Anj and the Dawn of Desolas: Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Call of Desolas

Ania sighs as he now seems prepared to tell me his story.

“You probably don't know this Anj but Terrus has supported yarzan life for much longer than I have lived. In my normal life everyone acted in harmony. That all changed when I was told of a discovery within the ruins of a place known as the Dread Caves that warped the minds of its yarzan discoverers.” Memories of my brief adventure into the Dread Caves still haunt me to this day. I know that cave is ancient but I didn't know it existed for that long.

“The Dread Caves existed a millennium ago?” Ania nods his head.

“They've been around way more than that Anj, at least that's what I'm to believe due to the discovery made.”

“What was found that would be the cause of chaos?”

“After it was released to the public I saw that it was a circular slab of a rare stone that was imbued with a runic inscription and a glowing energy mystically beneath it. The slab emitted an unnatural power that nobody understood. The emanating energy also seemed extremely potent so many of the yarza actually feared it. However I was intrigued by it more than I feared it. I even examined it up close and embraced the tenacious, mind-boggling aura it emitted.”

“Could you decipher anything from the inscription?”

“Not a clue Anj but it seemed to react to my presence. As I stared into the inscription it would start glowing a bright gray at times as the energy seemed to come alive. Our society searched far and wide for anyone who could break the seal but from what I was told the elemental yarza were far and few in between back then. Even then the few that we found had no idea what the slab's purpose was.”

“What ended up happening?”

“Since the slab reacted to me I was kept in close proximity to it during my free time due to the paranoia of the item they brought back, all because it reacted to me. Since I couldn't do much else I at least got to enjoy the comfort of my friend at the time by the name of Nerin. I knew him since I was very young, probably around Ion's age when you both saw me for the first time. His company was definitely something that kept me calm during the suspenseful times. He was curious of the slab as well but it didn't seem to react to him at all.”

“Did you have any other friends?” Ania shakes his head as he breaks line of sight with me.

“Unfortunately Nerin was the only friend I had. I was considered a freak of nature above anything back during those times because I was the only yarza to have wings. Combine that with the fact that the slab reacted to me, everyone thought I was something from ancient times that just happened to come back in this form. However unlike the masses of yarza around me, Nerin was taken in by the styling of my wings and he appreciated that part of me alongside my brave yet caring personality. He was not afraid of my strange interaction with the slab. If anything he was more intrigued.” I can only take a moment to appreciate Nerin's concern for Ania within a society that seemed to want to have nothing to do with him outside of keeping him within the vicinity of a glowing tablet.

“It sounds like Nerin was a vital friend to you Ania.” Ania's head turns back toward me as he nods.

“He definitely was Anj. Without him I probably would have spiraled into abysmal depression.” I think I've acquired enough information about Nerin for Ania to continue with the story. I try to push it forwards with my words.

“So what happened with the strange tablet and it reacting to you?”

“Even to this day I'm not sure what caused it but one night the slab was persuading me with its glowing inscription. It got to the point that I couldn't resist its temptation and finally touched the slab among the runic inscription. From there my body was overtaken by an overwhelming source of power, much unlike anything that was ever seen or heard of. I felt my body surge with unbound power and my wings greatly grew in size with a serrated edge along the front. Above all however, the inscription became clear to me in what it was saying. It was as if I was bestowed with knowledge of the language it was written in.”

“What did the inscription say?” Ania looks to think for a moment before continuing on.

“My memory of the slab is faded at best nowadays so allow me to describe its reason for existence instead. The inscription was apparently created another millennium in the past when two elemental yarza clashed against one another with catastrophic results. Supposedly the two were demigods after being imbued with their elemental powers. The land was being destroyed and there were no entities able to quell their hatred. However one unnamed and unknown yarza created the magical slab with potent and raw magic to forcefully extract the energy essence within the two yarza that forced them into submission. How the slab and its magical properties were made has yet to be solved, even to this day according to the spirits. From what I remember the inscription didn't speak of its origination either so that was also no help in finding details. Anyway, the result of the extraction of their elemental essences effectively killed the two yarza and sealed their energies to the tablet. In hopes to keep the unbound powers sealed away the tablet was placed within the Dread Caves since nobody outside of insane was suspected of going to go through those dangerous caverns. With the tablet sealed away and the destruction of Terrus stopped for good everyone had started to live in peace and the unknown yarza that sealed them also disappeared.”

