บท 1: The Origins Of The Arks
Back before the Pentacle Arks, there was a small group called the Congregation. They were the ones who created the system of Elemental Holders. It was a messy thing and hurtful to be categorized. At that time, all of us were from different worlds and universes, so Elemental Powers was a huge variety.
"Next!" Benjamin went first. The tryouts made us gather within the Central Atrium of the Congregation Headquarters. It would define where would we be placed at; warrior or commoner. With the battle of elements still fresh in our minds, we stayed far apart for this world's sake. Amongst the crowd, I looked ordinary. We could conceal our wings easily since humans would freak out at the sight of powers. Humans were the main dwellers of this world.
" 'Kay then, kid. Show us what you've got!" announced the host.
"Abyss of the Horizon; Vortex," chanted Benjamin. A huge whirlwind of purple smoke emerged from his palm. It then tormented the board of judges at the front, blissfully unaware that it was causing a major ruckus. The mages tried their best to cancel out or stop the smoke, but nothing worked. I cracked a small and bitter smile at the scene before me. Benjamin was always causing trouble, the whirlwind was his favorite. By dwindling the power to a minimum, he would often use whirlwind to disturb playmates of our village.
But after the conversion, he'd changed the element and name used to fit his current skill set. The name and element were changed but the fun and carefree prospect were still present. Beneath that horned mask, I witnessed a playful smile. The most terrifying thing is that he had not moved an inch. Only raising up his palm at the start.
"Negation," boomed a voice at the back of the hall. The smoke disappeared and so did Benjamin's smile. A tall, slightly hunched, muscular man stood at where the voice was located at.
"Gillian, what a pleasant surprise," stated the announcer.
"Pay no heed to me, just continue on," replied the man with a suffocating atmosphere. Most of the mages were already suffering due to his immense power. I was unaffected, but his king-like presence was still weighing me down. Benjamins seemed unfazed.
"Okay then! You, towards warrior!" said the judge once more. After a few fires and floods, it was time for my turn. I felt my twin's gaze on me as if to say not to mess up like some school play. I gathered up my strength and unleashed a taste of the power I'd had within me.
"Heaven's Wheel; Judgement Day," I chanted, eyes glowing bright with golden light. Two huge circles appeared; above and underneath the whole hall. With arrows coming from both circles, the people within the room were trapped. After a blinding light, everyone was still alive. Dazed but still standing.
"Sorry, but do you have an attack spell? One with impact" asked the judge. Benjamin looked disappointed but did not leave just yet.
"Yea, but is it okay?" I clarified, shyly.
"Give it all you've got, child," said the woman beside Gillan, who was snoring away.
"Cascadlios Windfall!" I yelled, smiling. Never got to try that at home. In an instant, nearly everyone in the room was hit by the wind pressure. Alongside the water and fire that were intertwined with each other. From where I stood, it'd looked like everyone was kneeling towards me. All except Benjamin and Gillian, who had awoken. They stood strong, amongst the rest. Gillian gave a quick look at Benjamin, amused at the fact that he was still standing.
I fell into a panic as I release the spell from the room. Everyone took awhile to breathe. A young girl using a triple elemental attack. And not fall.
"Warrior!" yelled the judges in unison. I made sure to stand as far away from my twin as possible. Whispers emitted from the crowd, I began to feel nervous. As I was making way towards the towering figures, some kid decided to throw a ball of poison at me. I did not have my guard as I was worried about how I had faired just now. This clouded my thoughts, failing to see the oncoming attack.
"Demonic Wings," said the woman with Gillian. Her voice had drastically changed; from a motherly voice to the voice of a vicious demon. If the devil had nightmares, her voice would be present in that. Another terrifying thing was what had sprouted from her back, a demon wing. The moment the poison ball touched, the wing consumed it, growing slightly bigger. She then gave a daunting glare at the person who launched the attack as she kept her wings.
"You! No attacking of other Mages!" yelled the announcer.
"One more word of insult and I won't hesitate to have my meal using you bullies as meat, do you understand?" bellowed Gillian. His voice was enough to strike fear in the most experienced of warriors. No one dared to defy his orders.
The Arks were formed at the start of the prestigious Salem Witch Trials in which took the lives of many people. Back before that particular trial, there were already witch hunts everywhere. Many were unheard but was still an act of killing. This included Baldwin's daughter, Abigail. She was a young child, so she did not understand what was wrong with having a Dark Element. She paid the price with her life. Burnt at stake. She and her father were from the Shadow Tribe, a planet filled with Dark Elements within the Abyss of Stars. They were born with that element, it's like being sentenced to death for having creativity or compassion.
