《SERMO》
Book 1 CH 01 : The Knight Who Wield The Sword
Book 1 Chapter 01
The Knight Who Wield The Sword
Shine the light in this dark world: a beautiful oath yet full of heavy consequences, and a mission too noble for a man so corrupted. Shine the light in this dark world: the purpose of Sermo and each of its knights, from generation to generation. Shine the light in this dark world: words of bravery that echoed every night and day in his mind since his redemption, in the mind of Valdenn, the knight who wield the sword. A fight still at its very dawn. A fight he leads in a place he thought he knew better than anyone else.
Under a cloudy sky and on the roof of the highest building, Valdenn towered over SonnSol City, the place where he first opened his eyes. The city that shaped him and saw him turn into the monster he became and still was several months ago. The same town, that witnessed him rise from the water and be reborn as one the noblest knights, something he could have never expect or imagine in his past, oblivious to a reality he first chose to ignore, but was now an important part of after his awakening. A reality stained by forces much darker than his past crimes, subtly merged to and greatly influencing the normal realm every people know and see.
As the midnight moon glinted on his silver armour, Valdenn looked down on the city, his lit blue eyes catching a glimpse of the town¡¯s multi-coloured lights and its carefree citizens drowned into their usual nightlife full of excess. Like every single Saturday in SonnSol City, as if it was a law or any kind of commandment, people overcrowded bars and night clubs, while the darkness the knight vowed to fight rose again at one of its favourite times.
Conscious of the spirit realm, the knight set his eyes on the evil at work, spotting a group of bipedal creatures unseen to everyone, rushing to an unknown destination on their short, vigorous and clawed legs.
¡°Zeraks!¡± Valdenn whispered almost inaudibly, his mouth covered by his helmet. ¡°Six of them.¡± He added.
The knight watched each zerak running and jumping from surface to surface, each of them formed with a different, almost human face distorted in a very angry and horrible expression. They had a simple yet disturbing anatomy: one head, a greenish skin, two legs replacing the two ears, and a fairly long reptile tail mounted from the occipital region. After a few seconds, their number increased as many more appeared all of a sudden. Their impressive pack of parasites swarmed right in front of the eyes of the unsuspicious humans who cannot see them, in an almost taunting fashion.
¡°Something is up.¡± said Valdenn.
A blue light emanated behind him, emerging from his back and spreading side to side from him to at least three meters, before it turned into metallic, silver and majestic eagle wings. The knight let himself fall from the skyscraper¡¯s roof he stood on, thus embarking in a diving flight just like a hunting eagle. Several lights from the neighbouring buildings flashed in front his eyes as the wind blew stronger with his increasing speed.
One of the parasites stopped its run, completely ignored by its fellow creatures, and sniffed all around with an expression of disgust as if a nauseous smell suddenly arose. The zerak then looked up, only to see Valdenn flying in their direction. It then let out a loud and angry growl, alerting all the other zeraks on the spot as they stepped up their already fast pace.
Another blue light appeared again on each of his arms, and formed a sword in his right hand, and a shield on his left forearm. The sword had a sharp blade and a silver hilt. The rain guard was the head of a dove, the cross guard was the wings of the dove and the pommel its tail, whereas the grip of the sword was brown and ringed. Concerning the shield, it was a heptagon handled with the four angles on top and the three other ones at the bottom. There was a crystal at each angle and only the very bottom one was lit with a blue light, and at the centre of the shield was a dove with its wings spread, the symbol of Sermo, despised by the evil forces.
Engaged in an alley, seven zeraks turned towards the knight and attacked him, jumping in his direction with their sharp claws forward. With precise, quick and timely sweeping moves from his sword, Valdenn silenced their deafening growls, slicing each of them in half as they turned into a black smoke. Following a left turn giving on a highway, two tens of them made the same move as the seven previous ones and attacked Valdenn with twice the rage and the hatred on their faces and growls. The knight placed his shield forward and an immense blue light identical in shape with his defensive weapon appeared in front of him, blocking all the attacks of the zeraks. As soon as it disappeared, the knight turned around himself with his wings wrapped around him, and spread them again to resume his flight. The special move released many blue light feathers which pierced the twenty zeraks, immediately turning into a black smoke.
The thirteen remaining parasites, realizing the gap in power between them and the knight, decided to scatter with the hope of making him lose their track. Valdenn, aware of their plot, repeated his previous move and killed ten more on the spot before they join their fellows in another alley on their right. He then proceeded to reduce the distance with the three remaining zeraks and sliced the closest one with his sword. They all arrived in the municipal pound where the two last zeraks started feeding, completely ignoring Valdenn who landed right behind them. His wings and his shield shone with a blue light then disappeared as he calmly walked to a zerak and pierced him from the top of its head. He then walked to the other one which attempted to escape his sword but got one leg cut off his body. The creature crawled toward its food, deeming it more valuable than its own life but got sliced in half on the ground.
In the middle of broken and abandoned vehicles stacked all around him, Valdenn kept his eyes on the ground, not to see the last zerak turn into a black smoke but rather to analyse the situation at the sight of what the creatures were running after during all this time: their beloved food, not liquid nor solid, only visible in the spirit realm and tangible proof of evil activity.
¡°Dark energy.¡± the knight whispered.
Understanding that one or several ill willed people performed a ritual at this place not long ago, Valdenn looked around him, only to see more dark energy scattered on several of the vehicles. It looked like a dark gray matter motioning like fire. Once again, standing before a proof of evil, Valdenn realized the great importance of his mission as a light pilgrim first, and as a knight of Sermo, eager to spread the light he received in his heart. He, She or They should not be far from here, Valdenn thought, so with the intention of inspecting the area before heading to his hideout, the knight took his flight as fast as he could.
¡°Well, Astin. We should admit that this one was pretty close. Right?¡± calmly said a man dressed with a long and dark gray cloak, appearing few feet away from where Valdenn stood, and several seconds after the knight¡¯s departure.
¡°Mere hindrances shall not stop our plans. We are completely ready now Marcel.¡± Astin said, appearing next to the man, and dressed with an identical garment.
¡°Let me congratulate you on your camouflage technique first. Who could believe it was possible to hide in the spirit realm where everything is revealed?¡±
¡°Please, why being impressed by little tricks? After the success of the ritual, we shall possess powers far greater than these.¡±
¡°And what if the knight intervenes? Or the old man?¡±
¡°They shouldn¡¯t be a problem for Lissya. She can handle both of them.¡±
¡°But where do they come from?¡±
¡°Their origins bear no importance Marcel. They¡¯re nothing compared to our master.¡±
¡°You¡¯re right. Let our master be praised, and may his return be full of might and triumph.¡±
¡°And it will. Tomorrow is a glorious day for us Marcel. No one and nothing will hinder the return of Orozias.¡±
Tears from the sky fell on the city as if it cried on the sad truth that became its reality. Nice conclusion for a failed patrol night, Valdenn thought. The heart still heavy like a rock because he did not find the perpetrators of the ritual, Valdenn landed on the roof of a three story building. A blue light lit his whole armour which completely vanished except for a bracelet at his right wrist, in which the blue light completely entered. A pair of black shoes, blue jeans, a black jacket with a hood and a white T-shirt underneath, Valdenn calmly opened the emergency door and took the stairs, on his way to the second floor.