“Two energies? If one of them is the energy you contain now, then the other...”

“Whenever I had taken the energy from the slab there was great concern; the runic inscription changed completely. It also seemed to take form of another language that I did not understand since trying to read it in the language I was given just made it read in gibberish. However the slab no longer seemed to react to my presence. I hoped that I'd be free of being close to that accursed thing but when others saw that I transformed and the inscription changed, I was accused of tampering with it to potentially unleash horrors. Fortunately Nerin defended me since he saw everything that had happened. Needless to say his support was vital in proving my innocence. I was thankful for his devotion in ensuring that nothing would happen to me since that would've only caused the destruction of that community by my hand...” Ania sighs and takes a moment to think and breathe. “However times were changing since I no longer had to be bound to the proximity of the glowing tablet. I was spending a lot of time testing out my potential with what felt like infinite energy. I was also on countless journeys to find anyone who could tell me what was going on with the energy in my body or about the inscription. Unfortunately just like everyone else that search only ended up in failure; nobody could understand it or knew of the power I possessed. Since I was gone a lot to fly around Terrus at blinding speed it started to take its toll on Nerin since he was rather lonesome just like myself without his support. Over several days I could see him looking more upset and it was even to the point that we had started arguing. He was pretty much grasping for my company but in my defense I needed to know what was going on with the slab before the world was put in peril. Nerin became jealous of my newfound power which became increasingly apparent by his negative attitude. I felt that I had essentially become one of those paranoid yarza and I found my mind clouded of its judgement. As our friendship started to ultimately sever I felt the tablet increasing in power as a purple glow emitted from it with intense brightness. There were times that Nerin wanted to try and touch the tablet but I kept denying him this possibility since I knew that there was hatred growing within him and I was sure that the tablet was reacting to the emotions. This became more apparent when he finally got close enough to it and it started reacting to him, just like it did to me at first. I tried to stop him yet again but his aggression was extreme and mentioned that he was just tired of being put aside now even though he was always there for me when I needed him. I believe his last statement was to tell me that I was going to have his company...whether I liked it or not. He touched the tablet and the energy within it immediately reacted to him, allowing him to absorb the remaining power that it offered. Once he was overtaken I could only see pure hatred in his eyes as he stared at me, his body ignited in purple flame. From there it all made complete sense as to what happened.”

“So the second energy was the power of Desolas.” Ania nods his head.

“Correct, but something wasn't right; I managed to keep the energy within myself just fine but Nerin was completely taken over by the energy. His physical body was consumed and he became an irregular anomaly that I could not explain. From there he kept mentioning that he was known as Desolas and it became obvious that we were becoming the two yarza from a millennium in the past. I could no longer call him Nerin or my friend; I could only call him Desolas due to something altering my mind, which I could only guess was from the energy and the previous wielder. I couldn't even Desolas a “he” anymore, just an “it” after some time of feeling its morbid presence. Since I was able to withstand the energy's transformation upon me I was convinced that the energy of Desolas was much stronger than my own. However I did not feel rage or a desire to destroy, something that the runic inscription foretold. Instead I had a desire to protect the yarza from Desolas's wrath. It wasn't without consequences though; In my pursuit to contain Desolas I saw the relentless killing and torturing of so many innocent yarza. Their suffering, the agony...much like Nerin must have felt when I neglected him. I fueled the power of Desolas with my own mistakes, probably beyond what would've happened if I respected Nerin's concerns more and spent more time with him away from my own works. I was just too busy yet also too happy with the unbound power within me.” I nod my head as I show some empathy for Ania.

