Chapter 16: Chapter Fifteen: Unworthy

Many weeks had passed as Valdus and Ace spent their time within the Canyon of Flames, and at a swift pace, Valdus was getting used to the unfamiliarities of Earth. The surrounding environment within the Canyon of Flames began to feel like a new home, and he was finding himself becoming somewhat attached to Ignis. Valdus and Ace had spent most of their days training with the canyon’s scouts, and after a month or so had passed, they decided they’d head out of the canyon, but through the opposite direction from where they first entered.

Ignis overheard their plans and walked over to the two of them, offering a brief warning,
“Take care when travelling that path. The canyon continues forward, but it reaches through a place no longer habitable... Mythriln informed me that he had yet to explain, but there is still much of this place you’ve yet to learn. The land through that path has been Cursed. Our scouts venture close to the perimeter of what is now known as the Cursed Canyon, to keep an eye out for any Corrupt, but...I fear I am endangering them... Especially now, as of late.”

“We’ll be careful, Ignis. Thanks for the warning, though, I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
Ace gave a grin.

“Well then... I will take your word. Feel free to revisit the canyon anytime, you two will always be welcomed.”
Ignis then bid them farewell.

 

The heat of the canyon began to lessen as they left, and the red sky darkened in an instant, like night had fallen. The rocks were no longer dark red, and they resembled obsidian, still shaped similarly to the rocks in the entrance of the Canyon of Flames. The rocks were dead cold though, and where the magmatic light would usually flow were empty gaps of black abyss.

“I’m going to miss those hot springs in the canyon once we’re out...”
Valdus grumbled.

“I already miss them now.”
Ace replied,
“Darn, it feels cold.”

The wind howled, causing a chill to run down Valdus’s spine. The darker stretch of the canyon was eerie, and Ace didn’t like it either.

A voice then spoke in the wind,
“Don’t you just enjoy this place...Valdus? You’re coming ever so close to discovering what you truly are...”

Valdus recognised the voice. He’d recognise it anywhere, by now. Kaenrae’s eyes loomed in the darkness of the canyon as he approached the pair. Ace already had his sword unsheathed, ready to fight, but his hands were shaking as sweat trickled down the side of his face. It was almost as if Kaenrae’s presence alone struck fear into him.

“What...are you...?”
Ace questioned,
Why can’t I stop shaking? Is this that purple dragon Valdus had been talking about...?

“I’m simply one hell of a dragon.”
Kaenrae grinned,
“What do you think I am~? Are you expecting me to strike first? You look a little...on edge... You aren’t scared of me, are you?”

Kaenrae’s mockery somehow broke Ace’s composure - the insult quickly getting under his skin. Valdus tried calling out to Ace - fearing the dragon’s strength - but he was ignored. Ace gripped the handle of his sword, no longer shaking, and with a determined expression he ran at Kaenrae. He tried to strike at him with his blade, but a veil of purple light flickered and protected the Blight Dragon, causing Ace’s sword to stop before it even got close to making contact. Kaenrae’s eyes flashed with a purple glow, and Ace was suddenly pushed back by purple light which dissipated after. Kaenrae then put on a sadistic smile, before swiping at Ace as he staggered back, throwing him straight into the canyon wall with just that one strike. Ace coughed out blood, his armour having done nothing to dampen the impact of Kaenrae’s strike, and he was knocked out instantly. Kaenrae then turned to face Valdus, still grinning.

“Yes...yes...! That look in your eyes, it never seizes to amuse me! This whelp had hoped to wait a little longer, but unfortunately I’m rather impatient...”
Without warning, Kaenrae leaped at Valdus.
“...so let’s see how strong you are now!”

Purple flames seeped from between his fangs and shone from his right eye as he raised his claws to strike at Valdus. Valdus raised his sword to block the attack, staggering back a bit. Despite having managed to execute a block successfully, he felt as if he was going to be crushed. Kaenrae then spun around at a speed Valdus’s eyes could barely follow, and as he spun, everything in the surrounding area slowed down momentarily, for the both of them. This time was different to Vertex’s fight though, as Valdus felt himself unaffected by the slow in time - able to move freely, or perhaps faster than Kaenrae.

