Battle of the Immortals

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Towering Memories

 Avron blinked, once, twice, three times before sitting up straight. He was back again in his own world. Black ashes fell from the dull sky, adding to that of which was already spread across the land. He got up the rest of the way and began to walk. As always, he stopped at the edge of the endless, black lake, but this time turned and walked along the shore. Norva wasn’t showing himself at the point in time which meant he probably wouldn’t for the remainder of Avron’s time here.

Avron stopped and looked up as a small tower came into view. It wasn’t much, the walls slowly crumbling under the black vines the climbed up them. He went over to it, his fingers tracing the climbing plants lazily as he walked around to the back of the tower. There he found a doorway, with a spiraling staircase leading up to the top of the tower.  

“Avron.”

He froze and turned around slowly. Instead of Norva, it was a girl. Young and meek, but free willed and wild. Her long black hair came down to her knees and seemed to flow about her in the imaginary wind. Bright green eyes stared up at him full of sorrow, even though she managed to smile.

“Xarra!” Avron collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

“It’s okay, Avron,” She made an attempt to broaden her smile, walking over to him.

Of course, it wasn’t really her. Only how Avron had remembered her. Innocent, pure, and determined, just like a child. Even though she had been nearly fourteen when she had died. “P-please,” Avron whimpered, “don’t torment me like this.”

“I only have so much time,” Xarra placed her hands on his bowed head, “I’ll have to leave soon.”

Avron shook his head. “N-no,” He sat up slightly, holding the child in his arms, “don’t leave me, not again.”

“You should listen to Vlad,” She whispered, closing her eyes, “stop living in the past, Avron, but don’t try and figure out what the future will bring either.”

Her body all the sudden stiffened, and she staggered backwards out of his hold. “Xarra!” Avron cried out in shock, watching as she back to crumbled into ash.

“L-live in today,” She raised her head and smiled, even though she was slowly falling apart, “it’s all you truly have.”

Her body fell apart completely, becoming one with the earth. “Xarra,” Avron slumped forward, crying softly.

For the longest time he lay still, curled up in a helpless heap. “It’s not fair,” he mumbled, shaking his head, “I didn’t ever ask to be like this so why did it happen?”

The only answer he got was the silence of his world and the low droning of the swirling lake behind him. Eventually, he stood back up and walked back towards the dead corpse which held the key to his escape from this world.

He reached it and slowly wrapped his hands around the staff of the poleaxe. At first he just stood there staring down blankly at the weapon. He cursed under his breath, tightened his grip, and forced himself to wrench the axe from its place. There was a pause at first, like the moment before a storm. Then, suddenly, in a brilliant flash of crimson light, he was sitting upon Luke’s back, Vlad riding behind him.

“What happened?” Avron mumbled, rubbing his forehead.

“You dozed off,” Vlad stated expressionlessly, “I seized the moment and decided to take you back.”

Avron looked up to see they were running through Dragen Wood. He groaned, sitting up straight. “I can only guess you were there again,” Vlad spoke up.