5 Chapter 5

We were back in the real world. The spell was broken. We were laying upward when awoke from the spell. "Nothing happened?" 

"You bastard." Servin was put under the spell too. He tried to stand but the spell was making everyone drowsy. "Alie." "I'm fine."

Servin restrains us with spell that wrapped around us like a rope. He stumbles to his knees groaning. "I have no idea how you disrupted my spell, but it won't happen again." 

The crab women reluctantly help him. "What your name mutt." I refused to say my name to him. "Fine. I'll just name blue." He grabs scalpel from his table to and starts cutting my arms. "You don't heal normally like most beast-man. And the mana emitting from these cuts. It's just liked that old man."

"What are you talking about?" "Heal very slow. Strange. Very strange...Cana takes this one to the cage. Leave the girl with me." "Yes sir."

The crab women shoved in a magical cage. She looked at me with sad eyes. She looked dead and yet still had some emotion. "Please let me out. I can help you." "Trust me. I would like to. But he has done something to my body." "A spell?" "No. It felt very man made." 

"Please there has to be a way." "I have no idea how to get of this cage, if you can get out of this cage you can beat him." "I can?" "His spell was out of control and used a large amount of his mana. Whatever you two did worked in your favor." "His mana is very low. If you can get out of this cage, you can win." 

"But i don't know how." "Cana! Get over here now! We have work to do!" "Yes sir." Before leaving she worded something to me. "Beast ascension. You must awaken it." 

Beast ascension. She can't be serious. I'm not full-blooded beast-men. Mother told be once that in order to enter the beast ascension. The mountain beast god must accept you into his house or his grace.

"But what will cost?" Making a pledge the mountain beast god is. "What are you doing!?" "Alie right. Don't worry. I don't plan to kill you. I want to do research on you. Your existence is very unique. Spirit or God. You are something I can use for power."

"I don't think you can use me for something like power." "Is that what you think. Cana bring me it." "Yes sir." 

"What is that?" In his hands was contraction that look like a spider or the shape of one." You see this mana stone. It will drain whatever you have left." "I don't have any mana left." "Whatever you are, spirits and gods have more than just mana. If you are any of those things, I can use a source that's even more powerful than mana." 

Alie froze when the device was placed on her chest. She wanted to scream but no matter what she did you was frozen in place. "You know. You have the same aura as elves yet it's different. You have many secretes miss. You both do. Though you might not know it yet."

I have to get out of here. Mother never said anything about how to enter beast ascension. What do I do!? I grab the bars of the mana cage to try and break it. The caged burned my hands.

My hands sizzled like a fire. "That was very dumb of you half-blood." "Make up your mind on what you're going to call me." He looked shocked to the way I was speaking to him. He even chuckled.

"You are like me." "I'm nothing like you." "Are you sure? You don't seem to have the manner of your people." "And what is that?" "Timid, cowardly, stuttering in words. But it's weird though. You seem to fear the knights more than me." 

"I have no idea what you're talking about." "Come now. I can see through you." I stand to meet eye to eye. "I appreciate that your fear those self-centered bastards than me." "What?"

"You see them as monsters." 

"You can't use that to justify what you're doing." "I'm trying to change the world for the better."

"You don't believe that. Nor should I believe you." "It's true. I want to break the world from this eternal loop. I can put it on the right path." "And what of my people?" "Your people?" "What happens to them." 

"What do you mean? They will continue to serve humans?" "YOU SAID YOU WOULD PUT THE WORLD ON THE RIGHT PATH!?" 

"Think of it like this. Sometimes you must choose the lesser evil for the world to thrive." My emotions are surging. I wanted to break his neck I tried to reach grab a hold of him. The cage burned my arm.

"Putting people in chains and in cage is still evil. There is no lesser evil in this world."

"If that so than what is good?"

"I don't understand what you're saying." "What is good in the world? No body can be fully good. We all have evil in us in some way. Your people are not excluded from it either."

As he rants on about good and bad, I thought to myself. Nobody can be fully good. What sort of thinking does he have to say these words.

