Ch 23: The Master Seal is Broken

The Observers stand down, and at last the Master Seal is broken. The ceasefire in place, Grey begins making his preparations, while suggesting Amy return to Celestis and see to personal matters.

            Finished talking with Alastor, as the other Observers finished regrouping and began to make their exit, Letanya turned in Amy’s direction. A smile on her face, Letanya seemed rather eager as she came over and cheerily said, “Hello there! I’m Letanya, who might you be?” Blinking in surprise as Letanya extended her hand in greeting, Amy thoughtlessly took it and replied, “I’m Amy Grant.” Her cheeks slightly flushed, Letanya giggled and said, “Amy is it? You’re really adorable. You wouldn’t mind if I gave you a hug, right?” Utterly bewildered, Amy had every intention to say ‘no thank you’, yet instead she said, “Sure.” Before she even could realize why she said it, or correct herself for that matter, Letanya embraced her tightly, petting the back of Amy’s head somewhat as she ecstatically said, “Oh, you’re so cute! I’m sorry, I guess you’ll probably think less of me, but I couldn’t resist! I just love pretty girls!” Standing there in shock with her face beet red, Amy thought back to the way there was a huge gap in the way she treated Tepes compared to Archon and Toshley, and in realization she thought, “Th-this person… she swings the other way!”

            Just as Amy was about to strongly object, Grey came over to them, seemingly oblivious to her plight as he said, “Wow, you two hit it off fast.” Struggling to suppress her embarrassment and explain, Amy started to say, “Ah, n-no… she just…” Releasing Amy and turning to Grey, Letanya said, “Ah, so she was with you? That’s good, getting close to one of Alastor’s people would be a bit complicated.” Laughing, Grey replied, “Yeah, no worries there. Amy’s the Sage of Memories, we’ve known each other a long time.” Glancing at Amy, he added, “We’re even going out.” Feeling filled with both happiness and guilt at the turmoil in her own heart that had been born from her confrontation with Alastor, Amy stood there frozen in place, his casual mention of their relationship repeating over and over in her mind. Struggling to hide her disappointment, Letanya simply said, “Ah… really…?” Seeming a bit concerned by Amy’s lack of response, Grey glanced at her again as he said, “Yeah, right Amy?” Realizing he’d been expecting her to be a bit more receptive, Amy felt greatly pressured to sort out her feelings quickly, struggling to think as she said, “Um, well… I…” Yet unable to answer, Amy knew that what she’d begun to worry about could not be dealt with so quickly, and turning her gaze away in shame, she finally said, “Grey, can I… have some time to think about it?” Clearly shaken, Grey held himself together and said, “Yeah, of course…”

            Interrupting the suddenly tense scene, Alastor called out, “Excuse me, can we film this soap opera another time? I’d like to get back to business.” Turning back to him begrudgingly, Grey said, “Yeah, yeah, I’m coming!” Watching him go, Letanya shot a glance at Amy and said, “Honestly, coming onto you so shamelessly just because I got a little friendly. Why are males so full of themselves I wonder?” Amy clenched her eyes shut and turned away from her as she muttered, “Shut up! Just leave me alone…” With that she stormed off back to the table they’d sat at earlier and dropped herself into a chair. Meanwhile, wandering over to where Grey stood with Alastor, Ferid approached Alastor and quietly asked, “Um, it’s not really a big deal Alastor, but shouldn’t we have Rend and the others looked at? They’re still not able to move very much…” Mulling over his scroll again since everything that happened had fogged up his memories of it, Alastor glanced at him and said, “It’s a bit disgusting to see you acting like such a team player…” Hanging his head, well aware he held absolutely zero trust now, Ferid sighed and said, “I wouldn’t really care if it weren’t for the circumstances. My investment in Rend aside, you and I are the only ones left with this rather prominent pair from the ranks of Angelorum Lux…” Finished with his scroll once more, Alastor simply said, “Don’t worry, I’m quite confident I won’t need any help from you if something happens.” Summoning up several anomalies, he gestured to them and said, “You can have them help move that bunch to our lab, I’m sure the scientists we still have on staff can manage a bit of medical treatment, not that they won’t be fine in another hour or so. Whatever the case I hardly need you here, so if you want to leave, by all means leave.”

