A King's Legacy Ch. 47

As the soul of the sun goddess fell to the same fate as the ocean, the sky, and the earth deities, something even more heartbreaking happened before the young king.... Death began to silently weep, taking a knee in loss and surrender both. One bony hand clutched his scythe in support, the other trembled against the ground below.

Drops of the purest gold streamed down the haunting face of the god, leaving glistening rivers in their wake where they traced their way over the shadowed skull. The flowers those tears fell upon crumbled into dust in immediate recoil, a somber testament to the next truth the deity uttered in the most haunting voice yet.

His words were whispered in a tone of sadness, one so very infectious. "For millennia of trying and failing with countless attempts... I have sought only to fix what I had broken, Shield Bearer."

The god never turned back to Aster as he only continued. "But for all of my efforts, after an eternity carrying the weight of what I had done, I think I've finally reached a point where I can accept such things are against my very nature. I was never the one capable of repairing, or healing, or creating; not like they were. I am only the end. I was only ever meant to be a mere shepherd, guiding your kind to the next trip through a world the other gods made so alive, so wondrous...."

The deity finished slowly, his own soul so blatantly raw. He was staring towards his most recently fallen daughter. "With her absence, it all only grows colder. All this world has left now is a god of endings, and a moon goddess with no light left to follow. What hope remains?"

Death somberly shook his head, confessing his reasoning, "I have always had to keep to the shadows, but I thought if I could plan carefully enough, if I could manage to tip the scales in your favor now that the demons tied to my daughter's heart roamed the mortal realm... perhaps we could finally put an end to this. Perhaps... my beloved could find a way back to us with our children restored. Perhaps... I could be deemed worthy enough to feel her light once more."

Death hadn't bore his emotions so openly since the day he had lost his beloved, but he just didn't care about godly pride anymore. He was just as lost as the mortals, the difference being he had no excuse to be. He had an eternity to find a solution, and he was still only a being destined to wander in darkness. He was never created to fix things. If only he had fallen, and she had remained.... She would've been able to fix this centuries ago.

"We all deserve light. We all deserve a home." Death turned his gaze slowly back to the young human as Aster spoke the very same words his beloved once had. The shield bearer was close to the deity then, but the strange part to Death was that the damned fool was crying with him.

"I know we are all just mortals with limited existences to you, and that is more true for me than most, but that doesn't mean our efforts are ever meaningless.... I was so angry when I kept trying and failing to make things work on my own. It took me quite a journey to realize I needed to change that way of thinking, that I didn't have to take on everything alone."

The young king took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts to speak as he exhaled slowly. "When we've been wrong about something for so long, even acknowledging that truth can be a challenge of its own. It's hard to find a place to even begin identifying those habitual shortcomings. It's even more difficult when the very foundation that we've built our logic on threatens to crumble beneath the conflicting weight of our existing values, and that of our gained insights. The balance isn't easy to regain once lost."

The young king let out a small sigh of frustration before he continued, finding the words harder to form than he expected. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that growth is hard. Change is hard, and recognizing the need for that change within ourselves can be even harder.... However, choosing to wallow in our emotions, or lingering in the comforts of stoic solidarity during such trials only makes our tasks that much harder to face in the end. It only exhausts us all the more while dragging everything out longer than needed, all for little cause. Take it from the stubborn fool that that tried to climb a mountain on his own immediately after losing an arm."

"You would dare assume I need your advice? You believe you bear insight an immortal being such as myself lacks?" Death spoke threateningly, making it clear he was in no mood for patronizing.

"I would never think my advice a worthy offering for any god. What I can offer you is my empathy.... I can offer you a hand to hold during your moment of sorrow." Aster knelt in the flowers, resting within reach of the deity as he lowered both his apprehension, and his defenses. All others remained silent as the young shield bearer exhibited the kind of man he had chosen to be.

