Chapter 72 Chapter Seventy-Two - Zarseti
I leap into action the second I see Jartre’s darkness take him over as he rises to confront Azadou.
“Ezillus, I need you to break the barrier guarding the Orraikam,” I say urgently.
Ezillus looks at me incredulously as they return to their human form, “What the hell for?”
“Because Sebastian specifically wished for a barrier that only you could penetrate. I need you to break it so I may gain access,” I explain in a rush.
“I really don’t think now is the time for that, Z,” they argue.
“Now is the only time! Do it!”
Looking taken aback by my tone, they raise their hand, snapping their fingers as their eyes glow vividly. “There, happy now?”
I grab Oshmin’s arm and quickly teleport to Gabriella’s body, placing a hand on her and transporting the three of us to the undersea throne room in Atlesper. I look around to see the old throne room has been completely cleared of water like an air pocket, as King Sebastian and Queen Lemuel stand mere feet away, using the wall of water separating us from the sea as a window to observe the battle ongoing at Invictus.
As I stand up, Oshmin switches back to his human form, looking around in confusion before casting his eyes down on the cold, lifeless body of Gabriella, her eyes looking up at us both yet seeing nothing. I push the guilt aside knowing it won’t do any good. I must focus on the task at hand.
“She’s Jartre’s animai, isn’t she?” Oshmin asks, his tone quiet and horrified. I ignore his question as I face the Orraikam to see its monolithic beauty now pulsating like a radioactive bomb.
“It’s never done that before…” Lemuel murmurs anxiously. I turn my attention to Sebastian and Lemuel to see the worried expressions on their faces, which is to be expected. I didn’t prepare them for this part.
“What the hell is happening?” demands Sebastian. “Aside from the fact I’m delighted Eisa found her animai, it looks like things are completely out of control over there, and now the Orraikam is acting weird and...” he trails off, looking at Gabriella’s dead body.
“Sebastian, I need you to pull this shard from her body immediately,” I instruct him, just as Oshmin grips firmly under my upper arm, making me wince as he forces me to face him. I look up into his blood-red eyes as they burn with fury while each of his canines distends ferociously.
“She’s a human, Zarseti. What the fuck was a human animai doing there?” he interrogates in a low, threatening voice.
I yank my arm free, “Because I brought her there!”
“To die?!”
“Yes!”
Oshmin stumbles back, recoiling in shock. “The Zarseti I know would never do something so despicable. You’re the Goddess of Balance; of Peace and Love. You would never treat life as something to be disposed of.”
I turn away from him, ignoring him as I once again turn my attention to Sebastian, “Sebastian, we don’t have much time. I need you to pull the shard from her body now!” I order.
“Why can’t you do it?” he asks in confusion.
“Because that shard is solidified God’s blood. Neither of us can touch it. God’s blood is as lethal to us as cobalt is to you, now please do as I ask,” I stress urgently.
Sebastian blinks in surprise, but nods in compliance, walking over and crouching down as he withdraws the shard from his chest.
“Zarseti!” Oshmin shouts. “You brought a human to a battle to die and now Jartre is going to destroy everything in his path. What the fuck were you thinking?!”
I storm over, firmly grasping his face in my hands, “SHE’S FRETEZ’S VESSEL!” I scream at him to get his attention. It works because his canines retreat, and he stares at me in disbelief.
“What?” he quietly asks.
“That’s why I’ve brought you here, it’s why I’ve done all of this! Fretez foresaw the birth of her vessel. She didn’t just create the Orraikam to save the makkari and keep Azadou bound, she did it so that right here, right now, you could do what needs to be done.” I release his face as I take in a deep breath. “Oshmin, you are the God of Souls. Any God can bring the dead back to life, but you are the only being who can restore their souls and truly restore life to them. That’s why I needed Oshmin back. I need you to help the Orraikam fulfil its destiny.”
Oshmin slowly looks from me to the Orraikam then down at Gabriella’s body in utter disbelief. He slowly looks up at me with hesitation in his eyes. “Are you sure about this?”
“I couldn’t be more sure. Oshmin, we don’t have time to discuss this. Every second we waste is time that Jartre has to cause more damage. Can you do this or not?”
He takes in a deep breath, processing this information as best he can. “Like riding a bike,” he assures me.
I wave my hand over Gabriella’s body, placing her in a long, white over-sized dress and smile at Oshmin reassuringly. “You’re up.”
Oshmin steps between Gabriella and the Orraikam, looking upon it with reverence before closing his eyes. He takes a slow breath and stretches his arms out wide, his body radiant with blue energy as his eyes snap open, glowing fiercely.
I look over at Sebastian and Lemuel, observing with wide eyes. “You’re going to want to step back.”
With zero hesitation, they step back in perfect synchronicity as I turn my attention back to the Orraikam. Its swirls of celestial colour begin to pick up speed as the pulsating intensifies. Suddenly magic from within the Orraikam burst out, drawn directly into Oshmin’s hand as it travels directly through to his other hand, blasting out into Gabriella’s body. The underwater throne room quakes I watch the transfer of power with bated breath as several scenes pass before my eyes showing me all that will be and all that could be, from this singular moment. The fight isn’t over yet, but I will no longer be fighting it alone.