            As Ferid simply scurried off with his anomaly helpers, Grey turned to Alastor and said, “Well, that’s what he gets for being so two-faced…” Forming the black rune circles once again, Alastor replied, “The fact that your sister would have proven useless in undoing the Master Seal makes it somewhat fortunate for me that he ruined my surprise attack at Loralu, even if he did put me through quite a bit of trouble. People like him have their uses, but there’s little reason to hide my contempt for Ferid’s breed of cowardice at this point.” Gesturing to the rune circles, Alastor added, “That said, you’re free to chat me up anytime during our three day vacation, but for now let’s dispense with the pleasantries. Your power if you would, Mr Greyson?” Raising his hand and beginning to channel his power into it, Grey placed his hand upon one of the rune circles with a confident grin as he said, “Yep, as agreed. Just don’t cry too much when I kick your a*s anyways!” Flashing his faint smile, Alastor replied, “Likewise. Try not to regret handing me my victory.” Then taking a deep breath, Alastor chanted, “Confringes, sigilla alligaretur hie magnifico cincinno. Illud quod sit liberari inclusas, est super tenebras omnia vere stringit revocarentur. Aeterna fatuum porro votum somnium uindicamus tenebris superare nunc vitae ipsum.” The runes within the rune circles all rotating like the dials of a combination lock, they finally stopped and all the rune circles merged into one before Alastor. Grey removed his hand from it, watching as the single rune circle crystallized and shattered. The air beginning to swirl around Alastor, a dark aura of immense power erupted around him, and closing his eyes as he held his hands out at his sides, Alastor seemed to immerse himself in it as he quietly said, “At long last, it is done. Even as hated as it is, with this power none shall stand in the way of my goal. I am the leader of Altera Veritas, the Hollow Lord of Noctivagus….”

            Watching Alastor obtain his full power by breaking the Master Seal, Amy leaned against the table with her head held in her hands as she whispered to herself, “I hope you know what you’re doing Grey…” Floating next to her, Letanya leaned forward to look down at her face somewhat curiously as she said, “I’m sure he’s rather confident. I’m not sure how they match up now, but I have a feeling whatever aspect he’s become has granted him a lot more power than even Alastor had before the seal was broken.” Glancing at her in mild irritation, Amy replied, “Didn’t I tell you to leave me alone? And what do you mean by whatever ‘aspect’ Grey has become? You were also saying something to Archon about how he’s not a mortal anymore…” Casually laying down in the air to rest her upper body on the table, Letanya gazed at Amy’s face now with a reluctant look of defeat as she said, “You really do like him after all, don’t you? You acted so upset earlier, and you’ve been staring at him like he’s the only thing on your mind ever since. Why’d you say something like that if you already know the answer? Playing hard to get?” Looking away from her evasively, Amy muttered, “Just drop it, I have a lot on my mind…” Adjusting herself to sit on the edge of the table with a sigh, Letanya said, “Well, to answer your question, that guy has infused an incredibly powerful spell known as the Seventh Seal into his body. It’s a rune circle that acts as a circuit that can draw upon the power of beings like the Seventh Spirits and the Embodiment of Darkness, who serve as aspects of the very elements. It can focus their power individually or combine them, although its original purpose was to serve as a seal for the Nameless One himself. The most interesting thing though, is that the Seventh Seal cannot normally be contained within a living being. For him to carry it, he can only be one of the aspects, most likely having become a Seventh Spirit himself.”

