VI.
Celtic woke up feeling safe and loved. The reason for this was probably due to the fact that Dark had both arms secured around the elf's body as they slept. He smiled and snuggled back into the other's chest, praying this moment could last forever.
But he knew it couldn't.
Not until he was chosen. That though caused him to sigh and try to move away from the loving arms, but Dark must have awoken at the sigh. The arms around him tightened.
"You're not leaving, Celtic. Even if I have to tie you down I will make sure you stay with me." The words were whispered into his ears and he turned so that he could smile ruefully at the other.
"It was worth a try." He heard laughter from a little ways away and turned again to see Gaia standing beside a magnificent violet stallion.
"Trust me, elf. Nothing will work against Dark this time, not since he realized how much he would miss you. Besides," he walked over to the two. "I'll make sure you stay as well, if for nothing else than to stop his moaning." Celtic heard the magician growl from behind him, but before he could say something in response, all three heard a shrill cry. Celtic's head shot up in fear.
"It's a dragon!" he moved to stand and felt Dark do the same. AS the beast came within sight he heard Dark's intake of breath.
"It's not just any dragon. It's one of the Pharaoh's cards. The Curse of Dragons." Celtic turned to his magician and saw that he had grown pale. The knight came up on the other side, also concerned for his friend.
"What does this mean Dark?" he asked his friend.
"It means a gathering of cards. I must go to him and if he chooses, I will not walk out of there again."
Two heads whipped towards the magician.
"What?!" they both shouted at the same time. "You can't be serious!" Celtic finished, but the sad look in those violet eyes told him otherwise. He could lose dark forever in a few hours from now.
But he wasn't going to let that happen. Never.
"Fine. We'll go with you." He turned to Gaia. "I assumed you would come to." The knight nodded.
"You assumed right. We're not leaving this one alone until we know either way what is happening."
Dark looked at both of them and smiled slightly.
"Thank you. But if you are to travel with me, we must head out now."
Dark looked over at his friend and his love. Why did it have to be so soon. He had just found Celtic, just found love and happiness and now it was all being taken from him. He sighed.
This was the price of power. He was the strongest of the Spellcasters and that made him valuable to the Pharaoh who seemed to prize skill over force. He knew he should be flattered, but he still wish that he had been given a choice in the matter.
Although, since the choice came before he ever even knew Celtic existed, they might still be in this mess.
'Or I would have gone to the temple and stayed there until I was taken into the Deck. I might have never even met him and I would have left Gaia alone.'
Those thoughts pained him.
'I was always taught that everything happens for a reason. I must hold to the hope that the Pharaoh cannot be so cruel as to let me find love and then take it away.'
He smiled when he felt an arm snake around his waist and a head come to rest on his shoulder as they continued to walk. He breathed in the scent of the blond hair and turned to smile at the knight who led Gadreel on the other side of him. He knew if the worst happened that at least he would have the memories of this time to cherish for the rest of his life.
That made it seem worth bearing.
They reached the temple late that evening and although it looked beautiful, Celtic couldn't help but feel only anger at the magnificent pyramid. This building was dedicated to the one who would try and take Dark away from him.
From within it he knew that a pair of ruby eyes was watching him, weighing him. He held his head up proud. He knew he had nothing to be ashamed of. He had let go of the Elvin part of his blood. Both accepting it as a part of who he was and knowing that he could never go back to it.
He had faced the worst.
Or so he thought.
The doors to the temple opened and out glided an elf with long golden hair and pale blue skin. Her eyes remained closed but he knew she could still see everything going on around her. She was the mystical elf, her power lay in defending those she was loyal too. "Dark Magician. You have answered the summons, but you are not alone. The Pharaoh wishes to know who these two are." Her voice was musical and filled with curiosity.
Dark stepped forward and bowed slightly to the elf.
"This is Gaia, a Knight and a true friend to me. He has traveled from the city with me out of friendship alone." Mystical nodded at Gaia, who bowed low as a Knight's code demanded. Then dark turned to Celtic and raised a hand, which he willingly took and moved closer to Dark.
"And this is Celtic, an Elvin warrior, whom within I have found my bonded. He has come here out of love and with a wish to stay with me."
The last seemed to surprise the blue elf, but she simply nodded.
"They are both welcome in here tonight." She turned and walked back through the doors, the three following her. Celtic couldn't help but look around as they entered. People were walking everywhere, as if they belonged. Then he realized that they did belong. These people were cards that had already been accepted into the deck and were just waiting until it was formed. They all nodded at Dark as he walked by and Celtic just moved closer to the Magician, his heart sinking.
These were all powerful cards. He didn't have a prayer of proving his worth, because there was nothing to prove.
He would lose Dark.
That thought caused a black mist to seep over his heart, blocking out the light from within. As he watched the cards go by, the shadow grew darker, until the only reason he was moving was because dark now held his hand.
'I don't belong. I'll never belong.'
As he looked at Gaia and dark and realized for the first time just how strong they were, he gave into the darkness. He lost power over his body and no longer cared. The sorrow and grief ate at his mind.
A cry of surprise briefly made it's way to his ears and he recognized the voice as Dark's, but it wasn't Dark's arms that caught him.
The last thing he saw before his vision went dark, were a pair of ruby eyes attached to a young human with tri-coloured hair.
