Prologue

Author’s Note: This story starts from the middle of Chapter 28: Final Battle from Grand Epic Elemental and is told from Astatine’s point-of-view. For those who have not read Grand Epic Elemental, here is a brief description of the main characters.

Samarian: also known as the Earth Priestess, she is the avatar of the Earth Goddess

Astatine: Samarian’s devoted follower and right-hand man

Thallios: the former prince of Ishkhandar of the Western Region

Amara: Thallios’ female alter ego and the avatar of the Fire Goddess

Leiyu: Thallios’ companion and protector

Xenon: Thallios’ father, King of Ishkhandar and ruler of the Western Region, now deceased

There is a fight between Astatine and Amara from Grand Epic Elemental's Chapter 24: Fire and Earth that is also referenced in this chapter.

Content Warning: Some coarse language

The chamber shook violently and debris fell from the ceiling onto Astatine’s face.

“What the hell?” he groaned. He brushed the plaster piece off his cheek and rolled to his side on the narrow bed. Placing his hands on the mattress, he slowly propped himself up.

Bandages were wrapped around his arms. His waist-length brown hair was untied and unkempt. His usual long robes had been replaced by a simple tunic and trousers.

He put his feet on the cold stone floor and limped toward the small slit of a window that was cut into the wall, gritting his teeth every step of the way. When he finally made it, he leaned his hands against the wall and peered outside.

His eyes widened. “Holy shit!”

Lightning scrawled across the darkened sky and mountains crumbled into dust. Two glowing figures dashed back and forth. His eyes grew even wider when he recognized one of them.

“My lady? She looks…different…”

The Earth Priestess Samarian had always worn a simple black robe and white mask, but now she donned an elaborate headgear with ribbon-like strands cascading from the back. Her mask had also become more ornate and had an extra eye on the forehead. She wore metallic gloves and wielded two long scimitars.

He then turned his attention to the other figure and gasped.

Fire Goddess?

He shuddered as he remembered the last time he saw Amara.

***

Astatine and Amara had been fighting each other by the river in the Eastern Region. He wiped the traces of blood from his mouth after she had kicked him in the face.

I probably deserved that, he thought, since he had been trying to slash at her with his daggers. Still, it bothered him that someone so easily broke through his defenses.

He hadn’t wanted to fight the Fire Goddess avatar since there was no telling how powerful she’d really be. Looking for a vulnerability, he turned his attention toward her companion Leiyu, who sat helplessly a short distance away, tied up by silver threads that suppressed his powers.

When he had fought with Leiyu earlier, it had been a fun little exercise, since he had never fought a wind mage before, but ultimately no real contest. He had to give him some credit for holding his own for as long as he did. Of course, that fool also brought himself down by trying to protect the little prince in mid-battle when he was already severely injured.

Ah, little prince. He had a name of course - Thallios - but from the beginning, Astatine had referred to him by this nickname. Little prince, the vessel for the Fire Goddess. Although the little prince’s physical form remained male, when his eyes turned golden yellow and his voice changed, he became Amara, the Fire Goddess avatar.

Amara had placed a protective barrier over Leiyu earlier to keep him safe, but that could be easily taken care of. Astatine pulled a talisman out of his sleeve and threw it in Leiyu’s direction. The barrier dissolved immediately and Astatine lunged towards him.

In retrospect, that decision had been a nearly fatal mistake. Amara panicked and swiped her sword at Astatine, engulfing him in flames. He put his arms up to shield his face.

“AHHHHH!!!” he screamed before landing with a thud next to Leiyu.

To hell with you all! he thought. He grabbed Leiyu by the shoulders and heaved him into the rushing river nearby.

“LEIYU!!!” Amara dove in after him.

After that, Astatine blacked out.

When he came to, he was in a cold dark chamber, lying in a coffin-like vessel that emitted a soft blue light. A white mask looked down at him.

“My lady?” he whispered.

“Shhh, don’t try to speak,” Samarian told him. “You were badly burned and near death when I found you.”

“The Fire Goddess…”

“Yes, it was her.”

“How long has it been since you brought me back?”

“Several weeks.”

