CHAPTER 3 : FATHER
Sparhawk felt his consciousness stretch thin, his essence start to rip and break apart as he sped through the aether. A thousand images, visions flashed in front of his eyes. There were his companions, standing on the edge of Zemoch. Kalten had tears pouring from his eyes as Sephrenia tried to comfort him. He broke free from her and started running towards the city, which was mostly blasted to smithereens, a strangle blue glow engulfing it. He was tackled by Tynian and Ulath before he could reach it.
Then everything blurred and he was in the throne room in Cimmura. The queen looked pale and drawn, sorrow wreaking lines on her beautiful face, but her eyes were cold steel. Her belly was showing and Sephrenia was standing by her side as she administered justice to a corrupt courtier.
Blur of colours. The queen lay on her bed. Beside it, Sephrenia stood, holding a baby swaddled in soft white clothes, a perplexed look on her face. Ehlana glowed, the happiness seeming to take years off her face. Sparhawk strained to hold on, take a look at his child, but he was yanked away.
Once more, a mash of colours and shapes. Kalten in his black Pandion armour watching a tiny slip of a girl riding standing up on Faran's back. The ill tempered brute seemed almost happy, prancing like a colt. The girl had dark hair, familiar features and she was laughing. Then the scene changed. Now he was in a study. Ehlana's. The child was sitting by the fire, playing with a ball. His wife was sitting at the table, looking over some papers, massaging her head. The child accidentally dropped the ball into the flames. Looking around, she suddenly thrust her hands into the fire. Sparhawk wanted to cry out for his daughter, but no sound came. Ehlana hadn't noticed. Her hands withdrew from the fire holding the ball, perfectly unscathed. She glanced around furtively. And her eyes met his. She froze, her mouth opening in a soundless word. He could just make it out. "Father" And he was reminded of a cavern in a Troll's cave, lit by beams of sunlight reflecting off a waterfall's surface. A child Goddess holding in her tiny hands the most powerful existence the world had seen, the Bhelliom. And she had called him Father.
A nascent thought began to blossom in Sparhawk's fractured mind, and suddenly, it all came together, him, his consciousness, the thought. And he heard a voice, high pitched, frightened, call once more in his mind, "Father!"
And his eyes flew open.
A green glow filled his vision and he was blinded by it. A couple of seconds later it faded and he found himself lying on the floor, his limbs feeling like dead weight. He took a few deep breaths, feeling slowly creeping back. Something felt strange. Something...
His eyes were still adjusting and Sparhawk's mind worked furiously, trying to fathom just what had happened. Azash had refused to back down and he had been left with no choice but to smash the Bhelliom. And then there had been...that incident. What was it? Was it what his friends and family would have been with him dead, flashing before his eyes? But he was alive now, wasn't he? Wouldn't that change everything?
He remembered the visions he had and one in particular stood out to him. His daughter. His daughter to be. She was Aphrael. Danae was Aphrael. He was sure of it. And even now, Ehlana was with child. The thought made his spirits soar and he grunted, rolling over, gritting his teeth as his back lit up like one big bruise. With a heave, he pushed himself up to his hands and knees. Something felt so strange...
But he'd be damned if he stayed in this destroyed city any longer. Azash was most probably dead. And he was alive. How he did not know, but he presumed he'd know if he was dead. And he had a wife, a pregnant wife to go home to. His eyes finally accommodated and grey outlines started to form in front of him. And he stared. That couldn't be right.
His hands. His hands were several sizes too small.
A/N : Sorry for the short chapter, but I assure you they will get longer. That came out way too sexual. P.S. Now you know the premise. Summary of Sparhawk's story to come for those who haven't read the Elenium.
