by Fandy Adams
“Give me the Sphere!” said Flamberg.
“What Sphere?”
The scar and loss of the last battle drove him into vengeance. For now killed them will pleased him more than retrieved what he after for. But the flame would only give them painless death. He thinks something wicked for their death, something that will put them on eternal torment to their soul after he took it and enslaved it.
But as Flamberg prepared them for the death suddenly they heard a quick beat of hoof in the distance. Faint and far off it seemed to them a black rider rise up from gently-sloping area of the plains. A quick shot of arrow came out of the rider, passed over their head at glance and swallowed by the shadow of winged beast upon them. It was just one shot of arrow, could not killed the beast in such size not even wounded him to fall. But the shadow of winged beast now has fiery glow beneath the wing, and suddenly the light within the arrow sparks into a great bolt of white flash, stroke them like a lightning and then to the earth the dragon fell.
She looked at it with amazement. The shadow of flying beast has passed away and their fear conquered by hope. Everything happened so quickly and before she realized the black rider was behind them, sat proudly on his black stallion.
“Marius!” Eorin look glad of his coming.
Marius immediately jumped down and ran over them with a bow clutched in his left hand. “Are you alright?”
“We were alright. Thank you!”
“Too quick for it, I just stunned the dragon to fall but the rider will rise soon with his flame.” Said Marius, stared at the dragon which slumped on the ground. Then from the fallen dragon they saw Flamberg rise up, black and stout with double sword on his hand.
“Stay here!” said Marius as he drew his sword.
They ran into each other and swung their sword, it clashed with the sound of rang in the air. For a moment they stood face to face veiled by their swords which shimmering between their eyes. Flamberg scraped his swords and the spark of it burst into flame wrapping his sword. Then he attack in spinning move like he was doing a fire dancing, beautiful but deadly.
Meanwhile Aska have regained his consciousness. He felt pain in his entire body and it seemed his back was broken.
“Are you okay?” asked Eorin.
“Not better than twisted by Aikonost serpent. My back, like horse tramped on it.” answered Aska.
A spiky-haired boy then sat up, helped by Eorin. Faintly in the distance he saw flashes of light moving and spinning like fireworks and not far from there he found the winged beast lied still like huge rock among the plain.
“Is that Marius?”
“He came at the right time, huh.”
“Not at the right time for me.” said Aska holding pain.
Flamberg swung down his swords and the flame which wrapping the sword unleashed and transformed into two infernal hounds. Both the flame beasts ran swiftly toward Marius, the grass they have passed burnt to black and behind them Flamberg ran with two swords shone sharp. But Marius didn’t step back instead he sticks his sword on the ground and choke both the flame hound with bare hands. At once the flame hounds blast into greater flame and raging like flame of hell torment him.
Suddenly the great flame shrunk as if some power gathering it, and at once it turned into firestorm attacking Flamberg. The flame surged on him and consumed him and after few seconds the flame vanished, leaving Flamberg lied helpless on the blackened ground with burned red skin. And there, Marius came out as a victor with smoke all over his body.
“You was lucky to had Sphere Salamander to resist the fire, otherwise you would instantly cremated.” said Marius.
“Bhayu?” asked Flamberg with faltered voice.
“Yes, the wind guardian of the south.” answered Marius. “It gave us the ability to create tiny cyclone but had high pressure. Wind elemental isn’t much useful in combat since it couldn’t hurt the opponent nor do any damage, but it would be great if combined with other elements … or we could take advantage of enemies attack, like the one you cast.”
Marius bent down and talks to Flamberg, “There’s some strange incident happened lately. Some villages attacked and peoples there were missing, all of them. Few of my comrades had been sent to investigate this but none of them succeeded, all of them dead with your brother’s mark on them. Now I met two of you here, I don’t think it was coincidence. What you guys doing here? Who’s hire you?”
“We’re not hired. We swore an allegiance to him.”
“Who?”
