《Gulool Ja Ja's Legacy: A Rewrite of FFXIV Dawntrail [Fanfiction]》 Ch0: Adjustments to Lore and Characters As a fan of FFXIV, this is an attempt to rewrite parts of Dawntrail due to some disappointing parts within the story. By no means is this meant to be disrespectful towards the original writers-- it is my belief that they were hampered by the theme imposed upon them by higher-ups-- to avoid overly in-depth exploration of certain conflicts, to present a summer vacation vibe in contrast to the more dark tone of the previous expansion, Endwalker. This rewrite will only present short snapshots to redefine and flush out certain relationships, characters, and key moments. It will require prior completion of the Dawntrail story in the game to understand. It is my belief that the story had all the necessary elements, but the weaving and interconnection of said elements were, unfortunately, subpar. Anyhow let us begin. First, I will be making a few adjustments to the characters and the background lore. This may create a butterfly effect that will change many aspects of latter parts of the story. Adjustments to the Lore and Characters ->In this fan rewrite, the lore will be changed as follows to connect the first and second part of the story, as well as introduce intrigue into the characters themselves: The Mamool Ja are only able to create two-headed offspring because of Alexandria¡¯s assistance. Prior to this, the two-headed mamool ja eggs had a hundred percent mortality rate. When they settled in the lower Yak T¡¯el forest, they discovered the Skydeep Cenote and the electrobe entrance to the ¡®Golden City¡¯. It is here that the voice of Sphene gave them an explanation for the failure of their two-headed offspring that arose from the intermingling of two tribes-- a disconnect between number of souls and heads of the body. When two one-headed mamool ja of different tribes procreate, it led to the unique situation of one soul being born in a two-headed body. This is the reason for the baby¡¯s inability to be born from its egg. Sphene offered a deal. Though she could not cross over, she could control the electrobes of the skydeep cenote to transfer one soul from another egg, thus allowing two souls to inhabit a two-headed body, granting said child, birth. The price for this was that for every two-headed mamool ja born, she would be allowed to take thousands of souls within other eggs that would not be born without her help anyway. These other souls would have originally returned to the aetherial sea of the source. Sphene¡¯s use for these souls are, of course, to replenish Alexandria. So it was that a deal was struck between Sphene, overseen by the Autarch of the mamool ja. This secret would be locked away, only known to the Autarch of each generation. Usually, not even the two-headed mamool ja given the status of ¡®Warlord¡¯ would become aware of the circumstances of his/her creation. The mamool ja soon discovered that children of two headed mamool ja also could not be born. They soon discovered that a similar reason was the cause. A child of a two-headed mamool ja was instead of the unique condition of having one head, but two souls. Sphene offered assistance again, claiming that she could take that extra soul such that the one headed mamool ja child of the two-headed could be born. An additional price had to be paid, of course. The Autarch of the Mamook rejected such an offer-- it would be ridiculous to pay a price for only an ordinary one-head. ->This is the adjusted background of the mamool ja, and obviously has an effect on Gulool Ja Ja and Zoraal Ja. Here are adjustments to Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s backstory prior to the Dawntrail: Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Gulool Ja Ja, as most two-headed mamool ja prior to him, remained unaware of the circumstances of his creation for much of his early life. However, during the creation of Tuliyollal, he built a much stronger relationship with the Yuk Hoy, who originally resided in the Yak T¡¯el forest and dreamt of the Golden City. He would soon develop suspicion of the Autarch and Skydeep Cenote, after learning of the details of these dreams that often spoke of souls and power. A confrontation would lead to the truth revealed to him by the Autarch. For days, Gulool Ja Ja felt a sense of loss, desiring to end the very practice and agreement between Alexandria and Mamook. He bore the pain within his heart thanks to a female mamool ja who comforted and supported him. An ill-advised night would lead to the conception of Zoraal Ja. Gulool Ja Ja knew Zoraal Ja would not live, and the very cause of it. It was then that he himself, despite condemning his very own actions, sought out Sphene¡¯s assistance to remove the second soul from Zoraal Ja¡¯s one-headed body. The price was Zoraal Ja¡¯s mother, and much of the head of wisdom¡¯s lifeforce. Knowing Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s distaste for the deal between Alexandria and Mamook, the Autarch requesetd a third clause to be added-- Gulool Ja Ja was not to interfere with the deal between Alexandria and Mamook for the rest of his life. Zoraal Ja would grow up, often feeling as if a part of him was missing-- as if a sibling beside him had vanished into thin air. He would seek such companionship within the members of the landsguard, eventually becoming a respected leader of the Tuliyollal force. ->Zoraal Ja¡¯s character will be somewhat adjusted in the rewrite: Zoraal Ja begins the story beloved by the landsguard and the citizens of Tuliyolla, an incredibly noble prince. He also has a loving sibling relationship with Koana and Wuk Lamat. He continues to suffer an inferior complex against his father, and sought to complete tasks in such an emphatic manner as to overcome his father¡¯s shadow. Expanding Tuliyollal¡¯s influence was such a goal. He would end up seeking out Estinien¡¯s assistance in the rite of succession, and his worldview would change upon learning of the Dragonsong War. ->Wuk Lamat¡¯s character will be heavily changed in these short snapshots, though her nature remains somewhat similar in some aspects: Often, peace-loving people, especially at an immature stage, are conflict avoidant pacifists. Such is Wuk Lamat¡¯s nature. At the beginning of interaction, this would frustrate the Warrior of Light and Alisaie to no end-- Wuk Lamat¡¯s laidback, conflict-avoidant nature. Wuk Lamat begins the story not having any interest in the rite of succession whatsoever, believing her older brother, Zoraal Ja, to be the noblest of souls. It was only because her father threatened her that she was forcefully sent to Sharlayan and given help from Erenville to recruit the Warrior of Light. ->As for the rite of succession? Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s true intention is to allow his children to discover the deal between Mamook and Alexandria in hopes that they could carve out a better future. He had bid them to seek out help from Sharlayan and Eorzea, after hearing of the Warrior of Light¡¯s tales. ->Here are some changes to Alexandria¡¯s lore: Alexandria is from the shard destroyed by the lightning calamity. Upon the impending destruction of their shard, the Preservation sought to protect Alexandria, hoping to preserve parts of the people¡¯s lives and culture. It was then that they came across a voidsent that contained the memories and souls of those that it consumed. Through researching the functions of the voidsent and the thirteenth, they understood the necessity of an artificial aetherial sea to preserve their fragment of a shard, which may exist in a vacuum by itself for many years. After arduous efforts, they successfully created a bubble around Alexandria with its very own artificial aetherial sea system built upon their understanding of the void. Thanks to the Millala relic, they eventually managed to hook Alexandria, a fragment of a destroyed shard, to another unknown world (of which the WoL know to be the source), after many years of isolated existence in a bubble. This ensured the continued existence of its society. Finally, they created Sphene based on the long-dead beloved princess prior to the shard¡¯s destruction, to watch eternally over Alexandria. I will also be adding a new character, Fiona, who was the one of the splintered fourteen souls of the Warrior of Light that presided in the shard that Alexandria existed in prior to the lightning calamity. This soul, now, has become part of the Warrior of Light, having passed before the Preservation¡¯s success at manipulating memories and souls. These are not necessarily all the changes, but the major ones that I will be basing my rewrite of parts of Dawntrail off of. Ch1: The Warrior of Light meets Wuk Lamat So it was that the Warrior of Light traveled to the end of the universe and returned triumphant. However, the journey goes ever on and on. Soon, adventure beckoned once again-- the New World, Tural! To the Warrior of Light¡¯s surprise, it was not only Krile who broached the subject of this adventure, her grandfather having had a history with Tural. Erenville, too, made an appearance, his newly-defined gray features a glossy gleam under the new multi-directional lighting within the Baldesion Annex. At the Warrior of Light¡¯s questioning glance, Erenville raised a hand with a letter pinched between two fingers. ¡°My mother journeyed with Gulool Ja Ja, the ruler of Tural. At the behest of Gulool Ja Ja, she has bid me find assistance for the Third Promise, Wuk Lamat.¡± ¡°Come again?¡± Alphinaud¡¯s voice sounded as the doors to the Baldesion Annex opened and closed from an invisible hand. ¡°You never mentioned you were from Tural!¡± ¡°That information is of no consequence,¡± Erenville replied with a sigh and a shrug. ¡°I normally would have ignored such a request from my mother, but unfortunately, Wuk Lamat should have already arrived across the seas, not to mention, the ¡®City of Gold.¡± ¡°And your relation to this¡­ Wuk Lamat¡­?¡± Alisaie asked suspiciously. ¡°Just a childhood friend,¡± Erenville shrugged once again in the face of Alisaie¡¯s inquisitive stare. The Warrior of Light, curious for the exact details, reached out a hand to receive the letter, only for Erenville to retrieve the letter into his secured knapsack. ¡°My mother¡¯s words are¡­¡± he stuttered, ¡°quite ineligible. However, she has tasked me with finding the ¡®City of Gold¡¯ since I was a child, which is why I will be participating.¡± Krile¡¯s grandfather, the late Gulaf, had mentioned the City of Gold. She was not curious about the city itself, but rather, the past of her grandfather. All that she knew was that one day, her grandfather had returned to Old Sharlayan with a baby lalafell-- her-- in his arms. ¡°Long story short, Gulool Ja Ja seeks to pass on his throne, and intends to hold a rite of succession amongst his children, adopted or otherwise, with the discoverer of the City of Gold awarded the throne.¡± ¡°Wuk Lamat, the Third Promise, is an adopted child considered for succession¡­¡± Erenville frowned as he said this, before adding, ¡°though I can¡¯t help but wonder why she chose to participate in the rite of succession at all.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Alphinaud raised his eyebrows. ¡°Knowing her, she prefers to wile her days away, visiting different parts of Tural in the caravan gifted to her by her father,¡± Erenville explained. ¡°Anyhow, she should be here soon.¡± Erenville was proven incorrect, quite quickly at that. The Warrior of Light stood at an empty space, head turning left and right. No such Wuk Lamat approached. The Warrior of Light, after a time, repeated this action again. Then a third time. Should the Warrior of Light feel relief at not having to do so for a fourth time? Erenville exhaled in a deep sigh. ¡°I believe I know where she is.¡± He led the other four and strode down towards the harbor. The viera led them to the Last Stand. There was no need for Erenville to identify Wuk Lamat, for a conspicuous female hrothgar dressed in odd fashion was chomping down on a lobster with reckless abandon. ¡°Oh!¡± Wuk Lamat exclaimed as she noticed the approaching group, saliva dripping down a corner of her lips. ¡°Took you long enough, dear Erenville! I believe this is the perfect place to meet. Do you not agree?¡± Erenville brought a palm to his face, furrowing his forehead as he sighed¡­ again. ¡°This is Wuk Lamat,¡± he simply stated before sitting down. The others sat down as well. ¡°So¡­ this rite of succession¡­¡± Alphinaud, as always, immediately sought to gain control of the situation. ¡°There is no need to care about the rite of succession,¡± Wuk Lamat dismissed Alphinaud¡¯s words nonchalantly as a waiter delivered many more dishes to their table. ¡°Now tasting Sharlayan food. This is the highlight!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you competing for the throne?¡± Alisaie pointedly asked. Already, she could sense that she and Wuk Lamat had very different natures. The Warrior of Light nodded, sharing Alisaie¡¯s concern. ¡°As I previously stated¡­ I do not know why she is even participating in the rite of succession¡­¡± Erenville muttered on the side. ¡°Look,¡± Wuk Lamat paused to gulp down a mouthful of food. ¡°Here¡¯s the deal. My father forced me into participating. He threatened to impound my caravan.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Erenville had mentioned this caravan. Supposedly, Wuk Lamat often traveled by caravan to the various peoples of Tural. Judging by the current presentation of Wuk Lamat, the Warrior of Light surmised that Wuk Lamat did so to indulge herself in many forms of festivities and food, most probably. ¡°As such, I¡¯m only participating to protect my freedom of movement,¡± Wuk Lamat said as she happily taste-tested a salad dressing. ¡°Are you not concerned that someone questionable might take the throne?¡± Alisaie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Hardly,¡± Wuk Lamat was completely unperturbed. ¡°I mean, come on. I know my father well. If some numbskull won the competition, which could happen with a bit of luck, do you think he will simply hand over the throne to someone incompetent?¡± ¡°Knowing my father¡­ he only wishes to use the rite of succession to assess the candidate,¡± Wuk Lamat continued. ¡°Forcing me to participate¡­ well, I can¡¯t say I know exactly why my father did so. He knows I am not one for the throne.¡± ¡°Plus, there¡¯s my two older brothers, Zoraal Ja and Koana, the First and Second Promise.¡± ¡°Zoraal Ja is beloved by the Landsguard and the people. My older brother is a noble soul, resolving issues across Tural¡¯s many locations, especially during the recent disaster of our very own transforming into malformed beasts. He has a decent mastery of the techniques of resolve, and has displayed the energy of resolve on occasions.¡± ¡°Koana, having received Sharlayan education, has innovated technologies that improved the very lives of our people.¡± ¡°Me? I am not needed,¡± Wuk Lamat laughed. She was not at all disappointed in herself, and was filled with happiness. ¡°I very much prefer to travel around in peace and tranquility, tasting the very cultures of Tural¡¯s people.¡± ¡°She¡¯s well-liked by all, but¡­ they see her more as just a¡­ fun-loving sister, if you know what I mean,¡± Erenville muttered, making no effort to filter his words despite being seated right next to Wuk Lamat. Wuk Lamat was momentarily speechless. ¡°Just so,¡± she eventually coughed and agreed with Erenville¡¯s damning assessment of her reputation in Tural. ¡°The energy of resolve?¡± Krile widened her eyes. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Wuk Lamat enthused. ¡°It is known that my father''s techniques cannot be copied, for one needs to have a tempered heart to bring forth the energy that completes the technique!¡± ¡°How curious¡­¡± Krile mumbled as she shared a glance with the other present scions as well as the Warrior of Light. ¡°Back to the point. My father has demanded that for the rite of succession, that all three of us, recruit help from these foreign lands. His reasoning was that we are to walk in his footsteps. He certainly had companions from afar in his own journeys.¡± ¡°So here I am, to protect my lovely and most wondrous caravan,¡± concluded Wuk Lamat with a cheerful smile. The Warrior of Light glanced at Alisaie, then Alphinaud, then Krile. None of the four held any measure of confidence in Wuk Lamat based on what they had seen so far. Then again, it was never their intention to put someone on the throne. The Warrior of Light only wished to see more of the world, as per Emet-Selch¡¯s taunting statement before his return to the aetherial sea. Alphinaud and Alisaie? The twins are simply curious as to how Gulool Ja Ja had integrated the various cultures on Tural. Krile? He was mostly interested in her grandfather¡¯s experience in Tural, and her own origin. Whether Wuk Lamat participated seriously in the rite of succession¡­ Well. Perhaps Erenville, tasked by his mother to find the City of Gold, might care. Yet, the rite of succession should have no impact on the existence of the City of Gold. If Wuk Lamat¡¯s opinion of her father was true, then the rite of succession was but a method through which Gulool Ja Ja assessed his candidates, and the City of Gold might very well be but a fabrication. ¡°This City of Gold¡­¡± Krile muttered, unsure of its importance. ¡°It¡¯s said that those who attempt to find it disappear, and all who returned failed their search. But Gulool Ja Ja assured my mother that it does exist,¡± Erenville said. Seeing the uncertainty in their eyes, Wuk Lamat suddenly shoved more food across the table to every single one of them. ¡°You should all agree to come. You won¡¯t regret it. Tural is a lovely place, and I have friends at every single location you¡¯d want to visit! Treat it as a vacation! Though¡­ I might have to complete a few menial tasks to satisfy my father¡¯s demand to participate in the rite of succession¡­¡± ¡°Taking the rite of succession a bit more seriously now, are you?¡± Alisaie griped. ¡°She just wants to protect her use of her¡­ most wondrous caravan,¡± Erenville sighed, causing Alisaie to scowl at her own foolishness. ¡°Please¡­. Just a bit of help¡­¡± Wuk Lamat¡¯s eyes gained a doe-like quality that sent an eerie fear into the hearts of all present. The Warrior of Light¡¯s heart very much desired to visit a new place, but being conquered by such doe-eyes would be shameful. ¡°You do know that the food here is not really Sharlayan food, yes?¡± The Warrior of Light told Wuk Lamat in the most serious of tones. ¡°It isn¡¯t? What did Koana eat during his stay then?!¡± Alphinaud was beginning to recall the image of a green-haired miqo''te named Koana, though that miqo¡¯te was presented as but a normal student with no royal lineage ¡°There has only been one Sharlayan dish since the beginning of time. Archon Loaf!¡± The Warrior of Light declared. ¡°I am certain that all present will journey to Tural, participate in the rite of succession despite your disinterest, provided that you spend a whole day sharing in this exquisite Sharlayan dish of culture.¡± ¡°Really?!¡± Wuk Lamat seemed overjoyed, mistaking the hardened expressions of these Eorzeans before her as determination to assist her in protecting her caravan from father¡¯s clutches. Many heads nodded and the agreement was made. It was only upon the first nibble of an archon loaf that Wuk Lamat realized that she had been fooled. However, her desire to protect her travel caravan gave her the resolve to persevere and tough out the whole day of only consuming archon loaf. She finally vomited in disgust upon boarding the ship traveling to Tural. ¡°Just seasickness, I assure you,¡± she declared to all onlookers. ¡°Well¡­¡± Erenville smirked on the side. ¡°I suppose at least you now fully understand the nature of Sharlayan culture. The archon loaf is, after all, calculated and manufactured with the most key nutrition in mind for the survival of their researchers, locked in their labs for days on end.¡± ¡°I¡­ I certainly have gained a much deeper understanding,¡± Wuk Lamat mumbled as the ship set sail for the New World. Ch2: Zoraal Ja and Estinien Estinien gazed at Zoraal Ja across the campfire. He had agreed to support Zoraal Ja in his bid for the throne. By no means did that mean he supported all facets of Zoraal Ja¡¯s motivations. The pay was just too good to turn down. Well. That and the fact that Zoraal Ja had a deep desire to achieve a height beyond his predecessor. A feeling that Estinien understood well. So far, the mamool ja seemed overly battle-hungry, but Estinien himself once shared that similarity. ¡°It is good to have you here,¡± Zoraal Ja grinned at Estinien. ¡°For years I have felt as if I was missing a brother of sorts. Even in my dreams¡¯ battlefields, I always fought beside one. You are a true warrior.¡± They had cooperated to bring down the very meat simmering over the campfire. The rest had been distributed to the cheering landsguard. ¡°Do your soldiers not already see and love you as a brother?¡± Estinien wondered as he skewered a piece of meat with his lance. ¡°We fought and overcame those malformed beasts together during that dark month, that much is true,¡± Zoraal Ja beamed with pride. ¡°They are my brothers, but¡­¡± The mamool ja sighed. ¡°In their eyes, I am also the First Promise.¡± ¡°As for my siblings¡­ I love my stepbrother and stepsister, but they don¡¯t appreciate battle like I do. Like father does. In a way, me and my siblings are of different worlds.¡± The flickering of the campfire and the occasional cackle of wood filled the silence as the two consumed their meal. ¡°So these conflicts and wars between the nations of Eorzea,¡± Zoraal Ja said once he finished his deliciously dripping drumstick. ¡°You tell me of them in an attempt to shift my position?¡± Estinien had spoken of the Dragonsong War to Zoraal Ja. That was not all. Though he normally spoke little, he had forced himself to provide Zoraal Ja with guidance. That included the tribes that summoned false gods in desperation. Bahamut. The allagans. And of course, Meracydia, the land of the dragons. Others in the ¡®disbanded¡¯ Scions of the Seventh Dawn would be far better historians of such events. Regardless, Estinien did his best, attempting to imitate Alphinaud during his telling of history. ¡°Hardly,¡± Estinen monotonously replied in his deep voice. ¡°You are one of a firm mind. Any change must come from within yourself.¡± Zoraal Ja returned to a state of silence again. Indeed, Estinien¡¯s words had made him reconsider his position. He had always thought of extending the nation built by his father, Gulool Ja Ja. To achieve more than his father ever did. To prove that he, the resilient one, a one-headed mamool ja, was of equal status and capability to a two-headed mamool ja. That was something he remained keenly aware of. Whenever he mingled with the mamool ja, especially when visiting mamook¡­ they looked down upon him. ¡®The lucky one¡¯, they would call him. Thus, he intended to conquer the world. A foolish idea, he now understood. Meracydia, a land infested with dragons. The freezing lands of Garlemald. The Eorzean Alliance. The existence of primal summoning. Then, the loporrits, gifted with a sliver of creation magic, cooperating with the technologically-advanced Sharlayans. At first he had mocked the fallen Garlemald. That was until Estinien divulged the existence of ¡®Black Rose¡¯. If forced into a corner, the Garleans may still have the knowledge to employ such destructive methods. