Nobilis Custos

Gears [Part 2]

3rd person's POV

Those words resonated deeply withing Harmonia. Ahlstarr played dirty and unfairly to subside the conversation. How? By quoting Xatia's words, knowing well his mistress has an impeccable memory. Therefore, she remembers every word that man said. Being one of the last ones who joined the wandering deity, he could only see Xatia through Harmonia's paintings, and when he died. Nevertheless, he was so unique and bizzarre even for a god that Ahlstarr will never forget him, and he knows his mistress adores and cherishes that man no matter how many centuries may go by.

Chuckling with herself, Harmonia follows the young boy to the entrance of the cave. With everything in sight, now all starts to make sense.

"So the monsters must have been corrupted because of this fragment." Harmonia tiredly sighs, already feeling the atrocious feeling she will suffer as soon as she will touch the Black Rot. "Wait here, Ahl."

"Yes..." the boy's eyes glisten watching the woman marching alone towards a threat that only her can take on without suffering death. "Please be careful still!" he shouts to make sure the goddess hears him in the cave, funnily forgetting that Harmonia possesses unhuman senses.

This must be the remains of the shadow dragon Barbatos talked about. Now I see why this mountain was called Dragonspine. The deity stops before the pulsing heart, stretching her arms to welcome the corruption that dwells in the cave. If Dvalin was corrupted by the Black Rot, Barbatos and the others are in danger, but if the remains were contaminated after the fight, I can rest assured. Closing her eyes, Harmonia creates a field of thin and crystalline waters that dance around ever so silently, like they wish to wash away the filth in a way it won't disturb the dragon's rest. "♪Descend into the abyss thou see where the hearts of many wander. Quietly, they wish and weave placing home inside their one pure dream...♪"

The requiem tenderly echoes, black drops begin to pollute the watery surface, starting the suffering for the guardian of balance. But she does not yield. Ahlstarr leans on his spear and tries to not interrupt, but the moment he sees the corruption heading towards Harmonia's body, he cannot help but to bite his lips until he tastes blood.

"God, be safe..." he murmurs to himself, unaware that his sharp claws pierced his gloves and are now scratching the bandages off of his hidden spear.

"♪After the storm stills its wake, may all be blessed so the fate and fallen can find rest...♪" a sharp chest pain leaves Harmonia without breath, nor the strength to even hold herself up with her own legs, making the fall on the ground happen. The spell though remains active, instead of her calming singing voice, her hard and short panting is what echo in the cave.

"Milady?" Ahlstarr takes one step closer and calls the woman to check if she's conscious. He sees her hands devoured by black veins, blood falls on the ground and he cannot ignore those choked breaths. "Speak to me please!"

"Don't!"

"This is stronger than we anticipated, you shouldn't handle it all at once! Let's return and take this in smaller steps!"

"I cannot do it." Harmonia stands and stays immobile for a moment to endure the pain without going crazy. "What if someone finds this fragment and uses it? I cannot afford such thing, Ahlstarr. I'm fine, please stay out of the cave."

The lancer stays on his tiptoes to have the woman in full sight. He's so focused, ready to sprint inside and drag her out of there that he doesn't hear, nor notice a group approaching. The mortals try to intimidate him, but to his eyes they are ants and worth not even a glimpse.
Not until they try to go past by him. That's the moment where he masterfully uses his spear as a hook and easily drags the humans back to where they started. Ahlstarr decides to stay silent and see what those funny dressed people might want, even if his beasty gaze is a tough one to hold without shivers.