Plans Within Plans

"And then whoosh, and bang and kaboom and then the branches impaled the Vampires and started sucking out their souls, and Kismet was forced to sacrifice his own arm to nourish it, and Isabelle underwent some sort of mutation from using the Artefact and we all nearly died to the massive Curse being released...it was a really close fight, I gotta tell ya."

"Uh huh" Endyr nodded dumbly, taken aback by Kulkiri's theatrical explanation. By her side, Aryll just watched with a wry smile as the man recounted what happened in his own unique style, flapping his arms and adding sound effects like a child. It was surprisingly endearing too, rather than just creepy since Kulkiri was a full-grown man after all. 

"After Kismet fled, we all regrouped at the Guild" Aryll continued on. "We met Sheva and Arnold on the way back up. Anne and Isabelle split off once we reached the surface, but they asked us to give you their regards, as well as stating that they would pass on a good word to the Guild for your achievements. All in all, I'd say this job was pretty satisfactory for you. You also managed to Level Up a bit from what I can see too. "

Endyr nodded as she absentmindedly rubbed her shoulder, which was still stiff from the fights. "Sheva healed you" Kulkiri informed her upon seeing her actions. "The Wood domain isn't as focused on healing as Earth and Life, but it still has a few applicable Skills. Still, I would avoid strenuous exercise for the next week or so, to give yourself enough time to fully heal. A lot of Adventurers die from old wounds catching up to them at the worst possible time." Endyr nodded in understanding as she pulled back the covers and stood on (slightly shaky) legs. "Thanks for the reminder. Is anyone still in the Guild?"

"Himmel and Johan left soon after getting their reward, while Sheva left shortly after. Victoria should still be around, and Ruby and Himmel are obviously still here. I can't confirm anything for Arnold or Menes. Hmm, Sheva probably wanted to go incognito before she is approached by the Harvest Church. They would definitely be interested in her since she's a Wood Ascender. Oh, that reminds me" Aryll pulled a card out of her robe and handed it to Endyr. Taking it, she looked down and read what was inscribed. 

'Soul Burners'

"It's the name of my party" Aryll explained. "Both Ruby and I have Soul Affinities, and Himmel has Fire, so we call ourselves the Soul Burners." "Are you asking me to join your group?" Endyr asked suspiciously. The proposition wasn't too wild since Endyr was obviously a powerful Ascender, but they barely knew each other, and the recent escapade hadn't brought them particularly closer either. The brothers or Kulkiri, she would understand better, but Aryll?

It seemed her guess was wrong though, since Kulkiri barked out a laugh. "Sorry kid, but you aren't quite famous enough to join the Soul Burners just yet. You probably don't know this, but Aryll and her party represent the peak of Adventurers in the Sky Cross region. Everything knows its only a matter of time before the three become Epic Tier."

Aryll blushed a little and playfully swatted his arm. "Stop that. Jumping up a Brackets isn't like jumping up a Tier. Going from Grandmaster to Epic requires special steps, and it possess a great risk to the Ascender attempting it. I'm still a long way off from trying to advance, both in EXP and courage."

"What additional steps are there?" Endyr asked quizzically. She knew that, in the Main Universe, you indeed needed special rituals to break into another Bracket, but she didn't know if they would be the same here. "Every Affinity has a different trial to beat. For Soul like me and Ruby, we need to purify our Spirit and compress it down to a smaller, more compact form. For Fire like Himmel, he needs a super strong flame to serve as fuel for the advancement" Aryll informed her.

"And for Mist like me, I need scatter myself into a cloud and somehow reform without my consciousness breaking apart forever" Kulkiri sighed in disappointment. "Isn't that very dangerous?" Endyr frowned. "Very" he nodded. "But that's just how it is. Why such rituals are even necessary is beyond me, and most scholars in Orvonia too. But some believe it has to do with earning recognition from the Mana itself." 

