03: Sacrifice

Before Alaric could say or do anything, he suddenly found himself inside a huge bubble. It was floating as far away from the crowd.

"Stop them! Don't let that thing escape!"

"Don't you dare touch my family!"

For what felt like hours, Alaric stayed rooted on his spot. He could feel his daughter stirred on his arms, but he was too overwhelmed by the unexpected turn of events. He just stood there as he watched his brave wife foght to her last breath.

They were already a distance away when Alaric heard his wife's words.

"Forgive me. I love you."

Blinking a few times, the vision of his beloved sacrificing herself for them invaded his mind like a tsunami.

Falling on his knees, he screamed as loud as he could. "Miriella!" It echoed until the depths of the abyss. He wanted to go back, but he knew that it was already too late. Their strong bond that kept his heart beating was utterly severed.

Alaric's mind lingered on the notion of hope that has now become useless. His heart shattered into millions of pieces as he continued to whisper her name. Just then, a single tear slid down from his eyes, followed by another one. Before he knew it, a steady stream of salty water flowed down on his pale cheek.

His eyes burned as his chest felt heavy as if it was filled with water. He could no longer see clearly. All he knew was that she was gone. Forever.

Thinking back, he already prepared himself for this day, however, he did not expect a wicked trick that played with his plans. The result was as cruel as any deserted mirage.

He was only snapped out of his daze when he felt slight movements. Glancing down on his sleeping daughter, Alaric could not help, but marvel on how her birth caused so much pain, destruction and mystery.

Tracing her face carefully, a bitter smile etched on his face. She was perfect in every way. At that moment, time seemed to stop, and he somehow forgot all the recent events as he held his tiny girl in his arms. Her small body was delicate, like a fragile doll. She also felt so light and smelled divine.

"Don't worry, little one. I would be your protector for as long as I lived, and my love for you would last for a lifetime." Alaric carefully kissed her forehead. He was afraid of hurting her.

When he felt her tiny movements, he smiled even more, but it soon disappeared on his face. His eyes almost bulged out of its sockets. He even felt his blood draining from his face. His body was temporarily incapacitated, and he was rendered speechless as he stood there with an incredulous expression.

Alaric could not believe what he was seeing. He had never seen anything like this even in his worst nightmares. The adrenaline flew through his veins, but he could not even move a muscle. In front of him, his child's right eye was like a flame of burning inferno. However, her left eye was a black flame that formed a brilliant star. Soon enough, he saw the formation of a crown that slowly appeared on her forehead.

"How?" Alaric's brain stuttered for a moment as every part of his body tried to catch up. His face was already white as chalk, while his mouth was frozen wide open.

Before Alaric could do anything, a sudden flash filled the bubble. As soon as it was gone, he witnessed how her eyes morphed into a shade of dark blue. Upon seeing the familiar color, he sighed like a slight spring breeze. They were exactly like his wife's.

His beloved. It was like a punch to his guts. How could he forget her! Just then, a sense of resolve suddenly returned to him as he hugged his daughter. He loved her more than himself, and he would do everything to protect her. He would not let his wife's sacrifice to go in vain. "We love you so much, little one."

oooOOooo

Another few minutes passed, and they were already floating a few meters above a huge skull entrance. It was situated near a steep cliff. The highest point within their realm.

Looking around, Alaric saw a barren land with nothing, but several fragments of precious stones that was scattered everywhere. They glinted from aquamarine-blue, and dull crimson beneath the scorching heat of the sun.

As the bubble descended, Alaric prepared himself for the impact, being careful enough to avoid unnecessary injuries.

As soon as his feet touched the rocky ground, he held his gaze at the entrance of the cave. It had an ample amount of light, but not enough to reveal all of its secrets. From where he stood, Alaric heard droplets of water inside. He even smelled its ancient age. The stalagmites and stalactites were like huge fangs. Even the stains on them looked like dried blood. The howling from the wind coursing through it was not helping his bravery, however, his father instinct got the better of him.

Alaric knew that he needed to act fast, but before entering his doom, he slowly walked towards the edge. He saw everything from there.

Their world was severely damaged. The large forests no longer held the vibrant emerald color as it was now charcoal and ashes. The oceans have become a deserted vast land. Countless bodies of sea creatures were scattered everywhere.

Billowing from the ground were formations of thick smoke. It extended unto the horizon: touching the sky, tainting it with its menacing darkness and suffocating despair. It did not help that flames of fire escaped from time to time from the hold of the increasing smoke. As it reached the heavens, it moved along with the strong gust towards him. The revolting scent of rotting flesh, blood, death and decay immediately filled his nose. It caused a chill to seep deep within his soul. He also felt the oppressive rays of the sun. It's becoming unbearable as the seconds passed.

For the first time in his life, he was yet again petrified by the powerful sound of a trumpet that filled their entire realm. The howling of winds crashing towards the lands, the breath of hell and the pained scream of his fellow brethren. He helplessly watched how they were tossed around like rag dolls before being swallowed by a huge fire.