            Forgetting her own problems for a moment, Amy sat up and looked at Letanya in disbelief as she asked, “Are you telling me Grey became a Seventh Spirit?!” Shrugging her shoulders casually, Letanya replied, “Well, that’s merely my most logical conclusion. Who knows how he did it, but considering his ties to Origin, he probably somehow gained his power and place as the Seventh Spirit of Light. I’m sure Eazel knows more, he’s been up to something with that guy for ages now.” Struggling to take in what she was hearing, Amy simply thought to herself, “Grey took Origin’s place?! The being the entire world reveres as their god?!” Amy continued to sit there lost in thought, and looking at him as he approached, Letanya said, “Speak of the devil.” Walking up to the table, Grey heard this and jokingly asked, “What, you guys talking about me now?” Sliding off the table to float through the air, Letanya twirled about to face him and replied, “A little talk between girls not allowed? You’re quite the possessive one.” Grey laughed nervously, and coming to her senses to glare at Letanya, Amy whispered, “Cut it out!” Not letting it faze him for long, Grey took a seat across from them and addressed Amy as he said, “Anyways, now that we’re done with that, I had a bit of an idea. Since we’re back in Teramis right now, why don’t you go visit Celestis for a while Amy?”

            Blinking in surprise, Amy said, “Huh? But why?” Picking out another Danish from what was left over from earlier, Grey said, “I was thinking it was a good idea ever since you followed us through Alastor’s dark vortex. I mean, think about it. Celestis was your home for a long time right? But you escaped with us and left everything behind without even getting a chance to say goodbye to anyone. I know it’s only been a little under a month and a half, but I’m sure there’s probably some people you knew who were worried.” Leaning back in his chair with the Danish in hand, Grey looked at her with a somber expression as he added, “Thomas probably wouldn’t mind a visit either. I’m sure the city must have made graves for the people who died in the attack.” Realizing he had a good point, Amy still wondered if this was really the time, but as she remembered something he’d said in Aerennis, Amy asked, “Will you be coming with me?” Having just raised his Danish for a bite, Grey lowered it and said, “Ah, no… I might give you a couple days on your own there, I can come pick you up later. I have an ability now that’ll let me get around easier, so I should go check in with Alexander and the others before I come back. I’m planning on speaking with Felix right after this though, and there’s also somewhere else I need to go…” Certain she’d been right, and Grey was thinking of visiting his own parents in Aerennis like he’d been too ashamed to do before, Amy simply smiled and said, “Okay.”

            Approaching the table now as well, Alastor said, “If that’s how it is, I wouldn’t mind taking her myself and saving you a bit of time. I’m sure whatever you have planned requires you to use these three days to the fullest, and I can’t say I’m not the least bit interested.” Floating her way closer to the table and leaning on it as she stared at Grey, Letanya exclaimed, “Hold it! Don’t even think about leaving this beast in charge of my adorable Amy! If you want someone who can take her to Celestis, I’ll get her there with a spatial rift! I’ll even escort her the whole time!” A chill running down her spine, Amy said, “Uh, I think I’ll be ok by myself…” Stifling a bit of laughter, Grey said, “C’mon Amy, it should be fine. I’ve heard a bit about Letanya before meeting her today, but something tells me she’d be good for you to have around on this trip. You make friends really easy, and you can take care of yourself if she gets too clingy, so why not just take her along?” Looking at Grey somewhat disdainfully, Amy muttered, “You knew…?” Grey simply laughed nervously, but ignoring the obvious misgivings about her conduct, Letanya quickly floated over next to Amy and put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer and acting all buddy-buddy as she excitedly exclaimed, “It’s settled then!”

            Glancing at Letanya’s overly excited expression, Amy communicated telepathically with Grey as she said, “Why do I feel like I’m going to be in grave danger for a couple days? I can’t tell if she’s a grandfather who’s overly attached to his granddaughter or a playboy with no sense of shame…” Hesitantly, Grey telepathically replied, “Well if it’s any indication, her name used to be Letanya the Locked Wiseman, but she didn’t like that so she changed it…” Realizing the fact that he knew about Letanya may have meant that his comment earlier had been intended to help her escape the great amount of attention she was receiving, Amy felt a pang of guilt again as she again reached out to Grey with telepathy, saying, “Grey, about what happened earlier…” Eating his Danish, Grey quickly replied, “Don’t worry about it. I just wanted to get her off you, but I still shouldn’t go saying things like that without even talking to you about it first. We haven’t had any time to talk or even really think about this sort of thing lately, so take all the time you need, alright?” The pain of her guilt only increasing, Amy could not bring herself to send it as a telepathic message as she held back her tears and thought to herself, “That’s not it! I was happy… but I don’t think I’m good for you anymore…”

