Tenebrosia and Sekai have finally found themselves outside the Paradigm Observatory. The night wind freshened the Padomas boy, taking in the breeze. However, the duo was interrupted from their calm as they noticed the Mayuno huffing and breathing deeply; the corpses of lesser angels and demons surrounded it, but there were no visible injuries on Amma itself. "Amma!" Sekai yelled as he sprinted to his beast-friend. The moment the boy caught up to it, Sekai comforted it. Its tusks were covered in blood, and some parts of its fur were velvet from the blood of its fallen opponents. The Mayuno huffed gently, its trumpet sounds weak from fatigue but not from injury. "Fortunately, you're not hurt… a rest is all you need." Sekai tapped its side, and the Mayuno gently bowed its head before moving ever so softly on the grass and lying once again.
The Maiden caught up to their makeshift camp and noticed their carriage was perfectly fine. 'Seems like the beast guarded the vehicle. Were those cretins trying to burn it down? To rush me to those mountains?' Tenebrosia thought, having her index finger resting on her bottom lip. The woman glanced on her side, turning her head, observing Sekai sitting with Amma as the latter slept. "Go to sleep, little one." The voice of the Maiden instructed the Padomas boy, his tail wagging slightly. Before he could speak, Tenebrosia interrupted him. "It'll be alright. I'd guard all night. Your rest is well deserved." Sekai nodded and tucked himself near the beast. Shortly thereafter, he closed his eyes and was fast asleep.
Tenebrosia looked at the two, laughed to herself softly, and shielded them alongside the carriage and the campfire with a spherical barrier as protection during their sleep through the night. The Maiden began walking once more to the Paradigm Observatory on her own. There's still something she needs to find.
…
The Maiden found herself once again in the interior of the Paradigm Observatory. The endless cressets of the Maliflames lit the entire gargantuan architecture's insides. Despite thinking her first visit with the boy would be its last, the call of… something is pulling her in. Tenebrosia concentrated her extraordinary mana, and all of it surged within her. After all, this was a place with many of its secrets intertwined with the arcana. She stood at the center of the chamber, standing in front of the well once more. The well once again pulsated, but more extreme in its glow, with the Maiden immediately noticing this. A soft rumble was felt below her, and Tenebrosia was composed. Her magic opened a hidden, spiral staircase that surrounded the slightly elevated platform; its walls had lines of cressets containing Maliflames. "That's one way to hide your secrets… not for a champion enough, though," Tenebrosia spoke, shrugging her shoulders, before descending the elevated platform and then continuing further down the spiraling, stone stairs.
As Tenebrosia descends, there are ancient writings throughout the gargantuan spiral staircase. Some she can read, some she can't. Perhaps her mana was limited to deciphering everything about the ancient magical contents of the scripts. However, the Maiden was able to utter some. "Consume me… I will be made manifest once more I was before, as I am." The woman was baffled by the confusion. What does this all mean?
The woman continued her descent, close to the bottom of the steps, and she was once again hit by the remnants of her fogged past, forcing the woman to put her fingers on her glasses as she closed her eyes. Who was she? Who was truly Tenebrosia?
…
Flashes of the unknown came to her.
Flashes of Ragena giving a young Tenebrosia her medallion, heir of Ragena's title as champion.
Flashes of her training under the wing of the Maiden's house alongside the other children as a child came to her mind.
Flashes of her talking to Ragena came to the woman's mind. "Little one, I've made it as Director of the Sombre. I and the other Maidens will make sure you and the others will have a future in this world." The two shared a banter; Ragena patted the head of the young Tenebrosia. "The house may be burnt– but that's alright. The Parliament ensures that you and the other children are going to live in Windstrew from now on. As Director, people will respect people like me, you under the name of the clan…" The woman assured the young champion. However, why can't her younger self back then mutter the words of who brought the house on fire? She clearly saw a silhouette when the house burned.
But then, whispers of a familiar, eerie voice.
"Tenebrosia…" the voice was condescending, elongating the woman's name. A locked memory hidden by magic. "You are my vessel… for an era that will come soon." A woman's voice. A woman's twisted face, unknown yet so close to remembrance. The mask… familiar. Tenebrosia swore she saw that before. Why was the house burned in the first place? The house grew to the hearts of the children, and seeing it burned with all the children's beloved items were lost, especially their fond memories with it, only brought anguish. Was it meant to harden their hearts? Who knows.
"Tenebrosia…" the voice once again spoke. "The vessel of HER is yours." A white flash.
