Hello all!
So I have some majorly exciting news to share with you guys, as of exactly ten minutes ago I officially have finished writing the epilogue for Shadows of My Twisted Destiny! The story is now done and sits in waiting for routine updates! *cue imaginary marching band, gun salute, and banner being flown through the air in celebration while the wired author does a happy dance*
Serously though, I'm hugely excited about this:) I can not focus all Aveyond writing energy into Heirs of Darkness which will most definitely be a larger story then this one. In celebration I am going to be doing a double chapter update so you can read two at once instead of just one:D
Enjoy!
Reveal
Mel moved through the tunnel system in the demon caves with ease, comfortable in the hot tunnels after spending so much time navigating through them. She was searching for enemies to fight, having finally put the effort into working on her magic skills.
Underneath her feet there was a small tremor, one that had her pausing in place as she tried to place what was happening. Was a pack of fire elementals moving through the tunnels? That had caused minor tremors in the ground before, and those passed quickly.
But the shaking underneath her became stronger, and soon Mel was forced to brace herself as the caves shook harder. Outside she noticed flickering and with short, careful steps she looked deeper into the tunnels where a herd of wisps were hovering together.
At first she glanced over them as she scanned the tunnels, then it dawned on her what she was seeing and her blue eyes flew back to them as she processed the colour of the magic wisps. They were not only black with red swirling inside but right in front of Mel's eyes one of the wisps exploded into a million sparks. Mel's jaw nearly hit the floor.
Something was very, very wrong.
Instantly she was bolting through the cave and tunnel system, the shaking progressing until a rumbling behind her could be heard. The sound steadily growing. Her foot slipped as she turned sharply around the corner, rocks beginning to fall from the ceiling above. As she ran she began to hear a strange noise, separate from the rumbling. It sounded almost like... a child crying.
She picked up her pace as she neared the fork in the tunnel, dodging a rock that nearly slammed into her head.
"MAAAAAMMMAAAAA!"
Mel screeched to a halt at the fork, glancing between the exit and the way she had just come as the rumbling and shaking grew before cursing and running down the hall on the left.
"HEY! Come here kid!" She yelled ahead of her, hearing a sob and small steps.
She reached a little room with glittering walls and her eyes landed on a small crying human boy that was trying to stand only to fall as another tremor came through. Mel reached forward to grab the kid but he let out a wail and pulled back.
"S-stranger!"
Mel growled, glancing back at the hall.
"Hey kid, I'm Mel. We are going to die if you don't come here right now so shut up and let me grab you!" She barked, reaching forward again.
He opened his mouth a second time, clearly about to protest, but a more powerful shake made the cave roof above groan and the boy let out a cry before throwing himself at Mel. She managed to catch him and lift the boy, the child grabbing onto her tightly as she spun and began to sprint back through the tunnels in the direction she had just come.
"We are going to die." She muttered under her breath, the kid wailing as gravel from the ceiling rained over them.
Mel made it to the main hall and bolted towards the entrance, her pace slightly slowed from the extra weight. Outside she could see a small crowd of people although she had no idea for what. Her foot just landed on the dirt that stretched a couple of feet into the tunnel when above the ceiling began to crack, when chancing a look behind her Mel's eyes widened with horror as with a thunderous sound the ceiling began to collapse.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" She roared, bursting out of the cave and practically throwing the boy into the crowd as she spun to see part of the cave outside sheering off and falling towards the crowd.
She never even paused to think, she threw herself forward and sent a blast of Shadow Wind at the rocks. The moment her magic made contact with the rock face there was a blinding explosion, the rocks turning to ash as the blast send Mel flying backwards to land hard on her back.
"...ow."
She could hear shouting and people moving around behind her, but Mel was a little busy sucking air back into her lungs to care. Upside down above her a face popped into view, her eyes meeting dark green ones before she promptly closed her own.
"The last thing I ever see will not be your face. I'd rather see my imminent death befalling me."
"Well luckily for you, you aren't dying. However, that may not last long for you. The people behind me are very unimpressed."
Mel opened her eyes and sat up reluctantly, turning to see Kandy bursting out of the group with several of her friends behind her. The look on the pinkette's face was one of absolute fury.
Wonderful.
"YOU LIED! You were never a storm Mage! You're a Dark Mage! There is no possible way that kind of powerful spell could be utilized by anyone other then a born dark mage." She paused the. her eyes going wide as something seemed to dawn on the pink haired young woman. "You lived in Harburg. You-"
Kandy was abruptly cut off as a imposing figure stepped halfway between her and Mel, providing a partial shield for Mel.
