Chapter 15: Declaration
Ariel stirred when she felt the brush of a breeze through the feathers of her wings. The light shining through the grand windows of her bed chamber warmed her skin, causing her to stir. Movement within her arms woke her completely to see Dane asleep beside her, strands of his tussled hair lying across his face. She pulled herself onto Dane's chest slowly, listening to his breathing. She jumped a bit when she felt his cool hand on the small of her back, running over her skin to the middle of her wings. When he looked down, Ariel's sleepy smile and messy hair greeted him as she rested her chin on her hands.
"Finally awake, are you?" Ariel asked softly, pulling her body across his chest to meet his lips.
"That I am, Ariel." Dane smiled. The previous hours opened a new path for them, bringing them closer than before. No longer did a simple contract bind them; they were, together, more. They were a family. Ariel sat up, stretched her arms over her head, and spread her wings wide. Dane reached a hand to her thigh, noting that her stomach was protruding slightly.
"Ariel? Are you…" Ariel looked down, touching the swell in her stomach, and grinned.
"It would appear so." Dane lowered his brow, propping himself on his elbow while touching her stomach.
"How? It's only been a few hours," Dane asked.
"You forget, my love. Time moves differently here in my temple." Airel chuckled, leaning down with a gentle kiss while reaching for her dress piled on the floor.
"How long has it been within Usoria?" Dane asked, wincing a bit when he realized that he still sometimes fell into the trap of wanting to do research over being with Ariel.
"From what the sand fountains say, it's been about three days." Ariel casually replied, finally pulling on her dress only to realize that the waist was tighter than she remembered.
"THREE DAYS?! I must return now." Dane jumped from her bed, grabbing his clothes and pulling them on quickly. He was just fastening the belt of his pants when Ariel's arms pulled around him and hugged him firmly.
"Can't you stay just a little bit longer? The Mirror of Time has shown me that our child will be the one to rid the world of Darkness. You don't need to study yourself into ruin." She asked, laying her head on his neck and pulling her wings around him.
"Ariel, my goddess, you have said that time moves differently here in your temple. I would stay for all eternity if I could. But there are those in Usoria waiting for me. Our child may be the one to rid the world of the Darkness, but until then, I will study it so our child will know how to defeat it. I promise that I will return in one month." Ariel sighed a long breath, pulling her arms around Dane tighter for a moment before letting him go and assisting in pulling on his shirt.
"I will hold you to that, Dane," Ariel replied kindly, kissing him deeply. When Dane returned to the chapel, he found a very well-guarded caravan parked before it. Mars and Vieren were standing on the front steps arguing with whom Dane guessed to be a soldier from that caravan. As he neared, he could begin to catch what Mars was saying.
"…as I have explained multiple times, the Master is not currently present. There is no way of knowing when he will return!"
"Then I demand to be let into the building where my soldiers and I will search for ourselves. This is an urgent matter that we must speak to your 'master' about immediately." The Guard and the soldiers accompanying him to the steps drew their weapons. They were about to force their way past Mars and Vieren when Dane appeared before them in a flash of bright light. His icy stare instantly stopped the soldiers, further making them back away as light hummed to life at the end of his staff.
"What is the meaning of forcing your way into my house?" Dane asked, slamming the end of his staff on the marble steps making a sheet of light wash over them. The guard who had spoken before switched the hold on his sword and pointed to Dane.
"Are you the one called the White Mage?" he asked with a loud sneer. Dane locked eyes with him, the blank stare in Dane's eyes enough to make the guard swallow, switching his grip back.
"I will ask again; who are you, and why are you forcing your way into my house?" Dane demanded every word said with slow force. The guard relaxed his stance, producing a symbol from under his glove.
"I am Triston, Captain of the 8th regiment to-"
"Get to the point!" Mars shouted, quickly met by Dane's hard stare.
"Let the man finish," Dane answered with the same slow force he had spoken to the soldier with before turning his attention back to the man, signaling to continue.
