When dawn finally arrived, they immediately set off, Althalos and Alianor on Seraith's back, and the others on the older and bigger dragon. They flew, going eastward, towards the capital of this country, Shardizar itself.
Along the way, violent thoughts raged inside their minds, a particularly grim one settling inside a young Shadow Champion, where he imagined himself gutting the woman Maelwyn like a hunter does to game.
Wind flowed past them, and with it, dust and residual matter, which did not bode well for the humans astride the two dragons, who had to deal with such irritating things being stuck in their eyes.
They also had the pleasure of watching a sun fall before the seas at first hand, and although they could not directly gaze upon the radiance of Zeddicus himself, they could see the outline of its magnificence, bursting colors of red, orange and even blue overlapping to create a hue of astounding beauty.
When the dark of night came, and the stars deigned to show themselves before Magnus, they landed upon a secluded area miles away from the towering city. Coincidentally, the first words that were heard was Fendrel asking,"Where does this forest lead to?"
"The saeltoren?" Althalos asked back, knowing the reason to his question, and the cautious glare gleaming in his piercing blue eyes. "This is a large forest, the saeltoren couldn't possi..."
"You'd think that, my boy," Fendrel interjected, as the others watched with interest, apart from Alianor, who entertained herself playing with Justin, the young boy that until now, Althalos had no idea why he saved him. "But the forest women's eyes are the trees themsel..."
Again, their conversation wa interrupted, but this time, of a women's voice crying out,"You will die, mortal Fendrel!"
"Get out of the forest!" Came the words quickly exploding out of Fendrel's lips. They heeded such an order, even the dragons themselves, and they watched as a woman wearing a flowing green dress and enigmatically mesmerizing eyes gazed at them with unrestrained fury, particularly at Fendrel, and at the same time, an abominable tree-like man appeared beside her, its roots as the feet, and the branches as its arms, with many more jutting out at different angles and lengths.
"Take one step, little mortal, and your soul is mine!" Came the saeltoren's voice, roaring out each single word like it was poison tainting her lips. The ligvus roared in its own voice, sounding more like trees falling before a storm, and its claws shined, even under the night sky, as well as the fact that it is made of wood.
"I won't make such mistake again, woman," Fendrel hissed, his sword, Merec's sword, the Dragon Blade, resting on his palm, poised for the blood of the trees should it be needed. "I know that much."
"We will see!"
With that, it vanished back into the forest, followed by the living tree that served her, and it seemed as if the forest hid her from their narrowed eyes.
So hidden, that even the Nightwalkers' glances and glares towards the ominous forest were for naught. It was as if the saeltoren herself became with the shadows themselves, indiscernible to any eye, even that of a demon's.
"I told you," Fendrel breathed out, as if running that short length exhausted him to no end. "No one escapes the saeltoren once she has been angered, and no one can ever repay their debts."
"Except for death," Miasmador added, his deep voice punctuated by a growl and a deep breath, smoke drifting out of its nose, and Althalos took a second to watch the black smoke waft through the air, twisting and twirling until it dissipated.
He turned to Fendrel. "Then, we camp here? Very much vulnerable?"
Seraith suggested a plausible solution. Immediately too, surprising them all. The dragon's blue horned head was also turned to Fendrel as she said,"Since your son is a Champion of Merec, perhaps he can shroud us all in a blanket of darkness? At least until the rise of dawn?"
Fendrel stiffened. "Yes. My son."
Althalos shook his head. "Yes. You're my father." He turned to Seraith, smiling at the female blue dragon. "That is actually a good idea, Seraith."
"I wonder why no one's thought about it before?" Katelyn asked, quite sarcastically Althalos observed, but no one made to offer an answer, and she huffed.
"Can you do it then?" Miasmador asked, his enormous head pointed straight at Althalos, same with his red eyes. Althalos, with his own ruby orbs, noticed the slight tinges of gold still tracing the red irises of the lavender dragon. "Can you, Althalos?"
