CHAPTER 3: SERRATOR

Dayu felt a horrible feeling in her heart. The fog around her, and the water before her, were all starting to close in, closer and closer until the only thing she could look at, at this point, was Deker's blade. It's red and white coating was glistening from the spots of water upon it, and it had been over the sea for a long time in Dayu's palm. It slowly descended outward, and, with tears in her eyes, Dayu unclasped her grip.

"Don't throw away that sword!" A voice said, clear as the sea.

It made Dayu grasp the sword in thin-air and held it in her palm again, her heart pounding in her chest. She looked up, clutching her harmonium, and realized the voice. The voice was deep, and it was the most sinister voice she had ever heard.

She heard it before, long ago, but now, it left a sickening impact on her heart.

"Serrator..." Dayu began to say, holding her harmonium out in front of her.

Serrator was a Nighlok that was all business. He was a great Nighlok along the other Nighloks, or at least the Nighloks he created. He was a shade of green, with a green chest and had sleeves that dangled to his waist and his pants were purple, with white dots all over them. He had gold plates on his shoulders, and above his head was a crown-like figure that blended with his long white hair. He had a weapon in his hand, and Dayu realized it was more than a weapon. She knew who this Nighlok was.

"Dayu...It's been centuries." Serrator said, taking his time walking on the sand.

"Yes, it has been centuries. And I hate it." Dayu said, her heart almost bursting from sorrow.

Serrator chuckled. Just seeing Dayu like this brought a happy feeling upon him. He was delighted to see her again after all this time, and now, in the midst of the beach, he was finally able to torcher her with feelings of hate and sorrow.

"I wonder if you still remember your past," Serrator said, chuckling. "Well?"

"Yes, I remember." Dayu said, pulling back her harmonium, looking at the sand.

Indeed, she did remember:

Fire. Smoke. Harmonium. Urumassa. Blue mist.

Dayu immediately forgot those things, and looked back up at Serrator. He was rubbing his weapon, possibly remembering as well. Dayu looked at Deker's blade, and tears swelled again, this time heavier than before. She almost collapsed on her knees, but caught the motion in time and continued her stance.

"It was a memorable moment," Serrator said, coolly, looking at his weapon, then Dayu. "For me."

Dayu felt pain in her heart, as she had when she first entered this beach, and now she wanted the pain to go away. But she knew that couldn't happened. Not with everything around her disappearing. She was so deep in this pain she didn't realize Serrator had walked closer to her, and she was looking into his green face, his teeth showing not anger, but satisfaction, as it did all the time.

"I must go, Serrator. I have nothing to hold on to anymore." Dayu said, twisting her head to the Furry Wart. She almost forgot about it.

Then, Serrator grabbed her face, and her hand at the same time. Dayu gasped from the impact, it stung so hard. The grip tightened. Serrator laughed a little, and letted go of Dayu's face, but his grip on her hand remained in-tact.

"You're not going anywhere, Dayu. I have a plan, and it will be one of the best than Master Xandred's.
Pardon me on my manners, but, I do have business with another as well."

Serrator twisted his head, and Dayu realized he was looking at Deker's blade, which was grasped in Dayu's hand, Serrator holding onto it. Her heart pounded, and her breath was shallow. She felt tears again, realizing the truth.

"D-D-Deker?"

Serrator let his grip fade, and his hands were now at his side. He chuckled and twisted his body, about to become nothing but a figure in shadows, just as he was when Dayu first saw him.

"Wait! Do you know where he is?" Dayu yelled, the fog covering Serrator.

Serrator stopped in his tracks, twisting his head a little. "The forest, near the forbidden field. We Nighlok never go there, but, I know Deker is there."

"I've never heard of it." Dayu said, standing firm, her heart about to burst.

"Look over the cliff and go into the woods from there. Keep going straight, and maybe you'll find him."

Within an instant, the winds picked up speed, and Serrator was gone. Dayu stood where she was,
shocked, her heart pounding into her ears.

"Above the cliff?" Dayu asked, to herself and not to the Furry Wart, who was chanting again.

"I miss Dayu...I miss Dayu" It chanted.

"Quiet!" Dayu snapped, hearing enough.

She clutched her harmonium, ready to jump onto the cliff, but, it occurred to her. Leaving the Furry Wart would be a mistake she would never forgive herself for. She walked over to the sea, and, gently,
picked up the Furry Wart, it giggling the same giggles it knew.

"Come, little one, we must find Deker together."

Elsewhere. Forest.

A change in the weather was sensed. A change that would effect the forest, leaving its green and making its brown spots and bare branches to come out of hiding. It had already begun, and Cole Evans sensed it deeper than anything in the forest.

He sensed the cold feeling of the winds, and cold ground was colder than usual. The leaves were almost gone, and the branches left ice-cycles, small ones, but soon the big ice-cycles would come, and Cole would have to find another place to stay, like he did when he and the golden retriever found the cave last winter.

That was a long time ago. And now, Cole would have to spend this winter finding a new place.

The forest floor was too cold to sleep on the ground, as Cole found out last night, and the trees were soon to feel the cold wrath, but Cole remained in the tree for the night, able to see the city in the far distance, and able to see he was close to the place he didn't want to be: Civilization.

The night had passed, and the morning fog clouded the entire forest. It was a wall of fog, unable to see past it. Cole was afraid of walking in this fog, but, what choice did he have. He had to find a new home.

He looked around, and it was all the same. Fog was everywhere, and the trees were barely visible. It was like walking through a wall of clouds, thick and not able to make out anything around, even on the ground. Cole, however, felt the grass on his muddy and brown shoes, and was able to sense the trees beyond the fog. He could hear birds chirping and little animals going into their homes. He could sense all of this, and could understand what the animals were saying.

His connection with animals, however, was never so far away as this.

It was like the birds stopped chirping the moment he stopped walking, and the minute he stopped walking, he wouldn't see what was in front of him. He looked around, and could sense the forest, but it seemed far away. He closed his eyes, hoping to hear the animals again, but he couldn't barely hear them, and he couldn't see them at all. The holes at the bottom of his shoes were feeling something different than grass, and Cole had to sense it wasn't something he was used to. It felt cold, colder than the grounds of the forest, and it felt rough at the touch. When he tried to move his leg, his foot felt like something rough was under him. He moved a little, and couldn't make out what was under him.

Then, it happened too fast.

Cole could hear something; A roaring sound was pounding into his ears. A streak of light came...

And Cole felt pain. Sharp, horrible pain. He felt like he couldn't move, but he was moving. Then, he stopped moving and fell onto the rough feelings, only this time he could feel them with his hands and face. It's rough feelings made Cole's head hurt. Cole tried to look up, but he couldn't see anything but fog.

Then, he saw a light. Brighter than before.