It was a terrible sight! Never in his life have he seen and experienced something like this! Who would have thought that their Immortal Race would go extinct?

He was only forced back to reality when he felt an overwhelming heat touched his bare skin. Whincing in pain, he rushed towards the cave, but the never-ending darkness soon consumed him.

oooOOooo

Alaric sighed a breath of relief as soon as he finally got out of the cave. However, nothing prepared him for what he saw next. His eyes widened like saucer plates.

Who would have thought that such a paradise existed? 'This is really breathtaking!'

He had heard of this place before, however, he always thought that it was only a Myth. A Fairytale that was born from their ancestors imaginations.

The place was a definition of perfection. From where Alaric stood, he saw the sky. It was night-time, but the bright rays from the giant moon gave the surrounding its needed light.

In a distance, some animals roamed around freely. The pleasant breeze was like music to his ears. It was blowing softly, enough to let the glowing flowers dance and fill the area with their sweet and fresh fragrance. Colorful butterflies and other winged creatures flew everywhere, followed by a sparkling diamond on their path. Glancing around, he was momentarily astonished as soon as his eyes landed on some trees. Their fruits were something that he had never seen in his entire life.

For the third time, Alaric was hypnotized. He did not dared to set a foot on the grass in fear that he might ruin this paradise.

He was in perfect harmony, yet his senses screamed at him. His guts told him that everything was wrong. Soon enough, his body became rigid. From his back, Alaric felt a sinister presence in the form of a thick, black smoke. It slowly crawled all over his shoulders, making its way towards his mouth and nose. He resisted, but it was stronger than he was. Soon enough, he could not even feel his daughter anymore. Just the thought of it made his heart raced at an alarming speed.

Suddenly, Alaric jerked his head upwards as the smoke continued to enter his body. His eyes started to turn black, but before the entity could take control, a strong quake snapped Alaric out of his trance. Out of reflexes, he jumped on top of a huge boulder. The entity was already gone when his visions cleared.

Looking down, his eyes almost fell out of its sockets. In front of him was no longer a paradise, but a massive graveyard. It was spooky. All the gravestones were covered in all kinds of slime and weeds. There was also an eerie sound as all the graves started to bulge while some collapsed. Due to the continuous trembling of the ground, skeletons started to rise out of them.

A single glance was all he needed to realize where he was. The true nature of this place was none other than a necropolis that was built by their ancestors!

'I don't have much time!' Alaric quickly shifted his daughter to a more comfortable position as he scanned the area.

oooOOooo

Another few minutes passed, but Alaric could not find what he wanted. Dozens of what if had already clouded his mind.

'What if the tree does not exist? What if it was just a fairytale? The paradise was only an illusion so what if...'

He instantly jerked his head when he caught something in his peripheral view. It was dim, but Alaric was sure that he saw something glowing on the far edge of this place. He was not certain, however, it was now or never.

As he reached the other side, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

'It was real!'

There in the center of million grassy wands stood the infamous Divine Tree. An enormous mighty feat of nature. It stood out from the rest of the landscape as it was bathed in shimmering diamonds with different colors. The stars, and the moon that dotted the sky lit up the place. Everything was in awe of its beauty. Even the waters shushed in admiration.

According to Fairy tales, this primordial tree was nurtured by a Supreme Celestial. It also served as the portal to the thirteen worlds. Most importantly, it bore a single fruit once every thousand years. One bite was enough to seal the powers of even the most powerful Immortals.

Alaric smiled. It would be his ultimate gift for his daughter.

Without wasting time, he advanced forward. As soon as he touched the trunk, he was instantly thrown backwards. Good thing he regained his balance, or he would have dropped his child. Glancing back, a huge blue-like thing suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"A barrier!" Alaric said to no one in particular as he began to observe its complexity.

"How am I suppose to know something like this?" Cursing himself, Alaric racked his brain to work. He did not have much time, but as long as the barrier stood, then he's stuck.

He had already planned on using force, but it would only speed up the process of the disaster.

Left with no other choice, he inhaled as he closed his eyes, calming his mind. It won't do him any good if he panicked. He stood still for a moment as he tried to recollect his memories.

"If my stock knowledge was correct, then this tree was the heart and the center of our realm so using force was out of the question. I needed to know its weakness before breaking it."

Alaric tried, but to no avail. As the seconds passed, he grew more and more anxious. His slender fingers were pressed into the skin of his forehead. His bones were rattling in a constant panic. His heart pounded so hard against his ribcage as his pulse pressed outward, jerking the veins from within.

Glancing down on his baby girl, he saw her already staring at him curiously, as though scanning his face. Alaric knew that she was only an hour old, but children in their world was much more advance than those children from the thirteen worlds.

Just then, Alaric saw how she slightly tilted her head to the side. At that moment, he could have sworn that he saw her eyes glinted for a split-second. The next thing he knew, the barrier was gone! He could not even react as it was immediately followed by a masculine voice.

"Which vermin dared set foot upon this holy land!"

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