"Let me reword what I said earlier. Your people are a sacrifice for the greater good."

"You are just like the rest of the world. You are a monster." "Your people will be free. Just probably not during this age. It could hundreds of years from now. But they will be free. Once I complete my research the people of this world won't have a need for you anymore. So be happy." 

I look towards Alie to see if she was alright. She was still conscience. "Ivalyo." "Alie? We can still speak in telepathy?"

"Yeah. I might be able to help you get out of there." "How so?" "I heard your conversation with the crab lady. The beast ascension. Maybe you can obtain it there. You just need to relax and clear your mind. Have your mana travel through your body it will open you to your world of mana. Control them you are the master of your magic."

Relax my emotions. My entire body warmed up from the mana. Even my soul was in peace. "Once you enter your mana pool look for anything that feels you. Your soul for reference. It will feel a part of you."

Like a dream I was back in the world I was trapped in. But the feeling of another mana was not weighing down on it. It must have been because of the Clairvoyance spell.

"The night hasn't changed. But now what?" The water beneath me opened up. There were five trees that risen from the water. But there was one full grown tree.

A dozen magic circles appear on its branches. The white tree made this world very eye catching. "This tree is magic. I can sense it. Alie said it has to feel me without mana. Something that is not magic.

I notice the water Infront of me was moving. Its sign that something was moving on the water behind me.

 There was a small creature behind much like a small cat with fish like features. "Umm." The creature tilted its head. "Are you what I need?" 

The creature walks toward me with no sign of being hostile. "If you ware what I need. Can you help. My...friend needs help." The cat purrs and licks my hand. "Guess that's a sign of ok." The cat's eyes shimmer of powerful aura.

"Hm?" Servin felt the power of the creature. "What is this? This is not magic...oh no." My body had slightly changed. My eyes were much bluer than before. My hair was shades of dark blue and light blue and slightly longer hair.

My body was imprinted with glowing yellow symbols of a language I never seen before. Was this the Beast ascension? 

"No... how did you!?" Some with in me awoken. I wanted to fight. "You should not be doing this! Your not full blooded!" "I'm goanna send you to your god!" I lunged at him. Servin casted a few weak spells due to his low mana. But they shattered at the power I obtained.

"No! Stay away. Cana!" 

Cana had swiped me with her claw. One of the pillars that was supporting the top of the temple collapse when broke through it. "You fool! The temple with fall down on us!" "You." "I'm sorry. He controls whatever action I do. Remember."

"Then tell how to stop it." "I assume it's in my body. No matter what you have to kill me." "No. You're a victim too." "...Thank you. But I can't live like this my whole life. You will be doing me a favor." 

She relentlessly attacks me. I was pushed into a corner edge of the temple. "I won't hate you. DO what you have to survive and save your friend."

Alie is losing consciences. If I don't kill her. I breathed in and told Cana. "I'm sorry." "Don't be." I overpower Cana. Her crab legs were torn off by the overwhelming strength I had. She did scream but held it in. Probably to make sure her pain did not stop me. I kicked on her side and stabbed both my arms into her chest.

I stared blankly at her. I was stunned by what I did and more disgusted with myself. "My work." Servin said. "She not property!"

"You are not a part of this worlds story." "What?" The witch. She never showed me this part of the future before. What is going on? "You will pay for this mutt. Mark my words." He takes triangle device. It opens up from both all sides. "No!" 

He vanishes on the spot. It must have been a teleportation. "Alie!" I crushed the device on her chest. "You, ok?" "No. I'm not ok." "Right. Sorry."

"I can't walk right now." "Then rest here. I need to help someone." "Then take me with you." Cana was still breathing but her loss of blood and the wounds I inflicted on her. 

"You two are alive...thank the gods...I'm so sorry for not helping." "No. You did help us. I'm not problem solver when it comes to dangerous situations. " 

"You did fine." "I'm so sorry." I wish you these two would not pity me...but they are kids. "You did what you had to do." "There could have been a better way." 

