The Pillar of Enera

[Chapter 19 part 2] Dawn - Flying lesson

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…

Soul nodded, “Fayla briefed us. How bad is it?”

“I’ll get to that.” Lily said. “First, some updates. Since Astra and I will be busy with the fallout, Kate will show you around today. Frankly, it’d be safest for you to lay low, but Astra vetoed the idea.” Dawn was grateful. It’d be frustrating to be confined underground again.

“Bring them to Miki after this.” Lily told Kate. “She’s organized instructors for Hope and Wise. Once finished at the Guild, take everyone to get their wrystals and come straight back. No incidents.”

“Will do.” Kate replied tensely.

“That reminds me,” Lily looked them over. “I’ll eventually introduce you to Sarah Godspeed, but for now stay away from the Rose Palace. Use other exits.”

“As for last night, don’t worry about the break-in. It’s Astra’s problem, not yours. The takeaway is that she’ll have less spare time. I’m surprised she didn’t cancel your lesson.” Mother is stubborn in inconvenient ways.

“Regarding the Undercity murders, those do concern us. Courtesy of the Laughing Man, the term ‘doppelganger’ is back in circulation. The good news is the story is being drowned out. The bad news is Cedric Grinfield.”

“Of those who loath doppelgangers, Cedric does so most violently. He discovered his entire family sliced in half. They were the last to die in this manner until last night. There’s no way he’ll overlook this. Cedric never stopped, even after avenging his loved ones. His hatred extends to all mass murderers, and he’s spent centuries hunting them down. If he uncovers you, he’ll slay you instantly. I’ll need to intervene to prevent that…”

Lily collapsed on the table, “I really don’t want to… His animosity aside, he’s a decent person. Heroic even. Come to think of it, the Laughing Man loves exploiting flaws and twisting good people. Cedric is highly skilled. Confronting him is a nightmarish prospect.”

“Surely you aren’t scared?” Rose asked in disbelief.

Lily continued sulking, “One on one duels were never my specialty. I’m not weak, but not especially strong either. Meanwhile Cedric excels at them. What’s more, if battling with you present, it’ll rob me of my mobility, and this body puts me at a disadvantage in close quarters. Besides, I’m a fire user. My expertise is destruction, not protecting. I’m not well-equipped for non-lethal match-ups, and we can’t afford to kill him. He’s one of the most popular, well-loved immortals out there. It’d turn Enera against us.”

“Astra wouldn’t have these problems.” Lily lamented. “She’s an experienced front-line combatant, and she can freeze him to end the confrontation. If she isn’t around when he shows up, it’ll get complicated…”

“You’re one of the seven!” Rose exclaimed, obviously upset. “You’re supposed to be at the peak of what’s possible. How can one opponent on home ground reduce you to this?”

Still slouching, Lily eyed Rose, “You’re half-right. The Isle is my seat of power. Regrettably, this advantage pales in comparison to Cedric’s ‘Righteous Fury’. You see, after centuries of felling monsters, he developed a Sublime Vagary which strikes fear into evildoers everywhere. It’s ridiculously powerful under the right circumstances.”

I remember this. Relatively few Sublime Vagaries were well-known, but this was one. It lets him borrow the ‘righteous grudges’ of others, even the dead, to strengthen himself. The scope was too limited for her tastes. It wasn’t helpful in preventing crimes, only avenging them. From a heroic perspective, it’s flawed.

“In a normal fight, I’d comfortably come out on top. A battle where I’m protecting you is another story. Sola’s doppelgangers committed countless hideous deeds. If ‘Righteous Fury’ determines I’m defending those, it’ll have an extremely deep well of resentment to drawn on. He’d be unstoppable. I really don’t want to face that…”

Dawn was keenly aware of Sublime Vagaries, as they presented a future thorny issue. Once she became immortal, her talents might go unrecognized if she didn’t possess her own. Those trump cards can overturn everything.

A thought struck her. “Has Cedric fought the Laughing Man?”

Lily smiled and sat up, “Yes, once. Fifty years ago they met near Middle Earth. According to Cedric, the power-up surpassed anything he’d experienced. His first strike nearly cleaved his foe in half. Unfortunately, the Laughing Man is gifted in creation magic, same as Free. Recovering from his shock, he mended his body and somehow gained the distance to warp away. That confrontation remains the lunatic’s closest brush with death. He severely underestimated ‘Righteous Fury’.” I expected as much.

“How soon will he arrive?” Hope asked.

“A few days, maybe?” Lily shrugged. “Cedric is a wanderer. Although his location is unknown, reporters are dying to interview him. As soon as he’s spotted, they’ll flock to him, and he’ll travel to the Isle.”