"For a realm that houses demons and the worst that Aia has to offer, the amount of shock you are portraying at the idea that a dark mage might exist down here is rather pathetic. Myths even claim that the first dark mage received their magic from a visit to this very realm." Gyendal said, mockery clear in his tone.
Mel released the breath she was holding, for reasons she couldn't fathom Gyendal had rescued her from a public reveal and although she certainly did not want his help she wasn't stupid enough to try and stop him. Now she needed to figure out how to get out of this.
"You don't understand! The born only dark mage to walk this realm in decades was Mordred Darkthrop! We want answers, answers she owes us!" Someone called from the small crowd that slowly grew as people came to investigate the explosion.
Sudden anger reared in Mel, she was so tired of people trying to push her around.
"You think that just because I'm a mage you have the right to order answers about my life?! I don't owe any of you anything!" She snarled, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.
"Ever since you arrived strange occurrences have been taking place in our realm! Strange magic so powerful and malevolent that they make Mordred's power pale in comparison! Our cave and tunnel system is collapsing! Minor quakes are shaking the planes! What have you done?!" Another shouted, the crowd muttering in agreement.
People began to advance and Gyendal dropped back to stand at her side. The tension in the air was palpable and one thing was clear. If things all went to hell, they'd have better luck if they were fighting together, as revolting as that concept may be.
An ogre stepped out of the crowd, scars rippling over the muscles as it gave a grunt and cracked the knuckles in it's fist threateningly.
"We will get out answers from the runt, and you will step out of the way while we do. This has nothing to do with you, stay out of this or we will be forced to teach you what happens when you interfere
Gyendal laughed, the sound cutting and cruel.
"Oh it has everything to do with me. You believe she is responsible due to being a dark Mage? I doubt it. Only a truly powerful Mage could wreak the havoc you speak of, and Mel is not near trained enough to do what you speak of."
Then he grinned, that one simple expression sending chills down Mel's back as she edged away slightly. He looked like the vampire that chased her now, feral and downright evil. He raised his hand, ghostly flames engulfing his hand and licking down his arm. There were shouts and the crowd scrambled back from Gyendal who's eyes glittered with insanity in the glow of the fire.
"Another Darkthrop?!"
"No, Ravenfoot. Perhaps knowing this you might be able to understand my position? Mel is not powerful enough to disturb the realm purposely with her magic. I on the other hand am more then capable of tearing the fabric of this place quite literally. You now have a one in two chance of being right that she is the cause, and is it really worth your safety to be wrong? Crossing a dark Mage, especially with baseless accusations is suicidal and the actions of a fool."
His words were met with shocked and uneasy quiet as the fire in his hands died out. It was like the crowd was frozen, waiting for someone else to act first. It was a silent standoff, the dark mages verses the citizens of the demon realm. Just as the tension was becoming overpowering there was a little voice that called out from the crowd.
"I wanna get through!"
A few people in the front shifted out of the way and the little boy that Mel had rescued wormed his way through to the front. He regarded Mel for a moment with a tilted head before approaching.
"Mommy always says to say thank you to people when they are nice and they help you. Thank you for saving me from the cave, and I'm sorry for kicking you when you were carrying me."
Just like that, the tension was broken. A woman came through to retrieve the boy, hugging him tightly before rushing off with several members of the crowd with her. Others broke off to investigate the smaller pieces of stone that had broken off the cliff and were spilling out from the entrance of the tunnel from the collapsed ceiling. Taking the opportunity presented to her did what she did best, thanks to the training under Professor Grey.
She vanished.
Knocking on her door had become something of a warning that she was in for an afternoon of misery, Kandy was like a leech or something. She sucked the energy out of Mel with her sheer presence some days.
Today especially Mel didn't want to see the pinkette, it was the first day since it had been revealed she was a dark Mage and she had a very large list of things she would rather do then face a mad Kandy. Eating dinner voluntarily with Gyendal was on that list, and that was saying something.
Maybe if she didn't answer the door Kandy would go away...
Mel crept out of the living room/kitchen and into her room, taking a seat comfortably on her bed and waiting for the girl to go away.
Three minutes passed, she was still knocking.
Five minutes past, she was still knocking.
Mel closed her eyes and laid back. If she could ignore Edward, she could ignore anything.
Click.
"Mel~"
Mel's eyes flew open and she sprung to her feet, throwing open her bedroom door and gaping at Kandy who was calmly stepping through her front door.
"HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!"
The pinkette ignored Mel and closed the door behind herself before turning to Mel with arms crossed. Kandy had a peevish expression on her face, her posture and body language making it clear she had no plans to leave any time soon.
