Ethereal Ascendant

by Luke DeSalvo

  “Meet at Dragon’s Council’s inn,” Suzette hissed, leaving the beautiful girl to go shopping with her beloved Ildarachi.

  “With pleasure,” Aurora mocked back before departing on her own mission.

  When both enchantress and demon returned from their private mission Aurora was found head to toe covered in black leather, an elvish trait, hugging too tightly to her body.

  The party noticed this at the Dragon Council’s inn, as soon as she entered the men’s jaws dropped as the enchantress stood out more now than when she did before, Suzette noted, taking a pull from her beer as the two wayfarer travelers entered.

  The Dragon's Council was a lively tavern, minstrels of elvish folk were dancing in the night. Dwarves, considered servants of stone work, were all laughing among themselves, only keeping half an eye on Xerrast's and his strange companions all sitting on a wide circular table in the corner of the bar.

  When Ildarachi and Aurora were seated, they were immediately produced with a fine elvish Cabernet Sauvignon made in these lands. The two greedily accepted for it was on Xerrast, after all, who was putting the genie towards drinks, food and board.

  “Refreshing,” Jason exclaimed.

  “Cheers!” Aurora said, flaunting her new looks.

  They clanked glasses, Kaeltrys following pursuit, then Xerrast with a reluctant Codiac and Suzette involved.

  “It's after dark already,” Suzette said, after taking a small sip from her glass. “Did you guys get lost?”

  “Sort of,” Ildarachi simply put, leaving a bashful Aurora brushing up beside him.

  “Well, here is your key,” Suzette said smugly, producing a key with a number 102 on the brand of it.

  “It's probably best if we all got some shut eye in, wouldn't you agree, Kaeltrys?” Codiac said, kicking the archmagician’s seat in a playful manner, who was already dozing off. Startled, Kaeltrys gave a shocked nasty look that only produced a smile on Codiac's face.

  He began to laugh.

  “Wait-” Xerrast commanded sharply. “Do you hear that, Ildarachi?” He asked looking directly at the now stunned man. There was the sound of voices from outside the tavern, very muffled, but with keen ears it could be heard. The party stopped their conversation just listening for several moments.

  “Yes, it's low,” Jason said, looking down to prick up his ears.

  Over the crowd noise, Codiac said nothing, but the serious look of panic crept over the Jason's face, revealing a desperate reality.

  Ildarachi opened his eye wide.

  “I heard it too,” Suzette exclaimed with her newly tuned body.

  “Out with it!” Codiac said sternly.

  Xerrast stood up and placed some genie paper bills on the table.

  “It's nothing, don’t bother,” Xerrast exclaimed.

  “Are you holding out some more!?” Codiac placed his drink on the table.

  “Amethyst, making guild dues or something rather,” Suzette muttered.

  “What?” Codiac questioned.

  “I think it’s time to retire,” Xerrast said, folding his arms together.

  “Yes,” Suzette said.

  The party began to finish their drinks, pay the bill and take their leave upstairs to their rooms.

  With the guardian and knight captain trailing behind the group it was then Codiac came behind Suzette and grabbed her by the arm.

  “Come to my place tonight?” He asked in a teasing manner.

  “What!? No!” She declared.

  Codiac turned in front of her when there was enough distance between him and the allies.

  “Actually, I need you,” He said, walking with her to his door.

  “For what!?” She cried.

  Codiac stopped his walk and put his hand on the wall, blocking her escape. They both stopped there, listening to the doors open as the others made their way to their rooms. They simply just stared at each other, creating an awkward moment that seemed unbearable.

  “I need you to wake me,” The knight captain said at last.

  Suzette fidgeted in response.

  “More dream endeavors?” She asked.

  Codiac paused and placed his hands at his sides.

  “Suzy,” He said, almost afraid if the woman would reject the pet name. “There are things in the dream world that cannot go ignored. The scion has the answers. She knew. She fucking knew, that her brother was an Amethyst Divine agent, our sworn enemy.”

