Staring at him the goddess asked :
" WHY AREN'T YOU WORTHY OF THE BLADE OF WINTER AND SNOW -- ' EIRGLACE ' YET ? "
While the question she asked before was rather blunt but the repeat also wasn't much of a help.
Clearing his throat with a serious tone August said :
" Rather than asking me questions that I do not even understand, would you please mind explaining first. "
Closing her eyes she sighed making her wings disappear with her feet touching the ground finally.
She, smoothing her tone and slightly welcoming expressions said,
" Please find kindness in your heart to forgive me,
I am the caretaker of ' the Obsidian sanctum ' which was designed to find a soul worthy of ' Eirglace ', specifically to find you..... "
Confused by the whole ordeal August said
" But I am not worthy enough to wield this weapon, you said yourself before. I nearly died by that barrier around that thing "
With an understanding look on her face she said
" Yes your statements are correct indeed, seems like you've got it all wrong. The purpose of the Obsidian sanctum wasn't to find the worthy soul of Eirglace, that was just an idea of its design.
But the real purpose was to make ' you ' worthy of the weapon, by putting you through countless dangers and training. But it seems like there was some deviation and you are still unworthy. "
Listening to her words feeling angry and annoyed in between August said with a rather harsh tone
" I am sorry, miss Goddess I am not here for any ancient weapon. I have another request which I was being told will be fulfilled on reaching the final level.....
So tell me can you do it or not ? "
Nodding her head in acceptance the goddess said
" Yes i know very well, you have another request. In fact I have a pretty much accurate guess about that. But trust me when I say that, your request and this weapon are both intertwined. "
August was at his extreme patience level he said as he gulped in anger
" I don't care what this weapon holds or doesn't. Please..... Try to understand I have spent the most precious time of my life here... In a hope to fulfill that request of mine. "
The goddess smiled as she closed her eyes and said
" Then please enlighten me.
What is that you desire ? "
Looking at August, while supporting him to stand still, Noir just by being in his close proximity, felt his heartbeat slowing down as he closed his eyes to remember why he was doing this. With that Noir felt something heavy around August, the clouds of sadness and despair.
After a few seconds when August opened his eyes, barely managing to keep himself from crying out loud he said
" I want to save my friend from dying. She has a disease called mana poisoning and has very little time left ....please I beg of you, save her. "
The reason, why he went through all those dangers, pain and injuries was to save his friend who was at the death's door.
The reason he searched everywhere, in every book, in every last of the ancient text, that so for a long time, was to save her from her I'll fated death.
And the reason that he was so desperate to save her quickly was the last letter he received from her before the day he asked his father for his permission to go on adventuring.
The letter said :
[ Dear Augustus ;
I hope you are doing well.
This might very well be my last words to you as the disease had me grasped with all its might. Through my spine it has made it's way successfully to my brain. And it's slowly making me forget most of the things. Also it has been difficult for me to stand up on my own. I fear that I might forget you someday and fall into a deep slumber only to await my incoming death.
I know you possibly don't want to hear these kinds of disheartening words. You are a cheerful guy after all who made me laugh and became my very first friend.
That's why I didn't want to hide the truth about my worsening condition from you.
Being my friend you deserve to be answered truthfully. You taught me that friends don't hide things from each other after all.
That day I was the one who got lucky to meet you.
I wanted you to know that.
Take care,
Until we meet again... ]
The fact that never in the whole seven years, she ever wrote him something about her health-- condition, made him restless.
After that August left the town to find a cure for her because of something he read in a wilderness survival book. It said that
' adventurers hold answers to all your questions and the dungeons are the key '
It may be some kind of philosophy, but it was enough to create hope in the heart of the young boy.
That was the reason he endured all that pain and suffering.
*****
Both people around him were also quiet as though they understood that it was something valuable, something special for August.
Inhaling deeply the boy asked the goddess.
" So ? Can you help me cure her disease ? "
Replying to him she said
" Your friend Emilia Hartwell is suffering from a condition you people call mana poisoning, but rather than a disease it is a curse called as
' the black shackles ' that binds not the body but soul.
It's not particularly directed towards her that's why can be transferred from one soul to another. "
Hearing those words from her, his face got lit up, with the flowing waves of happiness on his face he asked :
" That means you can do it ? will you transfer the curse to another person ? "
With the grim expression returning on her face she said
" Yes it can be done, but there is a condition...
The person has to willingly take the curse on himself, and the willing one will be dying more quickly than the previous one. And the pain may be physical or mental, it will come with the curse, because the caster wants only suffering so the identity of the curse bearer doesn't particularly matter to him.
if the willing person could endure it then he wouldn't die on the spot. "
The reaction she expected from August wasn't even there, he was relieved only by hearing that his friend will be saved.
