Majesty DragonFire was the reason for the downfall of everything, but it was only after fifty years that they were able to determine that he had been possessed by an unknown dark entity. His son Dominik could have told them that ages ago, but these things were hard to listen to from someone that was a child at the time, or considered to be biased. His father had been caring up until that fateful day, where his mother was slain before him and his sister was stolen away.
His father's soul could never return, crumbling to dust from the weight of slaying his own mate. Dominik's sister Amethyst was another case, however. Tortured for several years by the dying dragon, she had come back and burned Madone, killing the then monarchs of Orn and Nerezza. His cousin Dwayna had returned to find this sight before her, and to his dismay he had heard his sister was killed in the conflict. His cousin had thought herself righteously justified as her parents were dead, but it was something Dominik could never truly forgive.
At least, so he thought until the recent findings were publicized. Dwayna had approached him then, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Era's death. There was something about her then, a certain look in her eyes that spoke deeply of regret and sorrow. Shivers ran down his spine as he found himself lacking too much sympathy for her.
“I acted rashly, out of my anger and despair,” she started, looking to the man with such sadness he had not been witness to before. “To me, there was no way that Amethyst couldn't be anything but guilty. For ages I resented even the memory of her... but now that I find myself happily married, I felt I owed it a second glance. Perhaps you can thank my husband for convincing me of it.”
It was then that the air felt punched from his lungs as she extended her hand. A strand of purple hair laid there plain as day, looking untouched as if it wasn't as old as Dominik knew it to be. The legends of Dwayna's fight had spread into a story about how she had found the true killer of her parents by just a strand of their hair. Spirit magic was quite complicated, but it was definitely capable of doing such a thing, so what surprised him the most was that Dwayna had kept it all those years.
“Why are you showing me this?” he asked, the pain filling his soul again, perhaps pinging dully against his own soulbond. He too had someone else to care for now, but seeing the only remnant of his sister boiled the old anger within him again. As if sensing how dark his thoughts were turning, Dwayna clasped the strand of purple hair into his hand.
“Because I want to bring it to Uriel,” she said, the weight of the words colliding against his mind. “I've long since preached the value of having a second chance at life, how I'm willing to provide that to anyone that wished it. Why should Amethyst be any different? If she is willing to return, should I deny her that chance? It's been fifty years... The pain of my loss has dissipated to a small wave, where it must pain you each day to hear what you feel to be empty words from my lips.”
“You mean to have her resurrected,” breathed Dominik, choking on the words as if he had forgotten what air was for a moment. That sort of thing did require a lot of power, which explained going to one of the gods of the realm for help. He looked to the strand of hair and clung to it like he had nothing else before. A remnant of the subject to be resurrected would be needed for the spell. His amber eyes met the emerald green ones of his cousin, in disbelief and awe. It was Dwayna that had killed Amethyst, and yet somewhere in the goodness of her heart, she was willing to try to bring her back?
“I do,” she replied, resolute as she often was when she made decisions. “Not too many will smile on me for it, either. Your sister killed many in her rampage, and some yet remember this. But I couldn't call myself truly just if I didn't give her this chance, especially knowing what I know now.”
“But what if she does it again?” Dominik found himself asking, even despite himself. The emerald eyes of Dwayna met his bitterly, but didn't hold a dark promise with them.
“For you, I'm willing to take that risk,” she said, very firm in doing so. “If she relapses, then I will consider exile instead. But if there's a chance we can heal the wounds of her mind and soul, if we can let her try to live a normal life... Then I know your true heart, Dominik. She is your sister... you would do anything just to see her again.”
The man did not deny it, simply bowing his head to Dwayna quietly. It should not have surprised him, as his cousin was known for having the aspect of Spirit. She had grown into it so much that she could so easily see into him, but he didn't exactly hide those things from his thoughts. It was prominent on his mind every time he was called to meet with her, and he had just pretended not to care.
Wordlessly, he followed Dwayna as she lead him from the castle, through the crowds of people on their grieving day; all the while the purple strand crushed firmly in his grasp. The silver dome of the Scientific Monastery glimmered in the sunlight, the robotic bipedal figure of an Android standing guard outside. The faceless white glow of its round face registered them for a moment before nodding them in, obviously recognizing exactly who they were and what they were there for. They walked to the elevator; shunted down into the earth to the long hall leading to a large glass window against the depths of the Vast Ocean.
