Chapter 12: Lupine summons his Army of Darkness

Just as Jarvis had said, Lupine was indeed gathering his forces of darkness. The sky above was as black as night as Lupine hovered above the barren wastelands that once were known as Mal'za'gar

Lupine closed his eyes and breathed in slowly as memories of his life as Zalgorwarth the Demon Lord flooded back into his mind. " yes, I remember now. Here lays the army that the guardian of Light defeated, and just as before, you are going in search of the only weapons that can defeat me."

the sky flashed with red lighting as thousands of black tendrils extended from Lupines fingertips and dug into the earth

As Lupine channeled his dark powers into the ground, massive cracks formed in the earth spewing black ooze from the maws of Underhell itself.

" Arise my army of darkness once more and this time for your one true master!" Lupine cried out as the ground crumbled into a vast swirling vortex of screaming souls whose hellish cries could be heard in Vermillion City

" So Lupine has made the first move I see," Vern said, his voice gruff as he stroked his long white beard.

"What now, Grand Master Xenoventaris?" Vern said, looking at the man standing next to a tall, slender man wearing a blood-red suit; his hair was pure white and was long and flowing.

Vern watched as Xenoventaris's long pointed fingers nails clicked each time one hit the stone balance as he drummed his fingers up and down. Xenoventaris emerald green eyes blazed glowed in the moonlight

" Now, my young Nightwalker, It is the time for me to reveal my presence to the Long I," Xenoventaries said

Vern replied, " Are you speaking of the Dragonborn? I have not heard it said that way?" Xenoventaries sighed. "A Dragonborn goes by many names across countless races and endless reality. there is no one concrete name, only the one that is known by that race impeller."

Xenoventaries placed two fingers on his forehead, and in an instant, he was gone

" I have my problems to worry about," Vern said as a knock was heard at the door

" Father, have you found my new sister?" a tall, pale-skinned figure, his features were young and ageless. His eyes were a deep blood red, and his hair an inky black. he wore a black robe with a crimson jacket underneath

Vern smiled, his long sharp fangs glinting in the moonlight

" Yes, I have my newly risen son Talon, and soon you will have your new kin," Vern said

Talon replied, " Tell me where she is, and I will go turn her myself."

Vern replied," Very well, she is in the Sea of Trees and soon will be going alone to Direrock lake."

Meanwhile, Arran and the rest of the group had made their way into the Sea of Trees. Arran looked around at the massive woods that enclosed them, the winter snow had melted, and the bright morning sun glinted off the golden leaves of the Golden Oaks.

Arran saw a flicker of blue light pass from branch to branch; the small creature moved swiftly; its body resembles a human female, but slender with two wings that were thin and meshlike darted to the next tree several others all different colors followed in a rainbow of bright, sparkling light

" Beautiful, are they not, Young Dragonborn? It is not often that the Fe is seen in the mortal realm" Asjborn said his massive Black Thunder Steed towered over his own Arran

Tsuki replied, " Yes, Asjborn, you are right; it is not often a problem because the Yosei vanished at the same time that the Quinn did at the beginning of the First Age."

Erikk nodded and said, " so why have they come back?"

Asjborn replied, " Because they are fleeing their realm to preserve the balance in this one. The Fe is Kyi, and with them here, the balance will remain in a state of status. But with them being here and absorbing the massive amounts of darkness here, it will not take long before every single Fe dies."

Arran watched the lights sparking above in a cascade of all the colors of the rainbow " So once they all die, then what?" Arran asked

Tsuki replied, " The balance is no more."

Suddenly the wagon holding all of the packs hit a hole in the road knocking everything around; a ffloorscream was heard from inside Asjborns trunk.

Arran stopped, as did everyone else " You must be kidding me." Arran said as he got off his horse and flung open the trunk. Arran put his hand over his face as Emma fell out of the trunk, her crimson hair falling over her head

"Emma, honestly! You are my older sister; you should know better than to have followed me!" Arran cried out as Emma sat still and said softly, " I am sorry, I just don't want anything to happen to you."

Arran replied, " I don't want that for you either that is why I told you to stay!"

Emma got off of the wagon and stood in front of Arran, her face red hot with anger " I promised our father that I would protect you until my dying day! How can I do that if I am not with you!"

