Finally~

I'm too busy lately ._.

Enjoy!

Chapter 5

His wounds were completely healed now so they continued their journey to the Greatwall after they thanked Selene for her help.

They had talked a little after Luan felt better. It seemed Selene was a Pawn, too, much to Luan's surprise. She did look somehow emotionless but wasn't. Or maybe she was just shy. She told him that her Master died and gave her... her heart. So she became fully human. She said it was hard at the beginning, accepting the fate of her Arisen and that Selene had her heart.

She was overpowered by her strong emotions that came with the heart. Emotions which were from her Master. Emotions which were her own that came with it. And emotions which were already within her. So it was true that a Pawn could develop emotions even without a heart. The Pawn just had to fulfil certain conditions to be gifted with such a gift. Maybe it was even possible for him to gain a heart? Unfortunately, Selene couldn't answer this question.

As they finally reached the Greatwall, they rested a bit, it was a long journey after all. It has been three days and a half since they left from Selene's home and it was dark outside. They shouldn't enter enemy's territory in the dark and when they were spent. That would be suicide.

There were soldiers guarding the entrance of the Greatwall, a merchant was under them, too. The two travelers walked into a tent and lay down on some matting as sleep overtook them.

They woke to a loud rumbling sound, like something heavy was collapsing. The two shot up into a fighting stance and had their hands on their weapons, ready for what was to come. But there came nothing. They walked out of the tent and all they saw was dust. They walked to the shocked guards who were in a fighting stance either.

"What happened?" The Arisen demanded. The soldier just gave him a confused look and shrugged. Luan turned to look at Zane who already knew what his Master was going to say and he just nodded in response to an unspoken question as they drew their swords and slowly walked past the gate.

On the way to the top they came across many undead and friendly soldiers as well as one Chimera that blocked their way. A they finally got to their destination, they were greeted by Elysion doing some sort of ritual with two of his followers.

"Ah, the Arisen. Welcome." He greeted with an evil and dirty smirk as he stood across from the Arisen. "I see you are here to stop me, no? Well I apologize I can not let you do this." He grinned and Luan frowned at him as he got into fighting stance.

"Elysion! Why are you doing this? Why do you want the dragon to destroy everything?"

"Because he... is salvation. Death will bring down any evil and the paradise waits beyond." He declared with doubtlessness in his eyes and voice.

"You can not know what awaits you after death! It is merely wishful thinking of some idiot!" The Arisen yelled back at him in anger at those idiotic words. Would all of them have been born if death was a salvation? Scarcely. The dragon is merely destroying everything that catches his eye and taking everything dear to us. There is nothing like salvation from such an act.

"Silence! Saying that it is idiotic and wishful thinking... it's blasphemy!" Elysion yelled back at him in rage as he mumbled some unknown words and his dagger started to glow a dangerous purple. Suddenly the two followers of his started to scream and ran towards the glowing weapon Elysion was pointing at them as if they were possessed and drawn to the sharp blade. Luan and his Pawn, who was standing right behind him, took a step back in shock as they didn't know what would happen now.

The two sacrifices were sucked into a black-purple hole and out came two Wights who dangerously hissed at them. Luan and Zane drew their weapons. Zane his big, long sword which had a demonic black aura and Luan his silver shining shield and sword, forged by the best smith in all Gransys.

The two floating ghost like creatures raised their staffs and runes of some forgotten language were formed around it. Meanwhile some undead warriors made their way over to the Arisen and his Pawn. As they fought them off as best as they could, what was really not that easy as the two Wights summoned even more and at the same time even used dangerous magic that the two warriors had to evade.

"Zane! I'll hold them away! Go get these two down!" Luan commanded his Pawn, who had a small smile on his lips as he replied.

"Of course, Master!" He obeyed, the smile now turning into a combative smirk. He ran off into a sprint and held his big sword to his side as he neared the lowering enemy. He took the opportunity to attack as the creature tried to summon another few undead and the Wight had to lower himself to the ground. As Zane was in reach, he swung his weapon upwards with a loud roar and the expressionless and empty enemy fell to the ground. Zane rammed his sword into the creature's body to finish it, instead of blood pouring out, just some dust game out and Zane coughed as it got into his lungs.

