18 The Maiden of the Mist

After the battles, the four hunters alongside Dra and Gon, met up.

"How were your battles?" Dra and Gon asked.

"Easy," Diana replied half heartedly, "I expected more."

"Ours was pretty fun," Naomi said, "That mage you talked about is very powerful."

"Of course, he is the archmage of the village," Dra replied.

"If you want to learn some magic, talk to him," Gon added, "He can teach you some basic spells."

"Will do," Naomi said, "So how was your battle Omega?" Omega didn't reply. He just stood there then drew one of his daggers. His eyes were red and black.

"Omega? Are you okay?" Benji asked.

He lunged at Benji with his dagger. Benji dodged out of the way. Omega lashed out at the group. Dra and Gon pinned him after using their scales to block his slashes with his dagger. Omega kicked and lashed around as Dra and Gon pinned him. He suddenly stopped. His body was limp and immobile. Dra and Gon told the group to rest and that they would take care of him. Dra and Gon brought him to the sickroom.

"Hello there, what's up?" the Nurse asked.

"Actually we don't know," Dra responded, "He went crazy and started to attack us."

"Oh? Put him on that bed, I will take care of him," She said as she pointed towards an empty bed in the sickroom, "I will give him a sleeping drug so that he doesn't wake to soon," Dra and Gon left him in the sickroom and returned to the room that the group was sharing.

"So what happened?" Benji asked.

"She is looking after him," Dra said.

"She doesn't know what happened," Gon added.

"Okay, well I am going to see that archmage," Naomi said as she left the room. Naomi passed by the sickroom before heading to the mage's Rune Temple, Omega was laying on one of the beds with the nurse next to him checking what he had.

"So, what is wrong with him?" Naomi asked.

"Nothing, actually," the Nurse answered, "This is very bizarre, he doesn't show any symptoms of a certain problem or mental issue."

"Well, if there is anything, we are at Dra and Gon's place."

"Okay, I will tell you if I find anything," Naomi left the sickroom and went to the Rune Temple which was at the top a the hill that dominated the sea and the village. She entered the Temple to find the archmage writting.

"Hi."

"Hello, what brings you here?" the archmage said without looking at her.

"Um, I wanted to learn some magic," The archmage put down his writting and looked at Naomi.

"Really? Have you used magic before?"

"No, I am just very curious."

"Okay, well I should have guessed that since you have no arcane presence."

"Arcane presence?"

"Yes, an aura that all mages have."

"So, I can't do magic?"

"No, of course you can," The archmage replied, "Step closer, and remove that armor, just the metal parts," Naomi removed her armor and walked towards the archmage. He put his hand on her chest.

"Don't worry, I will give you some arcane so you can learn magic," Naomi felt a strange energy flow into her.

"There, it should be enough for you to learn."

"Okay, so how do I start?"

"I will teach you a spell," The archmage cast a spell on the floor and it left a seal, "Stand over it," Naomi walked over the seal, it disappeared.

"What happened?"

"Cast the spell, look at my arms," The archmage said as he moved his arms and casted a familiar of fire, a Phoenix. Naomi mimicked his movements, but her familiar wasn't a phoenix, but a Cobra like beast. It was larger than her and coiled around her as if it was going to sleep around her. The archmage clapped.

"Impressive, as you see your familiar is different since everyone has different summons since we are not identical."

"Why is mine huge and yours tiny?"

"Well, yours is a Death Valley King Cobra, not just cobra, so let's just say that is a small one and not even a full grown one."

"What do you mean by full grown?"

"Well, my Phoenix is a newborn since it goes through its cycle of life like us but and when it is reborn it changes personality and we have to get used to a new familiar."

"That is cool, how long do these cobras live?"

"560-ish years, why?"

"Does it stop growing?"

"No, it can be immense, larger than this here temple."

"Wow," Naomi had never even heard of these cobras and here she is having one as a familiar.

"So, that is all for today since you are new to this magic so you will kill yourself if you push too much," The archmage said, "And, go check on Omega, I heard about the incident."

"Okay," Naomi said as she skipped out of the temple, followed by her Death Valley King Cobra, of course to make it even more imposing it was made of flames. She headed to the sickroom. She found a huge hole where the door was, she rushed inside and found the nurse trembling on the floor.

"What happened?"

The nurse tried to speak but couldn't. She pointed towards the beds and Omega was gone. She then pointed towards the entrance.

"So, Omega had a crisis and left?"

She nodded then shook her head.

"He wasn't human…" She mumbled.

"What?! Where did he go?"

"To the Maiden of the Mist," The nurse said softly.

Naomi left running towards Dra and Gon's home.

"Where is the Maiden of the Mist?"

"In her sanctuary, why?"

"Where is that?"

"On the Island"

"Which one?"

"The one in the sky."

"Bring me there."

"Why?"

"Omega is there."

"What?! Isn't he in the sickroom?"

"Not anymore, we need to go there now!"

"The others?"

"No, just drop me off there and I'll do what I need to."

"Let's go."

Naomi rode Dra and Gon as they flew up through a thick cloud, until they reached the floating sanctuary of the maiden of the mist. Dra and Gon left as Naomi had asked them to, leaving Naomi to deal with Omega alone. She carefully walked along the mossy stone path that should lead to the Maiden of the Mist, the fog hung thick around her and she only saw so much of the path and what was around her. The sun barely passed making the island a dark and gloomy place. She stepped through the clouds and found herself in a clearing in the fog. There was a waterfall that fell from above a rocky shelter into a lake. The Maiden of the Mist stood near the edge of the lake. She walked towards her. The air got colder and colder as she approached her. Naomi nearly set her hand on, what she saw as the Maiden's shoulder and was suddenly hit in the stomach by something she hadn't seen and didn't recognize until she was flat on the floor. She saw Omega on top of her. His eyes were totally black, he panted as if he was an animal not a human. He got up and leaped away from Naomi. Naomi followed his movements and saw him kneeling next to the figure she had tried to touch earlier.

"What brings you her my dear?" The figure asked her.

"I come to get Omega."

"Omega will stay here, fore I am the Maiden of the Mist and I decide who enters and leaves this place, and I don't see a bright future for you, or should I say it's cloudy," The Maiden laughed at her own joke before resuming her monolog, "Omega, as you call him, has something I want."

"What is that?"

"You see this small scar above his eye?" The Maiden pointed out a small marking above Omega's eye that Naomi had asked him about with no answer, "Well, this gives him a part soul of the Lagiacrus. This is a Lagiacrus' claw mark!"

"One thing, the Lagiacrus is huge, why is the mark so small?"

"It is from a baby Lagiacrus, he tried to face his fear when he was young, but with no results."

"So, why do you need him?"

"With him I control the legendary Lagiacrus, the Abyssal Lagiacrus. It has been dormant and now I can wake it and I will finally be set free by my master."

"Master? Aren't you the one who decides?"

"Well, Jarvan III made me a deal and I accepted it, I would be free if I destroyed this city and unleashed the Abyssal Lagiacrus."

"I won't let you do that," Naomi drew her sword.