—----POV Vairon—----
Heat.
Scathing. Searing.
That was the only sensation my body could register. As the flames engulfed us, I thought for sure that I would die. I made peace with that.
Even if it was painful and honestly more than a little scary, Kaelira was my first…friend. She was annoying, brutish, and maybe a little too bloodthirsty for her own good. But still, a friend.
My mother always said that friends—true friends—are some of the most precious resources in the entire universe. They never tire of you, never leave, and regardless of the circumstance, they will always be there for you in your most dire moments.
And though my nerves felt as though they were being scorched to ashes, there was no real damage to my body. This sea of flames—the burning sensation I am feeling—it's pain.
Kaelira's pain. Raw, real, and overwhelming.
The pure anguish in her wails sent deep ripples into the depths of my soul. It felt as if my very being was being torn apart. I felt rage and sadness for my dear friend who was suffering.
I do not know what she experienced in her visions, but it does not matter. I will be here. I will not let her suffer alone. After all the trials and tribulations I have gone through with this crazy woman, I think I deserve to be the one to steady her aching heart.
My hands holding her face never wavered. Even as the tears that soaked her face left trails that felt like boiling magma on my skin, I held on just as gently. Just as firmly.
"Kaelira…"
My voice was soft, yet it carried over the burning flames that spread destruction around us.
"I am here. You are not alone. I do not know what it is you experienced, but it does not matter. Whatever it is you need to do, do it. Whoever has harmed you or slighted you, kill them. I will be there every single step.
You are my partner. My friend. My lifeline. I stand with you now, and always. You are strong, Kaelira—a true warrior. But even the greatest of heroes grieve. So grieve.
Let it fill you entirely like a burning fire. Then let it ebb away. Let it smolder until you have need of that flame once again."
As I spoke, her wails slowly turned into broken sobs. The tears in her eyes slowed to soft, delicate drops.
"And when you are ready to harness and unleash that flame…"
I slowly pulled my head back, still grasping her soft, tender cheeks. I then lifted her head to gaze into her blurry eyes—still filled with pain and rage, but now holding another, more complicated emotion.
"I will use the wind that fills my body, that gives me breath, and feed that flame until your mission—your goal—is done. On that, you have my word."
My voice, now dry and raw from the lack of moisture, carried a determination that would tear the heavens asunder.
Kaelira simply gazed into my eyes. Her silver pupils, flashing occasionally to a hellish red, began to steadily cool. She held my gaze as if peering into my very soul—searching for something. Or maybe trying to anchor herself to me, to keep herself from falling apart.
We stayed like that for a long while before the sea of flames began to slowly die. As they did, a cool air spread from her body. The cold wasn't biting or sharp as hers normally was. It was serene, almost comforting.
Like laying in a bed of soft snow. As we held each other, our eyes seeming to lock our souls together, she let out a long, weary sigh before collapsing into my arms as she finally lost consciousness.
Holding her, a deep sense of relief and weariness pressed down on my shoulders. Whatever was happening within this secret realm was not limited to the secrets of a primordial clan. Thinking back to the visions I had witnessed, a shudder rippled through my soul as my expression darkened.
But as I gazed at Kaelira's sleeping face—now expressing peace—I pushed those thoughts aside for now. Gently lifting her into my arms, I began walking back to our room.
—----POV Lunara—----
When I came to, I was covered in blood and innards.
Whose?
I couldn't tell, and I didn't care. The ape beast…no, that demon…was gone. All that remained was one of its gouged-out eyes and an arm.
I gazed at the destruction around me without a shred of emotion. The beautiful field—or what was left of it—was utterly destroyed. Not a single foot of it remained untouched. The entire landscape had shifted.
The bodies that had littered it were either buried beneath rubble or simply gone, swept off by the flood that seemed to have surged through while I was unconscious. In front of me was an immense lake.
Its surface calm, without the slightest ripple. I looked down at my bloodied visage and felt…nothing.
No fear.
No anger.
No peace.
Just a vast emptiness that could not be filled. But then the image of a man I could never forget flashed in my mind.
"Vairon…Aetherion."