Lily got up, “Enough dawdling. Time to meet Sarah. You should go too.” She disappeared leaving a fiery wake. I wonder how her clothes withstand the heat.

As they left the Inner Palace, Dawn groaned at their pace. In deference to their feebler siblings, they’d developed the habit of walking when together. At Earth’s End, there weren’t many long treks. Glancing across the Empty City, Dawn reckoned it’d take her two minutes to reach the exit. If the weaklings improve, we’ll be able to speed up.

This might happen soon. Wise and Hope were about the receive the help they needed. Good for them. As for Rose, she’d proposed being trained by her original. Lily hadn’t been thrilled at the idea, but Rose had cleverly leveraged her pride. Wouldn’t it look bad if her doppelganger was weak? Lily’s vain in her own way. The bait had worked.

Silver would continue learning from Kate, which he was quite pleased about. That relationship developed fast. It made her ponder Nero’s other prophesies. I’ve had my ‘bad day’, so that leaves ‘only take four’ for Light and ‘believe in yourself’ for Soul.

Barsal Farran was visiting tomorrow and would know how to proceed for Light. He’s the last hero we’ve yet to encounter. Everyone was excited.

Free would only meet her mentor tomorrow, as he was busy off-Isle. That delay is perfectly fine. Dawn was nervous about how it’d affects her sister’s creativity. She tends to get carried away.

Soul would be more challenging. Both Astra and Ethan had originally studied the same martial arts, ‘Winter’s Embrace’. From there, they’d developed their own variants. By the time Ethan became immortal, he’d completed a style adapted to his dual affinity. Unfortunately, this creation died with him. It’s disappointing. Considering his current strength, if her brother could tap his full potential, he might someday rival her. She’d relished the challenge. Without adequate competition, my skills will atrophy. Hey, HEAVENLY DAO, can’t you do something about it?

Unlike her siblings, Dawn required little further guidance. Aside from some rare advanced magics ——like those wings—— Astra had already taught her everything. She need only polish her skills and gain the power to wield what she knew. Until then, she’d continue playing around with other magics. I feel it enhances my understanding of my own. No one can complain since Astra forbid me from ice.

Dawn smirked. I’ll also ‘become a ninja’. She’d been delighted when her suggestion had been accepted. She now had a compelling justification to engage in eccentric behavior. What’s more, guilt has made Light forthcoming. According to what he’d worked out, ‘dedication’ was extremely important. Someone couldn’t just don an outfit and expect benefits. Pretenders aren’t acknowledged.

Dawn had to properly pay homage through time and effort. I’ll finish the book series to start. While reading, she’d look for a character to emulate. A reference will make ‘acting’ easier. Meanwhile, she’d master ‘running on walls’. Basic abilities before advanced ones. Astra had already taught her to cling to surfaces with a layer of ice.

It’ll be a trial period. While not as engrossed as Light, if the results were satisfying, she might permanently adopt the theme. The prize she coveted most was her own substitution technique. It’d taken Light months to earn his, but she’d acquire one faster.

Amidst this musing, Dawn paused for a sigh. Part of her didn’t wish to rely on external factors, but she recognized appealing to the unseen crowd was unavoidable. A person’s character and story weighed heavily in how far they’d reach, as exemplified by Sublime Vagaries. The benefits Light received should be viewed as legitimate. She too had to ‘game’ the system.

Stretching, Dawn gazed wistfully towards the cavern’s far side. She’d always longed for a stage like the Stone Coliseum. For the first time, I’ve a proper venue to affirm my superiority. Astra’s restrictions only motivated her. What better way to amplify her accomplishments than winning with a hand tied behind her back? Lamentably, she couldn’t yet fully immerse herself in the experience.

I must cure my acrophobia before it leaks. Having her fears exposed had been the worst experience of her life. Today’s lesson was a close second. The only saving grace had been the limited audience. If the entire world knew, I’d have to go into hiding.

They climbed a staircase engraved in a support pillar. The Obsidian Cavern stretched from under the Rose Palace to under the Stone Coliseum, and the Adventurer’s Guild was above its center. Lily and Astra just fly, Dawn griped. All four exits were accessible by air. Actually, Kate mentioned a fifth. Near the Inner Palace, a dock was built into the cliff facing the Blue Abyss.

Maybe I can use that. While the Empty City’s upper portions were uncomfortable, she could handle them. Thank you, Lily, for the handrails. No, her core issue was the ‘bottomless drops’ she kept running across. Miles of nothing are paralyzing. The Inner Palace’s docks might be a haven to confront her demons away from prying eyes. Theoretically, with daily walks around the edge, the exposure should become more tolerable. My plan is as bad as mother’s… Dawn sighed knowing she’d pursue both approaches. I’ll vanquish this flaw no matter what.