say anything back, just focused on pain of her wounds and the sick feeling in her stomach. Agatha placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Neither of them spoke a word.

 

 

   “You broke our deal.” Tyler casually spoke trying to make some sense out of whatever Stephanie had started working on.

 

   Verdandi huffed. “He stayed there on his own.”

 

   “I don't care about that.”

 

   “Then you better stop.”

 

   “Or else what?” His voice echoed through the white.

 

   Stephanie paused leaning against the console with her head down. “It's no use.”

 

   “Stephanie stop helping her.” Tyler had lost his cool. “I don't give a damn what you are, there isn't a single thing-” His head had turned sideways without him realizing.

 

   The burn of his sisters hand print was visible on his cheek. “I can't see inside of San Francisco, what should I do?”

 

   “If you want to find your brother, the all seeing eye is the best tool at our disposal.” Phoebe spoke calmly. “Caleb might be out there somewhere and if he is I'm confident you'll be the one to find him.”

 

   Tyler had been beyond lost. “Wait..”

 

   “Your sister is in charge of finding your brother, she has all of my resources at her fingertips.” Verdandi came uncomfortably close, her exotic fragrance filling the air he breathed. “You have a job to do Mr. Harris and I expect you to preform as admirably as you always have, is that clear?”

 

   Chocking down his embarrassment, still feeling the warmth of his cheek, he watched as Stephanie returned to work without a second thought. “Crystal, ma'am.”

 

   “Splendid.” She clasped her hands together, dawning a bright smile. Another doorway opened as she lead Tyler by the hand. “Let's go make some friends shall we?”

 

Well there you have it Book 2's first 15 pages enjoy~

Let me know what your thoughts are and what you think may be coming next

and as always, Thanks for Reading,

-Sarrin

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Well, this was definitely, as expected, a great start to Book II! Definitely picked up from where Book I left off, and there was action all over the place! Calus and Haleigh battling against Foxface was a spectacle to read, and then all that talk about the world's current predicament was an interesting read, especially the part where Curtis mentioned that Aeolus was his son! Definitely something I did not expect!  I wonder where Caleb, I mean, Sarrin, is now?

 

And well, I'm getting the sneaking suspicion that Isaac will appear soon! Anyways, great work!

Edited February 9, 2017 by The Transcendent Key

[Sarrin 100]

Chapter Two: Beyond The Bounds

 

 

 

  “There are no such things as prophecies, only the perception of causalities.” Ice collapsed in Gil's glass as he set in on the bar. “I wonder if I had told them that would it have changed anything?”

 

   “C'mon man, that's not the Gilgamesh I know.” A remarkably deep voice replied from the muscular, dark skinned bar tender, who topped off his drink. “The man I knew never looked back at his mistakes.” His gold toothed smile was matched only by the circle rims of his black shades.

 

   “Yeah like how I have a personal door to this bar after I said I was gonna stop drinking.” Gil slurred downing the whole. “Whatever..” He sat it back on the wood, gesturing for more. “Maybe I should just bail on them..”

 

   The bar keep seemed to frown, his bald head moving with his brow.

 

   “Don't give me that.” Still gesturing for more. “Sophira's great and Haleigh to, Jeremiahs alright I guess.” Gil paused taking a sip not sure of what he was trying to say himself.

 

   “But they aren't your friends?”

 

   “It's not that, it's just the universe is to big to care about something so small.”

 

   “You're drunk.”

 

   Gil raised his empty glass. “Clearly.” He shook the ice inside wanting another. The man gave him a look that considered cutting him off. Gil sighed. “Alright fine so I'm a little sore about Isaac.. Caleb to while I'm at it.” The glass was filled. “Thank you Samuel.”

 

   “So Caleb's the one with the freaky problems right?”

 

   “Hell of a variable that one.” The alcoholic burn causing him to cringe. Ice collapsed in his glass once more as he watched. “I haven't even told you the crazy part yet.” Gil gave him a rye look until his cup was filled. “The Urd himself suggested an accords with the protected species.”

 

   “Well that's a little impractical.”

 

   “How do you find that?”

 

   “Think about it like this; The protected species have also joined Elipses in some small cases, while many others have focused on rebuilding their lineage. If you want my opinion I think the Urd is plotting something with this accords.”

 

   “Interesting prospect, care to show your work?”

 

   “Ygdrasil.”

 

   Gil thought on it for a second. “Shit.” His forehead met the wood of the bar. “If Ygdrasil rejects and accords there'll be some problems.”

 

   “But what if the Urd knew this was the only way to get what he wanted?” Samuel started polishing off some glasses. “If the hierarchy is doomed to fall and rejects unification it'll fall anyway right?”

 

   “If you're right that paranoid bastard Godfreed is going to think of something similar.” Darker thoughts piled to the brims of his imagination. “Don't you have any other customers?” He looked around the dark vibe filled tavern. Each chair was pushed closely to it's table while smooth jazz played in cadence with the background.

 

   “I get the occasional customer from time to time.” He topped him off one last time before putting the bottle away. “Besides the world is going through an existential crisis, I'm sure this place will be getting livelier soon.”

 

   “Oh yeah?” Gil was nursing his drink.

 

   “Of course, not everyone is running a bar in a tiny pocket dimension cut off from most of the population. The Stray Lamb's the perfect place for a little reflection.”

 

   “Of course.” Shaking his glass. “And running up quite the tab.”

 

   Gil stumbled to his feet taking the drink with him. He left without a word, an idea forming in his drunken stupor.

 

 

 

   An unfamiliar ceiling ruined any semblance of peace Sophira had found in sleep. Metal panels with screws along the linings, if that didn't just scream good morning. She never liked waking up like this. It didn't help that Olmhold was cold, each step she took from the bed to get to her shoes had sent chills running up her spine. Strapping on her boots Sophie noticed a small mirror on the wall, she must not have seen it when she came in to pass out.

 

   Her reflection gave her mixed feelings. Black and orange hair sticking out in almost every direction. Six bandages still covered the cuts on her tan face, not to mention the rest throughout her body. “Looking good Spitfire.” She mumbled somberly to herself.

 

   The hallway outside was narrow and somehow even colder than her room. With no idea of what time it was she thought of only one person who would definitely be up.

 

   Sophie opened the door to the stair case descending into the wide open room they had arrived in. Relief waved over her once she confirmed Gil's front door was still embedded into the far wall.

 

   As she descended the steps her eyes never left the door, for fear it would disappear at any moment.

 

   “He's not going to answer.”

 

   Sophie had made it to the rooms center before the voice startled her. Haleigh had been sitting under the stairs with half a bottle of wine in one hand and an empty one dripping red on the floor beside her. “I've been trying for hours.”

 

   “Is he even in there?”

 

   “I don't know.” She took a swig. “I'm sure he's thinking about leaving us.”

 

   Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Gil wouldn't do that.”

 

   Haleigh gave a drunken snort. “Then you don't know Gilgamesh at all.” The attitude was plain to see.

 

   “What's gotten into you?” She wasn't in the mood to deal with her plastered teacher.

 

   “For starters my home is gone, oh I also just got dumped and now..” Haleigh's attention became lost in the swirling liquid encased in crystal.

 

   “Well? Go on.”

 

   Her eyes shifted to Sophie like daggers as she drank. “Are you ready for a war?”

 

   Scoffing back at her, she had decided to try Gil's door anyway. “I'm not having this conversation.”

 

   Sophie's footsteps echoed through the room until Haleigh finally spoke. “I know I'm not..”

 

   She stared at the woodwork only inches from her face before resting her forehead on its surface. A deep sigh came from her core. “So you and Jeremiah?”

 

   “He's not doing so well. I should have figured it would get to this, it's not like we actually had a relationship.” She drank more. “His son is gone and I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself.” Haleigh struggled to stand. “Now I'm complaining to said son's sister.”

 

   “Sister?” She gave a sarcastic laugh. “I'm not his daughter, just a stranger.”

 

  “That's not true and you know it.”

 

   “Definitely feels that way, I couldn't save either of them and I was the only one with them.” Tears welled in her eyes. “I couldn't save my own brother, the way Jeremiah looks at me now,” Wiping her face clear but to no avail. “It makes me feel weak.”

 

   Haleigh seemed stunned, unsure if it was caused by Sophie, the wine, or the sheer act of standing up. Her head hung low, she couldn't tell if the girl was still crying.

 

   She looked up at Haleigh, eyes blazing. “I need to become stronger, Master.”

 

   A sense of anguish filled the room with a brimming level of tension. She could tell Sophie needed this. “As you wish.” They both did.

 

   Darting forward in unison, the two of them collided in the middle. Sophie's leg had been blocked with Haleigh's forearm. Their eyes shined fiercely as the air between them exploded with a blend of orange and crimson inferno. She flipped back as Haleigh stoically stood her ground in the blaze.

 

   “You're a one trick pony.”

 

   “What's that supposed to mean?”

 

   “Telekinesis and the ability to set objects on fire are your limits.” She conjured a small flame floating in her palm. “You can't even do this, but you try and then it explodes. You're blessed with not being able to burn yourself with your own flames or you'd have killed yourself ten times over.”

 

   “OK? I know all this already.”

 

   “Do you?” Haleigh couldn't contain her laughter. “Because to me it looks like you haven't learned a thing.” The flame shot towards her. Sophie tried to deflect it with her hand, underestimating Haleigh's strength.

 

   Her arm shook under the weight. Sophie's knees buckled still struggling to hold it back. “You keep thinking if you fight harder, get madder and grow prouder you'll become stronger.” Haleigh strode towards her, the force increasing with each step. “This is insanity. It didn't work against Phi Honnes and it's not going to work against me.”

 

   “I beat him, it's the only reason I'm even standing here.” She couldn't bare it much longer.

 

   “No you didn't. He left you there to die, which you would have if not for Gilgamesh, your father and myself.” Haleigh was more than cold with her, the wine making it all the easier. “The three of you firetrucked up, big time. It's time you accept that fact and start to move on. There isn't any time for you to feel sorry for yourself anymore.”

 

   Sophie released the flame, moving out of the way just before it crashed into the ground. She lunged forward with a fist full of fire. Haleigh caught it effortlessly, bending it in such an unbearable way it brought Sophie to her knees once more. “I'm not weak.” Eyes welling up.