"…to the King of Zakuman, Leon Lionheart. We come seeking the aid of the Aurora as there are creatures made of shadow appearing. We understand this Order is the most experienced in this matter and were commanded to speak with your leader at all costs." Dane glared at the man for a long while, flexing his jaw as he thought. Eleanor exited the temple, dressed in her armor.
"Master Mars, Master Vieren, I heard a commotion. Is everything alright?" She asked, coming into view of the soldiers. Instantly, Triston's face distorted into a snarl, pointing his sword directly at her.
"What is that traitor doing here?" he demanded. Dane turned to see who he meant, nodding to Eleanor in greeting.
"Eleanor has been welcomed here as a guard after being expelled from her knighthood with you, if I recall."
"That's the story she told you? If you knew what kind of person she is, you would know how dangerous she can be." Triston snapped, still pointing his sword at arm's length. Dane looked over his shoulder blankly, watching Eleanor grab her elbow and turn away.
"She has proven herself reliable in the time I have known her," Dane said, returning his attention to Triston.
"You may come to regret your choice. Now answer me, are you the White mage or not?"
"I am Dane, the White Mage." Triston eyed Dane and Eleanor, sheathing his sword with a shove.
"We request your assistance with some creatures made of shadow appearing in Al Neth. Our mages and knights can't seem to combat these creatures, and it is only becoming worse."
"Does Lionheart still stand sentry over the grave of the Raegonians?"
"Yes, why is that relevant?" Triston demanded, raising an eyebrow.
"Tell your men to be ready to leave within the hour. I will go with you back to Zakuman." Dane commanded, walking back into the chapel with Mars and Vieren close behind.
"Gather your Shinning Rods and whatever spell books you need. Vieren, find Orchid and Lotus. Tell them to meet me in the Lab." Mars and Vieren split off as he walked quickly, almost toppling acolytes within the halls. When the twins walked in, they saw Dane gathering his notes, bottles of potions, and a small black crystal in his lab.
"What is it this time? Is it something fun?" Orchid asked, perking up at the prospect as the twins walked in.
"No, it isn't. You two will accompany me to Zakuman. There, we will face a powerful Darkness, a stain on all humankind. You will help me study it." Lotus huffed and rocked his head from side to side, cracking his neck as though bored.
"Why should we help you with this? We've already told you how to find the root of any given Darkness, haven't we? Besides, if it's as bad as you say, there won't be time for studying."
"Regardless, we need to conquer it. This Darkness is one of many Great Stains of humanity and may lead to a solution for the Darkness as a whole. We will need all the help you can give." Orchid drooped her arms and hunched her back.
"Awww, that sounds so boring! Why can't we just go take care of some Omens like always do with the Acolytes?" she whined.
"Because we will need your power. It can't be called an Omen; It is worse." as the three left the building, Dane saw Eleanor standing awkwardly near the main door.
"You too, Dame Eleanor. We may need your help."
"Master, I don't think that would be-"
"Now, Eleanor," Dane commanded. Eleanor sighed, following them to the caravan and mounting a horse, catching the ire of Triston. Dane silenced his heated protest, reminding him that Eleanor was no longer under his command. With an agitated huff, Triston urged his horse to lead the caravan back to the Zakuman Mountains. Once they cleared the forest, Dane slowed his horse to walk level with Eleanor at the back of the procession, speaking only loud enough for her to hear.
"What did the captain mean when he mentioned being dangerous? What haven't you told me?" the two of them rode in silence for a while, Eleanor's mind turning over and over until she sighed and relented.
"My real name is Edea Eleanor Rosebane. I am originally from Pantheon, far north of Usoria, above what you know as the Leviathan Crag Mountain range."
"I've heard of Pantheon but have never been there myself. How did you come to be so far south of your home?" Eleanor sighed, removing her helmet and tucking her hair back to reveal her slightly pointed ears.
