Ria's Adventures
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Godslayer Lysette: Chapter 230
🕑 Added 2024-10-06 23:47:37 +0000 UTCChapter 230: Lavenna's Request
Ari looked at Lysette with trepidation as the latter walked toward the platform. “Are we sure that’s safe? Have we considered the possibility that these… Aestori, you called them? Can we trust that they harbor no ill will toward us? You just admitted to being a demon in front of a shrine dedicated to people whose lives were lost by a demon from millions of years ago. As your commanding officer, I must insist that we delay this until we’ve had more time to investigate.”
“Your objections are noted, Ari,” Lysette said. “However, I need to do this, for my own sake.”
“Cadet– Lyse, this is an order!”
“Lieutenant Rothiel, as a soldier in the Domarian army, I acknowledge your order. However, as your goddess, I am countermanding it. If you wish to stay here or head back to the surface, that is your prerogative and I will not stop you. However, I will be going.” Lysette turned to Dani. “Are you coming along?”
“You’ll protect me?” Dani asked.
“With everything that I have and am.”
Dani nodded and took Lysette’s hand. After no small amount of shaking and pleading, Ari followed suit and joined the pair upon the central dais, which then shook once more before descending lower and lower beneath their already subterranean locale.
The shaft itself, much like the temple just above, had numerous glyphs and runes enchanted into them, some merely glowing, and some bending Essence around them for yet unknown purposes. And as they continued descending, the concentration of ambient Essence continued to increase. By the time they’d reached the bottom, the Essence was so thick that Lysette’s aura was starting to grow hazy. But the same surge of Essence also caused Ari’s and Dani’s lighting crystals to shine brighter than before, filling the inner chamber with a glimmering radiance which reflected upon the glossy walls surrounding them.
Meanwhile, back in Ciricu, Lysette and Mirae sequestered themselves in their bedroom, entrusting the village to Serrena and the others as they prepared for the journey ahead. Mirae sat in the middle of their bed, taking Lysette into their arms, pulling Lysette back into them and cajoling her into resting her neck on their shoulder. And as Lysette did as her love instructed, a warmth filled her from the very core of her being, resonating outward and manifesting in a contented smile on her face even as her other body stepped into the trial chamber.
“Thank you, Mirae,” Lysette whispered.
“You don’t have to, love. I’m only too happy to help you through whatever challenges which await you.”
“I know. And that worries me, just a bit.”
“Because of what happened to Lilit?”
“Yeah. I– I have to keep you safe.”
“Lyse, I’m glad you’re at least a little worried. Because that means you care about all of us and want to make sure that you don’t repeat Lilit’s mistakes. But, and I mean this with nothing but love and care for you. You. Are. Not. Lilit. Lilit decided she was going to be the guardian over everyone and try to take on all the responsibilities and shoulder everything herself. And when she failed, then she decided to double down and continue trying to find a path on her own.
“And we are not doing that. We have so many friends and allies. And you’re making more everyday. And each of them is getting stronger, a little at a time, with our help. So, please, Lyse, remember that you are never alone.”
Lysette tilted her neck back and accepted a long and passionate kiss from her love as her avatar approached the central shrine within the Aestori ruins. It was considerably more elaborate than the makeshift one Lysette and Mirae had put together over the past couple of days for Lilia’s initiation. Calligraphic text written in the language of the Aestori was accompanied by beautiful relief carvings of people gathering for worship, kneeling down in front of what must’ve been the town’s patron deity. Though Lysette didn’t know which one, and no contextual clues hinted at the same.
Beyond the carvings were a pair of life-size statues. One of the two wore the same mask and serrated shamshir that Lilit was said to wield, while the other was that of a young man— twenty-ish in appearance at first glance, but Aestori generally lived longer than humans. He had short, curly hair and a build which was both strong and youthful, with broad shoulders and a soft face. A face which, when looked at just right, looked a bit too close to Mirae’s for comfort.
“So, what do we do now?” Ari said. “I don’t see anything of use here.”
“We’ll need to Cultivate. The three of us and Mirae together.”
“Is that going to work?”
“Reminds me of the four of us doing so back at the Academy, Lyse,” Dani said. “I look forward to it! Oh, but, Ari, it might be a bit difficult for you at first.”
“Please elaborate.”
“The Divine Spark of a deity is the core of their divinity. And during joint Cultivation, you will be directly exposed to it. Dani has already done so several times before, and so has acclimated. But I cannot say the experience will be painless for you.”
“Painful how?”
“Nausea, head cold, general queasiness, as though you can’t get the room to stop spinning. But it’s worth it in the end.”
