RISE OF LIGHT

Chapter 3

Part 1

"This looks like a good spot to pitch our camp" Vertrex said as he lowered his pack and turned to look back at his tired-out friends.

It had been 2 days since they left their home town, Mitchelldon. Uncle James was sorry to see them go but he knew they have made a plan and are not going to turn back on it. He did however give them money that they could use to get things if they need. There was only one question in Daniel's mind that made him smile as he remembered it.

"How are we going to get food without using the money?" Daniel asked him when he told them they should use the money only in emergency.

Vertrex turned to face his friend, a little surprised by the question. "Have you forgotten that I can cook Daniel? I don't need supplies to make food you know." Vertex said, smiling at his friend.

After that there were no more problems and they did have enough time to pack the things they have planned to carry with them for the trip but in Vertrex's case, the packing took a little longer. He was carrying his weapons that he had requested if his uncle, who had generously given him the weapons that he had when he was Vertrex's age.

After a week of preparation, they set off across the countryside, while staying close to the forests which would give them cover if someone was approaching them. They've been travelling at regular intervals that they took to get some rest form the hard walking they have been doing. Kayla asked them why they couldn't have borrowed a carriage as she touched the spot where there was pain in her legs. Vertrex and Daniel eyed her incredulously as Vertrex answered her.

"If we did, then we'll be wide open for an attack." And Daniel nodded at his answer.

Kayla eyed them for a few seconds as she gathering her thoughts to reply to the answer that Vertrex gave her. Then she found she had another question and she immediately fired the question at him.

"Why would you think like that Vertrex?" she asked sceptically.

Vertrex looked at his Daniel for help to which Daniel took up the charge of supporting him.

"Well Kayla" he began carefully. He saw her attention now focused on him as he continued "these days it's not safe to assume that the people living here are trustworthy."

Kayla looked at him sceptically "How would you know that Daniel?"

Daniel said nothing for a second before turning to face his friend for confirmation.

"Do you agree with my statement Vertrex?" he asked.

Vertrex shrugged "What's the point of asking me when the same thing you just said was going through my mind."." Vertrex said as he turned to face his friend smiling.

Daniel sighed in relief as he turned back to face his girlfriend "You may have a point might be assuming but Vertrex knows more about these things than us Kayla" he finished with an imploring tone.

Kayla took a deep breath and said nothing, finally satisfied with the answers that she had replied. Like Daniel she knew that Vertrex knew more about these things that neither she nor Daniel knew about and so she was quite happy enough to trust in his decisions.

"When are we going to eat Vertrex? I'm a little hungry." she asked him.

Daniel burst out laughing while Vertex smiled at her food fetish.

"You'll have to wait and see." he said shortly then he looked at their surroundings, wondering whether this is a good place to actually set up a camp.

"Before I start cooking we should move deeper into the forest. This spot is too open."

With that he got to his feet and picked up his pack as he did so. Daniel and Kayla followed suit wordlessly as they were feeling the same uneasy feeling that he had felt a few seconds ago when he inspected their surrounds with his eyes. So they walked deeper into the forest in silence all in while getting tired.

Now after two hours of walking they have done, hearing his signal they came to a stop as they dropping their packs.

"Finally" Kayla said shortly as she sank to the ground to lie on her back. Then when she felt comfortable, she closed her eyes and promptly fell asleep. It seemed like her tiredness gave way to her sleepiness.

Daniel too dropped to the ground to lie in his back beside her also tired out from the long walk but he wasn't tired enough to feel sleepy. He looked around, realising for the first time that his friend had had led them to a small clearing. The clearing has grass that made the ground beneath you comfortable to lay open. He looked around; making sure this was a good spot. Daniel knew that the selection of a place in a deep forest such as this was very important. After feeling content with his looking around he turned back to see what his friend had gotten up to. He found Vertrex setting up the camp which surprised him. Daniel knew Vertrex was just as tired as he was but he also knew something about his friend that he admired a lot about which was his friend's courage to never give up, no matter how hopeless the situation might be. So he got up and helped his friend with the arrangements. After half-an hour later the camp was set and ready. Daniel felt contented after setting up the camp with his friend and so he lay next to Kayla. He yawned once before he too was over come with his sleep.

Vertrex felt a little sleepy as he now sat on the ground watching his friends in silence. Firstly he knew he must cast a concealing enchantment around them so even no one would detect their presence. He quickly got to his feet and as he clapped his hands together he muttered.

