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Seven days had passed after the passing of Velnorte, during that time, Rinyuu had been living with Phina. Her own home felt cold and empty, she couldn't even stomach being there, less so continue her life as if nothing had happened. On the other hand, Phina's presence was warm, she radiated a bright light, one that made Rinyuu feel safe. Whenever she was with Phina, it was as if she were home. Rinyuu would have loved to remain with her, but Emberglow held so many memories, both good and bad, it was painful. And so…
"Could you please accompany to Flamesgrace? I wish to become a cleric as well." Rinyuu told her one morning.
"Oh? And why's that?" Phina seemed somewhat surprised.
"I wish to atone for Velnorte's sins. Serving the order of the sacred flame is the best way to do that." Right after hearing this, Phina seemed to force a smile, but a burning hatred could be seen in her eyes. Rinyuu did not notice this, for so long she had lived through her other senses that small changes in somebody's face meant nothing to her.
"You know you don't have to do that, right?" But, even if Rinyuu was unable at the time to read somebody's face, she had become adept at picking up someone's emotions in their voice. And Phina's voice at that moment hid a form of disgust and anger under her sweet and gentle tone.
"I wish to do so." Rinyuu steeled her will. She was sure that was what she wanted.
"Fine, I'll accompany you then." Phina sighed, "I know how much he meant to you. But no one should be forced to atone for another sins."
"Thank you so much Miss Phina!" Rinyuu fervently thanked her.
"Please, I've told you to just call me Phina." She sighed, and then proceeded to hug Rinyuu, "I care about you, so please don't do anything you don't want to do."
The morning of the next day, the two women departed the town of Emberglow.
Rinyuu felt a warm light touch her face, one she recognized. And so, she called out.
"Is that you… Phina?" Rinyuu stood up, in front of her was a familiar figure.
"No." The figure simply said, "I am Ceraphina. The one who will judge all of mankind."
Rinyuu was confused, part of it was from the fact that she was still waking up, but she sensed something deep inside the person in front of her. Hidden beneath the warm light, was a darkness, a burning, hateful, darkness.
Rinyuu's eyes finally got used to the room's lighting, she could see a woman, one with beautiful, eternal beauty. She wore a long, white dress. A golden crown with thorns adorned her head.
"Rinyuu…" She spoke gently, but her voice couldn't hide the excitement she felt, "Long have I awaited for this moment."
Before she could mutter another word, four people entered the room, their faces showing a mix of worry and anger. But one in particular seemed to stay calm and collected. Rinyuu recognized them instantly, these were friends of hers.
"And here you are again…" Ceraphina let out an exasperated sigh. Rinyuu could hear the frustration and anger in her voice. "How long will you continue this pointless struggle?" the anger was clear, but it also hid pain, a deep pain that fueled the darkness beneath.
"Until all evil has been purged from this land." The voice, Sazantos' voice, was filled with anger and determination.
"And just what is 'evil'? Whoever you point your sword at?" Ceraphina spoke once more, she mocked Sazantos, but at the same time, but instead of being pure sarcasm and mockery, there was a hint of sincerity to that observation.
"Don't listen to her. Let's finish this, Sazantos." Captain Hugo spoke, he tried his best to sound strong and confident, but there was a midge of fear hidden behind that brave face.
Sazantos grunted in response, "Enough of your games!" He yelled, that anger remained, but it seemed as if Ceraphina's words had reached the Flameguard. A seed of doubt had sprouted in his heart. "Give us the ring and release the girl."
"No." Ceraphina said simply, "She's my all-important sacrifice."
Rinyuu wanted to say something, but no words reached her mouth. She needed some more time to process what was going on.
"She descends from a certain family you see." Ceraphina turned to Rinyuu, giving her a twisted smile. Her voice showed a sense of twisted joy. "The Crossford Family."
Captain Hugo gasped out of surprise, breaking his fighting stance for a moment. Rinyuu thought back to her father.
"And they hold one of the qualities needed to ascend to godhood." Ceraphina said with a dulcet tone, that then turned into a mix of relief and frustration, "I've been searching for those who inherited the divine blood for so long now."
