Finale: Cursed blood
Italics=thoughts
Bold=journal entry
Dawn opened her eyes and looked at Emmalea.
"Miss Dawn, are you alright?!" she asked, concerned.
"Yeah...I'm fine." Dawn answered.
"You did it, you sealed it. That dark and disturbing presence and magic, I can't feel it! You-" but as she spoke and helped Dawn up, she felt a slight headache come on and her vision went a bit red.
Veins popped up along the edge of her eyes as the red grew more intense. Her headache grew and Emmalea looked at her concerned again.
"Hey, what's wrong? Com-humhp!" Emmalea spluttered, staggering back.
Dawn looked at her and saw a spear of energy in her gut. She felt her hand crackle with energy. She stepped back as her vision went back to normal.
"What…? No...I, I didn't…"
Emmalea looked at her with a pained expression.
"Dawn...your eyes...something is...wrong…" she struggled to say as blood began to drip out of her mouth.
Dawn stepped back again as her vision began to grow red again.
Wretched girl! You would try to lock me away? A voice asked in Dawn's mind.
"What…? Who…? Gah! G-Get out of my head!" Dawn said in a strained voice as her headache worsened.
The rite was a success, you are branded, correct?
Dawn felt her hand burn.
My blood flows through you, you are to be my vessel. Now release this pathetic seal and come to your god! The voice demanded.
"No! I won't do it! You're that thing Forneus made! I won't obey you!" Dawn yelled defiantly as her vision clouded with red.
Emmalea staggered over to Dawn as she paced and clutched her head.
"Dawn...what's wrong!?" she asked holding her wound.
"That thing, Grima! It's in my head!"
Dawn felt her left arm go limp before it contorted unnaturally. Magic began to pool into it. Dawn grabbed it and forced her hand to the side, a beam of magic energy firing and blasting a wall.
You won't win this battle girl, even sealed, my power and will outweigh yours.
Dawn struggled to think straight. She felt her body fall over before it jumped back up, feeling stiff. She couldn't move, but her body stretched.
"Now then, let's undo that stupid lock." Dawn's body said, a mix of her and Grima's voice speaking.
Emmalea grabbed her.
"No! I won't let you release those things!" Emmalea yelled.
A single black spike shot out of the ground and impaled her, going up and splitting her leg and emerging from her mouth. Emmalea gave a shocked, pained look before her body stopped moving. Grima chuckled.
It walked Dawn's body over to the seal.
No...I won't allow it!
Her hand twitched and Grima looked over to it. Suddenly, it flew up and punched Dawn's body in the face. It stepped back as Dawn wrestled for control.
"I'm not doing it!"
Dawn turned and began running in opposite direction.
Stubborn mage! Stop resisting! You are beginning to irritate me like that alchemist!
I don't care!
I don't think you fully comprehend this situation. My blood is in you, cursed to carry it forever. Your bloodline will never escape my grasp. You are the first of the fell dragon bloodline. If not you, than your child, your theirs, or a descendent will host me. Then I will unleash my power and bring ruin to this world. I will destroy mankind and rule over the world's wastes.
No, I won't let you. You'll stay sealed forever!
Or until some fool breaks the seal looking for adventure and power.
The voice fell silent as Dawn reached the third floor, her vision returning to normal. She noticed several mages and monks whispering around her, staring. Dawn looked down and noticed the scars all along her veins. She continued running until she came to the ground floor.
I, I have to tell the council. she thought turning down a corridor.
They'll kill you.
Shut up!
Dawn burst into the council room, making the senators jump.
"Dawn! You are alive! Reports of monsters flooding out of the lower floors have been pouring in." Atreus spoke in a concerned tone.
"I-I've sealed the sixth floor down. They...Grima...they can't escape." she said panting.
"Good, excellent!" Atreus glanced at her "Wait...where did those scars come from?! And where are the mercenaries?" he asked.
"They...they didn't make it...Emmalea, a guard, she helped them and also…" Dawn trailed off.
"I see." Gwendalin muttered.
