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33,550,337th Recurrence, Light Calendar 3960, Foundations’ Peace
Hysilens sat silently at the bar, twirling an empty goblet as she stared straight ahead. The banquet had ended hours ago, yet she still felt the same emptiness that she had when the little gray fry had vanished before her eyes.
The tightness in her chest expanded as the unwanted memories of what happened filtered through her tipsy mind. The sight of him, frozen in place by the Antikytherian’s strange magic, the instant she heard Cerydra’s knight piece on the throne, the powerlessness she felt when her blade was unable to pierce the fiend’s throat, and the despair she felt when the gray-haired man disappeared.
It was strange.
They had only known each other for a short time, yet they had been able to converse so freely, so openly with one another. For the first time in many years, Hysilens had been able to relax and talk about things that she never thought she’d be able to bring up with anyone.
And now, he was gone.
She gazed at the three other goblets on the bar next to her. One cup of Phagousa’s Secret, and two cups of Kephale’s Promise still remained untouched. Two drinks that they had promised to share together, yet it seemed they wouldn’t have the chance to anymore.
Hysilens took one goblet of Kephale’s Promise, bringing it to her lips and downing it in one go. Despite the rushing effects of wonder that the brew was meant to provide, Hysilens felt just as empty as before. Not even listening to the sounds of the sea in her conch could belay the roiling darkness that had taken root in her heart.
Hah, she had thought her heart had been hardened to loss. Yet this one felt more personal, more painful somehow. She, who was supposed to represent the month of joy, was always walking down the path of nihility.
Perhaps it was the lofty promises that they had made last night, or the dreamlike scene they had painted of the banquet at the end of the journey. Or perhaps… it was simply that she felt that she finally found someone she could be completely open with, without having to wear a mask, or don a costume to talk to.
So why… why did he have to be taken from her!
Misery, nihility, despair. Old friends, all around, eternal companions for the lonely sea siren princess.
She glanced at the two remaining goblets, wondering what she should do with them. She had ordered them on a whim but had only just realized.
He really was gone.
Tradition said that she should pour out the drinks on the fallen one’s grave to remember them. But… gray fry didn’t have a grave, or anything remotely similar. Perhaps she could pour it out in her bath? Hah, now that was a joke he’d make.
The door of the bar opened behind her, but Hysilens didn’t need to turn to find out who had come in. The golden trout and the pink sea hare walked in slowly, both treading cautiously towards her. They had been tottering about outside for a few minutes before racking up the courage to come in.
“Hysilens…” her old friend called. Hysilens glanced at her for a moment, before looking away.
“Aglaea, what do you want,” she replied, her voice cracking slightly as she spoke. Huh, that… hadn’t happened before.
“I came to see if you were alright,” Aglaea replied softly. “I didn’t realize that Lord Caelus meant so much to you.”
Hysilens didn’t answer, instead she kept her gaze faraway.
“He … was always good at bringing people together,” the pink sea hare said quietly. “But… hey, cheer up. My friend will be back with us; you can count on him!”
Hysilens raised a brow at her statement, irritation beginning to build.
“How can you know?” she snapped. “If he were able to do so from his own power, why has he not returned to us yet?”
The pink sea hare remained silent, not knowing what to say despite her resolute determination. This girl… she still believed in him. Why was that?
Hysilens’s internal monologue was cut short by Aglaea plopping down on the seat next to her.
"Are you going to be having those?” she asked. Hysilens shot her friend a look.
“Those aren’t for you,” she replied cooly.
“Then for Lord Caelus?”
The weighty question lulled in the air, as Hysilens couldn’t find a way to answer that question.
"You believe in him too, don’t you?” the pink sea hare asked timidly.
“Does it seem that way?”
“Yes, it does,” the pink sea hare replied. “You’ve seen the depths of his resolve, his tenacity, his courage. He will find a way back to us, all we need to do is figure out how to welcome him properly.”
Hysilens looked away, deciding against saying anything. She was tired, more so than she had been in years. Endless war, endless wandering, yet nothing compared to losing a companion, a friend, a …
“The value of choice lies in unwavering resolve.”
Hysilens sharply turned her whole body to look at the pink sea hare.
“What did you say?”
“It’s something he once said,” the pink sea hare explained. “He first said that when he first tread upon the Path of Preservation when fighting on the frozen planet of Jarilo-VI.”
“So… it wasn’t just something he mentioned off hand”
“And, so?” Hysilens replied, her voice breaking again as she struggled to get the words out.
“His unwavering will and warmth are what defrosted the planet’s permafrost, paving the way for its reconstruction. If he can do that surely…”
The pink sea hare trailed off as she saw Hysilens beginning to move. In one fell swoop, she brought the two goblets to her mouth and drank them one after the other.
“Hah… I suppose gray fry owes me two drinks more now,” she murmured, a small wry smile now forming on her face. The words the Imperator had said to her right before they set out rang in her head.
"Treasure the warmth that the Deliverer possesses.”
Though it had only been this morning, it felt like it had been a lifetime ago since she had heard those words. But, nonetheless, she finally understood what Cerydra meant.
“Don’t ever give up on making a choice.”
Those were his words to her. And she intended to heed them.
“Aglaea. Pink sea hare,” Hysilens mumbled. She cleared her throat, turning to face them directly before she spoke.
“I have chosen to believe in his return.”
A few months later
“… I believe victory comes to me along the path I am destined to walk! So, march with me, and win eternal glory!”
Raucous applause followed as the Imperator raised her scepter, marking the end of yet another speech. Dux Gladiorum stood at her side, watching with a calm expression to make sure that all would go as planned during the rest of the speech. It wouldn’t be long before the campaign against Phagousa would begin properly, and it was important to keep the soldier’s morale up.
Or so the Imperator said. And she knew human hearts best.
Despite her calm façade, Dux Gladiorum couldn’t help but feel a quiet sense of unease. The Imperator’s preparations had been very fast, much unlike the usual methodological approach she tended to take. The Second Siege of Okhema had been her magnum opus, carefully moving around pieces in order to take down the Council of Elders and Corinth in one single swoop.
Though, remembering Corinth shook Helektra to her core. What would gray fry think if he knew what transpired there that bloody night?
