Yes the plot goes on! Hope you all are enjoying it. I pray it's not god awful. Yeah woot.
[1st Person POV: Autumn]
I landed on the edge of the chasm, staff in hand. The wind was bitterly cold, howling as the sun set behind the mountains. This was a place that very few knew of, even amongst the Guardians. Below me stood what was called the Cradle of Shade. Here is the back entrance to where Pitch used to reign. Where I'm more than sure Kuroi is holding my friends. Where I first woke up as the Protector of Fall; half in the shadows and half in the light.
Nervously I looked down into the abyss below, scared about being back here. It had been so long and I had always avoided the darker half of myself as much as I could. Well I used to until 100 years ago when I met Hilaria and Garret. They found me in a field carving designs onto my staff and just…talked with me. Before I could blink we had become such close friends, all misfits doing our best. Sure we weren't big shot heroes like North and Sandy but we had each other and fully accepted one another, even the darker parts of ourselves. We knew we'd always have that friendship no matter what. Now all of it is at stake because death decided to rear his ugly head.
After a moment of staring at the orange glow of the setting sun I released a deep breath I had taken. It was time to face my fears and fully step into the new job I had taken. Determined I took a few steps back and looked to the sky.
"WiS please guide me." I muttered before taking a small running start and leaping off the edge.
Once again I fell into shadows, the velvety darkness rushing to greet me with haste. Yet I did not scream or shout as I was swallowed up and pulled in. Truly it was terrifying to be back and brought in so quickly yet there were more important things at hand. Like not hitting the jagged rock walls on the way down and trying to have the element of surprise. The most important thing I could do was prepare myself.
Calm and collected I softly landed inside the now warped lair, the brass cages swinging ominously. It all seemed peaceful in here, which was unnerving to no end. I took close to five steps before my ears picked up an almost silent laugh. Without a seconds delay some inky black substance flew towards me from the encompassing shadows. Barely I had managed to duck aside and see it connect with the wall behind me. Viciously it tore the stone to pieces and devoured it, leaving nothing but a hole behind. Eyes wide I turned on my heel to face my foe, realizing somehow he knew I would show up. As I took up a stance a groaning figure came forward into a sliver of light, holes boring at me with glee.
[1st Person POV: Garret]
Close to an hour had passed while Adelia and I had tried to come up with ideas to get through the door. All of our attempts had failed and now we both sat, exhausted and feeling defeated. The flames had gotten closer on her side while the room I was in had slowly been changed into the nightmarish grave yard full of death. We were quiet now save for our heavy breathing. I wanted so badly to end the pain she was in and for us to get out. To see the sun again. It was agonizing to watch as my area was becoming darker while hers grew painfully bright.
"Garret…are we going to die…again? I don't want to. It was so painful the first time." She asked, voice choking up.
I couldn't bring myself to answer as I saw that all the dead earth on my side touched began to rot and decay. The walls crumbled under it and life seemed to perish on contact. Yet it was as I saw this that the way to get through dawned on me. I needed to let what was on my side take over everything. It would destroy the door and then perhaps work on the flame. But what would it do to us? I had been alright earlier but I also had ran through and top speed.
Shakily I turned back to the door and said, "No, you aren't going to die again. I promise." After that I got up and walked to the edge of the encroaching death.
It was not the best idea but I had to know what would happen if I made contact. So, steeling myself, I crouched down and touched it with my hand. Instantly I knew this was different than before, although I shouldn't have been surprised. My skin began to sting and burn like I had stuck it in a bucket of liquid nitrogen. Dark veins crept up my hand and snaked around my wrist. The pain was new and familiar all at once. It was a cold numbing feeling; Death.
Backing away I went back into the light and watched as my hand sluggishly went back to normal. Knowing what I needed to do I walked back to the door and leaned my head against it. On the other side Adelia stood up and looked at me, worry clear. She stared at me for a long moment before seeing what was behind on my side.
"What are we going to do?" Hesitantly she asked.
