Chapter Four

Chapter 4: The Story is Not Yet Over



Cevlon - Haven:

He watched from the rooftops. His heart weighed down by what was going on before him.
He saw everything.
The bright liquid of the tasteless poison, her last words that moved him to really think that something was wrong with their way of thinking of each other.
The lieutenant handed her the bowl, and Dreyden’s breath got caught in his throat.
The Lost Gem was getting uncomfortably hot, even through the wrapping and leather pocket. Stargazer sensed it too.

This wasn’t right. He knew that. He also shocked himself by thinking that, because he had only known the girl for a few hours at the most. But still...she had made an impression on him. He wasn’t sure what kind of impression, but an impression none the less.
He didn’t want her to die. Which was odd coming from the bounty hunter who handed people over to the government to be ’dealt with’ all the time. So why the heck was she so different?

Elowen accepted the bowl and raised it to her lips. Before she took a sip, she found him. Their eyes locked and she seemed to be saying something, something he couldn’t make out. She gave him one last smile before she drank the poison.
Pain washed over him as the life left her body. She slumped back and the two guards caught her.
Drey couldn’t look away, her deep green eyes had more emotion in them then he had ever seen before.
But then, slowly, her eyes fluttered shut and she went completely limp.
The bowl fell from her fingertips and the guards lifted her up onto a silver platter.

Dreyden followed the procession from the rooftops. They walked down the streets slowly, the crowds were silent. Death wasn’t a welcomed thing, and it didn’t happen often on Cevlon. People usually lived well into their hundreds, and hardly anyone died. But when they did, the procession was always a solemn one, and never welcomed.
From somewhere in the crowd, a voice lifted up in song, broke the silence. The woman sang the usual song that was sung at funerals. Apparently she thought the girl deserved a little more respect then what the Council was giving her.

The platter made its way down the streets of Haven, people were quiet and watched with sadness, or satisfaction in their eyes.
Drey wove in and out of the guards that had been posted on the rooftops. He had trained for most of his life to go unseen, this was no different.
They came to the end of the road, and to the end of Cevlon.
Dreyden took one last look at Elowen’s lifeless body, before the small girl was tipped over the edge of the world.
Drey watched her body fall till it was hidden from his sight in the clouds.
The song ended, and the crowds disappeared. People seemed to breath once again, as if now that Elowen was gone, their worries would disappear as well.
   He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before walking away. But he could swear, that before he did, he saw a flash of something orange in the dark clouds.
Looking again, he saw nothing so he shook it off and walked away.

.:+:.
 
   “How did she open this thing up again?”
Dreyden turned the small teardrop Gem over in his hand, looking at it with curiosity.
   “Lorem. Come out.”
He rapped his knuckles on the Gem, and it heated up instantly.
He shouted in shock and pain and dropped the Gem.
   “Stupid thing.” He muttered as he picked up with his gloved hand.
   “Behave, or I’ll toss you over the edge of Cevlon.” He threatened.
The stone calmed down and Lorem appeared. Though not by his choice.
   “Good boy.” Drey wasn’t exactly sure what to say to the cub that just floated off the ground, and was a silver-blue color.
Lorem growled at him.
   “Okay, fine. I wont treat you like a dog.”
Lorem nodded.
   “I’ll treat you like a cat.”
Lorem barred his teeth and gave him a warning snap.
Drey sighed and faced the wind.
   “Why do I get the feeling we’re not going to get along?” He asked more to himself then to the tiger cub. - Who just ignored him.
Swift shifted his wings, causing Drey to squeeze tighter with his knees.
He pulled out the map Ellie had given him and looked at it once again.
   “Now how did she say it would work? Just simply ask it? As if that doesn’t sound stupid. But then again,...” He gave a wiry glance to the floating tiger. “so does everything that’s been happening to me for the past day.”
The map was nothing special really. Other then the fact that it had an add on to Cevlon, which he assumed must be Falion. Not that he was an expert or anything.
   “Well what am I suppose to ask a piece of paper?! ‘Show me the way’? ‘Tell me your secrets’? ‘Open up you stupid thing’?!”
He groaned when none of those worked. He was sorely tempted to let the piece of paper fly away in the wind.
   “Try ‘Let me see the Supreme Gems.’”
Dreyden yelled in shock and nearly fell of Swift.
Lorem let out a sigh and shifted his paws to a better position as he rested his head on them.
   “Wait, you can talk?!” Drey asked, bending over and looking at the tiger lying on Swift’s neck.
Lorem looked up at him for a minute with one eye before closing it again.
   “I’m going to ignore you now.” The little tiger’s voice was high pitched and kind of squeaky, but it gave no hint as to tell if Lorem was a boy or a girl.
   It took Drey a minute to comprehend what was going on. The tiger could talk, it was ignoring him now, and it had also given him the key to the map. Okay, he could put up with it a little more easily now.