"So when were you going to tell people who you were, Mel Darkthrop?"
"The day that snow covers the Demon planes in six feet of fluffy white snow."
By the look on Kandy's face, her sarcasm had gone unappreciated.
"Are you kidding me?!"
Kandy's exclamation was met with a deadpan stare and the girl threw her hands up in the air.
"You're a Darkthrop! They are only the most powerful dark Mage family line in history outside of the Ravenfoots, who you just happen to be travelling with one of! Do you have any idea what this means?! The Darkthrop's are the most respected and feared Mage line in all of Aia down here! Your ancestor was one of the oldest inhabitants of this city!"
Kandy began to pace, making all sorts of gestures with her hands as the ranted.
"Mordred Darkthrop was fighting to get back to Aia! He was going to fulfill the Darkthrop Prophecy and open the portal, letting all of us travel between Aia and here! He was going to free us! Now you're here and all this time we were waiting for someone to come back and get us while you were living comfortably-"
"Comfortably?! What comfortably am I living?! You think I wanted to come down to this hellhole?! You think I chose this?! I never wanted to be part of this Prophecy mess! I never wanted to be related to Mordred, and I never wanted to end up here! I have this place! I hate being a Darkthrop! The only think that my life since getting involved in this mess has ever brought me is misery!" Mel snarled, hands dropping to her sides to clench into fists.
"What?" Kandy stared at Mel in confusion. "But the apocatherapist said that you had come here before, with other people. You had even spoken with Mordred. Weren't you working with him?"
"There isn't enough money in the world that could have payed me to work with that man." Mel said in disgust.
"But you're related to him!"
"And I never shed a tear when he died."
"He DIED?!" Kandy shrieked, causing Mel to wince and hold a hand to her ear.
"Ow! Do you have to screech?! Yes he died! He tried to kill me so my friends killed him instead!"
Kandy's eyes went impossibly wide and she gasped, hand flying to her mouth.
"But the portal..."
"You really think he would have opened the portal for you?" Mel said incredulously, "All he wanted was power, he lived for it. He was willing to let his own child die in order to achieve his hunger for power, he would have just as easily closed the portal on your heads as he did lie to your faces."
There was a slam and Mel stared as Kandy slammed both small fists down on the table, looking positively livid.
"You're wrong, you knew nothing about him! You stupid freak! You ruined everything! We have nothing down here! No matter how hard we try to get ahead we're always trapped in the Demon Realm! That rich of you to say he didn't care, you actually had a good life up on Aia and when you fell you didn't even fall alone!"
"A good life?! You don't know anything about me Kandy, don't act like somehow you could possibly ever understand what I've been through." Mel spat. "I never had a good life, I lived as a worthless street rat on the streets of harburg until I was seventeen and when I finally had the chance to do a job that might move me onto a better place I was tricked into that Prophecy. I've spent the last few years of my life constantly on the run from my Destiny, and just when I thought I would finally have the life I had always wanted I was pushed through the portal to be trapped forever down here with that bastard!"
"You mean the Ravenfoot Mage? I thought you guys were friends." Kandy shot back, disbelieving and sceptical of Mel's angry response.
"GYENDAL IS THE REASON I WAS PULLED INTO THE PROPHECY IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Mel roared, magic sparking off her skin as the pressure from everything finally pushed her past her limits.
Everything was crumbling around her. Her attempt at reconstructing the life she had been living before this mess was being blown apart. She had hidden her name, her power, her reason for ending up here in the first place, and her situation with Gyendal. But now that was useless and with all the rage and pain bubbling to the surface Mel found her mouth running away with her.
"He was a vampire then, not that I had any idea. All he did was pay me to steal a family heirloom, the Darkthrop orb from Mordred's keep, he never told me that it was mine. I stole it, and in payment he tried to use me to plunge my world into darkness. From then on I was forced to run, to abandon everything. I made friends and then I nearly lost them to his attacks as they risked their lives to help me. I thought I had found someone that loved me as me, but that was destroyed too. Everything I got was taken from me by that bastard, and you think that we were friends?!"
The anger was all but completely gone on Kandy's face, replaced by utter and complete bafflement. "Wait... Gyendal killed your sweetheart?"
"My "sweetheart" never existed in the first place! It was all a lie, a lie that I fell for quite literally. It was Gyendal, he played his part as the quiet thief Spook perfectly and actually managed to get my attention. It should have known it would be fake, should have known that it was too good to be true. But I didn't, I was such a fool and I trusted him." Mel's raked her fingers through her hair, ignoring the pain as they caught and ripped tangles. "I revealed things about my past and my real thoughts on the whole prophecy mess with him that I hadn't shared with anyone else, then he grabbed that orb and turned into the very man I was fighting against."