The moment Baldwin laid eyes on his daughter's remains, he went ballistic. The village was wiped out in an instant. Only Ysabeau could soothe his rampage. Since I was still younger, I had not known who they were yet. I just knew them from the tryouts. Gillian and Ysabeau were married, this fact was known by all. Apparently, these three was always hanging out with each other.
"Destroying more lives won't help to bring back to your daughter, you'll cause more pain for other fathers who've lost their children due to your rage. How many daughters were killed in that Black Hole of yours?" asked Ysabeau, sternly towards Baldwin. The man was seething with darkness, the very Aura that dwelled near him caused the plants to wither and die.
"Too many to count. And fathers are supposed to protect their children, show them an example of an authoritative figure," replied Baldwin, clenched fists with darkness around.
"Do you think you've set an example for your daughter? Will your daughter come back to life you kill more?" asked Gillian, walking towards the angry man.
'Well, I can't if she's dead!" A huge ball of darkness was now hurling towards me.
"Howl of the Valkyries!" I yelled, destroying the ball within an instant.
"Enough!" yelled Ysabeau.
"Did I just hear Valkyrie?" asked Gillian, looking at my direction. I took a step back.
"She's the newcomer, the Penta Holder. It's okay, we won't bite,' cooed Ysabeau. I was reluctant as I slowly scooted towards them. The Angry man was still fuming.
"That girl who combined three Core elements from the tryouts?" asked Gillian, eyes brightened up. I nodded.
"Earthling or outsider?" asked Gillian, looming over me. They weren't joking when those from Akhaten was formidable.
"Outsider," I mumbled.
"Stop being so scary towards kids, will ya?! Look at the poor child, looks like she's seen a ghost!" scolded Ysabeau, knocking down the confused man's head.
"Angry man over there and you're having a go at me?!" asked the bewildered Gillian.
'Sorry, darling, which planet do you belong?" asked Ysabeau, smiling sweetly as if nothing had happened.
"Valokia," I replied, smiling a little due to a comical scene. Two prestigious members of the Congregation. And one's biting the other's hand while the one being bitten is yanking the biter's hair. But Gillian returned to his normal self the moment he heard my reply.
"One of the strongest planets within the Andromeda Galaxy. You are just a child?" asked Gillian, looking at my juvenile feathered wings.
"About 130 years old," I replied, ears perked as he knew so much.
"About 13 earth years," said Gillian towards Ysabeau.
"How can you tell if she's just a child?" asked Ysabeau.
"Because the adults are huge, larger than dragons, especially the ones in the military. But in their compact form is what they look like at 180 years, or 18 years," explained Gillian.
"How do you know so much?" asked Baldwin.
"I'm from the Medusa Surge, although I don't remember which star or planet exactly." Now it made sense, those within the Medusa Surge possess a power of Code or Knowledge. It allows the user to peek into others' memories.
We conversed a bit, in which I learned about their powers and stories.
"Gods of War, though you lot have been seen wrongly on Earth," said Gillian, munching on a lamb's leg.
"How so?" I asked, gnawing on a stag's thigh.
"Ask Ysabeau, she's native over here, just at a different universe," he replied, gulping a large piece down.
"Technically, a Valkyrie is one of a group of women that determines who may live or die in the battlefield. They then select some, those who are worthy, amongst the ones who have been slain in battle, to be in Valhalla, They are known as the "Chooser of the Slain," Angels of Death," explained Ysabeau.
"Why are we so complicated on this land. We don't choose anyone, we just fight. We don't determine, we kill. That's Valkyries work, we wage wars to show our status. We are the gods of war, not angels at all," I replied, particularly pissed at how we were defined.
"You guys are still better respected than me," commented Baldwin.
"That's true," I replied.
Those times were simpler compared to what was paved for us for the next few hundred years. Just an occasional fight or riot. However, it didn't stay that way for long. The Congregation was in a mess, in shambles and disarray after the attack. Least to say, it did not survive the Dark Ages. The time where humans decided to scare themselves with vampires and witches. It was fun for me as I wreaked havoc with Baldwin, making them afraid and disoriented. Sometimes, Gillian joins in the fun without his wife knowing. But deep down, I knew the fun was just a facade, we all knew that one way or another, we would lose our lives or our loved ones.
I was visiting Baldwin's daughter's grave, Abigail. I brought only myself and some daisies. The wind was particularly strong, must be Ysabeau practicing again. However. I felt another disturbance in the wind.
"Come out, don't hide in a graveyard, human," I said, emphasizing on the last word.
"I'm nothing of that sort," replied the voice, as if he whispered into my ear.
"Then what are you, or who are you?" I asked, standing up.
"Why should I tell you?" Now the voice was behind me.
"Don't underestimate what I can do, girl," retorted the voice, now in front of me. I then felt fingers lifting up my chin, just a second.
