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Fantasy Descension (C.DEX x Notorious)

"One was. The other was just what I had thought. The bird is dead, and the dwarf ... is in the temple, as well." Astra said, looking to Brevil, and then down to the spots of blood on his armor and weapon. "Have you been having fun?" She asked, cocking her head coyly. "Got to take out that repressed energy somehow, I suppose. Anyways ... I suppose we only have a handful left to test now." She said, looking down to Amara, her hand grazing through the woman's hair as she passed to walk to Brevil. "I hope you haven't killed my prisoner, I would be very upset about -"


As Brevil passed Orin, Orin stuck his leg out, catching Brevil by the foot and tripping him. The Commander collided hard with the floor, skidding inches before stopping. Astra clasped her hands over her mouth, attempting to hide a smile beneath them, while Orin raged, having been forced to listen from the other room as Brevil tortured one of the last friends he had left. It was a small slight, but one that had left Astra tittering as Orin moved to kick Brevil in the head. Guards swarmed him before he could begin to try.


"Fuck you!" He roared, voice hoarse. "What did you do with Slaw?! GUNNAR! ARE YOU OKAY? I FUCKING TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH HIM!" He shouted, only to get a swift punch to his chest, leaving him windless. He gasped, his expression contorted in nothing other than abject hate, recovering from the blow enough to spit in Brevil's direction, surprisingly making it's mark despite the fact that the shooter had been blind. Astra looked away from a moment, stifling her smile, before going up to Brevil.


"Like I said, boy, we killed him." She replied, coldly. The news sank Orin's expression into grief, but she continued on. "Wish I had as much energy as you. I'd have given up a long time ago. I suggest you do that if you want to avoid pain, because part of me is convinced that you're entirely as useless as you seem, and it wouldn't hurt to kill you on the way. And don't 'just do it' me, because as I recall, you were begging me not to - and that's the same way your bird friend had died." she said, adding insult to injury. Astra's face stayed with a smirk, though it was impossible to taunt Orin with her expression.


She looked down to Brevil, a small expression of contempt for the man passing by her face. "You really should look where you're going." she added, enjoying toying with everyone involved, not just those who had been her prisoners. With a small skip in her step, she left Brevil behind, trailing down the hall to Gunnar's room.
 
Brevil didn't even get a chance to reply to Astra as his feet were tripped out from under him abruptly. At first he had his eyes locked with the beautiful woman before him, the next they had been locked with the wooden floor beneath them. Being completely unsuspecting meant Brevil was walking with purpose, not defending against the trip whatsoever as Orin dealt such a humiliating attack. Brevil crashed to the ground nose first, his face shooting out blood from the intensity of the impact. The man was shocked, he didn't see it coming at all. He had the utmost confidence that they had beaten any fight left out of them and only to find out that even after Slaw being announced dead and Kegan being taken Orin still had fight left in him. Even after he had lost his own sister he was still fighting back, his spirit unbreaking even after the long weeks in prison. Even in the long weeks of torture they had endured he was still fighting. Even Amara was silent as Astra rubbed her fingers through her hair, keeping her head down and in a way appreciating the touch. Even by a Starseer at least she wasn't being hurt anymore. Sinna was gone, the others were disappearing.


Amara was done. Brevil wasn't.


Standing up he held his face as blood dripped down the front of it, managing to avoid seeing Astra smiling at the turn of events. To him, she was a full supporter of him and a potential mate. To her? The others were beginning to feel like he was being masterfully manipulated. Now he was standing in the center of the progressively emptier room with his face covered by his hand. Now only Orin, Balor and Amara remained with Gunnar in the other room. He was going to need to keep his patience and wits about him even after the devastating blow from Orin. So he did the most reasonable thing possible and kicked Orin in the face. It was a swift kick, one to pay him back and potentially break his nose as Orin had done to Brevil. He didn't want to go ballistic as that would make him look weak. He had been too slow to stop Orin from shouting at Gunnar however.


"I'M FINE!" The viking roared as he was still focusing on healing his wounds by focusing hard on Dio's energy. "THE BASTARD IS WEAK!"


"Why you..." Brevil turned to see Astra heading down the hall to Gunnar. Fitting, he thought. That the lovely Astra would be taking care of Gunnar for him, they made quite the team. Though when she commented about watching where he was going it was as if his heart had been yanked out of his chest for a moment. "I... I will." Brevil stammered out, embarrassingly enough. Turning back to Orin he smiled, "You are in for a painful death once we discover you are not the champion of Constellia like you so wish to be..." Brevil reached up and felt for a break in his nose, sure enough, the middle of it busted. "Guard, fetch me a healer... This will have to be reset when we are back in the city and after this is done..."


For once Amara didn't reply or taunt Brevil, all she could think about was Sinna being gone.


Gunnar was still tied to the bed as Astra entered the room, the Viking look up with a frown on his face. However, a smile appeared when he seen her, perhaps he could manipulate her into freeing him. Though if he could use her to simply piss off Brevil before he got locked away he'd settle for that.


"Came to kiss me goodbye, Astra?" He asked with a smirk, his spirit unbending much like Orin's. "Might want to do it quick, your boyfriend out there seems a little too into me. Carved me up while I'm chained up to this bed... Kind of an odd choice locking me up like this but can't say I blame him, I got a pretty kick ass body when it's not all carved up. That why you're here?" Gunnar yanked on the chains to make her heart hammer in her chest as if he was just about to break free, of course the shackles holding him in place. "You wanting to do that too?" Gunnar's eyes narrowed, speaking suggestively to test why she was here. "Try and break me?
 
Orin gasped as his nose was broken and blood began to pour out of it onto the floor. Unlike Brevil, he didn't have his hands free to stop it. But he had still been furious, nasally curses coming from the enraged Seer. The guards dropped him as soon as Brevil was done, leaving him to collapse to the floor. He 'looked' to Amara, not having heard a word from her as soon as she had gotten her rage out that Sinna was gone. He hung his head, the realization dawning hard on him and coming in waves. Then, outside the windows of the ship, a massive temple jutted out from beneath the sea.


It threatened to pierce the skies with a metal maw, the glossy steel and iron giving the appearance of a man made structure. Only, it wasn't just that. They bent and twirled like organic forms, like a metalworker's crude imitation of nature, done in an incompatible medium. It was the Temple of Onyx, a blight to the beautiful sea, a temple for a god of war. For the god of Amara. She had been next, the time that they 'all' had together counting down.


"Calm down." Balor said to the two of them, maintaining his composure, though with reddened eyes. "If you have the opportunity ... don't let them kill you." He whispered. "There is sea all around these islands. You're more likely to survive if you fall yourself into it. If you have the chance, break free." He said, trying hard to maintain hope in the face of none. "Amara ... don't fight, and then surprise them. You too, Orin. I'm sorry, the both of you. Amara, you are a strong woman ... you meant a lot to Sinna. She told me before. Like a sister." He added, softly. "If they leave me alive ... I will not abandon you all in these temples. I promise you that. I will wait, escape ... and then I will wait for you. I promise. However many years it takes ... I will wait."


Orin's chest heaved with the adrenaline of having his nose broken, barely able to listen to Balor. The guards had been preparing to take Amara, bearing all precautions considering how utterly dangerous it would be to have to uncuff her near the temple doors. Every fragment was a weapon, and they had known that. With Astra attending to Gunnar, Brevil had been forced to be the escort. Before she could be hauled to her feet, though, Orin had put a pained word in.


"'Mara. Thanks for taking care of her." He added, his words lisping slightly as he tried not to allow the blood to go back to his throat."


"It's not my job to break you all. It's just fun." Astra replied. "Let's see ... the dwarf and regrettably the pixie are gone, the bird is dead. Little Sinna is in her temple, and miss Amara is going to hers now. Do you think she'll succeed the test, or do we have to kill her, too? She's strong ... like you." She said, looking down to the wound on Gunnar's midsection. Astra reached out and touched it, seemingly undisturbed by the fact that he had broken out of his restraints before. A flash came to her mind, and her eyes widened. "It ... was her. Wasn't it? That gave this to you. Were you lovers?" She asked, looking to Gunnar's expression for an answer.


"You know, as a Seer ... we don't get to have a lot. No. We have to take it for ourselves. We don't get magnificent powers, the ability to conjure spirits or bend shadows or amalgamate iron with skin. And so ... we have to use our eyes and our minds to get what we want. Sometimes our bodies. I should thank you for killing my sister, really ... because I was less useful. Dowse and Constellia ... such a strong combination. Without her, though, I lead my coven."


She smiled. "Would you like to be thanked?"
 
Hearing Balor say that Sinna looked to Amara like a sister only made tears streak down her face. She had thought she had cried them all but evidently not as she stood up as Brevil and the guards began to escort her off the ship. They all caught a glimpse of the temple and Amara already knew her fate: those doors were going to remain sealed and she was going to be killed by Brevil. It was the only thing that made sense. No god would choose someone as pathetic and weak as her to be their champion, she was going to die out there. She couldn't save Sinna, she couldn't save Cheslaw or Kegan or even Beet. She had done nothing. She had given up, her will utterly broken. As Orin thanked Amara she began to cry even harder.


"I'm... so... sorry Orin I..." Her eyes burned as she desperately tried to be strong but the facade of strength had finally crumbled. "I love you both... I didn't get to show it but-"


"Move!" A guard shouted as he began shoving Amara out of the ship without another word. The usually fearless woman was trembling as she was pushed towards the giant metal coffin in the sea that would be her final resting place. She thought it was fitting, to be practically made of metal only to be buried among it. Perhaps Onyx would forgive her for being such a weak champion, for her to grovel at his mighty feet. Then she would be spared. They began to walk towards the massive metal tomb, the blight in the sea looking more unnatural as they moved closer and closer. Brevil had silently been tending to his nose as they entered the shadow of the temple, walking in as gigantic metal plates twisted around making an arch way out of what looked to be barbed wire. It was crude, it was impressive, it looked impossible to craft by hand.


As they entered things got hot, molten magma rushing from the core of the planet into the very temple. It would have been completely dark upon walking in without it, the glow of the lava illuminating the dark metal with a different array of reds, oranges and yellows. The bubbling and popping from the magma made this temple the most lively sounding one, a massive metal door with an orb. It had taken them quite a while to navigated the maze of twisted metal and magma, Brevil getting nervous that they had been gone for so long already.