“So you feel at fault for what has happened.” Ania sighs and nods his head.

“You could put it that way. Do remember that I was the one that was initially drawn to absorb the slab's power. Anyway, if I may continue the story...Desolas and I fought with utmost intensity and I was desperate to match its power so I sundered my physical body to unleash my full potential. I overflowed with the energy to where I could barely control it. From there I felt that I was on equal terms with Desolas in strength so I stopped my simple distractions and charged into battle with nothing holding me back. After a struggle that felt like it lasted for hours I managed to triumph over Desolas and brought it to its last thread of life. Something was forcing me into eradicating Desolas once and for all, a higher calling in my mind that wanted me to end this clash forever. I thought I succeeded at the time, but...I think I restrained myself at the last moment. During the madness I was experiencing something in me told me that there was hope of seeing Nerin again. It was my unaltered mind trying to reach out to tell me that there's still hope of saving Nerin. However, to this day...that doesn't seem to be the case. Desolas is getting back to its full strength with no hint of Nerin. This is a crisis I could've avoided if I would've just focused in those last moments or at least prevented this issue from starting in the first place.”

“To this day do you feel that your friend is within Desolas?”

“I don't know Nerin anymore. Most of my detailed memories have been ravaged over the centuries that have passed. I just know that I'm in a grudge with an entity named Desolas and I remember the story preceding the events that unfolded. Ever since I was restrained to the spiritual realm due to my ultimate sundering I could only wonder if Desolas was returning. I had to be desperate so I linked my power to you and Ion since you two were strong enough to use my power, at least for a short time. However if I knew that the power of Desolas flowed within you already I would've revoked my decision. I just...don't know how much I can trust you Anj. Desolas overtook my most trusted friend a millennium back. If I'm to eradicate it and fulfill the prophecy that I was destined to do, I worry that you too must be removed of it. Your presence alone now threatens me since Desolas can channel through you due to it overtaking your weakened energy compared to Desolas itself, and there's nothing I can do but be stuck here in the spiritual realm to take his harassment.” Ania's concerns perk my interest since he's also suffering as I do. Neither of us are going to win in the end if our mindsets don't change; if I allow him to purge my corruption it may result in me just dying since a lot of my energy would be destroyed in the process. However as long as the corruption is dormant and relatively weak within me, Desolas can use me as a channel to reach Ania upon this spiritual realm...wait...if it's only dormant and weak within me...thinking it all over has given me a surge of possible brilliance.

“Ania I feel that the solution to our problem for now is beyond something you've thought of.”

“What is your proposal?”

“Since I've been through it let's go over an important matter that my idea is based off of.” Ania seems a little uneasy by that statement.

“I assume you mean times of which the power of Desolas has affected you.” I nod my head.

“There have been two situations now where Desolas has controlled me. The first was in the fight with Seraph; Seraph was able to control me by manipulating the dormant corrupted energy within me after delivering a devastating blow to my shoulder. The second was after I expelled Ion of his corruption yet again and the energy was calm. However there was a particular moment that I retained full control of myself despite a stronger flow of Desolas's energy being active at the time.”

“I have this uncertain feeling that you're going to speak of something crazy here.”

“That just might be true Ania. During the fight with Seraph I broke any control over me when I unleashed the inner power of Desolas. While I was essentially unleashed in utilizing the energy I seemed immune to such control.”

“Anj, you aren't suggesting that...”

“I am very well suggesting that. I need to retain my corrupted form to be free of external manipulation. By giving into its power and allowing the form of it within my body to remain strong and active, it will suppress external control, not to mention I'll be safer in the battle against the angels. Oberon nor Desolas have much of a clue about this so it may be our one solution until we can break their control for good.” Ania closes his eyes and shakes his head vigorously at first, then slowly nods.

“That...is unusual to request, and as baffling as it sounds, it does make sense. However have you directly confronted Desolas yet? Its persuasion is surely beyond its minions.”

