"Then the odds are simply even," said mother. "Tell me, Thorian, say that Kinthas is captured and restrained. Say that Krala and I do come under the Common Authority.
What happens then? My people have already been excised from the Common Body. We may as well be monsters. We will be slowly exterminated.
They may treat me with dignity, but in the end, I will become nothing more than breeding stock popping out more origin bearers capable of taking Kinthas's place as Gatekeeper.
And you know Aetheria will make sure that any new Gatekeeper of Chaos will now be groomed and controlled such that they will never rebel again. Or ever think for themselves.
And who do you think would be the most suitable Gatekeeper? The most innocent mind to mold?"
Mother looked down to Krala and shook her head. "Krala will have any choice in her life completely stripped from her as the gods force her to be nothing more than a battery for their games.
Is this truly what you desire for us?"
"No, it is not, I-," Thorian grit his teeth and shook his head. He slammed his fist against the tunnel wall in frustration, shattering the rock clean. "I just want you to live, Khalanna. I just want you to live. That is all I have ever wanted.
I should never have let you go back to Zerul.
I-I should have told you how I felt back then, and I should have kept you with me."
"You know that would not have worked between us," said mother. She put a hand to Thorian's roughened cheek, and the large man leaned into the touch with closed eyes.
Krala stood by her mother's legs ever more confused, unable to process what she was hearing.
She had not the slightest clue what they talked about, only that it was very serious, and by the emotions she could feel from mother, she could feel a pit forming in her stomach as she expected something bad to happen.
A sudden crash.
Light filled the tunnel behind them, and Krala leaped behind mother.
Mother turned around, fangs bared and eyes alight with power. Thorian too tensed up and balled his great fists.
Under a pile of falling rubble, a shining man knelt. He had the helmet and legwear of a knight, but the rest of his muscled and scarred body was bare. Six golden wings of energy shone from his sides as he stood up.
Around his heart was a golden nine-pointed sun sigil with the numeral IV imprinted within it.
"Survivors, eh?" said the shining man. He spoke with enthusiasm leeching his every word. "But you will live no more! For it is I, Exousia come to bring the light of justice to you all!"
The shining man struck a pose, flexing his muscles as he stood up ramrod straight and thrust his arms to the sky.
Mother did not waste time. She put one hand forwards, and then the other until both hands touched together. They flashed purple.
"Ultima Force 1: Infinity," she chanted.
Space distorted around the shining man's chest, and in an instant, he was gone, pushed away until he reached the end of the tunnel, and then, he smashed through even further, his brawny figure used as a battering ram to drill through solid rock.
Krala did not even have the time to blink before the man was completely gone. The hole he had drilled drilled through was outlined with shining, heat-wave curled molten orange.
"That should send him out close to the upper atmosphere," said mother with a deep sigh, her hands trembling from slight exertion. "But he is an Upper Ray. That alone will not do him in. He will be back."
"An Upper Ray...," Thorian blinked. "How did he know we were even here?"
"Likely chance," said mother. "You said it yourself.
Solarion is here with his full manifest. A battle between two full manifest Gatekeepers is so far beyond the scope of anything below that all the other forces probably withdrew, the Rays included.
Likely to pick off any survivors or runners. And what better place to target than one with active warp energy readings? I placed several warp crystals as decoys throughout the realm, but the Rays are fast.
And it looks like we got unlucky."
Mother turned to Thorian. "You stand no chance against Ray Four or even any of the Lower Rays.
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You cannot be spotted again, either, lest you be executed for consorting with us.
There is no more time now.
The warp crystal I hid is at the end of the tunnel. One time use, so you do not have to worry about anyone following.
Go, Thorian, and take her."
Thorian nodded with urgency and knelt down, reaching his big hand out to Krala.
Krala shrunk away, scared.
Thorian stopped and shook his head as he saw Krala's fear. "I-I don't know if I can do this, Khalanna. I have never raised a child before. Without you, I can't-,"
Mother put a hand on Thorian's shoulder. "Of all the things to worry about now, you choose your potential parenting skills?"
Mother smiled. "You have a good heart, Thorian. That is all you need. And you will not be alone. I will be with you."
Mother knelt to Krala's level and picked her up. "Because some part of me will always be with her."
Krala watched in panic as mother held her out to Thorian, and she clung to her mother's arms, grabbing her robes right.
"Calm, little moon, calm," said mother, and Krala felt calm.
But the moment Thorian took her in his large, rough and uncomfortable arms, she began to panic again.
"I-, where am I going? Mother, I-I don't want to go! Not with him!" Krala squirmed in Thorian's hands, kicking his brick-like chest to no avail.
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"Hush, child. Your mother is right. We must go," said Thorian as he started to move away from mother, but Krala kept squirming as she stared at mother's receding back. "Why? Did…did I do something wrong? Is there something wrong with me?
Mother, I promise I'll fix it. I'll be good, I promise!"
Mother turned around again and came to Krala's side, and for a moment Krala was hopeful.
"You are going to use Primordial Magic?" said Thorian as he looked down to mother's arms. Both her arms were covered in shadowy, flickering lines.
"To kill an Upper Ray, I must. And I might as well use Chaos before the gate closes or gets taken over," said mother.
She put a hand to Krala's cheek.
"My little moon, there is nothing wrong with you. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise," said mother. She put her thel to Krala's, and Krala felt calm and sleepiness wash over her. "Mother has to go now, and I wish I could be there for you, I do with all my heart and all my love, but I have to stay.
Thorian will take care of you. Make sure to listen to him. He will be good to you, that, I can promise. And look-," Mother raised her arms up to Krala's dozing eyes. She looked at the pretty pattern of shadowy lines running up and down her pale skin.
"You have these too. We are born with it. This is proof you are special. Born special and destined for greatness. When you get big like me, you will be strong, I know it.
For now, mother will be putting you to sleep and sealing your memories, but that is not because mother hates you.
It is because mother knows you love her very much, and that if you keep remembering her, it will only hurt more. It will also seal your power and keep you hidden from bad people.
When you get older, my little moon, when you are ready, that power will be yours again, and by staying here, I want to give you the opportunity to have a choice in how you use it.
When the time comes you do remember me, I hope you will find it in your heart to forgive me."
Krala could barely hear her mother at this point, and before she dozed off into complete sleep, she felt mother's warm lips on her forehead.
"Goodbye."