Celtic woke up feeling safe and loved. The reason for this was probably due to the fact that Dark had both arms secured around the elf's body as they slept. He smiled and snuggled back into the other's chest, praying this moment could last forever.
But he knew it couldn't.
Not until he was chosen. That though caused him to sigh and try to move away from the loving arms, but Dark must have awoken at the sigh. The arms around him tightened.
"You're not leaving, Celtic. Even if I have to tie you down I will make sure you stay with me." The words were whispered into his ears and he turned so that he could smile ruefully at the other.
"It was worth a try." He heard laughter from a little ways away and turned again to see Gaia standing beside a magnificent violet stallion.
"Trust me, elf. Nothing will work against Dark this time, not since he realized how much he would miss you. Besides," he walked over to the two. "I'll make sure you stay as well, if for nothing else than to stop his moaning." Celtic heard the magician growl from behind him, but before he could say something in response, all three heard a shrill cry. Celtic's head shot up in fear.
"It's a dragon!" he moved to stand and felt Dark do the same. AS the beast came within sight he heard Dark's intake of breath.
"It's not just any dragon. It's one of the Pharaoh's cards. The Curse of Dragons." Celtic turned to his magician and saw that he had grown pale. The knight came up on the other side, also concerned for his friend.
"What does this mean Dark?" he asked his friend.
"It means a gathering of cards. I must go to him and if he chooses, I will not walk out of there again."
Two heads whipped towards the magician.
"What?!" they both shouted at the same time. "You can't be serious!" Celtic finished, but the sad look in those violet eyes told him otherwise. He could lose dark forever in a few hours from now.
But he wasn't going to let that happen. Never.
"Fine. We'll go with you." He turned to Gaia. "I assumed you would come to." The knight nodded.
"You assumed right. We're not leaving this one alone until we know either way what is happening."
Dark looked at both of them and smiled slightly.
"Thank you. But if you are to travel with me, we must head out now."
Dark looked over at his friend and his love. Why did it have to be so soon. He had just found Celtic, just found love and happiness and now it was all being taken from him. He sighed.
This was the price of power. He was the strongest of the Spellcasters and that made him valuable to the Pharaoh who seemed to prize skill over force. He knew he should be flattered, but he still wish that he had been given a choice in the matter.
Although, since the choice came before he ever even knew Celtic existed, they might still be in this mess.
'Or I would have gone to the temple and stayed there until I was taken into the Deck. I might have never even met him and I would have left Gaia alone.'
Those thoughts pained him.
'I was always taught that everything happens for a reason. I must hold to the hope that the Pharaoh cannot be so cruel as to let me find love and then take it away.'
He smiled when he felt an arm snake around his waist and a head come to rest on his shoulder as they continued to walk. He breathed in the scent of the blond hair and turned to smile at the knight who led Gadreel on the other side of him. He knew if the worst happened that at least he would have the memories of this time to cherish for the rest of his life.
That made it seem worth bearing.
They reached the temple late that evening and although it looked beautiful, Celtic couldn't help but feel only anger at the magnificent pyramid. This building was dedicated to the one who would try and take Dark away from him.
From within it he knew that a pair of ruby eyes was watching him, weighing him. He held his head up proud. He knew he had nothing to be ashamed of. He had let go of the Elvin part of his blood. Both accepting it as a part of who he was and knowing that he could never go back to it.
He had faced the worst.
Or so he thought.
The doors to the temple opened and out glided an elf with long golden hair and pale blue skin. Her eyes remained closed but he knew she could still see everything going on around her. She was the mystical elf, her power lay in defending those she was loyal too. "Dark Magician. You have answered the summons, but you are not alone. The Pharaoh wishes to know who these two are." Her voice was musical and filled with curiosity.
Dark stepped forward and bowed slightly to the elf.
"This is Gaia, a Knight and a true friend to me. He has traveled from the city with me out of friendship alone." Mystical nodded at Gaia, who bowed low as a Knight's code demanded. Then dark turned to Celtic and raised a hand, which he willingly took and moved closer to Dark.
"And this is Celtic, an Elvin warrior, whom within I have found my bonded. He has come here out of love and with a wish to stay with me."
The last seemed to surprise the blue elf, but she simply nodded.
"They are both welcome in here tonight." She turned and walked back through the doors, the three following her. Celtic couldn't help but look around as they entered. People were walking everywhere, as if they belonged. Then he realized that they did belong. These people were cards that had already been accepted into the deck and were just waiting until it was formed. They all nodded at Dark as he walked by and Celtic just moved closer to the Magician, his heart sinking.
These were all powerful cards. He didn't have a prayer of proving his worth, because there was nothing to prove.
He would lose Dark.
That thought caused a black mist to seep over his heart, blocking out the light from within. As he watched the cards go by, the shadow grew darker, until the only reason he was moving was because dark now held his hand.
'I don't belong. I'll never belong.'
As he looked at Gaia and dark and realized for the first time just how strong they were, he gave into the darkness. He lost power over his body and no longer cared. The sorrow and grief ate at his mind.
A cry of surprise briefly made it's way to his ears and he recognized the voice as Dark's, but it wasn't Dark's arms that caught him.
The last thing he saw before his vision went dark, were a pair of ruby eyes attached to a young human with tri-coloured hair.