CHAPTER 179: HORIZONS

After witnessing the visions that came forth like a mudslide, with tears welling up on her face, Aletha clutched her hand to her mouth, remembering vividly what happened to Sergil.

(The dragon, the true love, the feelings. Kali...)

Struck with the suddenness of their memories, she could only mutter in her mind as her vision narrowed into the grassy space.

"Sergil..."She whispered.

Then, emerging with his golden eyes, Sergil took a step back and stared deep into the golden ball of light. Aletha’s pony tail danced with the rhythm of the bristles of grass, her dress gleamed underneath the mellow luminance, and her face, as bright as it was, continued to shine within the space.

Seeing clouds in the horizon, Aletha was driven to wonder.

"Who is he?"

Afterward, the man turned his body back, giving a greeting smile at her. This, followed by the resounding question from Aletha, forced him to greet back to her.

"Yes. I see that you have figured it out by now. My wish is in effect..." The man uttered as he turned to the shallow cyan water ponds, towards Aletha. "I am Sergil; The King of Linuxinia. I noticed you have recollected my memories and acknowledged how I made the wish. Not just that, but you now know how I can foresee the future, and how I loved Linuxinia fully."

After scratching his head, he brushed the formality off his face and asked with an inviting grin.

"So tell me, Original Owner of Gincad. What do you want to know? What could possibly be the reason why you have entered my abode?"

"Owner of Gincad?" Aletha said as she reeled backward. "No one has ever called me that. Let alone willingly invite a stranger to where you have rested."

"So I see you forgot your memory." Sergil said as he turned to the heavens. " It’s quite understandable, having been five thousand years since you were first mentioned in those history readings. "

. . .

As a breeze passed by the pond, the two decided to have a seat and a chat.

The woodland was filled with greenery, with a never-ending dawn opening up the expanse.

The golden light hung high above the sea, while the moon shone just beneath the starry space. After the horrifying events of Sergil’s past, Aletha wanted to take a grasp on this situation and ask him everything she needed to know.

"So firstly, what happened to Adeline?" She asked Sergil as memories of her figure flashed in her mind. "Did she die or is she still alive?"

"Both," said Sergil as he saw birds protruding from the sky. "Adeline is... still there somewhere. She’s just... different. I won’t say much about her, because the very thought of her fate is worse to recollect."

Aletha nodded in understanding, knowing full well of the situation despite knowing nothing. Pushing that thought away, Aletha asked another question.

"So tell me, Sergil. What was the full version of your wish?"

"I wished for Happiness." said Sergil as his green hair and golden crown fluttered in the wind, "Not just happiness. But love too, and an ability to foresee everything. All I wanted was for my life to be happy. After losing my love, Adeline... I..."

Just as he could finish, he hunched to the floor in pain, recollecting these horrible memories.

"What happened with you and Kali?"

"We made a truce." Sergil replied with a downer tone. "We made a promise not to love each other, but become allies. To scale the mountain and bring forth prosperity to all of Linuxinia. As King and Queen of Linuxinia, we became the best of friends but nothing more than that."

Sergil stepped forward and continued.

"Yes, the prophecy is true. We were the best of partners. Kali was sufficient enough to heal the wounds of all the soldiers and victims in The War of the Wish, and I was good enough to spread joy onto every corner of this nation. It’s just... this joy... it doesn’t last like real happiness."

"Joy?" Aletha retraced his words. "What is this joy?"

"The Sealed Beatific." Sergil replied. "When that fissure opened up on the crumbling mountain, I jumped into the core and made The Sealed Beatific; an essence of happiness that forces all to be joyful and happy. It’s like... a drug. A glorified drug of ecstasy and "love". I suggest you pursue true joy. Because this happiness... it won’t last. It is but a forced feeling. One that doesn’t feel like true happiness."

It was at that moment, Aletha recollected the happenings after the train crash.

How she saw these strange particles and everyone being joyful.

This, combined with the chaotic happenings, and smiles from her brother, made her feel as if to question if this was true joy or a false joy, like The Sealed Beatific.

Aletha, with her mind blown from all the knowledge that spilled out, decided to ask one more question.

"Who is Alaunus?" She asked as the winds picked up.

"Alaunus. Yes... Alaunus." Sergil struggled to say anything, but after staring into the clouds, memories of her flooded back, causing him to spill out the details. "Alaunus was a dragon. Not some small dragon like... the one in the peak. She was a giant dragon. She had the same power I did but on a grander scale."

Recollecting the moments with her and Kali, he shook a tear out from her face and said.

"In the past, Alaunus was seen as a dragon that brought chaos and destruction. But in truth, all she was trying to do was bring assistance to the troubling people in the world. It is said that what heals this world is destruction. I won’t go further into detail about Alaunus. But I do have to say one thing."

As Sergil began to dissipate into the heavenly abode, he gave Aletha one last smile and said...

"She will awaken soon. And once she awakens, all will fall into fear. Be careful what paths you tread. Simply climbing a mountain will be the greatest challenge in your life. I have foreseen the future of this world. And it starts with climbing a mountain. You must climb Linuxinia Peak and face that dark dragon encircling that... only then..."

With one last retort, as the entire space shreds like torn paper, Sergil hugged Aletha and shed one more tear, whispering

"...shall the world be saved."

* * * * * * *

Suddenly, Aletha’s eyes peeled open, to reveal a fairly sized wooden room filled with windows, desks, wardrobes, and ceiling lights and...