  Suzette gulped.

  “And yet, she trusted him to go save us from that accursed forest.” Codiac paused and released a breath. “And now this? I must know why,” he continued. “I’m going to the astral world to fetch the answers. Something stinks here. I don’t know, if you’re a dream mage intuition is key. My intuition states that that the Systralas is being worked over hard. I must know our allies. So, just in case,” He added with a wink. “If things go wrong, and you see me in a seizure, please wake me up. Will you do this for me?”

  Suzette nervously licked her lips, looked down then gazed in Codiac’s eyes.

  “Okay,” She agreed.

  Codiac smiled and pulled out the keys to his door and opened it.

  It was a lavish room filled with mahogany desks, chairs, book case were all centered around a polar beer rug. It was elegant. They entered without saying a word until Codiac took off his hat, placed it on the bedside, and laid down fully geared.

  “Now,” He said. “Tell me a story before I fall asleep,” He ordered.

  Suzette sat down on an adjacent chair and beamed.

  “Do you want to hear about my first kill?”

  Codiac laughed and spiraled out in bed.

  “How old were you?” He asked, snuggling against a pillow.

  “Fifteen,” She replied.

  “Oh, well, I was twelve,” Codiac replied with a yawn.

  “Yes, but this one in particular has a good story.”

  Codiac stretched than turn to her.

  “I’m all ears.”

  “When I was young in training, there was an assassination attempt on my father’s life…”

  Chapter 23

  “I hope she doesn’t kill me.”

  Codiac Dalin

  Knight Captain of Golden Hearts

  Codiac glanced outside the window of the Dragon Council’s inn to find the netherworld swirling with vibrant color. Suzette was still speaking to him, but he could not hear what she was saying. She was beautiful, he thought to himself, with those cool gray blue eyes looking deep into his body, but instead of regarding a moment longer, the young man looked out the window to all the spinning rainbow of stars. The view was magnificent as if a glowing nebula awaited him and him alone. He got out of his bed and peered closer. Countless stars greeted him from above and below. Carefully, he placed his hand on the window and whispered.

  “Nalatan Nidore.”

  The window shattered into many pieces, the chunks of glass transmuting into feathers that rose up before him. What awaited outside the window was a white staircase he met before in his previous encounter of dreams.

  Codiac leapt out the window and climbed up the stairway, climbing higher and higher for what seemed like hours. The view of the town below was replaced by cloud and what seemed to him like sorrow as lightning flashed through the very same.

  Still, he climbed, patiently awaiting his arrival until suddenly he reached the top to a platform guarding the silver moon and its shiny entrance to Sleet’s kingdom.

  No angel was in sight this time.

  Codiac, not wanting to see the being left hastily and entered the white doorway into the shimmering moon.

  There the room was deemed and gleamed of sparkling white. He was greeted with the scion and her pet lions that seemed not to notice him, they were looking, but it appeared as if it were something else rather than him. Codiac ignored this.

  “What is it this time!?” The scion declared, sitting up straight.

  Codiac entered the room with greed and the doors closed behind him, e
ntering a shadowy ambience that only made him stutter more.

  “It’s your brother,” Codiac began, coming closer.

  “My brother?”

  “Yes ma’am,” He paused, carefully chewing for the next words. “He’s Amethyst, and pardon this intrusion, but I was under the impression that we were against them.”

  The scion’s lips curled to a frown.

  “Have you no faith?” She said standing up. Sleet looked sad then, as if about to cry.

  “Xerrast is no cold-hearted killer like the rest of the guild. His ties with them are long and old, as are mine, but I assure you he is on our side.”

  Codiac said nothing but let her approach.

  “He’s been a sleeper agent for nearly one hundred years, before when Amethyst Divine was holy. He’s slowed down the process of their greed only to find sanctuary with me.” Sleet then stopped and looked alarmed, glancing left then right and coming into a full alarmed stance, standing up appearing frightened beyond all measure.

  “Oh no!” She cried.

  “What!?” Codiac yelled back.