"I think so, let me see," Althalos said, concentrating. He channeled the darkness that already flowed within his veins, a part of Merec's bond, so to speak, and forced it to stretch outwards, covering them all already as he whispered,"Myrkr abscondring."
"Did it work?" Fendrel and the others saw no difference standing out in their surroundings. They glanced around, but again, saw nothing out of the ordinary.
"Yes," Althalos replied, then tilted his head. "How come you do not see this gigantic black shadow hanging over us?"
"Spells are more of a personal thing," Katelyn explained, casually waving an arm around as she continued,"Especially dark sorcery."
"Care to explain, little woman?" Miasmador inquired, puffing out smoke once more from his nostrils, baring his teeth, as if a threat.
"Shadows made are only seen by the caster, nobody else can." With that, she walked off, announcing out,"I'll go gather some firewood!"
They left her to her work, then Althalos nodded to every question directed at him, mainly if it really worked, but Seraith asked a question that had both Silent Ones scratching their heads, looking for an answer.
"When and how do we attack?"
After many minutes of arguing, Althalos sighed and proclaimed,"It is rather clear you can't think straight when you're sleepy. Rest, father, and we will discuss more tomorrow."
"N.."
"Me, and the Nightwalkers will keep watch," Althalos ordered, but again, a yawn erupted out of his mouth, betraying him.
He looked to his right and saw that Justin was already preparing Alianor's cot, and his own, but Fendrel still stood, glaring at the current Shadow Master.
"No. You barely slept. I will take watch."
"N..."
"You will not win this argument, my foster son, so I suggest you prepare your cot like Justin is doing, and go to sleep."
Althalos and Fendrel did not notice, but Miasmador did when a low growl emanated out of Seraith's throat as she glared at the Shadow Champion with her unique iridescent eyes.
"Everything alright?" Miasmador asked her, settling a little too close to her, in the blue dragon's own opinion.
"Yes," She hissed out, her forked tongue slipping past her maw and revealing itself, and like a snake, a hiss of its own was done by the young century-old dragon.
"Really?" The witty dragon that was the purple Miasmasor asked again, not believing a word, or rather, the word she had answered him with. "I don't think you are."
Meanwhile, Althalos and Fendrel were still arguing on who takes first watch, when Katelyn returns, bearing an armful of twigs and branches, and no once batted an eye when she said that there were no sufficient wood for a fire that can last hours.
She stalked off, building the fire as foster father and foster son, and then dragon and dragon, argued away.
Eventually, Seraith won the argument between her and Miasmador, and the full-grown, yet still very much young dragon settled on his own spot, quickly sleeping away, though his last moments before slumber were spent gazing at the proud blue dragon.
However, Althalos lost the argument, and after he made his cot, a glaring contest of burning poisoned daggers initiated between him and his foster father, before he settled in it, closing his eyes and slowly falling to the land of the slumbering.
Sleep... The whisper-like voice of the demon lord was the last thing he heard.
A roar of enormous proportions jolted him awake, and he sat up, gasping hard as he held his chest, sweat dripping from his face, being seeped by his growing beard.
"Where am I?' He asked, panting.
With frantic eyes, he looked around, only to see...
Nothing.
"Nothing? He asked himself, looking around, then a ringing sound echoed in his ears, nearly defeaning him as if it resonated just beside his ear.
"Where am I!" He now bellowed out, lost in this black expanse of nothingness, forever trapped. "What... is this place?"
Another roar, and he was up at his feet, his head turning into all directions trying to discern the location. It turned so much his neck was nearly broken by the force exerted with each turn done by the young Shadow Master.
"Wh.."
This is what helplessness feels like.
"What?" He asked, now trying to find whoever said it.
This is what we can do.
"Who's there!"
Nothing.
Different voices, male or female, he could not tell. All spoke clearly, as if it echoed within his mind, haunting him, whispering into his ear, reaching right into his consciousness.
We are bound to never intervene directly.
"Who are you?" He asked, growing angry with every passing second. He tried to unsheathe the Lich Blade, as a form of defence for whoever these beings were, but found the he couldn't.