"Stahl was there for me when I kept falling in anger and frustration, losing the little progress I had made as I trudged up my mountains. He was there, just waiting for me to let him help with my struggle. That is why I never could've given him up.... I never could've chosen to let him fall by himself, because nobody should have to endure their trials of darkness alone.... I believe that is a right of life for all in this world, even a deity of death."

Death held the human's gaze in silence, letting Aster continue as he stared down at the boy kneeling before him with an offering that provided more comfort than the god would ever admit.

"I know you should be considered my enemy, I know that when the time comes, you can grant nobody too much favor... but your inevitability is no measure of your nature. You are nothing dark, nor wicked. You are a ruler of closure, of peace, of transcendence. You are gentle in your duties, and merciful in your methods. I know this as true, for my own encounter with your comfort in the end served as such proof. You were never an enemy." The young man continued ever vigilantly.

"I always expected dying to be the worst experience I would eventually have to face. I feared it so terribly before, but when the moment came, it didn't hurt at all. I was calm, despite what had happened, and as the last part of me fell into what I assumed would be only darkness that awaited, I was instead greeted by the most brilliant and beautiful light at the end. That was you, wasn't it? Taking me where I needed to go...." Aster finished his speech strongly, a prelude to the king he may yet still rise up to become.

"You only exist in the shadows so that those lost in them may find you there. You are the guide through the darkness, not the perpetuator of darkness itself. I'd wager that your beloved knew as much also. You are the hope for all lost souls, that much was surely reflected on this shield I bear when it was crafted. You are the very entity that has kept us from falling alone all of this time. I just think it's time someone offers you help in return.... So, I want to make a deal with you."

Calium was quick to caution his son on speaking such a thing lightly. "Solis... you need to stop. You don't know what you're doing. Those words hold great binding with a god."

Aster looked to his birth father warmly for a moment, thankful for such worry on his behalf, but already well decided. The young king turned back towards the deity, took a proper kneel in respect, and spoke strongly in both his compassion and conviction as he bowed before Death. "I want to help you restore the ones you've lost. I cannot offer you my will, but I can offer you my aid. Please, tell me how to heal what has been broken? Tell me how I can help you?"

Death was silent for a moment before he answered abruptly. "The demons of the bow and of the trident are roaming in search of worthy prospects to face their trials. The beasts of the sky and the ocean are restless for their reawakening alongside those demons. They all seek rebirth and freedom. Should they be able to attain such a thing, during the moment of the transition, I believe I will be able to handle the rest of what is needed. I have a solution to resolve all of this where everyone wins, where everyone comes out ahead. I just need your kind to pass those trials."

"Alright. So I find those worthy of the trials? What if they aren't ready? What if they can't pass them?" Aster nudged further.

"Well...." The deity hesitated briefly before proceeding as honestly as ever. "I actually tampered with some things when I made such a grand deal with your father on your behalf.... You'll end up facing all of those demons should you be present when the other trial bearers fail. The shield is probably one of the only skills that could handle such a task. Even if the trial is failed, should the demon at least be bested, the gift will revive with a new bearer of its own choosing."

"I can accept that responsibility, but will this help Lady Alice as well? What about the moon goddess? What about Life?" Aster wanted to be sure he understood everything he needed to. His birth father had given much for such a briefing to even be possible. He would not squander it.

"The sun's consciousness will likely be restored if I can retrieve a piece of her heart. This is part of what I referred to earlier during the transition phase of renewal. The moon's own heart must be restored should she have any hope of salvation, but even I cannot tell you what that would require.... I... do not know what will happen with my beloved, but if we can restore the others...." Death went silent.

Aster wouldn't let him abandon that light so easily. The foolish mortal was smiling broadly towards the god as he spoke. "Cling tightly to that hope still. We will get your family back. I'm sure of it."

As the god leered at the young man bearing that stupid smile before him, his memory of a much younger boy resurfaced; one of an infant that dared to smile in the face of Death just as hopefully and fearlessly back then as he would now.

