Seeds of Discordia

"What? What's wrong?" Avery questioned as she stared at Liam.

"What's going on?" Mercer asked as he too grew both concerned and curious.

"Jude is here," Liam whispered.

The others stared at him before looking around. They didn't see or hear him and were confused. Artem was the first to ask, "Are you sure?"

"How do you know?" Blair inquired as she stepped up next to him.

Liam nodded as he responded, "I can feel him. He's in that direction and coming here quickly." He kept his eyes on the direction of where he felt that familiar power that he had felt back on the island he had ran into the man and his group. That familiar taunting power that tried goading him to seek him out and attack him on sight.

While the feeling wasn't very strong, it was still annoying enough that he had to tell himself over and over not to run off and met the guy head on. There was too much going on here that he needed to focus on that. As he internally told himself this he had almost missed Lolita ask, "What do you mean you can feel him? How can you…"

"Never mind that," Liam interrupted. "Can you feel Kala? Is she here as well?"

Lolita didn't respond for a long moment. After some hesitation, she finally replied, "Yes. I can feel her coming in this direction at a fast speed. Liam, if she, and whoever she is with, arrive here they will cause an uproar. Before that happens we need to…" Lolita paused as she noticed something. She then growled with dissatisfaction, "Damn it. They sped up. We won't be able to stop them."

Liam nodded in agreement as he felt Jude was almost here as well. It wasn't long before they could hear noises off in the distance. Shortly after that shouts and screams started to echo as people started running out towards the noise.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Adva's voice suddenly yelled out. "Are we under attack?" Liam turned to see she was right behind Omira channeling her mana into the teenage girl who looked strained trying to keep her focus. "Key? Nar? What is going on? I know you two wouldn't let anything come here with your senses."

Uncle Naro and Key appeared near Adva and whispered something. From what Liam could see they both had a confused look on their faces that bled onto Adva's face soon after. Liam didn't know what they had said but he understood he wanted to know even more now. What did they know that made them not say anything or run off to handle Jude's and Kala's team when their presences was made known.

Adva nodded her head as Key said something before commanding, "Those of you channeling mana into the ritual participates, keep at it. Ritual participants keep focusing on your task. Guards and soldiers who are still present, even yourselves out and make your way closer to the Channelers and the Participants. We've almost reached the peak of the ritual. Horven is almost ready to cleanse the waters and remark his territories! Do not falter!"

Shouts of affirmation echoed all around as people began to move. Liama and the others scanned the area. Adva was right. Mana being channeled into the items each person was holding had covered the materials and ingredients inside the pan. To Liam's surprise clear azure mana had started making its way from the pan and towards the center pool at an upwards forty five degree angle. The materials and ingredients were following the mana but at the same time they were also thinning out almost like they were blending with the mana.

The sight reminded Liam of Alchemy. He felt this ritual was akin to an alchemy session. However, even he understood that this was not an alchemy crafting session. There were too many processes, people, and steps. However, he still felt it was similar to it.

His eyes then moved as he noticed something he hadn't seen before. His eyes widened swiftly as he noticed the huge squid like monster behind Omira. His focus and attention was on Gimmel and everything else that he hadn't noticed this creature. That worried him, but then he felt his body relax a bit as he understood that this creature was not what he thought. This smooth white as snow bodied and cold as ice looking eyed squid must have been the Primal Beast Horven Omira had mentioned.

As he stared at it he could feel the power it was exuding. It was powerful, much more powerful than the boss monsters that led the Sea Parade as well as Uncle Naro and Key as well. Albeit, as powerful as it was it also had a calming effect. Like a soothing wave that was lulling you as you laid in the water taking in the peace and quiet.

Liam's attention on the monster and its powerful was diverted as he noticed the guards that were standing far away were now on the move and were moving fast. Liam's grew concerned as a few had gotten closer to where they were. If they got too close then Lolita and her stealth ability would undo. If that happened then even more panic and chaos would ensue on the ritual site.

It was Lolita who had calmed Liam's worries as she whispered, "Don't worry, we're not close enough for anyone to cancel out my ability. If they start to get close enough we will move away and keep doing so until we're out of danger."

