Chapter 8: Blessings of the Moon

The Moon was up high in the sky, illuminating the village with its light. There Amani sat, eyes closed, as she soaked in the moonlight from atop a hill just outside the village. The lunar rays enveloped her in a comforting warmth, providing her the sense of solace that she had always cherished. She exhaled softly as her body soaked in the energy from the moon before she turned her head to her side and her eyes opened to see him: Iskatl. His approach was always so quiet, but that immense mana was impossible to miss, so she noticed him immediately.

His crimson locks blew behind him in the breeze as he gazed up at the moon before he sat beside her. Her skin was glowing, literally. He wanted more details about the Dragon Priest; that's why he came out here. He hated that he didn't want to just spend time with her, but she knew something he just had to. The Goddess wanted him to end this war between dragons and humanity, and the Dragon Priests were harbingers of that war, so it was only natural that they were his enemies, his targets even, so he just had to know more about them.

"Amani? I had a question. It's important.

She turned to him and smiled before she placed a hand on her cheek, "You're wondering what I am... Right? Well, I'm a-"

Interrupted by Iskatl, "-a Moon Elf or whatever, right?"

She'd blink twice as she looked at him with a grimace, slumping her shoulders. "It's called a Lunar Elf, but yeah..."

He'd pat her on the head, only to receive a scowl and puffed cheeks as he asked, "It's about the Dragon Priest. I'd like to take him down at some point within my life and make him pay for the wrongs he's inflicted upon you and many others."

Amani's cheeks were stained crimson, matching the man's hair, as tears streamed down her face as she turned away. The Dragon Priest took everything from her, but he was more powerful than her or even the likes of Iskatl, with all his magical talent. What was Iskatl's motivation for going after him? She couldn't understand, and it made her shake her head involuntarily before she started. "Fine... What more did you want to know?"

Iskatl leaned over and wiped a tear away from her eye as it formed before patting her cheek as he turned her head with his hand to look him in the eyes. "I want to know what he did. Your specifics were vague on his abilities. I'd like to know more particular details about what he did and how."

She nodded, "Well. He didn't do much. He sort of just overwhelmed me with his power and speed. I do know something, though. He's the Crimson Dragon, Zyelt. Crimson Dragons are adept at Hemomancy and have hotter fire than red dragons. He's stated to have the Grave Dragon's roar, though I haven't witnessed it. One thing, though... I think it may have been his Grace; it's the only logical explanation."

"Pause." He stated calmly, yet assertively.

"Yes?"

"What is a Grace?" He tilted his head as he asked this question, his eyes narrowed. He's never once heard of a Grace; based on the name, it may be a gift from Gods, but that's not a guarantee.

"A Grace is a unique magical ability that coincides with one's personality; they're gifts from the Gods, for servitude and reverence. Typically, one gets them through Divinity intervening in one's death to rescue them."

Yep, just as he'd thought. Grace was a gift of the Gods and, of course, another layer of nonsense he'd have to deal with in the future, surely. Looking at her with a raised brow, he asked. "What did he do that seemed to be a Grace?"

"Well, I created a barrier of solidified moonlight. Moonlight makes quite potent and pure barriers. He…merely folded it into an odd shape." She'd tap her chin, thinking about the shape as she looked down.

"What shape was it?" Iskatl asked, his curiosity seeming to grow as he leaned in closer to her.

"It was shaped like a bird, sort of. Like a bird you could make by folding paper? I suppose."

Wait... Iskatl's eyes went wide as he heard those words before they narrowed into slits. He could feel flames creeping down his spine, and his blood began to boil as his mana materialized around him; the flames that now covered his body only grew exponentially. The village was soon consumed by a raging fire as Iskatl's mana spiraled out of control. Amid the screams of his friends and family perishing in the flames, he heard glass shattering before returning to reality, staring blankly at Amani. Was that real, or was it fantasy? It was real, so what happened?

The Goddess wasn't involved; he would have seen her, like the last time she subtly intervened. He saw her out of the corner of his eye, and she did so intentionally. The Goddess liked being credited for her work; that was for sure. Pulled from his stupor by Amani smacking his forehead, Iskatl exhaled softly before looking at her. "I'm sorry, it's just... My mother did something similar before she left."

A lie, but would she buy it? She'd reach up and pet his head softly as she gave a deep sigh, "I understand... Based on what you've told me, she doesn't sound like a very good person." He gave a soft exhale at her reaction. Clearly, she had bought it which was good.