He looked to his side, and saw the the blade itself was gone.
"Where is it!?"
But you!
Althalos felt that they were speaking to him, so he looked around once more, but again, he saw naught but black shadows. He thought he was in Merec's Shadow Realm, but if he was, then who were these men and women talking from within his mind?
You! The one covered in the essence of evil!
"Who are you!?" He called out, trying to conjure up the element of electricity itself, but like the Lich Blade, he found that he couldn't.
In fact, he couldn't do anything at all, except for watch, walk, and be despaired trying to find out who these people were.
You cannot do anything little mortal.
He crouched down, holding his head as visions started exploding from within his mind, bringing forth a torrent of emotions with it.
He saw himself, a little babe, held in the arms by Elwyn, and a smile plastered itself on Althalos's face, but that was soon purged by the memories of his beatings.
He cowered, shaking, as he imagined himself back in the farm as Mordred held a leather strap, hitting him with it, calling him insulting names.
Tears stung his eyes with every blow he imagined.
More tears leaked out when he now saw himself before the Silent Ones, the first time he did so.
He then saw his own friends killed before him, taken down by the Shades of Death, and he could do nothing but watch as the memory unfolded.
"Who are you people!?" His voice broke at the end, unable to handle the torrent of feelings assaulting his very being. "Why are you doing this to me!"
The memories all continued on their own will, regardless of his pleads for it to just stop.
"Please. Stop it!"
This is what helplessness feels like.
The voice.
It reverted back to its original tone, as if it replayed itself, and Althalos could only raise an eyebrow as his blackish-red eyes glistened, giving an unnatural shine to the already unnatural orbs.
"Who.."
Who are we?
The voice, it now continued his question, and he slowly nodded his head, doubting it would be seen.
Doubts were repressed through, by the voice returning. We are the salvation of Magnus.
"What?" An incredulous tone coated every word as Althalos exclaimed, unable to comprehend such things from an unknown being, or unknown beings.
We are the dawn that shall destroy this plague.
"What lunacy are you talking about!?"
But we cannot do it alone.
"What?"
You!
"What are you people talking about?"
Instead of a male voice, now a female one dominated his consciousness, the strong tone bellowing out, The herald of the coming destruction!
Word by word were never understood by the young Shadow Champion as they spoke in cryptic lines.
Doom comes upon Magnus!
Even at such riddles, Althalos could discern much from it.
Herald of the coming destruction?
Doom? On Magnus?
Yes.
Walk always within the radiance of the father, or be purged by the dawn that breaks through all evil!
Walk with the radiance.
Walk!
Walk with the light!
Voices of such intensity barreled into his mind, giving it an ache that could've rivalled Merec's own when he sent forth destruction into Althalos's consciousness.
"Merec is my god now!" He roared out, not really caring if anyone knew.
What can I do? He has our very lives within the palm of his hands!
Unwillingly.
They knew.
"Well damn it, what can I do!?" Althalos bellowed, tears streaking as he raised his hands in surrender. "I can't do anything! I am bound to him!"
Unwillingly.
It repeated.
"You think!?"
Time will come.
"Morgana herself knew of my doomed fate before I was even born!" He challenged, shaking his head as he grew silent at the last word. "What can I do?"
The radiance shall shine upon you.
A cleanse.
Yes.
Time will come.
He shook his head, not believing a word they say. How can he, when they speak so mysteriously? And they haven't even named themselves, for shadow's sake!
He can only shake his head, whispering to himself over and over again,"No."
"No."
"No."
"No!"
His eyes shut tightly as he rocked himself, trying to land once more into his personal dreams, to be content in swimming within the sea of his fantasies.
Walk always with the father!
Be purged otherwise.
Author's Note:
I have another story. =P
Because I feel Shadows Reborn is more important, this is updated regularly, and the Ranger Woman of Tellenius is updated every Wednesday and Friday, and if not, then Saturday.
Come school, then there are SPECIFIC schedules for each story, but I will say/write it.
Anyway...
Leave a vote or comment if you liked it!
Bye for now. ^_^