In fact the goddess and Noir both were shocked after hearing his reply as he said
" Do it, ...I am willing to take her curse on me, I believe I am strong enough to resist the pain and might not die quickly. So please transfer her curse to me. "
Shocked by his decision the young dragon said
" What ? No, brother .....you can't die. Please don't do this. Don't put your life in danger. I know it's important to you but please... " He cried as his words faded with his running tears.
Hugging Noir with one arm around his shoulder he said
" no, you idiot, I am not going to die. What are you a child ? I am just helping my friend here. Besides I promise you, i will take you back to your people. "
Sobbing while wiping his tears Noir said,
" I know you are lying, just like my father lied to me. He said he will come back but he didn't. I don't care if I will ever go back home or not. You saved me, helped me, you really did things like care for me....
You saved and helped a stranger despite being on a time limit yourself.
You are not like that traitor big brother of mine.
If it is that important to you then let me take the curse, I can also resist these curses, I am a dragon after all.... Besides you are just a human a lowly creature, let me, the higher being do it. "
Listening to Noir pouring his heart out for August to hear he stood there In the ' awe ' of that pure heart, far from any malice.
' this dumb creature, when did he get so close to me ? When did I really became an elder brother to him ? Am I really that important to him ? Up to the extent he is willing to take a curse on himself on my stead? '
Smiling with his heart, August gently patted his head and said with a rather strict tone
" I told you to shut up didn't I ? Besides you never told me you had a big brother also "
As the emotions of the young dragon turned towards anger after the mention of his brother, he said,
" He is a traitor, a scum..... He is not my brother any more "
" Sorry to interrupt, but I have something important to say " said the goddess interrupting their conversation.
" As I said before, the purpose of the obsidian sanctum is to make you worthy of the Eirglace and I also said that weapon and your fate is intertwined.
What I meant from that was I will explain to you now.
But firstly, tell me how many seals have you lifted till now ? "
Scratching the back of his head August said in confusion
" lady whenever you open your mouth you say something which I cannot understand, what seals are you now talking about ? "
Putting a hand on her forehead she sighed and then said
" I knew it, from how you were acting it is understandable that he hadn't told you everything
yet "
With the same confused tone he said
" Ah... Who ? Am I missing something ? "
( In the Middle of that conversation Noir was like --
What language are these two speaking ? )
Replying to his question, the goddess said
" .....TIME, looks like ke didn't explain everything to you. Beats me, not like it's my job. He will tell you when the right ' time ' will come.
( See that pun -- ha ha very funny )
The star he gave you holds immense power of both types constructive and destructive. To ensure you, not dying while adapting to that power, some restrictions or seals were put on the power, i don't know how many are there.
And Eirglace is just a tool for you to utilise that power.
That power is much more rare than the weapon.
The star will tell you by any ringing sound in your brain when a seal happens to be lifted.
The trigger for this, is battle experience, which includes physical and mental pain.
Higher the pain, more numbers of seals gets lifted providing you with step by step increasing power. And one day if you could become capable of lifting the last seal, then even I don't know how powerful you could get.
" Oh! That's why I heard a bell ringing in my brain.
Then how does it make my fate connected with that weapon. " August asked with curiosity.
Answering him she said " not only connected, I said intertwined. Well the difference would seem rather small but it exists.
For you to be worthy of Eirglace at least two seals have to be lifted and it doesn't seem to be the case yet.
I suggest that you take the curse on yourself that you are already willing to. Which will provide you with the immense pain hence the remaining boost to lift the second seal.
And with the power of that star with you, the curse would not affect you..... To be correct it would be suppressed not cured but the time period the curse would gain any resistance against the starpower is a couple of hundred years at least.
So you should be safe until -- unless you lose the star.
I would like to warn you though, do not let the star take over yourself. It's more dangerous than any curse. "
With this speech of hers, the matter came to a conclusion.
While he was processing this information, he said jokingly
" Hey is this right to spill the dark secret of the universe and curses in front of two children like us? "
The goddess replied in the same tone
" What children, you are both involved in this, whether it is your past or future. "
" What does that mean huh ? " He asked
" Ah.... Nothing forget it, besides I don't think one of you children heard anything " she said looking at Noir.
" What do you mean ? " August asked while he followed her gaze, looking at Noir he said " ah... I see "
As his quick nap got disturbed he said with a loose tone
" What ? What happened ? Are you done ? "
**********