The three cloaked figures stood on the hilltop overlooking Onmin, hidden by the canopy of the forest.
"How… He's so different from the weak prince we knew in Eldrida," the center figure murmured, clearly surprised. "He is even going head to head with a goddess and surviving."
"Well, how do we neutralize her?" a deep voice asked. "If she stands back up now, Arinthal and that beast-kin will die."
The center figure smiled before answering. "When the idol in the cave was destroyed, Moiraxys' power decreased. As far as I know, for gods to descend, there must be a temple or shrine present bearing their insignia. That was the function of the cave idol. When it was shattered, she didn't vanish; instead, she clung to her human vessel."
"So that means…"
"There is another idol nearby," she completed.
"Well then, I guess we just have to destroy it. But where is it?" the third figure asked.
The archer swept his glance across the town, scanning every crevice with his superior vision until he locked onto his target.
"Bingo!" he grinned widely.
He stretched his right hand forward. A bar of golden energy materialized in his palms, shaping itself into a bow. Drawing the string, a glowing golden arrow formed. With little effort, he released the shot.
<......... .....>
Arinthal gripped Moonshade, his wrists aching intensely, yet he remained determined to bring Moiraxys down. The goddess rose slowly, steadying herself and calling her sword back to her hand. She unleashed a burst of raw, chaotic power, riddling the ground below with corrupt wisps of dark matter.
Suddenly, a miniature comet shot across the sky, leaving a brilliant golden trail across the darkened atmosphere. The three cloaked onlookers tracked its trajectory with their eyes. Moiraxys gasped in despair, frantically conjuring and throwing countless dark spears in a desperate attempt to intercept the rushing projectile, but to no avail. The arrow pierced the barrier surrounding the town and struck Moiraxys' statue dead center, reducing it to dust and stone.
Moiraxys shuddered violently as her divine power began tearing away from Cirien's body. Yet, with the last reserves of her fading control, she glared at Aetheris, her crimson eyes flashing with annoyance.
"You are going to be a nuisance, beast-kin," she hissed. "You are a being whom even fate cannot control, so you must die this instant!"
Gathering her remaining energy into a massive blade, she hurled it straight at Aetheris, who had no time to react. Before the weapon could strike, Arinthal shielded her with his own body. In a sudden flash of lightning, both of them vanished.
Deprived of the goddess's presence, Cirien's regular body collapsed to the earth, entirely consumed by exhaustion.
<..........>
Arinthal materialized at the precipice of a towering cliff, so high up that nothing but a sea of clouds stretched into the horizon. Aetheris, cradled in his arms, quickly pried herself free as she regained her bearings.
"How did you manage to teleport us so far away?" she asked in astonishment, taking in the dense forest behind them and the endless cloudy expanse ahead.
Arinthal clutched his chest, the realization of what he'd done flickering in his eyes. "I didn't think… I just saw the blade, panicked, and focused entirely on getting you somewhere safe," he wheezed, before abruptly vomiting blood. "My magic… it just answered."
Aetheris rushed to his side, freezing when she noticed a dark weapon embedded deep in his back. "Damn it! The darkness is spreading through your wound!" she panicked, frantically trying to channel her velori, only to find it completely depleted.
"Aetheris," Arinthal called softly.
She ignored him, desperately fussing over the injury.
"Aetheris!" he repeated firmly, forcing her to look him in the eye.
"You're dying, Arinthal! We have to leave right now!" she cried out, grabbing his hand.
"Aetheris, I promise you, this is not the end. Goodbye, friend," Arinthal whispered. He gave her a soft smile, his first genuine smile since Naudra's passing.
Gently releasing her grip, he allowed himself to fall backward into the misty abyss. Aetheris lunged forward to catch him, but now that Arinthal understood the trigger to his power, he easily gripped that same desperate instinct to protect her. With the absolute last of his fading strength, he locked his eyes on her and snapped his fingers, teleporting her safely back to Onmin before the darkness consumed him.