…
Tenebrosia snapped from this memory, taking deep breaths. Sweating, somehow fearing herself more. The Maiden looked once more at her hands, trying to reassure herself that if the person she knew who she was is still the same. Focusing on her goal, Tenebrosia composed herself once more. All those deep breaths became more silent ones; the Maiden finished her descent. The woman made it to the deepest abyss of the architecture itself. What she found was a hidden chamber containing the statues of the Nephilim, and below them were the Seven Seers that align with their ancestors respectively, all their arms reaching out at the center. The middle was a lone pedestal elevated with a small set of spiraling stairs reaching out to it.
Tenebrosia examined the gargantuan statues, and even the Seven Seers, smaller in size than the Nephilim, even dwarfed the Maiden. The woman looked around, and she interacted with the ancient magic that filled the place. The names of the Nephilim and their respective Seers came to her mind. First came the Nephilim of Life: Foidashiva, posed in a glamorous manner– she who held the power of the Iabodhi, life in the ancient tongue. Below her sat the Seer of Life, she who's named the Loving One. Besides Foidashiva, was the sleeping Bhum-Gatra, he who held the power of the Bathala, earth in the ancient tongue. His respective Seer sat below, he who's named the Slumbering One. Then, in the middle, stood proudly the great Uonte-Zeun, he who held the power of the Shamakasa, skies in the ancient tongue. Just down his feet stood proudly his seer, he who's named the Guiding One. Beside him and at the opposing side of Bhum-Gatra, sat lazily of Atumon, she who held the power of Tehonun, water in the ancient tongue. The Seer below her stood, he who is named the Reverent One. Last, the one at the opposing side of Foidashiva, posed the cunning Surtal'heim, he who held the power of Agnisurtr, fire in the ancient tongue. Down at his feet stood the jovial man, he who is named the Valiant One. Lastly, the two gigantic statues at the back of the chamber were of the Father of Light: Muya-Haweh, who held the power of Ohr-Ha, light in the ancient tongue. His finger in touch with the Mother of Darkness: I'amosus, who held the power of Choshek, darkness in the ancient tongue. A bridge wrapped the two, and the statue of the Enlightened One at the side of Muya-Haweh pointed at the pedestal from above, as well as the statue of the Unlightened One at the side of I'amosus.
Tenebrosia knew something had to be done with the pedestal itself. And so, she ascended its small set of spiral staircase. As soon as the Maiden stood at the pedestal, the statue of the Unlightened One and I'amosus glowed a purple hue. Suddenly, Tenebrosia herself glowed a deep purple, and then she was struck by a powerful ray of magic, causing her to gasp in pain. The source of the ray came from the two illuminated statues. Tenebrosia continued to shriek in agony as she held our chest with both hands, her knees hitting the stone pedestal. Into her mind, the voice of the Unlightened One filled it.
"ARE YOU MY VESSEL OF POWER, CHAMPION OF DARKNESS? AWAKENER OF DARKNESS, YOU SOUGHT THIS PLACE… YOU MUST'VE FELT THE VIGOUR OF WHO I AM. YOU HAVE CONSUMED HALF OF MY ESSENCE, AND IT IS LOCKED AWAY… WHO ARE YOU?"
Tenebrosia continued to groan in pain, with a surge of power ran through her veins. The pain was as if a mountain had crashed into her; Tenebrosia's head rang like an orchestra of gigantic bells surrounding the place.
"I GRANT YOU A BOON OF POTENTIAL. MY THREAD TO YOU IS LIMITED." The voice continued to speak, as Tenebrosia screamed in pain. "I FEEL THE PULSATION OF THE OTHER HALF OF ME… NEAR THE HEAVENS. WHO IS SHE?" The voice once more filled the silent void. The pain of the surging power caused Tenebrosia to resist the beam further, causing the woman to back up. The ray abruptly ended, with the purple light that surrounded the Maiden stopping to illuminate the moment Tenebrosia retreated from the pedestal. However, such an action caused the lady to crash a considerable amount of distance. Tenebrosia was indeed unscathed, but the Maiden grew more curious, fearing herself more. She breathed deeply, and she was light-headed. From her blurred vision, a glimpse of the masked, black silhouette of the woman she had fought back in Rindsow stood right in front of her. However, Tenebrosia rigorously fought herself through the pain– the light-headed feeling and the blurred vision were instantly gone. The figure disappeared, and Tenebrosia stood up. Confused.
