Godslayer Lysette: Chapter 228

Chapter 228: The Oceanfort Ruins

The air filled with the sound of the ocean crashing along the northern shores of Domaria and the smell of nearby saltwater.  The forests throughout the borderlands gave way to grassy cliffs reminiscent of the boreal shores near the Astral Observatory in Iguence.  Though here the temperature was mild without the slightest trace of snow, which could only be good for the excavation soon to begin.

And sure enough, just within Domarian territory, a massive stone complex sat, one which rivaled the Observatory in all ways except the most important one.  This once-fortress was nothing more than ruins— temples or silos or houses or barracks or whatever else they once were— long lost and forgotten to time’s ever-present flow.  But the quantity of stone, the thickness of the remaining walls, the sheer size hinted at by the bits which remained?  It all hinted at the presence of a civilization far grander and more advanced than any which currently remained on Aimarion.

“Lieutenant Rothiel,” Dani said, “Have these ruins been known about for a long time?”

“No, we only just discovered them the day before yesterday.”

“Is that because there was no reason to explore this region?  Or just–”

“If these ruins are what I think they are, they are sentient,” Lysette said.  “They want to be found.  More accurately, they want us— me— to find them.”

“The ruins are sentient?” Ari asked.

“If they are what I think they are,” Lysette said.

“Should we be afraid?”

“Probably best we keep our guard up.  There’s a better than a coin-flip chance that there’s going to be some sort of trial waiting at the end of it.”

“What kind of a trial?”

“Well, it could either be experiencing the most excruciating, damning pain imaginable as you feel yourself dying millions of times in succession.  Or maybe we’ll have to fight some construct made of metal and artifice.”

“Is that some sort of joke designed to make us feel better?” Ari asked.  “Because it’s most definitely having the exact opposite effect.”

“Joke?  No, those were the last two trials I had to endure when I visited ruins like these.  Though, these trials are mostly for me, so I don’t imagine you’ll likely have to endure such pain.”

“That’s hardly reassuring.”

“I dislike lying about such things, especially with my friends.”

“You would consider me a friend?” Ari asked.

“Well, we’re bound together by a pact now.  I’d prefer to be on friendly terms.”

“So, what are we looking for, anyway?”

“I have a feeling we’ll be led to where we need to go.”

“A feeling.  This is, once again, hardly reassuring.”

Lysette turned to Ari and gave her a slight glare.  “Yes, a feeling.  I told you before that I’ve had to figure most of this out on my own.  There’s not exactly an Aimarion Academy of Omnia’s System for New Deities where I can learn all this new information about the metaphysical reality of our world in a controlled environment before I start being a deity on the battlefield.”

“Wouldn’t whoever made you into a deity have told you some of this stuff?”

“I’m pretty sure that Zarielle would spontaneously cease to exist if she ever enlightened anyone about anything, however abstract or metaphorical said enlightening might be.”

“So, the Goddess of Darkness left you… in the dark.”

Lysette nodded.

“Well, at least I know I’m getting something out of forming a pact with a demon.”

“A demon?” Dani said.  “Don’t call her that!”

“She means no harm by it,” Lysette said.  “That may be what I am, but I prefer to focus on what I do with my demonic powers instead.”

“Wait?  What?”  Danitha stood bemused.

“I was given powers as a demon to slay the gods.  Despite the connotation with evil, I take no offense to acknowledging who and what I am.  Now then, we should get going.  I am starting to hear our clarion call.”

“Are you sure?  I can’t–”  Ari shook her head.

Dani laughed.  “Lyse doing something that defies all logic and yet things somehow working out for her despite all indications suggesting otherwise?  You get used to it after a while.”

Ari smiled.  “I certainly hope so.”

“Honestly, it’s a lot of fun after a while.  Just gotta lean into it a bit.”

“Forgive my saying this, Corporal Mielle, but you seem much different than your usual self.”

“I don’t think that’s true at all,” Lysette said.  “This is how I’ve always known her.  If anything, the personality she’s shown you, that she was showing before, was a mask.”

“I don’t like all this fighting,” Dani said.  “And especially not the killing and the dying.  I wish we could all get along. Work out our differences, come to an understanding.  But if I don’t fight, my friends die.  So I have to push back against what I want and do what I have to do to protect them.”

“Why did you become a Cultivator?” Ari asked.

“The same reason a lot of us do.  The nobles do because it is expected of their families.  But for the rest of us, we do so for the money.  For the chance to give our families and our villages a slightly better life than we had.  Was it not the same for you?”

“I was from a minor noble family.  Not one enough to have an estate or any particular privilege, but still considered noble, at least on paper.  I suppose I became a Cultivator because I wanted to bring glory and prestige to my name.  So maybe a little of both reasons.”

“Hey, you two,” Lysette interjected.  “I think I found something.”

Lysette stared at a cube structure that glowed ever so slightly upon one of its sides.  Unlike the ruins scattered all around, this small structure— no bigger than the living room in her cottage— was completely intact.

She tapped on the surface.  Definitely as sturdy as the stone and mortar would suggest.  There weren’t any obvious structural weaknesses, but when Lysette examined it very, very carefully, focusing herself upon her aurasight, she saw a pair of slits on the glowing side.  One very small, and one which spanned the entire length of the side.  A door, and some unlocking mechanism?

The small button required more than a small amount of force to press.  Once it did, the ground rumbled slightly, followed by the rattle of gears grinding against one another and other such mechanical contraptions twisting about in ways they likely hadn’t done in three million years.  After twenty seconds, the door Lysette identified began to creep open, and after a minute, the door finished spreading apart, revealing a staircase that led far deeper underground.

