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Late Evening - Late Fall : The Tree of Prayer

- Amara Chalkos ~ (Back Several Minutes)

*Vwowowowoom* The noise of the dense ambient mana flowing around me filled the air, helping me fall into a trance-like focus as I absorbed the cool and refreshing mana from the tree roots beneath me.

"Haah..." My mind was calm, and my heart was steady. I felt like I could fall asleep at any moment, but when I eventually opened my eyes and glanced to the side, I noticed Vasilias was nowhere to be seen. -What? Where did he..-

*Thud* *Thud-thud* *Thump* The ground shook slightly before I could finish my thought. -Huh?- But when I looked up toward the tree to see what was happening, my eyes went wide.

"W..woah..." The fog had been raised, revealing the beautiful, colossal network of branches within the canopy.

It was a spectacle I had only heard about in legends and was even more beautiful than I could have imagined, but my attention was too preoccupied to be able to enjoy the view. -Are those.. bones?-

Like a web strewn throughout the tree, I could see what looked like bones laid across branches. -That one especially looks like a.. dragon's wing...-

My face slowly paled as I continued to look around to see more and more bones that resembled those of dragons.

But before I could even think of what to do next, a wave of warmth blew past me, and everything went white. *FLASH*

"Ahh!" I was quick to close and cover my eyes, but it was too late. My vision was already bleached by a white canvas of light by the time I tried to focus on the dark part of my shadow.

""AAHHH!"" Yells and screams could be heard all throughout the crowd.

"I APOLOGIZE FOR MY SINS!" Some even jumped to conclusions, thinking it was the gods smiting them for their sins, but my mind was simply a cesspool of anxiety, fear, and confusion.

-W..what is happening...- But little did I know, that was just the start.

*BBBAAA-BBBBAAAANNNGGG* The deafening shockwaves of two unfathomable explosions ripped through the air the instant before the ground started to shake violently.

*RUMBLE-CRRUMMBLEE* Before we had a moment to even think, the ground started to break apart and rise into the air.

The roots were coming out of the ground.

*VWOWOWWOOM* A horrific wave of fresh mana shot up through everyone as the roots were promptly exposed, but the only people left conscious were the dragons.

*Rriiiing* Even I was struggling to recollect myself until I felt someone's hand on my back.

"A..ra... Am..ra... Amara!" Yolanda's panicked voice finally made it through the ringing in my ears after several calls. "Are y..u al..ght?!"

Finally managing to get my bearings, I looked at her with a pale face. "Y..yes..." I was in a daze, still seeing everything as if it were bleached in light, but I could at least make out some detail. "Are you.. okay?"

*Riiiing* "My ears are r..ging, but I th..nk I'm al..ight!" It was still hard to hear through the ringing, but I somehow managed.

"Is Bjorn okay?!" Hastily looking over, I saw Bjorn laying on the ground, completely unconscious.

"The sho..kwave knocked hi.. out, but he s..ms fine!" We both had to yell to hear each other, but after a quick glance around the valley between the roots we stood in, I quickly noticed we weren't the only ones.

-Everyone is in disarray...- "Quickly absorb the mana from the root!

It should help us recover!" Slowly sitting myself down, I crossed my legs and focused on absorbing all the mana I could, but it didn't take long for my mind to wander once again.

-Those explosions...- I felt my chest tighten as I thought about it. -Vasilias is probably fine.. right?-

Seconds quickly turned into minutes as I sat there, dwelling on dark thoughts while struggling to meditate, but my vision and hearing returned to normal long before I could calm down.

"Is everyone alright?"

"Brynjar! Bring over the nourishment artifact!"

"Give the injured and elderly priority treatment!" Countless voices could be heard all around us as priests and clerics busily ran around attempting to help those who were injured by the aftereffects of the explosions.

But as much as I wanted to help them, I was too deep in a hole I dug myself into to escape.

-How big would an explosion have to be to cause this kind of aftermath this far away.

.. It even uprooted a section of the Tree of Prayer.

..- Even as a dragon, it was on a scale I couldn't wrap my mind around.

-Could that have really been Vasilias's magic? -

It was an impossible thought, but considering he was the only being I could possibly believe fired off such a horrifying spell, it was the theory I went with.

-All I can do is hope he's alright...- I felt a bit guilty that I couldn't immediately go up and check on him, but even if I could, the apostles would stop me.

But then, as if it were a message from the heavens, a voice echoed through the air. "Be not afraid!" Her voice carried a deep and contagious confidence. "Our Lords have finally returned and have cleansed the sinful apostles from this beautiful land! We have been granted guidance once again!"

-C..cleansed?- Her phrasing was a bit worrying, but after seeing how she held herself, I felt reassured. -It seems Vasilias is alright...- "Phew..."

"The display of power you have all just witnessed is something you should remember with great detail! It should build a sense of fear in the sinful, and pride in the devout! We must all use this as a sign of motivation to grow!"

*Tap-Tap* Feeling someone tap me on the shoulder, I momentarily stopped listening to the apostle and glanced over my shoulder. "Hm?"

I immediately met eyes with a draconic man who used light magic to hide his wings and horns. "You are Amara Chalkos, correct? Do you have a moment to speak with me?" He spoke as if he knew me, yet I had never seen him before.

-Who is this guy?-

-

- Vasilias ~

"Uwaah..." I let out a lethargic yawn as I laid my head down on the reincarnation rune to try and recover while waiting for Ilios to wake up. -For how deadly and eerie this fog is.. it's quite comfortable...-

Although it was indeed horrifying to see the countless other dragons, nearly a dozen times larger and a hundred times older than me, all dead throughout the canopy, knowing that it wouldn't kill me made me feel quite safe.

-If that monstrosity of a dragon died helplessly in the fog, and even the gods avoid it. . I have nothing to worry about...-

Glancing back at Ilios, I quickly made sure he was still resting soundly before finally relaxing my body. "Hooh..." -I guess it's no wonder why this was Dagr and Nott's resting place...-

As I slowly closed my eyes to try and rest though, I felt the burden of a thousand questions start weighing on my mind, immediately repelling the drowsiness I felt. -Are you serious...-

Being so physically tired, I wanted nothing more than a nap, but my own bottomless curiosity didn't allow that. -Well.. so much for my nap...-

Finally allocating my attention to the mountain of questions racing through my mind, I finally started to sift through everything until I came to have a more organized train of thought.

But even it was messy.

-And I am once again left with more questions than answers...- The most pressing matter was currently the 'others' that both the goddess and Magni mentioned, but I simply didn't know enough about them to do anything about them. -If only that damn goddess gave me some details...-

My only current plausible theory about them was that they and the Holy Kingdom were somehow related.

But even if I didn't want to take the goddess's advice about avoiding them, it seemed like the smartest thing to do.

-The 'others' might be the gods the Holy Kingdom worships.

..But if that's the case...- I was in a bad spot, to say the least. -I guess I need to give researching them priority. ..-

It took several more minutes of sifting through my thoughts before I finally settled on a general course of action though.

-I need to head back to Bahamut and do some research on the Holy Kingdom before anything else...- The plan also allowed me to stop by home and research whatever that multi-headed dragon was, which killed three birds with one stone.

-Next time I see that goddess though, I should trap her in a gate so we can have a more.. fair discussion...-