Under the dim light of the building and escorted by the creaking sound resonating at each of his steps, the knight did not pay much attention to the noises arising from the apartment of a couple engaged in an intense argument. Head down, lost in his thoughts about the residual dark energy at the municipal pound, he did not bother about the loud heavy metal music playing in a known drug dealer¡¯s place, as well as the squeaking sounds of the mice running away as he approached his front door.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Number twenty five. Valdenn stood still a moment at the entrance, looked right then left to make sure the coast was clear at that moment, before using his favourite and secret mode of opening. A blue light appeared at the tip of his right index finger, and he drew a strange pattern that resembled a capital ¡®J¡¯ on the door and it opened widely. The fresh lavender scent of the apartment welcomed him, and once he got completely inside, the door behind him closed and locked itself.
Despite the disturbing memory of the dark energy eating him from inside, the knight began to feel a river of peace gushing from the depth of his heart, in that environment strongly contrasting with the corridors of the building. Everything from books on the shelves, sculptures of his own creation, to furniture was well placed and perfectly clean as he left it. Valdenn switched the light on which blended nicely with the white paint of the place, and took the direction of the kitchen to have a glass of water.
Suddenly, he felt an airstream right behind him. The leaves of the apartment¡¯s plants slightly moved, the knight froze, before quickly turning around and dodging a long wooden rod attack initially aimed at his spine. Hidden in the spirit realm, an old man had arisen and proceeded to launch a second attack aimed at Valdenn¡¯s legs. The knight jumped while simultaneously turning on himself and a blue light, rapidly forming one of his armour¡¯s wings appeared on his back to hit the assailant¡¯s head. The old man blocked the attack with his rod and tried to hit Valdenn¡¯s head with his weapon, but the knight seized it with one hand.
¡°Nice reflexes. But you still have a long way to go.¡± said the old man.
¡°Nice to see you too, Eli.¡± Valdenn replied, annoyed by the old man¡¯s remark and removing his hood.
¡°We don¡¯t have enough time Greg, evil is expanding at a fast pace. You have to be ready to fulfil the mission perfectly.¡± Eli said, approaching the young man.
¡°And I am! Speaking of evil, I found dark energy at¡ª¡±
¡°The municipal pound tonight. Yes, I know.¡±
¡°You know?¡± Greg asked, puzzled by what he has just heard.
¡°You seem to always forget it Greg.¡±
¡°Please, not the same song again, I know. I¡¯m the 7th Valdenn and the trainee but you¡¯re the 6th Valdenn and my mentor, yes I know.¡± Greg said, rolling his eyes.
¡°The situation is far worse than I expected Greg. She is the darkest shadow lurking at the door of our world, she is closer than ever. You have to be ready in all aspects, but especially in the mental and spiritual ones.¡± Eli said, going towards the coat rack.
¡°You told me about that so called witch many times, but you never take me with you on your secret little trips to get me ready for her.¡±
¡°Patience, Greg. Don¡¯t forget any of the virtues listed in the sacred scrolls. What is written in those scrolls is the real source of the powers we possess.¡± Eli stated, wearing his black coat.
¡°You think I earned the right to go with you tonight?¡±
¡°Patience. The time for this will come.¡± The old man said, knowing that his answer is bitter for his young apprentice. Eli then walked to him and placed his hand on Greg¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Look Greg. I can understand the eagerness that animates you since you discovered the spirit realm and the hidden reality. I know you want to spread the light, and make people aware and safe. But you know the sacred scrolls say that there is a time for everything. And remember, obedience is a key towards your growth as a light pilgrim, a knight of Sermo, and success for your mission.¡± Eli finished explaining, as the noise of the thunder¡¯s crash tore through the brief moment of silence.
¡°Obidience? Under all that ton of conditions and restrictions? Why The Highest had to set all these barriers? What¡¯s the purpose?¡±
¡°There¡¯s only one answer to all your questions for now: obey, and in due time you¡¯ll understand everything.¡±
¡°Yeah, of course. You know, there¡¯s one more thing I don¡¯t understand old man. You can at least take the armour when you go out on your trips, why risking your life going with your¡ªcoat and your curtain rod?¡±
¡°You¡¯re my successor, 7th Valdenn, and this armour is yours. Mine is already stored where you know it is, for my departure is closing in each day. And you know, I¡¯ve more than a knight¡¯s armour.¡± Eli said, walking towards a window.
¡°At least, think about coming back with some snacks.¡± Greg taunted, still annoyed about Eli¡¯s protective attitude toward him, especially knowing that he could not even tail him, because of his mentor¡¯s acute senses.
¡°Snacks are not what you need right now. Stay inside for the rest of the night, and rest.¡± Eli ordered, as a blue light outlined his entire looks and weapon. He levitated and passed through the window, flying toward an unknown destination.
¡°That old man can be scary sometimes.¡± Greg whispered.
Astin looked through the window of his living room while Marcel, among several other people dressed in an identical cloak as theirs were celebrating. The lights were off, and the fairly small room was only lit by red candles. Too busy with their daily attempts of perfecting their summoning rituals, the group was unfazed by the scandalous disorder that reigned in the place. Walking through the candles, the open books, as well as some bowls of blood on the floor, a woman discreetly approached and joined Astin in his contemplation of the storm.
¡°Lissya, my favourite disciple.¡± Astin praised.
¡°Master. Marcel told me you had a plan for the knight that requires my abilities.¡±
¡°Do you know what this storm means for us?¡±
¡°No, Master. I don¡¯t possess your immense wisdom.¡±
¡°Well, Lissya. This storm is a symbol of the power we will unleash on this world. Once, we summon Orozias, he will grant us far more capabilities than we expect.¡±
¡°May he be praised.¡±
¡°But of course, there¡¯s something we all need you to do for tonight. That so-called knight and that flying old man need to have a foretaste of our storm of power.¡±
¡°Yes Master. I shall obey to fulfil your plans no matter the cost.¡± Lissya replied, making Astin display a malicious smile.
Protect them, I have to protect them at all cost. Visions of a woman playing with a little boy both dressed in white clothes flashed through his subconscious, quickly replaced by those of a car with its hood crushed and stained with some blood, its front glass shattered, and a man lying dead on the highway. The mission comes first. A vision of zeraks followed; the creatures growled all at once before being burnt by a humanoid figure made of fire.
