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I braced myself for a fight the moment Kinir picked up Is’che’aiq. Essnem told me to wait until just the right moment. I was not sure I was going to know when that moment had arrived. Then there was a brilliant light; I saw the spirit leave the body that Kinir had taken over. I heard Essnem scream to attack. Harmonia and I both rushed at our targets. I sunk my weapon deep into the flesh of the body. I did not fully understand why the body had to be pierced by the Ser’urn’el. It seemed such a waste to be killing the body of Essnem’s sister. Harmonia sliced at the spirit of Kinir. It wailed and moaned with each wave of her weapon. Eventually the body dropped Is’che’aiq and burst into flames, then the spirit disappeared. Harmonia and I looked at one another and then to Essnem.
“Is it over, Essnem?” I queried cautiously.
“Aye, child. Both the spirit of Kinir and the body of Asdage are no more. The link is now permanently broken. We no longer need to worry about Kinir.”
“What about Is’che’aiq?” Harmonia pondered while she reached for the fallen weapon.
“Leave it be, Harmonia! No one can touch Is’che’aiq except the true keeper of the temple.” Essnem shouted as she grabbed for Harmonia’s hand.
“But, it seems wrong to just leave it there on the ground. Is it not a Ser’urn’el?”
“Yes, Athine, but it is an ancient and grumpy weapon that will rip apart those not fit to carry it.”
“Is that why you sent Kinir here with your vision? Because you knew it would rip her apart so we could strike?” Harmonia asked Essnem.
“Yes, Harmonia, that is the very reason. I knew Is’che’aiq was one of the few weapons that could separate spirit from flesh. Kinir only stole the body of Asdage; she did not really belong here. Although as time passed, Kinir was becoming a part of this world. If she had been allowed to stay here much longer it would have been harder for us to rip the two apart.”
“It seems like a shame to obliterate your sister’s body, Essnem. If we did not have to do that we may have been able to give her a proper burial.”
“Kinir had spent so much time in Asdage’s body that not destroying it would have left Kinir a way to get back into this realm. Part of her spirit would have stayed in the flesh and that would be enough for her to come back repeatedly. This is why you had to destroy the body with the Ser’urn’el.”
“If Asdage was immortal, why was her body so easy to destroy?”
“Immortality lies in the spirit, not the flesh. I would think you of all people would know that Athine. Have you not wondered why your magic can harm immortals?”
“Yes, but nobody has ever explained it to me. I did not really know I could wound immortals until my A’samrad. It wasn’t something I had been practicing.”
“No, I guess not, but you are a Ph’tiahon, Athine, a spirit killer. Your magic is strong enough to destroy even the oldest of immortal spirits. That is why Kinir really wanted you on her side. If you could wound all the powerful immortals, she could leech the powers from their dying spirits. Once she was done gathering powers, she was going to move into your body so you could not turn on her.”
“I am glad my sister decided against helping Kinir. I would not want the experience you have had, Essnem, watching some rogue spirit parade around as your sister,” Harmonia added.
“While I will admit it was not easy seeing my sister’s image in this realm again I was comforted by knowing her essence was safe in the spirit world of Nysasia.”
“How are you sure of that Essnem? How do you know where goddesses go after they give up their flesh?”
“Oh, Athine, you are so predictable in your questions and so unwilling to trust. I know she is safe there because I have been to Nysasia and have seen her for myself,” Essnem chuckled as she told us.
“How did you manage to travel to Nysasia and then also have a body?” Harmonia looked at Essnem rather confused.
“Und-vors can travel freely between the realm of Nysasia and the physical realm through rituals at the Kisaka pool.”
A surprised look came over Harmonia’s face as she pieced together the facts. “Of course! That must be why it is called the pool of the dead. You can commune with the dead and travel to their world without having to give up your body.”
“Yes, and as the future Und-vor of this realm you will be able to do just that.”
“Does that mean you are leaving Essnem? Are you giving up your flesh to go be with your sister?” I questioned her.
Harmonia stiffened nervously at Essnem’s worlds. A look of panic came over her face. “No! I’m not ready to be an Und-vor. You can’t leave Essnem.”
“Harmonia, you were ready to be Und-vor the day you were born. This is your destiny for now. Your powers are twice the strength of mine; you just have to trust in them. I am very old and have been guiding the world for a long time. I am tired and ready to move on to a new realm. I am ready for a new destiny.”
“Where does that leave me, Essnem? I was told I was born to be protector of this land, but it appears that nothing of that destiny is true,” I challenged her.
“Although it is true that Kinir manipulated your destiny, it was not all false. You were born to protect the land, but not in the fashion your mother or grandmother would want. Your role is to guard the weapon Is’che’aiq. You are the new keeper of the temple of Arocia. You will be this realm’s Vesait’e, Athine.”
The word was foreign and hard to say. My brow furrowed in confusion before I bit and asked, “What is a Vesait’e?”
“It is protector of the N’Loron, the veil between realms. It is the role my sister, Asdage, played in this world before Kinir stole her body. Kinir was not from this realm, but she was able to find a weak spot in the N’Loron to travel here. It does not happen often, but when a spirit does break into a realm, the Vesait’e must capture it and drive it back to where it came from; or if necessary, destroy it.
