Aether Wyllt
"Bashi, that's enough," my elder brother cried, "you're not the Chaos Lord, and you didn't fail; I failed. I let you down, so if there is anyone to blame, you should blame me." It had been at least seventy years since we'd seen Oshubana, and the fact that she'd made her presence known in such a way reminded me of the fact that this was no longer my dear baby sister.
"Oh brother, of course I blame you," a possessed Bashi sang, "and I blame you too Shangomaru. I blame both of you for not keeping your promise to keep me safe." The mana in the atmosphere began to swirl as Bashi's aura swelled, unleashing a devastating wave of mana; I erected a barrier around my niece and nephew to keep them safe and out of harm's way.
"Bashi! This isn't you!" Chronos pleaded, "Shangomaru and Rebecca have been working on a cure, or a remedy, or something that can help your inflection." He wasn't entirely wrong, Rebecca and I had been conducting research on the type of poisoning that my younger sister contracted, Mana Psychosis. The research hasn't been as successful as I'd like, most cases of this sickness hardly last two years after contracting it; however, Bashi was different, she'd been living with this illness for at least a century.
"Bashi, please, you've done too much," I attempted to coax, "your brother and I are here now, we're here to be by your side." The truth is, we'd only made it this far thanks to Rebecca and mines meddling, prolonging her suffering, completely unintentionally, but still, I am solely to blame for this.
Tired of our trying to convince her, Bashi stretched her arm out and seven orbs of dark matter formed over her shoulder, and as she closed her fist the orbs sprayed a volley of orange energy. Thankfully the damage was kept to a minimum due to the barrier I had active; however, with her power out of control like this, it may not hold up for much longer.
"Trigger: Dismantle," Chronos chanted as he slapped the ground, "Reconstruct: Sand Golem!" From beneath his hand emerged several boulders forming a humanoid giant; the golem's eyes flashed red before it struck the earth causing a wall of bedrock to form.
"Chro, don't let that energy touch you!" I shouted as I absorbed the attack with my pockets of space, "I had some time to analyze it and I fear she's using Chaos Matter." Rebecca and I initially hypothesized that there existed a more raw and complex form of mana, we'd call it "Chaos Matter." The energy acts as mana that has been contaminated by madness, causing the one that wields the power to become susceptible to said madness; it was only meant to be a theory, I never imagined it was a reality.
"You mean that theory you and Becca came up with?" Chronos was trying to stay focus on the fight, "this just keeps getting better. Shangomaru, we have to do a combo spell, specifically, Tomb of the Ancients." He was right, the only way we could stop Oshubana now was to revert her back to the state she was before the curse fully consumed her.
"Why did it have to come to this?" I asked myself as I stood next to my brother. "Olodunosuke, how is your resolve? Are you sure you want to do this?" Between the two of us, Chronos was always the more impulsive one; however, when I looked into his eyes, I didn't see anything resembling brazen impulses, instead I saw a fire.
"We've let this go on for too long," the steel infused in Olodunosuke's voice was unshakable. "As emperor and as The Demon Lord of Time, ending the suffering of the princess, our dearest baby sister, is my duty. Now, Shangomaru, are you with me!?" Olodunosuke stuck his left fist out to me, to which I promptly pounded it.
"Who else is gonna look out for you?" I chuckled as I prepared myself for the spell. Tomb of the Ancients is a time-space combination spell Chronos and I developed not too long ago; it combines our two Aspects, ensnaring our target in a pyramid of sand. Inside the tomb, I create a unique sub-space separating the target from the outside world. From there, Chronos can use his Signature, Dismantle to revert the target to a point in which they are their most vulnerable.
"Aspect of Time: Dismantle!" Chronos' signature began to breakdown the earth surrounding Oshubana faster than she could process. "Reconstruct!"
"Aspect of Space: Sub-Space: Blank Slate!" I stretched my hands out towards the tomb.
"Time-Space Combo Signature: Tomb of the Ancients," the two of us chanted as the pyramid consumed the three of us, shutting us out from the rest of the world.
Chronos Wyllt
The inside of the tomb was blank and hollow with the exception of me and my two siblings. It was difficult seeing my sister like this, driven and fueled strictly by madness; however, in this space, this endless void, she's allowed to exhaust all the Chaos Matter she has built up.