There were a few tense moments before they saw the shifting against the darkness. Giant, piercing white eyes stared out at them from the darkness, forming themselves into an equally giant face. Looking at the two for a few moments, The Great Father of the Androids seemed to close his eyes, a light shining on his extremely large form. He seemed to disappear into it, only for the light to re-appear in front of them in the room. A much smaller version of the being stood before them, wearing a labcoat and displaying markings over his robotic face.
“I understand you need me to lend you my power,” said Uriel, his voice resonating with a resonance that ebbed power itself. The God of Knowledge and Artifice would of course know everything, but he was often humble when possessing the avatar they saw before them. They both bowed deeply to him, partly of ceremony and partly out of true respect.
“Yes... we wish to try to resurrect Amethyst,” said Dwayna, motioning for Dominik to step forward. He didn't hesitate then, wilfully showing the god the purple strand of hair, which Uriel seemed to show no reaction to. He simply carefully plucked it from Dominik's hand, nodding as he motioned for the two to follow him. They went into a side laboratory, where he put the strand of hair squarely on the center of a table, rolling up his sleeves.
“Stand back,” said Uriel, and the two obeyed. The white light in his eyes seemed to siphon into the lines of his body, filling him up with its magic. Strands of light coiled out from him, seeming to warp the very air around them. As if created from nothing, diamond gems started to surround the lock of hair, forming a circle around it in a neat and orderly pattern. Uriel truly lived up to all of his titles, bending the laws of physics like they were nothing but toys.
Then the real work began as his gestures changed. The purple strand seemed to glow with an ethereal light, soon shared by the diamonds around it. Just as soon as they had come, the gemstones seemed to start dissolving, extracting themselves into the only remnant of Amethyst that still existed intact. Dominik sucked in another breath of air, praying to whatever gods would listen, including the one in the room with them. Please, he begged, pouring every ounce of his being into the emotion. Amethyst... Please, come back.
Perhaps he was heard by the gods or Amethyst, but something happened then. The strand of hair suddenly grew into many strands, shaping themselves into a now forming face. Tears spilled down Dominik's own as the visage of his long dead sister slowly formed back before his very eyes, starting from the top and moving until it hit the bottom. He looked away, partly because he didn't know how much he could take and partly because she did not have her decency covered.
Uriel discreetly slipped a robe onto the form of the woman before them, her eyes still closed for the time being. Soon enough, her chest moved with an intake of breath, shuddering against the emptiness of the room. Familiar red eyes opened, looking around frantically until they landed on her brother. A moment passed between them, him overwhelmed with emotion and her realizing that she was in the waking world, looking upon the sight in front of her. The red eyes turned to see Dwayna as well, Amethyst's lips drawing into a thin line.
“I remember...” she said, her voice rough from disuse. “What Father did to me... what I did... my heart shuddering to a stop as your sword pierced my chest.” Dwayna grimaced slightly, but said nothing, simply looking down in something akin to shame. Amethyst and Dominik both looked surprised, the man stunned to silence once more.
“I don't expect your forgiveness,” said Dwayna, looking back up. “But I want you to know that I am sorry. You may have killed my parents, but taking vengeance upon you was not the right decision to make. Now that I have had fifty years of being Queen, I understand the true weight of my actions... and I have learned that I am capable of failure in judgement.” Dwayna extended her metal arm and leg slightly, the evidence of her near death in the Shadow War not twenty years prior.
Amethyst was merely quiet, studying the prosthetic limbs with interest. After a bit, she looked to her brother, something desperate in her eyes that made him draw close. The now full head of purple hair pressed against his chest, and he felt his shirt becoming moist. His sister was crying, which just further triggered his own tears. There they sat letting out their emotions together for a time; sadness, joy and relief expressed for the pain of everything that they had been put through at the hands of the demon that had possessed their father.
When all was said and done, Dwayna pressed a pendant of citizenship into Amethyst's hands. No words needed to be spoken as its intent was clear – Amethyst officially had a second chance at life. Wordlessly, the woman raised it over her head and placed it upon her neck, pressing the middle of the pendant as it rested there. Tears again sprang from Amethyst's face as an outfit reminiscent of her old self appeared on her body, purple leather tight against her body. The woman quickly got up from the chair, storming from the room vehemently, only hesitating to wait for Dominik. The man looked to both Uriel and Dwayna, swallowing his emotions thickly.
