8 Chapter 7: Joyride
The problem most people have with being on the spot is that they can't help but reveal that they are indeed in a nervous spot. From the twitching of the fingers to the deliberate avoidance of eye contact. The inability to maintain one steady pose when conversing, as well as the sudden feeling of a rise in room temperature...All the signs Rhaegah was desperately fighting to hide and was failing. That clip was obviously of himself and Nygel and that question was also what she asked him when they first met.
"Could she have figured me out?"
"That might've been a trick question"
"How do I handle this?"
The time he took processing these thoughts was ironically all Anna needed as a smile already formed on her lips. She relished the idea that she had blown his mind with the impossible. "Apparently this was recorded two months ago somewhere in town" she carried on, "And before you pull any of that smart-ass 'isn't that just edited' talk, this clip is the real deal" Rhaegah stood clueless "two months ago?" he thought "And you're sure it's magic?" Rhaegah retorted. Anna turned instantly now facing him, slightly offended by the audacity of that tone of voice. "I guarantee it" she replied calmly "and around here…..that's all the confirmation you need" He gets a little relieved that they really have no idea it's him on the video….at least not yet. He'd have to be more careful now. "I get it… I get it. You're the expert, and fortunately I'm always open to new concepts". "Good… moving on then. This was two whole months ago. Do you realize the events that could've occurred since then? Or what was going on before that?" Anna explained as her intrigue became evident in her voice. "Assuming I choose to believe in all this magic talk"
"Assuming?" she demanded… her tone went from intrigue to disbelief "Assuming you choose to believe?" she takes a breath recalling that people usually think very lightly of her initially under the assumption she was just the overexcited daughter of Dr. Mansdak. "Do you take me for a simple child that cares about what you choose to believe?". Nothing but the echo of Anna's voice could be heard in the room. "I am the top researcher in this facility so don't think you can just waltz in here believing that you can second guess me" "That's enough of that" the voice on the monitor spoke shaking Rhaegah both mind and body
"Wait...so he just sat there listening to us banter?"
"The patience to observe that long without a word or even bothered that we didn't consider that he was present… just who is this person?" he thought and noticed that even Anna was surprised at that. "Rhaegah… on my word I guarantee that everything she says is true…..will that suffice?" the voice spoke again revealing a hint of seriousness at the question. "You don't have to go that far…. .i believe her" he respectfully replies. Anna said nothing but wondered why the founder, whatever his name was as she couldn't care less, went to such a length for this seemingly average boy. "I believe you should begin a search for whatever the street cameras in town can pick up and if possible have people investigate the town itself for areas where there are no cameras and I'm sure something will turn up" Rhaegah said turning to face Anna who still said nothing but instead kept a hard stare on him.
"I never got to ask last time but…..are those scales o-" "Anna!" the voice called out interrupting her inquiry "The boy speaks truth. Use all the resources you can and search everywhere, and find us something" Anna displayed a bit of disappointment "You may leave, Rhaegah. I have other matters to discuss with Dr. Anna here" "Dr. Anna?" he thought making for the door but with a different resolve. He would definitely need to join them if only to always be aware of what they know and if they begin to suspect him of anything. "Hold on…. .the two most important people on this island sought ME out. What if…" he turns around "A question if you will" his voice echoed slightly signifying he wanted their attention. "And what would that be?" the voice asked
"If I wanted to join the research team right now" "That's all you'd need to say and the position alongside all its many benefits would be yours" Anna replied this time. Rhaegah listened for a second reply which he felt was the one that really mattered "Like I said before, my guarantee is confirmation enough so long as it concerns this facility" and with that she turned away as though aware that he was only testing them. Leaving the facility Rhaegah was still in disbelief with what happened in there. He could join them anytime he wanted and that would be that. "It's expected that they can bend the rules anyway they want but to do all that for me?" that thought made him uneasy. There was something they obviously wanted from him "I'm gonna figure out what he wants….. This founder I know nothing about"
He heads home now worried that things would become even more troublesome now that they are onto something. "Two months ago? It hasn't even been a month yet. Someone wants them eager to investigate more actively and quickly… but who. And better yet why?" This would make it impossible for him to do anything outside his home or the basement…..anything magic related at least. He decides to travel to Valoren. That way he'd be temporarily and most definitely avoiding Anna's notice. The trip would also be for him to find out more on Valoren. "The elves insisted we head to Primordial Island first as was the instruction"
"But instructed by who?" And how could he be sure that this person had his best interest in mind. He rubbed his head in frustration "Too much uncertainty and like that isn't bad enough, there's another unknown person pulling my strings from yet another place. There's too much I don't know yet" his thoughts continued to flow endlessly until he was home. The only silver lining in all of this was that he was sure that no one had noticed the gauntlet on his arm yet which made him relax though just a bit. A call stopped him from going in. Apparently Walter had been calling him all day without him ever noticing. "Now what" he hears his own voice wail. The call dropped and a message came in right after. Rhaegah simply walked back to the street and made his way to the basement. Thinking about it now he recalls the state he left the basement in and suddenly felt himself shudder at the thought.
