The Gates of Cardel

Flames of Life

The sun comes out from behind some clouds, beating on everyone as Sin stumbles his way back to his feet.
    "You've left me here for so long," Jemercil cried, "two thousand years, you're way behind on your promise."
    A thick magical aura starts flowing out of his hair turns white and his voice becomes lower. He stands up looks over at Jemercil and starts walking toward her saying,
    "You dare hit me with those filthy inbred mongrel hands of yours! Do you not know who I am? Or do you not grasp the situation that you have now put yourself in?"
    Jemercil takes a step back, "This is new."
    Before she could go any further, Sin grabs her by the collar and lifts her off the ground.
    I ask the others, "why isn't anyone doing anything?"
    "Because this is new to us too." Codias said, "The amount of mana he is releasing right now is impressive in itself."
    "I haven't even seen this side of him and I've known him the longest," Zodiac stated.
    I had to do something if no one else would. So I yelled out to Sin calling his name.
    He turned around and blurted, "What!?"
    The anger he is feeling can be clearly seen on his face. But what really stands out to me is the glowing yellow eyes.
    He sees all of us standing there watching him, he realises the situation he has put himself in.
    Sin lowers her down and shrugs off his actions.
    "I guess we don't have to explain our situation then," Amadaia exclaims.
    "To a degree." Jemercil replies.
    "We ran into Serpith and he wiped his memory."
   "Ah, so you want me to replace his memory?"
    "Yes please."
    "Why should I?"
    "What do you mean 'why should I?'" Jelira blurted, "Sepith intends to destroy the world by whatever means he sees fit and the way to even get to him, to even fight him, is locked away in Sin's memories!!"
    "That's a good reason."
    "Exactly."
    "Memories are a bit weird, I just gotta warn you."
    "Okay...?"
    "Sin come here." He hesitates before straddling himself closer to Jemercil.
    She raises her hand to his forehead and her eyes begin to burn.
    "This case is a little sensitive. I restore his memories, however, it would affect all of you guys as well."
    "What do you mean all of us as well?" Medola asked.
    "His memories have already been tampered with prior to this incident. And it seems like your all connected to that tempering as well. For me to restore his mind to what it was, I'd have to restore all of his memories, which means all of yours as well. Are you guys still wanting to go ahead?"
    "Tempered?" Medola turns to the rest of the group, "It's for the better of this world. Whatever Sin erased can be dealt with after, right now we need to get to Serpith, Agreed?"
    They all took a moment to think about it before agreeing.
    "Alright then," Jemercil said. "You might wanna sit down if you don't think you can handle it."
    Surprisingly, Alixane was the only one that sat down.
    An aura came out from Jemercil's hand and entered Sin's head.
    The pain took over Sin's face, you can see the struggle he is enduring, the fight to not scream.
    A single tear fell from his eye painting his face in sorrow.
    Jemercil's magic stops and she steps back, "Oh my."
    Amadaia suddenly falls to her knees wailing. Medola tries to catch her and stays with her.
    "You better start high-tailing boy before you get shoved underground," Codias warns Sin.
    "It's too late for that. Whatever comes my way I fully deserve." He replies.
    "Aghhhh!!!" Medola screams as she launches herself at Sin weapons ready, "How could you do that to your own family!? The pain, suffering, and anguish you've caused. Have you no soul!??"
    "Believe me, it hits me just as hard as it does her." Sin says as Medola's daggers pierce his heart.
    He coughs up blood and doesn't retaliate.
    Zodiac stands beside me watching the situation unfold, I ask her "What's happening?"
    She turns to me and tells me, "Sin abandoned his children to die, and Amadaia, she's their mother."

    I walk over to Sin sitting alone outside.
    "Can I sit?"
    "I can't stop you."
    "I'm sure you could if you tried," I say as I sit down. "So what's the story?"
    "A long and painful one."
    "Well I'm here for you, and by the looks of things, we're gonna be here for a little while."
    "Hmmm, ok." Sin submits, "Let's see. Just a little over 2000 years ago, clearly, when I started adventuring. It was me Zodiac, Maik and Sepith. We formed a party and we're taking on quests all over the land. We never stayed in one place for long."
    "Explains the constant travelling."
    "Yeah. A few months passed and we were paired up with another group, and there she was, and so were Codias and Medola. I mean we got on well together for sure, but we weren't close. However, the job we were tasked with took longer, so we got to know each other more. In the end, they decided to leave their party and join ours. Throughout the years we picked up the rest while growing our reputation as the strongest adventurers group in the land. I got close to Amadaia, we fell in love."
    "A typical love story."
    "Just about. Everyone knew we were together. Codias and Medola even got married during those years. Sooner or later Amadaia fell pregnant with two beautiful children; my son Amerith, and daughter Donella. They were my life, my family. I would do anything for them."
    "Nawww, you big softy."
    "But one night not long after they were born, I was visited by one of the seven Archangels. My mother's sister. She came to warn us that the Gods have noticed my children, and aren't happy."
    "Oh, but why?"
    "They want the world to be 'perfect', untarnished. Meaning no mixed-blood/ mixed-species was permitted by them. I was the first child to be born that was of two races. Now, have the features of a Human, divine properties of an angel, and the powers of a high demon. I'm an abomination in their eyes. But they allowed me to live because of my angelic bloodline. That's why they threw me down with my father."
    "How horrible."
    "It was, and I didn't want those Gods to do anything like that to my babies. So I took them and flew off."
    "Wait you can fly??"
    "Son of angel and demon here, give me some credit."
    "Ah right."
    "Anyway, I knew the more people that knew where they were, the less risk they would be in. The same way I haven't told the others, I'm not telling you. I hope you can understand."
    "I do, but I was really getting into the story."
    "This isn't a mere story Nia, this is the tragedy of my life."
    "Oh, I'm sorry."
    "It's ok. All I can say is that they are in a safe place, out of reach from the Gods. That's why the others think I killed or abandoned them, which I haven't argued against, because if they believe that, there is less of a mental trace for the Gods to follow. Amadaia knows the truth, just not where. I had to tell her, it wouldn't be fair on her. It doesn't mean it was any more fair or easy on any of us. It hurt more than any magical spell could ever deal. That's why I asked Jemercil to wipe all our memories of them. Not only to get rid of the pain, but to also better hide them."
    "That's so sad."
    "After that the Gods were furious. So they created a dark entity to kill not only me but the group. Which later turned into the Dark Lord. Which obviously caused many events that lead us to where we are now."
    "I'm so sorry for you."
    "What's done is done."
    Amadaia walks out of the house followed by Medola. They walk up to Sin and Amadaia says, "After we kill the dark lord, we are getting our children back, you hear me, no excuses."
    "If that's what you wish for my dear."