As I spoke his name, I felt a flicker of emotion in my still heart. As if a ripple had finally disturbed the tranquil lake within me. I lifted my bloodied hands and frowned slightly. I can't appear before him like this.
I stepped toward the lake, slowly submerging myself below its surface as the blood and gore washed away with every step. It felt as if my soul itself was being cleansed.
As I floated below the surface, I curled my body into a ball, trying to sink deeper into the depths of my being.
It felt safe. It felt peaceful.
A peace I had not known in a long time. As I let that blissful feeling settle over me, Lira's face—frozen and devoid of blood and life—wormed its way into my mind. The water began to boil before it exploded around me.
"I cannot rest. Vairon…I have to get to him. I will not fail this time. Never…never again."
Why was he with that Northern freak? Doesn't matter.
Why did he not bring me with him? I don't care.
All that matters is one thing…
"He's mine!"
I turned toward the north, and a massive city had somehow appeared in the distance. Its walls empty and forlorn. An ancient aura hung around it, speaking of great stories that once surrounded it.
But I didn't care. He was there. I know he is.
I stepped forward, clothes tattered and wet, taking step after step toward the massive gate separating me from the man I had been searching for—the man I loved.
"Vairon, just hold on. I'm coming for you."
Whether that was a threat or a promise, even I did not fully know. But as the gates began to open, I stepped through them all the same.
—----POV General—----
Kaelira awoke to the sounds of deep breathing. She found herself locked in a tight embrace, her body covered in a warmth and security she had not felt since childhood. She tilted her head, gazing up at the chiseled face of the sleeping man holding her tightly.
As she gazed at Vairon—his breathing deep and steady, his chest rising and falling rhythmically—she was filled with an inexplicable sense of peace. She said nothing, simply rested her head back on his broad chest.
She noticed how, despite its firmness, there was a unique softness to it that lulled her into a sense of ease. Unknowingly, her arms, which had been wrapped around his waist, tightened.
She could still feel it.
The terror of the being in her vision. The despair it had carved into her soul in the few moments its presence descended upon her.
But clearer than that terror was a steady, smoldering rage. A fire resting deep within her soul, wrapped in a cage of ice, waiting for the moment it was needed. Though she had been delirious at the time, she still remembered Vairon's heartfelt words—his oath to fight beside her and avenge her and the egg she viewed as her own child.
Thinking of the egg, a pain that could not be described tore through her. But she quickly suppressed it with firm resolve and faith. She did not believe the egg was harmed. It had to be out there, waiting. Waiting for her.
"Hold on, baby. I will come for you soon. I will protect you."
"Still on about a baby, huh? Guess it wasn't just crazed ravings after all."
Startled by the sudden voice interrupting her thoughts, she turned to face Vairon. His eyes were locked onto her face, searching for any discomfort or pain.
Her heart warmed at his care and worry.
"I'm alright, stone-face. Promise. Though I'm nursing a killer hangover for sure."
Seeing she was still in the mood to joke and tease, Vairon relaxed slightly, a small smile etching itself on his face.
"Good to see you haven't lost your annoying sense of humor."
"Never~"
The two stared at each other for a bit before breaking into quiet giggles.
Kaelira suddenly fell silent before pulling him into a deep hug. Her eyes began to water as her voice came out in broken gasps before slowly steadying.
"Vairon…thank you. Truly."
Vairon stayed silent. His answer was his own tight embrace—an embrace that centered her, grounding her in warmth and safety amid the chaos surrounding them.
Pulling herself back, she wiped her red, swollen eyes—her face now painted with determination and unshakable resolve.
"Vairon, those visions…what did you see?"
Vairon's face twisted into a dark grimace. Clearly, whatever he had seen, he hadn't liked it. Not one bit.
"We need to talk. I got some answers—and many more questions. But most importantly, I have our new direction."
"Where?"
Vairon wrapped her lithe body in the warm bedding they had been using and carried her to the window of their room. In the distance, at the very center of the city, lay a ruined citadel. An aura of death and decay clung to its frame like perfume.
"The citadel of this city. The entrance to the inheritance of the Primordial World Serpent Clan."