"We'll wait for the dark on my side to reach the door. It might get rid of it and then we can use the fire on your side to get back through to another door. Is there another door on your side?" I explained to her, trying to stay positive.
"Yeah but it's behind all of the fire. I couldn't get past it. I tried using my powers but I just feel so slow, like there's something in my system weighing me down. I can barely make a spark right now."
"That's okay. Kuroi probably did something to us while we were out. It'll be fine though. Both of us will escape and get back to the others."
"Yeah. We'll need our staffs too. I wonder where he's hid them." She said, finally looking determined and not swallowed by sorrow.
Smiling I replied, "Maybe in one of the brass cages. Or somewhere on the floor. He's not exactly the smartest guy."
She laughed, which both filled me with joy and tore my heart to shreds, and smiled at me. Putting her hand on the edge of the window Adelia smiled and stared at me, eyes sparkling in the fire light. From what I could see the closer the dark got on my side the more the flames backed away on her side. Thankful for that I leaned my head on the window, hoping to block her view of what lay behind me, and I smiled back. I did all I could to not cry as I felt the cold creeping closer, almost nipping at my heels. Already my feet were beginning to sting as the icy death reached for me.
"So, do you think we be Jack on the coolness level yet? I mean this'll be twice that we've gotten away from the big bad guy." I asked, keeping my voice level as the darkness began to claw into me.
"Oh definitely. No longer can he bag on you for not being as awesome as him." She answered proudly.
"Good…I love you Adelia. So much." The death had finally reached me and the door. I could feel it trying its best to rot me away to nothing.
"I love you too Garret." She told me warmly, her smile so bright. Yet as the wood rotted away I couldn't hold myself steady any longer. I watched as her face fell and she understood what was happening. Her head whipped about as she turned to find the flames backing away, her path to the exit almost clear. My world began to blur and fade as the barrier between us was finally gone. The last thing I remembered was telling her to go fast as I collapsed forward. Then it was dark and cold again.
[1st Person POV: Autumn]
Tense I sped down the ever twisting halls, searching for my friends while keeping my eyes peeled for Kuroi. The nightmare would jump in and out of the shadows, throwing whatever he could at me. He also liked to make hands reach out of the dark, trying to grab my legs and arms. A few of them had sharp nails and while they hadn't held on they'd left their marks. I shook them off though and continued onward, desperate to find Garret and Adelia before it was too late.
Turning a corner I heard a familiar voice shouting out in despair, crying loudly for someone. It was Adelia, no doubt, and that could only mean things were getting bad. Well, worse; things are already bad. Eager I bolted onward only to hit a wall of darkness that rose before me. Behind it I distantly heard my friends. However my attention quickly was drawn to the growing monster before me. Kuroi stood twelve feet tall, a black tower radiating death and the stench associated with it. Skeletal and half decayed hands hung out of his shadowy form. The dark pits that were his eyes suddenly grew larger as the irises of many lost souls appeared. He loomed over me and smiled, grin stretching literally from ear to ear. I took a few clumsy steps back and held firm to my staff, light glowing off of me in the gloom.
"Well done Automne, you've made it quite far. But you and I both know that Death cannot be stopped. No man can halt it so why are you going to fight it?" He wheezed out of his gapping maw, the scent of his breath just as disgusting as his body.
"I'm not fighting you…yet. I only want to keep the balance which you seem hell bent on destroying. Tell me Kuroi, why do you fight something no one has been able to stop? Why do you fight life?" I spat back at him, ready for an attack.
"Because life left me! I was the only one to never gain a new start! Just a new way to watch the end over and over. But no more. I will make the ultimate end and then all shall join me in death. Come forth you weak spark of hope for your time has come to be snuffed out in the wind." He bellowed in fury, bringing a long scythe out of his cloak. Without missing a beat he flew forward, swinging at me harshly. I blocked watching as the hit connected and the impact shattered walls.
Yay new chapter up. Getting close to the end here. Oh so exciting!