Ari sighed. “As you will. Let’s just get this over with.”
Lysette moved the central throne away from the center of the altar, instead growing a trio of chairs upon which the three of them sat. They linked hands and, one by one, closed their eyes and allowed all sensations of the outside world to fade away. Mirae and Lysette’s main body followed soon, and before long, they all emerged among a brighter yet still largely empty soulscape formed by the resonance within each of their Sparks.
“Your Cultivation realm is completely empty?” Ari asked. “All I see is emptiness in every direction. And also, this form? Is this what your real self looks like?” She hobbled and fell to the ground. “Ugh, I see what you meant earlier.”
“Yes, this is my true form. And no, it’s not empty at all,” Lysette said. “We are a ways from its center, but look above.”
“Three suns and… six much smaller stars all dancing around them?”
“Divinity rests in the heavens,” Lysette said. “Three suns for Serrena, Mirae, and myself, who have all awakened to their Domains and reforged their Sparks as deities. And six more bound to us through our pacts, each of whom has awakened to the potential to follow that path should they choose. The two of you, Kristil Rosari and her brother, Nicholas.”
“Specialist Rosari as well?”
“It was good fortune that she was slated to do my interrogation. It made it much easier to hide my true nature from command. The last two among us are Lilia Whitmore, Mirae’s former roommate, now understudy, and Rayleigh Castanari, Serrena’s protegée.”
Ari forced herself back to her feet, though she was still unsteady as the three made their way to where Lysette and Mirae were waiting. The garden of their shared Cultivation realm was flourishing further than ever before, with now thousands of small shrubs and flowers in various stages of bloom. In the center of the garden stood two massive trees. The first and larger one was an eclectic graft with leaves of every color imaginable in perfect gradient, and the other, a sprawling willow draping for nearly half a mile, with leaves burning of orange and red and yellow and gold.
“So, all of these are different techniques you have?” Ari asked. “No wonder you can wield such a versatile arsenal in battle.”
Lysette shook her head. “No, all of these are different people who follow me. Who… worship me, I suppose. Though some are more passive believers.”
“So many. So we just get started Cultivating?”
“I suppose so– Aaah!” Lysette clutched her head and collapsed on the ground. Though, after a few seconds, the sensation dulled from a sharp, throbbing pain to a dull ache. And then from a dull ache to a deep pressure exuding outward from her heart and head to the rest of her body.
“Are you okay, love?” Mirae asked.
“Something is speaking to me. Something powerful and gentle at the same time.
“I– No, wait, I hear it too,” Dani said.
“As do I,” Mirae and Ari said in unison.
“Lyse Barret, Demonic Cultivator, Demigoddess of Reciprocity,” the voice said. “Mirae Trosst, Demigod of Devotion. And to both of their companions, I bid you welcome.”
“Who are you?” Mirae asked.
“This is… Lilit,” Lysette said. “I don’t know why I know this, but I do.”
“I was known by that name. But now, countless eons after my death, my lingering will here has been freed of that unquenchable bloodthirst. I would prefer not to be called that.”
“Then, Lavenna?”
The voice had no visual projection, but somehow, it conveyed a silent nod nonetheless.
“Is this… the ruins of Ceron? I know the voice above said it wasn’t far but…”
“You have descended half a mile down this shaft, passing through a million years of Aestori history, from the time of Aimarion’s destruction down to the time when I walked these lands. Though it was not far in physical distance to Ceron, it was impossibly far in time, in lives lived, in lives lost.”
“Why?”
“Why do I continue on like this? I suppose it’s for this moment right here, Lyse. Because, despite succumbing to my demonic urges, some part of my original personality endured. And because I would like for you to be my atonement.”
“Her atonement?” Mirae asked.
“She and I are kindred souls. Not just in that we share the power of demons. But also in that we both have had to endure more loss than anyone should ever have to.”
“Do you truly mean us no harm?” Ari asked. “And if you are dead, how are you speaking with us?”
“None at all. And artifacts of especially powerful Cultivators carry on an effigy of their creator’s will from beyond the grave. I know that Lyse has had experience with that already.”
Lysette nodded.
“And now, Lyse, I would like to give you something, and ask for something in return.”
“Name them.”
“What I would like to give you is a pair of rings. The wedding rings worn by my daughter and her betrothed, back when they were alive. The two rings are tightly connected to one another, and when activated, help synchronize the wearers’ minds. Accordingly, it will become far easier for the two to fight as one.”
“Fight as one?” Ari asked. “As in combination tactics?”