"I am half Dracova: my mother is from Pantheon, and my father is an elf of Elline. As you can see, I took more after him than my mother." As she turned to him, the light narrowed her eyes to lentil-shaped slits like a dragon's. Dane sighed, impressed. He heard of the Dracova and their fierce warriors, said to be descended from actual dragons, but never imagined he'd meet one.
"Then how did you come to live in Usoria if you are from Pantheon?"
"After my parents met, they settled in a town in Preon, near the grand bridge connecting Usoria and Pantheon. When I was very small, our village was raided by bandits looking for a sword the Dracova soldiers wielded. My mother was the only Dracova in the village, and when she told those bandits she had no such weapon, they beat her bloody and broke her wings. She may have been Drakin, but even she didn't have the strength to fight off twenty bandits. They would have killed her if Keiseer Yeso hadn't intervened. She captured most of the bandits, but their leader escaped.
"My father and I nursed my mother back to health after moving back to Pantheon once it was clear Usoria wasn't safe for us. The skilled healers in Pantheon helped set the bones in my mother's wings, but they were so badly mangled that without healing magics, they healed badly; she will never fly again.
"I took it upon myself to find the bandit's leader, wanting to become strong enough so that no one would hurt my mother, my father, or me ever again. My sword training led me to the Lionheart Castle, where my skills earned me a position in their ranks, eventually becoming a Paladin of the Inner Court. I still searched for my quarry, finally learning his name: Baroq Folan. With that knowledge, I searched in greater detail but couldn't find anything until the day he walked into King Lionheart's throne room. He was Emperor's Emissary, sent to talk terms for trade between Lionheart and Orion.
"The fact that he helped break my mother's wings made my blood boil, so I attacked him. I landed a blow before the other knights stopped me and dragged me to the brig. Once Lionheart and Baroq finished speaking, that slimy rat came to see me in my cell. It didn't take him long to recognize me, saying he regretted not delivering the killing blow to my mother. At that, I snapped, breaking through the door and beating him nearly to death. It took all the knights to restrain me before I was expelled from the knights. I still hear their jeers, calling me a rabid beast as I left the castle." Dane could only remain silent for a long while, letting her story mull in his thoughts to fully understand it.
"Did you go back home? I'm sure your parents were worried about you."
"I did go back. But the revenge I thought I wanted didn't satisfy me. So I returned to Usoria, hoping to find a way to stop men like Baroq. And then I met one of your clerics in Preon, and I asked if I could come with them to try and put my skills to some good use." Dane nodded and sighed, patting her shoulder.
"I take it you've found peace in our cause then?"
"Maybe not peace, but a path to be sure. I can now see that The Darkness is a large part of what drove Baroq's greed and my revenge. I need to be better than that to protect those I love." Dane gently rocked Eleanor with a thankful grin.
"Thank you for telling me; you carry a heavy Darkness within you. Return to the Temple, and speak with one of the Clerics; they will help you work through it and heal your wound."
"But what about going to Zakuman?"
"As much as I would like you to come, The Darkness we are about to face is much more potent than any Omen you have fought thus far and could be more dangerous for you." Eleanor agreed reluctantly, turning her horse around and cantering back to the Temple as Dane urged his horse faster to speak with Triston near the front of the caravan.
"Good riddance. That half-lizard needs to be kept on a leash," he sneered until he caught Dane's angered glare, making him clear his throat and change the subject.
"I am happily surprised that you are coming with us back, but may I ask the reason for the urgency?" he asked. Dane sighed softly and began.
"The sole reason for your kingdom is to guard the Raegonian's gravesite. The creatures you have seen are called Omens; manifestations of their fear and pain. If these Omens are left alone, it wil l only get worse. We are going to the heart of the problem: the gravesite itself." The captain pursed his lips, breathing deeply.
"That would explain why we haven't been able to hurt them."
"You tried to fight them?" Vieren asked with a near squeak in his voice.
"Yes, but we were always overcome with emotions. Those soldiers are our best men, trained to remain unfazed by anything, yet those creatures overwhelmed them easily."
"That is the power of the Omen," Dane grunted.
"Have you tried anything else?" Mars asked.