Arran was silent for a few moments then spoke his voice slow and thoughtful " But why would you want to protect someone who might get you killed?"

Emma did not respond for a moment " Because you are my brother? What other reason would there be?"

As with all agreements, there comes the point where someone says something that they do not mean, and now they can never take it back. Without thinking, Arran spoke his voice full of rage

" I am not your brother! You and I are not related by blood and never where!"

Emma's eyes overflowed with tears as Arran's words shattered her heart.

Erik, enraged at what Arran had said, punched him in the face knocking him out. Tsuki tried to stop Emma from running away deeper into the woods. But Emma just shoved her to the ground

while Asjborn and Lei stood and watched, not sure what to do.

Arran awoke the next morning, his head pounding and his memories of last night unclear Arran turned and saw Erik sitting next to him; his face was fuming with rage. with one look at Eriks burning hot eyes, Arran knew that what he had said last night was not a dream as he had hopped

" What the hell were you thinking saying that to Emma. She is as much your sister as you are her brother and what you said to her was beyond hurtful." Erik said angrily, then calmed down

" We could not find her last night, Tsuki searched all through the night, but she could not find her," Erik said. Arran was silent.

Tsuki walked up to them in her right hand; she held Emma's torn clothing and the necklace she always wore. Arran began to tear up " Was that all you could find?" Tsuki nodded slowly " I could only find these; there was nobody, but all of her clothing except her underwear was found torn to sheards just north of here. "

Erik replied, " Do you think she is.." Tsuki shook her head and looked at Arran, worried

" Arran, what I am going to tell you, I want you to promise me that you're not going to do anything rash when I finish," Tsuki said. Erik glanced at her then it came to him what she was going to say

" Tsuki, Are you sure?" Erik said she nodded a long, intense silence followed

" I found something else there as well, and it makes me fear the worst for her. I found this " Tsuki took out a small folded piece of paper

Arran opened up and read what was inside

To my dearest brother

I am sorry that I have disobeyed you, and I know what you said to me was not meant out of malice or hate. I want you to know that no matter what, I am always going to be your sister and will never stop loving

I will continue to keep the promise I made to you and Victor that I will protect you until my dying day.

In my travel bag is a red dragon skin-bound journal; this is all of the research I have gathered about the Multiverse and those who inhabit its many universes.

Arran dropped the letter to the ground, unable to speak. " I am so sorry," Tsuki said. Erik walked over to Emma's travel bag and took out the journal. Suzume sat next to Arran and said, " You did not truly mean what you said? Did you?" Suzume said, placing a hand on AArran'sknee

He shook his head and said, " No, I did not." Suzume replied, " Do you think that Emma means what she wrote, or did she just write that because she was upset?"

Arran replied, " I think she wrote that because she was upset and did not mean it."

Suzume stood up and began to walk away. Arran stopped her and said, " Thank you, Suzume." she nodded and said, " your welcome."

as the night inched on, Erik sat by a small fire " Do you think he is going to make her his slave-like he did me?" Tsuki asked

Erik replied," I don't know; I dought he has used for those now." Lei sat down next to Erik " There is a much darker possibility that he would take Emma." Lei said, then paused for a moment

" Vern Vermillion may be looking to have Emma become a Vermillion. The Vermillion bloodline is wearing thin, and it will be only a matter of time before they are all gone. So Vern has been going and kidnapping radam men and woman from all over Tylingariea and somehow transforming them into a Vermillion," Lei said

Erik replied, " You are talking like Vern Vermillion, and the rest of his kin are Nightwalkers, but those are just a myth." Lei shook his head and said, " I am afraid that myth is all too real."

The preview night, Emma found herself lost in the woods' darkness, frightened; she stopped and sat down, deciding to wait until daybreak.

" Arran, why?" Emma said powerfully as she put her hands on her face crying uncontarabliy. Distracted by her sadness, Emma did not flinch in terror when a cold icy hand gripped her and spoke softly into her ears

" My child, You are so sad. Would you like me to relieve you of this pain?"

Emma's tried to replay but could not; her body was frozen

"Fear not; the venom only numbs the body; your senses remain intact," Talon said as he opened his jaw wide and drove his teeth into Emma's jugular.