"Coward, show yourself!" I yelled, trying to grab the person.
"If you can even catch up to me!" taunted the brat.
"Time Altercation," I asked, smirking. Silence accompanied by the increased winds. The brat revealed himself after I stated his powers. A short boy, pimply with jet black hair parting to the side. He held up a small dagger. He was pissed off at me, to say the least. I smiled, going towards him.
"Not human?" I asked, keeping my hands.
"Never consider me as one. I guess you can say one of a kind," he explained.
"There he is! And that witch!" yelled the oncoming mob.
"See ya!" shouted, the bot vanishing more.
"Oh come on! You haven't told me your name yet!" I whined.
"Raiyen Phoenix E. Harmony," said the voice.
"You will burn!!"
"Burn at the stake!"
"The ones who would be burning, are you lot," I said as I sat on a tombstone.
"Witch! Demon!" yelled the mob once, more. I smiled as they continued their threats. But one of them got too close to the daisies and stomped on them. My eyes filled with fury within a fraction of a second.
"You lot will join the dead bodies within this graveyard!" I shouted, eyes blazing orange. My wings sprouted, looming over the villagers. I shook, causing the wings to erupt into flames.
"Talon Flaming Whip!" I yelled as I took out my whip by plucking out a single feather. After saying out its name, the whip turns into a flowing stream of fire. As I swung the flaming rope around, the slashes made in the air turns into flames shaped like a crescent moon. It landed on and roped around any flesh that it could touch. This burned the villagers, melting their skin away. The wails and cries of the humans were joyous to my ears. The sound of roasting was pleasing.
"You showed no mercy when killing them, will you do the same to you?" asked Raiyen, appearing once more.
"Decided to come out from the pocket?"I asked, blowing the ambers towards him.
"Yep."
"Well, I probably won't kill you. You and your powers seem interesting. I've never really seen Time Magic being used in real life. We can work together, if you'd like," I proposed.
"Perhaps," he mumbled. Just then, Ysabeau popped out.
"I sensed Time Magic around here, was he the cause?" asked Ysabeau, instinctively protecting me.
"Yep, but I won't harm her. I just wanted a friend," replied Raiyen, as if he'd been scolded by a mother.
"Not to worry, child. I'm just curious on who was playing with Mavislin here," explained Ysabeau. It was only then I realized I'd forgotten to introduce myself.
"Sorry, my name is Mavislin Roydon," I said, looking at Raiyen.
We then left the place and apparently that was the first time I met my partner in crime. Raiyen tagged along with us, back to our home. Gillian was livid at me for having another boy and Baldwin was interested in Raiyen's powers.
"A Triplet Holder?"
"Yea, time and Electric are my favorites but I do use Earth sometimes," explained Raiyen.
"A great skill set, fit for a spy…" pondered Baldwin. Never knew it would be a reality.
From then on, Raiyen and I went on missions frequently. We soon developed a bond, no matter which battle we were in, we'll always have each others' backs.
Partners in crime are what they would call us. The Knight and the Assassin. The Shield and the Sword. He majored in combat while I was fluent in defense. A long time ago, there wasn't much to do. Not much war, not conflict. Just the mundane like arguments, never any fights. When it came down to executing missions, Gillian exhibited the tendency to privately summon us out without teams. It was the norm to be sent off in a few numbers or just alone.
Another day at the nearby church, I enjoy watching helpless humans pray. Little girls being forced by their mothers to attend church just to 'respect' some god of theirs. I found it amusing when some of the little girls start to throw tantrums just because they did not want to be dragged into the building.
"Why did you smile?" asked Raiyen as he sat beside me on the rooftop.
"Oh, hey," I greeted.
"What makes that scene so funny?"
"Well, who won't be able to laugh when a 5-year-old brat shouts to the adult, this quote; 'what's the point of praying if the plague is going to come anyway?'. God bless that kid," I explained. Raiyen shook his head.
"Anyways, close your eyes," he said.
"For what? So that you can tickle me?" I asked.
"Nope, so that I can do this." The moment he snapped his finger, out bloomed some vines and flowers towards us. It then touched my hair and created a hairband out of vines and orchids. I touched it gingerly. I never had a hair accessory before.
"Here, so that your hair won't get in the way when you do some activities," said Raiyen, pointing towards the hairband.
"Do you know what are braids?" he asked, once more. I shook my head.
"I'll do them for you," he replied as he got hold of my thick locks of light brown. After a few good minutes of tugging and pulling, he was done. I looked at my hair.
"Thanks," I murmured, fascinated at this 'braid'. I pulled the huge bundle of hair. Quite strong. But the moment was ruined by the oncoming mob who had found us by finally tilting their heads up.
