The Primordial

The Eighteenth Chapter

Although she dėsɨrėd not to respond, she likewise unwelcome this lingering awkwardness.

If a different person hinted the same, she would have shown some embarrassment, though since her mother asked, she gripped her heart, keeping an emotionless cast.

"No, mother, he is a child, with no knowledge of .., " her high pitched tone deteriorated.

"My lovable, shy little flower, the earliest of feelings, forms the strongest nodes, did your eyes not happened upon, how eagerly he guided you?"

"Rais did such, respecting my connection with Ludos. If Mother had asked, he would have done the equivalent." Setting one foot inside the dark, damp chamber, Illma thought in a dazed state, 'Mother, I understand why it is difficult for you to comprehend.'

"Now my flower, attempt not to slip away."

"I.. I was..."

"Did Rais state such? To discern one's heart, often situation demands, you stare into one's eyes," she inquired Illma of her earlier statement.

"If eyes tell the tales of mind, then his eyes only paints the pity, he feels towards me."

"What is the difference between pity and love to the daughter of a w***e?"

"I am not you, mother."

"You are my daughter!

"You are like me; but, you will not end up like me!" For the first time, she shed her adorable, charming nature.

"Little flower, gaze upon your mother, what appears wrong with her? Why does she rot, an ocean away, upon a foreign land, despite her noble upbringing?"

"Accept your situation, understand your strengths and weaknesses. You obtained my beauty, use it before others uses it for you."

"Do you confess, listen to your mother and you will traverse this place?"

"Yes, mother," her voice cracked, while her nails stubbed into her palms. She ached to refute her, though Illma understood her voice would not span over to the storm of sentiment, at the presence of her. From the unresting sea, the violent thunderous tempest finally ravished, touching this emotional turbulence, forming a union.

Thus just the tune of tenacious downpour remained. Darkness engulfed them, the lanterns ceased to shine.

***

Towards the east, away from Ludos's house, Rais and Ludos navigated through gliding tree branches. After reaching the ravaged coast, the noticed ocean surging inland, consuming away half of the trees.

With the fierce wind, they proceeded further inland, with the echoing bellow of the gigantic waves.

While scanning for the sisters, Rais marked upon the tribesmen who had docked earlier. Sheltering their young ones with their backs, against the violent winds.

Buvart ovu hfqn, Mpzlarf frt Alraf, jvm plpfiiw vft ovuaz zfsur vfaz oaut pn jaov emitur mzrfqurol, iuo ovuq lfai jaov ovu ouqnulo. Tvuw lommt gufz dmmout jfaoare dmz ovu fzzasfi md Rfal frt Lptml.

Though the yin curtain not yet has fallen, despite this the ancient forest still grew darker than the night. Within this darkness, Rais noticed Murcina's red eyes glowing like molten chunks of iron.

Hanging in front of them, Rais wondered why the totem markings visual on their limbs had changed from soft, elegant white hue to crimson red.

Noticing a glowing aura escaping from them, Rais gasped at their hidden twisted nature. Especially the red line looping around Asnia's neck appeared the most sinister. Though her sister hid hers with a gorgeous cyan neckpiece.

While they made their way toward the inner forest, Rain intensified while the visuality around them dropped, while the lingering rainwater reached to their knees. Their pace slowed down just to walking speed.

Compare to the outer boundary, the interior of the forest lightened up with thousands of tiny, light orbs. Immediately Rais's eye slipped on to the cutout under Mursina's neck while her hair blew away.

Noticing Rais halt, Mursina turned around towards him, connecting their line of sight. Her long hair paced in front of her ornate decorative blouse. Her hɨps slightly arched as she carried large ceremonial stuff. Her handful of glass bangles made a rhythmic sound stirred by the wind.

Her eyebrows slightly elevated with her chin with a slightly questioning gaze. Smiling Rais pointed at his back, indicating his earlier sight under her hair.

"Are you nervous that I might kidnap you?"

"Wouldn't I be lucky?"

Examining Rais casual attitude, she felt at ease, "Will your mother be okay with this?" Once again marching towards the destination, she changed the subject.

"I been a good son, so think I deserve to get a pass," they all disagreed; however, Rais insisted he understood his mother better.

Finally, they arrived near the array, separating the true forests from the outer edge. Once they obtain permission to enter, It will provide them with additional leverage to join the Throne Restorers.

While the powerful barrier winds pushed them backward, Rais once again glance at Mursina's back to see two visual wings of the Seven Winged Divine Serpent.

The totem of the Winged Serpent Tribe!

Though trembling from a soulful echo, Rais and the group gazed upward foreseeing the decent of yin curtain. The last light of the day receded after lighting the world with a cyan flash.

Leaving only darkness, until no darkness.