“Weeks!” He winced after trying to move. “Ow…” He looked at her solemnly. “My lady…I’m so sorry. I failed my mission.”

“We’ll worry about that later. Just rest now. I’ll come back and check on you later.”

***

Astatine gazed at Amara through the narrow window. She was levitating in the air, clad in golden armor with a long sword in her hands. She looked more feminine now and her hair extended to her feet.

So, this is the true form of the Fire Goddess, he thought. Little prince, you really transformed…

Ribbons of flame encircled her as her hair flowed in the wind.

So beautiful and deadly. He strained his eyes to get a better look.

Amara and Samarian leapt toward each other and locked blades. They remained in that position for a while, staring each other down. Amara seemed to be saying something to Samarian. After a while, she jumped backward and perched on the top of a higher rock column while Samarian remained on a lower one. She then leapt toward Samarian again, ready to attack. Samarian leapt upward to dodge her. The rock column that Amara landed on crumbled as she landed. Samarian swiped her scimitars and sent a blast of energy in Amara’s direction. Amara tried to block it but it completely engulfed her.

Astatine gasped. Then he heard another scream.

“Amara!”

“Huh?” Astatine said. “Someone else is out there?”

As the energy blast cleared, Amara’s lifeless body started to fall through the air. Her golden armor had unraveled into gold threads and dissipated. She reverted to her regular form with regular clothes and shorter, albeit still waist-length, hair.

“NOOOOO!!!” the other voice screamed. “AMARA!!!”

Astatine saw a figure dart through the air toward Amara as she continued to fall.

“Oh! That’s the other guy…little prince’s protector! He survived too!”

Leiyu caught Amara in mid-air. A chilling sensation ran through Astatine’s body as he saw them plummet into the abyss below. Then he saw Samarian gliding in after them.

“My lady?”

Was she going down there to finish them off? Was it finally over? Astatine knew that Samarian had wanted to settle the score with the Fire Goddess for many years now. It was a shame he only saw the tail end of their battle, but he was glad that he was alive to see it at all.

I’ll ask her when she returns, he thought. If she returns….

It had looked like the Fire Goddess was defeated but there was no telling what could happen. Feeling tired, he put his back against the cold stone wall and slid down to the floor. Drawing his knees up, he put his head in his arms. The bandages felt rough against his face.

Twice in my life, I nearly died from the fire, and each time my lady has saved me.

***

Samarian returned to the temple. She had reverted to her normal form and was wearing her simple black robe and white mask. She waved her hand and dissolved the protective barrier surrounding the temple. Turning around, she looked at the horizon. Now that half the mountains were gone, the landscape looked eerie and barren. The sky had returned to its usual color, although the azure color was muted by clouds of dust.

“My lady!”

She turned and saw Astatine standing at the top of the stone stairs.

“Astatine, why are you not resting inside?”

“My lady! Was that the Fire Goddess? That was such a battle! Did you win? Did you finally defeat her?”

She paused for the longest moment before replying. “Yes…”

He bowed respectfully and smiled. “My lady is the best! Are you finally happy that you settled your score and got your revenge?”

She looked downward. “I’m not sure…”

“Huh? What do you mean? Wasn’t this what you wanted all these years?”

“I thought I did…but she let me win…”

“What?” His eyes widened. “Why?”

“She said we would take down the whole world with us if we both continued to fight…which would have been true, given our powers…”

“I don’t understand. I was tracking them for months while they were on the run. Why would the Fire Goddess turn around and just give herself up?”

“I’m not sure…She did say she wanted to apologize to you before we started our battle…”

“Apologize? To me? Why? For setting me on fire?”

“Yes…and also for what her parents did, and how it led to your family’s death all those years ago…She said she was sorry that both her parents and she herself caused you so much pain…”

His breath caught in his throat.

“King Xenon sent the armies that killed my entire family!”

That was what he had told Leiyu before Amara showed up.

Oh…little prince’s protector must have told her what I said…

“Actually, I told her that you were alive…so she seemed relieved that you didn’t die at her hands…’ Samarian continued. “She actually wanted to apologize to you in person, but I told her no…”

“She wanted to-...? Wh- where is she now?”