“I've had no direct contact with Desolas itself outside of you and it clashing just a short time ago. I believe it is waiting for me to make a larger impact against the angels first before taking action itself. Oberon supposedly put my father in charge of something at Sanctuary that is probably controlling the angels...which means Oberon is going to mentally scar me when I have to kill my own father to restore peace.”

“Oberon's plan to do that is quite devious. However, you know what has to be done.” I reluctantly nod my head since this is obvious to me now.

“I understand that...”

“For now Anj you may pursue your crazy idea to see if it improves the situation. Should it endanger me further then more drastic action will be taken.” Ania gives out a sigh. “If only I was able to be freed from this spiritual realm safely...”

“Did sundering your body force you to stay here forever?”

“Unfortunately, yes...at least within my personal limitations. I was not aware that Desolas's transformation of Nerin was solely physical. After I defeated Desolas and nearly eradicated it my energy within reality faded away since I burned my own core out, leaving me upon the spiritual realm as a remnant of what I used to be. Apparently Desolas kept that trick away from my knowledge which has now put me at defeat. In these dreadful times I can only sit here and try to trust you and Ion for when you finally confront it. Times have changed now with this decision that you've made. I won't be able to link with you and him since the connection would be too tainted to safely link to.”

“We'll do our best Ania. Rest assured, once more progress has been made and you are needed I will be ready to suppress what corruption I can from myself to allow a safe entrance. Unfortunately we are not sure where to go from here; aimlessly wandering Terrus for more clues may be too costly on time.”

“Waiting around here on Terrus in general may be out of the question. Anj you need to stop the source empowering the angels before thinking about confronting Desolas. I advise that you ascend to the heavens and deal with Therum or whatever is there, above all else.”

“I wish I could know more before going into such a fateful battle.”

“Anj, time is of the essence; the longer the angels invade Terrus, the more casualties are certain to come. Do you really think dealing with the angels individually is a good idea? It would take days, weeks, possibly months. By then Terrus will be wiped of everyone or the land will become a desolate wasteland. You need to try to deal with the root of the problem now. Even then we can't guarantee if that will deal with the corruption already at hand. It is, at the very least, a good presumption.” I can't argue against Ania's logic since he states a good point.

“...Fine. I'll make my way to Diana's gravestone since that's a location I can ascend to Sanctuary.”

“Do not delay any more than you need to Anj. Just know this important fact; next to your inability to summon me, if you unleash your corrupted side to its fullest, Ion's energy will not react to yours like it has before which means that those bursts of my power will not be there in a desperate situation. Only while you are normal will it do so.”

“Understood Ania; I hope that this form is temporary, if only until Sanctuary is restored. I hope at that point there will be a way to cleanse this energy so that you can be safely summoned when needed.” I place a finger beneath my chin to rest it and think over my whole idea. “Thinking it all over my plan is simple Ania; reach the portal, rid of any resistance in the area, go to Sanctuary, and then from there I will destroy that orb and anything...or anyone in the way. From there Desolas will surely show itself in some form on Terrus when it realizes that its plan is failing. Once that occurs we'll try to reach you Ania. We will surely need your help at that point.”

“Very well Anj. I await the time to come.” Without another minute of delay I exit the spiritual realm and converge back to my own body, which I feel is rather motionless. I struggle to move my muscles, and finally, I can feel myself take control. My eyes open up and I find myself laying flat on my back in the living room of my home with my tail covering over my midsection. I look around and I see Ion looking over me. He sees my eyes open and sits down next to me.

“Anj...it's a relief to see you come back to your senses. You've been out for several hours!”

“It's a crazy story Ion. However I have no time to waste. Oberon has made me a channel for Desolas to reach Ania, putting him at major risk. However there's something I can do to suppress that.”

“What would that be Anj?”

