Healing

Heal the sick that are therein...

and say unto them...

The Kingdom is come nigh unto you...

"Thank you for that word, Luciel..." I said quietly, leaning forward on the couch with my arms resting upon my knees, my fingers interlocking as I began to enter deep thought.

Luciel hummed softly at me with a sweet smile, closing her chronicles then walked over to me. She sat down beside me, her hand tracing circles gently upon my back. "You seem to be in deep thought...is it about last night?"

I nodded, letting out a soft exhale then adjusted myself on the couch. "Yeah... it's just...for the last two years I've been running, hesitating, and blaming instead of seeking the truth. Lament isn't my enemy..."

"From the book of Eshkol Chapter 6, it does say our battle isn't always against what we can see. We not fight against flesh, but against the Ruler of Darkness, against principalities, and powers. Lament isn't something we fight against, we can't beat an emotion, but we can defeat the one who corrupts emotions," Luciel said, her tone filled with gentle encouragement.

"Terminus," I said softly, his name bringing a searing feeling in my heart, a familiar yet unfamiliar hatred boiling in my blood.

"Yes, him. The enemy behind our enemy, the very devil that tries to mock Yuvah's Wrath, Ragnarok," Luciel stood up with a fierce determination, a holy fire lighting in her eyes. "Nox! We have to reawaken the Dark Lords! It's the only way for you to know your purpose, and learn more about your chains!"

"I don't know... Reawakening them seems like a hazard than a sound plan. Besides, Terminus roams the Earth now, who's to say he won't corrupt them at their weakest," I said, glancing up at Luciel with a debating gaze.

Luciel locked eyes with me, noticing the reasonable concern upon my face then softened her stance. "I get that...Genesis did tell us last night that he's roaming now. But as what? All of his other bodies and vessels were killed, what could he possibly be roaming as?"

I took a moment to think about her question, closing my eyes to truly think. I wanted to be as careful as possible before going out with courageous goals, so knowing what Terminus could be mattered. As I brainstormed, a flash vision entered my mind, the vision of a Hero.

I slowly opened my eyes, my eyes glowing an amber light as I witnessed a glimpse of the truth. "Terminus...will be roaming as man like you and me. I saw a vision...he was charismatic, a hero...but there's no way of knowing who he is."

Luciel hummed at my answer and looked at her chronicle in her hand, flipping it open to a certain chapter within the book. "This has happened once before in the Book of Henosis. Terminus disguised before thee as a Guardian of Light, claiming to be the Serpent Bearer, Ophiuchus."

I paused in my tracks, my mind suddenly washing over with deep pain as information began leaking into my head. I gripped my head as whispers sounded in my mind, each one whispering to protect the Sephorine Roses.

"Nox? Hey, are you okay?" Luciel asked, hurrying to me and placing her hand gently upon my shoulders.

"Ophiuchus...she's the 13th Zodiac, the one Terminus kills over and over to obtain her power but can't. The word says he disguises himself as Ophiuchus, so that means..." I began, glancing up at Luciel, noticing she was catching on as well.

"The Sephorine Roses..." We said simultaneously, a pathway forward to saving our planet becoming clear.

The two of us quickly began making our way to the door to rush down to Lucky 13 where Fleur was currently working, the both of us dashing down the street toward the local bar. I held Luciel's hand as we ran, protecting her from the racing cars to the side of us.

Seeing the neon building in the distance, we hurried across the street and bursted through the doors, everyone stopping their activities to look at us. Fleur and Yang Ru stopped their tasks to looked at us, the two of them calming down with a light exhale.

"Fleur! No time to explain, call Effie and tell her to come with us to the Virgin's Farm Market!" Luciel urged, jogging in place with high energy and a bright frequency.

"What? Why? Gallet didn't send any missions, plus it's Sunday! The only time this rock is ever at peace for some reason," Fleur sighed, setting her glass down and took her phone out of her pocket.

Yang Ru chuckled lightly at us with a raised eyebrow, her gaze shifting over toward me and Luciel with light curiosity. "What's gotten you all so hyper this morning? If I'd known better, I'd say you all found a breakthrough."

"We did...but before we confirm with Gallet and the rest of Holy Resistance, we want to make sure all of our information is right. Lieutenant, this might become the biggest break we needed in years," I said, my tone filled with a diligence unheard for years.

"Biggest break? Is this about the Lament talk yesterday?" Fleur asked, holding her phone to her ear as she tried to contact Effie.

