Project Schemer - Salvatore Trilogy: Crescendo

Arc 1 - Epilogue: Dust to dream.

"Lady Deora."

"I am still here, there is no need to call or surprise. In your head, you know how and why I am here, so we can skip the pleasantry and get into the job."

"Apologize to the lady, my sweet child, she is excited. That's all, no harm here."

Jorges and Deora, a surprise aid to our battle against one of the most powerful elemental lords. Even Lady Deora herself in this battle, then this is not something we can just ignore after the dust is settled. It is a simple incident but something much more complicated and now, even Edolin is apart of this, but this new way to attack is something new. This time, it is not just the nature of a creature but the memory itself that can be used as a weapon to fight against us.

"Aethelred..."

"He is thinking of a solution but the sample proves to be quite useless."

Deora prepares some strange concoction and Jorges is preparing a lot of instruments, but I believe in them, they are talented and believe them is our only option. Besides, learning a method is necessary so we can deal with this new type of corruption. We don't know about the future, but they will come for us like the Altorians come for us ,but I doubt the reason will be the same. These creatures are much more powerful, so there will be no reason for them to steal from us.

"Higeki."

"You're still hurt from that memory, let me."

For a while now, we have been just like this. I always mended his wounds, even during our past life. There were those days when the land was so unstable, bandits appeared everywhere on every street, they ravaged everything in their path and left nothing after they reaped the place. We were the first spirit to help them, mended their wounds, rebuilt their houses, hunted down the bandits and that is the moment our bond also formed. Tomoe and I were so different, we were nothing but a dancer and a musician, but our relationship was far from close back then. The musician couldn't reveal his face, a shadow who kept the sacred one safe and nothing more than that, but Tomoe isn't some underling or someone who is willing to listen to some old rule. He tore down the veil and the first time we saw each other, our bond changed and that was the moment when there was something between us. I admired his bravery but I always thought, what did he see in me? Was it the kindness he always talked about or was it my talent?

"I want to sleep like this, inside your lap, please, wake me up when our battle begins."

"Of course, but please rest, you shouldn't push yourself too much."

"But can I just sleep like this?"

"You can do anything you want. And I am more than happy when you can relax."

A brighter day is waiting for us, but for now, it is a great thing to take a step back, relax and observe the situation, to overcome the memories and the pain of the past and, finally, to move on. Moeru and Hisa are a little quiet, but I won't judge them. To all three of them, Chikyu is a mentor and a father figure and now, they are here with us to kill him and that is not a comfortable situation for anyone. For Lady Deora, this is the first time after so many years, this is the first time she returns to the battlefield to fight against a god, but this time, preparation is necessary.

"I will need your help. We are the one with the least memory of Chikyu and that is the reason why we won't be affected by the lotuses."

"What do I need to do?"

"Don't worry, I have a plan but I will need your most powerful form, the wanderer will not be enough and you know exactly what I am talking about, right?"

"I know that form, you are talking about the musician if I am correct, but that will require Tomoe to be..."

"Don't worry, I will end it quickly, we have Jorges after all."

He is a performer and that is a thing everybody knows, but Deora put that much trust in him, then Jorges is not just some normal performer, there must be some secret about him. But when I look at him, Jorges still has that same expression, the one filled with kindness but also a stern and determined one, he is tinkering with his gantlets, maybe some changes here and there to fight against Chikyu's scale, but I can't think of anything more than that. Mechanics weren't the strongest aspect in Arborine because almost everyone here can use elemental power, but the South does have very advanced technologies. Maybe Jorges worked with the South when I was gone, but I can't be sure about that. Technology is quite advanced but it is in a different direction compared to the direction of this world, but maybe, there were a lot of events that happened when I was gone. Maybe the direction of the world has changed. The development of technology combined with elemental power to create something advanced, but the harmony still remains.

"Go to sleep, my sweet child. Tomorrow is a big day and I want you to be in your best state for it."

Even on a new day, I can help but feel worried about the fact that Chikyu is the threat we need to face against. When we return to his realm, the ground is covered with lotuses and the air has a strange purple fume. But for some reason, I know what that fume is and what it is used for, the fume is almost overwhelming. But Hisa, with her wind barrier, blocked the fume and we could tread on our path toward the earth serpent. Chikyu has become worse than the last time we saw him. Now, everything about him is completely lost and what remains is a simple husk, his breath is that same purple fume and the lotuses bloom vigorously on the ground.

"Chikyu."

"I know you three are hurt... But we need your help. We can't work with the fumes so we need you two to block it. And the Duet, you two know what to do."

"Let's do this, Tomoe."

"You see Higeki, with you by my side, I am no longer afraid of pain."

Of course you aren't my mate... but I am the one who is afraid. But embracing pain and defeating fear is what we always do. This time will not be different from last time. Returning to our previous attire, Tomoe and I once again face what remains of the earth serpent. He roars and groans in pain, but enough is enough, this time, we will win. With my piercing melody and Tomoe's sharp blade with the help of Jorges' attack, we managed to pierce through the hard scale. And that is everything Deora needs. With the dust and the concoction, Deora slowly corrodes every lotus and finally, the husk of the serpent is completely destroyed. The effect of the concoction is so strong that it managed to destroy every lotus in the realm and finally rid the spirit realm of the corruption inside it.

"Thank you, Deora. Now, we should get ready for the next incident because this is not simple, this is just an interlude and I believe the real threat still remains in the shadow."

"Let this be a lesson for all of us. Be careful of what remains in the dark and what remains beyond this world. So what is your plan?"

"I think a certain genius can fill me in with the details of the events that happened when I was gone."

"Good plan. Well, we will depart now. Let's go Jorges, you can stop hugging Tomoe now, and no, we are not going to drag those two to Edolin, they can come whenever they please."

"Alright, you two remember to visit us."

After consulting Moeru and Hisa, it is time to leave the spirit realm once again. I believe when asking for an event, it is the best choice is to ask the one who can see everything in the realm and it is wise to ask the master of the Yhaeon family - the one who supervises everything in this world.