            Finished eating, Grey rose and said, “Well, guess everything’s settled then. I’d better get going and tell Felix about the ceasefire.” Stepping forward, Alastor showed a bit of curiosity as he asked, “I suppose this new ability you spoke of can transport you just as well as my dark vortex?” Flashing a grin, Grey replied, “Pretty much. I haven’t gotten much chance to try it out, but it should be really handy. It can’t really top how much I’m liking the new duds though.” Gesturing to his new white and black outfit, Grey added, “It’s not really draining any EDE and it doesn’t have a set duration, so I might as well wear it all the time.” Staring at him blankly, Alastor simply said, “It seems you truly share my brother’s fashion sense after all…” With a slight laugh, Grey said, “Sure, make fun. Speaking of Alexander though…” His expression becoming serious, Grey continued, “You do realize the meaning behind the incantation he created for the Master Seal, right? Translated, it basically tells you he had hoped that someday he’d be coming back for you, to set you free and save you.” Closing his eyes with a sigh, Alastor recited, “Shatter, grand seals that bind this lock. Let that which is caged be set free, let all binds upon the darkness truly be undone. The eternal vow was a foolish dream, now I shall defeat your darkness and claim our new life together.” Opening his eyes slowly, Alastor simply said, “I was not oblivious to it Mr. Greyson, but it does not change the fact that in the end he never came. If he had, maybe things would have been different…” Forming up a mass of EDE, Grey quietly said, “Yeah, maybe. Well, I’m off.” Crystallizing, the mass of EDE formed into a large mirror with a silver frame just like Vanitas’ Nihilum Vitro, except it was not broken but in perfect condition. As it floated there beside him, Grey turned back to Amy with a wave and said, “Catch you later!” Waving as well, Amy said, “Take care.” With that, Grey turned to the mirror and stepped through it as though its mirrored surface were made of water, and as he vanished, the mirror evaporated.

            Sitting in her room in the Great Spire Palace, located within her hometown city of Bastion, a woman in her late twenties with blue eyes and blonde hair that was tied up in the back sighed as she thought, “I wonder what’s happened to them all? Felix says he hasn’t heard anything at all from them even with everything that’s been happening.” Getting up out of her chair, she tried to clear her mind and then started to head for the door as she thought, “Well, I’m sure they must be doing something. There’s no way that bunch could be beaten so easily. For now, I need to focus on this meeting about protective measures for the cities not yet overrun by the Brotherhood.” As she was passing a tall mirror set up along the side of the wall of her room though, she suddenly came to a halt and backed away in shock as she noticed a white gauntlet come through the mirrored surface like it were water, and as it grabbed hold of the mirror’s frame she watched in disbelief as Grey pulled himself through the mirror. Looking around the room a moment, he fixed his eyes on the woman with a smile and said, “Hey Catherine! Long time no see!” Still staring at him, utterly bewildered by his sudden appearance, Catherine said, “Grey? Is that you? What did you just do? Where have you and the others been all this time?” Running a hand through his hair as he wondered where to begin, after a moment Grey said, “This is a pretty long story, you mind if I save it for when we talk to Felix? He’s here to talk to the King and a few Special Forces officers from the Gaian Kingdom, right?” Somewhat unnerved, Catherine replied, “Yes, but… how did you hear about that?” Flashing a grin, Grey surprised her further as he simply said, “You were just worrying about us right? Many people, many paths, they all lead back to me…”

            In the ethereal plane of Mautau, upon one of the many pieces of land floating amongst the vast expanses of ethereal clouds, in a great estate built with sleek architecture and otherworldly metals, Lady Ziva Ulvia Ba'alzebul sat on a comfortable white sofa in the middle of her personal chambers on the third floor. A large window along the entire wall opposite the door showed a great view of the Cathedral of Origin, a floating ruin that was like a great castle with dozens of floors, most of which were off limits to anyone and everyone, and the top level of which is sealed off by an unknown power to protect the entrance to the fabled realm of Lost Remote. Staring out the window with a creepy grin on his face, his henchmen War and Famine waiting by the door, Malum glanced back at Lady Ziva as she took a sip of wine from her glass and said, “I’m still surprised you not only were uninterested in the bit of information I offered, but even made a much more appealing deal yourself Lady Ziva. Compared to how fearful your subordinate was to do business, you don’t seem bothered at all by the thought of dealing with the Duke of Lies.”

