"What?" Elias was in shock. He couldn't comprehend why Astrael, the most powerful primordial, born as the natural enemy to his lord, one of the most powerful beings to ever exist, would suddenly say she is dying. In their earlier confrontation, Elias, looking into her eyes, discovered that although her power was only a fraction of what it once was, her belane and magic appeared to be completely stable. Her soul energy appeared as if she never got her soul severed." Oh, are you feeling sad for me little Elias?" Astrael teased Elias with a playful smile.
"Your death results in one less entity who wants harm on my lord; it could bring me nothing but happiness. I am only curious as to why, you in your current state, would die." Elias explained, his face cold. " A simple I am would have sufficed, but since I am in a very happy mood, and I know it won't hurt me, I can indeed satisfy your curiosity," she said, still in that playful tone of hers.
"You see, a million years ago, when I had that confrontation with Ellington, I suffered greatly. All the worlds I controlled, all my subordinates within them, all died. Had it not been for Thalasor sustaining me with its essence for all this time, I would never have been able to recover. Even now, whilst completely recovered, I can never grow as powerful as I once was," she lamented. This time, she could neither keep up the smile nor the playful tone she had earlier. On her face, genuine sadness could be seen as she talked about her subordinates who had fought, bled, and perished for her cause.
"Then, twenty-four years ago, I made a decision. I chose to separate part of my soul essence to create my offspring, and today, on the day of his awakening, I will part with the rest of my soul essence. Making him complete," she said with her eyes full of warmth.
"That's impossible" Elias's voice cut down. "The birth of a new primordial, especially one born from your essence, could not have gone unnoticed. No matter any magic or techniques you use, a phenomenon of that level, there's no way it wasn't sensed by any gods or other primordials." He said. "You're not wrong there, indeed, his presence would've been sensed. But you see, I could not have let that happen. Unlike you Gods, we Primordials aren't as welcoming to an artificial one, born by the essence of another rather than being naturally given birth by the cosmos," she explained. "After I imparted my entire essence to him and died, how do you think he'd be able to protect himself from the siege of Primordials who couldn't stand an anomaly, from Gods who'd hunt him down for my essence," she continued. "But that still doesn't answer how," Elias remarked.
"Well, you don't expect me to reveal everything to you, do you?" she said, getting back to her playful tone and smile. "Why don't you go and ask your lord? Let's see whether your lord Ellington does live up to his reputation of being the wisest God," she remarked. "Now that we've talked enough, shoo-shoo, you're not going to be here till the moment I die, right? I don't want your face to be the last one I see" she said in a shooing motion, dismounting Thalasor.
"Even though it would bring me great pleasure to watch you die, I would've respected your wishes and left, but I still have to fulfil my duties and take The God killer back to my lord." Elias said, with his eyes twitching. " I know your duties, just leave me with it for my last few minutes." she said to Elias, but with her eyes on her Thalasor, her one companion who had been with her since the day of her awakening, in all her battles, in all her victories, and now in her last moment. The barrier will collapse as soon as I die, then you can take Thalasor to Ellington" Astrael said as a barrier surrounded her and her mount, leaving no sound or sight to be escaped from within."
Her smile faded with the appearance of the barrier. Thalasor and Astrael just looked at each other for several minutes before Astrael finally broke the silence. "It seems it is finally the moment for us to bid our farewells, old friend" she said, with tears falling from the primordial's eyes. "His awakening has already begun, I can feel it." she said "A few hours is all I have" Her body, now started to show signs of transparency. The beast, too, now had tears dripping from its eyes. Thalasor bent down, pressing his forehead against Astrael. Astrael put her arms around the Beast's neck, "Don't go crea-ting any ruckus, or destroying more worlds or seeking him out for the next few years." she said with her voice breaking.
"And when he grows up to be as powerful as his mother from the mortal he is now, protect and serve him as you've done me." She said, "Roarrr" Thalasor roared in response, assuring her that it would protect its young master. "This is prob-ably my last gift to you" she said as her body grew significantly more translucent and a part of her soul went inside Thalasor. "Consume it, grow more pow-erful and show Aetherion, who -the mightest beast is." Her voice now started cracking a lot, she had nearly no energy to speak anymore. "Ask Bo-ob when you me-et him, how he liked my gift."
With no more energy to speak, her eyes closed, the entire space seemed to have gone silent. The beast and the Primordial stayed in that position for several hours, in complete silence. Finally, when her silhouette appeared to have turned completely transparent, "And always remember how much I loved you" she said in a completely clear voice before her existence faded into the void, and the cosmos lost its most powerful Primordial. Thalasor's roar shook the universe as it bid one final farewell to its master.
The barrier shattered open with Astrael's death, but Thalasor did not move an inch. Watching the barrier shattering after several hours, Elias realised that the inevitable probably already took place. Though he was never a big fan of Astrael, and he still believed that she hadn't truly died and this was probably another one of her ploys, watching the tears fall from Thalasor's eyes made Elias feel bad for Astrael's death.
For several days, Thalasor just cried and roared, but Elias did not attempt to stop it. Finally, 56 days later, when Thalasor calmed down a bit, Elias made his first attempt to communicate "I know you feel sad, I won't say that I understand what you're going through, and I didn't know your master more than as someone who has been my lord's enemy since before I was born, but even I could see the love she had for you in her eyes when she was looking at you before she made the barrier. And I don't think she would have wanted you to be in this state. You should fulfil her wishes and come to Veythos with me, to my lord's domain." Thalasor knew that Elias's words were true, Astrael would always wish for the best for it, and she certainly would not want it to be in this state, but if only it were easy to let go.
"Roar, Thalasor roared this time, not in grief and mourning, but with resolve, to survive, to serve its young master when it grows up and to fulfil all of Astrael's wishes. Gaining Thalasor's approval, Elias used his divinity, a green light surrounded them, by the time the green light faded, Elias and Thalasor found their surroundings changing from the ruins of the empty planet to a dense forest.
Bird's cries echoed, and waters ripples could be heard. The wind seemed to be creating a music that calmed the environment. The place made one forget about all their worries and sadness and made one calm. Just being in the place seemed to have an effect higher than even the pill Elias gave to Bob. "It's been quite long, Thalasor" a voice came from above them as Elias put one of his knees on the ground with his head bowed down, and Thalasor's eyes turned ferocious as he looked at the newcomer.
A Gryphon-like beast, with the body of a lion and wings of an eagle, a body completely white and emerald sparkling eyes, descended. Mounting the gryphon stood a man, the man's existence alone seemed to bring serenity to his surroundings, his long silver hair was shiny and lustrous, his green eyes drew one in like an abyss, his blue toga seemed to be made out of divine materials, and his voice soothed those who heard it. "Paying respect to the Supreme God of Light and Wind, conqueror of all the dimensions, the creator of Veythos" Elias paid his salutations.