“Just don't panic...” Not wanting to waste another moment I get up to a standing position. With a big breath I bring forth the inner corruption within me and amplify it immensely. I see my skin turning black with the white glowing markings on my body. A neon blue tint overtakes my eyes which signals the completion of my Desolas formation. However I continue to channel the dark energy to greater heights and I feel new changes overtake me; purple spines start to form along my back as I emit an aura of corrupt power. My eyes illuminate the living room with a neon blue glow for a moment before dimming in brightness a moment later. The feeling of any purity within me seems to fade with each passing second as I turn to what many would consider the dark side. I've effectively sundered what angelic power fueled me and have let the power of Desolas finally take over in a strong and controlled manner. I look at Ion and he looks intimidated by what has just happened.

“A-Anj...?” Whenever I speak to Ion my voice is actually normal, an event that is unexpected to  me.

“Do not worry Ion, I'm fine. The only way to block out Desolas's control on me is to emanate in his own form of power. It's something I don't understand either but it seems to suppress any influence bestowed upon me.” Ion still looks fearful as he is essentially backed into a corner.

“Your power...the aura is so strong I think it's affecting me too.” Ion shudders as I see a bright green coloration faintly appear in his eyes before he blinks and they turn back to orange. He looks uneasy so I also back away from him to generate more distance. I can only feel guilty since he didn't want to have exposure to this earlier and now he's rather forced to endure it.

“Ion...I...I'm sorry.” Ion shakes his head to clear his mind.

“I'm fine Anj but I can't be close to you since I can't tolerate the corruption yet.”

“Perhaps I know why Ion, especially since I was the same way your age; the power of Desolas grew upon me over a long course of time time. Even with my strong control of it there were times where it got to the point that I couldn't control it at all. Luckily I was away from society during those outbreaks but each tantrum brought me strength and control to this power. I've learned to control it over several years which is something you haven't had the ability to do yet. You'd need exposure over a long course of time to withstand its influence. As you can see...this is what it has done to me. You'd be surprised as to how much I think I'm a monster right now but this is vital to the safety of both myself and Ania. I only need to do this for a short time, just long enough to reach Sanctuary, destroy any controlling influence there, and from there I'll have to see what happens. However before reaching Sanctuary I must go to the grave of Diana since the statue there holds my pathway to Sanctuary.” Ion looks at me with a worried face and I can easily tell he's torn in his emotions.

“Anj, I really want to follow you there but just being close to you makes me feel sick. I don't think I can handle the emanating exposure.”

“That's fine Ion, I don't expect you to come along. However I do need to ask one thing; where is my bow?” Ion points over to the reclining chair I use on several occasions and I see a glowing sphere sitting there.

“Your bow is there. The scythe is currently hidden in my room since I wasn't sure what to do when you lost consciousness. Zane had already rushed through the community to see if he could find anything to help find out just what was going on. He believes that there is someone out there that can help look into the history of Oberon. Something like that may also lead to the origin of Desolas.” Oh Zane...if only you knew what I already know from Ania. Then again with Oberon being mentioned I can only respect his decision since I am unsure of Oberon's origin or why he's even affiliated with Desolas.

“If he returns tell him I went to Diana's grave site. If I'm not there when he arrives I may have already ascended to Sanctuary.” Ion shakes his head in disapproval as he starts his way through the hall to his room.

“I'm not staying here Anj. I have to join you, no matter the cost right now.” I am perplexed by Ion's statement since just moments ago he seemed timid of coming along.

“For now Ion I need you to stay safe.  You--” Before I can speak more, Ion turns and interrupts me. This is definitely unlike his normal self.

“Anj, I've realized that the next duty at hand is mine as well. I've overheard the motions of the angels and Diana, our mother, is part of them. I would expect Diana to be there waiting at her own grave due to Oberon's command and forcing us to kill her so that you can progress to Sanctuary and free the angels and save Terrus. My connection to her is as strong as your bond to Therum, Anj, you certainly know that. If she needs to truly die and be at peace...I need to be the one to deal the final blow and to set her free. It doesn't matter how much I have to endure the toxic aura you're creating right now Anj. I need to do what's right and that means setting our mother free from the prison she's trapped within now, and ultimately, freeing her for the eternity to come.” Ion's surge of devotion utterly surprises me but I remain silent since I fully understand what he's feeling right now. For these years he's always felt responsible for her initial death. Watching her suffer now is most likely torturing him to no end. I can't deny him this chance to set things right, no matter how much my aura is affecting him negatively. As much as I would like to suppress this new form it's the best way that I can protect Ania since Desolas can't overtake my energy if it's already taken over by my own body. I simply look at him, close my eyes, and nod my head.

