BOOK 2/74 - HOPE

Ring - 1st
Realm - SOL

It had taken the longer part of the trek from the Titan’s Ascension Point to where they'd found Horkirk for Sryder to master her skills. She realized that as fast as she could go, time was a factor she couldn't beat, at least not for long. Freezing it temporarily was the best she could do. Exceeding thirty minutes forced time to move again, slowly or at a normal pace was left to her essence.

But it was the opposite effect that Stryder really found interesting. Moving made her run at speeds that rivalled anything in the universe besides the Primordials or The Mother. It was a speed that naturally negated time around her.

When adding her other skills to speed up time while equally running she attained a flux in her speed that was just undescribable for her.

Everything accelerated at a rate that would have left her behind. The air didn't just become resistant, it became a wall that she bodied through. Everything and everyone around her became faster than normal. Moving, reacting and existing at such speeds that she would have been seen as the normal one.

Fortunately Stryder was learning that she didn't exactly control time. She was no Elder Titan of Time. It didn't lie in her Domains either.

What she embodied existed within the flow of time and yet outside. And she was only now coming to realize it. Where her domains were meant to work within the concept of time. Growth or Decay, the Change in Seasons, Rebirth and Evolution, she made it operate at a speed beyond its normal rate.

While the realm was indeed speeding up at an accelerated rate, to Stryder, the realm might as well have been playing catch-up.

Dashing past the mouth of the Wyrm's Cross her ears picked up on the sounds from afar. It was a guttural cry of pain and stubbornness as realm dwellers battled monsters and beasts. But with it came another cry. One that was familiar even with its high pitch. Following it was an explosion that made her grit her teeth.

Stryder pushed her skills, fuelling them with more essence. Her speed tripled, the realm accelerated even faster. Simultaneously, it accelerated her.

The City appeared and vanished in a streak of black. Then she was there. The thing about having the realm move at speeds that should be impossible was how hard to pick up details things were even at her speed.
With a flex of will the world came to a screeching halt.

Standing at the rear of the charging Cinderii, Stryder assessed the battle. Corpses littered the field, Cinderii and monsters alike. Craters, cracks and heaps of corpses.

She watched the fighting, watched the dying on both sides. ‘Where is he?’ But she couldn't feel the King’s Essence. Then at the front she saw him, a Cinderii in better armor than the rest. It covered his skin so well Stryder couldn't find any hint of red or white.

Then she watched him get thrown up. Stryder blurred leaving her spot, weaving through tons of monsters, leaped and kicked off a beast's shoulder pasting its bones, and reappeared in the sky above Aargish.

Slowing down time Stryder watched the Cinderii slowly plummet before turning to scan the field from her vantage point.

When her eyes swept over the spot she froze. Maybe it was the distance from the other battle marks, maybe it was the way beasts flowed around the spot. Closing it like a healing wound, or the frozen dissipating mushroom cloud right above.

A thick vine shot out from the ground, ignoring frozen time and paused right beneath her. With a kick she flung herself over the battlefield. Landing way off from her destination, her body crushed and blew off the stationary monsters around before she blurred back to position.

The monsters there cleared, she stared at the crater. Stryder narrowed her eyes. There was no evidence that what she was thinking happened here.

‘I should just ask someone where their king is.’ Turning to go, something gleamed. Stryder paused. Turning back she eyed what she was looking at. A stationary ray of white light stabbing out from the soil.

‘White.’ Slowly she stepped into the crater. Crouching she dug around the light until her fingers grasped it.

Stryder's breath hitched and she slowly rose. It was a white core. A familiar white core. Golden energy like flames leaked from her eyes, nose, cracks on her body and even her white gold hair blazed brightly.

‘Can I bring him back again?’
‘I knew we should have stayed and helped. We should have stayed and helped!’

Slowly, like a corruption spreading, her eyes turned green. From the sides to the inside her golden gaze was erased. The essence streaming from her seemed to get infected. Changing colors from a bright white gold to a dark and thick green Stryder's feet left the ground slowly.

Like it had been waiting for her to leave, the ground trembled. From her position a pulse, like a seismic wave, rippled out.

Like the drama happening on the ground wasn't enough, the skies joined the emotional rant. Rust red skies darkened and gathered, covering the land. Wind picked up, lightning flashed overhead.

Like an instinctual thing, essence cores appeared in her grasp even as she emptied the last.

The land’s golden red light dimmed, subverted by a dark and foreboding green. Not corrupt, not necrotic, just a green so dark it described rage.

Slowly she descended, her feet meeting the ground.

Stryder vanished. The energy of Titans, golden white stubbornly seeped out again coating the green.

Like a Force of Nature she sent every last Cinderii to the gates of their great city.

With the battlefield empty the Titaness returned and time snapped free. The roars and bellows of rage mellowed out as every creature on the field sensed that something had suddenly changed. The swarm above hesitated. The Colossus staggered.

Stryder let go of the Core and watched it float to her side.

From as far back as possible, everything with eyes and other forms of sensing noticed the tiny but bright green light floating off the ground till it was even higher than the two Colossus.

