177 Moon Priestess (1/2)
”The child in the Supreme's womb is lifeless, my lord.”
”I know,” Kalel said. ”Soleil and I just found out that the Moon Serpent doesn't have a heart. And as long as he doesn't have a heart, he will never be born alive.”
He secretly met up with the Moon Priestess in the Moon God's shrine to talk about that.
They weren't talking face-to-face though. The Moon Priestess was inside the prayer room while he was outside. A thin wall separated them. Still, they could hear each other just fine.
”When Aku Moonchester killed the Moon Serpent after the war among the moons, he ripped out the Moon Serpent's heart to prevent it from being reborn,” the Moon Priestess said. ”He knew that the sky god would eventually find out that he lied to him. And so, to make sure that the only being capable of killing him wouldn���t be revived, he crushed its heart.”
Unfortunately, they only discovered that fact after he and Soleil had conceived a lifeless child.
Our baby is nothing but a shell.
It was probably the reason why Aku Moonchester– now King Auro– allowed him to marry the Supreme Fire Mages. He knew that they wouldn't be able to conceive the Moon Serpent.
”Without the Moon Serpent, we can't kill that despicable king,” the Moon Priestess said. ”My lord, can you really not kill him?”
”I can,” he admitted. ”But if I kill Aku, Soleil will die with him.”
When he and Soleil were reborn after they refused to ascend to the heavens, they weren't reincarnated at the same time.
His reincarnation was done earlier than scheduled.
Soleil was then left in the Plane– the world between the heaven and earth where souls await to be reborn. She was left there with Aku Moonchester's soul.
He didn't know how, but that was when Aku tied his soul with Soleil's.
Just like how the moon gets its light from the sun, Aku needs Soleil's soul for him to be reincarnated with the same amount of Mana that she has.
”Have you told Lady Rosenberg that her soul is tied with the king in that way?” the Moon Priestess asked.
To Soleil's followers, she would always be 'Lady Rosenberg' even though she was already married to him.
I don't mind though.
”No,” he answered the Moon Priestess's question. ”And I have no intention of telling her.”
”But my lord–”
”Soleil will kill herself if she finds out that aside from the Moon Serpent, only her death can kill Aku,” he said firmly. ”But it doesn't end there. If she dies with Aku, she will never be reborn again.” He clenched his fists tight. ”I can't have that. I want to meet her in every lifetime that I will reborn into.”
The Moon Priestess let out a frustrated sigh. ”Is there a way to unbind Lady Rosenberg's soul with the king's?”
”And you believed him?”
”Of course not,” he said. ”I went to Asher's temple and forced him to connect me to the Sky God. According to that useless god, Soleil's heart doesn't have anything to do with the bind.”
”So, the king lied to you just to force you to give him Soleil's heart?”
”Yes. But I don't know what he needs Soleil's heart for.”
”How will you save Lady Rosenberg then?”
”Aku thinks I'm still under his control,” he said. ”I have to rip out Soleil's heart to get closer to him.”
”Lord Kalel!”
”I need to get close to him to cut the thing that binds his soul to Soleil's,” he said firmly. ”The Sky God taught me a way to free Soleil from Aku's grasp.”
”How, my lord?”
He fell silent for a few seconds before he answered. ”I'll use my soul as a replacement.”
The Moon Priestess gasped. ”Does it mean you'll be the one to die if Aku dies?”
”I don't mind dying as long as Soleil lives,” he said. ”But I have to sacrifice her heart first.”
”My lord, the king will surely use Lady Rosenberg's for his evil schemes.”
”I know,” he said. ”I have a plan and I need your help for that.”
”Tell me what I have to do,” the Moon Priestess said eagerly. ”I will do anything for the Supreme.”
This was the reason why he sought the Moon Priestess. Her affinity was with the moon but she was attached to the sun instead. Perhaps, it was a testament of Soleil's charisma. People would just naturally get drawn to her.
”Once I ripped Soleil's heart out of her, I will protect it to make sure that we can return it to her,” he said. ”Then, steal it from me before I hand it to Aku.”
”My lord, you're overestimating my ability.”
”You can do it,” he said confidently. ”You can easily do it if you have Asher's Holy Scepter. If you have the Holy Scepter, Aku can't get the heart back from you.”
”That brat won't lend us his Holy Scepter,” the Moon Priestess said. ”Are you telling me to steal it, my lord?”
”Yes.”
Silence ensued for a few moments.
”I'll do it for Lady Rosenberg,” the Moon Priestess said finally. ”My lord, can't we tell the Supreme about this plan?”
”We can't,” Kalel said firmly. Of course, he didn't want to lie to Soleil and keep her in the dark. But too many eyes were watching him. If he told her the truth, it would definitely reach Aku. ”If I need to be an evil person in the eyes of Soleil and her clan, so be it,” he said while his heart was thumping against his chest painfully. ”I just want Soleil to live and be reborn again with a better life.”
***
KALEL WAS in shock.