"Hurry up!" Celica shouted as they all ran from the cantors that were chasing them. "We can't let them catch us!"

They were all running out of breath as they dashed down the hallway that looked the same as all the others. They were beginning to lose most of the cantors and witches that were following them, and they were quickly approaching the next set of doors. Celica kicked the doors open to many locked prison cells. The Deliverance moved quickly to blockade the doors with barrels that they had found in the corner before facing the prisoners.

Celica recognized some of them, such as the brunette male that had a scowl on his face. Celica also recognized the orange haired male mage and the blue haired saint. There were others that Celica could not name and did not recognize. They all looked up when Celica approached the cells.

"You're the leader of the Deliverance." The brown haired man - Berkut, Celica had believed his name was - said with a scowl as he was remembering a foul moment. "Are you here to execute us?"

Celica's eyes widened. "No! We are here to free you, and save Prince Alm." Lukas walked up to Celica with an old rusty key. Celica took the key and unlocked the cell. Berkut looked suspicious but seemed to calm when the blue- haired saint was released.

Berkut kissed the woman passionately, and he thanked Celica for freeing them.

"Now," Berkut began once they had separated. "why is the Deliverance here to save my cousin?"

Celica began to explain. "Well, Emperor Rudolph had defeated us when we reached the castle, and he told us about the legend. He said that Alm and I were the two mentioned in the legend, and he also told us that Alm had been captured by the faithful. Now we are here to free Alm and save Valentia."

Berkut was silent as he took in what Celica had said. He finally accepted it when he talked it over with the blue- haired woman who introduced herself as Rinea.

"Celica, we have found a passageway that will allow us to proceed without running into more faithful." Lukas told Celica, and the Deliverance continued forward.

They continued walking forward, Tatiana was speaking with Zeke, Delthea had been reunited with her brother, and all of the others were beginning to talk and mingle, as if they weren't likely marching towards their deaths.

"Umm... Miss Celica?" Grima walked forward to speak with Celica.

Celica looked at the small child. "Yes? What is it?"

He shuffled around nervously. "I was wondering if you really think that I will find my father here."

Celica smiled sadly. "I'm not sure, but I do think that they are still here." The child smiled happily when he heard Celica say this and skipped away.

The Deliverance marched further down the dark and dreary halls. They had found a way out of the under tunnels that they entered and they were now closing in on the area that Mila was killed on. Celica got a terrible feeling as she neared the area. She could tell that all of the others, Excluding Grima, also felt the same terrible feeling that she did. As they entered the area, Celica saw what had caused such unrest.

Celica saw the Falchion, no longer impaled in Mila's skull, in Alm's hands. The boy had evil, purple flames flowing off of him, and cascading off of him onto the floor. Berkut, eyes wide with horror, slowly took a few steps forward before being pulled back by Rinea.

"No, Berkut." Zeke began to help Rinea restrain Berkut. "That isn't Alm anymore, he isn't in his right state of mind!"

As they were talking, a deep, threatening chuckled sounded from the sidelines.

"Well, children, I am surprised to see that you have made it this far." Jedah said as he stepped out of the darkness and into the light. "But, this stops here. You will either hand Princess Anthiese over to us or else we will kill all of you. You have to decide. Now." As he said this Alm and two witches walked to stand beside Jedah.

The Deliverance and the Rigelians all glanced at one another before simultaneously pulling out their weapons, preparing for a fight. Jedah narrowed his eyes when he saw them do this. Celica stepped forward as she felt an even darker presence enter the chamber, seeming to make the area have an even darker feel to it than when it was just Alm. Celica and the others all glanced around them, trying to determine where the evil feeling was coming from. Then, they saw it.

The god of Rigel, Duma.

It was a large, hulking dragon that appeared to have come from nowhere and everywhere. The actual body was a dark purple, and Celica had no idea how powerful the fallen deity really was. The god loomed over them all, seeming especially attracted to Celica and Grima. Celica noticed this and guarded Grima behind her back.

"Oh mighty Lord Duma!" Jedah was now facing the dark god. "You have awakened at last!"

Nuibaba entered the now even darker chambers. "Anthiese..." She approached Celica. "Will you join us? Will you choose to serve Lord Duma?" Nuibaba pulled out two prisoners that were previously hidden. "Or," She pulled them both forward to reveal two frighteningly familiar faces. "Will you allow these two to be killed in vain?" She pulled out a sacrificial dagger to the first person's chest. The two faces were Kliff and Mycen's.