"Yes, which is why we need to go to the Zodiac's Sanctuary!" Luciel beamed, pumping her fist down and bounced with high energy.

"Alright, alright, Luci...just hold on, Effie isn't answering her stupid phone," Fleur said, lowering her phone to check Effie's location.

Suddenly, a loud crash and groan was heard near the entrance, Luciel squeaking as she stumbled backwards to avoid a crash landing Coatyl and her lovely master. I groaned softly as Looni landed atop of me, my entire body out of breath.

"I'm here! I came here as soon as I saw your call, Sis!" Effie cheered, looking around and noticing mixed reactions, some holding in laughter and others with faces of concern.

Both Effie and Looni looked down and noticed me buried under Looni, the two of them letting out an shocked cry and Looni leaping off my body in a panic. Effie squeaked as she ripped off Looni's back, crashing onto a table and knocking it down.

Fleur facepalmed at the chaos, letting out a soft groan and glanced up at the roof. "God...it's gonna be a long day..."

"Indeed it is," Yang Ru said with slight amusement and chuckled softly, turning over to the sink behind them to clean the other glasses. "You should go, I can hold down shop until you return."

"Thanks, Lieutenant..." Fleur said with a light exhale, taking off her apron and using one of her butterflies to transform her work attire into her battle maid outfit. "Alright, let's roll out."

"I...might need a second..." Effie groaned, holding up her hand slowly with exhaustion.

"One," Fleur said, grabbing Effie's hand and pulling her off the floor, dragging her out the neon building with her toward the car.

"Waaaiiiit..." Effie said in a tired tone, whining softly and holding the back of her head with Looni trotting behind her.

Luciel helped me up quickly, still holding in her laughter and helped me out of the building as well, noticing my pissed expression. "Remember the word, Nox..."

"Yeah, yeah...don't let my anger seep into wrath. Easier said than done when a dragon lands on you..." I said with a light scoff, entering the backseat of the car with a sour expression.

"I'm sorry, Noxie! I didn't see you!" Effie whined from the front seat, turning around to give me puppy eyes.

I rolled my eyes and scoffed lightly then looked out the window, an annoyed exhale escaping my nose. "Yeah, I forgive you...just drive.."

"As you wish, Your Highness~" Fleur hummed, starting the car and driving off toward the Virgo Kingdom.

---------------------

We arrived at the Virgin's Farm Market and got out of the car, Luciel leading the way toward Daisy's flower stand with a lively hum and Effie trotting beside her with a small Looni in her arms. Fleur and I lagged behind, the two of us matching each other's steps.

"Hey," Fleur spoke, breaking the silence and nudging me gently. "You never explained your breakthrough, my Prince."

I looked up at the sky for a moment and exhaled softly, thinking about the conversation between me and Luciel earlier. "The breakthrough...it's about the Sephorine Roses and the craze behind them. You're aware of the Genesian Chronicles aren't you?"

"Yeah, I do. I believe in the word just like the rest of Squad V does, why?" Fleur asked, her expression shifting to one of curiosity.

"In the Book of Henosis, it talks about the 13th Zodiac, Ophiuchus, and how Terminus tries to mock her power. Even in the New Covenant in the Book of August, it talks about Cetus, a Zodiac that also sought Ophiuchus," I said then paused for a moment, closing my eyes to think about the Chronicles.

"Honestly, if our gut is right, the Sephorine Roses are in danger. You remember yesterday, when those bandits went hunting for them?" I asked, looking over at Fleur for confirmation.

"Mmm...I don't like the sound of where this adventure is taking us, but if you're right... I'll record some data with my glasses and send them to Gallet," Fleur said, placing a supportive hand upon my arm.

I gave her a warm smile then looked ahead, noticing we were nearing the flower stand in a few short steps. Ahead stood a man with short silver hair, sported in a black coat with a golden belt around his waist, black pants, boots, and silver pauldrons on both shoulders.

I rose an eyebrow with slight confusion, inching closer to the man with caution. My head began to hurt as memories began pouring into my head, memories of Zachary standing in front of this very flower stand years ago, the man resembling so much of my brother.

"Zach..?" I asked with confusion, grabbing the man's shoulder and turning him around before stumbling back in shock. "O-Oh...sorry, you just.."

"Ahh, Prince Nox. My apologies for the scare, our late Zachary did say I resembled him in more ways than one," The man said in a charming tone, his mana blue eyes faintly lighting up with recognition.