 

   “Yes you are.” Haleigh bent her wrist farther back. “And that doesn't have to be a bad thing, but you've concocted this fantasy that burying your weakness will help you.” It was about to snap in her hand. “When in reality you're only rejecting yourself.”

 

   “Please stop!” Sophie begged, gritting her teeth through the agony. “It's gonna break.”

 

   Haleigh came in close to her face, her eyes as frigid as Olmhold itself. “And then you will heal.” A loud crack filled the room followed by Sophira's screams.

 

   She covered her mouth. Sophie's head held to the ground. Haleigh didn't speak as her right arm lost it's shape burning deep scarlet. “I showed this to Caleb and it didn't change anything but maybe you can learn from this.” Her eyes widened, Sophie understood what she was looking at. “I lost it for the exact same reason you're covered in those bandages and your wrist is now broken.”

 

   Unable to respond through her hand, Sophie knew she was being given time to absorb what Haleigh was saying. “You don't need to be proud that you lost, but you should be proud that you survived where two others much stronger than you did not.”

 

   This confused her, Haleigh noticed she was trying to say something before removing her hand. “Isaac and Caleb aren't dead.”

 

   Haleigh paused, giving her genuine smile. “When people go away in this world,” She stroked the bandage on her cheek. “They never really come back.”

 

   She stumbled in getting off Sophie and started walking away from her. “Go back to bed. Your new training starts in the morning.”

 

   Sophie sat up unable to stand just yet. Haleigh climbed the stairs never looking back at her student. She rubbed her face dry missing the moment Haleigh had gone.

 

   “Real smooth Soph.” Struggling to her feet a dizzying wave took hold of her head. She winced rubbing her wrist. The disorientation seemed to lessen.

 

 

   Gil had been laid out on his couch. Overhearing the fight outside his door sobered him up, sending him straight into a wicked hangover. “OK, we can sleep after.”

 

   He rose stretching out his body in a forward arch then to the left and right. Cracks came from his back and arms. “Ba'ala let's go.” A black mass chomped down on Gil, swallowing him into the floor.

 

   Gilgamesh strode out of darkness, eyes active, clad in gold. He emerged within a familiar ballroom. The chime of snapping metal sounded for but a second before the chandelier descended upon him. Thick clouds of dust consumed the site.

 

   Quaking frame work began to rise as the cloud settled. Gil stood lifting the massive metal structure with just one hand. The clunky gold armor didn't seem to weigh him down in the slightest.

 

   From the base of the glass wall the demon appeared once more, hunger burning at its sight.

 

   “Fenrir.” Gil held out his free arm. His hand made several motions that were faster than comprehension. A thick black line responded as it shot out from the ground, piercing the beats shoulder to the glass behind it. Thousands more did the same throughout its entire body. It had been screaming in pain until one went through its head.

 

   Gil threw the chandelier at the demon, destroying the glass wall in the process. “Get out here K'Horas.”

 

   A hooded man emerged from behind one of the pillars. “Have you come to kill me Gilgamesh?”

 

   “Yes.” A gold ring came to life just a few inches from his back and two swords formed around it.

 

   One of the blades vanished. It reappeared nailing K'Horas's stomach to the same pillar he came out from. “But not before you tell me everything I want to know.”

 

   He pulled back his cowl showing the bloodstains already coating his face. “It looks like your already dying.” Gil didn't feel sorry for the demon.

 

   Coughing blood K'Horas struggled to respond. “I may have bet on the wrong horse this time.”

 

   “Most certainly now my one and only question for you is this; In all of your stupidity did you happen to remember the names of Alistair's conspirators?”

 

   K'Horas gave him a sly glare. “Trying to get yourself killed still?” He cringed in pain when Gil twisted the impaling sword slightly.

 

   “Answer me.”

 

   More blood dripped from the side of his mouth. “Ludious Alcross.”

 

   Gil rolled his eyes. “And his lackey Phi Honnes, who else on the counsel is involved?”

 

   “I don't know, but..” Attention failing.

 

   “But what?” He drove the blade in deeper.

 

   “August.” K'Horas coughed out. “August was with them.”

 

   Clear to Gil that the name was supposed to mean something to him. “Who the hell is August?”

 

   A dying laugh added to the red coming from his mouth. “You really don't remember, must be nice.”

 

  “I guess I don't.” Gil took a step back, as a black symbolence appeared in the space between them. “Goodbye K'Horas.”

 

 

Here's chapter two for your insatiable appetites, Enjoy~

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Oh ho, tensions are definitely flying high! It's my hope that Sophie can get stronger with Haleigh's training, and I hope that Gil doesn't leave his friends! Overall, this was a good chapter! Great work, Sarrin!

[Sarrin 100]

Black horizons is kinda my baby I took a lot of liberties with this installment and so much backstory

If anything is call this book the true beginning

Edited February 10, 2017 by Sarrin

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Black horizons is kinda my baby I took a lot of liberties with this installment and so much backstory

If anything is call this book the true beginning

 

Ah, that's interesting to hear! So, you took a strong liking to this particular entry in your saga, eh? Well, just by having read the beginning chapters, I can see why! I can't wait to see what else this story brings to the table!

[Sarrin 100]

Chapter Three: Reverence

 

 

  “I want you to light each of these candles.” Haleigh had laid out eight candles in a circle. “Sit.”

 

   Sophie did as she was told being careful not to use her wrapped up wrist. Sitting cross legged with the injured arm resting in her lap, she looked up at Haleigh. “I've done this-”

 

   “Do it.”

 

   The tone alone gave Sophie a nervous jolt. She had forgotten how stern Haleigh could really be. Don't speak until you've done as your told. Those were the first words she told her after months of rejection.

 

   According to her father Haleigh's family was famed for its prodigies, but had never wanted a pupil of her own and as far a she knew it she had been the only person to be trained by a Valestani in this day and age.

 

   Haleigh once told her that House Valestani never took on students outside of their family, but there was no family anymore. Sophie honestly thought that was the only reason she agreed to train her.

 

   One by one the wicks lit. She didn't even use her eyes, this was basics.

 

   “Now connect them in the middle.”

 

   Easy, Sophie thought. Haleigh could sense this. The flames stretched to the circles center. “You are an extreme.” Connecting in unison into a small flare the size of a fist. “Fire is chaotic in nature, just as you are. This is why it explodes, because you want it to destroy.”

 

   A symbolence appeared beneath Sophie and the candles, almost taking her focus. “Stability within chaos. Peace within yourself. Right now you lack these and so much more, but here is where we will start.” Haleigh took a few steps away. “That seal is presently canceling out your little fireproof trick, so if you lose control that spark's going to blow your head off.”

 

   “What?” Sophie almost jumped up but the seal had kept her rooted to the spot.

 

   “Shut your mouth, you're not done yet.”

 

   If she didn't know what she meant at first she did now. The candles melted down rapidly until there was nothing left of them, not even a puddle of wax.

 

   Stretched out flames converged into the whole, adding to its growth. It started convulsing as if unable to sustain its self.

 

   “Control what you created.”

 

   Easy for you to say. Sophie thought to herself.

 

   “Quit thinking about talking back and do as you are told.”

 

   Doing everything she could to keep the flame calm as it was going berserk. “Free your mind.”

 

   “I am trying.”

 

   “No you're not.”

 

    “Well how the hell am I supposed to free my mind?”

Haleigh sighed rubbing the space between her eyes. “First you can start by not talking. Second I want you to stop thinking.”

 

   Closing her eyes Sophie took a deep breath. She could feel the growing heat getting closer to her face. No thought, no focus, absolutely nothing went through her mind.

 

   Realizing she could no longer feel the control of the fire, Sophie looked. The blaze had become so small, so fragile. “I did it.” She was in awe with herself.

 

   Brimming orange flickered away in front of Haleigh. “Hardly.” She pointed at it creating a red shimmer in its center. “Boom.” Sophie's eyes widened in panic just as the seal disappeared from beneath her. Then the flame exploded in her face.

 

   Sophie blinked several times at the realization that she was still alive. Cheking to be sure she had still be intact, she gave a sigh of relief. “What was that!?”

 

   “Tough love.” Eight more candles formed again in a circle in front of her. “Again.”

 

 

 

   Snow crunched under Tyler's shoes. Frigid air filled his lungs, making each breath a struggle in itself. “An Udyir is a person that turns into an animal right.”

 

   “Yup.”

 

   “And this Calus is supposed to help us?”

 

   “Yup.”

 

   “Is there a chance that he won't help us?”

 

   “Mhm.”

 

   “Is there also a chance he might attack us?”

 

   “Yes Tyler, also there's a chance a rouge planet from a far off galaxy might crash into the planet at any moment and it could happen so quickly that we wouldn't even realize it. Sadly though, I can't see the future, no one can.”

 

   Tyler was already exhausted and she clearly didn't want to put up with him. “Are you using some kind of magic to walk in those heels right now?”

 

   Verdandi, elegant as always, in a stunning dress covered by an enormous fur coat. “No I'm just great at being a woman.” The temperature didn't seem to effect her. “And you'd do well to learn that magic isn't the only thing in this world. In fact beyond elements and symbolence magic doesn't do much, it's more of an amplifier. That's why most beings in our world learn self defense, in the end there isn't a single kind of power to save you from death.”

 

   “What other powers are there?” He couldn't help but imagine the type of godlike people they were bound to encounter.

 

   “Hold out your hand.” Neither of them stopped their advance up the mountain. Tyler did as told and a stone carving materialized in his hand. Not a surprising feat but Tyler knew there would be more behind it. “Know how I did that?”

 

   “Matter conversion?”

 

   She gave him a smirk. “Think you're smart don't you? I suppose your right in a way.” Tyler took the compliment gladly. “Constants and variables, no it's more simple to think of it as ones and zeros. Through my own will I can move a few ones and swap a couple zeros, and there you have it, instant statuette thing. I don't know I wasn't really paying attention.”

 

   “Huh?”

 

   “Sorry.” She had only half paying attention to herself speaking. “I think we're here, you should step back.” They were nowhere near the top but Tyler wasn't about to question her now.

 

   At his first step a patch of snow ahead of them shifted. Its surface cracked and fell away as something rose up from below. Black fur coated muscles broke through with a massive arching back. The creatures head broke through, a set of giant amber eye's opened wide.

 

   Tyler had never seen a panther this big, he even compared it to something out of legends. Mighty paws, a strong tail, and a thick dreadlocked mane. “How is that a cat.” Tyler barely whispered to himself.