"This has taken far too long... Miss Amara... please touch the orb with your hand and let's be done with this. Remove her shackles." The guards did as they were commanded and even free Amara was defeated, the woman swaying side to side as she limped over to the orb. Weakly, she outstretched her hand and the orb began to light up even before she got close. Puzzled, the closer she got the brighter it got. "This... hasn't happened before..." Brevil commented, seeing the orb shine brighter and brighter as Amara got closer. Whispers filled the room suddenly, the whole place seemingly shifting as the temple awoke from a long slumber. Amara looked up in awe with tear stained cheeks at the door as it began to open. "Move up... force her inside... She is the champion..."


The guards began to move forward, swords drawn as Amara simply starred into the massive red room that was on the other side of the door. It was terrifying, seeing what looked to be blood coating the metal walls of what assumed to be the realm of the God of War.


"MOVE! NOW!" One instructed, only for a massive metal spike to come flying out of the wall and impaling the man. The other guard was dispatched in a similar way, the floor fighting against him as Amara began to make her way into the temple. Brevil didn't understand, it didn't make sense. How was she doing this?


She wasn't.


The temple itself began to fight against the intruders as they had gotten too close to the champion's door. Amara smiled, the closer she got the more her strength was returning and the harder the temple fought back the small group of guards. Only three remained along with Brevil who roared, "MOVE!" The Lord Commander racing towards the exit with his men as they began to navigate the temple to escape Onyx's wraith. A roar sounded out through the temple as the doors sealed behind Amara, she was finally at peace. The temple itself wasn't however, it was as if her anger had been transferred to the temple as spikes of all shapes and sizes began to wreck havoc along their path back to the ship.


Eventually Brevil found his way out of the maze alone, his men slaughtered and him getting hit a few times. This mission was a lot more dangerous than Lady Astra had intended, now, all he wanted to do was see her to make sure she was safe after being away for nearly an hour. Limping, the Lord Commander made his way back to the airship, slowly but surely.


---


"She can't be trusted, Gunnar she-" Gunnar immediately blocked his link with Dio, eyeing Astra with a certain glint in his eyes. The way she was looking at him was all too familiar to the viking, and unfortunately for everyone in the other room Gunnar was about to make a horrific situation a little more bearable at the cost of his pride. Even at the cost of his own shame he couldn't deny the woman before him was breathtaking, and, perhaps on the off chance this would create an opening to escape and to kill her for what she had done thus far. But until then, Gunnar was complacent with what she intended.


"We weren't lovers, no..." Gunnar grunted, watching as the woman traced along the scar Amara had given him. "Not that I never thought about it. Just didn't happen." He confessed, ironically the only time he mentioned Amara in such a way when no one he knew was around. "Didn't have the time." Gunnar smirked, "Don't think she could have handled me. She is... all talk. No action. Afraid of me... I get the feeling you're the opposite." As Gunnar paused to listen to Astra further about wanting to 'thank' him. When she asked if he wanted to be thanked he had so many conflicting emotions but alas, chances are this was the end of the road. With Dio not watching and the others hopefully not listening, Gunnar gave her a sly grin. The same one he had been giving her since they had met and he spotted that same sneaky smile she had been giving him since they locked eyes. He rattled his chains on his arms and his legs for show, showing that he wasn't about to go anywhere.


"Thank me."
 
As Brevil had stumbled in, smelling like blood and looking like hell, Balor's eyes flitted upwards. They had been closed for a deal of time, wishing quietly that Amara's descent into the temple had either been a quick death or a violent one for the soldiers that had escorted her. When he looked up, seeing only Brevil returning from the temple, and covered in blood, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. At the beginning, he couldn't have imagined celebrating the deaths of others. Now, after seeing Orin and Sinna hurt repeatedly, knowing Slaw had been killed, and Amara, Kegan, and Beet having been taken, he had a brief glimpse of happiness.


Of course, he didn't speak out, watching only as Brevil entered the ship, completely dissheveled and bleeding. Balor watched as none of his guards followed, as the pilot had been given the order to immediately leave, the island itself still lashing out at them. The ship shook hard, jerking the prisoners and causing Astra to stumble, catching herself on the hallway wall as she adjusted her headscarf. She turned back before leaving the room, still grinning. "Well, I can't that was all really to thank you, but who says you're not deserving of something good before you're sent to death, human?" she said, with a giggle, and turned to walk down the hall.


Her eyes flashed as Brevil slugged himself through the hall. She gasped, letting the door shut behind her. She came to his side, planting herself underneath his arm as they trekked to the medical bay. "What ... what happened, Lord Brevil?" she asked, gasping as the ship shook again, her attitude changing like night and day. She assisted him to the medical bay as the few remaining soldiers on board that had been assigned to watch the prisoners scattered to assure that their vehicle hadn't been compromised, leaving Orin and Balor alone for the time being.


Balor scooted to Orin, lowering his voice. "Constellia's temple is next." he said, whispering to the injured Seer. "I see it on the horizon." he added, looking up to the darkened sky, illuminated by a natural stone observatory. The stars were more visible as they had drawn near to it, the range of effect of the temple illuminating them as if writing a story. "I will tell you the same thing I told Amara ... fight, if you can. The water is a preferable death to a sword, if you cannot go into the temple. A deal of them were killed on Onyx's temple. You have a chance." he said, abruptly stopping as soon as a guard had entered the room.


Orin nodded slightly, the blood from his face having stopped flowing since he had gotten kicked. "I don't know if there's a chance, Bal." he said. "She's ... probably right. I'm probably no one's Champion. And I can't see."


Astra took Brevil to the medbay, assisting the Lamian man in peeling off his armor over the injured sites. "We're not done yet." she said to him, looking up to him in seriousness. "There is only the Viking and the boy. Can you make it until then?" she asked, as the on-board medic had begun wrapping his wounds. "The Gods have lead us to this point. We can't stop now. There is no other explanation for coming across these people as we have now. So many Champions in one place ... we're to deliver them. Can you assist me to do that, my Lord?" she asked, stepping away to let the medic work. "Can I prepare the prisoner in confidence? I will let you deal the final blow, happen that he isn't the Champion. Knowing that he isn't."
 
"You're welcome." Gunnar replied with a grin to Astra as she began to readjust her clothing on her way out. Fortunately Amara had taken her sweet time in her temple compared to the others, Gunnar actually ironically benefiting from this situation with a quick romp with an attractive Starseer. That and the idea of torturing Brevil by doing what he could not get gave Gunnar a twisted form of justice, torturing the Lord Commander indirectly. "I think thanking me ended about 10 minutes in, the hour after that was you taking advantage of me being locked up. Can't say I blame you, we're good." Before she left with Brevil stumbling in the other room Gunnar's eyes narrowed, "Might be dying but after what you just showed me..." Gunnar looked at peace to Astra, she had tamed the Viking. "...gonna be honest, wish we had more time before you go and kill me. Go." He instructed, "Brevil must be missing you." He said with a wink, sharing one final smile with his fling before she exited the room.


Back outside Brevil was in bad shape, Astra rushing to assist him. His heart fluttered as he seen her rush to his aid, the two walking to the medbay on the ship. Without her assistance he would have fallen. "You... feel like you have a fever..." Brevil said with a nervous chuckle, "You're very warm, m'lady. I guess doing Constellia's work is sweaty business, no? You shouldn't have to help me walk... I failed..." He said, stifling back pain. "My guard was killed as Amara entered the temple. There is a god watching over her... She's a champion and Onyx... is the biggest problem our people could face..." Raising his gauntlet and coughing he noticed blood in his palm after he did so, showing he had internal injuries. "The temple turned against us and killed everyone I went in with... I barely escaped with my life."


They finally arrived in the medbay, the two of them peeling off his armor piece by piece. "I would do anything for you, Lady Astra." Brevil replied to her as the medic began to bandage him. "You are the leader of your Coven and... I must confess I've taken a fancy to you." He said, a smile appearing on his face. "I did not wish to say so before but your prescience is soothing and your company is heartwarming. I know we have just met but alas..." Brevil winced as the medic wrapped a bandage rather tightly, "...the heart can not always stop itself. I will help you finish this work... We must hurry. My injuries are severe and the longer we wait that damn viking could regain his strength or worse..."


Brevil's expression was grim, "I would hate for him to do anything to you."
 
"I do have a fever, my Lord." Astra said, her eyes narrowing. A small porthole out of the ship had indicated to her that they had arrived, as well as the swell of familiar mana that rushed into her. Perhaps it had been the gallop she'd had with Gunnar, or it could have been the influence of Constellia, but she had felt great. As Brevil had confessed his feelings to her, she smiled sweetly, looking away as if embarrassed. "I ... feel the same way. There's something about your presence that just makes me feel ... protected. It's something I've only found in Gods before, knowing that my path has already been carved and I will be lead safely to it. But I have it with you as well." She said, taking his hand to hold against her. Flushing Brevil even further, she leaned in, kissing the injured Lamian man and then taking in his surprise with a smile.


"I haven't felt this way before." She added, and then promptly looked to the medic, who had stopped her work to give a quirked brow to the two of them. "Could you leave us alone for a moment?" She asked in earnest, her voice showing no semblance of deception. "I'm sorry. I'm delaying the mission, I know."


Work no contest, the medic made her way out of the bay, following a smarter path than the one from Brevil's past. Astra looked deep into Brevil's eyes, sitting next to him on the medical bed. Her hands shifted to cup the edges of it, feeling for something underneath. When her fingers had grazed it, she continued. "Take off everything. I ... am afraid your injuries may be bad. Seers are also trained medically; our sisters are often hurt in their holy missions. I'll take a look at you myself." She said, pulling back her headscarf. "It's impersonal to allow someone I don't trust to look after those I care about, so ... if you will. I would be honored to holster your blade and armor, as well. If ... that is okay with you. I hate to be so forward."


Meanwhile, in the bay, Orin had been hoisted to his feet, the Seer still fighting them all along the way. There had been little result, all of his strength exhausted. "You fucking nameless bastards." He said, low. "Following that stupid bitch of a Seer, you -" he was cut short as a pommel had been slammed into the back of his head, disorienting him.


