Upon a Star: Karyana's Journey: Chapter 16

With Shardfall in sight, both sisters ready for the inevitable.

Chapter 16

Laurinya looked through her notes for the fifth time, growing more and more frustrated with each study. "This doesn't make any sense!" she shouted, ripping a scroll in half. "The ritual calls for ten shards, but the symbol shows an eight-pointed star… How is that possible?"

Vokram's notes were written with the utmost clarity: his study of Shardfall pointed to ten "fragments of a star, brimming with mana yet shaped like diamonds in the rough". The golden-haired witch knew she was close to her goal, but she found herself with four very important, and very missing shards to find. Her scrying spell told her that there were very powerful sources of mana nearby, but it was almost impossible to pinpoint their whereabouts.

Still wearing the spider-silk robe, the emerald-eyed young woman had grown tired of trying to remove it; as much as she tried, the garment seemed to latch onto her very being like a second skin, granting support at her chest, but flowing at the mildest breeze. Even so, the warm gust that seeped through the barely-open window was welcoming, as she had grown tired, and almost sick, because of the constant cold from Beakborrow's windswept chasm and the treacherous trap that, while it gave her some of her missing puzzle pieces, also cursed her to wear Lady Asuna's own apparel.

Even as she studied, her thoughts often trailed to the silvery garden, where stars blossomed like flowers. Still, the very thought of the alabaster-skinned Planar using her as a puppet was such a thing she could not bear.

"Once I am free of all fate… I will show the world that I am not one to be shackled!" she cursed under her breath before picking up the satchel where the uncut diamonds rested.

A heavy gust blew a window pane from its fragile wooden holder, the brittle object smashing to pieces as the wind blew scrolls and loose pages around, scooping one away.

----

Kaina stretched as she walked out of the tavern. Though her rest had been less than exquisite, but the breakfast of eggs, bread and cheese felt like heaven as she was tired of the constant use of iron rations.

Looking up at the morning sky, clear of all clouds and shimmering with golden rays, she let out a relieved sigh. "I just wish I could wake up like this everyday…" she mused, wiping a tear of happiness from her eyes. "Seeing the sun, feeling the breeze…"

As she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of the morning air, she felt something slap itself over her face. Startled, her hands reached to the object that blocked her sight of the waking streets. "Huh? What in the-"
The mousy girl hastily pulled the parchment from her face, then looked at it. "What is this?" she wondered before examining the inscriptions on it.

Her face grew pale as she read the inscriptions. "My goodness…" she spoke, just as Alban walked out of the door, his back bent slightly to duck under the low door. His heavy sword rested against his back, though his armor had been hastily put on.

"Oh, good morning, Kaina…" Alban said as he noticed the brown-haired girl. "How are you today?"

Kaina almost jumped out of her fur-rimmed leather boots before turning to look at the buly ranger. "Oh! Um… A-Alban. I didn't know you were… um…" she babbled, holding the page nervously, crumpling it against her chest. "D-did you sleep well?"

Alban's eyes narrowed as he noticed the sheet of parchment she was holding. "Um… y-yeah…" she said, before letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm still worried about my sister."

Korgan walked out of the tavern as the young woman spoke the last sentence. "I don't see why you are so bent on her well-being." the war-priest scowled, still holding a half-eaten piece of smoked ham in his right hand.

Shaking the meaty bit at Kaina as if it was his mace, he looked at the display, which made Alban smirk, before taking a bite of it, chewing slowly. "She's just been leading us on…" he commented, spitting out a piece of meat along with his words.

"I expected a war-priest to be a tad more… priestly." Onyx commented as he walked towards the group, his bag looking rather empty. "You seem to lack some refinement."

Korgan frowned. "You should be talking… where exactly have you been this morning?" the priest asked, swallowing the rest of his breakfast.

"I sold some of my scraps at the local smithy, in exchange for some coin." the dwarf answered, shaking a rather full sack of coins that dangled from his belt. "Speaking of asking me where I was, where is Turalyon?"

"Right he-" the battle-mage spoke, letting out a loud yawn as he walked out, stretching so much, it was to wonder if he wouldn't dislocate his arms. "Uh, sorry. I didn't sleep too well…"

Alban folded his arms around his chest. "Well, I think we're about ready to go. Where should we head off to?" he asked, looking back at the group. Korgan roughed up his neck for a moment, an audible cracking sound being heard.

"I… think I found something." Kaina said, holding onto the paper. "Um… do any of you know why there's… um… ten shards for Shardfall?"

A heavy silence, only cut by the chirp of birds and the bristling branches of the nearby apple tree, before Turalyon replied after wiping the sleep off his eyes. "Well, I did study under Vokram Niros for a season…" he replied, his tone going from uneasy to apologetic. "He wasn't that great of a mentor, anyways…"

"That's not why I ask." the young ranger woman replied, holding the parchment for the battle-mage to see. "This is why."