“Danke,” he said, thanking them in his mothers language of German. There were no words to say just how much he appreciated the gesture. He got up and followed his sister, happiness filling him as he realized he could help her to get better, to let her have the chance at living like a normal woman.
His father's soul could never return, crumbling to dust from the weight of slaying his own mate. Dominik's sister Amethyst was another case, however. Tortured for several years by the dying dragon, she had come back and burned Madone, killing the then monarchs of Orn and Nerezza. His cousin Dwayna had returned to find this sight before her, and to his dismay he had heard his sister was killed in the conflict. His cousin had thought herself righteously justified as her parents were dead, but it was something Dominik could never truly forgive.
At least, so he thought until the recent findings were publicized. Dwayna had approached him then, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Second Era's death. There was something about her then, a certain look in her eyes that spoke deeply of regret and sorrow. Shivers ran down his spine as he found himself lacking too much sympathy for her.
“I acted rashly, out of my anger and despair,” she started, looking to the man with such sadness he had not been witness to before. “To me, there was no way that Amethyst couldn't be anything but guilty. For ages I resented even the memory of her... but now that I find myself happily married, I felt I owed it a second glance. Perhaps you can thank my husband for convincing me of it.”
It was then that the air felt punched from his lungs as she extended her hand. A strand of purple hair laid there plain as day, looking untouched as if it wasn't as old as Dominik knew it to be. The legends of Dwayna's fight had spread into a story about how she had found the true killer of her parents by just a strand of their hair. Spirit magic was quite complicated, but it was definitely capable of doing such a thing, so what surprised him the most was that Dwayna had kept it all those years.
“Why are you showing me this?” he asked, the pain filling his soul again, perhaps pinging dully against his own soulbond. He too had someone else to care for now, but seeing the only remnant of his sister boiled the old anger within him again. As if sensing how dark his thoughts were turning, Dwayna clasped the strand of purple hair into his hand.
“Because I want to bring it to Uriel,” she said, the weight of the words colliding against his mind. “I've long since preached the value of having a second chance at life, how I'm willing to provide that to anyone that wished it. Why should Amethyst be any different? If she is willing to return, should I deny her that chance? It's been fifty years... The pain of my loss has dissipated to a small wave, where it must pain you each day to hear what you feel to be empty words from my lips.”
“You mean to have her resurrected,” breathed Dominik, choking on the words as if he had forgotten what air was for a moment. That sort of thing did require a lot of power, which explained going to one of the gods of the realm for help. He looked to the strand of hair and clung to it like he had nothing else before. A remnant of the subject to be resurrected would be needed for the spell. His amber eyes met the emerald green ones of his cousin, in disbelief and awe. It was Dwayna that had killed Amethyst, and yet somewhere in the goodness of her heart, she was willing to try to bring her back?
“I do,” she replied, resolute as she often was when she made decisions. “Not too many will smile on me for it, either. Your sister killed many in her rampage, and some yet remember this. But I couldn't call myself truly just if I didn't give her this chance, especially knowing what I know now.”
“But what if she does it again?” Dominik found himself asking, even despite himself. The emerald eyes of Dwayna met his bitterly, but didn't hold a dark promise with them.
“For you, I'm willing to take that risk,” she said, very firm in doing so. “If she relapses, then I will consider exile instead. But if there's a chance we can heal the wounds of her mind and soul, if we can let her try to live a normal life... Then I know your true heart, Dominik. She is your sister... you would do anything just to see her again.”
The man did not deny it, simply bowing his head to Dwayna quietly. It should not have surprised him, as his cousin was known for having the aspect of Spirit. She had grown into it so much that she could so easily see into him, but he didn't exactly hide those things from his thoughts. It was prominent on his mind every time he was called to meet with her, and he had just pretended not to care.
Wordlessly, he followed Dwayna as she lead him from the castle, through the crowds of people on their grieving day; all the while the purple strand crushed firmly in his grasp. The silver dome of the Scientific Monastery glimmered in the sunlight, the robotic bipedal figure of an Android standing guard outside. The faceless white glow of its round face registered them for a moment before nodding them in, obviously recognizing exactly who they were and what they were there for. They walked to the elevator; shunted down into the earth to the long hall leading to a large glass window against the depths of the Vast Ocean.
