| The darkness suddenly split and a figure stood in front of him. �Who are you?� Brendan whispered. The figure towered above him and wore a long, black cloak. The figure was horribly distorted as though lost within a world of ice. Brendan squinted his eyes to block out the bright blue light behind the person. �Tell me who you are.� Brendan demanded. �Ketrin.� The voice sounded like the wind as it flowed from the blackness of the hood. �Ketrin?� A picture flashed past Brendan. Brendan cried out and fell to the ground. The picture flashed again and the tingling shot through his body. Brendan cried out again as the picture flashed a third time. Finally, when it came no more, Brendan slowly stood. �You have forgotten me.� Ketrin reached out a pale, shaking hand. �Yes.� Ketrin raised his hands and a scene of Xornon flew past them. Two people sat in front of the inn, the innkeeper and another small boy. Brendan stared at Ketrin. �You were the innkeeper�s boy.� He paused as Ketrin stared back at him from the dark of the hood. �Whatever happened to you?� �A ferocious battle with Vincent before you returned trapped me within the blue stone. �Twas I who showed you the premonition of your five selves.� �I must return.� �And so you shall.� The blackness began to overtake Brendan�s mind once again. �You were the voice from my dreams.� �Yes,� there was a short pause as Brendan began to wake, �I was.� A bird chirped somewhere in the distance and a soft breeze blew past his black hair. The sun was warm upon his stomach and face as he slowly sat up. He softly rubbed the side of his head. �Kean?� A soft, short wave of dizziness swept over him as he managed to stand. �Kean?� Rustling came from a tree behind him and he turned to see Kean, Thetric, and Farshen emerge from its leaves. �You�re finally with us again.� Farshen commented as they all approached Brendan. �So good to have you back.� Kean, Thetric, and Farshen all embraced the weak and stumbling Brendan joyfully. Softly, Brendan pushed them away. �I�m sorry for causing all of this trouble.� Brendan mumbled. �No, Brendan,� Thetric responded with a sincere look, �don�t be sorry�� Brendan cut him off. �If I had been more in touch with my memories, we would have had fewer problems. Maybe it�s all because Vincent showed up or maybe just the fact that we have the fate of the planet within our unsteady grasps that set off my strange reactions but, I promise, it shan�t happen anymore.� He hesitated as he stared at their faces. �I shall now only be haunted by my dreams.� Brendan gazed about the land and water that surrounded them. �Where are we?� Many different types of trees and bushes scattered the landscape in front of them, standing on a beach, and behind them lie a crystal blue sea. �We�re on Lost Island in the east.� Kean stared deeper into Brendan�s eyes. �We thought it to be the only place where we could be safe.� �Nowhere is safe anymore.� Brendan felt the necklace around his neck. �We must continue.� Slowly, he raised the pendant to his eye. A wave of turquoise and white shot out of the Eye. On the other side of the light, Brendan could see a vast chain of mountains with snow-topped peaks. The sun rose and peeked over the tops. Brendan lowered the golden charm. �What about the last power.� Kean stared even harder. �I feel we are also going to have a run-in with it.� He paused. �That is, if Vincent hasn�t already beaten us to it.� �How shall we ever find them, Maltrea?� A Golleth questioned as the group rode through the wood. �They came for our power,� Maltrea grinned, �so they�ll probably be traveling to get the last one still known to exist.� �Where might that be, sire?� �The Mystical Mountains.� Flying through the air soon grew tiring. The warm wind in their faces and the sound of that same wind blowing past their ears seemed to be a natural lullaby to them now. Constantly, Brendan would lean over the edge of Nalmon�s back just to picture where they were. They flew over the Cour de Fa�, many small and large islands, vast forests, Xornon, and many other amazing places. Occasionally, some of the travelers would begin to fall into an unsettling slumber but, then, they would remember the terrors of the day and try to resist the temptation of rest. Brendan�s reason for not sleeping was far different from, Kean, Thetric, and Farshen�s; he was far more worried about having another troubling dream of Ketrin and not arousing for another day. �Are you all right, Brendan?� A voice rang through his mind. Brendan had blacked out. �Yes, Farshen,� Brendan shook his head, �I�m fine.� There was a pause as he thought of something awful. �You know, everyone knows there is a mystical purple power within the Mystical Mountains.� He paused as they flew through a low-hanging cloud. �Perhaps the Golleths do, too.