Greg woke up from the strange dream, immediately taking a look at the clock. Three in the morning, and the old man was not back yet even though his nocturnal getaways were not usually long. Greg passed all his fingers through his short black hair already thinking that something worse than he could even imagine may have happened to Eli this time. To make things worse, as the television set was on, he just woke up to something he would have preferred not witnessing:
¡°Law enforcement secured the perimeter after the discovery of the young lady¡¯s body, as many bystanders could not hold their understandable fear and resentment, proportional to the gruesomeness of the crime scene. This is already the thirteenth victim in only six weeks of the brutal serial killer or maybe group of killers only known to this day as Pain Rain. Following the first¡ª¡±
The young man switched off the television, as if he could not bear to listen further to the news reporter, but instead, there was a faint yet ominous feeling that prompted his reaction. Greg tried to listen closely to something with not much success than he wished. Soon, his face wore a clear expression of disgust, invaded by the stench of an old foe. Stung by what he considered an imminent danger, Greg grabbed his jacket, wore it as he ran to the door, and made sure he had his hood on before even opening the entrance. Since he could not see if anybody was in the corridor, he normally opened then locked the door before rushing to the roof.
If it was not for the squeaking sounds of the mice and his steps, a dead silence would have ruled the entire building. Greg reached the roof in less than a minute, immediately noticing that the smell grew stronger. Wishing in the depth of his heart that he was mistaking it, but still convinced that he could not, he walked to the edge of the building¡¯s roof and used his spirit vision. A blue light lit his green eyes, allowing him to witness what he feared. Once again, several zeraks were heading to somewhere and this may mean one thing: the perpetrators of the ritual at the municipal pound were at work again.
His zeal for justice and the mission got the best of him almost right at the sight of the parasites. He fully stretched his right arm as if he intended to do a bump fist and a blue light recovered his whole body. After three seconds, the thunder crashed once again under the heavy rain, and the blue light disappeared to reveal Valdenn in his silver armour, wings spread and sword already in hand. With a brief impulse that pushed away all the rain drops and garbage around him, the knight took off and flew in the direction of the creatures.
This time, he did not consider taking care of the parasites, but rather dealing with the source of the dark energy that attracted them in the first place. Valdenn went at full speed, only glimpsing some of the raindrops on his path, snaking through the buildings as he followed the creatures¡¯ route. It led him at the Crescent Park, one of the biggest of SonnSol City, where he spotted a small group of zeraks gathered around something that could be their meal.
Valdenn landed in the middle of the group of zeraks, blasting away those around him and crushing two of them, but soon realized the scope of the mistake he made for not following Eli¡¯s instructions. His feet in the black slime he supposed they were feeding on, Valdenn stood slowly, looking around him as hundreds and hundreds of the parasites surrounded him and were approaching, ready to launch a massive and deadly attack. The shield of the armour appeared and the knight firmly gripped his defensive and offensive weapons, ready to fight for whatever ordeal the creatures reserved him.
However, he could not even imagine what followed, as even Eli probably never knew about that particular behaviour from the creatures. The zeraks began to climb on each other, slowly turning into a green slime and progressively merging. In less than a minute, the multiple parasites turned into four giant creatures that could only be described as an amalgam carelessly made of zeraks, round in shape, and with countless arms, eyes and mouths, as well as one massive tail.
A sheer feeling of fear invaded him at the moment he tried to take off to no avail. He looked down at his feet only to realize that they were stuck into the black slime he landed on. The dark and extremely cold substance then began slowly climbing on his armour, a clear sign that he had to think of something fast before the situation worsens. He tried to exit the spirit realm and return to the normal one where he could escape the creatures, a clever plan that did not work either. The monstrous amalgams surrounded him, and he looked at them once more as they prepared to give him the final blow.
Book 1 CH 02 : The Lurking Shadows
Book 1 Chapter 02
The Lurking Shadows
Was it the end so soon? Valdenn asked himself, at the sight of the four amalgams vibrating simultaneously with all their eyes shining in red. The knight attempted to free himself from the black slime with his sword, only to get it stuck in the substance, right at the first swing. He tried to flap very fast to take off as the black goo made its way up his sword. The red light in the creatures¡¯ eyes grew brighter, as the end of Valdenn and his mission drew near. The knight ceased to fight, watching the amalgam in front of him and waiting for the angel of the death to strike him.
¡°Divine lightning rain.¡± Eli calmly said.
Valdenn looked up and a mixed feeling of surprise and joy filled his heart when he saw his mentor floating in the air right above the creatures. His coat agitated by the wind, Eli pointed his rod up and a blue light ball escaped from his weapon and engulfed in the clouds above his head. A few seconds after, as the creatures were about to release their attacks on Valdenn all at once, a gust of lightning bolts struck them, blinding the knight in the process.
Never have been the growls of the zeraks so deafening, powerless under the rain of lightning bolts unleashed by Eli. How could he display such tremendous power without having an armor? The apprentice asked himself. However, they did not last half a minute and Valdenn could not witness what was taking place in front of him, covering his eyes with his forearm and one of his wings, until all the screams stopped. When the knight opened his eyes, he noticed that all of the zeraks as well as the black goo vanished, and he saw Eli standing before him, already scolding him with an angry look.
¡°I can see you plan on getting yourself killed.¡± Eli said, turning around and starting to walk away.
¡°They were many coming here, I had to catch the summoners!¡± Valdenn pointed out, his sword and shield disappearing as he ran to his mentor.
¡°What did I tell you to do before I left?¡± Eli asked, walking straight ahead without looking at Valdenn.
¡°It was an emergency! I had to¡ª¡±
¡°Disobey?¡± Eli asked again, stopping his walk and looking right into his apprentice¡¯s eyes.
Valdenn stopped his walk too, paused and took a deep breath before replying: ¡°You know it wasn''t my intention.¡±
¡°You won¡¯t last long if you keep on not listening.¡± Eli pointed out, while a blue light outlined his whole body before he slowly took off.
¡°I don¡¯t understand anymore! What do you expect from me?¡± Valdenn said as he spread his wings to follow his mentor in the air.
The rain had stopped, and a fresh air brushed the grass of the Crescent Park as the two heroes were getting further in the sky. Hidden all the time behind one of the park¡¯s tree, a shadowy figure watched them fly away, the heart filled with absolute bitterness and hatred after the great defeat. Lissya removed her hood and clenched her fist, already thinking of how she could counter attack the next time Eli uses that lightning technique. Resolute to serve her master Astin, she vowed to find a way to defeat the two obstacles that could hinder their plan to summon Orozias, before opening a portal under her feet and disappearing under the ground.
Seized with a certain sense of guilt following another terrible blunder that almost cost him his life, Valdenn flied behind his taciturn mentor, knowing the old man would sooner or later reprimand him for his act. Therefore, in an effort to brush it off, the young man broke the silence with a question he thought would make him look like a committed apprentice eager to learn.
