We Are Taking Down the Goddess

One Step Ahead

Plums of dust erupted the moment Aiko stood on solid ground. When her view cleared, the girl shaded her eyes and peered away across the vast desert. The sun was shining bright, the land was untouched, and the lizards roamed free. It was a completely different scenery from that of the Wolfmore mining village.

-        “Where are we?” – she mumbled.

-        “I’ve teleported us to the closest village. Glanaram, I suppose?”

-        “Glanaram?! But, that’s weeks away!” – Aiko yelled in surprise.

At that moment, Kana’s legs started to shake. Her perception of time distorted. Everything slowed down a little, as the ground seemed to swallow her whole. The sorceress was losing balance. Aiko immediately noticed and hurried to her side. She grabbed her by the waist, barely holding onto her weak body.

-        “What happened? Are you hurt?” – Aiko’s voice trembled with fear. “How? How do I do it? How do I heal you?”

Aiko turned towards Ren. She would always rely on him in times like these. No matter the trouble, he would always save her. But, this time, Ren was fast asleep on the ground. He hadn’t fully recovered from the resurrection spell yet. After all, he was dead just a few moments ago.

The young girl’s bones started to move in a way they shouldn’t – they jangled. She was terrified of losing someone like Kana. If she were to disappear, who would protect them then? What if the beasts come back? Who will fight them? A million thoughts rushed through Aiko’s mind. Each grimmer than the next.

-        “Don’t panic.” – the sorceress warned her. “I’m fine, just out of mana. That’s all.”

-        “Mana? You mean the source of your magic?

-        “Yes. It takes time for it to regenerate. Put me down. I can handle it.”

-        “Wait a minute. The mana stone…”

Aiko reached for her dusty old pocket. That’s when she recalled the last moments she spent with Daisuke. Her eyes went blank. She remembered that gruesome second when the massive boulder smashed his frail body. How blood covered the ground and there was nothing she could do about it. Not even give him a proper burial.

Out of the blue, her small hands had lost their strength. She couldn’t hold onto the sorceress anymore. She lost her grip and together, they fell on the ground. Their heavy bodies smashed against the sand. 

-        “Girl, what are you doing?” – Kana rolled on the floor and away from Aiko trying not to crush the teenager with her weight. Aiko was too tiny to handle her.

-        “Kana, tell me. Can I save him? Like I did with Ren? Can I bring him back to life?” – Aiko didn’t cry, but pain flowed out of her every pore like an unstoppable hurricane. One wrong answer and she would lose her mind.

-        “Bring who back?” – Kana tried to make sense of it all.

-        “Daisuke! My best friend! He saved me in the mines. His body got crushed and…and…he…”

Kana lowered her head in disappointment. She didn’t want to face Aiko in her time of need. She knew those terrible news were too much for a young girl to bear. But, there was no reason for her to lie.

-        “I’m sorry, Aiko. But, the red beast destroyed the mines. There is nothing left of Wolfmore. The Groel made sure of it. Without a body, there is no way for him to come back to life. Plus, he is long gone.”

-        – “No…it was my fault. I told him to come to the mines. I told him to go that deep. If we were with the others, maybe he would have had a chance.” – Aiko cried as if her brain was being completely shredded from the inside.

The sorceress frowned. She barely managed to get a grip, pushed herself off the ground, and slapped Aiko just below the eye. The clap was so loud it stung the girl’s face, leaving a red welt behind. Aiko staggered and clutched her face. Her eyes were blood red from all the crying.

-        “Be quiet! I can’t afford for the elves to find us. Girl, listen, I saved the villagers. I saved all those who were in the mines, but I couldn’t get to you and the elven warriors in time. That fault lies solely with me.”

-        “You saved everyone in Wolfmore?” – Aiko’s eyes filled with hope.

-        “Yes, they are alive and here in Glanaram. But, I used too much of my power to be able to fight. Plus, there are elf guards here. I’m sure the news of my betrayal have yet to spread, but I can’t risk it. If they find us, we are both dead and Daisuke would have died in vain. Got it?”

-        “I’m sorry.” – Aiko wiped her tears away.

-        “It’s OK. Now, what was that about a mana stone you said?”

-        “Oh, yes.” – Aiko reached for her right pocket and took out a small stone that sparkled brightly. “Before the whole place collapsed, me, Daisuke, and Ren found this in the mines.”

Kana didn’t say anything. She just stared at the gem, while trying to connect the dots.

-        “I’ve only heard rumors about it. But, from the colors of the sunset, I can guess. This is a mana stone. Isn’t it?” – Aiko sniffed and continued. “You can take it as payment for saving the villagers. I know adventurers, such as yourself, always get paid for their services. Since I have nothing to offer you and my village is gone, you can take this stone and sell it. I’m sure it will be a worthwhile reward. But, I have no use for it.” – her sigh was gentle and softly deflating. Her resolve was slowly leaving her and her energy with it.

-        “Are you done?” – Kana mumbled with an arrogant smirk.

Aiko nodded and quietly sobbed. Then came a slight breeze, gentle, and calming. The sorceress reached for the gem in Aiko’s palm. The moment she took the stone, Aiko turned around to face Ren. She planned on lifting him up and getting him to Glanaram.

That’s until she heard a loud cracking sound coming from behind her. The girl faced the sorceress once more, only to find her splitting the mana stone in half. She broke the gem with her own bare hands.

Aiko stood there speechless. Her jaw dropped.

-        “What did you do? That thing is worth a mansion? Buckets and buckets of gold.”

Out of the blue, Kana took one-half of the gem and swallowed it whole.

-        “No need.” – she answered.

Aiko was in a complete shock. She couldn’t believe her eyes. That much gold just ended up in someone’s stomach.