The tiger seemed to be taking a nap, and Drey had no desire to wake it up. So he turned back to the map.
Feeling slightly stupid, he said the words. “Let me see the Supreme Gems.”
The map glowed blue for a long moment, engulfing it completely, then died down, but the color still lingered along the outlines.
Now, it wasn’t just the usual map that he had been studying just moments before. Now, there were glowing blue dots that he assumed, marked the location of the Lost Gems.
   “By the love of Eleyos...Can everything she said be true?”
With this in mind, he realized that he would actually have to go through with his promise to the girl.
Was he meant to go on this quest? was he suppose to save both worlds? He couldn’t imagine Eleyos choosing him of all people. He would just mess things up.
He’d mess everything up.

Dreyden sighed and shoved the map back into his pocket and told Swift to go back home.
He couldn’t do it. He didn’t want to mess everything up...again.

.:+:.

Cevlon - Haven:

Kade didn’t know where else to look. He didn’t know who else to talk to. Or what else to do.
He had searched high and low for days now, and he had yet to find Sonera.

Letting out a groan, he sat down on a doorstep. His head fell into his hands and he tried to ignore the strong wind. Only, unsuccessfully.
The wind seemed to tug not only at his dark black hair and cape, but his heart as well. All of his guilt washed over him once more. It was a guilt that he couldn’t shake, no matter how hard he tried. It had been weighing down his soul ever sense Sonera had stormed off on him.
He knew he had to do something about it, or he might never make it out of the dark pit he was in.

He took a calming breath and folded his hands.
   “Okay. Okay Eleyos. I know. I know. I’ve put you off for far to long and only played the part of a follower. And I’m sorry. Okay? I’m sorry. My life is a mess because I didn’t follow your rules and didn’t do as you asked. I see that now. And I really am sorry...Please don’t let me loose the one thing that’s been a ray of light in my life...Please.”
Kade ran his hand under his nose and took another deep breath as he looked up at the world that seemed to be passing by. Leaving him behind.
His guilt was gone in an instant, and weights lifted off his shoulders. He almost cried from relief, but held himself back. Knowing that people were watching him, and it wouldn’t set a good example for people to see him crying.

With a clear mind, he set out to find Sonera again. He wasn’t going to give up till he found her. Dead or alive, safe or in trouble, one way or another. He was going to find her. He knew that much. It was just a matter of time.

.:+:.

Cevlon - The Council Halls:

Mentis was not happy.
His plan had been dumped right down to the Earth Below, and the Chief Commander was as blind as a dead yerto.

He marched down the open halls of the Council palace, that was the center piece to Haven. The sun filtered through the crystal roof, causing rainbows to show everywhere. The transparent floor showed a clear blue river flowing below the palace. Mentis was walking against the current, and watching the water made his head swim.
He made his way through the bright halls. His dark robes, a bold contradiction to all the light around.
His steps were brisk and soundless. They finally came to a stop at a large dark oak door. He pushed it open and quickly closed it behind him.
Mentis walked to his large desk and quickly pulled out a fresh parchment scroll and dipped his quill in the inkwell. He then went to work scribbling words onto the yellowed paper. Crafting his words ever so carefully as to leave a loop hole big enough to jump through, but small enough for it to go unseen.
He couldn’t fail. He couldn’t fail. He couldn’t-
   “Mentis!”
The old man yelped and jerked so badly that his inkwell spilt all over his desk, causing everything to be drowned in darkness. Literally.
He turned around and was faced by a man that haunted his dreams. Well...if he could even call it a man.
His face was hidden by a deep cowl of a cape that was made of smoke. All Mentis could make out was a weeks old stubble. The man might not look like much, but he was evil it’s self. Mentis wouldn’t go so far as to call him Viglour’s reincarnation, but he was very close.
   “Yes-Yes my lord?” Mentis made a deep bow. So low he wondered if he would be able to get back up. At the very least he’d have a sore back for the next month!
   “I hear...she got away.”
Mentis tried to hide the guilty look.
   “Yes-yes my lord.”
   “Well...you have failed me yet again Mentis.”
   “I promise I wont this time sire! I have a plan. And a very good one at that. It’ll work I promise.”
The man scoffed. His robe of shadows shook slightly.
   “Very well Mentis.” He declared in his thick, deep voice. “I will grant you one more try. Fail me this time, and it will be your last.”
Mentis bowed deeper till his nose grazed the ground.
   “You are too kind my lord. Too kind.”
   “Flattery will get you no where Mentis.” His voice turned to ice in a matter of seconds. “Just get your job done. And get it done right.”

