Curseborn Saga - Fade to Black

by Fade to Black (epub)

  “I do.”

  XI – The Race

  Storm dodged through the trees, moving at a blurring speed. Each time his feet hit the ground, it left cracks from the force of him pushing off to propel himself forward. Even at the speed he was going, navigating through the thick band of trees, branches and vines was simple. He could see as if he were moving in slow motion. Glancing up at the thicket of branches, he already knew Caim’s plan of action. Caim would be taking the aerial route, Flashing through the trees from branch to branch. Although he was sure of his speed against Caim’s, his mind returned to the emerald stone residing in his pocket. He would take no chances in losing it.

  Storm Flashed faster and faster through the forest, leaving a trail of wind and cracked earth in his wake. The air was icy cold on his face. His speed was so great that the creatures of the forest remained undisturbed and unaware that something had passed by them at all. The passing of the trees flickered by him like the shuttering of light. At the speed he was moving, it looked as if he were teleporting and reappearing over huge distances.

  It won’t be easy to beat Caim, he thought, but at least I’m getting stronger! Focusing his energy within, he felt warmer as his aura coursed through his body, revealing itself like a flame of crimson energy. Might as well use it. He never said we couldn’t use Limit Seals after all. Besides, I need practice sustaining it.

  “Sorry Caim, but no way I’m losing to you!” yelled Storm, feeling the aura grow thicker around his body and burning leaves that came too close. Soon his body was burning like an open flame, illuminating his presence in the forest, giving him the appearance of a comet shooting across the earth. A brazen trail was left in his wake that burned and kept the air steaming hot. Storm took one last breath and the aura completely faded from his body, leaving nothing but a silvery mist that rose upwards from him. He winced, pulling his outer energy back into his body, fusing it with his bloodstream and in that instant, a burst of speed and power swelled through him like he had consumed an ambrosia.

  “Blood Aura,” whispered Storm. With that he released aura from his body, then drew it back in and fused it with his bloodstream. A cyclone of wind erupted from him as he ripped through the forest at devastating speed. He felt as if his body weighed nothing. His muscles bulged and his sight grew keener. The trees to his sides cracked and indented as he passed them, and the wake of air from his movement was so powerful that it cut down branches and leaves, and before they had time to fall to the ground, he was already long gone.

  “I near forgot how good this feels!” he shouted into the forest.

  - - - -

  “Wahoooo!!!” screamed Caim as he Flashed from tree to tree, landing perfectly on each branch and using the leverage of his landing to send him Flashing to the next. Caim soared through the air, back-flipping and front-flipping from branch to branch. Caim’s eyes fell on the image of the great White Castle, far off in the distance, sitting silently on Risia.

  “I’ll see you soon, up close!” he cried out, landing on another branch and launching forward.

  With complete ease, Caim Flashed through the treetops at a speed that was uncatchable by sound. He maneuvered the trees like a feral beast of the forest, sometimes landing on his feet and sometimes grabbing onto thick branches with his hands and flipping out from underneath them. He loved this feeling, the feeling of absolute freedom. There was nothing better than landing on a bouncy branch, only to be shot upwards into the air over dozens of trees and landing on another, hundreds of feet away. The wind rushing through his hair, the feeling that nothing could stop him—there was no way he was about to lose to Storm, especially considering what the stakes were.

  Caim’s mind traced back to the emerald stone that he would soon have in his possession. He had thought up only one possible explanation for the stone, which was perfectly flat on both sides. He grinned imagining what Storm would think when he told him he had discovered the stone’s true purpose. It was then he saw it, the ending line of trees.

  “Wahoo! I made it!” yelled Caim, dashing forward. “I thought it would be a little further than this, though …” He pondered his undeniable speed.

  After jumping from the last tree, Caim came to a sliding stop on the ground until his toes were just peeking over the edge of a cliff. In the distance the White Castle glowed vividly, but there was no lake in sight, nor the Great Tree that rose from the center of it. He wondered why he was standing on a cliff, overlooking the side of Falia, and where the lake named Senyria had been moved to. He suddenly realized, undeniably, that he had definitely, without a doubt …

  “Storm … YOU DIDN’T TELL ME THE RIGHT WAY TO GO!!!” His echo screamed back at him several times as dozens of birds took flight from the trees behind him. He spun around and pointed his finger at them, “STOP DOING THAT!”

