Act 3 - Chapter 7, Part 2

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"Aah!" Alexander screamed out as green flames ignited through him.

"Mother!" Terra screamed at the same time.

Fire engulfed Alexander's body and burnt the tendrils. Alexander panted heavily, his body was dripping with sweat, and blood ran down the sides of his head. Terra started to scream and cry.

'Ah- Ah! My head!' Alexander felt blood drip out of his ears as his brain slowly healed from the damage caused.

"What... It can't be..." Ardel's jaw dropped. "You're him..."

The old man started to float as he pulled at the skin under his eyes, tears flowed.

"What have they done... How could they be so reprehensible!" Ardel grieved. "What have they done to you!" Ardel looked up at Alexander while raising his hands.

"Rah!" Alexander roared as he grasped the end of the tendril sticking through his shoulder. "Jealous Flame!"

The tendril burned in his hand, the flames licked at his skin and flesh but it didn't affect him. The fire channeled through his body and lit the two tendrils ablaze. They writhed back and forth, Alexander fell towards the top of the creature and landed in front of its torso. The petal of the flower didn't budge, Alexander pushed himself up and ran across it. Vivian and Bruno were just a few meters away. 'Go!' He picked the two up and jumped off of Terra's body. He could see nothing but darkness in front of him as he descended, but as he approached the ground it came into view and was incredibly bright. Alexander focused solely on getting as far away as he could, there was too much on his mind to think about.

"Stop him! I need his mind! He has more memories I must see!" Terra ordered.

Alexander glanced behind him to see Ardel floating through the sky towards him. 'Shit! I can't fight while carrying these two!' Ardel soared next to Alexander and didn't attack. He had a concerned, yet worried expression on his face. His shoulders screamed in pain, leaking even more blood as he ran with his two lieutenants.

"You!" Alexander hissed. "Get away or-"

As Alexander ran, a grey palm rose from the ground, he stopped as it lifted him on its palm. 'Huh...' The hand glided over the ground and sped up Alexander's attempt to escape.

"What are you doing?!" Alexander asked.

"Walbur! Take him there! To Xenia!" Ardel ordered. "What are you doing, Ardel?! She'll kill us?!" the left side of his face suddenly shouted.

"Why..." Alexander whispered as he looked back.

Vivian and Bruno's ears dripped blood, and there were scars around their heads. Alexander lifted Bruno's head and touched his neck, he felt a rapid heartbeat. 'He's still alive... Why is his heart beating so fast?' Alexander pushed his eyelid up to see his eyes rolled to the back of his head, vibrating even while unconscious. 'Shit... Shit shit shit... I can heal but they can't... How much were they damaged?! That fucking fiend! I'll-' Alexander remembered what he saw and he hesitated, he shook his head to stay focused. After several minutes of soaring through the darkness, the hand stopped and then lifted them higher. 'What's-' The hand whipped them forward, Alexander flew through the darkness as he held his two squad members. He crashed into the ground and dropped the two.

"Urgh!" Alexander grunted as he hit the ground and rolled.

Vivian and Bruno tumbled to a stop. Alexander immediately crawled to Vivian and turned her over. 'She's okay... she's okay... She's-' Alexander looked around for a moment, 'The ground isn't bright anymore...' His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness. He could clearly see the walls of rock in the distance. As he turned in the direction he came from he noticed deep darkness, unlike anything. It almost looked like a shroud of black fog. 'I can't go back in there... I need to find a way out of here... If these two were awake it'd be simple...' Alexander picked them both up, holding Vivian by the waist and lifting Bruno by the shoulder. His muscles ached, but he ignored the pain.

He limped one step at a time, carrying his two loyal lieutenants through the strange caverns surrounding him. It was a wide-open chasm, a ceiling of rock hung low, and the sound of running water crashing down could be heard from that part of the cavern. He walked parallel to a strangely straight wall of rock, the ground was covered in weeds breaking through the stone. As he got to the end of the wall he noticed a damaged bridge over a ten-foot-deep gap. He stepped onto the bridge, but he spun around as the distant sound of metal shifting came from behind.

