Chapter 403: Not Mama


    <strong>403. Not Mama</strong>


    Your parents are dead, child. And the one responsible for killing them for <em>ughtering </em>your kin was her


    Novis eyes grew wide as he stared into the [Witch]s gaze. The words themselves barely made sense, yet he saw a vision. A scene which hed never seen before. Yet, it felt like he was there. He felt all the emotions saw things he never thought of before.


    It was magic. A curse. A hex. A divination. Novis wasnt smart enough to know any of that, he just knew it felt unnatural. He looked around and saw a flock of Wyverns, flying so mightily in the sky. Each of themrge and majestic. One even dwarfed all the others, clearly the leader of the pack.


    He unleashed a plume of frost one so powerful it made the boy tremble at its sight alone. Yet, something tore through the breath attack. A monster that moved so fast and swiftly, it killed the pack leader in a single sh.


    Novis blinked in shock, only for the scene to change. He looked around, once again surrounded by Wyverns. This time, he was in an odd ce full of Humans. With tall structures thaty frozen in cool sleet. He once again cast his gaze up to see the very same monster tearing through the Wyvern flock like a storm of death.


    The Wyverns screeched out in terror as they were cut down with ease. Novis himself felt the same fear they did in that moment. He stumbled back, heart racing, breathing heavily. He looked down as he grabbed at his chest, and the floor shifted.


    The cobblestone streets were reced by a dark cavern. Novis spun around and found himself in a cavern. He opened his mouth, throat tight with bands of fear. Then he heard a crash.


    Spinning around, Novis eyes widened at the sight of a copsed Wyvern. It wasrge filling the entire cavern. He looked at it lie there, dying, and his heart ached for whatever reason. The boy slowly edged forward, raising a hand.


    Mama?


    He approached the dying Wyvern. Then there was a moment of silence. A pause where he didnt say nothing. He simply stared at the Wyverns eyes. Then there was a <em>sh. </em>A scythe sliced the Wyverns head off.


    Novis jolted back, looking up in horror. A monster stood before him. One that stood on two feet with two wed hands, a pair of wings on its back, and crown-like horns protruding from its head. It stared down at the boy with glinting golden eyes as something finally clicked in his mind.


    Hed seen this monster before. This Demon. It had appeared so often, scaring him, sending running. He tried to cover his eyes. He hoped it would go away. But something the same unnatural feeling from beforepelled him to look at it. And understand.


    Mama?


    His mouth worked against his will. He stared directly at the Demon. At his mother. Except, she wasnt his mother. She had never been his mother.


    <em>I am not your mama!</em>


    <em>I am not their mother, Willy!</em>


    <em>I am Salvos! Stop calling me your mama!</em>


    Her words resounded in his head. He found his head whirling. He blinked, and for a moment, he saw his mama before him. The majestic Wyvern with long silver hair and ck scales on her wing-arms. But then that image was gone. He just looked up and saw a smiling Demon.


    A monster that killed his real mother. One who had in countless Wyverns. A Demon.


    Novis backed up. He looked at this Demon, gripped in fear. She stared at him, moving her mouth calling his name.


    <em>Novis!</em>


    And that broke him out of his stupor. He took off running, not even realizing the scene had changed back to the cave chamber with the [Witch] not realizing that the visions had ended. He ran and ran and ran, ovee with a storm of emotions. Grief, confusion, and betrayal drove him forward as he ran up a tunnel.


    He didnt hear the voices in the background. He didnt hear the sts and explosions as the fighting resumed.


    <em>Now lets make a deal, Demon </em>


    <em>Willy! Stop him </em>


    Novis just ran. Everything went dark around him, but he continued onward. The knowledge that his mama was not his mama burned in his mind. He tried to forget it, wing at his head as if that would scratch the memory from his brain. But it refused to go away. It lingered like a curse. A malediction on the soul. A scourge upon a farmersnds.


    He didnt notice the tunnel brightening, a light shining behind him and leading the way. Instead, he stumbled over the rocky terrain as he reached the end of the tunnel. Exhausting, panting, Novis slowly came to a stop when he was finally back at the outside world.


    The sun was setting over the horizon. The tunnel led to a steep cliff overlooking a barren wastnd. There was nothing there, although it looked like there had once been a forest here. The boy didnt care about any of that. He dropped to his knees before curling up into a ball. Hey there for a moment in silence. Then a gentle warmth overcame him.


    <em>Tired?</em>


    Novis looked up to see a ball of green me hovering over him.


    Uncle Willy


    He eyed the [Will O Wisp], still in his fetal position. Tears streamed down from his cheeks as he choked and wiped at his face.


