Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Evanescence

I

No time

There is no time

There is no

Time

No time

Tiko sat up quickly. He could feel the cold sweat covering his entire body. He was lying near the embers of a dying fire. The dawn was creeping up in the distance. He saw Tomas, Adia, and Alexia asleep nearby. Nyhm and Damian were nowhere to be seen.

Tiko glanced down at his hands. His fingers were seemingly fading away. He clenched his fist tightly and looked again. His fingers looked normal. Solid. Real.

“Damn.” He whispered. His time was running out and it was happening faster than he expected. Still, he did find Damian. That was his original goal, the reason he was sent here. He had brought Damian and Adia back together. Now they could fight and finally destroy Valantine at long last.

Tiko laid back down and closed his eyes. His thoughts moved from his parents to the fabled Gaia Chain. Could such a powerful artifact actually exist in this world and was it truly Damian’s final task to protect it? Tiko had never heard of it before. Not in any of the numerous conversations he had eavesdropped on growing up. Neither Cecil or Damian had ever mentioned it, at least not when Tiko was around. If he was lucky he would remain here long enough to see it and to see his Father’s destiny finally fulfilled.

He could hope. He could always hope.

* * * * *

Nyhm stood with his arms across his chest. He was looking, rather his head was pointing, at Damian waiting for him to repeat his request.

Damian was always a little unsettled by Nyhm’s lack of eyes. The dirty red cloth tied around his head hid his ruined eyes from sight but it still set Damian on edge. It was probably because despite the lack of eyes, Nyhm always seemed to know exactly where and what to look at. Damian sighed.

“I need to speak with him.” He repeated.

“I cannot speak with the dead, Damian.”

“I’m not asking you to do that.”

“What exactly are you asking me to do then?”

“Find the message he gave you to give to me.”

“How d…” Nyhm did not need to finish that sentence. He felt something in his mind shift. Some key piece of knowledge stepping forward to reveal itself and at once he knew what he was supposed to do. He reached his hand out and touched Damian’s forehead. There was a slight flash of pain and then darkness.

For Damian it was similar, except he found himself not in darkness, but in a fire lit temple. He had been in this place before. It was the Elder’s Temple, the place where he was sent to another dimension and time. It was only a moment before he realized he was not alone. He turned slowly and faced Cecil. He looked just as Damian remembered. He was buried in robes and beard, both frail and incredibly strong.

“You’re close then.” Cecil said.

“Krenin is closer I think.”

“He must not get his hands on the Gaia Chain. This is your destiny, Damian. Your life belongs to that artifact. If it falls into Krenin’s grasp then everything has been for nothing and you will have failed.”

“Where is it?”

“Only when the three are one can you succeed, Damian.”

“What does that mean?”

“When it is time, Nyhm will know his task. Only when it is time.”

Damian realized then that this was not a conversation. This was some kind of mystic recording Cecil had left for him.

“I know you have questions. I know you have need of me. I do wish there was something I could do to prepare you for what is coming. I can only tell you to be strong. You mustn’t let go of that strength. The fate of everything lies with you and you alone.”

Damian opened his eyes and found himself face to face with Nyhm. The sun was breaking over the horizon behind him and Damian had to lower his eyes from the light.

“Only when the three are one…” Damian whispered. He didn’t have the slightest idea just what the hell that meant.

II

Valantine stood in the center of the dilapidated village with a look of disgust across his face. His normally gleaming shoes were covered in muck and the legs of his red pants were stained brown from whatever filth this village street was covered in. He shuddered to think what exactly it was. Whatever it may have been, it did not smell pleasant.

This was the fifth village he had been to in search of the so called Storyteller. He had found nothing but strange looks and beggars. Both of which he dealt with swiftly. He had been chased out of the last village, if it could be called as much considering it wasn’t much more than a few shacks around a fire pit, after nearly pummeling the mayor into a bloody pulp. He had no time for games. As it was he felt like a fool doing Krenin’s bidding. He did not need some filthy low bred peasant to further annoy him.

Still, he had picked up some sort of a trail of a wandering “word weaver” as some people referred to him. Valantine had heard that he wasn’t much more than a boy traveling from village to village spinning yarns and tall tales of heroes and monsters. What Krenin could possibly want with him Valantine hadn’t a clue. What information could be worth tracking this person through the most disgusting of villages?