  It was then that Caim heard it. He had been so distracted by Storm’s trick and the birds that he failed to notice the presence of a creature, much greater than himself, descending upon him from above. The last thing Caim saw was the shadow of two wings silhouetted before the moon.

  - - - -

  Storm’s sword sliced through the air in a crimson arc, cutting down a massive tree that stood in his path. He found it was easier to remove the obstacle than simply move around it. Far behind him and what seemed like minutes later, he heard the incredible force of the tree crashing into the ground. He smiled from his soul; competing with his brother was in ways the most fun he ever had.

  Chink, the katana slid smoothly back into its sheath. Storm’s breathing was heavy and the silvery mist that once rose so steadily from his body was quickly fading. The technique of fusing his aura into his bloodstream was his Limit Seal, an ability gifted to each Sorian that was unique only to them. For the most part, each had only one. He had named his Blood Aura, a fitting name.

  Blood Aura, he thought. It wouldn’t be any fun if I mastered you right away!

  The shade passed quickly as Storm sliced and diced his way through the forest until he came upon a clearing illuminated by glowing moonlight. The silvery mist rising from him had grown quite thin and he felt a sudden spike of fatigue as the last of it dissipated. Blood Aura had faded. He felt his breathing grow heavier, and his body felt as if it weighed two or three times as much as usual. “It seems I’m still far from mastering you after all,” he muttered. Looking around, he recognized the clearing he was standing in as the final marker before coming upon the lake Senyria, Keeper of the Great Tree.

  Storm looked up to the sky and closed his eyes, sensing for Caim. For some reason, Caim’s aura was undetectable to him, as if it were cloaked. His suspicion arose but he pushed it aside, for there was no way Caim could have kept up with him while using a Limit Seal.

  Storm decided to rest for a few minutes and recover his energy. He sat down in a patch of soft grass. Reaching into the pockets of his black sweater, he found nothing but a hole in the bottom. No! With a sudden rise in his heartbeat, he realized he had put it in his other pocket, and upon checking, he found it.

  That was close.

  Storm held the cold gem between his fingers, taking notice of its surprisingly smooth edges. Deep within it he could see what looked like a living stream, with crystalline particles swimming around inside. It gave him the feeling that he held something of deep significance. Storm wondered why he had given it to them in the first place. He wondered where it came from, and most of all, the secret it held. He mentioned it being given to him by an old friend. But in all the time he had spent with the old man, he had never known him to have any friends or family. For a second, he felt saddened at the thought.

  His friend must have passed, thought Storm. Maybe that’s why his Inner Depths is so dark. I wonder if he has any family at all anymore. Storm sighed heavily. We really don’t know him at all, do we?

  Holding the stone between his fingers, he gazed deeper at it, as if looking for something
more.

  “What the?” said Storm suddenly. The stone’s inner river had begun swirling around like a tornado. Had his thoughts triggered this drastic change? “What is this?” he said, lifting it closer to his face. His thoughts were suddenly broken by a loud yell and he nearly dropped the stone in surprise. He froze, trying to reassure himself that Caim couldn’t have possibly caught up yet. A second yell brought him to his feet quickly.

  “I’m the Dragon King!!!” It came from the edges of the trees just behind him.

  Storm whipped around and stared at the edge of the treetops, only to feel a surge of wind rush past his body like a hurricane. Storm shielded his eyes, trying to focus on the dark figure that was moving fast in his direction. A thick serpentine body seemed to rise from the darkness, guided by two enormous wings and followed by a long winding tail that slithered over the air like a serpent’s. Storm’s eyes grew wide in disbelief as the entire creature came into view.

  “Oi, Storm! Look what I found!!!”

  This can’t … be happening. Storm blinked in utter disbelief.

