Astral Odyssey: Dying Ember

World 4.7: Vanora

Not long after they disappeared, five angels came from the direction Vlad had stared at.

Once they flew above the area where Vlad and Vanora had been at, the black mark from before appeared and all the angels lost the ability to fly. Their wings folded in and refused to open as if they lost control over their bodies. Spikes made of earth sprouted out from the ground. The angels panicked and flailed helplessly as they descended from the sky.

An angel with long honey blonde hair and kind brown eyes remained calm. His lips moved rapidly but not a sound left his mouth. He had been chanting a prayer from the moment the mark appeared. The more he chanted, the more the black rose on the ground withered. Eventually, the black mark dissipated as black smoke. The spikes returned to being flat earth. The angels regained the control of their wings, but only the angel who chanted reacted fast enough to prevent a crash landing.

Magnificent white wings unraveled themselves and flapped gently but strongly to keep him hovered above the area. /A black rose.../

He took stock of the damage done in the area. Not a single life could be found. His eyes filled with sadness over the lives of fauna and flora that were lost. He gently landed then placed his palm flat on the barren land. He closed his eyes, said a silent prayer, and the entire land began glowing in a bright white light. When the light dissipated, the area was covered in greenery once again. However, there was still a forlorn look on the angel's face. /What a pity that the animals could not return to their state. May their souls live on freely and peacefully for eternity./

He stood and flew off. The others quickly dusted themselves off then awkwardly followed the angel. The angel frowned in calm determination. /So it really was you. I will find you and end this war./

Vanora felt like it took longer for the fog to dissipate this time. She started feeling uncomfortable about being held in his arms. His hands on her shoulders. His arms against her back. Her front and cheek pressed firmly against his front. Just as she thought of asking him about the mechanics of his power, the fog lifted. An inaudible sigh of relief escaped her.

Vanora slowly spun in a circle to look around her. They stood in the middle of a very large room. The entire place was made of wood. Most of the furniture and the beams were mahogany in colour. The floor was light brown and felt cold against the soles of her feet. The empty view beyond the open window piqued her curiosity. So, she headed towards it. A treacherous and menacing looking canyon extended as far out as the eye could see. The sky was pitch black with no stars nor moon. She began to have an inkling of where they got teleported to.

"Where exactly have you brought me to? Your home?"

He frowned slightly as if it was an insult to call this place his home. "My home's much better than this place. But the bath here is supposed to be great. It's an inn I frequent to try and get better sleep. It sometimes gets stifling and lonely back at home."

"Better sleep? You have trouble sleeping?"

Vlad nodded then walked to the right side of the room to slide open a door that revealed a small section of the room leading into the bath. "There's a shower here and a hot spring deeper in. Feel free to use it until you're satisfied." He said with a smile.

"What're you going to do in the meantime?" She was not about to trust this lustful demon here to behave himself.

"I'll handle the administrative matters. Oh! Come to think of it, we do not know each other's names yet! You can call me Derek. What's yours?"

"Call me Vanora." She replied while walking to the bath.

"Vanora..." He smiled to himself with satisfaction.