Onyx Dreams Ch. 31

He bowed slowly and smirked to himself, "It is an honor to meet you my dear. I am Noctus, architect of shadows, darkness and the night."

He held his arm out for her to take. "We have much to speak of my dear. I believe you meant to spend time with your seer anyway, yes?"

She took his arm. "Yes, I was going that way." She cast one last look back at Hayden and prayed she was doing the right thing.

He led her towards a shadowed corner, the room seeming to elongate somehow. As he extended his hand, the shadows before them distorted, forming the barely visible outline of a doorway visible only to them. Stepping forwards into it, a rush of cold covered them, freezing cold like the steely grip of death itself. The deep, chittering demonic whisperings of whatever lurked in those shadows heard in their ears. After a moment that seemed like an eternity, they emerged in the great chambers of Nightseer and his apprentice. "It has been sometime...my old friend."

"Ah, there you are, Noctus. Took you long enough to visit. Poor Kennice. You've frozen the poor young lady." Kennice stood by Noctus' side freezing and teeth chattering, trying to look like she wasn't as miserable as she felt. "What brings you here, Noctus?" Nightseer lowered his head to see the male better, blowing warm breath from his mouth toward Kennice who stopped shivering.

Noctus glanced at Kennice for a moment and smirked, a little of his nasty streak showing. "Humans need a little chill every now and then to remind them of things that lurk in the dark." Chuckling he stepped away from Kennice, walking in front of the great dragon seer. "Oh my old friend this is no normal social visit..." Sweeping his hand in a long arc above his head, the air before them sounded as if it were tearing, a darkly glowing symbol appearing in the air. Eight long talons woven through a star. It was an unholy symbol in the dragon realm, one that signalled dark and dangerous times to come. "The Acolyte is moving."

"I know. There is no cause for alarm. The Acolyte is only making sure the mortal realm and our dragon realm are doing well. Do not worry old friend."

A slight smirk crossed his face, signalling he knew something more than what the situation presented. "Under normal circumstances, yes. However, due to recent events in the mortal realm with a certain man whom you both know quite personally." His eyes turned to Kennice, lingering on her firm breasts for a moment. "My attention was caught. Normally The Acolyte does not concern itself with such things. The dark acts of dark men are of destiny's design. They work in the favour of those that lurk beyond. So such things collecting information on one who would normally give them no interest made me wonder." He flicked his wrist and the symbol disappeared, replaced by an image that would make any normal mortal's hear stop. In front of them was an image of Cyrus. However the key part of this image were the long scaled dragon tails wrapped around his limbs, as if caressing them.

"Things are not what they appear old friend. Normally I would stay out of this but certain circumstances have forced my hand. The Dark One himself is playing a part in this little game. You must be warned of what is to come." Noctus looked at Kennice, the room seeming to grow colder and colder by the minute. He held out his hand to her, tendrils of darkness trailing from them as his magic grew around him, frost forming on his fingertips. "Take my hand, young one, see what must be seen, or your entire world will be lost to the master puppeteer."

Kennice blanched, fear rooting her to the spot at such a display of magic. It was neither evil nor good but something in between and it unnerved her. Inexplicably she felt her feet moving and then her hand was in his.

Immediately a strong vision slammed into her mind, brutally smashing past all her defenses with sheer raw power. The icy cold of his magics gripped her mind and plummeted her deep down into the vortex.

Suddenly, she found herself in a battlefield, she could see a girl in front of her and she recognised it as herself. But she was different, molded around her body was a suit of gleaming white armor that shone in the night. Its light was fading though, her life force fading with it. The armor was bloodied, her hair matted with the vital life-giving substance. Standing over her was Cyrus, his Bass Blade in hand. He too was in armor, dark black armor that sucked in and devoured all light that touched it. It was clear he had won this battle. He had her at his mercy. Her army lay in ruins around her, the darkness had won.

His face drew into a cruel smile as he looked down at her, his eyes filled with disdain. "This is what happens when you try to play me for a fool Kennice. This is what happens when you betray me!"

He drove the sword down with both hands, driving it through her chest, her voice echoing across the battlefield as she screamed out in agony. All too soon, her cries were silenced as her throat filled with blood, leaving only a gut churning gurgling as her final breath escaped her lips.

He tossed back his head, his laughter echoing out across the field. But something was wrong. The air was shimmering above him, a portal was opening! But this portal was like no other. Black lightning crackled around the silver rim, tarnished with the putrid vile evil that lurked beyond it. Slowly, an enormous Dark head emerged from the event horizon, its size dwarfing the field itself. Cyrus' eyes opened wide and he began to run. It was too late though.

Time in the vision began to slow down as the beast opened its huge gaping maw, a flame of pure destruction erupting from its infinitely deep throat, engulfing the entire field in a flash of light. Its power incinerated everyone and everything in its path. There weren't even screams, the event happening so suddenly. All that was left was a gigantic smoking crater, devoid of even the earth's life spirit and the portal above, from which the demonic beast was slowly emerging.

The vision around the viewing Kennice began swirl once again as she was dragged out from the streams of destiny....

She blinked and it took a moment for her to realize that she was screaming in denial as tears ran down her face. "Why do you show me this? What do you hope to gain? Cyrus is not the monster you make him out to be!"

The air around them was still chilled with the use of the dark magics from Noctus, her warm breath misting as it met the cold. "I know...this is his future if you believe that he is that which your peers call him. If you side with them and treat him like the monster he is acting like...he will be not only your downfall. But the downfall of this entire realm."

"He will be no one's downfall! He is a good man and I will make you all see it!" She declared her eyes fierce.

Noctus smirked, a glint in the light as his teeth came briefly into view. "Good, keep that close to your heart no matter what. But I can guarantee you one thing. More blood will be shed before this war is over."