He glances at the park as a ball came flying towards him seemingly out of nowhere. With a reaction time that exceeds regular human capabilities, he tilts his head letting the ball pass by then stretches his hand back to catch the ball midair. He noticed he wasn't surprised by what just happened "With everything that's going on its no wonder this seems trivial" he thought as a guy who seemed around his age jogged over to him "Woah dude….. That was sick. That was some ninja shit fo'sure"
He only smiled and gestured that it was nothing and then headed over to the entrance of the basement. The guy who took the ball suddenly put his hand to his ear "Anyone see that? She was right… there's more to him than we-" he turned around to see that Rhaegah was gone from sight. "Anyone got eyes on him?" he exclaims with his hand to his ear 'Negative Arthur… it's like he just vanished' a voice replied from the device in his ear "Damn….. She's gonna kill us" Arthur sighed 'Speak for yourself Arthur… cos we weren't standing just a few feet from him and then lost him' another voice replied.
Something about the guy with the ball made Rhaegah really uncomfortable but he just couldn't put his finger on it. He shakes the thought out of his mind and prepares to face Walter. The basement door slid open to reveal said person rubbing his head before turning around after noticing Rhaegah come in. "Seems like a massive power surge fried everything here" Walter stated motioning for Rhaegah to come closer "Given the amount of things being powered here I guess this was gonna happen sometime right?" he added "You could say that" Rhaegah replied. Looking at the basement now he noticed everything was already fixed and back to the way they were…..all except the console which Walter told him would take more time but thankfully a manual override was installed for such unexpected situations. "All the data from the last program was lost so you'll have to run it again" Walter said making Rhaegah tense up knowing what that meant. He'd have to use the bow again. "There won't be fancy mannequins cos the console controls those but you get to hit regular targets" Walter said as a target popped up at the push of a button. Rhaegah picked up the bow and strapped the quiver which held fifty arrows. "Whenever you're ready" Walter said quietly not wanting to distract him.
Rhaegah nocked an arrow and drew...getting the bull's-eye would be child's play obviously so he decided to switch it up a bit to really confirm his suspicion. He released the arrow which much to Walter's surprise hit the bull's-eye perfectly in which he responded by pushing the same button bringing another target at a random location in the room. The basement was roughly 1000 sq. meters and with Rhaegah standing at the center meant he was half that distance from the farthest possible target. The first target had popped up much closer which could be considered luck from one ignorant of his deadly skill with the bow. With another shot landing he instinctively nocked another arrow leaving his entire body motion to his instincts reacting from his now enhanced senses.
Rhaegah opened his eyes bringing the display to a stop. With a heavy sigh he looks over to Walter who was absolutely dumbfounded by what he just witnessed. "And I tried so hard to not do this well…..even with my eyes closed" he thought, burning the image of all fifty arrows buried in the bull's-eye of fifty targets at scattered locations around him. "I didn't believe the results I received, which is why I decided to use the opportunity to see for myself" Walter finally spoke breaking out of his awe. "Hard to believe you've never trained in archery. "Never….. In fact this is the first bow I've seen in person" Walter could not bring himself to doubt those honest words. "So? Any plans for your 21st?" Walter asked with a dubious smile almost expecting the boy's reaction.
Rhaegah nearly stumbled at the question. He had completely forgotten that his birthday was coming up soon. "Birthday huh? Does it really count if I chose it myself?" even this thought couldn't match up to the severity of Walter's true intention behind the question. "You've got to get yourself a girl. I remember we had a deal?" Walter teased "Shouldn't you worry about yourself first?" was Rhaegah's retort guaranteeing his temporary victory. "But if your little friend is right….. You've got yourself a little lady haven't you?"