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Only a fool would continue to think himself capable of conquering such nations across a vast and tumultuous sea. Estinien had also mentioned places called Hingan and Azim Steppes, but didn¡¯t seem to have detailed knowledge of those areas. Zoraal Ja has a sharp enough mind to lead the landsguard and gain the soldiers¡¯ respect. He was no fool. Though his worldview had been opened, Zoraal Ja had yet to realign his own goals. Still, his desire to surpass his father remained. The form of Sareel Ja stumbled towards their campfire and sat down an arm¡¯s length from Zoraal Ja. Estinien had long been introduced to Sareel Ja. A thaumaturge with the unique talent of perceiving souls! Supposedly, Sareel Ja was assigned by Gulool Ja Ja to watch over Zoraal Ja since birth. His task was to observe the stability of the First Promise¡¯s soul. Reasonable, given that Zoraal Ja was the first child of a two-headed mamool ja to survive. ¡°How are the soldiers, old ja?¡± Zoraal Ja asked. Sareel Ja laughed. ¡°They¡¯re speaking of that cloaked and axed feline again. You remember? When those malformed creatures came at us¡­ that cloaked figure of feline grace that fought with an axe as black as the abyss? Rows upon rows of malformed creatures fell like rain. They¡¯ve now taken to calling that cloaked figure, ¡®The Black Knight¡¯.¡± ¡°I still wonder why that cloaked figure chose to remain anonymous.¡± Zoraal Ja had always sought glory. He needed to be seen of comparable status to his father, if not higher. Superior to two-headed mamool ja. He struggled to understand that cloaked figure¡¯s motives. The tale of this mysterious cloaked figure reminded Estinien of the Warrior of Light¡¯s early days. That thought ignited a curiosity in the dragoon¡¯s mind. ¡°I may be a battle-hardened dragoon,¡± Estinien broached the subject as the space between his eyebrows grew closer. ¡°But why did you not recruit the Warrior of Light? Surely, you have heard of the tales? You sought a warrior¡­¡± ¡°The tales sounded too farfetched initially,¡± Zoraal Ja replied simply. ¡°Though, I am inclined to trust your word on the Warrior of Light now that we have shared a proper meal.¡± ¡°There is a possibility,¡± Sareel Ja interjected with a smile. ¡°For many years, I have observed the two-headed mamool ja, obviously of two souls, dominating the lands. Perhaps this Warrior of Light has many souls.¡± Zoraal Ja¡¯s hands gripped onto the handles of his twinblades at Sareel Ja¡¯s words. ¡°We have also just received news that the Warrior of Light has joined your stepsister.¡± Sareel Ja informed the prince. ¡°Your father pulled a few strings.¡± Estinien could feel a battle frenzy rising in Zorral Ja¡¯s fiery eyes. ¡°So¡­¡± Zoraal Ja clenched his teeth. ¡°Father must be testing me. He knows that Lamaty¡¯i cares not for the throne. I know my stepsister would rather travel the lands and lose herself in the festivities of the many peoples.¡± ¡°It is simple. If I can defeat the Warrior of Light, Lamaty¡¯i will step aside and not contend for the throne. And if the Warrior of Light is of two souls like my father¡­ my victory will also prove my capability over two-headed mamool jas!¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Sareel Ja patted the First Promise¡¯s shoulders then cocked his head. ¡°Perhaps this warrior you have found may have something special as well.¡± Sareel Ja turned his eyes onto Estinien. Using magics to peer into souls can be quite dangerous and for some cultures, taboo. Sareel Ja himself had been somewhat ostracized for this unique talent of his. The soul-seer activated a spell, and when he gazed into Estinien¡¯s form, he instantly crumbled onto the ground, his limbs trembling. For when he peered into Estinien¡¯s soul, he saw a sliver of another within-- an all-hateful crimson eye of a scaled creature unknown to him! ¡°There is a sliver of another soul within him¡­ one of an all-encompassing hateful feral nature!¡± Sareel Ja rasped. Zoraal Ja¡¯s eyes widened and he looked questionably at Estinien. ¡°I was once possessed by a firstborn dragon,¡± Estinien shrugged as if it was nothing. ¡°You know of the Dragonsong War. A war intentionally extended to inflict suffering to my people.¡± ¡°Nidhogg¡­¡± Zoraal Ja muttered as his mind reeled in shock. ¡°The very same.¡± Ch3: The Feat of Reeds After arriving at Tuliyollal and touring this magnificent capital of Tural, the Warrior of Light was mired on a beach. So, too, were the other scions that now escorted Wuk Lamat. The very reason for their inaction was, of course, Wuk Lamat herself. True to Erenville¡¯s assessment of her, the female hrothgar demonstrated no interest in the rite of succession. Wuk Lamat currently laid at ease on her beach lounger, sipping her wild banana blend made from Ja Tiika bananas from Yak T¡¯el¡¯s lower canopy. The Warrior of Light was capable of maintaining a patient outer demeanor, as did Krile and Alphinaud. Erenville less so, often rubbing his temples with his thumb and finger. However, the viera knew of Wuk Lamat¡¯s nature, and had long accepted his fate when accompanying her. The one who truly could not tolerate the current situation was Alisaie. The elezen repeatedly glared at Wuk Lamat, who made it a priority to ignore the dagger eyes as she stretched and basked in the sun. How could this princess lounge around without a care in the world? Alisaie turned towards her twin brother, wishing to voice her frustrations, only to see Alphinaud roll onto his side and pretend to ¡®fall asleep¡¯. Feeling betrayed by her brother, she stood and strutted towards the Warrior of Light in her beachwear with a glint in her eyes. ¡°You were never one to rest on your laurels,¡± she said. ¡°Surely, you feel a calling to action?¡± The Warrior of Light pondered on what to say in reply. True, charging into battle had always been the Warrior of Light¡¯s eventual fate. Then, there¡¯s all the busy and mundane assistance the Warrior of Light rendered to the inhabitants of various locales. ¡°I am quite satisfied with a break after traveling to the ends of the universe,¡± the Warrior of Light said, sipping a wild banana blend as well. Alisaie bit her lips as her eyes narrowed. Yet instead of exploding, she twirled on the spot. ¡°What do you think? How do I look?¡± The Warrior of Light considered many potential answers. One such answer was to mention her mother, who had, in fact, requested the Warrior of Light to provide her with glamorous outfits. Probably not the best answer. The Warrior of Light also considered simply staying silent. Just like Alphinaud. However, Alisaie was certain to cause a scene in the face of such a response. Thus, the Warrior of Light chose the most obvious option. ¡°Absolutely stunning!¡± The Warrior of Light answered with a bright smile. ¡°Hmm.¡± Alisaie beamed but forcefully withdrew the pride filling her chest. ¡°How about a competition? Remember when we were on The First?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The Warrior of Light would certainly welcome some action. ¡°Turali land crabs. Five minutes.¡± With that declaration, Alisaie dashed off. Alphinaud sighed dramatically in his ¡®dreams¡¯. Five minutes later, Alisaie would return with seven crabs in hand. The Warrior of Light only returned with six. ¡°Well. I suppose it is your victory,¡± the Warrior of Light noted. ¡°You¡­ didn¡¯t go easy on me, did you?¡± Alisaie harbored suspicion. She recalled that back in their competition on The First, the Warrior of Light had returned with one less as well. ¡°Our leisurely pace has unfortunately infected my mind and my bones,¡± the Warrior of Light seriously stated. ¡°Wow!¡± Wuk Lamat yelled as she leapt onto her feet with feline grace. ¡°Perfect for crab stew! Time for a delicious meal!¡± The Third Promise took a moment to examine the crabs captured by the Warrior of Light and Alisaie. ¡°Are you a culinarian?¡± She asked the Warrior of Light. ¡°The crabs you captured are somewhat larger and more suitable for cooking.¡± The Warrior of Light was bathed in an intense glower from Alisaie. ¡°I am¡­ somewhat practiced as a culinarian, yes,¡± the Warrior of Light replied. ¡°Assist me in preparing this crab stew then!¡± Wuk Lamat cheered. She herself enjoys the various cuisines of Tural¡¯s many people, and has spent no small amount of time learning the various culinary arts. Alisaie pinched the skin of the Warrior of Light¡¯s arm. ¡°You and I will have a long and extended talk later-- tonight, just the two of us,¡± her voice sounding dangerous. The Warrior of Light could only nod in agreement. After the crab stew was prepared, the Warrior of Light discovered that Krile was no longer beside them. Only then did the Warrior of Light discover that the lalafell had moved herself some distance away onto a ledge, attempting to paint upon a canvas. A wave and Krile rushed to return for the meal. ¡°Ah, I apologize. I do have to continue practicing my combat arts. Visualizing the forms and accurately channeling my aether still remains an arduous task for me.¡± All others present nodded their heads in understanding. They recognized Krile¡¯s desire and efforts to be better prepared for the trials ahead. A whole day of leisure passed in such a way. The very next morning, Wuk Lamat was just as carefree. Luckily, Alisaie seemed much more tolerant of Wuk Lamat¡¯s nature after the night, and was filled with verve. However, Wuk Lamat would not be able to remain lackadaisical much longer, for a caravan pulled by two Rroneeks slid in front of their eyes before they could return to the beach from the seaside inn. An elderly woman lowered herself carefully down from the driving seat. ¡°Namikka! You needn¡¯t h--¡± Wuk Lamat had no chance to express her concern. ¡°Lamaty¡¯i,¡± Namikka hurriedly conveyed the message. ¡°Your father has stated that if you do not set out immediately, your caravan will be impounded once again.¡± ¡°The Dawnservant has also stated that if you fall too far behind, your caravan will be impounded as well,¡± Namikka added. ¡°That damn old man!¡± Wuk Lamat harrumphed. ¡°Forcing me to participate in this rite of succession with such tyrannical methods!¡± Alphinaud and Alisaie glanced at one another. Though twins, they often had different opinions. However, they currently shared the same thought-- it was a good thing for Gulool Ja Ja to force Wuk Lamat to participate in the rite of succession. Having no choice, Wuk Lamat boarded her caravan followed by the others. ¡°Lamaty¡¯i!¡± Namikka yelled after them. ¡°I believe in you! You should be confident! Don¡¯t give up before even trying!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my nursemaid, like a mother to me,¡± Wuk Lamat groaned. ¡°She thinks I don¡¯t wish to participate in the rite of succession because of my lack of confidence. I can assure you, I simply have no desire to become the Dawnservant.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Alisaie asked. ¡°Would you want to become the Dawnservant? Playing governance and politics?¡± Wuk Lamat directly asked the fiery youth. Alisaie was momentarily speechless. She would hate being in such a role. She suddenly discovered that she very much understood Wuk Lamat¡¯s disinterest. She turned to Alphinaud within the caravan. ¡°That¡¯s his role.¡± Wuk Lamat could not resist laughing out loud. ¡°My brothers suit the role in different ways as well!¡± So it was that the caravan traveled towards Kozama¡¯uka for the Feat of the Reeds. During the journey, the Warrior of Light recalled the beginning ceremony of the succession rite. Wuk Lamat was like a chameleon, easily melding in with the various peoples of Tural. Not at all surprising, given the fact that the female hrothgar often visited the various villages of the New World with her caravan. A rather common sentiment though, was that many saw Wuk Lamat as a friend to enjoy days of joy with, but not necessarily as someone capable and reliable for solving future issues. Koana, with his Sharlayan education and understanding of the sciences, was much more favored, as well as Zoraal Ja, who had accomplished much to defend the New World with the landsguard. It was then that the Warrior of Light also recalled the startling appearance of Estinien beside Zoraal Ja, as well as Thancred and Urianger beside Koana. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Alisaie was not at all pleased, and realized that the succession rite would be a challenge, that much was certain. And Bakool Ja Ja¡­ they all thought of him as nothing but a troublesome brute. Most curious, though, was why Gulool Ja Ja seemed content to allow this brute¡¯s participation. Regardless, they soon arrived at Ok¡¯hanu and proceeded with the Feat of Reeds. They quickly discovered that aether stagnation was the cause of the lifeless reeds that the Hanu Hanu so relied heavily upon, the very source of their current suffering. Wuk Lama visibly yawned. ¡°The way I see it, there¡¯s no need for us to worry. Koana will know the exact method to resolve this issue.¡± ¡°You¡­I received sharlayan education as well, you know,¡± Alphinaud sputtered. ¡°Nono. Let us prepare the Harvest Festival!¡± Wuk Lamat gushed. ¡°Koana can do the dirty work.¡± ¡°Are¡­ you not concerned for your caravan?¡± Krile wondered. Wuk Lamat was not taking this seriously at all. ¡°I just have to not fall behind on the journey, right?¡± Wuk Lamat shrugged. ¡°This¡­¡± Zanuhali noted down that Wuk Lamat was as they say. Unreliable. ¡°Worry not, friend!¡± Wuk Lamat cheerfully replied. ¡°My brother Koana will resolve the aether stagnation, that is for sure. I have utmost confidence in him for this task, at the very least.¡± So it was that Wuk Lamat and her aides came upon the damaged float, Linuhali, and Wuk Evu, the hrothgar with knowledge on how to repair said festival float. ¡°Are you certain?¡± Erenville questioned Wuk Lamat. ¡°Old friend¡­¡± Wuk Lamat, for once, became serious as she gazed up at the clear blue sky. ¡°Have you ever wondered why all these various peoples of Tural, host festivals unique to their own culture?¡± ¡°Festivals are a gathering of a people. To come together and align their hearts. In hard times, to raise hope within one another¡¯s breast. In good times, to celebrate life and remind one another of worthy values.¡± ¡°It provides something¡­ intangible to the heart. It is not to be understood by simply weighing visible and physical upsides and downsides.¡± In their journey thus far, the Warrior of Light and the accompanying scions had little respect for Wuk Lamat. Yet now, they began to see a glimmer of Wuk Lamat¡¯s soul. ¡°Haha!¡± Wuk Lamat quickly returned back to her typical casual and carefree attitude. ¡°So let¡¯s repair that damn float. I badly want to ride on it, that¡¯s all!¡± The team split apart to forage for the necessary materials that Wuk Evu needed for repairs. As if waiting for this moment, Bakool Ja Ja appeared before the now-alone Wuk Lamat. ¡°Hello, little kitty,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the mystic snarled. ¡°Come let me defeat you here and now and let you understand the pointlessness of your participation in the rite of succession,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the mighty challenged. Little did Bakool Ja Ja know that Wuk Lamat cared not for the rite of succession. In her eyes, both of her brothers were much more suited to be dawnservant. She preferred to travel among the people of Tural. Not sit upon a throne! ¡°No thanks,¡± she did not even deign to give Bakool Ja Ja a single glance as she continued to search for wood. ¡°Then I will deliver the first blow!¡± Bakool Ja Ja charged at the Third Promise, but Wuk Lamat, with feline grace, easily maintained a distance from the brute while searching for the necessary materials. ¡°Hah!¡± Bakool Ja Ja the mighty yammered. ¡°Nothing but a scared little kitty kitty. A wimp of a promise! Is that all you can do? Flee?¡± His word failed to have the effect he desired, for Wuk Lamat remained completely unbothered by his insults. Frustrated with the fleeing hrothgar, Bakool Ja Ja the mystic racked his brains. ¡°Little kitty. We have already captured Zanuhali. She will soon have no choice but to hand over the--¡± Wuk Lamat suddenly charged at the two-headed mamool ja and swung down heatedly with her heavy axe. Bakool Ja Ja roared with both heads as he raised twinblades to block the attack. Then with his full strength, he swiped outwards and sent Wuk Lamat skidding for yalms. ¡°I will once again warn you all,¡± Zanuhali¡¯s voice came from a branch above. ¡°All incidents during the feats are reported to the Dawnservant. As such, I do not recommend untoward behavior.¡± Wuk Lamat sighed. She had been fooled into engaging in combat against Bakool Ja Ja. She promptly leapt away to continue foraging for repair materials Bakool Ja Ja initially laughed. Then he examined his blades. His eyes widened when he spotted a nick upon the edge of his right blade. ¡°That wasn¡¯t there before¡­¡± Bakool Ja Ja the mighty muttered. ¡°We have simply failed to maintain our blade after obtaining victory in the competition to qualify for the rite of succession,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the mystic replied. Some distance away, Wuk Lamat examined her rather damaged axe that no doubt needed a blacksmith¡¯s repair. A pity. Unfortunately this normal axe was nothing compared to her hidden-away black axe. Yet, she could not reveal her black axe, having been forced into action against those malformed creatures. She had no desire to steal her older brother¡¯s thunder. God knows, Zoraal Ja needed it much more. Having traveled through the lands of Tural, Wuk Lamat naturally knew of the mamool ja¡¯s obsession with two-heads, and their diminishing of one-heads. ___________________________________________________________________________ While Wuk Lamat was harassed by Bakool Ja Ja, the Warrior of Light discovered the path before him blocked by Zoraal Ja! ¡°I am the resilient son. The First Promise,¡± Zoraal Ja said as he brandished his twinblades. ¡°Sareel Ja. Tell me what you see.¡± Sareel Ja muttered various incantations under his breath and his eyes lit up with an ephemeral light. The very moment he glanced at the Warrior of Light, he collapsed onto the ground. A trickle of blood leaked down the corner of his left eye. ¡°Radiant. More than two souls. Yet unlike your father, fused into one in perfect unison. How many more, I cannot tell!¡± Sareel Ja gasped. ¡°Hah!¡± Zoraal Ja pointed his right blade at the Warrior of Light. ¡°If I overcome you, that will prove that the mamool ja¡¯s obsession over the two-heads of two-souls to be pointless!¡± Alisaie, attracted by the sound of clashing blades, discovered the Warrior of Light engaging in a heart-wrenching combat against Zoraal Ja. Her initial response was to raise her rapier, but she was stopped by Estinien. ¡°Don¡¯t. This is Zoraal Ja¡¯s tribulation,¡± the dragoon said before leaning back against a tree to observe the battle. ¡°Hmph.¡± Alisaie could still remember the dragoon mistaking her for Alphinaud. The battle between the Warrior of Light and Zoraal Ja raged ever on. Their blades clashed again and again, and for some time, the battle seemed even. And yet¡­ Gradually, Zorral Ja could feel the battle slipping away from him. It was the very same feeling he felt when sparring with his father, Gulool Ja Ja. An energy seemed to exist within the Warrior of Light¡¯s twinblades. ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± muttered Zoraal Ja to himself. The Warrior of Light was able to use the very same energy that his father was famed for-- the energy of resolve, at perhaps even a greater scale! Similarly, the Warrior of Light was surprised that Zoraal Ja could last so long. Wuk Lamat stated that Zoraal Ja had gained some mastery of Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s head of resolve techniques. Supposedly, an ability named the energy of resolve. During combat against Zoraal Ja, the Warrior of Light could sense this energy of resolve to be identical to dynamis. Regardless, a few more clashes later, Zoraal Ja could no longer maintain his pace and dropped down onto one knee. The Warrior of Light, naturally, had no intention of taking Zoraal Ja¡¯s life. ¡°Hmph.¡± Once recovered, Zoraal Ja left, flanked by Sareel Ja and Estinien. ¡°How strong is he?¡± Alisaie asked. ¡°Enough to tire me,¡± the Warrior of Light replied as he sat down against a tree trunk. ¡°His techniques are perfect. But¡­ something is missing in his heart. I cannot say what that may be. Thus, his will weakened before mine.¡± ____________________________________________________________________________ ¡°The Warrior of Light traveled to the ends of the universe and returned. There is no shame,¡± Estinien advised Zoraal Ja. ¡°However, it is known that the Warrior of Light only recently picked up the twinblades, techniques of the viper. Even in battle, I could sense the Warrior of Light¡¯s techniques to be flawed. But I could not fully take advantage of those gaps. It¡¯s as if¡­¡± Zoraal Ja was disheartened by his defeat. Are the mamool ja right after all? That two-heads carrying two souls is simply superior? ¡°The Warrior of Light has mastered many techniques, experienced many tribulations, and thus has an uncanny ability to overcome disadvantageous situations.¡± That was all that Estinien could say. ¡°A pity that we could not disqualify Wuk Lamat.¡± Sareel Ja sighed. One of the soul seer''s eyes was still closed in pain from gazing at the brilliance of the Warrior of Light¡¯s soul. ¡°My stepsister cares not for the throne. ¡° Zoraal Ja repeated again. He could not understand Sareel Ja¡¯s obsession with removing his sister from the rite of succession. After all, it was only with his father¡¯s threats that Wuk Lamat had even arrived at Kozama¡¯uka in time. ____________________________________________________________________________ So it was that Koana revitalized the reeds of the Hanu Hanu with a unique mixture, followed by the beginnings of the Harvest Festival, with Wuk Lamat raised upon the repaired float. Though the reeds had been somewhat revitalized, the harvest season had already been somewhat harmed. With the delay in the growth of the reeds, they would not have as much harvest compared to better years. Though no longer at the brink of disaster, the Hanu Hanu remained downhearted. That was until Linuhali and a few others paraded the float carrying Wuk Lamat as per yearly tradition. Though some were initially irked, the Hanu Hanu soon recalled their fond memories of the previous years, and they let down the burden of their hearts as they became infected by the other dancing and chirping Hanu Hanus. The procession grew and grew during the march. With their spirits lifted, one Hanu Hanu seemed to awaken. ¡°Though our harvest may still be reduced, at least we will have a method to resolve the issue of a similar occurrence in the future!¡± Another Hanu Hanu laughed. ¡°I felt so downhearted before, but I had forgotten our many allies! We are all citizens of Tullioyal! The Pelupelu¡­¡± ¡°Nono, the Pelupelu might squeeze us like a lemon!¡± ¡°Most do arrange fair deals.¡± ¡°Did the foreigner not briefly mention having met our long-lost cousins before? The Gundu, Zundu and Vundu of the Vanu Vanus? The Dawnservant, too, received aid from over the seas during his journeys.