Battle for Keltorea:Sun Warrior Chronicles Book 2

Chapter 12:The Sage

The voice came again. Talaeos heard the call, felt the pull, the temptation to give in. He resisted with all his strength, but slowly, he was slipping away, into the dark abyss of Aldron Turas's consciousness. Then, another voice joined in, and he felt warmth, pulling him out of the dark abyss. Listen to my voice, Hunter. Focus on all you hold dear, and let my light guide you. You are almost there, almost safe. Just a little longer.

He did not know how much time passed, or if any had passed at all. All he knew was the abyss.

...

The Hunter's eyes opened, but still, the darkness kept its hold on him, the abyss pulling at him, and the light pulling with equal force. He saw a blurry figure, that of a grey haired woman, with a strange, sweet smelling plant in a bowl beside him, and a vial of golden liquid in her hand. Drink. This nectar shall give you strength, to fight the abyss. The woman held up his head, and as mouth opened, the nectar poured in, its sweet taste soothing him. Fresh energy flowed through his body, and the pull of the abyss weakened. The light pulled, until finally, freeing him from the dark abyss. He allowed himself to relax, as the nectar drove him to sleep.

...

Talaeos woke, feeling refreshed, and looked around. He was in a small hut, on a soft, low bed. On a table beside him, was a glass of water. His armor, Sunsword, pistol and other gear were placed by the door. He got up, and drained the glass. He put the belt back on, and reached for the weapons, but then a voice sounded through the door. "Your weapons, you do not need them", the voice said. Puzzled, he nonetheless retracted his hand, and opened the door, revealing a lush garden, with an old woman sitting on her knees by a small pond, her back to him. He approached her, keeping his guard up.

"Four days, and you are finally awake. It took a lot of my power just to keep you alive, as it were. And then two more for the nectar's healing properties to fully go into effect, followed by a full day of sleep", the woman said, still facing the pond.

"Do you know what happened to my friends, if they are still alive even?" he asked. A few seconds passed, and with a sigh, she turned to face him. "I can not be certain, but from what I've seen, they are alive and well. Both Vanraael and Felluria seem to be holding, and everywhere else, it is as safe as could be. Beyond that, I can not tell", she replied.

"You have more questions, I see. Ask, and I shall answer to the best of my knowledge." "How did I get here? What did the Mist Reaper do to me?" he said. She observed him for a few seconds, before replying. "The Mist Reaper was transporting you to the Underworld, or rather, to a portal. I saw it 9 days ago, and tracked its flight. As it passed the nearby mountain, I attacked its mind, and forced it down. I convinced it that the only way it would get you to the portal would be over my dead body. It was a tough battle. After several hours, with multiple wounds exchanged, I destroyed it. Good thing, too. Had you spent any longer in that abyss, I do not know if I could have drawn you out."

"Who are you?" Talaeos asked, after a moment of silence. "Thousands of years ago, I was just another young human, with unusually high raw potential for magic. That was a time long before Mandraesyr, Kanratur and Hurzalas. Kilmar Artos, their father, was just a youngling, who, along with Feora Larmos, Lardan Aryx, Saar Morlon, and Gara Sartos, made a move against Keltorea. I and my friends were the only ones that could stop them. And we did, after several years of war. Many of us died, but we have saved Keltorea. I personally killed Lardan Aryx, and the others followed shortly. All but one. Kilmar Artos disappeared when the others fell. We thought we were rid of him for good. In any case, he never appeared again. We helped rebuild Keltorea, and became the first Sun Warriors. Then, some of us split away, peacefully, after we discovered a stockpile of magical Rings. They learned how to craft them from the last member of a dying species, hours before she passed away. They were the first Ring Wielders. We coexisted peacefully. And then, Kilmar Artos made himself known once more. Somehow, while he was away, he had acquired immunity to all weapons, but one, he could not destroy. On the outside, it was nothing more than a simple white crystal. Yet, it was the one thing that had the power to destroy him. It is the Stone that you carry now. With our combined might, we defeated him once more, and took the Stone from him, before locking him deep in the nether regions of the Underworld, costing us many. Our attempts to destroy him yielded no success. Only one of his bloodline could tap into the power. For millennia, we searched, to no avail", the woman said.

"The Mist Reaper said that I am his descendant. It was taking me to the Underworld with the goal of having me destroy Kilmar Artos, and ascend from the Underworld, as ruler of Keltorea", Talaeos said. "That is not surprising. You have used the Stone twice, after all", the woman replied. "How- "Ever since you first touched the Stone as a young Sun Warrior fresh out of training, back at that cave, I have been watching over you. When you first used it in the battle with the Kalsari, you saw a vision of a dark figure, and felt the abyss pulling on you, did you not?" Talaeos shivered as the memory forced its way into his mind.

"Yes. And then again, when I tried to kill Mandraesyr with it. Yet, somehow, he repelled some of the power back on me." "Both times, you were within reach of the abyss. And that abyss was, in fact, Kilmar Artos, calling to you deep from the Underworld. The first time, you released the Stone's power mere seconds before he could take you. Fortunately for you, he only briefly managed to appear, before you struck Mandraesyr. As for how Mandraesyr was able to repel your attack, I can not say, other than that he already knew you had it, and the ability to wield its power. Plus, just like with yourself, his connection to the Stone partially protected him. Considering both of you are related to Kilmar Artos, albeit generations apart, the Stone should have destroyed you, as it would destroy him, in the hands of the right individual. That is a mystery that, for all my knowledge, I can not decipher", the woman said.

"The first time, it took a week. The next, I recovered in just four days. The Stone was easier to control the second time. When I used it against the Kalsari, I had no control over it, resulting in the near complete destruction of the city, along with many Sun Warriors and Ring Wielders, and my banishment from the order. The second time, I could direct the flow of power, directly at Mandraesyr. It seems that I am slowly gaining immunity of some sort." "Perhaps. But every time you use it, you risk falling into the abyss, and losing yourself for good. I can not give you the power to use it risk free; no one can. But I can try and teach you to control it and maintain your awareness", the former Sun Warrior said. "When will I be able to rejoin my friends?" Talaeos asked.

"For your own safety, as well as theirs, not until after I can confirm that you can control the Stone, without giving Kilmar Artos the opportunity to pull you down to the Underworld. You shall not be immune from his pull fully, but once I see that you are able to maintain awareness, and cut the flow of power on command, then, and only then, can I allow you to leave this place. I will help you as much as I can, for I want them gone as much as you do. As the Sage, I shall guide you through this process, even if it costs me my life. And I expect you to follow to the best of your ability. Are we clear?" "Yes, master."