  Sleet ran up to him and grabbed the young man by the shoulders and gave them a sudden and quick jerk.

  “Don’t you see!” She screamed. “This was a part of their plan!” She yelled.

  “What!?” Codiac cried again.

  “You were followed!”

  Codiac then turned to see the doorway open, the bright silvery light returning to blind them.

  When their eyes adjusted, entered Faelynx in his red armor.

  “Now, see here,” the elf in red mused with a smile. “I thought that you were up to something,” He drew his black blade. “You needn’t worry about Xerrast. He’s just a puppet. It’s you that has to live in fear if you do not join us in our attempts to restore all balance in Systralas.” The blade burst in purple flame. “Knowing that you will never wake up again!”

  Codiac summoned his own blade.

  “Never!”

  Before the young man could get his wits about him, he was countering a charging attack that happened in a blink of an eye.

  “Fast!” Faelynx commented on the parry.

  The two battled, the white lions waking up to guard Sleet, they encompassed her and growled, but kept at bay.

  “Quickly!” the scion cried. “Through the well!”

  Water came forth in a wave and covered the floor, Codiac dodged an attack and obeyed, going down the well structure with a quick Faelynx coming in fast. They dove deep down until descending through the water and its black depths. Soon, they were embraced by a vanilla sky and purple clouds. Fighting in the air all at once.

  They flew. Crashing into each other blow after blow, each attack changed the setting into black and white, taking out all void and color until it too faded back into sherbet. Below, was a vast ocean, and the two slowly glided down to meet it. Their footsteps landing on water as they fought once more.

  Faelynx had the upper advantage and was quicker, but Codiac was resilient, calling in with startling battle cries with each attack.

  The two paused and let a wave flow underneath them.

  “Suzette!” Codiac screamed.

  “No use!” Faelynx cried and flew towards Codiac, water parting before him. His attack came fast, and his blade sunk into flesh, piercing right into the shoulder of the young knight captain.

  Codiac screamed as they blade lurched out of his body, sending his blood pouring out and left him staggering, half sinking in the ocean’s waves. His left arm hung uselessly beside him.

  Faelynx was back on the move and Codiac parried three quick jabs to the face, before summersaulting one handed back many feet and then flying in the sky.

  “Suzette!”

  As if an answer from God, the guardian appeared sword drawn, standing in the water in between the two fighters. Codiac was left panting, awestruck, but his spirits were lifted.

  “You were not part of the deal,” Faelynx spat, he sheathed his weapon and disappeared in a flashing light.

  “I’m glad I made it in time,” Suzette exclaimed.

  “Thanks for your rescue,” Codiac staggered to an upright position. He then let out a sudden cry as he grasped his arm in pain. The flames from the sword burned him terribly and it was him to fight off the pain.

  “Codi! You’re hurt!” Suzette said as she embraced him.

  “There, there,” She whispered.

  Codiac accepted the hug and with one arm held her tight. They said nothing for several moments, suspended on the ocean, simply standing.

  “What happened?” Codiac finally asked. “Why are you here?”

  “You wouldn’t wake up,” She declared. “So, I willed myself to sleep.

  Below them, a giant shadow appeared. They peered under the water to reveal a large leviathan. A sea dragon of immense size and proportion, it swam in circles underneath them.

  “We better get out of here,” Codiac stated as he pulled onto the Guardian’s hand, leaping to the air in flight dragging the girl with him.

  In the distance they saw an island, a tropical paradise, their island, the one that Lulali had shown them. The sight gleamed green with mountain, vegetation and white beaches. They flew there slowly, Codiac was still injured and could not keep up the fast pace like he did moments before.

  They flew to the most comfortable beach where the well was located to find Lulali and Kaeltrys waiting for them on the shoreline. The young girl had her feet in the water where the sea gently lapped at them, kissing them with the soothing sounds of grace.

  “Over here!” Lulali shouted in glee, waving her arm in the air as if in a beacon of hope.

  Suzette and Codiac made their descent slowly, gliding down to the sandy beaches.