Asdage had been tracking Kinir through Ximira and into Olympus when she finally cornered her. Unluckily for Asdage, hours before she caught up with her, Kinir managed to steal the powers of an ancient Ph’tiahon. They were slow acting at best, but strong enough for Kinir to wound Asdage. Asdage knew after the magic hit what was going to happen; Kinir would try to steal her powers and she could not allow that to happen. A Vesait’e has the ability to influence the N’Loron and at times command what it does. If Kinir were able to get even a little control over the N’Loron, it would be catastrophic for the realm. The amount of destruction would be unimaginable. Asdage had a choice to make. She could not fight in her current condition, thus she willed Is’che’aiq to strip away her spirit. From that point, with her spirit free, she could find her way to Nysasia and protect her powers.
Unfortunately, this left a wounded body as a prize for Kinir. Seright had seen everything from the fight to Kinir taking over Asdage’s body. This is how we knew Asdage was no longer with us and why Kinir was charged with the death of Asdage. Seright and Medusa confronted Kinir with an impromptu trial only hours after she overtook the body. Medusa was so enraged at the loss of Asdage that she turned Kinir to stone outside of Ares’ stronghold without a second thought.
After I received word that Medusa had turned the imposter to stone, I went to the Kisaka to try to speak to Asdage. Although the N’Loron separates all the realms, once an immortal’s spirit has passed on they all meet in Nysasia. That is how I also met Sayel and Lassosia. They told me and Asdage about the treachery Kinir had been up to in both her past life and her reawakening. We decided as a collective that Kinir’s spirit would never rest and must be destroyed forever.
My sister asked Sayel and Lassosia to help us here in this realm by re-entering the world as Ser’urn’el, one for Harmonia and one for a warrior that had yet to be determined. Asdage thought if a spirit from Kinir’s former realm and a spirit from this realm worked together, they could destroy any remnants of her so she could never reappear anywhere. This is the goal we accomplished today.”
Confusion spread across Harmonia’s face. “How can that be? I had Lassosia as a child?”
“We have been waiting a long time to enact this plan. Right before you left for your father’s house I came back with Lassosia. She chose you as the one to carry her spirit, but there were complications and we had to send you away. That is why you remembered Lassosia when you touched the Lanin. Sayel, on the other hand, came back only recently when she heard about you Athine. She had chosen to will her essence into a weapon that was for you because you were destined to be the protector of the lands. Sayel never chose a traitor to be the bearer of her spirit; she knew all along that you would make the correct choices. Kinir and Eir were not wrong about every aspect of your destiny, but spirits in Nysasia have a clearer view of kismet in action.”
“But, Essnem, how do you know I am supposed to be the new Vesait’e? I have done nothing to earn it.” I asked her like a doubting child.
“Is’che’aiq told me. If the previous Vesait’e dies before a new one is chosen the Ser’urn’el will pick the successor.”
I shook my head in disbelief. All this new information was hard to process. Sayel knew I would not be a traitor. I was destined to protect the world. Not everything had been a poorly interpreted vision. It was a lot to take on in a short period. “I have a spirit weapon though, why would I need another one?”
“Sayel has served her time here and after today she will be going back to Nysasia as will Lassosia. The weapons are yours to keep, but they will no longer be Ser’urn’el. The protector of the veil needs a Ser’urn’el though. If you don’t believe me, pick up Is’che’aiq.”
I could hardly believe what Essnem was asking me to do. Moments earlier she had told Harmonia not to touch the weapon and now she was telling me to pick it up? Was she trying to kill me? Was I too dangerous to have around with my Ph’tiahon powers? Nothing was making sense to me. I felt like the world was against me and my fears were swallowing me. Then I heard a voice behind me. It was a beautiful woman who looked just like Kinir.
“Athine, I am Asdage. I wanted to come here and help Sayel, Lassosia, and Essnem cross back through the N’Loron to Nysasia. I also wanted to thank you and Harmonia for completing the task I left behind. I assure you, Is’che’aiq has picked you to be the next Vesait’e and I believe that it is a very good choice. Harmonia, I hope to see you again in communion through Kisaka. You will be a wise Und-vor. Now, if you will allow me, I will take my leave of this realm one last time. Sayel, Lassosia, Essnem, are you ready to travel to Nysasia?”
There was a large flash of light mingled with a flurry of good-byes and just like that, they were gone. My weapon immediately became a dull and lifeless hunk of metal. It was no longer ethereally beautiful; it no longer sparkled. I was standing alone in the temple with Harmonia, but I did not know what to say or do next.
“Athine, pick up the Ser’urn’el. I have seen you with it in a vision. It will not rip you apart. Accept your new destiny,” Harmonia reassured me.
I looked over at my sister and then again to the spot where Asdage had appeared. I looked down at the temple floor where Is’che’aiq lay. I knew it was wrong to leave such a glorious weapon in the dirt. Even if it was my last move I was going to pick up Is’che’aiq. He was surprisingly light for such a monstrous looking weapon. I found out that I could talk to Is’che’aiq in my mind very quickly when he laughed at one of my thoughts. He hummed and sang in my hand much like Sayel did, only he was telling me how he approved of me and how many adventures we were going to have together. I looked over again at Harmonia and the look in her eyes told me that this was my destiny for now. I walked with Harmonia out of the temple of Arocia into the dawn with Is’che’aiq at my side ready to embrace it.
THE END
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