Dux Gladiorum briefly closed her eyes to refocus herself on the tasks that the Imperator had set for her. It was odd not to be on the primary battlefield for once, but Dux Gladiorum could see the wisdom in the Imperator’s plan. After all, who better to seal the sea route than the sea siren who had first come ashore on those routes?
She would have to finish securing the rear quickly, so as to return to the battlefield. Much as she disliked spilling mortal blood, the rush she felt while confronting a strong enemy combatant was like little else. Pity, few could stand with or against her on the battlefield.
As the Imperator wound down her speech, Dux Gladiorum found herself looking farther into the distance. The ruins of Styxia loomed, reminding her of the despair that she had felt when she had first come ashore. She had been expecting a feast, of music, laughter, and revelry. Instead, all she saw was death and destruction, crumbing rock and a desolate landscape, the site of her mother’s final betrayal.
“… rest, and we shall set forth tomorrow! For the Flame-chase, for the Deliverer, for Amphoreus!”
Dux Gladiorum returned from her reverie just as the Imperator’s speech concluded. From the cheering and adulation present, it was hard not to get swept up in the excitement. Things would go well this time around. It was a shame the little gray fry wasn’t here to witness the way the crowd cheered for him, but she supposed she would just have to describe it to him when he got back.
After all, the choice to trust in the Imperator always led to good results, right?
An indeterminate amount of time later
The tides had frozen.
She could feel nothing.
How… long had passed?
Yet, the memories still remained just as fresh as they did on that day.
Labienus was dead. Seneca was dead. Apollonius was dead. Seneca was dead.
The Imperator… Cerydra was dead.
Dead, by her hand.
Sometimes, Dux Gladiorum wondered if she should just let it go and allow her fallen brethren to arise from their dreams.
It would just take a moment’s hesitation, a flicker in her spell. Then, it would all be over.
Oh, how cold she felt. Her sun had disappeared, taking her heart away.
But yet… something in the back of her mind kept her from making the choice.
“… do not give up on making a choice, even if you’re about to be forgotten.”
Who said those words again? And why did those words feel warm?
“… so never, ever lose faith.”
Why… why did those words keep her warm?
The waters began to stir, as Dux Gladiorum felt a disturbance somewhere near Phagousa’s corpse. It mattered not. Nothing did.
The disturbance increased, and the abyssal creatures began to rouse from their slumber. The flash of a large blade, the delicate dance of a seasoned sword master, the ferocious claws of a cat, all clashed with the forced of the Black Tide. Slowly, her fallen brethren dwindled further and further, until there were none left.
“Long time no see, Gladius…”
Dux Gladiorum didn’t immediately respond. She knew the voice, even if it had been years since she’d heard it.
“Do not call me that,” Dux Gladiorum replied coldly. “I am not worthy of the title.”
“Then … Hysilens,” Aglaea accommodated. “Now, you have truly become the ocean’s bedrock.”
“I am what I am,” Dux Gladiorum replied flatly. “Just a traitorous fish, wasting away until she …”
“… never, ever lose faith”
Those words again… why did they come back to haunt her like that.
“But… you haven’t lost your faith yet, have you?” Aglaea asked. “The world out there still exists. We still fight against the Theoros and his forces. And now, we have more allies than ever.”
“My honor to meet you, Lady Hysilens. You are as beautiful as Lady Tribbie said you were,” came an unfamiliar voice. “My name is Castorice. I am Aidonia’s Maiden of War, and the Chrysos Heir who is prophesized to wield Thanatos’s Coreflame.”
The voice, her current pitter-pattered like a butterfly dancing in the wind. She was ethereal, gentle, yet deadly.
“I’m here too, Miss Hysilens,” came a slightly more familiar voice. “We came to ask for your help.”
Dux Gladiorum took a moment, her arms shifting slightly around her knees.
“… the baths in Okhema still retain my blessings, and Phagousa’s water curtain remains impenetrable. What more can you ask of a traitorous fish?”
“Can you not fight? The Flame Chase Army still stands, though it has changed greatly from what it was two centuries ago,” Aglaea asked.
“I cannot move from Styxia,” Dux Gladiorum asserted. “I must maintain contact with the ocean, or my protection over Okhema will fade. As it were, even if I perish, I can still maintain the Ocean Titan’s blessings. So, leave me be, Flame Chasers. Your fight is not one I can be part of anymore.”
Her words were spoken with coarse finality, like a wave crashing into a reef and dissipating on impact like sea foam. She was resolute … yet … something in the back of her mind lingered.
“Is that your choice?”
Those words … that one single word… made Helektra pause.
“I … have no right to choose.”
“Choice isn’t as elusive as it seems.”
Helektra’s eyes opened, widening considerably as she saw the scene before her. Somehow, she had seemingly been transported to a bizarre world of metal. Lights shone from every angle, and it seemed as though the sea of stars could be glimpsed from the floors and walls. However, what caught her attention most was the gray-haired man standing in the middle of the space.
“Gray… Fry...?” she choked out.
“Unfortunately, this is only a memory,” the pink sea hare explained. “It is from the time after he first encountered the Destruction. He said those words as he decided to join the Astral Express and begin his journey across the stars.”
Helektra bristled, her arms coming slightly undone.
“… why?”
“To restore your heart, dear friend,” Aglaea answered. “I realize we ask much of your old soul, but your assistance would be greatly appreciated.”
The scene shifted, and Helektra found herself in a picturesque environment. The Flame Chasers were stood on a wooden platform overlooking a small lake. Beside them, a large tree stood tall, with a swing hanging from one of its strong branches. In the distance, multicolored trees lined the shore all the way to the ocean, where a faraway sailboat lay anchored.
“… where?”
“This is Aedes Elysiae, my hometown,” the pink sea hare described. “When Caelus and I first arrived, this is where we found ourselves.”
Helektra looked around, marveling at how peaceful and calm the town looked. It was small, quiet, nothing like the cities of Okhema or Kremnos. She wondered what it would have been like if she had come ashore here, rather than Styxia all those years ago. Slowly, she uncurled herself, dispelling the bubble that had kept her safe for two hundred years, landing wobblily on her feet.
