Sanguine Paradise

∼ Day 232 ∼

[Trait]

-Aethertouched-

Touched by aether, the entirety of your being is favored by the spiritual.

"Aethertouched? Does that have something to do with Eli and the fact that she was an Aetherborne? Are all spirits Aetherborne?" Were the thoughts tumbling around in my head as I read the rather uninformative trait description.

Regardless of the implications, it was obvious this trait was the reflection of the change in my soul, the sanguine tinge that reminded me of Luna's presence and aura.

Taking in a deep breath, I smoothed out the last vestiges of nerves and emotions that had been building up these last few tumultuous days.

I got to my feet, making my way out of the cavern to be met with the light of morning.

However, as I did, I felt a frown crease my lips.

No sounds, no powerful presences.

No battle.

As far as my senses stretched, the previously battle-engulfed island had turned completely still, naught but the sounds of nature going about its course.

It was only the wartorn landscape that was left to reminisce of the struggle between behemoths and monsters.

"Just how long have I been out?" I wondered worriedly.

In the spirit realm, I hadn't the faintest gauge on time and just how long I had spent in there. For all I knew, I had spent weeks. Even the encounter between me and Luna had been muddled as I tried thinking back on it.

That too gave me a sense of worry, as while she might've not sounded troubled about possible distress back home then, it could already be weeks later now that I've woke up from when we had actually met in the spirit realm.

Rubbing my head as the headache of trying to make sense of what the actual fuck I've been put through during these damned trials, from the game of war to the mind-numbing despair being dropped headfirst into the domain of creatures beyond any mortal existence, and now this. It all clouded my judgment.

Flinching at the sudden sensation of something wet touching my skin just underneath the base of my ear, I finally noticed Sombra, in her little wyvern form having coalesced atop my shoulder.

She crooned as she nuzzled into my neck affectionately, assuaging my headache and thoughts as if they had never been.

"Haah∼ thank you," I muttered as I absentmindedly scratched her long neck with my index finger.

Practically purring in my ear, Sombra bathed in the attention, however small. Even Ketsu had come out, his mini form staring up at me with that deadpan expression of his.

Just watching the emotionless torso of a humanoid wiggle ever so slightly as it bopped lazily up and down, I couldn't help but snort.

He was quite the odd one, but I found him surprisingly therapeutic.

He just seemed like he could see no wrong, while simultaneously looking directly through you and seeing your thoughts. It was hard to describe, but I found myself inexplicably fond of him nonetheless.

Focus back on track, I crouched down and held out a hand to the little fellow. Without a word, he went back into the confines of my bloodstream, suffusing the already powerful liquid with even more power.

Getting back to my full height, I refocused on the shadow familiar that was still entirely engrossed in the scratches she was receiving, acting the part of a spoiled housecat.

I just snorted with a shake of my head.

"Come on, let's go."

She appeared to be hesitant to break the moment of pets and scratches, but as I withdrew my hand, she could only let out a little squeak of protest in response.

"Yes - yes, there will be more," I smirked, "But let's get home first, it's about time we got home. We have a lot of people depending on us, many of which will be excited to meet you both."

A light shriek to my promise, Sombra didn't hesitate further and jumped down from her perch atop my shoulder. As she drew from the shadows all around, it didn't take but a few moments before she was displayed in her full glory, her form no longer damaged by the flames of Cain. Rather, she was even a little stronger than before.

Coursing through the sky, it was with a pensive look that I scanned the island below. So far, no lords or ladies had made their presences known, either by me happening upon them or a battle. For the longest time, there simply weren't any to find.

But what really drove it home; that I had been out for quite a while during my recovery from my fight against Cain, was the state of the island.

It wasn't just wartorn, it was practically falling apart.

Small mountains pockmarked with craters and cracked with great rifts, plains torn asunder, and great forests burned to the roots.

The signs of battle were everywhere, some remnants of attacks making me pause to stare in both wonder and horror at what monster could possibly have left it.

For five whole days, I did catch a single glimpse of someone else, causing a great sense of desperation to build within me. Not because of the fear of the monsters left caged in here with me, but due to the simple fact that the longer I remained, the bigger the chance was that my home would be engulfed in the flames of war while I was away.

While my people and my family were preparing to confront an enemy of unknown strength, I was left locked in a distant world, not knowing whether or not I would be returning to my home or the ruins of it.

For this exact reason alone, I didn't hesitate in the slightest when the sudden crackle of what sounded like thunder ripped through the sky from across the island, making Sombra bolt in the direction.

I knew in an instant that the pocket of a storm now occupying heaven above a part of the island, looking almost as if a maelstrom tearing the sky asunder, was nothing natural. Especially considering the imposing aura that permeated that storm like a god. As if Zeus himself had come down from Olympus.

Whoever had summoned that storm couldn't be any weaker than Cain. Although, it was hard to judge when taking into consideration that he had been taken over by a literal god who used his, though limited, godly power to completely counter me by attacking my soul. Still, this individual was much more powerful than Cain's original strength right off the bat.

Approaching the scene, I was stunned by what I saw regardless of the preparation I had put my mind through during the flight here.

In a large open field of small rolling hills, five figures stood opposing one much smaller.

From a quick gaze, I saw what appeared to be some kind of a beastkin turtle man, a naga like the receptionist I had met in Ebongrave, an elf that gave me an immediate sense of revulsion from this distance alone, some kind of orc, and lastly, an arachnid - almost exactly like that of Asethh K'or. Except, this one was a woman.

Four of the five were large monsters, except the seemingly singly enlightened elf, dwarfing their apparent opponent who was much smaller.

And when I said much smaller, I meant human child small.

Actually, as I observed the situation and the details became clearer, I was shocked to realize that I in fact distinctly remembered the small figure unwaveringly confronting the whole group of five.

It was that young girl who couldn't have been more than thirteen years old. The one who had stood to my side at the initial start of the Trials.

That little girl had made it all the way here, not only surviving until the last stage but even remaining as one of the major powerhouses in this later phase of the third stage.

And a powerhouse she was.

For she was the eye of the storm.