"Greetings to Toivo’s household, your Aletha, Asahi’s sister I presume?" Said a feminine voice as Aletha awoke in bed. "We are here to greet you and invite you to Toivo’s mansion. For both boys and girls."

"Boys and girls?" Aletha muttered. "Wait, how do you know I’m Asahi’s sister?"

"He mentioned you in his training." Kendra said as a white-haired boy stood on the other side of a door.

"Training?" Aletha said as she rubbed her head. "So, he did training too?"

"Of course! We have been watching him train for quite some time now."

Quickly, Asahi stepped in and stood next to Kendra, holding hands as Aletha stared at him with shocked eyes.

"Asahi! W...What happened to you?"

"Training," said Asahi to his sister. "A lot of training and wit."

"And adventures!" Kendra added. "Asahi and I have been going through a lot of adventures underground through this spacious cavern filled with people and stuff and..."

"Underground? Caverns? Asahi, where have you been?" Aletha asked him as she took a second to notice the broad change of his attire and face.

"Kendra, settle down. My brain can’t comprehend what you’re saying."

Then, a ruby-haired girl stepped inside the room, swiftly running to Aletha and embracing her.

"Aletha! You’re okay!" She said with a relieved smile. "Even though I lost my home, I’m relieved to see that you are alright."

"We thought you were dead." Phthonus said as he came through the doorway. "Anyways, about the book. Oh, and greetings Asahi. It has been awhile since I have seen your face. You truly have become a changed man."

Kendra leaned to his arm and said. "Yes he did. He’s big and strong now."

"Kendra, now is not the time." Asahi said as he tried to keep his mind at bay. "Sis, I have been through a lot. I can’t truly remember what Kendra and I experienced. All I can remember is a blue and golden light."

Indeed, it had been a lot since they last saw each other.

Asahi still had not a sense of what happened back in Clearstar and Alai’s abode. This, with the addition of his memory loss, left only Kendra to remember it all. And seeing it how it was, made Asahi’s life a tiny bit difficult. But relieved to see Asahi in great condition, Aletha embraced him with her pony tail moving side to side.

"Asahi, you can’t understand what it feels like to see you again." Aletha exclaimed as the others watched in adoration. "There have been... many many things happening. I can’t begin to count what has happened since we split up. But now that I see your face and new form, I’m glad that both of us underwent a trial."

. . .

After their happy little reunion, Aletha, Asahi, and the others began to discuss the situation on the table outside next to the porch with Toivo and Joshilyn.

(For this table talk. They will be speaking in script writing, making it easier to discuss. This is only special for this Chapter.)

A spectacle of several colors of hair and varying shades of skin all sat outside.

The sun was nearing its noon state, while all the maids watched as Toivo and the group sat together.

Aletha and Asahi sat next to Alai and Phthonus, while the others like Joshilyn and Canyon took their seats around the outer edge.

At this table, they started to make a plan with Toivo being the one in charge.

First, Alai informed everyone about the looming threat, The Attacker, and how it made a dent on their position.

Alai: "Aletha, Phthonus, Emine, Pridia, and Alai and I fought this figure that seemed nearly impossible to beat. It had several arms and a beaming visor. It’s unlike anything I have ever seen."

Phthonus: "It’s a formidable opponent. With technology coming from the depths of Wraileza. If we ever want Asahi and Aletha to climb the mountain, we have to find someone to...

Joshilyn: "Before we even start on whatever the heck this opponent is, can we express the risks and dangers of climbing the mountain? Aletha, do you have any idea what your brother and you are going to do?"

Aletha: "I say we climb the mountain on the very top. There is a dragon up there that will never cease to encircle the peak."

Afterward, Canyon, Brunella, and the others stepped toward the table, expressing their concern.

Canyon: "We found Asahi near an opening underground. Yes, there was indeed rubble, and Asahi is right, Kendra and him DID went down to the depths."

Kendra: "You’re right about that Canyon."

Joshilyn: "Do you have any idea what you saw with Asahi, Kendra?"

Kendra: "I saw several groups of people narrowing on this hallway with skeletons everywhere. It seemed we had defied the very law of this world, causing this chain reaction to form this huge earthquake."

Phthonus: "That’s very straight forward might I add you."

Alai, pushing her hair back, slammed her fist on the table and interrupted.

Alai: "What we fought wasn’t anything like in Linuxinia. I remember Kali calling it The Ultimate Weapon of Wraileza. Is that true?"

Suddenly, another person with blue-lavender hair stepped forward. It was Kali holding onto a copy of what seemed to be...

Alai: "The Prophecy book?! There were still copies?"

Kali nodded silently. Then, as everyone watched her slam the book on the ground, she flipped a page relating to the peak, showing illustrations of its triangular point.

Kali: "Only one was left after the rubble. After Aletha passed out, I saw a page of the prophecy pried open that said the Dragon will be conquered."

Kendra: "Are you sure this prophecy hasn’t come into fruition already? Do Asahi and his sister HAVE to climb Linuxinia Peak?"

Kali: "I’m positive. As the Queen of Linuxinia, I will say for certain that a mountain must be climbed."

Caging her fingers, Kali Leila, the once cheer-filled girl, masked her face into seriousness as she spoke this one last sentence.

"...Or else all of the people of Linuxinia will perish."