¡°What was that move earlier?¡± he asked, only to be ignored by Eli. Confronted to such an attitude started to boil his blood on the spot, so he tried again, a little harder and in a little less polite way. "Old man! There is no victory without taking action and risks!"
"Wrong." Eli replied, suddenly stopping his flight and thus prompting his apprentice to mimic him. "Instead, there is no victory without faith." The old mentor added, floating in the air and still not looking back at Valdenn.
"I do believe. I do believe what you told me, about us light pilgrims having the supreme power. But still, those creatures were about to..."
"You got afraid when you realized they had you trapped." At the moment Eli mentioned his apprentice''s fear, a fairly strong wind blew in the opposite direction they were facing, as if it came to support the veracity of the mentor''s statement. "Fear is the end of faith, and the end of faith is the end of power."
"The end of..."
"So let me ask you again more clearly this time. What is it that really torment your mind?"
"Why there are so many rules to follow? Why can''t we just crush them all since we are the one possessing the true power? What else do we.¡ª"
"For the last time!" Eli retorted almost angrily. "What do you fear?"
Resulting from the depth of the master''s question, a silence let the wind of the night whisper in their ears as the knight was about to open a door to his mind. Looking down at the city with a sad look, Valdenn finally said the words that prompted his hasty actions:
"My family may be in danger as we speak Eli. I don''t know why The Highest gave me these powers. I don''t know why I can''t see my family yet, when I''ve the power to protect them. Eli, you know about my past, and you know I might be right about them being in danger. Since it''s the mission first, I want to accomplish it as soon as possible so I can be reunited with my family. Can you blame me for that?"
With his spiritual eyes open, Eli looked down on the city, witnessing the darkness of the reality hidden behind all the beautiful buildings, cars and lights. Understanding the mission a little more, the old man answered:
"This is not about blaming anyone. And this is not about your family only. The whole world needs you right now Greg, because the witch is coming. The world needs the light more than ever. The Highest gave us the mission to spread it. We are the knights of Sermo, but we are first light pilgrims just like our brothers and sisters in the temples. The Highest never lied, so you don''t have to worry about your family. Focus on the task and keep faith, and remember that fear can bring to life what you dread. This is your milestone, and a key towards your growth." Eli said before resuming his flight.
Plunged in reflection following his mentor''s answer, Valdenn watched him for a few seconds as his words echoed in his mind just as loud as a tower''s bell: fear can bring to life what you dread. The knight then resumed his flight too, resolute to not put his family in danger by the mere power of his sheer fear. Faith and the mission first, he thought while clenching his fists, ready for the fight and the long road that awaited. The dawn enlightened them both while on the ground some of the buildings'' lights were turned off, and SonnSol City prepared for a brand new day.
At the same moment, in the outskirts of the town, sinister plots were shaped in the alleys of a renowned district. Between the fairly tall and old buildings, a group of dealers was in pursuit of a young man, tracking him with malice and rage like a wolf pack. The melancholic grey sky above his head seemed to predict his sad and inevitable demise, as the bleeding young man limped to his best toward a chance of escape that narrowed at each step he made. Soon, behind him, a canon released one deadly cherry that did not miss his heart, making him crash instantly on the still wet and dirty floor.
"Get down Cody! Get down now!" A woman ordered in an apartment near the crime scene as soon as she heard the gunshot.
"Okay, okay mom, that''s what I''m doing." the annoyed little boy said while executing himself with nonchalance, his portable video game in hand.
"I got him!" a girl shouted from the streets.
"Dammit! If it starts again we''ll be late." the mom said, joining her son under the dining table.
"Mom, it happens all the time here. You know it, especially since¡ª"
"Don''t you dare speaking of him!" she retorted, addressing her son a stabbing look while he kept on playing his game.
"Look mom, it''s just some gunshots. They''re done with their business and they should be far from here now because the cops are on their way." the boy said, still quite focused on beating his own record.
"You don''t take nothing seriously do you?" the woman questioned, looking at her son and shaking her head in disbelief.
"It''s not like that mom."
After shaking her head one more time, she then stood up and crept to the window, and threw a quick look through her curtain only to glimpse the body of a young man bathing in its own blood. Her eyes then caught something right in front at the window facing hers, as she saw her neighbor looking back at her while on the phone, certainly with the police. She closed her eyes and sighed to the sad view, already regretting her act, conscious that it will only add to her long list of horrible memories.
"We''re not going anymore." she said as she started to unpack what she already prepared for their destination.
"What? Mom why? You promised to¡ª" Cody said immediately getting his eyes off his console and standing up, his eyes filled with a mix of surprise and disappointment.
"Today doesn''t feel safe Cody. We''ll go next weekend. And the weather today is not good anyway." she retorted, still busy unloading her backpack.
"You''re just like Greg aren''t you?" Cody asked.
His mom froze when she heard that name, closing her eyes and clenching her fists as if she battled to contain a volcanic eruption. She then sighed to control her emotions, slowly turned to her son and managed to address him in the most calm manner:
"Cody. For the last time, I forbid you to¡ª"
"Or what mommy? You''ll beat me? Just like he used to do right?" he said, looking straight in his mother''s eyes.
"Cody!" she shouted, making a step forward and surprised by the attitude of her son.
"You''re not different mom." he added, walking to his room.
"Cody! Cody!" she shouted after him.
Distressed by the situation, she sat at the dining table and slid her fingers through her hair. She looked through the window at the sky, desperate about the ways she could soften the relationship between her and her son. A little noise pulled her back to earth as she looked in the direction of a television set.
"Damn mice." she whispered, not even taking a clear look at the small animals, as her eyes were trapped by the framed picture resting on the television set. Their smiles dazzled in that moment of pure bliss at the beach that day, a beautiful moment between a mother and her son during the day of his fifth birthday. She sighed again, and looked back at the sky through the window.
"He quite looks just like you Greg. Right?" she said, her words almost muffled by the loud sirens of the oncoming police cars.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
Unfazed by the arrival of the police, a man dressed in all black was seated on the hood of his car parked some meters away from the young man body. With all the calm in the world, while looking at Cody''s apartment window, he took his phone and launched a call as two police cars parked on the crime scene.
"Yeah it''s me." the man said on the phone while he looked at the ring on his right index. A silver ring with the letter W carved on its front. "I found that bastard''s family." He added, watching four police officers getting out of their cars. "Huh, yeah don''t worry about that." the mysterious man said taking a look at the cadaver on the ground. "Just some fun I''ve nothing to do with. Catch you later." he hung up, looking back at the police officers unseathing their weapons.
"Police! Don''t move!" one officer said as they all pointed their guns at him.
"I ain''t got none to do with that officers." the man calmly said, getting off his car hood with his hands up. "And it''s quite a shame I missed the damned party." he added, turning around and waiting to get handcuffed, under the curious peering of several residents.
