Age of Heroes

Arial then shut his mouth and regulates his thinking and slowly he calmed down. It was magic he mused. Ancient magic.

'Have you calmed yourself down?' The woman asked still floating in the air gracefully, smiling kindly and proudly.

Arial just nodded. He easily accepted the situation in front of him. The sooner he accepts it, the easier.

'So, how was it?'

'How what is?' Arial asked, there is no hint of nervousness or fear. Arial was no longer the coward that ran. 

He was an Emperor of a vast empire, lands that covered almost an entire continent with armies amounting to millions. 

He fears no one, not even Gods. It was both pride and confidence on his skills. 

It might even be arrogance but he certainly would not back down if the Goddess tries to threaten him. 

Arial has read enough stories about gods and goddesses and they are not all kind. If not why would Levitia even slay Gods?

He couldn't understand what the woman is talking about

'The ship I mean? I thought you liked ships?'

Arial then realizes that this woman is the one who conjured up this ship. This ship is not real he realizes.

'Who are you? What are you? Am I dead? Are you an angel of the Lord?' Arial asked multiple questions at once.

He has a lot of questions. Who is this woman? What is she? The angel of the Lord or the Devil of the Deep? A beautiful Goddess or a Tormentor cloak in beauty?

The woman chuckles.

'Question, question. You are impatient aren't you? Humans are always like that. Impatient. I'm Amara, child'

Amara the words echo in Arial ears. 

'Amara. You are the-' And he knows who is he talking to. Amara, the Goddess of Love of the Thirteen Tribes. 

Arial doesn't know that much about Amara other than her role in the Pantheon.

'Yes, I was the one that calls you to this land.' 

'But I failed. I died' Arial said, his head dropped down, feeling the bitterness of it all. 

'Ah, but you already were dead before remember? In a library, under a musty old library, with books beside your body? Did you think you are truly dead right now? You have felt what it was like to experience death. Does it feel like that…now?'

Arial this time was shocked to his core. He never told anyone about what happen to him, not even to his family or even his wife.

How did she know?

Amara smiles in understanding.

'I was there you know, watching. I told you before, I have always watched over you.'

'You…who are you?' Arial asked again.

'I have many names. Some call me Amara, though your people called me Lady of the Lake.' Hearing this Arial is startled. 

He knows who the Lady of the Lake is. Amara he might not know that much, but the Lady? Everyone knows. 

The goddess that gifted Levitia, the enchanted sword Lightbreaker. 

It is said before the killing of Levitia, the Great Hero managed to throws his magical sword into the Lake and the Lady retrieve the Sword back and grabbing it and disappears into the lake.

It was also said that the Lady has always provide Levitia with divine helps and advice. The lady then slowly land to the deck. 

She looks at Arial like looking a familiar face. 

'You look so much like him' she said. 

'The similarities are uncanny' and she smiles bitterly. Seeing Arial face reminds him of Levitia and Aero. 

'Look like whom?' Arial asked.

'Old friends' the lady replies.

Then she said.

'You must be curious why I am here and why you are here. To answer your question you're not dead. Not quite.'

'Not quite?' Arial said quite puzzled by the Lady wording. He is not dead but not quite? What does that even means?

'One could say you are in the border of life and death.' She said joyfully

'And that's good?'

'Oh, it's very good. If you are really dead, Death would never loosen his grasp on you' Arial understand something. 

Amara, whatever her intentions or motive wants him to survive. For what? Arial might have the answer. 

He has suspected it the moment he heard Mikael stories but he is not quite sure. And this is his chance to know something, anything.

'And why am I here?' He asked.

'You're here because instead of letting my Thunder Eagle saved you, you absorb his divine energy. I don't appreciate hurting my pet' and her face shows a slight hurt expression.

Arial slightly was angry at the blame levied on him. He might blame himself for a lot of things but that eagle was not his fault.

Then he said

'Pardon me then. When something unknown grabs me, without explanation, I tend to hack that unknown thing with whatever that is available to me. Forgive me that I do not know that a giant eagle was my salvation. How stupid of me not to thank the Eagle who, I remind you, grabbed me to the sky and its body was crackling with lightning and I was not jumping with joy at the sight of that. How stupid of me not to think 'Oh, here is an eagle who just grabbed me from my ship and bring me to the sky, in an attempt to save me. Oh, and its body is made of lightning. Yes! I am saved' Pardon me for my lack of foresight.' Arial said sarcastically

The Lady chuckles.

'Sarcasm?'

'Yes, my lady' Arial said bowing slightly.

'Arrogant, aren't you?'

'Confidence, my Lady.'

'HAHAHA. Fine. I admit it was not a well thought of plan. But I was far away and occupied with a very annoying old acquaintance. And I must express my shock when you were able to absorb the element in my pet. You never cease to amaze me. Consuming divine energy. That is not an easy feat, one could even be burned by holy fire trying to consume divinity. If not for your blood, you might already explode into pieces of meat. Hmmm. However, the reason why you are here is because of your test. To prepare you for what is coming.'

'My test?'

'Ah come on, little child. With all that you have known now you must have certain inkling of what your identities are. What role you play in the grand scheme of things. Surely you must have known the moment you decide to sail the Dark Sea.'

Arial look at the lady in front of him and slowly he nodded. He hesitated for a while then he said slowly

'I'm Asrana, aren't I?'

The lady smiles.

'There we go' she said clapping her hand joyfully. Then she added

'You are but you're also not.'

Hearing this Arial is confused.

'What is that supposed to mean?'

'You're not yet the conqueror of Darkness, Asrana Mahava' 

'Why?'

'Because you are controlled by the darkness. You couldn't do what you have to do if there is emptiness in your heart. Child, you blame yourself all the time, like the whole world is your burden and everything bad that happens to it somehow is your fault. Even what happens to your wife. You blame yourself instead of her killer. You are haunted by your past, uncertain of the present, fearful towards the future. You drown yourself in vengeance and anger. You lost one great quality I have always admired from your kind. Not your brute strength. Not your determination or your ability to think and innovate. You lost…..hope. You lost…. Love and in turn you lost hope'

'I didn't.' Arial shaking his head nodding his head. 

Overhead the blue sky turns cloudy.