  Kaeltrys hurried to the young knight captain and analyzed his useless arm.

  “You’re seriously wounded.” He said carefully. “I think your arm will still be numb in the morning. What happened?”

  Codiac said nothing at first, instead looking down in disappointment. Lulali drew near, rubbing her chin in concern.

  “I can’t believe the great Codiac was injured here,” She said at last.

  “I know,” Codiac responded. “I was careless. I went to go see the scion again,” He stated.

  “You what!?” Kaeltrys exclaimed.

  Codiac ignored the reaction and continued.

  “I wanted to know more about Amethyst Divine, when the knight in red, Faelynx attacked. He bested me and it was up to Suzette to send him to a quick retreat.”

  “We’re three days from the scion and you do this!?” Kaeltrys questioned. “You should know by now the importance of patience. What were you thinking?”

  “You forget where we’re at, Kaeltrys,” The knight captain said. “We’re in an inn surrounded by Amethyst Divine agents. We need to wake up and get out of there as soon as possible.”

  “Agreed,” said Suzette.

  Lulali cleared her throat and edged her way to the center of the trio.

  “I love this place,” She said dancing in a twirl, arms flinging in the air. “It’s all yours too, but only one condition.” She raised an index figure to signify the “One.”

  “What’s that?” Codiac questioned in concern.

  “You must not astral project anymore. At least not until I’m born. My strength is weak, I cannot protect you anymore for possibly several years. I don’t want to lose you to the recesses of the night. Not when I’ll see you soon.”

  “I guess that means I won’t be seeing you anymore,” Kaeltrys said to the young girl, his face was serious, contemplative.

  “You and me, will be spending the rest of eternity together,” Lulali replied.

  “Fine,” Codiac said. “You got it, it’s going to be lonely without you dear.

  “I recognize you,” Suzette said at last. “But, I don’t know from where.”

  Lulali grabbed the Guardian by the hands and smiled bright, white teeth flashing.

  “You all are my last hope. I
need you to stop Avilya at all costs.”

  Suzette returned the smile and glanced at Codiac, who was still clutching his arm. They stared at each other for many moments, saying nothing.

  “I feel as if I’ve been here before,” the Guardian said at last.

  “Well, of course you have,” Lulali grinned departing her grasp from Suzette’s hand.

  “You all have.”

  Chapter 24

  “The damage had been done to our hearts. We wanted our revenge so bad we could taste it. Yet we ran. I wonder why?”

  Kaeltrys Zalanga

  Archmagician of Systralas

  “They escaped us, master,” An elf warrior spoke he was head to toe in black armor, kneeling face towards the ground towards an amethyst throne where his mistress sat snarling at him.

  In distraught, Danielle Avilya arose from her seat and paced the dark chamber. The room was long with portraits of past victories of the guild millennia old back when it was a young order. The place was clean with granite stone walls practically gleaming with from the candle lights from within. There was a desk before Avilya who was well informed with many documents of current progress that was organized in detail.

  It was a dark night and the cold embraced the stone bringing shivers to the lone elf, clad in black.

  Avilya nodded deeply, considering her minion’s words carefully, then wondering why the missing hero was spotted and even guiding the scion’s chosen to safety. This was unsatisfactory news to the headmaster of Amethyst Divine and she found herself shivering in terror for once in the remorseful times in her life.

  “Damn that Xerrast!” She spat, pacing about quicker, she appeared as if she were about to strike something or someone, then stopped her hate spell and gazed harshly at the one to bring sour news.

  “Eternity be mine! I won't let a myth steal bliss, nor Xerrast and any one of these humans!”

  “U-understood,” The elf stammered searching for his words.

  She breathed out a cool breath when the chamber’s doors opened revealing Faelynx, dressed in the elite red, an armor that was superior to any other of Systralas. The elf made his entrance to the door chamber performed a charming bow as the doors closed, before taking the place of the elf in black, who happily staggered to his feet and departed leaving the pair alone.