Later the same day, Greg stood at the window of their apartment with a cup of tea in hand, admiring birds flying in circles in the sky. A little habit he developed over the years envying their undeniable freedom, a luxury he long felt completely deprived of. The late afternoon wind of SonnSol City seemed to carry all the sins and calamities of the town, marching like a prophet of doom, come to announce a soon to arrive demise in the form of news broadcast:
"...carry on with the investigations. Following the suicide of the latest victim''s mother early this morning, Mr Mayor Simon Ribburts gave a speech earlier this afternoon in front of the SonnSol City central police station to testify his support and encourage all the victims'' families..."
Greg could not listen no more and decided to ignore the television behind him. The words of the reporter made him close his eyes, already sharing the pain of the victims themselves. An empathy he thought he could never be capable of months ago, when he was still shielded from all sort of emotions by his armor of cruelty and crime. To the mere thoughts of his past deeds, his hands began to tremble as he managed to keep a hold of his cup of tea.
His eyes still closed, he could see himself again robbing a poor old couple when he was still a late teenager. The dark memories then took him to that day when he and his partner in crime beat up a local butcher to near death. Milna and Cody, his two most important persons in the world he chose so often to abandon for a life of dirty money and fleshly pleasures. He could also see himself, selling tons of various drugs over the years and get engaged in gunfights across the city.
They called me Burner, he thought, feeling embarrassed for even choosing such a ridiculous name for himself. But yet, he and his fellow thug pal Thunder terrorized the city for several years before the tragic car crash that almost took his life. Greg remembered the fall, the water, the blue light that chased away the approaching shadows before the complete blackout.
"Fresh air and a hot tea." a familiar voice said behind him. "Is that why you refused to come to the temple today?" Eli questioned while hanging his umbrella up the coat rack, as Greg turned to him.
"Told you. Just didn''t feel like it today." Greg replied, before looking back at the sky and sipping his tea.
"You know that Shepherd Elijah is really eager to meet you right?" Eli reminded his apprentice, approaching him as he talked.
"I guess it''s just like you say all the time. Time will come."
"Well, in the meantime, how about a new lesson to get you one step forward? Hm?" Eli proposed, tapping Greg on the shoulder.
The apprentice looked at his master almost as soon as the latter pronounced those words "It better be that lightning thing then." Greg answered with a smile.
Eli then joined his hands as if he was about to say a prayer and his eyes shone with a blue light. At that instant, the decor of the apartment changed as everything disintegrated, rapidly replaced by an empty vast room. Everything from the floor to the ceiling was white, however, the blue light shining from behind those surfaces made the whole place look like a navy blue room.
"Warming up first." the old man said, making his faithful rod appear right in his hand.
"Good. I hope you''re not too rusted." Greg said, throwing his fist forward before his armor appeared on his body.
Finally, the time had come. The time to reign as a supreme master, the time to rule this ruthless city, and to prove everyone who doubted him wrong, thought Astin in the dark of his empty room. Through a curtain, only a single beam of moonlight rested on his face, making his eyes glint, as his concentration session reached an end. A tough past is the premise of a great future, he thought, standing before taking the direction of the door.
Opening the door to his living room never felt so symbolic to him before, the passage of a man from one dimension to another, or from one life to the next. Ready he was, and so were most of the members of his cult, as well as every single necessary item for the ritual. Still dressed with their usual dark grey garment, they were all standing around a circular seal burning on the floor, hands forward, in order to tame the powerful element until the beginning of the ritual.
Sauntering around the participants of the ritual, Astin soon reached his place and took an ancient locket from the pant he wore under his cloak. The locket and the seal on the floor were identical and represented a four pointed star trapped in a circle, symbol of the elemental spirit they were attempting to summon. After presenting the locket with reverence, he then wore the sacred item around his neck and put his hood back on his head. As soon as he imitated the gesture of his fellow occultists, the fire grew instantly and a vicious smile full of malice decorated his face.
"Concentrate Valdenn. Focus on the ball of energy." Eli said, still in the training dimension with his apprentice.
They were both kneeling on the ground, eyes closed, facing a little ball of blue light shaking between them. Valdenn tried to focus as hard as he could to canalize the energy and stabilize the ball of blue light, first step for the mastering of a new technique he needed for his mission. To see if his apprentice could hold a higher level of energy, the master transferred even more of it into the ball which grew larger and shook even more. Under his helmet, Valdenn grit his teeth in an effort to contain the energy, while Eli continued to encourage him for the task.
"You''re doing good young man. Just concentrate. The energy is¡ª" the master spoke, stopping in his track. He then opened his eyes and looked behind him with suspicion.
Valdenn could not hold the energy any longer and the ball of light shook uncontrollably before exploding and making the knight fall on his back. As he opened his eyes, Valdenn was surprised to see Eli standing meters away from him, his left ear and his hands glued to the wall trying to listen to something.
"Hey! We were supposed to work on it together re¡ª" he said, halted by the gesture of his master placing his right index on his lips.
The knight stood and watched his mentor focused on a far more different task for several minutes. Eli squinted his eyes more and more as he listened closely to distant voices which seemed to repeat the same phrase in the same manner with reverence. The 6th Valdenn closed his eyes and concentrated for few more minutes before he could clearly hear it:
"Come oh Orozias and unleash the fire of destruction!"
As soon as he heard the words, he stepped back from the wall. His eyes were filled with dismay, locked on the wall before the distraction came from his apprentice.
"What''s wrong?" Valdenn asked.
"Are you tired young man?" Eli calmly questioned after he turned to him.
"You''re joking right?"
"Are you ready for action?"
"Always."
Eli made his rod appear in his hand and they were suddenly back in the apartment.
"We have to go. We have to stop them before it''s too late. Right now!" Eli ordered as he flew through the window.
Valdenn followed, unaware of the reason why he interrupted the training, but excited about the opportunity to work with Eli for the very first time.
"Come oh Orozias and unleash the fire of destruction!" Astin said while the other members were reciting incantations in an unknown language.
Under the full moon of SonnSol City, the heroes flew in the direction of the ritual''s location as Eli led the way. Valdenn managed to keep up with the mentor which speed was incredibly high for a person flying without an armor, driven by his energy alone. As they got closer to Astin''s house, despite seeing the buildings and the city''s lights literally flashing below them because of their high speed flight, they still spotted a few zeraks running in the same direction at some point, bringing a clear confirmation into the knight''s mind about the nature of the emergency.
Confident about her power and determined to fulfill her task, Lissya stood on the roof of an apartment complex and raised her arms at the distant view of the two heroes rushing towards her master''s house. The strong wind that arose following her summoning agitated her cloak and soon her hood fell backwards, revealing her long, black and gray hair as she pronounced the words to launch her devastating technique:
"Zeraks Hurricane." she quietly said.
At that instant, carried by the wind since they cannot fly, hundreds of zeraks appeared behind her, turning in circles as if they were trapped in a giant hurricane. She then put her hands forward and the strong wind blew right above her head, carrying all the zeraks in the direction of the knights.