.:+:.

Cevlon - Shack just outside Haven:


It was a nightmare. A pure terror. And yet...not all of it was bad.
   In his dream he was seeing that face he couldn’t get out of his head. He kept seeing it everywhere he went. Her bright green eyes and beautiful smile. It was nerve racking. And then somehow comforting at the same time. Which he didn’t like.

In his dream, she was back. Alive obviously. They were standing in the meadow that was right outside the city walls. Night time had fallen, and the stars were falling like usual. The starlight made her face glow and he couldn’t help but gape. Which made her laugh.
Her laugh, however, made him feel very guilty.
   “Why did you have to die?” He asked. Though he would have been better off talking to thin air. Because she didn’t reply.
   “And why do I feel such a strong connection to you even though I didn’t know you for very long?!”
Again she laughed, but this time she did answer back.
   “It doesn’t take long for someone to see peoples hearts. And you have a knack for that.”
   “For what?”
   “For seeing people’s hearts of course. Where you not just listening. You didn’t seem that daft when I knew you.”
   “Oi! Watch what your sayin’!”
She giggled into her hand. But then turned around and looked up at the great open sky.
   “You know...I found I like to fly. Though... I don’t think I’d ever had had the courage if you hadn’t pushed me over the ledge with out a warning. And I would have never even dreamed of doing it if you hadn’t been there in the first place.”
   “You make me sound like I did you a favor.” Drey stated numbly.
   “You did!”
Drey sighed and crossed his arms as he tapped his foot annoyingly.
   “Why am I dreaming about you? And why am I dreaming of having a conversation with you, where you are actually answering me?! This is just too...out of the usual.”
   “Haha! When has your life ever been usual may I ask? You don’t seem to be the type for ‘usual’ what ever that may be.” She rolled her eyes and clasped her hands behind her back.
Dreyden rolled his eyes back in reply. But he still couldn’t shake the feeling that this was all too bizarre.
    “You’re having doubts Dreyden.” She said in a matter-of-fact way.
Drey’s eyes grew wide as his mouth dropped.
   “How did you know?”
She smiled at the ground between her feet.
   “I just know. But please Drey. You promised! Are you really going to leave me with guilt on my...dead conscious?”
Drey rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness.
   “I don’t know what you want me to do. You’re dead. Alright?! You’re bloody dead. And...and I honestly don’t know why I’m breaking down all of a sudden.”
Drey suddenly realized that he was crying. In front of a girl! That’s just not done!
She rested a small hand on his arm and squeezed.
   “I think you do.”
Elowen was suddenly gone, but her words rang through his head as the scenery suddenly changed.

Dreyden was no longer in the meadow just outside Haven.
He was back into a place that he never wanted to see again. He hated it. This memory.

Screaming was everywhere. Fires were burning. Homes were collapsing. People were dying. Everywhere he looked he just saw devastation and terror.
He heard his name being called and turned to see his brother running up to him.
Everyone use to mistake them for twins, if it weren’t for the fact that his brother had brown eyes and he had blue.
   “Dreyden! You’ve got to get out of here! It’s not safe and you’re a sitting duck! Come on!”
Just like when this happen, Dreyden followed his older brother through the debris of the remains of his home town.
   “Brother I don’t want to run!”
It was like a recording. He was doing, and saying the same things that he had said when he was little.
   “Oh suck it up!” His brother shouted back at him.
They ran for what seemed like ages. Drey’s older brother dragging him through mud and water like it wasn’t there at all.
   “Where are we going?!”
   “To meet father...in the secret meadow.” His brother explained.

