Āciriyar Lives

Axel sat across from Edymond.

"Paḻaiya moḻiyaip payaṉpaṭuttuvōm, ēṉeṉṟāl nāṉ kēṭpatu uṅkaḷ periyavaruṭaṉ taṭaiceyyappaṭalām. (Let us use the old language, for what I ask may be forbidden with your elder)."

Axel tilted his head, "Aṅkalō eṉ mūtta cakōtarar. Kōrikkaiyil eṉṉa arttam? (Angalo is my elder brother. What does the request entail?)"

Edymond leaned toward Axel, "Civappu āviyiṉ kaṭṭukkatai uṅkaḷukku niṉaivirukkiṟatā? (Do you remember the myth of the red spirit)?"

Axel nodded and leaned back, "Orumuṟai eṉ appā katai coṉṉār. Tūymaiyāṉavarkaḷ makkaḷaip pātukākkum oru āyutattai uruvākkiṉar, ēṉeṉil oḻuṅku atikamāka vaḷarat toṭaṅkiyatu. Veḷippaṭaiyāka, avarkaḷ periya ṭirākaṉiṭamiruntu oru kuḻantaiyait tiruṭiṉārkaḷ. (My father told me the story once. The Pure Ones created a weapon that would protect The People, as the Order started to grow more rampant. Apparently, they stole a child from the Great Dragon)."

Edymond nodded, "Āyutam aṭaiyāḷam kāṇappaṭum eṉṟu avarkaḷ kūṟiyatu uṅkaḷukku niṉaivirukkiṟatā? (Do you recall how they said the weapon would be identified)?"

Axel shook his head, "My father never told me the rest. He did mention the sleeping baby."

Edymond frowned, and leaned toward Axel,

"Kāṭṭēri, nāṉ colvataik kēḷ: Tēvi uṟaṅkum kuḻantaiyāka iruntāl, āyutam avaḷukkuḷ kuṭiyiruntāl eṉṉa ceyvatu? (Vampire, hear me out: what if The Goddess is the sleeping baby and the weapon dwells within her)" axel drew back wide eyed, "Myriah is both the sleeping baby and the weapon created by the pure ones?"

The elf nodded, "Eṉṉiṭam ātāram irukkalām, iṅkutāṉ eṉakku uṅkaḷ utavi tēvai, vāmpayar. (I might have proof and this is where I need your assistance, Vampire.)"

Axel pursed his lips. It's more of a lead than they've had in weeks. If anything, they will get a direction to point Jasmine in.

"Tell me, Elf."

***

Axel wondered the hospital hallways, internally regretting his life's choices. 'Of all the ways to get caught…' he came to the reception desk and grinned at the brunette manning the desk. "Pardon me, ma'am-"

"Please fill this out and have a seat." She barked as she shoved a clipboard in his face. "You will…" she looked up and found his silver eyes boring into hers, "be…"

"I apologize for the inconvience, ma'am. I'm looking into a recent cold case that we got some information on, and I hear you have a John Doe checked in. Might I ask you to show me to his room?"

The woman blushed prettily as Axel grinned at her, "It would be a huge help to our case, ma'am, if you also kept this between us." His pupils dilated and the woman nodded, "of course!" She gushed, "you're asking about the white haired fellow. People call him a.." she paused and her expression turned uncertain, "a…" Axel tilted his head, "what do they call him?"

The receptionist leaned toward Alex and whispered: "A Nillie.."

Axel flinched at the term but relaxed as his eyes once more found the woman's, "That is quite the accusation, those people have been gone since after the war."

The woman nodded, "It's terrible. I pray you find his family." Axel nodded, "hopefully I have ma'am."

"Oh! That is just wonderful. Allow me to show you the way!"

Axel sighed as he entered the hospital room in which the white haired male laid. Edymond whistled lowly. "Your powers of compulsion are to be revered, vampire."

Axel nodded his thanks. As he eyed the white haired male.

"Tell me more about him."

"He is the reason I've come. This is my brother." Axels jaw dropped. "Your… brother?"

Edymond nodded, "I will tell you another secret, vampire. The Great dragon, the one called Āciriyar, lives."

Axel froze, "Āciriyar lives?! He's the dragon with no heart-"

"Yes, the sorcerer bore his heart within him." Its a long searched item, like the sleeping baby."

"Myriah you mean?"

Edymond nodded. "I am told you can walk the dreams of others, that you've even walked the goddesses dreams…"

"By logic alone, I'm going to guess that you know Kain." Edymond nodded, "He is one of the direct students of Āciriyar."

"As is this man laying here, Āciriyar gave you the hint on where to find him, in exchange you're to bring Myriah to him."