"We summon you oh great Orozias, come and unleash your fire of destruction upon this world!" Astin said, while the other members carried on with the incantations. Their voices grew pressing at the sight of the burning seal on the floor vanishing progressively, a sign that their ritual was being a downright failure.
"Impressive." Valdenn whispered when he saw the amazing cloud of zeraks almost covering the whole sky that was sent in their direction. He then wondered what the world could be if everyone could see the spiritual world as he was able to. Frozen in the air in front of the challenge he was about to face, he then heard his master''s voice who accelerated his flight towards the zeraks hurricane:
"You have to believe! Hurry!" Eli shouted.
His apprentice watched him as he engulfed in the cloud of monsters until he disappeared, only seeing a blue light flashing inside it from time to time. Sword in hand, Valdenn hesitated several seconds, his family in mind, before he resumed his flight towards the monsters with his shield forward, screaming like a warrior running to his death.
"Orozias! Oh great Orozias! We summon you tonight, come and unleash your fire in this world!" Astin summoned once more as the burning seal kept on extinguishing slowly. A feeling of despair then rose in his heart in front of this spectacle when the other summoners stopped their incantations and looked at him with a surprised look on their faces.
On the roof of the building, despite bleeding from the nose due to the tremendous power she was trying to withstand, Lissya swayed her arms in different directions in order to control the wind and therefore the direction of the zeraks in the cloud. Determined to win the battle against the old man and the knight, she began whispering incantations to add more power to her technique.
Inside the zeraks hurricane, the raging battle of the two heroes against the monsters continued. Eli made his rod turn around his hand and serve as a propeller to release waves of energy that destroyed many zeraks in its path. Valdenn turned around himself and released several feathers and killed a fair number of zeraks. Eli then made his rod lit and hold it at one end before it became a long whip of blue light that he swayed around him and pulverized several zeraks. On his side, Valdenn curled up in a fetal position with his wings around his body and his sword pointing forward, before he began to turn around him quickly and act like a human slicing disk. He moved like that in the direction of his master killing many of the monsters until they both found themselves back to back. Eli looked at him and nodded, to which his apprentice responded by nodding back.
"What''s the meaning of this?" Astin whispered. "This can''t be."
"The seal! It''s vanishing!" one of the cult members said out loud in a panic.
"Yes I know! I can see it!" Astin shouted, ripping his hood from his cloak.
"We have to hurry!" another one suggested.
What could go wrong? Astin wondered. He gathered prominent occultists and rallied them to his cause. During months, they performed the several rituals necessary to summon the entity during this night''s full moon. He was in possession of all the items required to perform each ritual successfully and especially the locket for the final summoning. He was himself a good occultist and worked hard to reach such a level, ready to graduate to a higher one in this night of glory. But what just went wrong? He kept on the wondering, his eyes on the slowly vanishing seal.
"Do something!" he heard from another member, violently pulled out of his train of thoughts.
Not again. Not another failure. Astin thought, images from his past flashing into his mind, from the day he was laughed at in front of the whole class at school, through the day he received a severe rejection from a school he wanted to attend, and to a recent day he got bullied at the fire station where he used to work. Therefore, contrasting with the weak fire of the burning seal, a raging fire arose in his heart from all those bad memories. Astin pulled the locket and broke the chain against his neck, almost hurting himself, and guided by his uncontrollable anger, he placed his hand forward, holding the locket, as the words escaped from his mouth:
"Orozias! By the power of the seal of fire, I summon you right now! Come!" he shouted.
When he pronounced the last word, the seal completely vanished in the same manner the flame disappear when someone blows on a candle. They all stared at the seal, paralyzed and in complete disbelief of the failure that just came to be their share. Several of them then turned to Astin, ready for retaliation after his ultimate blunder.
"All these nights, during months!" one of the summoners said.
"What have you done Astin?" an old lady among them asked.
"I know what we should do right now, we should rip him apart and offer him as a sacrifice." another cult member suggested.
"It wasn''t supposed to be like this." Astin whispered.
"Well it is now. Because you failed, you prick!" Marcel said. "I''m not going back to Europe empty handed because of your stupidity! Never!"
"Wait. Let me think, there''s surely something." Astin said quietly.
"What thing? There''s nothing left!" Marcel shouted.
"I said wait! I have to think of¡ª" Astin was replying when he suddenly got interrupted by an expected occurrence.
A strong fire of incredible heat emerged from the seal of the floor which was back to burning. As soon as the fire reached the ceiling of the room, it began to take shape in front of the amazed summoners in order to reveal a powerful entity of incredible size. It resembled a giant, bald and muscular man whose only clothes were fire. Not able to stand, the entity bowed the knee in the too small room, its lit yellow eyes plunged in Astin''s. Helped in recognition by the legends and the research they made on it, the cult could easily identify the supernatural being in front of them. The ritual was a success and their efforts finally led to the desired outcome. Orozias had finally appeared, and it was time to bow before him.
Book 1 CH 03 : Baptism Of Fire
Sermo
Book 1 Chapter 03
Baptism Of Fire
The army of zeraks diminished considerably as Valdenn and Eli continued the fight. From that moment, even inside the zeraks hurricane, they could see the sky and some buildings of the city, as the armor of Valdenn glinted under SonnSol City''s full moon. The knight spotted Lissya from afar on the roof she stood on and hesitated for several seconds, waiting for a clear opportunity.
"Don''t do that." Eli said quietly as to add a more serious tone to the suggestion.
Of course, the rush of adrenalin in the young man''s blood went as far as to decide for himself, and his body moved forward, flying in the direction of the evil summoner. Lissya raised again her arms and made more zeraks appear for her technique. Unable to keep up with the tremendous amount of dark energy the summoning required, she bowed the knee to prevent herself from falling, weakened by her efforts.
Valdenn easily dodged the monsters, making his way through them by flying from left to right and vice versa until he could reach his target, without using his sword once. At the approach of the hero, Lissya stood, staring at her assailant with her eyes filled with despise and hatred. She watched him rush towards her and waited for the right moment to make sure he receives the surprise she prepared for him.
At five meters from Lissya, Valdenn pointed his sword at the occultist, and she responded by spitting a good amount of a black slime which hit the knight at the right wing. Too tired to even avoid him, she then watched the knight fall right on her, and they both passed through the roof like two spirits, engaged in a fierce and deadly battle.
"The hell?" a man dressed with only a short whispered at his window while he looked outside, trying to understand why there was such a strong wind in the middle of the night. Convinced that the weather broadcast did not mention the occurrence, he then looked at the sky, unable to see the zeraks summoned by the sorceress, and even more unaware of Valdenn fighting her right behind him in his bedroom.
