Scaredy-cat

Seth and Aleena kept walking through the underground maze, the green mist around Seth cleansing the corruption on their path. At every junction, Seth would choose to move around the border with the Pain Kingdom, following the trace of incident reports.

They spent hours wandering the tunnels, and Aleena got used to the disgusting scenery as she searched for any trace of Panther.

“This is not exactly what I had in mind when you invited me for a trip.” exclaimed Aleena suddenly.

“It’s not the most welcoming place, and the view is quite unpleasant, but it does have its charms.”

Aleena looked suspiciously at Seth and asked: “Charms?”

Seth pulled Aleena close and kissed the side of her head. “It allowed us to spend some time together.”

Aleena’s cheeks reddened, and she lowered her head. “But there would have been other places - “

Stopping mid-sentence, Aleena looked to the side and said: “…I think I found something. My energy won’t move past that wall.”

Seth turned to the inconspicuous wall, using his destruction energy to create a new path in the direction Aleena pointed him to. After breaking the wall and creating a twenty feet new tunnel, the two exited into a small room with holes leading in any direction. There also seemed to be a large amount of blood inside the strange room, accompanying the usual meat-covered walls.

At the center of the room was a platform, chains nailed into it and extending deeper into one of the holes. Feeling the ground below them begin to shake with the rattling of the chains, Seth moved his hand around Aleena’s waist, and the two teleported away.

“What was that?”

“One of the seals. Whatever was locked in there felt our presence and started coming back.” muttered Seth, using the system’s map to find another direction to search.

After spending more than a day roaming the tunnels and stumbling upon various rooms, Aleena had guided Seth to a room that was very different from the rest.

It was a vast empty room, devoid of corruption of any kind, with nothing but a giant ball formed by interlocked chains at the center of the room, hanging just a few feet off the ground. Chains extended outwards from the ball, sinking into the room’s walls and proceeding further into the maze.

“Is that it?” asked Aleena, able to feel intense earth energy coursing through the massive number of chains.

Seth nodded as he walked closer to the chain ball, speaking to Caitlin.

‘Can you feel any life inside?’

‘Weak. Too weak.’

‘Is she dying?’

‘No. It’s more like an animal in hibernation. Her lifespan is also quite feeble.’

‘How much would you guess?’

‘… a year at best.’

Seth’s face fell when he heard Caitlin’s prediction.

Having reached the base of the chain ball, he turned towards Aleena and said: “Can you place your hand on it and try to move your energy slowly inside? I fear any other energy besides earth might make the chains turn on us.”

Aleena didn’t understand Seth’s goal, but she lifted her tiny hand, placing it on one of the chains forming the ball.

‘If you wake her up, she won’t last the year. ‘

‘I know, but there’s no way we can get ready to deal with the horrors in a single year. We need to find a way to help her recover her lifespan.’

Seth then looked at the focused Aleena before saying: ‘I’m going to need you to exit my body for a while.’

Caitlin’s source slowly exited Seth, energy circling it before forming a human shape. After opening her eyes, Caitlin said: “Now that I’m outside, I can feel how much this place reeks of death.”

“Death?” asked Seth with a puzzled expression.

Caitlin bent down, closing her eyes and expanding her energy in all directions. “It’s coming from the north, northeast; death is flowing inside the maze, slowly filling it up and eating away at Panther’s lifespan.”

“Oh… I see now...”

“Thanatos, right?”

Seth nodded and gave the chain ball a worried look: “That’s why the horrors had begun showing up here, at the border with Pain. Thanatos uses his treasure to pressure the seal’s northern side.”

“But, is he launching an attack on the Council, putting pressure on our borders, and fighting Panther simultaneously?”

“He’s not. The attack on the Council must be an empty threat to keep them from investigating Panther’s condition, and the ascended at our borders must be there to put a certain amount of pressure on us. Releasing the seal on the horrors here must be his true goal.”

“What would happen if he released the horrors here?”

“Hard to say… Without the constraints of the seal, after all this time in captivity, they will most likely spread their influence all over the continent. They will move on to the surrounding Kingdoms, slaughtering humans and ascended alike.”

“Then, what do we do?” asked Caitlin, finally understanding the gravity of the situation.

“Don’t worry. It’s not that bad. For now, we’ll see how we can help Panther. Keeping her alive is the only way to stop the seal from breaking. If we can’t, we cannot prevent the deaths that will follow.”

Caitlin looked up at the chain ball which housed Panther and muttered: “Is she our only hope?”

Aleena spent hours breaking a small spot for her energy to seep inside the ball. Opening her eyes, she turned her sweat-covered face towards Seth and exclaimed: “I did it.”

Seth watched the chains forming the ball wriggle and nodded, patting Aleena on the head. “Move back and stay next to Caitlin.”

Aleena obediently moved back while Seth stood his ground, waiting for Panther to wake from her hibernation.

“She’s awake,” exclaimed Caitlin from the back.

Seth watched as a small hole opened inside the chains and said: “Wait for me.”. Chains moved out of the opening, circling Seth’s limbs and dragging him in before the hole closed, leaving the two girls stunned.