"Hmm…" he muttered, before examining the page. "Well… from what I see, it looks like the ritual of Starfall required ten shards, to represent the different aspects of existence. There's… let's see… earth, air, water and fire as the prime elemental forms, but also light and darkness as the aspects of time… and there's also the physical and the spiritual aspects of mortality and immortality…"

Onyx let out a sigh. "That's a whole load of rubbish to me." he retorted. "Put that in simpler words."

The battle-mage let out a sigh. "In shorter words, each shard represents one aspect, and all ten of them call out to the Planars, if used correctly."

"Used correctly?" Kaina wondered, her eyes widening with unease.

"If not…" Turalyon answered, looking grimly at the brown-haired young woman. "She might just destroy herself."

----

Pison looked at the troop of dark elves that worked for him. "Twenty soldiers to face two rangers, two wizards and one war-priest…" he muttered grimly. "What a letdown."

The demonic mercenary gripped the hilt of his sword impatiently. "I hardly see how such a pathetically small group can even stand against them…" he added, looking with burning eyes at the armored unit.

Sayeth looked at her comrades. Many were equipped with swords, spears and bows, while armored in phantom steel. On her end, she was wielding twin-blades, shaped like fangs, while her armor was less impressive, but more maneuverable, than the more warrior-trained ones.

She grit her teeth, already tasting vengeance for the insult she experienced. Being the only survivor of her scouting unit was a probability, but being caught and fleeing from combat was an absolute disgrace. Returning to the clan in shame and failure was even worse, as death would have been a greater blessing than having everything she owned taken from her, even down to her clan name.

Pison didn't care about the dark elf woman's story. Xelnos' right-hand man, as he told them, spoke for the Planar, who was angry at their race for being such a disgrace. They were one of the most feared people of Medierth, and were the first to assault the Jeweled City. Now, as he raged on, they were nothing but hired blades with broken honor and shattered pride.

Sayeth didn't care for pride or honor anymore, and the vinegar-filled words of her demonic slave-master just felt like acid on her nerves. As much as she wanted those adventurers to pay for the insult and injuries she suffered, she just wanted to grab her blades and drive them through the ghoulish man's heart and throat, and feel the last of his black essence seep into the ground.

Instead, Pison looked at the group. "I expected more and better troops, but it doesn't matter." he said, grasping the hold of his thorny lash, making the gruesome whip unfurl, causing the sinew and razor-sharp appendages that were once the tails of five different devils of the Underdeep to rattle, making a sound that would make a mortal man shiver. "Your blood will corrupt these ritual grounds."

The woman grit her teeth and looked down at her ring she wore, only to avoid looking at the mercenary who drove his clawed hand through the throat of the dark elf soldier in front of her, causing the splatter to ink her armor and skin crimson.

"The rest of you will hunt and destroy them." the demonic mercenary commanded, his tone cold and dominating. "I will make sure that the two women never fulfill the wishes of the Planars."

As he walked away, he didn't notice one dark elf missing from the ranks. "Death will be a blessing when I am through with them… then, I will end them myself…"

----

Laurinya ran the ritual in her head. Every aspect, every word, every motion… it swerved in her head like a maelstrom, making her nerves tense to their very limit.

"There has to be more… unless Reveen hid two shards on the ritual grounds…" she groaned to herself, "… I have to get this right. I must succeed!"

The golden-maned sorceress hurried down the road to Starfall, having rented a horse to speed the approach to her destination. The grey mare wasn't as fast as she wanted it. Had it had wings…

Laurinya's thoughts returned to the longing she experienced at Beakhollow; the moment where she relished in the thought of flight, of freedom carried by the winds… She almost lost control of her ride as the beast decelerated, coming to a strut as it walked slowly on the rickety wooden bridge, held by rusty hinges. Crossing that bridge at a slower pace gave the horse enough of a rest before the emerald-eyed young woman hurried it on, hoping to catch what precious time she had lost.

Laurinya thought back to the group that she dragged around like a sack of grain. "What a waste of time…" she said to herself. "I should have discarded those mangy dogs the moment they started to show their teeth at me."

Thinking of each one just added more insults and rambling to the list of swears she had for each. "First that ranger…" she continued, hardly noticing that her horse had slowed to a halt, its neck having pulled down on the reins enough for the parched animal to calm its thirst at a small drinking hole. "Sure, he has a sword, but without that belt of his, it's a wonder if he would even be able to lift it…"

Having noticed that Alban's girdle, worn over his dirt-brown shirt, emitted a magical aura of some sort, she had sneaked a moment to examine it while the ranger was asleep. Though she had never seen it before, she could still read the manaweave with ease. Her mystical lecture had told her that it was imbued with the strength of a giant, but she didn't have the time nor the patience to examine it further. "I'm sure that oaf would shrivel like a raisin without that bauble on…" Laurinya noted before giving the reins a tug to stop the horse from grazing too much.

