Cyrus had an idea. 

Ever since the battle with Winnehild began, Cyrus had been trying to work through her effortless control over the battlefield. She barely flinched when faced with the full onslaught of the travelers' party, and the only one who seemed to be able to fight back was Tressa... But only after she swapped out her spear for her scythe. Once she did that, she effortlessly wove in between Winnehild's attacks, barely seeming to notice they were aimed for her in the first place. Cyrus was certain it had something to do with the elemental affinity of the scythe. Balogar's element of water was a powerful thing, and when used in the right way, it could be what the travelers needed to win the fight.

As soon as the eldrite was delivered into Cyrus' hand by Tressa, he let out a careful breath and started to brush his fingers over it. He could feel its power actively trying to thrash against the boundaries of the stone. Now that Cyrus knew to expect the element of water, he could track it far easier than he could back when he first found the eldrite. Only one of the travelers could draw upon the power of Balogar's scythe at once, but any of them could pull from the eldrite if it was used properly. 

Cyrus remembered the blessings of the other gods well, and he knew which ones were going to help him now: Alephan and Balogar. Alephan granted a focus unparalleled to those who had received his blessing, and Balogar could freely flow with the elements just as he had during his battle with the travelers. If Cyrus focused the power of the eldrite and followed the example Balogar had set, then he would be able to use it against Winnehild. 

Nearby, the rest of the travelers were doing their best to fend Winnehild off for long enough for Cyrus to tap into the power of the eldrite. Cyrus took in a careful breath and let it out as the blessings of Alephan and Balogar crackled beneath his skin and pulled free of the stone. Cyrus could feel something about him begin to change, and the eldrite grew warm against his palm like it could barely withstand the power it was sharing. 

Alfyn was the closest traveler to Winnehild when the spell finally activated, and her sword swung down to aim for his shoulder. Alfyn looked like he wanted to deflect the attack but realized his axe would move too slow to keep him safe. His eyes widened, but just before the sword struck, his body moved on its own to step out of the way. Winnehild's blade kissed empty air before slamming into the ground of the shrine, and Alfyn was left with wide eyes as he stared down at the sword. He only remembered to jump out of the way of Winnehild's follow-up attack after the sword started to shift in his direction, and Alfyn scrambled at the last second to avoid the slash. 

Cyrus' proud smile glowed as he pressed the eldrite against his chest. The element of water was the most mutable of all the powers the gods held, and he had learned as much during his studies back at the Royal Academy. He never would have imagined he would find a use for it here though, not that he was complaining. There was no better feeling for a scholar than seeing their research put into effect in real time. 

But Cyrus couldn't fall complacent just yet. There was still a battle to be won, and Cyrus would see it through no matter what. He dropped the eldrite into one of the pockets of his bag, hoping that it would remain active even after he put it away. Luckily, it seemed to, and the rest of the travelers easily wove in and out of Winnehild's range to keep her distracted. If the goddess of war was upset, she was doing her best to not show it, schooling her lips into a tight frown rather than let her rage get the best of her. Cyrus smiled at the sight anyway, and he raised the Aether Scepter high above his head to drain her energy. Winnehild slowed ever so slightly, but she remained fast enough to be a threat. 

As far as Cyrus could tell, the only way to defeat her was to disarm her. While the travelers were no longer sustaining massive damages against Winnehild, that strategy was not perfect, and Cyrus knew the eldrite combined with Balogar and Alephan's blessings would only keep the group safe for so long. The best way to win this fight was to take Winnehild's weapons from her... But how could they do that? She was gripping them as tightly as she could, and Cyrus knew better than to try and wrench them out of her hands himself. Even with the eldrite's power, that wouldn't be enough to keep him from her raw strength. Getting too close was a risk none of them could afford to take. 