¡± ¡°That can be arranged,¡± Alphinaud glowed in elation. He wasn¡¯t just thinking of the bird-like race, but also Garlemald. Supposedly, cerulean is being employed in Shaaloani. A potential for the future. Alisaie rolled her eyes. Her twin brother was finally useful. The procession finished at the shrine of their worship with an almighty roar of the crowd. Zanuhali observed her people and their reignited vigor sparking their minds with renewed determination to seek solutions to their problems. And suddenly, the clouds above her head, too, lifted. Wuk Lamat, having enjoyed herself prancing upon the float, gently conversed with and fed the rroneeks before entering her precious caravan, preparing to return to Tullioyal empty-handed. ¡°Wait,¡± Zanuhali chirped. ¡°Here.¡± Wuk Lamat peered out of her caravan, and barely caught a stone with her cat reflexes. ¡°You passed the Feat of Reeds,¡± Zanuhali stated. ¡°We have grown too reliant for heroes to come and save us. Perhaps our dependency on the Dawnservant has grown too much after he brought peace to the region.¡± ¡°You reminded me and my people to have the determination to sweep away the clouds in the sky and look beyond the horizons. To seek unexpected possibilities. And for that, I hope you will continue to stand at our side. Even should the Dawnservant be another.¡± The two bid farewell, and Wuk Lamat carried a funny look upon her face. ¡°That, I did not expect,¡± she muttered. ¡°I think she¡¯s just stated her allegiance,¡± Alisaie said. ¡°I was just lucky¡­¡± Wuk Lamat laid down to nap as the rroneeks pulled the caravan along the slightly bumpy path back to Tullioyal. ¡°After all, I have no interest in the rite of succession.¡± Bakool Ja Ja would eventually obtain his passing stone by imitating Koana¡¯s mixture. A guess of Wuk Lamat when Koana informed her of being followed by Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s minions. As for Zoraal Ja? It was unknown to the party as to what he accomplished to pass the Feat of Reeds. Ch4: Valigarmanda, Freed The two feats following the Feat of Reeds would be completed with little-to-no trouble. Of course, Wuk Lamat continued to lack interest in the rite of succession. Thus, the group meandered slowly on the road, within the caravan pulled by two lumbering rroneeks from place-to-place. The Feat of Gold? Seeing as Wuk Lamat took good care of the two rroneeks pulling her caravan, one might assume that she would have no fear of alpacas. Not so, as the Warrior of Light would discover. Plagued by a childhood trauma of being spitted upon by an alpaca, Wuk Lamat was. Still, with the help of Mablu, Wuk Lamat obtained a specially-crafted saddle that allowed her to tame a wild alpaca in a day, completing the Feat of Gold. They came across Zoraal Ja, Sareel Ja, and Estinien again. The two siblings, Wuk Lamat and Zoraal Ja, acknowledged one another with a simple nod. Estinien remained silent as usual, while perpetually smoldering under the sun. When Zoraal Ja returned with a golden alpaca, Estinien¡¯s raised eyebrow made Alisaie grumble to no end, in a bad mood for the rest of the day. A rather concerning event prior to the Feat of Pots though, was Wuk Lamat¡¯s second encounter with Bakool Ja Ja. The two-headed Mamool Ja sabotaged their boat to the southern half of Kozama¡¯uka. ¡°I swear,¡± Alisaie had commented, ¡°that Bakool Ja Ja has a thing for Wuk Lamat. It¡¯s almost as if¡­ he¡¯s chosen to specially target us.¡± The Warrior of Light agreed, for to their knowledge, Bakool Ja Ja had yet to demonstrate similar behavior towards Wuk Lamat¡¯s siblings. ¡°It must be your lackadaisical attitude,¡± Alisaie had said to Wuk Lamat. ¡°Bakool Ja Ja, this bully, probably thinks of you as an easy target.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Alphinaud had nodded emphatically. ¡°Bullies tend to take advantage of easy targets. Such as their twin sibling, for example.¡± The Warrior of Light also nodded emphatically at Alphinaud¡¯s words, which elicited a light slap from Alisaie. ¡°But I wonder¡­why? We have long fallen behind¡­¡± That was true. Wuk Lamat had insisted on dragging her beloved caravan and the two rroneeks onto the boat to Kozama¡¯uka, while complaining about the circumstances that forced them to use a riverboat in the first place. As for the Feat of Pots? It was rather convenient that Wuk Lamat had briefly made an acquaintance with a goldsmith seeking a career revival in the New World. Once Wuk Lamat recruited the goldsmith Fonjeantaine, the Feat of Pots was all but done. Wuk Lamat¡¯s lucky encounter with this desperate goldsmith helped them catch up to the other contestants¡¯ pace, to Alisaie¡¯s delight. Just when the group intended to board Wuk Lamat¡¯s caravan and travel back to Urqopacha for the Feat of Proof with the Yok Huy, a stranger requested Wuk Lamat¡¯s assistance for a simple task. Only when Wuk Lamat failed to return after some time did the Warrior of Light sense something to be off. They searched high and low, every nook and cranny in Earthenshire, yet failed to find even a shadow of the hrothgar. It was then that they crossed paths with the Second Promise, Koana, along with Thancred and Urianger. ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± Alisaie was shocked that the three weren¡¯t far ahead of their slow and lumbering caravan travel. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Thancred shrugged uncaringly. ¡°Koana insisted upon examining and improving the tools of the Moblins.¡± ¡°With better tools, the quality and quantity of work per time increases,¡± Koana nudged his glasses and explained. ¡°So, too, does the safety of the workers in cooperation with the Moblins increase, if given proper training to master said tools.¡± ¡°And why art thou still present?¡± Urianger asked. A quick explanation and Koana dashed off with the Warrior of Light to investigate. This was the first time that the Warrior of Light had interacted with the Second Promise extensively, and the Warrior of Light was pleasantly surprised to discover the Miqo¡¯te¡¯s deep and genuine concern for his sister. Meanwhile, a few scions did their own investigation. ¡°It must be Bakool Ja Ja¡­¡± Thancred muttered under his breath. ¡°I scouted extensively to form a safety perimeter around Koana. Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s minions have attempted to approach many times. Once I ambushed one of his minions, they no longer dared to approach anymore.¡± Alphinaud, Alisaie and Krile all had nothing to say. The three simply weren''t capable of doing the same for Wuk Lamat. Thancred has a unique set of capabilities, after all. Eventually, the Warrior of Light tracked a bandit back to the river pier on the eastern end of Kozama¡¯uka, assuming the worst. To the Warrior of Light¡¯s surprise, Wuk Lamat appeared with another bandit tied and gagged. ¡°Lamaty¡¯i!¡± Koana exclaimed. ¡°We thought the worst-- that Bakool Ja Ja had acted against you!¡± ¡°Oh, he certainly did,¡± Wuk Lamat replied. ¡°Oh?!¡± Koana¡¯s ears twitched in alert. ¡°He just wanted to steal my completed tile from the Feat of Pots,¡± Wuk Lamat nonchalantly explained. ¡°So I handed it over to him, before returning to catch these bandits that made a fool of me. The road my dear caravan travels upon, pulled by Mister Resolve and Missus Reason, must be safe!¡± Those were the two names that Wuk Lamat had given to the two rroneeks. ¡°What?¡± Koana¡¯s tail flickered in agitation. ¡°How could you give in so easily? That--¡± ¡°Oh, brother,¡± Wuk Lamat shrugged. ¡°You know I care not for the position of the Dawnservant. Plus, father¡¯s men should be watching. Bakool Ja Ja will be assessed as a fraud and be blocked from the position of the Dawnservant.¡± Koana seemed to struggle internally for a moment before he exhaled in a deep sigh. ¡°Sometimes I wonder why I even bother caring,¡± only to suddenly find himself suddenly in Wuk Lamat¡¯s tight embrace. ¡°But thank you brother,¡± Wuk Lamat delightedly exclaimed. ¡°It fills me with joy to know that you, too, put aside the rite of succession to ensure my safety.¡± ¡°See? The rite of succession isn¡¯t so important after all,¡± Wuk Lamat cheekily added. ¡°Well¡­yes,¡± was Koana¡¯s awkward reply. ___________________________________________________________________________ Bakool Ja Ja was elated to have to easily obtain Wuk Lamat¡¯s completed tile from the Feat of Pots. He had thought that she would have put up a fight. He was confident that with her isolated, he was certain to win. The problem, as ever, would have been potential interference from Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s men and those that host the feats-- after all, the rules of the rite of succession strictly forbid such actions. A rule that Bakool Ja Ja understood but-- his justification for his actions was that these feats were pointless tasks, and he was desperate. The whole of Mamook relied on him! As far as Bakool Ja Ja was concerned, Tuliyollal would never have formed if Galool Ja Ja lacked the battle prowess. Or at least, having been raised in Mamook, he knew that those around him would never follow one not of two-heads and two souls! As for the ¡®pathetic¡¯ Wuk Lamat-- the female hrothgar had simply handed over her completed tile like an obedient kittie. Bakool Ja Ja was overjoyed at how easy it was to gain the completed stone slab, and now swaggered his way towards upper Urqopacha. He would soon find a figure blocking his path-- Zoraal Ja! ¡°Step aside, one-headed. Lest you wish to suffer,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic threatened. ¡°I think not.¡± Zoraal Ja replied as he unsheathed his twinblades in a combat stance. ¡°Though my younger sister is hopelessly unmotivated¡­ that slab still belongs to her. Not you.¡± ¡°Our mamool ja society believes the two-headed and twin-souls to be supreme. For you to resort to such action makes me wonder¡­are you perhaps lacking in ability?¡± Zoraal Ja challenged. ¡°How dare you!¡± One of Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s minions hollered in anger at Zoraal Ja. ¡°You are but the lucky one. Do not become full of yourself simply because they call you the resilient one in Tuliyollal!¡± ¡°Calm yourself,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic ordered his underling. ¡°Indeed. Only blades will prove the difference,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty stated as the two-headed Mamool Ja also unsheathed his twinblades. Zoraal Ja¡¯s mind and body was anxious. He had never beaten his father, even after the head of reason went to sleep. He had also lost against the Warrior of Light when he tested himself during the Feat of Reeds. Both his father and the Warrior of Light have at least more than one soul within their bodies. Would this battle end up with the same result? Zoraal Ja tensed his body to bring forth his full strength and focus. He began to zigzag forward towards Bakool Ja Ja. He swung his twinblades in a feint before suddenly accelerating, and found himself easily digging the pommel of his right sword deep into Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s right ribs as the two-headed Mamool Ja fell for his feint. A crack sounded, and Bakool Ja Ja fell onto one knee, slumped in pain. Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s minions were speechless, their minds frozen at the sight of a two-headed losing to a one-head so quickly in combat. They had never even contemplated the possibility of such a situation. ¡°Hmph.¡± Zoraal Ja himself was surprised at how easily he had won as he retrieved Wuk Lamat¡¯s completed Feat of Pots slab. ¡°Two-headed with twin-souls? Not much after all.¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­ you should only be one-headed.¡± He placed a blade across the neck of Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic! The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°M-mercy, O Resilient One!¡± An underling begged. Not that the underling actually cared about Bakool Ja Ja. But rather, Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s father might blame them for his son¡¯s end! ¡°Zoraal Ja,¡± Sareel Ja intervened. ¡°The peace of the continent might be compromised if you take his head. I have a better idea.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Zoraal Ja sheathed his twinblades and rejoined his companions. Sareel Ja would whisper into Zoraal Ja¡¯s ear a dastardly plan. Though Estinien was curious about this mysterious plan, he saw no reason to intervene, and stood at a distance, rather satisfied that Zoraal Ja had retrieved the completed slab for Wuk Lamat. Anyhow, with his confidence somewhat restored after having lost to the Warrior of Light, Zoraal Ja strode towards upper Urqopacha with Sareel Ja and Estinien following behind. Zoraal Ja considered that perhaps, his father Gulool Ja Ja, and the Warrior of Light are just different, even for those of more than one soul. After all, there had been many two-headed before his father that amounted to nothing, their names forgotten. And if Estinien¡¯s words are to be believed, the Warrior of Light did travel to the end of the universe. ____________________________________________________________________________ Compared to the previous feats, the Feat of Proof was rather straightforward. It didn¡¯t take long before Wuk Lamat and her companions sparred against Gurfurlur atop Worqor Zormor and was found worthy. They encountered Zoraal Ja once again, and Alisaie was delighted when the Mamool Ja returned a completed Feat of Pots slab back to Wuk Lamat, giving his sister a glare of disapproval before wordlessly leaving. ¡°He¡­¡¯ Krile wasn¡¯t sure what to make of Zoraal Ja. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Wuk Lamat gazed at the mural made for her father atop Worqor Zormor as she organized her thoughts. ¡°When we were young, Zoraal Ja displayed a passion for battle similar to my father¡¯s head of resolve, while Koana got along much better with the head of reason, eventually seeking to enrich his knowledge through Sharlayan¡¯s academic system.¡± ¡°Me, on the other hand¡­ I guess I just wanted peace and fun. Zoraal Ja dragged me to spar with father, saying that I was needed to make the fight fair against father¡¯s two heads. Whenever Koana returned from Sharlayan, he would also lock me in a room with him while sharing all that he had learned.¡± ¡°I was never really into seriously sparring with my father though-- I just saw it as a bit of fun if you know what I mean. And I also could never understand much of the advanced research that Koana passionately attempted to demonstrate to me. It was mostly fun and interesting to get glimpses of the world across the seas.¡± ¡°Both my brothers would soon come to learn of my nature as they grew and matured. Zoraal Ja has always expressed the opinion that I could be so much more if I cared and put my heart into it during the spars against my father,¡± Wuk Lamat concluded. ¡°And the rite of succession,¡± Erenville added. Wuk Lamat nodded, acknowledging the reason for Zoraal Ja¡¯s disapproval. _____________________________________________________________________________ Meanwhile, Sareel Ja waited outside Karryorzar the Gracious, for none other than the injured Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s appearance. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Sareel Ja softly said as Bakool Ja Ja approached the place. Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s two heads, and his underlings glared at this follower of Zoraal Ja. ¡°Do you not fear retribution?¡± One of Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s underlings threatened. ¡°Calm yourself,¡± Sareel Ja replied. ¡°I was sent here by Zoraal Ja to offer you information. As an apology.¡± ¡°Hmph! Indeed, he should recognize the prime position of the two-headed!¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Might exclaimed. ¡°Within this building is the sealed form of Valigarmanda,¡± Sareel Ja grinned mysteriously. ¡°The great Gulool Ja Ja combined the abilities of his two-heads and twin-souls, delivering a unique magic that caused Valigarmanda to lose control and seal itself in everlasting ice.¡± ¡°It is said that this everlasting ice can only be broken by the unique magic of a two-headed, as it was borne out of the great Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s magic. Thus, if you can break this ice¡­ then it will be proof of your capabilities as a two-headed Mamool Ja, and Zoraal Ja would have no choice but to bow his head to you.¡± Sareel Ja¡¯s words lit Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s four eyes aflame. ¡°None would be able to deny your rightful place¡­You would have demonstrated your abilities to be comparable to the great Gulool Ja Ja.¡± Sareel Ja added with a seductive voice. ¡°Not even with that injured rib of yours.¡± A flash of anger and humiliation passed over Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s eyes, but the two-headed Mamool Ja quickly calmed himself and strode towards Karryorzar the Gracious with intent, the pain in his right abdomen now a minor distraction at the back of his head. _____________________________________________________________________________ The earth and air of Urqopacha would soon shake upon Valigarmanda¡¯s freedom, as if signaling the end of the world. Of course, it would not compare to the Final Days, but one should not belittle the giants¡¯ current plight in such a manner. Vorporlor, a leader of the hostile Chirwagur faction of the Yok Huy, with a group of his underlings, came before Gurfurlur in a wild rage. ¡°Gurfurlur!¡± Vorporlor bellowed. ¡°For many years, we chirwagur have accepted your friendship and peace with Gulool Ja Ja. And look where that has brought us?¡± ¡°Valigarmanda has slain dozens upon dozen of our people at the Chirwagur Saltern in a single fiery breath. The skyruin was freed by none other than Bakool Ja Ja! We all know the two-headed Mamool Jas are the leaders of their societies!¡± ¡°Thus, for this, we must declare war against the Mamool Ja! Raze Mamook to the ground. Reclaim our place of ancestry within the Yak T¡¯el forest, and ensure this never be repeated again!¡± A crowd of chirwagur behind him roared in approval, including many of the injured. Many had burns upon their skin and one was even missing an arm. So far, the Warrior of Light¡¯s interactions with the Yok Huy had been¡­ slow. Their speech was unhurried. Only now, and riled up by the deaths and injuries of their people did the giants utter declarations with such speed and verve. Gurfurlur sighed as his mind sought for the right words. Though he is the respected leader of the giants, this could very quickly spin out of his control. ¡°Indeed, there must be¡­ compensation,¡± Gurfurlur started. ¡°Do, however, be reminded that it was Gulool Ja Ja, a Mamool Ja, along with his companions, that first sealed Valigarmanda. I will right this wrong, that I promise. Gulool Ja Ja, though he is of Mamool Ja, has always been a fair and just ruler. Our current concern should be the skyruin.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Bakool Ja Ja?¡± A chirwagur in the crowd questioned. Gurfurlur hardened his resolve. ¡°Find and capture him. Throw him into the deepest depths of our jail, but ensure not to harm him.¡± ¡°We will make use of him against the Mamool Ja, yes?¡± Vorporlor¡¯s eyes glinted, reading into Gurfurlur¡¯s intentions. Gurfurlur closed his eyes. ¡°Yes. Though you all may be angered, ensure he suffers not more than bruises at most. Else his value will be severely diminished.¡± He knew that Bakool Ja Ja was the son of the current autarch of Mamook, and this action would likely further escalate the situation. However, he had no choice. He needed to answer to his own people! Soon, a chirwagur would return with bad news. ¡°Bakool Ja Ja immediately escaped after he freed Valigarmanda!¡± the giant informed all present. ¡°So he knew and came with dishonorable intentions!¡± Vorporlor seethed. ¡°If I may?¡± Zoraal Ja now stepped forth. ¡°Go ahead, First Promise.¡± Gurfurlur nodded. Perhaps the First Promise could offer a diplomatic solution. ¡°It is unfortunate that Bakool Ja Ja came here with ill intentions-- still, he cannot be considered to be representative of Mamook.¡± ¡°I understand that the chirwagur are concerned of ill intentions from others, and prefer to protect oneself by conquering those around you. I can assure you that there are many Mamool Ja who reside in both Tuliyollal and Mamook-- such as my father-- that serve you no ill will.¡± ¡°As First Promise, I assure you all that Bakool Ja Ja, and those behind him will be punished accordingly. Bakool Ja Ja should not be seen as representative of Mamook. If he remains representative of Mamook in the future, you all will be justified to take action and raze Mamook to the ground!¡± A declaration of intent. ¡°Big brother¡­¡± Wuk Lamat interjected. ¡°Is that not overly¡­¡± ¡°Lamaty¡¯i,¡± Zoraal Ja slowly shook his scaled head. ¡°If Mamook protects Bakool Ja Ja after his freeing of Valigarmanda, the very source of sorrow and death for the Yok Huy¡­ then Mamook does not deserve to exist in this world any longer. You desire peace, do you not? To wile away your days in joy?¡± ¡°I will do what is necessary!¡± He spat with resolve. ¡°To demonstrate my commitment to you all, I will do combat against Valigarmanda, just as my father did before!¡± He declared. ¡°After being sealed for so many years, Valigarmanda has undoubtedly weakened. And I intend to finish what my father started, and send the skyruin to its grave once and for all!¡± ¡°If I am successful, I hope that you will give me and father time to resolve the issue of Bakool Ja Ja. I promise to send him into your arms as punishment for freeing Valigarmanda!¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Gurfurlur agreed. This was the best option to avoid an all out war that would devastate both the Mamool Ja and the Yok Huy and potentially send Tural back into endless warfare. ¡°Even Gulool Ja Ja could not defeat Valigarmanda alone,¡± Vorporlor hesitated to agree. ¡°My brother will not be alone,¡± Koana announced his participation. Both Zoraal Ja and Koana turned to Wuk Lamat, who they understood to have a bad habit of avoiding trouble and, what they see as the responsibility of a child of Gulool Ja Ja, even if adopted. Wuk Lamat¡¯s eyes were initially closed as she contemplated the situation that had so quickly escalated to this stage. When she opened her eyes again, her gaze had a determination that the Warrior of Light only briefly glimpsed during the Feat of Reeds. As for Zoraal Ja, this look of determination lifted his mood to the sky. In their younger years, Wuk Lamat had once displayed this determination when they sparred against their father together. That was the farthest they had ever pushed Gulool Ja Ja in combat. Zoraal Ja never figured out why his younger sister had such motivation on that specific day. Ever since, he had tried many different approaches in an attempt to bring that fire out from Lamaty¡¯i again. All failures. Until today. ¡°I suppose I have to, don¡¯t I¡­¡± Wuk Lamat said, her eyes clear. ¡°The peace of Tural must be kept.¡± She would no longer be able to meander around Tural within her precious caravan if a war broke out. A giant whispered into Vorporlor¡¯s ears. ¡°Those of the Chirwagur Saltern tracked Valigarmanda to the many-colored mountain, our sacred site!¡± Vorporlor shook his head. ¡°For that reason, I cannot agree to this deal.¡± ¡°You would block us?