� They entered another puff of white but soon emerged from the other side. �Yes,� a voice responded as Brendan began to fade away again and then he realized it was Farshen again, �but now we have a slighter advantage because we already have two.� �Vincent has four.� Brendan blurted out. �He�s now a lot more powerful than us. We witnessed this at Soir Vert.� He hesitated as he took a deep breath. �I�m not so sure that he wouldn�t try to eliminate each of us, either.� "Well,� finally, Kean joined the conversation, �neither am I but we�re just going to have to deal with that possibility.� After he shrugged, Brendan gazed back down to the ground flying past them. How long will it take us? They passed over yet another ocean and another chain of barely noticeable islands. One more cloud passed over them and the cooling sensation could be felt as they flew through its moist body. Sometimes, it felt as though they were all part of the sky. They all spent so much time within it that it seemed to be a friend or even part of them. Their hearts rested in its wide-open spaces. Then, the giant peaks came into view. Just below and slightly in front of the Gathering lie the snow-topped peaks of the Mystical Mountains. They all had a kind of purple tint to them as they shown in the bright sun. �How on this planet,� Thetric turned toward Kean behind him, �are we supposed to find the purple power within this maze of mountains?� Silence flowed over all of them. None really knew how they would find the purple power within the depths of the thousands of caverns that lie within the peaks below them. They all knew that it had to be done but how to find it was lost in all their minds. �Well,� Kean hesitated as they grew even closer, �we�ll just have to search for it.� �But Vincent knows its exact location.� Brendan added. �You�re so stuck on what Vincent knows or can do.� Thetric reacted. �Why are you still worried about him?� �Because he could kill us all,� Brendan stared deep into Thetric�s eyes. �and he probably will if we get too close to him.� �You make us all ashamed.� Kean snapped. �You started so proud and brave but now, you�re so weak and almost useless.� Brendan�s hurt eyes bore into Kean and he paused. �For once, why don�t you just try to finish something you start and making your own decisions.� He raised a quivering hand. �You are to be our hero. You will shape the lives of all of Synth. You must be strong for our sake. You are our hope.� Brendan grinned as Kean finished. Suddenly, they all lunged forward. Thetric flew from Nalmon�s back and landed in a nearby snow bank while Farshen slid off of Nalmon and into the cold white cover beside the giant black dragon. Slowly, Kean and Brendan lifted their heads and stared first at Farshen, standing in the snow, and then toward the snow bank that Thetric now lie within. �What happened?� Farshen mumbled as he finally placed a hand on Nalmon to retain his balance. Kean dismounted and helped Brendan slide off of the dragon once he touched the ground. They all stood, disoriented, as they stared into the falling white of the mountains. �I have no idea.� Kean responded as they continued toward the pile of white. �Nalmon�s never done that before.� �Yes, I was aware of that fact.� Farshen replied as they softly dug through the snow bank. Soon, after they had dug softly for a few seconds, they felt a hard object, like a rock. With one brush of his hand, Brendan moved the soft cover to reveal the horrifying sight beneath. There, underneath the pile of snow, lie Thetric, completely stone. His face seemed frozen in pain and, upon further digging, they discovered the arrow jutting from his side. Brendan staggered backwards, tripping over a small rock, and fell into the immense white. Now realizing a possibility of why Nalmon would have landed so abruptly, they all stared toward the beast just to see him slowly turn into stone from an arrow jutting from the base of his neck. Brendan stood by the pile of snow Thetric lie within. Brendan sadly stared down at the frozen face of his friend as Kean and Farshen approached him and placed a hand upon his shoulder. �We must continue.� Farshen whispered when Brendan turned from the horror in the snow. A tear slowly slid down Brendan�s cheeks, pushing aside a few stray snowflakes. He lifted his head and stared straight ahead toward the arctic sky. �Yes,� Brendan gazed toward Farshen, �we must.� They all slowly began walking toward a nearby cavern they had noticed in their rapid decent toward the peaks. �Obviously, the Golleths are close behind us if they managed to shoot two of our friends.� Upon entering the large cave, they had to stop in order to allow their tired eyes to adjust to the imminent darkness they encountered. After continuing through the musty cavern, the Gathering came across a conjunctive tunnel that beheld a soft purple light that flowed from within its depths. That same purple light grew brighter as they continued through the narrow corridor. Once during the walk, Brendan and Kean gazed toward one another and noticed how eerily the purple glow reflected back from the depths of their eyes. Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, they gazed upon the purple stone that jutted out from the hard walls therein. Brendan slowly reached forward a hand and removed the power from the stone. �Wow.� Brendan whispered as the stone grew warm within his palms and the end of his fingers began to tingle as the light engulfed his hand. As Brendan stared deeper and deeper into the purple stone and the light grew even brighter; a scene began to grow within its depths that, at first, seemed only to be a blur. The scene beheld Brendan himself walking through the snow of the mountains. Ahead of him trudged a figure but, soon, Brendan noticed that the figure was Farshen. They walked merciless through the snow, the wind forcing against their shivering bodies as the snow fell upon them. Suddenly, a red light shot past Brendan and embedded into Farshen�s back. A cry erupted through the cave, Farshen fell in the scene, and the vision blurred back into non-existence. �Did you,� Brendan began as he turned toward his two companions, �did you see that?� Their faces seemed confused and frightened at the same time. �Actually,� Farshen paused abruptly, �yes, we did.� As Brendan turned back toward the wall and again stared at the radiant purple power, Farshen stared back. �What do you make of it, Brendan?� Farshen�s voice called from behind him. No sooner had Farshen spoke than a muffled groan flowed from beside him. Abruptly turning, Brendan and Farshen froze in fear. Kean�s quivering hands clutched around the blade, reddened with his blood, that protruded from his stomach. With an evil sneer, Vincent stood behind him, his hand clutched around the handle of the steel blade. Kean�s face loosened and his body grew limp as he slowly lowered to the floor. Vincent removed the cursed blade and Kean fell motionless. �Kean?� Brendan ran to his side and picked up his head. �Kean?� He rocked his body back and forth as he sat on the stone floor, Kean�s head in his lap. Then, rage took him over and he glared up at the sneering Vincent. �Why did you do this?� Vincent�s eyes shifted and bore into Brendan�s that still reflected the purple light from the stone resting in the palm of his hand. �It had to be done.� Vincent�s grin faded somewhat. �We must remove the waste that stands between you and Mother reuniting.� �Waste?� Brendan stared down at Kean�s expressionless and frozen face. �He was a human being and my best friend!� �What will there be to miss? He only tried to keep you from receiving your just reward for all your years without Mother.� Brendan glared back up at Vincent�s emotionless eyes. �There�s plenty to miss! Now I�ll never get to see him smile, hear him laugh, or have to listen to him and Thetric�s stupid questions anymore!� He paused. �But you took all that away from me!� �It had to be done, Brendan.� Vincent shrugged as Brendan finally stood from the cold dirt floor. �It had to be done.� In his mind, Brendan promised to avenge all his friends and family by destroying Vincent. A red beam suddenly flew past them and smashed into the wall, creating a narrow tunnel out into the white. After turning and seeing the army of Golleths, Vincent quickly stepped backwards toward the cowering Brendan and Farshen. �So we meet again, Guardian.� Maltrea sneered as he steeped from the shadows and his grotesque voice echoing past their ears. Brendan, Farshen, and Vincent cowered toward the tunnel. �What is it you want?� Brendan�s frightened eyes shone up toward Maltrea. �I want the powers,� he grinned, �and the Eye.� �You shall never take them!� Farshen responded with rage. �Don�t be so sure about that.� Maltrea stepped toward the three. Suddenly, a bright white light filled the corridor. �Run!� Brendan yelled, seizing the chance to escape. Blindly, Brendan and Farshen crawled through the narrow passageway, tearing clothing and scraping flesh against the sharp edges therein. The bright blazing sun blinded them as they stumbled into the snow bank outside of the tunnel opening. �Hurry.� Farshen managed to mumble as they weakly stood and hurried through the snow. Then, the snow began to fall anew and they could both hear the desperate shouts of the Golleths behind them. They trudged through the snow and against the cold and raging wind as Brendan placed the purple power in the pocket containing the other two. The snow fell more heavily now as they traveled farther along the mountains. Occasionally, one or both of them would trip over a snow-covered stone or root and tumble into the powder. The harsh winds would grow soft but, soon, they would rise again and try to force Brendan and Farshen backwards. The image. Brendan suddenly thought as he and Farshen pushed against the gales and falling snow. What was that image supposed to mean? He closed his eyes. Why would the purple power show us all that vision? Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared at Farshen who trudged a few steps before him. Is Farshen really in danger? I don�t want to get him killed, too. Another gust of wind knocked them into the snow but they quickly stood and continued on. Maybe Ketrin was right. Brendan stared toward Farshen again. I shouldn�t have brought them this far. Suddenly, ray of red light flew past Brendan and embedded itself into Farshen�s back. �No!� Brendan yelled. A cry rang out across the chain of peaks as Farshen tumbled into the deadly cold powder. Brendan rushed to him and kneeled beside his body. �Farshen,� he whispered, �can you hear me?� Farshen coughed and opened his pained eyes. �Yeah,� he could only manage to whisper, �you must continue, Brendan.� �I can�t just leave you here.� Barely missing Brendan, another red beam shot past them. �You must.� Brendan stood and stared down at Farshen�s face. �Go!� Brendan took a step but paused and another laser shot past him. �Go! Now!� That was when he ran. Through the wind and snow, Brendan ran as fast as he could, hating himself more and more with every step for leaving Farshen behind to die in the Golleths grasps. Eventually, he paused for a breath and noticed a bird flying overhead. The sun was warm against its back and the wind cool against its face as the bird soared over the mountain and through a wandering cloud. The bird soared straight up into the sky and then dove back down toward the mountains. Rolling from right to left, it passed through cloud and cloud again as it plummeted to the earth. Then, it saw him; the man standing in the snow of the mountain and covered from head to foot in a black cloak. The bird vigorously flapped its wings and desperately tried to climb back up and into the clouds but it was too late. A ray of red light suddenly shot through the air and the bird fell. The bird fell to the earth with its right wing in flames and its beak scorched black. It plummeted to the ground and landed at his feet. They�re close. Brendan thought as he ran through the white knowing that he could easily be seen if they got close enough. How did they find me? He desperately searched for a cavern in the mountainside. How did the Golleths find me? Finally, Brendan found a deep crevasse in the snow-covered wall of the mountain. Slowly and carefully, he crawled into the mouth of the cave and crouched low. He could hear horse hooves on the ground outside as he sat in a blackened corner in the back of the cave. Then, the sound suddenly stopped. He closed his eyes. Please, pass by. He thought as he cowered further into the dark shadows. Please, pass by. The quietness was getting to him. He never knew that just a few moments of silence could seem so long. He held his breath for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, the crunch of snow sounded past his ears. A short sigh of relief escaped from his lips as the sound slowly faded away in the distance. He slowly reached a hand toward his throat; the golden chain was cold against his hand. He tried to wrench the necklace off his neck and break the chain but he failed. With an aggravated sigh, he reached behind his throat and unclasped the chain. Brendan held the necklace in his palm and stared at the engraved figured of an eye in the center, three rays above and below that eye, and nine tiny holes. �I wish I�d never been placed with this burden!� He yelled as he tossed the necklace onto the rocky cavern floor. The golden necklace slid across the ground a few feet before stopping silently in a shadow. Brendan leaned his back against the wall and closed his eyes. He could see Farshen, Leosat, Zurchor, and Orson in front of the Cour de Fa�. He could see Lemmins, Kean, Thetric, and Trek laughing around a fire. And he could see Penelopie stroking his hair. Everyone, all his friends had died trying to keep him alive. A slight tear rolled down his cheek as he slowly opened his eyes. It�s all my fault. He thought as he stood and took a deep breath. It�s my fault all of my friends are gone. Slowly, Brendan walked across the cavern toward the necklace and picked up the glowing piece of metal. He sighed as he walked toward the mouth of the cave with another tear rolling down his cheek. �I must continue,� he spoke as he walked out of the small opening, �For vengeance and everyone�s sake.� |
| * Seven * �Thorica va su leviot snapild re s�eath akenand va nerge sa en foreant cluch dash seniank gevenge.� |
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�Lut thets appor.� |
| RATE ME!!! |
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