This Gothic World
Chapter 7

Ceres

“What the heck is wrong with you?”

He could not believe what he had just witnessed with this woman. He could not believe what she had done! Just to save…what?

“You know I am talking to you!”

She did not turn back to look at him as her receding back continued towards somewhere deep within the dark forest of Zolios. What in the name of—?

“Hey!”

He could no longer keep himself up as she started to walk at an impressive speed for a woman injured fatally for about a moment before. What was going on?

“At least tell me they didn’t get their hands on my blood!”

That got a reaction as she stopped abruptly and turned to face him with the grim face of an angel of Death. Ceres felt a shiver go down his spine as he saw the violet glow surround them suddenly in an orb of smoky protection.

Irene inched closer as Ceres stood still facing her with all his might. He would not be afraid of a mere witch. After all, he had survived—

She slapped him in the face with force enough to stagger him. Ceres tried to stand his ground but before he could she raised him up by his collar and he had no choice but to face her black eyes filled to the brim with violet clouds.

“Listen to me, my liege. If you want to live, you will not question me as I drag you to safety.”

“What about before? You dragged me into this mess! What I ask—

“What you ask is not possible at this very moment! You bumbling nitwit! We cannot risk getting caught by those followers from the Beyond lead by Temperance Methuselah and the Evil King!”

With those words hanging around like filth she let him off on the ground and waved off the smoky orb in one flick of her wrist. Power was simply oozing from her pores as Ceres found him dumbfounded by this entire situation.

But he managed to snap out of it and started to follow her straight on with a question in tow.

“What do you mean the Evil King?”

“The Evil King isn’t alive yet. But,” She faced him again with the violet eyes dancing with mirth and her lips up in a smirk. “Nahass Judas isn’t either.”

Ceres didn’t understand what she was joyous for. Just a few moments ago she was this broken and battered woman with not a single ounce of life left and now…

A shiver went down his spine as he considered the possibilities…Another entity? Or was it—?

“I am no entity, my liege.”

“Then what are you?”

Ceres blurted out before he could manage to constraint his vocal cords and immediately his face fell when he met Irene’s violet gaze again. This time her face was stone cold while holding the same mirth as before.

“What I am, your Majesty, you truly do not need or want to know for I am not of your concern.”

She turned around yet again to move forward and Ceres’s eyes probably doubled up to his forehead. But it was not all what she said. Because what truly had chilled Ceres’s blood were the storm clouds floating inside her eyes and the dangerous aura of power around her face…Irene was well and truly…gone.

“Irene is still here, Ceres.” She chuckled. “Her soul has just opened up to new possibilities is all, my dear.”

He felt a bit chilly as they continued their walks towards an unknown destination. Ceres thought it better to not speak any longer. He silenced his inner curiosity as his mind pondered on what horrors were conjured by the Mammon Guild.

Let the world fall…we shall fight side by side…No right shall be wronged…For all anew shall rise…

Irene

Let the world fall…we shall fight side by side…All wrong shall be undone…For their ashes shall burn bright…

“Who are you?”

Irene looked up from her darkened corner to replace herself trapped inside an infinite darkness…unending and unbending to neither will nor might…

“I am the darkness you seek, my child.”

Her voice was soothing…like an angel’s…her mystical scent of lavender and something smoky made Irene feel right at home. Yet it explained nothing of Irene’s current predicament.

“Where am I?”

Her voice roared in laughter as Irene took in the darkness surrounding her with cautious observation. Where was the voice coming from? It felt as if it was omnipresent and omniscient at the same time. What in the—

“You are within the darkness of your Hel, my dear. Just speak and light will appear.”

Speak and light will appear? Where was this place? Despite her doubts, Irene took up the offer. She raised herself off the cold ground and stood upright as her voice trembled with fear.

“Light…please…appear…”

In an instant the entire world was illuminated with a bright arch of violet orbs which glowed with a smoky tinge. Irene felt anticipation make way through her as she gazed at the otherworldly sight. The voice all around chuckled yet again as Irene searched for its source.

