Chapter 4: Chapter 4

“He will kill you, I hope you know this.”

“He may try, but Sidra will be destroyed all the same.”

“And you’ll be dead all the same.”

“He is but one Dragon, we exterminated the others of his race, I can do the same to him.”

“You are a fool and you will die a fool.”

“Maybe, but as I keep saying, Sidra will still be gone.”

“If you trigger his memories, then we are all dead, not just you.”

“He is a Dragon stuck in the form of a Human, we will be fine.”

“Tell that to Varu and Venta.”

“You annoy me, Fontaine.”

“And you, Revnor, you will kill us all.”

*

Eons ago, a Higher by the name of Baruu went on a terrible rampage. They tore through Arrithia, lashing out at all—angered by their lack of worshiping. Baruu was going to burn Arrithia to its core, sacrificing entire civilizations to quench their thirst for revenge and chaos. Baruu had made their way to Vol where she was challenged by a Thunder Dragon of House Raiju and after a long and vigorous battle, Baruu was sealed within the Sun.

It went well for the first few thousand years, but soon Baruu became restless, unable to break free, they split themselves in two—giving Arrithia a second Sun and with two Suns came a problem. The heat from both was too much for life to bear and it began to break the balance of Arrithia. The Jólu Elves of Vol created a ritual, one that would sacrifice those who were truly one with nature to The Higher, Koko'o'yo, who would have, Ivara, The Higher of The Moon, eclipse the second Sun with their Magic, nullifying its effects on Arrithia.

*

Amara, Tribal Leader of The Jólu Elves and mother to Varin—a fierce and calculated individual who I do not wish to ever cross in the wrong way—her presence alone is overwhelmingly commanding. Amara and I’s first encounter with one another was just before the raid of a Dungeon. I had been dispatched with Silas—Number Five of The Order and we were to meet with a group of native Hunters. We met with them just on the outskirts of their village and set up camp for the night, planning to start conquering the Dungeon in the morning. 

During that night, I was taken from the camp. Amara had dispatched Shadow Elves to bring me to her chambers. I didn’t get a good glimpse of her, she was using Magic to keep my eyes from adapting to the dark—like she already knew my secret. I came to learn that Amara was one of many in a long line of successors who can see the future. It was her eyes that allowed her to do this, a gift passed down her bloodline for millennia. She wouldn’t tell me the extent of what she could see, but based on what she told me—it was only fragments. She told me about how the borders would close and how one day they would come for Varin. She knew it would take decades, close to a century, but she wanted her daughter safe and I am one with my word. 

Amara indeed knew who I was and that’s why she came to me—she even reopened the Dungeon with her Magic just to get me there. I felt like she could have gone to Sidra herself and gotten Varin back at any time, but once I met Varin, I understood why she didn’t. Varin doesn’t like people to know that she is part Elf, it’s hard enough being a Nymph, but to be part Elf too, well that is a whole basket of trouble. 

Elves and Nymphs have been at each other for many millennia, a back and forth between who has a better understanding of life and who are more in tune with nature. This is another reason Varin left her seat for the throne vacant; she agrees with the Nymphs. She claims The Jólu are too blinded by tradition to see the error of their ways—she and the Nymphs believe that Koko’o’yo is a false Higher and that the original Jólu had been tricked into sacrificing themselves to them.

At first, I was lost, because they were doing those rituals when I visited Vol the first time, long before Varin was even born or Amara was Tribe Leader, but as she continued to explain herself, I was beginning to understand. Elves for the longest time were considered an invasive species and to many they still are. Their ability to traverse Arrithia with ease allowed them to migrate and immigrate to many islands in the early dawns of civilizations and some saw that as an invasion of their homes—one of the biggest culprit of this act was The Dryad Empire—enemy of The Jólu from the day they stepped foot on the soils of Vol. Varin believes that sometime in the past, The Dryad Empire made up the legend about sacrificing Elves for their own personal gain.

The sound of footsteps dropping onto the top deck stirred us up from our beds—we had finally decided to make ourselves comfortable, but it would seem it can’t last.

“Did you hear th—.”

“Yes.” I interrupted. I teleported to the base of the stairs and then to the top deck. “Oh.”

At the bow of the ship stood a being—a type of being I was all too familiar with. 

It was humanoid, nearly seven feet tall with a white glow outlining its entire body—it wore burgundy red robes with creamy yellow sashes running from the shoulders—its feet were hidden beneath the robe, but it wasn’t wearing anything on them—the skin was an ashy gray with a faint hint that it was once a much darker complexion—it had flames for its short hair and a golden halo hovering just above the little black horns on its head—it was the eyes that always did it for me—completely white, no sign of a soul anywhere inside.

