by B L Barkey
“This is it, huh?” Ammon said.
“Yeah, I guess so,” said Mikael.
Ammon nodded. “We have to remember, life happens. We can’t let it get to us. Sometimes, it’s best to keep moving forward,” he said, seeking to share his peace with his brother.
“I know,” responded Mikael, a grin warming his face. They would be just fine. Ammon was carried off the face of the planet then, to dance with the stars, where it felt like nothing had ever been wrong. Like nothing could ever be wrong again.
Ammon made a promise then. It was a promise to himself, and to whatever life force was out there in the skies, watching over them. He had cultivated his desire to join the SG for years now. He had even confessed his intentions to Mikael and many others since then. But it had never been a firm commitment unto himself and destiny. Lying there on the eve of his future, Ammon thought each word individually within his mind, allowing it to echo throughout all space and eternity. With his words, he bound himself to his covenant.
I will become the most powerful human being on Proelum. I will defend my island from the darkness. I will seek out the dark storm beast, and bring justice unto the creature and its origins. I will serve the light, to defend family, Cephas, Proelum, and Light itself.
As the last word formed in Ammon’s mind, he stared up into the heavens with peace in his heart, wondering if anyone had truly heard his promise.
“Goodnight, Everworld.”
“Angarang.”
II
Ammon heard a scream. It rippled through his very core, causing him to cringe with fear. He knew he was dreaming, yet he feared for his life all the same.
“No!” Morning cried, his fury shaking his world.
Ammon was possessing Conqueror once more. The dark angel was also trembling. Everything was gray.
They had been dragged into Outer Darkness without warning. Many were still lost and confused from the sudden change. Conqueror caught himself from falling, for he had been lying down with succulent temptresses.
He searched for Venetia, but instead found emptiness by Morning’s side. This is not good...
“There are no words.. to express.. my disappointment,” he heaved, pummeling something heavy into what could’ve conceivably been the ground. It was now impossible to see their surroundings, even for the Dulkrye. Another bad sign. It’s even darker and colder in the place that should be darkest and coldest.
The minds of the twelve linked, then quickly realized that two of them were missing. And both were Dulkrye.
Pressure bore down upon them. Several miserable, immeasurable seconds later, Conqueror fell to one knee while donning his crystal armor. As he did so, he felt one of the minds vanish from the Legion, followed closely by another.
He’s destroying us with no effort at all! Conqueror fell to both knees, gritting his teeth.
He did something stupid then. “Master!” He cried. “Remember our plan. I will seek the vessel!”
He knew he would be disintegrated for this comment. Yet if he had said nothing, Morning might have crushed them all into oblivion anyways.
The pressure grew heavier, then stilled. After several more heaving breaths, the weight disappeared, sending the remaining eight darklings face-first into the dead-dirt.
Conqueror heard heavy-falling footsteps. Morning was approaching.
“You have spoken well, Dulkrye,” Morning hissed through gritted teeth. His voice was loud and wide, as if coming from the jaw of a jackal rather than a man. His form is wavering. I wonder how close he is to his true form, now that he has even blinded his Dulkrye…
Conqueror glanced over to where he felt the mind of the only other Dulkrye present. It was Reverence, the one who imprisoned Energy. Contrast returned to Conqueror’s vision, summoning the faded lines of the Gray. This is good. He is calming down.
Even within the Gray, it was clear to see that Reverence was in poor shape. He was still gasping for air, with all but a helm of crystal armor left about him. This is the prison of Energy, exhausted from using too much power. A source of Energy itself is near its limits. What sort of power can do this? What is the true depth of the Morningstar…
A new fear arose in Conqueror. Realization struck him without mercy. Any previous thoughts he had hidden in his Stone, concerning the overthrowing of Jinn Morningstar, were complete and utter foolishness. Nothing can defeat the Master of Darkness.
“This was going to be the end,” Morning growled. His words came from high above them, and in that moment, they all knew Morning was close to his true form.
“How could this have happened, you may be wondering. I wonder the same thing. Well, first, let me show you what happened with excruciating detail.”
Images and words flashed into their minds, carrying the pains of whips across their literal brains. Though they were in agony, and maybe especially because they were in agony, they absorbed the events with vividity.
Drowning had been intercepted by the Litiguh of Matter. It was then they battle over the oceans, where the element of the Water Stone surged in abundance. Yet somehow, Drowning was bested by Matter, and destroyed. His Stone was lost without a trace, though it was not lost for long.
Reverence then struck the island of Matter, following the plan of attack. It was here that Reverence was met by a creature of terrible power. It far surpassed the range of Litiguh as it encompassed itself with glaciers and mountains. With horror, they realized what was happening. The glaciers were Water and Matter combined, meaning the very Litiguh who had struck down Drowning had taken his Stone. Not only had the Litiguh taken the Stone, but she had also wielded it, attaching it to her heart in unison with Matter.