“Excuse me sir…” A young child stood before Valantine with his hands out.

Valantine crouched before the boy, “Do you know where the Storyteller is?”

“He left yesterday. He was going to Kingstown.”

“Good boy.” Valantine stood up and pushed the boy aside. He fell back and crashed into the mud. Valantine stepped over him and walked towards the exit of town.

He walked from the filth ridden village and mounted his horse. Kingstown was only a day’s ride from here. He would have the Storyteller by morning if he road hard. He kicked his heals into the horse and the beast broke into a gallop.

Valantine arrived in Kingstown just before nightfall and was greeted by empty streets. There didn’t seem to be a soul around. He rode his horse to a nearby post and slid from the saddle. He tied the reins to the wooden pole and walked towards the center of town. His boots clacked on the cobblestone as he made his way towards a strange orange glow ahead of him.

It was a large bonfire in the town square and the entire town populace appeared to be gathered around it. Standing on a small elevated landing was a young man who couldn’t have been more than nineteen or twenty. He had dirty brown hair and a dirt caked face. He was nothing more than a simple peasant yet he had them all enthralled. He was speaking of warriors doing battle against a great evil. His hands shot into the air as he described great attacks and perilous swordfights. Valantine scowled as the young man’s audience gasped and clamored to themselves as he spoke.

“The great chain was close at hand! The heroes wanted it desperately but their desperation did not compare to the evil lord Volta.”

Valantine cocked his head slightly.

“The great chain is full of magic and the heroes knew if their enemy claimed it before they were able to find it then hope was lost for the world. Lord Volta would remake the world in his image and the age of goodness and light would be at an end.”

“Really.” Valantine whispered. Surely this was only a legend, some coincidental story this simpleton is spinning to keep the stupid masses entertained. Still, why was Krenin interested in this boy if there wasn’t something to these stories?

“But the chain is with them and the heroes do not even know it. It rides with them, fights with them, protected inside one of their own, where it has always been. Even Lord Volta is unaware of its location, but he is getting closer. Even now his agents are looking for it.” The young man looked directly at Valantine. His eyes widened slightly, “We will have to wait for tomorrow to learn the fate of our heroes and the world.”

The crowd grew restless.

“Tell us the ending!” A man shouted.

“It hasn’t been written yet.” The storyteller responded.

It was then Valantine understood the truth about this boy. He wasn’t a storyteller at all, “He’s a Seer.” Valantine said to himself as he watched the boy disappear into a visibly annoyed crowd.

Valantine followed the boy as he pushed his way through the angry crowd. Several people tried to grab his arm and beg for the story to be finished. The crowd was growing more and more angry. Savages, Valantine thought, ignorant beasts. They were hampering his movements. He slipped a dagger from his pocket and quickly stabbed three people. He vanished the blade into his coat again.

“Murder!” Valantine shouted, “There is a killer among us! He’ll kill us all!”

The three men he had stabbed all collapsed to the ground. The crowd’s anger immediately dissipated and was replaced with terror. They fled to their homes. Valantine brushed dust from his sleeve and stepped over one of the bodies. He followed the boy into an alley.

The Storyteller was cowering at the end of the dark alley when Valantine oozed out of the shadows.

“Hello little boy.”

“I ain’t no boy and I ain’t got no more story to tell.”

Valantine winced, “You are a pox upon language aren’t you.” Valantine took a step forward and the boy shrank back against the stone wall, “I am not interested in a story. Only an answer. Give it to me and you have my word as a gentleman I will set you free.”

The boy nodded.

“Where is this great chain you speak up?”

“It’s just a story sir.”

“Of course it is. Where in the story is the great chain?”

“It would be part of the little man.”

“Oh ho ho.” Valantine chortled, “That is brilliant.”

“Please sir will you set me free?”

Valantine stopped laughing long enough to pull his dagger from his coat, “Oh absolutely.”

III

Adia sat at the edge of the fire watching the flames fade burn away as the sun crept over the horizon. She had awakened moments after Damian had gone into his trance. She watched him standing stock still with Nyhm’s hand on his head. It wasn’t long before he came back and for a brief moment she saw something cross across his face. Like something had crossed between the two of them and he did not realize just what it was. She let her gaze travel from the fire to her son. He seemed to be asleep, shivering slightly in the cool dawn air. She stood and pulled her cloak off. She stepped around the fire and draped it across him. He reached out and pulled the cloak closer to him. His shivering ceased and he seemed at peace.