"Ignoreus"

Instantly he felt the air around the camp shiver slightly as the camp was encased in his enchantment. He estimated the distance of boundary from him to in all directions would be twenty to twenty-five meters. He heard Daniel move a little in his sleep but other than that, nothing moved in the vicinity. Vertrex propped through his pack, picking up the cooking items and cutlery and he placed them on the mattress that he and Daniel rolled out a few minutes ago. He knew he has to go into the forest to pick up the ingredients for the food he had planned to cook for his sleeping companions to eat once they are awake. So he got to his feet and walked swiftly and silently towards barrier. Before stepping outside the barrier, he looked back at his sleeping companions. Reassured, he stepped out of the barrier and walked a few steps tentatively and when he looked back, the camp and his sleeping companions vanished.

Chapter 3

Part 2

He walked swiftly and silently through the forest, stoping here and there to pick up the ingredients that he had noted down a few minutes ago at the camp. Now he stopped to check his list to make sure he has gotten all required ingredients. Satisfied, he slowly took the route he had taken to walk from the camp. He knew he won't be able to see the camp but he can find them by simply using the Light Eye. He ever used the Light Eye only sometimes. He knew that the light eye is an enhancement for a light user which allows them to see through objects, look at concealed objects and much more. He could see the camp ahead when suddenly he came to an abrupt stop. His eyes had widened in shock as he sensed there was someone in the forest, someone other than himself wondering around. At first he though it must be Daniel or Kayla but then realised that his senses were telling him this was the Daniel or Kayla so quickly looked around. Due to his activation of 'Light Eye', he could see through tree after tree for a few meters. For a second he thought he had just imagined it, perhaps an animal he thought desperately when suddenly he saw it.

A figure was walking slowly down a path that was covered by trees. The figure was cloaked and it was moving silently through the forest. Had it not been for his senses, he would've completely missed the figure. He slowly followed the figure, keeping his distance as he did. Then after a few minutes the figure went through an opening into a cave and disappeared from his sight. He stopped again, unsure whether he should continue to pursue this unknown figure into the cave.

"Perhaps it's a trap." he thought as he narrowed his eyes to look more closely into the cave. This is a disadvantage that the 'Light 'Eye' has which is that it cannot distinguish object but show them as matrix coloured. He still couldn't see way he still couldn't see what had happened to the figure. He hesitated for another second before finally making up his mind. He knew he must investigate the purpose behind the appearance of the cloaked figure in such deep forest.

"The figure's actions are too suspicious to be ignored that easily." he thought as he clapped his hands together "I must find out the reason for that cloaked figure being here in the first place." And with that he muttered an enchantment.

"Ignoreme"

He felt the same thing that he had felt back at the camp as the air around him shiver a little as the enchantment concealed him from being detected by anyone. He clapped his hands together once more before withdrawing them. As his hands parted an object extended with them. The object was none other than his staff.

Before leaving his home town, he made his staff into a small object that he attached it to the palm of his right hand using the attachment spell.

Now Vertrex held the staff on the middle as he held his staff in an attacking position before continuing again. He was prepared for the worse if this turns into a nasty battle. Here there is no city to burn down but then he remembered something else his uncle had told him. "Never underestimate your opponent." he had said to Vertrex before his nephew left the town. As Vertrex remembered it now, he immediately planned an escape route if the worst comes to worst. With that in mind he continued to edge towards the cave, reaching the cave after a few long steps he had taken due to him being so tall.

"Daniel could've beaten me when it comes to taking longer steps, he's taller than me and a little musclier than me." He thought before becoming serious as he had a peek through the opening and what met his eyes surprised him beyond belief.

"What is this place?" he though as he took a few tentative steps into the cavern. There were writings all over the walls which he had a hard time disguising but what he gathered by the little writings that were carved into the stone were ancient writings. He took another dozen tentative steps before becoming aware of the figure's presence. The figure was close by and as he quickly turned to his right he saw the figure, leaning over a wall trying to decipher the inscriptions. He thought this was not a good idea and said loudly.

"Stop what you are doing" to which the figure did nothing but continue to decipher the inscriptions that were on the wall.

He raised his eyes brows in surprise before realising why the figure couldn't hear him. He had completely forgotten he was encased in his enchantment which stops him from being detected, seen and heard. He knew this is very serious if this figure was trying to discover more about light from these inscriptions that have been left behind when the war was coming to its close. So clapping his hands together, he muttered.

"sseeme".

As the protective enchantment faded away, leaving him completely visible, he said loudly to the figure's back.

"Stop what it is you are doing impostor."

The figure jumped in shock at the sudden voice that rang out from behind him or her. As the figure quickly turned around to face Vertrex, he took up his staff and took his fighting stance but he didn't have to bother as it was his turn to be shocked by who he saw that was hidden in the cloak. It was Sophia.

