Greg got up, his head pounding harshly. It couldn't have happened the way he remembered, but as he looked around at the torn up room he knew it was true.
Something had come out of the void.
Greg didn't know what it meant. He had never heard of such a thing happening, besides the rumors of demons, of course. He could still feel the clinging darkness on him, making him feel unclean.
He stumbled through the wreckage. The room was in complete dismay. Tables flipped over and wood splinters strewn across the ground. Greg walked across the room to the open door, stepping with care. He walked out into the hallway, scanning his eyes down the hallway in both directions. The hallway was plain, white everything with torches hanging from iron brackets on the walls. No one was there.
Greg swept down the hallway, the foreign amber robes flowing behind him. He wasn't sure he would ever grow accustomed to them. Whenever he donned them, it was out of necessity, yet it would never be of like or even neutrality. It irked him that he was forced to wear the blatant and atrocious mark of the Andanobii.
He fumed down the hallway, making brisk turns every now and then. In his mind, he kept perfect track of what turns he made in case he had to backtrack. Greg had long ago made a habit out of it. Who knows how many times I've had to run for me life? He actually chuckled, surprising himself given the circumstance. "Always an optimistic chap, eh?" he chuckled again, stopping as he felt a wave of cold darkness.
He tried to ignore the ring on his finger. He wished to cast it off his finger and leave it to lay. But as much as he wished, he couldn't. The ring was part of his mission. So he wore the accursed thing and listened to its echoes of power.
He walked into his room and closed the door quietly.
He tore the ring off his finger, stuffing it in his pocket. He tried to not think about what he had done, the thing he had released from the void. He hoped it had died, or at least it wasn't anything demonic; he couldn't bare to deal with the guilt that what he had released would hurt someone.
Clearing his mind of all thoughts, Greg readied himself to Winderlate. He invoked the two symbols of power, Libra and Aquarius. He let loose the incantation "Ianuae Magicae."
A gust whipped and stirred around the room, the wind fluttering the amber cloak he wore. Greg's aura burst silver around him, lighting him like an angelic pyre. Sucking in a gulp of air, Greg snapped out of existence to the sound of rushing wind.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Fypalenor looked up at the center of the room, his sharp magic sensory and keen eyes picking up the soft disturbance in the air, rippling like a heat wave.
With a rush of air, Greg was Formed in the elemental leader's quarters. Greg felt the energy rush out of him from the successful Winderlate spell. He stumbled a little from such a drastic drop in his aura.
The room was a regular office, oak wood desk and chairs, a cluttered bookcase full of old, weathered tomes pressed against the right wall. A large window let in streams of twinkling sunshine.
Greg quickly straightened himself "Farbeam," he said, addressing the man sitting behind the large desk.
Fypalenor gestured with a red robed arm for Greg to continue. "Please, Greg," Fypalenor spoke cheerfully, "no need for all the formalities. I have known you for a very long time and I insist that you treat me as such."
Greg looked at the great leader in surprise. He looked carefully at the man in his late fifties. He had a robe of blazing red and donned a tall, wizard-like hat of a brilliant gold. His face was clean shaven but curls of humorously green hair drifted below the brim of his hat. Greg had always assumed he had worn it to make his short appearance stand out more but he also presumed it was to hide his outrageous hair. Few had seen the elemental warrior without his grand hat, it was a trademark of his.
As Greg looked at the man's face, Fypalenor winked, and Greg looked quickly away, realizing that he had been staring absentmindedly.
Greg gathered his thoughts before launching into an explanation of all that he had learned. Fypalenor was a good listener and did not interrupt Greg's tale, even as he explained the ring and the void.
As he stopped, Greg watched the man he so looked up to scratch his head in thought.
Finally, he spoke "It seems that the enemy are eager to recruit strong members to their force. It would make sense; I expected no less. However," he started, adopting a more grave voice "on the account of the ring, I am concerned. May I see it, please?"
Greg slowly drew the silver ring out of his pocket, watching as it fragmented the light of the room around it into a twisting whirl of gray. Greg pressed the ring into Fypalenor's palm and it seemed to subdue some.
The elemental leader looked down at the ring, scrutinizing the seemingly simple ring, examining it in one hand. "Interesting, to say the least." With a flick of his right hand, the ring was launched into the air, surrounded by an orb of emerald light. With a wave of his hand, the light around the ring exploded into a blaze of energy. The ring tumbled back onto the table, seemingly unscathed. "Very interesting indeed," Fypalenor stated.
After some time, he looked up from the silver ring. "This ring is potent with dark magic. Keep that in mind and be wary of it. Never wear it if you don't have to."
Greg couldn't help but raise an eyebrow "I know that the ring has a large amount of dark magic, and I know that it can tempt you to use it, for whatever reason, but why not wear it? It seems like it would come in handy when you have a lack of aura..."
Fypalenor shook his head solemnly "Power, isn't everything, Gregory. It's dark aura may corrupt your own, and If something like that were to happen...it could have dire consequences. For the sake of the kingdom, and for your own freewill and life, stay wary of its darkness," Fypalenor spoke gravely. Greg stepped forward and Fypalenor rested the ring softly in Greg's hand.
Greg shuddered slightly as he felt the darkness pulse inside the ring. He closed his hand and deposited the silver ring into his pocket with great care, such warnings could not be taken lightly, especially from one as wise as the elemental warrior leader. Greg wondered, however, how he had figured out so much about the ring so quickly...
Fypalenor watched Greg for a while before he spoke once again, choosing his words carefully "You said that you released a being from the dark void. This makes me worry. Because you were knocked unconscious from the strain of the release, I can not say for sure of the being was malevolent or just a benign spirit that happened to be at the opening of the portal."
"I can't tell you one way or the other," Greg said unhappily.
"Do not worry yourself about it, Gregory, all will come to pass with due time. If that is all, you may go."
"There is one more thing..." Greg began.
"Yes?" Fypalenor said quizzically, his eyebrow arching.
"Why me? Why choose me for this task, one that is so important?" Greg asked with fervor, seeking the answer from the elemental warrior leader.
Eyes twinkling, Fypalenor looked at him "You Greg, have a destiny like no other. You are something special, something that makes you not a pawn in this war, but more. We all hold our destinies in our hands like cards in this game we call life. The important thing to remember is this, play your hand right"
Greg thought on those ominous words, even as he departed. The Andanobii with the malicious voice had said something similar, that he had an important destiny that others could only imagine. It unnerved him that two people of such importance, one good and the other evil, could both tell him the same thing. It made him wonder what it was about him that showed he was something different. Greg tried to put the thought off, addressing Fypalenor instead "Thank you. I'll go now." Greg gathered himself for the Winderlate. As he launched the two symbols he looked at Fypalenor, giving him a sly smile "Don't you worry about me-you just stay out of trouble, Fypalenor. I'll be watching you." Greg winked. And then he was gone with the wind.
Fypalenor watched as the wind blurred around Greg and he disappeared.
"Oh, Divine Dragon, give us strength and wisdom. This one could save us or ruin everything we have worked so hard to forge." Fypalenor wondered if he would ever see him again, and if he did, at what cost.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Greg Formed in his room. He stumbled as his feet hit the ground. As he looked around the room, his body grew rigged.
Xensor Frost stood at Greg's door, his black, obsidian knife pointing at Greg's chest "Well, well, Gregory Thornwillow, if that is your real name. Where have you been off to?"
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DragonDog1: Well, well, cliffhanger! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please comment and vote because your opinions matter to me greatly. Thank you!