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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
We stepped out of the portal, an Eternal and a Dragon.
And there before us stood everyone else — a pack of five bears, a still unconscious idiot who was starting to worry me a bit now, and four people who looked like they had a lot of questions to ask me.
“Okay, what was going on back there?” Freya asked, not letting me take even a step before asking me for answers.
Not that I blamed her for that. From their perspective, they’d just seen two Dragons duel it out, then nod and glare at each other silently for about five minutes before a portal summoned itself, bringing them back here. If something like that happened to me, I’d have also had a million questions to ask of the only person in the loop about what had just happened.
“Acnologia and Polaris had a little disagreement,” I started.
“What happened back there was a little more than a simple disagreement,” the elf frowned.
“I know,” I said. “Polaris didn’t like the fact that Acnologia was being friendly with me and Irmeia. He took it as a sign of betrayal since he was talking to us Eternals.”
“And this got resolved?” Irmeia asked.
“Uhhh…yeah,” I said. “Polaris for some reason was comforted by the fact that our levels are not as strong as an actual Eternal’s, and took that as a sign to mean we weren’t really Eternals.”
I could see Freya trying hard to hold back her laughter. Usually I’d have pouted, but I was honestly relieved. It felt like ages since I’d seen her laugh, or even smile for that matter.
“I presume we got what we needed?” Raffyr asked. Viola still stuck behind him, and did not look at me in the eye. At this point I just assumed this girl wasn’t going to ever try talking to me. “We went there to get information from Polaris, correct?” the old man asked.
“Right,” I nodded. “Polaris told us of one man who seems like he should know what happened to us.”
“And who is this guy?” Freya asked.
“We have no idea,” I said. “Polaris himself caught only a glimpse of this man. His identity is a mystery to us all. The only thing we can go on is his location. Polaris saw this man close to the river we’ve been trying to get to — the Tsuyong river.”
“So we’re heading there?”
I nodded. “It’s the only thing we’ve got to go on.”
“Fine,” she said. I looked at everyone else but saw no objections anywhere, other than for Oris of course, who was STILL knocked out.
“Raffyr, can you try and see what’s wrong with him?” I asked. “A person is not supposed to be out of it for that long.”
“I was going to ask the same,” the old man said. “I will take care of it. Give me a few minutes.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “We need a little break before we leave anyway.”
DING!
Congratulations! You have completed the quest:
Back to the Future!
Though you did not find a civilization, you have found a resource that could help you find a way back to the present. Rewards: Back to the Future II.
DING!
Congratulations! You have obtained a new quest:
Back to the Future II!
Polaris, the Star Dragon, has told you about a mysterious man he met. This man seems like he might know a thing or two about the time travel situation you are in. Find him to see if you can discover a way back home. Rewards: Unknown.
I sighed as I closed the screens.
In a world as complex as the Ga’em, I had a simple rule for myself. If a system the Ga’em had given out broke in the face of an individual, run away from said individual. Immediately.
And so that’s exactly why we were heading to where Polaris told us, to the find the man who possessed the qualities that I just finished describing.
“So, you don’t want to meet him?” Nyx asked.
Well, if an Analyze skill doesn’t work on him then I don’t, I said.
“Are you suggesting this man, whoever he may be, is so strong that an Analyze skill doesn’t work on him?” Acnologia asked.
I shook my head. If a man is too strong to Analyze, the Ga’em menu sends back a normal Analyze screen but with questions in the places of normal information. If the Ga’em can’t even display something like that, then there’s something really off about the man.
“I am not saying your theory is off, Eternal,” the Dragon said. “In fact, I also think it is likely this being we are pursuing is of great strength. However, I strongly feel that doting on such possibilities and worrying about them will only hinder us.”
Fine, I said. But we’re going to have to revisit this situation soon.
“By the way, Acnologia,” Nyx said. “Isn’t it an issue that Polaris now knows about the future?”
The Shadow Dragon chuckled.
What? I asked.
“I was able to whisper the spell in silence as we walked away from him. The fact that we gave him information caused the Star Dragon to be very trusting — more than I had ever expected — and that was enough for the spell to work on him properly. Polaris’ is very trustworthy of people that give him valuable information. That’s why I told him about our issues in the first place — so I could get him to trust me.”
Wait. I held up my hand. So Polaris has forgotten about everything we just talked about?
The Dragon nodded.
Raffyr walked up to me. “I haven’t found any problems in this young man,” he said. “There is no brain damage, which is what I suspected at the start. It appears he is just in a very comfortable slumber.”
“Comfortable,” I mumbled.
“What do we do with him then?” Freya asked. “We’ve been lugging him along all this while, thinking he was a threat.”
“He might still prove a threat to us,” I said. “And additionally, he wants the same thing we do, to find a way back to the present. It will not be hard to get him to work with us. There are four of us, and just one of him. He has a significantly greater chance of getting back to the present if he works with us.”
“That is true,” Raffyr said. “But do not forget. This young one blames me and Viola for everything that has happened to him. Even before we were all knocked out, he was muttering about the Alliance of Light and the ‘damn Phantom Lord’ who’d sent him to this time.”
