I could not have told
anyone what was going through my mind as I raced across the
desert. Raced I did for what I had seen in the mirror fueled me
like nothing else could. I knew why that sense of urgency would
not leave me. At first I was unable to get passed the reflection
of the hideous creature that stared back at me in the mirror. I
was no longer the Yasuo that I once was. No, I was a monster.
Long sharp fangs, claws, crimson devil eyes, pale blue skin, even
my hair had grown considerably, no doubt that left to grow it
would soon reach my knees... the cursed one indeed. Yes, I was a
monster from a child's worst nightmare, quite possibly from a
full-grown man's nightmare.
But none of that mattered
now. I saw Vane falling in flames from the sky after a large
moving castle shot it from its orbit around the Goddess Tower. I
saw the four dragons of Lunar chained; their life forces slowly
but surely stolen from them. Alex, the next Dragonmaster... I
somehow felt anger towards him. Why? What did it matter now? Just
like every time in the past I had asked myself that question, the
answer was always the same... there was no answer, no reasonable
answer, not a clue. Did it have something to do with my sudden
interest in Dragonmasters so long ago in the Vane library? Not
only did I feel anger, but somehow I felt that he had failed me
as well. Quite a ridiculous notion I know. I felt that he had
failed his true love Luna, who so happens to be the Goddess
Althena herself! How could he have so easily let her go? To a
mere human such as Ghaleon? What of the Vile Tribe sisters! Not
only was he the Dragonmaster, he had four others aiding him in
his quest! He did not deserve her if he could not save her!
A vision of Kirei entered
my mind in that moment. She was truly a vision of loveliness.
Damn! Why! Why were thoughts of Kirei invading my thoughts yet
again? The mirror did not show her once, so I could only assume
that she was indeed dead. I did not feel remorse however and that
made me feel nothing. Perhaps I did not kill her, if I had, would
I not feel guilt? Or was it my change that had begun taking such
emotions from me?
Bah! What of it? She was my
enemy from the start. The mirror had shown me my first meeting
with my dear Kirei. In the library when I was talking with
Portia, Kirei had been waiting in the next aisle casting her
magic upon me. That was the cause for my sudden insensitivity
towards Portia, and for my four-day rest at the guild. That was
the very moment the sickness unfurled inside me like a spider
after it is done with its prey. Each time my sickness struck,
Kirei had been there. Whether I could see her hiding in the
shadows in Meribia; following Portia and I to the Althena shrine;
causing Nash to break my wrist; watching as I fought to the death
against the Hellraisers; watched as the mirror in the Fae archive
nearly drove me insane... when our lips met and sealed her fate.
Yet the mirror did not tell me why she was the cause of my
transformations. I was left to assume that it was her magic or a
stronger magic user such as Ghaleon. After the mirror showed me
this deception I still could not bring myself to hate her. If
anything at all I wanted was to hold her. The more I thought
about it, the more I wanted her in my arms.
This of course brought with
it thoughts of Portia. How could I still want to hold another in
the same manner that I so wished to hold my true love? Again, I
am asking why and have no answer, only the vague explanations
that the mirror provides me with.
As I run across this
scorching desert I become less sure of whom or what I am running
to. Regardless, I shall find the answers. I will know the truth.
And I will hold my love in my arms once more!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was no doubt in my
mind where I had to go. The moving castle left behind a path in
its wake. Damn my luck for I was still a day or so away from
Ghaleon's fortress. I was now in a backwater town called Meryod
where thankfully the folk had not been endowed with much
intelligence thus I was able to keep a low profile. I gathered
much-needed items, and set up camp a mile or so out of town.
I knew that I had some deed
to carry on with but I needed rest. Ghaleon may turn out to be a
much greater adversary than I was anticipating and I did not want
him to find a chink in my defense.
It was not till I was
falling into a very lethargic sleep that I began to wonder why
the tribe sisters had not made an appearance...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was in Akaria again.
It was so peaceful here. Why I wished to come to this place was
beyond my reasoning. I suppose it is because I knew that what was
ahead could quite possibly result in my death, and I wanted to
see this majestic world one last time.
I was in the meadow now,
sitting upon a rock, listening to a nearby bubbling brook.