Before he could comprehend it, time sped back up and Kaenrae’s tail whipped him, throwing him into the canyon wall beside Ace. He coughed out blood as well, but this time Kaenrae didn’t land such a fatal blow. Whether it was the time slow, or Kaenrae miraculously holding back, Valdus held onto his consciousness - though perhaps for the worse. He fell from where he hit the canyon wall and held the side of his torso, writhing in pain. Attempting to endure it, he cried out in agony. He then looked over at Ace through hazy eyes and tears, but Ace was still out cold, giving no response.

“What is it like, Valdus? The pain...the agony...! How does it feel to suffer more than you already have?”
Kaenrae taunted,
“How much more until you beg that it’s enough?”

Valdus tried to reach Kaenrae to fight back, but to no avail. All Valdus then saw was Kaenrae’s glare. He no longer was grinning. The Blight Dragon huffed, before seemingly vanishing into a dark, purple fog.

Just as he vanished, Valdus heard him whisper,
“Pathetic... You don’t even come close to a fair comparison with this vessel - unworthy of even being Cursed - but you have potential. We’ll meet again when you’re stronger, so that you can fail to save this whelp a second time...”

His vision then faded as he fell unconscious.

 

Hours later...

When Valdus woke back up, he found himself back in the Canyon of Flames. He was inside another dragon’s den - much smaller than Ignis’s - lying upon what seemed to be a nest of charred hay. Despite its looks it held a delicate, soft and comfortable texture. There were various baskets and shelves of herbs and other medicinal ingredients. Lilith sat inside as well, tending to Ace’s wounds.

I guess she healed me first...
Valdus groaned.

Ace was writhing in pain, holding his chest while Lilith was trying to heal his wounds.

“You ran into him, didn’t you? Kaenrae...so-called ’Wings of Blight’...”
Lilith spoke softly.

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“Yeah... We couldn’t do anything to fight back... Just...knocked down, so easily...just like that.”
Valdus stared at his hand and began to ponder.
After seeing more of what Kaenrae can do... How can I possibly become strong enough? And what is that slow in time?

A small spark of electricity then struck his palm, and he panicked for a moment. He held his hand and looked at Lilith. Lilith glared back.

“Hmph. You’re not going to become stronger if you let it get to you. Mythriln may not be strong enough to fight Kaenrae, either - not yet, and especially not alone - but for a dragon like him...he truly deserves the role of commanding the scouts of the canyon. We’ve never encountered a foe like Kaenrae until now, but before that, Mythriln’s always proved that he was one of the strongest dragons in the canyon. In fact, I’d say he is. He’s always stood proud, fearless...”
Lilith then sat back, having finished healing Ace’s wounds.
“He’s always guiding the others like a true leader, all while keeping a smile on their faces. He was the only one who could personally train with Ignis, as well. Never gave a second for the sorts of thoughts that you’re dealing with...and he’s still becoming stronger with each passing day.”

Ace suddenly spoke, letting out a sigh of relief,
“I overheard...and, when you say that, he does sound pretty strong. Ignis must be the same, then. Being the one who trained Mythriln and all, I wonder how strong he is.”

With a short sigh, Lilith replied,
“Nobody actually knows. Not even Mythriln himself. He doesn’t speak much of Ignis’s power anyway, and...even then... I never do get the chance to talk to Mythriln enough... When he’s injured, I drag him to my den to heal him, expecting to talk with him too. Sure, I do like to tease him a little too often...and maybe I come off too strong...but... The- the real reason why I acted the way I did when you first saw me is because he- Ugh! He never puts in time to talk with me nor let his wounds heal! Always busy training with Ignis and scouting the perimeter of our canyon! Sure, I...do like to be a little too forward with him sometimes, but...”
She soon cut herself off, a faint blush across her muzzle.
“A-anyway- ahem! Enough of my rambling - giving up shouldn’t ever be an option! Go on and get out! Continue your journey and get through the Corrupt Canyon!”

Valdus nodded with a smile and stood up. Ace chuckled and stumbled to his feet as well. They both thanked Lilith before heading out again. Before they left for a second attempt, they stopped to greet Mythriln who stood by the entrance to the Corrupt Canyon.

