The Emperor's Concubine

B.2 Chapter Sixty

I look back at Sol, overwhelmed as he speaks to me.
His hand materializes a cupped leaf. It fills with water as he hands me it.
"Even though it's your soul here with me, you must want a drink." He speaks.
I take the cupped leaf.
"My soul?"
"Yes... Before when you came to me, you were partially here. Part of your soul was left in your physical body, which was why I couldn't fully speak to you, and we couldn't meet. Right now, your whole soul came to me, leaving no attachments to your body."
"W-Wait, am I dead?" I ask, worried.
"No, my child. You're still alive, but if your soul is away for too long, your body will pass."
I think about the last thing I saw on earth, the dragons golden eyes and its low deep voice.
"Sister?..." I mutter.
I look back at Sol.
"You... You made twins... The twins were dragons, and one of them passed..." I whisper, realization hitting me.
"Yes... I created two large descendants to protect the lands, two twin dragons. I understand this is rather confusing, but you were the other twin. I named the twins Deimos, and Luna..."
"I... But..."
He takes my hand again, smiling gently.
"You were born with immense powers, weren't you?" He speaks.
"Powers?... I'm a healer though?"
"Yes, but your powers exceed all other powers from those around you, don't they?"
I nod, stunned.
"How do I explain it so you'll understand?... I suppose the best way to say it is, your soul is still a 'dragons' soul, but your body is human. I locked a majority of your soul away when I sent you to be reborn. A human's body with a descendants soul, would kill you as soon as you were born of course. Even though I locked a majority away, I had left part of your soul unlocked in order to have you do your best to protect those around you. You can't protect the lands like how I initially planned, but you can do a small role."
"Powers that are almost like Sol's..." I whisper, the healer's words coming back to me.
I think back on when my powers unlocked, the healer growing ecstatic and going on about my powers strengths.
"Well, not almost, but close. You were born from a part of me after all." He grins, cheekily arrogant.
"Cabel..." I mutter.
"Hm? Cabel? What is that?"
"Ah! Do you know about witches?" I ask.
"Witches? Ah... Those things."
"Yes! Do you know about them?"
"Not much. Only what my children have told me about."
"You need to help me! There's a witch that came back, I need to go! I need to save Cabel!" I get on my knees, pleading.
"Cabel? What is that, that you keep speaking of?"
"He's... He's the one I love. I love him. I love him with my whole heart, and a witch has taken control of him! They're going to get married, he's in danger! I need to go!"
"Married? Oh no... Child..."
"W-What is it?"
"Child... Is the one you speak of... A shadow wielder?"
"Y-Yes!"
He sighs, shaking his head.
"What is it?" I ask.
"Child... A witch who marries a shadow wielder, is dangerous."
"Why?"
"Well..." He looks back at me, sighing, "A witch can consume their mana, but not fully."
"Y-Yes, I know! The witch tried taking my soul to get to him!"
He pauses, looking back at me.
"You... It found you?" He whispers.
"Y-Yes! It came as my younger sister! It used a lapis crystal!-"
He cuts me off with a sigh. He stands, thinking to himself.
"Sapphirus..."
"W-What is it?"
"Child... A sapphirus is dangerous... You've appeared in front of me many times... But the odd ones were when even my friends saw you."
"Your friends?"
He whistles a gentle tune.
Strange animals appear out of the air, running around him.
I meet eyes with the odd animal I saw before.

