“Will,” he said.
“Eh?”
“It was pure will.”
“So you just wished for yourself to be there and you were?”
“In essence yes,” he said. “However, in the bigger picture, I believe the key lies in the owner calling out the name of his familiar.”
“Really? Why?” I asked.
“It is a feeling I have. It will not hurt to try it out the next time the opportunity presents itself.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
I noticed a small spark of red light ahead of us. A Volcanic Forest Bear, I realized and rushed toward it. The beast lay immobile on the ground, and from a glance I could tell it was dead.
Well, dead for the second time.
Where’s Freya? I looked around.
“Her signature says she’s right around here,” Nyx said.
“I sense more than one presence in the vicinity.” Acnologia looked around.
I noticed a large sheet of creepers hang from the branches a few yards away. Behind that? I walked up to them and slashed them open.
“STOP!” a voice yelled.
I froze up, and then a smile curled onto my face. “It’s nice to see you, Irmeia,” I re-sheathed my sword.
“Diablo!” Her eyes widened. “Apologies, I assumed anyone who entered would be the enemy.”
I knelt down, looking at the four forms that lay there — Freya, Raffyr, Viola and Oris, all of them alive and accounted for.
“They were all knocked out the moment the Dragon stepped in,” Irmeia said. “The bears were a little too violent in running away. The clash was too hard for them to handle.”
I sighed. “At least these for are okay.”
“What of the Dragon?” she asked, worried.
“My friend took care of him,” I smiled. The Shadow Dragon lowered his head, growling softly.
“Oh!” Irmeia exclaimed. “I was not aware you were friends with a dragon.” She stepped back, and her eyes quivered.
“We’ve been friends for a while, don’t worry,” I said.
“I see,” she said. “You know…based on what just happened, it seems clear that it was best to have taken shelter in the forest like the elf suggested.”
“No,” I said. “This was bound to happen no matter where we went. That Dragon was intentionally tailing us. Don’t blame yourself. In fact, we actually got quite a bit of information because of this battle with the dragon. We know where to head next,” I said. “Don’t we, Acnologia?”
The Dragon lowered his head and growled once again.
“Can you please stop making me do this,” he sighed.
Sorry, I grinned.
“All of that is fine,” Irmeia said. “But are you okay?” She reached out, and touched my cheek.
I stepped back. “Ah.” I watched her hold her hand in the air, awkwardly. “I’m...fine.” I looked down. “Why do you ask?”
“Your eyes,” she said. “Your eyes say something else.”
“I’m totally fine,” I smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Anyway, what do you say we stay here till these folks wake up, and then head back out? I’ll go find the Volcanic Forest Bears so I can resurrect them to life once again.”
“You should not go out alone,” she said. “I will—”
“It’ll be fine. I have a Dragon with me,” I said. “Alright, bye then!”
And with that I’d walked away from there, before she could respond.
“That was…a surprising exit, Eternal,” Acnologia said.
“Something wasn’t right, was it?” Nyx asked.
I rolled my eyes. You guys act like you can’t read my thoughts.
“Hey, we were being nice okay,” the spirit said.
“I didn’t expect Irmeia to realize I wasn’t completely okay,” I said.
“What’s bothering you?” Nyx asked.
“It’s what Elizah said,” I sighed. “There was so much…pain in his words.”
“Indeed,” the Dragon said. “It is good you speak of such feelings. It is never wise to hide one’s emotions.”
Speak for yourself. I raised an eyebrow. You’re hiding something from me too, aren’t you?
“What?” the Dragon asked. “What makes you say that?”
I saw you react to Elizah’s words when he mentioned that other Dragon’s name, I said as we walked a little further into the forest. What was that about?
The sounds of silence spoke for a few seconds before the Dragon’s voice rumbled into my mind. “I did not wish to say anything since I deemed it unnecessary.”
Hey, if you don’t want to tell us then that’s fine, I said.
“No,” he sighed. “It is fine. I will tell you. Do you remember what happened after the Eternal Dragon War?”
Yeah, I nodded. The Dragons started fighting amongst themselves.
“Ah, so is this Polaris a Dragon you used to fight with?” Nyx asked.
“Worse,” Acnologia said. “I was the one who killed him.”
***
CHAPTER ELEVEN
DING!
Congratulations! You have resurrected: Volcanic Forest Bear (x3). Your strength is not enough to raise these creatures to their full strength. Thus, the beasts you have summoned will now be capped at Lv. 200.
WARNING! You have resurrected a creature for the second time. This causes its full strength to be lower than it previously was. There is now a greater chance of the creature turning against you. Resurrection a third time is not recommended.
“That’s new,” I said. I watched the Volcanic Bears slowly rise to their feet once again. In total only three of them had actually died. The other two had sustained grave injuries, but were still alive.
After a bout of healing and resurrection, I now possessed five Volcanic Forest Bears once more. The creatures turned to me, and their yellow-orange flame cast light through the darkness of the night.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about second resurrections for now,” Nyx said. “The fact is, these creatures you resurrect can’t go above Lv. 200 at the moment. And so, even if they did turn against you, it’d be pretty easy for you to take them out.”