“I understand Ion. Grab the scythe and I'll see you at her grave site.” Ion turns back around to head back to his room. However just before he turns his head, I faintly see that beneath his left eye there is a faint green glow coming from his scar before turning back orange.

“I'll be there Anj.” Out of nowhere it looks like Ion is starting to at least tolerate this sinister power of mine from a distance, but what would cause such immediate resistance? Is he actually enduring it or is he just covering it up? I can't tell right now but I need to let him have this moment without question. Since he already knows the way to Diana's grave I depart from the house with haste with my bow back in my possession, still within its capsule. Upon the start of my flight I feel a blast of dark energy propel me with great force as my flight speed is much higher than normal. A dark trail of dissipating energy follows behind me which makes me wonder just what I've become with this transformation. The energy of Desolas itself runs like blood through me but I can't help but wonder why this protects me from his control. The only times that I've been abused by his control was when Seraph hit me with his imbued scythe and when I had to extract a form of Desolas's energy from Ion. What if the energy in me is...stronger than Desolas? Perhaps the angelic energy within me empowers the corruption to greater heights yet it does so in the most convoluted of ways. It's really the only theory this makes any sense.

After a few minutes of flight I find myself circling over the forest that contains Diana's grave site. I feel a strong presence looming beneath which tells me I must be in the right area. I descend through the forest canopy slowly to prevent any possible injuries. Once clear of the canopy everything beneath is clear to me; within plain sight I see Diana's gravestone glowing brightly with a blue shine. However what I find that is unexpected is a corrupted entity staring upon the stone. From where I'm relatively distant I can't see all of the details; it's covered in an angelic robe similar to Seraph's as its white, feathery wings spread out. I can see the existence of a long tail which is similar in length to my own but I can't quite see if it's actually a yarzan tail. It remains immobile and stays fixated on the glowing gravestone. I don't believe it notices me yet but I'd rather not take a chance of a sneak attack going bad before any possible introductions are made and information revealed. It's best that I know everything about this corruption, even if that means there are certain advantages that I must give up. On that note I descend down behind the entity and look upon it. I take the weapon sphere and siphon its energy lock, causing it to unfold and form into the shielded blade bow. I grasp it by handle in the center of the bow itself and hold it defensively before attempting to consult with the entity in front of me.

“Turn and face me, whoever you are.” The immobile entity slowly starts to turn my way while speaking in a tone that I've heard before.

“I've been expecting you...Anj” That voice...it sounds so familiar outside of its somewhat demonic tone. It finally comes to me as a sense of shock overtakes me.

“D-Diana...mother, is that you?” The entity finally turns to face me and removes its hood to unveil itself without hesitation. I can see the familiar coloration of her white face and the glow of her blue eyes, just like my own. There is no question, it is as I expected. There seems to be a calm and collective moment between the two of us despite her corruption. She speaks to me as the demonic tone fades out.

“Recognition from a tainted voice...so you know me more than I ever thought Anj.” I nod my head to her as I start returning the bow back to its sphere, if only temporarily.

“Mother...I don't want to have to fight you, we both know this.” Diana closes her eyes and slowly tilts her head down while lightly moving it left and right.

“I'm surprised I can contain myself to this point. This corruption is beyond tormenting to my mind.” Diana opens her eyes and looks over me while the corrupted power of Desolas flows strong within me and is apparent on my body. “I can see it's taken a sinister grip on you too. With that I can only wonder why you now wield the power of Desolas to such intensity.”

“Because Desolas itself can't control me if I use its own energy to its greatest potential. I've had years of exposure so I can tolerate its maddening grip.”