"Who's there? Show your-" Alexander stopped as he looked past the wall.

Behind the wall, Alexander could see two giant stone statues which depicted headless knights. They stood tall outside an even larger building. They possessed a carving of a tree on their breastplate. At the peak of the fortress, was a silver tree that slightly resembled the one on their armor. As Alexander's gaze hovered over the giant stone statue, he saw a black figure sitting on the shoulder of the statue on the right. The dark figure looked down at him with bright yellow eyes.

"Shit! Shit!" Alexander panicked as he continued to limp away. "I can't fight right now!"

Alexander crossed the bridge and started up a hill. As he got to the top of the hill, the sound of crashing water grew much louder. The rock hung just low enough to walk under, it created a pathway to another section of caverns. He continued through and noticed light coming from the end of the path. 'Is this all... Under Hiria and Kamino?' Alexander entered another large cavern, this one much bigger than the last. Water flowed down from above and crashed into a body of water within the cavern. He looked up and could see holes in the ceiling, beams of light spilled through each one. 'What the...'

The upper sections of the cavern seemed to have pillars carved into the rock. The gaps in the wall could not have formed naturally. He looked around for a pathway up, but there didn't seem to be any. However, his attention was drawn to a hole on the other side. A bright green light came from within.

"What is that..." Alexander huffed as he continued towards it.

It took about an hour to reach the other end of the large chasm. On each side there were multiple dark holes and caves in the walls, water flowed through some. 'Where is that water flowing...' As he reached the end of the cave, Alexander was left speechless.

In his plain sight, a massive citadel at least three times the size of Helios stood in the center of a ruined underground city. The main building was comprised of multiple pillars and buildings with pointy roofs. The inside of this chasm had been even bigger than the last, it was carved out for miles. The largest tower in the center of the kingdom only reached half the total height. Above the main citadel, large stalactites lit the decrepit city with eerie green lights. The massive citadel had a circular outer wall surrounded by towns of small houses. The outer wall was evenly divided by four massive overpasses that stretched between the inner citadel and the outer wall. 'I- I was here... This was also in my dream...' Alexander looked down a two-hundred-meter drop, at the bottom were even more ruins beyond the citadel wall. 'There were structures before this place as well...'

"What is this place..." Alexander walked along the wide overpass as he observed the citadel.

He walked over the damaged bridge, carrying Vivian and Bruno on his back. A triangular symbol with skulls was carved into the railing. He approached the side of the bridge and looked over. Down below were small houses that were broken in several places. A sudden crack, followed by grains of stone falling caused him to panic, and the ground shifted with another crack.

"Shit!" The overpass he stood on started to crumble and give out. "Rah!" Alexander threw Vivian and Bruno back onto the bridge as he fell down to the houses below.

Alexander curled his head forward, anticipating the impact. He crashed through a building and fell into a street between the houses. The crash echoed a few times. 'Ugh...' Alexander raised his head but dropped it back down. He was exhausted and wanted to close his eyes, but they opened as the doors and windows around him started to as well. Alexander rolled onto his front and pushed himself off the ground. He watched the door closest to him slowly open. A slim pale hand pulled it open, revealing a grey-haired pale man with green eyes.

"Who are you!" Alexander demanded an answer.

The pale man opened the door fully, he wore ragged robes that covered his lower half. Behind the skinny man, were two pale-skinned children wearing the same clothing. All of the doors began to open and multiple people with pale skin now surrounded him. What confused Alexander the most, was the green gem embedded into their body, above their abdomen, and just under the chest. Alexander looked down at himself, the crystal inside of him was similar. Alexander became even more confused as he looked around. The pale-skinned people surrounded him, but they didn't attack, only stared at him in awe. 'Are these non-unified... they all look malnourished...' A bald child walked up to Alexander.

"Stay back!" Alexander pointed his greatsword at the boy.

The people all suddenly looked scared, they cowered back, then dropped to their knees. They all curled up onto the ground and started to sob heavily. Alexander felt a throbbing pain in his head, he stepped back. 'What is this...'

"To think an angel would come to the city of the druids," a deep voice spoke.