Tenebrosia groaned from the temporary physical and mental pain, gripping the side of her head with one of her hands. The Maiden looked at the elevated pedestal with seething teeth. The statues were empty once more, as if she hadn't experienced the entire ordeal. "Bloody hell." Tenebrosia simply exclaimed under her breath. She dusted her outfit with her gloved hands, and the bangles that wrapped themselves around her wrist made a slight jingle– the boas fluttered. Her mind was filled with questions and answers: some riddles of confusion were finally answered, but some remain in question. Tenebrosia looked at the statues with squinted eyes out of somewhat annoyance, perhaps. The Maiden pondered if she had already found a satisfactory answer; if this was really what she was looking for all along in this observatory. Ultimately, this wasn't enough for the woman. Tenebrosia senses more. With this newfound revolution, the power within her guided her to find more undiscovered secrets of this ancient place. Where others before her failed due to insufficient power. The Maiden ascended the stairs, and with each step she left behind her heels retreated to the walls. Each cresset containing Maliflames extinguished, as if following her presence. Tenebrosia found herself at the center of the observatory once again, the hidden chamber below being sealed by the magical mechanisms of the place.
However, Tenebrosia's magic was enhanced, slowly being awakened the moment she exited the hidden chambers after a slight moment of a warping reality around her. From Tenebrosia's eyes, she saw many ancient magical runes missing from her previous weakened use of the arcane. All of these are invisible to the naked eye, even for the strongest mages– the power she got seemingly amplified the woman's power, causing her to see magical residue left to be forgotten in an abandoned past. This shook the Maiden. Common knowledge of the arcane taught that such a thing requires one to be impossibly close to the threads of mana itself, able to interact with remnants of such primordial magic, to be left in a time when magic itself was in its rawest form. "This shouldn't be…" Tenebrosia muttered. The Maiden spoke to herself, one hand resting on her hip and the other hanging lazily. "Primeval writings… this must be the remnants of the ancient past left." Every rune she read around the room was the daily writings of the generations that came after the Seers. Remnants of time came to her mind through this ancient magic.
The runes told of what happened after the Seven Seers tore reality asunder. The birth of an age of mortals without intervening gods. Countless millennia have passed, and mortals appeared one day to rule the ground, the seas, and the heavens on our own probity and righteousness. The rise and fall of kingdoms, wars of destruction and protests of peace, tribulation from within, and were issued with laws decreed by rulers, either good, bad, or gray. However… the Shamans of each seven elements came into being before these when mortals came to be.
The floating runes told the diaries of the Shamans who acted as overseers of the world's elements. Shamans of light and dark, fire and water, skies and earth, and then life itself were the primeval chieftains of the seven elements; the first to interact with the seven elements after feeling supposedly, having a direct connection to each aspect of the world in isolation. All these shamans and their generations worked within the already ruined observatory of the Seers; the runes tell that these chieftains taught their respective clans and had generations come to be– may it be human or anthromorphs– to use the seven elements with magic, and those who are crowned worthy of power, lead as chieftain shamans. These generations stayed to observe the world within the observatory itself, working with its magics and runes up until their fiftieth, when a majority of all the seven clans' population had an exodus, migrating to the southeast to build a large-scale civilization due to the lands themselves being unprotected and left vulnerable to hungry demons for souls. Those who've stayed behind became tribes, isolated yet thriving away from modern society. Building a localized population, villages and camps were built, hubs to protect the isolated population from attacks of demons. The reason they've stayed… is to keep faithful to the ancient ways. Tenebrosia wondered… was the city the runes mentioned was Windstrew, considering that the only large-scale population she could think of was the capital of Galamona itself.
These were the only things Tenebrosia was to fully read through all the present runes of the Observatory. The hallways itself was full of them, too. But the now-curious lady logically concluded that her limited translation earlier with the runes below would reveal additional and crucial knowledge. The Maiden expected to find something related to her newly awakened power, so she dared venture to the secret chamber again. Having interacted with the well once more, the chamber was once again opened, and the Maliflames illuminated the abyssal place, while Tenebrosia once more descended. There, she discovered more of the Observatory's primordial lore.
The runes told that these documented entries of the Shamans were of the first. The Maiden realized the runes above were of likely one of– if not, the last– of the Shamans' generations. The magical residue here pulsated stronger, and Tenebrosia began to decipher it. The first Shamans discovered this hidden chamber after being drawn into it by an unfamiliar feeling. It turns out that it was the Seven Seers trying to communicate with them to ensure the seven elements of reality were in order, so that they could continue their work without their godly powers intervening directly with mortals who would fail to comprehend their unimaginable magic in its rawest form. Each of the first Shamans ascended to the pedestal and was granted the boon of their essence. It must be kept securely and handed down to generations responsibly; an heir worthy of handling the power of the very seers themselves. The essence itself can be taken easily and does not permanently intertwine with its bearer, for such mana is too intangible and unnatural in the balance and hymnal song of reality itself.