I gasped at the sight of the man, another memory flashing in my mind during my stay with the Fosters. My eyes lit up with recognition as well, my first instinct to rush in to hug him. "Merin..! It's been...so long.."

"Ahh, Merin! I barely recognized you! A lot has changed since we were little!" Luciel beamed with recognition and giggled softly, giving Merin a bright smile.

Merin chuckled softly at our voices of recognition, his free hand reaching over to Luciel to gently rub her hair. "It has been a while, I'm glad to know you two are still safe."

"This Merin guy, I've heard of him. Merin Tsu! He's the leader of Squad VII the same squad that little runt Reid is in! Have you no control over your own men?! We work for the same people!" Fleur scoffed, looking Merin up and down with a judgemental eye.

Merin chuckled softly and released me, holding his hands up in submission. "You are right in your judgement, for I should've had a closer gaze upon the Baelfyr House. However, understand Reid is an opportunist just like your little Effie."

"Except I'm not a blazing criminal," Effie shot back with quick efficiency, shutting down any form of comparison to Reid.

Merin laughed softly at Effie's quick reply and slipped his hands into his pockets, amused by Effie's spark and spunk. "My apologies Granddaughter of the Great Dragon Tamer.."

"Hmph!" Effie huffed, crossing her arms and turning away from Merin with sass.

"So, what are you doing here?" I asked, glancing behind Merin to see Daisy was no where at the shop.

Merin glanced behind himself and turned around to face the flower stand once more, letting out a thoughtful hum. "I was coming to apologize on behalf of Reid's chaos, but Daisy isn't here, yet the Virgin Fields is open."

"Maybe she's hanging around the fields today? After all it is safe now that we handled the bandit issue," Luciel said, shrugging her shoulders and looked up at Merin.

"Only one way to find out!" Effie said, marching her way toward the open gates of the flower field across the market district.

The five of us trailed toward the flower fields in pursuit of Daisy and her whereabouts. It was strange for Daisy to be missing from her stand without a sign notifying the citizens of her absence, so the worry in our hearts weighed strong.

Entering into the fields, I could immediately tell something was off, the entire essence of the fields being too calm. Following my gut feeling, I began to walk along the path that led us right to the Rebirth Rose.

Ahead, I could see the calm imagery of Nature's Monsters resting peacefully around Floria's Bud, the sight of Druids, Ents, and Nymphs all receiving the Mana Blessings emitting from the red petals. "Nothing happening here..."

"While we are here, we could ask Floria for some guidance. After all, she is one of your Mothers on Ragnarok's side," Luciel said, playfully nudging me forward with support and stuck behind with her Chronicles in hand.

"M-Mmph, you don't have to push me, Luci," I said, stumbling upon a few loose knots and vines hiding within the grass.

The others followed behind, a few of the monsters waking up to see us approaching, some of them waking to stand guard, and the rest staying behind until further notice. Despite their alert, they weren't hostile toward us, but seemed to be watching Merin closely.

I glanced back at Merin, noticing the monsters were specifically focused upon him and not anyone else. I held my hand out toward the protective Druids, who had their weapons prepared. "Hold, hold...We don't come here for any trouble. We just want to talk with Floria..."

The Rebirth Rose slightly moved with glee at the sound of my voice, the petals lighting up in response to me and calming all monsters down. I noticed the Bud's excitement and smiled, lowering my arms in relief.

"Interesting. So you have better control over your Dark Lord power now huh?" Merin asked, crossing his arms as he watched the monsters return back to their peaceful relaxation.

I nodded at his question, looking back at Merin with a smile. "Yeah, it took a lot of fighting with my own self and a lot of reflection, but through the works of Genesis, I can say I've been a lot more stable."

"That's good news, I'm glad to hear you've gotten better," Merin smiled, giving me a nod.

I nodded back at him then turned ahead, making my way toward the Rebirth Rose and crouched down in front of it, gently rubbing her petals. "Hello, Floria...I'm back."

I see...

Returning so soon?

What's the matter..?

I closed my eyes to hear her sweet, maternal voice being carried by the very wind around us. I took a deep breath and exhaled before answering, opening my eyes to look back at Luciel. "Luciel and I had a major breakthrough. We want to revive you, but we want to make sure all of the Dark Lords are strong enough to resist Terminus."

"In turn, we understood that the key to that are the Sephorine Roses. Do you know where they are?" I asked, looking ahead at the Rebirth Rose for clarity.