So they would need to use magic instead. Cyrus could keep using his scepter to try and drain her strength until she lacked the energy to fight back, but that would probably take too long. Trying to defeat a goddess at her full strength was a vain effort, and Cyrus knew it... But what magic could he use to defeat her that would win the fight in a timely manner? He had studied just about every element of Orsterra, including those that had been hidden from the world when the gods retreated from the continent. If anyone was an authority on the twelve elements, it was Cyrus, even if he hadn't been given the blessing of Winnehild's twelfth element. 

Cyrus knew from the process of elimination that her power had to be over steel. It made sense too; she was a warmaster, and she fought with weapons of metal in order to secure her victory in a battle... What if that was the reason she hadn't opted to fight with her legendary weapon? Her other weapons seemed to be plain metal weapons, but as long as she had the power of her steel element at her back, they would be enough to help her win the day. Winnehild was using them to channel her element. That was one reason she was so strong; every one of her six weapons was an extension of her power even if it was not a legendary armament. 

Cyrus took in a deep breath and focused his energy on the weapons in Winnehild's hands. If he was able to take control of the steel and sway the blades in his favor, then Cyrus would hopefully strip away a lot of her power. It was an unreliable strategy, especially since Cyrus had never learned how to use the element of steel... But he had studied it before, right? Cyrus didn't know if that would be enough, but he had to at least try it. 

The other travelers didn't bother to give Cyrus a second glance as they held off Winnehild. Primrose was the boldest of the group, getting closest to Winnehild but always coming out of her close calls in one piece. Therion was close behind her with Tressa acting as the main distraction. Since she had the added bonus of the Oceanic Scythe, Tressa was the safest of the group, and she took advantage of her position to get in a few extra hits on Winnehild. The warbringer barely seemed to notice Tressa's attacks individually, but with time, the strikes began to add up. Between Tressa's smaller slashes and Cyrus' earlier energy spell, Winnehild was starting to slow down, and with a few more good hits, she would be out of the battle entirely.

Cyrus clenched his fingers together, and slowly but surely, the steel of Winnehild's weapons began to distort. The blades pinched and caved in over themselves. H'aanit narrowly avoided an attack from Winnehild's axe, but even if the blade had struck her, it wouldn't have done much with the way the axe was starting to melt in Winnehild's grip. The change was minimal at first, but it was enough to shock Winnehild, and she let up on her assault just long enough to look down at her weapons in ghastly shock. 

That chance was all the travelers needed. Primrose raised Steorra's whip high above her head before slamming it against the ground, creating a series of comets that rained down on Winnehild. The warmaster tried to block the attacks with her blades, but all that did was pinch the steel more. Winnehild hissed between her teeth and tried to dig her heels into the ground, but it didn't work as she had been hoping. 

Tressa raised Balogar's scythe high above her head before swinging it down in a wide arc. Winnehild was struck from behind and sent rolling forward. The warmaster held her arms out to make sure none of her blades cut her as she rolled up into a crouch, but when she rose again, she was left right in the line of fire from a different opponent. Cyrus had raised the Aether Scepter to call down an energy draining spell while Winnehild was distracted, and as soon as it hit her, she began to slow down again. Afterward, Cyrus went back to focusing on ruining her weapons... But in all of this, the steel of her gauntlets refused to waver. Cyrus wasn't targeting them in the first place, but he could only assume a fact like that was going to turn out to be important later. 

H'aanit summoned an electric arrow to her bow before sending it free, and Winnehild hissed when it slammed into her stomach. Therion followed up with a stab with his dagger moments later, and Alfyn joined with another slash at Winnehild's back. Primrose summoned a blast of dark magic with her fan, and Winnehild staggered back in an attempt to escape the onslaught. It was not fated to work as she would have liked, but it still gave her a bit of time to gather her bearings again. 

Olberic didn't let her strike in that time though, rushing at her with his blade at the ready. Winnehild tried to deflect his attacks, but Olberic cut through her defenses effortlessly. The steel of her weapons pinched and shifted out of her favor, and Tressa stabbed at the air with her spear to unbalance Winnehild's grip once again. Winnehild tried to strike at them both with her six weapons, but Olberic and Tressa slid out of the way at the last possible second just as they had before. 