“Even the slightest gesture from a mother puts a son at peace.” Tomas said softly. He scooted closer to the fire and warmed his hands against the dying flames.

Adia sat down next to him, her sword scraping against the dirt, “I’m afraid I wasn’t a very good one.”

“He feels differently. You can tell by how he calms when you are near.”

“I failed him. I couldn’t protect him from the dark. He was so afraid of it when he was a child. I promised him it could never hurt him and in the end it claimed him.”

“As it does sometimes.” Tomas let his eyes rest on Tiko for a moment. He patted Adia’s hand softly and stared off into the brightening sky.

“What happened to your family?” Adia asked softly.

“It was long ago. Before…everything. They were lost to me.”

“I’m sorry.”

Tomas shook his head, “You learn to go on somehow. For me it was in servitude to a man who I believed was a hero. For so long I fought at his side and I came to understand that he was not a hero at all. He was mad. His lust for power had consumed him. His lust for an object so destructive that he would kill any who stood in his path.”

“What happens if he finds it?”

“All will be lost. Unless we stop him first.” Tomas smiled slightly, “Some of us know more about loss than we should. We know what it means and how it feels. The time will come when Krenin will learn the truth of the Gaia Chain and his fury will be unbound. That is what we must prepare for.”

“You know this truth.” Adia looked at Tomas and saw for the first time how old he truly looked. His eyes were tired and his face creased with lines.

“It is a burden I have carried for lifetimes. A burden I will soon be free of.”

Adia opened her mouth to speak again but was silenced by the thundering of hooves. The horse was on them in seconds. Adia looked up and saw only a flash of red as something struck her and darkness descended upon her.

Tiko leapt to his feet and darted after the horse but it was too fast for him. The man had swept Tomas up and thrown him over the front of his saddle like a ragdoll. Damian and Nyhm rushed over to Adia’s side.

“Who was it?”

Tiko scowled and clenched his fists, “Valantine.” He turned to Nyhm, “Can you catch him?

Nyhm stood up and looked, in his own way, from Tiko to Damian. His head turned towards the direction Valantine had fled. For a moment Tiko thought he saw a sudden look of understanding cross his face but he wasn’t sure what that would mean. Nyhm simply launched himself after Valantine.

Damian lifted Adia into his arms. She groaned slightly and opened her eyes. Damian lowered her to her feet.

“Can you stand?”

Adia stumbled slightly but managed a nod. She shook away her dizziness and looked around for Tomas.

“He has Tomas!”

“We know. Nyhm has gone after them. Are you okay to ride?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

Damian reached forward and brushed his fingertips against her forehead. It seemed an almost tender moment to Adia until she saw his fingers. They came away moist with blood.

“Are you sure?”

She felt foolish now, “I’m fine.” She turned away and walked to her horse.

Valantine kicked his horse hard. The beast sped up and thundered across the field. He was using most of his attention to keep Tomas from throwing himself off the horse. Somehow Tomas managed to spin himself around, delivering a vicious kick to Valantine’s face and sending him sprawling off the horse. Tomas’ momentum was too great to stop himself from falling off the horse. He rolled harmlessly in the think grass.

Valantine got to his feet and looked at the elbow of his jacket. It was streaked with a grass stain.

“You little shit.” He hissed and darted forward. He grabbed Tomas by the neck and lifted him into the air, “No more fucking around, little one. Give it to me.”

Tomas grabbed Valantine’s hand and tried to pry it loose. He was losing air quickly.

“I…don’t…”

Valantine let loose a disgusted sigh and dropped Tomas to the ground, “I guess this will have to go the hard way.” He pulled out a dagger from his coat. He grabbed Tomas by the shirt and sliced through the buttons. The ruined shirt fell away revealing a round glowing band deeply embedded in his chest. The band pulsed with a soft golden light.

“It’s true. By god.” Valantine reached forward and felt a large body crash into him.

Nyhm was using everything he had to get to Tomas in time and threw himself into Valantine with as much force as he could muster. The two of them went flying as Nyhm lost his concentration. They both crashed and rolled along the ground.

Valantine sprang to his feet and darted over to Nyhm.