“Hilariously easy,” I chuckled.
“If something like this happens once again, don’t hesitate to resurrect once more just because of what the prompt said.”
Got it, I said. The Volcanic Forest Bears followed me, forming a line as they treaded over the ground. I used my Night Vision skill, and made my way through the forest, walking between trees and ducking under branches.
A minute later, I saw the end of the upper forest. We’re here. I moved ahead, stopping at the very edge, and my hand grabbed onto the nearest branch as I leaned over. I was on a steep cliff, with the vast section of the Alpinian forest growing beneath me. I sat myself down at the end, and my feet flailed in the air. The Volcanic Bears stood nervously a few yards behind me and didn’t move. I looked up, with a smile on my face, and took in the sight that lay before me.
Stars studded the night sky, and were sprinkled everywhere I looked. They glowed brightly between the shadowy silhouettes of the mountain, like a bridge of light that connected the peaks. There was not a single cloud in the sky, but there was a lot of wind. Blades of air rushed past me every few seconds, but it did not feel aggravated. Rather, it was gentle — less like a gale in a hurricane, and more like a fresh evening breeze.
I caught no scent within the wind, and that seemed apt. For a wind that exists this high up had no scents it could carry, and any that it did, it lost along its long path.
So, I reclined back, and looking up at the midnight sky, what happened between you and Polaris, Acnologia?
The Dragon emerged from the trees behind me, but remained silent. He’d been silent all along, which was why Nyx and I had dropped the topic of Polaris entirely for a few minutes. Honestly, it’d probably be better if the Dragon had more time to process, but we didn’t have more time.
Even now, everyone else was slowly wak
ing up from their slumber, which meant we’d have to leave soon. And if that was the case, I’d rather know who this Dragon we were going to meet was, instead of just knowing that Acnologia was the one who ends up killing him.
Acnologia sighed, making his first sound in while. “You are quite adamant, Diablo.”
Thank you, I think it’s one of my endearing qualities, I smiled.
“That is…questionable.”
Hey! I pouted.
The dragon chuckled.
“So, what’s the deal with Polaris?” Nyx asked. “What happened between you two?”
“It is similar to what happens between the Eternals,” the Dragon began. “Though people these days only talk about the Dragons in the context of the Eternal Dragon War, they forget about the times we fought between our own.”
The stars above us twinkled brightly, and I watched them, listening to the Dragon speak as I did.
“There were many conflicts between the Dragons, just as there were many conflicts between the Eternals,” he said. “We did not have factions or Alliances, but that was only in name. There existed many sub-groups within the Dragon Clan and most of them were at odds with one another.”
“Oh, so that’s how the battling began,” Nyx said.
“Polaris and I were…the most opposites there could be. I am, as you know, a Dragon of the Shadows, whereas he is a Dragon of the Stars.”
“A Star Dragon,” I whispered, and my eyes glowed at the sound of the phrase. “Sorry, but that sounds very cool.”
Acnologia continued. “Even during the Eternal Dragon War, when all the Dragons were united, Polaris and I fought many a time. It was never a physical battle however, and was usually a verbal argument because of our differing opinions. He and I were often involved in how the Dragon Clan carried out its attacks, and we almost always disagreed with each other on a plan of attack.”
“Because he wasn’t that good a strategist?” Nyx asked.
The Dragon shook his head. “On the contrary,” he said. “Polaris was brilliant, but that brilliance of his let him forego simpler tactics, ones that would have been much easier to implement during our battles.”
“Ah,” the spirit said. “The problems of being too smart.”
“Once the Dragon War ended however, we both never had any reason to see eye-to-eye, no reason to give each other any benefit of the doubt.”
“And so you killed him?” I asked.
“It would be harsh if that were the case, Eternal,” the Shadow Dragon chuckled. “The Star Dragon attacked my home, unprovoked. And that was when I decided I’d had enough of his annoyance. We battled for two days and three nights. When we were done, his blood had been spilled more than mine.”
“Ouch,” the spirit said.
“Of course, I have realized this is an event that does not take place for many years from where we are in time,” Acnologia said. “Which is exactly why it is unnerving to see Polaris now.”
“Because this meeting has potential to change the past,” I said.
“Indeed,” he said.
“Can’t you just erase Polaris’ memory?” I asked. “That’s what you did with Elizah.”
“Elizah was a young dragon,” he said. “Immature. Brunt. Polaris is much more refined. He will see an attack such as memory manipulation coming from far ahead, and my attack requires taking the target by surprise. It does not work if they’re fighting its powers.”
I frowned. “Well, that sucks.”
“Does this mean the Star Dragon isn’t going to cooperate with?” Nyx asked.
“Ah,” the Dragon paused. “I’m honestly not quite sure how this exchange will turn out. There are many possible results, but him helping us is not the likeliest one.”
“What’s the likeliest one?” I asked.
“Polaris and I begin dueling right upon the sight of each other.”
“Eh?” Nyx asked. “But didn’t you say you fought a lot AFTER the Dragon War? Since we’re in the Dragon War right now we should be fine, right?”
He chuckled. “We still dueled once in a while during the Dragon War. It was just not as serious. The only thing that added on after the Dragon War was the killing intent — more so from his side than mine.”
