The Enraldi

Chapter 9 Release

Rennar ignored the cold dirt and jagged rocks that pressed against his back, his hands clasped under his head. He took slow, deep breathes as he thought about Rygon. He couldn't describe how he felt right now. He hadn't had anyone to call family in a very long time. He'd forgotten how it felt to have someone close to him. And now in a matter of moments he'd gone from having no attachments in this world to having a family again. 

Ayamesh looked over the edge of his cage and Rennar stared up at him. "I need you to be completely honest with me. What is your purpose, your reason for existing."

Rennar stood slowly his eyes squinting up at Ayamesh in mistrust. He took a deep breathe as he clenched his fists tightly, softly whispering "revenge."

"Revenge against who?"

Rennar straightened, his legs spread slightly as his feet dug into the dirt,holding him firmly against the ground. "The Emperor and the other Enraldi. They will die for what they've done to the world... to me." And then he would die for what he'd done to the world. For being one of them.

A shiver ran through Ayamesh. For a brief moment while Rennar spoke, his eyes had flickered like a red flame.  "I need to know that you can control your anger, that you can hold it back when the beast inside of you wants to come out."

"You think it doesn't want to come out now? It's wanted to come out the whole time I've been here. Since we spoke this morning even." 

"Then why hasn't it?"

"I think it's the level of anger that I'm at. I'm afraid to let the rage inside of me go any further then it is now."

Ayamesh reached down and grabbed the lock to Rennar's cage tightly in his hand. "If I'm going to let you out I'm going to have to test you. And there's something you should know: you have the potential to be more then an Enraldi. I think the quickest way to access it is through your rage. If we can turn the goal of your rage towards a righteous purpose, the beast won't be the one in control."

"If the beast won't be in control then who, or what will be?"

"You'll be. Don't forget, you're the beast. You may not be able to control it right now, but it is you. When your fury is righteous, you'll be more then the beast. You'll be Koregai."

Rennar jumped at the roof of his cage grabbing the poles as he grit his teeth at Ayamesh, who stared back at him. He dropped back down into his cage and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There is something about that word. That's the second time I've heard it. Both times I've reacted without thinking, and both times my intent was to kill." Rennar stared back up at Ayamesh, who had barely moved. 

"It's a trigger, the Emperor has tried to destroy all knowledge of anything to do with them for generations."

"I want out of this cage. I need to be free. But, maybe you shouldn't let me out. Not yet anyway, I might hurt someone."

Ayamesh unlocked the cage and pulled it open. He reached down, palm extended to Rennar. "You're going to have to trust me. It's the evil inside of you that makes you Enraldi. But if we bring out the good inside of you, then you'll be Koregai."

Rennar flinched, as the desire to kill Ayamesh began to consume him. He gulped as the urge began to fade. Rennar grabbed the offered hand and pulled himself out of the pit with Ayamesh's help. "Well, now what?" He looked around as he brushed the dirt off of his pants, eyeing the large wooden wall and the old stone building. The pit was in-between the two. 

"Now lets get you a bath and some new clothes. If those rags your'e wearing can even be called old clothes." 

.....

Herbadum stood in the attic of the town hall and watched as Ayamesh led Rennar towards the Inn. It was begun then. He let out a deep and relieved sigh, and dropped to the attic floor. His vision began to blur and he held his head against his hands as the pain shot through his head. He was weakening and very soon this body would die. It had served him for centuries, he had become Herbadum. But this shell couldn't hold him any longer. Very soon the barrier he had put around Bistrolle and Sentin forest would fail. He could only hope that everything was ready before it's to late. 

.....

Rennar stared at his reflection in the mirror. He slowly raised his hand to his left cheek, and rubbed his fingers across the closed eye that sat on his cheek bone. He stared at the unruly grey hair that hung from his face. It matched the tangled hair of his head, the strands going in every direction. His eyes weren't brown anymore, they were now the Enraldi grey. His chest and stomach were now tightly muscled. Was this really how he looked? 

He turned his back to the mirror and grabbed a water pail from the floor. He dumped it over his head, his brain not registering that the water rolling down his body was ice cold. He ran his fingers through his wet hair, pushing it back. Rennar ignored the droplets of water falling from his hair and beard that rolled down his neck as he climbed into the bathtub. He grabbed the rag and bar of soap from the stand beside the tub and started scrubbing the dirt and grime off of his skin. 

"Why is the Enraldi free Ayamesh, are you mad?" Rennar continued to scrub as he listened to the man argue with Ayamesh out in the hall. 

"You're questioning me Tassle?" Rennar paused at that, Tassle... he had to kill Tassle. He dropped the rag and slowly rose, climbing out of the tub.

"It killed Seth Ayamesh! It serves Von'Roth! It's a monster, and you've released it from its cage!" Rennar caught site of himself in the mirror once more and stopped walking towards the door. He walked over to the mirror, staring at the glowing cheek on his reflection.

"Herbadum sent him to us Tassle, he told me that he can be Koregai. He tasked me personally with helping him get there." Ayamesh said. 

Rennar ignored the conversation in the hall as he stared at the mirror. A monster. He'd killed Seth. He started breathing faster as the glow on his cheek began to grow. He started shaking as he squeezed his hands into fists. This was what he was, a monster. This was what a monster looked like. "Noooo!!!" Rennar roared as he ripped the mirror off the wall and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall and shattered, broken pieces fell scattered to the floor.

Rennar fell to his knees and began to rock back and forth. His hands gripping the sides of his face tightly, his fingernails scratching at the glowing eye on his left cheek. He spoke through gritted teeth, "I don't want to be a monster. I'm a monster. I don't want to be a monster anymore. No... no... no." He repeated those words softly as he rocked back and forth.

Ayamesh burst quickly through the door, Tassle followed closely behind him. Ayamesh paused as he watched Rennar rock. "It's going to be alright Rennar. Take deep breathes, I'm going to help you." Ayamesh glared at Tassle. "I know what he's done. But we need him, he's our only hope. Go back to your family Tassle. I have a job to do." Ayamesh grabbed a folded towel and wrapped it around Rennar's shoulders. 

A/N: Let me know what you think! As always I appreciate your thoughts and opinions on my writing. Also, I love to hear any theories you might have.