Roots Of The Realms

"Kagami! Kagami...Kagami!!"

A bandaged Kagami awoke with shock running through her body. She tried to get up, but felt an immense pain coursing through her body. Kagami winced at every sudden movement, but persisted in sitting on the edge of the bed she was lying in. 

"Where am I?"

Kagami thought to herself as all the memories of the attack on Hogo village came rushing back. The death of her friends, civilians, and the image of Kanna being dragged away. 

"KANNA!"

Kagami exclaimed, as her eyes began to glow. She jumped off the bed, but her legs quickly gave out, sending her crashing to the hard wooden floor. All Kagami could think about was her sister. While her eyes flickered in and out of their glowing state, that singular thought gave her all the energy she needed to crawl to the door, grab the door handle and lift herself off the floor. She swung the door, with the strength she could muster, stumbled through and caught herself on the smooth white wall of the hallway. Kagami noticed stairs that led down and hurriedly took them. Every step felt like walking on shattered glass. Kagami gritted her teeth at every slight movement, but was almost at the bottom. Her mind flooded with more memories of Squad A's mangled corpses with different voices echoing in her mind. 

"Mommy loves you, baby!"

"That's my girl."

Kagami's eyes glowed even brighter, but again her legs gave out as she fell down 5 steps of stairs. Kagami, at that point, did not care about the pain travelling through her body. All she focused on was the exit she was staring at. Now using every fibre of strength she had left, Kagami dragged herself to the exit and after finally reaching it she lifted her head. Kagami's eyes widened in shock as she saw a person sitting on the front porch. Their silky, short, grey hair shined in the sunlight while they sipped herbal tea and wore a black robe with a dragon symbol on the back.

"You're awake? I thought you'd be out for longer, Kagami."

"It's you," Kagami said, surprisingly, as she saw the woman she ran into on her way to work.

"You shouldn't be moving, Kagami, nor activating your ability. It'll just make your condition worse."

The woman said to Kagami, who now snapped out of her surprised state and grabbed the shoulder of the woman.

"I need to get back home! I have to get my sister back!"

Kagami yelled, in a distressed tone.

The woman gently placed her hand on Kagami's and softly said: 

"Kagami…you need time to heal properly."

Kagami's concerned expression turned to a wave of fierce anger as she grabbed the collar of the woman's robe.

You listen to me; I need to leave now! It just happened, which means I have time to find my sister. I'm not asking!"

Kagami's words burned with anger as she gripped the collar tighter.

*Grrooooowwwwl*

Kagami heard a low rumbling sound, with a large shadow being cast over the two women, coming from above them. She turned her head to the roof of a 3-story temple from which she exited and saw a dragon perched on top of it. Its neck was as long as a bullwhip and its scales were pure white like the first bed of freshly fallen snow at the start of winter. It jumped down to the courtyard, its golden eyes staring down at Kagami as it continued its growl. The woman quickly stretched her hand out. 

"It's alright girl, it's alright. I'm fine."

The woman said, as she tried to calm her dragon down, but the dragon firmly had its focus on Kagami's hand still gripping the woman's collar. Kagami's anger faded and the dragon's dominating presence snuffed out the fiery fury of Kagami as she released the collar of the woman. The dragon moved away from the two as it perched itself on one of the 4 walls surrounding the temple. 

"I've lost so much. I don't want to lose anymore, so please let me go," Kagami desperately pleaded to the woman. 

"I understand what you're feeling, Kagami and I'm sorry that I didn't get to Hogo village in time, but if I let you go now you might die," The woman said, trying to convince Kagami. And she quickly added:

"It has been 2 days since the attack, Kagami." 

Kagami's eyes widened to the fact. 

"Kagami…the chances of Kanna being ali-" 

"DON'T. YOU. DARE." Kagami emphasised, as she was washed with frustration. She clenched her hands and forced herself to stand up. Her body trembled from the effort as she held her right side and walked to the gate that exited the temple.

"Kagami, please!" The woman yelled to Kagami, who could not care less what the woman wanted.

"No! Those things took what little I had left away from me. I'm not letting them take more," Kagami said, as she slowly made her way to the gate. Kagami angrily continued with: "All this for some book." 

"What book?" The woman hastily asked Kagami, as her mind started to put the pieces together, but Kagami ignored the question just wanting to leave. In a flash, faster than Kagami could blink, the woman appeared before her. Kagami took half a step back as the woman looked at her with a piercing gaze and for the first time, since they met, asked her with a deathly serious tone: 

"What book." 

Kagami was taken aback by the severe shift in tone and atmosphere from the woman.

"I mean those stupid skeletons took a red-looking book from my house." The woman quickly grabbed Kagami's shoulders and asked: 

"Did the book have any black markings or symbols on it?"

"Yeah, I saw a symbol of a black eye on the book when the skeleton lady threw it."

Kagami told the woman, who then walked off and muttered to herself: "So it has been with them this entire time. Now why would he want it?"

"Excuse me, are we done here?" Kagami asked, still wanting to leave.