“It’s peaceful…” she murmured. The pink sea hare smiled widen as she sat down on the swing.
“It’s what we’re fighting for,” she reminded, swinging herself gently. “The world outside isn’t always as peaceful, but we’re giving it our all! If you don’t mind, we hope you can regain your strength and sing for the world once again.”
Helektra glanced at the Flame Chasers before her. Aglaea, the purple butterflyfish, the Dolosian kitten, the fragment of Tribios, and the pink sea hare all gazed back at her with small tentative hope. Their gazes, they felt like beacons shining on her. And with her long solitude and innate shyness, they were too much to bear. Hysilens turned away slightly.
“My violin bow is broken,” she stated plainly. “My sword arm is rusty, and my clothes are in tatters.”
“I can mend that and more,” Aglaea replied swiftly. “It is a simple task.”
Hysilens glanced at her old friend. Her eyes had grown dark in the intervening years, yet there was still a modicum of hope that shone through. Hope… that Hysilens could feel stirring her heart after so many years.
“I will need some time …” she mentioned. “And I still cannot leave Styxia. However, I will command my legions to belay my brethren from coming ashore. I will secure the rear, as I did during the Phagousa campaign.”
She turned away from the group, not wanting to see their reactions. Their currents were clear enough indications of their jubilation. Hysilens instead took out the conch from her side, placed it on her cheek as she did so many times in the past, gazing out at the pristine ocean she once called home as she listened to the roaring tides from within.
“I choose to continue this Flame Chase journey.”
Light Calendar 4534, Styxia
Hysilens carried the red stone in her hand, quietly striding through the empty halls. The Dolosian kittenfish, Cipher, had handed it to her not long ago before scampering off into the Vortex of Genesis. The plan was set; they just had to spring it on the Antikytherian.
And then she’d be alone again.
Almost four centuries had passed since she had regained her will to fight. In that time, she had fought countless battles while staying motionless in Styxia, commanding legions of fish and waves to fight against the scores of Black Tide creatures within the oceans. Hah, who would have thought that the times that the Imperator tried to drill the nuances of chess into her head would actually have some practical use?
Since then, she had rarely seen anyone, save for occasional visits from the pink sea hare, who shared more of gray fry’s memories with her. Seeing how he fought on that frozen planet, then later at the wonderous waterscape, and the melodious world of dreams aroused her fighting spirit. Her bow thrummed, and the wails of spilled blood filled the waters.
When the fighting finally subsided, Hysilens took some time to walk around the empty halls of Styxia. It was strange, how the ruins that had been her desolation all those years ago had now become her home. Seeing the shattered stone, the broken beacon, and the crumbling courtyards in person would have once rendered her into despair. Now, they were just like the fishes and corals in the sea to her.
She glanced at a fractured fountain, imagining how it would have looked in its heyday with flowing water. Stalls filled with food and drink would line the courtyard, while people from all walks of life could relax and talk with one another. Behind it, a set of grand staircases lead into the city’s long-since ransacked treasury, now with only a few trinkets and pots remaining to collect dust. Mayhaps this was once a place filled with treasure beyond even the kittenfish’s imagination, filled with gold, relics, and artifacts from across the land. Hmm… Cerydra would love to showcase her trophies and triumphs, perhaps this could be a good place to put them.
Hysilens continued her walk down to the Slumbering Palace, keeping her steps light to not rouse the attention of her corrupted brethren. Her eyes fell on the shattered chalice in the middle of the room, supposedly a representation of the Chalice of Plenty. Fittingly, it was spewing Black Tide infected waters into the opening in the middle of the room but … ah… that wouldn’t do.
How about if the chalice was restored to its former glory, pouring pristine waters instead? Then, people could come and worship at the chalice, as though they were praying to Phagousa herself. Hah, now that she thought about it, Nereides would spend a lot of time here, insisting on spreading her ‘gospel of Lady Hysilens’ to others while waving around that blue glass she loved so much. It would have been endearing, if not a bit embarrassing to listen to.
Hysilens continued down the path from the side of the Palace, down into the depths of the fallen structure. Before her lay a massive memorial, one that she had constructed over time to commemorate those that had fallen. Peeking at the giant memorial reminded her that gray fry had mentioned he wanted to speak with her friends, so she figured she should at least show him her memories of them.
Let’s see…
Apollonius would be under the canopy, deep in thought about how to keep the feast going smoothly. If he could find some time to give to Verginia, the pair could shower each other in the affection that anyone could see they had for each other. Now, wouldn’t that be a sight for sore eyes.
Seneca would be around there somewhere too, deep in her cups at any point. Though she was often tottering around, she always had a sharp mind, and a witty tongue to boot.
Labienus… he would be guarding the grape pit. A staunch, resolute man who loved the Imperator just as much as Hysilens did. He would sing the Imperator’s praises day in and day out to anyone who would hear.
Hmm… was there anyone left that Gray Fry would want to meet?
Hysilens continued down the candlelit path, passing by a letter that the purple butterflyfish had left some three centuries ago. Hysilens continued onward, beyond the monument and to the large, cavernous opening below. A narrow path made from whalebone lead from the rocky shore to a collapsed altar that housed a basin that led to the Vortex of Genesis.
Hysilens’s gaze shifted as she noticed the turbulence in the Vortex. It seemed that the kittenfish’s ploy had succeeded, and so now it was time for Hysilens to begin the final act.
“Cerydra… this will be the last time I carry out your decree…”
Hysilens continued her lament, her damnation of the Imperator’s cruel selfishness, then her sorrowful bemoaning her fate. Her melancholy softened only a fraction when her subject changed.
“Gray Fry, Deliverer from beyond the sky…”
There, she lay her final instructions, her final hopes and wishes to the man who had given her strength all these years. She would need to conserve every last ounce of clarity she had in order to withstand the test of time.
“… and together, we’ll bring judgement upon the sinner who defiled the Erudition.”
With her last words, Helektra breathed out in relief. She didn’t know when he would return, but she knew that he eventually would come. Hopefully, he would appreciate the feast of welcoming that she had prepared for him, but a part of her hoped he would rush to her side as quickly as he could.