 

   Great ears twitched, he knew it had hear him. It looked them over before burying itself once more.

 

   “What the hell was that?”

 

   “Shh.” Verdandi waved him off. Time moved with snowfall and nothing came back out.

 

   “Woah!” Tyler's body jolted when an unknown hand found its way onto his shoulder.

 

   The mans height alone was intimidating. Seven feet tall, coated in tribal like tattoos. His face had been stone walled, stubble from ear to ear and a frightening set of amber eyes. “I am sorry you had to come this far.” A quiet yet powerful voice suited him, however it was apparent that he hadn't been used to speaking. “I had been debating on not eating you over the last six hours, again sorry.”

 

   “That took you six hours!?” His voice boomed off the mountain face. Tyler didn't have any trouble connecting that this man had to be the black cat and must have been Calus.

 

   The look Calus gave made it apparent he didn't know how to respond. His attention diverted to Verdandi. “When do we begin?”

 

   Her bemused smile returned, having gotten exactly what she wanted. “As soon as possible.”

 

   “Heard.” A blizzard howled and the mountain was swallowed whole.

 

   Tyler was smart, beyond that even. In fact he had been sure it was why he had made it as far with an Aesir as he did. This storm was a sign, an omen of things to come. Calus was just a small part of the grand scheme the Aesir were plotting. However it was far to early to tell just what roles the pieces they were collecting would truly play.

 

 

 

   Furniture turned on its head, side and all which in between, littered Gil's bedroom. Papers scattered about in such a way some had still been descending to the floor. Odds and ends obstructed the stairs and the living room had been in even worse condition. A closet door had been forced open by an avalanche of boxes and bottles filled with different colored liquids.

 

   Gil sat on his couch with his head tilted back. Active eyes unblinkingly staring at the ceiling. He was watching something only he could see. Well not something, more like everything, or what could be everything. Endless possibilities, Gilgamesh was attempting to view causality.

 

   Skuld's prophecies had manipulated the outcomes so drastically, he'd be damned if he was going to be outdone by him of all people.

 

   Numurous voices rang through his ears, and a trail of blood dripped onto the sofa. Gil didn't flinch, he didn't even notice.

 

   “I won't watch this!”

 

   “No, we're going.”

 

   “I want to show you something.”

 

   “New York was a disaster.”

 

   “Who are you?”

 

   “Another home we can't go back to.”

 

   Faces he didn't recognize, places never seen before. None of it was in sync and all of it was impossible to understand. Blood teared down both sides of his left eye. Gil's head sprung forward, out of breath and clutching at his throbbing skull.

 

   Red flowed between his finger, cursing himself for failing. The obstinate sense of a nail burrowing through his head had been worth the progress, he told himself.

 

   In truth he failed to see what the future held for them, but one thing had become utterly certain. He knew absolutely nothing.

 

 

 

Well here's chapter three not sure how many of these from book two ill put out but enjoy~

Edited February 11, 2017 by Sarrin

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

What do you mean you don't know how many you'll post? Don't leave me hanging!!!! The story's so great so far! D:  Please continue to post more chapters!

 

And well, I thought that training session Sophie had to go through was intense! Haleigh definitely isn't playing around! Also, Calus is a major badass! I can't wait to see more of him! Great work, man!

[Sarrin 100]

Production has to be ahead of releases so ill try to keep up I'm about a book and a half ahead of this

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Production has to be ahead of releases so ill try to keep up I'm about a book and a half ahead of this

 

Oh, I see! Then post at your own pace, so that way, you can be able to write on ahead for your current book, while leaving enough space for you to be able to keep posting new chapters here for Book II!

[Sarrin 100]

So how about some chapters tonight I'm thinking two sounds nice

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Sweet! I'll be looking forward to reading what's next!

[Sarrin 100]

 

 

Chapter Four: Settling Dust

 

 

  “Huntsmen seek out evil, they are drawn to it. The Udyir are one with the beasts they become. Before they were wiped out the Varia lived as one with the sun and the Blu with the moon.”

 

   Sophie contained a flame made up of both her own fire and Haliegh's. “All creature hold the ability to give themselves meaning and purpose. The will to exist is power, existence itself is power.” Only two weeks had gone by since they had begun the new training regiments and still she had been forced to complete the same task over and again.

 

   “One more hour and you can rest.” Haliegh observed a pocket watch in her palm until snapping it closed.

 

   “We've been at this for twelve.” Gritting her teeth.

 

   “And look where its gotten you. Even though you been told not to speak several times you've managed to hold onto that flame while still running your mouth.” She leaned in close. “Know what that tells me? You've still got plenty of energy left in you.”

 

   “Why are you being like this?” Sophie's control of the blaze lessened and in response it began to buldge and distort.

 

   “You're losing it.”

 

   “Then let it be lost.” She sprung up to face Haliegh. It rose with her becoming a pillar like tempest raging out of control once it reached the ceiling. “Just because I'm weak doesn't mean I'm going to take this heartless asshole attitude from you.”

 

   And those two are at it again, Agatha thought to herself. Listening in from the hallway while going over some reports. She had planned on discussing the Predication's progress with Haleigh, but clearly that wasn't about to happen.

 

   Jeremiah came to mind, being the next level of authority of course. The base of the pen rested on her chin. His state was, how could she put it delicately, the man was a mess, not happening. Her mind having wandered then to Gilgamesh sent chills.

 

   Just the thought of that man being here amplified the discomfort she already felt from Olmhold. Having been one of the only people privileged to know just enough to say the man called Gilgamesh Thanatos was no demon, not even half of one. What she didn't like was the fact that she had no actual idea what he was, and he's not the only one. Several key figures related to the recent events, much like the prince, seemingly don't exist to most of the world.

 

    The Urd had mentioned having meddled history into his favor, but to this scale. Nell is the only recorded vessel of the void and the only mentions of Sarrin occur during each void conflict. Yet he states that this Aeolus Pride is Sarrin, better still his son. The lone standing fact that Aesir are unable to produce children, then Aeolus being responsible for ending the first conflict, makes it harder to piece together for Carmicheal, let alone herself.

 

   Who was Sarrin? By appearances he would seem the void's present vessel. However with another of the Urd's claims there would seem to be a chance that the young man called Caleb might be an actual child born from Nell. She had to stop herself.

 

   “To many variables and not enough constants.” How was she supposed to get any work done here? It wasn't like Olmhold accommodated any office space, other than the barracks. Olmhold was essentially a great empty room and several individual sleeping quarters. The only real place of any decency would have been Carmicheal's personal chambers, at least that had a desk. However Agatha was also aware that he himself was the only one with access to the door.

 

   What was she to do? Agatha took in a deep breath, before heading off to make preperations, rather what little she could. Or in the least prepare herself.

 

    It wouldn't be long now until her master returned and the days of war would be upon them. Olmhold was about to become much livelier. Each room she passed looked exactly the same. Uniform, this fact pleased her to no end. Not for its representation of order and stability, no if it had been that Agatha was certain she would have died a long time ago in her line of work. The true reason was chaos, rather the chaos that should soon fill these halls. Despite her demeanor the thought of all this resting and moping around had been making her ill.

 

 

   Sophie had been laid out on the floor, with a throbbing hand and blood trailing from her busted lip. Haleigh sat only a few feet away watching her closely. “Did you ever tell him?”

 

   “What?” She gasped, unsure of what was being asked.

 

   “About how you met. I doubt Isaac spoke a word of it.”

 

   “I don't know what you're talking about.”

 

    Haleigh burst out laughter, waving her hand at an attempt of apology. “Please the only reason he even knew Caleb.”

 

   “Shut up.” Sophie sat up, spitting out the blood in her mouth. “There's no point in bringing up the dead.”

 

   “I thought you said they weren't dead.”

 

   She attempted to wipe off the red only spreading it in futility. “It's been almost a month since this started, who knows what's happened to them, and if..” Pausing to catch her herself from the waves of emotions bottled up inside. “If time keeps passing like this, then we won't even be the people we knew each other to be.” Her legs nearly buckled under the strain when she had attempted standing.

 

   Hunched over, hands resting on her knees, unnecessary thought clouded her head. “It doesn't matter if I met Caleb before Isaac and it doesn't even begin to change the fact that Caleb had no idea who I was until we ruined his life.”

 

   Haleigh's attention caught this, she hadn't noticed this particular issue. Sophie.. I don't think we.”

 

   “Didn't we though?” She had cut her off. “He had this whole life and.”

 

   “Stop this, Caleb was never human to begin with or at least as far as we know. All we really do know about him is that there is a chance he could be the heart of the void itself. What this means and how it affects us is unclear.” Haleigh rose, straightening out her clothes in the process. “Hurry up and wait. Do what you can with what you have, what you know, and when more comes take it in stride.”

 

   “This world we live in was just one of an infinite number of possibilities. Here we've been given the strength to survive as well as powers beyond most's comprehensions.” Haleigh cupped her face into her hands. “There so much about this world you don't know yet and I want to help you see it. I want you to see what I see in you. Beings like me, the Aesir, Gilgamesh, Caleb, Aeolus Pride, and you, prodigies they call us. We have so much potential and realizing it is hard. Tough times do lie ahead of us but after this, and there is an after this, we will look back at how far we've come and to those who walked that path with us.”

 

   “I may just vomit.” Sophie replied flatly. “How can you be one of the most powerful people in the world and sound like that?”

 

   “It's simple really.” She took several paces away from her before turning back. “Because I'm weak to.”

 

   A great symbolence filled the floor of the room from edge to edge. “Our arms and legs as well as fire, are our tools. Power is something we've been given, it is our birthright and our strength.” Haleigh's eyes lit up beautifully with crimson, as she bowed to Sophria. “Yet we seal it away from ourselves and tell our children the only way to get it back is to break these seals.” Pulling at the collar of her shirt to reveal the space between her collar bone and shoulder. A rose surrounded in circles and symblos was painted onto Haleigh's skin. “This is a lie.”

 

   “Wait but I..” She thought on the previous encounter with Phi. Back then she had tried breaking her seal during their fight. There was no way to imagine the power she felt, right?

 

   “True that by breaking it you will achieve something beyond you're normal capabilities, but there's something beyond that.” Lines began to grow from her seal. They trailed down her arm, two even reached her cheek. Inked in black, like thorny stems reaching across her skin. “The seal's true purpose isn't to hold back your strength, it's meant to amplify it.”

