My Gluax, nearly a MONTH with no updates?! D: I shun myself. So sorry for the absence, but I do have a reason. I've always written my stories using my iPod Touch, to write on the go. But recently, it's gone missing. So I've had to start using Microsoft Word to write, which is more time consuming. But I promised that I would finish this story, and I intend to keep it. Don't worry, In the time since my last update, my good friend 'Shen's General' has been cranking up his story 'Between Brothers' to the max. It's the best story in this archive, and I really hope you enjoy reading his story more than mine. Also, I've come into the possession of 'The Art of Legend of the Guardians." It's an incredible book and if your willing to PM me, I've got some juicy new story details. I've kept you waiting long enough, ONWARD WE GO! Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of the Guardians.
Chapter 13
Ottulisa watched as Soren's chest slowly rose and fell. Streak came and padded his wounds with moss, and a strange clear fluid began to ooze out.
"Will he be ok?" she asked worriedly.
"I've done all I can. He's in Glaux's hands now." He said before leaving the hollow.
She looked over to the edge of the hollow to see Gylfie and Digger, asleep in each others wings. She felt a pain rise in her chest, she would give anything to do the same thing with Soren, but fate had now threatened to take him away from her. Forever.
She laid down next to him, and kissed his seemingly lifeless beak. "Please come back to me, I can't live without you." She felt tears welling up in her eyes as fell into slumber. "I love you."
The air was filled with ash and dust, the stench of death thick in Soren's nostrils, and the sound of endless screams echoing around him like his own private chorus. The blood-red sky glowed with lightning, as a continuous thunder rolled off jagged peaks.
Oh Glaux, not this place again.
Yet here he was, a desolate wasteland where death was enlightenment, and life was sin. A place where light was a myth in itself, and darkness rules supreme.
A place called Hagsmire.
"I must admit, I didn't think I would see you again so soon." Soren felt his gizzard turn as cold as stone. "Of course, we all end up here one day."
Soren looked up to see a menacing figure, with ruffled grey feathers, a body lined with scars, and penetrating yellow eyes.
"What are you?" he asked.
"My kind's name has been lost in legend, but to all of you, we like to be called Hagsfiends." said the female.
Hagsfiend? What in Glaux's name is a Hagsfiend?
"Look around you Soren, look at what is taking place around you."
At first he saw nothing, but then, coming out of the ground were dozens of bodies, both Pure One and Guardian alike. He saw his parents, he saw Ezylryb, he saw Eglantine, everyone he cared about was slowly rotting around him.
"Look at what has become of your family. You have wasted your time chasing false villains, the true terror is on it's way to your home as we speak, ready to fulfill it's ancient calling."
The fear that had once plagued Soren's heart had all but vanished, replaced by an immense surge of hatred. Without warning, Soren leapt at the demonic entity and sank his talons into its flank. The hagsfiend screamed in pain as the bodies dissolved into dust. "Get off of me!" the creature screamed, but Soren relentlessly held on, digging his talons even deeper into flesh.
Suddenly, the world around them exploded in a massive array of light. All the hatred that had been inside of him suddenly ebbed away. In fact he felt... happy, like he had been reborn.
"Don't do this Soren." said an angel-like voice.
He turned towards the sound of the voice to see- What is she doing here?
Surrounded by light was Otulissa, more radiant than she had ever been before. Her hazel eyes sparkled with love and affection, her wings were perfectly groomed, and the smile she cast towards him filled his heart with pure joy.
"I am not the one you see, I can take many forms, so I have chosen her."
"What are you?"
"I am an angel, from the place you call Glamoria."
Soren was speechless, he had always believed in the existence of such beings, but to see one before him now just filled him with awe.
First a Hagsfiend, and now an Angel. Maybe I am going mad. He thought to himself.
"Why are you here?"
"To stop you from destroying your destiny."
With lightning speed, the angel shoved her talons into Soren's chest, but strangely, he felt no pain. She pulled back, clutching something. Soren gasped, for inside her talons was an cloud-like orb, with wisps of fire and smoke emerging from a blood-red core.
"What is this?" Soren asked in awe.
"Your darkness. Every being that has ever lived has one of these. Your friends have one, your future mate has one, you have one." she said, holding up the orb. "There are those who have embraced the darkness, they are the ones who are called Hagsfiends."
"Why are you telling me this?" Soren asked.
"You almost gave into the darkness, and once you give in, there is no going back. You have a destiny Soren, and you almost destroyed it. You can't give into hate, you can't follow your brother."
At this, Soren's eyes went wide. "My brother? But-"
"Soren, you know as well as I do that your brother is alive."
I was right; I was so caught up in St. Aggies that I've forgotten about him.
"He is on his way to your home, the great tree, as we speak."
Soren felt his gizzard turn numb. No. NO! IT CAN'T BE!
As his thoughts grew worried, the ball of darkness began to emit a strange sound. Soren immediately felt pain consume his body, the sound seemed to tear at his insides and numb his mind. It was as if a child was crying for its mother, it was an eerie screech of a prisoner watching it's life end before an executioner. It was the sound of death itself. All consuming and ever present
It only took a moment for him to realize that the scream was coming from Soren's own beak as well. As he screamed from the pain, the angel simply looked at the ball of darkness and whispered something to it. The orb's red core suddenly filled up with light as the cloud of smoke surrounding the orb began to dissipate. After a few seconds the orb had completely dissolved into light. As the orb dissolved, Soren felt the pain slowly ebb away. Only when he saw the empty talons of the angel did he make the connection.