Cyrus, now satisfied with the destruction he had brought to Winnehild's weapons, let the steel spell drop. He reached for the Tome of Tundras and cast another ice spell to strike at Winnehild's hands. She had no choice but to drop her blades when the spell made contact, and Cyrus smiled as the weapons fell helplessly to the shrine floor. Winnehild moved to collect them once more, but when she did, she was struck by a blast of light magic from Ophilia, and she staggered again. Olberic planted his foot in her stomach to send her backward, and once she was on the ground, he pointed his blade at her throat quietly. 

The shrine went still once Winnehild was pinned, and Cyrus let out a heavy sigh of relief. They had done it. The battle hadn't been an easy one to win, but he was still proud of them all for putting in such effort. Winnehild had been giving it her all, and the travelers still came out on top through using the tools they had gathered over the course of their journey. Defeating Winnehild felt like the pinnacle of everything they had been fighting for in the last few months, and Cyrus couldn't hold back his smile when it started to spread across his lips. 

Winnehild allowed herself a smile too, and Olberic took that as his cue to back off. Winnehild pushed herself to her feet, though it was admittedly somewhat awkward because of her six arms. She watched the travelers for a long moment, seeming to study the various excited glows in each of their eyes. "Thou hath foughten well to maken it this far," she declared. "I am glad I was given the chance to seen thy power for myself."

"Thank you for facing us, Winnehild," Tressa smiled as she bowed. She finally allowed herself to put her weapons away, and Cyrus dug into his bag to pull out the eldrite as she did. Right. He still needed to deactivate the spell that had allowed them to avoid her attacks. Cyrus pressed the eldrite against his chest and let out a heavy sigh. There was still magic inside of the eldrite, so it wasn't precisely a water soulstone. It was a source of condensed magic in gemstone form, but it wasn't a soulstone since it could be used more than once. Cyrus could only assume that the eldrite was a far earlier, far better form of soulstone, but he wouldn't know that until he was able to study it a bit more. Hopefully, he would have that chance in Goldshore in between the Kindling's rituals. 

Winnehild nodded, and she reached for her weapons to give them their shape once again. Once she was satisfied with their new forms, Winnehild nodded, and the weapons disappeared into thin air. She snapped her fingers moments later, and the gauntlets on her hands slid off before consolidating into a single piece of steel armor. The gauntlet floated in the air for a long moment before Olberic reached out to grab it on account of being the closest to it. "My legendary weapon is the Gauntlet of Metal," she explained. "Usen it well to deliveren this world to peace and safety."

Cyrus frowned and took a small step toward her. "Pardon me for the intrusion, Winnehild, but... You would not be the first one to say that we are fated to do something grand for Orsterra," he remarked. "We have known about it for as long as we have had the blessings of the gods, but we still understand so little about what it is we should be doing... Would you be willing to enlighten us as to what that entails?"

Winnehild paused for a long moment, looking out over the rest of the group. Cyrus couldn't say what she was searching for, but when she was finished, her eyes settled on Ophilia. "Not yet," she replied, and Cyrus felt heat rise up in his chest. Nearby, Tressa was on the verge of arguing or pushing the point, but Winnehild silenced her by continuing. "Thou art not ready yet. There is a time and place for everything... But this is not it. Thou art not strong enough to facen what thy destiny containeth. Soon, thou will understanden all... But not yet."

"We're not strong enough?" Primrose echoed. "But we've defeated all of the gods in battle now. We have all of your blessings, don't we? I would say that we're ready to face just about anything." She didn't say that they were finally back to peak performance off the battlefield too, but she didn't need to. The travelers all knew the difference between their fight against Balogar when compared to their recent battle with Winnehild. 

Winnehild shook her head. "There aren things in this world that thou couldst never imaginen," she said as though it explained everything. It explained nothing. "Thou will been prepared soon, but not yet. When the time is right... Thou will knowen it. We will be waiting for thou then." 