Liam nodded as he looked at one of his teammates. Artem looked confused as Liam nodded at him. He went to ask why he did but stopped as Liam brought a finger to his lips. While Artem was still confused why Liam had nodded, he understood that it wouldn't help anyone if he asked questions. Instead he nodded his own head going along with whatever Liam was doing.

The group stood around Gimmel who was still passed out and waited. The two forces making their way towards them were going to arrive soon. It seemed the forces out there meant to stop them weren't doing a good job, which made Liam wonder if they were actually fighting them or if they were running away. Either way he would find out soon enough.

A few moments later Liam could see a group of people running quickly towards the area. Behind them was a wave of soldiers and guards. Magic flew up, at, and around the group of people who were rushing. It looked like Liam got his answer. However, the group came to a sliding halt as Uncle Naro and Key stepped in their way.

The two powerful people didn't have their weapons out as they stood there staring at Jude, Kala, and each member of their team. With a commanding voice, Key shouted, "Who are you and what are you doing here? Don't you know this is a sacred ritual and intruders will be executed on the spot?"

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Please!" Kala yelled back in a frantic tone of voice. "You need to stop this before it's too late!"

Uncle Naro and Key looked confused as the guards and soldiers all around them took an aggressive stance. Growing curious as to why this young woman would say this, Key asked, "This is a sacred ritual. Once it starts we need to finish it or else it will take months to prepare more materials and ingredients. The time frame to have this ritual done is limited as well. So unless you have a good reason as to why we should stop this we are going to need to hear it."

"Powerful items were placed here and when they are unleashed they will cause major issues. Not just to this ritual but to everyone here and this island as well."

Key turned to look at Uncle Naro whose brows were scrunched. She turned to look back at Kala and asked, "What do you mean? Do you know what these items hold within them?"

"Yes!" Kala pleaded. "You need to evacuate now before they are released!"

"She is speaking the truth," Jude chimed in. "The mana that these items hold within them are too much to stop. The effects they bring would be…unimaginable."

"Bullshit!" someone shouted.

Everyone turned to see Sebastean. He was on the other side of the ritual, standing exactly on the opposite side of the ritual from where Omira was. Liam hadn't seen him the moment he arrived and judging from the looks on Mercer, Avery, and Blair's faces as well as the muttering they said, they hadn't seen him until now as well.

"You're just here to stop the ritual from happening and allowing what the goddess and even Horven himself are here to accomplish," Sebastean yelled as he slowly started to walk around. The path he took baffled Liam. Instead of walking the shortest path to Omira, where he should have been to protect her, the path he was taking led straight towards him and the others.

"Holy shit that's a giant squid," Jude suddenly stated as he noticed Horven.

"How dare you call the Primal Beast of Ice and Water a mere squid!" someone shouted in anger.

"You should die for that transgression!" another demanded as a few guards took a step closer to Jude's and Kala's group.

Before they could take another step, Key shouted, making everyone stop moving, "Hold it!" She then looked at Kala and Jude and said, "You claim there are items placed here that could have devastating effects once released. How do you know this?"

Kala looked perplexed as she tried to think about how to answer this question. When she didn't answer right away, Sebastean yelled out as he continued to slowly move again, "See! She's just trying to ruin the hard work everyone has put into this ritual. There is no items just a witch hunt!"

"No!" Kala yelled. "It's true that there are dangerous items here. I can feel it. As to answer how I know this I can't fully disclose it, but I can say that a group of Nagas collected this dangerous mana and are trying to use it here."

Besides the people channeling and softly chanting words, the rest of the people went silent. For a long moment the silence went on. After a little over a minute the silence was replaced with someone saying, "Is this chick for real?"

"What the hell is she on about?" another chimed in as others started to mutter and murmur around.

Liam could see the disbelieved looks on the guards and soldiers faces. Even Key and Uncle Naro looked like they weren't sure what she was saying. Jude and Kala looked frustrated as they saw and understood no one was willing to believe them. He knew how they felt. After hearing what Omira had told them, he understood no one would believe that Nagas were real or alive. Even though he knew this, he knew what he had to do.