"The darkness isn't gone, it still remains inside of you." she said, pointing towards his chest. Soren felt his heart sink, was he destined to hold this darkness inside himself forever? Without warning, the angel embraced him, calming his mind.
"You face a journey with much heartbreak, and such sorrow, but Glaux has laid his holy eyes upon you. I wish you good luck, and Glauxspeed."
The world around them began to dissolve, the seemingly endless white had begun to take form, transforming into a hollow. Opening his eyes, he saw his friends, a black sky, and a long scar across his chest.
He was back.
Otulissa felt a wing prod her shoulder. "Let me sleep." she groaned.
"Really, I thought you'd want to see me again."
She opened her eyes immediately and gasped. Soren was standing before her, alive, and completely unharmed. His wound had been replaced with a long scar that seemed to meld with his feathers, while his eyes seemed to shine with a bright light. He looked radiant, and in her opinion, very, very handsome.
Without saying a word, she locked beaks with him, letting her tongue explore the inside of his beak. She pushed against him, making him land on his back. It stung, but considering what else was happening, he didn't mind.
"Well then, should we give you two some privacy?" called a booming voice.
Soren looked up to see the eagle, the one who saved his friends.
"I can't thank you enough for what you did for us." Soren said as Otulissa got off of him.
"We're always looking forward to fighting those racdrops, my name's Streak by the way. My mate Zan is looking for some food."
Before he could reply, the bodies of Digger and Gylfie slammed into his side.
"Ouch."
"We never gave up hope; we knew you would come back!" Digger exclaimed.
"Well slap me thrice and hand me to me mamma, you're awake!"
The new voice came from none other than Twilight, dropping a handful of mice before joining the embrace.
"Guys…. Can't…..breathe." he whispered.
"Sorry." They all exclaimed at once.
"What a bond you all have." Streak exclaimed.
Soren was finally back, but the angel's warning still burned in the back of his mind. He needed to get back to the tree, fast.
"Guys, we have to go home." He weakly exclaimed.
"I couldn't agree more! They'll have a parade in our honor; ah I can already smell the roasted rat." He exclaimed with a sigh.
"Ooooo. Roasted rat." They all exclaimed in unison.
"Guys, we need to leave NOW!" Soren yelled.
"Why, what's the rush?" Streak inquired.
"I think the great tree is going to be attacked."
"What? By the St. Aggies owls? We just beat them!" Gylfie stated.
"No, it's worse. We need to leave right now." He then turned to Streak. "Do you know the quickest way to the sea of Hoolemire?"
Streak turned to one of his lieutenants. "Seran, do you know a way?"
The muscular eagle chuckled to himself before answering in a thick accent: "Da, I know a place."
"RUN!" Dewlap yelled, moving owlets to the shelters. Pure Ones were everywhere, killing anything in their path, and no Guardians were around to protect them.
"DEWLAP, GET THEM TO THE STORE ROOMS, QUICKLY!" Yelled Speo, an old burrowing owl. "I'LL HOLD THEM OFF!" he yelled, getting into a battle stance.
"Will you now?" a malevolent voice said behind him.
He turned to see a barn owl, female and covered with cream white feathers, and eyes that pierced into his soul.
One of the owlets screamed at him. "SPEO RUN! IT'S NYRA!"
Before he could even blink, her talons sliced into his throat, and twisted. When she removed them, Speo was convulsing on the ground, with the steady hiss of his windpipe fresh in her ears.
She turned to the owlet, covered in down and wearing hazel eyes. She remembered this owlet, all too well.
"Eglantine, it's so nice to see you again. Tell me, where is your brother?"
"DON'T TOUCH HER!" An owlet by the name of Pete exclaimed, jumping at her. With one swoop, she caught the helpless owlet in her talons and squeezed. The sound of his neck snapping sent chill running down Eglantine's spine, and a muffled cry escaped her beak.
Nyra tossed the corpse into the water below and grabbed her.
"Where is your brother? I would like to repay him for the trouble he's caused me and my late husband."
Eglantine responded by spitting in her face. Nyra's eyes turned into a dark shade of red, and she eased closer to the defenseless owlet.
"You've just made a serious mistake." She sneered.
"Not as serious as yours I'm afraid." A voice spoke behind her.
Without warning, a huge force slammed into her side, causing her to drop Eglantine and sprawl on the ground. She looked at her attacker and spoke in a voice of pure hatred.
"You."
Standing in front of Eglantine was an owl that filled her with pure hatred and pain. An owl that had ended the life she once had with her husband. The owl whose life she would take away before Kludd ever got the chance.
The owl standing before her was Soren.
A.N: Dun Dun Duuuuuuunnnnnnnnnn. I hope you enjoy my little cliffhangers. Remember that authors note saying that the stuff at the Great Tree wasn't taking place at the same time as St. Aggies, well here ya go. Final battle of Book 1 is next, I will get this one to you ASAP. Please review, adios.
Question: What do you WANT to see in the final battle of Book 1?