It cracked her up. Her soft giggle doubled into a full-blown laugh. It was the earnest and most gentle laugh Kana had heard all day. But, apparently, the surprises didn’t end yet. The sorceress took the other half of the gem and shoved it down Aiko’s open mouth. The girl almost choked but managed to swallow the stone. She coughed.

-        “What was that all about?”

-        “We need all the mana we can get. With a mana stone, it’s the fastest way to replenish our sources. Think of it as a potion, but more on the expensive side.” – Kana declared.

-        “You mean rich-people potion?” – Aiko giggled.

-        “Yes.” – the sorceress nodded.

Then, all of a sudden, a series of lines and curves carved themselves into Aiko’s skin. They shined brighter than the sun. It was those symbols again, the strange runes that appeared when Aiko brought Ren back from the dead. But, this time, they didn’t disappear. When the light dimmed, the runes remained trapped inside her skin, like a tattoo without the ink.

-        “What is this? What is happening to my skin?”- Aiko panicked.

-        “The mana stone helped you awake your powers for good. Now, it is up to you to master them. But first…”

Kana bent down to touch Ren’s weak body. She closed her eyes and focused all her energy into her arm that was placed right on the creature’s belly. Then, water formed out of thin air around her arm, like tiny ocean waves hugging her skin. The woman quietly whispered a spell and opened her eyes. At that very second, the water she conjured, jumped into Ren’s stomach and got sucked into the furry belly.

Soon, Ren was covered in blue pixie dust from head to toe. There was so much dust around him, the excess even swirled in the air right above his head, like a glorious magical cloud.

As it swirled, Ren’s body started to change. His limbs, head, and paws, shrunk. His long and muscular legs dwindled, his tail shortened, and the snout retreated. The only thing that got bigger, were his long fluffy ears, very similar to that of a bunny. Compared to the almost non-existent dots he had before, these pointy things were easy to spot from a mile away. Now, he was small enough to fit in the arms of a child, yet fierce enough to keep all those curious minds at bay.

Aiko was puzzled. She crouched to get a better look at him. The black and white fur with a hint of orange hue and the body of a baby husky looked all too familiar. It was Ren, but the one she met years ago. The pup she saw under the apple tree. All those bittersweet childhood memories came rushing back. Just looking at that fragile puppy brought tears to her eyes.

-        “Ren! I’m so glad you are back.”

The small creature hovered above ground and slowly landed on her palm. As soon as it touched her skin, the girl heard a chirping bark. Its voice was as sweet as honey.

-        “Well, I didn’t plan to take this form. But, it will do. For now.” – Ren smiled.

-        “I used a mana storing spell. Every time you lose an absurd amount of mana, your body will shrink to the size of a pup. It won’t grow until you regain your mana. In your case…” – Kana observed the tiny creature from top to bottom. “…a week. You will need a week, at least to get back your true form.”

-        “What?!” – Ren panicked.

Aiko giggled and hugged tiny Ren, pressing him tightly around her neck.

-        “You are so cute! I like you better this way.” – she mocked him.

-        “No way!” – Ren’s cheeks flushed red.

Aiko’s laughs felt like ripples in a still pond after a pebble has been thrown in. It radiated through the vast desert and stirred the silence.

♣

Meanwhile, on the eastern side of Azidora, something sinister was brewing. A tall and handsome elf stood by the window of the royal chamber with a glass of wine in his hand. There was a serene presence about him. Not from the majestic silver crown he wore, or the glass accessories he had pinched inside his blonde hair, but from his eyes. Those strange dark green eyes that would send shivers down anyone’s spine. His pale skin had an immeasurable softness, one might expect from a holy being. But, on the outside, was a completely different story. The man had an ominous gaze, wicked even. As he watched his subjects go about their day from the top of the tower, a huge black hole opened in his spacious room.

It was as if the hole opened the gates to the deepest corners of the universe. Then, a young woman covered in black leather clothes emerged. The moment she entered the chambers, she bowed down before the elf. As she bent over to show respect, a platinum necklace hanged down her neck. She lifted her hair off her face, revealing her human ears and the black leather mask that covered everything, but her dark purple eyes.

-        “Your highness, Kana Nakamura has turned against us. She has abandoned her duties as an adventurer for Azidora. She is now a full-blown traitor.”

-        “I see. So, you are telling me you failed to put her out of her misery?” – the man mumbled with a smirk.

-        “Your majesty…” – the woman panicked, while barely trying to hide her fear. “I thought I should report to you first before I make a move.”

-        “So, let me get this straight. You let the most powerful sorceress in the kingdom run free after she clearly abandoned her quest. A quest that might very well put our entire world in jeopardy. Now, you seek redemption. Am I correct?”

The woman felt a panic attack form inside her stomach like a cluster of sparks waiting to explode. As the tension grew, her limbs, face, and every fiber in her body become stiff. In a last effort to control her trembling and sudden movements, she bit down her lips very hard until blood dripped down her face. Then, she somehow managed to stop her primal urge to flee.

-        “I will send my best fighters to put an end to her and make this right.”

The elf moved away from the window, put the wine glass on the golden table, and approached the woman. Then, he bent over and pulled her by the short hair tied into a nice ponytail. The woman winced in pain.

-        “Kana was supposed to kill that slave. Not save her. You knew about the prophecy and you let her slide. Are you sure you are not a traitor like she is?”

-        “No, your majesty! I can prove it to you. My guild will prove my allegiance to you. Let me clean up my mess. I will take both of them down, even if it is the last thing I do.

-        “Good.” – the elf let go of her hair, tossed the woman to the ground, and smiled. “I hope you are not as useless as you appear to be. Maybe I wasn’t wrong to make you the leader of the assassin guild, Nora Viper.”

Without the need for more words, the woman was fully aware of his intentions. Of every evil thought, that swam under that calm and sinister smile.