"Orin ... quiet. And then." Balor said, cryptically. "Wait."


"Get this over with!" Orin roared.
 
Brevil was speechless after he and Astra shared a kiss. He was injured badly but that? It seemed as if in a moment his pain was taken away and all he could think about was the beautiful woman kissing him. Though her lips were comforting and she had shared his feelings something still nagged at his mind that this was too good to be true. No woman had ever expressed such interest in him before and with her beauty? It was beginning to feel wrong, like this was just far too good to be true. Though the strange taste that her mouth left behind was a bit unusual he licked his lips to clean them and smiled back at her.


"You are far too kind to me... Lady Astra... You are beautiful... and have such a splendid heart." Brevil replied quietly, watching as the medic left the room. He let out a long pained sigh, looking up at the ceiling for a moment before looking back to Astra. "Take off everything huh? My... Lady Astra... you like to move quick?" He said, trying to break the ice with a lame joke. It wouldn't have been nearly as bad sounding if he had said it with confidence but with the way his heart was hammering in his chest he was having a hard time keeping his composure or sounding like his normal self. Bit by bit he began to take off the rest of his armor until he was simply left in his under clothing. The Lord Commander's armor was a heavy set one, one that took far too much time for Brevil's comfort as his wounds that had settled began to ooze out blood once more.


Dropping back down he let out a loud grunt of pain, though all things considered he was handling it all quite well. "I prefer you be forward with me... Astra." He said, foregoing the 'lady' title as they seemed to be getting more personal. "Too much time is wasted by pleasantries. I could have died in that temple without knowing that you shared these feelings so for that I apologize. Now that everything is out on the table we-" Brevil paused, taking in a deep breath as Astra began to treat his wounds. "-we will finish our work here then... We will ensure that you and your coven is safe, secure and..." Brevil smiled at her, a genuine one. "Will make the Starseers reach new heights like they've never seen before."


Brevil reached down and placed his hand on her face, "Would you like that?"
 
"I ... I would." Astra said. As Brevil peered down at her, however, her hands had told a different story. Instead of continuing on down the set path - a path she wasn't actually interested in traveling - Brevil soon felt the cold metal embrace of a set of mana-locking cuffs clasp over his wrists. Astra backed off as soon as she had committed the deed, locking Brevil into a fate he couldn't have possibly expected. For him, everything was going well. He had been finally promoted, his hard work recognized after years upon years of racism and abuse. Finally, after failure upon failure, someone had liked him. Someone hadn't found him disgusting. He was elated. On top of the world. And then, just like that, he was cut down, a pair of cuffs on his wrists. Caught without armor, completely vulnerable.


"Guards." Astra said, standing up and away from him. "I hate to do this to you ... I do. But I won't be competing with some Shade bitch and I won't be with a man as ..." She grimaced, wiping her lip. "... I know you believe you love me. But you would love any woman who gave you attention. If that Shade whore had, you would have thrown me into the ocean and you know it."


As Brevil had been struck with awe and surprise, the remaining guards had filtered into the room. They stopped as soon as they had seen Brevil, their eyes widening. "Come on, now. Don't stare. That's rude. Take Prisoner Brevil to the room with the Viking. We have to get on with this. I'd hate for him to die before we get to Alun's temple." She said, finally catching Brevil's eye again as she went to leave the room, escorting him to the bedroom. "Don't look at me like that. You said you wanted to help our sisters get to a higher point. This is the way. Your powers are unmistakable. You've just been too blind to realize that this is what was happening."
 
"I... Astra why... I..." Brevil stammered as the cuffs locked down and she revealed her true intentions. "Sinna is nothing compared to you you're-" He paused, his eyes glazing over as he seen her wipe her lips. His heart had never been ripped out of his chest like this so quickly and so harshly before. She had been using him because she suspected him to be the champion of Alun, now that he was injured and cuffed with the magic dampening cuffs he was useless. He was powerless to her surprise attack and now his own men were turning against him. "DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS.... WHORE!" Brevil roared, "She has manipulated our men into doing her bidding and-"


"You gave us strict orders to listen to her, sir." The guard who grabbed Brevil by his arm and hoisted him up to his feet said. He then leaned in and whispered, "Commander Jhak sends his regards." With that, Brevil was in for a whole new world of pain as the guard slammed his knee into the man's stomach. "You think it's okay to murder innocents and get rewarded for it? You're disgusting... At least with this Starseer she's doing Central's mission. You were always looking out after yourself, it's the reason why you're in this position now. MOVE PRISONER!" The guard roared, pushing Brevil forward and sending the weakened man to the ground.


One could find sympathy for Seymore Brevil but now? His wrong doings had caught up to him and he had been played by a master manipulator. His fate was sealed and there was nothing he could do about it.


"Putting me in the room with the Viking huh? After assisting you so loyally?" Brevil shook his head, "Your transgressions will get the best of you, Starseer. Although I fancied you love was never in the equation. You hold yourself too highly you-" Brevil was shoved into the room with Gunnar to find the man unclothed and chained to the bed, a blanket simply covering him with his pants around his ankles. "What is the meaning of this how are you na-"


"Surprise Brevil!" Gunnar said with a big grin, "I gave your girlfriend a spin."


In that moment Brevil had never experienced so much anger in his entire life. The fact that this was happening to him, the Lord Commander of the Central Kingdom, was almost too much to comprehend. The fact that Astra had not only betrayed him but slept with the most disgusting prisoner there made his heart pound in his chest, sweat appear on his brow and his teeth nearly popped from how hard he was clenching his jaw. If it wasn't for the guards locking Brevil to a pipe in the wall he would have charged at Gunnar out of pure anger or would have turned on Astra and tried to harm her. This was too much and now he was being tortured in so many different ways. To him, he didn't deserve this. To everyone else this was warranted.


"There ain't no point in fighting." Gunnar grunted, the viking shifting and his chains rattling as he did so. "She's more than fair. You should have been more careful Brevil... She even thanks you if you're good!" Gunnar looked to Astra, "I know we're approaching Constelia's temple and my friend Orin is going to be tested... I know this is asking a lot but..." He frowned, "Can I see him off? Preferably with my pants pulled up." He paused, not knowing how to approach this without her thinking he was going to attack like the other attempts from before. Gunnar didn't actually intend on doing anything, he just didn't want Orin to be alone in his final moments. That was, unless he wasn't chosen. "I'd owe you one." Gunnar said with a wink, knowing she'd get exactly what he meant.


Brevil never felt so powerless in his life.


"If you listen to that prisoner you're a dumber whore than I thought..." Brevil spat, "He is just wanting to escape he-"


"My wife is dead. My family is dead. My friends have been killed or locked up one by one." Gunnar said, his gaze drifting to Brevil. "It's inevitable. We lost. What would I escape to? A Kingdom that hated me? Another kingdom about to go to war? I have nothing. Astra has given me something-" He paused, trying to word this without coming off too grateful. "Well, I gave her something. Four of them at least. There's no point in fighting if I'm getting something good out of my final moments of life. You should have learned to cherish yours better, Brevil."


"I... hate... you..."
 
Astra looked between Gunnar and Brevil as they had their spat, waiting for them to finish, and the smirk she'd had on her face had indicated that she was enjoying it. She approached Brevil, her hand reaching up to brush the hair out of his face. He was completely powerless to do anything about it, ironically Astra treating him better after he had become imprisoned than before. She was done playing the innocent Seer, and something in her gaze down at him had seemed malicious. She twirled his hair around her finger and then let it go.


"It's not really your business what I do." she said. "Oh, Brevil ... You just played into my hand. Is every woman who doesn't sleep with you a whore? At least you have some basis this time, but ... well, you're going to learn well what you've instilled diligently into my other prisoners. It doesn't matter if you hate me. You think you have some sort of choice, but - did you really think that you would be promoted to Lord Commander? A Lamian? The same race that Central is fighting so diligently against? It was an illusion all along. Instill a little nugget of confidence in you, you'd be less paranoid, you'd think you have control, you would even defend the ship that's taking you to your own temple."


She shook her head. "I really do hate to do this to you, because I do like you. But this is necessary. You'll see that soon enough. I wouldn't do this if I didn't believe in you, you know."


Astra looked to Gunnar, her hand leaving Brevil's face. She came to Gunnar, her hands pressing into the bed beside him. "You're not going to escape, are you?" she asked, and laughed when he answered in the negative. "Even if you had wanted to, none of you have the choice regardless. Which is why you all ended up here. Your fate is in my hands. So ... bestow your worries, Lord Commander - or ... should I say Prisoner Brevil - I'll assure, as much as I've assured that you won't be going anywhere - there will be no escaping from either of you."


For a moment, she looked to Gunnar, her eyes closing for a second. "Mm ... maybe. Alright. Fine. Maybe just because Brevil called me a whore, and that hurt my feelings. But I'll allow you to see him off. Guards, his cuffs in front of him, please." she asked, politely. "If you try anything, we already know that you come back, so we'll just throw your dead body into the temple. But I imagine you won't do that to me, will you? You can pull up your own pants once you're not ... spread like that on the bed."


With a laugh, Astra left the room, leaving Brevil behind like he was trash. She came into the room where Orin and Balor were being held, to find that he had already been ready to go, pulled to his feet. She approached the Seer, a grin on her face, and grabbed him by the chin, edging his face upwards rather than slinked to look to the floor. "We're going to see just how much of a Champion you are. Sad." she said. "I've decided to be nice and let your Viking friend see you off."


"From what it sounded like, you weren't the one 'being nice'." Orin said, causing Astra's face to drop.


"Keep talking and when you fail the test I'll kill you in front of him." she growled, Orin's comment rubbing her wrong. She released him, and nodded toward the exit of the ship. "I was thinking of being nice and waiting until he got in his temple to do so, but ..."


"I'm not going to fail the test, so that doesn't matter." Orin replied.


"Your confidence is annoying."
 