“That doesn’t sound nice,” I said.
“That is because it was not,” the Dragon replied.
A streak of light passed through the sky, piercing the glowing jewels. A shooting star. My eyes widened. However, I made no wish upon the streaking object. It was not that I had none, but that I did not want to depend on a star for them to become reality, even if it was just for jest.
I stood up, and dusted sand from my pants before turning around. The Volcanic Forest Bears stood where they had been, about twenty yards from the edge. I wasn’t sure if the cliff scared them or it was Acnologia’s presence at the edge.
It’s probably Acnologia, I grinned.
I quickly made my way to my resurrected beasts and mounted one of them, riding them back to where Irmeia was. It took about ten minutes to reach the curtain of creepers.
Irmeia sat behind the wall of green, her back resting against a tree trunk. Our four unconscious companions lay on the ground before her. I’d hoped Freya would have at least woken up by now, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
“Shouldn’t we try to heal them?” Nyx asked.
Heal them how? I frowned. They haven’t lost any health. The only thing that happened to them was they were thrown around, against trees and rocks. Their unconscious state doesn’t have anything to do with their health, so potions won’t heal them. We’ll just have to wait.
I dropped down from the Volcanic Forest Bear and made my way to Irmeia. The Eternal’s green eyes looked at me, shining eerily in the darkness.
“You’re back,” she said, her voice a whisper.
“Yeah,” I said, shuffling up to her, careful not to step on the people lying on the ground.
“Did you resurrect all the bears?” she asked as I sat myself down beside her.
I nodded. “Got three of them,” I said. “The other two were fine in the first place, so a few healing potions were more than enough.”
“That is good,” she said. “When must we leave for our next location?’
“Well, we’ll have to wait till everyone else wakes up. Everyone but Oris. I can just plop him up behind me worst case scenario.”
She laughed. “That would be an amusing sight. Where is this place we must head to? I don’t think I ever asked you.”
“Ah,” I blinked. Acnologia? I asked.
“It is a third of the way between the river and this cliff,” the Dragon said. “Just as Elizah said. However, the specifics are something I can’t explain that well. Trust me — once we get to the location, I will be able to lead you to the right path.”
I looked at the Eternal. “It is a third the way between the river and the cliff.”
“So it is on the way we had originally intended to travel.
“Sounds like it.”
Irmeia shifted a bit, and moved closer to me. The next thing I knew, her head was resting on my shoulder. I stiffened, but did not say anything. She exhaled and stuck closer to me.
She seems pretty tired, I thought.
“Sure,” Nyx said. “Tired.”
What? I blinked.
“Nothing,” he chuckled.
My eyes narrowed. There’s definitely something.
Nevertheless, I did not bother with it and sat as we were. My head tilted up, and watched the dense collection of leaves above. Tiny specks of light shone through a few gaps, and created the illusion of a jeweled tree.
“What do you think is going to happen?” Irmeia asked.
I turned my attention her. “What do you mean?
“All of…this,” she said. “Dragons and Wars and time travel and memory loss and everything else. There’s so much that’s going on.”
A smile curled onto my face, recognizing the confusion she was going through. For
it was something I myself had felt quite recently, just a few months ago. “That’s something you’re going to think about for a while,” I said. “Handling memory loss is not an easy thing. Even after you regain your memories, you’ll question everything that you know. For one, your memories may contradict everything you thought you knew about yourself. Or sometimes, your memories may completely destroy your image of who you thought you were.”
“Ouch,” Nyx said. “Way to be encouraging, Diablo.”
I went on, unhindered by the spirit’s snarky dialogue. “There isn’t much you can do to stop all that, Irmeia,” I said. “Time is the best healer. You will need time to process every single thing that you remember. You’ll try to go through every memory you regain, wondering whether this is an actual memory, or if some weird glitch in your brain is causing you to think it is. You’ll spend hours debating if you are real or if your memories are, wondering which part of the contradiction is the truth.”
The Eternal stayed silent. She grabbed my hand, lacing our fingers together. I froze, and felt the warmth from her palms seep into mine.
“Thank you, Zoran,” she smiled.
“I am glad,” I grinned, and turned to the skies. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” I asked. The Eternal lifted her head off my shoulder, and I glanced at her as she did.
She gazed at me, and her eyes of mysterious green looked into mine, glistening in the darkness.
“They are.” Her voice was but a whisper.
“Oh umm…thanks?” I said, awkwardly.
“You have beautiful eyes,” Irmeia moved closer, her warm breath flush on my cheeks, her lips embarrassingly close to mine. “As if the very stars are alive within them.”
“You two seem to be having a good time,” a voice spoke.
Freya stood a mere foot in front of us, hands on her waist and a stern look in her eyes. We’d been completely ignorant of her presence.
I pulled my hand from Irmeia. “Hi?”
“Raffyr and Viola are up as well,” the elf said. “I suggest you both stop cuddling up and help us get a move on.”
“Hey!” I protested. “We weren’t—”
She shot a look at me, and I instantly shut up.
The Eternal: Transcend - A LitRPG Saga (World of Ga'em Book 3) Page 11