Feeling his thoughts dim as he reached out in desperation for Gelga, as he failed to save her, Sinfus was left pinned to the ground, defeated, soon to join his fallen lover as the ceiling above his head cracked heavily in creaking veins.
Sinfus closed his eyes as tears poured out sorrowfully, his head nestled against the cold floor as he felt loss for the very one he loved most. The ceiling was caving in under the intense tension of the storm, soon to bring death upon the leader as he held Gelga in thought, desperately attempting to reach her mind as he called out for her…but found nothing.
His hope was lost as his life was soon to end, but it only seemed it was to end.
As the ceiling was to fall upon Sinfus, a sturdy force was thrown under the weight of rock and ice, Karkor holding the ceiling up as the twins came to Sinfus’ aid and removed the frozen shard from his shoulder, taking him from the ground as they fled with his form, soon followed by Karkor as the entire cave fell into itself behind them as they made their exit.
Fenra stood amongst the waiting council as the twins and the giant made their way amongst their presence with their leader, Sinfus shaking uncontrollably in their grip, but not from the cold, but from the loss of Gelga as Fenra stood sending thoughts of question and concern about the rescuers. “Thank Fate, you got him…where is Gelga?!”
The twins and Karkor shook their heads sadly as all three produced the same conclusion in their thoughts. “She’s gone…lost. We failed to save her.”
Sinfus shook his head upon his rescuers and was able to reduce his shaking as he spoke his mind to his council. “No…it was I who failed to save her, and I alone.”
Karkor placed a caring hand upon his friend and spoke his mind as the twins nodded in agreement upon his thoughts. “There was nothing you could do, Sinfus. You tried, as we tried, and failed as we failed.”
Sinfus held his head low and took the grasp of Karkor as he spoke his mind in sorrow, and rose. “I can’t believe she’s gone. I no longer hear her thoughts. She was my life, the very blood in my veins, keeping me alive all this time. I would just as soon die now, with her gone.”
The Council gathered close, around their leader, Hersei keeping his thoughts to himself as he looked upon the defeated form of Sinfus. Things seemed to be going as he wished they would, or at least they were until the thoughts of the other council came upon their leader.
“No, you will not die! You will continue your journey, our purpose! We shall give you our blood, so that you may live, lord Sinfus!”
As quickly as things seemed to be going his way, they had turned around, as all offered their blood to keep their leader alive. Being forced into no other position but to follow in accord, Hersei spoke his thoughts in agreement of the matter.
Sinfus looked upon his council as he sent his thoughts upon them, in a thankful, yet sorrowful tone. “Thank you, my council. You truly are the best council and friends one could be surrounded by. I feel that I can carry on with you all at my side. I know Gelga wouldn’t want me to quit!”
The Council put their hands upon their leader and nodded as he looked upon their cursed and twisted forms, yet in the moment, seemingly friendly as the snow filtered down upon them, the storm that had taken Gelga with its vicious wrath now calming as the Council stood encircling their leader in grasp as he spoke his thoughts. “Let us carry on then, my friends. Time is ever a precious thing!”
As the Council made to continue their journey, the three companions, having pushed hard and willfully through the thick weather, had found themselves faced by two giant forms of mountains, peaking across the snowy vastness.
Samana looked out from under her hood as the snow was falling softly, leaving little obscured as she surveyed the area, Sen speaking in urgency as he pointed ahead. “Look there! We’ve caught them. I see them!”
Samana looked ahead and caught the sight of the mass movement through the snow and turned to Sen as she spoke. “You’re right. I see them, too. We’ve caught up, are you two ready to do this?”
Kurlank played with the hilts of his dual swords, sheathed in armored slits at hips, and spoke his booming tone of echoing manner upon the young heroine. “Lead and I shall follow, young Samana.”
Samana turned to Sen as he spoke his piece. “Yeah, I guess. Let’s get this going. What’s the worst that could happen to me?”
