Tobi paced the room. Something was wrong, he just knew it. Like that feeling of deja vu, or the gut feeling that something bad is about to happen. His twin sister, Serrene, and Callum were out on patrol this morning. A two-hour patrol. That was three and a half hours ago. He noticed Captain Rayla leaning against the wall, she was worried too but didn't show it.
The Captain's relationship with the human mage was no secret, actually, tolerance of that had been one of the requirements to join. Although he supposed that technically, that had never been mentioned. But it didn't matter, the Captain made her point very clear the first day. This is a thing, you can't change it, so either deal with it or get out.
Tobi flexed his wings nervously, Something isn't right. It was driving him crazy, something was wrong and he couldn't get this feeling out of his head. Maybe I just need some space. Tobi made his up to the top of the Spire, passing Xavier and his brother Damien along the way. He reached the top and scanned the horizon.
"Oi Tobi, ya looking for something?" Tobi turned around to see Xavier standing behind him. "No, just...enjoying the air." Xavier looked skeptical. "Really? I don't believe that. Something is up with ya." Tobi sighed. "I get the feeling that something's wrong, I don't know how or what or why I just know that something isn't right." Xavier put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure it's nothing mate, probably just something ya ate for lunch."
Just then, across the distant horizon, a lightning bolt shot up into the air and exploded across the sky. "Holy Shit!" Xavier shouted in suprise. Tobi looked horrified. "Was that-" "Serrenes beacon." Tobi and Xavier looked at each other for a moment before rushing down the stairs.
Rayla was leaning against the wall of the main training room, watching Jamal and Kayde spar with each other. The two Sunfire elves danced around the room, Jamal with his sword, and Kayde with his chain blades. But Rayla wasn't paying attention, her mind was elsewhere. She watched Tobi leave the room, he too felt that something was off today.
Rayla hardly noticed that the clanging of the blades stopped, she was too busy wondering why she felt this way. "Is something wrong, Captain?" Kayde asked. Rayla didn't hear him. "Captain?" Kayde said a little louder, getting Rayla's attention. "Oh, what? No, you're doing great." She replied, practically on instinct. "That wasn't my question Captain, are you sure everything is alright?"
As Kayde finished his question, Xavier, Damien, and Tobi came running into the training room. "Captain, Serrene sent up her beacon!" Damien shouted as Tobi and Xavier ran past them. "Gear up and move out!" Was Rayla's only order. Ibis came into the room to find everyone quickly putting on armor and weapons. "Captain Rayla, what is going on?" He asked. "Serrene sent up her beacon, she is in trouble," Jamal answered.
"Where did she send it?" Ibis asked. "Around the treeline to the east," Damien replied. "Tobi and Xavier are already on the way." Ibis nodded, "This will help you." Ibis cast a spell over all of them, tripling their normal speeds. Then he activated his mage wings and flew out of the Spire after them.
Rayla, Damien, Jamal, and Kayde ran out of the Spire towards the trees. It was a good distance away, but thanks to Ibis's spell, they were able to cover ground much faster than they normally could. They practically flew over the fields that separated them from the forest. Rayla at their head. Serrene, this had better not be another prank. A prank Serrene had only ever pulled once, she sent up her beacon on patrol out of boredom. Rayla made sure it wouldn't ever happen again.
But knowing Serrene, and the nature of Skywing elves, once she had a mischievous idea, it was impossible for her to get it out of her head. Regardless of the pranks Serrene liked to pull, and her endless energy, she was still a good person. If this was just another prank, Rayla made a mental note to be sure that Serrene had some unpleasant chores for the next month. But even then, part of her hoped that it was just a prank.
Serrene sat next to Callum, monitoring him. Not that it does much good, I don't even know what's wrong with him, much less have any healing ability. Tears started to form in her eyes. AAAGGGGHHH! Why am I so useless? She looked down at Callum, who had gone deadly pale, his skin starting to look cracked.
Serrene looked to the sky. Come on Ibis, Tobi, where are you when I need you? Two shapes that resembled birds appeared in the sky. As they got closer Serrene could make out horns. Tears of joy rolled down her face. I knew you would come.
Tobi and Ibis spotted Serrene right away, Tobi shot through the sky to get to her. He hit the ground running and embraced Serrene in a massive bear hug. "Serrene, are you ok? Are you hurt?" Serrene wiped a teardrop from her eye. "No, I'm fine. Sky boy on the other hand-" she trailed off.
Xavier came sprinting up, took one look at Callum and knelt down beside him, beginning a healing process. "What happened to him?" Serrene looked shaken. "I-I don't know, there was a cave, and a-a trap. Something to do with Dark Magic hit him." Xavier cursed under his breath.
"This is bad, we needed to get him back to the Storm Spire 5 minutes ago." Xavier looked up at Serren before picking Callum up to take him back to the Storm Spire. "If there is any more to this story Serrene, I need to hear it." "Once we get back to the Spire." He added after seeing her pained expression.
"Serrene, what happened?" Ibis asked, his voice call and collected. "There was a cave, about 40 yards in from the tree line, we found it by accident. When we went in we found-" her voice trailed off again and she shuddered at the thought of the bodies in the cave.
"Serrene, what did you find," Tobi spoke this time, trying to calm his twin sister. Serrene just closed her eyes and shook her head. "You don't want to go there," was her only answer.
Rayla sprinted onward, Xavier and Tobi had a head start but the other weren't that far behind. Jamal, Damien, and Kayde were right behind her as they raced for Serrene's beacon. Please let everyone be ok, she silently prayed.