            Simply glancing at him with a smile, Lady Ziva replied, “Malum the Horror Dealer, the Duke of Lies, the Herald of the Nameless One, the Rider of the Pale Horse, and the Observer of Death. If I were to hesitate about whether the power of Fortuna’s Prophecy could truly stand up against you and your master, I wouldn’t be fit to run this organization, now would I?” His creepy grin widening, Malum simply turned back to gazing out the window as he said, “I suppose, though if you’re going to go that far, you’re also invalidating any belief that your organization itself can bend those two to your will. What little you’ve explained to me makes sense, but just how do you plan to make use of this prophecy with those two incredibly strong willed fools as the champions?” The glowing orange tattoos on her face becoming a bit brighter for a moment, Lady Ziva smirked and started to swirl the remaining wine around in her glass as she said, “You need not worry about that for now. Just hurry and gather more power Malum, because in three days it seems the real show will finally begin. Alastor will be throwing a little party at the Noctivagus, and we’re not about to lose face by not even making an appearance are we?”

            Abnoct city streets. Friday July 27, 520NA. Throughout the nocturnal city of Abnoct, a city of bustling activity and towering skyscrapers in the Adali Empire, televisions in homes and shop windows and radio broadcasts all over the city were playing out the early morning announcements from TINN, the Teramis International News Network. Felix, the Head of the Guild Council himself was making an important emergency announcement, the image upon television screens everywhere showing him standing in the audience hall of the Great Spire Palace next to a young man wearing a white with black trim coat. Everyone listened as he spoke, saying, “Good day, citizens of Teramis. I come to you today with a very important announcement, one that I hope will prepare you for the coming days ahead, as well as alleviate your fears over our recent state of crisis. As I’m sure you’re aware by now, a large unknown aircraft has appeared in the skies over Noctivagus, proving itself invulnerable to our entire airship fleet. At the same time, numerous uprisings in various Sanctuaries have been instigated by a group calling itself the Morsus Brotherhood, who are without a doubt working together with the infamous Altera Veritas. I’m ashamed to say that up until now, both the Guild and the Special Forces have made little progress on these matters. However…”

            Gesturing to the young man standing beside him, Felix continued, “Even in dark times, a spark of hope is all it takes to overpower the shadows. The man standing next to me is none other than Matthew Greyson, the son of the prestigious Greyson family, who not long ago cleared his name of crimes he committed under the control of Altera Veritas, and set out together with his own team of specialists separate from the Special Forces to fight against the evil that threatens our world. He has come to me today with news of his battles against them, as well as information that will not only prove vital to our cause, but may very well change the shape of our world.” Taking a deep breath as he straightened his black and gray coat, Felix went on to say, “Surely you all have seen the otherworldly landscape floating within our fair skies. There are many stories in our world that speak tales of gods, the heroes of old, and a nameless lord of darkness. I was never one to truly give credit to such things myself, and I’m sure many of you out there feel the same, and can only wonder what it is I’m going on about. Yet I can say now to you, without doubt there is some basis to many of the ancient tales we have come to know. The scenery we see in the skies is a pathway that has opened between our world of Teramis, and the original world from which our ancestors came from, Gaia.”

