When they could see again, they found Gathen, laying on the ground, no longer radiating.
The wurm of the dark ones was nowhere to be found.
They walked up and checked the boy.
"Still breathing." Elm confirmed.
Kaet walked up and gently kicked his foot.
"Hey, kid. Kid. Wake up."
He cracked his eyes and lifted his head, looking tired.
"Hey kiddo. What happened?"
Gathen pointed back to mountain. "The thing they locked up. The very star that once lit our planet I believe. He's in there."
"And this star possessed you?" Elm was still skeptic of it.
"Honestly," Mrax told him, "after what we've seen, is it that far fetched?"
Elm shrugged.
They helped the boy to his feet, then began to head back toward the entrance to the mountain.
"And what of the wurm?" Sharna asked, looking about.
"Destroyed. The dark ones are gone. The star only told me he'd explain once we get there. As he was possessing me that is. Didn't really have much time to argue."
The entrance opened up into a single large tunnel that dropped off to a set of large stairs, turning at sharp angles.
Seeing no torches or lights inside, Kaet manifested a couple of electric lanterns so they could see where they went.
They followed the stairs, leading them deeper and deeper along the inside edges of the mountain.
After what seemed an hour of descending, they began to see the radiance from another light source.
As they drew nigh, they could see what appeared like a roughhewn cage of obsidian, the door to which was held in place by a single bar, roughly three-foot in length.
The bar appeared to be made of rough rock, with a purple hew to it, coming to a sharp point on one end.
Inside the cage, the visage of a man was radiating the golden light. He had no features, none that could be seen through the light anyhow, but he still seemed overjoyed when he saw them.
It was bright enough that the group set their lanterns aside to approach.
"At last!" His deep, soothing voice echoed.
The group came to the cage and the being dimmed its light source, revealing what appeared to be gold skin like unto Gathens, except it shined like gold tried in fire.
"I have waited long for someone to get close enough to kill them. They captured me what seems like eons ago. And now, with the consent of the boy to allow me to possess him, we have."
"I'm sorry," Elm stopped him for a moment. "Who are you?"
"Forgive me." The man stepped back from the bars, "my true name is far too complex to try and say to you, but you may have heard of me as the star that was torn from the sky. So just call me star for now." He bowed his golden frame.
"This must be the item." Mrax told Kaet, pointing to the purple rod.
"Careful." The star told them, seeing Kaet reach for it. "That object is far more powerful than anyone realizes."
"What do you mean?"
"Only that it allowed them to trap me in here. Those 'dark ones' summoned me from the sky to this place, though back then it was just a place on the ground. To late did I realize that it was trap, but I figured the black bars of the cage would be simple enough to get through. But then they placed that over the door."
"It may seem foolish. How could a being of light be trapped by bars like this? I am not fully certain myself, but whatever that thing..." he almost spat the word 'thing', pointing at the rod, "...is, it's given the cage a constant energy flux. One that I could not overcome."
"Millennia have passed, and they have taken to spreading all manner of dark tale, mostly using a one about a ship that has crashed upon this mountain to cover their tracks.
"They formed a black ball in the sky, like a moon, allowing them to keep watch over the people."
"After trapping me, they formed this mountain around me, and used spare ship parts to aid in the concoction of the lie. Anyone who still dared venture to close, they killed, as they tried with you. Very fortunate that one of the Shinragaka was with you."
"Shinrag what?" Mrax puzzled.
"The boy." The star said, unamused by the lack of knowledge they possessed.
"He is from a race called the Shinragaka. They were believed to be from the stars and in so much, worshipped me during the Bright Era. In return, I set them up with great riches, proclaiming them to rule the planet. I blessed them where I could extra; bringing light to help guide the weary traveler, warmth to help the plants, you know, the seemingly normal stuff."
"Over the years, I formed a close bond with that race, allowing me to communicate with them, but them alone."
"Since the proclaimed 'end of the Bright era', they have been labeled heretics and driven out for their beliefs."
"Your father," he locked eyes with Gathen, "was a firm believer in me, and still is to this day."
"What?" Gathens eyes widened. "You mean, he's alive?"
"Alive and well. He helped start the latest rabble rouser group proclaiming the 'breaking of the dawn'. That of course would be my release."
"Is it safe to touch the rod?" Sharna inquired.
"It should be for you. From inside this cage, I could not have reached it."
To demonstrate, he stretched out a hand to pass between the bars. As it came to what should've been open space between them, his hand hit an invisible wall.
"But be very careful. The power in that rod could very well level planets, as I fear it originally did. No telling where these 'darkness loving buffoons' got it."
Carefully, Kaet lifted the rod from the bars and stepped back.
The gold figure stepped over to the door and pushed against it. It swung open freely.
He stepped out and breathed heavily.
"There is one thing else you must do. Two things really." He walked over to the base of the stairs.
"I will lift you back to the entrance. Once there, strike the mountain, but only just so. Do not hold the rod thereon, lest its energies destroy the planet beneath you."
"Once done, I will be able to burst forth and return to my rightful place amongst the heavens, illuminating the entire system."
"This will signify to my followers 'the break of dawn' and a revolt will happen the likes of which could kill the majority residing hereupon."
"You must hasten back to the city, taking that accursed rod with you. I will blaze a path through the plants to guide you the quickest back.
"Within the castle, the dark ones had a contraption built, they believed it has harnessed another star like myself, but I could feel it's power, and it is beyond anything I can recall. Free whatever it is, as you are freeing me, with a strike of the rod."
"I believe then, the battle will be outweighed heavily, and the war won."
The star turned and placed a hand on Gathens shoulder.
"I hope you find your father boy. He was a good man. Always."
He lifted his face upward and the group was coated in golden light and lifted at an alarming rate through the mountain. At the entrance, they slowed, and the light dispersed as they walked out of the entrance.
Mrax lead Gathen and Sharna to the edge of the ruined trees, Vell and Elm following close behind.
Kaet looked back at them and nodded, raising the rod in her hands.
She struck the mountain and a fury of purple energy flooded from the rod through side of the mountain.
She quickly pulled it back off it and darted toward the wood line as the mountain began to disintegrate.
Rumbles could be heard as the hollowed inside was caved in.
Light began to glow forth from it as it crumbled to dust.
The golden man exploded forth from the dirt, glistening, and flew into the sky where he grew both in size and brightness.
As he reached the outer atmosphere, he broke through what appeared by the reflection of his light to be the black orb they had crashed into.
Eventually, he could no longer be seen as man, but a bright star, growing until it illuminated the system as it was meant to do.
A bright ray of light burned behind them, and, like a child moving their finger through sand, emblazoned a path for them, incinerating everything it touched.
A wary glance was exchanged amongst the group, and then they turned and followed the burnt trail.