She stiffened. "I know that. War always comes with a price. High Priestess Erykia drilled that into my head when I started my priestess' studies."

"A price yes, but this is much more than a simple price to pay. He has the backing of something that he shouldn't have. Something is pulling his strings, something even your king dares not speak of out loud."

"You mean the evil that came out of the portal? That wasn't Kaie, was it?" Kennice stared at Noctus.

His smile grew a little more, baring more of his teeth, those long, sharp razorblade like fangs. "I see you have an eye for interpretation. No, it was not Kaie, if she had that kind of power I would have killed her myself long ago. This particular darkness was one of my father's first creations. It is the ruler of the beyond, the realm where your scaled friends go when they pass on. The netherworld for dragons, lorded over by that ancient demonic spirit. He has gotten ideas above his station, and it is up to you, and you alone to stop him from succeeding in his plans."

"Me! Why me? I can't deal with him and save Cyrus too! I am only one woman. Not a goddess!"

"I take it back. You don't have an eye for interpretation. Should've expected that from a mortal. He is using your friend Cyrus as his means to affect this realm. To gain power. He is connected to Kaie, and she to Cyrus. The more power Cyrus gains the more he gives to Kaie and the more she gives to her master. Eventually, he will have enough power to open a portal on this side of the barrier. At that point, everyone and everything dies. You don't want that, do you?"

"I don't want death but you have made it clear to me that it is inescapable. I will do what I must to save lives, including that of my love."

His smirk widened a little once more, "I'm glad to hear it. Maybe you'll get lucky one day and prophesize how to defeat your friend without killing him? He is a rare breed. One that will not let even death stop him from achieving his goals."

"Cyrus has always possessed strength of will. It is something High Priestess Erykia ignored and that Rhys coveted. And look where it got us."

"Indeed, perhaps you aren't as simple as I once thought. But let me give you this one final warning. It is not simply strength of will he possesses. Soon he will possess an item that will give him what he desires most--the power to destroy all of his enemies. You must seek out the partner to that power. You will find it at the end of The Trials...assuming you survive."

"Trials? What Trials?" She glared at Noctus before turning to Nightseer. "What is he talking about?"

Nightseer sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. He hadn't expected his friend to be so blunt and open. This was strange, even for Noctus. "The Trials are a secret place. The last place the Old Ones created. A place where they tested mortals for fun, to test those who wished to be champions of the mortal realm. These champions were selected to be protectors of the realm. Few have succeeded in passing, only those with the power of a high priest, priestess or an overlord dared set foot in that place. Not even your predecessor dares to enter."

"Erykia has never done this?" Kennice marvelled at that tidbit. Erykia didn't seem to be afraid of anyone or anything. She felt cold suddenly.

Nightseer slowly shook his head, "No she has not...such places of old have not seen a mortal presence for over one thousand years. Her mighty powers are irrelevant in that place, it is the heart that rules there and she discarded hers long ago.

"She lost her heart because of him, didn't she? The other Overlord, Skarl." Nervousness seized her and she paced. She still felt something was missing, something important.

Nightseer nodded. "That was indeed a large part of why she lost her way. There are some betrayals no one can recover from."

"I see. To be that in love and be left alone...." She closed her eyes and wondered if that was how Cyrus felt.

Noctus couldn't help but feel a smirk cross his face, "Well young lady that is one possible future, one I would like to avoid if at all possible."

"Has anyone ever told you that arrogance is not appreciated? Just because you've been around longer does not give you the right to laugh at us as if it is some big joke to you."

He raised an eyebrow, his smile widening further, "Oh how little you know child..."

He took a step forward, the world seeming to darken around them, the shadows swirling forth and gathering to him, his face turning pale, his deadly sharp fangs showing as his smile widened with each step. "I assume your king hasn't told you about my kind yet. We have not just been around longer than you. We created your species. Your world, your entire realm. It's not just a joke to us. It's an ongoing project."

Kennice's temper rose. This was not "her god" nor would she ever view such a vain creature as such. She bit down on her lip to keep herself calm. "I will ask Hayden later. There are many mysteries that I have yet to unravel, but patience and assistance from the dragons will help me."

His hand flashed out to her forehead, his index finger extended. With the slightest of pushes he pressed the tip to her skin. Instantly agony shot through her entire body, bringing her to her knees. "You will show the proper respect to my kind because with but a thought we can make it so you will suffer far more than necessary. That is what keeps your dragon friend her from making a single move right now. Because he knows just how much pain I could inflict upon his entire race if I so wished. You are very lucky I have come to you with this information, but for this disrespect, once you have done your job, pitiful mortal. I will return to educate you in the proper respect. I will take from you what you cherish most." With that said his body melted away into the shadows around them, dispersing like steam on a cold day.

Shakily she rose, her temple throbbing. "We'll see about that," she growled, angry at Noctus for hurting her and threatening those she cared for.

Nightseer sighed above her and shook his head, if only she knew what the consequences would be for saying such things, "Be careful what you say child, there are reasons for his arrogance and his cruelty. He is not one to be trifled with, not even dragons dare to displease their kind."

"Yes, Lord Nightseer."

He smiled a little. "Now, let us forget his rudeness and focus on what we have been told. What he has said is extremely important. He may be as nasty as they come, BUT, they do not say things with lies. They see no need for them with the powers they wield. We must prepare you are soon as we can. The trials are not for the faint of heart."

"I will obey you and follow all your directions. I want everyone to be safe and happy." The pain in her head had eased and she sat down on a nearby rock, drained after all she had experienced. She needed to think and plan. Time for hiding out was over. If she wanted to save the world, she'd better get a move on.