Prologue: The Goddess of Love

Long ago at the center of the universe, a war of extinction wages on as all life comes to an end. The ancient Flora reigned over the cosmos for years, relying on their blessings from the fertile goddess of life to control and contain their empire. But after millennia of perfection had passed, a great plague suddenly descended upon their worlds, its armies relentless and its power unstoppable.

Isera panted as she hobbled down the long silver halls of the Flora capital. She was not a member of the esteemed race of advanced creatures, nor was she approved to wander the restricted facility. But still, the young girl ran, her long blue hair stained with her own blood.

"Hold on Ceris," Isera coughed as she looked upwards to view a massive tower that pierced the clouds.

Deep within the Flora capital lay an impossibly complex citadel lined with sleek silver towers and wide-open chambers. The reason for such a large and advanced environment was unknown to Isera - as was much of Flora's empire. But atop the tallest tower waited a man she loved; and for Isera, that was all she needed to know.

Reaching the end of the hallway, Isera slammed her frail hand against a blue-colored terminal, her torn white dress sliding against the cold surface as she slumped to the ground.

"Access restricted, subject L-01 not approved for entry to service elevator," the terminal responded in a strange and alien voice.

"Let me in," Isera growled, clenching the white spear she held in her skinny arms.

"Access restri-."

Before the terminal could deny Isera again, it shattered into pieces along with the door it protected. The young girl's eyes glowed a powerful blue as she tossed aside what remained of the wall before continuing to limp her way to the elevator. But before reaching her goal, Isera made sure to place a hand against her heart, ensuring it still moved with life and vitality. From what little she knew, her destructive powers had a reputation for sapping her strength and causing a variety of illnesses. But Isera had grown used to her own frailty and seemed unphased as she stumbled into the mostly glass-covered elevator.

"Just hold on," Isera continued as the elevator began to ascend toward the sky at an impossible speed.

Looking out the transparent walls of her transportation, Isera witnessed the terrible war rage on as a look of worry appeared on her face. Several large ships could be seen, their diamond-like structures set ablaze as dark clouds loomed over the horizon. Isera knew the Flora were losing, their once mighty defenses having been sabotaged by the same man she searched for. He had sided with the plague, allowing their corruption to seep inside the walls of the Flora capital with ease.

"But why," Isera pondered as her blue eyes focused on a horde of Flora vessels that appeared overgrown with humongous black vines. "Why betray them just for me?"

As her ride came to an end Isera readied her spear as the doors in front of her slid open. Expecting the worst, she was ready for the stream of red fire that came rushing towards her, cracking the glass behind her as it narrowly grazed her hair. The girl had suddenly arrived at a chaotic battle, with both the Flora and the great plague locked in a mess of death and blood.

Typically, the Flora preferred to fight with mechanical drones, their blocky metallic designs perfect for fighting their mostly organic enemy. Isera frowned at the orange-colored drones whose rather unimpressive aim had narrowly shot her on accident. The frames of each drone resembled a typical bipedal, with two arms and legs supporting a faceless head with minimal intelligence. The great plague on the other hand wielded the dead corpses of every known race, their grim faces twisted and consumed by a mess of black tendrils. But unlike the typical undead Isera had read of in the stories, the great plague piloted its bodies with skill, shaping them into sleek warriors that wielded all manners of weapons both advanced and simple.

Isera wasted no time entering the fray, shoving her spear into the back of a rotten corpse before rushing over to aid one of the Flora's drones. Despite her weakened state, the girl moved like a dancer with her spear, weaving together attacks and defensive pivots like the whole world was encased in water. After striking down another corpse, Isera stretched out her free hand to summon a wave of blue energy that came crashing down upon the enemy.

"Please, tell me where I can continue on my path," Isera asked the Flora drones after aiding them in battle. "I have to reach-."

Isera gasped as a metallic hand clenched her throat, raising her into the air before she could even finish speaking. It would appear she had no friends left at all, her own body viewed as just another threat by the orange-colored drones.

"You have done enough damage Isera," the Flora drones explained as a masculine voice emanated from their faceless masks. "We should have dealt with you long ago."

The young girl squirmed as the grip against her tightened, crushing her neck with violent force. She struggled to escape as she felt her consciousness slipping. But before Isera could drift away, a massive black scythe came crashing into the floor of the building, sending her and the drones into freefall.

"Ah!" Isera screamed as the arm that once held her was torn apart by the explosion.

The young girl continued to fall for some time, before stretching out her arm once more with a burdened gasp. Isera's eyes glowed an ever brighter blue as a pair of butterfly-shaped wings then sprouted from her open back, their powerful motions halting her descent as she slowly drifted toward a nearby platform. What was left of the Flora tower seemed ruined as Isera looked around with panic in her expression. What little chance she had of reaching the top and reuniting with the man she loved seemed somehow even more impossible than before.

Just then, a powerful force dragged Isera through the floor, slamming her into the ground below and causing her to scream in pain. A towering figure then loomed over her wounded form, its black scaly skin lined with strange patterns and eerily sharp spikes. Isera coughed as she stood to her feet, shocked and dazed as she began to sense the impossible power of her enemy. Yet despite its immense strength, the strange creature seemed to wait patiently for Isera to recover, as if uninterested in her demise.

"Oh Goddess of Love," the lumbering creature whispered, its voice reminiscent of both man and woman speaking in tandem. "You cannot reach him."

The creature's narrow face was unlike anything Isera had ever seen, with two pairs of separately colored eyes that lined its featureless head. The rest of its body seemed absurdly bulky, with two small legs and four large arms that twitched with excitement.