“Well there isn't much time Anj. So far Therum has resisted the corruption but I don't think he'll last much longer.” I am completely surprised by this revelation.

“What!? How has he withstood it for so long?”

“I thought he had succumbed to it a long time ago myself but it seems that he feigned its temptation. I worry that he won't withstand it much longer.”

“How do you know that Therum is still holding on to his angelic sanity?” Diana points toward the glowing gravestone as its shining blue gems partially mesmerize me for a moment.

“So long as Therum withholds his sanity and repels the impending doom of Sanctuary then those eyes will continue to glow.” I feel my heart sink as I look upon my own mother talking to me in these troubling times. As I let the moment sink in I feel myself urgent to ask Diana the obvious.

“Mother...I hate to ask, but why are you here?” Diana shakes her head and looks back at the glowing gravestone.

“I'm here simply because Oberon is not. Once he saw the blue glow coming from the gravestone he shackled my body and spirit to this location before going back to Sanctuary to finish what needed to be done.” Diana closes her eyes and a glowing coil of energy appears around her midsection. It stretches to a glowing spike located just in front of the gravestone. “As long as the shackle exists, that portal to Sanctuary can't be used. Somehow Oberon manipulated my own energy signature to block the portal's transmission. While the shackle itself seems to have no sort of actual connection, I can feel the energy link taking its toll no matter where I am.” When she opens her eyes again the coil and spike disappear from my vision. Her voice continues from before. “You know why he has done that, right Anj...?” I can only nod my head to her words.

“I'm well aware mother. He wants us to either fall by your hand or grief us by forcefully removing you from our path.” Diana perks up a little bit from my statement.

“Us...? That must mean Ion is with you.”

“Not currently, but he will be. I hope you can retain your sanity until he arrives. It would only help him to hear your words one last time before fate will take over.” Diana seems taken in by my statement as she rests her chin on her raised hand. Her other hand grips the wrist of the arm supporting her head.

“Ion...I hope he's been well.”

“He's been well over the years mother...and now I have to ask you; how are you fighting the corruption bestowed upon you?” I can see Diana struggling to retain her composure.

“Sheer willpower Anj, n-nothing else. It won't be long until I lose control of myself.” I back away from Diana to help ease the energy affliction that she is suffering from. She's going to lose her control within the next few minutes and Ion still hasn't shown up. Then again the speed of which I flew here was much faster than I've ever went before. At first I didn't want Ion to risk his life with this expected encounter but now I'd rather him be here at this very moment due to what he said. I know how devastated Ion has been ever since this whole issue started. He was never to blame for Diana's death but he only blames himself for not saving her. He has felt that his own existence was the cause for her death. Although I can disagree with him saying that it's his fault...I can't say he's truly wrong. The only reason Diana was killed was because Ion lived through his situation by my hand and Oberon wanted a reason to get rid of us. By getting rid of Diana for good to keep her quiet and opening up a reason to get rid of us was all part of his grand plan. If Ion wasn't there...just what would have been different?

While thinking over those life-changing moments I hear the sound of quick footsteps among the path. I turn my head towards the path and see none other than Ion making his way here. In his hand I see the sphere holding the scythe clutched in one of his hands. As he enters the small open field here his eyes stare directly at Diana as his movement stops after a short wind-down of speed. As he looks upon her in silence he seems taken away at this moment of peace. Ion's voice faintly comes forth.

“M-mother...is...is that you?” I see Diana resisting the corruption from taking her over as she starts to glow a faint yellow to empower what energy is left in her. Her voice comes forth but I can tell it's weakening.

“Ion...you've grown so much.” Ion dashes towards Diana and gives her a tight hug while she weakly hugs back. I can faintly see a tear forming in her eye as the light starts fading around her. Despite the fading light she seems to remain still and calm. Although I can't see Ion's face hidden within Diana's hug I can only believe that tears are flowing from his eyes. This has been a moment that Ion has desired all of this time and he has finally experienced it for what I believe will be the last time. I can only be happy for him at this time and allow him to enjoy the moment but at the same time I want to make this fight easy. I sigh and prepare my bow by unleashing it from its sphere before speaking up.