¡± Zoraal Ja unsheathed his twinblades. For him, the slaying of Valigarmanda had a much more significant importance that of the Yok Huy¡¯s safety. For many years, he had struggled to prove himself of comparative stature to his father. He had been seen as nothing but a simple one-headed Mamool Ja by those of his own kind. Mocked despite all that he had done leading the landsguard. Defeating Valigarmanda, even if it was weakened, would demonstrate strength. It would also place him in a position where he would dictate the terms of peace between the Yok Huy and Mamook. He would then be able to remove Bakool Ja Ja, ensuring that no two-headed Mamool Ja would threaten his position in Mamool Ja society. Eventually, they may come to see him as capable as his father. ¡°Big brother!¡± Wuk Lamat gripped onto Zoraal Ja¡¯s forearm in concern. ¡°He means no ill will,¡± Wuk Lamat said to Vorporlor. ¡°My brother has led the landsguard for many years, and only desires to protect the citizens of Tural. He is only concerned that Valigarmanda will take many more of your people¡¯s lives if not dealt with expediently.¡± ¡°Younger sister,¡± Zoraal Ja scoffed. ¡°You may not know this, but the chirwagur has always been uncooperative with the landsguard. It is only with Gurfurlur¡¯s intervention that we landsguard have been able to keep the peace! The chirwagur has taken actions that sometimes even sabotage the happiness of their own people!¡± Yet this time, Gurfurlur stood on the side, unwilling to intervene for reasons unknown to Zoraal Ja. Meanwhile, Koana and Urianger were conversing with one another in rapid unending sentences. Koana soon approached Vorporlor. ¡°Vorporlor, well¡­excuse my pronunciation of your name if it is inaccurate.¡± Koana¡¯s voice gradually grew in confidence. ¡°We believe that Valigarmanda is attempting to strengthen itself by draining aether from the environment into its body.¡± ¡°Thus, your sacred site might very well become nothing but a drained and place of rot if we are not allowed to enter the many-colored mountains. It will become the gray mountains.¡± ¡°Valigarmanda will also recover its full strength, at which point¡­well.¡± Koana reverted back to his hesitant tone at this stage. ¡°Valigarmanda will destroy your people,¡± Alphinaud calmly finished Koana¡¯s warning. ¡°You will not even have the chance to seek justice from the Mamool Ja. As for the price that Tural will pay afterwards¡­¡± Vorporlor¡¯s and his underlings¡¯ expressions darkened, but they could not deny the truth within Alphinaud¡¯s words. ¡°Very well,¡± Gurfurlur rumbled. ¡°Let us do what must be done. May the three Promises of Tuliyollal prove their worth!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Vorporlor pursed his lips, choosing to accept the current deal even if he wasn¡¯t fully on board with these ¡®outsiders¡¯. ¡°Let them prove their worth!¡± Ch5: Wuk Lamat and Bakool Ja Ja The battle against Valigarmanda followed. Erenville put his gleaner skills to good use, leading Tural¡¯s potential future leaders and their aides to Valigarmanda¡¯s location in the Many-Colored Mountains. With the battle underway, Zoraal Ja¡¯s eyes were inadvertently drawn by the Warrior of Light¡¯s increasing mastery of the twinblades. Zoraal Ja had originally somewhat dispelled his unsettled heart by essentially guaranteeing what he thought to be Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s inevitable fall-- it was now impossible for Bakool Ja Ja to represent Mamook after causing devastation to the Yok Huy. The two-headed should no longer challenge Zoraal Ja as a Mamool Ja leader. However, upon seeing the Warrior of Light¡¯s quick progress with mastering the twinblades, he could not help but feel an unease in his heart. That he was of one soul, and not more, like his father. As for the Warrior of Light¡¯s attention? The Warrior of Light¡¯s eyes were drawn to Wuk Lamat. The hrothgar demonstrated her ability with the axe, and the Warrior of Light could only wonder why none in Tural spoke of Wuk Lamat¡¯s ability. The Warrior of Light¡¯s best guess was that Wuk Lamat rarely drew her weapon, and even when she did, often fought with a lackluster heart. Not today. Regardless. That, combined with Zoraal Ja¡¯s achievements with the landsguard, must have influenced public perception of Wuk Lamat¡¯s ability. As the battle neared its apex, the Warrior of Light felt an all-too-recognizable fire within the heart that surged forth in an explosive strike. As a viper, this strike manifested in the form of a serpent swallowing the world, the twinblades as two fangs piercing the enemy, sending Valigarmanda into its deathroes. Zoraal Ja once again felt unease in his heart upon witnessing this sight. He himself could not fully activate such energy. However, Zoraal Ja had to quickly bury his unease, for Valigarmanda still writhed before their eyes. In a bid to preserve itself, Valigarmanda activated its own ice magic to once again preserve itself in a block, hoping for the narrow possibility of its survival and freedom in a far future. The party confronting the Skyruin frowned-- Only one of two souls and two heads could coordinate properly together to undo such magic, so it is said. ¡°The correct response doth lie before our gaze,¡± Urianger said as he gestured at Alphinaud and Alisaie. ¡°Master Louisoix hath long wrought the preparations.¡± ¡°You cannot be serious,¡± Alisaie groaned as she covered her face with a hand. ¡°It would seem that it is necessary.¡± Alphinaud simply nodded in agreement with Urianger¡¯s words. ¡°Fine. Fine!¡± Alisaie¡¯s facial muscles twitched in a pained expression. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with!¡± She raised her arm, and her rapier rose towards the sky in a shining brilliance. ¡°I see that your discovered resolve has not waned,¡± Alphinaud muttered. ¡°So let me join my strength with yours once again! In this place, in this--¡± ¡°Brother! Is this really necessary?¡± Alisaie protestations were ignored. ¡°-- moment, our purpose has become one once again!¡± Alphinaud announced triumphantly as his four nouliths rose into the air and spun in an orbit around Alisaie¡¯s rapier. The combined weapons of the twins spiraled forth and punctured Valigarmanda¡¯s newly-formed ice prison, the lasers from the four nouliths focusing power into the tip of the rapier. A single crack formed in the block, but Valigarmanda remained protected within its iceberg. Alisaie was stone-faced, while Alphinaud appeared sheepish. Zoraal Ja¡¯s eyes narrowed, his heart wavering in shock at twins¡¯ ability to cooperate with one another without interfering against each others¡¯ magic. Then, a gun sounded in a loud bang. Koana had fired his weapon. ¡°Drill,¡± the miqo¡¯te monotonously stated as he adjusted his glasses. The drill struck a similar position to Alisaie and Alphinaud¡¯s combined weapon. That was all it took for the single crack, previously created by the twins¡¯ combined assault, to radiate like the roots of a tree. Then, the ice block preserving Valigarmanda in its final moments, shattered in high-pitched groans and shrieks. ¡°Now, brother!¡± Wuk Lamat charged forth and held up a fist with an extended thumb. Zoraal Ja instinctively understood this signal, and hid his body behind the hrothgar. Wuk Lamat leapt forward as she swung her axe, and Valigarmanda, despite being on its last legs, undulated its serpentine form to barely dodge Wuk Lamat¡¯s axe. But then, Zoraal Ja¡¯s form suddenly appeared from Wuk Lamat¡¯s shadow, and his twinblades struck true into the Skyruin¡¯s neck, an area which had become exposed due to the strenuous battle. So Valigarmanda fell, its serpent-like body and attached feathery wings writhing and twitching as the light within its eyes dimmed until it was forever extinguished. As a result, the Three Promises left Urqopacha as heroes, and Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s fate was placed in Zoraal Ja and Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s hands as previously agreed with the Yok Huy. All three were also rewarded for completing the Feat of Ice, originally meant to test each Promise¡¯s ability to strengthen Valigarmanda¡¯s now unnecessary seal. _____________________________________________________________________ They traveled to Yak T¡¯el for the next feat, once again bouncing about within the caravan above a bumpy forest path, softened by the internal cushions and mattresses. The Warrior of Light could not resist asking Wuk Lamat one question. ¡°Why did you not deliver the final blow yourself?¡± In the Warrior of Light¡¯s eyes, Wuk Lamat should have been able to finish off Valigarmanda if she adjusted herself to the Skyruin¡¯s movements. ¡°When we were young and trained together against our father, this was one of the tricks we created. I would perform a signal with my hand, act as the feint, such that my older brother could deliver the final blow,¡± Wuk Lamat explained. ¡°It worked well initially, but soon became ineffective. Our father does have two heads and can look left and right at the same time, heh!¡± Wuk Lamat chuckled as she laughed at the memory of her young naive self. ¡°Yes, but you could have--¡± Alisaie¡¯s bluster was promptly interrupted. ¡°I wanted him to have the glory,¡± Wuk Lamat gazed at the roof of the caravan with a sigh. ¡°The mamool ja worships the two-headed. I know my brother struggles somewhat when dealing with his cultural roots. Perhaps when he visits Mamook once again as the slayer of Valigarmanda, his heart will be at peace.¡± Her words silenced Alisaie, and all their minds thought of the few two-headed Mamool Ja they had encountered. Some had, of course, crossed over to Eorzea in the past. ¡°So¡­¡± At length, Wuk Lamat turned to the Warrior of Light. ¡°That final move of yours was splendid. I must know-- how are you able to gather such¡­ energy? I have only seen my father consistently control such strength.¡± The Warrior of Light¡¯s head tilted upwards with eyes closed. The Warrior of Light recalled the past, and recalled that even during the early years, a weaker form of said strike could still be driven from the heart within. ¡°Limit break, I call it,¡± the Warrior of Light replied in a slow voice, immersed in thoughts. ¡°How?¡± Wuk Lamat curiously asked. The Warrior of Light struggled to come up with an explanation, until thoughts of the existence that is Venat rose within the mind. ¡°I once met someone in a dream,¡± the Warrior of Light began. ¡°In another time, another place.¡± ¡°She once cast her gaze into the vast expanse and uttered these words to me: ¡®Lands that stretched on forever. Skies one could drown in. The heartbeat of nature, silent yet strong. And amidst it all, a people-- Beacons of light and life. Laughter that warmed my heart like naught else before.¡¯ ¡° ¡°Before, I could never give words to the energy that rises within my heart, often lifting me above my perceived limits. However, I believe that these words from a mentor and a friend explain it the best,¡± the Warrior of Light concluded. ¡°I see¡­ A people. The many tribes and the warmth that they bring into my heart¡­¡± The often languid eyes of Wuk Lamat sparkled at the Warrior of Light¡¯s words. Perhaps the fight against Valigarmanda had ignited something within the hrothgar, and the Warrior of Light¡¯s words further fanned the young flames. ¡°Oh please,¡± Alisaie interjected with a scoff. ¡°Look. Whenever your heart feels like it¡­ just unleash it. Bam! Simple really.¡± ¡°Is¡­ is that it?¡± Krile dubiously questioned Alisaie. Krile, too, was relatively new to the whole adventuring business. The Warrior of Light could only sigh before deciding to check on Erenville. The Viera had chosen to occupy the front seat for the caravan, preferring solitude as the driver of the caravan. They arrived at Iq Br¡¯aax soon enough, and were surprised to discover Zoraal Ja, Koana, Bakool Ja Ja and followers to all be waiting for their arrival. They had all expected to be left behind due to Wuk Lamat¡¯s continued insistence on traveling using her beloved caravan. ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Zoraal Ja grumbled. Wuk Lamat shrugged and instead glared at Bakool Ja Ja. ¡°And how is this¡­ criminal still allowed to compete?¡± She snarled. Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s actions had ended the hopes and dreams of a number of Yok Huy. The left eyelids of both Bakool Ja Ja heads twitched at her words. ¡°Father stated that judgment will come upon the end of the succession rites,¡± Zoraal Ja replied as he glanced at Bakool Ja Ja with a mocking sneer His words all but confirmed that it has become impossible for Bakool Ja Ja to become the dawnservant. At this point, Bakool Ja Ja was only completing the remaining feats for, likely, bureaucratic reasons. Wuk Lamat and her companions soon discovered why the other three contestants had to wait for their arrival. The Feat of Repast required cooperation between two contestants. Hunmu Rruk drew from a pot. ¡°Wuk Lamat will be paired with Bakool Ja Ja,¡± the host announced. ¡°Oh, by the twelve,¡± muttered Krile. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°What is it that you Eorzeans like to say?¡± Wuk Lamat¡¯s shoulders drooped. ¡°Thal¡¯s balls, was it?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Alphinaud corrected the hrothgar. ¡°Primarily those from the Thanalan region.¡± ¡°So, it¡¯s the scared little kitten!¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic said. ¡°Perhaps she has some talent in cook¡­ cooking. That damned¡­ Zoraal Ja surely does..not.¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty carried a confident tone, but a slight stuttering accompanied by tonal tremors leaked through his speech. Perhaps this ¡®blessed sibling¡¯ does understand the gravity of their actions in Urqopacha after all, and was currently putting on a brave front. Xibruq Pibil was the dish that they needed to make. ¡°A dish created from marinating ibruq meat in spices wrapped in Ja Tiika banana leaf from below the canopy,¡± Wuk Lamat explained to her helpers. ¡°Borne out of the established peace between the Xbr¡¯aal and Mamool Ja peoples.¡± Wuk Lamat¡¯s repeated travels across Tural within her caravan proved useful, her accumulated knowledge in this region a boon to the current task. ¡°Hah. Tales of peace. An absolute joke,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty jibed ¡°Without the two-headed Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s strength, the power of the blessed sibling, there would be no peace in Tural!¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic declared. ¡°What a stupid¡­ feat.¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty finished. ¡°As for the exact method-- amount and composition of the spice, meat, cooking time in the earthern oven-- those details I have never determined. Let us search for these answers.¡± Wuk Lamat ignored Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s words. She once found the two-headed Mamool Ja to be somewhat intimidating. After the events in Urqopacha, she now found the two-headed Mamool Ja to be well¡­ farcical. ¡°Go ahead, little kittie,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic ordered as Bakool Ja Ja stood unmoving, deciding to not participate in the search for information on the exact cooking process. Wuk Lamat frowned for just a single second, then she relaxed and laid down onto the grass to the side, closing her eyes to take a nap. The Warrior of Light, the Leveilleur twins, Krile and Erenville all shrugged as they too sat down onto the grass for a break. These five had gotten used to Wuk Lamat¡¯s casual pace and disinterest in the overall rite of succession. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty asked with wide eyes. ¡°Since you don¡¯t seem to be interested in assisting in the search for the cooking method, I thought I¡¯d have some rest first,¡± Wuk Lamat mumbled. ¡°Got to gather energy to do the work of two, you understand?¡± ¡°No! You¡¯re meant to do the pointless cooking and complete the task and--¡± Wuk Lamat began snoring. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty roared in frustration. ¡°But then¡­¡± Wuk Lamat opened one eye. ¡°Who would do the cooking if I¡¯m dead? You? Oh yes. Your minions, I suppose. But this feat is meant to be a cooperation between you and I. You might as well fail and not bother with the feat if my life is forfeit.¡± Krile couldn¡¯t help but giggle, drawing Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s glare. ¡°And you! What do you--¡± ¡°I think you would be a good mount,¡± the normally soft-spoken Krile couldn¡¯t resist following Wuk Lamat¡¯s pace. ¡°I belong to the Students of Baldesion. We have many explorative ventures that could use your ability to navigate the environment.¡± ¡°Only for a lalafell,¡± Erenville snorted to withhold a chuckle, barely maintaining his flat facade. Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty and Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic were both momentarily stunned. However, Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic soon managed to regain some pride. ¡°I must inform you all that the passageway to Mamook has been blocked by a landslide,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic mysteriously smiled. ¡°Thus, it is impossible for any to find Ja Tiika bananas and their leaves.¡± Bakool Ja Ja reached into his pouch and withdrew an item. In his hand was the specific ingredient of Ja Tiika banana leaves! ¡°This is our contribution. The other team, your two brothers, will not be able to find these currently unobtainable ingredients. We will permit you to use our minions to search for clues of the exact cooking method.¡± ¡°Yes. That is a fair deal, no?¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty had calmed down somewhat as well. ¡°A landslide? What could have caused it?¡± Wuk Lamat questioned as she stood back onto her feet with a stretch to the back and two arms. ¡°Hah!¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty laughed. ¡°My father is the autarch of Mamook, and the elector of a feat.¡± ¡°So,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic finished his sibling¡¯s words. ¡°Naturally, only we can access Ja Tiika banana leaves for this feat!¡± ¡°That damned treacherous one-head doesn''t deserve a place in Mamook!¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty declared. It was obvious to Wuk Lamat that Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s words meant Zoraal Ja, her older brother. Wuk Lamat snatched the Ja Tiika banana leaves from Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s hand. ¡°Fair enough,¡± she grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll do the cooking then.¡± ¡°Indeed you should,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic replied. Soon, Wuk Lamat¡¯s team spread themselves to search for answers. That was when Hunmu Rruk approached the Warrior of Light. It was this conversation that gave the Warrior of Light awareness regarding Wuk Lamat¡¯s adoption by Gulool Ja Ja. Wuk Lamat is Hunmu Rruk¡¯s biological daughter! Not that it matters-- Hunmu Rruk explained his desire to know how Wuk Lamat had been faring during her journeys, and had no desire to now insert himself back into Wuk Lamat life. The way he saw it, he failed to protect Wuk Lamat when she was kidnapped as a baby, and it was far better for her to be with the dawnservant that is Gulool Ja Ja. Unknown to the two was that one of Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s minions had accidentally overheard this conversation while searching for the cooking method and ingredients of Xibruq Pibil. This information made it back to Bakool Ja Ja, of course. The two-headed simply shrugged after hearing of this new knowledge. As far as Bakool Ja Ja was concerned, this information was not important. Wuk Lamat had already promised to do the cooking, and with that, the two of them should gain the reward from completing the Feat of Repast. For Bakool Ja Ja, it was far more important to ¡®flatten¡¯ Zoraal Ja. That damn one-headed had injured his ribs. That damn one-headed had tricked him into releasing Valigarmanda-- Well, it was Sareel Ja, but likely at Zoraal Ja¡¯s behest-- leading to his current wanted status in Urqopacha, and a potential looming war between the Mamool Ja and the Yok Huy. The beginning of Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s revenge would start with Zoraal Ja¡¯s inability to complete the Feat of Repast due to the inaccessible lower canopy of Yak T¡¯el, guaranteeing the lack of Ja Tiika banana leaves. Unknown to Bakool Ja Ja though, was that Wuk Lamat had chosen to meet up with her brothers. She cared not about winning the rite of succession. She had always seen her older brother to be more capable, having led the landsguard to protect the people of Tural against many threats in the recent past. She also had no interest in becoming the dawnservant, which she viewed as a dreary task compared to her lovely travels across Tural on her caravan. She did care about fairness, and suspecting Bakool Ja Ja of having had something to do with the landslide that blocked access to the lower canopy, she approached Zoraal Ja and Koana, providing the two with some Ja Tiika banana leaves. ¡°Why?¡± Zoraal Ja growled. He did not take kindly to this ¡®charity¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s a matter of¡­ fairness,¡± Wuk Lamat smiled. ¡°I believe Bakool Ja Ja created the landslide with assistance from his father. A competition must be fair, no?¡± Zoraal Ja¡¯s eyes narrowed. In his heart, he began to consider truly taking the life of Bakool Ja Ja. It seems that the two-headed will continue to remain an obstacle to his ambitions within Mamool Ja society. ¡°Thank you, Lamaty¡¯i,¡± Koana¡¯s ears twitched in joy. ¡°I would not have blamed you even if you did not share these leaves with us. I¡¯ve come to think of myself as inadequate. My talents lie in calculation and innovation. To be dawnservant, one must see the hearts of the people. But I thank you nonetheless.¡± Koana¡¯s words bewildered Wuk Lamat¡¯s heart. Then again, she herself always felt Zoraal Ja to be the lead runner anyway. The siblings bid each other farewell. Soon, the judging of Xibruq Pibil began. Both of Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s heads were dismayed to find that somehow, Zoraal Ja and Koana had successfully obtained Ja Tiika banana leaves for the dish! Though the dish created by Wuk Lamat and Bakool Ja Ja-- well mostly Wuk Lamat-- was considered more authentic, Zoraal Ja and Koana were still rewarded for their completion of the feat. During the whole assessment, Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic¡¯s eyes kept returning to glare at Wuk Lamat. After all, it was impossible for Zoraal Ja and Koana to have gotten their hands on Ja Tiika banana leaves. The only way was if Wuk Lamat¡­ After the Feat of Repast, Wuk Lamat performed a joyous stretch before reentering her caravan for the trip to Mamook. The lumbering caravan suddenly stopped. ¡°Incoming beast,¡± Erenville monotonously drawled. The group descended the caravan, and the Warrior of Light discovered Bakool Ja Ja and his minions to be blocking their path. In Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s minions¡¯ hands was a tied-up Hunmu Rruk. They backed away and began escaping with Hunmu Rruk¡¯s body in tow once the confrontation began. ¡°The Ja Tiika banana leaves were not meant to be shared,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic stated. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Wuk Lamat feigned innocence. ¡°Drop the act! You are as treacherous as your older brother,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty roared. ¡°Did you know? Hunmu Rruk is your biological father. Give me all your stone slabs, such that I will return to Mamook triumphant over Zoraal Ja. Or he,¡± Bakool Ja Ja pointed one of his twinblades¡¯ gleaming tip at the body of Hunmu Rruk being carried away by his minions, ¡°will suffer.