Ceraphina turned to Rinyuu, closing the distance between the two, squeezing her shoulder tight. "And Rinyuu just so happens to be… Graham Crossford's illegitimate child." Her voice carried a devilish glee.
Ceraphina let go of Rinyuu, closing her eyes and looking at the ground, "I discovered this years ago and have waited for my opportunity ever since." Ceraphina sighed, a sigh that carried some form of madness, "Waited for the coming of the accursed night!"
The darkness enveloping Ceraphina grew, her light slowly consumed by a dark flame. Rinyuu stood there, frozen. A million thoughts ran through her head. Was everything a lie? Just a set of excuses Ceraphina had made to remain close to her? But before Rinyuu could say something, the darkness grew, engulfing both Ceraphina and Rinyuu alike.
She could feel her lungs tighten from the burning air. Rinyuu collapsed on the floor, she closed her eyes and attempted to make sense of everything. She could see a warm light on the horizon, she did her best to reach out to it and…
"Rinyuu, are you okay?" While on their way to Flamesgrace, a pack of monsters had attacked them. Phina had more experience using offensive magic, and thus, was able to easily take care of the monsters. Rinyuu, due to her lack of experience, got hurt in the scuffle.
"It's nothing, just a scratch. I'll be fine." Rinyuu did her best to put on a brave face, but in truth, she was in pain. The beast's claws had cut deep into her flesh.
"Allow me." Phina closed her eyes, a small light shone from her hands, she was performing healing magic. It felt warm and cozy, just like Phina herself. "Is it any better?"
"It is, thank you." Rinyuu gave her a gentle smile, one that caused Phina to blush a little, she hid that reaction with haste, "Let's just go." She sounded flustered.
The two women continue their pilgrimage, they braved the snowy terrain of the Frostlands until a snowstorm hit near nightfall. The two of them were then forced to seek shelter, a nearby cave would suffice. After finding one, Phina created a small fire using her magic, but this was not enough, as Rinyuu was still shivering from the cold.
"I sincerely hope you don't get sick from this." Phina got close to Rinyuu, "We chose the worst time to depart, didn't we?" Some sarcastic humor could be inferred from Phina's tone.
"I'm sorry." Rinyuu apologized, still shivering.
"Why are you apologizing, you do not control the weather Rinyuu." Phina sounded frustrated.
Rinyuu sneezed, "Even so, nightfall had just started, we had to seek shelter for the night even if a storm hadn't hit." Phina sighed and walked over to their bags. She took out what seemed to be a bed roll and a blanket. "If it's okay with you, I believe the smart thing to do would be to share a bed and a blanket." Phina said this in a neutral serious tone, "That way we can share our body heat to keep us warm during the night".
Even if Rinyuu already felt a bit warmer, her shivering was still bad enough she saw herself unable to talk. And so, she nodded in agreement to Phina's proposal, doing her best to move to the bedroll, hidden deeper in the cave.
"I'll keep the fire on for a bit. I will also try to create a small perimeter to keep us safe from the monsters." Phina proceeded to do some more magic, the cave lit up with colors, Rinyuu couldn't yet understand what she was doing, but it made her feel safer nonetheless.
Phina then got into the bed with Rinyuu, the two of them facing each-other.
"Thank you." Rinyuu said shyly.
"It's hard to say no to you, you know?" Phina sighed, she then got closer to Rinyuu, hugging her, "We should cuddle, it'll help us keep warm."
Rinyuu closed her eyes, she could feel the light from Phina, it was the closest it had ever been. And soon she stopped feeling cold.
The abrasive heat suddenly dissipated, but it left Rinyuu still dazed and confused. Most of her sense had yet to adjust. But she felt something, that same all consuming darkness, a wild fire that was about to consume everything, overflowing from Ceraphina. The light she had once emitted had been dulled by the dark shadow of hate.
But behind that, she sensed a flickering flame, one that was fighting not to be extinguished. She had to do something. She could not let that darkness consume more. She had to stop it, it wasn't too late.
