The statue was the center of the village, and a mob surrounded it. The people danced to rapid wild drum beats and summoned creatures woven of fire using pyromancy. Auron and the guard paced through the mob, and as everyone became disturbed by his presence, they cleared a path.
“Chief Blossom!” shouted the guard who guided Auron. He approached a woman of pink hair clad in colors of autumn. Auron recognized her. He remembered those hazel eyes and that bronze skin. The guard kneeled before her.
“This outsider claims to be your son,” the guard said.
The chief did not respond. She stared at Auron, and her eyes wandered around his body. She approached Auron and stood a foot shorter than him. She stared into his eyes and grazed her three-inch nails over his cheek. Her lips widened into a smile, and her eyes enlarged with joy.
“Welcome back, my son,” she said. “It has been so long since you’ve been here. I had a feeling that you would come back.”
She embraced him and a tear left her eye. Auron hugged her and lifted her. He thought that she would not remember him.
“A mother never forgets her child,” she said and took his hand. “It’s been five solar eclipses since I last saw you.”
“Mother, so much has changed. What happened to Chief Vinx?” Auron asked.
Auron’s mother, Blossom, hesitated before she answered his question. “He took his own life after the people discovered that he did not have the gift of fire.”
Auron recalled his father. The man who almost murdered him for not having the gift of fire, unable to cast fire like the rest of the tribe. Even to this day, he still had trouble using pyromancy, and when he did, his maju would infect his body and give him fevers. His innate element was earth.
Auron had run away from the island at the age of thirteen, once the tribe had discovered that he was the black blood. The tribe wanted to offer him as a sacrifice to Pyramus, but Auron had managed to flee on a small boat. During a stormy night on his boat, a tidal wave sunk his boat, and he lost consciousness under water. When he woke up, he was at the west shores of Burnahdujf during a war, and Akielas saved him.
“Come, my son. We shall talk in my pavilion,” his mother invited.
********
In the pavilion, Blossom sat on an oak throne. The head of a fox was carved atop the throne. Auron sat next to his mother and watched as her maidens assisted her. He was tempted by them; they were busty women, wearing small tops with large cleavages. Short skirts revealed curves, and the roundness of their bodies made Auron look and think twice about his own wife back home. They passed by him and gave him provocative looks. He never had the experience of living with his people. Since the age of thirteen, he lived in castle towns. He was accustomed to organized societies. He knew that he would never be able to live like the Amaranths did, but he still wanted to learn more about them.
“Are you married?” his mother asked, and Auron blushed. Only Akielas would ask him such embarrassing questions.
“Yes,” he answered quickly.
“Do you have any offspring?” she asked again.
“One daughter and a son on the way.” Auron smiled. “Beautiful children. My daughter has burgundy hair, just like the Amaranth tribe. I might bring her here, one day, and show her the roots of her father.”
“I have grandchildren,” Blossom said, shedding a tear.
Auron wiped her eyes with his thumb and cupped her cheek. “Now. What I came here for,” Auron said. He took off his necklace and showed his mother the piece of the Crimson Cosmo Jewel.
Blossom gasped and took the necklace from his hands. The Amaranth tribe had guarded the jewel for millenniums. They believed that they were chosen by Pyramus. Ever since the jewel was taken five years ago, they feared that the dragon god of fire would take away their gift, and their tribe would slowly die. They never lost hope, only prayed and kept living their vigorous life with faith.
“You still have it,” she whispered, her eyes wide.
“No. It’s just a fallen piece from the jewel. I am lucky enough to have found it, but what I want to know is how to unlock its power. Mother, do you or anyone on the island have any idea how to use its power.”
Blossom mulled for a moment. She stared at the fragment of the cosmo jewel. It was like a seed from a pomegranate, gleaming. Unspeakable amount of fire maju was stored inside it and years of history that the tribe had lost.
“I don’t know,” she said, frowning.
“Someone on this island must know,” Auron persisted.
“No one has ever used the power of the Crimson Cosmo Jewel, since those three outsiders came to this island,” Blossom replied.
