Specks of blood became visible as he continued, although they were few in number. He bent down and examined it, seeing that it had yet to fully dry up. They had travelled this way, but Amnur still could not see whoever he was tracking. The demon hurried on, both worried and wary. Further blood became visible, each pile he found was fresher than the last; whoever they were, they were actively bleeding. Amnur wished he could shout out to get the individual’s attention, but the risk was too great for him if someone recognised the voice.
As the trees began to thin, a figure caught his attention, and he stopped still. Slowly, to keep himself hidden, he approached them until he reached a distance where he could see with greater clarity. The figure was indeed a demon and given by the blood he could see on their leather attire, he had found his target. It was a woman, and she was slumped against a tree, causing her sleek, black hair to flop over her face. Despite that, Amnur could see the edges of her horns near her cheeks, meaning that the horns curved downwards before curving back up, likely looping behind her ears. He knew what that meant, but it surprised him; she was an individual of northern heritage. That fact alone made him wary, but also curious; it was unlikely that she knew who he was, given how strong the curve of her horns was.
Amnur took a deep breath and slowly crept closer, taking in an increased array of details as they became visible; her skin was pitch black, with patches that held a faint shimmer in the spring light. Her eyes were shut so he couldn’t see her eye colour, but he could see that her fingers were like claws. Seeing her deteriorating state, he decided to take a chance with her.
“Can you hear me?” he spoke, dropping his spell, so he was fully visible. She hissed and pulled her head up, pausing when she saw that her new companion was a demon, not an angel. Amnur found himself in awe when he saw her eyes; they were a beautiful, rich purple, unlike anything he had ever seen before. He snapped himself out of his trance, putting his mind back on track. “There’s a settlement nearby, I can get you help there.”
“Please,” she replied, taking Amnur's hand as he offered it to her. He managed to stand her up, noticing that the thought of carrying her was going to be impossible; she stood as tall as he did. Seeing no other way, he put one arm around her shoulders and steered her towards Linlake, watching with worry as blood speckled the ground as they went.
The distance to Linlake wasn't a far trek, but by the time they had arrived, Amnur could tell her consciousness was fading. He shouted to the huts in an attempt to get help, unsure who was still around as the residents were often away during the day. After a moment of silence, Abel came rushing out of Crono's house and hurried over to the mage.
"This is where our mysterious demon blood came from," Amnur stated, holding the woman steady while Abel crouched down to investigate. He carefully moved her leather jacket aside and saw the magically inflicted wound underneath; the attack had hit deeper than what Amnur had experienced, although he suspected that the overall wound wasn't too serious if the bleeding could be stopped. Abel turned his head up to inform Amnur and saw her northern heritage, freezing on the spot. The blood dripping onto his hand posed a dilemma. She needed treatment, but her heritage was an issue, a big issue. "Abel?"
"Come," he sighed; the North was a place rife with turmoil, due to the oppressive control the ruling family had for many thousands of years. This woman could well be someone who managed to escape, as opposed to a spy. The Central Isles was an important strategic position, despite their minute populations compared to the other continents, as surrounding the two interconnected main isles is a vast system of other, smaller isles. Those islands block easy access the North has to the South and vice versa, forcing any potential fleets to have to negotiate access with the ruling bodies of the Central Isles unless they wished to travel across the untamed continents that lie in the east and west. While most of the isles are used for farming due to the lack of space on the main islands, fortified outposts exist along the stretch to keep an eye on the situation. A threat from the North or South is far greater than any internal threat, a fact which sits deep in the minds of the locals.
As Abel's thoughts stirred, Amnur followed behind him until they had reached a spare bed, where he placed her down on.
"What's your name?" Amnur queried.
"Lilith," she panted, digging into her last reserves of energy to take her leather top off, pulling at the fastenings either side that kept it together. Amnur debated helping but didn't want to upset her by getting too close to her skin. Eventually, Lilith had everything loosened and tossed the top to the ground, allowing Amnur a look at the wound. There was a deep hole penetrating into her body with an area of familiar burning around it, right near a potentially fatal area he noticed.
"You sure that's only magic?"
"Highly concentrated magic yes, obliterated the flesh it was directed on and burnt the surrounding area. It was intended to be fatal, though her assailant either misjudged the location or had interference, luckily for her. She wouldn't have lasted much longer though, regardless," Abel replied, settling himself down on the floor, so he was optimal height to reach the wound. He summoned the light elemental and temporarily connected the being's aether to his, allowing him control over light. With that prepared, he carefully sapped the lingering aether out by creating a gradient, luring the concentrated aether to an area of lower concentration. For there to still be so much aether within her body, her assailant was either still alive, or recently dead. Aether didn't persist once the original host had perished, but it could take up to a day usually to fully dissipate, depending on where it was embedded.
