Chapter 902

Chapter 902: “To free Cthulhu,”

“To free Cthulhu,” returned Miira.

“The Guardian of realms,” inferred an interested Gophy, “-let’s see, the humanoid figure needs some work, and the aura,” she leaned and sniffed, “-very nice,” said the pleasant smile, “-death and destruction. My favorite meal.”

Intherna sprang at the guardian beast and narrowed, “-death and destruction. Too bad,” she echoed, “-doesn’t look all that appetizing to me.”

“Stop,” added a very soft and inviting voice, “-you’ll scare the poor beast into hiding,” Lilith stroked its flexible chin. Igna stepped to add a word, “-well,” Miira interjected, completely cutting him off, to which he simply blinked a few times, “-taking in a beast of this size will take an enormous amount of mana. It’s stretched its tentacles across dimension and has yet sustained its hunger.”

“See, friend,” he added in a mundane but clear voice, “-there is no hope.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic,” awed Lilith, “-we were called upon for a reason,” a proud look glistened her beautiful features.

“Can’t look bad,” said Gophy, “-Igna,” they surrounded Cthulhu, “-watch and learn.”

.....

On Miira’s lead – an unseen and unprecedented spell spawned into reality. The very definition of the world around faded, there laid nothing, and by nothing, there was nothing. Neither was it black nor was it white, no color, no matter, no existence – there laid what was there before everything creation – a massive pool of nothing. The four crests of the Alterian goddesses shimmered, the cave flashed, forcing Igna to raise his hand in cover against the light. *Woosh,* blank, a purple orb hovered in where Cthulhu used to reside – Miira, Gophy, Intherna and Lilith bore flushed faces and satisfied smiles, “-and a job well done,” said Miira.

“What did you do?” blinked Igna, ‘-is this the effect I have on people?’ utter bewilderment for he was right. On occasions of him performing miracles; those around were left either traumatized or simply baffled.

“World transmigration,” winked Gophy stumbling to stand.

“The same spell thee used and nearly caused Alphia’s downfall?”

“Don’t bring up the past,” she rolled her eyes, looked at Intherna, who by same effect, turned at Lilith. They held out their hands, “-transparent,” they said.

“The mirages can’t sustain our full power,” in a comical shrug, the trio fumbled into a puff of ash, leaving Igna to sigh and Miira inspecting the orb.

“Sent illusions instead of stepping into the real world?”

“Don’t sound disappointed,” added Miira, “-I’m here for one. If we’d enter the realm at the same time, I shudder to think the destruction such an influx in power would cause. Look here,” she pointed, “-the reality is forever altered; a break in time and space. A lucky side effect of freeing the beast of the ages.”

“WAIT!”

“What?” she rose from her hunched examination, threw a sharp brow, and tightened her lips.

Resultant effects hit Igna almost instantly, what would happen to Marinda, the other realms. No words need be said, the expression alone gave the long-haired Miira a vague idea, “-nothing will change,” she said, “-the beast’s been freed. The core’s been transferred to the Shadow Realm,” her fluttering eyelashes took notice of everything Igna thought subconsciously, “-Shadow Realm’s reserve is more than enough to contain Cthulhu. The reserves and production are unrivaled – the foundation’s stern, more time passes, the better it gets. Remember,” she crossed her arms, “-the Death Element’s intertwined. Every overload it dies and returns twice as strong; like you when the element was active,” the orb suddenly bubbled and hurled a glob of blue, green, and red.

“FRIEND!” materialized a very animated figure, “-it’s worked,” cheered sent tremors, “-my hunger, I don’t feel hungry anymore. I can breathe, look around, sense the world and talk,” he laughed, “-I can talk, Igna, I can talk!”

“The orb’s a direct link for the guardian of Marinda to phase in and out of reality. Cool,” said she in a somewhat sarcastic tone. Her heels echoed to his side and whispered, “-don’t spend too much time in Marinda, the outside world doesn’t look so good. There will come a time when the people will need their king, afterward, there will come the time for said King to take back what was taken from him,” she whispered, “-and I don’t mean Hidros; I mean the Aapith nation. Words of warning; Draebala’s very active – both sides are gearing for war. Aapith nation blames to gods for stealing Lucifer’s wings, and the gods blame the demons for blasphemy of Sen and the death of angels and heirs. On guard for when the time comes where another battle of the higher-being springs, Creation, Death, and Time will need to mediate the fight. No one wants reality to break. I’ll leave you to it,” she finished her monologue, conjured a portal, threw a wink over her shoulder, and disappeared into the endless nothing.

The warning struck, mention of Aapith nation riled Alfred’s persona; “-home.”

Quick shakes of the shoulder snapped the daze, “-Igna, wake up,” riled the energetic Cthulhu, “-let’s eat.”

“Eat? Didn’t you say the hunger’s fixed...”

“I meant talking,” the fingers shook energetically, “-Igna, I’m surprised. You have powerful allies.”

“Not allies, they’re family,” he said, “-my guardian goddesses. There’re more, my children, their friends, the allies I met in my many lives. Now you,” the arms wrapped around Cthulhu’s shoulders as if old friends, “-shall we hit the taverns?”

“Yes please!”

Time was a little after three in the evening. The Devil strolled into Cthulhu’s town in company of Cthulhu. To see his name on a plaque, the guardian deity’s eyes watered.

“Getting emotional?”

“No,” he squinted, “-it’s the smell of fish.” Directly behind the plaque laid the local market; plants, ingredients, spices, and more traditionally, fish – laid exposed for the grab of shoppers.

“Hello Devil,” waved the traders.