"We tried calling on Clerics of Nanahuatzin, Haim, Ariel, even Minerna herself. But they were just as useless. That is when a Cleric of Minerna suggested the Aurora to us." Mars turned to Dane with lifted eyebrows, remembering the encounter with the Darkness of the Darlaus Crusades.
"You will be able to deal with this, right?" Triston asked, waiting through a long silence as Dane thought.
"We will attempt to vanquish this Darkness that infests the world here," Dane answered flatly, staring at his staff and the large Aurora crystal in the center of its crook-like design.
"I could barely overcome the beast of the Darlaus Crusades. But this is something far more powerful. I just hope we don't all succumb to its power." Looking at his hands, Dane caught sight of Mars and Vieren.
"Mars has trained since then, so he shouldn't be as easily overcome. Vieren hasn't faced anything worse than a large Omen. But the love for his wife is strong, making his Light robust; he should be fine." Looking to his left, he caught sight of Orchid and Lotus. Would they even be affected by what waited for them? Yes, the Darkness changed them; however, that didn't mean they were immune.
"What test of our Light waits for us?" Dane thought, pulling out his notebook and reading over his Darkness transformational spell. If this didn't work, they would have to retreat and prepare a different strategy.
"There might not be enough time to try something else." Dane swallowed hard and turned back to his notes. He had to succeed.
Tahir felt lost after losing his family, becoming a mercenary for hire to keep his mind occupied. Between jobs, he'd help anyone by giving them the money he earned as a mercenary. Many of those he helped here were orphaned children or single parents who lost loved ones to the ever-multiplying creatures.
"If it hadn't been for those damn shadows…" he thought as he slowly ate some bread and a simple gruel. Those damnable clerics of that sect said to be fighting off the shadows were also to blame. A woman claimed to offer them a chance at revenge but later revealed she was using them for her schemes. She paid them well, very well. He looked down at the heavy pouch on the table, lumpy and bulging from all the Platinium meso coins. It was more money than he had seen in years, possibly even more than in the royal treasury. Even after all this time, he'd only spent a tiny amount.
His thoughts turned to his friend Omar who was killed shortly after being paid by Hilda, leaving his children behind. Gahlib and his wife Qamar lost their children to the shadows and took the brunt of providing for them, helped immensely by a generous gift by Tahir. He heard nothing of his friend Jamal who disappeared with those cowardly Clerics and often wondered if he were still alive. He looked at the small chain hanging on his palm, having a small locket with a lock of his Wife's and daughter's hair within it.
"What am I to do, Talea?" He asked quietly, picking up the locket and opening the cover. His rage against those clerics still burned. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. His face brightened when he opened the door to see Jamal, welcoming him with a tight hug.
"Jamal! You're ok!" Tahir exclaimed. His friend grinned, asking to come in. With an eager hand swing, Tahir stepped aside.
"What happened to you? It's been seven months since you disappeared with those clerics. Where have you been?" Jamal chuckled as he slumped into a chair at the table, taking his dagger from his belt and slapping it onto the table.
"I have been all over the eastern desert traveling with a lovely Acolyte of the Order of Aurora named Hanna."
"Did you kill her?" Tahir sneered, speaking through clenched teeth and curling his lip. Jamal picked up his dagger by the butt and stood it on its tip, spinning it around and digging into the wood.
"No, I didn't." He answered bluntly. Tahir's face went red, his fists balled up tight, and his heart beat so hard he swore it would burst from his chest.
"WHY NOT? They are the ones at fault! Why should we show them any mercy? They are responsible for your family's death! And you just LET one of them live?" Tahir thundered. Jamal sighed, catching the dagger from the table and thumbing the edge as he leaned over his knees.
"Oh, trust me, I wanted to kill them. But their master, The White Mage, and Hanna showed me what they are trying to do and helped me to work through the pain of my family's loss. They aren't simply trying to rid the world of these Omens, as they call them. They are trying to prevent more from being made."
