ARC 5 - Oblivions Edge Part 2: Break of Dawn

Chapter 13

When they could see again, they found Gathen, laying on the ground, no longer radiating. 

The wurm of the dark ones was nowhere to be found.

They walked up and checked the boy.

"Still breathing." Elm confirmed.

Kaet walked up and gently kicked his foot.

"Hey, kid. Kid. Wake up."

He cracked his eyes and lifted his head, looking tired.

"Hey kiddo. What happened?"

Gathen pointed back to mountain. "The thing they locked up. The very star that once lit our planet I believe. He's in there."

"And this star possessed you?" Elm was still skeptic of it.

"Honestly," Mrax told him, "after what we've seen, is it that far fetched?"

Elm shrugged.

They helped the boy to his feet, then began to head back toward the entrance to the mountain.

"And what of the wurm?" Sharna asked, looking about.

"Destroyed. The dark ones are gone. The star only told me he'd explain once we get there. As he was possessing me that is. Didn't really have much time to argue."

The entrance opened up into a single large tunnel that dropped off to a set of large stairs, turning at sharp angles. 

Seeing no torches or lights inside, Kaet manifested a couple of electric lanterns so they could see where they went. 

They followed the stairs, leading them deeper and deeper along the inside edges of the mountain.

After what seemed an hour of descending, they began to see the radiance from another light source.

As they drew nigh, they could see what appeared like a roughhewn cage of obsidian, the door to which was held in place by a single bar, roughly three-foot in length.

The bar appeared to be made of rough rock, with a purple hew to it, coming to a sharp point on one end.

Inside the cage, the visage of a man was radiating the golden light. He had no features, none that could be seen through the light anyhow, but he still seemed overjoyed when he saw them.

It was bright enough that the group set their lanterns aside to approach.

"At last!" His deep, soothing voice echoed.

The group came to the cage and the being dimmed its light source, revealing what appeared to be gold skin like unto Gathens, except it shined like gold tried in fire.

"I have waited long for someone to get close enough to kill them. They captured me what seems like eons ago. And now, with the consent of the boy to allow me to possess him, we have."

"I'm sorry," Elm stopped him for a moment. "Who are you?"

"Forgive me." The man stepped back from the bars, "my true name is far too complex to try and say to you, but you may have heard of me as the star that was torn from the sky. So just call me star for now." He bowed his golden frame.

"This must be the item." Mrax told Kaet, pointing to the purple rod.

"Careful." The star told them, seeing Kaet reach for it. "That object is far more powerful than anyone realizes."

"What do you mean?" 

"Only that it allowed them to trap me in here. Those 'dark ones' summoned me from the sky to this place, though back then it was just a place on the ground. To late did I realize that it was trap, but I figured the black bars of the cage would be simple enough to get through. But then they placed that over the door."