She spotted Xavier running towards them, and he had, No, nonononononono, Callum. He had Callum on his back. She stopped Xavier. "What happened to him?" His skin looked pale and cracked, Oh please don't say it, please be anything else. I'll even take a partial soul fang bite right now just please don't say it.
"Serrene said he got hit by a blast of Dark Magic." Rayla's world was falling around her. The last time Callum had interacted with Dark Magic it had nearly killed him. "Captain, we need to get him back to the Storm Spire, I've got more medical supplies there."
"Yes, go, I'll be right behind you." Rayla watched him run towards the Spire. "Captain!" Rayla turned around to find Tobi, supporting Serrene with one arm, walking towards the group. "Tobi, what happened?" Tobi helped Serrene into a sitting position.
"I don't know, but Serrene said that she and Callum came across a cave by accident, that was where he got struck. Ibis is already on his way over there right now, it's 40 yards in from the edge of the treeline." Jamal turned to Rayla. "What are your orders Captain?"
"Jamal, take Kayde and Damien, go help Ibis. If Callum got hit by Dark Magic, it's bound to be dangerous." Jamal nodded to Kayde and Damien, and they ran off to go help Ibis.
"What do you want us to do?" Tobi asked. Rayla sighed. "I want you to help me get Serren back to the Storm Spire, we need to know exactly what happened." "I'm still here you know, you don't need to talk like I'm a child," Serrene said. Rayla crossed her arms.
"Alright then, stand up and let's go. Fly with Tobi back to the Spire." Serrene, accepting the challenge with her head held high, stood up. Slowly, and flexed her wings out, painfully slowly. Then took a running start, jumped, flapped and rose a few feet in the air before crying out in pain and falling down to the ground.
Rayla and Tobi rushed over to her. "Come on, up ya go," Rayla said as she and Tobi helped her up. "Serrene, I told you your wing was damaged." Serrene's eyes did not leave the ground. "Sorry." Was all she said. "Let us carry you, don't injure your wings anymore."
Serrene mumbled her thanks as Rayla and Tobi carried her back to the Storm Spire. The trek back was much longer than the sprint over, but they made it within 20 minutes. After setting Serrene down in the infirmary, Rayla rushed to see Callum.
She found him and Xavier in the next room over. "Is he going to be ok?" Rayla sat down next to Callum, taking his hand. "Yea he's gonna be fine, he's the toughest human we know." "Tell General Amaya that the next time we see her," Rayla said jokingly, but her heart wasn't in it.
"Captain, this ain't your fault, just a stroke ah bad luck." Rayla nodded her agreement. "I know it's not my fault, I just wish I had been there." Xavier moves some vials around in the cupboards. "Honestly Captain, had you been there it would have been you sending up that beacon instead of Serrene."
"What happened to him?" Rayla asked Xavier, she had yet to get a straight answer. "I don't know, his left side is pretty banged up, but from what I can tell, that looks to have happened before he got knocked out." Rayla scratches her chin thoughtfully, but came up with nothing.
"I'll stay with Callum, go help Serrene, her wing got banged up as well." "Roger that." Rayla stopped him, "actually, I'm coming with you, I need to know exactly what happened to Callum."
They entered the main room in the infirmary, Xavier began tending to Serrene, Tobi stood by the door. "Serrene, I need a full report, what happened?" Rayla asked, her voice lined with authority.
Serrene hung her head, as much as one can hang their head from a lying down position. "It started off with sky boy wanting a race. Just to the treeline he said." She recounted the entire story, from playing dirty in the race that led to the crash, to the projection of Aaravos in the cave.
"Oh, I don't know why he wanted to show you this, but I wouldn't open it, not here at least," Serrene said as she pulled out a coin purse. Viren's coin purse. Rayla just stared at it. She couldn't bring herself to take it, Serrene was right, she didn't want to know what was in there.
Xavier cursed when Serrene told them about the trap that was meant to kill an elf, and how it affected Callum because of his Arcana. "This is much worse than I first thought." Rayla failed to hide the look of a scared child that crossed her face. "Is he still going to be ok?"
"Oh yea, he's still going to survive, but if what Serrene said holds true, he's going to be out for a couple of days." Rayla swore viciously under her breath, she wanted blood, but that would not be found here. Damn it Callum, what have you gotten yourself into now?
Darkness, void, black. That was all Callum knew about this strange world. Where am I? What am I doing here? The darkness held no answers, only questions. The last thing I remember is getting Serrene out of the way, and then...nothing. Then, a strange purple glow appeared in the dark. Its presence was not comforting.
Hello, Callum. Who are you? You know who I am. I am you. Cryptic much? We have met before, the last time you used me. Great, he was in another fever dream caused by Dark Magic. I already told you, I want nothing to do with you. You are not me, I will never accept you as part of me.
So easy to deny your true nature isn't it? When you believe it to be so wrong. You are nothing to me. I have already shut you out. You shut me out after you used me, but you did not use me. You do not have a choice now. What do you mean? You had the choice to shove me out, now you do not.
This made no sense, Callum could just shove away this dark side of him, couldn't he? I will not be denied again. I have already struck you at your most vulnerable level. What do you mean? You did not feel it? Perhaps your connection to the Arcana is a lie. This was really not good, now that he thought about it, Callum could barely feel the sky and the moon. He was surrounded by darkness.
Ah, yes, let the panic set in, let it fuel you. I will not be driven to the dark arts out of fear. Won't you? Your weak human nature has already begun to set in, your natural curiosity will be your demise, you cannot stop this. I can and I will, Callum reached for the sky and the moon together, pulling with all of his being, I WILL NOT BECOME YOU! I cannot be chased away so easily. White light filled the space, and Callum opened his eyes