"She's anything but a good person, yes." He would place a hand on his face and look away, which caused Amani's eyes to narrow. He was always so curt and perfect, and something was always off about him. She seemed naive to him, but she was anything but; clearly he was lying to her, but she'd sigh softly before patting his cheek. She wasn't going to press the issue. She didn't care why he was lying. Though she didn't like how he felt the need to lie to her. Did he not trust her?

"Can you tell me more about Resonance? I've been so focused on the Arcane Arts, I've only heard of Resonance a scant few times, and each time was from you; you possess Moon Resonance, correct?" He asked as he looked back to her, doubling his efforts at getting information.

"Yes, I have Moon Resonance. Although, as a Lunar Elf, I was born with it, so I can't describe how obtaining it would be. Resonance is the act of understanding and resonating with the various elements within the world. Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind are among the easiest to resonate with; they don't take much understanding. Things like the Sun, the Moon... Darkness and Light? Quite difficult. I'd say you'll get Fire soon enough, your Mana Nature will ensure that." She'd smile as she offered a hand to Iskatl, who accepted it without much question.

A soft exhale from Iskatl as his eyes closed tightly. He couldn't picture what had happened prior any longer. All he felt was fire, crawling down his back as his body was swathed in intense flames. He felt hot, and as if his skin were melting. It felt like he was in an oven, as he panted softly; he didn't want to forget those who were lost, even if they still remained. He hated forgetting anyone that died on his watch; his sister and so many more of the Origami Killer's victims always remained on his mind, even in this world run by the Mysterious Goddess.

"Yuichiro? What are you doing?" His sister's voice echoed within his mind as he exhaled deeply. "You let him kill me, and when you avenged me, you couldn't even finish the job. Here he is, in the other world. You always fail, don't you, Yuichiro?"

"Maybe if I were able to stop him sooner, he wouldn't be here as a Dragon Priest." Iskatl stated aloud, his words escaping from his lips against his will, before he felt as if his dreams were about to collapse before him; an intense chill replaced the heat he felt from the fire which was emanating from within his body. As the blade pressed deeper into his neck, he felt his future become dim. The victories he hadn't achieved yet were no more.

"What do you mean, Iskatl? What did you do?" Amani asked, a blade of intense moonlight pressing against his neck, crackling with her mana. She glared down at him, almost hatefully. What he said was tantamount to admitting he was why the Dragon Priest existed, but he was younger than she was, and younger than the Priest himself was. It made no sense.

"Nothing. I'm working on a theory, that's all." He looked up at her with bated breath, assuming she wouldn't like that answer. Was he to die here?

"Well? What's your theory?" He felt his sins crawling down his back, and that disapproving look reminded him of how hatefully Rin looked at him the last time they spoke. That look on Rin's face, and that look on Amani's face mirrored one another. Why did all the women he connected to in his life hate him? Was he the problem? Surely he was, but what could he do to solve that?

He shook his head softly as he looked up at her. "I've told you my intentions, but I draw the line at stating their purpose. All you need to know is I am duty-bound to the Divine, like you. I was born to stop the Dragon Priests, and that's all that should concern you, Amani."

Mentions of the Divine made Amani think about her; Scylla. The Moon Goddess that watched over her in every waking moment of her life, and the one who acted as an Arbiter of not only her dreams but her wishes as well. A deep exhale from her as the blade of moonlight dissipated before she spoke softly. "You're lucky that not only am I bound by the Moon Goddess Scylla, but the Peace Goddess Tiruiel as well. Otherwise, I'd remove your head in spite of everything."

It took so long to get her to open up to him, and it felt like his words today and his actions from before set him right back to square one. But he hadn't heard that woman's name, Tiruiel. He'd asked Amani about Scylla before, but all that's known about her is that she's the Moon Goddess and highly revered; everything else about her is steeped in mystery. Perhaps Scylla was the mysterious goddess who reincarnated him? He'd keep a pin in that; it was a good lead. "If you don't mind, Amani. Can you tell me about Tiruiel?"

"No." She stated coldly.

"But-" He was interrupted by the pissed-off elf girl.

"No, and that's final!"

He'd sigh softly and shut his eyes, and before he knew it, she was gone. He had made her really angry, and he could guess the reason, but still didn't really understand why she was so angry. He'd lie down in the grass as he opened his eyes before he reached up at the moon, as if he wanted to grab it in his hand; a defeated sigh escaped his lips as he whispered to himself, his voice quivering as he spoke. "I won't let you push me away like Rin did, Amani."