Helektra held out the red stone, throwing it into the air. With a quick pair of strikes from her blade, the Philosopher’s Stone shattered into a million pieces into the basin. And with the final act complete, it was time for the finale.
The sea siren princess carried herself up to the middle of the shattered altar, immersing herself in the waves as she drank one final brew before she began to sing.
“The world and I shall halt here … until we meet again.”
And so, Helektra began her verse. Her song travelled through the cavernous opening, up the whalebone path, into the Slumbering Palace and into Ariose Courtyard. The music settled on the land, enveloping it in an illusion brought forth by the last sea siren, restoring the city to its glory. The feast, as she had envisioned it sprung up from thin air, including food aplenty, drinks that never ran out, and distinguished guests from all around. All that was missing was the honored guest from beyond the skies.
“Gray Fry… I choose to leave you this feast…”
Light Calendar 4602
“Life is as fleeting as a bubble. Those are your words, are they not?”
Helektra chose to ignore those words, instead keeping her mind focused on maintaining the seal that kept the speaker at bay.
“You, who believes in the transience of life, who drowns herself in revelry to escape the mundanity of life, yet you continue to wait interminably for a man who may never return.”
“You continue to talk too much, prisoner,” Helektra murmured. “Have we not had this conversation already?”
“Ah, but by now, humanity has reached its end here in this cycle,” Lygus intoned. “EleOs252, ‘Hyacinthia’, the last of humanity, has bound her flesh to the Sky Titan once more. With that, no other humans are left to be saved.”
Helektra bristled at the Antikytherian’s words.
“And still, you wait. Floating about this eternal slumber, madness slowly etching at your heart. What would you be like, even if the Deliverer does return? Would you even recognize him? Or would you stab him through the heart, just like you did with the Ocean Titan, and the Imperator?”
Helektra’s blood ran cold, though Lygus mercilessly continued onward.
“Two monarchs you’ve served, two monarchs you’ve cut down with that blade of yours. Time and again, you have severed your life’s purpose from this mortal coil. So… what makes the Deliverer any different?”
Helektra continued to be silent, feeling the tendrils of doubt working its way to her heart. She couldn’t feel her body, her limbs, her blade. What if… he was right? What if her form had regressed to that of her corrupted brethren? What if… she couldn’t recognize him after all this time?
“You’re wrong…” Helektra murmured, moreso for herself than meant as a rebuttal. “I …”
“Am a loyal knight who killed her queen. An assassin who dislikes killing. One who walks on the path of Nihility yet represents the Month of Joy.”
Lygus chuckled deep in her consciousness, smugly reveling in her despair.
“You claim that loneliness is your old friend, yet you fear it like anyone else. You kept the fragment of the Goldweaver for centuries, and you still guard the Imperator’s grave even in slumber. Dux Gladiorum, loneliness is not friend, it is your tomb. And for the little fish who can’t let go of anything in her life, that is truly the most damning prison I can think of.”
Helektra could imagine the Antikytherian’s laughter as he continued to watch her spiral further. She knew that he spoke true, as she had felt the disappearance of the healer fish’s current into the sky. She hadn’t known her, but in gray fry’s memories …
His memories…
The healer fish, Hyacine, was gentle as a pearl, sweet like a honey nectar, yet resolute like a roaring fire. She was kind everyone, even those underserving of her care. She would spend endless hours trying to assuage their worries, to preserve their health. A shining ball of light, ready to give her all to help others. Heh, she would have been a good friend to the Imperator, just as she had to gray fry.
Helektra continued to think, to dream, to remember those who had come before. She remembered when Aglaea fell, the powerlessness she felt when she was so far away. Her current disappeared with a sudden abrupt finality, and it was hard to mistake it for anything else. If only they could have shared one final drink, one final lesson but that would not come to pass.
Mydeimos, the King of Kremnos who gave his life in the defence of Okhema, stalling Lygus’s advance for two centuries. He had done something similar in gray fry’s memories, fighting that black-robed abomination until his body gave out. Such tenacity, such dedication, a pity they never shared a drink together.
Tribios, the fluttering messenger who fractured into a thousand pieces. Neither Helektra nor gray fry knew her true form well, but she had always been a guiding light, even to her last.
Cifera, Aglaea’s charge, the only kitten that Helektra could say she didn’t mind being around. She had been witty and clever, thieving and pillaging but never for her own gain. Helektra never had the time to tell her about how she made Phagousa’s Birthday such a joyous affair in the previous recurrence, and now she never could.
The green sage, Anaxagoras. She never met him, yet she had held his entire being in her hand. That red crystal she had shattered, a symbol of his resolve and mind. She would have liked to chat with him, hear about his thoughts and theories on fish and brew. Or just watch him and the Imperator discuss dromases until the dawn met dusk.
Then finally, Castorice… the purple butterflyfish she had met only once. She was kind, quite deferential, but had a determination like little else. A girl who floated with death at her side yet saw the beauty in life wherever she walked. A girl who liked to leave mementos as a reminder that she once lived, a girl who fought so hard… all just for a warm embrace. Hehe, Helektra could understand that feeling very well.
“Loneliness may be my shackle, but it is because I endure, that their sacrifice is honored. Life is transient, but it is thusly why there is meaning to what has been done. And as the last remaining survivor of this world, I will take it with me and impart it to the Deliverer from beyond the skies, so he may take it to the next world.”
Her waterborne form moved for the first time in a century, as a small smile found its way to her peaceful face as she continued her song. In her mind’s eye, she could see all the fallen Demigods relaxing and having fun in the feast that was happening outside. How much she wished she could watch them in person, but for now, she had to wait for her dear Little Gray Fry’s arrival. With her confidence restored, she turned her mind back to the sneering Antikytherian.”
“So, I choose to defy you, Theoros, and endure to the end!
Light Calendar 4961
“… tch”
Helektra felt a shift in the air, as Lygus’s taunts suddenly faded from her mind. Strange, the Antikytherian had always tried to push her further into nihility every time he spoke to her, yet this time he had so abruptly vanished.
Yet, it wasn’t long before Helektra figured out the reason for his disappearance. A familiar, oh so long-awaited current had suddenly appeared in Okhema. It was weak, weary, yet still warm as always. It moved through the barren streets, absorbing the small fragments of memory that still remained.
