Remnants of void energy lingered over the dew-filled plains as the battle for survival abruptly concluded. With the last wisps of darkness dissipating into the nothingness, the shackled morning's rays burst free from captivity, once more gracing the lands with both its light and warmth. Staring at the blade that sat between them, Sylvie sat in shock, still trying to process the incredible yet terrifying power she'd just witnessed. Liam, whose mind seemed to be burdened with something else, absentmindedly helped Sylvie to her feet whilst disregarding her wide-eyed expression.
"Liam, Sylvie!" Helen shouted, letting go of the children as she rushed over to them.
Her sudden mention of their names sent a jolt through the two, temporarily breaking their stupor.
"You came!" Helen exclaimed, wrapping her young saviour in a gentle embrace.
Liam, who was taken aback by the sudden display of affection, stood blankly, unsure of how to react. As her arms continued to hold him, strands of her golden blonde hair hung loosely across his face, emanating a faint floral scent. Viewing the unfolding scene from the sidelines, Sylvie cleared her throat, staring at Helen with raised eyebrows as she observed her carefully. Suddenly aware of her actions, Helen quickly let go of Liam, eyes shifting over to Sylvie as her cheeks flushed bright red.
"A-are you okay?" Helen asked, clearly flustered as she turned towards Sylvie.
"I'll manage," Sylvie replied, wincing as she wriggled her shoulders.
Whilst the trio conversed, both Julie and Justin rushed over to Cade's faced down, immobile body.
"Uncle!" the children screamed as tears streamed down their faces, "Please, wake up!"
As they continued their useless pleas, Sylvie's head drooped as she bit her lip in disgust at her own failure, "If I'd only held out a bit longer maybe..!"
"It's not your fault!" Helen consoled, staring at Liam as if hoping he too would spew words of encouragement.
Liam, whose mind had drifted yet again, stared at the fallen warrior before saying, "He's not dead yet!"
"W-what do you mean?" Sylvie asked, instantly looking up at Liam, not daring to believe his words.
Helen on the other, wasted no time, immediately springing into action as her fellow companion spoke.
As she rushed off to check on Cade, Sylvie questioned Liam, "Are you sure he's alive?"
Liam nodded in response as Helen gently pried the children away before placing a finger in front of the injured man's nose.
Looking up, a smile appeared on her lips as she called out, "He's still breathing!"
Clearly relieved by Cade's unmistakable sign of life, Sylvie turned towards Liam with a confused look, "How'd you know he was still alive?"
Realizing his blunder, Liam averted his eyes as his mind scrambled to find a suitable excuse. He certainly couldn't tell her the truth, that he knew Cade was alive due to the lack of Void Essence leaking from his body. No, that would only serve to further complicate an already complicated situation.
Shrugging nervously, Liam settled on a half baked response, "I just had a feeling he wasn't dead yet."
Taking his vague response into account, Sylvie got the feeling that Liam wasn't in the mood to say anything more on the matter. Deciding to drop the topic, she plucked her sword from the earth, flicking it gently, removing the loose soil from the slender blade as she did so, before sheathing it at her waist. Retrieving the sword he'd lain at her feet, Josh handed it over to Sylvie, who repeated the same process before putting the weapon away.
"If it weren't for you," Sylvie began as she turned towards Helen who was already tending to the unconscious Cade's wounds, "we wouldn't be here right now and for that you have my thanks yet again."
"It's nothing," Liam said holding up a hand, hoping to avoid another uncomfortable exchange.
"It would seem all I've been doing is offering my thanks since we met," Sylvie replied as she walked away, "Might be time for me to start training again lest I be left behind."
As Sylvie walked over to Helen's side, the princess placed the distraught children in her care before disappearing into the wagon to procure the necessary items to patch up the injured villager.
Finally left to himself, Liam stared down at his hand as wisps of aura tickled its way past the grooves of his fingers. He wasn't certain before, but after his encounter with Joel, Liam couldn't be more sure of his theory.
With the morning's sun now in full swing, shining directly down upon him, Liam whispered mentally, 'Shadow!'
'Mmmm...'
'Did you really think I wouldn't notice?' Liam asked, staring off into the distance.
Receiving no response, he continued, 'I wasn't sure until now. That feeling, that immense cold energy flowing through every part of my body boasting of its unending power. I felt the same energy just before I passed out when facing those mages from earlier. Just as you did back then, the same aura tried to infiltrate my body today, when dealing with Joel. Did you really think I'd let you possess me again, especially after the crippling aftereffects of the first possession?'
'Answer me!' Liam shouted mentally as Shadow maintained his silence, 'Why are you trying to possess my body?'
'Traitors...,those that betray the ones who trust them, should have no place in this world.'
Liam, who was not used to hearing Shadow's voice bear such emotion was taken aback by the dark entity's words. Although he sensed that there was a story behind Shadow's distaste for 'traitors', Liam decided not to pry as he focused his attention on the problem at hand.
