Chapter 7

No! It just can't be him, but it is. He's standing right in front of me! He hasn't changed a bit. His dark robes billow in the breeze. His black hair has gotten longer. His face hasn't aged a bit.

"What did you do with my friends?" I shout at him.

"Don't worry about your friends." He smiles evilly, "What you are seeing is nothing but a false image of me. I'm still at home in Argostia leading my armies towards your pathetic home! Rias. You must come home to me."

"I won't go back!" I yell tears streaming down my face, "You're an evil manipulator that only wants to control me for the Ice Crystal! I won't have it!"

"It seems that you've been under Vizion's power far too long." Nefal closes his eyes, "I'm going to have to use an ancient spell to counter Vizion's spell."

"Vizion isn't a spellweaver like you!" I try to punch him, but he turns into a whisp of clouds.

"Now now my daughter. You cannot hurt me here." He says sarcastically, "I'm but an image in your head. You see my daughter, I can see you no matter where you are. You are meant for greater things."

"I know that I'm destined to use the Ice Crystal." I tell him, "I'll use it for good not evil."

"You don't know what is good and what is evil." He smirks, "I have always known where you were. When you fled northward, I knew where you were at. Damn monks for harboring you! I have seen that Vizion will send you to attack Mankana. You will fail and you will see the truth."

Nefal's voice resonates through my mind. I've always been watched by my father. I hate my father! He just wants to use me for his dirty deeds. I won't let him! I'll take Yomon and Tosta and we will attack Mankana to kill my father. I'll do it to stop this war!

The darkness fades and replaced by the thickness of the night. The fire still blazed steadily. The wood I had gathered still rests in my arms. In my vision, the wood had disappeared. Yomon and Tosta are still passed out by the fire snoring away. Had I really seen my father just now? Is he right about all he said? I don't know what to think right now. It's getting late and tomorrow, we will finish our journey to Icelia to report to Vizion. I'll make sure to get a good look at Vizion to see if he really is capable of powerful magic. I've always known him as an expert swordsman not a magician. I take a deep breath to calm myself. I stoke up the fire and lay next to it. I fall into my dreams hoping that they will bring some solace to my confusion.

I wake up to the glittering sun in my eyes. My head's clear and nothing goes through it like last night. Yomon and Tosta both had a grave look on their face as if they had a nightmare.

"What's wrong guys?" I ask them.

"I saw me own death las' night." Yomon says quietly.

"You had the same dream as well?" Tosta sighs heavily, "Maybe it was just a dream."

"Jus' a dream!" Yomon gets in Tosta's face, "Anyting can 'appen in t'is messed up world! So don' give me tat crap 'osta!"

"Let's get out of here before you two kill each other!" I push them apart.

They go off to their separate ways and sit on the opposite sides of the camp. I swear they're like little kids! They piss me off sometimes, but they're my friends and sometimes friends fight. It gets rid of frustrations. I just don't want them to pull out their weapons. That will be disastrous. Neither one will win, because they are both skilled fighters.

I grab my golden sword and we continue along the path that leads out of the forest. It seems as their anger has subsided and best friends again. They are complete opposites, but they somehow find a way to get along. We climb a tall hill and just below it, is the Iceltic capital, Icelia. It's a large walled in city, but not nearly as large as Mankana. If what my father said was true, we'll get to see Mankana. The castle sits in the center of the city. The castle itself is walled in as well. The city is split into three districts: royal, soldiers, and the people. Walls separate each section of the city. I don't know why it was built like that, but it seems to work since nothing really happens in the city. Off to the east of the city, I see the red and black shining armor of Mankana troops marching towards the city. Yomon and Tosta already began sprinting towards the city. What's happened to the bridge? Is the war finally drawing to a close?