Rhaegah's eyes lit up at the sight of a perfect opportunity. Walter could be classified as his handler if a term was needed. His handler, but also your average good guy. Rhaegah drew only one conclusion from that analysis….."he's gullible" he smiles to himself. "As a matter of fact, Kaneko was right" Rhaegah surrendered making Walter's brow rise. "But not for long anyway. Apparently she wants to go on some getaway trip for that purpose" he rubs his head in embarrassment "I'm gonna have to turn down the offer…..its just sad she's been planning this for a while now" he couldn't hold in the joy that was begging to reveal itself at the sight of Walter almost in tears "I can't be gone for weeks without causing a problem right?" Walter looked at the troubled state of the heart broken lad. "You like?" he asked making Rhaegah turn to face him. "Let's just say she's got those eyes that tend to lift you while criticizing everything you do....its a rather intriguing thing really"
"Enough said…. .Perhaps we can arrange something" Walter butt in much to Rhaegah's surprise. He never would have expected to be able to leave that day. "You can take off whenever. This program was to last about a month at least anyway, and trust me...that school won't miss you" he put up the confident look he could think of "the research facility included" Rhaegah paused at the ridiculous situation that was forming as he stood there. "That's obviously a joke right?" Rhaegah asked still not believing any of this. "Boy, I kid you not. That's something within my power to accomplish" Rhaegah was now sure his absence was covered "That's the best thing I've heard all day" the two chuckled lightly then made their way towards the exit. "And watch out for them spies out there" Walter warned before heading back inside to resume his attempt at fixing the console. "Never off duty huh?" Rhaegah couldn't afford anyone getting in the way of the trip he just cleverly laid down. "I have to get home soon"
"We'll have a sit-down when you get back….. It's time we had a heart to heart" Walter added without turning. "Should I be worried?" Rhaegah asked "Worry about getting home undetected" was Walter's instant reply. With that Rhaegah set out with a smirk. One of the things he was proud of was his in depth knowledge of the area around his house. This meant he could practically be invisible on his way back as was the usual. After what would normally be a long walk, he finally got home confident he'd evaded all eyes. The place was exactly how he'd left it which made him relieved he was just being paranoid. A familiar purr brought his attention to his feet. Mittens had apparently missed his roommate. Thinking about it deeply he remembered the contract Herke had formed with Mittens and was itching to test if he indeed had a clue what the summoner was talking about.
He never really wanted to return to earth yet knowing for sure that the real challenge and adventure lay on Valoren. He still had unanswered questions he had not brought up and one thing was clear so far…..no one was the slightest bit interested in helping him find out more about himself. That quest was his and his alone. At least that was what he concluded based on what he'd gathered so far. And more importantly he still had no idea what Legion was really all about. How could they be the only guild on the planet full of different civilizations. And given that they were always working in extreme secrecy made them even more suspicious. They were too accustomed to stealth even though they claim it's for his sake. This of course is excluding the fact that all those members had suddenly vanished "A dispute perhaps?" he thought before realizing he'd been standing in place all this time. "There goes my bad habit of zoning out"
He had packed all he would need beforehand driven by the sole notion that he would be returning soon, something he was really looking forward to. "But still there's no way Walter's that easy…..Cos this is all too convenient" he muttered before turning his attention to the cat with a questionable stare at him. The time to act was now Andrew the sooner he leaves, the better the chances his absence would be accepted without giving anyone time to object.
He picked the purring cat and made his way up the stairs. "You're gonna help make an interdimensional phone call" chuckling at the questioning gaze Mittens had on him. He walked into his room placing the still clueless cat down in the space he created. The weird part came after as he stared into Mittens' eyes. "I hope at least one of us knows what we're doing" he clarified his suspicion as soon as the creature lay down still keeping his gaze on him. "Probably one of those 'focus' things" he stated again this time letting his mana flow out. "Herke" he called out. About to give up after the third time he hears a voice in his head. 'I did not expect you to discover how to communicate with me yet…..You are even more impressive than you believe' Herke's voice seemed to glide across his mind "I'll be coming over sooner than expected"
'Wonderful… we were just deciding if I was to make an urgent trip to come get you' Herke replied. Rhaegah was almost certain he felt something slip into his mind before the connection they had was severed. "That'll need some getting used to huh?" he says to the snarling cat who obviously didn't enjoy the experience. He was ready to begin the adventure to the island Primordial and finally uncover the reason he was directed there in the first place. He goes over all the steps he'd taken to ensure he could leave this world without any consequences. So far nothing seemed out of place.
