As his eyes suddenly shot open, it was already morning time, being suddenly yanked from the dreams he had, though as he sat up, he already felt within his heart that the decision he had to make was decided.
'A life I can be satisfied with…For somebody as greedily ambitious as myself, as relentlessly curious…I think I know what path that is,' he thought.
Gathering around the campfire amidst the morning fog, with the dew of dawn running slick on the grass, breakfast was made in the form of berries and cooked squirrel, by Bastian who seemed adept at hunting and cooking.
"I'll go with you to Atlan–on a couple of conditions," Emilio announced suddenly.
It had been a silent breakfast until then, though his words certainly got the attention of the other two, older Reincarnators who looked over at him. Excelsior was still in the middle of chewing, while Bastian was tossing more sticks into the campfire.
"Really? What is it, then?" Excelsior asked.
Emilio looked over at the silver-haired woman, "I'll need you to go back to Yullim, or what's left of it, anyway…Find my family there and let them know I'm safe. But, also, if they're still there, there are a couple of people I'd like you to bring back. If they'll agree, anyway."
"You want to bring others to Atlan?" Bastian asked.
He nodded, "If not, then it's more than enough just to know they're safe. I don't know for sure if they're still together, but the people left while those two were still there–Cassian and Comet–were Julius Dragonheart, Celly Van Strezzhume, Everett Shieldholder, and Irene."
With those names given, the conditions were set for his allegiance with the other Reincarnators and their aligned goal of putting a stop to the elusive cult's nebulous goals. After their breakfast was finished, there was no time wasted as Excelsior prepared to head out herself.
"Griffin!" Excelsior invoked.
The Mythheart System proved to be versatile in itself as the woman managed to summon a giant, mythical creature that was a cross between an eagle and a dragon, hopping on its back as she saluted to the other two.
"I'll find your friends and family, Emilio-boy. Dontcha worry," Excelsior promised.
"Thank you," he gratefully said with a smile.
"Try and be quick, Excel," Bastian said with a small smile.
Excelsior grinned, "Always am!"
With a flap of its wings, the griffin ascended from the forest, carrying the woman on its back as they disappeared through the skies over the Continent of Demons. Now, it was just Emilio and the nomadic man–one that he found himself curious over: "The Strongest Reincarnator"--a presumed title that Excelsior gave Bastian, though one Emilio felt was apt considering his actions the previous day.
"What now?" He asked.
Bastian looked at him, "We'll head to Atlan now. It's best to move quickly–even if it seems unlikely, there's no doubting a chance that the enemy might intercept our movements."
"Atlan…I've been hearing you mention it, but I really don't know where that is. I don't think I've seen that name in any books, either," Emilio remarked.
As he questioned the identity of the location they were going to travel to, he watched as Bastian began performing unknown actions, weaving a golden light in front of them through a manifestation of his radiant system.
There was a subtle hum that sounded like a gentle, morning choir that emanated from the light as Bastian moved his index finger in a circular motion, forging a circular line of golden light on the air.
"That's because it's a place meant to be tucked away from civilization. A haven of sorts," Bastian explained whilst forming the golden circle.
"What is it, then? A city? Kingdom? A cottage?" Emilio asked, watching the man perform whatever mystical task it was that he was doing.
"You'll see," Bastian assured him with a soft smile.
Though what Emilio found himself curious of now was the radiant force being used by the man in an unknown way; it resembled magecraft, though was undoubtedly a power inherent only to the nomadic figure.
"Seraph Door," Bastian quietly invoked.
As the circular formation of light was finished being created, the invocation caused the space within the lines to be filled by a golden glow, holding an enigmatic essence as what appeared to be a portal of some kind.
"Alright, it's ready. Come on," Bastian told him, gesturing for him to step through the radiant gateway.
"Hold on, did you really just make a portal? I kind of thought we'd be stuck traveling to this place the old-fashioned way," Emilio remarked, inspecting the golden portal.
