Chapter 44
The black beam of light hit Brian dead center in the chest. Almost immediately, he felt pain flashing through his body, concentrating on his heart. It wasn't a sharp, quick pain, but a dull, drawn out pain. As Brian gritted his teeth, he heard Dais' mocking laughter. Brian knew that Dais was trying to get him surrender his emotions by playing on his hatred for the Illusion Warlord. However, Brian's hatred for the Warlord made the nether spirit stronger and his pain more intense. 'How can I win, if that bastard plays on my major driving force?' He thought in a haze of pain and agony.
Sarah dashed toward Brian. She only came within two feet of him because a force field that the spirit had placed around him, shot her back about six feet away. She landed hard on the wall of the nearest building, injuring her back and head. Sarah quickly analyzed the situation, despite the pain and blurry vision. She couldn't reach Dais or the spirit, plus, she was slowly becoming unconscious. 'Damn it,' she thought before she blacked out, 'What can I do?'
Pain swirled through Brian's mind. 'So this is what it feels like to lose yourself to the darkest void of your soul,' he thought.
"Not so," an ethereal voice replied.
"What the…" Brian responded as he heard the sound of a staff chiming.
Brian opened his mental eyes only to find himself standing in a grove of Cherry Blossoms with a white-haired Shinto monk.
"Brian, Partner to Cye of the Torrent," the monk said in a clear but soothing tone, "I am called the Ancient One. You must endure this if you wish to save your friends."
"But how?" Brian asked.
"This nether spirit feeds on your negative emotions," the monk replied in his ethereal voice. "As it feeds, it grows stronger."
"So," Brian replied, "how does that help me?"
"What would happen if the spirit absorbed the wrong emotion?" The Ancient One questioned.
Brian thought for a moment, "The wrong emotion would cause the spirit to shut down or explode."
"Exactly," the monk smiled. "Now, find the right emotion."
With that, Brian fell away from the dream world.
The black beam of light hit Brian dead center in the chest. Almost immediately, he felt pain flashing through his body, concentrating on his heart. It wasn't a sharp, quick pain, but a dull, drawn out pain. As Brian gritted his teeth, he heard Dais' mocking laughter. Brian knew that Dais was trying to get him surrender his emotions by playing on his hatred for the Illusion Warlord. However, Brian's hatred for the Warlord made the nether spirit stronger and his pain more intense. 'How can I win, if that bastard plays on my major driving force?' He thought in a haze of pain and agony.
Sarah dashed toward Brian. She only came within two feet of him because a force field that the spirit had placed around him, shot her back about six feet away. She landed hard on the wall of the nearest building, injuring her back and head. Sarah quickly analyzed the situation, despite the pain and blurry vision. She couldn't reach Dais or the spirit, plus, she was slowly becoming unconscious. 'Damn it,' she thought before she blacked out, 'What can I do?'
Pain swirled through Brian's mind. 'So this is what it feels like to lose yourself to the darkest void of your soul,' he thought.
"Not so," an ethereal voice replied.
"What the…" Brian responded as he heard the sound of a staff chiming.
Brian opened his mental eyes only to find himself standing in a grove of Cherry Blossoms with a white-haired Shinto monk.
"Brian, Partner to Cye of the Torrent," the monk said in a clear but soothing tone, "I am called the Ancient One. You must endure this if you wish to save your friends."
"But how?" Brian asked.
"This nether spirit feeds on your negative emotions," the monk replied in his ethereal voice. "As it feeds, it grows stronger."
"So," Brian replied, "how does that help me?"
"What would happen if the spirit absorbed the wrong emotion?" The Ancient One questioned.
Brian thought for a moment, "The wrong emotion would cause the spirit to shut down or explode."
"Exactly," the monk smiled. "Now, find the right emotion."
With that, Brian fell away from the dream world.