Aurore sat back, resting his back against a tree as night set. He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and put one in between his lips, before searching for a little black lighter in his pants. He flickered it, regardless of his two missing fingers, because of Easheatter, the flame erupted furiously, and he lit the smoke.
Taking a puff, he sighed deeply. Lyra looked at him, Pan lying at her side, on the ground. The boy had just told her his story.
Aurore was born from a witch mother from Lyra's world, and a father from Will's world. He came to life in Cittagaze with his twin sister, Aurora.
But upon their birth, the girl did something horrible; she released an amazing amount of power that shook the worlds, and she made the first ever, human-made window between the worlds.
That caused the birth of the first Specter, which killed many people.
The twins grew, and one day, scientists from Cittagaze decided to forge a blade powerful enough to kill that creature Aurora had released.
The blade, called Forseti, was meant for him; Aurore was supposed to kill the Specter. But Aurora, wanting to regain respect in the society, stole the blade and faced the monster. She killed him, but the incredible evil inside of her caused another world to be opened.
The scientists, one being from Lyra's world, took the blade back, and to assure themselves none of Aurora's evil that was now in it would be transmitted, they took off it's tip and forged a new blade. That one was called Easheatter, the killer of Gods.
When Aurora found this out, she hunted down the scientist from Lyra's world. No one knows how, but she managed to take his daemon away (it was called Solstice) and keep it alive while he died. It was believed Equinox, her own daemon, had charmed the man's daemon, and by doing so, has made Solstice's will to live so strong that not even the death of her human could bring her down.
And so, he, Aurore, faced the new Specter. He killed it, and closed the new window his sister had created. But since the blade chose him as its carrier, two of his fingers were cut off.
While he bled on the side of a road, dying and weak after his fight, Aurora came by with her new daemon, and took the blade from him. She then used it to access many worlds and steal their secrets.
Worst of all, she didn't close any windows, so her brother was forced to follow and shut them after her.
And one day, when he gained enough strength, he ambushed her and took the blade.
He took it back to the Torre Del Angeli, where he shut it in a copper box and left it. The city was surrounded in Specters, so the girl wouldn't risk getting it back.
Hundreds of years passed and he didn't hear about her.
But now, he found out she had a plan; a plan involving Lyra and Will.
According to him, she wanted Lyra's mighty concentration of Dust. But Aurore wasn't sure. So, to protect Lyra and find out the truth, he told her it was crucial she learned the technique to release her Dust, so she could read the aleithiometer again.
And so, after a long, detailed tale, Lyra was now sitting in the grass, watching the man as he manned that cigarette very skillfully with two fingers missing. The two fingers Will lost.
The two fingers that reminded her of her adventure and her love, making her heart bleed.
The girl sighed.
"So, Aurore. . .when will I learn that technique?" She questioned. Tenebrus was flying high above them, as a Peregrine falcon. The man took another puff from his smoke, before flicking it to the ground and crushing it with his heal.
"I suppose now is too late. We'd have to start tomorrow. Time is crucial right now; I have no idea how far my sister went with Will, and how soon she'll be here. But when she'll come, we have to be ready. So, do you want to stay here, or would you rather got back?" He asked casually.
The girl thought a second, but she was surprised to find she wasn't the one to answer.
"We'll stay." Pan said calmly. Lyra blinked at him; it was unusual of him to answer positively, when he was acting negatively towards a situation.
Aurore nodded.
"Great. I have a camp bed that you can sleep on. I'll take the floor. Don't worry. . .I'm used to rough conditions. . ."
(0)
Will followed Aurora into the little stone forge.
As they walked in, a powerful gust of heat hit him, and Kirjava took a step back, blinking against the vapor and warmth that had passed them.
"Would you rather stay outside with us?" Solstice questioned the boy's daemon, as Equinox threw a last glance at Miroka, Charles's cat daemon. He then came back outside, to sit near a puddle of water.
"Yes." Kirjava answered softly, rubbing herself briefly against Will's leg and then joining her new friend.
The boy looked back at her, feeling the irresistible urge to run away and never come back. But he shook his head at that; no, he had come too far, and heard too many things to return to a normal life.
"Will?" Aurora tapped his shoulder.
He looked at her. The red light from inside the forge illuminated her oddly, giving her an eerie look. But she looked kind all the same.
He nodded and followed her inside. The door shut behind him as he faced a large, blazing fire in the center of the room.
Charles was putting on some heavy gloves, clearly made out of a thicker, more resistant version of animal-skin.
"Dragon gloves.' The girl filled out for him. 'Dragons exist in another world; the same one that has griffins, phoenixes and hippogriffs. I've visited that world and brought back dragon skin. It was offered to me by the king of a pack of centaurs, for closing a window as big as three large houses."
Will looked impressed, but couldn't say anything of it to Aurora, seeing as she had moved away from him and right to Charles.
He handed her a little bag containing something that looked like leaves.
She nodded, and walked back to Will.
"I need the blade." She announced.
He quickly took the leather case from his belt, and handed it to her. She gave him a weak smile, and walked back to Charles. Will would have sworn he heard a terribly cold, cruel laugh somewhere, distantly. He wondered if it was coming from Easheatter.
Aurora returned to him, holding the little pouch with the leaves in her hand. The flicker of flames made her eyes look very odd.
