Nobilis Custos

Farewell [Part 2]

3rd person's POV

For once Ahlstarr, Jala and Arius take their time in following the order received. They went to sleep and left their own body decide when it's time to wake up; well aware that their goddess won't be back before sunset to dedicate to Barbatos the very last second she has.

In fact, when they woke up, Harmonia and Izel were already out. The servants eat something before dressing up and heading to where all began to end it all. The group walks calmly, chatting and cracking jokes or sharing things they saw in Teyvat but didn't have the time, nor the chance to do it.
Ahlstarr regrets it when he remembers that sometimes, Jala and Arius travel on the same wave of stupidity.

"Bro, if your leg got cut off, will it hurt?" that question alone makes the dragon facepalms himself.

"Duh." he replies trying to be nice and bite his tongue.

"Where are you gonna feel the pain?" Jala is genuinly curious though, plus he's used to his companion's attitude.

"In your leg...." Arius stops with a face of revelation.

"Exacly! Where are you gonna feel the pain if your leg is gone!"

"Arius, don't share his single braincell on such shit." Ahlstarr rolls his eyes and slaps only the owl's head. "You feel the pain on the cut, dumbass. Never heard of something called phantom pain?"

"....Well, I never got injured to the point of having parts of my body cut off." Jala pouts, caressing the spot where he got hit, swearing he could feel each ring Ahl has.

"Same here. I got stabbed to death, but- Ahl, stop looking at me with those eyes."

"What eyes?" Ahlstarr growls, letting out steam out from his teeth, diverting his gaze elsewhere as Arius comforts the dragon by gently stroking his back.

"H-how do you know it?" Jala tries to change the subject but won't let it slide too far off, his curiosity has to be quenched still. "The leg stuff I mean."

"Because I went through it?" the lancer judges the other and clicks his tongue continuing to walk. "I got my limbs cut off numerous times, they grew back instantly unless I was in a field where my powers were restrained. Man, those times it really hurt like a bitch, but in the end I massacred them all and tore them apart piece by piece! Sweet revenge is my favorite meal~ especially if served with a side of war crimes~"

"Ew, the blood maniac is back." Jala triggers the dragon, laughing at his reactions and trotting away from his grasp.

The owl stops at the entrace and let Ahlstarr grab him. When the dragon wanted to supplex him, Jala speaks with a confused voice that alert the others. "Did we close the doors when we left? 'Cause I remember them wide open..."

It smells eerie... Ahl puts the owl down and sniffs the air under the hole. "What the fuck happened?"

"Jala my brother, you're the only one who can see this far." Arius sighs and shrugs his shoulders. "The only way to find out is to go down."

After the claymore user, the other two follow, jumping into the black pit and landing with no issues. Ahlstarr quickly uses his flames to illuminate the path, making sure the flames are powerful enough to also light up the surroundings. They might be quiet, but it's a silence of reflection and observations; they don't remember the state of the great halls, but they do remember multiple collapsing related noises, long after the doors were shut closed. The events didn't even awake their mistress, but the servants opened their eyes every single time there was a disturb outside.
Connecting the dots, they knew the halls must have been full of cracks and broken things blocking the path. However, they find the ruins pushed to the sides, carefully also to not damage the few statues and/or art left intact.

"Someone was down here while we were up." Jala whispers brushing the wet floor to pick up odd pieces of clothing, probably tore off by the intruders while they're moving stuff.

The three continue on, silence tags along until they halt before the same gates they built eons ago. Jala remembered right, they left with Harmonia's teleportation, therefore the doors opened by Aether should have been left as such. Then why are they shut once again?

Ahlstarr increases his fire so that the flames can light up the state of the gates. One detail catched the attention of all servants; the womanly figure sculped reassembling Harmonia and her duties, is damaged. The scales she held are now crushed to the ground, in ruins.

How did they managed to break the ancient stone we used? Arius remains silent, observing the figure. Do humans in this world possess such power? Staring at the scales, a freezing chill runs down his spine, giving him goosebumps and shivers to relief himself a bit. I have been killed numerous times in my past lives, I know by now that beyond these gates.... souls go to their doom.

"Imma open it." Ahlstarr gives his spear to Jala and his precious gloves to Arius. His nails turn into thick and sharp claws, his fingers enveloped by black and red scales. "Standing and do nothing is not my forte."

The cruel, almost nauseating noise produced by the claws piercing the rock to have a hold, makes Arius and Jala both jolt. By sole brutal strength, the dragon drags the doors open, revealing a dimensional wrap waiting ahead. Unlike the wraps they were used to, this one suddenly sucks Ahlstarr in, but with reflexes faster than the light, Arius takes his hand, and Jala tries his very best to pull the both out, flapping his wings so strongly feathers flip away.

Unfortunately, the three get swallowed in and spitted in a new dimension. Jala takes care of the landing for the party, and by their surprise they're in a serene plain, the sky is clear and even the wind is gentle.

"The fuck was that?" murmurs the owl boy, then he drives the attention on the sky. "Is that the way out?" he guesses pointing at a pulsating dark red circle.

"Looks like it." despite his uneasiness, Arius keeps his calm and tries to be helpful to resolve the issue. "Should we try for it? After all we don't know what keeps the link connected; maybe it has a countdown, or a specific condition-" the claymore user turns over the dragon lancer, but he finds him staring deadly at the horizon. "Ahl? Is everything alright, dear friend of mine?"

"Go." he spins his spear and holds it tighter ready to strike. "Now."

"Huh?" Jala doesn't understand, anxiety starting to seed his heart. He who has the strongest eyes cannot see the threat Ahl is seeing and/or sensing. Either way, he does not want to leave no one behind. "You come too!"

"I concur, Ahl." Arius stands his ground too, knowing the companion too well, he knows something huge is coming their way. "We don't know if once out we'll find the same portal."

"Harmonia will find me, my damned soul is laced to hers." the warrior walks ahead, no second glance to spare to the ones behind him. "This is your last warning, stupids. Get out of here."

With tears in his eyes, Jala shouts all his reasons to not do what Ahlstarr asked, he even physically stops him from taking a single step further into an unknown domain; well aware that if he really wanted, Ahlstarr could toss him away like a rotten fruit, yet he only shakes his head disappointed.

"Why you never do what I say?" he comments with a bitter smile. "I'm not as mean as I'd like to be, and I wish people would appreciate that more."

Before another question could flee, numerous back thunders announce the opening of too many to count portals from the sky. They are so many the sky once clear is now as dark as during night hours, and a hordes of enemies march and taint the untouched grass. Arius, Jala and Ahlstarr know there are only a few enemies from Teyvat, the others are all from the dimension Harmonia travelled to during her long life and fough for a cause.
Teyvat enemies are easy for the trio, what make them doubt their skills are exactly those who went against the strongest god and fell like the fools they were. Nevertheless, they put a fight which means they are powerful.

There's no space for questions such as, what is happening, why dead enemies are marching again like they are alive. The three summon and scatter into position, ready to fight, knowing that unless they defeat those monsters, they won't get out.

Teamwork makes the dream work.... right?