  Caim wasn’t jumping between the trees. He wasn’t even running along the ground. He was riding on top of an enormous creature that looked Dragon-like … and then a sudden change in the creature’s color brought the answer Storm was searching for.

  A Chameleoth! Storm watched in astonishment as the creature came into the light. It had a long snout with pointed silver teeth and keen orange eyes glaring down at Storm as it passed above. Its body was incredibly long, with short forearms and legs that clung to its serpentine form as it swam through the sky. Just as it passed over the clearing, the creature’s scales, which were originally a shade of darkened silver, changed suddenly to match the metallic glow of the moons. And just as quickly, they magically flickered back to the color of the treetops.

  Storm’s eyes widened as he realized he hadn’t sensed it coming, and that he’d lost track of Caim’s energy. Was the Chameleoth somehow cloaking Caim’s energy?

  “I’m the Dragon King and I’m riding on Day!” cried Caim in glee.

  “No you’re not!” cried Storm shaking his fist at his brother.

  For a second, Storm gazed up in awe as Caim stood on the creature’s head, holding on tightly to two long feathers that stretched out from its ears. They continued past Caim’s body and streamed backwards across the powerful shoulders of the beast, flowing with its movement. Storm watched as the Chameleoth’s looming figure swept over the clearing, its great shadowed wings sending huge gusts of wind down toward him. For a second, the entire moon was blocked out by the creature and all was dark. And then just as it had come, it went, and Storm heard a voice taunting back to him …

  “I’m gonna win, Storm!”

  “You … have got to be kidding me,” said Storm, thrusting the stone back in his pocket and turning to the edge of the clearing. Why do the weirdest things always happen to him!?

  The tension in his body had risen significantly in the last few seconds and his energy spiked in response to his sudden rush of adrenaline. Storm shook the onslaught of questions from his mind, trying to focus on the most important thing—beating Caim to the finish line. He ripped up the sleeves of his faded sweater and lowered his balance, focusing his energy. Only recently did I learn that Blood Aura has different levels. I don’t know the full effects of using the second level, but there’s no time to worry about that now. I can recover in Senyria! A crimson flame rippled outwards from him and his eyes grew a deeper shade of green. With a long breath, the energy returned from whence it came and was replaced with rising wisps of silvery mist.

  “Blood Aura times two!”

  Storm felt a sudden surge of pain shoot through his body as he forced his Limit Seal open once more and unlocked its second level. Ignoring the pleas of his muscles and his body’s fatigue, Storm vanished into the forest, leaving only trails of crimson energy in his wake.

  There’s no way I’m letting him win. He’ll never shut up about it.

  Storm Flashed through the forest, moving almost twice as fast as before. Everything was a blur around him, and he could hardly keep himself from smashing into branches. His heart was a hammer in his chest. The evaporated aura in his bloodstream left him with a heavy burden, and he knew that using it risked incapacitated him afterwards, depending on how long he kept the Limit Seal active. He suddenly felt angered by his own weakness and pushed himself harder.

  “What use is my body if it fails me so easily!?” he cried, ignoring the pain that seized his arms, legs and mind with terrifying force. Strongest swordsman!? His thoughts raced. You’re a 100 cycles too young!

  He could feel the rippling gusts of wind from ahead and knew that he was gaining on Caim. Just as he picked up his pace, a slight opening in the trees revealed something other than Caim and the Chameleoth. As he focused his eyes a shadow came to life before him. It was there and it was real, racing underneath the Chameleoth like a predator hunting its prey. Whatever it was it was fast, faster than him.

  A sudden feeling of fear etched its way into Storm’s mind. He didn’t know what was racing ahead of him, but whatever it was, it was huge and wasn’t good. That better not be what I think it is. Storm’s fist clenched tightly over the sheath of his katana. He glanced up the trees and launched himself up through the branches, Flashing atop them as Caim had done earlier.

  “CAIM!” he roared, but he knew his brother wouldn’t hear him over the heavy gusts of wind from the wings of the Chameleoth. His face grew paler than before, no doubt due to his extreme fatigue. His hands had grown numb, his muscles were heavy and his thoughts began to grow clouded.

