Chap 43: Seaza's Heart
1775 Words
“The Core of Cirion… Why does it appear here?”
Standing in front of the giant complex mural on the stone wall like a unbreable seal, at its center, there was a crystal glowing the scary red light. But when he approached closer to take a look, in a sudden, the seed of Goddess Galadriel had reacted against the thing inlaid on the wall as well, forced his heart to beat stronger, faster as if it wanted to break apart his chest.
When Galen took a closer look, he just realized… that crystal was providing an immerse amount of aura energy in order to nourishing the thing being covering it. Noticing that the ray of light from The Core of Cirion was glowing, made the pulse consistently like the heart beat, it made Galen being speechless. It also meant… what Galen was seeing was actually a heart…? And it was using the power of Cirion's Core to keep it surviving.
Suddenly, behind Galen, echoed a familiar voice…
“You have reached it finally, Galen Laurence.”
The first thing when Galen hearing that voice was “no way!”. Because the owner of that voice came from a person that he had always known: Seaza!
Galen immediately turned his back to the origin of that voice. Exactly, Seaza was here! It was like he had been waiting for Galen from here for so long time ago.
But if Galen remembered correctly, Seaza was still being at the island of Frelanna. How can he teleport into this place… no, more simply, a dangerous place like Enderworld easis
What actually was going on? Galen wondered in confusion.
“Sea… Seaza! Don't come here. This place is dangerous! I think there is something with House Hartridge so we have to get out of here as soon as possible!” After calming down and gaining back the consciousness, Galen stood in front of Seaza and protected him from that murals and rose his wooden sword forward.
“Don't worry Galen, this place is not dangerous, at least for me only…”
“What do you mean?” Galen asked.
Seaza slowly moved his body, directed to the murals while completely ignored confused Galen. Until, he gently touched the giant heart on the wall, while speaking to Galen.
“I think I cannot hide this anymore. So I'd like to introduce myself again:
We both are now standing inside the fossils of my real body. Eventhough my body had been gone, but this heart was still beating, it had been keeping me alive through ten thousands years thanks to this Core of Cirion.”
“I… I don't understand…”
“Galen, think widely. My name is Seaza. How will my name become if we spell it reversely?”
S-E-A-Z-A…. Galen was mumbling while spelling Seaza's name and tried to reverse it. Right at this moment, Galen got stunned, just stood silently as if his body had been petrified.
A-E-A-Z-A… If we spell it reversely, it will be A-Z-E-A-S! Seaza is actually the dragon that caused the curse on the entire family of Galen's mother!
Damn it! Galen cursed himself inside his head. He was so stupid! He should have noticed this from the start! So his 6th sense was right, Seaza had not been already a trusted person from the start!
“Seaza… No! Azeas!” Seaza smirked when hearing Galen shouting out his real name from afar. “Now I understand why you didn't want to tell us where The Core of Cirion is, because you are using his core for your own selfishness. Release The Core, now!”
“Hahaha… HAHAHA! That's if you can do it, kiddo...” Seaza laughed a sound of madness “Oh my… Just kidding, I have no problem giving The Core back to you.”
“Huh?”
Galen knit his eyebrows while doubting Seaza. Why woukd he give Galen that such precious core so easily? Unless there was a trap…
“Aye aye am I looking like a bad guy in your eyes?” Seaza ironically spoke to Galen when he could guess Galen's mind, just by looking at his doubtful eyes “But, we are having a problem that made me unable to give it back to you.”
“Tell me.”
“I think you have already known the whole story of House Hartridge, right? From that damn smartass brat Oswarth.”
“Hey, don't call my great great grandfather like that!”
“Alright, alright, sorry~ Of course, I'm ten thousands year old already so human like you to me… are just like the bunch of troublesome brats.”
Galen gave a sigh and lowered his sword down. He was being aware that the Dragna crystal inlaid on Seaza's body was still off. If it wasn't activated yet, it would be going to take a while to force him turning into the ice dragon and Galen would have enough time to run away. But totally opposite than what Galen was caution against, Seaza didn't have any intention to fight. Instead, he was sitting at the stage right in front of the murals of. With just a clap of his hands, the paper charms around this place suddenly moved around Galen and Seaza, lightened up the scenery to give better vision for Galen.