Her dear Little Gray Fry had returned at last.
The Theoros must have left to survey the situation. No doubt he would try and impede Gray Fry’s progress, a last-ditch effort to stop him from reaching her. But … she knew he wouldn’t falter, not after fighting for so long.
He continued to run, past the baths that she had once swam in, past the streets she had walked, chasing the vestige of the pink sea hare that guided him to the gates of the city and raising her ceremonial sickle into the air. With a brilliant flourish, the last remnants of Hyacine’s consciousness answered his call, creating a magnificent rainbow bridge to carry him to Styxia.
He ran, and ran, so quickly, so desperately. Helektra couldn’t help but giggle a little, as though she were a princess waiting in the castle for her brave knight to rescue her. It was like those stories the Imperator once made her read, though she supposed that none of them ended with the princess and the knight joining forces to take down the dragon.
Not long later, Helektra could feel his current touching down on Styxia. To her displeasure, the Theoros’s memory was there to greet him, but sank back down in quiet when a different thought crossed her mind. A hint of nervousness entered her heart, and she felt as though she wanted to fiddle with her bangs. Would he like the feast she had prepared for him? Would he explore the sights, see the people making merry and calmly relaxing? Would he stomp on the grape pit and make his own brew?
Helektra giggled in her mind, feeling Gray Fry’s current swim about from the treasury to the courtyard, and further into the palace. For all the talk Lygus had about the meaninglessness of this cycle, he seemed to be oddly intent on presenting it fully to the Deliverer. Perhaps it was merely a way to stall, or maybe it meant something else?
Gray Fry’s explorations soon lead him down to the depths of the palace, to the memorial she built long ago. He poured out the honey brew she had left for him, mourning the losses along the journey, the friends he never got to meet again. Helektra surged, trying to wake from the dream, to swim to him and offer her solace. But alas, she would need his help to leave this endless fantasia she had concocted for herself.
He took a few steps from the memorial, picking up the slate containing Aglaea’s last letter to her, the one that had arrived only a century or two ago. He picked up the purple butterflyfish’s final words and took it with him as he continued down the whalebone path. Suddenly, he began picking up his pace, running closer and closer to her. She felt her heart quicken with his steps, feeling his warmth flood her senses until he was standing right before her.
A small whirl of water enveloped him, carrying him up to where she lay. She couldn’t see his face yet, the fantasia had yet to be broken, until he reached out to touch her cheek. With that, her pearlescent eyes fluttered open, her grasped hands came undone, and she quickly placed a finger on his lips.
“Mmh!” he mumbled, warming her finger with his attempt to speak. Helektra smiled, barely able to contain her emotions as she beheld his amber eyes for the first time in almost a millennium. They were weary and fraught with worry, but warm and calming all the same.
“Seems like my feast is over,” Helektra murmured, keeping her tone as neutral as she could. She gently pushed him away, before swimming just far enough away to be able to call upon her trusted companion to take them to the Vortex of Genesis.
“It’s now your turn to perform.”
There, she said those lines she had wanted to for so long. A fitting greeting, from a knight to a hero. No more … no …
Helektra blinked, as she realized that Gray Fry was starting to get left behind in her haste. She had forgotten that he couldn’t swim as fast as she could.
Well, that was just an opportunity ripe for the taking. She quickly pulled him into a tight hug, almost gasping when his warmth flooded her senses when he reciprocated the gesture. It made her giddy with anticipation, and Helektra couldn’t help but speed up even faster. This would have to do for now, she could claim more later.
Her eyes kept on his as they broke through the barrier, slowly unravelling from their embrace as they floated to the ground hands clasped.
“Helektra…” he murmured breathlessly.
"I … I’m here,” she murmured back shyly. “Did you enjoy the feast?”
“It was beautiful. Thank you for showing me your memories.”
“Hehe, after the pink sea hare showed me yours, I thought it would only be fair.”
Helektra smiled, reflecting the warmth that he gave her as she continued.
“But anyway, Little Gray Fry … Please accept my thanks. I was the only one left after the world was destroyed, and I maintained this lonesome feast with my songs. I have prayed to that lightless sea for centuries, hoping it would reply to me, yet the emptiness never answered…”
Her eyes turned back to his, savoring the sight for a moment before she smiled joyfully.
“Thankfully, you arrived as promised, and everyone’s wait was not in vain”
He gulped, looking as unsure as he did all those years ago.
“Your long wait must have felt like torture…” he murmured. “I’m so sorry I took so long.”
"To see a single trace of light in the abyss of futility was already my greatest consolation. When compared to those who have been forgotten … I have no right to complain about my torment.”
“But… I still made you wait for so long,” Caelus insisted. “I … failed everyone again.”
Helektra shook her head, gazing into his eyes as she responded.
“Everyone waited for you because we believed. I waited, I endured for so long because I knew you would return. Even though madness clawed at my mind, even though my faith was shaken countless times … I still endured on.”
Helektra gave him another reassuring smile and squeezed his hand gently.
“Now … you and I will walk towards the end of this world.”
She turned to the other side of the Vortex, calling out for her prisoner to show. Then, with his usual bombastic aplomb, Lygus appeared, with all his usual jabs and taunts.
“… alas, prisoners will always be prisoners, blind to the very chains that bind them.”
These words caused a stir of anger in Helektra, as she had heard him utter these very words time and time again during the centuries of torment that she had endured. Though she didn’t have an answer of words for his rhetoric, she knew how else she could refute his claims.
“I will NEVER agree with your views” Caelus answered coldly. “I will fight you tooth and nail to prove you wrong.”
Helektra smiled, knowing that they were of one mind.
“The Amphoreans already answered long ago: be it as a tiny fish destined to be swallowed, or as a giant whale poised for a magnificent descent. We will all fight against fate till our last breath. That includes me, Helektra, once the Imperator’s subject, now the Deliverer’s blade!”
Inside, Helektra couldn’t help but smile. Ah, she finally said those words she had wanted to after so long. Lygus seemed unfazed, continuing to monologue lamenting the uselessness of opposing him. Those words fell on deaf ears, as Hysilens drew her blades. At last, a glorious beast to hunt, and the worthiest of partners to fight alongside.