  I have a bad feeling about this. He felt his anger rising over his lack of speed. Looking down he could now feel the presence of the beast, ripping through the forest beneath. And then just like that, the presence of the shadow creature vanished.

  - - - -

  A little farther ahead, Caim stood on the head of the creature, holding tightly to its ear feathers. The Chameleoth was much bigger than anything he had ever seen. Both he and Storm could have easily ridden on top of the creature’s head with room to spare. As he looked up, the destination of their race came into view.

  “Yosha!” yelled Caim, raising his fist.

  With a huge smile on his face, he took in the entirety of the lake Senyria. Its crystal clear water reflecting the stars lit up Caim’s eyes, and there, standing dead in the center of it, was the greatest tree of their world, the Nocturnis Aqua. Caim’s eyes followed the trunk of the colossal tree upwards until his head was completely tilted back. It reached so high that the top could not be seen in the darkness. The branches spread out like the massive reaching fingers of a towering giant. And as he squinted he could see something else, high above, hundreds of tiny sparkling orbs, floating amongst its branches – Tree Spirits that all seemed to be cheering him on from the distance.

  “Too bad, Storm,” he said. “Looks like I win this game.”

  A sudden flicker of movement caught his eye from below. “Storm?”

  Caim felt a darkness ascending toward him. It was a primeval presence he had felt only once before, long ago. A flash of crimson gleaming eyes came unto his mind. A shiver ran down his spine and he felt more than ever the cold of the wind. Everything seemed to slow down as Caim focused on the growing terror. And so it rose out of the shadowed depths.

  “The Master of the Forest,” he whispered, his eyes widening.

  XII – Lady Sakura

  The voice of the young girl split the silence of the room like two swords clashing in the night. Remi looked up, along with her two sisters and the rest of the Force Corps. Even Lady Theresa, who had given the impression of being ultimately powerful, fell silent. Remi gulped . . . the figure approaching was, undoubtedly, Lady Scylla. She could feel her anxiety reach an all-time high.

  “Oh?” said Lady Enies, raising her eyes in the direc
tion of the voice. Remi felt a tang of confusion. Lady Enies had not reacted as if the Captain of the Force had come upon them, but rather, as if the one who spoke were defying her empire. Who was this strange girl? And if she really wasn’t Lady Scylla, why would she dare to defy Lady Enies?

  The footsteps grew increasingly louder the girl came to a stop at the tip of the gathering. Remi stared in disbelief at the young girl standing before them. Unlike the rest of the Force Corps, this one looked to be Remi’s age if not slightly younger. She had twisting silver locks that wound past her ears and stopped just at the base of her shoulders; meticulously placed just above her right ear was a vibrant flower of four petals, glowing a shade of dark pink. A jagged white cloak hung over her shoulders and came together in the middle by three black buttons.

  “Lady Sakura . . .” whispered Baelie, her face in awe. “You know of her?” asked Remi. Baelie nodded, “Of course, she’s the last champion of the Soldier Games. The newest member of the Force.”

  Remi suddenly remembered the soldier in white with the bow she had seen sitting in solitude on the floating rock outside the Valyti. This was she. In sharp contrast to the other Force Corps soldiers, the girl’s legs were bare, with the exception of a short skirt, undoubtedly made of black mythril links. A tiny dagger, no longer than Remi’s palm, was strapped to her side. Cast over one shoulder was a giant white bow that reached high above the top of her head and came down nearly to the ground. Upon her feet she wore low black boots with white laces. And then the girl spoke, a calm whisper that seemed to dance and twist through the air with grim, daunting independence.

  “You have grown quite confident in your cycles, Lady Enies,” said Sakura. “I’m sure Lady Scylla would be more than interested to hear what has just transpired.” Her eyes were calm as she spoke and did well in hiding her apparent aggravation at Lady Enies’s words. Staring closely at the girl’s face, Remi observed that she was the most beautiful of the soldiers – perhaps even more so than Lady Theresa – with high-ridged cheekbones and a perfectly smooth face adorned by warm, full lips and a bright flush to her cheeks. Single strands of hair fell across her brow as if the wind had blown them into a more perfect state.