Transcendence Volume 2: Awakening

Mid-Volume Finale Chapter 30: The Land of the Goddess and Saints

It is said that Heavensgard was the cradle of life, not just the Saints but all of Zerundus. One could easily compare Heavensgard to the Fertile Crescent of Earth, it served as the foundation of life and mankind as a whole.

The same is said for Heavensgard.

A Cloaked woman driving a cart of various paintings and materials needed for it. She eventually came upon the location on where she is. It was a dreary and melancholic ruin of a castle that was once a shining utopia of hope, that it was the inevitable and at the same time ideal future that Zerundus as a whole will achieve. It was even said that this is where the Saints would gather and meet as they would decide how to further elevate Zerundus into it.

And yet it still fell.

This would eventually cause the divide within the people of Zerundus as they would eventually migrate elsewhere. This eventually left a dark shadow to the people of Zerundus at the time as they left, after all, if the shining beacon of utopia that served as the standard to what Zerundians as a whole could achieve would fall.

Then what hope can they achieve?

"What begins in Heavensgard shall end in Heavensgard," The Painter said as she finished setting up a massive covered canvas. She slowly unfurled the covers revealing a half-finished painting.

It showed two swordsmen, one in red and the other in blue, as they fought within the ruins of the same castle on whence she stood all the while they are surrounded in a sea of fire and ice.

What makes the painting even more interesting was the tone. While half-finished it was clear that the mood of the painting was a melancholic and depressing one, as instead of the duel being depicted as a glorious duel between two powerful men the viewers would then be greeted with a sight of two broken men who have lost any semblance of reason to negotiate with one another.

"It's almost time," She said as she finished preparing the paints needed to continue. "I wonder how will this end out."

[Transcendence Volume 2: Awakening]

"This place is extremely cold," Gemia shouted in annoyance as she shivered in her seat as she and Shinn sat quietly in their Wagon on where they are. True to the promised agreement, Shinn had joined Gemia on their way towards Heavensgard via a Merchant Caravan in exchange for a free ride, the two would work as armed guards for the time being.

The route was fairly simple, they would have to take the Barcinian Mountain path. A fast and well-known route for many who would go from Luxenheim to Heavensgard, the only downside was that they would have to endure Shivangardian levels of cold.

"You sure you don't wanna hold Flameclaw for a bit?" He asked as he was hugging his sword as a temporary heater.

"I tried before remember?" She pointed out, due to its nature as a magical and semi-sentient weapon. Flameclaw would only allow its chosen wielder to use, if anyone else were to wield it they would get burned, badly.

"Well on the bright side at least we're not taking the Scipian Badlands," Gemia shrugged her shoulders. "I heard that place was Agnistonian levels of hot!"

"I mean I don't wanna brag--"

"Yeah yeah," Gemia rolled her eyes in amusement. "You're an Austerian so that kind of heat is normal. Well on the bright side at least you won't be subjected to the ice rod therapy."

"Ice rod what?"

"You get a cold rod shoved into..." She tried to explain but she stopped herself as if the idea badly repulsed her. "...you don't wanna know."