"Maybe. But I would rather not live in this form for the rest of my life. You know how the world treats your people they would have done the same to me." 

After what I've seen today. I didn't think humans were cruel to each other. They always showed us the unity they had amongst each other no matter what country. Alie askes Cana about how she became what she is. "It's a sad and very stupid story."

"I don't know you and we have no connection at all.... but I don't want your story to end without anyone hearing it." 

"Your sweet person." "She is right. Many people die without hearing their story, if you are willing to tell."

"...I was in love...but he never gave me his. He was son of a baron and I a daughter of one. We went to the academy together and went to a few balls. But I could never obtain his love. He fell in love with another. I wanted to become more beautiful to attract him. I was horrible person. I was obsessed with him that I was going to do anything to have."

"You went to Servin."

"No. I went to him for a different reason. I was banished from my home for what I did. I pushed his wife down a stone step to try and put her some coma. She was pregnant at the time, and I didn't know. I was ashamed of myself. So accepted any punishment. I was banished at the mercy of the women I pushed down those steps."

Everyone has evil in them in some way. They just don't know it. Servin...maybe he is right. "The man I loved was my childhood friend we grow up together. But now it was all gone. Thats how I ended up here. A few years later my parents were dead. They couldn't handle the harassment of the people. My mother hung herself follow by father. So, my brother was handed to me."

"Sister." "Brodrick." We hugged. I was close with my brother. The days I spent with him made the love of my life disappear, but the guilt was still there. I wonder what kind of harassment he too had gone through.

"He was the happiest he's ever been. But life is mystery or was my brother's sickness a punishment from the gods. Did the god of light curse me?"

"He was sick." "He was coughing blood every day. I didn't know what to do. I have already lost everything. I was not going to lose my brother. So went to Servin."

"And what will you give me in return." "Please there are no healers in the southern lands. Only a mage who can save. I will give anything I will give you my body my soul. My unwavering loyalty. Even my love. Please...save him."

"If you're that pressed. Then maybe you can help me." "Yes! Anything!" 

"Then follow me and bring your brother." I should have known better. If only I was still a noble. I could have gotten him the best treatment. "Lay him on the table." 

If only I never committed these sins. "Don't worry. Everything will be all right Brodrick." He doesn't speak he was so much pain. His skin was had lesions on it. "This potion will help though he there will be slight changes."

"What do you mean?" "It means he'll live." The church refused to send aid to these curse lands. The Southern countries along the belt of the mainland won't let anyone cross the strait.

He forces my brother to drink the green potion. The vein in his body were like glowing green lava. The wounds on his skins were dissipating. 

"It's working." 

"Indeed." At the time the evil that was hidden behind that smile concealed itself. The days would pass my brother was able to talk and move around more. "Thank you, sir."

"Your sister is the one you should be thankful for. She will be helping for the time being." "I see." What is it you wanted help with Sir Servin?"

"You will see. For now, enjoy your...happiness." "I will." 

"Sis." 

"Yes?"

"Are you sure about this? About him." "He saved you Brodrick." "Yes but. Mages...there not always clear on what they want." 

"Even so. I have to help him. It was an agreement, and I won't let his kindness go to waste." Nothing had happened in the weeks that would pass. He never asked for me to do anything. I always caught watching us and writing in his books. As if he was waiting for something to happen.

And it did. "Brodrick? Where are you?" Where did that rascal go to now? He must be at the pond. I was correct. But he was on his knees with his shirt off.

"Brodrick?" On the reflection of the water his chest was covered in black scales. Brodrick turns his face to me. His entire eye was hanging like drop of water. "Sister?"

We went back to Servin for answers. "What did you do to my brother!?" "Hm. Seems the affects are finally taken place. He lasted longer than the other did. But the form I wanted to take is not going to plan. Deformed eye and bloated calves. Another failure."

"You." 

"Sorry seems I was overconfident in this latest of mind. But your brother is due to die soon." "What?" "Of course, you will help still after all it was a deal." "YOU WERE SUPPPOSED TO SAVE HIM!?" 