 

   “Oh just let me guess, we're gonna keep fighting until I can do that yeah?” Sophie laughed only slightly.

 

   “Something like that.” Haleigh couldn't resist a smirk. “Watch closely, you might just learn something.”

 

   She must have blinked without realizing. Haleigh was less than an arms length away from her of that Sophie was sure of. To further prove that fact Haleigh back handed the side of her head. Crashing and rolling into the metal ground over seven feet from where she stood. “This rooms the size of half a foot ball field.” Haleigh laughed hard. “I bet I could knock you from one end to the other if I tried.” The look on her face would have to her thinking Haleigh was enjoying this, but to much. Almost like a kid going to far without knowing any better.

 

   However that wasn't what Sophie saw. What she truly saw was that Haleigh was serious about what she just said, and could probably do it to. Or worse.

 

   “The thing about this, as I'm sure you noticed, is that controlling yourself, restraint, it doesn't become immediately apparent.” She drew closer as Sophie scrambled to her feet. “As you get closer to the pinnacle of true power, to where the gods are, you yourself can reach the breaches between reality itself.”

 

   She wasn't making any sense, but that shouldn't matter to her right now. Haleigh was never familiar with the phrase “Show me how”, and Sophie knew that wasn't about to change now. One slight problem came across her mind though; she had no idea what she was doing.

 

 

   The world blurred to Gilgamesh, his eye's had just barely opened. Somehow he had ended up sleeping on the sofa, a habit he wasn't pleased to be forming. Little effort went into sitting up. Gil's head slumped from one end to the other, clearly unable to find some form of conscious stability. “Yup time to go.” He slurred. Planting his hands down on his knees, he rose to stand yet halted in the process. “No, wait.” Gil reached for a conveniently placed bucket on the table and expelled the contents of his stomach inside. Once the heaving subsided he began a rapid set of deep breaths.

 

   His eyes went for the door. “Maybe not today.” He wiped his mouth with the cuff of his shirt. “Wake up.” Gil rubbed his eyes and smacked his cheeks. Here he was in the middle of a giant crisis and bored to tears. How long was it going to take for Elipses to get organized? When was Yggdrasil planning to make their next move? Better yet what was the plan the Aesir laid out now that they had lost Caleb. It seemed odd to him that they just let him go like they did. No fuss, no attempt to bring him back even refusing to do so.

 

    Skuld had said it's better this way. Extraordinary he may have been, in fact with time Caleb could've become one of the most amazing people Gil had ever met, but calling him dangerous piqued his curiosity further. He looked at it this way, Him versus Skuld, possible. Verdandi, definitely. The Urd, questionable. Yet Caleb wouldn't stand a chance against himself let alone any of them, not as he was at least.

 

   Gil scratched his head as the thoughts piled up in the folds of his mind. Why would he stay there, it was his home sure but was that just it? Tyler and Stephanie came with them, he clearly never wanted them involved but would he just abandon them over that? Then an idea struck him, it had been more than that though. Maybe it could even be the first possible answer he's gotten out of all this mess. The last thing Caleb experienced before it all happened, something none of them had seen. The moment he awoke and met Ludious.

 

   The decision was made. Gil rose grabbing his coat from the back of the couch and slinging it over his shoulder. He didn't even break his stride before a gaping set of jaws devoured him whole.

 

 

   “The hell do you mean sixty miles?” Gil barked at the cell phones GPS. His arrival had been welcomed by an empty highway and a rather depressing landscape. The grass, trees, every plant he saw was dead. He knew why though; without the root's presence there wasn't any life being breathed into the planet here. However none of it stood out as much as the path laid out before him.

 

   Beyond the narrow stretching road, at the end of which he could not see, there had been a dome of dark clouds larger than any city he had ever seen. “I'm willing to bet that'd be the half way mark.” Gil took his first step of the long walk ahead of him.

 

   The black symbols etched into his irises rotated and the road moved for him. Everything became distorted moving around oddly. The world gave off a dim glow that Gil paid no notice towards.

 

   With each step he moved closer to the dome and it passed by him all at once. Until an invisible force knocked back Gil's head, planting his back firmly on the pavement.

 

    “Gah.” Gil sat up gripping his forehead tightly. The golden hair between his fingertips had already become soaked from the blood. “That's some kind of wall.” His eye's widened when he looked at dome. An attraction of some kind, a feeling. Now that he was this close to it, he could feel the deep sense of emptiness that lay within. “That's what she meant by territory.”

 

   Gil got up to his feet, wincing his left eye from the pain in his head. Putting out his hand created some kind of purple static in front of him, this was the barrier he hit. The entire thing covered the dark clouded dome. “And I can't even touch it. This is what's keeping us out.” He gave a single punch that yielded no avail other than literally hitting a wall. “This is why we can't go back? Some stupid ass wall?”

 

   Another sensation overcame him. This one had been different from the emptiness given off by the territory, but it was a feeling he knew all to well. Fear. Someone or something appeared beside him just beyond his peripheral sight. His head almost turned to see what it was until a voice echoed thoughout his mind.

 

   Don't do it. It warned him, There is nothing over there for you to see. The voice controlled his body keeping him still. Don't look, it's better if you don't look. It was his own voice in his head stopping him.

 

    A single bead of sweat mixed in with the blood and trailed down his cheek. The pressure this presence carried brought his body into a panic, and he could feel it's gaze burrowing through his soul. Gil's body began to shiver when a pale outstretched arm came into view. It touched the domes dark moving surface causing a shutter within the clouds.

 

   The arm dispersed into a flurry of lights and the pressure had left with it. Gil's chest expanded from the deep breath he took in. Low rumblings came from ahead while the clouds that barred his way pulled away until a dark path had opened up for him through the dome. “Just what the hell is going on here?” Gil griped to himself. He moved forward cautiously now that his journey for answers was going to be much more dangerous than he originally thought.

 

 

   “Verdandi!” Tyler's voice grew horse. “Phoebe!” He kept calling out to the grassy green hills with no reply. His throat was sore and he had lost track of how long he had been shouting.

 

   “Stop shouting.” Calus spoke with half his mouth while the other side held a pungent smelling cigar between his lips. “Be patient.”

 

   His coughs from the soreness kept him from responding right away. “Yeah that's easy to say when you're just sitting the smoking pot.”

 

   Calus didn't respond other than blowing smoke out of his nostrils and the opposite side of his mouth.

 

   This one's gonna be just like that Gilgamesh guy, Tyler thought to himself.

 

   His chest moved under his folded arms as he breathed in. “It's aura root.”

 

   “Call it what you want I know pot when I smell it.” Only the sway of the grass stretching across the land of hills filled his sight. “Where is she?”

 

   Calus let out another plume of smoke in the form of a groan, Tyler could tell he wasn't much of a conversationalist. “She's looking for shelter, and whoever made it there.”

 

   “I know that already, I was also there when she told both of us and just walked off three hours ago.” He glared at him.

 

   “Then why are you asking me?”

 

   “It wasn't mean for, oh never mind.” Tyler turned away from Calus, tired of their pointless conversations. “I count fourteen.”

 

   Calus responded with smoke.

 

   “Skuld, Phoebe, Curdis, Carmicheal, Agatha, Haleigh, Jeremiah, Sophira, Gilgamesh, myself and my sister, you, that weirdo Collin who said he'd meet us there,” Tyler used air quotes to emphaisize, “and the guy in the old black robes Holamarc and we didn't even see that ones face.”

 

   “I'm sure Carmicheal still keeps one or two guards with him.”

 

   Tyler let out a sigh of annoyance. “You're missing my point.”

 

   Calus removed the cigar from his lips letting out another plume of smoke. “Then how about you get to it.” His deep voice carried the same level of annoyance while seeming completely detached.

 

   “We left Olmhold three weeks ago, no offense but all we've got to show for it is you and two other people that aren't even here. I don't see how we are supposed to take on an entire army of those voidkin things, Sarrin's group and Yggdrasil with this small of a force.”

 

   “You believe we'll have to fight Yggdrasil?”

 

   “I think the great city of Bevelle and it's leader are going to take action the moment they notice Elipses mobilizing. Do you honestly think we would be able to avoid dealing with those imbeciles?”

 

   “No I don't, however I am curious to know why a human feels that way about it.”

 

   Tyler held up his wrist to show a white plated watch with a small black screen. “Verdandi's domain and all seeing eye records all present events and stores them. I've taken an interest in the strategic point of this war we're about to go into so I've done some digging into the powers that be and people of notable importance. So in simpler terms I had my sister whip up this thing that tells me who people are and what stuff is.”

 

   “Well that's all fine and it is refreshing to see a human with some knowledge of the bigger world around him, since the cleansing at least, but it would seem to me that you are the one who missed the point.”

 

   “What?”

 

   “Did you forget that she's going to a shelter. The two of you didn't find us in shelters because we weren't even apart of the active Elipses branches that came under attack. People like me and the other two, even Gilgamesh, we are called upon in times of great peril. That doesn't necessarily mean we answer all the time, and it doesn't mean that others won't refuse to help either.”

 

   “The other empty shelters. That raises another question, why are so many Elipses members missing? I understand there has been a bad history between Elipses and it suppression by Yggdrasil. There's also no doubt that several fatalities have already dwindled our numbers but why are they all just gone?”

 

   “I count two.”

 

   “Two?”

 

   “Possibilities.”

 

   Tyler sat down in front of him, taking the cigar he had been offered.

 

   “The first is that they defected, if you know about the bad blood between the two groups then you'll understand that not every member was there by choice.”

 

   “But the ones I've met so far have all seemed proud?” He passed it back.

 

   “Make no mistake of this, joining Elipses is a death sentence. They attempt to fix every problem the world faces and there will always be someone stronger, faster and smarter to face them.”

 

   “The second?”

 

   “They joined the enemy. It should be no surprise to think that many people want to change this world and are more than willing to do something drastic to make that happen.”

 

   “I'm surprised alright. Not that though, mainly at the fact that I got you to talk this much.” Tyler was in a much better mood now. “Honestly couldn't get more than a few words out of you in the last few weeks.”

 

   Calus grunted with a smirk as his reply. Tyler noticed his attention had been given to something going on over his shoulder. When he turned he saw something out in the distance. It was Verdandi waving them over on a distant hilltop and he could see that there were others with her. Four? Maybe more? The pair of them got up and started off towards her. It wasn't much Tyler thought but it had to be better than nothing right?