As though on cue a rift appeared right before his eyes and a mandala began forming. He never took a better view of the construct than the one he had now. A small gold circle formed at the center of the rift signifying the base of the mandala. Inscriptions began forming around the base and continues on forming three similar sized circles. The glow of the mandala intensified with each inscription until all was bound in one grand circle completing the mandala formation. The light then flowed to the center of the mandala and began spreading until the whole mandala was a circle of light.
The light diminished leaving the mandala to reveal a setting he didn't recognize. With his instincts as his only guide he walked into the portal. He steps out of the portal to meet two familiar faces and one he didn't think he'd see soon. Herke and Nygel stood waiting and Aphadon could be seen behind Nygel not showing any interest in what was going on. The portal dissipated behind him but he could shake what he felt walking through the portal. The split second between walking in and then out seemed like he was travelling through a doorway in space. Tiny balls of light shone all around him and the many colors made him certain he just took a shortcut through the cosmos.
"You still cannot seem to travel through the gates with ease I see" Nygel said "I've just been curious for a while about how the portals work is all" he replied walking towards the older man. "And you said 'gates'…..isn't it just one gate?" Nygel gestured to walk with him "The misconception of the gates is that most think we connect two planes through one gate whereas what is really being done is to open two gates so close to one another that most would not perceive the truth that one walks through one gate out of another" he turns to face Aphadon who also didn't seem in the dark about the concept "Only by creating two gates with the same…....there is an Earth like way to say this…..oh yes energy, or vibrations as your world terms it"
"That explains what I saw then" Rhaegah stopped seeing that his last statement had caused him all eyes present to fall on him with interest "And what did you see?" Herke asked this time. Thinking for a moment Rhaegah replies "It's kinda hard to describe" he hesitated "kinda?" Nygel asked as though confused "Sort of…. It's sort of hard to describe. I saw what looked like a large space filled with glowing lights of many different colors that stretched out infinitely" it was now Aphadon's turn to be shocked "You saw the mana realm?! Impossible...even the most exalted mages have never been able to see the realm of the beginning much less when travelling through gates" Realizing he'd raised his voice he went back to his permanent cold countenance.
Though the dark elf was their enemy, Rhaegah knew this man wasn't one to take the least bit lightly. But seeing that reaction filled Rhaegah with questions as to what this world really held in store for him. An aura more sinister than anything he had ever felt suddenly came over him and he jerked suddenly facing the cause of it surprised to find Aphadon to be the source.
Rhaegah was not one to get scared easily but there was something about the eyes that bore into his soul the moment they met his. One thing was certain…..this elf was capable of killing him if provided the opportunity. "As expected of a Don" Almer, one of the sibling dark elves spoke upon entering the room "To make a dragon-born tremble with merely killing intent is worthy of your title" she added "Title?" Rhaegah asked eagerly "Apha happens to be a highly ranked elf...among the dark ones of course. Not much information on that is relevant now but his title isn't set in stone yet which is why it is still attached to his own name"
Aphadon motions to leave only to have Herke block his path. "I know where my quarters lie, and there exists no way to escape this place...at least not with that man here he says looking towards Nygel as he ends his statement. "It's insulting enough that this child speaks to me so casually, but if you expect me to sit and listen to some traitor run her mouth on the legitimacy of my title then you will do well to kill me now" Aphadon's remark sent another set of chills down Rhaegah but this time also seemed to spread to Herke and Almer. "You are only alive because we were all commanded to fall back. Our preparations seem to have neared their completion" he added and on that note, Herke led him out. "What is he doing here anyway? You should kill him while you have the chance" Almer stated matter-of-factly "As you might have noticed…..he has information too valuable to leave in a corpse" Nygel replied
"What's so important about the elementals that I've got to go to Primordial Island?" Rhaegah asked Almer "You will need acknowledgement from the Primordial Pillars if you are to have a chance at victory in this war" was her instant reply and for the first time, she turns her attention to him "believe it or not…..we strongly desire you to be victorious in the battles to come. And if the Pillars do not acknowledge you, all will be for naught" she ended and left the room. "She acts and speaks on the assurance from another" Nygel said before walking out leaving Rhaegah to follow. "What happened to the guild?" Rhaegah asked remembering he was to ask Nygel "Dead" Nygel replied. Rhaegah came to a halt at the seriousness of his tone. "This war has claimed the lives of too many. Symmone could bear no more deaths and ordered the survivors to leave which resulted in we being all that stands between the dark elves and the end of the world"
"That's not possible. There's no way this much of a threat is being contained by just the people here" Rhaegah protested at the insanity of it all. "A threat this grand must have gotten the attention of all the nations of this world" he insisted not moving an inch "how am I to help save this world if the rest of the world is not even trying?" he could feel himself trembling but fought against it "The dark elves have flawed this world in ways that require us to trust that no one is on our side….. At the very least until we ourselves confirm otherwise. Surely there are those who are willing but we have no means of knowing for certain" Nygel placed a hand on Rhaegah's shoulder "This world has become a dangerous one compared to the land of wonder you wish it to be" with that he left and after a few moments Rhaegah followed.