"That still doesn't forgive them for their cowardice!" Tahir growled, slamming his fist on the table hard enough to make the side of it burn with pain.
"I know it doesn't, but they aren't hiding! They are working hard to repair the world!"
"It doesn't bring Talea back!"
"No, it doesn't, but they can help with the pain of her loss."
"How? By waving a stick and saying a prayer?"
"It's not that simple. The Aurora want to help if you'll let them." Tahir's rage blinded him, clenching his teeth so hard that they creaked.
"Get out!"
"Tahir, will you at least-"
"I said get out!" Tahir grabbed Jamal by the shirt, hauling him to his feet and throwing him out of the front door onto the dusty streets of Arentia.
"You are no friend of mine if you side with them!" Tahir slammed his door hard enough that a vase toppled from its shelf onto the ground. Heavily he walked to it, slumping to his knees and picking up the sky-blue pieces one by one: it was the vase he had given Talea as an anniversary present the previous year.
"Talea, what do I do?" he wept, clutching the pieces to his chest, the sharp edges cutting into his hands, making them bleed. Looking up from where he knelt, he caught sight of Jamal's dagger on the table.
"If those cultists won't do it, then I will."
Three weeks went by as they traveled west through the desert and into the mountainous region of Al Neth. Here the weather was cool and calm during the summer but brutally cold, with constant snow during the winter. The end of fall was fast approaching, and the winter winds had come early. Once arriving in Zakuman, the knights gave the Aurora members heavy cloaks to keep warm as they traveled to the gravesite alone. It was a few hours south of the city, but as they neared the grave, all signs of life began to die away.
The bark of trees was dry, and fewer and fewer birds sang. The air smelled foul, more so the further they ventured. Vieren caught sight of a few wolves watching them from afar but seemed not to dare come closer.
"I'm so bored, and my feet are cold. Are we there yet?" Orchid asked, hunching over and drooping her arms as they walked through a light layer of snow. Dane halted the group, standing silent for a long while as he looked around the area.
"Master?" Mars asked, lowering his staff, readying for battle.
"We're here," Dane answered. Vieren accidentally found a small gravestone carved with a cross at the top of its rounded shape. Moss and snow clung to its face obscuring the words carved into it until he brushed it all away.
"Here lie the lives of the Raegonians needlessly lost. May peace find them. This Stone serves as a reminder of what has happened here, that no man should forget all life is precious."
Mars and Vieren held their Shining Rods to the ready, light dimly humming at their ends, giving the surrounding area a cold but comforting glow.
"So, is something going to happen, or are we just gonna stand here all day?" Lotus asked when swells of dark shadows rippled just above the surface of the snow.
"Master Dane?" Vieren asked the light on the end of his staff becoming brighter.
"Stay calm and keep your mind, Vieren. The emotions making up this creature are intense." Dane answered, lowering his staff's head to the ground but keeping it lit. The snow melted away as its hand reached up, pulling the rest of its body from the earth; neon-green veins crackled all over it. Its second arm slumped to the ground, burning the snow around it into blackened ash. Paper tearing echoed in the small canyon as its eyes opened, green smoke sizzling from the corners.
"You come here lookin' for a fight, do ya?" the creature asked, though no mouth could be seen.
"No, we have come to heal the wounds that have manifested you," Dane called in return. The Omen threw back its head, putting a hand to his forehead and laughing loud enough to make little snow drifts fall around them.
"You tink dat you can take me out? You must be done stupid to tink dat." The creature laughed, swiping at Dane only to be stopped by Mars with a barrier of light.
"Da mans dat made me possible never got what dey deserved. Dae sit in dare jails and dare stocks, but dae do not get da debt dat makes me up! And you tink dat I want some healing?!" Vieren braced himself, hurling the Omen's hand away with a burst of light.
"Your massacre was horrible, but those that did this to you are long gone. They died many, many years-"
"DAE WERE STILL ALLOWED TO LIVE! DAE NEED TO HAVE DARE BLOOD SPILLED!" the Omen bellowed.