Celica briefly met Nuibaba's cold gaze when she saw the prisoners, before turning to look at her friends. Tobin and Gray's expressions of worry and concern over Kliff and Celica, Faye's slight trembling as she watched Celica's reaction to the prisoners, Mae and Boey's now frightened faces, and Genny's face that seemed to be near crying. Celica looked to the other side. Clive, Mathilda and Claire's expressions of outright terror and shock, Python and Forsynth's faces displaying shock at the form of the god in front of them. Celica looked at the rest of her friends. Delthea, Silque, Tatiana, Saber, Valbar, Leon, and Kamui. All of them were showing various faces of fright. Lukas met Celica's gaze with determination, and a look that showed he would accept whatever she chose to do. Celica nodded at him, and then she examined the Rigelian's various faces of acceptance and loathing. Celica turned back to two of the most important people in her life.

Kliff and Mycen both looked to be worse for wear, clothes ragged and filthy, hair matted with sweat and grime. Celica desperately wished to save them, but she knew what she had to do. She had to live for her current friends.

"We will never bow to you. We will never serve such a corrupted god." Celica rushed forwards as dozens of faithful flowed out from the sides, surrounding Alm, the two witches, and Jedah. Nuibaba scowled as she shoved the knife into Kliff's chest, making him collapse. She then proceeded to do the same with Mycen.

Tobin charged forward with tears glistening in his eyes, and stabbed Nuibaba right through her cold and frozen heart. All of the Deliverance and the Rigelians rushed forward to fight anyone that they could find. Celica charged straight for Jedah, intending to end him as soon as she could. Berkut joined her with Rinea tailing behind him. They both wished to free Alm from Duma's clutches as soon as possible. Celica rushed forward when she saw Jedah. Celica jumped up, trying to strike at the man's head. He blocked her and struck back with his death magic. Celica dodged and with a timely intervention from Rinea, Jedah was slaughtered.

"Father!" The witch with the dusty purple hair screamed as she watched Jedah fall. Berkut glared at her, and began to fight her, with Rinea soon joining him. The two of them together were too much for the witch to handle, and she soon fell to their combined might. The duo rushed to Alm, but they were stopped by Hestia, The orange haired witch with the short hair. She guarded Alm from the prince, and she teleported away from the battlefield with Alm in tow.

Celica charged at Duma, slicing him with her sword. She was now joined by the majority of her army as they had all finished their battles with various members of the Duma faithful. They all attacked Duma with all that they had, but the deity would not fall. Celica was getting frustrated just as she remembered what had killed Mila.

The legendary Falchion.

The one that was in Alm's, the corrupted prince's, hands.

Celica grunted in frustration when she was hit with another blast of Duma's powers. She had to figure out how to get that blade from Alm, but it would be an impossible task for she had no idea where they had even went.

Just as she was about to accept this as a lost cause, another dragon flew up to fight Duma. Celica's eyes widened when she realized what was happening. She recalled her army so that they wouldn't get in the way of the two battling dragons. At first she thought that it was Mother Mila, but then she looked over and saw that the bones were just as they were before, dead and lifeless. She turned back to the two battling beings, and she realized that the one that had come to aide them was becoming smaller. Her eyes widened when she realized that the dragon became Grima. He looked far more tired than he was when the battle had began, but Celica supposed that would happen when you had just battled a literal god.

She ran to Grima and held him.

"Are you okay?" Celica asked with concern.

Grima blearily looked up at Celica and smiled. "I am fine... Just tired, I haven't used that much of my powers in a really, really long time..." Grima yawned as he said this.

Celica smiled as he said his. "Then you just rest, you have done more than enough." Grima smiled in response and laid his head down to rest.

Then, Hestia teleported back into the chambers with an un- possesed Alm with her. Alm looked a little disoriented, and he was unsteady on his feet, but Celica realized that now that Alm was back he could slay Duma with Falchion.

"Alm!" Berkut screamed as he ran up to Alm. "It is good to have you back, but we need you to slay Duma with Falcjion!"

Alm nodded his head and rushed Duma. He pulled out the Falchion and attempted to slice Duma. The god had been severely weakened by Grima's earlier attacks. So, when Alm reached Duma, the god was slow and sluggish. Falchion easily sliced through the god's flesh, and with that, Duma was gone.

All seemed to still once the god was slain. The air seemed to clear, the light appeared to flow into the previously dark chambers, and life seemed to start anew. The entire army cheered for the evil god was slain. Celica was smiling when in the heat of the moment, Lukas kissed her. It didn't have tongue or anything, but it was still a shock to Celica. The kiss lasted for a few moments until Lukas appeared to have noticed what he had done and separated from Celica. He was blushing when he had pulled away.

"I... I am so sorry, Celica. It was in the heat of the moment, and I don't know what I was thinking!" Lukas stuttered with a furious blush adorning his cheeks. Celica smiled though and hugged Lukas before kissing him.

"Well, well." A mocking vvoice called. "Look who has finally found a boyfriend."