 

 

   “You have all gathered here today and for that I thank you for that.” A king sat bored at his throne. “Almost a month ago we sealed Yggdrasil off from the outside influences that would do us harm. What say you my council?” Thelonious Godfreed called out to the grandiose room filled with people. The masses heeded his voice yelling out one thing or another.

 

   “Kill Elipses!”

 

   “They're responsible for the disappearance of the roots!”

 

   “They have killed councilman Ludious, it was the god charmer we saw it.”

 

   “The Aesir are responcible for that thing!”

 

   “Silence.” A young man sat beside the king in a rather much less impressive chair. His single word quieted the angry masses.

 

   Thelonious looked to his son and back to the rest of them. “It would seem your prince wishes to speak.” He gestured his large hand for him to rise. The prince did as instructed. The gold chains and plating on his robes clanked as he rose. His eye's were the same shade of emerald as his father and matching locks as well.

 

   “My people.” Worst of all the two of them shared the same bored expression and the truth was he cared even less. “I am Malchior, the leader of your armies, protector of your lives and this great state of Bevelle. I'm sorry to say that I have failed you.”

 

   The masses whispered to each other in unison until Malchior held up his hand silencing them at once. “One month ago that thing stood in our home. The void itself stood in front of us and I failed to see the threat against you my people.” He got down on one knee, bowing his head with the same unchanging expression. “I am sorry for failing you, and I have no right to fix my mistake, but please let me say something.”

 

   Malchoir rose with the chimes of his gold. “Elipses took in the void, and the Aesir plotted the course of events that have brought us here. That thing corrupted our mother Nava. She told us the Fall was coming when in truth it was right at our door. Have we not already sealed Nava in her chamber? Why should we continue to allow the Aesir and Elipses to do as they please?”

 

   “If I may.” A softer voice spoke out to the prince. On the opposite side of the king sat a young women. Her auburn hair was shorter and much more wild, the same emerald eyes but she was the only one with and expression. However behind it lay a ferocity unlike that of the other two.

 

   “It would seem my sister has something to say.” Malchior took his seat expecting the princess to rise in turn. She did not.

 

   “Have we forgotten why Elipses was created in the first place? To prevent conflict in the world. To keep us from making the mistakes we keep making time and again.”

 

   “What would you have us do? The roots are being pulled out of the earth and it now dwells with the void.” Malchior interrupted her. “Yggdrasil is all that is truly left now, Elipses and the Aesir are responsible and they must be destroyed.”

 

   Thelonios stopped his son with the raise of his hand. “Let Terra speak.”

 

   “Show me a reason why the one called Caleb is responsible and not this Sarrin that was imprisoned inside of the Urd of Origin's book?”

 

   “Because no one has seen or heard of this Sarrin and since that first incident on earth no one has seen councilman Phi Honnes since interacting with that thing and the entire Elipses branch stationed there has disappeared completely. Not to mention the Aesir who are meant to protect us and that monster Gilgamesh are nowhere to be found. The facts stand that we have lost contact and can no longer see the events unfolding on the last of the three worlds. Therefor the earth is lost.”

 

   “No the fact is we have no true idea of what's going on anymore.”

  

   “Enough.” Thelonious spoke out. “I will not have a deliberation unfold for matters so trivial as this.” His children watched their father speak, Terra however wasn't planning on letting it end there. “Yggdrasil is the one true thing that matters and I fail to see why we should expend any real effort to go out of our way to save a stained world filled with humans not to mention what is left of the protected spieces.” The words were clearly distasteful to him. “Elipses is comprised of fey kin magis, savage Udyir, and who knows what else at this point. That is not stability and it is most certainly not balanced, and quite frankly the Aesir are no exception.”

 

   Thelonious rose to give his verdict as the masses waited in awe. “We shall disband Elipses then forsake the last of the three worlds called Earth and with it the unbalance it carries. That is all.” He started off lifting the curtain behind their seats.

 

   If Terra was going to speak out now was her only chance. “Please wait.”

 

   Her father stopped in his tracks while Malchior shot her one of his dirty looks. “My decision is made Terra Godfreed, if you have an opinion on this matter you can discuss it with me later and be sure to abstain from attempting to object to my verdicts in the future.”

 

   Aggitation is the best word Terra could use to describe what she was feeling now, but this was her father. Nothing she hadn't been able to deal with before. “Yes your grace.”

 

   Thelonious disappeared behind the curtain before the siblings rose and followed after him. The moment they left a chorus of roaring voices filled the council. Not a single objection though just unrelated government squabbles of the day to day. It made Terra's stomach turn but the true future they faced was clear to her and she was itching for a fight.

 

 

Enjoy 18 more pages~

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Ooh ho ho, this was interesting! It looks like Sophie's training is as intense as can be, and it looks like Phoebe's managed to find herself a few people to help Elipses! Hmm, and this Theolonius seems hell bent on ensuring that Elipses is no more, eh? This is all very intense, and I can't wait to see what else happens!

[Sarrin 100]

Chapter Five: Resolve

 

 

  A whistle carried through the windless air from Gilgamesh's lips. It had been joined with smoke and the sent of booze. “Whew baby, if I had known you looked like that I would've done this for you earlier.” He poured some whiskey onto the dirt below. Gil sat upon a large rock with just the perfect view of what used to be San Fransisco. “You were good to me girl, and you will be sorely missed.” Taking a hefty swig from the flask.

 

   Almost as if the city itself responded to him with the sound of groaning metal. Gil put out the cigar getting up with all of his attention on the ruins. That wasn't nothing. Nothing was ever nothing.

 

   Gil darted off full sprint over the dead grass realizing only now he had no way of knowing what waited for him. What did he come here for? Was it to find Ludious and get some answers, or was there still a slim chance that the he still thought Caleb was alive down there. But there was one thing he knew had to happen first and now that he was inside he could go wherever he wanted. Gil put on a smirk in anticipation for whatever came next. Ba'ala swallowed him whole leaving the lifeless field behind them.

 

   Emerging on a street he knew all to well, Gilgamesh wasn't surprised to see the state of the place he had made his home.

 

   He took his time down the alley he had placed his front door in. The buildings had been scarred and burnt but at least they were still standing. It was more than he could say about the skyline he was looking at only moments ago.

 

   Gil stopped at what would have been the door her removed. Something had replaced it. Not bothering to count the photographs arranged on the wall, he gave more thought on the arrangement that had all been place in, the bigger picture. Gil was reminded of stained glass in the form of a circle with a cross. “No.. It's not a cross.” His fingers touched one of the dozens of photos noticing two things.

 

   Off to the side was a message scribbled on the wall that said, For Gil. A genuine smile showed on his face not only at that but what each of the pictures were of. “Its a bridge isn't it Caleb.” The photos lit up dissolving into fleck of light. “Think I'll keep this present.”

 

   Footsteps echoed from the walls, Gil turned his head just in time to see the boot flying towards his face. His arms crossed instinctively as a shield. The force carried behind the kick created a shock wave, but Gil didn't flinch. They jumped over him darting out of the alley and out of sight. “Oh no you don't.” Gil was swallowed whole by a dark set of jaws emerging from the wall.

 

   He came out on the street again with not a soul in sight. A man in a hooded black coat dropped down onto the asphalt. Gil stared him down unable to see their face until another landed on the ground.

 

   Right then was the moment that Gil figured it out. The two of them had led him there and cornered him. “Well it's already gone to shit so.” An orb of light manifested in his palm and exploded. The sheer brilliance devoured all in its path, the road and buildings, before fading off to reveal the deep crater it left behind.

 

   Gilgamesh stood in the epicenter with the both of them nowhere to be found. Dust filled the air and unsettled rubble cascaded down into the crater. Gil watched the pieces of concrete suspiciously until the hair on the back of his neck stood up. The pair of them sprung out from a pile of debris behind him. Ferocious eyes met with them as Gil prepared for their assault.

 

   One had started to fall back just when Gil's feet lifted off the ground. His body turned until it was upside down. The force the carried him off the ground had taken him by surprise. Gil tried to land on his outstretched hand yet the moment he touched the dirt something carried it and him into a spiral.

 

   “What the?” He had been turned completely away from the approaching threats, his body still descending from the force that had lifted him up. “Damn.” Gil turned his head but now there was only one of them to find.

 

   The Gates of Babylon formed onto his back in attempt to protect him. Blades spun to life on it ring before shooting off to the approaching hooded figure who in turn caught the first and the second. Gil's flying blades were deflected by him rushing in. He threw them, stopping the last two that stood between him and Gil.

 

   A plethora of blades appeared on the ring, bending their razor edges inward to make up some kind of deadly makeshift shield. Gil grinned menacingly knowing full well his advancement couldn't stop now.

 

   From seemingly nowhere the second figure appeared directly front of him, only by the time Gil realized what was happening he had already been lifted off into the sky.

 

   Ruins as far as the eye could see and from that height a pit blacker than the darkest night. He had to focus. “..” The words were caught as the force of his rapid descent brought him down to the far side of the crater. A cloud of dust exploded out from the crash.

 

   Gilgamesh couldn't tell how badly he was injured but the sent of blood had been coming off of him strongly. A metallic taste filled his mouth catching back in his throat. Gil coughed out and the red splashed up and back down on his cheek.

 

   Blood stained his vision but he saw one of them coming towards him. Holding back the laugh was much harder than he thought but he did, you actually think I'm beaten? Gil thought to himself as he sat up as far as he could. The hooded man didn't break his stride and that suited Gil just fine.

 

   “Fenrir.” Countless dark narrow lines shot out from the rubble. Their paths diverted away from the figure oddly curving off just before impact. A look of shock came across Gil's face.

 

   “It's not him.” He spoke with a thick Irish accent in the midst of all the black lines. “Carmicheal what now?”

 

   Gil gritted his teeth. “Carmicheal.” He found him standing off on the roads edge of the crater. The man pulled back his hood revealing a mess of hair and scruff.

 

   “Leave him we don't have time.” Carmicheal ordered the figure.

 

   He pulled back his own hood to show a much younger face with emerald eyes and the same mess of hair as Carmicheal's. “Sorry about that we're looking for a friend of ours who tends to go off the handle a bit.” The boy held out his hand to Gil.

 

   Bewilderment was painted across his bloody face. “You're? What?”

 

   “Vwiess is waiting Leo.” Carmicheal walked off leaving the two of them behind.