“Mother...can we ask you for one last favor?” Diana raises her head and looks towards me. She seems a little shocked to see my bow in my hand.

“Y-yes...Anj?”

“You know what we must do mother. Ion wants to do the honors of releasing your spirit into peace, once and for all. Will you allow us this simple request, for the good of all of us?” Diana looks weak as she stands up with Ion by her side. What I find unusual is that Ion is looking at me with concern as he prepares the scythe. I'm even more surprised that he's able to actually unseal the weapon from the sphere. He speaks up next.

“Anj I don't think we can kill her like this.” Diana nods her head then looks at me. I'm relatively shocked by their actions.

“Ion's right Anj. Would you really want to kill me now after our short reunion?” I'm starting to become even more confused by their words as this is not what I expected. I look at Diana as she has a small smile but I can sense the energy of Desolas emanating from her in full strength now. Ion remains by her side but just as before I see his eyes pulse to a bright green before returning to orange. They keep turning bright green for longer periods of time between the pulses. It looks like the energy of Desolas is gripping him but why isn't he resisting like before? It's unlike him to react as so. With each pulse I see Ion's grim smile increase as the scythe's blade also turns a bright green. In an attempt to snap Ion out of it I speak to him.

“Ion, what's happened to you? Why aren't you resisting the corruption?” Ion speaks back after looking at Diana and then back to me.

“This is what mother wants of me Anj. I can't ignore her request.” With each passing moment I see that I'm losing grip on holding Ion's control. It looks like Diana has truly brainwashed him in their little hug. I'm really not quite sure how it was done since I couldn't see anything but I'll have to find that out in a little bit. I can only hold up the shield of my bow defensively as Ion starts to move the scythe around. I can see that his eyes are now a solid bright green with no pulsing which surely means that he's fully succumbed to Diana's control. She starts to laugh in an evil tone which tells me that her corruption has taken back over.

“Haaahahahaa...Ion's will belongs to me now Anj. I will have my loving son at my side once again and nothing will separate us. I can't say you've done the best for him, Anj. You've exposed him to the power of Desolas and I can feel his tortured body. Do not worry though, he seems content on being with me once we rid of you.” Ion nods his head in approval to Diana's statement which completely baffles me. Has his willpower already been drained completely? I can only wonder as he speaks next.

“Mother's right Anj. Why did you have to expose me to this?” At this point I can only say that the power of Desolas is making Ion say these lies in order to grief me. I can only hold my mind firm and ignore his words for now to keep it from getting to me. I remain motionless as Diana's voice comes forth once again.

“You won't hurt my son again Anj. Together we'll be happy once we get rid of you...heretic!” That word...Seraph said the same thing to me in what seemed like an insult. They call me this because I refuse to succumb to the power of Desolas despite its energy flowing completely through me. I can only put their words behind me in order to keep myself from getting distracted.

As all three of us stare at one another to anticipate movements I change my focus to Diana at this point as the shackle that has chained her to this location reappears. From within the robe Diana pulls out a black sphere glowing with a purple light through the center, similar to the gray sphere with a glowing yellow light that I hold my bow in, and throws it into the air. Upon doing so the energy coil around her shatters as the sphere starts its transformation into a weapon. The hilt remains relatively short but the head starts to form out into the shape of exquisite battle axe. A lot of rivets in the axe give it a gorgeous yet deadly design. In the center of the metallic head of the axe is an engraved purple gem that sends out lines of purple energy in a fixed system among the axe head. As Diana rotates the axe towards me I see a shine of light reflect off the keen edge facing me. I still remain motionless and prepare for an uphill battle but on the inside I worry about what is to come. Ion has now fallen to the corruption of Desolas. Worst of all it happened so quickly and now he's against me! I need to think on how to handle the situation since killing Ion will be the last thing I want to do.