Heavenly Dao Child

Antariskh twirled the wine in her glass, as the date of Ryuu's return drew near, their excitement, as well as the impatience, increased considerably, they knew that Ryuu was injured but the question remained how badly, they knew that Eden changes one considerably as such they wanted to see if their beloved Ryuu will still be there or not.

"Antariskh is the wine not to your liking?"

Antariskh was brought out of her musings as she spoke, "Ah what did you say something father?"

Maheswara smiled as he spoke, "Nothing I was just asking you if the wine is not to your liking you are twirling the glass full of wine for some time now."

Antariskh gave him a small smile as she spoke, "I would not know if the wine is good or not, after all, I have yet to take a sip of it even though it smells heavenly."

Veena frowned as she spoke, "What is distracting you so much Antariskh?"

Antairsikh frowned before she slouched on her seat while rubbing her forehead in exasperation, "I am tired, mother, too tired, handling the business and everything is so tiring, I had high hopes for dropping everything on Ryan's lap and retiring but he is like a free bird who would suffocate from it, not to mention too young to shoulder such burden yet holding the seat for him is becoming too much for me."

A sombre look appeared on everyone's face as her parents' heart stuck on their throats seeing the tired look on her face as Antariskh continued, "You know sometimes I envy the mortals."

Celestia frowned as she looked at Antariksh as she could not help but ask out loud, "Why would that be?"

With a melancholic sigh, she continued, "They do not have to live such a long cursed existence."

No sooner did her word leave her mouth the combined KI of her family fell on her before she found herself in the tight embrace of Veena making her drop her glass.

"Please child please whatever you do, please do not think about such, if you are having trouble then please tell we will solve it for you, but please do not say such things, please I do not want to experience the death of another of my child."

Her words were the trigger that was needed as the other members of her family quickly surrounded her trying to dissuade her, trying to take her mind off of her thoughts making her sigh inwardly at that.

'How long has it been since I had been embraced by parents like this, I miss those days when my family was whole, I miss those days but I am too tired and I simply wish to die, but I cannot be selfish, the brother left me the duty to protect my family I will do so no matter what, but I am too tired I do not know how to continue anymore.'

Meanwhile, her sisters had different thought running through their minds, 'How could we not notice her breaking down, we are sisters, we swore to protect each other, yet we frolicked around dumping all the workload on her shoulder and now our beloved sister is falling apart like this.'

Sylvana quickly opened a telepathic link with her younger sister as she spoke, 'Shamiran what should we do.'

'I know we should lighten her responsibilities, she had been acting like the pillar on which we all are relying on, whether it is our parents or us we all put all our burden on the pillar without thinking and now it is cracking and falling apart.'

'I know, damn it, damn it, after brother died she was the one who stood tall to shelter us, then we joined her we promised to each other that as sisters we would watch each other's back, but now, never have I felt so ashamed.'

'True Sis so true, but how are we going to deal with.'

With a frown on her face, Shamiran replied to her, 'We have to be subtle, our big sister is extremely stubborn, and if she detects even the smallest hint of what we are planning she would be extremely angry.'

'Then we have to be extremely cautious.'

'Exactly Sylvana, we have to be not cautious to mention we have to recruit Ryuu as well.'

'Ryuu, but why? He has shown a lack of interest in this matter and I do not think it would change in the long term.'

'I know but if we explain it to him then he will understand and help us, but immense subtlety is required.'

'I see where you are going with this Sis, Ryuu can pretend to be somewhat interested after being a bit matured from his ordeal at Eden, but we will have to be careful.'

'Do not worry I trust in Ryuu's abilities.'

"I am fine mother there is nothing to worry."

As Antariskh's voice came to her ears Veena's grip tighten on her making her gasp, 'Damn it, is she going to crush me to death.'

Seeing her distress Nuwa placed her hand on her sister wives shoulder as she spoke, "First Sister please loosen your grip a little, you are crushing Antariskh."

Her voice made Veena release her daughter who spoke with a smile on her face, "See mother I am fine there is nothing for you to worry about."

But before anyone could say anything Antariskh went ramrod still before her eyes glazed slightly for a brief moment making the others concern for her skyrocket.

As she came back to senses she found herself held firmly by her father who spoke with a concerned look on his face, "My baby star are you alright."

Antariskh's brow twitched before she punched her father hard on his chin as she shouted out in anger, "I am not a baby!"

As she huffed in anger Nuwa held her hand as she spoke, "Forget that old fool, but daughter please tell us what happened we are all here for you."

Antariskh smiled at her as she spoke, "Nothing mother I just learned that a year from today I will have my tribulation."

Hearing her words everyone's eyes widen when suddenly Antariskh felt herself scooped up in a big hug by Maheswara as he spoke with tears in his eyes, "Aww my baby star grew up and now she is going to at the same level as her daddy."

Antariskh's face gained a new shade of red courtesy of Maheswara's antics as she repeatedly hit her father as she shouted out, "Don't call me 'baby star'."

While Maheswara's wives simply laughed at the antics of the father-daughter duo with a warm smile on their faces, the same could not be said by the two sisters.

'Hey Sis, do you think she might purposefully fail the tribulation so that she might die.'

'Shamiran! Don't speak such nonsense.'

'But…'

Sylvana frowned as she replied to her, 'Even if it costs my life I will not let her commit suicide.'

'Me too big sister me too.'

********

Meanwhile, back with Ryuu and his group things were not going well for them, not only were their KI completely sealed but various problems began to show up, mainly hunger and thirst not to mention extreme fatigue.

Since the time at the top of the mountain, neither the density of air has increased nor has the gravity itself returned to normal making it worse for them.

'This is unbearable we have been here for months and we have to endure one challenge after another and now the greatest of all is hunger and thirst, locked in this place with no way of escape hunger is tearing us apart and then the thirst, there is nothing for us to drink and the wine would make us more thirsty, damn it, we are already at our limits.'

He looked at the dizzy Frost Flames that he was supporting along with Frozen Ocean, with Su-Min already on his back unconscious, and same was the case of Zywia who was on True-Spear's back.

"We won't last long inside this trap, it is getting ridiculous."

"So true brother True-Spear, so true but there is nothing we could do here except move forward, how long has it been since we have been trapped here."

A faint voice of Frost Flames came to his ears, "Six months we have been trapped here for six months now."

Hearing her voice made him wince as Ryan could not help but ask out loud, "Brother how many of ours are still there with us."

True-Spear sighed before he turned to look back before he spoke with a shake of his head, "Less than a hundred, less than a hundred remain."

Ryuu bit his lips as he drew blood before he began to speak again, "That mysterious technique of brother Severing Saber is truly otherworldly, even without KI they were at least able to hibernate."

"But, what good will it be?", The weak voice of Frozen Ocean came to his ears, who continued in a hoarse voice, "Until we clear this level we are stuck."

Ryuu sighed as he spoke, "I know sis as such despite all odds we are pushing forward."

"You have got to be kidding me."

A shout filled with hopelessness came to his ears as he looked forward Ryuu as well his companions felt their heart drop.