"I'd do a few things to you... Might postpone that last temple if I told you them." Gunnar said with a sly smirk, the viking seemingly infatuated with the woman. Brevil needed to take notes, Gunnar not playing into her hand directly but keeping her on her toes with his comments and flirtatious gestures. The added danger of him being free to was unspoken, though in a way it was a game they were playing. If he could behave she knew she had won, if he didn't then he'd simply be killed. It was a worthy risk, especially with him unarmed, no magic and no way of defending himself. "I'll be good. Thank you... for treating me like a person and not a prisoner. Though you pulling my pants up would have been nice after you took them off." He said with a grin, the two of them knowing just how furious Brevil was getting in the corner.


Sure enough, the light skinned man was growing a shade of purple that would have been almost comical in any other circumstance. He refused to speak to Astra now, his blood boiling as he plotted on how to escape from his bindings. As Astra left and the guards undid Gunnar's leg shackles he stretched them, letting out a groan of relief. "Had a fucking cramp in my legs after all that bounc-"


"Enough. Please." Brevil steamed, his eyes tearing up as he looked down to the ground. "Leave me be."


"Why?" Gunnar replied, his hands being unbound one at a time. He gave the guards no trouble, in fact, he held his hands together so they could cuff him properly even. "You didn't leave any one of my friends be. You've hurt and tortured each and every one of them and now that it's on you... you expect mercy?" Gunnar shook his head, "Hope you didn't kiss her, by the way."


'Why would you say-"


Gunnar stood up, his blanket falling and his body fully exposed. Brevil immediately turned away, the already flustered man not needing to see the man he hated so much without clothing. Gunnar quickly pulled his pants up as he stood up but the sight wouldn't leave Brevil's mind anytime soon. "Use your brain. She was very kind to me. Gotta know how to get them excited Brevil... This 'm'lady' bullshit is gonna make her laugh in your face." Gunnar tilted his head to the side, "She did kiss you, didn't she?" It didn't take much for Brevil to figure it all out and he actually began to cry, tears streaking down his face as he was finally defeated. He looked down at the ground and quietly sobbed, Gunnar grunting in response. No man should cry for what Brevil had went through in his eyes, Gunnar had been through worse and kept his cool. It was mean, but in Gunnar's eyes the pain Brevil was suffering was only a fraction of what he deserved.


The guards began to escort Gunnar to meet Orin and Astra. "You did good." One of the guards replied to Gunnar, in response to Brevil sobbing. "It's going to be a shame if you aren't the champion. If you get locked away I hope you get out."


"I already am, friend." Gunnar said with a frown. "Spoken with Necras himself. It's the only reason I keep coming back or I'd be dead over sixty years ago." The guard wanted to dispute Gunnar's words but he said them so easily the words seemed to flow too naturally to be false. "Thank you for being one of the kind ones. We're all people too... Just on different sides."


"Yes... Yes we are... Let's get moving." The guard paused, a grin visible through his helmet. "Great work on Astra by the way, the others can't stop talking about it." With a smile on his face and a spring in his step Gunnar began to walk into the other room where the others were waiting. His heart softened when he seen the Orin and Balor were still safe but the loss of the others still weighed heavily on his heart.


"Room is a lot emptier..." Gunnar said, mostly so Orin knew he was there. "Thank you, Astra. I'll behave. Maybe." He said with a wink. "Orin... let's just get this over with buddy. We'll get you in there... You'll be safe. Okay?"
 
"I know you can't make that promise." Orin said, looking dejected. Still, they had been given a moment to talk at the mercy of Astra, and that was enough. Orin had come to terms with the fact that he might be dying multiple times, but having hope given to him and then torn away repeatedly had broken him more than if he'd never had it at all.


"Gunnar -" Balor said, speaking up before they could leave. "Thank you. For coming back." he said. "If ... nothing happens, then try." he said, knowing that Astra was listening. He had meant that if Orin hadn't been the champion, then try to do what he could to save him, but he didn't want to instill doubt in Astra happen that they had a chance.


With that, they had been pulled away, bringing them outside of the ship. They stepped out onto purple-hued grass, and then when they had looked up, they had seen just why it was called Constellia's temple. The temple itself was the only one that had opened on the top, the 'eye' of Constellia looking up into the starsm the top of it covered by a distortional wall of mana. On the grounds of the temple, they could see the stars clearer than they ever could before, as if it had emanated a field that allowed every one of them to see akin to the strongest Seers in the land. Forms danced above them between the connectors of the stars themselves, creating images of the Gods. Above them, Constellia shined bright in the sky, her constellation looking like a massive eye staring down at them.


And Orin could see it all.


His breath caught in his throat and he felt small in the grand scale of things. Of course, he had talked as if he was sure he was the champion, but he was lying. He wasn't sure. He believed every 'useless' and 'stupid' and 'blind' that had come out of others' mouths. He knew he couldn't help his friends or his family, especially as Sinna had been taken away from him. The doubt showed on his face as he gazed up into the sky, his third eye looking back into that of Constellia's.


But it was quiet.


Astra was the first one to break the silence, a smile on her face. "It feels so good to be this close to her." she said, taking in Orin's expression. "What's wrong? Doubting your insistence that you're anything compared to her limitless scope? I ... feel so powerful, here. With her looking down on us." she said, taking a sharp breath in. "Normally I'd just shove you in there and get this over with ... but I don't mind this taking a moment."


As Astra paused, Orin walked forward, distinctly defying her orders and annoying her again. Her eyes rolled and she followed suit, looking coyly to Gunnar. "I wonder how you've gotten acquainted with such a brat." she said, low. "You know, I didn't take humans as ... well, this. Always got the impression that they were haggard and sickly and godless. Your god has liked you enough to bring you back. That's interesting."


They stepped into the temple, Orin freezing before they had gotten to the vault. The last time he had failed, they almost killed him immediately.


"If you're going to say your goodbyes, then do it now." she said.
 
"My god hates me." Gunnar said, his gaze drifting to Astra after a moment of silence. He watched as Orin began to walk towards the vault and frowned, staying behind with Astra for a moment to speak. "He took everything from me. Sent me to death before my time, left my wife who was with child... Woke me up when she was old and grey, my son older than me. All I cared about was defending the ones I loved. Fuck Necras." Was all Gunnar had to say on that matter, not wanting to let her know every detail about him. He had given just enough for some sympathy at the very least, "As for humans being this way... Not everyone is built like me, sweetheart. Once you lock me in that temple I'll be the last good human you'll see. Hope you won't miss me too much."


As they continued to walk forward he thought of how him and Orin got aquainted. He figured it didn't hurt tell her, after all there was a very real chance they would be killed upon entering the temples. "He saved my life. Necras brought me back and I woke up face down in the ocean." He said that sentence far too casually to an outsider, it sounding absolutely insane with how nonchalantly he spoke about it. "I'm sorry you don't see him the way I do... Or any of us for that matter. We might be born under forbidden signs but I think in a different life you would have liked us, Astra. Maybe not Brevil... but the rest of us." Gunnar frowned for a moment, "We were good people..."


Gunnar silently pressed on, not walking next to her anymore as he looked up at the eye looking back at him. Everything in his being wanted him to curse at Constellia, the viking already having declared war on her months ago. He was still on that same war path, even if it had taken a slight detour.


"If you're going to say your goodbyes, then do it now." Astra spoke as they looked at the door Orin would potentially be walking through. They only had two guards with them, if Orin was to be killed Gunnar was going to do his best to stop them from killing him. That wasn't an option and it was entirely the reason Gunnar wanted to walk with them. He was still in shock that Astra had allowed this, the viking having a much bigger effect on her than he had thought originally.


"Thank you." Gunnar said, making eye contact with her to show he was genuine. He then turned to Orin who was freezing just before the Vault. He walked over to his and wrapped his arms around the boy, taking a knee and pulling him in tight to his strong chest as he whispered, "You're a Champion, Orin... Don't let this bitch tell you otherwise... And, on the chance you aren't... Run. I'll kill them all for you, brother." He said so lowly that Orin could barely hear him. It was almost inaudible, Gunnar not wanting Astra to catch on to what he was saying. Outside of their embrace it simply looked like Orin was getting a rather long hug, it made sense, especially if he was about to be put to death. Finally, Gunnar untangled himself from the Ifritian boy and smiled at him. "Can you see me?" He asked, seeing his third eye go haywire with power. "How do I look?" He asked with a grin, unsure if the boy could see him or not.


"Let's hurry this up, Gunnar." The guard from before said. "We have to get Brevil and... you to your temples..."


"Sorry." Gunnar replied, complying with them for once. It was still shocking but they had chalked it up to Astra paying it forward for them. "Once you get in there... stay strong. We'll see eachother again one day. Whether I have to bust you out of that temple or we'll see eachother in the afterlife... Okay brother?"
 
"...Okay." Orin said, with a nod. "You ..." he paused. "Even when I can see through the eye, it's dark. Silhouettes and ideas. But ... you look like shit." He said, betraying his own feelings and emanating a laugh. His smile immediately turned sour as he was hit with a swell of emotion. He thought back, remembering when Astra had said that the Champion of Arkas had been locked in their temple for a century. It was a terrifying idea to him, and he had been locked between two fates: be the champion, and potentially lock his fate for a century, or not be the champion and be murdered where he stood. He brought his hands up to his eyes, stopping them from misting. Like Sinna and Gunnar had said, he had to be strong. He forced it back.


"If you ... aren't the Champion ... I fully expect you to break out and go get Sinna and Amara out. The dwarf, too. What's his name? Kegel." He said. Then, the guard from earlier had pushed him forward, gesturing toward the temple door. "Yeah, yeah." Orin said, putting on a tough face as he turned to face his trial. He sucked air in as his cuffs were taken off, approaching the door quietly. Now, there had been no Brevil to cut him down. He reached up on his own accord, touching the orb that was going to determine his fate.


For a while, it had seemed like nothing was going to happen. He could hear the guards' fingers cinch around their weapons, preparing to take him out. He let his air out, feeling frozen. Unprepared to run. And then, without warning, light shot through the orb and trailed through the door, lighting up the room around them. The door began to unlock, surprising everyone except Gunnar. A silence had taken them all, but before long Astra had spoken up.


"...I can't believe this." She said, huffing. "You ... drivelling little imp. It's you? You're the champion? I worry deeply for the fate of our people in that case."