'You can't just take over my body as you please!' Liam shouted, 'Promise me...promise me you won't ever do this again!'
Shadow remained silent yet again, leaving Liam waiting yet again for a response.
'If-If we can't come to an agreement now,' Liam began, 'then whatever this is, is over. It doesn't if I never recover my remaining memories, even if I have to sacrifice my own life, I won't let a being as powerful as you with unknown intentions, continue to take over my body!'
At the mention of ending his life, Shadow stirred restlessly around Liam's mind, still hesitant to speak. After a few brief moments of silence, the resident of the void spoke.
'I will no longer intervene.'
'That's good-,' Liam tried to say before he was cut off.
'However, in the event the host faces danger beyond their current capacity, regardless of your thoughts, I will immediately step in!'
Realizing, he'd get no better offer than this, Liam caved, ready to accept Shadow's terms. Just as he was about to strike a deal, a random thought crossed his mind.
'Wait a second,' Liam said suddenly, 'How can I be sure you won't go back on your word? What's stopping you from breaking your end of the deal in a year or two?'
Once again, Shadow fell silent as his host voiced his somewhat valid concerns. Although Shadow was well aware, beings of his level were incapable of lying to his host, there was no way to prove to Liam that this was the case. Or was there? Suddenly struck by a brilliant idea, Shadow expended a bit of energy as thoughts on how to prove the deal's legitimacy surfaced.
As Liam awaited Shadow's response, a sudden veil of black fog appeared before his eyes, blurring his vision greatly. Before he could react, the surrounding temperature plummeted as a familiar, cold chill ran down his spine. Panicking from the abrupt environmental changes, Liam's mind raced as thoughts of him dying drifted through his head at unknown speeds. Just as he thought he'd meet his untimely end, Liam's vision cleared leaving him with a view of nothing but solid darkness in every direction. As cold energy began to assault him from all sides, Liam felt a nearby mass of aura floating off to one side, similar to that of Shadow's.
'What is this place?' Liam asked, 'Where have you brought me?'
'You've been here before,' Shadow replied calmly, 'This, is where we met, the infinite expanse known as the True Void!'
Before Liam could object, vague memories of him conversing with Shadow popped in and out of his mind. Although the particulars of their conversation itself was inconveniently omitted, Liam had no choice but to trust in Shadow's words after remembering the fractured memories.
'Why'd you bring me here?' Liam asked, still unsure of his intentions.
'You wished for assurance, so I brought you here to provide it.'
The moment he spoke, a massive gate engraved with immaculate detail materialized before him. Although the material itself was darker than the surrounding void, the faint silver glow emanating from it's frame, accentuated it's presence within the never-ending darkness. Stepping over the nothingness of the void, Liam made his way over to the ethereal-like gate, enthralled by its unparalleled craftsmanship. As his eyes lingered over its beauty, a small indentation at its base caught his attention. Staring at the blemish intently, a sudden realization fell over him as he quickly stared at the ring around his finger.
'Sure enough,' he muttered, 'They're the same.'
'What is this?' he asked Shadow.
'In the past, it has gone by many names, Destroyer, Conqueror, even Saviour, however, all of these are just fallacies created by mortal yarns. It's true name is fueled by its sole purpose, judgement. To those that have been here since the beginning, it is known as the Gate of Life and Death!'
As Liam continued to stare in awe at the gate's magnificent appearance, Shadow continued, 'An oath bound by the Gate holds great importance to both mortals and beings like myself. Neither can escape judgement if the promise made on its name is broken.'
'Does that mean,' Liam said, finally understanding why Shadow brought him along.
'I, ##a## ###e ####n, swear to uphold my promise, to never violate my host's body with my presence unless a threat beyond his level takes action against him. This, I swear, on the Gate of Life and Death!'
As he spoke, a silver, metallic thread shot out from the Gate, ensnaring an invisible presence. The moment it connected, Shadow fell silent as if waiting for Liam to also make a vow.
Unsure of how to proceed, Liam pondered his next words before speaking, 'I, Liam, accept the terms presented. This, I swear on the Gate of Life and Death!'
At first nothing happened. Just as Liam was about to question if he'd done something wrong, a thin silver thread similar to the first shot at him, wrapping onto his ring sending a slight jolt of energy through his body.
'It is done!' Shadow said as the energy subsided.
'Just like that?' Liam asked, 'You can't break your promise right?'
'I can't nor do I recommend you attempting to break your own!'
As Shadow relayed his warning, a strong sense of foreboding entered his body as the feeling of thread tightening around his neck became prevalent.
'Noted,' Liam replied, 'How do I get back?'
The moment he asked, Liam was suddenly standing in the same spot Sylvie had left him in. Somewhat relieved by the resolved situation of him being possessed without permission, Liam turned towards the spot where Cade was being treated. To his surprise, Cade had already been turned over on his back and expertly wrapped in bandages. At his sides were the two children, Julie and Justin, sleeping soundly.