Cyrus barely had the chance to process what Winnehild said before light exploded across his vision. When he opened his eyes again, he was back in the shrine lined with purple torches. Cyrus sighed and glanced over to the other travelers. "What in the world could that mean?" he murmured even though he already knew none of them would have an easier time of answering that question. Winnehild didn't seem to want them to understand yet regardless. The time was not right, or so she claimed, and the travelers would know it when it was... Though Cyrus couldn't say for certain if he would know. The gods had been incredibly vague about the travelers' greater purpose of journeying together, and in all the time that had passed since the group first met Aelfric, they had learned remarkably little. 

"I don't know," Ophilia confessed. She was clinging tightly to Aelfric's staff like it was the only thing keeping her held together. "But we should probably get to Riverford and then teleport to Goldshore. I don't think we're going to understand anything if we just stand around and think about it." Going to Goldshore wouldn't help them to uncover the truth either, but it was the best option for the travelers either way. They needed to carry out the next steps of the Kindling, and if they were lucky, it would help them to understand a bit more of their mission. The Kindling was close to the gods, after all, and maybe it would help. The chances were slim, but it was all any of them could think of. 

"Ophilia is right," Primrose agreed with a slow nod. She cast one last glance at the rock carving of Winnehild's symbol before shaking her head. "Let's get going. We'll feel better when we get back into the fresh air." There was something Cyrus could agree with; the air near Riverford felt like it was polluted, and the land seemed to grow darker the closer they got. Cyrus couldn't say he was looking forward to the trip the travelers would need to take there in the future. Maybe Olberic's fight with Werner would help to clear up the pollution. That assumed Werner was the one behind it, but if the man could destroy an entire country, then it wasn't out of the question to say he could do that. 

Cyrus pushed the thought out of his head as he followed the rest of the group away from the shrine. H'aanit went back to guiding the party through the pathway leading to Riverford, and everyone went silent once more. They didn't need to conserve their strength for the upcoming battle with a god, but they weren't in much of a mood to fight against the local monsters either. They had been through more than enough with Winnehild's confusing words, and Cyrus didn't want to push his luck trying to keep himself held together in the face of the beasts. 

Cyrus just wanted to understand what all of this meant. Winnehild must have been serious when she said that the travelers weren't ready, but what were they not ready for? How could they prepare for it when they didn't know what would be waiting for them? Cyrus was the sort to plan as far ahead as he could, but he couldn't do that if the gods wouldn't tell him anything about what he could expect. Cyrus knew they were holding out on him for a reason, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it. He needed to think through everything he knew. Maybe it would lead him somewhere productive in the end. 

Surely this had something to do with Hornburg. Cyrus was just guessing at this point, but it was all he could think of. Hornburg was far from the rest of Orsterra, and the travelers couldn't go out far enough to investigate it in detail. Surely a place like that having a marker for powerful magic meant something... But how could the travelers figure out what it all meant if they couldn't go there to look around? What about Hornburg was so important? If there wasn't a shrine there, then what was responsible for the potent magic in the area? Did it have something to do with Werner? If so, would they find their answers in facing him in Riverford?

Cyrus only came back to his body when he accidentally ran into Olberic from behind. Olberic didn't seem to mind it, and he didn't look up even as Cyrus hurriedly murmured him an apology. The rest of the travelers were instead staring at the road ahead. They had arrived at Riverford, Cyrus realized, but none of them wanted to risk setting foot in the town. 

And as soon as Cyrus pulled away from Olberic to get a look for himself, he understood why. 

Sitting at the center of town was a massive noose, and the townsfolk milled around it like they were used to having to navigate with it in mind. Everyone kept their heads down and their eyes on the ground, refusing to stir up trouble with the guards that patrolled the streets. Wispermill had been unsettling at a first glance too, but Cyrus would have almost preferred the eerie silence to the deliberate, fearful ignorance of the people of Riverford. 

Olberic let out a careful breath as he stepped away from the entrance to town. "We cannot do anything to help them yet," he said softly, though Cyrus could tell that he was trying to convince himself just as much as the rest of the travelers. "We need more strength than we have now to fight Werner. We need to get to Goldshore."