Varin was up the stairs shortly after me, taking her place beside me. 

“Who’s that?” She asked.

“Not sure on their name, but that Varin, that is a Higher.”

Varin looked at me then back at The Higher. “Speak their name, and they shall appear, never seen one in person.”

“Not many have, what do you want?” I asked them.

“To kill you.” They replied.

I positioned myself between Varin and The Higher. “You overestimate your strength, while completely not knowing mine, I suggest you choose humility.”

“Revnor said you were feisty, but to think you were this arrogant.” An incredibly fast bolt of Magic flew from The Higher’s finger, dissipating against my mask as it made contact. “Interesting.” Another three bolts flew into me, two more into my mask, and the third into my chest—all of them dissipating. “Tell me Xayddryrth, which of your parents was The Higher, and which of them was the Ancient Dragon?” They moved their finger forward, keeping their hand to their side while pointing an index at me. “Show me why you think of yourself as strong.” A relentless barrage of Magic bolts struck me, tearing apart my clothes, but continuing to dissipate against my mask and skin.

The barrage continued and my worries about the ship being struck faded as I realized how precise each shot was—he was intentionally tearing apart my clothes while also continuously trying to test the strength of my mask. I tightened my fists, looking back slightly to ensure Varin was still unharmed and the spell was still intact. 

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“You good?” I asked her.

Varin nodded. She was tucked behind me, keeping herself as close as possible.

“I’m gonna need you to head downstairs, okay?”

Varin waited for a second, I know she could barely hear with all the noise—between the sea and the Magic—it was incredibly loud, but once what I said registered she nodded again and made her way below deck.

The Higher stopped casting. “Ahh, finally, you sent the parcel below, now we can have some real fu—.”

I tilted my head back and forth as the dust cleared, revealing my naked body. “You said Revnor,” I summoned forth a set of armor, casting it upon myself. It was form fitted, all black, nothing fancy, just clothing to wear in the moment more than anything.  “Am I to assume you are close?” 

“Do not speak to me in that—.”

“Understood, well, regardless, you won’t be seeing them again.”

“Now you listen here I—.” They stopped speaking, their head slowly moving back and forth between gasped breaths. “When…did you…”

“Get behind you?” I pulled my sword from their back—no blood poured from the wound, instead it was filled with red light that was seeping out ever so slightly. “I did it when you blinked.”

The Higher collapsed forward. I caught them in my arms, pulling them over to face me. The look of shock I had expected to see in their eyes was not there, but that of sadness. No words came from their mouth, just shards of red light with every gasp of air they breathed. They grabbed onto me, I could tell they were begging me not to let them die, pleading that they were sorry—it was a face I had seen far too many times before.

“Stop,” I exclaimed, pushing their hands off me. “You chose this.” I folded their arms into one another, keeping them held against their chest. “Actions have consequences,” Their head bobbed side to side, resting against their shoulder as the white glow around them began to fade. “Well then, when you see Venta and Varu in Under Gardena—tell 'em I said ‘Hey.’.” Their body faded into tiny sparks of red dust, carrying itself into the wind and out to sea.

I looked up to see Varin peeping from just below the deck. I lowered my head, letting out an exhausted sigh. “Come on out and how much did you see?”

Varin pulled herself from the stairs, keeping her head low as she shuffled over mumbling.

“Everything.”

I stood up. “What was that?”

“Every—.” Varin lifted her head, looking at my smug expression. “Everything.”

I let out a long sigh as I wrapped my arm around her.

“Varin, I think we should have a nice and serious talk about me, how does that sound?”

*

“He killed Valk, I do not care if he comes knocking, I am done playing these games, I am moving forward with my plans.”

“Even though he was able to kill them in a single blow?”

“Come again? Did you just tell me this MORTAL killed Valk in a single blow?”

“Yes, but that is where you mistaken Revnor, Xayddryrth is not a mortal, he is just like us, a God, you know this and yet you continue to test him.”

“Ah yes, sometimes I do forget that his wretched mother was one of us, hmmm, I say let him come then, it will be interesting, now if you will excuse me, I have an island to burn.”

“I’m afraid you don’t.”

“Again with this foolishness Fontaine, I—.”

“Seal him away, keep him there until Xayddryrth is dead, and even then, come ask me for permission first.”

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO ME.”

“I can and I will Revnor.”

“YOU ARE FOOLISH TO THINK THAT YOU CAN DEFEAT—.”

“Put him next to Valk, we don't need another war with Xayddryrth, not yet.”

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