"Who are you?" Isera groaned as she spotted a large black scythe slung over the shoulder of the creature.

"We are Herald of the Black Flower. Our beautiful queen is amused by your efforts, and has confined you to...temporary survival."

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you stop me."

Isera took a deep breath before expanding her blue wings, clenching the spear in her hands with all her strength. In response the Herald's back erupted into black blood as a pair of their own transparent wings came into view, their shape defined by large eyeball-shaped patterns that pulsated with light.

"Oh...I'm so glad you still believe you can win. Come little girl, let me see who you really are," the Herald laughed as it pointed towards Isera with a taunting finger.

Isera lunged at the creature, carefully avoiding its gargantuan reach as she slid her skinny body under its legs. But even after receiving several cuts across its rough skin, the Herald continued its assault, smashing the Flora structure into pieces as it demolished everything around it. Luckily for Isera, she proved to be a much faster contender, swiftly dancing around everything that came her way like a playful ballerina. But it all seemed to matter little as the Herald appeared unphased.

"Ah, it feels so good. Pain!" The Herald laughed, hurling its scythe at Isera. "It's been too long since I've fought a worthy opponent!"

Realizing she could not evade such an attack, Isera snapped her fingers together, creating a blue portal in front of her that entirely absorbed the scythe. She had planned to use her powers to redirect the Herald's scythe back at it, only to find her efforts foiled as a thin pair of tendrils appeared out of nowhere, stopping the scythe in its tracks. Isera gasped in shock as she turned to face a second foe whose quick actions had defended its ally with ease.

"Not so fast," a collection of faint voices whispered into Isera's mind as it returned the scythe to its owner. "You heard my fellow Herald. You will not be reaching your little boyfriend."

Isera grimaced as a set of thin hands surrounded her from the shadows, clasping her body with crushing force. She held on to her weapon as best she could as her wings struggled to keep her afloat. The tendrils then dug into the girl's flesh, bleeding her out and tugging at her hair with immense pressure. But no matter the pain she faced Isera made sure to fight on.

"You really think you can just will your way out of this?" The second Herald scoffed as it motioned for its ally to strike Isera while she remained still. "Your shapely little body is much too weak I'm afraid. Try as you might, you were not built for battle."

The second Herald then stepped out from the wreckage of the tower, its slim feminine form concealed by a long black cloak. What little Isera could see of the Herald was more frightening than the other, its petite hands having been wrapped in black gloves while its face was fit tightly into a smiling opera mask. Looking into its soulless gaze, she nearly screamed with fright as a flood of painful memories surged into her mind.

"I know," Isera groaned as she took notice of the black tendrils emitting from her opponent's back, their long reach having been generated by the Herald's power. "I don't matter. Still, I must reach him, after all this he deserves to see me."

Isera then closed her eyes as she began to focus on the man she loved. She would do anything for Ceris, who so gently took her into his arms even after she had been exposed as a useless defect. No matter how much she hurt or felt insecure, he was always there to love her as best as he could. They had disagreements, of course, and moments of doubt that tore them apart. She didn't belong to the race of Flora and he was but a soulless machine created for war. Yet no matter what they still found a way together.

"Please, just let me lift you into my arms," Isera concentrated as a tear streamed down her face. "Let me take up your burden and your pain. Let your wife fight for you."

Isera then opened her eyes to reveal a single red iris that glimmered with strength. Her husband had seemingly answered her prayers, bestowing upon her his crimson talent to fight alongside the blue power she had already mastered. Clenching her fists, Isera broke free from her opponent's grasp and shattered the other creature's blade before reforming the loose fragments into a stream of red diamonds that cut through the air.

"Wonderful!" The larger Herald cheered as they attempted to block Isera's attack and smack her out of the air. "She has strength!"

The second Herald seemed to remain still as it narrowly evaded Isera's attack, summoning an arsenal of curved blades into the grasp of its tendrils. The battle raged on as Isera crashed through the halls of the tower, redirecting every bit of carnage caused by the battle back at her foe. The heralds continued their assault as well, their tireless bodies incapable of giving up. But Isera had a plan, as evidenced by her careful management of the red power she had been given. After shattering a curved blade that cut across her cheek, Isera collected every last particle in the air before creating a shower of diamonds and death. The Heralds at first attempted to simply block the attack, only to find themselves surrounded as Isera amplified her barrage with several blue portals - their wide openings allowed the red diamonds to loop back towards their enemy in an inescapable vortex. Before long the floor beneath the Heralds tore apart as their still intact bodies were forced below ground by the sheer pressure of the young girl's explosive attack.

"Finally," Isera gasped as blood streaked down her tattered dress.

But as the girl ascended the tower with her newly enhanced wings, an even greater opponent intercepted her path, slamming her into the tower's side as she tumbled into another chamber. Realizing she would have to fight for every inch of ground, Isera picked herself off the ground and stood stoically to face whatever had struck her.

"I won't give up, no matter what," Isera softly explained as a monstrous black form crawled into the building.

"That's cute," the draconic creature laughed, its massive wings spanning the length of the chamber. "Let's get it on then shall we."

Pointing her now-damaged spear towards the beast, Isera took a deep breath before she sprung into action.

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Nearly two thousand years ago the Flora's ruined empire had dissolved into nothing, leaving the fate of Isera and her husband a mystery. Only one world was left intact in the wake of the war, filled with a menagerie of life ignorant of what had happened so long ago. But time was irrelevant to both Isera and the great plague, whose influence would live on. And as the years passed and new scars began to form upon the surface of the last world, a pale girl known as Salem would begin her journey.

This is the story of Exuberance.