“What are you?”

Irene watched all around her as the orbs danced in a slow and meditative fashion. It was intoxicating and ethereal. Her mind buzzed with awareness of a very high power as a flash of lightning blinded everything. She closed her eyes and braced herself before finally opening them to meet a figure cloaked in violet and black. Her hair was silky smooth, the color of coal…Her eyes were bright violet an unusual color for her almond skin tone. Irene watched…mesmerized by her beauty and noted in her haze the figure wore a crown of golden laurels and amethyst.

“Hello, dear child.”

She stood before Irene with her hand outwards inviting. Irene hesitated but her doubt soon vaporized as she saw the neck tattoo sported by the unknown maiden. The stars of the heavens with the moon at its center…it made Irene feel safe and she knew who it was at last…

“Mother…Holy Mother…You’ve come to get me…”

Holy Mother nodded before taking Irene’s hand gently in hers and leading her towards the endless path illuminated by the violet orbs. Irene followed as if in a daze as they reached a table in the middle of nowhere.

“Come sit with me, my child.”

Irene did as she was told and with awe observed everything appear out of nowhere as the table was set for a banquet of sort. The round table was beautifully decorated with Lilac carvings and other beautiful natural scenery. Irene could barely blink in fear it would all disappear.

Holy Mother raised one eyebrow in query as Irene pinched herself.

“Ouch!”

It hurt with a stinging sensation as Holy Mother chuckled in a very free manner. Her chuckle turned to laughter as Irene could only blink.

“You are such a jester, my child! This isn’t a dream!”

“This isn’t? Then how—

“I summoned you here. After all, Nahass has finally let you free from her control.”

The smirk was beginning to seem more like a grin to Irene as she blinked several times for good measure.

“Then, I am dead?”

Laughter erupted from everywhere until finally the Holy Mother was done and looked up to her.

“No, child, you’re not dead…yet.”

“Then, what am I doing here?”

Irene was more puzzled than anything. The Holy Mother, Almighty Destroyer’s chosen and beloved one came to her in her dream. As of her time, it had never happened to anyone. Not even to the High Priestess! What was going on?

After a brief exchange of glances Holy Mother looked directly into Irene’s eyes. A vision came to her…at first slowly…then faster than the speed of sound…everything was rotating and merging into this epic scene…

Subsisto Infinitum…the origin spell the Holy Mother had used against the Evil High King to send him back to the Beyond, the most secluded part of Hel where nothing survived…even the dead could not cross it due to its strong and thick spiritual walls…impenetrable to any type of force…except for the King’s own…which filtered through it eating away at the surface…until finally…his powers leaked through and into the valley of Crane Country…corrupting the people into turning against the true chosen King…corrupting the Old Magus Blood to turn against one another…corrupting the mage bloods from ever manifesting their true powers…

“Subsisto Infinitum!”

Everything stopped with violet rays…violet clouds framed the scene…all things fell into place as Irene walked through unseen, unheard, and unknown…

With a gasp Irene coughed up from the vision as if she had been drowning in water for longer than a century. It was a one of a kind feeling. A feeling which she would definitely never forget but one which would not triumph the confusion of her present situation…Irene looked up to meet Holy Mother’s eyes once more despite her fear of drowning into the visions yet again but nothing came this time.

“Wh—What did I—I just—s—see?”

Her voice trembled but her curiosity was too great to not be quenched. Holy Mother smiled at her warmly as one of her hands took Irene’s to reveal a sacred wheel made of six bars etched into her palm. Irene gasped as the mark slowly grew to a vine with a violet fire leading to her forearm and then disappearing around the edge of her black t-shirt while a sensation of odd peace enveloped her.

“Talk to your Head Priestess, my child. There is much more to life than what you know.”

Irene only gaped at Holy Mother before everything started to swirl into darkness. However, before she went down she heard one last time from Holy Mother.

“Magic is life and it is never forbidden to anyone. Remember it always, Irene.”

Ceres

Just as she was swaying Ceres caught her in his arms and laid her down on the misty forest floor. The clouds were rather productive as everything in their path had been soaked with water and greenery.