"In that case, you should just pray to Weaver" Endyr stated, half-jokingly. Aryll and Kulkiri fell silent however, exchanging glances. Sensing she had said something wrong, Endyr raised an eyebrow at them. "Praying to Weaver during advancements is indeed a practise you can do, and some Ascenders claimed to have done so. However, praying to "Him" results in failure more often than not. According to what few reports exist, the victims were flooded with all types of Mana and either exploded on the spot, or mutated into horrendous monstrosities" Aryll said slowly, almost whispering Weaver's name.

The God of Fate and Luck was almost as feared as Fallacy, though Endyr couldn't figure out why. "His" Authorities weren't evil like Aenrys or Navruavati, nor had "He" caused mass panic or disorder like Jester and Daemon. Altair had once brought this up to Kieran Durnoff as an offhand question, and received a rather vague answer. 'Even the Gods are not immune to the whims of Fate, and what "They" cannot control, "They" naturally fear.' he had said, leaving it at that. 

Not that vague actually, now that she thought about it. Weaver could control something even the other Gods couldn't. She briefly wondered if Chanteur or Fallacy would be able to Prophesise about anything Weaver does, or if being the God of Choices would make everything unpredictable and blurry. How can you predict a stable future when your target is the embodiment of opportunities? 

Seeing Endyr go off into her own little world, Aryll chuckled and patted her own the shoulder. "Well, I must really be going. Ah, I never explained the card, did I? Well basically, you can use it as proof of recommendation whenever you're applying for a quest at the Guild. Anyways, remember to rest well and take it easy for a few days. See you around, Endyr."

Watching her and Kulkiri leave, Endyr looked out the window at the gentle sun illuminating the city. It was hard to believe that thousands, if not tens of thousands, would have perished a few hours ago if nobody had stopped the Vampires in time. Endyr then frowned. The actions of Kismet, and the presence of a Divine Artefact, troubled her greatly. "Those Vampires...they weren't here for me, were they? The timing would be right, but how would killing all those people affect me? And the Curse would be neutralised by Le'garde before it ever got close..."

Rubbing her forehead, she squinted as she looked out the window. "I feel like I'm forgetting something, something really important..." 

.........

Deep underground, a crypt stood silently. The wall was decorated with dusty murals, the colours faded yet still stubbornly resisting. Statues of bleak knights clasping their swords and carved from black obsidian were erected at even intervals, overseeing a stone tomb in the middle of the room. Runic words written in a long-dead language were etched onto it, runes that still seemed to throb with an ancient power. Then, the silence of the still air was broken as hurried footsteps rang out. 

A man came from the shadows, his face bleached of blood and a torn strip of flesh being all that remained of his left arm. His sharp red eyes, undaunted by the pain, bore into a womanly figure covered in a black robe awaiting, her own ruby eyes observing him. Seeing her standing there nonchalantly while he bled all over the floor, Harold Kismet let out a growl and stalked towards her. "Where was your support!"

The woman looked at him silently, a playful smile dangling at the corner of her lips. Brushing back her raven black hair, she looked him up and down before responding. "You failed to complete the Summoning Ritual, and to release the Curse?" she asked softly, but the patronizing undertone was not missed on Kismet. "Because you didn't hold up your end of the deal, harlot. You promised to assist us if the Guild or government intervened, but what did you do? You just sat back here and watched them stroll right on by!" he snarled.

The woman furrowed her brow and made her distaste clear. "Help? Do you honestly not know how ignorant you sound right now? We gave you the necessary sacrifices to fuel the Ritual, we gave you a branch of the World Tree to turn into a Divine Artefact, we gave you this location, we set up the spatial traps, we provided the Crystal Mana and Abomination's eye...Yet you seriously propose we did nothing?"

"We gave you more resources than your little cult could gather in a decade, yet you still failed. If I was you, I would be trying to figure out how to explain to my higher-ups than arguing with the envoy. Let me tell you, this will not look good on your resumé Kismet" the woman shot back, pushing as finger against his chest. 

The Vampire's expression crumpled as the reality of his situation sunk in. Taking a step back, he turned and observed the tomb they were in. "What is this place anyways?" he asked in wonder. "I made sure none of my men investigated or touched anything, just like you instructed, but I've never even heard of such a place existing under Sky Cross. Who was buried here?"