"What justice is dare if da ones dat took da lives of me be allowed to live?!" Orchid and Lotus were about to step in, but Dane held his hand out to stop them.
"Aw, come on!" Orchid whined, shrinking back when Dane gave her a look filled with molten daggers.
"If we killed everyone for the wrongs done to us, there would be no justice, only vengeance!" The creature clenched its hands, lowering its head and shaking as black vapors seeped from its back.
"Den, your justice is not wert anyting!" the creature howled, swinging again at Dane only to be blocked by Lotus with his bare hand.
"I've had it! I'm bored, and I want something to do! Orchid!" he shouted, the twins disappearing, kicking up snow where they had been a moment before. The creature began twitching and reeling as something hit it from multiple angles, driving its face into the ground as the twins reappeared.
"That was easy," Orchid said with a disappointed sigh, arrogantly bushing her hand through one of her long pigtails.
"You fools!" Dane snapped, watching as the Omen rose, its bottom jaw splitting away in a jagged mouth, pushing it back into place with gurgling crunches. Its roar was enough to blow away loose snowflakes, stinging their faces as the ice scraped across their skin.
"YOU HUMANS AHR ALL DA SAME! I HATE YOU ALL!" it bellowed as a wave of Darkness exploded from it, enveloping everything around them. But the wave passed with nothing happening, or so it seemed.
Mars unfurled himself from his guarded position, looking over to Vieren and instantly lunging at him. Vieren shouted as he held up his staff and began to dual with Mars, blasts of light cratering the ground as they fought. Dane stood stoic against the wave, gritting his teeth as tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. Lotus and Orchid looked at each other and their hands, trying to figure out what had happened.
"Hey. Hey Dane, what-"
"Don't talk to me, filthy forest rats!" Dane snapped between gritted teeth. Orchid clenched her jaw, floating in the air before him.
"What did you call us?" Orchid demanded, a plume of fire appearing in her palm.
"Wait!" Lotus said, grabbing her arm and quelling the flame.
"That isn't Dane."
"The words came out of his mouth!" Orchid exclaimed, holding another plume of flame in her other hand.
"No, this creature is the cause of it; it infected their minds, making them hate each other. This Omen is making them feel what it feels." Lotus answered, returning his attention to the shadow creature where it sat, watching the scene unfold.
"How do you know? Are you reading his research or something?"
"Yes, actually," he replied smugly, facing the Omen again.
"RELEASE THEM!" Lotus shouted, throwing a blast of magic. The explosion threw the Omen to the ground, instantly freeing Dane, Mars, and Vieren.
"What happened?" Vieren asked as he blinked his eyes quickly.
"No time! Get the Omen before it gets you again!" Lotus exclaimed as the Omen was getting back up. Dane breathed hard, wiping his eye before extending his palm to the beast.
"Mars, Vieren. Work with the twins and keep the creature busy. I will prepare the final blow." As the Omen busied itself with the other four, Dane held out his palm to absorb some of it. The flood of rage and sorrow threatened to overtake his mind again with feelings of hate and grief. With a monumental effort, Dane reached into his bag, grabbing the small crystal of solidified Darkness. With a squeeze, its power seeped through his hand, allowing him to combat the emotions assaulting his mind.
Vieren and Mars launched beams of thundering light from their staves, blowing holes through the Omen. It howled in pain, swiping at them, tearing through the earth as it moved. Mars teleported away as Vieren stayed put, light erupting from his staff and halting its hand. Its other hand came down on top of him until Orchid kicked it away with a blast of magic.
Mars and Lotus each took turns hammering the Omen's back, turning its attention on them with a swing of his hand. Lotus teleported away, but Mars didn't react fast enough. The swipe sent Mars careening into a high snow drift, disappearing from view. Vieren braced his stance as spears of light shot through The Omen's back. The Omen glared at him, lunging as Vieren smirked, then teleported away, revealing Orchid unleashing another blast of magic. The impact spun the Omen around as it fell back. Mars reappeared with an explosion of golden light, throwing snow in all directions, and met the Omen with a blast of light, punching through its head.