Samana smiled upon his sarcasm and looked ahead as she placed her hand to her sword at side and spoke as her companions took tread ahead with her. “Alright, stay steady, I’ll lead.”
As the three made their way after the Keraij, Sinfus led his council ahead through the deep snow and then stopped as a curious feeling gripped him upon the landscape. Turning to his friends and looking past them in a surveying manner, he reached his thoughts out to them.
“Do you feel that?”
The Council focused their thoughts, and all came into agreement as they too sensed something was close and coming for them. Fenra spoke his mind as he took to the side of Sinfus. “Another that bears our curse, lord Sinfus?”
Sinfus looked out into the distance as he made the Keraij to recede amongst their numbers, clearing the way for him as he looked out amongst the open snow, his thoughts speaking in return to Fenra. “Yes, it seems it must be. I can feel their thoughts course through my own, if only barely. There they are. They’re coming this way!”
As the Council stood behind their leader, the Keraij standing still amongst the snow in watchful manner, the three companions made their way close to the mass, looking upon the twisted creatures in their approach as Samana spoke. “They’re not attacking us?”
Sen walked at her side and spoke as he too surveyed the horde of the cursed. “That’s because we’re being allowed through. Look ahead, they’re being commanded!”
Samana looked ahead and saw eight figures, well-garnered with blue cloth and silver linings, their cursed forms twisted, yet familiar upon her sight as she surveyed them in approach and was soon upon their presence as they stood looking upon her curiously as she spoke without fear to them. “You command these cursed creatures?”
The Council looked upon the young maiden as Sinfus stepped forward and nodded his head to her, looking upon her as she brought a spark of familiarity to his memory, as he surely knew she was a Dawn Bringer, from her manner of dress.
Samana looked upon the one that had stepped forward, taking responsibility for the leadership of the creatures. Her eyes roved to the other intricate seven behind him, each wearing the fashion of familiar bearings that seemed from a distant memory that produced itself sharply, bringing with it to her the true identity of the seven and their leader as she spoke in surprise. “You’re the Council of Oomer, and you are, Sinfus?”
Sinfus eyed the young heroine sharply and curiously as he had recognized her from somewhere, and now knew where from. She was the young daughter of his old friend, Kaimana. Her name was Samana, as he remembered, having noticed that the girl standing before him had her hair braided as the young girl of his memory had hers in similar fashion.
Turning his head in curious fashion, Sinfus knew the only way he could speak to the young warrior maiden was to rip his face open, and so he did, Samana and her companions watching in shock as blood poured freely from his open face, a sharp claw picking constantly to see that his mouth was kept open for his words to find release. “You are Samana, daughter of Kaimana, are you not?”
Samana nodded in confirmation as she looked upon the twisted features of Sinfus and spoke curiously, as she did not expect to ever see him again. “How did you survive Oomer? Where have you been all these years? We thought you were-”
Sinfus spoke in a tone of anger to the young Samana, through bloodied features, as he cringed as the past was brought up. “Dead? No, we survived the death and destruction that came to Oommer because we were underneath it, seeking the famed sword of my father. There we found these, Keraij, hiding among the catacombs! They attacked us and embodied us with their curse, leaving us to wake ch
anged and twisted, and to find Oomer in ruins. No thanks to your father, my friend! The coward abandoned the battlefield and left Oomer to be destroyed!”
Samana was confused by the words of her old friend, and shook her head upon him as she spoke defensively and in question upon him. “You’ve got this all wrong, Sinfus! My father didn’t abandon the battlefield!”
Sinfus shook his head and pointed to his gifted council, Hersei, and spoke. “Did he not?! Druskele still lives, it has been seen in the stars! Your father abandoned my aid and left my people to be slaughtered!”
Samana looked upon Sinfus, in horror, and put her hand to her blade as she questioned him and his madness, in a tone that spoke of how pained and weary she was. “That can’t be true! You’re mistaken, Sinfus! You’ve become twisted by this curse. You’ve even led these creatures to kill innocence! You’ve fallen!”