Celica parted from Lukas and turned to see Kliff standing beside Mycen. Her eyes watered when she saw them.

"You're... You're alive!" Celica exclaimed in shock. She ran up and hugged them both happily.

"I... I healed them right before I started fighting." Genny began to explain to the army. "I saw that Nuibaba was not very adept with a knife, so I knew that she had most likely avoided hitting anything too major. But, I also knew that they would have bled out if I hadn't done anything to help them."

"Yeah, thanks for that." Kliff thanked Genny.

"Yes, I thank you as well." Mycen said.

"Ugghhhh..." Grima groaned from where he was still sleeping. Celica walked over to him.

There was more partying until Boey noticed something. "Hey, why is that witch still here?"

They had all ignored her until they realized how strange it was that she was still here. They were beginning to ask her questions until Alm vouched for her.

"Don't hurt her! She is the reason that I had snapped out of my possession. If it weren't for her then I would still be Duma's puppet." Alm explained.

"Oh. That makes sense thanks, Hestia." Rinea said as Berkut narrowed his eyes.

"Wait," Berkut used his most suspicious voice that he had. "What exactly did she do to free you from Duma's control?" They both blushed when Berkut had asked this, for they knew that if anyone found out what they had done, they would both be teased for all of eternity.

"It was nothing. She just... Talked some sense into me." Alm explained. Berkut didn't believe it for a second.

"Suuuurrrre, I bet that's what happened." Berkut teased.

"Come on. Let's go back home. I'm sure that father is worried for me." Alm said as Celica walked back over to them with Grima.

"Huh? You're that kid that we saw near that village." Alm realized. "What are you doing here?"

"I am a manakete, but I had lost my memories for some reason that I cannot remember. I was wandering around until you guys found me. Then I was taken with Celica's army to Duma's tower to find my father."

"Did you find your father?" Tobin asked.

Grima sighed unhappily. "Yes... It was Duma."

"What!" Celica exclaimed. "How?"

"Only gods can create manaketes, and I only knew that my father lived in Duma tower. Therefore, I knew that the only contender to be my father was Duma." Grima told them.

They all thought it over. "Wait, then who the hell is your mother?" Tobin asked.

Grima frowned. "I... I am not sure. I only think that one of your parents has to be a god to become a manakete."

"Whelp," Gray began to speak once Grima was done speaking. "Let's go back to the castle."

"Yeah."

{Linebreak}

"Alm, my son." Rudolph greeted Alm once they had gotten back to the castle.

Alm ran up and hugged his father. "Father, it is good to see you again after all this time."

"You as well." Rudolph replied, hugging his son back.

"Oh Uncle!" Berkut called as he walked down the hallway with Rinea at his side. "I believe that we have a royal wedding to plan!"

Rudolph narrowed his eyes. "Oh, I see. So you have finally decided on a day to wed Rinea?"

"No. But, my dearest younger cousin has forged a strong relationship with Hestia whilst they were alone in the tower together. With nobody to disturbe them in whatever they had done to free Alm from Duma's control."

"Exactly what have you done with miss Hestia, Alm?" Rudolph questioned his now beet red son.

"Nothing!" Alm insisted. "Berkut is just being a jerk..."

"Okay then, now, let us plan for yours and miss Rinea's wedding, Berkut." Rudolph responded.

"Okay!" Rinea said cheerfully as Berkut also agreed.

"Very well then. Let us go discuss the details."

{Linbreak}

- One Year Later -

"It's nice to see you again!" Celica said as she greeted Alm happily.

"You too." Alm replied. The two of them had become quite close after the war was over.

"How has Hestia been?" Celica asked Alm.

She has been well, how about Lukas?"

"He has taken to the title of ruler nicely. He is very fair and kind to all of our people." Celica said with stars in her eyes.

Alm sighed. "I wish that my people would accept Hestia. They all still remember the atrocities that the faithful had committed, and they are refusing to accept that she has changed."

"That is awful. How are Berkut and Rinea doing?" Celica asked.

"They are expecting their first child, and they already have a retainer picked out." Alm said.

"That was quick. Who have they picked as a retainer?"

"A Zofian named Atlas. Apparently he needed money and he tried out for the position. He was the best one there."

"It is nice to see that a Zofian will be a Rigelian heir's guardian."

"Yeah."

With that, they continued to catch up, and their friendship continued to grow stronger until the day that they were declared best friends by all that they knew.

AN

This is finally done. I hope that you enjoyed it. This was my first fanfiction, and I will probably end up editing it in a few years time. Who knows. I am sorry if this seemed a little rushed, but I really wanted to be done quickly. If anyone has any questions, then please ask me. I don't bite over the internet. My next story will probably be something from fates. Until next time.