Morning spoke again, breaking them all from their infused vision and suffering.
“The one mercy to the darkness was the escape of Reverence. If he would have fallen, we would have only two Stones.”
Two, Conqueror thought. That means Venetia is still alive.
“If Drowning had escaped, I would consume him for his weakness. Reverence performed well enough to at least escape with his Stone, after fighting off a wielder-of-two. He will retain his Stone, should he withstand my wrath.”
Conqueror didn’t like the feeling building in his hardened heart.
“But Venetia. She arrived far too late. If she had left when commanded, she would have arrived alongside Reverence, perhaps solidifying the defeat of Matter. Yet as it stands, she arrived much later. And when she got there, she found only vast ocean, for the hidden island had already moved, as they tend to do. It was undoubtedly leagues away, as it now under the protection of the Litiguh who wields the Stones of both Matter and Water.”
Conqueror was in shock. His mind, lest it fall into madness, was blank.
“It is time. We will decide her fate.”
As Morning said this, a figure arose from the dirt.
Conqueror knew it by its whimper. It was Venetia.
He felt the shell around his heart crack. His Stone reached out in all directions, seeking a hold on anything for strength. Yet the humanity of them all was suppressed in this place, leaving no life for which to force dominion over. He was completely and utterly helpless.
Venetia cried, sitting up on her knees. Morning licked his lips at this, as did several others. Her failure meant one of them might be the new Stone-prison.
Conqueror felt their minds casting votes. All were in concurrence, including himself.
“Matteo, I…” was all Venetia managed to say before her words turned into bubbling gurgles. They heard a spray, followed by the wheezing of air being drawn through a tight slit.
Another one of their minds vanished, leaving only seven. Her throat had been cut. Venetia was dead.
It took absolutely every atom of control in Conqueror to keep himself restrained. Yes, he had voted against her. But this was only to remain inconspicuous, to keep her alive should Morning suspect she was with him before the attack. He had figured most others would show mercy to their Dulkrye. B
ut no. This was not a place of mercy. It was a place of desire.
There was another slicing sound, followed by a thump as her heart fell from her chest. There was then a stomp and a squish like a sponge. Conqueror saw it then, the suppressed light of Voids.
Conqueror reached for Venetia’s fallen body, puppeteered by Matteo who was stepping from his stone cage. The old part of him wanted to bury her, and to murder the Morning.
“Must I destroy you, boy?” Morning called out. In his voice was sympathy, as if he truly did not wish for Conqueror to die. Despite everything that had happened, Conqueror still felt flattered by the desire his Lord held for him. And he hated himself for it.
“Her death,” Morning started, “is a sorrow to us all. Yet the laws demand fulfillment.”
He dusted off his hands, moving past the recent action as if he had put down a rabid dog.
“Now, I’ll ask you again. How could this have happened?”
After several breaths of despair, Conqueror answered. “He was there. Torin...,” he cleared his throat. “Torin was there. Possibly possessing a more solidified form than usual. He guards that island well, as it is the harbor of Matter. It makes the most sense.”
“I agree with you, Conqueror. I believe he has a vested interest in this hidden island for its Stone. Yet he cannot hide them forever. We will find them again. There are two beacons guiding us towards them, even now. It won’t be long.”
They could hear him pacing as his steps grew softer and lighter.
“And then there is the matter of the Litiguh. How long has it been since any angel has wielded two Stones at once? Sure, many have held onto more than one at a time. Yet to wield them at the same time is another thing entirely. One must hold near-perfect understanding in both essences of the Stones. Mastering even one is incredibly rare for the mortals. But to master two essences, and then actually obtain the two corresponding Stones? If ‘luck’ were an essence, I would guess she possesses its Stone, as well.”
Morning sounded exasperated. Even so, their easier breathing meant he was settling down. As his footsteps became silent, he spoke again.
“Now. The positives. The family we killed. That was a victory. Such death will surely stir up their people. As will the symbols left in the sands. Reverence was able to strike down, leaving a dark-tree in their midst. No doubt they have disposed of it, though they will have a harder time getting rid of the memory. And finally,” he exhaled, leaving them in silence far too long to be comfortable.
“Our greatest victory. We still have a mark on them. Two beacons, it seems, instead of the one. That one, though, has fully committed himself to the darkness. Much like you once did, Conqueror. Or as you were then, Matteo,” Morning teased, sending spiders up Conqueror’s back.
“Therefore, there is only one thing left to do. Conqueror, execute the back-up plan. Once you have the vessel, take it to the mortal of dominion, Alabaster. Need I say more?”
“No, my Lord,” Conqueror replied. No, you need not. You want new vessels.
“Good,” Morning said sternly, hiding within it another meaning which said, Do not fail me, lest your fate surpasses even her own in misery.