“He’s the one who bring back the old terror, spreads the fear upon you and stole your peoples when the darkness rose. Now our army has completed and we will sweep entire West Rim to solitude.” Flamberg laughed grimly. “I will tell you where the next scream will be heard, consider this is last gift for me.”
Marius got himself closer and Flamberg whispered something to him.
“Can you catch the night? Can you save all of them?” Flamberg laughed again. “Now do what you have to do, be my reaper Marius!”
Marius took his sword. For a moment he stared at him coldly, no anger no pity look on him, then with a great strength Marius thrust down his sword, straight and quick. But no blood has spilled by the sword, instead it was damaged his gauntlet to detached roughly all the Spheres into the ground.
“What have you done?! Kill me!”
“I would do it in pleasure even I care not about my honor for killing someone who had powerless, for by our reckoning your existence was quite dangerous. But I wouldn’t do that in front of them, I shall not show them an execution.” said Marius, as he sheathed his sword.
“If you don’t kill me, one day I will come back and get my vengeance!” Flamberg cried with anger.
“You wouldn’t” Marius bent down to take a Sphere on the ground but then his eyes fixed on something. “I said I didn’t want to kill you in front of them, doesn’t mean I let you to live any longer.” said Marius as he took something from Flamberg. “Charon huh, so this is how you control a dragon, by put an illusion on it? You know, the dragon will wake up soon and since it no longer under your control, well imagine yourself.” said Marius put tomato on the Flamberg body.
“Damn you Marius!” shouted Flamberg.
“If I were you, I’m not going to shout like that otherwise the beast will wake sooner.” said Marius as he walked away from him.
“Come here coward! Fight me!”
Flamberg keep screaming and cursing endlessly but Marius choose to ignore it till the voice swept by the sound of rustling wind.
“What’s wrong with him?” asked Eorin
“Half-cooked syndrome.” said Marius casually.
Marius whistled to the horses. Eorin leaped immediately to ride the horse while Marius put Aska into saddle by force as if he was luggage.
Suddenly they heard the sounds of roar, far enough but its wrath carried by running winds to makes everyone trembled with fears. The dragon has awake from the illusion, now it’s devoted to no master but its own instinct. No friends or foe in its vicious eyes, neither good nor bad had regard against the rage of its flame. The Wyvern was however firstly interested at someone who lied around the black ring of grass, and soon the beast recalled him as someone who had wronged it in the past.
“Better we go now.” said Marius, as he looked back and soon he leaped into his horse.
“Wait don’t you want to see this?” said Aska, with face down he tried to look at the dragon.
"Son, just look at the National Gaiagraphic." said Marius “And try not to get fall or I wouldn’t pick you up.”
They both rode away. Aska looked back into the beast which seemed getting away and got smaller. Its head shaking as if it was devouring something, no it wasn’t, for it was like ripped wrathfully on something.
“How did you know we’re here?” asked Eorin
“I'm just passed through.”
“Just passing?”
“Not really. I knew youngster like you would neve
r listen to the older one, you will pass this open field without realized that Flamberg might be shadowing you up there. So I decided to catch you up.” said Marius “She much care about you, I don’t know what to say to her if I let her kids die before my eyes.”
“Seemed you had long story with her?”
“Not long enough, just few months in Silent War. But her sword and Spheres always had for us and that bound us more than time.”
Eorin laughing though there’s concern in her eyes.
“What’s so funny?”
“No it’s just … we just knew less than 24 hours.”
“Yeah, and she said hello with piercing ice.” said Aska behind.
“Is that true?”
“Yeah we began with fight. But the funny thing is I’m worried about her now but at the same time, I don’t know, I just felt to believe that she would come back along with my friend and we will have more stories to tell.” said Eorin.
“You’re lucky, me on the other side had bad ending with her so I thought we wouldn’t have another one.”
“Love?” said Eorin.
“No, complicated.” answered Marius. “Your friend needs help. There’s a village about half-hour here we could ask their help.”