“He sounds kind of delusional, doesn’t he?” Nyx said. “Even if you were an Evil Overlord, why on earth would you go after a guy like him? He has no significance to you.”
“Either way, let us keep him her for now,” I said. “Freya’s bonds of light will not let him loose, so there is no danger of him attacking us. And I believe there will be benefits to be reaped if we keep him. After all, he’s an expendable resource.”
Everyone stared at me.
“What?” I asked.
“Those are some harsh words, Phantom Lord,” Irmeia said, an amused smile on her face.
“But he is expendable to us.”
“True.” Her eyes sparkled.
The others were still silent, and stayed that way till we got atop our Volcanic Forest Bears once again. Freya for some reason, decided to take Oris with her this time, instead of letting him ride with me.
Is it because I said he was expendable? I asked.
“I think so,” Nyx said. “I mean, those were some harsh words, calling him an expendable resource.”
But it’s TRUE, I said. Between everyone here, if I had to pick someone to die, it would be him every time.
“You could also pick yourself to die and then just resurrect to life,” the spirit chuckled.
“That is not the point being made here, Nyx,” Acnologia spoke. “And Diablo, there is much to think about regarding your usage of words.”
What? You too? I asked, maneuvering my bear around a rock, and heading down the forest path.
“Indeed,” the Dragon said, with the unnerving silence of the forest accompanying his words. “Do you really thi
nk that is something the Zoran Diablo from a few months ago would have said?”
Maybe? I frowned. A few months ago I didn’t even know who I was, so I doubt that’s a fair standard of comparison.
“Very well then,” Acnologia said, in a tone that sounded less like ‘You’re right’ and more like ‘This conversation is over’.
And by the way, I said. If we’re speaking about out of character things, we should talk about that little stunt you pulled back there.
“What?” the Dragon asked
“Oh yeah,” Nyx said, joining in. I knew he was as curious as I was about what happened. “You know,” the spirit said. “That cool silver flame thing you did.”
“Ah. That was a standard battle procedure,” Acnologia said. “Just one of the ways I attack my foes.”
“Whatever it was, it has a hell of a cool punch line,” the spirit chuckled. “Limiter Off. Damn, does that sound cool.”
The Dragon kept silent.
What was the limiter thing, Acnologia? I asked.
“That was a…last resort.”
Seemed like it, I said, making a standard check between the trees around me as we moved forward.
“It also seemed like you activated a hidden mode or something.” Nyx was still on giddy mode. “What was that all about?”
The Dragon sighed, and I could tell he was done now.
Nyx, let’s not push further on this, I said, well aware Acnologia could hear my words.
“But I’m curious,” Nyx said.
“There is a…limiter on me,” Acnologia continued.
We’d guessed that much, I said. The only question is why?
“Do you know why the Dragon’s fought each other, Eternal?” Acnologia asked.
They were bored or something? I asked. That with the Eternal Dragon War finally done, they still felt the need for something more. And that was when they started fighting amongst each other.
“That is a part of the story,” he said. “Within the other part lies a darker truth. Dragons are wise creatures, and their years added onto their collective wisdom. However, one must not forget that we are also beasts.”
I frowned.
“The Eternal Dragon War was the first time we ever fought to the death with an opponent,” he said. “That awoke something in a lot of us. We gave way for our more carnal desires to take a hold of our minds.”
“I think I can see where this is going,” Nyx said.
“I am not proud of it, but I am such a Dragon as well,” he said. “My low level right now is partially because of the familiar contract I have with you, but also because I have a limiter on myself.”
It cuts down your powers? I asked.
“Indeed,” he said. “I haven’t done it after you resurrected me, but today was quite a push. Polaris is a match for even the strongest dragons. It is a shame he pursued only knowledge. Or rather, I should say it is a shame for the Dragon Clan. For himself as an individual, he made a good choice, to stay away from battle and maintain his sanity.”
“So what does the Limiter do?” Nyx asked.
“It lowers my level and suppresses my desire to kill.”
“Wow,” the spirit said. “How strong are you actually then?”
Acnologia chuckled. “Strong enough.”
A roar thundered through the forest, and we all froze. The Volcanic Forest Bears we were on trembled.
Dragon? I asked.
Acnologia nodded. “I would know that cry from a mile away,” he said. “Do not press forward.”
I got down from my bear, and signaled to the others to stay put. However, Irmeia ran toward me, with Freya right beside her. Another roar sounded, this one weaker, but also different in pitch.
Two Dragons, I realized.
“Indeed,” the Shadow Dragon said. I did not know what exactly the cries meant but Acnologia did not sound happy, or calm for that matter. The Dragon’s voice had tension wrung within it, like a storm that had arrived, but was yet to be seen.
I inched forward, toward the sounds that had rattled us all. Acnologia followed close behind, with Freya and Irmeia at his side.
A small explosion sounded before us, and a wave of flame surged through the trees, only to disappear in a mere instance. Laughter ascended into the night sky — loud, and maniacal. A strong breeze blew through the leaves of the forest, and a stifling scent traveled alongside it. A scent that I knew well.