 

   Leo sighed. “Well no time for this then, enjoy your travels.” He leapt out of the crater in a single bound before walking out of sight.

 

   The dark lines disintegrated and Gil punched the ground. “I'll never fight for you Carmicheal.”

 

 

   “You call that a kick?” Sophie was stunned, her leg had connected with Haleigh but she hadn't so much as blocked it or moved an inch. “This is a real kick.” She spun taking Sophie by surprise as her leg made contact with her ribcage.

 

   Sophie bounced off the wall and Haleigh wasted no time appearing right in front of her. “And just for the record.” She pulled back her arm with an uncaring look in her eye. “This would be a real punch.” The wall itself cracked from the force going through Sophie's stomach. Blood burst from her lips and the lights of her eyes burned harshly. A single black line painted itself with the whips and bends of a flame up her neck and halfway onto her cheek.

 

   Haleigh jumped back before the girl landed on her knees the instant the black stripe vanished. She struggled to catch her breath with an intense throbbing nailing its way into her temples.

 

   “I don't understand.” Sophie's muscles pulsed throughout her body, every inch felt the stain. “Why can't I do this?”

 

   Cracks came from the motions Haleigh made with her neck. “You are.” Inked lines vanished from the skin as she stretched out her limbs.

 

   “I am?”

 

   “Holding yourself back.”

 

   “But I'm trying and..”

 

   “This isn't about trying Sophira and until you understand that you will fail.” She headed for the staircase sending the clear message that they were done here. “We'll pick back up in the morning.”

 

   Sophie hopped up to her feet. “Wait.”

 

   As she reached the hanging platform a look of unyielding disinterest dawned upon her face. “If you can't learn this you're going to die.” Haleigh pulled shut the metal door behind her leaving the beaten girl to it's echo.

 

   Sophie planted her fist into the wall. Standing there motionlessly until a small laugh caused a spike of pain in her chest. She clutched the seal in her skin as the laughter ran it's course. “One of you idiots better be working half as hard as I am.” The sheer emptiness that replied to her outmatched the rooms.

 

   Gil's door came into view. “Gil..” Sophie stood straight hesitating to move forward. He could help her there was no question about that, but would he? Haleigh had said to her that she didn't know him and she was right.

 

   Gil was ancient by any standards especially hers, and he certainly didn't look it. Of course Haleigh brimmed with youth but was far beyond her own years, but Gil never seems to age. Even the Urd of Origin was an old man and who knows just how long he's been around.

 

   Her mind then drifted off as she wondered what she would look like years from now. The thought must have been what gave her the courage to move forward.

 

   Sophira reached for the door but stopped. This time however it wasn't hesitation that held her back but the door itself opening for her. A burning sensation took hold of her wrist. The circle tattoo lit up in front of her eyes. “But this is?” Gil's door swung open not to reveal the interior of his home, but a sight she had grown all to accustomed to until recently.

 

   Reflective and seemingly metallic fluid was only inches from her face. How was this possible, she asked herself all the while thinking up countless possibilities. Was it going to take her to Isaac? Caleb? How it was happening didn't seem to matter anymore, in her mind anywhere would've been better than here. Sophie took a step forward into its familiar embrace and for the first time in what seemed like ages it felt like she was home.

 

   “Do I know you?”

 

   Sophie opened her eyes to a sky darker than any she had seen before, and a familiar voice that caused her to sit up immediately. “Caleb.”

 

   “I have no idea how you got here but if you wanted to come with me you could have just asked.” Gilgamesh's puzzled and bloodstained face was what greeted her.

 

   “But I thought..” Had she only imagined it?

 

   “I'm not surprised he popped into your head, considering where you're sleeping.”

 

   All around her she found the burnt ruins of what looked to be a large home. The scenery didn't only remind her of home because it was. Down to the last detail aside from the dead plant life and debris. “Wait a second..”

 

   “I know it's probably a lot to take in.” He pulled out a cigarette.

 

   “Gil? When did you get here?” The look on her face was that of total surprise as if she were only now realizing he was there.

 

   Pausing in the middle of lighting it Gil shot her an expression of annoyance. “Really?”

 

 

   “Explain to me what it is you think you're doing.” Skuld asked the young women rhythmically typing away at the terminal. An answer didn't come, the girl continued her work seemingly staring off into the vast blankness of Verdandi's domain. “I won't ask again.”

 

   Stephanie reclined back in her chair letting out an exasperated sigh. “I'm looking for answers.”

 

   “It was to my understanding you were supposed to be looking for your brother.”

 

   “Isaac Roads was consumed by the void and so was Caleb.” There wasn't a trace of emotional divergence in her response. “I've been watching all of you, the past you at least.”

 

   “Don't undersell yourself, you've been doing much more than that.”

 

   The chair turned and Skuld saw the expression on her face. Steel resolve, determined to give nothing away.

 

   “Keep this up and there will be no going back.” Stephaine held a poor opinion of Skuld. His appearance was much younger than that of his sisters. Skuld's youth and lack of height gave him the appearance of someone seemingly younger than herself, but his voice, expression, and even his presence itself gave it all away.

 

   “You don't know anything.” She turned back to the terminal, resuming whatever it was she had been working on.

 

   “I know that the person I'm looking at now is not the one I saw only a short time ago. You're not human anymore Ms. Harris, and more over you understand nothing.”

 

   “Constants and variables.” Stephanie stopped working to examine her hand for some reason or another. “I couldn't see them for what they were.” Slumping back in her chair she let loose another sigh. “You're right Skuld I didn't understand, but now I'm starting to.” With the wave of her hand countless windows opened around them. Each of them held copious lines of text and images.

 

   Skuld wasn't the least bit interested in what she was trying to show him. “You have integrated yourself into the All Seeing Eye. I find it hard to imagine the Predication is going to just let you do this.”

 

   “Yet here we are and no one has come to stop me.”

 

   “I wouldn't say no one.”

 

   “You know I saw Gilgamesh, what he was and what he is. I watched what you did to your own sister. Curtis Wells sent off his own son to die and when the didn't work he took care of it himself and covered it up.”

 

   “What's your point, that we're all unstable and dangerous?” His laughter was barely held back. “I could have told you that.”

 

   “No my point is that you think cleaning up this mess is a feat that can be accomplished.”

 

   Their eyes trained on one another. “If you've seen enough of our lives to come to this conclusion then tell..”

 

   “Anima.” Skuld fell silent when the singular word left her lips. “The three of you have it don't you? It's what makes you Aesir right?”

 

   “You don't understand what you're talking about.”

 

   “Why is it though that you are different from others who have it?”

 

   “Ms. Harris.”

 

   “The Aesir Candidacy requires two qualifications; The first being the potential for anima, the second is a personal selection by the Aesir who's place the candidate would be taking. So why is someone like, say your sister for example, not an Aesir.” Her manner of speech was antagonizing him. “What makes you so different from her?”

 

   “That's enough.” Skuld took one step forward and that was all it took for him to realize. A shimmer of light flashed over the invisible walls he was now trapped within.

 

   “No I think you'll be staying right there.” She resumed her work at the terminal.

 

   Skuld's eyes widened as his anger began to rise. “This will not hold me human.”

 

   “Didn't just point out that I'm not human?”

 

   Black flames filled the transparent box, completely contained by it's walls. They withdrew back into his body, Skuld was beyond amused. “What is you're game here?” It was more demand than question.

 

   “I can hold you here for as long as I want.” A window appeared above the terminal showing a silhouette of Skuld.

 

   Rows of text and numbers scrolled by the image. “This is Verdandi's domain not yours. Second I'm one with this system, even more so than Phoebe, and now we're going to get exactly what I want.”

 

   His hand met with the unseen surface and the lids of his eyes closed.

 

   “Stop.”

 

   Skuld opened them again.

 

   “You can't view causality right now it'll interfere with my data.”

 

   “Well now I know what you're after.” Skuld looked at his palm thoughts unknown to her passing through his mind. “You want Anima.”

 

   “Close, I want to observe Anima in order to do something even causality can't see.”

 

   His pupils widened while his lids narrowed. “Humanity. You're going to add them to the equation.”

 

   “Good job Sterben.” Stephanie clapped methodically without any reaction from him. “Time to get to work.”

 

 

   Darker than a moonless night, the voids only true light came from below, from Ragnarok. It's incredible mass and pale glow illuminating the group of figures gathered together on a floating mass of land. A single man stood in the center, hair of white, eyes of red.

 

   “Rejoice my friends, this is the first time so many people have been inside the void at once. How nice.” The last part was a lie. Sarrin didn't care about nice.

 

   Including Sarrin there were eight of them in total. Just one of them alone formidable in their own right, together unstoppable. Sarrin knew that was how they felt, he also knew that alone or even as one he could crush them. Each of them understood this fact, simply because each of them knew each others minds, thoughts, truths and lies. Sarrin had connected them, made them one unit.

 

   “Yggdrasil will be moving soon as will Elipses.” No one responded. “We have reached a milestone in history, not for this world, not for this reality itself, but for all of existence.” Sarrin looked to each of them, masked faces, Alistair, Phi. He knew who they were, what they were and exactly what they were capable of. “For the want of change let us start with the Aesir.”

 

 

 

There's the other chapter i promised, sorry life stuff going on need to find a way to better facilitate my writing and sometimes that means looking for a new job

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Ah, so things are setting into motion! It seems that Sarrin has gathered up a motley crew in order to make due with the changes he wants, and Steph is determined to find out more about Anima! Gilgamesh, as always, is an amazing character! Great work!

 

And it's alright, no need to fret! Take your time posting the chapters, life can get us all busy, so we understand! The same applies to me when I'm writing! I hope you get your new job soon!

[Sarrin 100]

Wait till you get to chapter ten gonna hype train the up out of your shit, just sayin

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Wait till you get to chapter ten gonna hype train the up out of your shit, just sayin

 

Sweet!  I can't wait!

[Sarrin 100]

Guess what its chapter names time here's what ill give you for the time being

 

Chapter Six: Divided

 

Chapter Seven: Enter the Void

 

Chapter Eight: North Wind

 

Chapter Nine: Finding Hope

 

Chapter Ten: Test of Will

 

Chapter Eleven: Childhoods End

 

Chapter Twelve: The Loving Dark

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Guess what its chapter names time here's what ill give you for the time being

 

Chapter Six: Divided

 

Chapter Seven: Enter the Void

 

Chapter Eight: North Wind

 

Chapter Nine: Finding Hope

 

Chapter Ten: Test of Will

 

Chapter Eleven: Childhoods End

 

Chapter Twelve: The Loving Dark

 

Whoa, great chapter list! All the titles for the chapters seem to teem with exciting epicness just waiting to be told! I'll be looking forward to each one patiently!