Alexander glanced at the top of the building, a dark-skinned man stood with his hands behind his back. His mouth was covered by a strange mask that resembled a wide grin with large teeth. He had no eyebrows, his narrow eyes were the only expression Alexander could comprehend. He wore similar robes to Ardel, but his mannerisms and dialect were far different. The man also had a green gem embedded into his chest.

"Well, what are you waiting for... Release your righteous envy, you know the whole deal..." The man waved his hands in the air as if he didn't care, but turned when he noticed none of them complied. "Kill the angel... Hm?"

He tilted his head as he watched the people remain in their curled-up forms, sobbing. Alexander took a stance to fight.

"Why are you crying-"

"Who are you!" Alexander spat, his head still throbbing in pain.

"Shut up you rude heathen. I, Dariel Drake, judicator of this kingdom order you all to kill him!" Dariel's eyes widened as none of them did anything. "Why are none of you-" Dariel took notice of the greatsword. "That sword... Who are you?"

Alexander held his head in anguish, it immediately throbbed in pain, "I- am... one of the four nobles of Helios! Alexander... Rael!" he roared as the pain and exhaustion weighed him down.

"Rael? You... Wait just a moment, that can't... Be... That sword... Impossible-" Dariel stuttered as he stepped off the roof and dropped to the street.

Alexander pounced forward and swung down with a strength he didn't even know he had. Before it could hit the judicator, Dariel quickly drew a golden scepter from behind him and raised it to block. Alexander struck him with all his might and charged him through several buildings. 'Another one of those scepters! What are these things?'

"You seem to be familiar with this place," Alexander grinned as he pushed his blade forward. "You're gonna tell me how to get out here!" Alexander ran forward, smashing Dariel through several more walls.

"Ah... The time has finally come..." said Dariel.

"Answer me!"

"Is this fate? Coincidence? I believe this is nothing short of the purest form of judgment," Dariel laughed.

Dariel took his mask off, Alexander cringed slightly at the sight. The flesh around his mouth was exposed, there was no bottom jaw, or tongue just a row of upper teeth. The man's eyes squinted upward as if gleeful.

"I wonder who did it... A gift capable of manipulating memories, I really doubt it..." Dariel continued to ramble about something, all the while his mouth disturbingly did not move.

"You- What the hell are you..." Alexander stopped as Dariel's eyes lit up.

A force pushed Alexander back suddenly. He couldn't stop the speed as he soared backward, crashing back through the buildings he had just charged through. 'What the! Where did that force come from!'

"May my soul take root, becoming the foundation for the druid within," Dariel whispered with the golden staff held up. "Spirit bloom!"

Alexander stopped as Dariel flipped the staff over and hit the ground, the strike echoed through the citadel. The staff disappeared, and the dark-skinned man began to float upwards. Dariel started to scream as his head whipped around violently, bones protruded out of his back and surrounded him. A brown flesh started to form and was quickly wrapped up by greasy skin. Alexander looked up in disbelief as the man had transformed into a pale-skinned being, it dwarfed the buildings in size. Dariel's altered form had skinny arms, still held behind his back, he had no hair and lacked a mouth. Rather than legs, three tentacles waved through the air, they seemed to be keeping him afloat.

"Hear me Xenia's army! May my voice beseech you! Rise, rise! The time has come!" Dariel's voice projected across the cave.

Alexander looked around, 'What the hell, he doesn't have a mouth?! How is he speaking?'

"Druids who serve underneath our queen! Rise up! The time has come! Our vengeance will finally be met!" Dariel called.

"This guy is getting on my nerves-"

"Oaraun has returned!" Dariel shouted.

The veins on Alexander's head bulged as his head throbbed, he jumped up to the top of the building and kicked off once more into the air towards the creature. Alexander swung the greatsword, and Dariel floated backward out of range. Alexander was wide open.

"Forgive me, my lord. I must commit an act of shame," said Dariel.

The creature raised his hand, there was a mouth where his palm was. His wrist expanded before the mouth spat a black orb toward Alexander at high speed. 'I can't dodge!' The black orb hit Alexander, and he suddenly felt an intense throbbing in his head, even worse than before. 'What- the!' Alexander fell towards the rooftops and crashed through them.