The walk to the meeting room seemed longer than should be as Rhaegah couldn't keep thoughts from flowing through his mind. This started out as a means of escaping his reality and into a world of new wonder, but at the confirmation of death as one possible outcome, he doubts his resolve.
"I've been letting too much irrelevances cloud my mind"
"I'm here to find out what I am"
"Why I was sent away without any memory of this world"
"I will find the truth I seek....the world is going to have to come second to me"
With those thoughts, his resolve was renewed. He would focus on finding out who he was and wherever he happens to be would only serve as one more place to search. If death came for him on that quest, then so be it. "We leave at first light.....the moons draw closer with each passing day" Symmone's voice broke Rhaegah's thought process upon entry to the meeting room. The room had a new look, not that he took much notice of what it looked like. For one it was brighter drawing his attention to the balls of light that floated only meters from the walls spaced equidistant from each other all round the room. The walls were stone walls and with one look, anyone would be made aware of how ancient this structure was. Sturdy still…..but definitely ancient. A sort of rug made from a striped creature's fur was laid at the center of the room which conveniently was where the table for their gathering was set up, but wider still to accommodate all the people gathered to stand on the rug without being seated. Rhaegah concluded that the beast must've been fairly large, which started him thinking about all the things he didn't know yet. "Wait…..Moons?!" Rhaegah heard himself say out loud. "The appearance of a second moon means the beginning of the end for us" Symmone added
Rhaegah listened carefully to the brief rundown of what the omen meant. The appearance of a second moon brought about a significant increase in the latent power of any mage. "The second moon…Dajha… appeared even rarer than the dark dragonborn, and this has occurred only on two other occasions in the past" Nygel spoke up "And both times, the world knew suffering the scale of which could never be forgotten" he added
"We will go into much detail later. If the dark elves have been planning for this, then we have an even worse nightmare compared to the past two" the words were heavy like they seemed to carry a lot within them. Rhaegah wasn't sure what it was, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Nygel was speaking from personal experience. "Their power is terrifying enough….. Now this happens" Auia stood from her seat and walked towards Rhaegah "This war has claimed the lives of many already, and it will definitely claim more lives. This is why we need you….. Your power is something our people haven't had on their side in past times" Rhaegah stared at her talk with one clear thought in his mind "What does the second moon look like?" he realized she was done talking and having missed it he simply answers "I'll do what I can…..This world won't perish" he sighed relief seeing that the answer matched their expectations.
"You haven't had a decent meal have you?" Nygel asked smiling at the thought "You must be famished. Herke will show you to dinner. Rest well and tomorrow we head to Primordial". Herke came in on cue wondering why all eyes were on him "Neban finally woke up. He says he wishes to speak with Symmone before anyone" all eyes then shifted to Symmone now as the guild leader with all authority walked out and made his way down the corridor. "Rhaegah requires sustenance…..would you help him out?" Nygel asked in a manner that meant he obviously did not have a choice in the matter. "Well….. shall we?" he asked Rhaegah who seemed more than happy to have his troubles drowned in food. Herke led him to a room smaller than the meeting room but bigger than the average bedroom which coincidentally turned out to be his room.