Book of Imogen...Chapter 2 Verse 10-12....

"And the Divine Roses of Completeness shall reside unto the Zodiac's Sanctuary..."

"Hidden in Gaia's Virginity, a Temple of the Sephorine, a beautiful temple made of white marble and wrapped in the vines of O'Sovereign Mother..."

"You shall find Ophiuchus's Influence, an expression of our Creator that can heal and undo all things evil upon the spirit.."

Luciel read along with Floria's gentle voice and looked up with slight confusion, wondering what Gaia's Virginity meant. "Sovereign Mother, what does this even mean? Gaia's Virginity..?"

I stood up straight with more clarity unlocked within then crossed my arms, looking out into the distance to see a rainbow butterfly fluttering around with invitation. "Thank you, Floria...I promise once we figure something out, we will help you."

Stay safe, Prince Nox..~

Remember to keep your eyes peeled for everything...

"I will," I said, marching forward and following the fluttering rainbow butterfly.

Merin and the girls followed behind me, wondering where I was wandering off to. It seemed only I could see the multicolored beauty guiding me, its rainbow glow sprinkling down colorful dust that nurtured the very path we walked upon.

The roads began shifting from lush grass to an array of beautiful flowers ranging from lilies to roses, the girls gasping in awe and pressing forward to admire the beautiful, natural bouquet in front of us. I stopped to admire the scenery, Merin stopping beside me and placing his hands upon his belt.

"Reminds you of back home huh? In the Sacred Garden...all of the flowers of light. Gaia and Floria did well shaping the Earth with the hands of Genesis," Merin said, gazing out at the fields with a sigh of nostalgia.

"Yeah..." I said with soft introspection, glimpses of my childhood flashing in my mind as I looked around.

I looked over at Luciel, who seemed fully at home in the fields, her butterflies fluttering around the group of white Whispering Clovers, the petals whispering soft gospels and promises from Genesis to her. I could see her radiance, the glow of her spirit shining through, her sweet smile seeming to brighten the day.

"You and Luciel seem to be very close these days. I can see it in the way you look at her. I'm glad your bond with Exzodia's best Warden is strong. It's viable we look after our fellow Nuns, Priestesses, Reverends, and those who wield the wrath of God," Merin said, walking ahead with a light chuckle.

I watched as Merin walked forward then walked after him, a few questions soaring through my mind. "Speaking of Nuns, do you know a woman by the name of Dahlia?"

"I do. She's one of the Nuns that stays at Imogen's Temple. A sweet woman. Why do you ask?" Merin asked, glancing over at me with intrigue.

'Sweet woman..? Not exactly how I would describe her...' I thought to myself, glancing down at the ground with a soft exhale.

"Well, I kinda had a run in with her last night. She was with Flynn and...me and her kinda had a falling out. She blames me for the fall of our Fosters," I explained, the memory of Flynn's voice sending shivers down my spine as if I just heard it.

"Mmm...yeah, Flynn. She's still recovering from the event. I mean those were her parents as well, but she's kinda pointing fingers at everyone at the moment. When I visited the Temple morning, Dahlia told me she found Flynn in dismay," Merin said, his tone filled with gentle concern for Flynn.

I glanced at Merin, locking eyes with him for a moment as I listened to his answer then looked down at the ground once more. It didn't make sense to me, I felt and saw everything... Dahlia's corruption, the truth.

However, Lament was messing with my mind that night...but Flynn felt too real to ignore. Luciel heard her, Fleur and Effie saw her, we all heard her. For the first time in a while, I doubted if the "Dahlia" I saw was real or just a powerful Physic Daemon.

"Don't think too hard on it, I'm sure Flynn will come around soon. Just give her time," Merin said, giving me a brotherly pat upon my shoulder. "C'mon, the girls are waiting for us."

"Yeah..." I said solemnly, following into step after Merin with more questions than answers.

Merin and I met up with the girls, Luciel skipping over to me to hand me a Whispering Clover with a bubbly smile on her face. I accepted the flower with care which pleased Luciel, causing her to happily peck my cheek before joining with Fleur and Effie once again.

I held the flower toward my ear to hear either a sound gospel or a sweet promise from Genesis, my eyes closing to fully accept the soft word. The breeze began picking up, the petals swaying with the wind to start their whispers.

Stay sober, be vigilant; as your adversary the negative...

Prowls about and walketh as a roaring beast...

Seeking whom he may deceive and devour...