"You bastard! Give her back!", "My parents! How could you kill them like that!", "Fucking angel! You should all be killed!", "Monster!", "Why did my son have to die? Why!"

"Ah!" Alexander cried as the voices ripped at his brain.

"How sad. You slaughtered thousands of your own for the angels," Dariel spoke from above, he was so loud it was difficult to gauge which direction it came from.

"What- What did you do!" Alexander as he curled up into a ball and grasped his head.

"Damn nobles! Why did the Celestial grant you gifts!", "Give me back my daughter!"

"Those voices are the sound of your sins. The anguish your victims- your own people felt. Your mind has mistaken these thoughts for pride, Divine being or not, no man is capable of escaping their own shame-"

"Carol... why..."

Alexander spun around, his sword lit up, and a massive ball of flame whirred through his body and enveloped the blade. He whipped it straight at the judicator in the sky. Dariel raised his hands to defend but quickly chose to dodge the massive attack. Alexander crouched down and jumped through the flames, impaling his sword into Dariel's massive form.

"Ah!" Dariel cried, his composure vanished as his cry echoed through the caverns.

"Die!" Alexander screamed, he clenched his fist and slammed it into the massive creature's stomach.

"Gah!" Dariel grunted.

Alexander pushed his fist forward while holding the greatsword in Dariel's stomach. The blade slid out as Alexander launched the giant down to the ground, his massive body crashed into the buildings. Alexander soared down toward Dariel.

"Die!" Alexander roared.

Before he could stab his blade into the creature's abdomen, Alexander felt a heavy smack to the side of his body and he flew into a nearby building. Dariel slowly rose off the roof he landed on as he panted and grasped the wound. The rib cage protruding around Dariel's main body disintegrated as he fell to the roof and coughed raggedly. The rest of the creature's body disintegrated.

"Viceroy Gungnir, thank you for heeding my call," Dariel panted.

Alexander shook his head and looked up to see another strange creature floating in the sky. This one was different. It still possessed three tendrils waving back and forth. This one wore armor, with a strange bubbly blue plasma flowing from the breastplate and connected the gauntlets to the main body. Its head resembled a skull, but the upper half was covered by a mask. The mask had been cracked and only one large eye peered down at Alexander. Its grey hair flowed in all directions. It held a massive silver spike-edged halberd with both hands. Just behind the collar of the breastplate, Alexander noticed a withered husk acting as the source of its transformation.

"Judicator Drake, we must lead him to Xenia," Gungnir spoke with a commanding voice.

"That's easier said than done..." Dariel replied.

"I will do it, I won't need your assistance."

"You sure about that old man?"

"Where is my son, or Elisia, a physical fighter is better suited for this than mages."

"I don't know, probably the Sunken City..."

Alexander crouched down against the roof and jumped into the air. Gungnir's tentacles flapped and he soared at Alexander. 'He's fast-' Their weapons clashed, but Alexander was launched back by what felt like a second impact. 'Agh! That was-' The force reminded him of the impacts of Ajal's strikes, an almost explosive force that followed every strike. Alexander descended back to the ground. 'Burn!' Green flames engulfed Alexander's blade, he swung the blade once more and spun through mid-air, sending a slash of flame at Gungnir. He simply floated forward and spun his polearm, deflecting the strike and then swinging it down with great force.

"You are too weak to be Oaraun, I need not feel bad for this," said Gungnir.

"Me? Weak?!" Alexander grunted with grit teeth.

Alexander swung his blade up and knocked the halberd back. 'He didn't use that explosive impact-' Gungnir spun the giant halberd around and cleaved through the building. Alexander jumped up and blocked with his greatsword, the force launched him upwards towards the bridge.

"Ack!" Alexander coughed up blood.

Alexander landed on the bridge, he breathed in and out heavily as his chest pulsated up and down. 'Ah...' The hours of fighting, and the injuries he sustained weighed down on him heavily. He held onto his greatsword as hard as he could as he started to channel green fire into the blade. It glowed a neon green, Alexander got to his feet and wobbled. He looked down over the bridge to only see Dariel on a rooftop in the distance, Gungnir was gone.