Lissya took advantage of the spiritual realm by attempting to spit the black slime at the man looking through his window. Valdenn stopped the shot by sacrificing his left wing and found himself completely unable to fly. The sorceress smiled at him, ready to use that in her advantage. With the knight at her mercy, she decided to take the opportunity of finishing him. However, when she tried to attack the knight with another technique, she found herself unable to release the necessary dark energy for the summoning.
She looked at her hands, surprised by the occurrence, and did not even get the time to take a glimpse at Valdenn, already in the momentum of a counter attack, as his sword violently pierced her stomach. Gone at full speed for his attack, they both passed through several walls and soon found themselves falling from the last story of the building to the ground.
Eli released a huge and strong beam of blue light from his rod, and blinded all the monsters surrounding him. He then proceeded to transform his rod again to a whip and destroyed all the remaining zeraks. As his rod went back to its initial form, he stood in the air and looked around him for any sign of a monster summoned or the sorceress herself. Not seeing any of the two, he then sensed an evil presence which dark aura emanated from the ritual''s location.
"Fools." he quietly said, his eyes widely opened, realizing what the summoners had just done. Maybe there was still time, he thought, flying toward Astin''s house.
Some of the occultists noticed something strange on the seal, something that they were unable to explain at that moment. One of the four points of the star on the seal was lit with a vivid yellow light. Astin looked at Orozias, unable to even mutter anything in front of the massive and impressive supernatural entity. All the cult members bowed before Orozias and Astin quickly imitated them, an act of reverence which somehow prompted the evil spirit to break the silence.
Flying as fast as he could, Eli glimpsed Valdenn and Lissya lying on the ground near a large waste bean in a dark alley. But he could not resolve himself to stop for his apprentice he deeply cared for. Since the mission comes first, the mentor sped up in order to prevent an extraordinary catastrophe to occur, with the hope that there was not another sorcerer in the way.
"Who are you?" Orozias questioned, his lit and yellow burning eyes locked on Astin. His deep and echoing voice made all the cult members shiver in a strange mix of fear and amazement.
"Great. Oh great Orozias, your servants have gathered on this special night in your honor." Astin said, not daring to look at him longer.
"Who are you?" Orozias asked again.
Nervous and sweating, because of both the fear and the unbearable heat of the entity, Astin managed to reply:
"My name, is Astin Neal Keldon." he said, placing his hand against his chest. "All your servants here are members of a cult we founded in your honor. The Order of Orozias."
"What is your desire?" Orozias asked, still staring at Astin without blinking once.
"Our goal is to summon you in this world master, to free you from the dimension you were imprisoned in. We want you to reign here in this world, and unleash your fire of destruction" Astin explained, making big gestures while also taking furtive glimpses of the entity''s face.
"Answer my question." Orozias said, literally raising the temperature in the room.
He quickly understood that he had to tame his emotions and answer the entity with wisdom, so that Orozias does not wreck havoc on his cult. Astin''s eyes met Marcel''s, who just nodded in trust and confidence about what the former had to respond.
"Our desire, oh great Orozias, is only to remain beside you during your reign of fire." Astin said and waited for the entity''s reaction.
Eli soon saw Astin''s house from afar. A bright yellow light was visible on one of the windows as well as numerous zeraks around the place, attracted by the presence of the malevolent entity. The blue light outlining his body and his rod intensified to get him ready for the upcoming battle that would be more dangerous than the previous one.
"What is your offering?" Orozias asked after several minutes of silence.
Suddenly caught off guard, Astin looked at the other members as they were all looking at each other, conscious about the fact that they did not prepare any sacrifice. They looked back at Astin, putting the whole burden on his head, and expecting him to answer with diplomacy and wisdom once again.
"Great Orozias, on this night of glory, what can we have to offer to you that is more valuable than your freedom?" Astin questioned back.
"I asked you a question, human. And you dare question me in return."
"Great Orozias, I only¡ª"
"Silence !" Orozias yelled. At that instant, two members of the cult were struck with a spontaneous fire that burned them to ashes in seconds, not even letting them scream.
The other members, including Astin, fell on their backs and looked at Orozias, expecting him to make more victims on his next move.
"You talk of things you don''t understand. You tell me that you freed me and you disturb me without preparing an offering!" Orozias added, burning several others in the room.
"We just wanted to fulfill the prophecy!" Astin said, trying to calm down the evil spirit.
"I said silence! And you dare defy my authority. Even the great witch herself think thoroughly before summoning me. Therefore, I shall not be submitted to mere insects like¡ª"
"You will obey to my command spirit! You''re bound to the seal of fire!" Astin yelled at the entity, presenting him the locket in his hand.
"The seal of the elementals." Orozias said, correcting Astin, who did not know how much the spirit despised the main item required to summon it. Without saying much more, Orozias released a tremendous heatwave from his whole body to silence the defiant and ignorant occultists who dared play with fire.
On his way to the ritual''s location, Eli stopped its flight when he saw a phenomenal fire consume the whole house in a matter of seconds. The fire then got absorbed very quickly and entered in the symbol on the floor to disappear completely like it never existed. The only thing left of the house and the cult members was a pile of ashes, gently scattered by the mild wind of SonnSol City''s dawn.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"Fools." Eli whispered again.
As soon as he said that word, among the concerned neighbors that came out of their houses amazed by the supernatural occurrence, his eyes caught a few zeraks who escaped the blazing fire rushing to the scene to feed on the residual dark energy. Filled with anger as he witnessed the voracious attitude of the vile parasites, Eli attacked them, while hearing the sirens of the approaching firefighters.
Valdenn opened an eye, still weak after his fall while fighting Lissya, awaken by her muffled whispers. He then opened his other eye and looked at her, trying hard to stand up in front of the sorceress. His wings still covered and neutralized by the black slime, he managed to stand next to her, his silver armor mirroring the dark blue color of the sky.
"Glo¡ªglory¡ªto Oro¡ªOrozz..." Lissya said with her mouth filled with blood.
Touched by the pitiful spectacle, Valdenn still did not know what to do to help her at that point. Lying on the floor with Valdenn''s sword still deep in her stomach, she looked at the sky with her eyes filled with pain, while several leaves and junk papers carried by the wind, rolled over her body. Before the first rays of sun appeared, Lissya breathed for the last time. A few minutes later, her body turned into ashes carried by the wind as if taken to the new destination of her damned and disturbed soul.
"Don''t move." Valdenn heard his mentor''s voice behind him.
"How did it go there?" Valdenn asked, completely ignored by Eli who removed the black slime from his apprentice''s wings with one blast of blue light from his rod.
"Let''s go!" Eli replied, then flew away towards their apartment.
Valdenn sighed as he watched Eli get further away, already preparing to get scolded by his master. He spread his wings and followed his master in the air. The sun enlightened the city, progressively dressing the buildings with a bright and warm yellow color, and filled the heart of the knight with the hope of a new day deprived from evil activities. A wishful thinking that he himself knew could never be true as long as the mission had to be fulfilled, for the good sake of the whole world, and his family in particular.