The bed was towards the right end of the room from the door. A table stood facing the wall ahead with two chairs on either side….. Wooden of course at first glance. On the table lay two trays with different covered dishes varying in size. Rhaegah could ascertain one thing….. There was meat present in the room given by the way his nose nearly lit up at the smell of perfectly roasted meat. Herke opened the lids to present different dishes laid with the intention of providing a well balanced meal. A jar stood beside the trays giving Rhaegah an uncomfortable feel "If that's by any chance alcoholic then don't bother… thanks" he said and judging by the shocked look on Herke's face, he surmised he hit the nail. "I may have presented the meal, but Auia suggested the contents of the meal. She tries to look out for you so don't let her ever worry too much about you. She feels responsible for you since she's the one who found you leading to us bringing you here" Herke stated with genuine concern.
"The meat is roasted rhaive… something similar to your earth's turkey. I insisted on the vegetables, those fruits are fresh" Herke went on with proud gestures "there are also baked side dishes so have your fill of whatever you fancy" he said then stepped out. The young dragon-born stared at the seemingly wonderful view of delicacies and happily dug in. Every bite brought with it a memory of home. Herke was right… this was indeed so similar to a turkey that he doubted if they were even different at all. Whoever made this was a beast with meat as he exclaimed at the burst of flavors that took him over. The fruits were no different. Some he recognized among the likes of apples carrots and even berries with some he had no clue about. One thing connected them all…..a simple sweet taste at the end of every mouth full. He could not bring himself to stop until he remembered there was an untouched section which seemed to glare at him… the baked foods. He noticed what seemed like cakes and decided to try that.
With a little too much skepticism, he steals a bite. Surely a few minutes had passed after that bite and Rhaegah then got up, picked up the plate with the cake and headed for the bed. "That… was… insane" he said before sitting on the bed and he took note of when he left earth…. .the 21st day of May, 2057. Keeping that in mind he would accurately keep track of how long he's been here and with the last piece of the cake consumed, he wandered out of the room and out the guild base. A large tree stood beside the entrance threatening to stand taller than this structure. The climb was much easier than he had expected. Now on the roof, he faces into the distance until what brought him here revealed itself…the second moon.
The bigger of the moons had a bright white crescent glow much larger than earth's moon making him wonder what a full moon would look like here. To the left of the moon was another moon small than the first but with a bright violet glow instead. The second moon stood two moons away from the first. The light from both moons gave the environment a blend of both natural and violet glow as far as his eyes could see. The green from the trees had lost to the moonlights producing a purple forestry unlike anything Rhaegah had ever laid eyes on. Tiny orbs of different colors danced about blinking as they flew past making Rhaegah realize that they were in fact fireflies. He took one last look at the moons and surmised that they would come together when they were full. "How could something so beautiful be a sign of terror?" he heard himself say before heading back.
The classroom was quiet save for the lone chatter of the teacher. Rhaegah had no idea how long had passed but he was growing tired of the class. He suddenly jerked his head to the opposite corner of the class as though his attention was suddenly drawn to a vague feeling. Vague, until his eyes rested on a figure wrapped in black miasma. It took one look at the class to realize that he was the only one aware of its presence. Kaneko sat behind him as usual scribbling something obviously unrelated to the class being held. Rhaegah stared at the figure closely waiting for the obvious outcome. A hand landed on his shoulder shifting his attention to Kaneko who wore a worried look at him "You must find a way to contain it" Kaneko simply stated and with a low growl he returned to his initial position.
Eyes the same as burning fire stared a hair's breadth from him sending him into a scared frenzy. Darting up he realized the entire classroom was in flames and at the center stood the figure still covered in black. An evil cackle could be heard from it as the miasma that oozed off the creature began dissipating leaving a person who turned round to reveal what Rhaegah had no way of seeing coming….himself. The flames became hotter and the smell of burnt corpses filled the room. "KANEKO!" His scream was cut short at the sight of Kaneko kneeling before him covered in blood and burns. "Con..tain....it" Kaneko weakly said before collapsing.