"And I did for a while. But All things come to an end. Your brother is no exception." "Your...a monster." 

"I'm a evolutionist. And now I need your help." He had force me to drink the potion even if I begged him to stop. I watched as he performs his experiments on my brother." He had lost his humanity. He was more of mutant than anything just shreds of human and mostly a turtle.

But like me his mind was still clear. Servin kept him alive. But one day a group of people came to take him.

"Who?" "I'm not sure but the language they spoke. It was not from the land of stars. They took and I never saw him again.

Her breathing was slowing down. He made me kip all the young people here even kids.... I watched scream and cry for their parents when they were being tortured. And... I watched turn into mutants. Why was I the one that had to survive. Is this also part of the god of lights punishment."

"No. The god of light has nothing to do with this. You're a victim of the unfortunate parts of life. You may have done a wrongful thing in the past. But it's good that realize your mistake. You have done enough apologizing."

"Alie. You have a beautiful soul. One that I wished I had when I was your age.... if you ever come across the iron faction. Please tell my family I'm sorry my grandpa should be in charge again. And Erik my former lover too. Tell him I'm sorry too."

"I will. I promise."

"Please. Destroy this place. Leave me here. Others will try and study my body and find a way to recreate what Servin did."

She closed her eyes with a smile. "Ah...this is nice. Thank you for listening to me. Ivalyo, Alie."

"..." She was gone. I was conflicted with so many things. These events may have changed me forever. Alie was numb and sad. She laid crossed her arms. There was a massive area of flowers close to us. Servin must have use them for his potion making or something else.

I'm not a friend of the gods they hate things that are like them or different from what they create. But God of light if you hear me, please give her a new life one that free from misfortune. White roses represent many things but to you God of light, Ayla means a new beginning. Please accept these as a token for her new life.

She places the white roses in her arms. I wonder if her prayer will ever be answered. I take one last look around to see the rest of the victims. The southern empire. They are the ones who would use this kind of work on the non-humans.

There is evil in all of us. Your people are a sacrifice for the greater good. "I'll make a promise to you Cana and to the other victims. I will find Servin and make sure the 3 hell kings greet him when I send him there. I promise you that."

Alie didn't say much she was exhausted from the device that took more than mana from her. "Are feeling ok now?" "Yeah. My mana its back. It must because of you." "How so?" "We'll have to figure that out later for this place needs to be destroyed."

But Alie saw the dozens of victims that were somewhat alive. Twitching and asking for it to end. Alie stared with sadness. "Go. I will end this sad chapter." "But." "You don't have to be the one to do it. I can see it in you. Let me do it." 

She was hesitant but nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry." "Don't be. I will be fine." Alie goes into the portal we came into the first time.

I look at the books of Servin. There was far more play into this. Someone is helping Servin other than the Northern empire. I grabbed one of his books and read.

"A war is coming. I'm not sure where from. The land of the dragon? The land of the red sun? The Sultan? Who could it be. The witch had showed me the world at war. Many dead. I must find a way to stop it. I still have goals. The world being at war is not good for me. I will become a legend a savior that people will remember. I will become greater than the king and God of magic. I will become greater than the white witch herself."

"Not if I kill you first." 

The sounds of a victim groaning remined me what I needed to do. "Sorry. Let's lay all to rest now." Servin mention of the pillar keeping it the temple together. I destroyed all the pillars one by one. The temple was breaking apart. I stared at the victims. They seemed to be thanking me. Or trying to say thank you. 

"May the spirits guide you to their world and begin a new life there." The beast ascension faded away. I was back to my normal self. In my hand was axe. A blue axe but it had also disappeared. I felt my body move forward. I was exhausted and the power of the beast ascension was a lot for my body.

I fell through the portal. But a deep voice of authority spoke to me as I was falling through the portal. But I never showed signs of submission. "You are not a child of my kin. Yet you obtained the power of beast ascension...You are very interesting. I would like to see how you write this story or your story. I wonder can you fulfill my request. For now, get stronger. Ivalyo."