[Sarrin 100]

Chapter Six: Divided

 

 

  Gil started down the hill side away from the manor. Not thinking he'd be back here so soon and realizing it may have been better if they hadn't. “Don't just walk off, where are you going?” Sophie hurried after him trying to close the distance he had put between them.

 

   “Just come on.” Gil didn't break his stride, continuing to puff on his cigarette. “That's what you're here for right?”

 

   The remark had stopped her in her tracks. Something about it had sparked inside of her. “Stop.”

 

   “What?” Looking back at her with an expression that had said she had caught him off guard somehow.

 

   “I just have to say this.” Gil saw something behind her eyes, wheels turning at an unnecessary speed.

 

   It was more than apparent that Sophie had far to much going through her mind. It was even more so at how little she knew Gil was going to care. “That way all of you talk, the things you say and do, it's like you're just resigned to it all. Believing all of this shit is the way it is and that it just has to be is.. I mean how is anyone suppose to.. damnit.”

 

   “Sophie you're young.” Tossing his cigarette as he lit another. “Really young and I envy that, believe me when I say ignorance is a bliss and living this long was probably something I could have lived without. Also believe me when I tell you that there are no such things as coincidences in this world. There's a million reasons for everything to happen, and everything happens for a reason.”

 

   She stared back at him, stunned, obviously unsure or rather unable to come up with some sort of response.

 

   “The world doesn't have to always make sense for you to be affirmed that you are in fact apart of it, so can we get going or not?”

 

   Her lips quivered trying to protest without knowing the words to say. Coming here wasn't what she had expected would happen but the choice had already been made. “Yeah whatever.”

 

   Ba'ala swallowed up Gilgamesh, then her, into it's shadowy depths.

 

   The pair of them emerged in the epicenter of an intersection littered with wrecked and abandoned cars. Street lights had gone dark while rubble from the surrounding structures were scattered about.

 

   Gaining her bearings Sophie noticed a long flowing gray coat had been wrapped around her. Light armor plating on one shoulder, both elbows and her chest. She touched her face feeling only what she could describe as a black metallic mask. The view from behind it was easier on the eyes in the dark overcast, yet it also gave the world a gray tint that almost felt somewhat depressing.

 

   “Pull up the hood, you're gonna stick out with that orange hair.” He spoke from behind the same mask.

 

   “Where are we going?” She tucked back her hair into the hood.

 

   “You ask a lot of questions.” His head leaned to the side, staring off at something. “We're here to learn something, now pay attention and you just might.” Gil eyed a car oddly before rushing to the broken driver side window. Sticking his head inside he saw the dried red splattered across the interior. “How do you walk away from this?” Mumbling to himself Gil smeared the roof with his fingertips.

 

   A grimace appeared on his face, one filled with perplexity and unyielding confusion. “So Spitfire, I've got a question for you this time.” Gil showed his stained hand to her. “Why would this be wet?”

 

   “It's fresh.” Responding without thinking Sophie only then gave it thought. “Their were survivors?”

 

   “No.” Gil licked his hand clean, spitting out red. “Voidkin don't leave survivors.” He ripped the dented door from its hinges and began to frantically search inside. “Keys, keys, come on where are the damn keys?”

 

   “Gil what are you doing?” Sophie approached as he continued while growing more agitated.

 

   “This place should be worse, fires are still burning, buildings crumbling.” Supposedly giving up his search Gil tore off a panel under the steering column. “We've been gone for a month and..” Connecting two frayed wires the car hummed to life. Gil rose and examined the dashboard before the battery gave out. “What time is it?”

 

   “Um..” Sophie wasn't going to ask why. She pulled out her phone pressing the power button to light up the display. “Quarter past three.”

 

   A grin formed on his face but Sophie could not tell why. “Just now that clock said nine pm.”

 

   “It's just a car, who cares what the time is inside of it. Everyone one the planet has access to a phone.” Sophie wasn't even going to consider what Gil was beginning suggest.

 

   He stood there pondering to himself leaving Sophie staring at him. As Gil continued not to respond the thought of punching him formed in her mind. “Well?”

 

   “Safe to assume.”

 

   Sophie's palm met with the surface of her forehead. “You are kidding me. No. Absolutely not happening. It has never happened, never heard of it and I'm not about-”

 

   “Look it's nothing definitive.”

 

   “Good than let's move on to anything else like why you look like shit.”

 

   “Excuse me?” Her comment wounded Gil.

 

   “Your hair isn't slicked back and you've got stains in several places. The only reason I didn't ask before was because you most likely did something stupid.”

 

   Lighting a cigarette just couldn't do what he needed. “Alright.” So Gil, in all his wisdom, punched through the vans back window. “Yeah that'll do it. So anyway Carmicheal is here.”

 

   Sophie stared at him blankly with a hint of agitation. “You never even thought about leading off with this did you?”

 

   “Wasn't even going to tell you.”

 

   “He's the reason we've been sitting around doing nothing. We have to find him.”

 

   “Not doing that.”

 

   Sophie had already started off being forced to stop in her tracks. “What why?”

 

   A plume of smoke wafted from Gil's lips. “I'm sure you're gonna need the boss to deal with all this end of the world shit and if you wanna go running off to find the asshole so be it, go.” He took in another hit. “But don't think for a minute that I'll be joining you.”

 

   “Gil..”

 

   “Sophie you came here to learn something right? Wanna know what it was?”

 

   “Gil.”

 

   “Everything you see around you is the result of the three of you doing literally whatever you wanted..”

 

   “Gil!”

 

   Her tone turned him on his heels. Beyond Sophie, moving closer to them at an alarming rate was a mass of disfigured creatures. “Voidkin.”

 

   “Wait, up there.” Pointing to the tops of crumbling structures around them. Dozens of darkened figures emerged from shadowy portals one after the other. “What is this.” Sophie unknowingly backed away, gritting her teeth once she had realized fear was beginning to drive her body.

 

   “There's more than I anticipated.” Gil thought aloud. “Fruits of Elipses labors, turns out this city was packed to the brim with all kinds of crazy and by the looks of it they're all here to take it for themselves.”

 

   Hands started to shake, Sophie attempted to keep her cool but the approaching maw wasn't helping. “Oh no.” A quick glance around revealed each road lead only to more Voidkin. “We need to get out of here.”

 

   Vibrant light cast down on them from high above. In the sky formed one of the largest symbolences the pair of them had ever seen. It's radiance harsh on their eyes, the ground shook under it's pressure. Piercing through their ears was a high pitch noise with no sign of ending.

 

   Gil, unable to hear even himself, grabbed hold of her while Ba'ala formed underneath them. The lights brilliance grew stronger, almost unbearable. It had began to descend upon them, obscuring all else in sight. Mighty jaws clamped shut on them seemingly devouring the light.

 

   The world returned to Gil's eyes, arriving on the bank of what was once called the Golden Strait. He saw a gaping pit in the in the body of water for only a moment before a radiating sensation in his chest more than demanded his attention. A metal bar protruded from an opening through his torso, at the end of it a wide blade.

 

   Sophie was shocked by the sight of him. Gil's hold on her fell away, he reached for the pike, collapsing on his knees as he began gasping for breath. Her first instincts put Gil and the body of water behind her back with arms outstretched to defend him. One lone black coated figure stood over twenty paces away, ominously admiring what they had done.

 

   With no time to find out what was truly unfolding right now, Gil raced through his thoughts for a way out of this moment. A shaken Sophira was all that stood between them and he wasn't sure it was going to be enough. Seeing her shoulders tense up told Gil she was about to go on the offensive. “You know something, today might just kill me.” Sophie half looked back at him as he swiped his arm through the air saying something she didn't pick up. A symbolence blinked to life between them creating a colorfully transparent wall that moved through the air like liquid through light. Gil's barrier had formed just as another figure joined them.

 

   No one made a move, just watching one another carefully.

 

   “Go.” It was barley a breath from Gil's lips, but Sophie heard what she needed to. An explosion went off in front of her with a loud crack and flash of orange embers. Light faded into dissipating smoke and the two of them were gone.

 

   Somehow Gil had flung the two of them far beyond the water and over the gaping void. Sophie could only look up as they descended, not down though. There was nothing to see where they were headed.

 

 

   An elderly man crouched in the dead center of a dirt crossroads while lifelessly surrounding all paths was an endless thicket of dead trees. Wild white beard, hair tied back into a thick knot, he had a nasty scar across his eye and cheek and dressed from another century entirely. He scooped some of the dirt letting it fall away between his fingers.

 

   “What's the dirt telling you?” The sarcastic tone came from an approaching woman in equally odd attire. Terra's hair was wild but never long enough to be tied up. She stood behind him looking over the unpleasant scenery.

 

    “That a pompous child doesn't belong out here.” The man groaned as he rose with telling signs of age. Terra didn't bother to indulge him. “He should arrive shortly, I can't imagine he'll let us farther in than this.”

 

   She waltzed over to the nearest trunk to lean against and hang down her head. “Good then. Do wake me when he makes time for us.”

 

   “You're Grace shouldn't..”

 

   “Don't.” One of the last things Terra was going to let happen was the finishing of that sentence. “I went through a lot of trouble to convince my father to let me out of that tree Grantz.”

 

   He tensed from the tone, traveling with women had clearly been something he was not accustomed to. “I was just going to say someone of your stature shouldn't be delivering messages. Especially not in these times.” Grantz made himself comfortable on the dirt road. He produced a knife with a misshapen hunk of wood and began to carefully carve at it.

 

   “I'm not to worried about a war that only just started a few weeks ago, nothings even happened since the first couple of days and I wasn't even here for that.” Nonchalance came easy to her, never to much emotion, family trait and all.

 

   “Nevermind the war, that's the least of my worries now.”

 

   “Right, you're more concerned with that prisoner you lost.”

 

   “I didn't lose him,” Hesitating to finish. “He broke out.”

 

   “You locked him up once I'm certain you can do it again.”

 

   Muscles shook from his snorted laughter. “That I did, it was the most amazing battle I have ever witnessed.”