Bleeding through the void and passing the clouds, the yin curtain resembled an incorporeal monster from the mysterious abysmal sea slowly devouring the world. Rais held his grip, remembering the life-threatening encounter. Looking down on his palm, he shook, noticing the rainwater mixed with blood dripping down.

Splashing through the murky water, Asnia rushed to Rais noticing blood flowing down his arm, "Rais your shoulder."

"Worry not, just the initial flare, it will stop soon," Rais blocked her from getting any closer since only he knew of the curses extreme potency.

Ludos glanced up and down to locate his wound, "Is it an old wound?" Discovering none, he inquired Rais while wondering what he meant by initial flare.

"I said not to worry, I always had it," feeling constrained, Rais's previous excitement departed.

Closing his eyes, he convinced himself to focus on the task at hand, through his thoughts still lingered.

According to what the world consciousness monster stated, he still had five months, but he wasn't sure. The last set of constraining runes had lasted for three, while the ones before lasted six, but now the current will not even last for this month.

Glancing to the side, Rais noticed, only Mursina stayed focused on the task. Holding the ceremonial stuff, she blocked the abysmal yin curtain from engulfing them.

"Rais, you don't seem fine, your body seems to be shivering?" From Mursinas warning, Rias realized this time somehow he felt shaken to the core.

***

Behind north, standing at the edge of the ocean Anila collapsed to her knees, the curse she thought she had thoroughly suppressed flared up.

"Master, your nose," Sumaia became bewildered.

Moving her hands away from her nose, Anila watched the red wipe away with rain. Frozen, she stared down following the blood freeze away.

***

Wvaiu lmpov, fo ovu uteu md ovu arruz dmzulo, Mpzlarf lfre fr frhauro fzaf ar f ifrepfeu prcrmjr om Rfal, Lptml frt usur Alraf. Wvur lvu daralvut, f hzfhc dmzqut mr ovu gfzzauz zuluqgiare f lpttur zado mr f qfllasu ahu lvuuo.

Ominous force gripped them down, while the cracking sound felt like their fleeting heart, shattering, akin to glass.

Staring through the crack, hearing steps, they discerned a creature approaching them. Continually flashing, It branched horns reached into the clouds.

The horns became the center of the storm as the violent wind circulated, a deer-like creature moved closer to the barrier. The horns transformed into lightning horns feeding on to the Storm.

Murky yin energy circulated around the creature, akin to a floating shield. Rais and Ludos swallowed their saliva, while all fierce beasts fled from the scene. They didn't expect any of this. The ancient trees moved away, creating a pathway for the deer. While a shadowy figure sat on it.

Behind him, a large cloak of accumulated yin faltered, blazed with green flames. While jumping down from the deer, the wind took the hood of their rider.

Unveiling a cracked skeleton burning with the green flame while the shattered pieces of bones were being held together by vines.

Fully tilting its head from right to left, It stared at the Rais's group while making strange trees cracking sound.

"An agent of the Forest God!" Asnia exclaimed.

"Rais, should we not be making a run for it?" Ludos asked, unwilling to step forward.

"Definitely no lack of sinister, to do such, but sister Mursina seems unfazed."

"No, we had seen it before, it's not harmful," Asnia ȧssured them.

"Child of mortals, I welcome you to the Szronix Garden," a voice rang out in Rais's mind.

"Step inside the forest to receive the blessing of the Forest God."

Immediately after passing the barrier, with a flash of light, the weathered skeleton arrived in front of Rais and Ludos. Their heart almost stopped. The tried to jump back out of the barrier array, but the skeleton's finger bone had already touched their forehead.

Unable to move, while their eyes met the skeletons, placing their mind into a blank state. They mind traveled through millions of roots and vines before joining thousands of people of all ages. No one saw one another face, only their outer silhouette.

None of them knew where they were, but they were frozen in crystallized mana shell staring into heaven.

While in front of them laid a gigantic tree's intricate root reaching above the clouds, encompassing a massive area. While its trunk pierced through into the void with no visual branch of its leafy crown. From the darkness of the void, blood-red leaves rained down accumulating into a sea of burning leaves.

Trying to stare down, Rais heard a crack on his shell. Gazing into the base of the root, he noticed three basic wooden chairs lined up, without any detail to its craftsmanship. Though they were coated with crystallized mana, making them appear like thrones for an emperor.

Especially two of them on each of the outer edges. Despite this Rais, didn't glance at them more than once because he couldn't move his eyes from the one in the middle.

Or ovu hurouz ovzmru lfo f lcuiuomr md f omttiuz jvaiu vmitare jmmt-hfzsut omwl. Fzmxur jaov qfrf, jvaiu fr ukfiout fpzf ulhfnut dzmq ao.