Blood.
I hastened my pace, with my walking turning to running immediately. The Dragon and the others matched my eagerness, and kept at my heels as we made our way through the trees. In seconds, I heard heavy breathing mere yards ahead.
I put my hand up, stopping Freya and Irmeia from advancing any closer. I’d hoped Acnologia would stop as well, but he had heard those Dragon cries, and they meant more to him than they did to me. There was no asking him to stand down in this situation, even though I was worried he might act rash.
I looked through the trees at a small clearing before us. The night sky shared its moonlight, lighting up the area. A man stood before us, wearing armor that was solar-gold, with emerald streaks studded along its surface, decorative, yet threateningly sharp.
His head was tilted back, and laughter exploded from him. I shifted my gaze to the right and my eyes froze over.
And again.
Two dragons lay on the ground — one a light gray, and another an ocean blue. Pools of dark blood sat under their mutilated bodies. Dragon bones and muscle protruded from their wings and limbs, and the grotesque sight was too much for me to handle all at once.
“You poor, pathetic creatures,” the man cackled once again and thrust his palm forward. A spear of ice emerged out of nowhere and shot to the beasts. The freezing tip sank into the Dragon’s leg, impaling it whole, and the poor beast roared in pain.
That was when I understood something. What I was hearing were not just roars.
My fists clenched. They’re screams.
Rage built within me, and anger boiled through my very blood. I reached for Dawnbreaker, ready to pull out my blade, ready to sink it into this man.
And then a hand grabbed me by the wrist.
Freya stood before me, one hand on me, the other in front of the Dragon’s face. If I thought I felt rage, then Acnologia was a volcano. The Dragon’s eyes were more than just blood-red, they were murderous. I had wondered if he would feel pain or anger in a situation like this.
The answer was anger, I thought. Anger one hundred percent
The great beast glared at the elf, and I could tell he was not going to play nice.
“Diablo,” he spoke to me, and his voice already sounded terrifying. “Ask this creature to move. It is not the time for restraint.”
I looked at Freya, realizing these were words that echoed within my thoughts as well. But before I could say anything, the elf spoke.
“I know how you feel,” she said. “Believe me.”
I blinked, taken aback at the choice of words.
“This is not our battle,” Freya continued. “I know what is going on is inhumane. It is wrong. It is dark. Yet, this is not our battle to fight. We are beings of the future. We should remember this. Changing events in the past is something we are not allowed to do.”
The Dragon kept his gaze on the elf, and so did I. I could feel the vengeance within me calm down, but only for a moment.
“Oh well,” the man in gold said. “I’ve had my fill of fun. Thank you for an entertaining evening, you two.”
He raised his hand into the air and circular rune emerged in front of his palm. A blast of golden energy shot forward, and struck the dragons. I heard two weak roars summon once more, and then there was silence.
I looked through the bright flashes, and saw not two dragons, but two sets of skeletons. The beasts had been broken down to their most basic form. I turned to the man, just in time to see him snap his fingers and disappear in a flash of light.
Acnologia burst through the trees, breaking branc
h and trunk as he shot toward where the man had been. But there was no point. The Dragon had leapt seconds after the man had already disappeared. He was not going to catch him. Not today.
I placed my hand on Freya’s shoulder. “Thank you,” I whispered softly, and walked past her, up to the Dragon.
Acnologia looked at the ground, and didn’t take a single glance at the dead forms of his comrades. I gazed at the beast, and somewhere in my heart, I felt exactly what Elizah had been so mad about.
“Those Dragons are children, Diablo,” Acnologia said. “They are younglings that have just learned of the world.”
Rage carried in the dragon’s tone, but there was sorrow present underneath as well. I had expected as much. What we saw before us was nothing simple. Even I felt a complex wave of emotions, and I didn’t even have as much emotional investment in this as the Shadow Dragon.
“That elf,” the Dragon muttered.
“Before anyone says anything,” Nyx spoke. “I’d just like to say that this is an emotionally scarring event for all of us, and that we should all make sure our minds are clear before we say anything. Especially if it is something that could damage friendships.”
The dragon stood silent, and then he sighed. “You know, spirit,” he said. “Sometimes you say sensible things.”
“You’re welcome,” Nyx said, reverting back to his snarky tone.
“Acnologia,” Freya walked up to us.
“There is much that has happened, Freya,” Acnologia said. “However, I understand why you wanted us to stay back. I respect your confidence in standing against an Eternal and a Dragon in a situation like this.”
I opened my mouth to be the Shadow Dragon’s muse, but one look at Freya’s smile and I could tell she’d somehow understood him.
Not his words.
But his feelings.
“Let us head back,” Irmeia said. “The others will be anxious for our return.”
I nodded, and turned around, with Acnologia and Freya following me. My eyes looked through the trees as we walked and I caught sight of the Volcanic Forest Bears ahead of us, standing still between the greenery.
The Eternal: A Boxed Set (World of Ga'em Book 6) Page 62
