The Severaine

Chapter Sixteen Kalia-4

“What Adom meant is I possess a fragment of the tuugolgimm. It fell many years ago.” Alessia entered her home for a moment. When she returned, she held a small crystal in her hand, it seemed to shimmer, almost sparkle, in the light from the fire. “When my mother showed this to the Grand Master, he told us of its lore. When it is made whole once more, we have found our hero.” Daniel stared at the small fragment in her hand, unable to hide his disbelief. He rubbed his eyes, as if to ensure he was not dreaming, or more likely, hallucinating.

“May I?” Alessia nodded, handing him the stone to examine. He shook his head, a grin spreading across his face as he pulled a small leather pouch from the cord around his neck. He tipped the contents into his hand. “This is it!” he exclaimed finally, his tones giving rise to his excitement. “I've been searching for this.” He looked to Acha and Eiji, who seemed to be lost by his outburst. He gave a dismissive gesture as he realised they had no idea what he was talking about. “When I was younger, me and Stephen fancied ourselves as treasure hunters. Anyway, after Stephen… passed away, his father gave me this. It was all they found of him.” He picked up the fragment which had once belonged to his friend, his fatigue and excitement seeing him fumble as he fixed the jagged edge to that of Alessia's piece.

“Then, in Darrienia we met again, and he gave me this one.” Daniel took a moment to stare at the shard in his hand. Even looking at it drew so many familiar feelings to the surface. If not for the slight excitement perhaps this inner turmoil would have consumed him. As he stared at the fragment the world, in response to his emotions, seemed to grow a little darker. As he carefully slotted it against its brethren a dull light began to form in its centre. The area around them filled with pressure as the tiny light grew, expanding until the crystal within his hand could no longer contain the light and sent a brilliant pillar of silver-white energy bursting into the sky. The display lasted but a few moments, the light fading until the darkness returned. It was only as their focus moved from the crystal the hushed tones of foreign words could be heard. Summoned by the display the four now sat surrounded by the Eortháds. The pressure of the silence was immense, until finally it was broken by a loud thundering cheer. Daniel felt a few hands slap him firmly upon his back as he sat bewildered.

“You possessed the other pieces.” Alessia's voice was almost lost to her surprise. “We must inform the Grand Master, let him know the tuugolgimm has been completed at last.” She reached out, already on her feet as she grabbed Daniel's hand excitedly to pull him towards her. They had travelled but a few steps when silence once more descended and their steps halted. Through the stillness was the loud beating of wings, the dark heavy shadow eclipsing all, dispelling any questions as to if a creature so large would be capable of fly. The Grand Master landed in a large clearing, but the force behind each wing stroke sent shockwaves through the land and air. Alessia pulled on Daniel who, still frozen in awe, remained steadfast. “Let us not keep the Grand Master waiting,” Alessia asserted, breaking the enchantment seeing this mighty creature had once more cast upon him. Daniel looked to the crystal in his hand, taking comfort in Acha and Eiji's presence beside him.

“Tell me, what are your names, travellers?” the wyrm spoke, his deep voice sending tremors though all living matter.

“I am Daniel Eliot, my companions are Acha Night.” He gestured towards Acha, who now stood at his right, “and Eiji…” He motioned to his left where Eiji stood, and looked to him in hope of the answer to his full name. Eiji grinned at Daniel's sheepish expression. Without being able to finish, he continued. “But we are not who you presume us to be,” he protested. Given the reaction of the Eortháds, and the tale Alessia had just told them, it was clear who they thought they were, but they were wrong.

“I see.” The wyrm moved, giving a slight yawn. As Daniel studied the magnificent creature, he noticed something, something important. The area which had once been missing a scale, now caught the light with a flash of gold. Clearly, Feodor and the wyrm had come to some manner of agreement. “Let us recap, first you bring us Feodor to undo our curse.”

“By mere coincidence,” Daniel protested.

“You yourself seek the Star of Arshad to return it to the mountain. Finally, you come to us possessing the missing sections of the tuugolgimm. I cannot see how you can deny it, Daniel Eliot, you are our prophesied hero, the one who will return glory to the Eortháds.”

“I am no hero,” Daniel sighed. If he had been a hero Zo would not have died because of him, and he had endangered everyone. He was no hero; a hero did not fail those who depended on him as he had.

“Would my ears deceive me, or did you state you had visited Darrienia?” Nemean questioned.

“That is true,” he answered.

“Tell me, whilst on your journey did you cross paths with one known as Seiken?”

“Why do you—”

“You have met Lord Seiken?” Alessia gasped just as Eiji questioned.

“You know of Darrienia?”

“Of course,” Alessia answered. “Our kind should guard this side of the boundaries, but our current situation limits our ability to do so. Not only that, but a very important part of the wyrms belongs in Darrienia.”

“What's that?”