Death scoffed lightly, his brief tears long subdued. "You do realize that Calium must fall to revive the Earth goddess? The sword demon must be bested, and your father won't be able to hold back if he wanted to when the time finally comes to fight what he has become...."

The human answered soundly. "My father should be reunited with my mother in this place, and I owe the true Aster more than I could ever begin to repay with our altered fates. When the time is right, I would hope that both of their spirits find such well-deserved rest. Peace is a grace that cannot truly exist for any unless extended to everyone."

Death stared into the young shield bearer's eyes, seeing the determination and vindication both so clearly in that blurry, softer stare. The deity always found it so unnerving to peer into eyes the same as his own throughout the countless trials before, but there was truly something gentle in this gaze that reminded the god of who he was before his world was so thoroughly broken. Death just knew that the human was speaking truthfully. Even his colder heart felt a bit of reprieve at having someone choose to stand with him for a change.

With a hint of faith in the shield bearer's words, the god spoke in a quieter tone, asking the young king another question. "Why are you helping me? Why would you pledge yourself to my cause when I've offered you nothing in return?"

"I require no reward for helping somebody who needs it. I was never given this power to decide who is worth protecting, nor who could afford it. It was bestowed to me so I could stand for any that would need it, especially those with nothing left to give. Just as the sun once shared her warmth freely with us in our darkest moment, I too will share the light I bear with any that may need it. There is no other way I could ever be worthy of wielding this power."

Before the young king realized it, a surging strength began over flowing from within him, casting a golden light on all who were present.

Calium was the first to feel the approaching change, knowing exactly what was happening before it ever transpired. The fallen king let his tears of pride fall happily in that moment as he watched his son prove once and for all that his soul was a remarkably kind one. With irrefutable delight, Calium raised his right arm as he held it outstretched towards his Solis, preparing for that final moment of revelation. The shield was making its decision.

Stahl was silently watching the scene unfold. Things were still a bit murky for the wolf, but he just wanted to keep looking at Aster for a little while longer.... The beast briefly cast his eyes to his arm, and made quick note of what he had feared; the corruption had been reforming little by little ever since the moment Lady Alice went dormant.

It didn't matter to him, because Aster was going to be safe. Aster was going to make it out, he could feel it.... Stahl wouldn't let his own fate tarnish his lover's shine in that moment. The noble wolf silently turned back towards his mate while he was still in control, choosing to focus on the beauty placed before him instead of the darkness slowly eating away at the edges of his vision. He would seek the good until the end. He had learned to embrace such optimism from his king, after all.

Jagón had been listening closely to every word between the pair. The panther was just content that his sons would seemingly both be alright, but that didn't mean he would pass on gaining as much information as he could get, either. The veteran knelt silently beside the fallen goddess as he listened to his son speak words of benevolence that any true father would be honored to hear. Despite all of his shortcomings as a parent, Jagón was at peace knowing his son had turned out to be quite a worthy warrior, more so after all the hardship he had to overcome to reach such heights.

Death watched in eager anticipation, having a solid feel for the new bearer's potential already through their bond. The deity was hoping Aster would attain at least four... perhaps even five like his father had. As the heart of the sun goddess made its decision, it cast its verdict proudly for all to bear witness to the next generation taking the mantle of that power.

'My beloved once called the humans she so carefully created, her "masterpiece".' Death let the thought come to him slowly at first before letting it continue in that defining moment. 'I once rejected such a claim entirely... but perhaps, some have the capacity to be worthy of such a title.'

It wasn't something Aster could direct at all. It was not he who raised the shields in that moment, but he felt each one burning a place on his soul as they formed a circle one after another around both the deity and himself. The first appeared directly behind him, the bloodskill pulsing golden waves of light towards the king's back from the moment it revealed itself. On his right side, with little pause between their appearances, a second and third shield followed the first.