“That is all,” Morning commanded. All but Conqueror vanished from the Outer Darkness, leaving him there to stare at Venetia’s broken, lifeless form.
“Oh, almost forgot this,” came Morning’s voice. The Morningstar reached down and seized her wrist, before dragging her away like a ragdoll. As the sounds of footsteps and leather-on-sandpaper faded away, Conqueror wallowed in his misery.
She is dead. The one who was always there for me. The one person in all the realms who had ever truly cared for me. She had even been the one to hand me my Stone.
I will kill him for this, Conqueror vowed. I shalt never forget her.
He gnashed his teeth, grasping for any conceivable plan on how he could overcome the Master of Darkness. As he did this, he felt ribbons of memory scrolling through his mind. Her smile. Her laugh. Her dancing, and better yet, her fighting. Her wit and her sass. There will never be another like her.
As he reflected on one particularly sweet, seductive, and painful memory, he noticed something. When the memory was dismissed from reminiscence, it drifted past his stone heart, as if pulled in by some strange gravity. And then it occurred to him.
He couldn’t do it all at once. Yet piece by piece, he would get there. He took two of the memories of Venetia, neither the sweetest nor worst, and placed them in his heart of stone. After placing them in there, he sealed it up, relieving himself of pressure and pain. He breathed in deep, shed a tear, then grinned.
Yes, I will never forget her. Or shall I tell myself, as one by one I slip her into that place of stone. Then, one day, I will be strong, and she will be gone.
Even the thought of it made him want to sob again, so he pushed it away, swearing to never forget her.
In this way, he knew what he would become. It was the answer he’d been searching for during the last several months. Though he held powerful dominion over intelligent creatures, sometimes impressing even Morning with his potential, he had still been unable to push the limits of the Stone even further. Morning had warned him of seeking this out, saying that it would take ‘orchestrated madness’ to reach the full potential of the Dominion Stone.
“It takes a split-person to conquer the Stone of Dominion for darkness,” Morning had told him. “On one side, this person must know the beasts well-enough to control them. To know them is to understand them, and to understand them is to love them. That’s the tricky part.
“At the same time, the other side must take this understanding and wield it, while stabbing into the creatures again and again, feeling their pain, hating and loving it. Such an act would send any mortal spiraling into madness. But not you. Hence the name Conqueror. You are destined to reach new levels.”
And herein lied his answer. In forgetting his emotions and relationships, he would orchestrate his own madness. He would become two people.
He felt a chill reverberate through his bones. It vibrated him, just like she used to with her energy. She was gone forever. He wanted to die, to vanish. But no. The chill came back. He separated his mind. I will be two people. The one I used to be, Matteo who cares for animals, whom I will fully hide in his hardened heart of mine. The second will be who I need to become. The one who would dance in the blood of the slain. In this way, he would achieve said ‘orchestrated madness’.
He renewed his vigor, rising into the darkest depths of the ocean. There, he would find his vessel, in order to obtain the other. Both would be stepping stones to his madness and glory.
Ammon wondered what the vessel could be.
Chapter XXXI
The Trials Begin
Ammon! For Cephas-sake man, wake up! I’ve shaken you for like ten minutes now!”
He groaned, then opened his eyes to see Mikael shaking his shoulders. “What time is it?” he mumbled. Then he remembered the Trials. His heart started pounding.
“Calm down,” Mikael said, pushing him back. “It’s still early, but I want to make sure we get there far before the Guardians. It’ll take us a bit to get to the west beach. Plus, you were talking in your sleep more than usual last night. Who’s Venetia?”
Ammon held his breath. Hearing the dark woman’s name while awake struck terror in his heart. He then sighed, realizing all was fine. Especially since he’d thought he was late. What a terrifying way to start the morning, he thought, rolling out of bed.
They grabbed their bags and met Mother in the kitchen. She looked like death personified, though they would never tell her that. She was not a morning person. Still, she was a sweetheart, the kind who would make breakfast for her sons so early. They gobbled down the eggs and bacon, washed it down with milk, then headed for the door.
“Go back to bed, Mama. Tell Father we definitely love you the most now,” said Ammon.
“You know I will. Good luck, my baby boys. I’m not worried one bit.”
She unsheathed her contagious smile and kissed them goodbye. Then she sent her boys away, despite the clawing bear within her. The bear that wanted only to hold her cubs forever.
They descended down the western staircase, working their way north over the smaller foothills of the mountains, passing narrowly between Cloud Mountain and the Northern Mounts.
As they did so, they held their lamps before them. The training didn’t officially start until they stepped foot on the island of the Guardians. However, it had long been rumored that many people had already failed the Trials even before they reached the western beach. The forests were dark and infested with waking wildlife. Still, he had only ever had pleasant experiences with animals. Except for the ones in his dreams lately. First the snow leopard, and now gravity-defying pandas… He shook his head clear. As well as the decaying fish in the Whirlpool.