Gnoses

Allen walked over the halls of the Zapolyarny Palace when he was suddenly stopped.

"Hello Allen, long time no seeing you. You have grown stronger" In front of him stood Pantalone.

"I can't tell the same thing, Pantalone. You have grown weaker" Allen stated looking at him as he leaned his body over a stick. Looking at his body, Allen was able to easily see signs of weakness on him.

"It's what age does to the body." Pantalone said shrugging his shoulders as if it wasn't important and was more than expected. However, Allen could see over it, this wasn't only about age, it seemed to be more problems behind his condition.

"You have become more brazen now that you become a Harbinger, Allen" Pantalone smiled "You did not treat me so disrespectfully before, but I suppose that's normal now that we are more or less at the same rank, at least in name."

Pantalone smile grew bigger "I heard that you completed your first quest as a Harbinger. Congratulations, it seems that your objective of freeing Ellen will become true."

"Thanks" Allen answered keeping his glare, trying to discern the hidden meaning of his talk, clearly knowing that there was something behind it.

"However." Pantalone looked directly at his eyes "It seems that you are keeping away your Delusion."

Allen unconsciously put his hand inside his coat where the Delusion was inside a metallic box, finding the connection with it weaker and less influential thanks to the box "Have you gotten scared of it?"

"You always knew about it, no?" Allen spatted "How Delusions can affect oneself."

"Of course, I knew it" Pantalone nodded calmly "Didn't I tell it to you before? Delusions keep part of the user's soul, sharing it to the next user and giving its strength. You wouldn't think that strength would come alone, no?"

"That soul and its will is the price to pay for its power. That is the result of killing a Harbinger and its way of revenge" Pantalone stated.

"Of course you knew" Allen looked coldly "Is power worth it if you end up losing yourself? If it comes to the worst, it's not much different than dying."

"That's if you were to lose" Pantalone interjected "Take it as an opportunity and pressure to become stronger. In the end, you were quite lucky."

"Lucky?"

"Columbina's users had been one of the oldest and strongest, keeping their position for quite some time" Pantalone explained "That made it have very few changes in all its history, having only two people using it. You only need to face the souls and will of two people, imagine if it was a greater number."

"Are you saying?" Allen's eyes went wide "Was Tomoki also...?" He was aware of how many changes have been over the Tartagglia's position, so in contrast to Columbina, Tartagglia must have a lot of souls twisted in it.

"No, no" Pantalone shook his head "Each Delusions works a little differently, having one central sentiment about it. Tartagglia doesn't cause much changes in the users, except a thrill to fight stronger enemies."

"So his decision to fight Baal would be due to the Delusion?"

"I'll say it was more due to your influence" Pantalone smiled "But it certainly helped in it. That is the reason young Ajax was chosen as the chaser of it. He has the qualities to become a great Tartagglia and activate it. Moreover, her Majesty is already preparing him to take it."

"I see..." Allen thought about Ajax and how it really won't seem to affect him much as he had already had that thrill in himself since the Abyss. 'It truly seems that the Tsaritsa is trying to force the Delusions to become stronger without mattering the price at all.'

"I have been taking too much of your time. Her Majesty is waiting for you" Pantalone stepped aside, leaving Allen way to cross over.

"Yes" Allen walked over Pantalone.

"But remember, Allen. You can try to run but it's impossible to escape." Pantalone's voice sounded as Allen passed over him "Columbina is part of you, keeping it away will only delay the inevitable." Pantalone said before leaving, the sound of his stick resounding over the hall.

Allen continued walking, reaching over the throne room whose doors opened widely as he reached them. Inside, the Tsaritsa was immobile in her throne with her usual cold and emotionless look in her eyes.

"Good job completing your quest Allen" The Tsaritsa said as she stood up and approached Allen, extending her hand towards him.

Seeing her approach, Allen's nerves shot up, he quickly breathed to calm himself a little. After growing stronger and even facing Barbatos while using his Gnosis, Allen was able to see more through the Tsaritsa's strength and presence and what he could sense was terrifying.

Allen had no doubt, the Tsaritsa was in another league, something that Barbatos couldn't hope to reach as it was expected from his title as the Weakest Archon.

'How strong would she be while using a Gnosis?' Allen could only shiver at the thought.

Allen calmed down and quickly took Barbatos' Gnosis from his robes, offering it to the Tsaritsa who took it in her hands and looked over it before turning to her throne "You made a great contribution, Allen. What is your desire for it?"

"I desire for my sister Ellen's full recovery and to take her with me, living away from Snezhnaya." Allen declared.

"Ellen's condition..." The Tsaritsa closed her eyes for a second before opening it.

*Paf* Suddenly, a column of ice surged in front of Allen, forming a pulpit. On the pulpit, a rectangular piece of ice with a kind of map written over it stood.

"Take Ellen with you here, to the previous Capital of Snezhnaya" The Tsaritsa explained as Allen took the map, reading it. "There, you will find help for her condition."

'The previous Capital?' Allen did not know what this was about, as for his information the actual capital had more than 500 years, having been this one before the Cataclysm. Any information about the previous capital was unknown to him.

"You can go now" The Tsaritsa stated as the doors of the room opened again.

Allen would have liked to ask more about it, but it was clear that the Tsaritsa has finished with him 'In the end, it doesn't change what I must do. If it's for Ellen, I'll do anything.' Allen decided as he took the map and left the palace.

...

"Are you sure you want to give away that opportunity, your Majesty?" Pantalone asked with concern to the Tsaritsa who stood from her throne and moved to one side of the room with Barbatos' Gnosis in her hands "Even without its heart, Naberius still has its uses. Would you be able to repair it without it?"

The Tsaritsa put her hand over a wall, an opening appearing over it. Inside, a similar chess piece as Barbatos' Gnosis stood. This one was pale blue in color and in the form of a tower. However, unlike the impeccable and radiant Gnosis from Barbatos, this one was dull and almost without any color, there were also cracks all over it, making it seem as if it was tearing apart.

It was a wonder how it was able to keep its form as a gentle breeze seemed enough to break it down.

"You do not need to worry about it, Pantalone" The Tsaritsa said as she put Barbatos' Gnosis inside the opening, next to the other seemingly Gnosis "I found a much better replacement."