Pavo woke, her exhaustion replaced with an annoying ache. Her foggy mind slowly recalled the events from the previous day, bringing a feeling of emptiness. She slowly sat up, wincing as the scabs on her back cracked. She glanced at her wing, which looked like it had been split halfway through. She knew that she should find some way to stitch it back together, but at the moment she didn't have any access to someone who knew healing magic. Or the motivation to care.
She stayed there awhile, contemplating what to do next. Problem was, she didn't want to do anything. What could she do that would be good enough to avoid mockery? Nothing.
Pavo sighed, but felt herself standing up. She started walking forward on an impulse, not knowing where she was going. Her legs almost seemed to move on their own, using a sense her conscious mind couldn't comprehend.
She walked through the trees, nothing but foliage in sight. She finally reached the edge of the forest to see a clearing. A large circular platform made of stone lay in the center. The ground sloped down slightly from the dais while grass and vines grew on its sides, stubbornly clutching to the rock with the grip gained from years of growing. Despite this, no cracks or signs of crumbling were apparent, as if the stone was protected from the wearing down of age.
Something shifted behind her, accompanied by a rush of air. She instinctively jumped back, barely avoiding a swiping dagger. She landed on the platform and whirled around.
"Falk trained you well." The man complimented, but Pavo could hear the sneer in his tone. He had a well-built stature and gripped his dagger with confidence that could only come from years of experience. His dark eyes glittered with amusement and a smug grin adorned his face.
Pavo tensed, immediately on edge. Something about him felt incredibly wrong, causing her body and mind to become wary. A quick scan with her spirit sense revealed why; darkness coursed through his body.
Unlike Myra, he wasn't trying to fight it. He was welcoming it, allowing the black tendrils to swirl throughout and around his soul, twisting it until it became completely unrecognizable. She noticed a trace of something familiar and focused on it, trying to determine what the original spirit was—
She stepped back in surprise, returning her attention to the person in front of her. She noted his jet black hair and crisp shirt in disbelief at what she had found.
He hadn't moved, his smile only growing a little wider. "Something wrong?" he questioned, sheathing his weapon. Pavo remained silent, her eyes darting around the area for an escape. The closest distance from the edge of the platform, excluding the path blocked by the enemy, would take her a few long strides. She was sure that he would be able to catch her before she even made if off the rock, especially with her wounded leg. Her wing twitched with the thought of flying, but a brief pain reminded her of its injured state.
"It seems that you escaped from Kalec and Myra. Oh well. I won't need them for much longer anyway." He pulled a vial from his pocket. He held it up to the light, as if examining its contents. Inside, a black haze churned endlessly. Pavo felt fear strike her heart at the sight.
"Do you know what this is?" he asked, but didn't offer a chance to answer. "It was protected by a church, foolishly entrusted to the preacher. I easily killed him, with the help of those naïve children. Of course, they didn't know that I was actually going to murder him, but they found out soon enough. The only way I could persuade them to give me their loyalty was to use this on the girl. I also used it on the preacher's daughter, but with a larger amount. I wanted to test its effects before using it on myself."
They didn't react well. But I've learned how to not only tolerate it, but how to use it to my advantage. It is giving me power that you could only imagine." He paused. "This is true darkness, evil in its purest form. Created by the very stone you stand on."
He noticed Pavo glance down at the platform. "It is called the Purging Monolith. It was created by the Celestrians as a way to drain the darkness in Barbarus' soul after he was defeated by Greygnarl. The dragon contained so much that they couldn't allow it to simply escape from his body. And this is what was left." He shifted the vial in his hand.
"So why do you want me?" Pavo questioned, finally breaking her silence. The more he talked, the more she felt the sense of urgency to escape.
"If the Purging Monolith can drain darkness, then it can drain light."
So sorry for the long wait. I had a serious case of writer's block on this chapter. I'm not completely satisfied with how this came out, but I think you've waited long enough to read it. I hope you enjoyed and please review!