Kitsune of the Blue Sun

Chapter 128- Exploring the Ruins

[Keeno POV]

Walking through the ruins made me feel giddy.  Though it was probably weird to Pram and Freya seeing me nearly skip around and stop at every crook and crevice to see if there was anything interesting that would let me know what this place was.  So far there was nothing that would help me with that specific discovery. We did pass by a few rooms built into the side of the hallway, but all they had inside were old, rotten beds that smelled of mold and rotten wood.  Some rooms had desks, but they were either empty, or full of nothing but empty inkwells, feather quills that disintegrated when I touched them, and spiders.

“How are you holding up, Pram?” (Freya)

“Surprisingly, I feel fine.  I know dark, creepy places like this would normally make me uneasy, but for some reason I feel like…I’m home?” (Pram)

“…It’s funny, I was getting that same kind of feeling, though a bit different as well…It’s hard to explain in words…it’s like I’m visiting Ama, but also not?” (Keeno)

{Hmm…Ah!}

“Don’t spoil it, Ama.  Let me figure it out myself.” (Keeno)

{Hehehe.  Alright.}

After a few more minutes, we came to a fork in the passage.  I once again sent some small lights down each one. On the right was just another long hallway similar to the one we were in now while the left ended in big double stone doors.

“…Big doors first.” (Keeno)

I immediately went for the big doors and, once reaching them, tried to push them open…They didn’t move an inch.

“Mind helping?” (Keeno)

“Why don’t you just melt the rock.  You’ve done it before?” (Freya)

“Absolutely not!  I refuse to desecrate history in such barbaric manner!” (Keeno)

“Sorry for even suggesting it.” (Freya)

“And I’m sorry I blew up like that.” (Keeno)

We lined up by the door and started to push. It moved, but just barely.

“Hmm.  Oh, hey Freya, concentrate on your feet and make a controlled flame. Both of us doing that should hopefully provide enough thrust for us to push it all the way open.  Pram, can you use your bell to buff us too?” (Keeno)

“I can try, but I need an example.” (Freya)

“I can.” (Pram)

Pram summoned her bell while I showed Freya an example of the magic.  It seemed she got an epiphany after seeing it as well, which was a good thing.  Pram stood back and rang her bell while Freya and I placed our hands on the door and pushed. We then used our magic and the door slowly opened with the sound of stone sliding on stone.  We kicked up and burnt some dust in the room which caused us to wrinkle our noses, but other than that, the heavy stone door was finally out of the way.  I made my floating ball of fire fly into the center of the room and expand a bit to light up more of the area.

The room was built as a large circle with the ceiling being a heavily cracked dome. On said dome ceiling were faded, extremely chipped paintings that were nearly unrecognizable with what they depicted, and being tinted blue by my flames didn’t help make out things either.  Along the walls were carved pictures that I could tell were also painted at one point but said paint had long since decayed.  And the biggest things I noticed were two statues. One was of a woman who projected a mature, composed feeling. The other statue depicted someone I was intimately acquainted with.

“AMA!” (Keeno)

{Hehehehehe.}

“Hmm.  So that’s what she looks like.” (Pram)

“I expected taller.” (Freya)

“The statue is a bit short. Ama is as tall as I am.  She’s also much prettier, and fluffier, and more beautiful, and warmer…my statue now.” (Keeno)

I touched the statue and it disappeared into my ring.

{Why take it when you have the real one?}

“Cause I can’t see you every day. And watching these two flirt and kiss when they think I don’t see it can get annoying.” (Keeno)

“…” (Freya)

“…” (Pram)

{So, you’re going to kiss a statue of me?}

“No.  I’m just going to stare at it.  My lips are reserved for you alone, not even a statue of you gets the privilege.” (Keeno)

“Oh, that was a good one Keeno.  She’s as red as you used to get when we tried to embarrass you and succeeded.” (Fia)

“*ahem*That aside, was this a temple or something?” (Pram)

“I’d say so.  I haven’t been to many ‘official’ temples, just the small shrine Fia made at home so she could come and go to see Ama when needed.” (Keeno)

“It’s a very old temple that was dedicated to Rasu and Hresvelgr, the Goddess of Creation, that’s all I’ll tell you unless you ask for more.” (Fia)

“If I’m completely honest, I would have thought people would say Amaterasu is also goddess of creation, seeing as Life is also her Authority.  At least a long time ago.” (Freya)

{For a good while, people DID think that.  Then Hresvelgr came around.  She often secludes herself in her own home nowadays, but she used to be very sociable.}

“What happened?” (Pram)

{Phobos was his usual idiot self.}

“…” (Keeno)

Just hearing that guy’s name made my mood dip.