    Is it true? Is Salvos really not my Mama?


    Willy didnt give an immediate answer. He just floated there, quiet as always. Novis bit his lower lips. He dug into the dirt ground and lowered his head.


    Did she kill my real mama?


    <em>...yes.</em>


    The [Will O Wisp] finally spoke. And the answer it upset Novis. It brought the baby Wyvern back into tears. He cried as he tried to speak.


    <em>Will she will she kill me too? Is she going to eat me? Is she is she?</em>


    He couldnt even put his thoughts into coherent words. He just sniffled as hey there. He didnt even notice the dark shadow rising from the horizon, blotting out the setting sun.


    Willys mes flickered. He spun around, whispering.


    <em>No</em>


    Novis sniffed and paused when he heard the st of me shoot out. Willy shouted at him as he raised his head.


    <em>Run!</em>


    The boy blinked away his tears, looking up at what the [Will O Wisp] was attacking. His jaw dropped. He gawked up in terror as he stumbled back. A massive figure loomed over him. One that seemed to glimmer with specks of iridescent light. Novis didnt know what he was looking at.


    It looked like a giant mass of dirt, rock, and foliage, gathered into a single massive core. Like an ind. It was partially obfuscated, blocked by a gradient of warped colors that flickered in and out of existence. Giant bits of stone and other materials rapidly orbited this ind like long arms tendrils that were disjointed and disconnected.


    Novis mind went nk as it cast its non-existent gaze on him.


    <em>[---- Ind - Lvl. ----]</em>


    What?


    And Willy unleashed a wall of crimson mes at the corrupted ind. It reeled back as the [Will O Wisp] repeated himself at the baby Wyvern.


    <em>Find Salvos!</em>


    But Novis froze. Hey there in too much shock and confusion to react. <em>Salvos? </em>the boy thought. <em>But monster </em>


    And a corrupted tendril of warped matter tore through Willys me. It knocked the [Will O Wisp] aside, sending him flying. It turned back to the vulnerable baby Wyvern as he cowered there. It made a deep humming noise as it slowly descended on him.


    No


    The boy squeaked. And there was a <em>sh. </em>The approaching ind was knocked back, arge chunk of its side breaking off from a clean vertical sh. The corrupted ind cracked, looking like it was about to crumble.


    And a figurended in front of Novis. He looked at it at the Demon with two pairs of wings. One that was made of bone, and the other that belonged to a bat. She stood there with her regal horns, carrying a glinting de at her side.


    Salvos spun around and faced him with a worried look.


    Are you ok?


    She ran up to him. Novis brightened for a moment then something in his mind shed. An anger. A fury. A mncholy. He snapped at her.


    <em>Go away!</em>


    And she paused. Salvos hesitated, opening her mouth.


    Novis


    But Novis just red up at her, the feeling burning in his chest.


    Youre not my mama!


    He yelled at her. Her face darkened. She stood there as the corrupted ind floated high behind her. Finally, she shook her head.


    I know.


    Salvos closed her eyes. The intense anger in Novis heart wavered for a second at the sad look on her face. <em>But still, you arent </em>She stood silent for a moment, but she didnt hang her head. Instead, she took a deep breath and spoke slowly.


    I am not your mother, Novis. Perhaps I misled you, but all I wanted was to ensure you were safe. I wanted you to be happy. Because I made a promise. A promise to your mother. And by extension a promise to you, Bellum, and Oriur.


    Her eyes darted to the other two baby Wyverns, watching from the side. When did they get here? Novis hadnt seen them arrive. He turned to his siblings, and they stared at him worriedly. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but the corrupted ind didnt let him. It took this opportunity to attack Salvos, firing bits of broken reality the size of small hills at her.


    She spun around and swung twice. There were two shes of light. A pulse ran through the air as Novis stumbled back. The broken bits of reality shattered into tiny pieces, missing him entirely, the corruption fading off the debris in a blend of twisted colors. Raising her head, Salvos faced the corrupted ind. A monster that wasrger than life. One that spanned far and wide. Larger than even the mountain they stood on.


    Novis heart ached as she continued.


    So if you disown me, then so be it. But still


    She trailed off as the attack didnt stop. The corrupted ind detached swung down with tendrils of dirt, rocks, air, water <em>everything. </em>Novis backed up in fear, but Salvos didnt back down. She parried each of the tendrils in rapid session. Without fear. Without hesitation. She fought for the three baby Wyverns.


    Each time she swung, white des of energy shed out and dismembered the corrupted tendrils. The core of the corruption trembled, making a rumbling sound a scream of pain, even when it couldnt scream.