¡± Wuk Lamat wasn¡¯t sure of what to think or feel, to suddenly have a biological father revealed to her. True? False? Who knew? But there was one thing that she was certain of. ¡°To capture an innocent party, an elector to boot? You must be mad.¡± Wuk Lamat reached into her caravan and lifted up a floorboard to reveal a hidden compartment. Then out of this compartment, she withdrew a mostly black axe, decorated with tinges of orange and cream cloth. This was the first time that the Warrior of Light would feel a tempestuous raging energy from Wuk Lamat¡¯s body. Throughout their journey, the hrothgar had been mostly lackadaisical, displaying little to no interest in the rite of succession. That has remained true. However, the necessity of defeating Valigarmanda brought out a spark from Wuk Lamat¡¯s heart. And now, Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s uncouth methods caused the normally-calm hrothgar to become a blazing flame. ¡°I trust that you will deal with his minions and rescue Hunmu Rruk?¡± Wuk Lamat requested the Warrior of Light and accompanying scions in a low tone. ¡°Leave it to us,¡± the Warrior of Light replied. ¡°As for Bakool Ja Ja?¡± Wuk Lamat harrumphed. ¡°He¡¯s mine!¡± The Warrior of Light and accompany scions set off after the minions, who had begun fleeing with their captive. Bakool Ja Ja wanted to give orders to his minions as to how to respond with the captive against these ¡®outsiders¡¯, but his attention was quickly drawn by Wuk Lamat¡¯s holler. ¡°Bakool Ja Ja!¡± The hrothgar snarled. ¡°You wanted my stone slabs, yes?¡± Bakool Ja Ja was shocked to find that Wuk Lamat now had a stack of stone slabs laid out in front of her feet, while her right hand clutched an ominous black axe with its weight supported upon her shoulder. ¡°Here you go!¡± Wuk Lamat yelled as she threw the first stone slab at Bakool Ja Ja. Bakool Ja Ja caught the first one, and discovered it to be authentic. He was completely befuddled as to why Wuk Lamat seemed all too happy to give him all of her stone slabs. The second stone slab cut through the air as a flying card, and Bakool Ja Ja was ever more confused as he caught this stone slab and discovered it to be authentic as well. Then, the third. The fourth stone slab should be the Feat of Ice. That was what Bakool Ja Ja needed. The fourth stone slab came, and Bakool Ja Ja caught it with a triumphant grin on both heads. Only to find the stone slab within his hand to begin shuddering a second later. He turned over the stone slab to find a device attached to its back. ¡°A leftover gift from Koana¡¯s tinkerings,¡± Wuk Lamat smiled. ¡°No!¡± Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s two heads simultaneously yelled as the completed Feat of Ice stone slab exploded, shattering into a million pieces. Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s body bore the brunt of the force, but it was not the blast that pained him the most, nor the pieces of stone that dug into his scales and lightly injured his tough body What pained him the most was that he had lost the Feat of Ice stone slab that he needed! ¡°Are you mad?¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic howled, his mind a jumbled mess. ¡°You could have just fought it out with us! Perhaps your friends would have saved that hrothgar! Even if I gain the stone slab, you could have attempted to recover it at another time! You crazy hellcat! Are you dense in the head?! Now neither of us will have the Feat of Ice slab!¡± At that moment, a black axe swung down and Bakool Ja Ja, through the smoke, barely reacted in time to block the axe with his twinblades. ¡°I never cared about becoming the dawnservant, nor the rite of succession,¡± Wuk Lamat answered as they crossed weapons. ¡°Who would want to be cooped up in that stone building? Fools, the lot of you.¡± The two separated after their first clash, glaring at one another at a distance of a few arm¡¯s length. ¡°Now for the hard part,¡± Wuk Lamat said to herself. She knew of the two-headed¡¯s supernatural abilities. The two-headed are able to track many more details within battle. Increased strength, dexterity, coordination and more. She knew this after sparring against her father many times. Then, there¡¯s the fact that she was never as good a combatant as Zoraal Ja either. But, perhaps¡­ ¡°What were your words again, O Warrior of Light?¡± She muttered to herself as she raised her black axe in a ready stance. ¡°A people. The many tribes of Tural. They are-- my beacons of light and life. Their laughter fills my heart with warmth and joy like nothing else before.¡± Humnu Rruk, a citizen of Tural, should not have been kidnapped. And for Bakool Ja Ja to use his status as her supposed biological father, as a method to steal stone slabs? Despicable. Resolve gathered within Wuk Lamat¡¯s breast, a swirling storm compressing into a single eye that she had never felt before. And finally, she followed Alisaie¡¯s words, and simply unleashed her heart. Her black axe smacked down towards Bakool Ja Ja. The two-headed Mamool Ja reflexively blocked once again, only to discover Wuk Lamat¡¯s strike to be heavy as a mountain. Not only that-- even the very ground below his feet opened up to swallow him whole! Ch6: The Darkness of Mamook Wuk Lamat initially struggled in battle against Bakool Ja Ja. She soon discovered the energy of resolve within her becoming ever easier to gather and employ at critical moments in battle. Bakool Ja Ja could feel the battle shifting away from him. The damn hellcat would recover from the brink of collapse again and again. Each time she would grow fiercer like a kitten discovering the use of her sharp claws! Again, the ferocity within Wuk Lamat¡¯s axe strikes waned, followed by a raging inferno breathing new life into her relentless swings, raising the hrothgar to new heights. A cleave fell from the heavens and Bakool Ja Ja was sent stumbling backwards with his twinblades raised in a panic. ¡°We must employ our paired magic, brother,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic muttered. ¡°This kitten is indeed more thorny than I expected,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty mumbled, wholly unnerved by the unexpected situation. Bakool Ja Ja leapt backwards to create a good distance, and extended his two scaly arms. His right arm was a fiery ball, while his left carried an icy aether. He brought his two hands together and the two spells, aetherically opposed, combined seamlessly. The ball of fire and ice was then released in Wuk Lamat¡¯s direction, gradually expanding to fill the whole area in a chaotic storm. Wuk Lamat brought her black axe down once again, and the very land was rent asunder as mountain peaks rose from the ground, forming an impenetrable wall against Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s storm. As the turbulent mess of aether filled the area, Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s four eyes widened in disbelief to see an axe parting the sea before his very eyes. He once again raised his twinblades to block. The weapons crossed. A dull crunch sounded as one of Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s twinblades shattered as he was sent tumbling backwards, having no choice but to roll and dissipate the force of Wuk Lamat¡¯s axe. ¡°Impossible¡­¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty muttered as he recalled that his twinblades had been previously damaged. Did Wuk Lamat somehow notice that singular nick and thus aimed for it with her strike? Or was it just luck? Regardless, he had failed. He was doomed. The weight of the situation gradually filled Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s mind, shocked awake by the unexpected combat ability that Wuk Lamat displayed. He had been baited by Zoraal Ja into releasing Valigarmanda, placing him at odds against the Yok Huy, preventing his completion of the Feat of Ice. He assumed it would be easy to gain said completion slab from Wuk Lamat. She turned out to be some mad hellkitten with no interest in the rite of succession, and had destroyed her Feat of Ice slab instead. As the two-headed Mamool ja of the current generation, he was meant to lead the way. He had been instructed by his father to inherit the seat of Tuliyollal, and correct the wayward Gulool Ja Ja, who had forgotten his role in bringing the whole of Mamool ja society to stand at the very top. And of course-- he had been defeated with a single pommel from Zoraal Ja. ¡°No¡­No! NO!¡± The weight of his failure sent his mind into despair, and Bakool Ja Ja rose to his feet before dashing away, back into the safety of the Yak T¡¯el lower canopy. - During Wuk Lamat¡¯s duel against Bakool Ja Ja, the Warrior of LIght, Leveilleur twins, Krile and Erenville pursued the kidnappers of Hunmu Rruk. Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s minions would soon take a stand, failing to shake off the pursuit of these well-experienced scions. ¡°If you continue this pursuit, we will take the life of this hrothgar,¡± a menacing Mamool ja threatened. ¡°Oh please¡­¡± Alisaie rolled her eyes. ¡°Bakool Ja Ja has already enraged the Yok Huy. Do you seriously wish to also reignite the conflict between Mamook and the Xbr''aal as well?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Alphinaud sighed. ¡°Mamook will be flattened. You had best release Hunmu Rruk before this situation worsens.¡± The twin¡¯s words created doubt within this leading minion¡¯s heart. ¡°Gulool Ja Ja will not allow his place of origin¡­ to be destroyed,¡± the leading minion hesitantly mumbled. ¡°Many of your Mamool ja already call other areas of Tural their home. Gulool Ja Ja has long demonstrated his desire for cooperation and peace, since the time of my grandfather,¡± Krile added. ¡°Do you truly think he would stand on your side?¡± ¡°The autarch has always called Gulool Ja Ja a wayward son of Mamook,¡± an unnamed Mamool Ja said from the back. ¡°He demonstrates the peak of a two-headed strength, yet fails to carry on the very legacy of Mamook.¡± ¡°Hmph,¡± the leading minion said. ¡°Fine. Release Hunmu Rruk. By now, Bakool Ja Ja should have defeated that scared kitten. Our task can be said to be done.¡± Unfortunately, the Warrior of Light would not have the chance to stretch and loosen limbs this time. They returned to be pleasantly surprised by Wuk Lamat¡¯s victory. ¡°Fled with his scaly tail between his legs,¡± Wuk Lamat boasted proudly. ¡°And thank you,¡± Wuk Lamat glanced at the Warrior of Light then Alisaie in turn. ¡°I think your words assisted me in understanding something deep within myself. And also my father.¡± Hunmu Rruk, rescued and freed from his bonds, approached. The others would return to Wuk Lamat¡¯s caravan early, to give the two privacy. Eventually, Wuk Lamat, too, returned to the caravan in good spirits, causing the others to feel relief without the need to know the exact details of what had transpired. ¡°Now¡­ for a good nap!¡± Wuk Lamat declared. ¡°I don¡¯t think she has truly understood anything deeper within herself,¡± Alisaie mumbled under her breath. ______________________________________________ So it was that Wuk Lamat and her beloved caravan arrived at Mamook after trundling down a steep root-infested path. The rroneeks are truly beasts capable of navigating all sorts of environments on their thick and sturdy limbs. The Warrior of Light stepped off the caravan, and Wuk Lamat did so as well with a graceful feline stretch. They approached the indicated location for the rite of succession, arriving just in time to see Zoraal Ja crumbling onto his knees in defeat against a smokey form of¡­ Gulool Ja Ja?! ¡°Resilient one? More like the lucky one,¡± a rather important-looking Mamool ja guffawed. ¡°You are nothing against the blessed siblings. You may have defeated Bakool Ja Ja, but you have the benefit of being trained by Gulool Ja Ja. The benefit of riding with the landsguard, an army built on the back of Gulool Ja Ja.¡± ¡°Any blessed sibling would have far more potential than you. A far higher ceiling in ability and skill. It seems¡­ you have already long reached your ceiling. Now leave. You are not even close to defeating this¡­ magical recreation of prime Gulool Ja Ja.¡± Zoraal Ja, though seething, could only stumble away in defeat. ¡°Oh? Another claimant?¡± the Mamool Ja glanced at the new arrivals. ¡°Ah. the so-called Third Promise. Known for being a useless daughter eternally vacationing across the lands of Tural.¡± ¡°Indeed! I am her!¡± Wuk Lamat laughed with complete disregard for the Mamool ja¡¯s jibe. ¡°I am Zereel Ja,¡± Zereel Ja motioned at the primitive pot at his feet. ¡°This magical contraption forms the prime of Gulool Ja Ja, your father. The trial is simple. Defeat him and you will complete this feat.¡± ¡°Such a trial¡­¡± Krile muttered. ¡°If Gulool Ja Ja is the strongest fighter to ever have existed in Tural, then this trial cannot be completed, no?¡± ¡°In time, another blessed sibling will be successful, that much is certain,¡± Zereel Ja sneered. ¡°Well,¡± Wuk Lamat said as she shrugged. ¡°Let me show you around the place first. I¡¯ve visited a few times before. The Mamool ja are not wholly unwelcoming, even if somewhat withdrawn from outsiders.¡± ¡°As for this trial¡­¡± Wuk Lamat raised a quizzical eyebrow. ¡°I suppose it¡¯ll be years before it can even be beaten.¡± ¡°Wuk Lamat,¡± Alphinaud interjected. ¡°Surely, this is¡­ not in line with the protocol of the rite of succession?¡± ¡°Just be patient and allow my father to arrive and resolve this issue,¡± Wuk Lamat smiled. ¡°The Autarch of Mamook has always been¡­ uncooperative. One might say-- extreme.¡± As Wuk Lamat and the others strode off to explore Mamook, the Warrior of Light was unmoving, with gaze fixed upon the magical pot. A memory of Zenos filled the Warrior of Light¡¯s mind. ¡°You know the thrill of pushing your body and soul to their limits. Of confronting ever-mightier foes, dancing ever closer to the precipice, wondering if this will be the one to finally, finally... fill the void." ¡°Hah!¡± Zereel Ja sneered at the Warrior of Light¡¯s interest. ¡°Are you supporting the Third Promise¡¯s claim? Are you perhaps curious?¡± ¡°That I am,¡± the Warrior of Light¡¯s eyes glinted in fervor. ¡°Foolish,¡± Zereel Ja mocked. ¡°Very well. Taste the strength and power of a blessed sibling in their prime!¡± A wave of the hand and a smokey Gulool Ja Ja formed before the Warrior of Light. The Warrior of Light unsheathed a pair of twinblades with a confident grin. A titanic clash would ensue, a feast for those with love for combat. The Warrior of Light had only recently gained some mastery of the twinblades. It was against this magically-recreated prime Gulool Ja Ja that the Warrior of Light would begin to enter the final stretch of twinblades mastery. Zereel Ja¡¯s eyes became increasingly narrow slits as the combat between the two continued. Initially, the Warrior of Light seemed¡­ rusty with the twinblades. Yet, the repeated clashing of blades soon came to an equilibrium, with neither side gaining any advantage over the other. After another few trading of heavy blows, Zereel Ja waved his hand, and the smokey Gulool Ja Ja vanished. ¡°Who are you?¡± Zereel Ja questioned in a flat tone. He was naturally quite unnerved by this aide to the Third Promise. ¡°Hmm¡­ me?¡± the Warrior of Light muttered in thought. The warrior of Light had, after all, gained an uncountable number of titles. One such title was ¡®World-class Troller¡¯. Not exactly an intimidating title. ¡°I suppose a friend once called me¡­ just-- A Traveler. A Shepherd to the stars in the dark,¡± so the Warrior of Light replied with a smile. ¡°Whether this is true or not-- I have every intention to travel the length and breadth of every land.¡± The Warrior of Light¡¯s words only further increased the unease within Zereel Ja¡¯s heart. One might think that Zereel Ja disabled the magical recreation of Gulool Ja Ja prime due to his fear of seeing the potential defeat of Gulool Ja Ja. The truth was that Zereel Ja had already become perturbed by the simple fact that the Warrior of Light could stand as an equal to Gulool Ja Ja in combat. - The Warrior of Light rejoined the others already exploring Mamook. ¡°You fought that¡­ simulacrum, didn¡¯t you,¡± Alisaie glared at the Warrior of Light. ¡°Without me. Did I not once warn you not to take such action? When you fought the Endsinger alone?¡± The Warrior of Light embarrassingly coughed. ¡°It was¡­not a world-ending threat.¡± Alisaie harrumphed in dissatisfaction, but at least ceased her grumbling. ¡°How was it?¡± Wuk Lamat curiously asked. ¡°Equal,¡± the Warrior of Light replied. ¡°Your father is truly strong. Though I have been on the backfoot a number of times, I have, more often than not, overcome my foes eventually. Your father¡¯s strength does not wane. Nor can his moves be ever wholly figured out.¡± ¡°My father is truly amazing, isn¡¯t he¡­as are you,¡± Wuk Lamat stated. ¡°Though¡­ I cannot help but wonder why he specifically requested Erenville to beseech your aid for me¡­¡± the female hrothgar drifted into deep thought as she contemplated this question. The group¡¯s exploration would soon be interrupted by the approach of an exasperated Hoobigo. ¡°Are you Wuk Lamat?¡± the female hoobigo desperately gazed into Wuk Lamat¡¯s eyes. ¡°I am Milaal Ja. My son¡­ Bakool Ja Ja, has locked himself within his birth chamber. I¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a claimant, yes?¡± Milaal Ja confirmed after some hesitation. ¡°Surely¡­ surely you have come to know one another somewhat?¡± The hoobigo¡¯s words were frankly, confusing to their ears. ¡°Why¡­ me?¡± Wuk Lamat raised her eyebrows. ¡°The First Promise is known for his military achievements. The second, a miqo''te wholly dedicated to research and technological development, often coming across as indifferent,¡± Milaal Ja explained. ¡°And¡­ me¡­¡± Surely-- Wuk Lamat believed her reputation to be rather low. ¡°Well¡­please do not take this as an insult, but,¡± Milaal Ja paused to gather her words. ¡°Though none of us believe you capable of being the Dawnservant¡­ it cannot be denied that some of us, over the years, anticipate your visits and¡­ theatrics during our very own festivities¡­¡± Wuk Lamat honestly knew little of Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s mind. Whenever Bakool Ja Ja approached her so far, it was to cause trouble. Still¡­ that Mamool ja did seem rather distraught¡­ almost like a lost soul upon her victory in their duel. ¡°Very well,¡± Wuk Lamat sighed. ¡°Take me to him.¡± ¡°Let us be careful,¡± Milaal Ja whispered. ¡°It would be best not to draw my husband¡¯s attention. He loves Bakool Ja Ja, but also places too many unnecessary demands and expectations upon him¡­¡± So it was that they arrived at the Skydeep Cenote. ¡°Your friends have come to see you¡­¡± Milaal Ja yelled out in concern. ¡°Friends¡­¡± muttered Alisaie under her breath. Wuk Lamat and the Warrior of Light were similarly bewildered. Still, the heavy stones doors did surprisingly swing open. And they were greeted by a crestfallen Bakool Ja Ja, shockingly, with a broom in hand. The blessed sibling glanced at them and then resumed his previous obsession with sweeping the ground of this very place. ¡°Have you come to laugh at me?¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty asked. ¡°The great blessed sibling. Supposed savior of all of Mamool ja. Carrier of the torch.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°No¡­¡± Wuk Lamat replied. ¡°Your mother simply requested our visit.¡± ¡°You must think me a fool. No-- I am a fool,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic said. ¡°To fall for Zoraal Ja¡¯s taunt and release Valigarmanda. To-¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Wuk Lamat interjected as her ears received new information. ¡°My brother was a participant in releasing Valigarmanda?¡± ¡°Well¡­not exactly,¡± mumbled Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty. ¡°Sareel Ja was the one who approached us.¡± He would go on to explain the exact details of the incident. ¡°Still, we were fools to fall for such a simple trap,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic finished. Wuk Lamat¡¯s mind reeled from this new information. She had always seen her older brother as a bit of a role model-- putting his life on the line to protect the safety of Tural¡¯s citizens. Has something changed over the years? Is Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s words even trustworthy? ¡°Yet you attacked me,¡± Wuk Lamat frowned. ¡°Another loss for the great Bakool Ja Ja,¡± the blessed sibling mocked himself. ¡°I needed that Feat of Ice slab. I had to return to Mamook as a leading claimant to the throne. That is the duty of a blessed sibling.¡± Of course, Wuk Lamat had long known of Mamook¡¯s obsession with blessed siblings. However, she increasingly felt that she had failed to understand the depths of said obsession. Unsure of what to say, her gaze wandered about before settling upon a number of pots within the chamber. ¡°What are these?¡± she asked. ¡°The corpses of my unborn siblings¡­¡± Bakool Ja Ja replied somberly. ¡°I¡­¡± Wuk Lamat was once again speechless, as were the others. ¡°This is the place where I was born and grew up within,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty said. Once he began to speak, it was as if the dam broke, and a ceaseless flow of dirtied water rushed out in endless waves. Horror soon filled the ears of all those present. Indeed, the process of creating the blessed siblings was not publicly known. Wuk Lamat¡¯s mind was ever more perturbed. ¡°Why did my father not put a stop to this?¡± she muttered. Her father was not one to stand idly by and tolerate such a disturbing practice. ¡°My father once said that Gulool Ja Ja is bound by an oath,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic informed her. The blessed sibling¡¯s words were not enough to settle Wuk Lamat¡¯s heart. Increasingly, Wuk Lamat felt that the twistedness of Mamook was much deeper than she had initially thought. ¡°I had thought that I understood the Mamool ja. My father. My brother. Perhaps knowing isn¡¯t enough. Even now¡­ I cannot imagine how a mind might become warped by the very nature of Mamook. I am not Mamool ja, after all¡­¡± Wuk Lamat said as she beseeched the Warrior of Light for words of wisdom. ¡°Indeed,¡± the Warrior of Light replied with conviction. ¡°We can but act, and believe in the true and justness of our actions. Sometimes, that is all that we can do.¡± Wuk Lamat nodded with a frown. She initially had no plans to participate in the rite of succession, but was forced by her father to be an active claimant. She had journeyed from one place to another, completing feats while treating them as nothing more than a sort of fun festivities in her heart. Eventually, she had to seriously contend against Valigarmanda, before having risen to the occasion after being enraged by the underhanded methods of Bakool Ja Ja-- the kidnapping of Hunmu Rruk, her biological father. Now, she began to have an inkling as to why her father had forced her to participate in the rite of succession. If her father was bound by an oath to not interfere here¡­ then perhaps, her father needed her-- a thought that had never occurred to her. Mamook must be the true sore spot within her father¡¯s heart. The true test of the rite of succession laid in Mamook-- the other trials were but preparation. When they left the Skydeep Cenote, Wuk Lamat gazed upwards at the glimmering neon blue lower canopy. To think such darkness laid in this wondrous fantastical forest. ¡°So, what is it that you desire?