The closer they got to their goal, the more tired they both became. When they climbed up the last hill, Dreyden fell flat on his face. Tripping on a stone.
   “Come on Drey. We’ve got to keep going. You have to get out of here!”
His brother tugged at his arm as he was pulled up from the ground.
   “Me?! What about you?! And father?!”
His brother didn’t answer.
Before Dreyden could get up to his feet, there was a yell from behind them. Not the scared kind of yelling, but the war cry yell.
Dreyden’s brother dropped his arm and looked up in shock.
   “Dreyden! Get out of here! Get to the meadow, and get to father! Don’t look back!”
By this time his brother had already unsheathed his sword and dagger, stepping in front of his fallen brother in a protective stance.

Drey pushed himself to his feet once more and turned to see what was going on.
He wish he hadn’t.
His brother was doomed to fight a Nigvorian. Nigvorians were a fierce, brutal race that was as big as an ox and stood on two legs with hoofs instead of feet.
The Nigvorians favored massive battle axes to swords, and they had to have the overly large ones for any others were too puny for their bulging hands to hold.

   “No brother you can’t fight him on your own!”
Drey shouted, unsheathing his own sword. He still had yet to finish his training with his father, so he had but a practice sword. But it was still sharp, and made of metal. so that was all he needed
His brother cast him a side glare, but he kept most of his attention on the opposing enemy.
   “No! Get you butt over to the meadow now! Or I swear I’ll knock you senseless!”
Dreyden was confused by that statement, for how could he got to the meadow, if he was knocked out? But he hadn’t bothered to point that out.
   “But-”
Too late. The Nigvorian attacked his brother, and Dreyden realized just how big and scary a Nigvorian could really be.
He watched in horror as his brother tried to stand up to the brute single-handedly.
He was smacked around a lot till his face looked nothing like the brother Dreyden had grown up with.
It was only a mater of minutes before he was down for the count and couldn’t get up. Drey could see the effort it took him just to lift his head up to see him.
   “Go! Run!”
And Drey hated to admit it. But he ran away. Like the coward he was.

Drey shook his head and tried to shake the memory.
   “Dreyden...” It was Elowen’s soft voice this time. Everything was starting to go dark and out of focus. He couldn’t see her at all, but somehow, he knew she was there.
   “For too long have you had no reason for fighting for your world...” Her voice was getting harder to hear. Like she was getting farther away.
   “Find a reason to fight again...And then...save...us...”
Her voice finally faded. As did his dream.

He woke with a start. Cold sweat dripping off his face, palms and back. He looked around and in the pre-dawn light, he could make out the outline of his cot.
Letting out a deep sigh, he shoved off the thin sheet and swung his legs over the edge.
He rubbed his head, and ran a hand through his dark hair that was getting a little on the long side.
Drey pushed himself off the cot. Lorem stirred slightly when he was dropped from Drey’s lap, to the bed. But he didn’t wake.
   “Thank Eleyos for that.” He muttered as he shuffled over to the door of the small shack. “Took him forever to get to sleep.”
He swung the door open and stepped out quietly.

His shack of a home was just outside the city walls. He liked free spaces. Not the city. It was too crowded, to busy and way too loud. He could barely hear him self think, let alone function correctly. Though over the years, he’s figured out away to block most of it out.

But right now...the silence never seemed so loud. The ever so colorful sky shone over him and suddenly seemed unwelcoming. Everything did.
He always seemed to mess something up! If nothing else, it was himself.
Dreyden let out a deep groan as he gripped his hair. He fell to his knees and cried out in despair.
   “I hate it! I’m sick of it all! I’m sick of feeling lonely! Of feeling empty! I don’t want it anymore!” He shouted to the skies. “What do You want from me?! You’ve already taken everything!”

Drey cried till his throat was horce, and he had no more tears to shed. Then he just sat there. numb and exhausted. Not knowing what to do or where to go from here.
But Elowen’s last request kept going through his head.
   “Find a reason to fight again.”
His head jolted up as he thought about that.
   “A reason to fight eh?” He muttered. An idea dawned on him.
Maybe...he already had a reason to fight...he just didn’t know it.