The Severaine

Chapter Fifteen Feodor-2

“Nyx had never taken a side in such wars, but Zeus took this personally, and in order to punish her actions attempted to force her to the mortal realm. But he did not realise that a god, or goddess, who embodied the very nature of life, could not be destroyed in such a manner. His actions only succeeded in forcing but a part of her to mortal form. This aspect of her became a being in his own right. He called himself Night, and within him still lay some powers of the goddess he had once been part of. All he needed was the means to unlock it before he was killed. He had a great advantage. Normally when a god was forced into mortal flesh, they retained the s*x they favoured in appearance, but Night had emerged male, more like a child made of the two than a piece of the goddess. This alone brought him time. Zeus had believed his attempt to turn Nyx mortal had failed, yet still, he sent his children out to search for any mortal version of her that may live.

“Night hid in plain sight, married and raised a family. Listening to tales of the Gods he learnt of Hades' discontent at being made the Lord of the Underworld, whilst Zeus received the skies and his brother Poseidon, the oceans. Night beseeched Hades to hear him, and the god, as they so often did in times of old, appeared before him. Night offered him a way to receive all he had been promised. In return Hades would unlock the powers sealed within Night and grant him immortality.

“Night offered his mortal daughter's body to Hades, who placed within it the soul of Metis. Metis had already conceived one child of Zeus, Athena, and the prophecies were clear, if she should ever conceive another it would be a boy, one who would overthrow him as he had his father before him. Metis once again conceived Zeus' child, although he was unaware of the deception, after all, this young woman tended to the fields, and looked after her family's claim. She looked nothing like the Metis he had known, but he was drawn to her all the same.

“On the birth of the child, in order to further safeguard his acts, Night switched the baby with a stillborn from a travelling tribe who had stopped near their land for the birth. Only the mother of this child knew the truth, and she swore to protect his secret, and the child, until he came of age.

“When the young man reached his thirtieth year, long had he stopped showing signs of age. His mother, knowing she had little time left on this world, told her son of his heritage. Lost and confused by this discovery he sought refuge at Gaea's shrine, a place he has called home ever since.”

“You know me well,” Feodor called from the base of the tree, his descent from its branches unnoticed. “I fear you have me at a disadvantage.”

“I am Lain, partner of Night in this affair.” Marise heard herself gasp. She had never heard Elly introduce herself by name, by her alias, yes, but never her name. She doubted even Blackwood knew of her true identity. “And this is his daughter.”

“An immortal to be?” he questioned, glancing her over. “No, not her.” He turned to focus his attention on Elly. “She is merely a child.” He looked at the teenager before him, she could be no older than fifteen, perhaps sixteen. He saw her posture stiffen as anger sparked behind her eyes. He raised his hands. “Forgive me, I mean no disrespect. Myself and Lain simply possess many more years.” He turned his attention back towards Elly. “Tell me, what brings you here, the prophecy?” He smiled, betraying his knowledge of the answer. “Yes, the Grimoire of Earth does reside within my care.”

“Then you are aware we have come to fulfil both prophecies, yours and hers.”

“Yes, but I cannot give it to you,” he looked to Marise meaningfully, “not yet.” He saw the malicious intention flash within her eyes. “Do you believe yourself so powerful that you could kill a god?” Elly stepped between the two of them, glancing to Marise with a very clear warning.

“I know. You will not give us the Grimoire until we can exchange it for the items you require. We approach you today to learn what these may be.”

“I am unsure your young apprentice is ready for such an undertaking.”

“You do not know me, how dare you assume to speculate what I may, or may not, be ready for. I can fulfil any task you ask of me,” Marise snapped.

“This task may take many years to complete. Much research and patience is required. These tasks were deemed impossible, hence why they protect the things I seek.”

“Impossible?” Marise scoffed. “Perhaps y—”

“Enough!” Elly warned. “Feodor, although the quest may take some time to complete, I do not doubt our success, after all the prophecy shows the outcome is predetermined. It is easier for us to know what we seek now and devise a means to obtain them while we see to our other business.” Feodor nodded.