Edymond nodded, "I am duty bound to Āciriyar and The Goddess, Vampire."

Axel nodded, "Kain being his student was also sent to find her…" Edymond nodded, "this man is also Kains comrade." "Another student of Āciriyar… you want me to walk his dreams to see why he still sleeps?"

Edymond knelt before Axel.

"Please, I beg of you." Axel shrugged. "What can it hurt? We may get further in how to help Myriah." He eyed the elf, "However let me warn you, Elf: If you take her without her consent… I will find you. And I will kill you."

"I will not lay a finger on your mate." Edymond promised. Axel who was leaning toward the prone male, froze.

"Mate?" He asked, "Yes, I see the rope of fate binding you two."

"Do not speak of this to her. I'm sure you are aware of the danger recognition poses for her."

Edymond nodded with his right hand over his heart, "My lips are sealed, however I cannot lie to The Goddess."

Alex shook his head and continued his task.

Pressing his forehead against the sleeping males, Axel was taken to a hazy world.

"…" He was silent as he let the stranger guide him. "Tell me how to save you..." Axel internally pleaded.

The golden eyed man watched the vampire and elf from outside of the door.

'The ruthless vampire is the one bonded to her, huh?' His frown deepened, 'the gods are surely fickle in their games…'

***

"Āciriyar…"

Axel shot up with a gasp, his gaze went straight to the closed door. "Does he know that we are here?" Axel asked warily, silver eyes wide. He slowly angled his head back to the sleeping male. "Do his students share a specific connection with him?"

Edymond nodded, "He shares with all of us… you may be the only exception, vampire."

Axel felt his stance stagger. "His students are bonded with him in a way that allows them to bear his heart within them." Axel tilted his head, "His sole desire is to collect his child, and use her to rid this world of mortals. After that they will await the rebirth of his mate." First Alexander and now the Dragon… between the two, he could hope to find an ally in the dragon… but… his silver eyes wondered back to the door where he was met with golden eyes.

'How do I protect her from both sides…' Axel felt his heart start to race as he held the strangers gaze. 'Myriah saw eyes like this…Who can I really trust to keep Myriah safe…' the blood red pupils from the golden eyes took Axel to a red world, and his mind went straight to Myriahs red dream.

'I've only seen it once…'

"Tukkattal alukiratu (grief stricken cries)

Iravu Velariniruttam (strike the night)" …

Axel watched the world crumble. He watched black waters rise to meet crumbling land. His silver eyes saw the great dragon on top of the cliff roaring his fury to the crimson red moon.

'I've seen this in Myriahs dreams…'

"(ena) nalliravu vanattiliruntu ti vilukiratu ((as) fire falls from midnnight skies)

Kopam civappu nira kankalai nukarum (fury consumes crimson red eyes)"

Axel watched the blue eyed boy gather the babe into his arms and strap her to his back.

'Jasmine speaks of a blue eyed boy who is constantly with her…is this him?'

He watched the silver eyed man hand the blue eyed boy his sword. 'You were alive to see the babe handed off? Have you been alive this whole time?'

"Kopam en eluttu urivait turitiyatu (anger fueled by writhing mewls)

Tavarana vakkurutikal palivankum nakaikalai uruvakkukinrana

(Mistaken promises make vengeful jewels)"

Axel watched as the blue eyed boy was surrounded and held by silver. 'Barbarians…' Axel watched the babe take a glow and disappear from the blue eyed boys embrace. "Pātukāppāka amaitiyāka iru. Valuvāka iru, tūymaiyāka iru. (Be safe silent one. Be strong, and remain pure)."

"Tavarana nampikkaiyai verukkattakka kumattai celavitukiratu

(Mislead trust coats hateful lust)

Civappu nira karikal katalikka mutiyatavai... (Crimson red eyes unyielding to love)" Axel watched the beautiful woman fall before the order… 'Myriah…' he cried out as the soldiers violated and tore the woman apart- "No!" Axel cried as he watched the woman struggle to get to the three eggs. Axel gasped when her purple eyes met his. He watched her mouth move, but couldn't place what she was saying. Forgetting he was in the dream, Axel lunged forward to keep the solder from impaling the dying woman…

***

Axel fell to his hands and knees with a grunt. His wide eyes went straight to the closed door. With a gasp, he realized that he and the elf were alone with the silver haired man.

"Vampire-"

Axel, for all he was worth… helplessly eyed the monitor and felt his consciousness give out when he heard the flat line.

'Myriah…is…'

The hazel eyed woman watched the two males in the room with the white haired male.

'What just happened?'