Haha, I changed my mind, I'm aiming for thirty chapters, then I'll be done with this story. It will probably be a trilogy, so keep your eyes open for more. I finally brought it full circle to my original story, tyeing it in with the Riders, so it should be more interesting.
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Abiathar was still confused. "So, if the portal is destroyed, why is Aries going back? If he can't use it, why is he trying?"
Zadok sighed. "Because he believes Ladon. He believes that he can restore the Forest of Evermore to its full purpose. Aries may have full been able to, but not without Ladon's power. If his demon is not going to be with him, then the portal will never be opened."
"But why is the Forest of Evermore so important, anyways? I've personally never heard of the Dark One, so, what's the big deal?" Abiathar pressed.
Zadok was about to answer, but Samuel whirled on him first.
"What's the big deal, you ask? Why is it so important that the Dark One remains locked up? It is because you've never heard of him or the Forest that makes it so important. No one has heard of them. You see, long ago, before elves or humans were here, there was only the dwarfs and the dragons on this land. The elves came from a continent that none have ever been to, but the humans came from the Forest. They stumbled the portal in their world, the one that connects to ours. But they never knew of Athan or the Dark One. You see, the dwarfs have always been religious. They bound with Athan, called Helzvog in their land, and found his favor. The Dark One did not like this at all, and tried to take command by force. However, Athan had gifted some of the dwarven priests with the powers of a Heilig, and they managed to drive the Dark One back and bind him to the spirit world. No one was told of this but the Heiligs that preceded the event, and so on, and so on. But as time past, Heiligs became more scarce, and the Dark One's power started to grow. As long as one Heilig remains, he cannot return, but they thin more and more everyday, hunted down and killed by the Übels. If he could take the form of a human, the power that the Heiligs hold over him would be broken, and he would be free to reign and destroy as he pleased. The Heiligs would still attempt to stop him, but it would be futile against such odds as fighting a god."
Ahinoam spoke, but quietly. "So why can he take form in this other world, and not ours?"
Here, Zadok explained. "Because there is none of the Heiligs' power in that world. Alagaesia is what he is bound to and by, but if he could escape this place, the control he had been taken under by the original Heiligs would not be able to reach him. In the other world, nothing binds him, nothing stops him from doing as he pleases. Once freed, he can return and walk among us unaffected. That is why the Forest of Evermore is the key to his demise or uprising. Ladon is the strongest of all the Dark One's demons, so Aries is the only one who can do this."
"What about you?" Abiathar asked. "Is Tikvah strong enough to stop him?"
Zadok bowed his head, eyes closed. Samuel put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. "I'll tell them," the old man said. "Tikvah is Ladon's brother. He alone can stop him. But it places a terrible burden on Zadok. He must fight Aries to the death if anything is to be done. If Zadok wins, then Tikvah can inhabit the Forest and prevent any demon from entering again. But if Aries wins, then Ladon will move swiftly through the Forest, opening the portal and allowing the Dark One to rise. You see, when a Heilig or a Übels dies, then their corresponding angel or demon has lost it's host. They cannot contact this world without a host. They are lost to us."
"So what's the matter?" Abiathar said again. "Zadok has beaten him twice already, he can do it again."
"Weren't you listening?" Ahinoam said. "He has to fight to the death. One of them must die."
Abiathar looked away ashamed.
"She's right," Zadok confirmed. "I have to kill him. But I can't do it. Aries was my friend once, and that's all I'll be able to think of when I fight him. I can't kill someone who was once my friend."
Abiathar perked up. "But why can't Athan do it? Why can't He inhabit the forest?"
"Because Athan won't," Zadok replied. "It is not time for him to reveal himself. Someday, he will come and liberate us, and it will be eternal. But this is not that time. Only when all hope is lost will he come, but now there is still hope. I am that hope. For those that do not know me," he added sadly at the end. "I'm not sure I'll be able to do the deed when the time comes."
"You must," Samuel said, gently but firmly. "You know the Dark One cannot be allowed to rise."
Zadok sighed again. "I know, but it's so hard to even contemplate, let alone do it."
"I never said it would be easy. I simply said that you must."
Zadok said nothing. After a moment, he started to walk away.
"I need some rest. I'll be up in my room," he said.
Abiathar waited until he heard the door close behind his brother. He sat there a moment, then gasped. He finally realized his situation. His brother, a higher religious figure than a priest and a more skilled fighter than a Rider, had just come back out of the blue after almost a year. The day he comes back, the love of his life is killed. He felt a glimpse of the crushing depression that he was sure Zadok felt right now. He was sure he would never fully understand exactly how his brother felt unless he actually went through what he did. He wasn't sure he'd be able to bear it if Ahinoam died. He put an arm around her as she sat down, holding her close, appreciating her affection more than anyone ever would. He thought back to Tamar, then jolted a little.
"Samuel, Tamar's body is still out there. We never brought it back."
"On the contrary, my friend," Samuel said heavily. "Zadok, Tikvah, rather, brought it back along with all of you. You just never saw it."
Abiathar was confused. "But how can that be?"
Samuel's sad face cracked a small smile. "Am I correct in understanding that Aries disappeared during his last fight?"
Abiathar nodded.
"Hmm, I assumed as much. Now, do you think that Zadok could not do that, even to someone else? He is linked, as you know, to the angel that is of equal strength with Ladon."
Abiathar laughed at himself. He was being particularly dense today. "So where is she?" he asked, growing serious.
Samuel's face once again bore his terrible sadness. "He wants me to bury her in the most important place he could think of. He wants her buried at the same spot where you found Obsidian."
"But how does he know about that?" Abiathar asked.
Samuel smirked, only for a moment. "You know, you really should learn to better protect your mind."
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So, what do you think? Different? Please ask me if there is something you didn't understand about Heiligs and Übels and Athan and all that. I have it all thought out, I'm just not sure I put it all down. Thanks.
