" The Towering Worlds : Hell's Chalice. ™"
A Story written By @mohhdude.
(Be warned, there will be references from other series in this book!!)
Alternative Names -
"TTW : HC.™"
"Protocol — Hell's Chalice. ™"
"End of Earth, Beginning of Hell. ™"
Chapter XI:
"Sheriel."
Act II:
Sasaki and Aleksandr.
" It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you do not stop. "
— Confucius.
.
.
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[ TWO DAYS UNTIL HE REACHES AL'ADQAS ]
...
[ LEDYANOY, SNOW FIELDS ]
Taiyō glanced over the bonfire as he stood up suddenly, he had a weird feeling. Victor had just finished sparring with Sir Volan, he held ice to his bruised arms. Then, Taiyō glances at Victor. Then to the other two knights who just sat down. "Sir Volan, Madam du Lac, I will leave Ledyanoy for now to observe Rygielski's movements."
Volan puts his hand on his chin, Ria agrees with Taiyō's judgement and decision. "Alright, your majesty. Please proceed with caution." Volan nodded his head. "Update us and the others across the continent about any movements or changes, but may I ask why?"
Victor held his hand up in a panicked way, "S-shouldn't I get a saying in this?!?" Taiyō just approached him, and flicked his forehead with his middle finger. "I am not the one training, simpleton. Get to work, and when I see you again when we have to face Rygielski, you best be strong enough to stall."
Victor held his forehead, but instead of answering, he looked down and nodded slowly. Taiyō turns his head to Volan, "As for why... It is because I feel uneasy that eyes are not set on his movements at all ever since he was unsealed." Volan scratched his chin, nodding his head. "I see, I see... Do be careful, your majesty. But couldn't you just ask your royal advisor to observe Rygielski?"
"If something were to happen, a king must be there for his people." Taiyō nodded his head, scoffing with a smug smile. "Ha! You think I would need to be careful? I am king of the holiest nation yet!" Taiyō folded his arms, as a golden portal appeared below him, he dropped down into Al'Adqas in the same way he entered Ledyanoy, this time sand flew rather than snow.
"Welcome home, my liege." Azaad bowed before Taiyō, as he raised his head after greeting him, "Perfect timing, Azaad! Prepare the Royal Observatory, I must get a bird's eye view on Rygielski!" Azaad nodded his head. "As you wish, your majesty."
...
[ …Several Hours before the present... ]
Ame picks up a vial of liquid mana, "A mana stimulant, or stim for short, is a vial filled to the brim with liquid mana which has a button on the top and when pressed—" Ame pressed the button, a needle came out on the other side. "It shows a needle that injects mana directly into one's body if used." She pressed the button again, the needle retracted.
"What effects does it provide?" Gudo asks, Sheri looks at him, then at Ame. "It stimulates your mana input and output, but at a cost. You will suffer side effects such as an abnormal speed of a heartbeat, visual or auditory hallucinations, insomnia, and possibly fainting if you can't handle it."
Gudo and Sheriel never heard of such a thing, something that forcibly stimulates mana…? "Is there such a thing for health?" Sheriel raised her hand to ask, "Yes, but it's currently under development. This is top secret information, and I'm showing it to you cause I know that boy Pevubri personally." In Ame's head, she remembered a green haired woman next to Taiyō, she closed her eyes.
She gestured to the guard that held the case, Ame places the vial of mana back into the case, before closing it, and giving it to Sheriel and Gudo. "These are intended for your operation against Rygielski. Nomasaki, I expect you to listen to Pevubri. Or else you know what will happen."
Ame glances at Gudo, Gudo nodded his head. "Of course, your majesty." Ame nodded, she held up one finger. "You five have one shot at this, if you fail, casualties will not halt until Rygielski is either subjugated, killed, or sealed away."
… The Present.
…Sheri sat on the roof, Gudo was searching for her outside. Gudo looked outside the open window, then looked up. "Oh… Hey." Sheri looked down at Gudo, Gudo climbed onto the roof. Sitting next to her. The starry night sky glimmering across the vast mountains.