“Is that safe?” Ari asked.

“Only one way to find out,” Lysette said.

“Wait… shouldn’t we go back and get some lighting crystals?”

“I have a couple,” Dani said.  “Keep them on me at all times, just in case.  But Lyse can see in the dark.”

“Right.  Goddess of Darkness.”

“Not anymore,” Lysette said.  “We had a falling out.  She wanted me to kill some villagers I’ve been protecting and supporting.  I said no.  We fought, she took away her blessing and the ability to manipulate shadows.  I’ve been learning how to replicate my former combat style with plants instead.”

Ari took one of Dani’s lighting crystals in her hand, and the two used a tiny bit of Essence to brighten the deep, dank hallway descending into the abyss.  The door thankfully did not close behind them, but a sense of discomfort still filled Lysette as the trio spiraled around the deep staircase toward whatever awaited them below.  It filled Dani and Ari to some extent as well, given how close the two were huddling up against each other as the last light from the surface faded and the three descended into the tunnels.

The air was damp and musty, though, in a twisted sense, also cool and refreshing.  The trickle of running water beneath the surface reminded Lysette of the previous Aestori sanctum nearer to her hometown, and she wondered: Were these two once the location of different Aestori cities?  Was it the same city?  The two locales were not super close together, but if their technology and civilization was far more advanced than those of humanity, it wouldn’t be impossible.

The trio continued their descent, and once they’d dropped by about five hundred steps, Lysette noticed something extremely out of place: a breeze.  It was moving transverse from their position relative to the stairs leading back to the entrance, suggesting that it wasn’t the result of some massive pressure difference between these caverns and the surface.  Either there was another egress out of these caverns, or far more concerningly, something was causing this breeze.

“Stick close, you two.  And don’t head too close in that direction.”  Lysette pointed slightly to the right of directly ahead.  “There’s a massive chasm down that way, and I can’t see the bottom of it from here.”

“How far can you see?” Ari asked.

“My aura extends outward as a sphere with a radius of a bit under two hundred yards.  And the chasm is maybe sixty yards away.  So the descent is at least a hundred and ninety yards deep, if my math is correct.”

“An underground river this deep under Domaria,” Ari muttered.  “And remnants of an ancient civilization.  It’s all so fascinating.  Such incredible history lying buried.”

“It’s a reminder of where war eventually leads if we don’t tirelessly work to avert it,” Lysette said.  “No matter how high we try to tower above the clouds, no matter how grand we think we are, if we aren’t vigilant and attentive and constantly working toward peaceful coexistence, mutual destruction will be our end result.”

“It’s a bit ironic to hear that from a demon who gets stronger from killing Cultivators,” Ari said.

 “And yet, never have I killed anyone who hasn’t first threatened me, my friends, or those living under my protection.  In fact, not so long ago, I organized the construction of a detention facility to sequester units of captive soldiers specifically so I would not have to resort to killing.  And spent several days and no small amount of Essence developing a technique that would allow me to use my demonic powers without killing.”

Lysette pointed toward a narrow bridge of stone leading across the deep ravine.  With no small amount of discomfort, Dani stepped onto it first, with Ari and then Lysette following after.  The three reasoned that Dani, being the only one who couldn’t fly under her own power, should lead the pack, with both Ari and Lysette able to keep an eye on her in the event of a sudden tumble.  And Lysette, with her omnidirectional perception, was best suited to the rearguard.

“Changing the subject,” Danitha said.  “You said you could hear these ruins calling to you?”

“I can.  And we’re getting closer.”

What had started as a low murmur on the surface was now a symphonic a capella orchestra that only she could hear.  A triumphant, earthy tenor carried the primary melody, singing a long-forgotten language that Lysette had never before heard, but still understood the same.  A song of advancement, of joy, of pride bordering on the arrogant.  Of a people who lived in peace and harmony, using the power of Cultivation to reach toward the heavens, to become closer to their creators in every way.

And then more voices joined.  A shrill soprano sang of pushing further, of moving beyond the limits of Cultivation, of coveting the power of the gods.  Another spoke of caution in a deep, booming bass, pointing out that the Aestori civilization was at risk of fracture and that, in a great war, they already had sufficient power to destroy the entire world.  The various vocals were not always in tune, but the discordant notes and their vocal undertones truly carried the overall atmosphere the Aestori people were trying to convey.

And one voice among the choir took the forefront as the others took quiet harmonies around it.  The voice was female and eerily similar to her own, telling the story of one madwoman’s quest for power at any cost to fulfill her unlimited desire.  And how she defied the most sacred of precepts regarding the power of the gods, and in doing so, became a scourge for Aestori and gods alike.  The first demon.

Her voice sang louder and louder as the trio approached a massive structure on the other side of the chasm.  Lights appeared and brightened on either side of the entryway, and by this point, even Lysette’s two human companions could hear but not understand the song of the Aestori.  They reached the central dais, too similar to the one back in Osstia to be a coincidence, and then everything went silent.

“What should we do?” Ari said.

“I don’t know,” Dani said.

Lysette stood in front of both of them and bowed slightly.  And then the shrine spoke in the woman’s voice from before.

“Demonic Cultivator Lyse Barret, you who fancies yourself Humanity’s Godslayer.  Heed well our voices, our wisdom.  May you etch our guidance into your heart, that you might have a chance of carrying out the goals to which you aspire.”

Chapter 227: https://www.patreon.com/posts/113256878

Table of Contents: https://www.patreon.com/posts/101896170

Chapter 229: https://www.patreon.com/posts/113428906