At this moment, Galen just could see clearly everything ariund him: So Seaza and Galen were being in Azeas's fossilized body. That space was so huge as if it was a giant stone dome. On the side of his body, the mural pattern had been carved everywhere. No space being left empty without the teace of the mural. If Galen noticed them more carefully, there were so many of the name being carved on that dome wall too. All of the names were having the same family name: Hartridge.
“Our Almighty Galadriel has three children as the guardians of Frelanna Forest: Iresthea, Cirion and Sephylim. But actually, it was a lie. She also had a fourth child as well.”
“Pardon?!”
“Yes, it was me Azeas. Or more actually, I'm the eldest child of Almighty Galadriel.”
Galen felt like he just heard something exploded beside his ears. But it could be explainable! There was no weredragon who could live for ten thousands years before!
“Our family used to have a great life back then. Until one day… I have discovered about this place, or you can say the Enderworld as the House Hartridge mentioned about.”
“And you have been succumbed by it?”
“Clever as ever, kiddo.” Seaza smiled at Galen “Yes, the power of Black Magic inside Enderworld had corroded my body, drove me beyond my control and turned me crazy. I couldn't remember anything anymore back then. When I got back my conciousness, I have been stuck in here with this human form. And I think my twin sister Sephylim had replaced me to become Princess of the Dragons.”
“I see…”
It could be the possibility that Sephylim had sealed him into this place so he wouldn't harm humans and the world outside anymore…
“Since I have alreadg got back my control, I still couldn't figure out how to get out from this place. That was why I have signed the contract with Knen Hartridge. That bastard was seeking the power of Black Magic so he asked my help, but never thought about the consequences. Just because of his greed and selfishness, the entire of his family also got trapped forever into this place as well.
His idea disgusted me more when he kidnapped women from the world outside to give birth to the children more so I can extend the contract with him. Well, it is as it is. Since we both have benefit, I would do that too.”
The more Galen heard Seaza's story, the more anger accelerated deep inside his heart.
“How can you be so cruel… Didn't you have any mercy to the children back then?”
“I'm a dragon, not a human, so of course: No. Just right at this moment where I was stuck inside Enderworld, I also got another invited guest. It was my beloved little brother Cirion. He wanted to free me as well so he had sacrificed his Core in order to keep me alive in this world. Without his aura energy I think I would die ten thousands years ago.
“Wait a minute, this is the real story?” Galen asked again “So it was Cirion's choice to use his core and keep you alive??”
“I never lie before. But thanks to Cirion's Core, I could temporarily use my illusion, got out from Enderworld to find you. And that was why you will never achieve The Core of Cirion. Unless, you can convince him to leave me dying here.”
“Azeas…” At this moment, Galen's heart was aching “Are you sure that you will be going to die if I lift you The Core of Cirion from you? And also, you knew where Cirion's Core from the start right? Why didn't you tell Liana and me from the start?”
“I had been killing so many of children in House Hartridge, as you can see on the wall.
You know what? To Ancient Dragon like me, human's existence is still like a blown of breeze, but I will never forget them. That's why I carve their name on my own body, to keep memorizing that they were sacrificng for my selfish good, helping me getting the knowledge about this darkness realm to get out if here.”
Galen noticed each of the names being victims of Seaza's experiment on Black Magic. He lowered his head down, didn't dare to look at them anymore.
Suddenly, Galen heard the screaming voice of Seaza.
“AHHHHH!!”
“Azeas!! What is going on to you??”
“I'm… running out of time… keeping using Cirion's Core to create illusion… had weakened my capability to control the Black Magic corroding my body….”
“OH MY GODDESS!! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME ABOUT THIS EARLIER!!”
Galen rose his hands forward and pressed eventually on Seaza's back while screaming: “HEAL!!”
“Don't waste…. your aura, Galen! Heal… won't… be able to…. save me.”
“Then what can I do, Azeas??”
“Stupid! Is that considered a question?
Of course Galen, you have no other choice: Purify The Core of Cirion, and KILL ME!”
- Writer