"...Hey." Sheri replied back… Awkward silence took place between the two. "...Her Majesty, Ame is calling you… Just informing you…" Sheri nodded her head, Gudo had the guts to talk to her after the incident from four years ago.
"Mhm…" Sheri replied, she looked up at the night sky, it was getting late. But, she didn't care. "…Sheri.. Um…" Sheri slowly, but reluctantly turns her head to Gudo, but her gaze was at the ground, not him. Sheri looked like she was… reminiscing. Then back up to the sky… "I–" Before Gudo got a word out—
"…Sorry." Gudo was cut off by Sheri. "I shouldn't have hit you in the face." Gudo's eyes soften, hearing her words. "…I should be apologizing, Sheri." …Sheri's eyes reflected the night sky, Gudo couldn't help but look at them. Yet, he couldn't bear looking her in the eye. His gaze wanders to the night sky above them, the breeze.
Silence… Sheri chuckled suddenly, Gudo looked over to her. "Reminds me of when you apologized four years ago, when you called me a harlot. Now look at us, I'm apologizing for hitting you a second time." Gudo had a soft smile on his face, Sheri looked down on the roof tiles. "...I still am sorry."
…
Sheri looked at Gudo, as Gudo looked at Sheri, and ultimately failed to make eye contact, so he directed his gaze somewhere else. "... You did a lot of bad things, Gudo. In the last four years, you probably killed and tortured a lot of people for information. People who had families, lives, dreams. A sorry isn't really gonna cut it."
… Gudo nodded. "... But, some part of me inside wants to believe that you did it out of reluctance, maybe you didn't wanna do it, but were forced to kill. Cause of, what was her name… Kaori, right?" "...Yeah." Gudo nodded again, Sheri looked back up at the stars.
"...I'll tell you a story before I go down to see Ame… You won't tell anyone this, right?" Sheri said as she kept stargazing, Gudo looked at Sheri again, then up at the stars. "...Of course." Sheri cleared her throat.
"…Once upon a time, a valkyrie with long, flowing red hair, was resting easy at the waterfalls of the high lands of Caelum. Breeze, comforting and cozy. The wind whistled and sang hymns that soothed souls, the clouds covered the meadows with their leisurely movements."
"Her name was Freyja, mother of the valkyries, well, at least a mother figure to them. Freyja was graceful, she might have been the epitome of the very concept of beauty itself."
"She loved flowers, grapes, combing her hair and the other valkyrie's hair, and helping people… a lot of people. Freyja never hesitated to help others, and obviously, she was loved by everyone, except one man. But this man cursed Freyja because she didn't help him."
"A man not from this continent, named Ka–... Yves Sinclair. Yves was a man who loved money more than anyone she knew, and so, one day, Freyja saw Yves in a state that left him devastated. She conjured the form of a human and assumed it for herself to approach Yves."
"Yves saw her as a guiding light, after cursing valkyries nonstop, Yves was asked a question by Freyja. Yves said that the valkyries turned a blind eye to him when his family had been murdered by bandits, Freyja objects by saying that they would never, they help everyone, Caelum and Redlocnse."
"Nonetheless, Freyja helped Yves recover from his current state. Each time they spent together, both of them fell harder than the other, head over heels for each other. Freyja ended up releasing a dreamy sigh every time she thought about Yves, and so did Yves as he thought about Freyja, and for the first time, Yves had found something he adored and loved more than money, Freyja."
"One night was enou–.. I'll stop with the details."
Gudo chuckled slightly from the abrupt halt of the story telling, Sheri looked at him, her face deadpan. Gudo cleared his throat, "Continue, please…"
Sheri nodded, turning her face forward, then looking down before continuing.
"One night after a few years, when it was snowing, a girl with red hair like Freyja was born. Freyja and Yves were crying over the birth of their child. But soon, Caelum found out about Freyja, and so did the Valkyries."