“Hello,” he’d reply followed by Cthulhu. They walked; the crowded space opened as people respectfully gave way to the devil. Shortly after, the close duo arrived at a simple eatery overlooking the deep blue lake. A knowingly glance at the keeper, Igna climbed stairs onto a lesser populated upstairs, walked across the wooden floor, and exited onto a terrace where in a quiet little corner stationed a bar. Liquor to the brim and a waiter manned the cleaning efforts.

“Lord Haggard,” said the waiter, “-bit early, isn’t it?”

“Hello Jog,” he greeted, “-I’d be a fool to wait and lose out on such a lavish landscape.”

The waiter, an acquaintance, scanned the newer addition carefully, “-pardon me,” intervened Igna, “-here’s my friend, Cthulhu.”

Jog’s hand froze, “-sorry?”

“Cthulhu.”

“As in...”

“- as in the guardian deity of Marinda,” replied Igna, “-keep the shock to a minimum.”

“As you say,” he resumed cleaning the plates and cups, “-the usual then?”

“Yeah, and my friend will have the same,” they turned towards the lake view and waited.

“Friend, you kept the promise,” he smiled, “-I’ve never felt so free before. Come to think of it, I don’t know why I was imprisoned in the first place.”

“I know,” said Igna, “-would you like to hear?”

“Sure,” he sipped, “-maybe the memories will return, who knows.”

Igna sipped and plunged himself into the deepest annals of Origin’s memoir, a guide took the conscious by the hand and led to a compliment of books and notes, “-Cthulhu; an entity birthed from the curse of the dying soldiers. During the war of Gods and Demons, casualties were at an all-time high – the overwhelming mana had no place to go save for the little orb in the center of the battlefield, a split in reality and time. Domain and dimension, innocent bystanders were targeted, none was spared from the cruelty of war. In the split; the anger and rage of those killed in collateral damage vowed to never rest until the attackers were punished. Goes without saying; when emotion’s run high, there’s no escaping the wrath which ensued. The added emotions built and built until a being sprang into reality – a blessing from Creation, he’d had enough of seeing the souls torture themselves. Past rage and anger, upon death, would be swallowed by the guardian who lived in the split. From souls of the departed, the tentacles grew to stretch and take in the souls of higher beings – you devoured viciously – left no trace behind and crawled to take the throne of a multi-dimensional monster. You were then locked across the dimensions to prevent further expansion. It worked, and here we are, sipping drink off the counter and looking into the faded distance.”

“...”

“What happened, friend?” wondered Igna, “-you look disappointed.”

“I hoped my story to be a little more interesting. There’s no greater ploy for revenge or anything, I’m free to do whatever.”

“Yeah,” returned Igna, “-I wouldn’t say free from doing nothing. Guardian Deity, the fate and security of Marinda lay in thy hand,” the ground rumbled, “-see, the volcano is active, meaning, you’re linked.”

“What about you, friend?”

“I don’t know,” sipped Igna, “-I heard rumors about a plane crashing somewhere in the zero-district. We’ll leave the situation, for now, leave whoever’s here to wander the land and see the dangers for themselves. I think I’ll rest for a bit longer, wait for the opportune time to wake from the slumber.”

*Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap,* a tornado rode across the upper-floor, pushed chairs, toppled tables, and blasted, “-DEVIL, WHERE’S MY FATHER!”

“Chill out,” returned Igna, “-so noisy, it wastes the beautiful face,” he puffed.

“Daughter,” rose the guardian deity, “-it’s you, finally you,” glass on the counter.

“Father?” the annoyance zipped, “-why are you here, what happened, I lost track of the presence... I thought you’d died,” her brows rose in relief, “-father,” she leaped into his arms, “-you’re alive,” her racing heart tapped, “-thank the gods.”

“No,” interjected Igna, “-thank the devil, not the gods,” he rose a conniving sneer and sipped. She but ignored the comment, focused her attention on her father, and soon pulled him inside for a father and daughter date. Igna was left to rest in the coming evening breeze and setting sun.

“She came and took the guest away,” added the waiter, “-I see the devil’s been defeated.”

“Don’t sing joy yet,” he turned and asked for another, “-there’s nothing like seeing someone you thought was dead. It’s one of those indescribable pleasures.”

Time passed, and eventually crossed the 29th of March X114, which moved to be the 1st of January X115.

*Huff puff,* hands dripping in blood, the first ray of dawn lit the dotted foliage, “-holy shit,” gasped Yui with thick hair and salvaged fighting attire, “-the map,” she wiped her fingers and looked at a rudimentary drawing of what laid around – a gift from the first village she visited, “-they’re very secretive about who and what lives to the north. It’s the day of new year, I spent the whole night evading monsters and running senselessly north-west. The people of Yamto were nice and that’s it. I’ve seen the flying castles; when I asked, no one dared to answer. What secret are they hiding?” she muddled through aided by a walking stick, the forest after the village was long, scary, and untamed. “Why didn’t I trust them? What if there’s nothing northwest, what if this trip is the last I make. Hell, what if master’s not even on the damned archipelago.” Long hours of walking – stoppage for resupplying and catching little rest she could, Yui made her way slowly across one of the more dangerous forests across Marinda. The growling of the volcano reflexively made not head towards said area, “-give me anything...” *SNAP,* an echo amidst the noisy forest lit the motivation anew, “-life, there’s a sign of life beyond Yamto.” 1st turned into the 4th, the weather took a change for the worse – rain crashed and rendered the ground practically unwalkable. Desperate Yui snatched herself against a tree, “-Marinda keeps on giving,” she gulped, “-how did you survive this land, Aidn of the Western Wind?” mind drifted into the land of sleep, the only place where she’d shake the overwhelming solitude, hunger, and struggle for life.