Tenebrosia found herself walking through the halls and the still-surviving ruined chambers shortly after, continuing to decipher everything she could read. However, these were merely scribblings of the rest of the Shamans' generations to record about the fluctuations and observations in the thread of mana itself, and keeping an eye on the seven elements. Pleased with what the Maiden found, she gathered her thoughts, and Tenebrosia went back to the center of the Paradigm Observatory. "Alright, this is making me look like a flimsy detective." The Maiden scoffed. Tenebrosia pondered once more. Her surroundings were devoid of sound… and once again, she heard that eerie voice of a woman's in her mind– causing Tenebrosia to widen her eyes– pupils felt like they went smaller.
MY PRIZED, LITTLE SORCERESS… YOU AWAKENED WHAT YOU ARE, AT LAST. DO YOU FEEL THAT? I WOULD'VE THOUGHT MY INTERVENTIONS WOULD REVEAL THE POWER WITHIN. YOU ARE NO LONGER SAFE, SO IS THE BOY AND HIS BEAST. I AWAIT YOU.
…
Tenebrosia shook her head and snapped from this voice, causing the woman to be in a still stance. A gasp escaped from her mouth. Yet again, the Maiden composed herself and immediately went outside. The voice told her companions aren't safe from anything, and so Tenebrosia immediately vacated away from the Paradigm Observatory. Rays of light pierced through the small crevices of the Observatory. When the Maiden went outside, the sun was already beginning to ascend to the heavens once more. How long was she within the Observatory? Tenebrosia ignored this and ran to their camp. The Maiden slid perfectly and halted, causing a small line of depth into the soil. When Tenebrosia arrived, Sekai and Amma were still asleep, causing relief for the Maiden. The barrier that surrounded the camp was still present. With nothing more to do, Tenebrosia waited for the two to wake up, leaning onto the carriage itself. Keeping her continued promise, she'd look after the two while they rested.
…
When Sekai began to stir and wake up, as well as Amma, the sun already towered over the gargantuan autumn trees that surrounded the open space– but it wasn't noon yet. The Padomas boy's tail that wrapped around him to act as a blanket was shoved aside by the boy's hand, and his ears fluttered the few leaves stuck to his hair. The Mayuno let out a soft trumpet as it began to stand up. The two finally shrugged off their lethargy and noticed Tenebrosia at the top of the carriage. Beside her was a sack full of fruits gathered from the trees above, and in her hands was a ration of food they've gathered from Rindsow with Sekai's flask filled with water. "Eat up, you two. We'd be leaving soon." The Maiden said, throwing the sack in front of Amma perfectly with an effortless throw, and the ration and flask at Sekai, which the Padomas boy caught with his own hands.
Tenebrosia jumped down from the top of the carriage and landed gently (and flawlessly) in front of the two and gave a slight smirk. The moment she touched the ground, the barrier slowly eroded. The two caught this before the Maiden went inside the bogie and left the door open, patiently waiting for Sekai to go inside and for Amma to take the front and pull the carriage again. Sekai opened his ration, untangling the ropes of the brown paper. Inside was a dried, very seasoned chunk of boar meat was revealed alongside dried, spiced dark plums paired with crackers made of mixed grains. Fascinated by the magical and slow erosion of the barrier, Sekai ate his breakfast while watching the spherical shield with Amma by his side. The Mayuno toppled the sack and emptied it with its trunk, throwing the now-empty vessel of the fruits to the staircase of the carriage's doors. Picking groups of fruits with its truck, Amma began feasting alongside Sekai, though the beast ignored the barrier's erosion, unlike the Padomas boy.
…
After the two finished consuming their meals, Sekai crumpled the brown paper of the used ration with his left hand alongside the rope, his right holding his wooden staff, refusing to leave his litter around such a beautiful place– in his view, at least. Amma stood up and received a pat from the Padomas boy, returning it with a soft guttural groan. The Mayuno then proceeds to slowly and gently stomp its way through the front of the carriage, being assisted by Sekai to place the hardwood, riveted rods on its saddle. "There y'go, boy." The Padomas boy patted its side before walking to the staircase that led to the carriage's door. Carrying the empty sack that lay on the staircase as he ascended the stairs with staff and rubbish in both hands, the boy picked up the empty sack with his right hand as he entered the interior of the carriage itself.
Within was Tenebrosia already sitting on the settee, leg raised over the other elegantly. Her eyes were looking to the side, seen through her rosy glasses. The Maiden looked at Sekai, who stood there adorably waiting for any instructions. "It's time to continue our journey, Sekai. You lead the way." Having heard his name for the first time, the Padomas boy gleamed in happiness, barely containing himself as his own pedagogue called him by name. Saluting his Maiden-teacher, Sekai spoke in a confident tone. "Yes, miss!" before he rushed onto the coachman's seat. Amma felt the tug of the rope, understanding it was time to go.
Once again, the trio continued their journey. And the Moirai Summits were near.