57 - Nine pieces of heart

[Author's POV].

Iggy was placed on the table by Rowan and Olivia as they emerged from the cave. Olivia's arms were covered with goosebumps from the chilly breeze and the starry night sky. Clouds formed by their breath appeared before their faces. "So, could you share the two reasons why you came here today?"

Iggy glances into her eyes and sighs. In her eyes, he sees his tortoise-shell face flashing like a silver mirror. Olivia is correct, he does appear older. Not really much, although he is now older. His physique has endured everything. White fur covers his head, and a white collar around his neck finishes the appearance. However, the low light makes it difficult to notice his ears. He also starts to lose the green tint on his back. Iggy was getting older. He was worn out.

"Are you ok Iggy?" Rowan patted his white fur and inquired.

"Yeah, I'm just getting old."

"And you realized this after 1000 years?" chuckled Olivia at him. She made fun of it.

"It's 999 years," Iggy said, widening his eyes as he glanced at her. Don't extend that by another year."

Rowan tried to remind him, "Yes, and for that one year we have to wait the next 100 years to celebrate it."

"It's twenty years, not 100," Iggy reminded him. "Now just 20 years are left for the Ecliptus star to complete its orbit around the Aurora Solis moon."

Olivia complained to Rowan, "He remembered everything about his star but forgot to tell why he came down to earth."

"No, I do recall feeling a peculiar sensation in my study room. A strange feeling began to vibrate through me, and I had to hold my desk to get my balance."

"What was it?" Olivia nudged him onward.

"It was an electromagnetic pulse, a wave. There seemed to be a power emanating from above me. A big ball of fire appeared to be plummeting from the ceiling, but it quickly vanished."

"Gone? How?" Rowan scowled.

Iggy said, nodding, "I don't know the whole situation, but when I saw the cosmic changes then I realized someone touched the sacred thing." He closed his eyes and thought for a while. Rowan and Olivia exchanged puzzled looks.

"And I found its energy from this area, I never knew you would be here," Iggy went on.

"What could it be?" Rowan glanced at Olivia and inquired.

Iggy said, "A gemstone," then glanced back at them both.

"A gemstone?"

"Yes, a gemstone, you didn't touch it, did you?" Iggy asked with a nod.

"No, I didn't. I have no idea how that seems," Rowan shrugged. He let out a sigh and turned to face Olivia, who appeared to be as worried as he was.

"I....I did..." Olivia uttered something quietly. "I killed Cecaelia with it."

"Wait, why didn't you tell me?" Holding her shoulder, Rowan turned her to face him.

Whispering, "I wanted to tell you, but you weren't here," she said. "I wanted to talk to you about it first."

"Where is that gemstone?" Iggy crawled down the table and inquired. "I want to examine it."

Olivia said, "It's in the cave," indicating behind him. As they made their way to the cave's entrance, she got up and pulled her hair back into a bun. She reached inside and took the gemstone out of the bag with her hands. Taking it out, she handed it to Iggy.

"Wow, this is really big," Iggy said, taking a closer look.

Olivia mutely remarked, "But ever since I got this gemstone, I started having nightmares. Visions, sometimes literal, bring dreams to life. You'll always remember what occurs next.

Iggy glanced up at her, "nightmares are common when you have this, and this is not just the stone but a piece of heart."

"Piece of heart?" As they examine gemstones, they both talk in unison.

Iggy told them, "Yes, it's the piece of heart, and Olivia, you got two pieces and seven left."

"But whose heart is this?"

"Thalia, the queen of Thalassa, was assassinated by Azazel, her fiancé. Thalia is claimed to have been born of Eleanor, her witch mother, who wed a demi-god through deceit. She didn't have a heart at birth. Legend has it that she employed magic to create her daughter's heart, which she then preserved in an amulet that she wears. No one knows why, or what her true goals are.She can do anything she wants with her mind controlled by it."

"How can a mother do this?" In a whisper, Olivia inquired.

"No one knows why, but based on the whispers in the heavens, Eleanor was getting ready for the Seraphim war apocalypse," Iggy shrugged. She used her blood in the rituals that have the power to convert any god or demon lord into a mindless beast and kill them."

Olivia shook her head, as if to get rid of the memories of Cecaelia and Arachnid becoming mindless monsters. "It's awful," she exclaims.