As he walked toward the trio a voice spoke up from behind, "Ah, he lives!"
Whirling around, Liam spotted Sylvie sitting on a smooth rock around a campfire, slowly carving off a bit of fruit as she observed his movements.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked confused.
"You've been standing in that exact position for over two hours," Sylvie replied pointing her knife to the spot Liam was originally standing in.
"Seriously?" Liam asked.
'Time works differently in the void. I did try to account for discrepancies however, this was the best I could do.'
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Liam muttered, grateful for Shadow's explanation.
"You say something?" Sylvie asked, plopping another delicately sliced piece of fruit in her mouth.
"Where's Helen," Liam asked, clearing his throat.
"Right here?" another voice said behind him.
Turning around again, Liam came face to face with Helen, staring at him with a concerned expression.
"You had all of us worried," Helen scolded as she continued to look him over for any hidden problems.
"Some more than others," Sylvie muttered with a grin.
Ignoring her comments, Helen stepped past Liam, finding her own place on a taller yet more jagged rock.
Settling into a comfortable position, Helen continued, "So Liam, tell us what happened."
Squatting onto the grassy floor, Liam recalled the entire tale, making sure to leave out the details of his newfound abilities. Just as he ended his story, faint vibrations resounded beneath their feet as sounds of a galloping horse became apparent. Standing up quickly, the three looked on as a black steed galloped furiously toward them, kicking up clods of earth as it went. Already guessing who the approaching rider was, the trio waited as the horse neared their position. Without waiting for the beast to stop, Xavier dropped to the ground, tucking into a roll before rushing over to them.
"Lady Helen, Sylvie!" Xavier called breathlessly, "Are you alright?"
Upon reaching them, a look of relief spread across his face as he noticed no new injuries were added to either one of them.
"What of Joel?" he asked turning towards Liam.
"There's your answer," Liam said pointing towards a small pile of black sand, "sorry I couldn't bring him back to the village to stand trial."
"That's fine," Xavier said, a bit uneasily, "There's no better punishment than the one he received."
As they continued their conversation, a small figure atop the strong, black horse, reigned the beast in before descending from the mount, trampling newly budding shoots beneath their feet.
Ignoring everyone else, Alice strode directly up to Liam and said, "You, come back with me!"
Helen shot a clear look of disapproval at the unknown girl's remarks as well as her unsightly behaviour.
"Lady Alice, please take care of your image," Xavier said addressing Alice.
"Is she the one from The Mountain?" Helen asked turning to Xavier, who nodded in response.
"Great job," Alice said rolling her eyes, "At this rate, the entire kingdom may learn of my presence."
Before the situation could escalate further, Xavier stared at the injured villager's bandaged body, "Who's this?"
"His name is Cade," Sylvie said stepping forward, "He helped me hold Joel off until Liam arrived."
"And the children?" Xavier followed up.
"His niece and nephew," Liam said, "Julie and Justin!"
"Why don't we load him into the back of the wagon and send the three of them back to the village," Xavier said quickly, cutting off any chance for Alice to speak.
"Sounds good to me," Liam replied, happy to escape the awkward situation.
As the two of them moved off to load Cade into the back of the wagon, Helen followed close behind, ready to shepherd the children who'd just awakened into the wagon as well. Left alone with Alice, Sylvie decided to observe the newcomer carefully. Although clearly younger, she did not lose out to Helen in terms of beauty. Regardless of her simple attire, Sylvie felt that there was more to Alice than meets the eye. As she continued to stare at her, Alice turned, fixating on Sylvie. For a brief moment a sliver of fear crossed her heart as a faint aura shimmered off of Alice.
"It's impolite to stare," Alice said quickly causing Sylvie to look away.
After a few minutes, Xavier returned alone, "We're about to head back to the village."
"That's my cue," Sylvie said, walking briskly to the back of the wagon.
"Where's Liam," Alice asked looking at the wagon.
"He's riding up front with Helen and I" Xavier responded nervously, "I'm not sure why you're so interested in him all of a sudden, but a word of advice, try not annoy him. He's a lot more powerful than he seems.
Alice nodded before climbing atop the horse she and Xavier had entered on as the latter returned to the wagon. Rather than curb Alice's enthusiasm, Xavier's warning had only served to deepen her curiosity even more.
'Just what kind of power could he be hiding,' she thought, eyeing Liam as she brought her horse around to the front of the wagon, 'I'll just have to pry all those secrets out of him whether he likes it or not.'
Burdened by Alice's blatant attention and Helen's uncomfortable stares, Liam lowered his head beneath a blanket as he feigned sleep, hoping that him ignoring them would settle their unspoken dispute.
Xavier pulled on the reigns of their mule, driving the wagon forward at a steady pace, sweating profusely as he was caught in the middle of the crossfire between the stares of the two young women.
Sighing he muttered to himself, "It's going to be a long ride."