Far away from the violence of both the spiritual and the normal realms in the city, a man of great importance slept peacefully, lying in bed next to his wife. A tender piano melody resonated in the whole villa according to his own recommendations, in order to appease him when he needed to rest. Surrounded by his linen curtains and his soft carpets, the mildness of his sleep soon reached an abrupt end when his phone rang. He immediately opened his eyes to the sight of a chandelier glistening like a diamond. The man reached out for his phone without looking and answered the call.
"Yes?" he said as soon as he picked up.
"Mr Mayor, it''s Wes. I got some important news."
"What''s that?" Simon Ribburts asked while his wife started to stretch.
"There was a fire in some house at Volan Park, it was rented by a firefighter named Astin Keldon. The guy quitted his job and nobody ever saw him since."
"Any casualties?"
"I can''t tell, we all waiting for the experts for now. Neighbors say everything just burnt to ashes in seconds. Can you believe that?"
"Good job Wes, send the address to the driver so I can be on my way, and all the details to the others." the mayor said while leaving his bed. "This gonna be some good material for my campaign." he then added.
"Alright Mr Mayor."
On the way to the bedroom''s bathroom, he composed a number to reach another person, already rubbing his hands in the depth of his heart. Simon closed the door behind him and went to stand in the front of the mirror as the recipient''s phone started ringing. On the other end of the line, in a small apartment contrasting with her employer''s villa, a lady jumped from her bed and ran in the direction of the fixed phone to pick up the call.
"Yes?" she nervously said answering the call, then realized her early morning blunder for not addressing her boss the right way. "Yes Mr Mayor? Good morning Mr Mayor!" she added trying to rectify the shot.
"There''s been a fire at Volan Park."
"A fire? Oh that''s so¡ª"
"Listen Reecia, instead of getting your ugliness sleep, you better write a good speech for me this time. Not that other day trash or you getting fired before sunset. Wes will send you the details. Be on your way." he calmly said before he hung up.
Reecia heard the tone of the ending call, her face stuck into a blank expression while she stared into the void. Immobile for several seconds, she did not even realize that she still had the handset glued to her ear, until the discreet notification tone of her smartphone echoed in the dead silence of her apartment. She snapped out of her daze, dropped the handset, and started wondering how she could begin to deal with the task at hand, while scratching her head through her curly black hair.
Later on the same day, the two heroes were spending a quiet afternoon working on their regular job in order to subsist. Sitting in the living room with knives in hands, they carved through pieces of wood, sculpting magnificent statues and other objects, all of them inspired by the wonderful things Eli had the chance to admire during his missions as the 6th Valdenn. With the television set turned on, they listened to the Mayor''s speech after watching the latest news about the serial killer in town. Simon Ribburts stood in front of the remains of Astin''s house, with Reecia on his right and Wes on his left, speaking words of care and empathy:
"...for the good sake of this city despite his terrible trials. A man who gave his all, to keep us safe from disastrous accidents, just like the one he has just been victim of. He may have lost a lot by losing his house, but we pray and we wait for the experts'' analysis, with the hope that he did not pay the ultimate in that fire. This city is shaken by very brutal and sad events, it''s the truth, and it hurts. Concerning the killer, I can assure you that everything in our power has been set in motion to neutralize that threat, and justice will be served. But, on the other end, if Astin is alive, we have the duty to find him, to help him, because we are all part of the big family of SonnSol City. Therefore, we can''t leave one of our own in distress..."
As the speech continued, Greg could not shake an idea that kept on growing bigger and clear in his mind. Maybe that was what Eli investigated on during all his solo operations. Even though Greg thought that Eli would not give him a precise answer, Greg chose the simplest way for once, and asked the question in order to erase any doubt in his mind:
"You think that''s the guy?" Greg asked.
"What guy?"
"The killer. The serial killer in town. You think that Astin guy is him?"
"I don''t think so. I don''t see why a serial killer would be interested in summoning an elemental spirit." Eli said.
"Elemental spirit?"
"Don''t worry. You''ll know about them very soon."
"Why not just tell me now? Instead of just sculpting and listening to that crook." Greg said, pointing his knife at the Mayor on TV.
"Remember what the sacred scrolls say young man. There''s a time for everything."
"Time? How many years it will take till I''m completely ready for the mission?"
"At this rate and with your attitude? Maybe all your life."
"What? All my life?" Greg said as he stopped sculpting. "And what about my family? How many seconds they have until I can finally get to them and keep them safe?"
"Your mission is oriented towards the world, and your family is part of it. But since you''re talking about time let me ask you this. How much time did you give to that lady?"
"What? That girl with the zeraks? What do you mean?"
"You killed her Greg, like one of those vulgar parasites. Now you tell me, how much time did you give her?" Eli calmly asked, focused on finishing his sculpting work.
Greg stood up, unnerved by the question and made a few steps away from Eli as he passed his hand through his hair. "Listen, I didn''t have a choice okay?" He said, walking back to his mentor.
"Oh really?" Eli said, adding a final touch to his work.
"She was about to finish me off, you saw my wings when you came back right?"
"Self-defense or not, it''s still a failure on your part, young knight." Eli replied, finally looking at Greg. "First of all, we''re light pilgrims. Secondly, we''re knights of Sermo. Thirdly, and most importantly, we don''t kill those people on the dark side and just send them to hell, we share the light with them to bring them back to the truth. That''s the mission." he said before putting the statue he just finished on the table.
"Of course. The mission." Greg said, smiling with sarcasm.
"If you don''t shake that fear for your family off your mind, you''ll finally get them in real trouble yourself one day. Now get back to work, it''s sunset already."
The apprentice sat back and looked at his master, who leisurely picked up another block of wood and started sculpting another statue.
"You know Eli, I''m starting to wonder if you think all that because you got nothing to lose."
"Wrong. I''m confident because I trust in The Highest."
"You''re the only one who sees or hear Him after all."
"Grow in the spirit and you''ll be able too. You really should, because the witch is coming, and she has no mercy left in her heart."
The apprentice just shook his head and resumed his work, beaten by the calm of his mentor, while in the corridor a couple was engaged in a fierce argument about a few drugs stolen. Eli looked at the door as soon as he heard them, and the idea that came to his mind at that moment made him smile.
On the evening, sparkling with all its lights on, SonnSol City seemed to rest a little after a whole day spent without any incident. However, Eli''s words seemed to materialize after he pronounced them as a threat much closer to the witch he mentioned was about to be reborn like a phoenix.
A mild wind of doom blew on Volan Park, motioning the yellow bands around the pile of ashes left after the fire at Astin''s place. The pile of ashes soon began to move, not only agitated by the wind but instead by something that made its way from underneath it to the surface. After seconds, even though nobody was found under the ashes, a pale human hand emerged from it with a burn mark of the elementals'' seal on its palm.