"In Caelum, when Valkyries were made, they were given strict rules about loving mortals. Never to procreate with them, or to be betrothed to one, Freyja, the mother figure and the wisest of the Valkyries, broke that rule."
"Caelum exiled her and stripped both her title and rank as the commanding Valkyrie, and was sent to Redlocnse to live her sentence. But she was happy, being an actual mother was her dream. Yves named the small girl 'Sheriel', Freyja sang her lullabies and songs, and taught her how to use magic."
"Yves always came back from his work with gifts for her and Freyja. Sheriel lived a good life, an easy one. However, one day, Sheriel, who was around five years old, came back to a burnt home and city, with both Freyja and Yves bleeding out, Yves having left early, holding Freyja's hand."
"Freyja was alive, she could only mutter words, before touching her beloved daughter's hand, transferring all of her mana away to Sheriel, before dying. As an angel quickly ascended into the skies, holding a bloody sword whilst donning a helmet."
"Sheriel cried, cried so loud that day that a local blacksmith found her, and took her away from her burning home. She kept shouting mama and papa as her sight on the house distanced further and further away. The blacksmith treated the scrapes on her."
"... Sheriel was taken in by the local blacksmith, his name was Svarog. Sheriel was fed and raised by him, until when Sheriel was 14, a woman with dark hair descended from Caelum in a forest as Sheriel picked fruits, her name was Brunhilde, claiming that Sheriel was her sister."
"Sheriel was one of the first of the Lesser Valkyries. Those who are the offsprings of Valkyries who procreated with mortals, Sheriel nodded. So, Brunhilde told her that Lesser Valkyries are to be guardians of Redlocnse, as how the Valkyries are to both Caelum and Redlocnse."
"Sheriel listens, as Brunhilde taught her how to use magic, their bond as "siblings" grew deeper and ran thicker than blood. Sheriel takes her as an older sister. Under the starry sky, Brunhilde told her that Freyja gave Brunhilde a task to take care and teach Sheriel when she is 14, how to wield magic and protect others."
"Brunhilde loved Sheriel like she was her own blood-related sister. Never accepted misbehavior towards her, so, as she turned 19… Sheriel was given a task to inspect the forests of Kanónas, finding a stupid, naked kid who woke up in the forest, giving him clothes, as the rest became history."
Sheri had a soft smile on her face, remembering her first meeting with Leif. A stupid boy who didn't know anything about this world, now one of the royal guards of Al'Adqas's king.
Gudo looked at Sheri with a smile, remembering that same stupid boy he traversed with. "...Hey, Gudo?" Sheri kept looking down, "When the time comes, tell me your story, too." Gudo nodded, "..of course." Sheriel looked at Gudo, Gudo's eyes widened, then his eyes looked away.
Still, no courage to look her in the eyes. "Well, it's getting late. I should get to Mistress Ame." Sheri stretched her arms, before swinging down from the roof into the window. Ame was waiting for her there, having observed their conversation, and with a sly tone… "How fitting you two seem together, Sheriel…"
Sheri looked at Ame with widened eyes, clearly surprised. "...You called me, Mistress?" Sheriel got on one knee before her grace, Ame gestured her to rise up, holding an open hand fan to in front of her mouth, her porcelain-like face had a sly smirk.
"I want you and Nomasaki to go training with each other, of course, I have a special someone to assist you two."
…
Gudo stayed up on the roof, looking up, pinching the bridge of his nose, before laying on the roof tiles. "...I still can't look her in the eye." He clicked his tongue, then closed his eyes, his forearm over his eyes, thinking what could've happened if he just stayed with the others, and if his mother never threatened to kill them.
…Silence…
Sheri peeks out the window, looking up at the roof, as her eyes land on Gudo laying down, stargazing. "Hey, Mistress Ame called us." Gudo sat up, nodding his head, as Sheri went back inside. Gudo went back inside through the window, patting his pants and removing any sort of dust/residue.