“Are you ready for a duet together, Little Gray Fry?” she asked confidently.
“The feast is here! Let the music of triumph ring out!”
Light Calendar 4931, Vortex of Genesis
Helektra slowly opened her eyes, finding herself back in the Vortex of Genesis again. The memory that Cerydra had left her was such a beautiful sight, a vision of tranquil peace that Helektra had always envisioned when she placed her conch on her cheek. It was almost perfect … just missing Cerydra actually being there with her to see it.
It was strange.
Though she had long since departed, Cerydra still held such an important place in her heart. She had served her for only a hundred years, yet she couldn’t let go of the memory of that blazing sun that had scorched her, blinded her, led her.
Heh, Lygus was right, Helektra really was terrible at letting go.
She placed her conch to her cheek, closing her eyes and imagining the perfect scene. She was gazing out at an ocean, pristine and pure, teeming with fish and sea creatures. Cerydra would be there, standing right behind her, and all her friends from a thousand years ago would be sitting on the sandbar in front of her.
There wouldn’t be many words exchanged, just quiet reflection and a peaceful appreciation for the beautiful sight. War would just be a distant memory, just the thing that brought them together. She’d tilt her head, resting it on Caelus’s shoulder, quietly whispering her thanks to him for delivering on his promises.
Helektra opened her eyes, smiling slightly as she turned to look at the basin. Caelus had been standing there for a few seconds, ready to offer up the Coreflame. But… something seemed wrong.
He was too still, too stolid, as though frozen in space. Helektra went wide-eyed as a memory from a thousand years ago forced itself into her mind. He had looked so similarly still when the Theoros used his authority on him, just as resolute yet just as powerless.
Helektra quickly swam over, attempting to reach him when the Coreflame in his hand suddenly erupted into a strange black sea. Despite her best efforts, Helektra found herself being pushed back by the rushing tide, only barely able to stop herself by stabbing her sword into the stone dais she stood on.
Taking the moment to steady herself, Helektra glanced up and was horrified to see that Caelus’s frozen form was completely enshrouded in the dark waters. She reached out, trying fruitlessly to command the waters to recede.
She wasn’t going to lose him again, not without a fight.
Seeing that her best efforts were futile so far, Helektra instead summoned the waters surrounding the Vortex of Genesis to aid in her efforts. She pushed the darkness away from herself and sent her legions surging forward in an attempt to cleanse the tainted waters from her dear gray fry.
But, alas, her efforts were in vain. The memoria tide refused to budge, and quickly lifted Caelus off the ground, shooting deep upwards somewhere. Helektra grit her teeth, summoning the totality of her flagging strength. With a raise of her sword, she directed the water to chase after him. It formed into a roaring tsunami that surged forth as commanded, only for it to be halted by a sudden wall of stone that suddenly formed in front of her attack.
Despite her unflaggingly ardent efforts, Helektra found herself collapsed onto the floor and the waters she commanded fell to the ground in icy silence when the stone refused to budge a single inch.
She failed.
And he was gone.
Again.
Helektra clutched her heart, feeling the immense pain and sorrow that she had only felt once before. To have held Caelus in her arms, only to then have him ripped away by some unknown force just moments after their victorious hunt was too much to bear.
“AHHH”
Her anguished wails shook the stone walls, her rage on full display for an audience of none. She sank down, her sword and bow clattering uselessly beside her as her rage quickly gave way to sobering grief.
Was this it?
Did they lose?
The tendrils of despair closed in on her heart, threatening to drag her down once again. However, unlike last time and unlike any other time before, Helektra stirred before they could envelop her in nihility once more.
No. There was something else Helektra could do. The path from Styxia to the Vortex was still maintained by the remnants of Castorice’s will, and that meant that … she could access the River of Souls from here.
Without another moment of hesitation, Helektra picked up her weapons, summoning the last remaining waters that still remained to jettison her upwards. She would have to work fast, since she had no idea where the memoria tide was taking him. Also, she would have to work out how Terravox was still alive after all this time.
And thus, for the first time in over thirty million cycles, Helektra embraced her oblivion not with despair or rage, but instead with boundless determination. She chose to jump into the River of Souls to look for the man she had been waiting for so long.
“Gray Fry … Caelus … I’m on my way.”
Final Cycle, Light Calendar 4931, Memortis Shore
Cerydra walked on the broken path, admiring how the discordant architecture of the landscape seemed to work oddly well together. For a shattered mind, it was surprisingly well put together, and she was especially appreciative of the chess set that had manifested itself near the fountain she had just left.
The Scales of Justice began humming a quiet tune, one that she had heard from her loyal blade many a time in the past, using it to keep herself company as she continued her solitary walk. She had been accustomed to this in life, having blazed a lonely path ahead of her people in every past recurrence. It was fitting then that she would be alone again, striding forward before the other Titans and forging the path ahead so they could cross over easier.
“… I see you still remember that tune…”
Cerydra paused mid-step before continuing on.
“You should have gone with him,” she intoned. “I may not wish to be shackled down as a relic to be collected, but you have no such disinclinations.”
“Maybe, but I must be beside my Imperator,” Hysilens replied. “Where you go, I follow.”
Cerydra gave Hysilens an odd look.
“You don’t serve me anymore,” Cerydra stated. “We are equals now, as Titans.”
“But you decided to go on ahead, alone. If you can decide that, then I can choose to follow you again, as I have always done.”
Cerydra glanced at Hysilens again, smiling ever so slightly.
“You have gotten better at debate,” she mentions. “Very well, I will allow you to accompany me further. This terrain is proving more challenging to navigate than I first thought.”
“Then I shall cleanse the foulness from the road in your path,” Hysilens replied smartly. Cerydra said nothing, internally sighing before she continued on.
“You talk my ear off about him for hours and yet when you see him you grow shy,” Cerydra pointed out flatly. “I heard the jubilation in our voice when you saw him, it’s obvious how you feel.”
“That… that’s not important,” Hysilens replied quietly. “Besides, I love you too.”