Chapter 19
Before the Darkness Come
Scarlett and those guys returned to the ruins and they were stood amazed to what they see now. Swarm of leeches lies before them, unmoving and lifeless, filled all the places as far as Scarlett’s light could touched the darkness. They have leeches on their feet in every step they had. They knew they were numberless but they don’t think this much.
“Well at least I don’t need to lure them anymore, hope they would not rotten.” said Morran “Do you know son, how I fishing … or maybe ‘leeching’ those leech exactly?” said Morran grabbed Rey beside him. Scarlett leads the way and seemed she wasn’t so interested in or concerned about Morran’s babble mumble.
“Ummfft no.” said Rey, as he quickly took clean breath as possible as he could.
“You want me to tell you?”
“Well okay then, how?”
“Don’t force me to tell ya.” said Morran with high tone.
“If that so I wouldn’t force you.”
“Don’t be bashful if you want to know it. We’re friend, my confidentiality is yours, so I tell you my tips to lure and catch them.”
“That’s would be great.” said Rey, trying to look interested.
“First, let’s called the leeches Leedya, derived from my ex-wife’s name Lidya, for they both have same characteristic, a blood sucker. Do you okay with that? Or maybe you want me to change it with your lover name?”
“No, I think Leedya is fine.”
“Where do I start? Okay, in my love-quest for Leedya I had to sacrifice my body and soul … honestly it’s only my body, you want to see it?” said Morran as he preparing to take off his clothes.
“I don’t think it’s necessary, just get to the part when you fishing it, umm … ‘leeching’ it.” said Rey.
“Well then, I do skipping to tell to her gigantic master that I’ve had a lot of yearning on them. I jump up and down, there and there with emotions to show how my desire to Leedya was so excruciating.” said Morran with full expression and gesture like he was playing drama.
“What happened then?”
“The giant papa seemed understood my love-sickness. It was then told to Leedya to see me without knowing what my intentions to them. Leedya so aggressive, every time we met they always bitten me and held me so wild. But I never blame them I thought it was my own fault that I did never introspection to myself.”
“Which is?” asked Rey.
“I never realized how attractive and handsome I am for them.”
Rey just frowned to hear Morran’s word, Scarlett on the other side feel the same way too about his melodramatic act.
“Why God cursed me with such handsome face, and this attractive, and this perfect body, why?” Morran bowed like someone who lamented on something.
Scarlett halted and turned to Morran. “Is he really belongs to Runeglade.”
“Maybe it's not a curse, maybe it's a gift. You just don’t know how to use your ... ‘handsomeness’”. Rey amused him with compulsion.
“You're right kid, you're right.” Morran got up with a face full of spirit. “Curse or a blessing, is depend on how I used my handsomeness and attractiveness. I should use it for world peace.”
“That’s noble thing to do.” said Rey give two thumbs up and forcing a smile.
“Come here!” Suddenly Scarlett grabbed him and whispered something. “It’s just me or you began to mad like him?”
“I just trying to cheered him up. He’s been here in thirty years, alone, and he helped us before.” said Rey in whisper. “Not to mention that he had more knowledge down here rather than both of us mixed together.”
“Do as you wish, but keep sane till we found a way out of here.”
Currently Morran get cheerful again and his steps very light as if he can walk on the air.
“What happened then?” asked Rey.
“When they were all over me, I was immediately run into the house and locked the door so I could be alone with Leedya, actually not alone but more like crazy party. You should have seen how crazy we were at that time.”
“Wow I couldn’t imagine.” said Rey.
“Yeah, nerd loser like you who couldn’t even close to a girl you loved could not imagine how crazy we were at that time.”
Rey was irritated when heard that, on the other side Scarlett was laughing behind her back.
