The Gift

Ace was pacing back and forth the length of his room. He had been confined there since his ill-fated escape attempt. He had expected a terrible reprisal for this attempt, but it had yet come. Though he guessed this only meant Silthus was planning something even worse.

Ace outstretched his palm. He could feel his human magic had returned, but he would not get to obey him. As he tried to concentrate, he kept recalling the time when he had last used it and Michael had tried to teach him. He always had little patience to learn.

Then too, it had always been temperamental. He wished he had paid more attention back then.

He threw down his hand frustratedly. Back then, he had been filled with rage and misery. He had used such emotions to elicit his magic before, but now it seemed he couldn't summon those kinds of feelings anymore. His situation was no doubt just as hopeless. Yet the passion of youth seemed a distant memory.

He had no more time to try as a knock soon came at the door. The cloaked figures swarmed and he was dragged out. Ace was thrown down at Silthus' feet.

"Well that hurts more than it used to," Ace sighed," I would have come if you asked," he added with a smirk.

"I think this adds dramatic effect, no?" Silthus looked down coldly, "Did you expect better treatment after stabbing me in the back?"

"I'm pretty sure I stabbed you in the hand?" Ace grinned.

"You're in a good mood," Silthus commented flatly.

"Should I be in tears, begging for your forgiveness?" Ace shrugged apathetically, "we're adults, aren't we?"

"How old are you exactly?" Silthus smiled.

"It gets tedious to keep count when you're as old as I am," Ace dismissed.

"I mean when you become a demon, " Silthus interrogated.

"Nineteen, twenty, twenty-one," Ace said unamused, "who can remember?"

"So you are young. Younger than me," Silthus chuckled.

"Do these questions have a point?" Ace asked suspiciously, "here I was looking forward to your terrible punishment,"

"Ah your punishment, yes," Silthus grinned darkly, "Well, I was considering various ways to make you suffer. I killed all your lovers, that wretched horse and anything else relatively important to you before and you didn't so much as flinch. So It was hard to think of something good enough to live up to your expectations. Short of killing you - that is. But then the perfect gift was hand-delivered to my door,"

"Well don't leave me in suspense," Ace met Silthus' gaze with an icy smile.

"You are so young and Impatient," Silthus sneered, " I've told my men to go and collect it now,"

Ace glared at Silthus sharply, "I hope you didn't go to too much trouble,"

"On the contrary, I think it will be worth the effort."

****************

Not far from Silthus' castle, Michael and the others were trudging the mountain path through an icy blizzard. The snow-covered trees shivered under the strain of the Northern wind. The blizzard was almost blinding in its ferocity. A blast of ice and sleet was so strong it knocked Veretta into the snow. Michael halted to help her up.

" We should take shelter," he struggled to be heard over the fearsome wind," there is a cave up ahead, we should make camp for the night!"

"But we're so close!" Veretta protested, "Just a little further,"

"We need to rest," Michael returned, "Yona won't be able to go much further,"

Veretta glanced over at Yona who was being steadied by Tomas and conceded. They took shelter in the nearby cave and began setting up camp. The wind howled fiercely at the entrance. The campfire flickered hesitantly as they all crowded around it.

"Do you think my master is alright?" Yona asked quietly.

"He will be fine," Tomas reassured, " We know he is alive. It won't be long now,"

"Ace is a resilient brat," Michael glanced over, " I've seen him walk through hell and back,"

"He was always smarter than the other generals and Silthus favoured him," Darius enjoined.

"That is the problem," Yona faltered, " Silthus has been obsessed with Ace since he saved him. I do not know the reason why,"

"Why did Ace save Silthus?" Veretta asked.

"Silthus was not always as he is now, " Yona said quietly," When we first found him, he was just a boy. We were travelling around the South going to places master Clover had once been. We passed by an estate and the landowner gave us shelter. He thought us rich and was trying to appease my master.

We toured the mines and plantations. We saw the plight of the slaves and my master wanted to help them. He went out to bring them some food one night and that is when he appeared. He was nothing but skin and bones as the rest, but from the moment they met, Silthus had far more interest in my master than anything else. He asked many questions about where my master had come from and where he was going.

When my master told him he was looking for a way to find his lost friend, Silthus told us about a scroll from his home town with such a power. My master didn't take much heed of his words. Nevertheless, he took pity on the boy. He killed the landowner and set the slaves free.

The boy begged to go with us but my master refused. He told him to go back with others and return home. We left and many years passed. Then we heard of the uprising in the South. Silthus appeared once more. He had the scroll and an army. He told us his plans and my master entreated him again to live in peace, but he would not listen. It was only then we realised who Silthus really was. He burnt everything to the ground, killed without mercy and trampled on anyone in his path.

My master finally conceded to join him to mitigate some of the damage and to take the scroll. However, Silthus took it as a sign of my master's loyalty. He gave him the title of Red General. But he never let my master go far. He would follow wherever we went. His demands became more and more perverse. It was then my master realised he had to be killed,"

"So he colluded with Leva Veral and the wizard's towers to stop Silthus? " Michael surmised.

"Yes," Yona nodded.

"Silthus told me he was in love with Ace," Michael recalled, " I thought it was a trick of some kind. It seems there was some truth to his story,"

"Then why kidnap Ace against his will?" Darius questioned, "What could he hope to achieve by that?"

"He wants him, no matter the cost," Veretta said quietly, "Just as he took the Continent,"

"Silthus does not know the meaning of NO," Yona added, "that is why I am afraid,"

"Don't worry, we'll save..." Tomas began to speak, but Michael hushed him to silence.

" I sense something," He said quickly.

From the gloomy, snowy depths of the cave's entrance, dark figures crossed their line of sight. They all rose, pulling forth their weapons. The ground began to rumble and rocks splintered from the ceiling, tumbling down.

"They're trying to bring down the cave!" Tomas exclaimed.

They bolted towards the exit as the ceiling began to cave. They emerged in the heart of the chaotic blizzard surrounded by ominous chanting. Michael and Darius set off through the crowd. The moment they did, a blast of dark magic separated them from the others.

A swarm of cloaked assailants scorched the ground with magic. As Michael held up a wall in defence, Darius set them hurtling back. Yet the vicious onslaught continued. A mesh of dark magic entangled them in a thick, opaque mist. In turn, Michael sent them awash in water magic. He pulled Darius up and they managed to push back the enemies on both sides. For a moment, there was no sign of any attackers.

" What are they after?" Darius yelled over the howling winds,

" They're trying to draw us out," Michael called back, "We should rejoin the others,"

As he said these words, another cluster of dark figures appeared and they were beset once more. Another struggle ensued as flames rose all around them.

Not far from them, Veretta and Tomas were coordinating a charge with magic. A tremendous exchange of light between the elements blazed through the cloaked attackers. However, no sooner had one disappeared than another emerged.

The chanting continued, growing louder and louder. A black stream of energy sunk the visible light in darkness. In the confusion, there was a cry. Veretta and Tomas turned back swiftly. Just as they did, Yona was swallowed up into a magical portal. They raced after her at full speed but were intercepted by more of Silthus' wizards.

The portal began to shut and in turn, the wizards slunk into the darkness with it. Tomas gave a scream but it was too late. Yona was gone and they were left in the swirling belly of ice and snow.