“Very well, in exchange for the Grimoire you must bring me the Eye of Wisdom, the scale of a dragon, and the hair of an Oneiroi.”

“What are they, and where do I find them,” Marise challenged.

“The Eye of Wisdom is a gemstone Kronos used to seal away the knowledge he would need for his next battle against Zeus. The scale of a dragon is self-explanatory, and the hair of an Oneiroi is a hair from a being known as an Oneiroi.” He smiled. “As for where they are, if I knew that I would have retrieved them myself long ago… you may leave now.”…

…The crystal faded as Feodor paused, and Acha passed him a warm drink as he took the opportunity to study them. It was clear they were still not satisfied. There was only one other thing he could show them, one thing which may work in his favour.

It instantly became apparent the years that had passed. When Marise's image came into view she was no longer a teenager, but an adult, perhaps even close to Zo's age…

…“Feodor!” Elly called him by name as they once again entered the enormous temple.

“Punctual as always I see Lain.” Feodor smiled. He sat on the bottom of one of the steps near the entrance, almost as if they had been expected. He stood to welcome them, seeing within her possession was indeed the dragon scale he sought.

She passed him the scale. It had been difficult smuggling such a thing both into, and out of, Blackwood's mansion without raising suspicion. Its size alone made concealing it impossible. Fortunately, when he had stopped her, he had happily accepted it as a training tool for use in the arena.

Next she presented a small cloth, inside was a generous portion of the auburn hair she had obtained from the Oneiroi known as Seiken. The rest she had presented to Night, in order to ensure he could make the Gods' charms, a rare talisman needed to provide fixed crossing between their world and Darrienia. The relocation of dreamers was something his pilgrims had found alarming, of course, they were merely test subjects, by the time the true task was at hand he would know everything he needed to. It was all part of the discovery process. He needed to be able to control things precisely, and to do so, experimentation was required.

“And the eye of Wisdom?” Feodor questioned as he sensed Elly's slight hesitance. Marise stepped forward, pulling the stone from a small pouch. “Avoiding temptation, Lain?” he questioned knowingly.

“Of course, you know what would happen should I explore its secrets.” She smiled as he placed it to one side. Of all the items they had gathered, the only one she had not devised a purpose for was the dragon scale. The other two were obvious, both were critical for an attack on Olympus, but the dragon scale left more to the imagination. Perhaps if she had considered it the answers would have become apparent, but there were more pressing concerns on her mind now.

“Very well, you have completed all I have asked from you, the Grimoire is yours.” Again it was Marise who approached him to lift the tome from his possession. He looked at her in approval. As they made their exit he called after them. “You have grown, but even now your time grows short.” Marise turned to look at him questioningly as Elly rushed her through the doors, fearing what his next sentence could reveal…

…Seeing their expressions, Feodor felt no further need to continue. It was clear this group knew more of the Grimoire than most. At least leaving his tale here would allow them to ask any questions. As they had watched, he and the Elementalist had draped the tarpaulin for them to sit beneath as it rained. Soon the rain would slow and once more they would be on their way. He hoped by then to have won their trust, at least enough so that they would permit him to continue with them.

“So, what brings you here, a trade perhaps?” Daniel questioned. The glances exchanged by Acha and Eiji sung tales of their surprise. It seemed he was thinking with more clarity than he had shown for a while. If both of them were seeking the same thing, there was no way they could allow this stranger to accompany them.

“No, I came to make peace with the wyrms and perhaps form an alliance.” He looked between them realising, for the first time, he didn't know their names, and such things were deemed important amongst mortals. Sharing names often initiated trust. “I am, of course, Feodor, who might you be?” he asked politely. He knew all too well they would know his name but could think of no other polite way of requesting theirs.

“Daniel, Acha, Eiji.” Daniel gestured to each of them in turn. Once again Feodor's vision hovered on Acha slightly.