"...Me too." Orin replied, his face in awe. He turned to look at the door as it opened, finding that the inside of the temple had been a massive colosseum of stars; a cylindrical room with nothing but the signs to adorn it, and an elevated platform in the middle. He was struck, but he still hadn't wanted to leave his life behind. Only a small amount of hope had been given to him that he might actually survive - unlike the darkness of Sombros' temple - but before he had gone in, he looked to Gunnar. "...See you in another life, brother."


Making the hardest decision that he could, Orin walked into the temple, the door shutting behind him. Astra frowned as the temple accepted him, but all that had meant was that she had done her job. More than any other Seer could have done, and had done. She looked to Gunnar, her frown dissolving into a smirk. "I'm going to leave you behind before I put Brevil in his, so you know."
 
Gunnar watched as Orin began to walk into the temple, it opening for him just as Gunnar had known it would. Orin was far too special to not be a champion and by the looks of things the majority of them had been champions by some twist of fate. It didn't make sense but at the same time Gunnar was just happy he didn't have to try and save Orin one final time. He was far too weak to actually do anything but his stubbornness meant he was simply going to do it anyway, even if it meant his life. Besides, he would just come back again if Necras wanted him to live bad enough regardless of what the god had said before. "In another life, brother..." Gunnar replied to Orin, holding back tears as he seen his last bit of family walk into that temple with the doors shutting behind him. He stayed strong however, he was alone now. Balor would most likely be safe but Gunnar? Gunnar had to go right back to playing the game with Astra.


"Oh yeah?" Gunnar asked after she had told him he was being saved for last. "Trying to keep me to yourself are you? Can't say I blame you. We can skip my temple and run away together." He said, trying to lighten the mood and returning her smirk. Things were slowly becoming awkward between the two of them. A part of Astra had to feel some remorse for Gunnar, especially with how compliant he was being and in a way the man was being rather sweet. He had ensured that Orin went in without a fight and made everything smoother than they had been originally. They made a good team in a strange way, though that was only because of Gunnar swallowing his pride to deal with her. The awkwardness stemmed from the fact that it was almost his time and there was no way around it. "Appreciate it. Keep this up and I might actually have to thank you back."


The guard from before stifled a laugh, admiring Gunnar ironically as he gestured for them to move. "We should get moving. Brevil is a powerful warrior... You snapped out of your shackles before Gunnar, I'm sure he can if he gets angry enough."


"I only did when I had something to fight for, Brevil doesn't. As for me..." Gunnar shrugged, "Good things happen to me while I'm chained up so I'm not gonna press my luck. I'm just glad you all are saving the best for last."


They began to move forward back to the airship, Orin's departure weighing heavily on Gunnar's mind. He hoped and prayed that he was going to be safe inside, that everything would turn out okay even in their darkest hour. Even then he couldn't show his saddness or his remorse that he simply let him walk in, it was better for him but every fiber of his being had told him to rush in after him. To stop him. But alas, he couldn't do so without ruining what he was planning.


"Astra." Gunnar said as they were walking back. The guards had went on ahead, a disturbing amount of trust being put into Gunnar's hands the longer he spoke with them. "I know you are probably manipulating me into helping you and making this easier and don't really care for me or my people like you did with Brevil but... for a stone cold bitch I'm really into you." He smirked, his crassness potentially being an advantage for him here. Brevil had done nothing but kiss her ass, Gunnar was doing so while joking in a way he figured she'd appreciate. She was bad, so he had to be bad. "This is a whole lot easier knowing that Brevil isn't the one sentencing me to these temples too... If the last face I seen was his disgusting one I'd still be fighting back."


He spotted the airship as they were exiting the temple, knowing it wouldn't be long now until it was his turn. It was a shame, no longer seeing the daziling constelations as they had seen in the temple but the normal sky was good enough for Gunnar. It could be the last time he ever seen the sky. "Thank you..." Gunnar said, leaning over to Astra and whispering her a genuine gesture of gratitude. "You didn't have to do that for me back there but you did... You took a big risk for no reason other than because I asked you so... If there's anything you need of me before I am locked away: ask."
 
"Don't compliment me too much, Viking, you're making me suspicious." Astra said, leisurely. "I don't actually know if you're going to be the champion of that temple ... the one of Necras. More surprising things have happened today. If you aren't ... I may just keep you yet." she said, smiling coyly. It seemed as if she had forgotten Orin in a moment, the thought not weighing too heavily on her as she hadn't even been remotely connected with the boy. It was easy for the Viking to pull the wool over her eyes, the Seer not quite understanding the connections that people could have with one another that hadn't involved manipulation.


"This has been fun." Astra added, as they all boarded the ship together. "I suppose under other circumstances I might not have been so hard on you all. It's nothing personal, of course - you know that well. It's just ... I have to keep these people under my thumb. I don't often have the opportunity to progress, but it has all become the perfect storm for me. If you will, just think of me as carrying out the gods' will - after all, would you all have come together in simple coincidence if not for the purpose of returning you to the temples that we require you to be in?"


She seemed content with herself, especially as she took one last glimpse of Constellia's temple. "Prisoners or not ... you all are fulfilling a higher purpose. I do believe that. Of course ... it may be another century before anything happens with these things, as illustrated by the Champion of Arkas, but ... I believe I have lead you all to more purpose in life than you could have possibly had otherwise. What were you doing before this, anyways? Running from the Blazing Isles? Being chased? Leading the blind?" she asked, tittering at her own joke after she made it. "Lets go see how Lord Brevil is doing."


With that, Astra lead Gunnar back to the room, Balor looking quietly up at them as they passed. Gunnar's lack of emotion had indicated to him that Orin hadn't been hurt, and while he had been thankful for that, the Lamian man was defeated - his family was gone. Astra passed him up, peeking into the room where Brevil had been held. "Heelllooo!" she said, cheerfully. "I've got good news for you, Brevil. The Viking didn't kill me, and, well ... the boy turned out to be the champion, so there's that." she said, with a grin. "Now you get to watch him be locked up, and you'll behave when I bring you to your temple, won't you? Guards, if you'll put our human friend back into his restraints - don't feel the need to have him chained up as scandalously - and assure fastidiously that Brevil doesn't make an attempt on any of our lives - that would be appreciated."


With that, Astra waited patiently in the doorway, not willing to give Brevil as much leeway as she had given Gunnar.


The ship had pulled away from Constellia's temple, leaving them all in wait for the assumed icicle that would be Brevil's.
 
"Be suspicious. I'm the dangerous human barbarian you have in chains, don't trust me. Never know when I'm gonna break em." Gunnar grunted with a grin, "I'm the champion sweetheart, don't get your hopes up. Though if Necras somehow chose another then... I guess there's worse fates than being underneath you." Unfortunately for his friends that had long since passed away or were locked away Gunnar seemed a tad too infatuated with Astra. Perhaps not Brevil level but after their encounter he was laying it on rather thick. However, it was simply just the way Gunnar was. He was an intense man, regardless of if she was suspicious or not he wanted more before he was sentenced. "Carry out their will then Astra... the god's reasoning may be bearing down on me and my people but... In the end it'll be for the better. Maybe. Necras is a... unforgiving god. When I see him again so soon he'll..."


Gunnar stopped speaking as they entered the airship once more, it taking off shortly after they reboarded. His face had told Balor enough and seeing Balor's only broke Gunnar's heart further. He knew it was most likely a better fate than death by blade but this all felt too intense. Too brutal for them to ever truly recuperate. If he played his cards right he could perhaps talk his way out of getting him and Balor also killed if they both weren't champions. With their luck it was beginning to feel that way. They entered the bedroom and Gunnar was promptly chained back to the bed, this time without his legs spread to the other ends. Astra's cheerful hello was grating on Brevil's ears, the Lamian man still looking down at the ground. His tears were long absent now but instead there only simply remained a stoic face. He showed no hate, no anger. He was simply trying to remain calm in a terrible situation.


"I am surprised the Viking didn't kill you, whore." Brevil whispered, "Though perhaps he's simply wanting another chance with you before you kill him mercilessly like the others. Poor... pathetic... Gunnar... chasing after a woman who will do nothing but cause your demise. I learned that lesson just a few hours before you... a shame... I hear having a human slave is all the rage in the Blazing Isles."


"I like the demise part. Means this shit show is about to be over with." Gunnar replied with a crazed look on his face. He welcomed death, it set him apart from the rest. "Can't blame me for wanting more ass. Though... Maybe you don't know how that's like? Probably explains why you're so god damn moody." Brevil didn't dignify Gunnar with a response, still simply looking down. When Astra didn't leave he realized she was going to keep a watchful eye on him now, the man's stoic gaze faltering under her own.


"You are... fucking stupid for trusting him, you know?" Brevil said, finally raising his face to look at Astra. "He simply wanted to go with you to ensure his friend wasn't killed. He would have turned on you the moment you ordered his demise."


"Yup." Gunnar said with a smirk. "Tell her something she doesn't know. Would have killed them all. But, it worked out and I didn't."


"Wha-... what?" Brevil asked, caught off guard. "How can you say such a thing and expect to be trusted?"


"The secret is I don't give a fuck if I'm trusted. I have nothing left to protect so my work is done." Gunnar replied crudely. "My motivations are pretty simple... Play nice, get treated nice. There's no shame in it. You seen how far fighting got us... And-" Gunnar grinned, already back to taunting Brevil. "By playing real nice I got what I wanted. A few things actually... Something you won't learn about since they'll probably kill your pathetic ass outside Alun's temple."


"Curses... You are so vile and so... absurd..." Brevil shook his head, confused on how the viking actually got the upperhand here. To him Gunnar was playing a game, one in which there was no winning but he was still playing it nonetheless. Astra had to have her suspicions but the way he was speaking so bluntly and honestly it was dumbfounding. "You belong together. The whore and the unclaimed... It's fitting. I hope the gods strike you both down for the sins you've both committed. Locking up the Lord Commander of the Central Kingdom? Turning my own men against me?" Brevil's face was growing redder as his stoicism faded. "I will rip the flesh from your bones and the crown will celebrate my victory for not only opening the temples but ridding the world of such filth." He spoke with conviction, of a man who couldn't accept his fate. "You may enjoy being her prisoner but I do not... This will not end well for either of you."
 