“Probably just me being nosy, but you should speak to Lilith more often, mate.”
Valdus smirked.

Mythriln tilted his head, then bid Valdus and Ace farewell. Once they returned to the Corrupt Canyon, Valdus and Ace soon noticed Kaenrae was no longer around, but there was something else. They could hear crying and moaning, and Valdus could feel that unwanted chill envelope him. Shadowy, distorted, black figures began to seep from the cracked walls of the canyon, and from each of those figures, blood red eyes glared at the two adventurers. The Corrupt.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me...!”
Valdus seethed,
“So this is what Ignis meant when he said it’s Cursed? Kaenrae wasn’t even supposed to be here!”

“Be on guard, there’s no knowing how strong these ones will be.”
Ace responded,
“Who knows? Maybe they’re better to face than that purple dragon...”

One of the Corrupt took the form of a bull and stood in their way of traversing any further. It kicked one of its front hoofs, readying to charge. As it did, Valdus tried to strike it with his sword, but it dodged. He could feel the strength from the swing falter as a faint black smog covered the air. The bull then rammed Valdus and Ace, knocking them back.

“Argh, what the-! How-? Dammit, what do we do!”
Valdus said, staggering back before sheathing his sword.

Ace sighed and responded reluctantly,
“Well, I doubt I’d be able to do much with whatever that black mist was... Must’ve been its magic. There’s more forming from behind as well. There’s no point in focusing on using our Essence sense when they outnumber us by this many - they’ll tire us out before we know it. But...there’s at least one good option... We run - straight through them!”

Ace then leaped over the Corrupt bull before running off, unsheathing his sword immediately after to cut open a path. Once Valdus caught up to follow beside him, Ace sheathed his sword. The Corrupt quickly gave chase, a few howling and screaming at them. The canyon held a few branching paths, but the two managed to stick together along a single, straight, path that led forward. They soon noticed a faint light up ahead. It looked like daylight, barely breaking into the canyon’s darkness. Running straight for it, they escaped the Cursed Canyon, only to then end up at the entrance of a forest.

“What in the-...”
Valdus muttered.

The confusion almost sent Valdus into vertigo, trying to recapture the sheer seconds of what had just happened. Ace on the other hand was more focused on the Corrupt, which no longer were following behind. As they caught their breath, they looked deeper into the forest and saw various eyes glowing from within the greenery. Each had different colours. A low-pitched trill was heard from one of them.

“Are those...”
Ace trailed off into a brief pause, before shouting out as the figures moved,
“...Raptors!”

The Raptors leaped out from the shrubbery, each barking, howling, or trilling with joy. One of them tackled Valdus to the ground, standing above him and licking him across the face, whilst the rest danced around Ace. The Raptor that tackled Valdus had a scar across its right torso, red scales with black patterns, and sky-blue eyes.

“Gah! W-wait-- Rex? Hey- how the hell are you here!”
Valdus shouted as he tried to dodge the excited Raptor’s tongue, shocked to see him again.

Rex stopped licking his face and panted, staring straight at him. He tilted his head, trilled, then hopped off him, now bounding about with the other Raptors.

Valdus sat up and held his head.
How did he and his pack follow us? Not only that, but there’s others that aren’t from his pack, too!

A sudden gust of wind shot out from the depths of the forest, and the Raptors stopped. They raised their heads and looked around, as if with caution. Rex barked and trilled before running into the forest from where the gust of wind came. His pack and the other Raptors quickly followed behind.

“What...was that...?”
Ace muttered.

“Rex and his pack came home through a different route to how you two arrived. They were called back to this place by their Alpha.”
A voice trailed out from deep within the forest,
“Now, there is no need for worry. I hold no intention in bringing you harm. In fact, so long as you remain in here I intend to keep you two safe. Many of the creatures within this forest seek this place as a safe haven, even Humans from time-to-time - much like the Canyon of Flames. I do hope you can feel at home here in the Jade Heart, as well.”

Valdus and Ace looked at each other in confusion, then faced back toward the forest entrance. They both took in a deep breath and walked forward.

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