The Story of Mirtis

Content

Years had passed since Gesti sent her demon lords after Laima, yet they had all failed to find Her. Chasing a goddess that could see into the future was far from an easy task, but lately they had made considerable progress in tracking Her steps.{np}Eminent was certain Laima had become restless after her chosen keeper Ruklys was assassinated. Mirtis thought otherwise.{np}It was reasonable to think Laima was slowly losing her powers after creating the first Revelation. Mirtis believed the demon lords were closer to Her than ever before. For one, they had almost caught the goddess in Siauliai Woods. They had since lost track of Her again, but they were confident She was near.
Mirtis, in particular, possessed a means for reconnaissance other demons did not. She had found Laima accompanied by a man in a human prison, and there too she had nearly caught Her.
None of the demon lords, however, had come close enough to Laima to properly confront Her.{np}Mirtis saw their progress as a positive sign; she was certain She would not escape their grip for much longer. She knew from the glimpses she took of Her that Laima had assumed the form of a weak human child. She did not look as if She could withstand an attack if she were to confront Her.{np}And so, when Laima was finally sighted in the Crystal Mine, Mirtis hurried to inspect the location for possible escape routes.
She couldn't rule out the possibility of Her using teleportation to flee, either. She modified the mine walls to collapse on any signs of teleportation. Anyone attempting it would become trapped in the mine before they had the chance to escape.
Realizing there were no means left for Laima to exit the mine, Mirtis felt assured and excited.{np}Perhaps because of this, Mirtis had failed to notice the man that accompanied Laima until She came into sight. She was ready to address Her.
[At last, I become the one to stand before you. Other demon lords have chased your path, only to abandon it without ever seeing your shadow. But now you're here. The curtain has fallen.]
It wasn't Laima, but Cunningham, the man beside Her, who replied.
[Did it cross your mind that we could be the ones waiting for you?]{np}Mirtis retorted.
[Insolent. Whether you waited for me makes no difference. Our matters do not pertain to you, human. What makes you believe you have the right to impose yourself?]{np}Mirtis shifted her attention from Cunningham to Laima.
[I have received orders from Giltine to strongly encourage you to surrender the Revelation. Should you refuse, it is my duty to seize it through whatever means necessary. Let us make a peaceful agreement. I am willing to be courteous.]{np}Laima was once again silent. It was Cunningham who continued.
[We waited for you here precisely because we can no longer escape. Although, if you didn't know yet, this mine has been excavated for centuries.]
[That means...?]
Cunningham replied before Mirtis could finish her sentence.
[It's an old, old mine. The lots with no more crystals are already closed. Even if one collapsed, no one would know someone was ever there, and certainly no one would ever dig there again on purpose.]
[And...?]{np}Cunningham had his answer ready.{np}In that moment, the 4 Divine Orbs were used for the first time in history. In the future, they would help fight against the great World Tree disaster. The Divine Orb of Rimgaudas, the first Paladin Master, would also contribute to defeating Mirtis' master Gesti not too far from there. But in that moment, it was Mirtis who fell victim to the Orbs first powerful attack.{np}Mirtis tried to move, but she realized she no longer felt the passing of time around her. If time was a stream, it now felt like a pond. If time was freezing, she thought, she would move through space. But space, too, had been blocked ??by herself just a few moments earlier, no less. She could do nothing but stay there, unable to move.{np}She would have tried to escape the influence of the Divine Orb before time stopped still, but her mind, too, was now slowing down to the point where she could no longer control it.
Cunningham waited until she became completely motionless and commented.
[The power of this Orb is remarkable.]
Laima finally replied.
[It is because I am near it. If a human uses it alone, it will not be as powerful.]
[This awful demon isn't going anywhere for a while, that's what's important. But you ought to hurry now. I can take it from here.]
[I would prefer if you did not have to do it.]
[I must. You know so. If the mine isn't destroyed, there's always the chance that other demons, or even humans, can wander upon this place. Not only that...]{np}Cunningham paused to ponder on his words.
[Not only that, the Orb is set to reappear at a different location after its owner's death. It was you who said so. We mustn't let the Orb stay here, for the sake of our future. If I die here, the Orb will be gone and we will have achieved our goal. I'm certain Ruklys would have approved. He can't have died for the goddesses in vain!]{np}Grief washed over Laima at the mention of Ruklys' name and she finally agreed with Cunningham. She blessed his noble sacrifice and left the mine. In Her remained the deep sorrow of the memories She had sought to forget.