“Not in that way,” Cerydra countered quickly. “I know that much. Though, I realize now that I have mistaken a lot about you. Perhaps only a game of chess isn’t enough to understand the hearts of those around me.”
“That goes both ways, Cerydra,” Hysilens replied, her note more hopeful than before. “Gray Fry mentioned we should have a long chat after the fighting is done. I hope you will indulge me on that.”
“Of course. You needn’t even have asked,” Cerydra answered.
The pair walked on for some time in silence. Though she had never let herself feel it in life, she was grateful that Hysilens continued to stand by her even now. Perhaps, after everything was said and done, Cerydra could finally let loose the shackles on her heart and finally open up to Hysilens a bit. That pink sidekick did always tell her to loosen up a bit more, after all.
She glanced back, about to ask Hysilens to play a tune when she caught herself before she could speak. Even she knew that friends didn’t order friends to play music … so what to do?
“By the way, what was the real reason you decided to come with me,” Cerydra asked off-handedly. Hysilens paused, giving her a strange look.
“Whatever do you mean?” she asked curiously, much to Cerydra’s knowing stare.
“Don’t take me for a fool, Hysilens,” Cerydra remarked with a smirk. “Or are you too embarrassed to say it aloud?”
Gold spread on Hysilens’s face as she heard the remark. She fiddled with her right bang while turning away slightly.
“All his friends were there,” she said quietly, continuing to fiddle with her bangs. “I couldn’t just run up and claim his lips like I wanted. It would have been unbearably awkward.”
Cerydra forced herself to stifle her laugh, turning away and continuing on the broken path.
“You really should have gone with him; you’d get the chance later.”
“Well, I’m choosing to stay with you instead.”
Era Nova, Sunlit Garden
Helektra gripped her note tightly in her hand, careful to keep it pristine despite her strong grip. Some time had passed since she and everyone else had woken up in this strange land after the defeat of Irontomb. The last thing had remembered was saying goodbye, saying a final few words before the book was supposed to have closed forever. That was the end, or so she had thought.
Instead, she had woken up in this very garden, with Labienus, Seneca, and the others around her. Everyone had been confused until Verginia mentioned that seemed to have arrived in Era Nova
Then, it all clicked.
Cerydra, Aglaea, Cipher, and all the other Demigods were all present. Not just them, but countless commonfolk, from guards and soldiers that Helektra had once met, to merchants and children from the era a thousand years later. It was wonderous, fairytale ending, like one of from Castorice’s books.
Except … Cyrene wasn’t there.
The loss of their friend, the one who had kept them together throughout the penultimate cycle weighed heavily on all the Demigods. However, none felt the weight of that loss moreso than Caelus, who had been inconsolable for a few days.
Helektra had gone looking for him. She wanted to be by his side, keep him company even if only in the way she had when Cerydra had been forlorn in the past. Yet … she couldn’t muster up the courage when she saw how the other Demigods interacted with him.
Phainon and Mydeimos had taken him for a contest of stamina before making him a hearty meal. Castorice and Hyacinthia had made him plushes and books, even penning a few of the stories that Castorice had written during their time in the book, like the ones about a brave raccoon’s reincarnation. Cipher and the Tribios sisters created a game involving rockets and dice for him to play, and even Aglaea and Anaxagoras took some time to talk with him, to help ease his pain.
While all this was going on, Helektra stood to the side, sword and bow in hand. She wanted to play but found that she couldn’t. Her fingers stiffened up, and she found her throat run dry as she pondered what kind of song she could play to ease his ache. Anything that came out sounded broken, or worse, reminded her of the bloodshed and loss that had plagued her life in all the past recurrences.
After much consideration, Helektra realized what was truly grasping at her heart. Why she was so uncertain still.
Time.
Though she had spent a thousand years waiting for Caelus’s return, then a thousand more guarding the golden dragonfish as he plunged into the maze of time to rescue him from the black jellyfish’s grasp, Caelus himself hadn’t spent much time with her.
Ah, Titans above, how much of a fool she was, thinking that their bond was special.
She saw how the others interacted with him, how his weary gaze softened slightly at one of Phainon’s witty remarks, or when Castorice held out another toy raccoon that she had personally crocheted.
These were his friends, the reasons he fought so hard to be the Deliverer.
And she? She was just a fish he knew for a few days.
He was her first, her main character, her Primarius. But what could she possibly be to him?
There was also the look in his eyes when he talked about the stars. Anaxagoras had pulled him aside one day and asked him about the stars above. She saw how Caelus talked about his adventures, the people he’d met, the cultures he seen. She recognized that excitement and joy he had as he talked about going to other planets in the future. He had the same look talking about the stars as she did when she talked about Cerydra.
At first, Helektra considered asking him if she could join him. Set down her blades and oaths to travel the sea of stars like how Cerydra thought she wanted to. To be with Caelus as he travelled the cosmos, experiencing the joys of ultimate freedom.
But…
She couldn’t bear to do it. Not when that meant leaving behind everything she knew. Her friends, her found family. Cerydra.
And so, she decided to write him a letter. She had gone through a dozen drafts, each less polished than the next. Alas, Cerydra’s attempts to get her to write properly never seemed to stick. Or maybe it was just because she had too much to say.
As she grasped the letter in her left hand, her right hand held her recording conch. The companion she had held since she first came to the surface each and every cycle had manifested itself by her side just as she remembered. The shell that had helped ease her loneliness and homesickness so many times, that had kept her sane throughout the bloody campaigns that she had waged in the Imperator’s name.
Perhaps, with the ocean now pure and free of the Black Tide, parting with this wouldn’t be as painful as she thought. Perhaps, with the fighting over, and peace having finally come, she wouldn’t feel so lonely.
…
With a heavy heart, Helektra continued her way to the Slumbering Courtyard. Today was the day that Caelus was set to leave. He had mentioned where he was going next, a faraway planet called Planarcadia, and that it was likely to be a long time before he returned.
If ever.
That thought weighed heavily on Helektra’s heart as she got to the Courtyard. There, the other Demigods presented their gifts to him. Phainon had made a replica of his weapon, Hyacine had given him the pendant that she wore on her hip, and everyone else had a memento from themselves to the man they called Deliverer.
Hah, even her ideas weren’t original.