"I have leaves that will allow the forging of Easheatter to the point of perfection. They are the same leaves Iorek Byrnison used to forge the blade last time it broke. But since there are less pieces this time, it will be a shorter task. I ask you to fuse the blade with your mind as we fuse it physically. Are you ready, Will?"
Silence followed that question. Was he ready? He had no idea. . .
"Yes. . ." He whispered, barely audible. But Aurora heard him, and like an old friend, put a hand on his shoulder.
"Good luck. Be strong, Will. . ."
And she turned away, as Charles brought back the blade on a steal platter, before placing it near the fire.
Suddenly, the boy wondered why Aurora knew so much about him; but he knew it wasn't the right time to ask, so he walked up to the flames and glared at them.
Yes, he was ready.
(0)
What followed was done in such a dream-like state Will could barely remember it afterwards, when he thought about it.
But he remembered how he concentrated, linking the particles of the blade as Charles fused them together, and dunked them in water, producing large amounts of vapor.
He didn't feel the heat of the flames, nor the pain in his lungs at they breathed too much hot vapor. He didn't feel his exhaustion, or his pain. All he could remember was how he concentrated, thinking of Lyra, of her face, of her love and her soft lips.
The pain in his heart was stronger than the burns of the tips of his fingers.
But Will fought, listening to the screams that he was now sure came from Easheatter, as the blade suffered and burned.
And then suddenly, the blade's screams stopped. Will saw it reflect the flames, shorter than before, but still glistering with power.
And the last thing he heard was a manic laughter than came from the blade itself, before everything went dark.
(0)
"Is he alright?" A voice asked. Will stirred, fighting the irresistible envy to keep sleeping until time died away and there was no such thing as pain and suffering.
Because the tips of his fingers throbbed, his head hurt near the temples, and he felt a rock pocking him somewhere in the back.
Someone shook him, and he stirred again. His eyes fluttered open, and the world appeared to him, with a grayish sky and blurry appearance.
"Will?" Aurora asked. He blinked harder and the world regained its focus. He was gazing up at the raven-haired girl.
"Yes?" He murmured. Memories of laughter and Easheatter's forging came back to him and he sat up quickly. This did nothing but accentuate his headache.
Aurora held him as he swayed, still on the ground. Kirjava quickly came onto his knees and settled there; Will felt how worried she had been.
"Are you alright?"
The boy looked over at the girl. Her eyes read concern and nothing else. Equinox and Solstice sat at her side, and Charles and his daemon stood a bit further away, gazing at him curiously.
"Yes. . .what happened?"
Aurora sighed relief.
"You lost consciousness after Easheatter was forged. It must have been the excess of vapor in the air; there wasn't enough oxygen and your brain didn't get enough, so it made you pass out. We got you outside right after you fell." She explained. Will nodded.
"So, what now?" He got up slowly, and found out his head throbbed a bit less when he was on his feet. Aurora stood by him, ready to catch him if he fell again.
Both her daemons became these small (if small was the word to describe them; they were bigger than anyone present) black dragons, ready to help him also.
"We should take off Easheatter's tip. . .but what I didn't tell you was. . .well, you could die if you're not strong enough. . ." She looked uneasy.
Will scowled lightly. "Why would that happen?"
"Because Easheatter has linked his magic energy to you. If you don't have the strength to withhold the rage and fury that he will throw at you during the separation, you will die."
The boy suddenly became skeptical.
"And why didn't you die when Forseti's tip was taken off?"
Aurora didn't look ever so slightly disturbed.
"Simple. Forseti isn't evil. Sure, I suffered her sadness at loosing the power, and her pain, but it wasn't evil she threw at me; it was simple feelings. Easheatter already hates you breaking him and making him ugly. He will hate you even more for taking away his power. That's why I think it would be better if you rested before we separate his tip from him; so you will be strong, and ready. Because believe me when I say, Will, I don't want to loose you." Aurora looked suddenly very old, and the boy felt sorry for her.
His hands shot out of nowhere and softly grabbed her arms.
"Don't worry, Aurora, I'll be fine. But we have very little time left and we have to hurry. I swear to you that I won't die. We have to do this, and we have to do it now."
She clearly would have protested, but knowing it wasn't her life on the line, but his, she had nothing to say in this.
Kirjava also wanted to add her word, but midway through formulating her first statement, she caught up to her senses and stayed quiet. If this was what Will's heart wanted, she would follow it to his death.
The boy nodded, and turned to Charles.
"Are you ready?" He questioned strongly, his voice vibrating with decision. The man bit his lip and nodded.
Miroka timidly followed her human's gesture.
(0)
That's it for now. I think I wrote enough, and will leave you guys hanging for now.
BTW, do you think I should have more Lyra in the chapters, or is it fine this way?
Quizgirl: Fair point. In the beginning, even I trusted Aurora. . .but now, I'm not so sure anymore. . .
Ps: The rating just might fly up a bit. . .
Snailthewhale: Thanks. I hope you get to the end of this story. I'm sure its going to be worth it.
Kaiame: Thanks. But if I don't update for a week or more, sometimes, don't be surprised; I'm either lazy, in a writer's block or going to school. This week, however, I should update at least twice, since its my March break. Or spring break. . .one or the other. . .
New chapter, Will faces Easheatter as his magic tip is to be removed. Will he survive or give in to the sudden temptation the blade throws at him? And Lyra starts her training for Aurore's technique. But what happen when she accidentally looks into his soul while doing so? All this and more on the next episode of Lyra's Dust.