He glanced toward his white-haired Master who still did his best to hold the group of slowly approaching undead away from him. He blocked first, then hit and he repeated this many times. The Pawn averted his eyes to look at the remaining Wight which was still casting. He wasn't lowering himself though so Zane had to think about how to get up to the enemy or to get him down. He didn't know any magic and his Master neither. He knew that it had to lower himself if it wanted to summon more undead and he would do that soon as he could see that Luan was reducing the number of undead around him but soon would not be fast enough. They had no time, Luan was already bleeding on several places, not much though, and Zane was slowly but surely running out of breath, as did his Master.

After a few seconds of thinking, Zane had an idea. He looked at his Master and got in position. Spreading his legs and hooking his finger into each other in height of his hip, he yelled.

"Master!" Luan raised his shield and glanced at his Pawn who did a gesture with his head toward the flying ghost. As Luan noticed his stance he understood. He pushed the remaining undead with his raised shield away from him and ran toward his Pawn. As he reached him, he took one last step to take a jump into the bigger man's folded hands which pushed him upwards with impossible strength and he was sent flying toward the still casting enemy. He raised his sword over his head with both hands and as he reached the creature, he took a swoop downwards and to the Wight with him to nail it to the ground.

Luan took another look at the monster and supported himself with his hands on his knees when he was sure the monster was dead. He panted heavily and wiped away the sweat and dirt from his forehead with the back of his hand. Zane was by his side immediately and placed a hand on his shoulder as he smiled at him warmly in victory and Luan smiled back until they suddenly heard laughter coming from above them.

"I fear I have misjudged the extent of your skill, dear Arisen." Said someone laughed out as he stood at the very top of the castle walls. Zane and Luan shot him an irritated and hateful glare which Elysion simply ignored. "Can you not feel it, Arisen? The very air dances around us!" He raised his arms up and the sky was suddenly haunted by dark swirling clouds.

"The Dragon's reign at last begins!" He yelled out in a victories voice and with that a dragon came through the wall of dark, dusty looking clouds. But it wasn't just any dragon. No. It was the very dragon who stole the Arisen's heart. He knew it, he could feel it, the pain and thumping where his heart should be. The giant creature circled around them as Elysion continued to drown in his victory.

Behold, you unrepentant blasphemers! This is absolute truth! THIS IS SALVATIO-" He couldn't finish his speech of victory as the dragon suddenly landed on the walls, right on top of Elysion and the walls collapsed completely under the weight of the powerful and noble looking creature. That was the end of Elysion. He prayed for the dragon's appearance and he got it.

Dust was covering everything, one couldn't even see his hand before his eyes anymore. As the dust started to faint, Luan could clearly see the great dragon who stood before him, taking on a pose of pure elegance and potency. His eyes shined a bright red which watched the Arisen curiously.

"The rantings of a zealot make for tedious listening." His voice rumbled through the air loudly and it sounded like thunder to a human's ears. "His ilk serves no role in what is to come. He can not turn the fate in his favor just because he thinks it is right." As he spoke it felt like the earth was shaking with every word. "Only my death will staunch the flood of destruction and if you will face me, seek me out and I shall allow it. But heed the zealot's lesson well- when the weak court death, they find it." He challenged the Arisen as they stared into each others eyes, deeply.

"Until then, I will keep this safe. Vestrum est electio solus. (The choice is yours alone.)"He reassured as he pointed with one claw to where the Arisen's heart should be before he flaps his wings, creating a strong wind around him and he sets off toward the far sky and disappears.

Zane stepped forward and looked at his Pawn. "Master, what will you do?" Luan just smiled at him.

"Get my heart back of course!"

End of chapter 5!

The next may take a while 'cause I'm pretty busy and I have to give it my best in my last year at school now! :

Hope you enjoyed it so far and will the next chapters either ;D