“But for Leedya I am willing to do everything even if it’s give me pain all over my body. Listen son, Leedya is just like girl. If you really love that girl named Melody you have to fight for her even if it’s give you pain right here.” said Morran as he pointing to Rey’s chest. “Of course we must get out of here first. Otherwise you’ll have to live with a woman lead us. Just between us, I think living with that girl, I mean that woman must be much more painful than you fight for the girl you loved.”
Rey trying to hold his laugh and suddenly Scarlett turned around and yelled at them.
“Do you both had something more important things to talked about?!”
They both bowed his head in silence like a student who got scolded by their teacher.
“It happens when you 28.5 and single still.” said Morran laughing next to Rey, while Rey himself halted his laugh when looking at Scarlett eyes.
This time Scarlett tried to hold her emotion, she knew there’s no point to angry with them, especially in a situation like this. Later Scarlett casts another flare, three orb of light levitate on her palm, shining blue and brighter than she was created before.
“Each of you took this! Explore the city ruins take each Sphere you find or something that you consider could help us to get back to the surface. In an hour we gather here, estimated it yourself.”
“All right!” said them, while took the orb of light.
With the gleam of light Rey thought that the blue flare was as hot as glowing fluorescent light but he was wrong, the flare on his hand radiate warm light, so soft and warmth like holding a balloon with warm water inside.
Three of them then split down to explore the city ruins. Scarlett explored the area around the mansion where they first landed. Among three of them she took the most difficult and inaccessible area because most of the area had been covered by mud. But with her Silverhare Sphere she could feel that there’s a wide and lot of space under mounting mud. Scarlett teleported directly into the mansion and stood she was in the main hall staring cynical at deceitful face of the fat old man on the large painting, “old bastard.”
Meanwhile Morran search down the area around his hideout. Many has changed, he didn’t even recognize that place again. But not far from where he stood, he saw a pavilion with sticking crystal, a blue crystal which for decades protected him from the bloodsucking sw
arm. Somehow he felt missing for something here, more than his origin on the surface. He missed his wrecking house, missed being safe there, missed with the courage for outside only to seek old knowledge and missed the moments when he’s being bitten by leeches to fighting for his stomach.
Rey on the other side wandered around about the Belthazar statue where he found his broken sword. Although the city ruins before him was no more than dead town but the glory and greatness lays still on them. All of the secrets and mysteries of them were tempting to reveal.
***
Marius and Eorin race against the sunset. The sky seemed to haunt them with the hue of blood and the cloud kindled as if burnt by flame. They halted. Far away they saw a small village prepared for the night to come. Peoples stop their activity, the farmer shouldering hoe and harrow like returning soldier and the herdsmen gathering their lamb.
“Hang on! We’ll find help for you.” said Marius.
They rode into the village and when they arrive few villagers greeted them. They look friendly but it couldn’t be denied that there was cynicism and fear on their eyes when looked at both riders. Moreover brought someone injured on the back had told them that they also brought a problem with them.
“Little help please!” shouted Marius as he dismounted.
Three peoples immediately ran over Marius followed by few people behind. Soon they lowering and carrying Aska.
“Take him in!” Said an old man, seemed he was chief of this village from the way he talked in commanding voice and how others respond him with respect. “What happened?”
“I will tell it later but first please help our friend.” replied Marius.
“We will treat him as best as we could do.” said the chief.
“Thank you.”
“But sir, you couldn’t let them here. Didn’t you hear about what happened to the other village?” said the man next to the chief.
“Please believe us!” Eorin begged to him.
Without speaking a word Marius stepped forward while removing all the Spheres he had, so was the sword at his waist. Then he offered them respectfully in the presence of the village chief. Marius talking as he bowed his head. “I begged for your trust. You can keep all the magic and weapons we had, but please save our friend.”
Although he had bowed his head down but the chief has seen strange glance of him. He knew the man before him just pretending without the need to hand over their belonging, the type of person who justifies any means to achieve his objectives. However the chief didn’t sense a bad intentions from Marius and especially from the blue-eyed girl next to him, though he know it would be a risk to let them in, for they may bring the menace who hunted them.