    Salvos raised her de, swinging up and past its defenses. The sh came into direct contact with the corrupted ind. The mass of matter shook, breaking in half. Salvos stepped back and looked at it with narrowed eyes. Novis blinked.


    <em>Is it dead? </em>the boy hoped.


    But the corrupted ind began to piece itself back together. It reformed its tendrils like nothing had happened as it readied itself for a second round. Salvos backed up hesitantly. Novis felt his heart sink.


    Why isnt it?


    <em>Novis.</em>


    His name drew his attention. He looked towards the source of the voice, away from the regenerating mass of distorted reality. His mindpelled him to say a single thing. <em>Youre not my mama. </em>But he fought back against it. Salvos held his gaze for a moment, one hand tightly sped on the ethereal sword.


    I am sorry.


    And the voice in his head grew muffled. Novis stared at her. He opened his mouth, trying to find a response. He wanted to say something anything. He warred with his mind to speak from his heart. But nothing came out.


    Salvos turned away from him, gripping the weapon with both her hands. She looked towards the corrupted ind as it fully reformed. Its cast its callous gaze towards her as she spoke in a soft voice.


    But even if you hate me. Even if you scorn me. I will not hate you back. I will not scorn you in return.


    Salvos took a step forward as the corrupted ind reeled back, attacking her with all of its tendrils at once. All the floating bits of rock spinning around it whipped down. The world blurred and distorted as if covered by panels of refractivettice.


    <em>Mama </em>The boy raised a hand as she stood before the attack. A mesh of colors struck her, but she braced herself, blocking the attack with her sword.


    I will still


    She gritted her teeth as she pushed back. The corrupted ind recoiled as Novis stared, its entire being forced off her. It tried to gather itself as she ran and leapt into the air. Itshed out at her with one of its distorted limbs, and she screamed.


    <em>protect you! </em>


    He watched Salvos face the corrupted ind. He watched his <em>mother</em> bring up the glinting sword. The bright aura radiating from it darkened. A shadow engulfed it. ck mes wisped off the de, mixing with the motes of white energy. The two colors spiraled around each other as the sword exuded <em>power. </em>


    The corrupted ind roared a distorted noise. Perhaps not even a roar at all. It charged at Salvos with everything it had. But the Demon just swung down.


    <em>[Radiant sh]! </em>


    A giant wave of ck and white energy sted out of the tip of the sword, striking the corrupted ind and ripping it asunder. The core of the being copsed from the attack as the massive de sheared straight through its defenses. Nothing not even the corruption could withstand the attack.


    Novis stood there with round eyes. He stared in awe as the corrupted ind crumbled, his anger dissipating. The st of ck and white energy tore straight through it, smashing a hole straight through the distortion as reality reasserted itself.


    The massive mass that was once the corrupted ind fell apart, crashing back into the earth behind Salvos in a cacophonous apuse. But she didnt pay attention to any of that. Not even to the dust columns being sprayed into the air.


    Instead, she turned and walked towards the boy.


    He backed up apprehensively as the de vanished. But all the hatred hed felt earlier was gone. Now, all he felt was shame. He hung his head as she came to a halt before him.


    Novis


    She looked at him, a concerned expression on her face. He stood there, shuffling his feet. The baby Wyvern didnt know what to say.


    I


    Salvos started, and he ran up to her and hugged her. She blinked a few times, looking down at the boy. He clung on tightly to her, the hex or curse inflicted on him gone.


    Salvos


    Novis hugged her tighter as she stared at him with wide eyes. Then two more baby Wyverns joined him. His siblings embraced her as well. The three of them held onto the Demon. One that looked nothing like them. Yet, one they loved nheless.


    <em>Salvos.</em>


    The other two baby Wyverns repeated after Novis. Salvos paused.


    Novis, Bellum, Oriur


    She whispered their names softly. And, slowly, she hugged them back, lips curling up. Willy floated up to her side, sighing.


    <em>Resoolved? </em>


    I guess so


    She gave him a shrug, still hugging the three children.


    And theyre finally calling me by my name too!


    Salvos beamed excitedly at the [Will O Wisp]. And the three baby Wyverns nodded.


    Mama Salvos.


    They looked up at her. She blinked.


    Wait


    Willy just scoffed.


    <em>Heh. </em>


    But Im not


    Salvos trailed off. Novis knew what she wanted to say. He didnt care. He just hugged his mother, heart filled with warmth. Because it didnt matter whether or not she was a Demon. It didnt matter if they werent rted by blood. He knew that, no matter what, she was his mother.


    And that made the boy happy.