Luna’s Journal - Gauntlet

Chapter 10 - Khione, Goddess of the Northern Winds - 10/23/2022

“I got it. Nihilist Cipher.” Luna says. She’s ready to speak aloud the decode.

“Luna stop! Don’t! Don’t say it!” Gem pleads.

“Uhhhh?”

“But she worked so hard on it.” Ardat says.

Luna notices Ardat being oddly agreeable and chooses to listen to Gem.

“I have a seer channel.” Gem explains.

“This is a trap?” Luna asks.

“Yes.”

“Whatcha got?”

“It's no trap.” Ardat says trying to regain control.

“I'm trusting Gem here.” Luna says flatly.

“Fine.” Ardat huffs.

Luna reads over the curse herself and grimaces, “Not gonna lie, I see why Gem stopped me. Yikes.”

“Khione has left us a message… we need to change the blue flame to orange. We need to use the gauntlet to get help from other demons. Orobas is a prince of hell. He is honorbound to answer questions about past, present and future. There is a seal too. He’s to teach us language.”

While Geminy was explaining, Luna and Ardat were arguing over saying the curse aloud.

“They can help us. We need them.”

“NO ONE CAN HELP YOU!” Ardat shouts clearly losing control of the situation. “ONLY YOURSELVES!”

“We will win.” Gem says smugly.


“This is what we call: THE COMEBACK PHASE!” Luna cheers.

The message from Khione makes its way to the rest of Nammu’s Marked for all to hear:

Marked! Marked, can you hear me?

I have been trying to reach you since you entered this gauntlet. It is a trap. Byleth and Ardat set this up as a lose lose game for you. With the limited information they have let you discover so far, you can not possibly win.

By now I hope you have seen the blue flame and deciphered the words under it. This flame and the ritual form their pact with each other, their hidden deception. In order to break it, you must access the flame, turn it rightside up and from blue to orange. This will disrupt their ritual and their secret will no longer be safe.

After that, you must summon Byleth with a ritual similar to the one you used long ago. The bonds and charms will be different. And then you must answer Byleth's riddle after summoning him. All of this would be too complex to learn at the pace Ardat is slowly feeding you information. You will need assistance, more than your lifelines can give you. Your help will have to come from inside the gauntlet itself. From other demons.

The second realm you are in now, it's name begins with Orobas, a mighty Prince of Hell. He is honor bound to provide true answers to questions about the past, present, and future; and divinity, and the creation of the world.

If your eyes were sharp enough you might also have noticed the seal of Agares. His duties include teaching languages and stopping and retrieving runaways. Between the two of them, they can teach you the details of what needs to be learned. To speak with them, you must somehow get Ardat or Byleth to make you one of their taken from within the second realm. They will do their best to avoid doing that, preferring instead to make you a taken from Fidelio. Do whatever it takes to fluster them enough to go against their better judgment.

One last thing. The summoning ritual must be performed in the Vast Meadow. That is precisely why Ardat sealed it off, using the pretense of resurrecting Flower Maiden to do so. I will work on unsealing it at just the right moment. There is a path out of the gauntlet and to the Shrine. Once you find it I will know it is time to unseal the vast meadow.

Good luck Marked, I know you can do this.

And there it is, our tasks are set. We need to get TAKEN AND SHUT in Orobas’s World in order to speak to Mighty Orobas himself, then learn the languages and methods required to finish the fight off! We have six hours. Let’s go.
We began to fight Ardat directly in order to fluster them into TAKING US to Orobas.

----

“Well, time to move on and keep solving those rooms I suppose” Ardat says trying to regain control.

“Nah.” Luna flatly refuses.

“Chop chop!”

"In the undying words of my blessed best friend Drake, [sugma]" Luna says while imitating Drake’s iconic smile the best she can.

“Cursed beast. Enjoy waiting out the clock then.”

“Ardat.. Are you sure you are not being deceived by Byleth too?” Archaicjinn asks.

“Probably.” Gem adds.

“I am sure.” Ardat replies.

“But look at the history.. All of those that he has deceived.. Hiding even behind a false form.” Jinn pleads.

“Byleth is really smelly. If you die I’ll cry!” Gem says.

“Byleth can't even give you a baby!” Luna says.

“Death is not the end.” Jinn says.

It’s chaos!

“He gave one to Nammu no problem. Caitriona could've been yours!” Luna argues

“Silence! You know nothing about Byleth. Or me!” Ardat says.

“BUT NO! YOU COULD'VE BEEN THE 12121. THE MOTHER OF A SUPREME GOD!” Luna continues passionately.

“Caitriona is meant to be yours Lili. But he took that away!” Gem adds.

“12121 is a joke! An inferior Demiurge.” Ardat responds.

“He wanted to give it to Nammu.”

“He didn’t think so.”
“You are being used and received. Just like everyone else she touches.” Jinn says.

“Nice try.” Ardat says cooly.

“She can wield the power of love.. How do you know she didn't use it on you?” He continues.

“IMAGINE, A SUCCUBUS BIRTHING A DEMIURGE!”

“He doesn’t actually want you. Why do you think he made you stole my fertilization. He wants a follower to have his baby.”

“I have the resolve and calm of millennia of suffering. Your words are like gentle mist.”

“Byleth still loves and wants Nammie…why do you think he hasn’t killed her yet?” Gem says.

“Who the hell do you think you are? You are nothing but a mere succubus.” Luna says while fully glaring at her.

“You don't know to whom you are speaking.” Ardat responds to her.

“You're right. I don't know who the hell you are, and frankly, I don't give a damn.”

“I spent 8 months with him…I think I know him better than you.” Gem says taking a turn

“I WAS THERE!”

“He only protects you till you aren’t of use to him anymore. He was going to kill me, just like how he’s going to kill you after he’s done with you. Lili you know he’s going to kill you after this.”

“She is the Holy Mother.” Luna adds to Gem’s plea.

“NO SHE IS NOT!”

“If the Holy Mother isn't immune to his rampage, then what do you think you are to him?”

“Luna and Geminy are marked!”

“He has no use for you. Why do you think he’s making you toy with us? Where is Byleth? Oh no where but watching.”

“Watching and not doing. The usual suspects.”

“Mark me. Doesn’t change the fact he’s going to steal me away to have his child since you can’t give one.”

“He's closer than you think!”
“Oh is he? He’s no where. I don’t see him.”

“I AM EVERYHTING TO HIM AND HE IS TO ME!”

“He can and will. You are so jealous that he favors me more!”

And just like that, Gem and I became taken and were sent to see Great Demon King Orobas.