“No escape this time, boy. That chain belongs to me. I will have it.” He yanked Nyhm to his feet and put the dagger against his neck, “I think you’re just the one I’ll need to get it out.”

“Let him go.” Damian said. He was sitting atop his horse, gun drawn and aimed at Valantine. Adia, Tiko, and Alexia rode up behind him. Adia slid off her horse and pulled her sword. Alexia and Tiko dropped and rushed over to Tomas.

“Gods…” Alexia whispered when she saw the Gaia Chain.

“Let him go.” Damian repeated.

“You can’t kill me with a gun Dami…”

His words were cut off by Damian pulling the trigger. The bullet ripped through Valantine’s upper leg, sending him spinning around. He lost his grip on Nyhm.

Nyhm took a step forward but Valantine was too fast. He lurched forward and buried the dagger into Nyhm’s back.

“Nyhm!” Adia shouted and rushed forward. Tiko did the same. He let his blades drop and leapt at Valantine.

Damian lowered his gun slowly.

“Not exactly going the way you’d hoped is it?” Krenin asked. He was standing next to Damian’s horse, his arms crossed across his chest. A slight smile across his face, “It’s never easy, failure. Especially, when a young comrade is wounded, possibly fatally, in battle.” Krenin stepped to the side and swiped his arm around easily knocking Damian from atop the horse.

Damian felt the air whoosh out of his body. Krenin swiftly kicked him sending him flying through the air. He hit the ground hard and coughed, spitting thick blood from his mouth.

“Enough of this.” Krenin walked past Tomas, who was holding his shirt tightly closed. With a wave of Krenin’s hand, Adia and Tiko were tossed away from Valantine, “You are a miserable failure. I asked one thing of you.”

“The Storyteller is dead, Volt. His blood is on my hands.” Valantine cackled, “His knowledge is my knowledge now.”

“Then I shall take it from you.” Krenin grabbed Valantine by the head. A deep red glow emerged from his eyes. Valantine began howling in pain.

“There is no need for that, my love.” Alexia said, “The Gaia Chain is right here.” She shoved Tomas forward.

Krenin dropped Valantine and turned to his former comrade, “You know where the Gaia Chain is?”

Alexia ripped the tattered shirt from Tomas’ back. The chain glowed brightly against his skin. Krenin’s eyes widened.

“All these years.”

Adia stood up slowly. As quietly as she could she picked her sword from the ground.

“No…” Damian whispered.

Adia rushed forward, her sword high over her head to strike at Krenin. He took his eyes off the Gaia Chain for only a moment. Only long enough to wrench the sword free of Adia’s grip and plunge it through her chest. He used her momentum to fling her over his shoulders. The blood flowed freely from her chest and from her back as she hit the grass. She landed on her back, forcing the sword out of her. It fell silently into the green, coated with her gore and blood. She felt cold creeping over her body. But this could not be. She was immortal, yet she felt as if her life was seeping from her body. She looked down at her open chest and saw the remnants of her crystal clinging to the blackened wound.

“MOTHER!” Tiko screamed and rushed towards her. She saw his face for a moment before everything began to blur, “Damian Goddamn you help her!” They were both with her now. Damian and Tiko, trying to stem the flow of blood. She could see the tears in Damian’s eyes. She would not see them fall.

“Hold on damn you.” Damian whispered, “You can’t leave us. You can’t leave me. This is not allowed. You cannot die here!”

“Damian…”

Damian looked up and saw Nyhm standing weakly nearby, “It’s time. It has to be now.”

“Oh it is time young one.”

Krenin plunged his hand into Tomas’ chest. He gripped the Gaia Chain tightly and lifted his arm into the air. Tomas remained attached to the artifact but when Krenin’s fingers wrapped around it his body began to burn away.

“I have failed!” He moaned as his flesh disintegrated, “God’s forgive me.” He said just as the last of him burned away and was carried off on the wind.

“It is time.” Krenin said, holding the gleaming Gaia Chain over his head.

“It’s time, Damian.” Nyhm held out his hands. Valantine, Tiko, and Damian rose into the air.

Krenin and Nyhm seemed to be speaking simultaneously.

“This is the time.” They said.

“When everything changes.” Nyhm whispered.

“When everything ends.” Krenin roared.

To Be Concluded....

Next: The Final Hour has arrived.