Sinfus watched the blade at Samana’s side as he knew as to what she was speaking of. Speaking in his own defense, he pointed a sharp claw at Samana. “I didn’t mean for that to happen, that was an accident!”
Samana shook her head and spoke as her eyes turned red and wet against the cold air, as she spoke. “Didn’t you? How far will you go, Sinfus? What do you plan to do with this power of yours?! Bring more death?!”
Sinfus looked upon Samana with his golden eyes and spat blood as he spoke of his purpose. “Death shall be brought, only upon those who have slain and betrayed! I’ll come for them once we are finished at the Order! That is the purpose I serve!”
Feeling his insides dry and pained, Sinfus craned over Samana as she looked back at his glare, in one of sorrow and question as she spoke. “The Order?”
Sinfus shook his cursed features and spoke as he dripped openly upon the white snow with blackened blood. “Yes, to restore my father’s sword with the Aura!”
Samana shook her head and drew her blade as Kurlank and Sen stood steady at her side, her voice speaking upon the Council. “You can’t believe him, can you? If you take the Keraij to the Order, the same thing will happen there that happened in the desert, you can’t control them!”
The Council ripped their mouths open and spoke as one upon Samana. “We follow our leader to the end, young warrior, through all costs!”
Samana shook her head and held her blade close to Sinfus as he stood before her, her voice pained as she did not like what she felt she must do. “At the cost of innocence? No! I can’t allow this. We’re going to stop you!”
Sinfus shook his head and spoke as he surveyed the young heroine, brave and sturdy, standing before him, words seeping out through bloodied rims as he spoke. “I don’t wish to fight you, young Samana. You were but a child when your father failed!”
Samana shook her head at his mistaken view and spoke strongly. “I’m a warrior, now!”
Sinfus shook his head and walked away from Samana as he said his last words before his mouth sealed. “I won’t fight you, Samana.”
Samana held her blade ready as she stood still as snow filtered down upon the scene, the wind picking up to a rush as flecks of ice skipped across all figures on the vast mountain top as booming clouds of fearsome intent loomed from the twin formations of rock.
Samana turned to Kurlank as he spoke in his echoing manner. “What next, my young leader?”
Samana thought strongly of the situation and voiced her torn position as she sheathed her sword. “I don’t know. I can’t fight him. I can’t kill a friend.”
Sen patted Samana on the back as Kurlank placed a sturdy grasp upon her shoulder as he spoke. “Maybe Fate has another path in mind, young heroine. It is never an easy thing to face a friend in combat.”
Samana smiled upon the armored warrior and tapped her hand on his runic, etched armor as she spoke. “Combat itself is never an easy thing.”
Sen looked out across the snow and saw the Council taking leave, the mass of Keraij taking the back of their numbers as he spoke. “I don’t know. I don’t trust him!”
Samana turned to Sen in questioning tone as she spoke. “Do you sense something?”
Sen felt a feeling of discomfort grip him tightly as he spoke. “There’s something wrong. I can feel it, it’s like a craving…for blood!”
At that very moment, as Sinfus and his council were preparing to leave, the leader of the Council felt himself weak and dry, falling to his knees as he was soon aided by the twins who spoke their thoughts in question upon him. “Sinfus! It’s time, isn’t it?!”
As he felt his hunger grow, the Keraij that were wandering peacefully were sent into a frenzied manner, the twins knowing they must give their blood to their leader. Ripping his mouth open, they were to offer their blood when they were slammed from Sinfus’ side and onto the ground as Keraij raged wildly about, scattering madly and heading for Samana and her companions.
Samana watched as the Keraij were worked into a beastly presentation, and drew her sword as they made approach, speaking as she was familiar with the condition that had cursed Sinfus since child birth. “It’s the blood, his hunger! It drives them into a rage when it takes him!”
Sen stood ready to take on the coming horde as Kurlank drew his dual swords in defense, Sen speaking in question as all three stood ready to take on the coming threat.
“Why doesn’t it affect me that much?”