Abel teased and teased until he could no longer locate any trapped aether. Once that was done, he used the aether link to gently heal up the wound, continuing on until it had stopped bleeding. Light and darkness can be used to heal one another's hosts, but it came with a risk of rejection. Conveniently for her, that hadn't been the case this time. The rest of the wound would heal better if left to natural healing, to prevent the body stressing and rejecting the initial heal.
"I either need some medical tools or a healer with them," Abel told Amnur, who nodded and hurried out to see which he could find. After a short period, he returned with a bag and grabbed the table that sat against the wall, placing the bag's contents in neat rows along it. The shaman picked the desired tool and dipped it in a wooden bottle, before offering the liquid soaked end to Amnur. "A flame, please."
Amnur did as requested, watching the tool ignite and ripping through the liquid before extinguishing. Abel worked swiftly, patching up the wound until he was happy with it. Once he was done, he wrapped bandages around her and glanced up, noticing Amnur keeping her upright. The mage, seeing that Abel was done, gently laid her down, placing her head on the pillow and covering her with the blanket.
"A northerner, didn't think I'd see one of them again," Abel whispered, ending in a sigh.
"I know the North is bad, but it seemed wrong to condemn her when we know nothing," Amnur replied in a hushed tone.
"You're right; I'm just wary, that's all."
"If she does prove to be dubious, we can always deal with her; whether that's through Sebastian or through other means, well."
"Fair point, she's heavily outnumbered if it came to that."
***
Lilith recovered from her wounds due to Amnur and Abel's intervention, something she was grateful for. She had told them how she had hidden in the masking swamplands after managing to slip out of the reigns of the North, only to encounter an opponent she had never fought before; an angel. The wound came about as a misjudgement on her part, something she aimed to prevent happening again. They told her that while angel attacks were decreasing in number, it was always advised to be vigilant.
Lilith went on to describe the northern continent, to Amnur's amazement. She told him about the beautiful Sakura trees and their brilliant but fleeting blossom displays in the spring, the sudden blast of heat in the summer and then the frigid onset of the winter mon
ths. Amnur wasn't so keen on the idea of perpetuating cold, but the spring sounded remarkable. Abel, although he was still wary, joined in the conversation. He had to admit, however, that the swamps had nothing overly positive to say about them, aside from their safety. Constant damp and biting insects weren't positives, along with the bland selection of food. It didn't appear to phase her too much though, the idea of freedom coming above everything else.
Amnur found himself attracted to this new stranger, so he decided to talk to her more privately when Abel was out doing various tasks. Lilith seemed to enjoy his company, so he decided to brave the next step; telling her his past. He didn't want anything to be built on lies, even if it meant her rejecting him for it. She remained silent until he had finished, taking a moment to think about it, before placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. The mage was delighted by her support, and soon the two grew close, with mutual displays of affection.
Abel was unsure but didn't let it come between their friendship. He asked Crono if there was a spare house available, as living in separate rooms in a shared house wasn't exactly a romantic space. The demon mentioned an abandoned house that sat within a reasonable walking distance from Linlake, although he didn't know who its previous owner was. They investigated it and found a run down, but still structurally sound, house sat on a wooden decking suspended above the swampland. It needed care and some pest control, but it proved to be of a decent size. With Abel's help, they got it back to a livable standard and moved in.
Amnur offered Abel to pick his room, but he politely declined, stating that Valmeadow had given him their main hall to use as a residence recently after noticing his falling out with his sister. The mage understood and heartily told him that he's always welcome as a guest, whenever he wanted to stay over.
The two settled well in the house, although Amnur started to see Abel less, their meetings were always joyous encounters. For the first time since coming to the Central Isles, Amnur felt truly at home.
Crystalline Chaos
By
Gabriela Voelske
Crystalline Chaos
Copyright © 2015 Gabriela Voelske.
Cover image © 2018 Gabriela Voelske.
This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be an infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy or any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.
