The Realm Beyond Realms
Joğundar, The Giant had fallen within a singular attack from the might of the strange woman, Aria who claimed to be a goddess. This entire experience was mind breaking for the 5 year old so he had not completely comprehended what she said and stared, star struck. As Aria stood on Joğundar, she heard his loud groans coming from him before panning down and seeing an entire part of his jaw shattered revealing darkness underneath with simple fragments stuck to it .
``Why would you do that, Aria?``
``Why would you waste your god given right for a mortal, a human at that?`` Joğundar questioned. Aria's facial expression shifted into a smirk, a cocky one at that.
``Has your morals stoop so low you would kill a child. Man this damn realm really has done damage to that rock brain of yours``
Anger filled his fallen body and the darkness revealed by the shattering of his jaw began to leak in a gaseous form.
``Child?``
``Child!``
``That CHILD will cause the end of the 9 realms as we know it and cause Armageddon to Ithun. ``
Aria thought this was nonsense that Joğundar was spewing out his mouth to save himself but she knew of how severe this supposed conjured threat would be and turned toward Ivan before panning back. She scoffed and pointed her hand at him, sparkling lights twinkling around them. The lights attracted to each other and fused into one. Now a sparkling orb of contained power that shimmered like a star hovered right above the head of the giant creature.
``Well if that does happen i'll put him down myself``; Aria said. Joğundar sighed and complimented her persistence sarcastically before accepting the final outcome. His eyes shut, his breath, calmer as the orblet emanating light grew brighter in his face. ``Your damn persistent, Aria``; Joğundar said in his mindspace before the ball of light exploded in his face, leaving no trace of him behind, only scorch marks in the shape of a star.
The ever so mysterious woman appeared beside Ivan with her hands clasped and her head down. She arched her body in respect to the fallen titan, ``May you rest in Verath``.
She then stood upright and turned to Ivan. ``Let's leave, shall we``; she said to Ivan, Ivan still in a slightly shocked state from watching that occur, stared at Aria, her hand extended forth. Ivans blank, shocked expression shifted to a smile as he gripped her hand and left the room.
The two had left the prison that once held Joğundar which was now his grave and sat in awkward silence.
``So…What is your name, child`` Aria asked, trying to break the ice.
``Ivan, Dear Goddess!`` Ivan shouted before going on his knees and bowing. Aria's eyes brow rose in confusion at what Ivan was doing.
``What are you doing``
``Bowing, Dear goddess. My father taught me that this was a way of showing respect to the gods and when addressing one, you must show respect``
A gentle smile appeared on her face before she placed her right hand on the opposite cheek. Leaning back, legs crossed she sighed and told him to get up.
``Yes Dear Goddess!!`` Ivan shouted before rising from the ground with speed and his head tilting downward.
``And stop calling me Dear Goddess`` Aria said before rising and walking towards him. As she arrived in front of her she gently raised Ivans head with her right middle and ring finger.
``Instead, Just call me Aria``
Aria then smiled at him, giving him the same warm feeling he felt earlier. She now drew her hand back and placed it by her side.
``Since we`re gonna be stuck down here together it's best we get acquainted``
Ivan would let out a sudden Huh upon hearing what she had said.
``Stuck, what do you mean?``
A short sigh was let out before she began explaining.
``Right now we're in a prison in a completely different plane from the one you knew. The gods used this place to keep creatures and beings with great power locked away from society, usually of high tier/levels. It's a place that never lets things get in or out.``
If that was the case then how did Ivan get in?
It was a unknown case that nestled in the air before being brought up by Ivan
``Then how did I get in here``
``I am not sure myself``; Aria replied.
``But we must not worry about it, i'm sure you are tired rest``
Rising from the ground she guided him back to her sleeping quarters, the place he initially ran out.
Once more his head rested on the hard ground below. It was uncomfortable but after what had happened he needed rest.
Curling into a ball the exhausted child drifted into the clutches of sleep not even after a moment he rested his head, his eyes slamming shut after resisting to do so, his mind going blank.
``Good night child``; Aria said to him before walking back towards the fire.
As Ivan drifted to sleep in the dead of night, Liona and Cynthya roamed the damp alleys of Randu outer ring covered in dark cloaks.
Randu was designed with large walls that separate each class from each other, a decision made by the 4th king. There were 4 rings of Randu;
The upper ring that housed the finest establishments, it was where esteemed members of the royal council and other high ranking nobles resided and where the royal castle stood. It was located at the heart of Randu.
The middle ring located below the upper ring that held normal ranking nobles and also a place where esteemed merchants resided.
The Lower ring which contained the middle class of society, it was not as beautiful as the upper ring or middle ring but it was not as terrible as the outer ring.
The outer ring is also known as the slums of Randu due to the terrible conditions there. It's where the sketchiest people reside like dark mages, smugglers, substance dealers, etc. People who are also pushed into poverty live here as well.
Walking through the outer ring especially as someone with a high ranking was like a death sentence.
The two had to watch each turn they made as they walked over several gunks of trash, passed several altercations and people passed out on the streets.
``How much more walking must we do until we arrive at this friend of yours``; Liona asked as they entered another alley.
``We're here``; Cynthia replied as they came upon a large metal door at the end of the alleyway.
Consecutively knocking, a slide was opened at the top of the door where someone could be seen peeking through. ``Who the hell dares knock at these hours``; The person yelled in a heavy english/british like accent.
``It's me, Cynthia``
Through the hole the person's eyes could be seen widening before the door opened.
``Sorry madam``
Cynthia turned back to Liona and told her to follow her inside.
Everything felt so sketchy to Liona, from the timing of Cynthia interacting with her to the fact the person called her madam but her love for Arthur and desperation for his survival dispersed her suspicions or at least put them at ease for the time being.
The two entered the building and were guided into a room by a tall individual with several scars on their shirtless body and a helmet covering their face.
As they were guided to the room, Liona's gaze scattered across the room. She noticed the mold all over the walls and what seemed to be blood stains on the floor.
Shortly they appeared at the room that was opened by the tall individual.
Hesitantly Liona entered following Cynthia's lead. The room was relatively small and had no windows and no other doors beside the one they had entered through that the individual now stood in front.
If anything were to happen it was clear to Liona she had no chance to escape or at the very least it would prove her difficult to do so.
The smell of alcohol and smoke was very present in the air. The smell felt overpowering and forced Liona to cover her nose with a handkerchief.
Disgust could be seen written all over face as she stood there looking around before her eyes caught something in front of her.
Garnished in several bits of jewelry in her midnight blue hair and around her neck, a woman in a dark outfit that revealed her cleavage sat comfortably on a wooden chair.
What caught Liona's gaze was not the way she looked but the dark and ominous aura around her.
[``Who the hell is this``]; Liona thought to herself as this ominous wave continued to flutter around the room.