Ch 53: Back to the Capital

Mirta slowly opened her eyes as a smile formed on her delicate lips. She had heard the words she had been waiting for her entire life. They had been whispered to her from her future self.

Then came another sentence from the ripples of time. Her smile was replaced by a frown.

"Get me my heavy robe." She said to her attendants.

They both sighed as she only wore her heavy robe in the humid cave when a specific person came to visit.

As she stepped out of the pool a warm wind sent from one of her attendants wrapped around her, drying her off. The other attendant held out a thick gray robe. She pulled the hood up and placed a veil over her face.

Just as she finished covering her body a man came down the stone stairs.

While Sansone held a smile on his face, his eyes showed the disappointment that he didn't arrive in time to see her seductive form.

"Sister, why do you always wear such uncomfortable clothes when I come to visit? Should I be offended?" Sansone said.

"What can I do for you, High Priest Sansone?" Mirta said.

His smirk increased as she deflected.

"I came to see if you have reconsidered my offer?" He said.

"Of course not. The prophecy must be fulfilled." She responded.

"Prophecy can always be tweaked a little." He said.

"Sigh." She had had this conversation with him too many times.

"The spell needs to be sealed. Our family has been responsible for this blessing since its inception. It is only right that I be the one to help you seal it." Sansone said.

"You don't have the right source. He does. You are not mentioned in the prophecy. He is. And no it can't be tweaked a little. If he doesn't help me seal the spell, everything Our family has done over generations would be undone.

"You know this, yet you constantly come to bother me. Your desires are selfish and will be your undoing. Stop for your sack and for the benefit of our family." Mirta said.

His smile slipped but he still had hope. "No need to scold me so harshly. I am just looking out for you. If circumstances change, I'll be available to aid you."

"If you are referring to your assassin. I have already warned our cousin about him. They have already failed." She said.

Inhaling deeply, Sansone held back his rage. She used to be so sweet to him.

"I will see you again. Remember that you are always in my heart." With nothing else to say, he went back up the stairs.

After waiting a few minutes Mirta sat on the edge of the pool. She traced her hand on the surface of the water before leaning close and whispering with Divinus,

"Our brother is on the way."

The message rippled back to right before Sansone came down. Having sent the message she prevented a paradox from forming. Soon she would send the last messages to the past generations of those that listened in the pool.

Soon she would be able to leave this world. Once she meets him, everything would end and begin for her.

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Their condition made it a little harder to sneak past the guards near the entrance of the valley but their inexperience allowed them to leave the valley unhindered. Once they were a decent distance away, Piaras used Anodular to open a hole for them to hide in.

They had more time to make the hole wider this go around, so Balduer didn't have Aisling leaning against his shoulder. But she still sat close to him. Though that may have been to avoid Mathys.

They spent a long time held up in the hole to fully recover their strength. Once they were ready to face any obstacle between them and the capital, they continued on.

A few days later they could see a cloud of dust along the road they were traveling. Piaras turned into a large bird and flew high to see what was ahead.

"We don't have anything to worry about. It looks like the kingdom sent some help." Piaras said as he landed.

In a few hours the two groups met up.

Two older people broke off from the group and knelt before Mathys.

"Young master, we are sorry for not being of help to you. All we could do was seek out help." One of them said.

"It's okay. I was able to accomplish a great feat. The demon lord that threatened this world has been slain." Mathys was more talking to the important looking people that followed them.

The two were surprised that their young master wasn't more upset at them.

"Then the prophecy has been fulfilled?" A young man leading the large band of soldiers asked.

"Yes it has. And Nilo was the one to land the killing blow." Fiam didn't have prior knowledge of any prophecy but wanted her man to receive the most praise.

"We all played a role. Well most of us did." Mathys said with a side eye towards Baldeur.

The leader of the soldiers took note of the look.

"I am Crown Prince Fillipe Dorie. You have all done a great service to the world and will be rewarded. We were able to take care of the small army of his disciples, so our journey back should be uneventful. And once we return you will be treated as the heroes you are." The leader said.

"Do you have any Anodular healing? One of ours is badly hurt." Sigurd said.

"Of course. We can provide you with whatever you need." Prince Fillipe said.

The two groups joined together and made their way back towards the capital.

From the moment that Prince Fillipe learned that Baldeur had been separated from the group he assigned one of his personal guards to make sure nothing happened to him. His cousin had given him a personal prophecy and he wasn't going to fail her.

As the crown prince he had access to the full archive of prophecies. He already knew that the one that had been separated was the one that had killed the real demon lord. He also knew how important this man was to the future and past survival of their kingdom.