She quickly handed him her gift and letter, darting away like a clownfish into anemone once he had accepted it. She couldn’t look into his eyes. She couldn’t bear seeing that joyful glow in his eye roil up another storm in her heart.
Her mindless retreat brought her up the steps to the Dome of the Stars, where she had finally had her chat with Cerydra once they had got their bearings. She rededicated her vows to serve, even after everything. Thirty million cycles of fighting, killing, and death. Thirty million cycles of bloodshed, of loss, and of sorrow. But… despite all that, despite all that had happened between them, Helektra still wanted to continue to serve Cerydra and to be by her side.
Even if it meant never seeing Caelus ever again.
Her heart rent as she forced herself to accept the situation that she found herself in. Having to choose between her two loves had wracked her with grief unlike any she had felt in her past lifetimes. At one point, she had wondered if she could ask Caelus to stay with her, to continue being her drinking buddy, her confidant, her partner. But she knew that shackling him to this humble little pool would destroy him just as taking her from it would destroy her.
Tears had already begun to stream from her face as she knelt down on the stone dais. The beautiful sight above her seemed to darken as she mourned her lost love. Would he even read her letter? Would he even keep her conch, or would he just put it aside with all the other trinkets that he gathered from his many journeys.
Would he even remember her and the banquet they hadn't finished? The taste of honey brew, and the drinks they hadn't touched?
Helektra felt her teleslate fall to the ground next to her with a soft clatter. She had been cradled up, rocking on the balls of her feet when she saw something odd light up the screen. It was a message, from someone who shouldn’t possibly be able to message her.
“Cy…rene…?” she mumbled.
Helektra leaned down to touch the device, opening up the message she had just been sent.
“You have a message. Receiving…”
“Ta-da!”
“A girl named Cyrene would never leave so easily!”
“Or, at least, never leave without saying goodbye!”
Despite everything, Helektra couldn’t help but smile faintly at the thought of the pink-haired girl smiling and waving at her from wherever she was now.
“Miss Hysilens, your songs are so unforgettable and pretty! I love singing along and dancing to them!”
“I hope I can hear more of them in the future, so please make sure to write more songs!”
“If you could write one for me, I would love it to the ends of time!”
Helektra’s smile widened, appreciating the emote that Cyrene used to convey her adoration.
“But one more thing,”
“I know you feel lonely sometimes, even with Cerydra and the others with you.”
“I wish I be there with you now, but in my place, let me give you a quote to brighten your day.”
“When there is a chance to make a choice, make one that you know you won’t regret…”
<Voice message has been converted to text>
“Of course, it’s from my dear friend Caelus! He said this right when he made his decision to board the Astral Express!”
“I hope this quote will help you out on the long road ahead!”
Helektra stared at her screen, reading and rereading through the short message. She was on her feet before she realized it, racing down the stairs before she knew what she was doing. She didn’t have a plan, nor an idea of what she was going to say. She only knew that she needed to find Caelus before it was too late.
She thundered down the end of the starry staircase, speeding through the tower and continuing down the stony steps. She passed the stained-glass windows, the marble columns, then into the grasping roots of the tree that lead to the Courtyard.
There, he was. Red-faced and haggard. He had been running, scrambling for some reason. Pearl eyes met yellow, and Helektra surged forward to place a finger on his lips as he began to speak.
For a moment, she stared at his chest, watching it heave up and down as she worked up the courage to look back into his eyes once again. Slowly, her gold-rimmed eyes made their slow ascent up to her beloved’s face with tears beginning to trickle from them.
“Please… don’t…”
Helektra paused, not knowing what she wanted to say next. Millenia of keeping her own desires unfulfilled made her waver. What could she possibly ask of him that wouldn’t rent his warmth asunder?
“… don’t ever forget me …” she murmured. Her tears flowed freely from her eyes. She shuddered, her legs buckling from the weight of her emotion. This was the best she could hope for, to cling onto the hope that he’d keep her somewhere in her heart as he travelled.
“… how could I?”
Helektra froze. She glanced up, blinking away her tears as she stared into those yellow eyes that brought such warmth to her heart. Caelus stared back at her, unwavering despite the blush that was creeping onto his face. He gently moved his finger aside as he continued to speak.
“I … read your letter. Sorry, I know I should have waited until I’d left, but I couldn’t … not after having made you wait for so long… At first, I didn’t know what to think, I thought you were telling me that we could never be together… but I figured it out when I read the rest…”
Helektra could only stare in amazement as Caelus took a deep breath, standing up straighter before he continued.
“If I read it right, and I really hope I did … I want to tell you something. I will always come back to you. Even if I’m on a distant planet, or a faraway space station, I will always remember the banquet we have left unfinished and return to your side to continue it. You are my terminus, my safe haven, the one I can always count on the be there to welcome me back.”
Helektra gasped, failing to speak when she opened her mouth. A strange gurgle came out instead, causing her to flush embarrassedly. Caelus cleared his throat, his gaze unwavering.
“Um… I guess, what I’m trying to say is-”
Caelus found himself cut off when Helektra swiftly cut the distance between them in an instant. Her lips smashed into his, toppling him over as they collapsed into a clumsy heap on the sunlit courtyard. Her nose poked into his face while his arm was crushed between them by her body weight. But none of it mattered, as Helektra finally claimed the prize she had been waiting for.
Caelus quickly wriggled his arm free and wrapped her in a tight embrace as he reciprocated the kiss, allowing her entry into his mouth as he entered hers. They stayed like this for a few minutes that seem to stretch for an eternity, enjoying each other’s presence as the world around them faded away. As the world around them came to life, they finally parted, breathless, staring into each other’s eyes with deep affection.
“Helektra,” he murmured.
“Caelus,” she mimicked.
They remain locked in their embrace, not knowing how to continue. That is, until Caelus began to chuckle. Helektra too, began to giggle, and the pair’s mirth gave way to full throated laughter as the others who dwelt in the Eternal Page clapped and cheered, having all been gathered by the commotion they had caused earlier.
And thus, for the first time in several million lifetimes, surrounded by her beloved friends and Imperator, while basking in the warm embrace of the one she loved, Helektra was finally completely content.