Strange occurrences were not uncommon in the world of Conductors. Where magick was concerned anything was possible. However, reports soon spread to the royalty of Dellorim about an explosion of massive proportions. From what witnesses could gather, and there had been many who saw the detonation, its power had been well within the sixth rank.
Something like that was unheard of, and as soon as Alvin returned to the Academy, he had been bombarded with questions by both the headmaster and the remaining Elders of the council. A royal ambassador was also sent to collect an account of what had happened.
Once that had been taken care of, the artifacts and information on the ruin that had been gathered were compiled and sent to central intelligence for investigation. The group had managed to return to the Academy with no issues, although despite a good night of sleep they were still exhausted mentally.
Their lives had been threatened by not only opponents within their ability to handle, but by an existence near the peak of the world. The Relic ranks were the apex of what humans could achieve and given that, it was a wonder that they had managed to escape unscathed.
The creature had been a mindless mass of destruction, but even still, a single attack would have obliterated all of them easily. A power like that was a threat to entire armies of Conductors in the fourth and fifth ranks. Even the world itself could be influenced by such a threat.
Luckily it had handled itself and was no more. It had been constantly regenerating and growing in power, but after its detonation, the pieces were too spread out and far too devoid of energy to continue their reformation. Even the ambient Zight in the area took a while to return, but when it had, it was a tainted and ruined form of Zight that was detrimental to living beings.
The entire location was now a cesspool of decay and death. Undead had sprouted up within it after only a matter of hours, and it was now considered a danger zone. Nearby villages and cities had been evacuated and their residents permanently relocated to other shelters.
The fallout had been minimal since the ruin had been located on the border of Dellorim and the neighboring country of Exenor. A diplomat from Exenor had already met with the king, as well as Alvin to gain information about what had happened.
The ruling class of Dellorim however, wanted to keep the true details of that event under wraps, as that area had been in dispute for quite some time. Exenor claimed that it was part of their domain but Dellorim claimed the same.
A battle had been fought over that territory, but Exenor had withdrawn their troops soon after the first clashes. Their scouts had found nothing of value worth losing talented Conductors over in such a petty conflict. Exenor had ultimately withdrawn their claim on the area, but the news that an ancient ruin filled with treasure had been discovered there could reignite that conflict.
Dellorim and Exenor had been at war quite a few times over the centuries, and the king was not eager to have more battles raging after such a longstanding peace had finally been achieved. Alvin had been given a cover story and he adhered to it perfectly.
A Conflict had been avoided for now. Still, Alvin had withheld information from every authority that had gotten involved. Cypher’s discovery of that strange artifact was incredible, and to let it go without personally studying it himself would have been a complete waste. Cypher and the others had agreed to remain quiet about that little detail even before they left their camp.
.
.
.
It was several days before Alvin finally got the chance to return to his home and put his sister to rest at last. The political nonsense had taken its toll, but Alvin was focused and dedicated to finishing this task.
A soul-trapped person was not easy to release from their prison. Simply breaking the object would only result in the destruction of the soul itself. Special spells had to be cast in order to coax it out of its vessel and they were extremely costly in terms of Zight consumption.
Alvin had of course been more than prepared for this, and he had a host of gems ready to refill his Orrium as he worked. Gemstones were special, and most could store vast quantities of Zight that could be easily reabsorbed into the body, depending on the quality of the gem.
For twenty years he had been stashing away his leftover Zight within these gems, and now it was time at long last to put them to use. He knelt before the grave of his sister and placed the crystal upon it.
A chant escaped his lips, the first of many as his work began. For three days, and three nights he worked to pull her essence from the crystal and release it into the world. These spells weren’t high rank, but they were complex beyond the norm, and even he struggled to perform them perfectly.
However, the years of practice and study hadn’t failed him, and he was flawlessly reciting the lines and infusing the appropriate amount of Zight into his spells. The temptation to commit to resurrecting her was strong, but he couldn’t bring her back, not like that.
She would only return as a shadow of her former self, and it was Retvial magick that had caused this to happen in the first place. She was gone, and he had long since accepted that fact, but he could at least bring her peace and that was exactly what he was going to do.
On the fourth morning, just before sunrise, Alvin’s spells reached their climax and the crystal faded away into the ground above Elise’s grave. From it rose the ethereal spirit of his sister. A gasp caught in his throat, and Alvin stared up at her with tears in his eyes. A bitter smile stretched across his face as she looked down at him with a loving expression.
No words were needed as the two gazed at each other. They each knew what the other had to say and their time was very limited. Already Elise was fading away, her spirit heading off to whatever lay beyond the mortal veil.
Sparkling tears floated from her eyes, and where they fell around her grave, beautiful flowers began to grow. Alvin could not contain himself any longer and began to weep for his lost sister. Elise reached a hand towards him and caressed his cheek.
Alvin looked into her eyes and she mouthed the words, “Thank you… Brother…”
Alvin reached out to her, his hand passing through hers, and both of them smiled again, the emotion of the moment blinding them from all else. It was a surreal experience but one he had been working towards since the day she died. He would not forget this moment, this final goodbye.
Alas, with the rising of the sun and the first rays of dawn, her spirit finally faded away, and only a memory remained. Alvin was once again alone. However this time, he felt neither torment nor rage, but peace and tranquility. He wept for a time, but his sister was at rest.
At long last, she could finally move on.