¡± The Warrior of Light awaited the Third Promise¡¯s decision. Such revelation must have shaken the Third Promise¡¯s mind to the core, so the Warrior of Light thought. ¡°I once thought my father to be well¡­ almost invincible. I thought my older brother, Zoraal Ja, to be noble in all of his actions,¡± Wuk Lamat said. ¡°Perhaps¡­ perhaps even the greatest of us all, can become prisoners to our heritage, despite our best attempts to escape its unyielding grip¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always wished to only travel Tural, and perhaps one day, lands across the sea, in leisure and peace. I only desired to live day-to-day in the present, drowning myself in contentment. I could, because my father and older brother bore the burden of maintaining the stability of Tural.¡± ¡°I am still the same. I still desire that same peace. But perhaps, at least in this instance, I can share my father¡¯s burdens,¡± Wuk Lamat nodded to herself to encourage herself. ¡°Yes. My father needs me, after all¡­as did the people against those malformed creatures.¡± ¡°So¡­?¡± Erenville, for once, did not palm his own face in reaction to his childhood friend, Wuk Lamat¡¯s actions and words. ¡°If the source of their obsession with the blessed siblings is their continued belief in the necessary might of said blessed sibling to conquer more fertile lands, then we simply need to remove their desperation for such fertile lands,¡± Wuk Lamat stated. Bakool Ja Ja, who had accompanied them out of the Skydeep Cenote at the bidding of his mother to get some fresh air, simply grumbled, ¡°Impossible.¡± Still, he lumbered along as they spoke with many residents of Mamook, and they soon identified the problem within the lower canopy. Consequently, Erenville promised to return with many of Sharlayan¡¯s botanical collections to test their compatibility with the nature of Yak T¡¯el¡¯s lower canopy. Beyond that, Wuk Lamat also enlisted Koana¡¯s assistance-- If Koana could truly develop better methods to allow trade between Mamook and the rest of Tural, their specifically uniquely-tilted lands might be of a lesser issue. There are naturally downsides-- a train to the lower canopy of Yak T¡¯el, for example, could impact the wildlife of the region. They also discussed the matter of finding a potential use for the odd meteorites in the lower canopy. Quite naturally, there was some concern that using said meteorites or introducing new species might affect the unique environment of the lower canopy. Still, such change would take generations despite the positivity of some of the more receptive inhabitants of Mamook. Perhaps most important was to dispel the idea that blessed siblings would save and guarantee their society¡¯s existence. ¡°We must defeat the magical-recreation of my father,¡± Wuk Lamat declared. They returned to the indicated trial location, only to find Gulool Ja Ja arriving alongside-- shockingly-- Vorporlor, the leader of the hostile Chirwagur faction of the Yok Huy. ¡°I have come to seek compensation,¡± the giant said. ¡°Your son released Valigarmanda, the Skyruin, taking many lives of our people. I must have an answer, for my people. Otherwise, my faction will demand war!¡± ¡°I have already been informed of this,¡± Zereel Ja answered. ¡°You will have compensation. That I can assure you. How many lives did you lose?¡± Vorporlor was confused with the ease of Zereel Ja¡¯s agreement. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Vorporlor asked in his typical slowish Yok Huy speech. ¡°It¡¯s simple,¡± Zereel Ja replied. ¡°If you lost a hundred citizens, then we will give you a hundred of our single-headed Mamool ja for you to do as you please. If you want revenge, you can have their heads.¡± Zereel Ja¡¯s words shook the hearts of all those present. Yet it made sense-- the Mamook valued the blessed siblings. To protect Bakool Ja Ja, the loss of a few single-headed Mamool ja was nothing! ¡°Or do you wish to have my head? Bakool Ja Ja is inexperienced, and was fooled into releasing Valigarmanda. As his one-headed father, I am more than happy to spend the rest of my life in your jails if you so desire. After my role in the rite of succession is complete,¡± Zereel Ja said this in a matter-of-fact manner. Madness. Vorporlor had initially come to Mamook, prepared for a tough round of negotiations. Though he was more militarily aligned within the Yok Huy, he also recognized that the majority of the Yok Huy wished to avoid throwing Tural into chaos. Some believe that his Chirwagur desired to wage war to relive their old ¡®glory¡¯ days. That couldn¡¯t be further from the truth. The Chirwagur only believed in removing all potential opponents to guarantee their days of peace. There was also one other reason-- the very idea of pursuing utopia, or one might call it, the pursuit of ¡®heaven¡¯, the Golden City! Back to the Mamool ja-- to think that Zereel Ja would nonchalantly sacrifice many just to protect the two-headed Bakool Ja Ja¡­ Truly a belief with an inescapable insidious grip upon the minds of those trapped in Mamook. Even the Mamool ja now residing in Tuliyollal might still be haunted by this belief. For the moment, Vorporlor was unable to come to a decision, especially when coming face-to-face with such madness. He wondered if these Mamook, too, had become prisoners to a belief, similar to his ancestors who had become prisoners to visions of the Golden City-- the goddess and her heaven. ¡°Father¡­¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty muttered. ¡°This is my responsibility. There is no need to--¡± ¡°Your responsibility is to lead the Mamool ja to a new golden era!¡± Zereel Ja quickly dismissed Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s words. ¡°And. Gulool Ja Ja,¡± Zereel Ja said. ¡°You still remember your oath?¡± ¡°I stand by it,¡± the head of reason¡¯s voice rumbled. ¡°However, your trial cannot be completed. That is against our agreement of you playing the role of the elector.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± Zereel Ja replied. ¡°I will allow cooperation. However, that traveler cannot be allowed to participate.¡± Zereel Ja was, of course, pointing at the Warrior of Light. ¡°So be it,¡± Gulool Ja Ja agreed. ¡°We will leave the issue with the Yok Huy until after the feat is completed.¡± The rules were adjusted that allowed cooperation to defeat the magically-recreated prime Gulool Ja Ja. More surprising was the fact that Koana gave up his claimant position, handing his completed slabs into the arms of Wuk Lamat, before assisting his sister in defeating the magical simulacrum! Zoraal Ja, however, was too prideful to seek assistance, and was defeated once again. ¡°Meaningless. To defeat a blessed sibling with assistance,¡± he scoffed as he lumbered away after having exhausted himself. His words were music to Zereel Ja¡¯s ears. ¡°Come,¡¯ Gulool Ja Ja bid them all. ¡°My son. You, too, must be a witness.¡± Zoraal Ja, though displeased, remained and followed behind his father to trek through the shimmering forest. They would soon enter the Skydeep Cenote, and unlock the deepest depths of Skydeep Cenote with the completed set of slabs within Wuk Lamat¡¯s grasp, thanks to Koana¡¯s sacrifice. The miqo''te had long come to terms that he lacked the connection to the people that came naturally to Wuk Lamat. To Wuk Lamat, though, it was simply her desire to travel here and there to enjoy the festivities of Tural¡¯s tribes. So it was that Erenville would accomplish his goal of finding the so-called entrance to the fabled City of Gold. Vorporlor¡¯s expression hardened as his eyes came upon the portal that supposedly led to the City of Gold. ¡°Many legends were spread by us, the Yok Huy. Despite our best attempts¡­ The people only spread the rumors of the Golden City as a place of treasure and opportunity. The reality is that this place only has death. Death and decay,¡± the giant growled as he hatefully glared at all that entered his sight. Wuk Lamat and the Warrior of Light were both nervous. Both believed that this to be ultimately Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s aim. When they approached the portal, the Warrior of Light¡¯s echo activated, delivering a vision of two lalafells delivering a baby into a sharlayan-dressed figure¡¯s arms. The Warrior of Light naturally informed Krile of said vision, causing the lalafell to enter a state of bewilderment. Suddenly, a soft and gentle voice of a woman filled the room made of electrified cubes crafted of an unknown unique material. ¡°Ah¡­ the Yok Huy. To think you would return after having abandoned your opportunity at eternal life.¡± The woman was clearly speaking to Vorporlor! ¡°Witch,¡± Vorporlor spat. ¡°You once took advantage of the primitive days of our tribes, and fed visions of heaven into our minds. You bid us conquer, collect, and sacrifice souls to gain entrance to heaven!¡± ¡°If you had not abandoned the cause, many of your people would now have an eternal life in heaven. A pity that your northward venture failed in such a disastrous fashion.¡± The soft voice was, of course, hinting at the Yok Huy¡¯s bodily weakness towards northern contagions. Vorporlor was visibly affected. It was only now that the Warrior of Light came to understand that the Yok Huy once conquered as a result of the bidding of this mysterious voice of a woman. ¡°And you. Gulool Ja Ja. And¡­ is that Zoraal Ja?¡± the voice giggled. ¡°Indeed it is! Gulool Ja Ja. Di you remember your oath? Your son was born with two souls in a singular body. It was only thanks to my technology that the other soul was pulled out from Zoraal Ja¡¯s body, ensuring his survival. Remember your oath, the price for saving your child.¡± ¡°The resilient one, indeed!¡± Zereel Ja laughed. He had naturally accompanied them all to this secretive chamber within Mamool ja lands. Zoraal Ja felt bewildered. He had never been informed of this. He could only recall moments in his life where he felt as if he was missing a brother of sorts. Only now did he understand that he once shared his body with another soul! A result of his father being a blessed sibling! ¡°Gulool Ja Ja. Your wife¡¯s soul and memories remain here with me, in this heavenly place. She is doing well, alongside the other soul of your son¡¯s body. Remember your oath.¡± Zoraal Ja¡¯s heart was further shakened. He had grown up without a mother. Was she part of the price for his survival as well? Gulool Ja Ja only growled in response to this soft taunting voice. Though it sounded gentle at first, the contents of her words casted said soft voice in a rather sinister light within the minds of those present. ¡°Heaven--a place where memory and soul never dies, is on our side,¡± Zereel Ja declared. ¡°The goddess has blessed us with the possibility of the blessed siblings. The many other souls of our children? A price we are willing to pay.¡± ¡°Goddess. Thank you,¡± Zereel Ja said and gestured at the other present. ¡°This is but to allow the potential future rulers and leaders of these lands to understand the existence of your heaven!¡± ¡°Your sacrifices will ultimately guarantee you a place in eternity!¡± Zereel Ja declared to the others.They all remained doubtful of Zereel Ja¡¯s truth. They soon left Skydeep Cenote. Naturally, they were all grappling with the revelation in their minds. ¡°My son,¡± Zereel Ja beamed at Bakool Ja Ja. ¡°Your worries are unneeded. The souls of your siblings may have been sacrificed, but they reside in that heaven. A place where memories and souls are eternal.¡± ¡°Continue your charge. You will be the future leader of Mamook. More blessed siblings will be born in the future with the assistance of the Golden City, and we will continue to thrive as never before!¡± Zereel Ja said this with an utmost conviction. In contrast, Gulool Ja Ja was apologetic towards his children. ¡°Did you think your father was perfect?¡± he sighed. ¡°I, too, was born in this place. I sought to escape its clutches, seeking external assistance before building Tuliyollal and uniting Tural.¡± ¡°When I stood at the top of the world, I made the foolish decision of siring children.¡± ¡°Your mother,¡± Gulool Ja Ja gazed at Zoraal Ja. ¡°was sent to me by Zereel Ja. I initially thought it to be nothing more than a ploy. Yet as time passed, we truly grew to appreciate one another¡¯s presence. One ill-advised drunken night, and your life began in her womb.¡± ¡°I, of course, knew of the consequences. No two-headed Mamool ja had successfully sired children ever. So it was that I returned to the Skydeep Cenote, seeking assistance to give you a chance at life.¡± ¡°The reason, as ever, was the mismatch of soul and body. For us the Mamool ja¡­ when our different tribes breed, it leads to the situation of one soul within a two-headed body. And when a blessed sibling breeds, it leads to two souls within a one-headed child. Only with the Golden City-- that woman¡¯s assistance, can disaster be avoided. The price is always other souls.¡± ¡°Sometimes I wonder if it is a coincidence for that mysterious woman to have the ability to correct this phenomenon, thus gaining the trust of our people.¡± ¡°As for my request-- the price was your mother¡¯s entry into that¡­ ¡®heaven¡¯. And the removal of the other soul within you¡­¡± Gulool Ja Ja sounded almost defeated in a guttural low tone. ¡°My greatest failure.¡± ¡°How did you choose which soul remained within this body?¡± Zoraal Ja growled. For all he knew, he could have become the discarded soul. Gulool Ja Ja opted not to answer this question, and thus, silence ensued. ¡°Then¡­ the rite of succession¡­.¡± Wuk Lamat mumbled. ¡°Father¡­¡± Koana was similarly perturbed. ¡°Just a means to an end,¡± Gulool Ja Ja answered. ¡°It is your victory, daughter, that much is certain. But your true test lay in that elusive voice of the woman beyond the veil. The future of Mamook will not change as long as she remains. I swore an oath that I cannot break. This will be your charge¡­ heavy though it may be.¡± Gulool Ja Ja hoped that where he had failed, his children would succeed. As for the issue with Valigarmanda, Vorporlor eventually could only return to Urqopacha with Zereel Ja in tow, who was all too happy to sacrifice his life for Bakool Ja Ja to remain free and lead Mamook in the future. Initially, Zoraal Ja had hoped to play a major role in the potential conflict between the Mamool ja and the Yok Huy, and through said meditation, elevate himself as a definitive leader of Mamool ja society. Instead, he discovered that Mamook was truly willing to sacrifice all to protect the blessed sibling that is Bakool Ja Ja. Zoraal Ja¡¯s mind was already unstable due to the revelation that is the City of Gold along with his dark origins. This occurrence naturally sent Zoraal Ja¡¯s already unstable mind further into the pits. He was naturally none-too-pleased when confronted by his younger sister, Wuk Lamat. ¡°Big brother. Why did you, through Sareel Ja, cause Bakool Ja Ja to release Valigarmanda? That has led to deaths of innocents in the Yok Huy!¡± Wuk Lamat lambasted her big brother, a hint of disappointment laced within her tone. ¡°Sister. You have always been naive,¡± Zoraal Ja snarled in reply. ¡°Mamook would never accept a one-headed Mamool Ja as leader. Sometimes, unsavory methods are needed. Imagine if Bakool Ja Ja was to sit upon the throne. You think him capable?!¡± ¡°Yet Mamook would support him unwaveringly. Willing to sacrifice their people simply to protect him. You know this to be true.¡± ¡°I have fought my whole life to prove myself. Yet Mamook¡­ Mamook sees me as simply an inconsequential one-headed. You would never understand, sister. You are no Mamool ja. Let us never speak of this ever again!¡± Zoraal Ja spat. Zoraal Ja would march off with a head held high despite his tumultuous heart, and Wuk Lamat failed to find a counter to Zoraal Ja¡¯s words in her own mind. ¡°A savage place, isn¡¯t it?¡± Sareel Ja said as Zoraal Ja rejoined him and Estinien, waiting in an isolated location in a northern area below the canopy. ¡°When I discovered my unique ability as a soul-seer, the whole of Mamook disposed of me. They feared that I would be able to see the quality of souls, and thus upend their dedication to blessed siblings. After all, two souls are not always better than one.¡± ¡°If you wish to raze that place down, I will not blame you,¡± Sareel Ja chortled. ¡°I will even support you. Your father has kept a close eye on Mamook through Ketenramm. But Ketenramm can be fooled. So you can act at any time if you so desire.¡± ¡°I would not recommend such action,¡± Estinien advised. He naturally recalled the zealotry of Ishgardian society in the past. Many of the Ishgardians had been brainwashed by their upbringing. ¡°In time, they will learn as the world changes. That, I am certain of. I am willing to continue to provide you assistance.¡± ¡°Thank you. But I hired you for the rite of succession. You have fulfilled the end of the contract,¡± Zoraal Ja gazed at Estinien with mixed feelings. ¡°This darkness of Mamook is something that only we Mamool jas can resolve within ourselves. I hope one day, we may meet again.¡± So it was that Estinien parted ways with Zoraal Ja. Estinien initially wished to counsel Zoraal Ja. That Mamool ja could seek outside assistance if need be. Yet he held his tongue. Zoraal Ja had always been headstrong. Firm in his chosen action to the very end. Estinien knew that his words would fall on deaf ears, as it did upon many others during Ishgard¡¯s tumultuous transformation. Zoraal Ja turned his attention to Ketenramm. ¡°Ketenramm¡­¡± Why would this man hide himself in Mamook? An idea, a possibility, soon rose in Zoraal Ja¡¯s mind as he considered his very future. No-- his father must have placed Ketenramm here to keep an eye on that Golden City in Skydeep Cenote. Ketenramm must have something¡­ something that can keep that mysterious woman behind the veil in check. ¡°Estinien¡­ I hope one day, we can toast one another one last time over a crackling campfire.¡± He couldn¡¯t shake the odd feeling that in some ways, Estinien truly understood him. More than even his brother Koana, and sister, Wuk Lamat. Perhaps even more than his very own father. After the others¡¯ return to Tuliyollal, they would soon discover the disappearance of Zoraal Ja, who was supposed to have returned to the city as well. Gulool Ja Ja had called on his three children, hoping to decide on the future of Tural as well as the Golden City and the mysterious voice of the ¡®goddess¡¯, only to discover that Zoraal Ja, along with Sareel Ja had vanished. Ch7: The Fall of Gulool Ja Ja Zoraal Ja successfully sneaked his way back into the Skydeep Cenote. In his hands were a set of tiles to unlock the interior, along with a cup that carried a simple but elegant symbol-- a dot surrounded by two comet-led semi-circles. These, he had acquired from an ambushed Ketenramm. Behind him was Sareel Ja, eyes glimmering in excitement. ¡°Son of Gulool Ja Ja,¡± that soft female voice said as Zoraal Ja and Sareel Ja approached the supposed gate to the City of Gold. ¡°I once saved your life by removing the additional soul within your one-headed body, restoring balance between mind and flesh.¡± Zoraal Ja did not deign to reply, and simply observed the electrifying blocks that shifted about in the environment. ¡°So. What is it that you desire?¡± That angelic voice asked. ¡°It is not what I desire, but what you-- can offer me,¡± Zoraal Ja replied as he raised up that mystical cup-like relic into the air. He assumed this cup-like relic to be of value. ¡°A stolen artifact. But very well.¡± Silence ensued as that angelic voice considered the circumstances. At length, she spoke again. ¡°I can see in you¡­ the desire to be recognized. The members of Mamook look down upon your very existence, do they not? You are but a one-head, after all. You cannot contend against a two-head¡­not even your father chose to automatically pass you the throne.¡± ¡°Make your offer!¡± Zoraal Ja spat. He had spent many years defending Tural leading the Landsguard. Even slain Valigarmanda. Yet many in Mamook still see him as nothing compared to a two-headed. Though he felt some agitation that his father had chosen a rite of succession as the method, of which he was not the victor of¡­ Even if he inherited the throne, Mamook would likely ignore his rule due to him being a one-headed mamool ja. ¡°I could make you King.¡± An enticing whisper in the ear. ¡°A meaningless title if ¡®they¡¯ continue to worship the two-headed in their minds,¡± Zoraal Ja shook his head. There exists only one solution.¡°No¡­ the line of two-headed mamool ja must end!¡± ¡°Then we are at an impasse,¡± she said. ¡°My heaven requires procuring souls, and I am one who prefers that which is willingly given. Many years ago, the Yok Huy were warmongers, happy to offer the souls of their fallen enemies for a few of their members to enter my heavens.¡± ¡°As for ancestors of your race? They were willing to offer the souls of many of their dead cross-tribe fetuses, as a trade for my assistance in occasionally helping them produce a two-headed heir.¡± ¡°If you desire there to be no more two-headed heirs in the future¡­ you must offer another source of souls,¡± she concluded. ¡°Do you have an army?¡± Zoraal Ja asked as he narrowed his eyes. ¡°It is technologically possible.¡± ¡°Then what do you need me for?¡± Zoraal Ja chortled. In his eyes, with an army, this angelic voice of a being could gather souls easily if she so desired. ¡°I am bound by my being,¡± so she replied. ¡°The Yok Huy chose war-- not me. Similarly, your ancestors chose to sacrifice the souls of their stillborn fetuses for a chance at a two-headed.¡± ¡°And if you accept¡­ you can be the king in control of an army. But the results of that army¡¯s actions, if they commit a massacre, will solely be your responsibility, and not mine. I am simply Sphene, the loving queen.¡± Zoraal Ja snarled in mockery. He felt disbelief that the person behind this angelic voice could simply absolve herself of such fault. Still. ¡°Very well.¡± He agreed. After all, his heart carried another goal. ¡°And one more task-- Gulool Ja Ja must die,¡± though Sphene¡¯s voice remained angelic, it now carried an eerie quality. ¡°Why?¡± Zoraal Ja was in disbelief. To a certain degree, he did feel dissatisfied with his father. But it was far from desiring to take the old mamool ja¡¯s life. He felt that Gulool Ja Ja should have taken action against Mamook to guarantee that he, a one-headed, would not be belittled by Mamook¡¯s two-headed obsession. Instead, Gulool Ja Ja himself had used this voice from the ¡®Golden City¡¯ to remove the extra soul in Zoraal Ja, essentially killing Zoraal Ja¡¯s ¡®brother¡¯ while agreeing to preserve Mamook¡¯s darkness as part of a deal. ¡°Gulool Ja Ja is a troublesome foe, even in his old age. I cannot allow him to interfere with my heavens,¡± so replied the angelic and eerie Sphene. Zoraal Ja clenched his claws. If he were to achieve his goals, as part of the agreement with this¡­ Sphene, he would have to kill his father to free Mamook from its darkness-- the twisted worship of two-headed. In that moment, he felt his mind drifting, as if separated from space and time, viewing multiple possibilities in the future. Then, he was reminded of his brother and sister, Koana and Wuk Lamat, and felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. ¡°So be it.