The woman, after putting what little pieces of the puzzle she had together, told Kagami: "Your sister's alive, Kagami."

"What? How do you know that?" Kagami asked. 

The woman looked at Kagami, with a pondering gaze, said nothing and walked back to her porch where she sat down and poured more herbal tea.

"Hey! What do you mean? How do you know?" Kagami demanded an explanation from the woman, but continued to be ignored as the woman sipped her tea. Kagami then yelled: "Hey! Are you deaf?"

"What use is the information to you, Kagami?" 

"Huh!!!"

"No matter what I say, you're still going to run head-first into danger and get yourself killed. So frankly, telling you would put you in more danger and I will not be the reason for your death." The woman stated. 

Kagami's blood started to boil, and the veins on her forehead pulsated with rage as she slowly approached the woman.

"Listen here, you bitch!"

*Grroooowwwwwl*

The dragon, atop one of the walls, growled at Kagami once again, but this time Kagami showed absolutely no fear and turned her head to the dragon. Her eyes glowed and her body burst into flames. The woman, now with a stone-cold expression, raised her eyebrow as she knew what would come next. Kagami's flames extinguished themselves as quickly as they were activated. The pain returned, coursing through her body as Kagami fell to her hands and knees. The woman placed her hand out once again to halt the dragon's aggression. This time the beast immediately listened. 

"Do you understand now? As you are now, you are not strong enough to save your sister nor are you strong enough to do anything to begin with. So tell me, Kagami what use is this information to you besides sending you on a suicide mission?"

The women exclaimed and demanded an answer from Kagami. 

Tears began to form and swell up in Kagami's eyes.

"What do you want from me? I know I'm not strong enough and you're right. I don't know what to do, but… I'll figure it out! I always figure it out, even as a kid, I figured things out! Is it perfect, no, but it's all I've got! It's the only reason I've survived for this long… It's all I've got, okay. So, what else do you want from me, huh? WHAT ELSE?"

Kagami screamed and tucked her head into her chest while trying to hold back her tears. The dam of her deep emotions started to crack. Kagami desperately tried to hold it all together. On the verge of the dam breaking down and crumbling to pieces, she felt a hand placed on top of her head. Looking up she saw the woman, who was just sitting, now right in front of her. The woman then spoke the words that always hardened Kagami's heart, even as a child, but words that she unknowingly sought out.

"I want you to trust me." The woman said, with such softness and tenderness that Kagami's ever-present stern demeanour slowly started to crack and became gentler.

"Kagami, I want you to be stronger, I want to make you stronger. Will you put your trust in me to do so and help you save Kanna?"

Kagami took in the words of the woman and took a large gulp as a single tear ran down that was quickly wiped from her face. She then gave the woman a look of pure determination and nodded her head. The woman stood up, spread her arms out wide, and said: 

"Alright then, welcome…to the great Odia temple, my newest student!"

The woman joyfully exclaimed, shouting so loud that even the heavens quacked. Her dragon simultaneously lifted its head as it roared to the sky in excitement. The woman went back down to Kagami's level and grasped her hands.

"From today onwards, you will be my responsibility and I, yours. So, call me Master Alexandra.

Alexandra said, with an ecstatic smile.

 ***

 2 days earlier, near the heart of Mount Moltenspire

Fenrir stepped out of the portal, still dragging a reluctant Kanna. 

"Let me go!"

A frustrated Kanna screamed, ignoring the sharp pain that still emanated from her shattered knee. Fenrir, having let go of Kanna, saw the witch figure that was speaking in his mind. A hunched-over figure wearing a hooded cloak. Her jet-black hands, which resembled dried raisins, clutched a wooden staff. Her cloak only allowed her mouth to be visible with her blood-red eyes glowing from within the cloak.

"Well…done, Fenrir."

The shaken witch said with a weak and decrepit voice as she dropped her staff and fell to the ground on her hands and knees. From the witch, a shadowy figure appeared. Its body had horns sprouting from the top of its head, with white marble-shaped eyes and a smile so wide the corners reached where its ears would have been. The wide grin quickly turned to a frown. 

"Mama! Are you okay?"

The shadow said with a worried tone. Its voice vibrating with every word as it approached the witch's level.

"I am quite all right. Making a portal to transport a living being consumes a plentiful amount of energy."

The witch said to her concerned creation as she lifted her head to see an unconscious Cindara, hunched over Fenrir's shoulder, with severe damage.

"Leave her here. I will tend to her after I regain my strength."

The witch said to Fenrir as he nodded and placed Cindara on the warm rocky ground and took the book out of his mouth.

"What did you guys do to my sister? Where am I?"

A frustrated Kanna exclaimed to Fenrir and the witch. Fenrir, with venom in his voice, then stated: 

"To answer your first question, my lady, I did not do anything to that abomination. I left it as it was."

"Then what about my sister bursting into flames?" Kanna angrily questioned.

"A tree will always grow to be nothing more than a tree, and for a demon, the same applies."

Fenrir said, with his black- dark blue aura maliciously flaring out of his body as he glared at Kanna. Kanna was nearly crushed by the pressure he exerted, but Fenrir halted and felt a great and intoxicating power coming their way. 