“What did he do?” (Keeno)

{He was super dense and blew her off when she asked him out.}

“…” (Keeno)

“…” (Pram)

“…” (Freya)

“Ama, go beat that idiot up!  You don’t just do that to someone!” (Keeno)

“Oh, believe me, she did that, along with Fu, Moco, and several other gods who were close to Hresvelgr.  After that, he figured out what he did and actually tried to make up for it, but she didn’t respond to any form of communication.” (Fia)

“Hmph.” (Keeno)

{Ya know what, I’m gonna reach out to her and extend an invite.  Maybe she’s finally over it and will emerge from her seclusion. I’ll invite Fu and Moco too and we can make it a party.}

“Sounds like fun.  And we can see Red and Ortilinde too.” (Fia)

{I’ll go do that then.  Fia, watch over them for me while I’m away.}

“Was already planning on it.” (Fia)

With Ama’s departure, I went back to studying the room we were in.  I walked closer to the wall to get a better look at the carved pictures.

Chaos Realm:

Order: *appears back at The Home carrying the still injured goddess*

Luna: !!! Tamamo, make room.  Astraea, move over.

Tamamo: Lay her down here.

Astraea: …

Order: *Lays the injured goddess down while Luna moves next to them*Heal here, here, and here first.  She’s suffered injuries that need more focus than just a blanket heal.

Luna: Alright.*begins healing the specified places*

Order: Astraea, come here. We need your help too.

Astraea: *brightens up and rushes over*

Tamamo: Anything I need to do?

Order: Go get a lot of water.

Tamamo: On it.

Order: Luna, that’s fine for now. I’m going to summon Amaterasu here to help out.  With the two of you healing her, things will get better than with just you healing.  Astraea, put your hands here and focus on your Balance Authority.

Tamamo: I’m back.

Order: Alright, Luna help me lift her into the water. Astraea, keep doing what you’re doing.

Astraea: Ok, mama.

Amaterasu: Don’t just abruptly-what’s the situation?

Order: I’ll let Payto explain when he gets back.  For now, help Luna with healing her.  Luna, focus here, Amaterasu, focus here.

Luna and Amaterasu: Alright.

*The healing process continues for quite a while until the young goddess is healed, though she still sleeps*

Order: *holding the sleeping Astraea*Now we wait for her to wake up.

Amaterasu: What happened to get such a young goddess like this so injured?

A dispute with an arrogant mongrel too full of himself to let another god be born into his world.

Luna: …

Tamamo: …

Amaterasu: I’d say let me gut this mongrel myself, but that’d break the rules and I assume you already took care of it?

Yes.  This little one here is a drifter with no world to call her own…Order.

Order: I was thinking the same thing.

Good to know we’re on the same page.

Order: It’s only natural we are.

True.

Amaterasu: Sorry to interrupt, but what exactly is she?  I see traits of both an Alrune and a harpy.

Don’t know her name yet, but her Authorities are Nature, Feathered Beings, and Evil.

Amaterasu: Hmm.  Different worlds have different needs, I guess.

Tamamo: Yeah.  Though we also have a pair of Good and Evil goddesses.

Luna: Oh, those two lovebirds?  I heard they finally admitted they couldn’t live without the other.

Tamamo: Ufufufufu.  And I thought I was the sociable one.

Luna: Atmos told me.  She’s been off trying to play matchmaker and she pulled Grey into it.  It’s why she’s been away so long.

Tamamo: I knew there was a distinct lack of pranks and cake for a while now.

???: Noisy…