"Demons! This is holy ground!" they yelled. Raiyen hopped down and pulled out two daggers. One of the dagger's hilt was gold and the other was silver. Both had a brass knuckle attached to its handle, connecting to its pommel. The blades themselves were a sight to behold as he held them up to the light. Engravings of the floral pattern were adorned on the silver hilt dagger. The golden hilt had been engraved with leaves, clovers to be exact.
"Now, now. What is the commotion about?" asked a cheerful yet heavy tone of voice from behind the mob.
"It's the demons again, Father. They are here to curse us!" yelled a teen boy, holding out his flaming torch.
"Yea, and we'll likely die from that torch of yours if you don't hold it correctly," commented the man called Father.
"Sassy," I noted. He looked up with a solemn expression. Raiyen took note and stood protectively in front of me.
"If I disperse this crowd, will you come down and negotiate with me to leave us, humans, alone?" Raiyen and I glanced at each other, skeptical at those words.
"I will agree, only if you leave her alone and fight me," said Raiyen, sternly.
"Fine. I'll leave your woman alone. Now then, go home while I cast away these demons," instructed the man. The crowd quickly dispersed, leaving only the three of us.
"Oi! I don't need your protection!" I hollered at Raiyen.
"Haven't had a duel for a long time," he replied, shrugging his shoulders. Raising his twin daggers, he quickly dashed towards the priest. In a blink of an eye, the man met with Raiyen's attack with ease. Sparks flew in the air as two weapons clashed.
"What's that?" asked Raiyen, intrigued at this new type of weaponry.
"It's called a Kunai. And they come in by the plentiful," answered the man as he pulled out another to strike at him. Raiyen barely dodged it, moving away and into a pocket once more. He then reappeared behind the man, initiating another attack. The man successfully dodged the attack by throwing another Kunai.
"Time element, huh? Haven't seen that for years," said the opponent as he readied up some more Kunais. He swiftly threw three more at my direction. I was prepared to use my wings but I saw a flash of light from where Raiyen once stood. He then appeared in front of me to deflect the Kunais. His body was outlined light blue, with his whole appearance appearing to be glitchy. He'd seem to be fading in and out of the time that we were in. Even his Elemental Aura was fluctuating in and out of existence.
"Sorry, couldn't help it. Now then, let's finish this duel off in one blow," said the priest as he threw out a bunch of Kunais at our direction.
"Flames of the Phoenix, Waters of the Kraken. Wind of the Griffin, Land of the Gargoyle. Light of the Angel, the darkness of the Hell hound. These are the foundations of the world..." chanted the man. The air started to shift as the Kunais blew into the respective elements of the chant. It then linked with each other and started to glow brightly.
"Oasis of the Elements!" With that said, the whole formation suddenly felt hot and burst into a huge ball of elements. And in the blink of an eye, I was looking up at Raiyen while in his arms.
"Not bad for some demons," commented the man.
"We're not demons!" yelled Raiyen. I squirmed within his grasp. He placed me back on my feet.
"It has been years since I've shown my actual wings. I don't even remember how the actual thing looks like anymore," I said, smiling.
"What do you mean?" asked Raiyen, confused at what was going on.
"Priest, tell me. How can a demon, possess the wings of an angel?" I asked as I extended my wings fully. Each wingspan well surpassed twice of my body length. I floated just above the surface of the ground. The priest looked shocked but quickly composed himself.
"Zanier Alooz Carmen," replied the man, bowing. He gave a sweet smile.
"Huh?" I asked, tilting my head.
"You can call me Z," said the man, once more.
"Uhm sure? My name's Mavislin Roydon," I replied, rather confused as I flew over closer.
"I'm Raiyen Phoneix."
"I haven't seen a Valkyrie for years," said Z as he eyed me from head to toe.
"How do you know who I am?" I asked, inching closer.
"I know that you can't touch the ground due to the weight of your wings when they appear on your human back," stated Z. My eyes grew wide. Only a person who is in an expert on our kind.
"How do you know so much?"
"I'm not from this place. I managed to live among the humans since they believed my human form. after all, I think I've arrived here first. Was kinda hot. Had giant lizards and plants."
"Which planet?"
"This one, but was born in an alternated timeline." I kept my wings and looked at Z.
"Do you want to join us? We are trying to form another organization to combat the failing Congregation," I asked, holding out my hand. Raiyen had stayed silent for a while now. I wonder if he's sleeping.
"More of you lot?"
"Don't worry, we ain't demons unless someone hurt us," replied Raiyen, folding his arms and looking away.
"You've hurt some of the humans. You've destroyed the entirety of the next town," replied Z.
"When?"
"Graveyard. Dragons have wings too, just in a different skin." I had nearly forgotten about that.
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