There were a few tense moments before they saw the shifting against the darkness. Giant, piercing white eyes stared out at them from the darkness, forming themselves into an equally giant face. Looking at the two for a few moments, The Great Father of the Androids seemed to close his eyes, a light shining on his extremely large form. He seemed to disappear into it, only for the light to re-appear in front of them in the room. A much smaller version of the being stood before them, wearing a labcoat and displaying markings over his robotic face.
“I understand you need me to lend you my power,” said Uriel, his voice resonating with a resonance that ebbed power itself. The God of Knowledge and Artifice would of course know everything, but he was often humble when possessing the avatar they saw before them. They both bowed deeply to him, partly of ceremony and partly out of true respect.
“Yes... we wish to try to resurrect Amethyst,” said Dwayna, motioning for Dominik to step forward. He didn't hesitate then, wilfully showing the god the purple strand of hair, which Uriel seemed to show no reaction to. He simply carefully plucked it from Dominik's hand, nodding as he motioned for the two to follow him. They went into a side laboratory, where he put the strand of hair squarely on the center of a table, rolling up his sleeves.
“Stand back,” said Uriel, and the two obeyed. The white light in his eyes seemed to siphon into the lines of his body, filling him up with its magic. Strands of light coiled out from him, seeming to warp the very air around them. As if created from nothing, diamond gems started to surround the lock of hair, forming a circle around it in a neat and orderly pattern. Uriel truly lived up to all of his titles, bending the laws of physics like they were nothing but toys.
Then the real work began as his gestures changed. The purple strand seemed to glow with an ethereal light, soon shared by the diamonds around it. Just as soon as they had come, the gemstones seemed to start dissolving, extracting themselves into the only remnant of Amethyst that still existed intact. Dominik sucked in another breath of air, praying to whatever gods would listen, including the one in the room with them. Please, he begged, pouring every ounce of his being into the emotion. Amethyst... Please, come back.
Perhaps he was heard by the gods or Amethyst, but something happened then. The strand of hair suddenly grew into many strands, shaping themselves into a now forming face. Tears spilled down Dominik's own as the visage of his long dead sister slowly formed back before his very eyes, starting from the top and moving until it hit the bottom. He looked away, partly because he didn't know how much he could take and partly because she did not have her decency covered.
Uriel discreetly slipped a robe onto the form of the woman before them, her eyes still closed for the time being. Soon enough, her chest moved with an intake of breath, shuddering against the emptiness of the room. Familiar red eyes opened, looking around frantically until they landed on her brother. A moment passed between them, him overwhelmed with emotion and her realizing that she was in the waking world, looking upon the sight in front of her. The red eyes turned to see Dwayna as well, Amethyst's lips drawing into a thin line.
“I remember...” she said, her voice rough from disuse. “What Father did to me... what I did... my heart shuddering to a stop as your sword pierced my chest.” Dwayna grimaced slightly, but said nothing, simply looking down in something akin to shame. Amethyst and Dominik both looked surprised, the man stunned to silence once more.
“I don't expect your forgiveness,” said Dwayna, looking back up. “But I want you to know that I am sorry. You may have killed my parents, but taking vengeance upon you was not the right decision to make. Now that I have had fifty years of being Queen, I understand the true weight of my actions... and I have learned that I am capable of failure in judgement.” Dwayna extended her metal arm and leg slightly, the evidence of her near death in the Shadow War not twenty years prior.
Amethyst was merely quiet, studying the prosthetic limbs with interest. After a bit, she looked to her brother, something desperate in her eyes that made him draw close. The now full head of purple hair pressed against his chest, and he felt his shirt becoming moist. His sister was crying, which just further triggered his own tears. There they sat letting out their emotions together for a time; sadness, joy and relief expressed for the pain of everything that they had been put through at the hands of the demon that had possessed their father.
When all was said and done, Dwayna pressed a pendant of citizenship into Amethyst's hands. No words needed to be spoken as its intent was clear – Amethyst officially had a second chance at life. Wordlessly, the woman raised it over her head and placed it upon her neck, pressing the middle of the pendant as it rested there. Tears again sprang from Amethyst's face as an outfit reminiscent of her old self appeared on her body, purple leather tight against her body. The woman quickly got up from the chair, storming from the room vehemently, only hesitating to wait for Dominik. The man looked to both Uriel and Dwayna, swallowing his emotions thickly.
“Danke,” he said, thanking them in his mothers language of German. There were no words to say just how much he appreciated the gesture. He got up and followed his sister, happiness filling him as he realized he could help her to get better, to let her have the chance at living like a normal woman.