 

   “You didn't?”

 

   “No, it was the Urd.”

 

   “Then I guess it's a good thing we are here to see him,” Terra stumbled upon a thought. “But why did you come back to Yggdrasil if you were just going to need the Urd of Origin's help to begin with?”

 

   “I went back to inform his Majesty, and now I am to inform the Urd. Accompanying you just happened to work out.”

 

   “And then what?”

 

   “There is no what.”

 

   Terra blinked through the confusion saying only what she could. “What.. what?”

 

   “There's nothing to do after that.” Grantz blew on the piece of wood as shavings flew off. “I'm tired, the Urd is old. That man, no that thing is free now and there is not a soul I know of that can match it's will.”

 

   “So two escaped prisoners let loose on the earth and everyone loses their nerve.” She started to kick the heel of her boot off the tree. “First off who makes a book into a prison and who builds another one in the middle of a storming ocean? It's just bad planning if you ask me.”

 

   “What would you have done?”

 

   Terra was beyond what you could call pleased to give her input on this subject. “I'd have killed them when blessed with the chance, burn the book with the beast inside and sink that prison with the other in chains.” It wasn't often she spoke so freely having missed that Grantz was not the one who had asked the question.

 

   “If only it were so simple.” The Urd of Origin strode down the dirt road having come to a stop just paces away from the pair of them. “I'm expecting some unsavory company, it would be in your best interest if you made this quick.”

 

   “I am..”

 

   “Terra Godfreed.”

 

   She hesitated wondering if he was going to speak her thoughts before she had even finished thinking them.

   After all it wasn't every day you met someone labeled as a god. “I've come to inform you that Elipses has been disbanded and the Aesir are to return to Bevelle.”

 

   Curdis let out a small laugh through his nose. “I think you're father has made his feelings clear, yet you don't seem to feel the same.”

 

   “Earth shouldn't be abandoned.”

 

   The Aesir eyed her down. “What do you think of this place. I'm interested seeing as this has been your first time on earth.”

 

   “It's depressing.” Terra didn't like mind games, she didn't really like games in general. “Everything is dead here.”

 

   “I think it's rather peaceful. The forest of leafless trees hold a certain haunting serenity and the dirt road is a simple path but one not walked lightly. This is the entrance to my home.” Curdis looked around, taking it all in as if it were his first time again. “I love this place, but now a lot of the world looks just like it, only darker and beyond anything that can be called peaceful or serene.”

 

   “Why would an elven girl, the daughter of Thelonious Godfreed himself care about the world outside of Yggdrasil?”

 

   Answering this man was going to require a level of honesty she'd have to dig for. “Because I know Yggdrasil is not the world, I know the earth is not the world, I know that the world we live in is boundless, infinite, beautiful and full of terrors. Yggdrasil and this planet are soaked in more blood than I can even begin to imagine, but they are all that we have now. I cannot allow what I supposedly rule over to just be discarded the way my father dismisses the importance of life.”

 

   “Alright.”

 

   She blinked in disbelief. “Excuse me?” Was this old man off his rocker? Just what was he expecting her to say. “What do you mean alright?”

 

   Curdis put on a smile that seemed to reveal he knew something she did not. “I think I knew someone you might have gotten along with.” He approached Grantz and widespread into his ear. The two old men talked amongst themselves briefly while Terra attempted to process what the Urd had been trying to learn from her let alone the meaning behind his words.

 

   “Ms. Godfreed.” His raise in tone caught her off guard.

 

   “Sir?” Terra propped up without realizing.

 

   “Elipses is disbanded, I of the Aesir have hereby sanctioned your fathers wishes.”

 

   “Oh.”

 

   His presence started to overtake her, crushing the girl under it's unfamiliar weight. Terra didn't give it away. “A question for you.” Curdis lifted his hat placing it over his chest. Bowing his balding head he kept his eyes firmly with her own. “If you'd be interested I'd like to offer the both of you a job.”

 

 

 

Chapter Seven: Enter the Void

 

 

I'm not what you'd call a storyteller. Honestly these days it's sheer luck I remember most if not more of my experiences. What I can tell you is the truth.

My father once told me about a man he met before I was born. Asix was the name he had given but my father knew it was no man that stood before him. He said this creature would be one of the greatest forces I'd encounter in my lifetime. My father was right, more than he knew.

Sadly this would be something I would underestimate and it was about to cost me dearly.

 

 

   “So this is what it's like here.” Flashing instances appeared within the liquid darkness Gil had found himself in. The things he saw were some of the greatest horrors of his lives. Some he had merely borne witness to while with most he had contributed or done completely on his own. He heard the screams of his fallen enemies, crimes he had committed and the deaths of innocent people he was responsible for. “Yup, this kind of thing could drive a guy insane.”

 

   It showed him the final days he spent in Babylon, darker times he almost never dwell upon. The person he saw was a younger version of himself, fierce, terrifying, a true monster by name.

 

   “Do not do this Lord Thanatos!”

 

   A trigger was pulled in the reaches of his mind, this voice was one he hadn't heard in lifetimes. It was that of his own fathers.

 

   “You are not her, do not do this Lord Thanatos!”

 

   Repeating again and again until Gil ears continued to hear it long after it had stopped.

 

    When it changed into something Gil did not recognize he cleared his mind to understand it. Before him stood a version of himself he did not know, wearing robes from the Yggdrasil hierarchy. His hair was long and trailed down his back and a pair of glasses sat in front of his eyes. “But I don't wear glasses, wait..” Gil had never seen himself this way before, with so many questions he knew but one answer. “I don't remember because I must have given it up.” He reached out to his unfamiliar counter part. “What were you like I wonder.”

 

   He smiled at him.

 

   “Stop, you seriously look evil.” Gil's feet sunk into the darkness. “Shit.” He pulled at his legs attempting to free them.

 

   The clone snared Gil's face in an iron grip. “What are you?”

 

   A different man held onto him now, his face hidden behind a featureless mask and tattered scarves. “Show me. I want to understand.” The grip on his temples tightened.

 

   Gil's body pulsated as the man forced his way into his mind. Words caught in his throat form paralysis, only quite breaths left his lips. His face indicated the shock he was enduring.

 

   “You are neither. A product of this world yet you possess all of the factors.” Helpless to do anything Gil listened to the mans words. “Something like you shouldn't be here, I cannot let you interfere.” He released his hold on Gil.

 

   Darkness dragged him down until nothing remained.

 

 

   Sophira hugged her knees to her chest as tightly as possible. Rabid breaths and a look of sheer terror was all she expressed as the continues nightmares of her life repeated over and over again around her. Shattered windows with raging fires just outside. The crackle of her burning home joined by dying screams.

 

   A much younger Sophira curled up in the corner of a dining room. She closed her eyes tightly to avoid seeing anymore of the memory. There was no reason for her to see this day, she knew exactly what happened next.

 

   “Dad help me!” Sophira screamed out before the nightmare grew its grimmest. Half of a woman's scream before blood spattered onto the little girls horrified face. Her pupils dilated to needle points and her hair rose on edge.

 

   The young girl gritted her teeth before letting out a defiant scream. With a single spark just in front of her forehead everything around her was consumed in waves of orange flame.

 

   All went dark with the scenes conclusion, but something else had appeared in its place. One more Sophira stood ahead, this one familiar to her from not so long ago. Anti social, prideful she would think of the version of herself that made her what she was today. Hardened by experience, it was Haleigh's intense teaching style that broke her of this rut she spent years digging.

 

   “What is in your heart?”

 

   Sophira didn't know if she should respond to it.

 

   “Correct.” She leaned down lifting Sophira's chin with her fingertips. “The answer is nothing.”

 

   “Nothing.” Saying it somehow caused a wave of loss through herself.

 

   “You have nothing and you're only going to lose more.”

 

   Her pupils shrunk to needle points as something deep inside her began to crack.

 

   “Sink into the deepest depths, there you will learn that only your heart is hollow enough to be a demons.”

 

   She had become consumed by the words. “What if you right? If this is the void then maybe I'm exactly where I belong.

 

   “That's bullshit!” Darkness shattered above Sophie gracing her with a single pillar of light from a small hole, and an outstretched hand reaching out to her. “Take your will and use it, keep it in your heart and never let it die. That is real power Sophira.”

 

   “Gil?” His voice called out to her from the light. Sophie instinctively took his hand and Gil pulled her out with all his strength. Darkness shattered away into a new world of divine light.

 

   Streams of it flew past them at an alarming rate. Sophie settled herself in the moving world. “Where are we going?”

 

   “Somewhere pleasant I hope.” Gil lit a cigarette putting on a liars smile.

 

   Sophie didn't believe it for an instant but that wasn't important now. For certain they had no idea of what they had gotten themselves into.

 

   Ashes fell from the cigarette still hanging in his still lips. Gilgamesh stared off into the light with a blank gaze. What felt like days of fruitless torment had ended in the one way he never expected. Today a nightmare from his oldest bedtime stories may have just come to life.

 

 

 

Welp. theres two more chapters for you guys feel like its been a minute since i posted more than one so here you have it folks!

enjoy~

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Niiice, these were awesome chapters! Things are getting intense! I got scared for a moment when I thought that Gil was gonna die! He can't die, he's way too badass! And I like Sophie's arc here! From a confident woman, she's revealed herself to be a vulnerable person, and seeing her struggle and try to cope with her situation is an interesting and heartfelt journey! I hope she overcomes herself!  Also, those brief glimpses of Gil's past were very interesting!

 

"Only your heart is hollow enough to be a demon's." Hah, 0.2 reference right there! Sarrin, you sly dog! :')

 

Those were some awesome chapters!

Edited March 4, 2017 by The Transcendent Key

[Sarrin 100]

Deleted 

Edited January 5, 2019 by Sarrin

[The Transcendent Key 12,109]

Actually believe it or not that's not a reference just happens to be a good line

 

Sophie and Gilgamesh are very important to this particular arc being as they're also main characters they're bound to have a lot of coverage,

 

Sophie especially still has a long road ahead of her

 

Wait, so that was before 0.2 came out! I'm amazed!  That means you used the line before Square Enix did!

 

Ooh, that's awesome, I like those two characters, so seeing them develop will be very awesome!

 

Ah, and I can believe you when you mention Sophie. She does look like she still has a lot to cope with and overcome, ya know?

[Sarrin 100]

Its definitely been used before me and square can't take any credit there like I said its just a great line