¡± Zoraal Ja firmed his resolve. He would have to slay his own father. For a new future. He had many other goals in choosing this course of action as well. He now knew that the reason for two-headed mamool ja failing to conceive children was that two souls would be trapped in a single-headed body. His survival was because the mysterious power behind this golden door removed the other soul within his body. He desired to find this other soul, his long-lost ¡®brother¡¯ abandoned by his father. He sought to seek his mother, also sacrificed by his father to ensure his survival. After all, they are also the reason that his father, Gulool Ja Ja, could not resolve the darkness in Mamook. That golden door swung open, but Zoraal Ja did not immediately enter. Instead, his tail swung as he lashed out with a vicious leg at Sareel Ja. This soulseer that had accompanied Zoraal Ja his whole life, keeping watch over the stability of Zoraal Ja¡¯s soul, was sent into the abyss. Sareel Ja¡¯s expression was one of shock, rage, and also confusion. ¡°I know you desire Mamook¡¯s destruction due to their rejection of your soulseeing skills,¡± Zoraal Ja informed the falling mamool ja of his reasons. ¡°I, however, desire for Mamook to survive. A place where two-headed brothers no longer exist. A place where one-headed no longer have to bow their heads.¡± Indeed, Sareel Ja had been exiled from Mamook due to his soul seer abilities. Mamook feared his ability to determine the strength of souls, which could interfere with the order of two-headed leaders. This was because there existed the possibility of a mamool ja having a single soul far stronger than two combined souls of a two-headed. Such as the existence that is the Warrior of Light. Zoraal Ja knew of Sareel Ja¡¯s deep grudge-- after all, he, too, had been rejected despite having such a unique ability. Beyond that, Zoraal Ja also had a less virtuous motive. He was concerned that Sareel Ja¡¯s soul-seeing abilities would threaten whatever position and power Sphene would guarantee as part of the deal with him. After all, Sphene herself had mentioned that her heaven was dependent on souls. As he stepped towards the open golden door, Zoraal Ja confirmed their agreement. ¡°Mamook will no longer have your assistance in creating their two-headed,¡± he stated. ¡°As agreed,¡± The angelic voice replied. ¡°As long as you collect enough souls for my heaven.¡± Zoraal Ja scoffed as he considered the nature of the so-called Sphene behind this angelic voice. ¡°You once sent dreams into the Yok Huy¡¯s minds to conquer the lands and sacrifice souls for your cause. You think you can simply absolve yourself of your hand?¡± Zoraal Ja could not resist pointing out this glaring point. ¡°As I have said¡­ it was always the Yok Huy¡¯s choice. As it was Mamook¡¯s in creating the two-headed,¡± that angelic voice replied. ¡°As it is now your choice.¡± ¡°Unlike you all,¡± Sphene continued. ¡°You truly have a choice. As for me¡­ not even I know if my mind is of my own.¡± Her voice descended into a whisper as she spoke. Zoraal Ja, not truly understanding her last words, faded into that golden door. From that day onwards, the Skydeep Cenote ceased responding to Mamook¡¯s request to help stabilize two souls within a single egg. Bakool Ja Ja would be the last two-headed. Thus ended the line of two-headed mamool ja. _____________________________________________ Zoraal Ja¡¯s disappearance was initially seen as nothing. Gulool Ja Ja dismissed Wuk Lamat and Koana for a few days, hoping for the reappearance of his first son. Soon, it became apparent that Zoraal Ja had truly vanished. None had seen scale or hide of Zoraal Ja since their return from Yak T¡¯el. As such, the Warrior of Light, Wuk Lamat, Koana and the supporting scions reconvened in the throne room of Tuliyollal after a few days. ¡°I had hoped that my son would reappear, but¡­¡± Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s head of resolve frowned, unsure of what to make of his son¡¯s disappearance. ¡°Regardless, we must continue. The rite of succession was not meant to outright select a successor, but rather, to give you all a chance to develop your own person. It was also a chance for public observers to form a more true and concrete opinion of each of you.¡± ¡°As for who would sit upon the throne? In truth, I always believed that regardless of who sat upon the seat, your three siblings have different strengths and would cover for one another¡¯s weaknesses, whoever it may be that stands in the primary position.¡± ¡°Though Zoraal Ja is currently not present, my hope is for you three to resolve the failure hidden in my heart-- the darkness of Mamook. Try as I might, I could not change the belief in blessed siblings of Mamook. In fact, my uniting of Tural further encouraged fervent supporters. Once I agreed to not interfere with Mamook after that mysterious being from the Golden City stabilized Zoraal Ja¡¯s soul-state, my hands became tied.¡± ¡°Should you resolve this issue of mine, then the throne will truly be yours to take,¡± Gulool Ja Ja concluded. Wuk Lamat, Koana, and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn furrowed their brows in thought. Indeed, changing Mamook¡¯s worship of blessed siblings would not be easy, with that mysterious being backing the continued creation of two-headed siblings. ¡°Now, as for--¡± Gulool Ja Ja was suddenly interrupted as the whole structure around them shook and rumbled for a good few minutes. The group rushed beside the thick pillars within the throne room for their own safety. Luckily, nothing fell from above. After the rumbling ceased, they hurried outside to find the alarum sounding over the city of Tuliyollal. A landsguard dashed towards Gulool Ja Ja, huffing and puffing. ¡°The earthquake was to the north. Now, invaders from the north, Dawnservant! Mechanical and the like!¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s eyes widened, unsure of what to make of the situation. There hadn¡¯t been a threat to Tuliyollal since he united the continent. Such mechanical existences did not exist in Tural. ¡°Please assist the citizens as needed,¡± Gulool Ja Ja requested them all. He then reentered the throne room. A horn blew to summon the leaders of various factions for a critical meeting. Wuk Lamat and Koana followed the landsguard and joined with Tuliyollal¡¯s troops. As for the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, they, too, spread out to various corners of Tuliyollal to protect the citizens. Soon enough, extremely advanced technological ships appeared above Tuliyollal from the north. Many metal-layered soldiers on hoverbikes descended into the city. So commenced another duty for the Warrior of Light. Initially, the Warrior of Light found little success against these mechanical soldiers. Many strikes were needed to only dent the surfaces of these invading soldiers made of an unknown alloy. Hoping to discover some weakness of these soldiers, the Warrior of Light abandoned the path of the viper and became a ninja. To the Warrior of Light¡¯s pleasant surprise, the skills raiton and raiju instantly disabled the mechanical soldier. Was the mechanical soldiers¡¯ weakness, lightning? The Warrior of Light switched to black mage, and began spamming thunder skills upon the ranks of mechanical soldiers, quickly flattening the invaders onto the cold hard ground. How wondrous. As the Warrior of Light fought, a roaring laughter suddenly sounded, and the Warrior of Light came across Bakool Ja Ja, a seemingly changed mamool ja protecting the citizens of Tuliyollal as he charged towards the Vollok Shoonsa. He was answering Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s summons as the new autarch of Mamook. Gurfurlur and Vorporlor also arrived, battling through the mechanical army with their huge dominating forms, each swing of their weapon sending mechanical puppets flying like limp dolls. As the Warrior of Light cleared the mechanical soldiers, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn gradually convened again in the cleared streets. They cooperated to provide relief to many of the injured citizens. Unfortunately, many fell, and the mechanical soldiers used a device to siphon something from their bodies before sending these devices back to their ships hovering high in the skies. ¡°There¡¯s a ship above the Vollok Shoona!¡± Wuk Lamat shouted. The Warrior of Light turned to see this to be true, and they rushed back towards the throne room. Within the throne room, Gulool Ja Ja had his swords drawn against Zoraal Ja. The Zoraal Ja before him appeared much older, his scales thickened and scarred, no longer as lustrous as they were in his youth. Zoraal Ja now also wore a mechanical supporting frame with a circular device upon his temple. ¡°So¡­ you have become the Golden City¡¯s slave,¡± Gulool Ja Ja accused. He knew enough of the so-called Golden City¡¯s methods in the past history of Tural. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Zoraal Ja snarled. ¡°I only did what I had to. What must be necessary. She has agreed to no longer help Mamook create blessed siblings. As long as I collect souls for their world.¡± ¡°Even if it means taking innocent lives?¡± Gulool Ja Ja sighed. ¡°Sometimes, that is the price for the world to change. For the world to stumble into a new future,¡± Zoraal Ja grunted. ¡°As is your death.¡± ¡°Forgive me, father. But you are heading towards the end of your lifespan. Your life is part of the agreement for her to no longer assist Mamook in creating the blessed siblings. To strike down their world is nigh on impossible. Thus, for Mamook to remain free of its darkness¡­ you must fall.¡± Zoraal Ja¡¯s voice was low. He naturally was not all that enthusiastic about accomplishing this task. His disappointment in his father was primarily due to Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s failure to rid Mamook of the blessed siblings¡¯ influence. The two began trading blows with their twinblades. Gulool Ja Ja initially held the advantage, but soon, the circular device on Zoraal Ja¡¯s temples whirled and a bestial aura-- a draconic aura, rose within Zoraal Ja. ¡°A dragon¡¯s aura,¡± Gulool Ja Ja muttered. ¡°It took me some time to find such a being in Tural,¡± Zoraal Ja answered. ¡°I am always reminded of Estinien and his strength. As such, I sought the soul of a dragon. A feral combination of our souls.¡± They continued trading blows, the sound of blades piercing to the ears. The two were now evenly matched, but age soon caught up to Gulool Ja Ja. He was tiring faster. ¡°Firstborn¡­¡± Gulool Ja Ja panted, sensing his end. ¡°Tuliyollal must survive. Mamook must be free from her--their clutches. Promise me this.¡± Though he felt worried for the future, he was also relieved to know that this death would guarantee Mamook no longer having blessed siblings. ¡°Father¡­¡± Zoraal Ja muttered. ¡°That depends not on me, but my siblings Wuk Lamat and Koana. If they rise, then your legacy will be complete. If they fall, then this world will end.¡± Their blades crossed once again, but Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s form flagged as his exhaustion caught up to his aged body, and Zoraal Ja took advantage of this window to stab a twinblade deep into his father¡¯s chest. Gulool Ja Ja flailed an arm and Zoraal Ja barely prevented his head from being dissected as Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s blade dislodged the circular device that provided him with the strength of a dragon soul. That circular device tumbled somewhere behind the throne. As Gulool Ja Ja felt his life leaving his body, he saw darkness, but also hope. This was the scene that Wuk Lamat, Koana, the Warrior of Light and the accompanying scions saw as they rushed into the throne room. ¡°Nooo!¡± Wuk Lamat and Koana yelled as they saw their father slain by their older brother before their very eyes. Gulool Ja Ja had been dealt too fatal a blow to be saved, his heart pierced and mangled. They were too late. ¡°Come,¡± Zoraal Ja pointed his sword at Wuk Lamat. He believed that it was this sister of his that might have the martial ability to put down himself. ¡°I will continue to reap the souls of Tural. Until you strike me down, if you have the ability.¡± That was his agreement with Sphene, for her heaven. He then leapt to the top of Vollok Shoonsa in record time, and returned to the overhead craft, and his army left Tuliyollal in flames and smoke. ¡°Daughter¡­ son¡­¡± Gulool Ja Ja rasped on his last breath. ¡°The circular soul device¡­ behind the throne. Take my soul. Use it to strengthen yourself. Help me¡­ I would see the end of the so-called Golden City, once and for all.¡± Koana had already collected a soul-sucking device during their defense against the mechanical invaders, due to his curiosity in new technologies. However, he was filled with uncertainty at his father¡¯s request. ¡°Do it, son!¡± commanded Gulool Ja Ja. Koana closed his eyes as he pointed his stolen soul-sucking gun at Gulool Ja Ja and pressed the trigger. Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s soul, before returning to the aetherial sea, was sucked into the device. Koana then walked behind the throne and found the circular soul-containing device that Gulool Ja Ja had struck off Zoraal Ja¡¯s temple. Although Koana was shaken by his father¡¯s death, he dealt with his sorrow in silence as was his nature. He also threw himself into investigating these soul-related devices, as he had always done in the past-- immersing himself in technological exploration to escape his sorrows. Unlike Koana, Wuk Lamat was inconsolable. She was sometimes filled with anger at her older brother¡¯s betrayal. Sometimes in endless tears. Sometimes simply glum as if there was no sun in this world. The Warrior of Light and the scions had no way to comfort the young hrothgar. In the end, it was Namikka who pushed Wuk Lamat forward. ¡°The citizens of Tural need you, girl.¡± That was all Namikka said, and Wuk Lamat¡¯s mind stabilized as she realized that somehow, she had ended up in a position of responsibility. For many years, she had avoided such responsibility, leisurely touring Tural using her lovely caravan. She was now thrust into the forefront. She could only suppress her own tumultuous heart as the city of Tuliyollal mourned the loss of Gulool Ja Ja. When Wuk Lamat stood in front of the crowd to commemorate her father, she did so in a sort of half-daze. Yet, the people of Tuliyollal whole-heartedly lifted her up with cheer and encouragement. Thus, she swore before all that she would confront the traitor that is her older brother, and seek justice for the lives lost during Zoraal Ja¡¯s raid. ¡°As for who will lead Tural? I will let you all decide upon finding justice for my father. For now, the second Promise Koana will arrange the logistics of the city and continent,¡± she informed the people. That settled the unease in many hearts. Koana was known to be good with numbers. His reputation in maths and sciences was unshakable. Wuk Lamat soon met with Koana, the Warrior of Light, the scions, Bakool Ja Ja, Gurfurlur and Vorporlor in the throne room. ¡°I will be returning to Urqopacha,¡± Gurfurlur informed Wuk Lamat. ¡°My people are unsettled. They say that the Golden City has formed a bridge with this world and developed a physical presence. Vorporlor, however, has important words for you., now that you stand for Tuliyollal.¡± Once the leader of Yok Huy left, Vorporlor turned to the young Third Promise of Tuliyollal. ¡°My words only contain a warning,¡± Vorporlor slowly said in the usual weighted speech of the Yok Huy. ¡°We, too, once were thralls to the Golden City, their heavenly utopian world within dreams, collecting souls for their world. Your older brother has clearly become their willing tool.¡± ¡°Have you ever wondered why Gurfurlur continues to give me a key position within the Yok Huy, despite our disagreements?¡± he asked. Wuk Lamat shook her head. The Chirwagur faction of the Yok Huy was always uncooperative with Tuliyollal, while Gurfurluur most certainly supported Tuliyollal. ¡°The truth is that we, the Chirwagur, fear all forms of what one might call, utopian visions. The Golden City was one such vision, a place of eternal life where souls and memories would exist for eternity. This world was sent into the dreams of my ancestors, enticing them into conquering the world to sacrifice souls for the ¡®Golden¡¯ City.¡± ¡°As for Tuliyollal¡­ it, too, is a sort of utopian dream. To have all sorts of diverse people, different from another, to simply live in peace with no large-scale disagreement or conflict ever, walking hand-in-hand for perpetuity¡­¡± ¡°Utopian visions always lead to disaster, one way or another,¡± Vorporlor stated his truth. ¡°That is the belief of my Chirwagur faction. Behind all utopian-like ideas are hidden horrors, horrors always unknown, unseen, and unpredictable to those who believe in them.¡± Wuk Lamat narrowed her eyes. For Vorporlor to ¡®poke¡¯ at her father¡¯s legacy so close to his recent death displeased her. ¡°This peace will lead to a better world, that I am certain of.¡± Wuk Lamat rejected Vorporlor¡¯s premise. She had always loved such peace, and desired it to be the norm. ¡°Many leaders in history believed their visions of the future to be a better world, as did my ancestors who chose to answer the call of the Golden City,¡± Vorporlor sighed. ¡°What has always been true is that centuries later, the descendents would look back upon their ancestors'' beliefs and consider said beliefs to be uncivilized.¡± ¡°You and your beliefs, too, will one day be seen as uncivilized by those of a future age,¡± Vorporlor sternly met eyes with Wuk Lamat. ¡°In pushing for this current belief of yours, you will crush any opposing beliefs. And beyond that¡­ your own people will, sooner or later, become dissatisfied with one another, That, too, is inevitable. That is why my Chirwagur faction feels that this utopian dream of yours will at some point, lead to a disaster,¡± Vorporlor sighed. ¡°And this is your warning?¡± Wuk Lamat was not enthused by Vorporlor¡¯s words, especially under current circumstances. ¡°Indeed,¡± Vorporlor replied. ¡°Take the Pelupelu, for example. They control most of the trade within your society. Perhaps they may have behaved appropriately so far. Yet all it may take is a few to be seduced by power. With so much trade passing through their hands, their influence is undeniable. If one day, a few decide to abuse their position for their own gain, at the cost of the others¡­¡± The Warrior of Light wanted to reject Vorporlor¡¯s words. However, no words came out of the Warrior of Light¡¯s lips. After all, Ul¡¯dah itself was very much controlled by the Syndicate, rich bastards behind the scenes. Nanamo Ul Namo failed to change the political situation despite being beloved by the citizens of Ul¡¯dah. Even if she had been successful, the Warrior of Light was certain that the Syndicate, especially Llorito, would have most politicians in their pockets. So far, Ul¡¯dah has barely managed to survive a number of political turmoil. Yet, a few bad years for its citizens could very well lead to a reckoning, sooner or later. This could well become the future of Tuliyollal. All it might take would be a Lolorito to appear from the Pelupelu. So much for this utopian dream of Tuliyollal. ¡°It is just a warning, my young liege,¡± Vorporlor said. ¡°We, the Chirwagur faction, simply wish to control our own fates, with our own blades in our own hands. I repeat. We believe that any world that sounds overly utopian is fated to lead to hidden evils. That is our ancient wisdom, if you will.¡± ¡°I am of the belief that you are most suitable to sit upon the throne of Tuliyollal. Consider this as simply my warning to you.¡± With those words said, Vorporlor began to leave, only to be stopped by Bakool Ja Ja. ¡°I wish to free my father,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty hollered at Vorporlor. ¡°We, the Chirwagur faction, hold a grudge against the Golden City for their role in the Yok Huy¡¯s past,¡± so Vorporlor replied. ¡°Strike them down and we will consider our grudges settled.¡± Bakool Ja Ja nodded his two heads. In his mind the Golden City was also responsible for his many siblings¡¯ death. This was a deal that was easily agreed to. Wuk Lamat, though, was rattled by Vorporlor¡¯s words. She felt that there might be some truth to his warning, but she was, of course, trapped by her current times, her current vision. Indeed, there is the possibility that the values she currently held might very well become uncivilized in the eyes of a future civilization. ¡°Settle your heart,¡± Alphinaud was bullish. ¡°We can only do what we believe to be right in our own time and age. That is the course of history.¡± ¡°We learn from the successes and mistakes of the past, forming new beliefs, systems, in a bid to create a better world.¡± ¡°Should we fail, then the future generations will create a better future based on our mistakes. So we have learned from the ancients. So we have learned from the Ascians in their seemingly wondrous era.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Wuk Lamat¡¯s eyes cleared of confusion. ¡°We can only do what we believe to be right in this day and age.¡± ¡°Sister,¡± Koana said. ¡°It is done.¡± From his pockets, he retrieved the circular soul device, and equipped it to the left temple of Wuk Lamat¡¯s head. Although he had yet to fully understand the devices, he had learned enough to operate them, effectively removing the dragon soul and replacing it with Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s soul and memories in the circular device. Wuk Lamat felt a familiar feeling from the circular device now. The presence of her father. Her father built Tuliyollal, yet failed to resolve the obsession with blessed siblings in Mamook. She was determined to confront the so-called Golden City behind the curse and complete Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s legacy. Her father would stand alongside her in soul to see its ending, for good or ill. She reflexively activated the device, and felt the strength of her father coursing through her body as her mind and vision sharpened. ¡°Ah¡­ daughter¡­¡± The voice of Gulool Ja Ja spoke with Wuk Lamat¡¯s soul. ¡°My memory will soon fade, in order to prevent your own mind and memory from being twisted into madness by mine. But¡­ before that final day¡­ Take me to the Golden City. And let me share one last dance against their living memory!