“Irene!”

He tapped on her cheeks several times before she moaned and opened her eyes. Her dark eyes…Ceres sighed in relief before finally allowing her to sit up and rest beside him. His feelings were a jumble but first things first…

“Who are you?”

Irene looked at him like he was a madman but he prompted her to tell him which received a moderately well response than before. “Irene Methuselah, Your Majesty. Why?”

Ceres sighed yet again; this time due to exasperation. He wasn’t too inclined to speak to her about her recent incarnation…and the other gruesome and horrid details. Yet his skin prickled with a sense of urgency to speak to her about these matters.

Just as soon as she recovers...she seems weaker than anything.

Irene looked at him with mystified eyes as Ceres only shrugged. He was done with the games but something felt right about staying with her here underneath the trees in the Forest of Zolios. Something truly felt correct and true about this moment…

“Your Highness, I must beg of your forgiveness…I—

“No need.”

He dismissed her proposition even before she had a chance to spit it out into the open. He had no regrets for he knew what she was asking of him. And what she was asking of him was…in one word…impossible.

“Let’s just get to Crane Castle—

“No, Your Highness. I cannot do that. I am sorry.”

She stood up from her position and Ceres saw with disbelief the amount of pain lurking behind her eyes. Despite this she maintained her posture and spoke with dignity unlike any other of his people. Unlike any other human girl he had met before…

“I will accompany your Majesty to the Castle but I must warn you, Sire, it will be taken in the next three days if not earlier...”

“Three days?”

Ceres bolted up as rage pumped through his veins. “What is the meaning of three days? You come up here taking me hostage and now you say Crane Castle will fall in three days? Just who do you think you are?”

“I—

“And don’t say you’re a citizen of this Noble nation because look here missy, you are certainly not noble and you’re from now on certainly not a citizen!”

Irene looked dumbstruck as Ceres continued on with his rage. Anger unbound would always speak despite all who try to prevent it. It would always be in vain.

“You kidnap me and take me to your Father who is a psychopath! He is a literal psychopath who murders people! And don’t say he spared your sister because I know he didn’t! I don’t know her face but I would know his face and I saw one of his spawn’s head on the pikes!”

Irene kept silent as she listened with an avid ear and a dark face. Her expression was unreadable as Ceres continued his rant.

“I don’t understand! How foolish could you be? Huh? What in the world—

“Are you done with you complaints, Majesty?”

Her voice sent chills down Ceres’s spine as he yet again faced her and this time there was no sign of magic or any aura of power behind her. It was simply…Irene. Yet something seemed…wrong…off…

“What have you to say?”

Her head raised she looked up at him with black eyes…perfect depiction of Hel in all its glory. She took a deep breath and sighed out before her soft voice came to his ears.

“My father is bringing up an army from the Beyond in order to take down the Castle, Sire. I advise strongly for you to not remain there. It is not safe and I would also suggest an escape route for Highness to utilize in order to warn the Castle off, if possible.”

Ceres had no patience. “What are you saying?”

“We split up here, Highness. You go back to your castle and I go back to where I came from.”

“And where is that?”

“City of Cranes, Majesty. If you require my assistance call for me at House Methuselah. I will come back to assist you in the final battle against the forces.”

Ceres only blinked at her before a giggle escaped him which transformed into a full-fledged laughter. Irene didn’t look at him anymore and before anything she started to walk away from him. Ceres only watched before something hit him.

“Wait!”

Irene turned and Ceres rethought his idea. It was a mad-plan but something to look forward to when getting to Crane Castle. After all, life required something to look forward to always. And Ceres would have to patient until he could enjoy it.

“I will go with you.”

“But—

“No one will suspect me to follow you around. Not even your father if you can speak for him as being a smart man.”

Irene looked gob-smacked but said nothing nodding her head in agreement and Ceres went from there. The journey began and Ceres only smiled internally while the clock ticked on. It would be a hell of a show. He just knew it in his bones. After all, it was his plan. What would go wrong?