Mystical Cascade

Chapter 4

"There are memories time can't erase. With time we do not forget our losses, we just learn to bear with them. You're hollow from inside. You feel lost and even when people are talking to you, they feel like indistinct chatter.  I can still paint the world blue-black, I can still get up, but I don't have the strength. And as a coward I ask that above me to grant me freedom from my miserable, wretched form. This emptiness, this nothingness - all the spoils of loss goes miles beyond pain, and it is that which I can't bear."
Agenos whispered with his eyes cast upwards towards the dark ceiling.

The torchlight at the far corner of the cellar flickered. A dead raven was on a plate in front of him. It's neck was snapped. Agenos refused to look at it. He pushed it away using his leaden legs. He was drifting through flits of unconsciousness. There was no way to tell what time of day it was. Another wave of unconsciousness hit him, and he was dragged down to the memory lane.

Agenos returned with Forte to the cave structure the next day. Sunlight had pierced the dark veil of the cave entrance. He couldn't get the belief out of his mind that he had seen something. The cave walls were slippery-he hadn't noticed it that night. No torchlights could be seen, not even their holders. Agenos felt strange. He walked, carefully examining every inch of the cave mouth for something for anything that would give proof of the events of last night. The cave ended abruptly. Agenos tapped the wall to check if it was hollow.  He pushed it with all his might, but the stone wall didn't budge. He rested his forehead against the wall and sighed.
"Ahhh!" Agenos cried out as the stone spot under his feet gave away and he fell into an ever-deepening hole. He kept sliding on rough surfaces that tore at his clothes. His instinct told him that he was reaching the end of the slide and he dug his sword with might in the stone to stop himself. The sound of scraping metal against stone pierced the silence in the tunnel.

Agenos used his hands to grope in the darkness. His feet plunged into something gooey and he stopped in his tracks. He bent down and touched some of the icky stuff and sniffed it. The sticky stuff smelled strongly of something burnt and toxic. Agenos wiped his fingers at his cloak. He kept moving forward, going deep into the tunnel. Agenos realised he must be at least 20 feet under the ground, because the air inside was colder and denser than usual. His ears picked up a soft humming. He strained his ears to listen. Agenos slowly moved soundlessly towards the sound. He bumped into something rigid and the next thing he knew he was staring at the ending of the cave mouth. His head spun. He closed his eyes and tried to make sense of what just happened. But all that he could see was bright ice-blue eyes staring at him. Agenos forced his eyes open and his eyes bore into a pair of ice-blue ones. He was hypnotized and he knew he was lost.

Forte neighed. His master had been gone for long. Forte moved purposely towards the cave. His master wasn't in the cave anymore, his equine vision told him. Forte neighed again, but there was no reply. He broke free of his rope and ran towards his lady. Master had coaxed him that no matter what he shall not enter the cave and so he didn't. But he couldn't just leave his master alone. He galloped towards the towers where his lady rested. His lady will save his master.  Forte skidded to a stop — a pair of ice-blue eyes glared at him. Forte shook his head and swayed his tail. He neighed again. And the last thing he remembered was getting swallowed by the intensity of those icy-blue eyes. Dust storm enveloped them.

Ryena was resting on her bed. The events of last night had exhausted her. Her powers drained her of all her energy as she couldn't control them. Agenos had saved her. Her Agenos. She smiled. Her body felt heavy. Ryena tried to get up when she heard him — Forte. Agenos must've taken Forte for a ride, she thought. But Forte sounded different, his neigh sounded like a distress cry. Ryena dragged herself to the window that overlooked the city. She searched for a sign of Forte or Agenos, but the streets were empty. A feeling of dread clutched at her heart. Was Agenos in trouble? She groaned as she realized that Agenos must have gone back to the cave along with Forte.
"Debanor!" Ryena called. Her friend came rushing in and confirmed of Agenos's whereabouts. Ryena knew something was wrong. She asked for Invictus and Debanor brought it to her. She held Invictus in her hands and whispered "Muhati" — the sword lit up. Ryena closed her eyes, her brows furrowed as she tried to concentrate on Agenos. All she saw was a pair of icy-blue eyes and gasped.
She--It was back.

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