Seth was dragged in front of a massive vortex, spinning slowly at the center of the core.

“It’s good to see you, Seat of Destruction.” A tired voice came from the giant vortex.

“How are you, Panther?” asked Seth, knowing the vortex was the central element of her core.

“I’ve had better days… Ending up imprisoned in my own prison... It’s quite ironic, don’t you think? Haha.”

“Prisoner?” asked Seth with a puzzled expression.

“When I felt my core weakening, I left my body to support my core, thinking the horrors locked inside were the ones making trouble. When I arrived, I realized that the situation was much more alarming than anticipated, with death having found a way inside.”

“Knowing I couldn’t keep it at bay alone, I wanted to return to my body and ask for help, but my connection to my body was broken. Something was preventing me from the council’s side. With nowhere to return to and no way to fight death, I could only lock myself in my core and enter slumber to prevent death from claiming what was left of my lifespan.”

“Seat of destruction... no, Seth, I don’t think I can hold them back much longer… It would be best if you left the continent. Take as many with you as you - “

“That’s enough, Panther. There is still a chance to make it out of this predicament.” Interrupted Seth.

“You don’t understand… if you had your strength, I would have believed that, but you can’t fight them as you are now.”

Seth nodded and said: “I can’t fight them, but I might be able to help you. Do you trust me?”

“…if you have a plan, what good will not trusting you do?….” replied Panther with a sigh, obviously not exactly believing Seth could help her.

“Your body is now in my possession, resting in the capital of my Empire. Can this place last without you being here to manage it?”

“It can. I was slumbering anyway. At this rate, it should last for about a week or so.”

“That’s enough. Please send me out and return to your body. Look for Maya and tell her I need Henrietta to pick me up at the Curse Kingdom’s capital. I’ll be with you in no time.”

A long sigh came from the vortex, and Seth found himself dragged out by the same chains that pulled him inside.

“How did it go?” asked Aleena and Caitlin when they spotted Seth returning.

Seth wrapped his arms around both of their waists, and they teleported away without Seth giving them any explanation. Three successive warps later, Seth arrived at the edge of the capital.

“Seth?” asked Aleena with a puzzled look, but Seth just smiled as a portal appeared before him, out of which Henrietta walked out.

“Take us back.” Said Seth, Henrietta breaking space right after a quick nod.

Before Aleena and Caitlin could wrap their heads around everything, they were dragged through the space tear and arrived back inside Endora.

In front of them, Maya, Elise, and Hollie sat down at a table, speaking to a small cat.

Seth chuckled and looked into Maya’s eyes. “It’s time. Order the ascended to march on the Kingdom of Hope. Hollie and Elise will lead the attack, and all you have to focus on is drawing the attention of Thanatos. Have space ascended ready to bring everyone back the moment that thing shows up. Maya, you sink those ships. There is probably nothing more than a few ascended on it.”

The sudden orders left Aleena and Caitlin once more dumbfounded, but Maya turned into water form and drifted away once Seth finished speaking. At the same time, Hollie circled her energy around Elise, and they both flew toward Asteria.

Henrietta looked at Seth and asked: “Do you need me back?”

“No, stay with Maya until everything is taken care of. Also, if anything looks strange, teleport away. No one should be able to prevent you from going and leaving as you please.”

Henrietta nodded and teleported away as well. Seth then turned to Aleena and bent down to kiss her lips. “Thank you for helping me find Panther.”

Aleena knew that meant Seth had other things to do and nodded before excusing herself and leaving the room.

With only Caitlin, Seth, and the small cat remaining, Seth didn’t send Caitlin away and walked up to Panther. “How are you?”

“Weak… I… Seth, what are you planning? Even if you draw his attention away, it will not - “

“Just shut up.” Said Seth, grabbing the cat by the nape of its neck and teleporting with Caitlin deep underground next to the energy springs, throwing it straight into the earth energy pool.

“Panther, absorb the energy inside and try to consolidate a body. Caitlin, you have two hours to feed her enough life energy for her to be able to take human form. Also, take this time to explain to her how my lust energy works. I’ll be back before then.”

Caitlin finally understood what Seth was planning, and her mouth opened wide, but before she could say anything, Seth had already teleported away.

“Lust energy?” asked Panther, swimming in the pool and absorbing the earth energy inside.

Caitlin turned around and looked at the small cat, her face reddening as she suddenly found herself unable to speak a single word.

As it looked like Panther was getting irritated, Caitlin lifted her shirt, showing her the lust mark on her abdomen. “Seth wants to place a mark like this one on you….”

Panther looked at the lust mark and tilted her head to the side: “Is there anything special about that mark? I can’t even feel any energy inside.”

“It’s placed by one of Seth’s sources the moment he has sex with one of his lovers.” Said Caitlin in one quick breath, not daring to look the cat in the eyes.

Panther’s eyes widened, and she even forgot to swim, sinking into the pool’s depths with air bubbles popping above her. Caitlin panicked and dove into the water, pulling out the dizzy and wet cat.

Sighing at the cat’s expression, Caitlin started petting Panther while at the same time letting her energy sink inside her.

“Don’t worry. We’ve all been scared the first time.”