"Ah, right." At the mention of Goldshore, Cyrus reached into his bag and pulled the Warp Staff out. He retreated away from Riverford's entrance just enough to not attract attention, and he raised the staff high above his head. Light flashed all around him, and Cyrus let his feet leave the ground as he pressed his eyes closed. He would be able to investigate Riverford more when the travelers returned there for Olberic's mission. In the meantime, they had to finish out the Kindling. 

When Cyrus opened his eyes again, he was met with far greater light than Riverford had ever known. The sun shone bright and chipper in the sky over Goldshore, and Cyrus found himself wincing as his eyes tried to adjust to the sudden light. He didn't think Riverford and Goldshore could have possibly been more different, and it only made the former more unsettling to think about. In Goldshore, everyone ran around with smiles on their faces and their heads held high. Not even Vanessa's trickery and deceit could destroy Goldshore entirely. The town knew how to bounce back from even the darkest of incidents, and it had a powerful persistence that Cyrus had not seen in his glimpse of Riverford. Needless to say, Cyrus was glad he was set to spend the day in Goldshore rather than Riverford, and he knew the other travelers felt the same way. 

Ophilia let out a heavy sigh, and all of the travelers pulled their eyes in her direction once more. "Back in Goldshore..." she murmured. "And after this..." She didn't say that she would be returning to Flamesgrace again, but the rest of the travelers could feel it. Cyrus could only assume that Ophilia would cast her Ember into the Great Flame in Flamesgrace, and afterward, she would continue with the rest of the travelers in their journey around Orsterra. They still had a duty to fulfill as per the words of the gods, and Cyrus' curiosity had only been rekindled after speaking with Winnehild. The travelers were not yet ready to face what was waiting for them, but they would be soon. They simply needed to give it a bit more time. 

Ophilia barely had the chance to look down at the lanthorn in her grasp before she was distracted by a door opening and closing nearby. Somebody was walking out of one of the shops near the entrance to town. It was a man wearing blue and white clothing that seemed far too fancy for Goldshore, and judging by the flash of recognition in Ophilia's eyes, Cyrus could only assume it was someone she knew. 

Surely enough, she walked over to the man in blue with a frail smile pressed on her face. "Master Mattias of the Leoniel Consortium!" Ophilia exclaimed, and at last, Cyrus understood. He knew of the Leoniel Consortium as a league of merchants across Orsterra responsible for the trading and distributing of goods. They had dedicated divisions in many of the largest towns of Orsterra, Atlasdam and Goldshore being two among them. While being a member didn't promise the same grand glory as the solo career Tressa was pursuing, it still often guaranteed security for the employees under its name and banner. Ophilia continued to speak even as Cyrus lost himself in thought, her grip on the lanthorn growing ever tighter along the way. "What brings you to this good place, sir?"

Mattias glanced over at Ophilia, and he smiled grandly, but the grin didn't seem to quite reach his eyes. "Ah, Sister Ophilia! It has been far too long since I saw your lovely face," Mattias told her. If Ophilia thought something interesting of the flattery, she did not let it show in her gaze. 

Instead, she simply continued to speak as she hooked the lanthorn back on its clasp at her hip. Mattias' gaze followed the dancing of the silver flame even when he should have been looking into Ophilia's eyes. "Pray forgive me for ending our first meeting so abruptly," Ophilia replied. "The goods you brought to Flamesgrace served the Kindling well. I truly wish I could have done something to return that kindness sooner."

Mattias smiled and held his hands up in an act that felt strangely uncanny to Cyrus' critical gaze. "There is nothing to forgive, Sister! I heard of the archbishop's affliction... Terrible news, that," he said, his eyes once again falling on the lanthorn for just a bit too long. "I hear that you are performing the Kindling in Sister Lianna's stead. Your journey has not been an easy one, I am sure."