Stryder raised her right hand since her left was occupied. Like a tide, energy flowed from her body and congregated around her fingers. A green jagged mark, like a scar on reality appeared embracing her torso and a smaller version formed from the energy.

Then a voice thundering and distinctly male leaked from her lips.

“I, HERE THEE PASS THINE JUDGEMENT! FOR ATTACKING UNPROVOKED. FOR SLAYING GOOD PEOPLE. FOR KILLING A GREAT KING. I, BY THE PRIMORDIAL’S NAME, SUNDER THINE SPARKS, CONDEMN THEE TO ETERNAL BONDAGE IN FAYHEIM’S EMBRACE. AND AS LONG AS THE NINE REALMS BURN BRIGHT IN THE NOTHINGNESS THESE WORDS SHALL STAY UNBROKEN.”

Sol trembled on hearing the voice of its maker. Like a child eager to please several chains of golden ethereal light formed from the realm, links from the green energy coating her, flowed out as well. Like dazzling motes of light, they spread out and vanished into several of the creatures and monsters, even the two Colossus and few of the swarm.

No one saw it, but like a brand the links seated into soul orbs. The moment they were branded all their Life Flame petals quenched.

Like strings were cut, a thousand dropped and hundreds fell from the sky.

Not a single one of the creatures still breathing dared move. Even the swarm had problems flying forward. It wasn't the punishment that scared them nor the green light. It was a pressure that was both ancient and new. A mixture of two auras that suppressed even their blood flow.

Randomly some just dropped dead their lives snuffed with just the aura.

“LEAVE!!"

The pressure let up and like the aura was on their tails a stampede set off.

The green light flared brighter once more before dimming. The scar faded from reality and her body as Stryder dropped to the ground.

BOOM!!

Crashing to the ground Stryder exhaled. The wind from her breath blowing off the fiery dust. Standing to her dull height she faded across the field as a slaughter greater than whatever happened with the Cinderii took place. Monsters fought monsters, beasts fought beasts, Realm Touched fought Realm Touched. Lives were taken for lives to escape and she watched all the blood, hot as fire and red as lava flow.

She didn't move for the time being. If anyone were to walk up and look into her eyes they'd find them distant, unfocused. Almost, blank.

Stryder's Mental Space

The Titaness didn't know which of the problems to deal with now. Finding out if she could actually bring back the dead twice. Finding out how long after death a resurrection was possible for her. And worst of her, how to take in the new issue she'd just learned.

Eyeing the dark almost non-present swirling door next to the wall of her mental space Stryder couldn't help her shudder. Above it written clear was her Title of Judge.

“But why was it made like that? Can't I judge on my own without you guys watching?"

“Yes,” seated across the round table from her was a similar sized male. White pulsing energy, long white hair, black skin and upper body. From there the rest of him was a swirling blackness that covered the ground like some goop.

‘He looked better in Horkirk.’

“So you're saying that depending on the realm I use that Title in, one of the Primordials will have a door into my mental space.

“Yes. Like you saw earlier, it's your choice." He nodded.

Stryder narrowed her eyes at him before shrugging. “What now?" .

Haero smiled.

“You're leaving right?"

His grin grew wider.

“Right?"

Shaking his head the Primordial rose and walking or slithering on all that mass of black he stopped next to her. Patting her shoulder his grin softened into a smile.

“You've all done well.”

‘So life like.’ Stryder thought.

“Now, I believe you have to hurry before those poor souls find a source of liquid."

Stryder watched confused as he poked her forehead with a finger. Light flashed blinding her and consuming the entire room. Even in the brightness she could still hear his voice.

“As much as I would love to fix this, those who have lost their Life Flame petals are beyond my reach. Unbound from their bodies they are just spirits. But, I believe Mother wouldn't mind if it was you kids."

Outside Stryder's Mental Space

Her eyes focused. The blank emptiness filled up with emotion.

Stryder turned to her right, her gaze locked on the white core floating in midair. ‘I have to find his soul. Their souls.’

There was just one problem. “How am I going to find what I can't see?"

The field was clearing up, the corpses and signs of the grueling battle the Cinderii had fought now revealed. The rust red skies were now back to normal and Sol was no longer agitated.

An essence core appeared in her palm and the essence emptied into her. With a step she was in the heap of corpses.

The first corpse she crouched over was a Cinderii whose throat had been ripped through. Stryder buried the intrusive thoughts wondering how a being made of flame could die to a ripped out throat.

She flexed the fingers on her left hand and like a knife dug deep into the Cinderii chest. Her hand sank lower and lower till she found it.

Grasping the core, Stryder took a deep breath. She couldn't find their spirits to bring them back, which meant this was the next best thing. “If it works."

[Healing]1

Golden White light flowed over the Cinderii corpse. Slowly, the torn throat was mended and any other wounds sealed as well. The corpse looked perfect.

[Rebirth]

This time the essence carrying the energy of the portfolio flooded the core. “Please work."

Blinding gold white light shot out of the corpse and into the clouds. White strings of light shot out in all directions.