“Gone…”

“Gone?”

“The Fire Goddess’ spirit shattered and dissipated to the four corners of the world…”

“Oh…” He looked downward. A mysterious pain started to tear through his chest. “Then, little prince…is dead too…?”

She stared at him, although her mask concealed her expression. “Actually, no…”

“Oh?”

“The Fire Goddess let herself die by my hands in return for a promise that I’d return Thallios alive to Leiyu. So after the Fire Goddess’ spirit left her avatar, I used some of Leiyu’s life force to revive Thallios. So yes, he’s still alive, but just barely.”

“Ah…then…they’re still here?”

“Yes…but best leave them alone. I gave them a second chance at life, and both are in a weakened state right now. Your assignment is over, so don’t go after them anymore…” She paused, then added, “and don’t go spying on them with those ravens…let them live in peace…”

“Ah, of course, my lady…”

“You should rest…you’re still not fully recovered and I am weary from today’s events. Let us meet again tomorrow…”

He bowed, “As you wish, my lady…”

***

Astatine lay in bed. His mind ran through various memories from the day he had fought Leiyu and Amara.

***

“The little prince…or Thallios, I should say, since he is a person…I think I know why you want to protect him so much…” Astatine had said.

“Why?” Leiyu asked.

“Because…he is so beautiful…and why wouldn’t you want to protect someone so precious?”

***

“Look, I’m an orphan too…” said Leiyu. “And I don’t even remember my original family. I’d still be a beggar on the streets if I wasn’t taken in by my Shifu. So I supposed he was like a surrogate father and the other disciples at our sect were like surrogate siblings…”

“I have no idea what you’re getting at,” said Astatine.

“Well, the details don’t matter…but we’re really not that different, are we?”

“Heh, if you’re trying to get my sympathy by acting like we’re the same, don’t bother!”

“Not the same, of course. I know nothing of your life, nor do you know mine. It’s just that I don’t think our situations are that different…In fact…” He began to smile.

“What's so funny?”

“You said yourself that Thallios was…beautiful…Now why would you say that?”

“...”

“Unless…”

***

Astatine pulled on his hair. Argh!!! I really should think before I speak… He stared at the ceiling. Little prince wanted to apologize to me…

***

Astatine threw the silver netting at Thallios, causing him to fall off his horse.

“Thallios!” Leiyu cried. He turned to Astatine. “What did you do?”

“Suppression spell. Can’t have him turning into the Fire Goddess. Would be an unfair fight.”

***

Leiyu was injured, bleeding from the spiral of sharp gravel that Astatine had thrown at him Astatine sent a barrage of dark waves in his direction.

“LEIYU!” Thallios screamed. He broke out of the silver net and threw himself in front of Leiyu. Astatine’s eyes widened.

NO! Astatine screamed internally as the dark waves surged toward Thallios.

***

Astatine felt something roll down his cheek. When he brushed his hand against it, he was surprised at the teardrop that clung to his fingers.

What is this? Why am I-?

There was a tightness in his chest and a tingling on his face. He tried to keep still, but his mouth turned downward into a trembling frown. He squeezed his eyes shut and a faint whimper escaped from his throat.

Little prince, I’m so sorry…I didn’t really want to hurt you…or your friend…

He rolled over to his side and drew his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them.

I just wish…I could tell you that…

***

The next day, Astatine sat on the temple wall and stared at the gaping holes in the scenery before him.

It’s going to take a long time to get used to those mountains being gone… he thought.

Samarian walked up to him.

He jumped off the wall and landed softly on the dirt. “My lady…” he said as he bowed.

“Astatine, since the Fire Goddess is now gone and I don’t foresee any major events happening for the time being…is there anything you would like to do?”

“Me?”

“You’ve traveled for months on your assignment and nearly lost your life. I won’t assign you to any more tasks for the time being. So if there is anything you would like to do for yourself, any places you want to see…”

“Oh…” His expression grows solemn. “Actually, there is a place…I haven’t been to in many years…I’ve been afraid to go back all this time…Would you…accompany me, my lady?”