"No…" Rinyuu gathered whatever strength she had and stood up, "Even in the worst of times, there is always hope!" Rinyuu prayed deep from within her heart for the power to vanquish that darkness, that corroding evil that had taken her first love from her, and now it threatened to do the same with the second.
A bright light shone, and that once flickering flame grew in strength. With a quick swing of his blade, Sazantos broke the attack. But the darkness that was consuming Ceraphina hadn't gotten smaller, it just kept growing and growing.
"Rinyuu… How dare you interfere?" Rage, her voice was filled with and intense rage and hatred.
"Phina… Please, we don't have to fight…" Rinyuu tried to reach out, but her please fell on deaf ears. She then felt her whole body burn, a darkness had started to consume her as if she were fuel. Rinyuu could feel, from deep inside her heart, that same darkness doing the same to Ceraphina.
Rinyuu felt the sun hit her face, she slowly opened her eyes to see Phina standing at the entrance of the cave. "Phina…?" Rinyuu called out, still a bit groggy.
"Oh, glad to see you're awake. I would have woken you up I did not wish to disturb you." Phina helped Rinyuu up, giving her a candid smile as she did.
"I'm sorry for making you wait." Rinyuu said as Phina passed her some of the rations they had packed.
"You apologize too much Rinyuu." Phina sighed, "It was no problem, gave me time to make sure there were no monster waiting outside."
The two of them then ate breakfast in silence, Rinyuu did her best to enjoy and appreciate the smell and the taste of the meal. Phina had prepared them before they departed.
"As a thanks, I would like to make you some stew." Rinyuu said with a carefree smile.
"I would very much like that." Phina returned the smile.
After breakfast, they departed once again, the sun shone bright. Rinyuu took a step out of the cave, she felt safe with Phina, she had found yet another guiding light in her life.
Suddenly, that feeling of burning had stopped, but all of Rinyuu's strength had been sapped. She couldn't hear or see anything what was happening, but even if her outside senses were out of commission, she still sensed something. The darkness that had once been consuming Ceraphina separated from her, becoming a even bigger presence. What had been left behind was a weak flickering light, one that had almost been extinguished by the darkness. Rinyuu wanted to get up, do something, but her body didn't respond.
The darkness began to grow, it was terrifying… But as if it were of a divine miracle, a bright light grew with it, vanquishing it. But this didn't change the state of Ceraphina's light, it was still flickering, it seemed as if the flame that produced that light was about to go out. Rinyuu couldn't let this happen, and as if Aelfric himself had come down to bless her, she was able to get up. Her senses were still dulled, her eyes remained closed, sounds did not reach her ears, no discernible smell nor texture were of notice. But she could still sense that flickering light, and so, she dragged herself towards it.
"Rinyuu…?" Ceraphina's soul spoke, it was weak.
Rinyuu did not say a thing, she just embraced Ceraphina, hoping that she could share her warmth with her once again.
"I was wrong… Rinyuu…" Ceraphina said, "I despised humans more than anything else…"
Rinyuu prayed to the gods, she wished for another miracle, for the flame to help maintain Phina's light.
"Because I thought true darkness resided in all of their hearts." Ceraphina hugged Rinyuu back, tears started forming in her eyes, "But… After having spent all that time with you… My mind has begun to change."
Rinyuu could feel Ceraphina's light going out, her life slipping from her grip.
"You're like… A bright light." Ceraphina said gently. She felt warm, a warmth she had not truly felt since she lost her grandfather.
"'A hero who flies too close to the heavens will have their wings clipped and turned to ash.'" Ceraphina focused on Rinyuu's light, she wished she had spent more time with her. Her ambitions were now nothing but a cruel joke from the universe, "'Do not give yourself over to greed. For the gods are always watching."
Rinyuu could feel Ceraphina's light go out. Ceraphina could hear a familiar voice call to her, "Grandpa…" she reached out to the heavens, "I'll be with you soon…" Ceraphina wished she could have spent even more time being bathed by Rinyuu's light. But before she left to reunite with her grandpa, Ceraphina whispered something to Rinyuu from the depths of her soul.
"I love you…"