The Omen howled, clutching at its head before hurtling down, mouth agape and vapors trailing from its mouth like smoke. Mars struggled to breathe over the inferno of pain in his right leg, trying to teleport away. But he was too slow as the creature's claws caught his calf, tearing flesh from bone. When Mars reappeared near Dane, he cried out as he watched the flesh of his leg begin to crumble into ash.
Dane struggled to ensure he didn't succumb to the raging emotions when the sight of Mars made him freeze. Memories of the Omen from the Darlaus Crusades flashed through his mind. Would he or anyone at the Aurora have the strength to heal him?
"MASTER DA-" The Omen cut Vieren short as it bit him through the chest. Orchid and Lotus forged weapons from their magic, stabbing the creature through the head and freeing Vieren. But the Omen had already done the damage as ash began floating up from Vieren's wounds.
"If you're going to do something, now's the time! We can't carry three people back to town!" Orchid shouted.
"Dare will be no justice for dem, just as dare was no justice for me." The Omen growled, turning his attention back to Dane.
"And dare will be none for you either, White Mage." The creature growled, raising its hand to strike. The Aurora Crystals howled with white light as sliver flames jetted forward, tearing through its arm and enveloping the Omen as it howled in pain. Dane willed himself to remain in control, channeling The Darkness through his love for Ariel.
"If we do not try to rise above our base selves, there can never be justice! I release you of your hate and pain!" Dane bellowed as the light became brighter, stripping away all that remained of the creature into silence. Dane collapsed to the ground, heaving for breath as the hate and sorrow he had absorbed slowly dissipated.
"It's not enough. This kind of Darkness can't conquer what infests the world," Dane heaved, looking up to see his comrades lying on the snow. Pulling himself to his feet, he stumbled to Vieren, where he lay coughing for breath.
"I'm sorry, Master Dane. I wasn't paying attention. Please look after-"
"Be still, Vieren; you will be fine. You will go home to Tasia." Dane encouraged. Mars pulled himself up into a sitting position, easing the pain in his leg with a healing spell.
"How is he, Master?" Mars asked. Dane said nothing as he tended to Vieren's wound, but he could only watch as ashes drifted up from his bite wounds. He needed Ariel's power to heal them, but was asking for it just another part of his using Ariel? Closing his eyes, Dane called Ariel, asking for her help, waiting silently until he heard her voice.
"Yes, my love, I hear you. Do not ever be afraid to ask for my help. Together, we can be stronger than any force in existence." Dane looked over his shoulder, seeing the hazy image of Ariel smiling at him as she reached out for his hands.
"I don't want you to think I merely want to use you, but an Omen wounded two of my clerics. I know you have the power to heal-" Ariel chuckled in his mind, feeling a hand on his shoulder.
"All you need to do is ask, my love. I can be strong where you are not." Dane felt a hand atop his, reaching to Vieren's wounds.
"This may sting a bit, Vieren."
"Do what you need. I will endure." Vieren seethed through clenched teeth. Dane nodded, initiating a healing spell that felt hundreds of times more powerful, burning away all the corrupted flesh and healing the punctures, leaving scars where the teeth had bitten. Dane healed Mar's leg in another swell of light, but he would walk limp as the Darkness had eaten away some of the muscle. Ariel could fully heal their wounds, but it would take more power from Ariel than Dane could channel.
"Master, I'm sorry that-"
"There is no need to apologize, Mars. When we return to Aurora, we need to find darker places. This memorial and the grave of the Darlaus Crusades didn't have the power we need."
"But nothing darker exists! There are only a few places left that we haven't visited yet, and they hold the same pain and sorrow."
"We must search Mars; we must. The Ultimate Light we use, while powerful, is not enough. I can use Darkness to enhance my Light, but the result is only as strong as the Darkness powering it. We need to find the Ultimate Darkness. The Darkest of all history. Only from Ultimate Darkness can the Ultimate Light be found."