It had been a week when they last said goodbye at the shrine that was built in the town of Mitchelldon. Seeing her here of all places did shock him badly and it took him a couple of seconds before he pulled himself together. Apparently she had felt the same way as she too gazed at him, transfixed by his sudden appearance in such a place. There was silence for another couple of seconds before Vertrex broke it. He was feeling a shocked at seeing her here but a little confused at seeing her so far away from town.

"Sophia." He said trying tor smile but his expression didn't change one bit "What a … a great surprise to see you in a place such as this."

He felt relieved when she smiled at him, something that he couldn't achieve.

"Yes indeed Vertrex." She said, remembering his name correctly "But I'm as surprised as your are about seeing you here of all places." To which his face finally broke into a smile as he felt happy that she didn't think wrongly of him for not smiling before.

"Yes indeed" he said shortly before narrowing his eyes slightly as he continued to look at her "but more importantly what are you doing here in the first place?" he asked, still looking seriously at her.

She smiled at his serious look surprising him; she was used to people looking at her like that.

"As I was on my way to Marcromas, I stoped at the town which was close to the forest." she said "When I was taking resting in the inn, some guy in black robes came to me and said a cave or something existed in the forest which holds many secrets of light that no one knew off and before I could ask him he disappeared." she finished as she smiled at him.

Vertrex returned the smile, finally convinced that she wasn't tailing him or his friends.

"Well I guess that mysterious robed person was right about the cave's existence but what's with these carvings … they look as if they had been here for a very long time which makes me wonder why the Darkmaster left this place alone if he had destroyed many light side's valuable artefacts." he said as he looked around the cave.

"Maybe he doesn't know that this cave exists" she said thoughtfully which made him to turn to look at her. He knew she was thinking the exact same thing he is.

"We better get going. I don't like this place even if it might've once belonged to the light side." He said quickly and has already a few steps towards the mouth of the cave. Then he realised that she wasn't following him, instead she was looking at the carvings closely.

He couldn't help himself but be amused at the lack of urgency in her. He knew they would be in grave danger if someone was to find them in this cave but the fact that she continued to look at the carvings without a care in the world did make him wonder about the cave and the carvings. He moved to stand next to her as he asked her.

"What are you doing"" he asked her as he stood next to her also looking at the carvings.

Without turning to face him she said simply "Trying to read these inscriptions."

Now he was more curious than before. He wanted to ask her why; instead he too joined in the attempt to decipher the carvings. He was taught the language of light by his uncle just as he was taught the powers of light secretly. Even though he had attended school, he was never taught anything about light as the only things he was ever taught were the things about how powerful dark side really is.

After a short period, Sophia looked towards Vertrex as she wondered why he had not spoken in the time that had just passed. To her surprise he was no longer next to her but was a few meters away from her, his back to her. Now she was curious on what he was doing and just when she was about to ask him "What are you doing?" he turned to face her. His eyes were wide open but they didn't suggest that he was scared. There was something, a deep meaning in those eyes as she looked into them. As she looked intently into his eyes she realised in an instant why his eyes were looking like that. He was shocked.

Chapter 3

Part 3

"What's wrong Vertrex?" Sophia asked him tentatively as she moved slowly towards him "What are you so shocked about?"

Wordlessly he pointed towards the carvings behind him. Then he said in a quiet voice.

"These carvings are no ordinary carvings." To which she continued to look at him more curiously than ever before.

"What do you–" before she could complete her question he had already answered it.

"These are the carvings of a prophecy that will take place this year." He said simply.

Silence greeted him as he and Sophia eyed each other. Sophia was having trouble absorbing what he had just said.

"What!" she spluttered "This" she waved her hand around the cave's carvings "is describing a prophecy which will take place this year?" she finished in an anguished voice.

Vertrex simply nodded. He was also having trouble believing what he had read. He was immensely surprised when he realised that this was a prophecy. As he continued to read, he realised that this prophecy is a very powerful one.

He continued stiffly "I didn't want to believe it myself but its true." He paused as he looked at her tentatively, not sure he should tell her about the prophecy but before he could do anymore, she asked him.

"Tell me about the prophecy."

Now he had mixed feelings. He is both relieved that she asked to know about it directly but at the same time he was still not sure whether to tell her. He turned away from her to avoid eye contact. He was worried something might happen to her if she knew about the prophecy. He continued to think about it as she watched him intently. Then he suddenly realised she has to know about it. She's involved no matter what she thinks from now on.

So he turned to face her as said "The prophecy is about the rising of a new power."

She looked blankly at him. For a moment he was on the verge of laughter when she asked him in a confused voice "A new power?"

"Yes. That's what the inscription said anyway" he jerked his thumb towards the carving behind him again. Then he continued "But there's more."

"More?" she asked him incredulously. It seems the prophecy was already making her very nervous and at the thought of this prophecy having more content in it. "Ok then, go on" she said, finally composing her feelings as she prepared for the worst.

