(Ezra POV)
Several long moments went by since Cyrus went through the barrier. I could feel his signature rise and fall in a rhythmic and slow pattern. Whatever he was facing, I could tell that he was being patient and calculated, something very much against his nature.
"Do you believe in fate, my lord?"
"In a way I do, but in recent years I have swayed my belief. But why do you ask, Solmane?" I asked.
"It's just your presence. It reminds me of one of the first starbound who connected to the Solaris constellation. Full of honor, and someone who wanted to make the world a better and peaceful place. It's almost as if you inherited his essence and his will."
I let a long pause linger before I responded, as I shifted my focus to check on Cyrus's energy signature.
"Tell me, Solmane, how did that man fare in the past? I've only heard stories and fairytales of the starbound of old. Did he ever fulfill his goal?"
"He did, my lord."
"If he created a peaceful world, then why are we in this situation? Why do I feel like no one else wants the same? What led to the downfall afterward?"
"What led to the end of peace was arrogance and the unwillingness to see the truth of the matter, my lord."
"What truth?"
"Tell me, lord, are you familiar with how weeds in the physical realm work?"
"Yes, I am."
"So tell me, how do you get rid of one for good?"
"You take out the root," I responded.
"Correct, my lord. The leader of the clan in the beginning was naive and arrogant when it came to this matter. He thought back then that he could reform and change evil. Thought he could bring light to the dark and dispel it. It worked for a time, but that evil, that darkness kept resurfacing in those people. His faith that there was good in everyone led to his downfall. If he would have just plucked those people from existence, the rest of society might not have been tainted.
That is why I asked if you believe in fate, my lord. I sense the very same characteristics in you. Good at their core, dangerous if they turn a blind eye to the truth."
"Are you saying that I should purge all evil, Solmane?"
"I'm not here to make suggestions. I don't have that right. I am merely a creature who is tasked with guarding a relic. I am merely curious to see if what I have deduced from the past is right or wrong. Perhaps it just wasn't the correct person to fully enact and embody what the High Pantheon wanted for his people."
"I see... Personally, I do think there is a level of redemption for everyone. I don't think people are born evil. I think certain tragic circumstances lead them down a path that is clouded and muddied with toxicity."
"What of the ones who don't want redemption, and continue down the path? The ones who reject your mercy. What then, my lord?"
"Then I will keep pushing until they do."
"Interesting…"
"Why is that?" I asked.
"Well, that child of yours doesn't seem to have the same perspective. Is he a full-blooded Solaris?"
"He isn't. Why does that matter?"
"I'm not sure if it does or not. I just have never felt unsettled when near a starbound before."
"Really? But he is only at the first stage."
"It's not a power situation. I can sense you have immense power, my lord."
"But you don't feel unsettled by me."
"I have met Solaris himself. I am not easily moved. But that boy in there, is something entirely different. The constellation he seems to be connected to is something I have never experienced before."
Then just as Solmane finished his words, the invisible barrier started to deteriorate before us, slowly revealing what was behind the mirage.
There was Cyrus, wiping some purple-colored liquid off his blade.
"I don't want to see another forest for a long time after this. Wherever we end up after this, it better be filled with beaches and tall buildings," Cyrus said as he took out a celestial core from his dimensional storage.
"Well, it looks like you had your hands full here, huh?" I said as Solmane and I walked through the threshold that was no longer.
Now with the barrier completely gone, I could see the lay of the land clearly. There wasn't much, but several structures of moss that looked out of place with the rest of the environment. After years of dealing with their clan, I knew this was their handiwork. I also happened to notice where the purple liquid came from that was drenched all over Cyrus's blade.
I saw the large plant-like manifestation that had a large maw made from leaves and flower petals along with razor-sharp teeth. Its torso was made of silky smooth stems reinforced by cosmic energy — or at least it was. Massive vines laid lifeless on the ground.
"Yeah, this overgrown weed was annoying to deal with at first, but once I handled the vines, it was smooth sailing. I think the entrance is this way."
The three of us walked over to the moss structure cautiously.
"I can sense the relic is beneath this structure," Solmane informed.
"Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's head on in," Cyrus said, opening the structure door.
"But now that I think about it… um, Solmane, I'm not sure how you are gonna fit through this door," Cyrus said, realizing that the beautiful lion was much taller than the structure.
Then before we knew it, Solmane's body started to dematerialize in front of us and became motes of light. Quickly afterward, the dazzling particles before us condensed and turned into a sphere.
"May I enter your core, Lord Ezra?" Solmane asked me.
There was a delay in response. I shouldn't have been surprised he could do this, but nonetheless, it was still quite interesting. He basically mimicked what I was able to do in Celestial Domain. I couldn't help but wonder what this beast was capable of.