Ophilia shook her head. If her tongue wanted to betray the truth of all the troubles she had faced on this journey, she did not let it. "It is the path I have chosen," Ophilia answered instead, saying both everything and nothing with that deceptively simple thought. "And the provisions the Consortium generously prepared for my sister have served me well on the road. I thank you all for your kindness, good sir. Our realm owes you a great debt."

"Think nothing of it, Sister," Mattias assured her with a shake of his head. "We, too, are honored to serve. You have a gentle heart. The people are fortunate to have your guidance." His eyes glazed over, and rather than staring at the lanthorn, he opted to seemingly look right through Ophilia. "Disease. Poverty. War. Natural disasters. There is no shortage of suffering in this world. And yet, I hear that recently there are those who turn their backs on the church, shunning the light of the Sacred Flame."

A conflict a thousand years in the making stirred behind Ophilia's eyes, but she couldn't find the strength to voice any of her darker thoughts. "That is most saddening," she murmured instead. Her gloved fingers drifted to the lanthorn once again, almost as if they craved the heat the Ember could provide through the steel. 

Mattias snapped out of his daze just as quickly as it had begun, and he shook his head with a smile that felt almost too jubilant given the sudden change of subject. "Oh, but forgive me. I did not mean to trouble you when you have more important matters at hand. I shouldn't have distracted you from the Kindling simply because I am in the area on work," he told her. "Do forget what I said and focus on the Kindling. I, too, will offer a prayer for your success."

"You have my thanks, Master Mattias," Ophilia returned with a smile. There was something almost strained about her grin, and Cyrus resisted the urge to openly frown. What could Ophilia have been thinking? Beyond that, why did it seem like she didn't want to share it with the rest of the travelers?

If Ophilia was suspicious of Mattias or anything else surrounding their conversation, she didn't get the chance to comment on it. Mattias started to walk in the opposite direction, an excuse falling freely from his lips. "And now, I fear I have some business I must attend to," he explained. "I will be in town for a while longer. Mayhap our paths will cross again." Just as quickly as he had appeared, Mattias disappeared into the crowd, leaving the travelers to do little but stare at the place where he had last been. 

Ophilia continued to watch the last spot where she had seen Mattias for a handful of moments that seemed tempted to stretch into eternity. When she finally moved again, she let out a heavy sigh and clung to the handle of the lanthorn for dear life. Cyrus was certain that beneath her dark gloves, her knuckles had gone stark white with a terror she refused to describe. "We should go to the cathedral," she declared. "The Kindling awaits." 

Before any of the travelers had the chance to ask about the sudden change in demeanor, Ophilia started off down the path. Cyrus shared a frown with Primrose before they both trailed after her. H'aanit and Tressa were the fastest among the group, and they fell into pace alongside Ophilia as the other travelers followed. Cyrus trusted Ophilia to know which way to go, and he allowed he to lead the way. 

Even so, he stared at her back with a discontent frown. Ophilia seemed off somehow, but he couldn't figure out how he was meant to describe it. She was upset about something, and talking with Mattias seemed to have only made it worse. Cyrus would have to ask her about it soon. Perhaps speaking of her worries would help to soothe her heart. 

Cyrus certainly hoped so if nothing else. He didn't know what he would do if that failed. 

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Welcome back to Goldshore! Woohoo!

I really like how this last god fight came out in this chapter. I wanted to reference the Sidestep cheese strategy in the game, but I couldn't think of how to do that specifically in relation to the Merchant class in a way that felt organic... So I went for something a bit different. Instead, we get to see the travelers take advantage of two of the later elements of the gods and then team up to take Winnehild down. They still have a long way to go before they'll be ready for the final boss, but they're making progress, and Winnehild can see it. 

And we were able to start Ophilia's third chapter on top of that! Woohoo! Right now the plan is still to hopefully tie everything up around chapter 183, but we'll have to see how well that works out. There's a lot to cover in this chapter as I'm sure you can imagine. We're going to start working away at it soon though, and I can't wait. 

Next time, we'll pick up with our first bits of travel banter and then the group's arrival at the cathedral. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!

-Digital