"And...Forneus...he made something...something powerful." Dawn felt a headache come on as she spoke.
Her demeanor shifted as she felt herself slip away again. Atreus stood up, looking at the glowing brand on Dawn's hand.
"What?...hmuf...speak! What are you?" he shouted.
The senators looked around confused as Dawn looked up with a crooked smile.
"I wish she would not fight. It annoys me." A distorted voice said.
Grima!Dawn stretched and an arcane circle surrounded her.
"I am the wings of despair, the growing shadow, a divine dragon imprisoned in a mage dragon's body. An invincible god...I am the Fell dragon, Grima." It finished firing a bolt of purple lightning and destroying the roof.
Gwendalin held her hand over her mouth.
"Oh gods no!"
"What is wrong mortal, do you dislike your part in my creation? I know who you are, I have that idiot alchemist's memories from before I reduced his brain to paste." she announced with a dry laugh.
Everyone turned to her before returning to Grima!Dawn. As she opened her mouth to speak, her left hand jerked and grabbed a dagger. It stabbed her brand. Dawn let out a disturbing howl of pain which quickly turned to Dawn's normal scream.
"I'm possessed by Forneus dragon creation thing, as you can see, so please tell me you have a way to get it out of me!" Dawn begged.
"I don't know...the population of Thabes has been fleeing on mass after those death masks crawled into view. Not many remain, and that display of power and a rumor of some horrible creature thing that will surely spread and will probably make more flee. This will the end of Thabes I fear." Atreus sighed sitting down.
"It can control me and wants me to release the seal!"
"Then leave too Dawn. Hid away and ensure you never return. We will find a suitable guardian for it. After we discuss one finally matter." Atreus looked at Gwendalin.
Dawn felt her stomach sink as she left. As she reached the door, she stopped.
Goodbye Thabes.
Heh, you only delay the inevitable.
Dawn ignored Grima and descended the large staircase outside the citadel, a flash of red filling her sight.
Untold millennia later
A red haired woman sat on the deck of a boat. She held an ancient looking book with 'The history of Thabes' written on the cover. A hand touched her shoulder.
"Hey, Celica, what are you reading?" A pink haired girl asked.
"Oh, this? It's a book from the merchant's collection. He said I could have it." Celica answered.
"Well, what's it about?"
"You would probably find it boring Mae, it's a history book."
"Celica, I'm still hyper from that last battle, I need to be bored, so let's go!" Mae said with a smile.
"Well from what I read so far, there used to be a city of mages near where we'll get off. But a long time ago, something happened that made the city fall into ruin, people leaving on mass. Historians don't really know why." Celica explained.
"Huh."
As Mae was about to ask a question, a loud groan distracted them. A man with blue and black hair leaned back groaning again.
"Oh gods it never leaves me alone!" he yelled.
Another man in green stood beside him tapping his foot.
"Python, you can't just laze around and do nothing!"
"Why not! Celica isn't doing anything!" Python groaned.
"That's because she's the QUEEN Python!"
"I don't mind helping." Celica offered standing up.
"Nononono milady! You don't need to!" the knight in green protested.
"No Forsyth, I want to help, Alm is helping."
Forsyth looked at her defeated as more yelling was heard from below.
"No King Alm! Not like that!" a soft voice said.
"Trust me Genny, I know how to-" a low rumble shook the ship.
Celica sighed.
"I'll go check."
As she walked below deck, Mae walked over to Forsyth.
"So, how long til we reach Archanea?" she asked.
"Around two days, but first we have to get through that!" Forsyth said pointing at several water cyclones.
"Oh...great…" Mae whispered as she walked away, leaving the two to argue.
The ancient book sat on Celica's chair, alone, abandoned, like the city it spoke of.
AN: The story's over. It ended on a...odd note, true. Also I had that bit at the end for no reason other then because I wanted to.
I hope people liked the story, it taught me one thing.
I'm terrible at making up a story that either I don't have an existing story to spring board off or I haven't written out a plan for. So the next thing I write (which I've started a bit) will be more planned. And hopefully be better.
Anyway, enjoy.