Nygel stood over him as he opened his eyes still in a frightened daze. The bed was broken and the objects in the room lay broken all over. "The gauntlet is fighting to take control" Almer stated from another part of the room. Rhaegah looked at his arm to find the gauntlet back to its original size. "And one thing is certain. If our mission on Primordial fails...not even we can help anyone" she added "From who?" Rhaegah asked already guessing the answer "From you. Your power is unlike anything we know. The power of the dark dragonborn is one shrouded in secrecy so not many know what you are truly capable of. The Pillars can tell us that"
The door opened letting Herke walk in "Symmone says to prepare" his voice carrying an exhausted tone cut in "You heard the man… it's time" Nygel exclaimed before leading Almer out. Herke delayed to help Rhaegah with the basics. "He terrifies you that much?" Almer's asked with a curious glare as they walked down the corridor "I see no reason to explain myself to you" Nygel replied not paying her any attention. They continued the long walk in silence. The morning sun was harsh. Not the heat to be expected from it, but the harsh truth that truly the day had begun. Being one who didn't get as much sleep as he'd like, Rhaegah found the sun to be too brutal. "We must leave at once" Symmone called out.
Symmone was a hard man to figure out. He seemed to speak only when necessary and did not partake in chitchat. Nygel came forward and with no words, formed a mandala on the wall before him opening up to reveal somewhere Rhaegah had hoped to see again…..Faireim
The land of fairies was dangerously close to taking his breath away. The first time Rhaegah had come he could only sense the things within his limit but now, the world was his to analyze. They appeared under a great tree… the largest tree Rhaegah had ever seen. It's largely thick roots were all that could be seen across the land. The stem was so wide in diameter he surmised two large buildings could stand side by side and still fall short in comparison with the tree. The tree had many different patterns carved onto it some giving a deep green glow along that line. Another color caught his eye and he traced another carving flowing both in sync and in polar directions with the first. This one gave a bright blue glow and the colors and patterns began to multiply into what seemed like a canvas of different colored glows on a vast variety of patterns. These colors didn't just pulsate in perfect sync, they seemed to draw anyone who stared long enough into a stream of never ending lights that stretched all the way up the tree.
Suddenly something was not right….he couldn't look all the way to the top. The patterns and lights seemed to stretch on into the skies. "A skyscraper's got nothing on this tree" he thought. On closer inspection, Rhaegah noticed mana flow into a set of patterns from the environment. And then he finally noticed the ones who call this region home…..the Fairies. They were either all invisible or Rhaegah just didn't sense any of them since he was processing all that information in sets so his brain wouldn't give out. They were suddenly all around Rhaegah the moment he took note of his surroundings. He looked at the others who had the same look of confusion on their faces telling him that this was obviously beyond their knowledge.
The number of fairies around him seemed to multiply by the second enveloping him in an orb bursting with colors. The fairies were really small creatures. Much smaller than the Halflings but not so much they were too tiny to distinguish. He observed closely focusing on a single trail that led to a particular fairy. The orb around him was made entirely of the mana that continually seeped out from the fairies as they moved. The fairy he had focused on as if aware of his gaze slowed down and came to a halt hovering right before him.
What hovered before him was a little humanoid creature with wings a bright shade of green, glittering as it reflected the lights from the other fairies still in a swarm around him. The lone fairy wore a gown flowing down and swaying under the influence of the wind that came from the swarm around them. The overly feminine way the hair was bound as it danced in the wind was all the confirmation he needed..... This fairy was a female.
No sooner had he confirmed that did he suddenly feel completely weightless. This was similar to the feeling of going up an elevator except, there was no floor. He was going straight up without a platform to serve as a foothold. "I'm..... Flying?"
The feeling of constant upward movement had him wondering what happened to the others... "But more importantly, how high does this tree go?"
The fairy drew closer hands behind her in a manner that surprisingly made him trust her completely. Her gown looked almost skin tight and was a beautiful shade of green, matching her wings. The fairy turned her head suddenly looking at nothing "We're here huh?". His guess was confirmed by the eventual halt of the orb not long after. The intensity of the light from the orb died down as the fairies that formed it dispersed heading in all directions like they simply did as they were told. He turned to look around and froze as the scenery came into view.
The tree stood higher than the every other and all structures were nonexistent to someone at the top. Various regions stood in the distance which with Rhaegah's deduction could not be travelled by foot. The closest to Faireim was a forest region with thick trees that conveniently shielded anything underneath. With the sound of shifting doors, he turned to face a fairly wide space carved into the tree. Like the courtyard of a grand palace, the clearing was wide indeed and from the fairies perspective, even wider still. Taking a long look he noticed the palace had been carved into the tree.