“Three outsiders? Who are you talking about?” Auron asked, eager to know, leaning in.
“It was a story that my grandmother once told me. The first outsiders that came to this island. It’s a story passed down from generations to generations. The three outsiders came from northern lands. One of them was named Prodigus Kollos, his brother Hettakus Kollos, and Bracka Mahamuth. I don’t know how long ago it happened, but these three men came in search of knowledge. The Amaranth tribe introduced them to the Crimson Cosmo Jewel, and during that time, the chief of the village knew how to use its power and granted the three outsiders the power of fire. They promised to use fire for good. They were good friends with the Amaranth tribe, but after they received the gift of fire, we never saw them again.”
Hearing those names again, Auron began to see a historical connection, but it still did not answer his question. It seemed that everywhere he went, the name ‘Prodigus Kollos’ was mentioned. Akielas spoke of Prodigus, but he never spoke much about Hettakus and Bracka. Auron didn’t think about it too much, since there were no useful clues in this piece of history.
“Do you know anything about the jewel and its power? Any details,” Auron asked, holding his mother’s hand.
“Previous leaders of our tribe have said that the jewel contains not just fire maju, but powers of the stars and holy essence,” Blossom said.
Auron translated ‘powers of the stars’ into ‘cosmo energy’ and ‘holy essence’ into ‘divine maju.’ Somehow, it made sense. Fire, cosmo, and light. The jewel was made of this combination. It was like a compound spell that gave life to something more powerful. Perhaps, these three types of energies have to be used to unlock the power of the jewel. This is going to be difficult. The only mages I have seen using cosmo magic is Ember and her masked group. Perhaps, Akielas might know how to mix these three energies or even Eckxio.
“Sorry if I am of no help, my son,” Blossom said.
“Please mother. Do not worry. It does not matter. Many things get lost in history. In this age, no one has an accurate answer.”
“Feel free to ask our sages and explore the island. You never know what you will find,” Blossom invited.
“Yes, I think I will stay here for a few days,” Auron said. He felt as though the answer was closer than expected, but there was a great doubt in his mind. The Golden Sun, it is fire and light, but does it have cosmo? I don’t think that boy, Ganicus, would know. He barely understands how to trigger its power.
He decided to explore and speak with the sages of Amaranth Island.
Akielas
He woke to the morning dew dropping from leaves of trees. All the Elves slept soundly. Eckxio and Willow rested tightly together in a tent. Ganicus had fallen asleep, staring at the campfire, his head resting on a log. Akielas had thrown a blanket over the boy to keep him warm.
Akielas tried to enjoy his early morning strolling through the forest. His mind clouded and swarmed with worries and apprehension unlike never before. He could feel the stress on his shoulder and pulsing in his head. He paused by a large pond and watched frogs of all colors hopping from rock to rock, diving into the water.
He wondered what Auron was doing and where he could have gone. Auron does not like to sit around. He was a man of action and sought to solve problems as soon or before they arrived, while Akielas was a p
atient man, graceful, and took his time. Even at times like this, Akielas never liked to rush to a conclusion. He preferred to keep his options open and search deeper. I just hope Auron did not try to face Ember by himself, he worried. He would dare. I know he would. He is stubborn.
Not even the beauty of the forest could distract his mind. As long as Ember was still alive, drifting through Odealeous with the two cosmo jewels, his mind would never rest. As he stared into the tranquility of the pond, he felt the tattoo of the divine symbol burning on his left hand. He could feel their maju, once more. Their presence was far away, but he could feel them molding their maju and casting offensive spells. Akielas closed his eyes and locked his hands together in prayer, trying to find them. He clutched the teleport crystal between his hands and hoped it would help him see them.
“Please. Show me where they are. I can feel them, but they are far away,” he prayed. The teleport crystal would give him visions of all the locations in Odealeous he had marked with a pentacle. He thought of using this technique before, but it took incredible amounts of maju.