¡± Ch8: Into the Purple Dome The whole of Tural was naturally in turmoil. The purple dome¡¯s appearance in the north was extremely unsettling. Word from the seers of the Yok Huy painted the purple dome as the hand of the ¡®Golden City¡¯. The population of Tural needed some time to parse through this information. For years, they had been entranced by tales of the ¡®Golden City¡¯, letting their imaginations conjure up fanciful details. It was only now that they began to understand that which can appear as gold can be rotten on the inside. The Warrior of Light awoke from slumber in darkness, and decided to check on Wuk Lamat. Both Koana and Wuk Lamat had been working overtime and through long nights the past few days to steady the ship. The throne room turned out to be empty, and thus the Warrior of Light climbed the steps, relying on intuition to search for the Second and Third Promise. The Warrior of Light kept climbing, finally setting foot upon the roof of the Vollok Shoonsa. There, Wuk Lamat stood looking out towards the seas to the east. During the day, these waters sparkled like gems, but as it is still dark, these waves are now ominous and tumultuous. The Warrior of Light picked up sniffling sounds coming from the female hrothgar. Upon noticing the Warrior of Light who silently stood next to her to also stare out into the dark seas, Wuk Lamat gradually regained her poise. ¡°I still¡­ find my older brother¡¯s attack on Tuliyollal, and his taking of father¡¯s life to be incomprehensible,¡± Wuk Lamat finally expressed. ¡°Why would he take such action? For years, he risked his life protecting the people, a respectable commander of the landsguard¡­¡± ¡°As for Koana¡­ as usual, he retreats to his research, his science when facing these sorts of situations. Deep down, he thinks himself socially inept, but the people certainly recognize his genuine desire to improve their lives through technology¡­¡± Zoraal Ja¡¯s course of action¡­? It is indeed quite incomprehensible on the surface, but the Warrior of Light had experienced this situation at least once before-- Ilberd. Thus, the Warrior of Light regaled Wuk Lamat with the beginning and the final moments of the Ala Mhigan madman. ¡°So you say this¡­ Ilberd. His relentless desire to free his home, Ala Mhigo, led him to resenting his very own people for not being willing enough to spill the blood necessary for it? It led him to even sacrifice their lives to summon a supernatural being? It led him to resent an ally in a man named Raubahn, who could have influenced the soldiers of the neighboring state of Ul¡¯dah?¡± The Warrior of Light nodded, and Wuk Lamat sank into silence, her mind wrestling with the existence that is Ilberd. Gradually, she developed an inkling of an understanding. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ obsession, isn¡¯t it?¡± she muttered. ¡°When the mind becomes too obsessed with an idea¡­ all else falls away. Overtime, it gradually corrupts your soul and distorts your mind in ways unimaginable. Yet, behind it lies a certain twisted logic.¡± ¡°Unfortunately,¡± the Warrior of Light sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve always preferred to wander the lands of Tural in my caravan, carefree and at peace,¡± Wuk Lamat said. ¡°If I became overly obsessed with this state of being, this state of peace¡­ would I then take inexplicable actions to achieve it, ultimately to my own detriment?¡± ¡°And my brother, Zoraal Ja,¡± she continued. ¡°I know he always strove to prove himself. I know Mamook sees one-headed mamool ja as lesser. That must be his obsession. If¡­ if my father, a two-headed, is considered the best of two-headed mamool ja, having united Tural¡­ and if Zoraal Ja¡¯s mind became twisted by an obsession to overcome the status of a two-headed¡­¡± The Warrior of Light sighed once again. Such is the mind of man, fragile and weak, succumbing easily to avarice and desire. So Emet-Selch once lambasted. But for each failure, hope laid elsewhere too, so the Warrior of Light had proven. The sky brightened as dawn approached, and the radiant sun rose above the eastern horizon, turning the seas into a glittering gold. Wuk Lamat¡¯s face became filled with determination. ¡°Tobi, of the Pelupelu, has informed me of disturbing news,¡± Wuk Lamat said. ¡°Much as I had hoped that Vorporlor¡¯s words would be proven false, a few¡­Pelupelu merchants have been offered various forms of payment to deliver powerful beasts, especially dragons, to the purple dome.¡± ¡°Luckily, some knowledge of the past ages does exist, and most of the Pelupelu are frightened of potentially¡­ enraging the dragons, and thus Tobi was able to prevent this disaster. Still, it worries me that a few had even considered such an idea,¡± Wuk Lamat sighed as she shook her head. ¡°It is fear¡­¡± The Warrior of Light replied, recalling the existence of Allagans. Some knowledge of the Allagans might exist in Tural. ¡°Yes¡­ the Pelupelu, having been enslaved in the past, may decide to switch their loyalties if the existence within the purple dome proves fearsome enough. They hope to avoid a gruesome fate,¡± Wuk Lamat sighed. ¡°I cannot fully fault their thinking¡­¡± ¡°Additionally,¡± she continued, ¡°The Moblins have received offers from an existence within that purple tome. Promises of technological knowledge. It is worrying, to say the least.¡± ¡°Thus, I must ask for your assistance,¡± Wuk Lamat finally requested. ¡°I may not have proven my worth yet, but as my father once sought assistance from others, I, too, request yours. I have heard tales of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, of your relationship with various city states as well as the dragons.¡± ¡°As I am inexperienced, and unworthy of my father¡¯s legacy, I hope you will at least assist me in preserving Tuliyollal. Do as you see fit,¡± Wuk Lamat said. ¡°May I offer a suggestion?¡± Erenville¡¯s voice surprisingly sounded behind the two. Wuk Lamat yelped and nearly fell off the roof. ¡°When did you get here?!¡± ¡°For some time,¡± Erenville drawled. ¡°I¡¯ve tracked many lifeforms during my work as a gleaner. They all certainly have a superior level of awareness.¡± The Warrior of Light was speechless as well. ¡°I need to seek out an old friend of my mother¡¯s in Shaaloani. The Warrior of Light may come along, and perhaps observe if the appearance of the purple dome caused any issues in the area,¡± Erenville suggested. ¡°Good idea,¡± the Warrior of Light agreed. ¡°Krile can meanwhile make contact with those across the seas.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Wuk Lamat patted her chest. ¡°I have already given Krile access to my father¡¯s detailed records of his adventures. Hopefully, he can find that which he seeks. As for me, I will need to spend some time settling affairs in Tuliyollal. Then, it falls to me to free Zoraal Ja of his obsession. Koana is no warrior, and this is an issue of family and honor. I cannot shirk my responsibilities any longer.¡± The three descended the steps back into the throne room, to find a number of scions waiting patiently, with the exception of a simmering Alisaie. The Warrior of Light explained Wuk Lamat¡¯s request, and the present scions agreed to provide assistance. Soon, the Warrior of Light noticed Krile distracted and lost in thought. ¡°Ah!¡± Krile regained alertness under the Warrior of Light¡¯s examination. ¡°Forgive me. I was lost in my thoughts.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve examined Gulool Ja Ja¡¯s records,¡± she explained. ¡°Apparently, my grandfather initially attempted to assist Gulool Ja Ja in examining the ¡®Golden City¡¯, sending a number of well-designed mammets through the gate. None, however, ever managed to find their way back, and thus the investigation was abandoned. I was wondering if perhaps there is some method to make contact with those mammets if they are still partially functional¡­¡± The Warrior of Light nodded and smiled. Indeed, such knowledge would be of great assistance to their understanding of the ¡®Golden City¡¯ and the purple dome. Though the mammets might be trapped within, there is certainly the possibility of regaining contact once they venture into the purple dome. Soon, the Warrior of Light and Erenville set off for Shaaloani to the north, crossing the wondrous wooden great bridge that defied physics, stretching across the water vapoury expanse. Shaaloani is a place where the people are given freedom to govern themselves, so the Warrior of Light discovered. Erenville led the Warrior of Light to meet Iyaate, an old friend of his mother¡¯s. Iyaate informed the two of the events following the appearance of the purple dome. So it was that the Warrior of Light and Erenville was drawn in by the young hyur named Zekowa. He sought the rescue of his companions. A combination of smarts and trickery soon led the Warrior of Light and Erenville to Wihuwte. To their disbelief, Wihuwte was actually transporting Zekowa¡¯s companions northward, towards the purple dome! Relying on Erenville¡¯s talents, the Warrior of Light followed, and soon discovered that Wihuwte was selling the souls of Shaaloani¡¯s inhabitants to the Golden City! An automaton identical to those that had invaded Tuliyollal sucked out the soul of a captive with a gun before their very eyes. The Warrior of Light and Erenville understood that they could no longer remain in their hiding spot. Just as they prepared to intervene, especially because they had promised Zekowa of his companions¡¯ safety, a deep voice spoke from behind them. ¡°I would not be reckless if I were you.¡± The Warrior of Light swiveled around to see Estinien in cloth and leather, but still equipped with that recognizable lance. ¡°Erenville. You should call for the sheriff¡¯s intervention. We will need it,¡± Estinien said as he unsheathed his lance. ¡°Now let us do what we do best, O Warrior of Light.¡± So it was that the Warrior of Light charged forth to intervene in Wihuwte¡¯s human trafficking business. Automatons on bikes appeared from the purple dome, but Estinien was well prepared for their appearance, leaping from one to another with a flashing lance and explosions. The Warrior of Light broke many chains with a pair of twinblades, freeing many of the captives that very nearly had their souls sucked out to fuel the ¡®Golden City¡¯s¡¯ existence. Freed, they began to rally around the Warrior of Light, picking up weapons dropped by the guards knocked unconscious by the Warrior of Light.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Thus, Wihuwte soon found himself in desperate straits, and looked towards the purple dome as his only escape. Luckily, Erenville returned with assistance just in time, and Zekowa stood to block Wihuwte¡¯s escape. The two faced off, guns blazing. The sheriff and his men, lagging a few yalms behind, arrived in time to see Zekowa send a bullet through Wihuwte¡¯s head. Though initially ruffled, upon seeing the freed ragged captives, as well as the automatons returning back into the purple dome while dragging along a few unlucky souls, he understood the nature of the matter, and could only sigh at the betrayal of a man who he had trusted. And so the Golden City¡¯s reach into Shaaloani was temporarily blocked, and the region¡¯s inhabitants regained a measure of protection. The Warrior of Light returned to Tuliyollal to inform Wuk Lamat of these events. Upon entering the throne room, the rest of the scions had arrived from overseas, and were in deep discussion with Koana and Wuk Lamat. ¡°...I was saying, aether and soul are strongly interlinked. As the soul weakens, the aether also thins,¡± Y¡¯shtola explained to Koana. ¡°I cannot deny my interest,¡± G¡¯raha Tia muttered. ¡°Another soul of mine from a different timeline, along with its memories, was integrated into my own, but to separate the two¡­¡± Most surprising to the Warrior of Light was the presence of Zero. ¡°Us voidsent consume one another, soul feeding on souls along with aether,¡± she said. ¡°However, memories are also consumed, thus the crazed minds of the beings in my world, consisting of multiple personalities¡­¡± ¡°Couldst this mysterious civilization hath drawn inspiration from voidsents?¡± Urianger wondered. ¡°Hmm¡­ It is certainly a possibility,¡± Y¡¯shtola nodded with a finger on her chin. ¡°I must admit that I am most intrigued,¡± G¡¯raha Tia said. ¡°As far as we know, the soul is cleansed in the underworld and during those moments, even the memories hidden in the deepest parts of the soul are recalled. We must be misunderstanding some aspect of this¡­absorption of souls conducted by this ¡®Golden City¡¯.¡± The many archons furrowed their brows in deep thought. As for the Warrior of Light¡­ well¡­ perhaps in the minds of these archons, the Warrior of Light is a bit of a knobhead. ¡°Master Motoya once warned me that by using aether to ¡®see¡¯, I would live a shortened life,¡± Y¡¯shtola slowly said as she organized her thoughts. ¡°Extending that logic, perhaps when a soul is extracted from a body prematurely, a sort of lifeforce linked to that aether remains locked into this soul.¡± ¡°Then, it is this influx of aether-life force that is used to revive and strengthen the user, as it did for Zoraal Ja when he fought against Gulool Ja Ja,¡± she spoke, increasingly certain of her hypothesis. ¡°As for said memories-- the Warrior of Light has seen those crystals that carry the memories of the twelve seats of the ancients.¡± ¡°If I may make another bold guess, I believe the memories of past existences have simply been recorded and stored using a sort of technology. And as for the memory hidden within the supporting soul-- it may simply have been repressed in some way, to prevent its interference with the user¡¯s mind.¡± As she said this, the Warrior of Light recalled the device used by Hermes-- Kairos, which wiped memories from test subjects. Koana nodded. He had been investigating the many soul-related devices left behind by the automaton invasion of the ¡®Golden City¡¯. His tinkering exposed certain aspects behind the technology, and once the more¡­ knowledgeable scions arrived, he naturally broached the subject. ¡°Assuming what you say to be true, then¡­¡± G¡¯raha Tia muttered. ¡°The supporting soul is temporarily attached to the controlling soul, supplying its remaining life-force aether until spent. Then this spent soul should return to the aetherial sea?¡± ¡°A slight reprieve for the enslaved soul,¡± commented Y¡¯shtola. Indeed, to truly combine and split souls¡­ perhaps only beings like Hydaelyn and Zodiark were capable of this. Even then, to fully combine souls with no connection to one another¡­ such a thing should not be possible. Otherwise, the Ascians would long have ¡®completed¡¯ their sundered members to create powerful paragons. As for temporarily combining souls¡­The Warrior of Light believes that to be possible, recalling the temporary fusion of two Ascians prior to the battle against Thordan back in those early days. Regardless, the ancients, as masters of creations, are most capable of such a feat if it was possible. Was it possible that an unknown Ascian had passed on such knowledge to this ¡®Golden City¡¯? ¡°How much of their words did you understand?¡± Wuk Lamat muttered under her breath at the Warrior of Light. The Warrior of Light did not reply, only shrugging nonchalantly. Krile was reserved to the side, lost in thought. It was only when the Warrior of Light tapped the lalafell on the head that Krile¡¯s eyes returned to focus. ¡°Ah!¡± she exclaimed, but then embarrassingly smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve contacted Sharlayan as well and identified the mammets used by my grandfather when he attempted to see into the ¡®Golden City¡¯. I am not completely certain, but I have fashioned a device that will allow us to potentially locate and retrieve information¡­¡± ¡°That is good to hear,¡± the Warrior of Light beamed encouragingly. Wuk Lamat cleared her throat to attract the attention of all present. ¡°As I have mentioned, I requested your aid, for the current state of Tural is unstable due to the appearance of the supposed less-than-golden city. Though the most pressing matters have been settled for now¡­¡± ¡°Go,¡± Koana said. ¡°Our delegates are having discussions with the dragons to ensure that they understand the lust for powerful souls that this mysterious civilization has. I will prepare the defenses of the city and gather the citizens of Tural, to prevent the harvesting of their souls.¡± ¡°Lamaty¡¯i,¡± he turned to his sister. ¡°I am no warrior, and it is you who sparred against our father alongside Zoraal Ja during your youth. You stand the best chance. For Zoraal Ja to have taken our father¡¯s life¡­¡± Wuk Lamat felt torn. ¡°Do I truly have to take his life?¡± she asked. The Warrior of Light sighed, recalling the many foes who only understood might. ¡°Peace¡­though it is critical to negotiate, to avoid the loss of life¡­¡± the Warrior of Light replied. ¡°Sometimes, people can be stubborn, stuck in their beliefs, in their hatred, in their distrust, or perhaps¡­ consumed by their obsession.¡± ¡°And unfortunately, there are those that only understand force¡­¡± the Warrior of Light warned with a shake of the head, recalling the faces of many twisted enemies in the past. Wuk Lamat had always preferred her peace and quiet, content with touring various places in Tural. However, she is certainly aware of the existence of ¡®bullies¡¯. She understood the Warrior of Light¡¯s words. ¡°If I remain passive, taking a step back in obsession of peace whenever there is potential conflict, there will be those who see this as weakness and simply take advantage to benefit their own self¡­ this I know¡­yet¡­¡± The Warrior of Light nodded, and at the same time, understood Wuk Lamat¡¯s internal struggles. Her nature was one that preferred peace, and only the hateful actions of a wayward Bakool Ja Ja had temporarily awakened that fire within her. Now, although Zoraal Ja had taken her father¡¯s life, he is also her brother, occupying many beautiful memories of her childhood, no doubt. The scions heard this conversation, but chose to remain silent. The Warrior of light had already said all that needed to be said. The rest will be up the Wuk Lamat. As they prepared to set off to the north to investigate that purple dome, Vorporlor and Bakool Ja Ja appeared. The Warrior of Light recalled that Bakool Ja Ja had been negotiating with the Yok Huy conditions for his father¡¯s freedom. Though Mamook¡¯s belief in the two-headed is rather twisted, Zereel Ja had traded himself for Bakool Ja Ja¡¯s freedom. Recognizing that Zoraal Ja had baited the young foolish Bakool Ja Ja into freeing Valigarmanda, the Yok Huy had accepted this deal to keep the peace. ¡°We are to see an end to the ¡®Golden City¡¯s¡¯ influence on this continent in service to the Yok Huy, as agents to the north,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty stated for both heads. It is well known that the Yok Huy¡¯s bodies fall into sickness in the northern side of Tural, Xak Tural. ¡°The ¡®Golden City¡¯ has influenced the dreams of our seers in the past, controlling the minds of us Yok Huy,¡± Vorporlor explained. ¡°Thus, for once, us Chirwagur will cooperate with the ruling Yok Huy faction to defend and hold Tuliyollal until the task is complete.¡± ¡°Wuk Lamat,¡± he narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do not allow your compassion to take hold of your heart. It may well lead to your own doom, as well as ours. The ¡®Golden City¡¯ is a lie, and its citizens, disposable tools.¡± So it was that Wuk Lamat, her heart torn, traveled north alongside the Warrior of Light, Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Erenville, Bakool Ja Ja and Zero. ¡°I wish to examine this society¡¯s control over soul and memories. Perhaps it will be of importance to restoring the void of my world,¡± Zero explained her inclusion. The Warrior of Light nodded in understanding. ¡°How¡­strange,¡± Wuk Lamat mused during their journey north. ¡°The Chirwagur faction has always been uncooperative and hostile to the landsgard. Yet, they provide assistance at this critical juncture¡­¡± They arrived at Shaaloani Station. The sheriff discovered that the train tracks from Shaaloani into the north had been used to transport souls into the purple dome. Clearly, the ¡®Golden City¡¯ maintained the railway in hopes of spreading their influence into Shaaloani. Luckily, this also meant that the railway could be used to enter the purple dome-- forcefully if necessary. Not long after, a train was designed to punch through the defenses of the purple dome. Illusions would be cast to hide the train to decrease the response time of the ¡®Golden City¡¯s¡¯ automaton soldiers. The whole of the train was covered in layers of metallic armor, non-conductive to electricity, such as titanium, bismuth and tungsten, which also provided relatively hardy defenses. The reason for this is the automations¡¯ weakness to lightning-aspected energies. The train was equipped with many lightning-aspected cannons, while itself remaining non-conductive but tough and weighty for its defenses. The mood was grim but determined during the construction of this weaponized train. None knew what might have changed in the zone now enveloped in the purple dome. Erenville was especially worried for his mother. Supposedly, Namikka, Wuk Lamat¡¯s nursemaid, had returned there prior to the purple dome¡¯s appearance as well. Thanks to the support of Shaaloani¡¯s people, enraged that those from the purple dome had been sucking out the souls of their neighbors for nefarious purposes, the armored train was soon ready. The Warrior of Light hopped onto the largest lightning cannon onboard, ready to deliver fire and hell. As the armored train left the station, the Warrior of Light spun the rotary device to point the lightning cannon at Alisaie. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing, O Warrior of Light?¡± Alisaie grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯m not so easy to subdue. Come!¡± The Warrior of Light hesitated for a second then fired the lightning cannon. Alisaie spun her rapier and she expertly absorbed the lightning energy ball before redirecting the power into a extra humongous verthunder spell. The Warrior of Light was visibly impressed, now turning the thunder cannon towards¡­Bakool Ja Ja. ¡°Wha¡­?¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty exclaimed in fear. ¡°Warrior of Light. This is unnecessary,¡± Bakool Ja Ja the Mystic attempted reconciliation. ¡°Though we have committed questionable acts against you, us two have turned a new leaf. We now recognize that¡­¡± The Warrior of Light fired the lightning cannon, and Bakool Ja Ja sank onto one knee visibly pained, paralyzed as electricity arced over his darkened scales. The lightning cannon was turned towards Y¡¯shtola. Y¡¯shtola narrowed her eyes, and the Warrior of Light smartly decided to point the lightning cannon elsewhere. Krile was ready for the Warrior of Light. She had already painted a magical lightning cannon, and when the Warrior of Light fired, that painted cannon also let loose. The two lightning energy balls collided and cancelled out each other in a rainbow shower. ¡°O Warrior of Light¡­¡± Alphinaud interrupted. ¡°Let me remind you that we are under an invisibility illusion, and such flashy aetherial storms will disrupt our invisibility¡­¡± The Warrior of Light sheepishly acknowledged the mistake. The armored train accelerated northward. For much of their journey, they remained completely undetected, yet as they got closer, automaton soldiers flew into the air on their hoverbikes to intercept their path. Thus began the battle. The Warrior of Light fired the lightning cannon rapidly, striking each target with a near hundred percent accuracy. These automatons, weak to lightning, fell from the sky in a single hit. The Warrior of Light very nearly struck Estinien, who was leaping in the air from hoverbike-to-hoverbike. The dragoon nonchalantly split that lightning energy ball in two. The two halves of the lightning-aspected shot struck down two targets. Estinien only directed a raised eyebrow at the Warrior of Light. When they got within fifty yalms of the structure defending the purple dome, they leapt off the train in rapid fashion. The armored train barreled forward, lightning energy gathering into a bomb within the train head. Upon collision, the lightning bomb exploded, thoroughly destroying the structure, opening a hole into the purple dome. So it was that Wuk Lamat, the Warrior of Light, the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, Erenville, Bakool Ja Ja and Zero stepped into the purple dome.