Astra quirked a brow as Gunnar and Brevil spat back and forth, with Brevil taunting her repeatedly and Gunnar being as brass and honest as he had always been. A part of her had liked the danger and excitement that stringing the Viking along had brought, and another part of her had just wanted to prove that she could usher them both into subservience. She looked to Gunnar, her smirk unfaltering as he went on and on about how she was a whore, he was vile, and she was being played. "Sins?" she asked, honing in on Brevil's divine retaliation against her. She walked up to him, kneeling in front of the ground-bound Lamian man. "Oh, Brevil ... I'm well aware of the Sins you've committed. The guards speak of murder of innocents, you think they were yours? They've seen how you act. The insanity. You're insane, Brevil. Murderous and violent. How would you have reacted if I didn't sleep with the Viking and just turned down your advances? Because I saw how you treated that Shade girl." she said, her head cocked slightly. "The King is well aware of what I'm doing here. In fact, it was on our suggestion that he gave you the promotion. You're too loose of a cannon to be entrusted with an army, are you kidding me?" she asked, with a laugh, then a sigh as she stood.


"You're going through the same stages of denial as the previous prisoners, you just don't see it. You're in denial that this is going to happen, but it is, and there is nothing you can do about it as soon as I put those cuffs over your wrists." she hissed. "This was all the plan from the beginning and the sooner you begin to see it the sooner you will come to terms with it. You've been played, darling." she said, her smirk turning into a grin. Then, Brevil had been able to see her fangs, hiding behind her coy smirk all along. "Mm... maybe if you didn't have such a weakness for Ifritian women."


She looked to the guard that had sworn down Brevil and applauded Gunnar, and nodded her head toward him. Soon, his cuffs had been released from the pipe he had been locked to, and his hands had been matted together behind his back. She walked a distance away from him, with no doubt that Brevil would cut her down if she had given him even the slightest chance. "Come now, darling. We're going to put you in your place."


With that, she had lead half their remaining guards and Brevil off of the ship, after making personal assurance that Gunnar would be watched over in her absence and that he was fastened correctly down. "Just relax. It'll all be over soon, anyways." she said. "It's kind of cute, you know, seeing just how excited you got to be close to me. If I knew you wouldn't try to kill everyone as soon as I took your cuffs off, I might very well have liked to keep you, as well. But that's just not the case, and you're not quite as charming as my human friend, are you?"


The ship had come to a stop before long, chugging as they had gotten closer to Alun's temple. It was a glacier amongst a wide, warm ocean, but there was a palpable chill to the air and a silence that hung on the wind, their voices breaking it as if scourging a holy place. When they stepped off the ship, Astra shook, unable to help herself against the arctic chill of the temple. "Lets get this over with quickly." she said. Then, she looked to the guards. "He will try to attack. Aim for his ankles in that case, happen we must throw him in after releasing him of his cuffs."
 
"Bye bye Brevil." Gunnar said with a grin as Brevil was being unchained from the wall and then his cuffs being adjusted once more. At the same time Gunnar was being double checked to make sure he wasn't going anywhere. "You deserve this."


"I DON'T DESERVE THIS!" Brevil roared, immediately struggling as the guards man-handled him towards the door. He listened to Astra speak, taunting him all the while the guards had to practically carry him. "MY KING HAS BETRAYED ME! ASTRA HAS BETRAYED ME! MY PEOPLE HAVE BETRAYED ME! I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!" He roared, the knight that had been assisting Astra with Gunnar holding Brevil tightly as he began to carry the man out. It was dangerous with Brevil revolting right next to Gunnar, in the exchange Gunnar could be freed and then things would really get ugly. Especially after how many they had lost on this journey. "You'd like to keep me? Bitch... if I was rid of these shackles I would free you and display you for all of Central to see... The Starseeing Whore frozen for all eternity!"


"That's enough, Brevil!" The guard spat, placing him on his feet and nailing him in the back of the head with a fist to disorient him. All it seemed to do was to anger Brevil further. "Enough talk, move!"


"I am not as charming as the human huh?" Brevil asked, his eyes going wild as they darted to Astra. "He is fooling you..." Brevil hissed, "You should see it, being a manipulating piece of scum yourself... He is going to kill you Astra..." Brevil warned, not sure if he even believed himself but he had to try anything. "I could... I could ensure he is locked away... I could make sure he gets locked away properly I-"


"Another stage of grief." The guard grunted, "Silence. Knights, at the ready!" The guard called, "He is going to get a lot stronger here in a minute... Be ready."


As they walked ontop of the glacier Brevil was filled with power, even with his shackles on he could feel Alun's power calling to him. The deeper they walked into the temple the more freezing everyone felt and the better Brevil did, his wounds beginning to slowly heal as the cold overtook them. It had quite the journey already, the ramp from the airship leading into a valley that led into a cave made of nothing but ice inside the glacier. It was beautiful looking even with the cold biting at their faces and unclothed body parts. Soon among the ice an ice covered door appeared, a single orb implanted in the front of it.


"Here we are..." The guard said quietly, leading Brevil directly to the door instead of unlocking his shackles a bit of ways from the door. He was a brave one, not allowing the others that were taking position around the door with crossbows to get caught in the crossfire. He looked back to Astra for the order and when she nodded he unlocked Brevil's shackles and immediately slammed the man's head down into the orb. In an almost comical fashion it was as if the door was simply waiting for the Lamian man, it lighting up as his magic unlocked the door his body acting as a key for the massive frozen door. The ice in front of the door began to crack as it opened but Brevil wasn't entertaining the idea of simply resigning to his fate.


"ASTTTTRAAAA!" He screeched, his hands raising up and the ice in the room shattering as sharp ice began to pelt everyone there. "WHY WOULD YOU BETRAY ME?! I WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING!" The man overcome with power roared as he began to fight back with his shackles off. He was still terribly injured, it would only take a push or an attack to send him into the temple but he wasn't going to allow them to do that if he could do anything about it.
 
As soon as Brevil had turned to attack them, the crossbows that had been aimed down at his legs had fired off, piercing through his skin, tearing through flesh and tendon as they brought him to the floor. Astra took the center of the guards, using them as a means not to be impaled by the ice herself. Her brow was furrowed as she had been thrust into genuine danger, Brevil's icicles growing stronger and stronger as he had been fueled by the magic emanating from the open door of the temple, and while he had only needed a push, none of the guards could get close enough to him to give it. "Just GO IN!" Astra roared in frustration as Brevil fought tooth and nail to avoid his fate.


Then, something peculiar happened.


Ice had rooted Astra and her guards in place, but that wasn't the only thing. As if the temple had a mind of its own, as Brevil had been unleashing his fury, shards of ice crept up like a snake to his feet, wrapping around his ankles. Astra and her guards could do nothing but watch as while he brought fury down upon them, his legs began to be engulfed in ice, something he seemed to be completely unaware of. Like an icy fist wrapping around his chest, he was only keen to it in the last moments, where he had been yanked violently back into the temple by an unknown assailant. Before he could get enough power to kill them all, he had been stolen away by the temple, the door shutting soon after his disappearence and completely obliterating any icicles that had stood in its way.


The guards and Astra looked down to find the ice had halted creeping up on them, freezing them in place but no longer threatening their lives. A little bloodied, Astra huffed, as silence once again took the temple of Alun. "Help me get out of this p-please." she shuddered, freezing and scratched. "It is time for us to leave this place." In a few moments, the guards had carved their way out of the ice and freed Astra, allowing them all to travel back to the ship with Brevil nothing more than a thought.


"Bastard ..." Astra murmured, as they boarded once again. "Now to test the remaining two." she added, looking briefly to Balor, who had been particularly quiet the entirety of the ride. He offered her a detestful glare, and she gave a small huff as she proceeded back to Gunnar's room to assure that her guards hadn't been murdered in the quick process of putting Brevil into his temple.


She poked her head in, looking a little bit rougher for the wear after having Brevil put into his place. "You're next, human." she added. "I hope you don't intend on doing anything funny. I'm honestly tired, and I want to claim my place, already."
 
Gunnar was about to say something snarky, catching himself. He had seen Astra had been hurt in the process of dealing with Brevil and that she was getting worn out by the entire journey they had all took part in together. It wouldn't be long until they arrived at the Isle of Necras, a literal graveyard of bone and darkness that only faded into view when you drew close. It seemed as if a smog had covered the area permanently, bathing the island in its mist. Gunnar knew what was coming up and he could see that even with his kindness and flirtatious gestures he wasn't making much ground with her. Though that didn't mean all of this had been useless.


"I'm sorry." Gunnar said to her complete surprise, "He hurt you... If we were in a different position I would have helped stopped him but-" Gunnar yanked on his chains for good measure. "It's over now. You've claimed your place. I've... lost everything. The last thing I have in me is a fight. Been fighting my whole god damn life..." He looked away from her and chuckled, "Never thought my final moments would be me chained to a bed then thrown into a room but... Shit happens I guess." The staggering difference between him and Brevil was refreshing, the viking offering only sympathy for her and her mission. "Beats going out like Brevil. Even trying to escape he failed miserably. Not sure how you could string him along like that... Pretending to like someone while having orders to sacrifice them like that? Manipulation never came that easy to me... I'd rather just do my work with my fists or a blade than with my mouth."


He let silence fill the room for a moment, thinking on what to say as she didn't seem to be in a very talkative mood after nearly dying thanks to the man she had stringed along.


"My name is Gunnar. Not 'human'." He said bluntly, "I want you to remember that. You made Orin's final walk into the temple a peaceful one so I'll make mine all the same but..." Gunnar's eyes narrowed, "You will call me by my name. I think I've earned that much, Astra." It was a serious request, though he wasn't sure she could fullfil it. He however cut it short and smiled at her, "Or you can call me whatever you want if I can have one last drink of ale. I'd do just about anything for that right now..."


The airship was flying at full speed, it would only be a short journey until the isle of Necras was upon them. Gunnar just wanted to share one final conversation with a person with a nice drink before going in. He felt he had earned it with what he had displayed to her, though he felt a sinking sensation that it wasn't going to work and he'd die thirsty.
 