Stryder watched with wide eyes as the light show grew brighter and brighter. The strings of light going far into the distance in all directions.

What was a light show to her and others watching finally accomplished its task. Retracting fast the strings reeled back into the pillar of light illuminating the realm in gold white light. Unseen was a blue ethereal form at the end of one of the strings. It was dragged back into the light.

Stryder saw the moment the Life Flame Petal was ignited. Saw as the flame illuminated and bound an ethereal form of the corpse she was crouched over into it.

The notifications came in as the light pillar faded. The Cinderii gasped like it was taking in air which Stryder knew it wasn't. It sat up and Stryder stood straight.

“I, I live." He murmured.

“Yes you do." Her smile was bright and happy. Nodding to him she turned and grabbed the core from midair.

‘Wait. There's nobody.’ She'd tested that Rebirth could bring back normal beings to life but she didn't know how it would work for those lacking a body.

Releasing the core Stryder raced around the plain searching for a half body or at best a coreless one.

She found the next best thing. A core within a blood paste. There were a lot of them. The large footprints told her how they died.

“Ugh." Groaning as she dipped her left hand in one she grabbed its core. This time she started with Rebirth. Healing would indeed fix the blood paste, but she wanted to see if using the soul would work in rebuilding a body from scratch.

The light works returned and Stryder was sure it was brighter. The moment the strings returned and the Flame Petal was ignited the light shrunk. Instead of fizzling out it shrunk down and began reforming into shape around the core.

“It ignored the pasted parts.” Confused, she watched the light form a shape around the core. One that distinctly resembled the soul. ‘I can't be sure though. I barely see the souls well.’

The bright light finally dimmed and Stryder was looking at a completely reformed Cinderii. He blinked up at her and Stryder smiled.

“Who are you?”

Stryder held back a chuckle and simply stood. Grabbing the White core she ignored the Cinderii. Essence poured into the core in waves.

“Rebirth!"

The light pillar reappeared shooting into the skies and glaring so bright that the Cinderii next to her turned away. The strings shot off into the distance and Stryder waited.

_

The Azure Flame, King of the Cinderii or Late King led the souls of his people forward. Naked as the flame they were born from but ethereal, they walked forward, drawn by a pull that led them towards a large body of liquid energy.

Their destination was not that far but their pace was not exactly fast either. As such when the first two strings of light came and grabbed spirits from their group they were not too far away.

None of the spirits even blinked at the capture of their fellow spirits. But when the same string wrapped around their king and tugged him into the distance all of them paused and looked to the distance.

None moved for a good while before they finally turned and began their march once more. FAYHEIM was calling for their souls.

Hundreds of white strings descended from the skies and grabbed one Spirit each. In a blink they were tugged into the distance. The strings kept coming and coming till not one soul remained.

_

Aargish stood frozen in place as light pillars, hundreds of them rose into the red skies. His fingers were tightened into fists and his eyes held shock as he faded into space. Numerous threads of gold white spun into the distance in all directions, and even some flying over he and the other Cinderii as they remained oblivious.

All their gazes were locked on a simple notification.


**Realmwide Announcement**
**Kingdom Announcement**

**The Azure Flame, King of the Cinderii, King Gillidad Cinder has been Reborn**


The pillars of light dimmed as Cinderii rose to their feet. Bodies remade and Life petals burning even brighter.

Stryder stood at the center of the crowd that had fallen and at her side stood Gillidad. His eyes gleaming with unshed red tears as he stared around.

“I Hoped and you came. Even better you brought everyone back." Gillidad watched his soldiers examine themselves. The curiosity, shock and disbelief in their gazes evident. “How could this one ever repay you?" He muttered.

“Repay me?" Stryder frowned then looked away with a sigh. “If anyone, I and my siblings are to blame. We should have stayed and helped. Your people would not have suffered the pain of death at all. For this, I am sorry."

Gillidad frowned as well. Then shook his head. “It was born your duty to aid us. It was my duty to protect my people. I failed in that duty. And you saved us all. This one is eternally grateful.”

Stryder paused her argument and mentally sighed. ‘Too much humility is bad.’

"Your thanks is appreciated." Gillidad smiled. “I must go, the other kingdoms may suffer as much death as your people did."

“Will you return?"

Stryder was about to answer when she noticed everyone was staring at them. Obviously listening to their conversation.

Smiling brightly she nodded. “This was the first kingdom my siblings and I arrived at. It's the closest thing to home now."

It wasn't just Gillidad, all the Cinderii were smiling.

“Then we shall await your return, My Lady." Gillidad bent his head completely, his back tilting downward a bit.

Stryder didn't wait anymore. Patting his shoulder she turned into a golden white energy that blurred into the distance.

Gillidad raised his head and stared after her vanishing blur. With an exhale he turned and looked at everyone. He could see they were different, most of them. From the city he could see Cinderii racing out to meet them.

Grinning widely he shouted “Someone find me my axes. If they're destroyed I'll ask the Lady to resurrect them as well."

The Cinderii around him laughed joyfully. They had made it.