I opened my eyes and glanced at the flower with shocking clarity, my mind wondering how the grace of Genesis knew my doubt would fall upon me. "1 Lily 5:6...How—"

"Hey, Prince!~ Come look at this!" Fleur called out to me, waving her arms to catch my attention.

I looked up, noticing the group a bit ahead and placed the flower carefully into my pocket before jogging ahead. I looked over to where Fleur was pointing, noticing a temple ahead matching the description from the verse Floria recited.

"Imogen's Temple... that is where Ophiuchus must keep her Sephorine Roses. Wait, Merin, you said Dahlia dwells here right?" I asked, glancing over at him for confirmation.

"Correct, Dahlia does stay here," Merin nodded, looking over at me with a calm smile.

"Dahlia? You mean that weird chick that attacked the Lieutenant last night?! She's such a creep! Calling Nox cute and sicking those crazy Knights on us!" Effie bursted, Looni nodding her head in agreement to Effie's statements.

"Yeah...I'm not too sure about her. Plus, she had some very negative energy surrounding her too. It was unsettling," Fleur said, placing her hand upon her hip and looking over at Merin.

"I understand the concern, but I assure you that Dahlia is not a threat. I'm sure there was a misunderstanding at the Judge Prairie last night," Merin said, giving us a light chuckle.

"We never said where the attack took place," Luciel sounded immediately, her discernment working overtime with each of Merin's seemingly perfect answers, her gaze filled with slight skepticism.

Merin smiled at Luciel and gently pat her arm with reassurance, shaking his head to cast aside her doubts. "I go to this Temple nearly everyday. Dahlia keeps me informed, and she doesn't blame you all for fighting against her. It was just a light miscommunication that's all."

"Alright, I suppose that makes sense..." Luciel said, her gaze narrowing with slight doubt still in her mind.

"How about we all go talk to Dahlia herself and clear things up? Maybe that'll cast aside your doubts," Merin said, leading the group toward the temple. "Watch you steps now, the Nuns don't like when you step on the flowers."

We all began following Merin to the temple, bearing the flowers among out path in mind. As we neared closer to the temple, the white marble path to the temple's doors began to come into view through the flower path.

Sounds of a choir singing began to fill the air, the temple bell ringing to signal a new hour. The nuns at the front worked vigilantly upon the garden, keeping the plants watered and using fertilizing magic to better care for the sacred soil.

The Nuns greeted up with welcoming smiles, the knights guarding the doors opening them up for us to allow us inside. My group kept a peeled eye out for the nuns, especially Fleur, Luciel, and I, taken our history with corrupt churches and fallen holy sights.

A few ushers ushered us into the main room where a sermon was being held, one of the women leading us to any available seats within the clergy. I sat down in the near back just to watch, glancing around with a sober eye, Merin's contradictions still weighing in my mind.

Luciel leaned over to me with a gentle nudge upon my arm. "Hey, Nox...Look ahead in the choir. There's Daisy."

I looked ahead at the choir stand, noticing Daisy singing with the other young men and women with a bright smile on her face. Knowing she was safe gave me a bit of ease, but knowing Dahlia was here didn't give me much rest.

"Do you think two things can be true at once?" I asked, leaning back in my chair and resting my arm along the back of the pew me and Luciel sat on.

Luciel leaned into me with her head gently resting upon my shoulder, a thoughtful smile spreading across her lips as she listened to the young choir sing. "I do...but as far as Dahlia, I don't think it's true. We all saw her..."

"Well...if that's the case then I guess we have some work to do. Imogen's Temple is in need of healing if anything," I said lowly, my voice only loud enough for Luciel to hear.

The Little Saints continued their song with emotions of glory, joy, and peace as they sang for Genesis. Their sweet song seemed to light up the room, each soul being touched by Genesis's grace and mercy and feeling her ever-loving presence.

Soon, the Priestess walked up to the podium, setting down his Genesian Chronicles and looking up at us with a sweet smile. Fleur, Effie, Luciel, and I knew it was time to keep watch, Dahlia had now finally taken the stage to start her sermon.

The open eyes and open ears, the Temple of Imogen fell silent before Dahlia as she was preparing to speak the word of Genesis. Dahlia glanced out into the clergy, her gaze landing upon mine in the back then her lips subtly stretched into a smirk.

I grunted softly at her smirk, my eyes faintly glowing with challenge as we locked eyes. It was intense for the last few moment of the song, but she soon broke eye contact to begin her word as the choir finished.