Shadow of the Past (Chapter XIV)

Chapter XIV: Serenity 1

Not this way! hissed a gasping breath. Everyone stoped and grew angry as Aridous limped out of the cave with all his weight on his staff. "This is the long way . . ." he sighed. "There is another if you want to prevent Illion from doing my job." 2

Nollie was about to say something when Aridous interupted him. "I am not here to break the Seal. Not yet. I have realised that the time isn't right to break it." He closed his eyes and laughed. "I'll break it when no one is strong enough to stop me!" he said with a great laugh and ended with a horrible cough. Aridous covered his mouth with his black and raged robes to muffle his haggings. He dropped his arm and spat dark blood from his mouth. 3

"What am I saying, you guys won't listen to me . . ." Aridous stepped ut of the way and walked toward his left. His staff thuded against the broken pavement as he limped away from the party. His enemies. His only friends. 4

"You go that way and you get there when the magic has been released! Or, if your lucky, before he brakes it." He turned around and glared at everyone. "And I know you all will yell at him. Begging him to stop. Begging him not to bring the Earth's distruction. He won;'t listen to you." 5

Aridous turned back around and headed off down the path. "Past the Temple you shall go/ to where we stop the magic flow." Aridous sang aloud. 6

Teskan watched as Aridous led the supposed way to the Magic Seal, singing a biazzare song that seemed to be about the exactly situation they were in. His anger and frustration grew, almost to the point where he hated him more than idea of his little sister in love with...Nollie, bah. All of these recent events had only happened in the past couple of days, and so much had happened. If not for Teskan's elven brain, he might as well have gone insane...either that or killed Nollie, but that was the best-case kind of scenario. 7

"I don't think you've exactly proven yourself trustworthy to us, Aridous. You come stumbling in here and just expect us to listen to you and follow you? Forgive me if I feel the urge to laugh in your damn face, God," Teskana sneared to him. There was no reply, just the continuation of his singing. Teskan's axe was ready to find its way to his hands, when Adreira held his hand back. 8

"Brother, don't. There's been enough pointless bloodshed as it is," she said softly to him. He could tell the seriousness and the sadness in her expression. She was wearing down faster than he hand thought. 9

...And the most dominate thing that was keeping her going was the one man he hated most... 10

Teskan's ae didn't get to be held by Teskan's hands, and he turned to Nollie with a snear. If Adreira wasn't around, he could be sure Teskan would surely start a conversation. 11

"Fine," Teskan said. "Donalbain, your call. Follow him, or not?" 12

Aridous stped singing as he bent forward and vomited large amount of blood. "Damn Nollie and his holy magic!" he cursed under his breath. He gasped for air as he forced himself to lean against a wall. "I'm slowly dieing . . . slowly loosing my god-like powers . . ." 13

Aridous' eyes widened in shock(it's a bad thing when the God of Terror is shocked). Maybe he can't break the Seal. Maybe no one can. The power of the Seal is too great. It's draining his magic slowly the way a poison stiffens the bones. 14

Aridous lowerd his head in fustration. He tightly closed his eyes in an attempt to stop his pain. A mixture of sweat and tears ran down his face and fell on the pavement. Aridous quickly moved his head to see the party discussing why he won't die. 15

"The magic of this place is killing me. . . ." 16

Adreira sighed at her brother. She sighed at the whole idea of even coming all this way. She was insignificant to the group; perhaps she was even holding them back. Her brother was ready to unsheath his axe. Teskan was older and, at times, wiser. This was not one of those times. He was being arrogant and ignorant. Maybe if he would glance- just for a second- at the current scenario, he'd realize that everyone currently present was needed. Even Tomoe and Tesshu. 17

She looked down at Aridous. Oh, how pathetic. The man she had read about countless times. He was now so feeble... it was a bit on the sad side. Such a feared person... but then again, he was a hero. 18

"Teskan," she said quietly, not meaning to really be heard, yet not wanting to remain silent, "I think we should follow him. I trust Aridous. He has accomplished amazing feats. And besides, he knows the way. We can leave him, but if we reach the Seal too late, Illion will have broken it. Let us focus on the main problem, please. Whether or not you go with Donalbain or not, I shall follow Aridous." 19

And then the subject of his condition came up. What if he would be to die along the journey there? Then what? In times like these, Teskan would normally guide her. He would normally comfort her and stay with her, probably just because Adreira was naive and stupid. She didn't want that anymore. Teskan and Adreira were two different people. Still though, they were siblings. The help she recieved from her brother could not be compared to anyother, and she wished the same upon Aridous. So she prayed for him. 20

'If there is still a good-hearted god or goddess in the universe... if there is anyone who can hear my pleas and see the problem infront of us... Please help Aridous to continue. He isn't a bad person... and at the current moment, I am requiring his assistance. Please.' 21

But nothing happened. There was no response. Discouraged, she curses under her breath, telling herself that Aridous would be all right either way. He was a strong individual, in any case. 22

She glanced around a final time, wishing to see any reply. And not immediately, but surely, she did. A woman was there, approaching Aridous. She was dressed entirely of white, though the color suited her well. It was Serenity, Adreira was most certain of this... but it was unbelievable. Adreira stared for awhile before catching herself. By this time, Serenity had reached Aridous. 23

He looked a tad bit confused, Aridous did. He gave his sister a look of shock, from what it seemed. Serenity reached out to him and touched his face, smiling all the while. 24

"Aridous," Serenity whispered secretly. Nobody else could hear a word, aside from Aridous, of course. "I do not have much time, so listen carefully. You are my brother; we share the same blood. I know you are not a weak person. You have overcome many things in your lifetime that I am positive nobody else will have the burden of going through. I, on the other hand, had given up. No, I do not regret my wish to become mortal, but there are times that I wish that I had more time to accomplish all those things that I had always wanted. Carpon," She paused after saying his name. "I have lost him. I had lost you. Everything I had ever felt the necessity to live for I had lost. And why? Because death had found me quickly. That is not your path. You are destined for more greatness. I can see it already. Do not give up hope. Do not allow your light to be engulfed in darkness. Please Aridous, continue for me. I love you and I always will." 25

After what seemed to be hours, factly only a matter of minutes, Serenity disappeared with a flash of light. Perhaps there was a reason to pray after all.26