Bastian lightly chuckled, "Unfortunately, our current circumstances don't call for enjoying a journey like that–not at the moment, at least. Through that portal, you'll find Atlan. I'll be right behind you."
"Alright," he nodded.
He lightly brushed his fingertips along the wavy, golden light, feeling a warm sensation that made the tips of his fingers briefly go numb when touching it.
There was some hesitation he had with portals, being a sci-fi nerd himself in his previous life; the irrational fear of his came from scenes in sci-fi stories he read where people were turned into abominations, or merely mushes of meat, after stepping through portals.
Still, this was inherently different; magic itself was–well, magic. A mystical, reliable force that wasn't subject to the shortcomings of failed calculations, at least not normally.
'Here goes,' he thought.
Taking a large step, he passed through the threshold of light into the great unknown, briefly being subject to a flash of light as he was carried through the portal's gateway before–he arrived.
"...Woah…"
What he found himself in was unexpected; he was surrounded by the vast sea, deep underneath it as he stood on the ocean bud, surrounded by colorful coral and seeing the marine life swim by, though not directly around him.
In front of him, he found a walkway leading to a grandiose temple that was a spectacle in itself; made out of blueish, sparkly stone that glittered in the colorful biome, surrounded by statues of men that wielded tridents and blades.
'An underwater base?...How am I still able to be shocked by this world all of these years later?' He questioned.
He could breathe just fine, though it appeared there was a magical bubble that encapsulated this region beneath the sea, deep beneath it and tucked away from any prying eyes. It was surely impossible to find, he found, as there were layers upon layers of seagrass and coral up above the underwater temple that hid it from above.
The sight of schools of fish, numbering in the hundreds, swimming by as larger life, such as a bellowing whale, passed as well was something mystical in itself.
'This is Atlan?' He thought.
Along the cobblestone path that led to the entrance of the temple, there were tall-standing statues along with trees of coral either of a light-pink shade or a cyan complexion.
Stepping through the golden gateway after him, Bastian came through before the portal disappeared behind him.
"Surprised?" Bastian asked.
"I mean, yeah. A temple under the sea is definitely not something you see everyday," Emilio remarked, looking up in awe.
Bastian led the way, "It's been here for centuries. There's been only a handful of adventurers who have stumbled across it."
"Including you?" Emilio asked, following behind them.
In response to that question, Bastian reached beneath his tunic, showing the adventurer insignia he himself had–a pitch-black one in the shape of a rectangle.
"That rank…It's 'Void', isn't it? That's the second highest there is," Emilio said.
"Yeah, but it's easy to achieve when you've been around for as long as I have," Bastian told him before tucking the insignia beneath his shirt again.
It felt somewhat patronizing to be told that, though he was mainly focused on the beauty of the domain around him, petrified by the boundless sea that laid beyond the mystical bubble around the temple grounds.
"Atlan is the only bastian against the Children of Chaos; it has existed all this time for the purpose of preventing the will of the Primordials from leaking into Arcadius," Bastian explained as they walked.
"But why? What even is Atlan? It really doesn't seem…like a huge force, or anything. If I'm being honest, it seems kind of empty and quiet," Emilio remarked.
"You're not wrong. Atlan as it is has been worn down to the state it's in now, but it wasn't always like this," Bastian told him, "That's the reason Atlan stands against the Primordials–it's because of the Primordials that their kingdom was reduced to this."
Through the open gateway of the temple, there was a courtyard, occupied by a garden of seagrass of varying shades, along with colorful coral that sprouted like beautiful cedar. The tranquil area led to colossal doors up ahead.
Arriving in front of the doors, they were found to be engraved with designs of their own, resembling the scales of fish, somewhat sparkling in their toned, gray shade.
"I'll open it–step back," Bastian said.
He nodded and watched as the man stepped in front of the tall, twin doors before placing his palm against the dense doorway.
"In the way of the water, ever flowing in the direction of a peaceful world, standing against the darkness–open," Bastian spoke the mystical words that seemed attached to the door.
This chapter is updat𝓮d by fre(e)webnov(l).com