The airship was on its final stretch, gliding into the temple of Necras' field of fog within the hour. As soon as they had pulled into it, and the temple stretched into view, a distinct feeling of sickness and the stench of death had taken the ship. Astra had waited in the bedroom with Gunnar, the journey relatively silent apart from bits and slices of conversation that had been seemingly devoid of her natural candor. Perhaps she was just tired, perhaps with only Gunnar she hadn't felt the extreme need to keep up the ruse, but Astra had grown a bit quieter on their near-to-final journey there.


"Alright, Gunnar." Astra said, standing from the bed. "Just ... know that you haven't lost everything. You're taking on a more important role in this than most others that I've met, especially as an illegal Necromancer." she said, gesturing for the guards to unbridle him of his link to the bed. "You'll see in time that I've done you a favor more than anything ... more than one, if I'm to be honest." she said, a small, somewhat forced smile coming to her lips.


She looked to him for a moment, curious.


"I suppose it doesn't hurt too much to talk to a dead man - or at least, someone that will be having an extended stay, here, if anyone ever sees you again." she said, his comment about manipulation grinding her a bit more than he had expected it to. "My people aren't kind to Seers who don't get their way in the world. I'm not fantastically talented as a Starcharter - no more than my other sisters, at least. So yes, it may seem cold that I strung Brevil along, but that is the only way I could possibly get him to his temple and it gave me an extra layer of protection against you all. We aren't born with powers of shade or metal or blood. There isn't much that we can do to get around this world without using our minds."


She sighed. "I don't really expect you to understand, as I'm sure whatever conflicts you've had before you could simply end with violence, but I don't have that option. I didn't grow up with a father to teach me how to fight; none of us do. We're hounded from the time we can walk until death that if we don't accomplish anything then we could be very well blinded and discarded like the other trash of our people."


With a little more humanization in the air, Astra lead Gunnar off of the ship, the stench of death getting stronger as they walked on the grounds of Necras. They had come into the inner portion of the temple soon enough. Astra looked to Gunnar as they approached the temple door. The guards moved to release him from his bindings without words.


"I suppose this is goodbye, then." she said. "It's been fun."
 
With Gunnar's hands free he began to reach toward his wrists, only for every guard in the area to raise their crossbows at him. Even the one who had been friendly with him had raised his out of reflex, Gunnar just holding his hands up toward them. "Easy guys... I don't have powers, remember? Astra can see that... I might be able to come back to life but that won't help us here. Right?" He asked, trying to keep them calm. Soon he felt comfortable enough to lower his hands and look at Astra one last time. "Been fun. Still pissed that you chose my name instead of the drink but... I guess I am just a prisoner after all." He seen sadness not on Astra's face but at least on the guard from before, "See you around kid. Astra... Our time together has been... Really fucking terrible." Gunnar said with a grin, "But we made the best of it. I'll see you again. Soon."


With that, Gunnar turned his back on them and began walking to the temple door. His smile quickly faded once they couldn't see his face any longer. In fact, a snarl began to develop where a grin once had been. His chest felt heavy, his stomach filling awful as the scent of death and decay filled his nose. What was worse was he had grown use to the stench, it starting to feel like home the longer he was under Necras. His old life of being a Veldard viking was over and now his life on the surface was over now too as he starred at the giant bone door before him. He looked at the orb, seeing this happen before so he simply reached out and touched the orb.


Light filled the area as the dark crypt of Necras' temple lit up brighter than the others, not as bright as Sombros in comparison but enough to blind them for a moment as the bone door slowly creaked open revealing what was inside. It was a literal gateway to the realm of the gods, bright figures standing on the other side waiting for Gunnar. Specters of all kind began to rush towards the open door but only to bounce off an invisible door in the way of them, this being much more than a simple gateway to the realm of the gods. It was a gateway to Necras himself, the temple acting as a transport to the afterlife whilst remaining alive. It was strange, the guards looking in seeing familiar faces beckoning them to come join them.


"Stop!" The guard Gunnar had befriended shouted. "They are trying to test your will, it is a trap!" The knight looked to Gunnar who had frozen in place at the entrance of the temple. "GUNNAR! GET INSIDE WE'RE ALL IN DANGER!"


Those words couldn't have been more hilarious to Gunnar in that moment. He began to turn, raising them a thumbs up.


"They're harmless! I'm going home!" Gunnar said with a grin, causing the guards to slowly lower their weapons. "But... The thing is..." Gunnar's eyes flickered white, it was hard to tell with how far away he was standing from them but the viking began to feel a change inside of him. By making contact with the temple he had succeeded in proving his worth to Necras, his abilities slowly returning to him quietly. He felt Dio strongly once more, the Wraith visible from behind the gateway starring at them all. "I'm not going in here alone..." Gunnar finished, his eyes darting to Astra in a shocking turn of events.


Around Gunnar's right arm a spectral light began to wrap around his arm, starting at his forearm and then dragging along down to the floor. Even though it was mostly transparent the chain interlinking together seemed to jingle as Gunnar held it there for a moment before taking a step forward whilst raising his arm back. Before the guards could raise their crossbows again Gunnar roared as he flung the chain whip forward. It was aimed right for Astra, the whip whistling in the air as it covered the impressive distance between the two of them. The gateway behind Gunnar burst into a dazzling display of white light as the whip wrapped around Astra's neck, the starseer helpless as Gunnar regained his abilities and began dragging her into the abyss slowly. The guards finally raised their crossbows and fired, spirits rushing out and breaching into the physical realm and taking the hits for Gunnar as Astra could do nothing but scream in pain and fear as the once incredibly friendly Gunnar had fooled her. He had fooled all of them.


He had played her game and won.


"ASTRAAAA!" Gunnar roared as the guards began to rush forward as the starseer was being drug helplessly into the temple. "WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE AFTER ALL... YOU ARE COMING WITH ME BITCH!" His words were harsh and his actions cruel as Astra was being strangled and dragged through the disgusting dead soil underneath her. "Your place in the god's plan isn't being a leader of your starseeing whores... It's being my prisoner for eternity... For what you did to my people... for what you did to Orin... Hell, even what you did to Brevil..." Gunnar laughed at the idea as he reeled her in and picked her up by the neck. Not satisfied with dragging her to him he bashed her against the bone door as he began walking in voluntarily. Her head cracked open from the force of the blow, Gunnar dropping her to the ground and dragging her along by the chain as the spirits engulfed them in a cold embrace. "Welcome home, whore..."


The knights didn't catch up to the door in time as it closed behind Gunnar, the viking dragging in Astra with him with no way to get her out. She was now at the mercy of a pissed off Champion of Necras, one who had a lot of catching up to do with her after her actions.


End of Chapter 3 - The Gods' Plan
​
 
The temple locked behind him.


Orin stood inside of Constellia's temple, having had to turn away from Gunnar and accept his fate as the champion. Waves of mana washed over him, making him feel sick to his stomach. The Seer fell to his knees, the sensation becoming toxic before long. Was this how he was going to die? Were they sacrifices, and not champions? It would have made sense; after all, how could the blind be the champion of the all-seeing goddess? The idea of it was laughable. So much so that it had quite literally caused Astra to laugh. The insults flowed through his mind as his stomach churned and the strength sapped from his muscles. He had never felt more hopeless and alone, forced to deal with the reality that each of his loved ones had been taken away one by one, and he was too weak to do anything about it. Too blind. Too stupid.


The thought of Sinna walking into the darkness came back to his mind. It had stuck with him. He fought as hard as he could, but he was just a child. He shouldn't have been. He was afraid for her, and the thought trickled in that maybe she was dying the same way that he was: paralyzed, in the dark. Unable to do anything about it, as the temple door shut and they were forced to deal with the fact that they were hopelessly alone. He tried to move his arms, but he had been stuck in a shell, unable even to tell if he had been conscious or not. His thoughts faded in and out, his body feeling like he had a swell of power that refused to move, rooting him in place. At the same time, it hurt, but not in the way that he had expected dying to feel.


His skin felt like fire and he felt his eyes burn, like saltwater was staining them. He brought his hand - inch by inch - to his chest, where his heart felt like it would no longer support the blood in his body. He remembered a small thing that Sinna had told him, back when he was still trying to use the powers of Sombros. Before he had given up.


...


"Hold your hand to your chest, Orin. Now ... think of nothing." Sinna said, patient with him. She grabbed her brother's small hands, bringing them up to the front of his shirt, and pressed them against his chest. They were both children, then, and innocent. Sinna smiled sweetly, despite the white glaze in her brother's eyes that indicated he couldn't see it.


"How am I supposed to think of nothing? When you think, something's there. I guess not for you, but, you know -" he was cut off abruptly as Sinna smacked him on thefacts shoulder. "Hey, asshole, I had almost thought of nothing and then my shoulder hurt." He complained, causing them both to laugh, though Sinna's was highlighted with frustration.


"Be serious, stupid. You never know when you're gonna need this. You can disappear yourself, you can get rid of too much mana, you can ... do a lot of other things with this!" She said, grabbing his hands again and pressing them to his chest.


"So just those two things." He said.


"Shut up and do it."


"Okay, okay. I'll try." Orin replied, batting her hands off of him. Sinna scooted back, staring eagerly at her brother with a big grin on her face. "Don't look at me like that." He said, and she furrowed her brow.


"How can you -"


"I just can." He said, his face falling into seriousness. "I'm trying, but don't expect anything. I'm not as good as you at stuff like this and you expecting it is just gonna ruin it." He said, drawing Sinna into silence. She nodded, though he didn't respond. Maybe his intuition could only detect smiles. They sat like that for a while, with Sinna quietly staring at Orin, and Orin's face occasionally twisting between frustration and concentration. But it had taken too long for the three-eyed Seer, who lowered his hands only after a matter of minutes. It startled Sinna, who had gotten used to the silence.


"I can't do this!" He said, in frustration.


"Yes you can. That's the longest I've seen you quiet ... ever." She replied, bringing her brother into a hug. "Let's try again.


...