Kandy took a hesitant step forward, studying Mel carefully.
"Why are you telling me this?"
Mel barked out a hard laugh, shrugging.
"Hell if I know. You already know all my other dirty little secrets, might as well throw it all out there before my brain catches up with my mouth. Not much else to share now, unless you want to know about the crescent shaped tattoo on my-"
"Please don't finish that statement." Kandy interrupted,
Mel smirking despite the situation.
"Uh...can I ask you a question though?" The pinkette questioned hesitantly.
With a shrug Mel grabbed a seat and slid into it, watching as Kandy studied the wall intently for a moment.
"If you have that much of a grudge against Gyendal, why do you still spend time near him? I mean, he tried to take over your world with you against your will and betrayed you by fooling you into developing feelings for his alter ego..."
Mel rolled her neck and her hand tightened momentarily into a fist before relaxing.
"Because I can be myself since it's pointless to pretend anything otherwise, I can spar and train with him and fight dirty since he'll do the exact same thing, I can openly hate him, and he's the only thing left from my life on Aia."
Her list made Kandy blink before resting a finger on her chin, seeming to ponder something.
"You know, have you ever considered the fact that your feelings for Spook might have transferred over onto Gy-"
"AAADDNN that would be enough deep contemplation over my screwed up life. Thanks for coming, please don't ever darken my doorway again because after this I never ever want to see your face again." Mel announced loudly overtop of the girl, a slight flutter of panic in her chest propelling her up and out of her seat to urge the pinkette towards the door.
There was no way in hell she was letting Kandy finish that sentence. That was dangerous territory, and this realm was already turning her into an emotional maniac so she had no interest in pursuing that any further.
"Wait! What are you doing?!" Kandy squawked as Mel pushed her towards the door.
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm kicking you out of my house." Mel snorted, shoving harder when Kandy braced herself on either side of the closed door to stop her movement.
"Wait! If you let me ask one more question I'll leave without protest and never bring this up again!"
At her offer Mel stopped pushing the girl and stepped back. Sighing, she spun her hands to hurry Kandy up.
"Did you love him? Spook I mean?"
The question gave Mel pause before she finally shrugged.
"I don't know anymore. I cared about him, I would have gladly given my life for him just like I would have for any of my friends."
Kandy shot her a look of something almost close to pity and rested a hand on Mel's arm.
"Mel, you trusted him and probably fought in combat with him from the sounds of your time in Aia, you talked with him and spent time enjoying his company and you just said yourself that you would have sacrificed yourself for him. If nothing else that is the kind of love you see between friends, and it's well on it's way to becoming the head-over-heels kind of love."
Mel snorted and tilted her head back to glare at the ceiling.
"Well then there you go, thats the answer to your question. Yes, I did love Spook."
As if to punctuate her statement there was a crash outside that made both girls jump. Kandy pushed he door open and stepped out before stopping abruptly and getting the most puzzling look of guilt on her face. Mel stepped into the doorway herself, peering out to see what had Kandy so appalled and what had caused the racket outside.
Two metal buckets with a slightly rusted rim lay on the dusty ground rolling back and forth slightly in front of two black boots. Mel followed the path the boots started, over a red tunic and darker red cloak all the way up to a pair of slightly widened forest green eyes and blanched, finding herself momentarily frozen as she met Gyendal's eyes.
Oh screw her life.
Without ever breaking eye contact the ex-vampire crouched down to grab the buckets that several days earlier he had "borrowed" from Mel, rising slowly as his face became blank and his gaze unreadable.
She didn't bother waiting to hear what he had to say about what he had heard, since it was very obvious that he had indeed heard. She simply shoved Kandy out of her doorway, ignoring how Kandy stumbled towards Gyendal who simply sidestepped her and allowed the pinkette to trip past him. Then she slammed her door and hissed the keywords to seal her house in with protective magic wards before dragging herself to the table and dropping down into her chair before draping herself over the table with a loud groan.
She wondered if the Shadow Oracle took resignation slips for living life. Cause if so, Mel would happily hand in her slip and resign permanently from life in general.
She was sure that it would be significantly better to float around as a shapeless blob in the atmosphere then face Gyendal after that little episode.
So what did you think? Reviews are welcome! Flames shall be laughed at, posted for others to laugh at, and ignored while I continue the story.