I looked over to my younger brother, Shangomaru, whose resolve was worn like a suit of armor, "Chronos, we don't have much time, it's either we do it now, or we die in here with her."
I nodded my head and approached Bashi, "I know that you're in pain, dear sister. I know that you're confused, and that's okay." Bashi's rampage was beginning to get out of control, she was firing beams of Chaos Matter in every direction, but I did not yield. "But Shangomaru and I are here; Big Brother is here to make things better for you." Bashi's stampede was starting to subside the closer I got, and when I met her at eye level, I could see the cries for help, trapped behind her gaze, "oh, Bashi… Dismantle…" I placed my hand on Bashi's cheek and gently wiped her tears before golden mana injected itself into my sister's mana veins.
My Signature, Dismantle allows for me to breakdown any object I touch down to its fundamental state; as such, I have the innate ability to understand how said object functions, learning its history. It's this power that I must use on Bashi in order to put an end to this, and it was because of this power, that I learned an unexpected truth.
"Olodunosuke, we're running out of time!" Shangomaru announced, "I can only keep this stable for forty-five more seconds!"
I redirected my attention back to my sister, who was visibly younger, Dismantle is doing its job, I thought as I drew my katana. "Bashi, I'm here, you can let go now, I'll keep you safe," I gazed into my sister's madden eyes, driving my blade through her stomach. In the reflection of her eyes, I saw a man forced to do the unimaginable, and those same eyes simultaneously thanked me. Bashi had been suffering for so long now, I couldn't even begin to imagine it; but it was over now.
"You can rest easy, Princess Oshubana," I whispered, choking on the tears, "rest easy; Disengage…" once spoken, the tomb began to shake and crumble as I cradled my now deceased sister. Shangomaru summoned a Gate for us to escape from and once we were outside, there hadn't been a single trace of Chaos Matter left; is it finally over, I wondered.
"How are you feeling, Olodunosuke?" Shangomaru placed a hand on my shoulder, "this burden is rather heavy, are you able to handle it?"
"Shangomaru," I took a deep breath before continuing, "I saw something when I was reverting our sister back to this state. She had a son…" The look of confusion in my brother's eyes was expected, never in a million years did either of us expect that Bashi would have a child. "I caught a glimpse of his birth and from what I saw, she abandoned him shortly before coming here; the poor boy is no older than Myrlin. I can't imagine how scared he must be right now," I placed my sister on a nearby bench.
"Do you know his location?" Shangomaru kept his voice low, "does he have a name? Our top priority is making sure we find him and keeping safe under the imperial rule."
"I wasn't able to get that much information," I huffed, "what I do know is the boy is somewhere within the LeFey Forest. Coincidentally, the kids are due to enroll at The Caliburn Institute in the coming weeks, and the forest is on the way to Avalon. I'll be sure to have a scout to be on the lookout for him."
The attack on the manor was the wake-up call that I needed to convince Twyla to send the kids to school. She expressed her concerns about sending them away, however, based on this encounter, I would feel far more comfortable if they were given the opportunity to hone their signatures. Twyla isn't going to have a choice in this matter; I'm making this decision to ensure that our children are safe and will be able to handle anything that comes there way.
Shangomaru and I stayed up the entire night surveying the property, just in case there were any unexpected ambushes. Thankfully we were able to keep the damage to a minimum, a few bushes and a tree was all that gotten burned in the scuffle; however, my only concern was the well-being of my children. It had been over seventy years since I'd last seen my sister, and the fact that she was able to walk into the manor undetected leaves me with more questions than answers. Where was she hiding all this time? How did she find out where we lived? Who was this child, and who was his father? With the emergence of one question, another makes itself known.
"Olodunosuke?" Twyla's voice was enough to break me from my trance.
"Oh, yes dear," I responded, coming back to reality, "I think it's time we enrolled the kids at The Caliburn Institute for the upcoming semester."
Twyla huffed before rolling her eyes, "I don't see why we must send them off now, they still have plenty of maturing to do, and besides, we have the staff to teach them their fundamentals."
"Yes dear, that may be the case," I answered, "but my main reasoning for this has to do with Bashi; when she ambushed the manor, the only thing I could think about was whether or not my children were safe. I've already spoken to Rebecca and she expects to see them enrolled within the next two weeks."
The look of shock painted my wife's face, each star-lit freckle glowed intensely before she said, "who are you? What have you done with my Olodunosuke?" Truth be told, I was never the one that took the initiative when it came down to making important decisions, especially ones with my kids in mind.
