What Might Have Been (A Songs of War Fanfiction)

Part Four, Betrayals. Chapter Four

Hey hey hey! Big chapter this time.

Guess the song:

🎶Waiting for the time to pass you by (by, by) Hope the wind will change and change your mind (mind, mind) I could give a thousand reasons why🎶

I'm torturing everyone in this book... What is wrong with me? :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ria and Hubris walk through the southern woods to the ancient Ardoni shrine, Ria's stomach twinging with nervousness. What if she didn't join with the Primes correctly? What if she did, but they corrupted her, twisted her so she was no longer herself?

Stop what-iffing, Ria! It does you no good, y'know?

Ria smiles, remembering what Senn had said to her once. It had been right after she had hurt her ankle and her father had forbidden them from hanging out. Senn had met her outside her room, and she had been nervous and scared when he suggested they still meet up in secret. Those words had always come to her whenever she doubted herself, making her smile, remembering his mischievous grin and his sparkling white eyes. Mostly just his voice. The voice that had given her strength for years. The voice that belonged to the person she cared about most.

"We're here," Hubris says, pulling her out of her thoughts. She sighs, an image of Senn's laughing face crossing her vision. She's going to find him, and soon, she promises herself. "Ria? Ardonia to Ria, we appear to have lost contact." Hubris jokes, poking her shoulder. Ria laughs.

"Very funny, Hubris. You got the Protisium?" Hubris nods, and they walk to the shrine. Ria steps up into the center of the podium and pulls the Agressium Prime from her inventory. The eerie hum of other-worldly music echoes around her, stronger than any other Song's tune that Ria had ever heard.

The Agressium Prime is the strongest Song in existence, and the Prime Songs themselves are powerful to the core. A normal Song has only one ability, but the Prime Songs contain every ability from that Song type, giving whoever wielded them no limits. If anyone wields all four Primes, they will have access to every Song in existence. The sheer power of it all made Ria's head spin.

Hubris displays the Protisium Prime, pulsating with a blue light, and the humming intensifies. Ria takes a deep breath and places the Agressium Prime in its corresponding pillar. Hubris does the same for the Protisium Prime, and a tingle of energy makes Ria's skin prickle. Hubris nods to her and steps out of the shrine.

Ria closes her eyes and concentrates on the music of the Prime Songs, letting the melodies guide her. She reaches out a hand to the Agressium Prime, stretching her fingers towards it, and does the same for the Protisium. The energy that she had been feeling from the moment she stepped into the shrine grows, making her gasp, but she bows her head and concentrates as much as she can.

Suddenly, there's a crackle of intense power and Ria opens her eyes to see the barriers around the Prime Songs evaporating, the glimmering atoms of power zipping around her in a sparkling blue and red tornado. Outside of the shrine Hubris gasps and stumbles backwards in shock, but Ria ignores him. She extends her arms and the glittering particles zip towards her, brushing her hands and circling her body.

After a few seconds, there's a change in the current of the energy and there's a blinding flash of white light. Ria feels as if she's been punched in the gut and she crumples to her knees, ears ringing. She closes her eyes and grits her teeth, knowing that this is the breaking point. Either the Prime Songs take hold, or they don't. And if they don't... well, Ria doesn't want to think about it. She breathes slowly, clenching her fists, and the ringing in her ears subsides. She opens her eyes and stands shakily, feeling the power of the Primes course through her veins.