Well This is an Interesting Development

Chapter 3: Escaping Time

There he was, heading back to the one place he had hoped to never see again. It was as familiar as it could get and that was the problem.

He traced his hands along a familiar tree. He remembered climbing it but it was not upright now but burned and blackened. He shivered even though it was hot... too hot... even for Nestoria.

Ingressus did not know exactly where he was going... only that he was going somewhere and his feet seemed to be leading him, not his mind. He walked the familiar pathways... yet they were all different...

Fire had caught all of the trees and houses. The scent of iron, of blood was still in the air. He paused when he saw the first body, markings long and blacked out, yet still somehow bleeding.

Ingressus shivered as he recognized an old friend, but his legs forced him forwards and he kept on moving. The familiar pathways had stopped and he found himself near a small cliff. His mouth dried when he recognized familiar markings. He would recognize those markings anywhere, even when they were faded out.

"Master Aegus!"

Ingressus rushed forward and fell to his knees. To see if there was even the slightest pulse, the slightest bit of hope, but he was long gone. He pulled his hands away as they were now smeared in blood. "Why..." He muttered.

"I have the same question"

Ingressus whirled around to see another old friend. Acillean, wrapped up in a dark cloak and glaring at him with more hatred than he'd ever seen in those yellow eyes.

"Achillean..."

His old friend sneered at him, absolute disgust in his face, "Why did you do this? What was the point?"

Ingressus tried to keep his voice steady, "Ach- Achillean... I did not... I did not mean to-"

The Tidesinger cut him off, "Do not lie. You knew what you were doing. Deathsinger," He flinched as the name was spat at him, "We should have just killed you when we had the chance. You betrayed everyone. You betrayed me..."

His voice faded as he and Nestoria warped around him. Everything became bright and colourful, everything distorting.

Flashes of the Tournament.

Distorted Ardoni ready to duel... to wield the most powerful weapons in all of Ardonia. He fought the Ardoni who ruined his life. With the final shot of his Aggressium Song, blasting a warping Kaltaris backwards. He had won. He raised a rippling Voltar and his markings faded from yellow to red.

The Masters stared at him with disgust and fear.

Aegus and Achillean's faces remained neutral, hiding the fact that they knew him. Everything glitching and warping as they walk away. Leaving him to die...

His surroundings faded back to a burning Nestoria. He looked back to Achillean.

Achillean's disgusted expression warped into his fathers terrified face as he tried to get Ingressus to safety. Burning Nestoria changed into his snowy camp within the Barrier Mountains, smoke turning into falling snow.

They reached the cliff and Dominus suddenly stopped. He drew Voltar and handed it to his son. Ingressus looked down at it in his hands. He looked back up at his father and Dominus gently squeezed his shoulder. He gave Ingressus a small smile knowing this would be the last time he would see his son.

They heard the sounds of footsteps over the snow and battle. They looked back to see three Ardoni charging towards them. Dominus gestured for him to escape, "Take Voltar and run! With this you are now the Master of the Voltaris clan!"