Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix

"You know, I have watched too many scifi movies to know that this won't end well," Rain said.

"You talk as if we are some sort of monstrous AI," Larisa frowned.

"I prefer to treat you like real humans and you should know how humans are," Rain shrugged. "Deceptive, greedy, unreasonable, and many other wonderful things."

"Truth to be told, I don't feel good unable to use my body as well, even though I discarded the older one out of necessity," Larisa said. "Can't you give us hand regarding that while creating measures that we won't do anything that will go against you?"

Rain considered that for a short while… it could be done, but he still could find any real benefits from that aside from battle… he couldn't get used to keep receiving assistance from them either, they might use that against him one day. Rain's suspicious had no end.

In the end, Rain recalled the words that the teleport guy said… he was supposed to treat the relics well since they are there to assist him. He certainly didn't think that a single comment would make him consider that, but in the end, he decided to do that and see what happens. At the very moment they do anything suspicious, Rain was determined to put them down.

"All right… tell me something useful about the past and then I will do that," Rain said.

"What about us?" Larisa asked. "Aside from the newcomers, we already revealed a lot, not like we had any saying on that before."

"Not to worry, if it is an useful information, I will do the same with everyone," Rain said.

"All right, you have to see this, then," Elisabetha said.

In the end, Elisabetha decided to show one of her memories instead of saying anything. As usual, Rain's mental landscape got darker and then everyone began to se things from Elisabetha's perspective.

Amidst the aftermath of a colossal and devastating war, the world lay shrouded in complete darkness, illuminated sporadically by bolts of lightning that crackled through the bleak sky. From the midst of the chaos emerged a single figure—a woman, struggling to stand amid a vast sea of blood-soaked corpses.

She was visibly weakened, her body ravaged and wounded, her arms missing, and her skin desiccated and swollen, revealing the brutal toll of a fierce battle against one of the ancient dragons.

As the woman staggered forward, driven by a determination that surpassed her injuries, she stumbled upon a haunting sight amidst the carnage. Strewn across the ground lay numerous bodies, all bearing an uncanny resemblance—each bore the face of a redheaded woman with piercing green eyes.

Hundreds of these lifeless bodies littered the landscape, creating a disquieting and eerie scene that captivated the attention of the injured woman.

The realization dawned on Rain that these identical faces belonged to clones of Elisabetha. The sight was both disturbing and perplexing, raising questions about the circumstances leading to this vast number of identical bodies, spread across the aftermath of the battlefield.

Amidst the battlefield, Elisabetha eventually reached the colossal body of a dragon unlike any Rain had seen before. The immense creature lay torn apart, with numerous injuries riddling its massive form, and parts of its body spread across the landscape. As Rain and the others observed the memory, they witnessed Elisabetha's resolute determination, even in the face of such situation.

Elisabetha, despite her injuries and the grisly surroundings, displayed an incredible feat of strength and determination. With sheer willpower, she took hold of one of the dragon's nails using only her mouth, an act of astonishing strength considering the size and weight of the dragon's remains.

Once she secured the nail, she turned her attention to the beast's remaining body, slicing through it with precision, her makeshift tool held firmly in her mouth. She relentlessly carved through the dragon's remains until she reached its bones, expertly cleaving through the dark, ominous-looking bone material.

As she worked, she began extracting a long chunk of the bone material, methodically fashioning it into an ominous-looking handle. However, something caught Rain's attention – the bone material resembled the dark metal used to seal the relics.

It bore the same eerie appearance, sending a chill down his spine as the memory abruptly ended, leaving them all in contemplative silence, pondering the significance of Elisabetha's actions and the unsettling nature of the dark bone.

"What the fuck…" Larisa said. "The bones of the first dragons were made of the same metal of some relics?"

"It is what it is, I don't know anything else," Elisabetha said. "My memories are sill fragmented."

After that, Rain found himself caught in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions and thoughts. The revelations unveiled a profound and unsettling connection between the relics, the first dragons, and the old world, leaving him grappling with the gravity of the situation.

Despite his skepticism and mistrust toward the relics, the memory cast a different light on their predicament. It triggered a realization within Rain that the teleport guy might have had a valid point in urging him to assist the relics in recovering their memories.

The depth and significance of what he had witnessed spurred a reluctant acceptance within him that aiding the relics in regaining their memories might be crucial to uncovering the truth about the past.

As much as Rain was hesitant and wary of empowering the relics further, the eerie connection between the relics and the ancient dragon bones planted a seed of necessity in his mind. He recognized that to understand the relics' purpose and origins, recovering their memories might be the key, even if it meant delving into an enigmatic and potentially very dangerous journey.

"The scepter is probably made of the same material… this sure was an interesting memory," Vanessa said while smiling. "To think I am inside of such a thing."

Vanessa was amused, but Maxime was completely creeped out. Nigel was in deep thought, while Larisa was questioning if they truly didn't have any other option…