“No,” Mirae said. “She means the form of two Cultivators becoming one. A perfect merger not just their tactics or thoughts, but their very minds and bodies as well. Lyse and I have done so once before, but we have not been able to do so since.”
“You two have fused before?” Dani asked.
“We have,” Lysette said. “It’s hard to remember completely, but I remember a sense of serenity and sharing my entire being with Mirae. And with it, the incredible surge of power from our bond.”
Lavenna’s intangible presence conveyed a silent, unseen approval at Lysette’s words.
“And what do you want in return?”
“I want you to find a better way forward, Lyse. You and I are both traveling along the same journey. A journey of loss and the pursuit of retribution for all those responsible. But it seems that you have found new friends, and forged new bonds to replace the ones that were stolen from you. Bonds which both empower your Spark and embolden your spirit, and also protect your mind from those impulse I too have felt. Impulses to kill without mercy or reason or remorse.
“I want you to be the me that I should have been way back when. And I want you to promise me that when your journey reaches its end, that you’ll come back here and tell me the rest of your story. Tell me the solution that you found, and how you overcame the challenges which still lie in wait.”
“I will, Lavenna. I’ll find a way to end the wars of the gods.” She shook her head. “No, we— all of us— will find a way to end the wars of the gods. Together.”
Chapter 229: https://www.patreon.com/posts/113428906
Table of Contents: https://www.patreon.com/posts/101896170
Chapter 231: https://www.patreon.com/posts/113503574
Comments
Bielna
Indeed. And it pains me, because in following the approach of "by any means necessary", many other people will lose their own Miraes, lose those they know and love... Just like what happened in Osstia.
Ria Corvidiva
The lesson Lysette took from all of this is not 'don't be evil', it's 'if you do not stop the war of the gods by any means necessary, you will lose Mirae, and you will lose everything you have ever known and loved, just like what happened in Osstia'. Just as the Aestori had taught her, in their own way.
Bielna
I see, and yes, I had a hunch. Back in the first sanctum, I thought they had simply erred, didn't realize that Lysette was mentally vulnerable when they showed visions of Osstia. But when they again seem to push her towards seeking power at any cost here, it seemed to start tracing a pattern (I don't know if making her take the Scrying Stone by defeating and killing its guardian is part of the pattern or a coincidence). It makes sense though, the Aestori are maybe victims of the deities of Aimarion, but nothing indicates they were a benevolent civilization. They may call her Humanity's Godslayer to stroke her ego, but the Aestori themselves have no reason to care for humanity. I don't like it much, but I admit, considering their goals, it makes complete sense. Gotta say, though, to pretend giving a warning and encourage her to be good, only to at the end "accidentally" twist the message and send her on the path of seeking power ? I'm almost impressed by the villainy of it. One of the treats of seeing a capable manipulator / corruptor entity, especially one that acts from a very weak and limited position and still obtains results.
Ria Corvidiva
It's worth noting one thing about the Aestori. They want vengeance against the gods of Aimarion, and they are, in a very real sense, grooming Lysette to be their instrument. There's a subtle degree of mutually manipulating one another for power and control. The Aestori legacy wants to continue meeting with Lysette, offering power to her in exchange. Of course, power being corrupting is a theme of the work, and even though Lysette knows and is aware of this, she isn't immune to it either.
Bielna
Lavenna is a soul that I am happy persisted. That she might find closure, knowledge that her mistake was indeed a mistake - that a better path does exist, and thus the world isn't doomed to despair, even if she wasn't the one to find the way forward. Meanwhile, Mirae keeps supporting Lysette, and they will be able to support each other even better with those artefacts. Although, I am not sure their advice is the right path. No matter how much their friends gain power, they can't rival deities and demideities. And even if they could, then Lysette and their friends would become the threat, the danger others feel the need to protect themselves from. There must be a better way forward. The contrast with Lysette's previous trip is interesting. Solanna asked her and Serrena if they were ready to accept loss. But the Aestori of this sanctum send a different message, to avoid loss at any and all cost to avoid becoming like Lilit. And I know they're not opposite, because violent and natural loss aren't the same thing, yet the messages seem to come from very different directions and to teach a different message, Solanna's feeling more like one that comes from someone who has truly lived and lost, while the Aestori's feel like it carries the heritage of a civilization that valued gaining power more.
Ria Corvidiva
I mean, maybe Amalia marries them in their name? Who knows? I don't. Not yet, anyway. :P
Jessica
Mirae remains being the absolute best just being exactly who Lysette needs. Also artifact wedding rings. 🥰 Which of course raises the question do deities wed themselves by their own authority? 🤔 Either way Lysette better make this a heartfelt proposal.