"I can't, Sinna." Orin murmured, barely lucid. Memories of a simpler time flashed before his eyes, and as he was torn back to the present, he was barely able to keep his composure. He loved his life, at one point, and during that time he had always wished to be more mature. To be older. If only he had known. It tore at his heart. He felt a coolness gather where his head met the floor, but he soon realized it was his own tears. Everything good in his life had gone away, including Sinna. Including Gunnar. They would never return, leaving the Seer feeling absolutely dejected.


Warmth returned to his chest, however, despite his grief. He had been unable to see it, but a small void of darkness had appeared at his fingertips, the memory itself triggering the small amount of magic he could do under Sombros. He was able to bring himself from the brink of unconsciousness. But it had an unintended side effect. He felt anger flow through the mana still in his body, wracking him with horrible pain. It had been the worst he had felt in a long time, far surpassing anything Central could do to him. Orin screamed out, Void retreating back into his fingertips and then disappearing. A voice rang out, simple and beautiful, a distinctly female one unlike any he had ever heard.


You will leave that magic behind. You will not bring his name into my temple.


The voice resonated through his head, aching his soul. Whatever force had forbidden him from using his Shade powers was content to let him suffer for a while, the Seer gasping for air by the end of the ordeal. Whatever semblance of hope he'd had to survive by thinking like Sinna had been violently ripped away from him, until the pain had been too much to bear, and darkness took his consciousness away.



Day 2​


Orin awoke with a gasp, the last thing he had remembered having been the voice, and then pain. His body ached as if he had done a year of exercise and drunken no water, and his bones had felt dry. Still, he had somehow regained the ability to move, wondering briefly if the voice he'd heard was one of his imaginations. A lucid dream, brought by the terror of the prison he was being held in. His head ached, and he slowly climbed to his feet. Then, he realized something.


He could see.


Fragments of form in front of him, he could see. Vague blurs of color had taken his vision, and while the sour memory of practically being tortured had still been fresh in his mind, he could see. Still images of slight color, whose forms he didn't really understand and blurs of small lights through his third eye danced in front of him capturing the Seer in such awe that he didn't even regard the pain his body had been in. He looked around, the menagerie of colors spinning by him actually causing him to feel sick again. He tried to climb to his feet but he staggered midway, the new purple prison he had been in a little too much to take in. He looked up, trying to see the stars, and found an array of constellations above him clearer than he could ever see before.


I can also take it away.


"Like you already have?" Orin snapped back, on a whim. He was only met with silence, a frustrating thing in itself. He looked down, barely able to make out the form of a raised podium within the temple, a platform in the middle of the massive room that he had been trapped in. He staggered to it, collapsing when he had finally made the trek. The same amount of mana from beforehand had washed over him, but now it didn't feel quite so terrible. No, he had known that it must be the cause of his sight. It had become clear then that he was mutating.


"When will it stop?" He asked, desperate.


No answer.


"Fucking ... I'm your champion! Talk to me! I want to become stronger! I'm willing!" he shouted, his voice echoing across the walls. Still no answer, the voice he had heard from before going silent once again. Orin roared, frustrated at his situation more than anything. He stood, climbing to his feet, and came to the walls, his hands grazing them to look for any sort of exit. When he had found only grooves in the wall, he balled his fist and slammed it into wall. The Seer immediately regretted his decision as pain radiated through his fist and he tore back, pressing the newly-injured hand into his stomach. He collapsed against the wall, his face contorted into pain. Little did he know, it was only the beginning.



Day 35​


The days passed like aeons for the Seer, who had been stuck in the temple in absolute silence. He had done everything he could not to lose his mind, though his body had adjusted to the mana radiation. He filled his mind with thoughts of his previous life, playing back the happy times - with Balor, Gunnar, Sinna, even Amara, Kegan, Beet, and Slaw. Every time he had left his memories, however, he had been filled with even more grief than he had started with, knowing that he was trapped in the temple. He had spent days at a time just laying on the raised pedestal on the floor, staring up at the array of stars above him. Over time, his vision had gotten sharper, though it had never even remotely gotten close to what it had once been. He stared at the stars, getting acquainted with them well, long having since stopped attempting to bargain with what he could only assume was Constellia.


But after days and days of study, there were no more mysteries that he could see in the stars. There was no more intrigue. He had stared at them so long that they seemed to become fake, like repeating a word too many times. His third eye saw through them, though there was a certain vacancy now. It was almost as if the constellations had carried no more power; something was missing. Something important. They shined duller, they didn't connect. Even Mana's star flickered down, nearly disappearing from the sky as a whole. The daylight barely broke through to Constellia's temple. But that was all he had been left with, so that was all he did: look. It was ironic, in a way. And maddening. The Seer could feel his mind breaking. And it had only been weeks.


"Constellia ..." Orin said, quietly. It had been the first time he talked in a long time. "Just give me something to do."


He closed his eyes - all three - expecting no response. After all, he had pleaded the same thing several times before. He was just tired - tired of thinking and not doing. Tired of being trapped in that room. Lonely, wondering just how Gunnar and Sinna and Balor and Kegan and everyone had been doing. Wondering if they were even still alive. "There isn't any point to just ... sitting here, staring at the fucking sky. I KNOW WHAT THE STARS LOOK LIKE!" he shouted, suddenly getting angry again. His hand throbbed in response, reminding him of where that had lead.


Then look beyond.


The sound of a voice had caused Orin to jolt up. He had never thought he would hear anything other than the sound of his own voice again. He had become attuned to the sounds of the temple, but there had been so few that that hadn't really mattered. Now, she was talking to him again, but he had known that it was the only line he would hear in a long time. He had even forgotten the sounds of his friends' voices, unable to call them up by memory. "How?" he asked, knowing that he'd only be met by silence. He was right, and even after waiting, he had heard nothing more than an obscure hint.


He flopped backwards again, frustrated. "Look beyond, she says. Bag of fucking riddles."



Day 152​


Learning to pass the time was a technique. One where Orin had mostly retreated within his own head, apart from the 'mornings' where he would wake up and try to pass time with exercise. It must have looked rather stupid to anyone else, but as far he had known, no one was watching. He was alone with his thoughts, occasionally thinking about his friends, but knowing that he'd never see them again. Constellia's poor advice had long since gone away, but each day since he had dedicated a portion of it to trying to expand his vision. Each day he had expanded his vision, trying to look 'beyond'. Each day he had gotten closer and closer. And then, something changed.


He'd felt a loss.


The stars in the sky representing Alun blinked out, only Void filling their space. He had studied the map above him like it was the only text he'd ever see again, and his connectedness with them had caused him to feel as if he'd been stabbed when Alun had gone out. The air suddenly jolted from silence to tenseness. He had known what Alun had represented: Ice, Snow, Stillness. While there had been a distinct lack of the former two - Orin not even recalling how the cold felt after so long. But as the god blinked out of the sky, so did the feeling of calm he hadn't even realized was there. He had still been lying on his back, staring up at the constellations. All at once, he had felt his vision expand. For the first time in a long time, Orin's vision had expanded. He saw the oceans and the temples, but before he could direct it, he had seen Alun.


He was massive and formed, an ice behemoth that had taken the form of every flake of snow and ice that had dared fall upon the world. He rose like a giant out of the snow, defending the poles and those who had seen it fit to disturb the peace of them. But it hadn't been enough. He was slain, causing a massive burst of mana to wreak the world, bursting from his corpse and mutating all those who had been unlucky enough to walk his lands. His star flickered out with finality, his death a quick one.


Orin was torn back to his temple, eyes wide in shock.


It wouldn't be the last god to fall.



Day 530​


He had stopped fighting.


Orin's hand had still hurt every day, a stark reminder of what had happened when he had spent too much time in the present. Instead, his vision had been expanded. It had started with Alun. Since then, he had been watching the world. He had watched as Fiai had fallen. As Prisma had. He watched as the days turned to red, ceasing the small amount of light that had filtered in through the top of the observatory. He had felt it as his hand had refused to heal. There was no rest, there was no healing, and there was no light. The days had long since been lost, the Seer becoming tired of counting his notches in the wall and putting them in.


He had stopped trying to communicate with Constellia, knowing that she had long since left him behind. But he hadn't needed it. Because he was using the temple to extend his reach. The days had no longer been spent trying to figure out how to keep his sanity. He had lost himself in his sight, leaving his body behind, apart from the brief ritual he had taken on in the morning. It was easy to lose himself, and days had sped by at a time, the Seer sometimes unable to differentiate between day at night.


He kept an eye on the temples on the off occasion, but there had still been a pain from getting close to them.


At the end of the day, he closed his eyes again.



Day 730​


When Orin had awoken, it had seemed like any other day. He came back up listlessly, barely realizing that something had changed. It was in the air and the mana. After so long, it was easy to forget that it had tasted like stagnation. But his lungs had felt different, that day, and the sounds had changed. Instead of the padded hollow echoes that his footsteps had made, they had lost their reverberation. Instead of stagnant air, the wind had burned his lungs. Wind. He had felt wind on his face. The Seer's eyes flickered open toward the source, only to find something absolutely unbelievable. The door was open.


And behind it, someone was staring back at him. He had barely made out their form with limited vision, but it was familiar enough. Draped in modest purple robes over a winged body, the Seers always had the inclination to look like angels. But he knew well that that wasn't what she was. What she was was shocked, the first time in years seeing the temple door open. It had been nothing but a myth until then, the champions having been tales of legend, sent to the denizens of gods to carry them to victory in the horrible times that had come. She hadn't expected the doors to happen at all. And she certainly hadn't expected Orin.


Despite their innate hatred toward men, though, the Seer couldn't argue with the will of the gods. Awash with emotion for the potential of a savior, she had begun to approach the temple, only for him to take a step back, paranoid at her approach. He couldn't find his voice just yet - it had been too long since he had used it. But hers had come out just fine as she raised her hand to still his nerves. "...The ... Champion of Constellia?"


Before the door could close again, Orin walked forward, exiting the temple, awash with panic that his chance to leave had been ticking down. He was haggard, with longer hair and extended, purple-tipped horns. He walked past her, uninterested in talking to the woman, and desperate to make his way back into the outside world. He was met with fresh ocean air, his feet finally meeting anything other than cold temple floor. He collapsed outside, overwhelmed with the fact that he was finally out. He looked back to the Seer, watching as her form had rushed to catch up with him.


"...Do you ... have a ship?"
 
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