Samana stood with her sword drawn ahead and spoke as the Keraij drew within striking distance. “He leads them, so his will goes out to those without mind or souls! Here it comes!”
As the Keraij charged ahead, they leapt in great mass, their sharp claws and arched forms forward as they found themselves faced by strong foes, soon being sliced, swiped and knocked out of the air by the three companions.
Sinfus sat writhing in the snow as his body began to feel death coming, the Council charging through the mass of snow and ice, cursed as they tried to get their willing blood to their leader, Sinfus watching as the Keraij took assault upon the young Samana and her companions against his will.
As the three fought hard and fast against the Keraij, they found themselves being encircled as the Keraij decided to take flight upon the rushing wind, which ended with many plummeting to the ground in crashing fashion, often slamming their cursed forms into other Keraij.
As the battle fared on, Samana couldn’t help but notice that the weather was turning once more into a wild mess of vicious nature as the wind picked up to intense speed, ice shards cutting skin on contact, giving way to blood as lightning began coursing about the scene.
Sinfus felt death gripping him as his vision began to blur, a sturdy form barely recognizable taking shape over him and ripping his mouth open to administer blood to the thirsty Sinfus.
As Sinfus drank, the Keraij began to calm their attack on Samana and her companions, but as they grew calm, the storm grew more wild as lightning arched across the mountain top in supreme nature, cutting through one of the rock formations as it was struck several times in deadly fashion and sent splitting in two separate pieces in towering form to the ground below.
Sinfus had finished feeding and the Keraij had stopped their attempts on the lives of Samana and her companions, but as the worry of the Keraij was behind them, a greater danger stood ahead…or above.
Samana wiped black blood from her face as she had fought furiously against the Keraij, as did her two companions.
The three looked about the scene, watching the fleeing Keraij, and then sighted the massive bulk of stone and ice crashing down from the sky upon them. Sinfus stood amongst his council as the Keraij took to his side, in fleeting motion, from the place of landing the great mountain had chosen, and watched in horrified awe as the three stood helpless as the massive rock burst into the ground, shattering the ground apart beneath their feet, causing them to fall into darkness as ice, snow, and rock blew and crashed around them in a wondrous cloud of white debris.
Sinfus stood as a statue as he watched the three seemingly slain by the fallen mountain, a shockwave of white spewing out from the
place of the mountains crushing crash and scattering amongst the Council and Keraij as they stood watchful upon the scene of destruction. All were unable and still as they had watched those who Sinfus had wished to spare claimed by the mountain as Gelga was.
-Chapter 8-
Past
As the night was drawing closer to its end, the moon taking dive beyond the horizon, Kaimana rushed through the streets carrying the boy of injury. The young Dawn Bringer soon took presence upon his father and Bledlus, the two figures taking rise from their stone seatings as they spoke urgently upon the approaching Kaimana, Bledlus standing before Kaimana as he held the boy, gasping for breathe. “What happened?”
Kaimana shook his head and spoke upon Bledlus why he had come rushing with the boy.
“It was Sinfus! He needed blood and lost control! I managed to find the boy in time and wrap his wound, but he needs to get better treatment!”
Bledlus surveyed the boy and stood silent as Kermana looked upon his son and spoke, his view upon the bloodied cloth wrapped about the arm of Kaimana, concealing a wound beneath its moist form. “Kaimana, it looks as if he bit you, too.”
Kaimana nodded his head and spoke assuringly upon his father. “He did, but I offered my blood to him. He didn’t take it by force. Afterwards, he left. I don’t know where he is!”
Bledlus nodded his head and rested a hand upon the shoulder of Kaimana as he spoke.
“Let us take the boy to the infirmary. As we tread, you must tell me everything!”
Kaimana regaled everything that had happened to Bledlus and his father. The three had reached the infirmary, Kaimana speaking as they entered. “There’s nothing else to say, Bledlus. He’s afraid of talking to you, after what happened. Who knows where he could be, now.”
The Order of Events: The Council of Eight Page 15