Dark red blood sprayed across the ground as Emma's body fell to the ground like a rag doll.

As her heartbeat slowed, Emma's vision began to darken as everything she ever knew was gone; all the memories she once had as Emma Silvertounge vanished from her, never to be seen again

In an interest, Emma's eyes shot open, and she let out a scream of pain but stopped she felt no pain. Emma placed her hand on her neck. The icy coldness of her skin shocked her.

" No, It can't be," Emma said as she placed to fingers on her wrist, checking for a pulse.

Low laugher could be heard by the door to her room " I am the sorry sister that will do you no good, You are dead. Your life as Emma Silvertounge is no more." He paused and bowed to her and said: " By the way, I believe I forgot to introduce myself to my newly born sister. I am Talon Vermillion."

She nodded, confused, and said, " Ok, what is my name then?" Talon stood up and said, " Your name from this day forth is Scarlett Vermillion." Talon extended his hand and helped her out of bed; she could sense his intense power as she looked into his deep blood-red eyes.

For some reason, she could not believe that he was her brother."

"Come, sister, you are not yet a Vermillion," Talon said as he led her to a small pure white room with a single chair in the center.

Scarlett stopped " are you sure we are brother and sister? I don't believe you when you say you are my brother."

Vern walked over to Talon, who bowed before him " Yes, Scarlett, you are correct; you and he is not brothers by blood. Talon is to be the next ruler of the Vermillion Empire, and I can't trust any of my sons, so I got someone that is not of my blood and turned them into a Nightwalker, and now that you are one as well, you will marry him and become his queen."

Scarlett cried out, " You are out of your mind! I am only sixteen! That is illegal and evil!"

Talon smiled mentally " Not when you come out of here you will not be." he said as the door slammed behind him

IInstantlythe winter room was engulfed in a blinding white light, and SScarlettcould feels her body and mind rapidly changing from teen to adult in a matter of hours. Finally, after what seemed like years, the door slid open. Scarlet toppled to the ground; her body and mind, physical, mental, and physiologically were that of a fully mature adult.

Talon knelt and gripped her cheek, his sharp claws digging into her face " So what say you now, My dear, will you be my queen?" Talon said, removing his hand

Scarlett stood up, glaring at Talon " Do I get a choice?" she said angrily

Vern shook his head " I am afraid not."

Scarlett growled and said, " Fine."

suddenly she felt unbearably hungry, clutching her stomach and crumpling to the ground in pain

" Why am I so Hungry!" She cried out. Talon knelt next to her smiling a cold, uncaring smile

" Welcome to everlasting Hell that is being a Nightwalker." Talon snapped his fingers, and two massive stones brought in the freshly killed body and placed it in front of Scarlett; the smell of the decaying flesh made her mouth water

she knelt and sniffed the body like a wild animal; her eyes were wild and crazed as she opened her mouth, sinking the long razer shape fangs into the flesh

upon the first drop of blood that touched her lips, every bit of the little humanity she still had left crumbled away, leaving only an empty shell, a husk consumed by darkness her old life as Emma Silvertounge lost

As her memories of her brother faded, Emma devoted the human body. She did not understand why but a single tear ran down her cheek as if she had remembered something or someone, but as quickly as the feeling came, it vanished into the sands of time.

Meanwhile, night had fallen on the first night of Emma's disappearance, and Arran could not sleep, blaming himself, cursing his anger and the fact it overtook him. He stood up as quietly as he could. Arran put on his Bladewalker Nether-Steel chain armor and his Nightwolf Fur coat.

Arran picked up Emmas necklace, and holding back tears, he secured the necklace and tucked it under his shirt.

Suzume opened her eyes slowly and said, " Arran, what are you doing? You're not going to rescue her, are you?"

Arran replied as he attached Demonsong to his belt," No, I just am going to train, and I don't know when I will be back."

Suzume nodded and said as she fell back to sleep," Please come back and don't do anything rash."

Arran kissed her on the forehead " I will not, I promise."

As Arran was leaving camp, Erik walked up beside him. "You're going to train because you blame yourself." Erik said to Arran, who turned to face him and said, " Yes, I do. There is no one else to blame but me."

Erik replied, " Fine; I will see you when you come back."

Arran left without looking back to go and train his powers