            Stepping forward as Felix moved to the side and gestured for him to take the stage, Grey glanced to the side and beckoned someone over. Scrambling into the camera view, Rufus, whom Grey had barely remembered was promised by Alexander to have the exclusive rights to breaking the story to the people of Teramis, held tight to a microphone with one hand and his hat with Ian atop it with the other. Coming to a halt beside Grey and standing up straight, Rufus raised his microphone to his mouth with an enthusiastic grin and said, “Rufus Lenscap, Ace Reporter, reporting in with an exclusive scoop! I’m with the Bastion Milestone, the most reputable paper on this side of the continent, and I’ve been traveling together with Grey, or rather Matthew Greyson, since the very day he left Bastion to begin his mission! I’ve seen the truth with my own eyes, with plenty of pictures to prove it! There’s a whole other world out there, and people of different races and cultures that live in it! It’s been a long, hard journey, but together we’ve fought Altera Veritas at every turn, because we’ve known from the start there’s more to them than a simple terrorist group! If we’re gonna stop them, we’ve gotta put our trust in the heroes of old who’ve been fighting in the shadows all this time! Grey and his friends aren’t just any group of specialists, they’re the best of the best, Angelorum Lux!”

            Turning to Grey, Rufus offered the microphone with a beaming smile. Flashing a grin as he took it, Grey raised the microphone up and said, “I’m sure everyone watching this is pretty confused, but we’re not here to lie or joke around. I’m Matthew Greyson, better known as Grey of the Infinite, the new Herald of Origin’s Will. A thousand years ago when Amanus of the Infinite fought the Dark God, Amanus was killed, and the Dark God was sealed away. Now he’s been set free, but his power is mostly under the control of Alastor Bastille, the Leader of Altera Veritas. Alastor plans to rewrite the world, which he sees as the only way to escape the great amount of discrimination and disparity that exists in it. The first step to doing that is to cause great calamity, and although I’ve negotiated a three day ceasefire during which to prepare countermeasures, once those three days are up I’m sure he’s going to make his move. The unidentified airship that appeared recently is his base, an air fortress called the Citadel of Noctivagus, and it’s equipped with a devastating amount of firepower. We’re not out of options yet though. I can’t reveal everything here and now, but we’ll break through the barrier around Noctivagus, and storm his stronghold with a force that hasn’t been seen in a thousand years.”

            Walking the streets of Abnoct dressed in a white labcoat, his hair cut shorter and parted in the middle, Dr. Nova in Zero’s body had stopped to listen to the announcement from TINN as he was passing a nearby electronics store. A mad grin spreading across his scarred face as Grey finished his part of the announcement, Dr. Nova continued on his way as Felix took the stage once again to reinforce the validity of the things they had said and started discussing safety measures, heading in the direction of the old warehouse that Altera Veritas had in the city as he thought to himself, “Perfect! Who would have guessed they’d show something worthwhile on the news for once?! I may be down an ally or two, but don’t think you’ll leave me out of all the fun!” Arriving at the gate around the warehouse district, he peered through the chainlink fence, forming his polearm and slicing it apart as he exclaimed, “The Mad Genius never fails to triumph in the name of Science!”

            In the snowy fields surrounding the city of Daemonholm, the armies of the demonfolk were gathering up in preparation to take Claire’s massive magical portal. Leading the army himself, Xanth and Baron Elvix as his primary commanders, Loki was overseeing final preparations for his troops to move out. Approaching Xanth, who was mounted on a cloud serpent and would be leading the air forces, he called up to him, “Baron Elvix’s ground forces are readied for battle, how goes preparations for the cloud serpent brigades?” Having been reading a report from one of his subordinates, Xanth looked up from the paper in his hand and replied, “Only a few minor weapons checks are left, we should be more or less ready. Has the Seeker returned from resting at her tower?” Nodding, Loki replied, “Yes, she just arrived. We’re ready to move out, although there’s still been no word from the bulk of Angelorum Lux’s forces.” Looking concerned, Xanth thought to himself, “Hurry back Gabriel, I fear we may not succeed alone.” Pulling up next to Xanth on his own cloud serpent suddenly, Douglas called out, “Relax, we got this! Until those folks get whatever they gotta do done, just count on ol’ Douglas and Claus to back you up! We’ve got a couple other extra hands that might come in handy too, that rich girl and her butler seem like the type who can stir things up in a pinch!” Adjusting his shades a moment, Douglas stared off into the snowy horizon as he sighed and thought, “Really though, what is it that’s gotten into me? Doin all this charity work…” Then suddenly grinning to himself, he muttered, “Ah well, what am I gripin’ about at this point? ‘Sides, it’s finally time to have some fun!”