Chapter 7: The dark one and his disciples

"So...you are a wind blade that is in an organization?" Owen asked sitting at the table.

Saria's hideout was dark and cold. Nothing but the hot lamps and the stove to heat up the cave.

"Burst infinite is an organization I started...not very many people joined me because I was too new, plus they really didn't want to be associated with me," Saria said.

"Why is that?"

Saria sighed a breath of sadness and spoke.

"They thought I was crazy. That's why they banished me...that is why I am stuck here...," Saria said. "But now you are with me, so they must listen to me now!"

Owen sighed and stared down at the table.

"Who are they...?" Owen asked finally.

"The infinity leaders,"

"Infinity leaders...?"

"There are two major groups. Ones that follow the aria and ones that are against it,"

"What is the aria?"

"That's right. You can't hear the aria... no normal blades can. Only those that are group leaders can...,"

"Can you?"

Saria nodded at Owen.

"The area is a song that the beast of the void plays for the heavens...to guide the dark one back home...," Saria explained.

"The beast of the void? You mean the overseer of the negatively bound spirits?" Owen asked.

"Yes," Saria clarified. "The leader of infinite, the group who follows the Aria, bears the mask of the snake. His mask has long fangs. He goes by Axius, the terror. Some say he lost his master to Richard Soul, Spirit's son, himself. Those are the people that most likely come after you,"

Owen swallowed hard, for he knew that he was scared. This terrified him. Are they coming after him as they speak? He thought back to when he talked with Spirit and wished that he had asked. Maybe he would have gotten some sort of response. Let alone, know that Spirit had a son.

"You wouldn't need to worry about the other group, they couldn't care less about you, but they will step in if things get out-of-hand. Not that they would arrive anyway," Saria said.

"O-out-of-hand...?" Owen said shaking.

"Calm yourself. None of them will get you, as long as you are here," Saria said.

"Here...," Owen repeated to himself.

"I have to go," Owen said standing up.

"Go? You can't go. There is no way out, and I am not taking you back," Saria said.

"There must be a way out...," Owen said.

"I told you, I am the only one that can swim fast enough in and out," Saria said.

"If that's so...then you are gonna need to take me out of here then," Owen said.

"Which will never happen...," Saria said. "I don't think you get it yet, but you are stuck. No way out."

Owen thought for a moment.

"So I am stuck here with no way out...what are you wanting to do with me exactly...?" Owen asked.

"I need to harness Lucifer's powers. I need to take the bit that is inside your body," Saria said. "The only way I can do that is to gather up the other three pieces and wait for the solstice to occur. Only then can the master return to his rightful place"

"I mean...how could you know that I am very much the person you are looking for?" Owen asked.

Saria got up, walked over to Owen and grabbed his arm and turned it to reveal a red X near his elbow.

"You were marked since birth...and so was your father, but he isn't the rightful carrier. Only you are," Saria said.

Owen sighed.

Owen backed up and gazed at the water that showed the deep dark sea. Owen could barely see two feet below the surface.

"Go ahead...try, it's not going to save you," Saria said.

Saria went back to sit down. Saria watched Owen as he was gazing into the dark water. Owen looked back at Saria for a minute or two and then dove into the water. Owen swam as if his life depended on it. He could not see but he kept swimming until he found it. A light! He swam faster to reach it, but when he surfaced, he found that he was in the same cave as before. Saria sat clapping as he watched Owen pop out of the water.

"Bravo, too bad that you didn't get anywhere though," Saria said.

"How?! I...I swam in a straight line," Owen said confused.

"You see...this is no ordinary cave. Its actually my contracted spirit," Saria said. The cave shook and roared. Saria started to laugh uncontrollably. Each eerie cackle was worse than the last as his laugh got louder.

"Abel has tried forever, hasn't he...?," Saria said.

"Wait...so...the leviathan is under your control?" Owen asked in realization.

"No, not quite. You see...the leviathan is not a monster, it's a spirit," Saria said.

Owen summoned his shield and sword.

"So that means...," Owen said.

"It now means that you warn out your welcome," Saria said summoning out a white and transparent brass knuckle.

"A knuckle? What about your scythe...?," Owen asked.

Saria laughed.

"There is more that you don't know," Saria said as chains lunged at Owen that tossed him back and bound him to the cave wall.

Owen's sword and shield dispersed.

"Now, the dark one. Watch as they all burn," Saria said.