With a stunned expression, Aster could only stare in surprise at the sudden forced manifestation. A presence of warmth to his left made him turn to gaze in even greater shock as his eyes settled upon a fourth and fifth shield almost immediately. With non-acceptance, never believing himself so worthy, the young king spoke in humility. "F-Five? So then, just like my father?"

"No." Calium's voice cut crisply through his son's wonder, coaxing the young king to turn to his predecessor in search of clarity. What awaited him instead only humbled the shield bearer further.

Calium was holding his arm forward, the happiest tears streaming down his face as he called out triumphantly to his son. "You'll become a better man than I ever was, a better king, and I knew you'd someday bear even more strength than I could because of it. Let this forever settle any doubt that remains of your worth, my Solis. Stand proud as one of the select few among generations to ever bear such might. You truly are among the best of humanity"

Calium focused with everything he had, forcing his last remaining shield to close out the circle around his son, completing the shape as the sixth golden disc declared Aster a master with a call worth heeding. The eyes of the young king lost all traces of brown, turning to a gaze of solid gold as the same hue faded from his father's own. As the energy surged from the fallen king's fingertips towards his son, Calium only smiled. He relinquished the last drop and control of that legendary power without a trace of remorse. The arm of the past king fell to his his side, but none of those six shields lowered with it. The transition was complete. The results were better than Calium or Death could've hoped for in the end.

Aster would share that sentiment with them for only a while longer.... For a moment, though, even he would get to see what basking in that golden light felt like. Then suddenly, the six shields fell away, and the human felt like it was getting a little harder to breathe in that place.

The sudden voice of Death drew the young king's attention back towards the deity. Aster laid eyes on the god just as Death reached his bony hand forward to abruptly take hold of his right arm, grabbing where the missing hand was. "Since you would so willingly offer me your hand, then I will take it. I accept your deal, shield bearer, I accept your aid. But by our own binding laws, a celestial must give something in exchange should we take from a mortal.... So I will offer you a hand in return."

Aster could only clench his jaw and grunt with his eyes parted wide as he felt something cold suddenly shooting up the veins in his right arm. It felt like ice and fire all at once, but the sensation stopped just as it reached his shoulder. The god released the human after a short moment, letting the young king fall to his knees, clutching at his amputated arm with breathing that was becoming harder to maintain.

"Wh-- What... did you...?" The young man was panting out between gasps, not quite able to speak in his condition.

"You'll see for yourself soon enough...." Death answered swiftly, knowing time was short now. "You passed her heart's judgment. You met the values that line up with that piece's own. It has deemed you both worthy of returning to the world, and of bringing the eventual potential for six shields back with you... but don't expect such grace again. Even that power cannot stay my finality more than once per bearer."

Aster just couldn't seem to inhale enough air, he was starting to feel dizzy in that garden. A strange light began to make his body tingle as it began emanating from within the young king faintly at first. Even so, hearing that they had made it was more than enough reason for the human to bear a smile. His warm gaze searched for his wolf, his eyes now a solid and lustrous gold without a single trace of brown. Those gleaming eyes settled on the one silvery one as the king was already speaking in relief. "Did you hear that Stahl? We get to go back! WE GET TO GO HOME--"

The words ceased to form any further. Stahl was not bathed in the same light as Aster was.... Quite contrarily, the corruption seemed to be engulfing him yet again. The king stared wide-eyed in nothing short of despair. He was speaking in denial as he desperately started crawling towards the wolf, the strength to manage even that much near impossible to muster. "Stahl.... Why... why are the shadows returning? Why aren't... why aren't you glowing?"

The wolf knew the answer, he could feel it the entire time. It was Death that somberly answered for him. "The shield can only spare the bearer.... He cannot return with you. He cannot even shed the rest of that darkness without the song of rebirth. I am sorry, shield bearer, but he will stay here until his soul is overtaken once more by the shadows that remain. When that happens, he will return to the mortal realm, seeking only to devour the light, as is the sad truth for all those that have fallen to the fate of fiends."