Gudo and Sheriel sat on their knees before Ame, as Ame glances at both Sheriel and Gudo, "Now, Nomasaki and Sheriel, raise your heads." Both do so as she commanded, as they saw that same guard with long hair.
"I'm sure you've met one of my best guards, Izumi, already. She's going to help you with your training." Izumi had her hands behind her back, she had blonde hair tied into a high ponytail with a red ribbon, she donned the standard white training outfit for guards, her ears were pointy… She was an elf?
Izumi bowed her head in respect to both Gudo and Sheriel, "I am honored to be your benefactor today, Nomasaki and Sheriel." Izumi raises her head, she was shorter than both Sheri and Gudo, just how old was she? They got up, and went to the underground training room with Ame.
…
[ TSŪKIKAMI, UNDERGROUND TRAINING ROOM. ]
"You will find a very rare trait about my sweet little Izu very soon, take care now!" Ame rubbed Izumi's hair and then left the room as the three entered, Izumi sat on the flooring before Gudo and Sheriel, like them, on her knees. The room was silent, Izumi looked stern. "If you two have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask." Sheriel raised her hand, and Izumi turned her head to her. "Who exactly is Mistress Ame to you?"
Without any reluctance, Izumi answered almost instantly. "She is my adoptive mother and benefactor. Almost 30 years ago, Mistress Ame had taken me under her wing and adopted me when my village was razed to the ground. Is there anything else?"
…Awkward… Gudo raised his hand, Izumi turned her head to face Gudo, as Gudo kept his hand down, Sheriel looked away as to not make eye contact with Izumi. The girl was intense… "How will you help us?"
Like with Sheriel, she answered almost instantly. "I am one of the few Gravity Magic users, when my ancestors fled the warzone centuries ago, they spread out and split up into various countries across Redlocnse. This nation being one of them, thus I was found when Mistress Ame was most likely way past the age of 90."
Gudo and Sheriel's eyes widened in both surprise, and confusion. Is Mistress Ame older than 20-25?! Izumi is one of the descendants of Babelian Survivors?! Silence overtook the room, both Sheri and Gudo were sweating from the shock and discoveries.
Sheriel and Gudo raise their hands at the same time. "Can… we start now?" Both of them speak at the same time. Suddenly, Izumi's eyes glimmered purple, the gravity felt as though it was turned up to 20kg instantly. "I see no problem." Izumi got up, she even made the room heavy for herself. This girl is 100% definitely a demon, not an elf.
…
[ SEVERAL KILOMETERS AWAY FROM THE ADQASI ORDER… ]
…Huh?
…My physical body is… awake?
…I do not know how, but I have been brought back to Redlocnse.
…My vision is blank, yet I feel my physical body advancing forwards… I must think this through.
His consciousness and sight of view was blurry, as he regained consciousness, he kept advancing, not wanting to give away the fact he has regained his consciousness to anyone that is possibly observing him.
He thinks to himself.
"... I see, I must've tread from Babel, and on the way to Al'Adqas. It has truly been a long time ever since my sealing."
…
"I will stay quiet for now. My mana input doesn't seem to be decreasing… I say it must be around two days or less since I have been unsealed… Perhaps the workings of someone who knows me."
"Perhaps… Ahriman. You cunning madman, resurrected me for another fight?"
"...Wait…"
In his time of thinking, he sensed a soul far away from him, tied to his blood, he moved his head slowly upwards, stopping in his tracks. Before whispering to himself in a breathy, almost exhausted way of saying words subconsciously.
"...Son…Soniya?"
…
[ AL'ADQAS, ROYAL OBSERVATORY ]
Taiyō, who had left Victor with the other two knights in Ledyanoy earlier to observe Rygielski from a large distance away, then his eyes widened from the sudden halting of his blazing advance… But why…?
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— CHAPTER XI, FIN.
— NEXT CHAPTER: "Mana Cascades Like a River."
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