"But this wasn't the end, Eleanor won that war and created her own kingdom using her daughter's blood," Iggy went on. "She erased the memory of all Seraphim angels, transforming them into Thalassians. They no longer remember their former lives and just follow her orders now."

Olivia gave a sympathetic nod, and the two of them listened to the sounds of the night as stillness fell between them. Little animals scampered amid the rocks and bushes, birds sang to one another in the sky, and crickets made loud chirping noises. It was quiet. But they were curious to learn more. She wondered if this was the same knife that she had seen in her dreams.

Rowan prodded him on, saying, "So why did she kill her own daughter when she was useful for her?" They could only have learned about those monsters in this manner.

"Because Thalia was being coerced; rumor has it that she desired quiet and tranquility in her surroundings but was denied them. She desired to be free to live in Elysium without fear of persecution or hunting with her family. However, her mother was wicked, and nobody could make her good. Though Thalia fell in love with Azazel and desired to wed him, her mother was opposed to the union. This was not what she wanted to happen. In order to prevent anyone from learning of her secret, she manipulates Azazel, kills her daughter, and conceals the evidence. She punctured her heart nine times, resulting in nine broken relics that were scattered over the globe."

With a sigh, Rowan hears Iggy conclude the tale. "Do you think this could be one of these artifacts?" inquired the man.

Iggy gave a head turn. Indeed, it is among those relics. That is not how this item operates, though. It would melt and turn to ashes in my palm if I put my hand close to it and uttered some incantation. The artifacts by themselves lack physical abilities."

"Oh," mumbled Olivia. "Then how can we use its powers?" As she picked up the gemstone and examined it in the moonlight, she inquired. Those were easy letters for her to read.

"We have found its remaining parts and then we put it together to make it work," Iggy responded.

Olivia gave him a quick blink, then grinned. "So where am I going to go to get these pieces of her heart and create that artifact?" she said.

Iggy glanced around and replied, "Well, the last time I heard was somewhere else around this world, I have never been there because I was always afraid of falling into old age and losing my sight."

"You still haven't told us how this helps us?" Rowan enquired.

"Its power depends on your faith, it can only open a portal to one place; kingdom Thalassa." "It will take some time to find it," Iggy remarked.

"So what's the plan?" Olivia glanced at Iggy and grinned uncomfortably.

"First we have to collect these artifacts, and then we will make the next plan," Iggy mumbled.

"Are you serious? Is the kingdom of Thalassa concealed from the world?" Rowan asked.

In response, Iggy nodded and said, "Yes, it's hidden behind a door, and only Eleanor can exist inside that door."

"But why did she do that?" Olivia sat back in the chair and inquired.

"Because Thalia died, and after her death she locked the kingdom behind the door called 'The Arcane Doorway to Thalassa'."

Breathing deeply, Olivia asked, "How do we find those artifacts?"

"I've searched all over and yet haven't found anything concerning them. Something is missing from our situation. Something essential. Iggy gave a disappointed shake of his head.

"So if we have to stop Eleanor from turning creatures into mindless monsters, we have to unlock that door and for that door, we need a key and for that key, we need artifacts and no one knows where those artifacts are, right?" With a breath, Rowan asked.

Iggy agreed with a nod.

"Amazing," Olivia sighed. "So what do these artifacts look like?"

"I read about them, but I'm not sure because no one has seen them before. Thalia's heart fractured into nine pieces as Azazel stabbed it; these nine pieces became the Twin Blades, Gemstone, Astral Talisman, Everglow Amulet, Harmonic Charm, Renewal Feather, Ancient Codex, Gauntlet of Resolve, and Equilibrium Orb collection of artifacts. We will find the key and be able to reveal the kingdom that has been hidden for the past 900 years when we combine these items."

Olivia now experienced heartache in her chest once more. She felt sick with dread as it washed over her. This emotion has been with her ever since she began to experience nightmares. And it's becoming stronger now. In an attempt to relax herself, she closed her eyes and pressed her palms to her chest.

"You okay?" Rowan glanced at her and questioned in concern.

Olivia shook her head slightly and opened her eyes to gaze at Iggy. "No," she replied, adding, "This is getting worse every time."