“The key to their existence, the wyrm god. Just before our sealing, our god was slain, his essence was eventually reborn in Darrienia. You are the one the prophecy spoke of; you can be no other. When the tuugolgimm, what did you call it, star?” Daniel nodded. “When the star split a remarkable thing happened, one piece came here, another elsewhere and the third somehow found its way into Darrienia. You said yourself you retrieved a piece from there.” Daniel thought back to how it had been presented to him after his trial in Darrienia's version of The Courts of Twilight. The fragment was his parting gift for a lesson well learnt. He nodded, he could not disagree that this was the place it had come from, he had been surprised to see it was still within his possession when they had crossed back to their own world. There was an excited chatter which echoed through the air around him, the air was filled with electricity. The Eortháds had been waiting for so long for their hero to be revealed.

“I shall ready the Star of Arshad for your departure. Given recent events I see there is no reason to deny your request,” Nemean stated. The hum of excitement suddenly fell silent, as if the air had swallowed all sound. Daniel gasped, his eyes widened in shock as he clutched the metal tipped spear that now protruded from his stomach.

“Hero, pah!” Came the voice. Daniel turned his head slowly, the world around him fading out of focus as he felt a strange sensation wash over him. Where everyone else saw Adom standing proudly with a twisted smile across his face, he saw Marise.

“Marise,” he whispered, falling to his knees as Adom retracted the spear. Daniel felt the warmth of his blood on his hands as he held the wound. The people around him, their gasps of horror, everything, became consumed by darkness. The air filled with an ear-piercing screech, a deafening sound from beyond the realm of man. He felt the blistering heat as a fine orange stream streaked through the air, its path controlled by the combustive magic. A coolness washed over him like an invisible film, a second skin until all sensation faded and only he remained.

He forced himself to stand. He would not die on his knees, not before her. The warmth of blood, like the almost crippling pain, spread across his abdomen. But the pain was numbing quickly, masked by the wild anger which coursed through his veins. Not even the touch of those who tried to restrain him could reach him through the darkness.

He heard the spine-chilling sound of Marise's laughter, her image taunting him.

“You killed her,” she mocked, almost in answer to his thoughts. “I merely reaped the rewards of your actions.” Daniel glared at her, filled with such venom and hatred that his wound was almost forgotten. Almost. It seemed irrelevant now, standing before her like this meant one thing, his fate was sealed. He could only hope to take her with him. She would kill him, of that he had no doubt. Even through the raw power of his anger he could feel his body weakening, he had to do this now.

He lunged at Marise, but she sidestepped his advance with ease. His feet scraped the dirt, the pain of his movements only serving to intensify the anger which kept him upright. His blood-soaked hands were now encrusted with dirt from the unseen floor. He moved again. This time his hands seized her, his weight dragged her to the ground where, somehow, he managed to sit atop of her, a knife to her throat. And still she laughed. Without hesitation he moved for the kill.

The world before him distorted as Acha's bare hand touched his flesh. The panic and commotion slowly came into focus, the sounds, the people, and Marise, who lay pinned beneath him. Acha's touch seemed to have done nothing but cause him to hesitate with the killing blow. He blinked, forcing himself to make true his desire to kill her, he blinked again. Marise's figure changed before his eyes. It was not her he had pinned to the ground with the intention of killing, it was Eiji, and it was Eiji's own knife which now caused the rapid flow of blood from his friend's throat. A flow slowed only by the presence of the blade still piercing his flesh. Daniel stared in horror at Eiji, feeling the blade within his hand begin to tremble. His alarm grew as he saw how deeply it was embedded. He felt someone grasp his hand, steading it as everything faded.

The Thegnalar of the Hélend class had effortlessly released Daniel's grip from the blade. Eiji tried to keep still, feeling the cool hand squeezing the severed flesh together as the healer's other hand slowly removed the blade, an action which allowed the bright red blood to rush from his artery, it was a flow which was soon staunched. As the healer released the flesh, the wound had knit leaving a scar. He was lucky, if Daniel's hand had continued to tremble, the pressure could have further severed his artery and made repair impossible.

“Are you alright?” Alessia cast a cursory glance in Eiji's direction as the Thegnalar healer pulled him to his feet. Eiji's trembling fingers found the tender scarring of his wound and nodded, unable to find his voice. “Does he often have difficulties distinguishing dream from reality?” she questioned assessing the extent of Daniel's injuries.

“He's been through a lot,” Eiji defended his friend. He looked to Daniel. Until now he had never realised how strong he was, not until he was fighting against him, only to discover he could not hold him back.

“Many who travel Darrienia in such a manner can be affected by its madness, but there seems to be more to this than that. It is almost as if he is connected somehow to someone within its boundaries. Someone calling to him, or he to them.” Nemean turned to Alessia. “See to his wounds, I must think on this. When he wakes, I shall have the Star ready for your departure.” The wyrm surveyed all before him, his eyes resting on the charred remains of the betrayer. He gave a snort, angry tendrils of flames curling from his nostrils, his dry mouth still lined with the taste of magnesium. He cast his gaze towards the sea before extending his wings. The shelters rattled in protest as the beating sound of his wings lifted him into the sky.