"As for your second question, you are in one of the great volcanos of Western Katheroth, little girl."

Kanna heard a deep voice with a commanding tone coming from behind her, down a dark corridor. Kanna's body instinctively trembled with fear. She slowly turned her head and saw green-feline eyes peering in the dark, accompanied by faint jingling sounds that echoed around the corridor. The jingling got louder and louder the closer the eyes came. Kanna did not realize, due to her frustration and pain, that the place where she was, was extremely hot. She could feel every sweat droplet escape the pours of her body. The sweat from her brow dripped down, gliding across her eyes, but she dared not look away from the figure coming towards her. Kanna did not know if her sweat came from the heat of the cave or from the fear of what was coming. Kanna flinched as the green-eyed figure snapped his fingers. The sound echoed around the cave. Gemstones that surrounded the cave lit up a majestic lilac colour, enlightening the cave. In the corner of Kanna's eye, she saw Fenrir kneel and bow his head. 

"We have completed the objective, Lord Bellinor."

Fenrir addressed the figure, who finally came into the light. Kanna's eyes widened, with a feeling close to astoundment, to what she saw: a man with light-brown skin and short tied-up braided hair, with emerald-green feline eyes. But Kanna could not help herself to look at the parts of him that were not so human. Lord Bellinor had jet-black jagged horns protruding from his forehead. His forearms, hands, and the entirety of his lower half were also made of the same jet-blacked material as his horns. His fingers and toenails were razor sharp and he wore a golden necklace with a red eye symbol edged into its golden plate. Lord Bellinor stood in front of Kanna, looking down at her, and gave a mischievous smile as he met her gaze. 

"You may rise, Fenrir."

Fenrir quickly rose to his feet as Bellinor walked past Kanna and sat on a throne moulded from the ore of the volcano. Bellinor looked at the weakened witch and the unconscious Cindara. 

"I see there was a bit of trouble. What happened, Fenrir?"

"Yes, my Lord. We retrieved the book as instructed, but had to fight to make it back."

Bellinor then looked at Fenrir, with his eyes as sharp as daggers and a vein began to bulge from his forehead as he asked: "Was it Alexandra?"

"No, my Lord."

"Of course, it wasn't. None of you would have made it out alive." Bellinor said, with a sigh of relief, giving a slight chuckle.

"My Lord, a fire elemental awakened during the retrieval. Cindara underestimated the power that devil wielded."

Fenrir said, looking at Cindara on the ground as he clenched his fist in anger. 

"So, more of them have awakened this time around? How interesting."

Bellinor said softly to himself. He then looked at the witch and asked her: 

"Vermillia, what happens from here?"

"I noticed during Cindara and Fenrir's battle that the book has a blood curse on it," Vermillia said.

Bellinor then looked at Kanna.

"So, it will only respond to a blood relative."

"Yes, my Lord, but I require time to regain my strength. The amount of living material that I transported in a short time frame has drained me."

Bellinor waved his hand and Vermillia left, supported by the shadow figure, to her chambers.

"Fenrir, put our special guest with the others."

Fenrir nodded and dragged Kanna by her collar down the dark corridor. 

"Others?"

Kanna quickly thought to herself. She looked at Lord Bellinor, who gave her a wicked smile, as she heard a high-pitch-whistling sound that emanated from the walls. As Kanna was being dragged down what felt like a never-ending hallway, she demanded to know: 

"What is going to happen to me now?" 

Fenrir did not respond to her question as he continued to drag Kanna. Fenrir then got to a door and unlocked it. Kanna entered what looked to be a dungeon, having lit torches on the walls, cells with rusted bars to Kanna's left and cracked wooden cabinets with doors missing to her right. Kanna tried to look in the cells as she was dragged down the dungeon, but the inside was too dark for her eyes to register anything. Fenrir finally stopped at a cell, letting go of Kanna to open it. Fenrir grabbed Kanna's collar and threw her into the cell.

"Hey! There is no need for that!"

Kanna angrily shouted. Fenrir entered the cell and got down to Kanna's level, grabbing her broken knee as he snapped it back into place. Kanna's deafening screams bounced off the cell walls. Fenrir quickly exited the cell, retrieved a vile of a light-green substance and threw it to Kanna. The vile bounced off her rolling to the cell's centre.

"If anything happens to her, it will be made sure that you all suffer a fate worse than death," Fenrir said, walking off and leaving the dungeon. 

Kanna, in all her discomfort, quickly yelled, "Who the hell are you talking to!"

"He's talking to us," A feminine voice said.

 As Kanna looked across the cell, her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she gave a face of pure shock. Kanna saw about 10 people in the cell all different races, genders and ages approaching the cell centre. All wearing torn and beaten-up clothing.

 The girl then grabbed Kanna's vile and placed it gently next to her. 

"You're gonna need that. If you plan to survive this." The girl said, as she walked back to her corner. 

"And what exactly is…this?" Kanna asked as the girl with her back turned responded: 

"Hell."