"You never intended
to come back and stay here did you?"
"I think you
already know the answer to that Kakari." I had not heard her
approach... yet I knew she would come.
"I think I did. I
did not want to believe that you would leave me. Not when we are
together again."
I turned to her then.
"Kakari why are you not shown in my mirror? Is it because
this is all a dream? A dream of a monster?"
She stopped behind me
rubbing my shoulders. "I can tell you that you are not a
monster my love. But I can not tell you why your mirror does not
reflect this one. You could be correct... perhaps it will not
reflect anything but that of the world it is from... Please my
love, stay with me."
"You know that I
will not Kakari. It is impossible now. I am sorry that I am
hurting you. I truly am, but I also truly do not know who you
are. You are the Lady of My Dreams and
that is all you have ever been. Why do you wish for me to stay
here so badly?"
"My love, we belong
together! Why do you ask such foolish questions? How can you say
that you do not know me? What has Ghaleon done to you!"
My eyes widened then...
Ghaleon? She knew Ghaleon!
As if she realized her
mistake she turned away.
"What does Ghaleon
have to do with this! Stop lying to me Kakari! Who are you! Why
do you keep bringing me here!"
She stood and turned to
me with such despair in her eyes and even that disappeared
replaced with nothingness.
"Ghaleon made a
promise that I could have you back. I have been waiting so long
for us to be together again. I love you with all of my heart and
soul! But you really do not know whom I am do you? If you do not
know who I am, then go, please go, and never return here!"
"Kakari-"
"GO! Leave me now!
Leave me!"
Even as I easily caught
her before she could run I could not stop her from fading away
before my eyes.
"All this time... I
was wrong... "
After I heard her words,
I knew this was the last I would see of either Kakari or Akaria.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I came to slowly, but
strangely I was wide-awake. I did not give it a second thought as
I gathered my belongings and set a course west toward Ghaleon's
stronghold.
I believe that I made good
time as I made it to Reza by midday. It was rather quiet which
was quite peculiar for such a bustling thieving town. I could not
say why I stopped here. It was most likely very bad judgement on
my behalf particularly since I did not want my father involved
and I would no doubt meet him before I left.
Yet I did not sense
anything ominous as I walked into my father's house. I knew
before I even called out to him that he was not within. Just as
well he would only delay what must be done.
I was tired and hungry. I
needed my strength for the battle to come.
As I sat at the kitchen
table my gaze settled on my backpack. What would the mirror show
me now? Would it show the outcome of my meeting with Ghaleon?
Would it show me Portia unlike so many times before when it would
only show happy painful memories of the past that I only wished
to forget. Forget because I knew deep down in my soul that we
would never make memories like those again. We would never be so
carefree, and yes, in love like those times... together, again. I
closed my eyes and opened them as I opened the bag... only to
find that the book was gone. I felt nothing. No surprise or
disappointment... nothingness. The same nothingness at the
realization that the book had not been written in common Lunar,
but the foreign language that I had used when speaking to Phacia
and the human child.
I closed my pack and did
not bother to clean my mess. I laid my pack beside the same couch
I had been resting on not more than a week or so ago when Kirei
was bent over me healing my wounds.
Kirei...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just as I had thought, I
did not dream of Kakari or Akaria. I dreamt of more nothingness.
I knew that as the hours passed what was left of my humanity was
slipping away. But I could not muster any care. All that I was
able to focus on was my mission. I was becoming quite unsure of
what it was now.
Oh yes, I must find
Ghaleon...
"Hey you!" I was
presently passing through the Nanza Barrier when accosted...
Unimportant humans. What good are they? They pollute this world
with their war and hatred. They are not fit to live on this
world, this world that has given them so much only to receive
nothing in return.
"Hey Buddy! I wuz
talkin' to use!"
"En'ta ma' waf'faq
li'ya hai!"
"Hey Max! Uh thunk we
git sum trubble ovah en here!"
The pathetic humans
advanced.
The corner of my mouth
twitched... a smile perhaps?
"MA'T!"
A wave of my hand sent my pitiful attackers into flaming infernos of burning flesh and agonizing screams…
§ Chapter 17 § Tear Main § Chapter 19 §