The woman stayed silent for several seconds before slowly advancing towards Kismet. "A very old, very powerful figure. "She" didn't perish here, but "Her" corpse was recovered and laid to rest in this location."

Kismet missed the way the woman denunciated the deceased's pronouns, too wrapped up in scanning the murals and artwork. "So some Sovereign or Supreme died here in the Great War? I saw the Dread Three's logos on the door, but why is Seraphic's there too? Wait, don't tell me...is this crypt the reason behind the Dawn Tragedy?" Kismet whirled around as he asked, disbelief and expectation of his face. 

The woman nodded after some hesitation, closing the distance to stand side by side with the Vampire. "Indeed. Seraphic ravaged these lands during the Great War in an attempt to find this crypt, but my Lord ensured it was hidden. In the end, Seraphic just brought calamity to the natives and left empty-handed. You know the aftermath well, I'm sure."

"Sky Cross...the land where a giant cross of light fell from the sky and wiped out five million people in an instant" he muttered. "You know, they say Le'garde built the Academy over the original crash site. The crater goes all the way to the inner mantle of the planet, or so they say. Seraphic really blasted a hole so deep it formed a Mana Leyline."

""He" is the strongest God after all;" the woman chimed in absentmindedly. Kismet scowled but did not correct her, since it was indeed the truth. Navruavati was no match for Seraphic in a direct clash, no matter how much the Vampire hated to admit it. Of course, "He" wasn't the smartest tool in the shed as a mean of balance. "His" many defeats across history was proof of that. It was funny, in a way: no God had as many wins but also as many losses as Seraphic. Whenever the situation required plotting or ingenuity, "He" had lost. 

"You don't seem very upset that our plans failed" noted Kismet as the woman silently looked at the murals beside him. She smiled back at him in response as a thick grey fog began to form within her red eyes, obscuring Kismet's reflection. "Well, we certainly had to allocate some resources, and shoulder some risk of exposure. But to be honest, this whole operation was just bait. A smokescreen if you will, to cover up our real plan."

"Huh?" Kismet made a dumb noise as his body started to feel heavily...and his mind groggy. Lurching to the side, he fell to one knee as a thick and oppressive fog appeared before his eyes. Ignoring his condition, the woman continued to speak. "Lord Fallacy never expected much from you lot anyways to be honest. Whether Navruavati or Aenrys knew "They" were being used is a different matter, but "They" don't seem to have rejected even if "They" do. I suppose an excuse to cause misery and suffering is all "They" need in the end."

"Guh, what are, what are you...talking about?" Kismet rasped as his body turned cold, fighting to resist the sleep clutching his mind. By now, the grey fog completely hid the woman and everything else in the room: only fog could be seen. "Killing you is just a bonus by the w ay. I originally planned to allow you to return to your masters, but then you just had to insult me with your vulgar words, didn't you? Well, Lord Fallacy won't object. Compared to the Abomination, an ant like you has no right to even kiss "His" feet. Ah, but she was such a pretty little creature wasn't she? Silver hair, purple eyes, porcelain skin. I do hope the Lord allows me to play with the Abomination myself once the time comes" the woman licked her lips seductively as desire stained her tone.

Kismet stared at her (or where he heard her voice coming from) in shock. 'That little girl...was the Abomination?' he thought numbly. And it was the last thought he ever had, as everything went dark. His body, mind, soul...even his very Fate and existence was swallowed by the all-devouring fog. Sensing his passing, the woman looked down to where Kismet had been and clicked her tongue. "Good riddance."

She turned and began to walk away, leaving a clump of grey fog where Kismet had once been. After she left, the fog rapidly expanded and swallowed everything in the crypt such as the murals, statues and tomb. When the fog vanished, it took everything with it and left only a blank room. And all around Sky Cross, any mention of a tomb in a report, or memory of exploration, faded away into nothingness. 

As the woman stepped into sunlight and pulled up her hood, the smile on her lips became more obvious. 'Plans within plans. Oh how I almost pity the Abomination for what is to come. Now then, I suppose it's just a race as to who will claim it first.'