"Then, that foolish student of the Order… He willingly wrapped himself around my little finger without even me trying. And that foul-mouthed priest… not to mention that scavenger of a dwarf. Good riddance to all of them!" she scorned, hurrying her race to Starfall as fast as her fly-bitten mongrel of a horse could go.

----

"My lord, there's a young man to see you." said the paige before walking away from the closed laboratory door.

Demyan finished reading the eighteenth scroll the Viceroy had given him to read. "I'll be out in a moment." he spoke, half a tone lower than a scowl.

The young Magelord was closer to receiving the title, but he still was not of age to officially rule. Thus, the Viceroy had decided that, until the Moonlit Masquerade, the young man would not be allowed the ruler's throne. In the meantime, the boy's focus would be on studying the more… political aspects of rule: court etiquette, greeting travelers and nobles, tending to the issues of the people…

Even though Demyan was glad to be able to study inside the main halls of Citadel, it also meant that he had little time for anything else. Though Chime was always close by, the winged creature, partially feline in some traits, was mostly spending its time running after rodents than with the young man. It hadn't taken too long for the inner halls to be free of mice and rats, but the aristocrats and guards were still having trouble keeping the critter from pouncing around, as the creature was still trying to learn how to fly on its own.

Demyan couldn't remember how many accidents happened due to Chime's clumsy maneuvering and landing skills. The latter was actually the worst; the young man had to write a whole-hearted excuse to the high chef when a rat had been found in the kitchens, which led to a wild goose chase that had ended with pots and pans on the ground, sous-chefs having fallen on their backsides when the scampering pest had run between their legs, chased by the sprinting winged animal. The entire kitchen looked like a ravaged battleground after the rodent's demise.

The young man pulled against the heavy door and looked down the stairwell, only to notice a child, wearing brass wrist guards, a plain tunic and a brass circlet. "Good day to you, Reveen." the boy spoke with disconcerting maturity, looking at Demyan with the authority of a seasoned warlord.

"Reveen?" the older of the two replied. "You must be mistaken. That's not my name."

The young boy slowly shook his head. "Not the name of this mortal form, but it is your name." he answered. "I have come to speak to you."

Demyan let out a sigh, passed a hand through his short hair and down to the base of his neck where a bronze torque rested. "Well… have a seat, unless you want us to talk outside."

"This is not idle chatter, Reveen." the boy replied. "Very soon, she will reawaken, but in her moments of doubt, she will need asylum and mending."

It took some time for Demyan to make any sense of what he heard. "She? Wait… you mean-"

"I cannot say more, but I must warn you; the next sunrise will lead to a day where light and darkness will share the sky, and on this day, the fate of one may lead to the end of many." was all the boy spoke before turning around, disappearing into the shadows of the stairwell, as if he had not been there at all.

The young Magelord looked perplexed. "What in all Planars did he mean…?" he wondered before gazing through the open window.

A feel of dread made his nerves stiffen as he noticed a single form run away from the waterhouse and towards the gates… and dark smoke, followed by growing flames, coming from a small cot in the merchant's district.

"No…" the young man whispered, then spoke and finally shouted. "Mother! Father!" was all he could scream as the puzzle pieces came gruesomely together; his home was aflame.

----

The young boy led out a sigh as he examined the scene from far above, in the mirrored surface of the celestial garden's lake.

"You knew this would happen… didn't you?" Prolectae spoke, folding her arms under her heaving chest.
The boy didn't respond as he gazed at the surface, noticing the young reincarnation of Reveen run towards his former home, far too late.

"You knew and you did nothing? Why? Why did their lives have to end so suddenly?" the Aspect of the beauty shouted, anger distorting her normally-flawless complexion.

Progeny let out a sigh. "Neither of them will be ready." he spoke, the words showing sorrow. "The chaos in Laurinya's mind has grown too wild; and Kaina will not have the sufficient strength to stop Starfall from being complete."

"That does not explain why Reveen's mortal parents have to-" was all the feminine Planar could say before the Childlord interrupted her with a wave of his small hand.

"They need one another to be complete. The boy does not understand the final outcome of this prophecy, and once the two sisters will give new life to the broken star, it will not mend perfectly." the young boy spoke before looking back at the reflection, which showed soldiers hurrying to douse the flames, while two soldiers are holding back a panicked Demyan, even as one soldier rushes into the building in flames. "Both must walk a path of darkness before finding the light within each other."

Progeny closed his eyes and turned away from the reflection, even as Lady Asuna's tears and cries of sorrow were heard from inside the garden, the alabaster maiden weeping almost in time with the young man who fell to his knees, the burning house collapsing on itself. The aspect of the moon couldn't hold back her tears, which fell like silvery droplets in the mirror-like pond, the reflection showing Demyan holding onto a crying Chime as the soldiers looked on, powerless to stop the darkening flames that devours the young man's family.

"I fear that Pison's rebellious wrath towards Xelnos… may be only one of many dark omens for their future…" the Childlord spoke, looking at Prolectae with teary eyes. "…and ours."