"Well" Vertrex said looking at her nervous face with hesitation but seeing her nod he continued "the prophecy also said this new light will develop feelings of darkness and soon he is able to control both the powers of Light and Darkness and that that man is known as the Fusion Master."

There was a few seconds of silence finally broken by Sophia's question.

"A man who possess both Light and Darkness and he is also known as the Fusion Master." She said softly "We must find this person quickly."

"Yes indeed." Vertrex said, agreeing with what she had said. The thought of someone who would possess both Light and Darkness in him is quite shocking to him but if the prophecy is telling the truth then this 'Fusion Master' must be found soon.

He turned to her and said, relieved that his voice reverted back to it original as he felt as if someone was speaking when he was speaking.

"Why don't you join me and my friends?" Vertrex asked her "We could find this man together."

Sophia looked at him thinking carefully. She knew that they have to find this 'Fusion Master' as soon as possible and the fact that she is also on her way to Marcromas as he family are going to live there.

"Family? When did I ever have a family?" she thought bitterly. All she ever had was the thought of sadness that had stolen her childhood away from her in a flash.

"Those people could do without me." She thought firmly "In-fact they might even be happy without me. Dad has that stupid step-mum to keep him company and if that's not enough, he has her kids to play with. When did he ever have time to sit with me and talk to me or even help me with things I'm having trouble with? When did he even show the love he shows them that he never showed towards me" Tears started to pour down her cheeks as she thought about these unpleasant things.

"Stop it with your unpleasant thoughts about what had happened in the past!" Vertrex said angrily, snapping her from thoughts as she was startled by his sudden outburst. Sophia recovered form that outburst quickly as she looked at him suspiciously.

"How" she paused as she gathered her thoughts together before continuing "How did you-" but before she could continue he cut her short as he spoke again in a firm voice as anger was radiating from him.

"I can read people's minds if I want to." He said, sounding angry.

"But how-" she said weakly but again she was cut off with his hand.

"Forget about me and worry about yourself." He said firmly looking away form her to face the mouth of the cave. "It's not your fault if your father doesn't want you. In fact it's his bad luck that he is loosing such a wonderful daughter that no other parent would want to loose." He finished as he turned to face her, his expression was very serious just as his eyes showed his seriousness as he looked at her tearful face.

She was stunned. No one in her life had ever told her the things that he had just said. She away wiped her tears quickly with the hem of her cloak before turning back to look at him, smiling at him as she did so. Sophia started to respect Vertrex a little bit more than what she had used to.

"Ok then I'll join your group then" she said smiling at him. "Will you take me into your custody?"

His anger, which was evident a few moments ago, faded away in an instant at what she said. He didn't quite understand what she meant by 'take me into your custody' but what matters to him most is that she wants to join him and his friends.

He smiled at her before saying "Of-course. You're welcome to join me and my friends."

With that they moved to the mouth of the cave and stepped outside the cave. They looked into the cave one last time before turning to face each other and smiled.

"So you think they will accept me if I turn up at your camp?" Sophia asked him curiously.

Vertrex stopped in his tracks as he thought about this and just as he stopped he felt something weird. He quickly turned all around him to see whether they were indeed alone. Sophia was surprised by his sudden change of actions.

"You think they won't accept me in?" she said, a little disappointed.

"What" he said distractedly then he turned to her and asked her "Did you feel something just then?"

She looked at him curiously "Feel what?"

Vertrex said "anything!"

No. I haven't felt anything weird." She paused for a second looking at him; a little nervous "You think we're not alone?"

He said to her in a reassuring voice "Of-course not. I'm sure I've just felt it. Might've been the breeze, after all the cave did gave me the creeps so I think I'm being over protective." He finished, smiling at her.

She smiled back and they continued their way and as they were about to disappear from view he told her one thing "When we enter the camp, stay right behind me ok. Just to make sure you will be safe from my friend's sudden attack on you when we enter the camp seeing as they won't be expecting another person to be joining the group." To which she laughed and they disappeared, their voices slowly fading away.

From the bushes that were a few meters from the cave, a figure moved. The figure's body was completely hidden by the long dark cloak it had worn which however didn't cover the eyes. The eyes were glowing brightly in an eerie way as they looked after the path that Vertrex and Sophia had taken moments before. Then the figure spoke in a soft voice.

"The master of Light and Darkness, the one said to have the powers over nature, the one who has the power to bend space and time and the one also known as the guardian of life. I really do wonder if this person, Vertrex, already knows who the Fusion Master is…"

And with that the figure disappeared from sight. Just as the figure disappeared, the cave too vanished, leaving no traces of it ever being there.

END OF CHAPTER 3