The moral right of Gabriela Voelske to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1998.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments or locales is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Impending Storm
Chapter 2: The Expedition
Chapter 3: Tensions in the West
Chapter 4: Trepidation
Chapter 5: Encounters in the Swamp
Chapter 6: Creeping Chaos
Chapter 7: Unusual Alliances
Chapter 8: Dancing Shadows
Chapter 9: The Council’s Truth
Chapter 10: Tidings from the East
Chapter 11: Sleepless Nights
Chapter 12: The Advancing Tide
Chapter 13: Constructed Madness
Chapter 14: The Fated Day
Chapter 15: Leaving the West
Chapter 16: Tempered Chaos
Chapter 17: Advancing Forwards
Chapter 18: Maelor
Chapter 19: Plans for the Future
Appendix
CHAPTER 1: THE IMPENDING STORM
Silence hung in the grand council chamber within the Magi's Council Academy as news of an unnatural, catastrophic storm was reported to the attending members. It came as unwelcome news to the ears of the present magi; such an event in current times did not bode well. Tensions between races were already raised as usual, without throwing this new turn of events into the works. The residing Head-Mage rubbed his temple, letting out a sigh, and considering how to respond. How did one respond to this? He wondered; unfortunately for him, being the only present leader at the time meant that the others would look to him for guidance. Yet he was as clueless as them on this development; such events have never been recorded in modern times. Any other thoughts he had, for now, he wished to dismiss. If the storm had been conjured, it would have required a mage of such a calibre that they would stand little chance in a direct confrontation. Another sigh had followed before he spoke up, drawing the attention of the wary mages.
"This is indeed unsettling," he began, taking a tentative breath. "We need to learn more of this."
Murmurs spread around the expansive, silvery chamber as mages chattered among themselves before the call for silence was issued, all eyes drawn back to the Head-Mage. "I will inform the Ranger's Guild and request assistance," he declared. The Council rarely outsourced missions, instead, they preferred to rely upon its own strength. Voices in the chamber became discontent with a few members shouting out in protest, a view that reverberated around the room. "Silence!" the leader shouted, causing the volatile mob to back down to the authority in his voice. "We do not know the danger this storm possesses; I should not need to remind you that mages are inefficient at close-range combat." No objections piped up from this remark. While it was always a sore spot for mages to admit, they couldn't deny the truth in his statement.
Glancing around the room at the now solemn faces, the Head-Mage spoke up once again.
"Any further objections?" he enquired, but the room remained silent. "Very well, you are dismissed," he announced to the chamber, the still air being broken by harmonious footsteps as the mages darted out of the room.
A messenger squirmed on the spot behind the main podium, watching the discord that had occurred from the meagre bit of information he had provided. Turning to regard him, the Head-Mage beckoned to the nervous boy stood in front of him. "Speak your mind lad," the leader spoke, his voice sounding far friendlier than before. The boy relaxed at the change of tone. Messengers were not always the most appreciated, but no one could deny that they were essential.
"I-I didn't expect for that to create so much worry," he said, pausing after speaking, and watching the mage's expression with care before continuing. "Is it really that bad?"
The question rang out in the mage's head. While he wished to answer the boy's question he did not intend to deliberately spread panic.
"We shall see, who knows," he replied, not answering him directly. It did not satisfy the messenger, but he was aware that it would be all he'd be told. With no further response, he decided it best to take his leave and shuffled across the chamber, leaving the mage by himself.
Contemplating his thoughts, the man opted to fetch some parchment and ink then settled himself down at his desk, laying the paper down on the solid wooden surface. Calming himself, he drew up the ink with a feathered quill and began penning documents about what had just transpired. He had multiple recipients in mind; not only the Ranger's Guild but also the respective leaders of the racial fact
ions. Involving the angels, as well as the Human King, was standard, but the addition of Sebastian the Demon King came over as a bizarre choice, most would prefer to distance themselves from their kind. Past the surface opinion of the race, mages often held some respect for demons. Mages desire to learn the truth, so the true history of the past is always a topic of choice.
A long time ago the ancestors of the demons and angels lived in peace together, their appearance was vastly different than the present forms. Once the humans became known to them, they mixed themselves in with the new race; one that saw the two ancestral powerful races in a light akin to gods. Eventually, the grasp of power the angels had over the lesser humans overcame their senses, and they seized the chance to glorify their own race while villainizing the race they had lived in peace with for so long. They made themselves out to be saintly beings, their golden-tinged skin and bright wings a symbol of purity; humans saw them as benevolent beings and gave them the name Angel, a title which has been maintained for the race since that time. Meanwhile, the other race was slandered as being malevolent, disgraceful and vile, the list went on and on; the term demon was used as an insult, ultimately it stuck to the race. In their own language, they still refer themselves with a different word, a lasting sign of resentment towards the name. Demons tried to fight the disgracing insults for a long time, but the humans were too drawn to the promises of the angels to listen to their pleas; a massive war started not long after, permanently causing a rift between the races.
The mixing of blood continued within the angels, creating a tall but notably humanoid shape with shimmering feathered wings; the demons, however, progressed only as far as a humanoid body with multiple features still pertaining to the originals, which became known as new blood demons. Old blood demons with a more bestial body also still exist in number, the two now live peacefully together after a long history rife with turmoil.
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