The presence of his apprentices felt north of him, using the divine symbol on his left hand. The teleport crystal allowed Akielas to see through all the spots that he had marked. In his mind, he could see through the pentacles. He could see the castle of the queen of Verday through the pentacle he marked on a hill. He could see the northern mountains of Verday. He saw the Sainos castle in the capital city of Burnahdujf through a pentacle he marked on a tower.
“Where are they? I can feel them closer and closer. Their presence is north, but where?” Akielas whispered, focusing his maju and mind. As long as his apprentices wore that brand, he could feel their presence from anywhere in the world. The teleport crystal scouted and transferred his maju to other locations.
Akielas searched the north through the view of his pentacles. When his maju reached the Sainos Mountains of Burnahdujf, their presence was much stronger.
“Ah, yes. They are somewhere in the mountains,” he whispered. As he surveyed the area, he spotted a cloud of smoke billowing from within a cave.
“The Dwarves. They are invading the Dwarves,” he said loudly. At that point, he lost focus, and his maju returned, jolting his mind. The symbol of the divine still burned on his hand. Akielas ran back to the campsite yelling, “Wake up! Wake up! I found them! Hurry! We must hurry!”
Elves in sleeping bags woke up cranky and grumbling. Those who rested in tents exited, squinting at the sun and digging their eyes with their knuckles. Akielas’s cloak and long hair steamed as he ran back to his allies.
“Eckxio! Willow! Ganicus! Wake up! We must hurry before I lose them again,” Akielas yelled. He kicked Ganicus awake and shook Eckxio and Willow’s tent. They rose, holding the hilt of their swords as if waking to sudden danger, then yawned and stared at Akielas with disappointment.
“Oh it’s just you,” Eckxio said, scratching his eye.
“Get up! I know where they are. We must hurry before I lose them again. This could be our only chance,” Akielas alarmed.
“The masked fiends. How did you find them?” Willow asked, rubbing her eyes and blowing boogers out of her nose. Her hair mussed from sleeping on the ground.
“By the desert god. I have never slept so uncomfortably before,” Ganicus grumbled, stretching his back and yawning. “Are we leaving already? I was really enjoying this fruitful forest.”
“Everyone! Grab your weapons. There is no time to eat or chat.” Akielas hasted. “I can sense them again. The teleport crystal helped me track them down. They are in the Northern Mountains of Burnahdujf.”
“Isn’t that where Auron is from?” Ganicus asked, brushing dirt and leaves off his dreadlocks.
“Yes, but we must proceed without him. I don’t know where he went. I will send a signal to his teleport crystal to help him find us. Now, let’s make haste. The pentacle will take us to our destination. We must not waste any time. Ember is attacking the Dwarves in the mountains of Burnahdujf.”
As soon as they heard that name, Ember, they fully woke from their morning slumber. Eckxio donned his armor, and his paploo fairy hid inside it. Willow lifted her Dragontooth and tamed her blonde hair into a ponytail. Ganicus lifted his twin swords, grabbed some fruits given by the Elves, and chewed as quickly as he could.
Sherwood, the king of Elves, approached them. The old Elf walked with a wooden staff that held a crystal sphere at the end. Families of Elves walked behind him. Akielas placed his hands on Sherwood’s shoulder, and the old Elf stood nearly a foot shorter than him.
“We must leave immediately. Our enemy is in another land. We must prevent them from causing any more destruction,” Akielas said.
Sherwood waved his staff, the crystal sphere blinked a light, and Akielas’s mind eased. His head felt cool and calm, as easy as the morning dew he woke to.
“That was for clarity and good luck,” Sherwood said. “May the dragon gods give you all the strength you need. May your illumancy vanish all darkness.”
“Blessed be the Elves,” Akielas said. He bowed and ran out of the campsite and into the forest.
Behind him, Eckxio, Willow, and Ganicus followed him through the greens and onto the pentacle that glowed blue, waiting for them by the vestige of Evee Iris. They hurried and combined their teleport crystals. They stood on the pentacle and brought their blue crystals together, like cheers with wine cups. A cylinder sealed them inside the pentacle, and the forest disappeared before their eyes, and their bodies traveled to another location in a sudden world of streaming hues of blue, like flying over the ocean.