"Kyu kyu!"
It speaks, jumping at Sol's feet. It appears like a rabbit, yet has large canines and a tail of swan.
"Yes... I know." Sol speaks to it.
"Kyu kyu-kyu!"
"Fine. Ask for permission." Sol scoffs, smiling as he admires the animal.
It hops over to me.
"Kyu! Kyuu!"
"W-What?" I exclaims, staring at the animal sitting in front of me.
"She wants to sit on your lap."
"O-Oh. Well, I don't mind."
"Kyu!"
She jumps happily in my lap, cuddling against me.
I pet her soft fur as she makes an odd buzzing noise as if purring.
"Child... She knows you."
"Y-Yes... I've seen her before."
Sol sighs, holding his chin as he thinks.
"Child... A sapphirus is dangerous to all beings I gave gifts to... But it's most dangerous to my babies..."
"Your babies?"
"The descendants... A sapphirus can take souls of any being... But used on my descendants, it creates a rip in the heavens."
"Why?"
"My babies belong here. They don't belong on earth. They can live on earth, but that is not their home... A sapphirus rips the souls out, but if used on my descendant, my descendants soul would forcibly try to rip the heavens apart to get home where it's safe... Did it take the sapphirus with it?"
"No, well I'm not sure if it used multiple, but I found one in my bed."
"Its limited to one soul each sapphirus..." His eyes glow, the stars spinning in his eyes, "Ah... I see. It broke?"
"Er... Yes. I tried using it to see if I could see you again and it shattered."
"Awe, how flattering. Don't you dare do that again." His tone switches from playful to a scolding tone.
"Y-Yes sir..."
"Child... A shadow wielder is a power I created to ensure leaders were strong enough to protect their people... There were many shadow wielders, but it's a strong power to have so I made it rare... A descendant of mine came to me, begging me to help the humans... They told me how a witch reached the shadow wielder, and weakened the defence around their soul by marrying them."
"What?..."
"The beings who I blessed with powers to help, just like the powers I have blessed you with, have been killed by those demons... Those abominations became strong enough to overtake a shadow wielder but, they were still too weak. I believe it was a young girl... A descendant of mine told me the story. They said the girl was killed the moment she married the witch. When consuming a healers soul didn't make them strong enough, a witch decided to curse the young girl into seeing her loved one. The witch ate her loved one, and was able to transform into him. They married, and the moment she said 'I do', her defences were weakened by her love for the facade. Love is beautiful, it's pure... Love allows you to show everything you are to another being, unafraid and open hearted... Which is why those things used it against the poor girl. She saw the one she loved and weakened her defence, knowing she was safe with her loved one, but those atrocities abused that to fully consume her mana, devouring her soul."
"W-What? So if Cabel marries the witch..."
"His heart will open to the witch, and the witch will take his soul."
"I-I need to stop it! Please, help me! How do I save him!" I plead, growing anxious.
"Child..." Sol's eyes glow.
The constellations in his eyes spinning rapidly.
"Child, there seems to be rituals appearing in the land..."
"W-What? What do you mean rituals?"
"There are souls of the wicked... Did you say it was only one?"
"Y-Yes, I saw only one witch."
"Child... There are more..." His eyes freeze, looking back at mine, "You must go."
"Go? But how do I kill a witch, let alone multiple?"
"I will send my descendant to help you. In order to kill a witch, it must be done by my descendant. Your soul is meant to absorb the witch, just as your brother."
"My brother?"
"Yes... Once you kill an evil soul, their soul is absorbed into yours, killing them so they may never be revived. Only my babies have been gifted with that ability."
"Absorb?..." I think back at every life I took.
The dandelion, and the wizard enter my mind.

'Chicky, you were meant to be a healer. If you kill someone with your powers, you could absorb their soul.'
Cethin's words come back to me.

"But, if I absorb the soul or life of the living-"
"It's different when you absorb the soul of the wicked. If you absorb the soul of innocents, of course you would die. You're only meant to absorb the evil to ensure it's fully killed. Your poor human body might be unable to handle it though..."
"What do you mean?"
"You won't die... But a long sleep will fall upon you to 'digest' the evil... Your poor brother had to be confined to that cave because he had to digest for so long. If he hadn't been confined, he could have gone on a rampage from how much pain he would have been in." Sol sighs.
My eyes widen as I look back at his calm expression.
"Oh? Child, it seems there are other children waiting for you. It's time to leave, but it was nice finally meeting you." He smiles kindly, his hand resting against my cheek.
The scene disappears, growing hazy.
I watch as the night sky surrounds me. Soon a bright light grows, engulfing me.