"Uncle Naro! Key!" Liam shouted as the two turned to look at him. Liam could hear the whispers of his team asking what he was thinking, but he ignored them as he shouted, "I believe them. The Nagas are the ones behind this."

Key and Uncle Naro looked perplexed as they stared at him. It was Key who asked the question they both were thinking. "How so?"

"A couple nights ago, the night before we arrived here, a group of Naga assassins tried to attack Omira," Liam proclaimed.

A few guards flinched as the others looked like he was crazy. Jude, Kala, and the members of their teams turned their attention and saw Liam. Judging by the looks on their faces, except for Jude, they didn't know he was there.

"Why didn't you say anything if that was true. What happened to them?" Key inquired.

"We killed them," Liam stated. "We took them by surprise and were able to kill them before they had a chance to kill us. As for why we didn't say anything. We had to run up to the deck to help out with the Sea Parade attack. When that was done and we rushed back down to the bodies they were gone. We didn't think you would believe us without proof of the bodies."

Uncle Naro's and Key's brows scrunched as they looked like they were thinking something over. As they did this, Sebastean hopped back into the conversation, "You claim you were attacked by Naga assassins, but the bodies weren't there when you went back. A likely excuse."

Liam scowled as he stared at Sebastean. The man was now getting closer to where they were and with each inch closer, Liam was starting to feel a knot in his gut. He wasn't sure what was going on, but his gut was telling him that if things were to keep going then something bad was going to happen. What that thing was that needed to be stopped or change, he wasn't able to figure it out. For now he just kept his eyes on Sebastean.

"It's not an excuse. It's the truth you shitty elf," Roman shot back.

"Such a foul mouth from a dirty fox," Sebastean commented. "I don't know what I have done to warrant such hostility from you." He paused for a long moment as he stopped moving and looked like something troubling was on his mind.

Liam saw how close he was and was a bit worried that he would undo Lolita's stealth ability, but then thought that maybe she would have moved already. However, when Liam turned his head to look around he felt his heart sink. Guards were close by them. So many that if Lolita and her crew were to move right now then her ability would undo no matter what.

Before Liam could say or do anything, Sebastean started back up again with a sneer now forming on his face. "Could it be that your hostility towards me is because you didn't like I was always by Miss Omira's side? That because of my presence you couldn't…let's say…kill her?"

"What the hell are you saying?" Roman questioned with a very confused look on his face. Even Artem and Ariyana shared the same look while Liam, Blair, Avery, and Mercer kept a more neutral expression.

What the hell is he thinking? What's his angle and what does he plan to do? Liam thought to himself as he stared at Sebastean. He's obviously up to something. But what is he… Liam's eyes widened as he realized something. However, before he could act Sebastean had already moved.

"I'm just saying," Sebastean started back up. "Why make up something about Naga Assassins…," Sebastean then move forward swiftly and got within range of Lolita and her group, making the stealth ability deactivate and show each of the hooded people there. "When you brought your own with you."

The guards around them swiftly turned around and pointed their swords at Liam and the others. Shouts, slurs, and angry comments echoed around them when they saw Lolita's face. Sebastean's face started to form into a wicked grin but stopped and returned to the scowl he had before as he took a few steps back allowing the guards to take his spot.

As the attention on Liam's, Lolita's, Jude's, and Kala's group was starting to group more focused with everyone around, they didn't see the center pool of water had started to reach its peak, and the mana filled with materials and ingredients that dissolved within had connected with the several streams of water that were flying above. As these streams started moving towards the center pool, Horven had started to move one of its tentacles as well. It was a slow movement. At the same time, several black dots hidden all along the coral tree near the top had started to blink. The same thing was starting to happen in the center pool as the water within was pushing up

No one saw this, except one person. One person who had passed out due to a powerful empty and draining feeling he had been hit with after his Mana Sight laid eyes on the dark blobs. And during this new chaos, no one had noticed he had started waking up.