In a blinding flash, all that was blue vanished, and they stood on rocky grounds. The wind gusted and whistled. The skies were clear of clouds, as blue as the ocean. Akielas gazed down the mountain and saw the great capital city of Burnahdujf and other lands before the horizon. He looked at his allies, but only Ganicus stood with a confused expression on his face. The boy stepped near a cliff, and rocks fell below his feet. He panicked for a moment, but Akielas could see that the boy was brave. He looked behind his allies and saw the entrance to the home of the Dwarves.
Two statues of warrior Dwarves stood thirty feet high, and between them was a stone path that led inside a cave in the mountain. Everything else around them was nothing but rocky and craggy slopes and more mountains rising in the horizon. A forest to the west and meadows to the east.
Smoke billowed from inside the cave. Last time Akielas was here, the Dwarves forged the sword he held in his hands. Back then, he had no way of repaying them, only with gratitude as his currency, but today, he would surely return the favor and rid their home of fiends.
“Everyone! Get ready for battle,” Akielas shouted. “Inside that cave awaits fiends and our masked foes. Don’t hold back. Save the Dwarves and annihilate the fiends.”
Eckxio drew his Tharos sword and hefted his shield. Willow swung her Dragontooth and Ganicus clanged his twin swords, enchanting them with an air spell. Eckxio and Willow ran into the cave, but Ganicus was hesitant. The boy stared into the shadows of the cave as smoke billowed from it. Akielas clutched the boy’s shoulder and looked at him.
“Are you afraid?” Akielas asked.
“I am not afraid of the enemy. I just have a phobia of really narrow places,” Ganicus confessed, avoiding eye contact with Akielas.
“Don’t worry; I have been inside these mountains,” Akielas said, trying to put the boy at ease. “The village of Dwarves is spacious and enough air flows for aeromancy.”
Ganicus looked at Akielas with confidence again; the boy clanged his swords and ran inside the cave. They both entered using aeromancy, blowing the smoke out of the way. Torches lined the tunnel, and at the end, sunlight shined. They heard the tumbling of rocks inside the cave of Dwarves. When they reached the village, Eckxio and Willow were already fighting fiends.
It was a cave village, and the sunlight came from a large opening in the high ceiling. There were wooden huts and cottages, but most homes were
built within the rocky craggy slopes with carved stairs going up hundreds of feet reaching the high ceiling. White shards were embedded in the walls. The white shards that the Dwarves called zeustoss. Powerful steel that contained divine maju. Many other shards of different colors glowed on the walls. Gold, crystals, citrines, and garnet gemstones gleamed from sunlight. In the center of the village was a pillar of gold and silver standing forty feet tall. Within the beautiful sight, homes burned, and some Dwarves ran as living torches. Lava gushed from the walls, melting gemstones and gold. The smoke inside the cave made it hard for the Dwarves to breathe. The smoke was able to find its way out through the holes in the high ceiling but showered soot upon the village.
Dwarves fought fiends with battle axes, hammers, thick short swords, and terramancy, crushing the monsters with stones. There were Dwarves clad in pure white armor made of zeustoss and some in golden armor. Their earth mages fought shooting rocks like bolts from crossbows, turning stone into sand, using stone as armor, and summoning golems into battle. Some Dwarves rolled down long paths of stairs to their deaths. Stalactites fell from above and plunged into fiends. The black creatures dug their fangs into the Dwarves’s short bodies. Trolls destroyed homes with their jagged clubs, and mantis fiends severed limbs. Trolls fought against golems, and the Dwarves fought fiends. Women and children ran out of the village, but monstrous canines pounced on them and sank their claws into their flesh.
Above all was Akielas’s main target.
Ember hovered between smoke stacks, laughing as the village burned below, and her fiends collected zeustoss steel. She shot balls of fire everywhere and summoned fiends from the sinister object in her hand, the relic of Odiamus. She released dark clouds from the relic, and they shape-shifted into eyeless black monsters with fangs and claws. There were thousands of them in a village that stretched for miles within the mountain. A labyrinth made by the Dwarves, engulfed in darkness.
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