"I just think it's time I took my role as emperor more seriously," I remarked, embracing my wife, "we're only getting older, and I owe it to the denizens of the empire. Once the children are fully enrolled at the Caliburn Institute, then I'll begin our integration back in the palace and the capital."
Twyla and I had been living in a small rice farm village called Garini in order to keep a low profile. I'd never been fond of being a royal, even in my younger years; perhaps I have my father to thank for that. However, as much as I'd like not to admit it, I do take after him in more ways than one. Neither he, or I enjoy the responsibilities of being a ruler; so, as an act of rebellion, my father treated his authority like something of a game.
"You really put a great deal of thought into this, didn't you Olodunosuke?" Twyla's gaze reminded me of the soft glow of the moon, a hypnotic trance that beckoned me to lay it all out, "if that is what you wish, my Love. Although, I'd feel more comfortable if I took the children to Avalon to enroll them, seeing as I'm their mother."
I gave my empress a gentle smile, "of course, my Love, I'll have Rubella and Jade accompany you; which reminds me, you remember my late sister, Oshubana, right?" The question was more of a rhetorical one if anything, "well, during the attack last night, I used my Signature on my sister and I discovered that she had a child."
Twyla's eyes widened with disbelief, "a child; are you sure? Is he with the father; do you know who the father is?"
"I can't say for certain," I began, "but I have a theory. Can you recall the time we first met; we were apart of an envoy tasked to aid you and your party with a Slime Viper attack."
"Yes, how can I forget?" Twyla raised a brow, "it was you, Shangomaru, Rebecca and Bashi."
"Yes, do you remember the other reason we were in Jigoku?" I questioned.
Twyla sat on the question until a moment of clarity struck her, "Bashi's Mana Psychosis, I vaguely remember it, but didn't she suffer from some sort of mana deficiency?"
"Close," I answered, "she had the opposite. Bashi contained a surplus of a foreign energy source that acts like mana, Shangomaru and Becca call it Chaos Matter."
"What does that have to do with this estranged child?" Twyla squinted her eyes.
"There was a villager from Gargoria that was an 'expert' on unpopular and unknown curses," I responded with a hardened expression, "if memory serves correct, I believe the two developed something of a relationship. I'm certain that he fathered the child; where are his whereabouts, I can't say. The child, however, he's currently somewhere in the LeFey Forest."
Yet again, Twyla took her time with processing the information; to be honest, I don't blame her for hesitating. We were all under the impression that Princess Oshubana was being taken care of by The Dragon Steadfast, but it would appear that I was mistaken. I was always weary of the organization, The Hermetic Order of the Dragon Steadfast.
Their cover story is that they are pacifists that express empathy and compassion toward our Great Mother, especially the time of her later years. I, however, cannot be so easily convinced of their picturesque façade; there was something malevolent about the way the group carried themselves. My suspicions were all but confirmed when Shangomaru and I were confronted by our sister.
"I want to take the child in," Twyla commanded, there was a fire in her eye, one of absolute resolve and determination. "I rather enjoyed the time I was able to spend with the princess; it's only fair that I provide a home for her child. A home that he can call his own; a home that is welcoming and a family that cherishes him."
I couldn't put in words the emotions I was feeling, hearing my dear wife declare the familial bond of a child she didn't even know. I married Twyla because I knew she was strong, intelligent, and her beauty matched those traits but, what really attracted me to her, was her blazing stoicism and determination. It makes the decision of linking our lives together, not one of absurdity, but out of mutual respect and understanding.
"Oh, Twyla, my Love," I held her close to my chest, "I never once doubted you or your judgement. That being said, I don't want you to be reckless and find yourself and the children in a dire situation; I only request that you use discernment when looking for the child."
Twyla looked up at me with her full moon-like eyes, and gave me a passionate kiss, "my Love, you have nothing to worry about." She was right, I needed to have more faith in my wife; however, the thought of any harm coming to either her, my children, or anyone else I care for, is enough for me to fly into a rampage.
"I understand," I scratched the back of my head, "well, should we let the kids know that they'll be attending school soon? I'm sure they'll be more than excited to be in a brand-new environment." The two of us gathered all of our children: Myrlin, Minerva, Monspeed, Meliodas, and our newborn, Boudicca. I hadn't realized it at first, but as the days passed by, my children's raw strength was beginning to awaken.