Noticing the path they so obviously formed for him, he heads towards the palace. "Seems no one wants me knowing too much about their homeland....Am I that much of a threat?" he stops at the doors leading into the palace. The depiction of a fairy was engraved on the doors splitting into two perfect halves when opened. The bolts on the door didn't look like any metal he recognized in both reality and fiction. From the bolts, pulses of light were sent towards the figure at the center at regular intervals and with that came a magnificent light..... A little blinding, but magnificent all the same.
The door stood over him as any 'larger than average' door would. The fairies around did not mind the door and simply phased through perfectly aware they would. His eyes adjusted to the light revealing that the door was in fact completely transparent save for the bolts and the edges. He touched the door not surprised he didn't phase through just as the doors open letting pleasant gusts of wind out to greet then. The inside of this palace emphasized nature from the glowing plants hanging down the seemingly never-ending ceiling. The walls were vines and branches all through and were lit up by clusters of light floating along the walls wound the room.
The floor was finely polished wood and judging by the reflective properties he surmised this was a meticulous job. He walked a bit faster when he saw he was keeping people waiting. Two massive plants formed like a perfect union of a Venus flytrap and a sunflower. Seated atop these plants were the brightest creatures he'd ever laid eyes on... Yes brightest cos he felt his eyes lash out the longer he looked their way. Just like before, his eyes adjusted quickly revealing that these two were without a doubt, the highest authority here.
Seated atop the higher of the two plants was a female "The queen?" and a male on the lower. "You appear to have no knowledge of all you see yet" the queen spoke. She was a beautiful burst of colors with light emanating from her every gesture. Her hair shone with the endless threads of silk hair reflecting a hint of various colors as light hit them. Her leaf green gown flowed slim and bloomed at the end with constant waves of mana flowed from the bottom. "As always.... You leave all who gaze upon you without words" a male voice brought his attention to the fairy he had concluded was the king "There it is again... The echo I heard before"
The king's hair was much shorter but shared the same properties as the queen's. His attire was a wood brown color perfectly matching the bright yellow glow of his core. Noticing the halo he immediately knew were crowns, Rhaegah realized he was doing it again "Sorry.....I've never seen anything quite like all this before" he admitted breaking the silence. Much to expectations, his voice carried no echo. These two were so mana filled that their mana influences even the sound they make.
"There is so much to tell you, but little time to do so" the queen spoke again "But this you must know before you leave" Rhaegah stared with uninterrupted focus hanging onto every word she said "You are your father's son. You are destined for greatness..... Just like he was meant to be"
"Father"
The only word in Rhaegah's mind. That was the first real information anyone had given him since he came here. Information about him that is.
"The Pillars will test you..... Know that they are justified in doing so. They cannot risk a second coming" her voice became heavy as if that brought a sad memory with it. "The children will take you back.....the others are waiting" the king spoke finally "We will answer your questions to the best of our knowledge when you return"
"Are you kidding me?! You've just given me more than anyone has since I got to this world and you expect to be ok with 'I'm my father's son?'" the words perfectly projected the absurdity of the statement. "I've spent my whole life alone on a world that wasn't mine, with no idea who or what I was. And suddenly I get shoved here to save a world that abandoned me until it was desperate. You know who my father was don't you?" his eyes reflected the anger he'd been keeping buried "wait..... Was?" he looked back at the queen who knew what he was thinking. "Your father is dead.....he died a long time ago in a war"
The ship sailed violently almost aware that time was if the essence. Their destination, the island on the other side of the raging waters. Rhaegah could only think of who his father was. "Died in a war? What war? And what's the second coming she mentioned?. The Pillars were the one thing that came up in recent conversations. "I guess the Pillars have got a shit ton of answers to give".....This was no joyride.
She looked him dead in the eyes.....Her hair now a raging torrent of water and eyes that shone bright white in response to the rise in her tone. "You dare return to me?" Iara bellowed. Rhaegah instantly regretted coming here. He should have thought things through but all that was too late now. He could hardly breathe and he felt he had no strength left. The towering being drowned him in the feeling of insignificance. He clenched his fists and with new found resolve, he raises his head refusing defeat. He had made it to the beast's den..... He'd have to make the best of it.
Chapter 8: Memories.