“Ah, you are The Chosen. You are two missing I see.”

“What kind of alliance?” Daniel interrupted before further questions could be asked.

“I need their assistance, and should they wish to be free from the curse, they too need mine.”

“Curse?” Somehow Daniel knew the curse he spoke of had nothing to do with their being sealed upon Kalia, he spoke of something entirely different. As Daniel ensured they had no conflict of interest, Acha and Eiji packed their small camp. When Feodor stood, Daniel gave a slight nod, agreeing he could accompany them, for now.

“You ask a lot of questions.” Feodor laughed; it was rare to come across one with such a thirst for knowledge. Given the madness that danced behind his eyes he had expected this young man to be far less coherent. Yet his words, his questions, all made perfect sense. “A long time ago, when Zeus' rule was young, there was but one creature Zeus feared, and these were the wyrms. In his fear he united Cyra with Kadmos Rosu. Cyra, if you are unfamiliar with her, was a great mage, sister to the priestess Cassandra, and her rival. But I do not doubt your adventure will take you to someone who knows the story better than I. Kadmos Rosu was a world-renowned dragon slayer. The golden scale I have was one removed from their god. It was told that this legendary wyrm shielded another, taking the deadly blow itself.

“Kadmos and the wyrm had battled for no less than three days, he had already weakened it. Rupturing any wyrm's scales ensures the meridians responsible for the strength and power of their natural armour against strikes is dramatically weakened. Before he could deliver the final blow, he was blinded by a great light. The wyrm god took the fatal blow, losing its scale and suffering a mortal wound. Kadmos used the scale to shield himself from the wyrm's breath as they fled. Rumours say the god died, only to be reborn in a new form, yet still to be worshipped.

“No one has seen a wyrm since. It is said the last of them, those in hiding, vanished from existence centuries ago, we of course know this to be hearsay. Because of the wound dealt to their god, each wyrm since has been born with this scale missing and thus unable to channel their innate defensive magic abilities making them vulnerable to all manner of weapon. Not long after this battle Kadmos and Cyra joined forces under the guidance of fate and with the help of the Star of Arshad sealed the wyrms to the island of Kalia. That is why none have been seen in our world for so long.” He paused, they were getting close to the entrance of the mountain now, he could feel the anticipation well within him as he wondered if this young man, the one who danced a precarious dance with the Maniae, truly knew their Grand Master's name. “I cannot only combat this weakness by returning the scale, I can offer them freedom from Zeus' exile.”

“You mean freedom from the island?”

“No, I am not one of you, not human,” he added hastily. “But once you have completed your task, I can address mine.”

“Is it wise for us to act against the wishes of Zeus?” Acha questioned. She had feared asking this question for some time. She had been raised to both love and fear the Gods. Freeing the dragons had not been an issue for her, not until she realised it was Zeus who had orchestrated their banishment. Surely if they were to retrieve the Star of Arshad now, they would be going against the Gods. Committing an act of blasphemy. She looked to the man before her, the one who claimed to be the son of Zeus. Zeus' children had disobeyed him before, with varying consequences.

“Trust me, Acha, you have nothing to fear from my father, nor aiding me. Yes, I am the son of Zeus and Metis, but I was raised to be a good man. I do not intend to challenge him, but to help him.” Feodor spoke with such sincerity it was impossible to detect any lie. Acha shied away slightly; she knew without a doubt who this man was. She could see the similarities between them. His tall, slender physique, his nose, even the shape of his eyes, they were traits she saw all too often when she looked into the mirror. His tale had explained a lot. She had never understood why her father had simply expelled her life-force. But now it seemed that he had just needed her body to form a vessel for Metis. This man looked familiar because she, or rather Metis, had conceived him in her old form. She had to wonder if he had seen the similarities between them too, was that why he kept looking at her as he did?

They walked in silence for a while as the size of that which they approached stilled their words.