"Shit!" Alexander turned to his left to see the monster swing its halberd down at him. Alexander deflected it, however, Gungnir pulled his weapon back and started to thrust it straight at him. He used the flat side of the greatsword to block, but each stab pushed him further back.

"Spirit Ignition!" Gungnir shouted.

Gungnir thrust the halberd forward and launched Alexander straight toward the citadel. 'What!' Alexander felt his body get forced back as he flew through the wall of the citadel, crashing into a large flight of stairs.

"Agh!" Alexander felt his bones shifting under his skin as he healed.

Gungnir flew through the hole in the wall, he floated past Alexander, over his head. 'Get back here!' Alexander ran up the steps, 'Even this... Is just like that dream...' When he reached the top, There were pillars in the room, and they led the way toward a throne. Behind the throne were tree roots that spread around the room.

"My Queen, Xenia, he has returned, the divine berserker," the Viceroy gestured with one hand over his breastplate and the other palm open towards Alexander.

"Queen? Who the hell rules this shit hole..." Alexander whispered to himself as he stood.

Alexander walked up the stone steps, avoiding branches that hugged the ground. Viceroy Gungnir floated to the left of the throne, and to the right was another creature similar to him. Alexander raised his greatsword with one hand as he panted.

This one had larger tentacles on its lower body compared to Gungnir, but its upper body was much skinnier. Grey hair flowed in all directions, a dark red blindfold covered its eyes, and the only facial features visible were its wrinkled red lips and sunken cheeks. It was the same height as Gungnir, the creature wore a white dress covered in maroon stains over its torso.

Between the two giants, seated on a jade throne, was a woman in silver armor, clad from head to toe. Her face was covered by a mask with no details on it at all. A white cape hung from her shoulders as she stood up, and her breastplate had the design of a tree on it. The two giant creatures to her left and right lowered themselves to the ground and bowed as she walked past.

"What the hell are you!" Alexander hissed.

The masked woman stared directly at him. Alexander raised his greatsword toward her.

"You'd dare point-" Gungnir snapped, but stopped when the queen raised her hand.

"So you're the one who leads the damned... I have an unyielding urge to kill you," said Alexander.

"The damned..." She spoke, her voice was soft and calm, and she sounded young. "Is that what we're called in this age?" she asked.

"Would you prefer subterranean squids... What the hell are those things behind you..."

She continued to stare at him behind the mask, 'I remember her... From my dream.' Alexander noticed several branches sticking out from under her armor. 'What is that... there's something under her armor.'

"We were forced to adapt after we were defeated by the off-worlders. I listened to the words of my Judicator. You don't remember, do you..."

"I am Alexander Rael, noble of the angels. Prepare to die!" he charged forward.

She conjured a greatsword in her hand, it possessed a green blade as well. 'What!' The blade was longer than Alexander's but not as wide. They clashed and she was launched off her feet.

"Xenia! Please take caution! He's too dangerous-" Gungnir shouted.

"Silence," the sovereign ordered with a cold tone.

"He's right, you know," said Alexander.

"I don't fear one of my own," Xenia replied.

"One of your own?"

Xenia stood up and walked forward, she dropped the greatsword behind her. Alexander squinted in confusion, he was about to charge again, but couldn't. 'Huh...' Alexander looked down to see the black roots entangling his feet. The roots ensnared his whole body, surrounding him and pulling his arms to the side. Alexander roared with all the strength he had left to free himself. But the roots continued to reinforce their hold on him. The roots climbed into Alexander's mouth and forced his jaw open. 'What the-'

"Ah!" Alexander struggled as much as he could.

She raised her palm and the roots underneath her armor extended outwards as if they were growing. Alexander continued to struggle as a black-colored berry sprouted from the budding branch. She placed the berry in Alexander's mouth, however, the moment she did his jaw clamped down and he bit her hand. She pulled back, wincing in pain, but the fruit had fallen down Alexander's throat. His vision started to blur, and all of his memories suddenly started to return at once.