Myrlin had awakened his signature about five years ago; I had theorized that one of my children would inherit a Terra-based signature, however, I didn't expect an awakening to happen so quickly, or violently. The day it happened was rather peaceful, too peaceful, almost as if it were a calm before the storm. I was deep in my study when I felt the most frightening Presence, I had been sure that someone was plotting an ambush of some kind. That was until I found the source and saw it was my eldest son, sitting calmly in a meditative state. Shortly then after, Minerva and Monspeed awakened their signatures, and Meliodas' recently manifested. I wanted to ensure that they get a proper education and understanding of their abilities.
"So, we're going to school?!" Myrlin's eyes were filled with stars, "I have so many questions! Will there be other kids with signatures too? How long will we have to be there? Where is it? I'm so excited!"
"Calm down, Murmur," Twyla smiled, "I know you have questions and you're excited; your father and I have decided that it's time that you experienced a thorough education, and The Caliburn Institute for Young and Gifted Students is the perfect place to start."
There are many schools and academies across the realm, however, The Caliburn Institute stands as the highest ranked institution for early education. The students enrolled at the school will spend the next thirty years honing their skills in Scriptcraft and Spell-weaving, Practical Combat, divination, and their fundamentals. It was eons ago, but I remember my time fondly when I was enrolled, I can only hope that my children make those same memories.
Minerva Cosmina Wyllt
Four Months Prior Garyudōra, Ryudō-ShanGriLa; 17 Galdary 12R7X
Myrlin and I found ourselves in the manor's wine cellar, "Nīsama, mada dorehodo tōi no?" I asked as I continued to follow my brother down the cellar.
"The coast is clear!" Myrlin whisper-shouted in English.
"Are you sure we can be here?" I interrogated.
My older brother shook his head and sported a smug smirk, "If we get caught, I've got a way to escape."
The wine cellar was very dusty, but was stocked to the roof with wine crates, there had to have been at least six rows each with barrels of wine. Myrlin climbed on top of one of the standing barrels and took a seat; I explored the cellar's many rows until I grew bored.
I met with my brother, and I had a question that kept eating at me, "Myrlin, what was your past life like?"
He looked at and raised an eyebrow to me, "Well, to put it lightly, I spent my entire life dedicating my time, energy, mental health, to one person, all for them not to acknowledge me."
The air in the room was thick with emotional tension, "Mini, lemme ask you something." The sudden attitude shift in his voice went from somewhat resentful to business was pretty jarring.
"Yeah?" I wasn't sure what was going to come out of his mouth next.
My brother softened his face, "You're a reincarnation, right?" He and I had discussed very briefly that we were reborn here, what's this about?
"Yeah, you know that already," I don't really care for when he gets all cryptic, makes him seem like one of those "Red pill" incels from the old 4chan and Reddit history lessons I learned about in grade school.
"You like music?" Myrlin's eyes squinted as he asked.
I sucked my teeth, "Is that all? I'm from Memphis, baby I love me some music! What you wanna know?"
He snickered before clapping his hands together, "OutKast, Bombs Over Baghdad, you ever heard of it?" He wore a devilish, yet goofy smile, whatever he had up his sleeve, I knew it was something that was going to be a lot of fun.
"That's literally a classic! I love Big Boi's verse, I used to sing it with my Ma back when—," that's right, Ma, it had been so long since I've thought about you. But you don't have to worry about me, I'm in a much better place, a place where I belong.
"It's okay," Myrlin said leaping off the barrel, "we don't have to talk about the song."
I closed my eyes and shook my head in protest, tears of joy rolling down my face, "please, it would make me very happy if we sang it."
Myrlin Samael Wyllt
Present Day
Minerva and I gathered all the adults in the manor together for a special surprise; we'd been secretly rehearsing a song that the two of us enjoyed in our past lives. In truth, I was just excited that I had someone that I could share these memories with. I love that I'm in a new world, one with magic and wonder, but nothing can beat familiarity.
"Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Wyllt Manor," Monspeed read from his notecard, "it is my pleasure to introduce you to your entertainment for the evening; the duo, Murmur and Mini, performing the song, Bombs over Baghdad!" Our introduction was met with applause as Minerva and I stood ready to perform.
To be Continued...