Chapter 8: The embered flame

The help that Aya needed was dashing towards her at an intense pace. They had come. Dorian and Vanessa. 

Dorian gripped his dragon-hilted sword that was drenched in darkness. He wore a loose trench coat that was layered with metallic straps that held different items. 

Vanessa the 'mother' of the three, had a hand-held on her witch hat to not allow the gusts of wind to blow it from her head. It had a stripe of blue which represented the guild's colours. She trod through the snow using mana to amplify her speed. 

As for the forest where Aya and Xerxes had fought the monster, mana was coagulating mixing into each other. There was wind, fire, earth and water however there was a mysterious and foreign sense that they all couldn't distinguish.

The fire within the forest was potent enough to bring a considerable amount of heat even to where they stood and then they saw the last thing they would want to see.

With the force of a burning star, Dorian and Vanessa's eyes were blinded by a huge uproar in the untamed explosion, as a shockwave was sent towards them. Vanessa beckoned to Dorian to do something, as he was the only one in the group who had senses that were strong enough to be a fearsome opponent in battle whether blinded or not.

He began counting from exactly 4 seconds and then began to unleash a viscous stream of power, concentrating it within his blade.

Dorian's sword began to emit with black flames as he lept through the air, with unrelenting power emanating from his sword. He counted to his final second and roared, "Sikarys' flame." 

He spun through the air, slashing not at the shockwave, but at a particular angle of the snow. Upon impact of the ariel slash of flames, the white blanket of protection climbed through the air, creating a barrier between Aya and the explosion. 

The snow absorbed most of the impact, but there was still enough force to break through knocking Aya straight into the ground. Collectively their ears rang like a drum was right by them, they all held their ears, with the temporary blindness fading.

Vanessa once collecting herself, rushed towards Aya with no hesitation. She held Aya and didn't let go, like a mother who had given birth to a newborn, refusing to let that child go.

Dorian's and Vanessa's voices were hoarse, the burning feeling within their muscles and throat prominent from the amount of running they did to get to this place. 

Vanessa looked down at Aya's body, her face grimacing at the faintest of touches. Her eyebrows frowned up and she was quick to reassure Aya, "You'll be fine darling, I promise you, I'll use my healing magic and make you feel better, just please stay with me."

Her voice barely came to a whisper as she repeated, whilst putting her hands forward, "Please stay with me Aya." A green light emanated from her hands, whilst layers of mana began consuming Aya's body, with blood slowly eviscerating into particles that eventually disappeared from sight.

Dorian then asked a question, that he didn't know if he wanted the answer to. "Aya, where is Xerxes?" His ebon eyes were fixated on the burning forest that reflected from his pupils, whilst his face was expressionless, but his eyes told his every emotion. Worry, doubt and fear.

Vanessa, who was originally too enticed with Aya's condition, also wondered where Xerxes was. Panic didn't have the leverage to settle in slowly, as she realised he wasn't here with her. Vanessa felt her heart thud with colour beginning to drain from her face - fearing what she may say.

Aya remained silent. After all, what she saw was the most horrific thing she had ever experienced. Her vision turned cloudy, her body feeling cold and dull when reminiscing on her memory of the battle. She wanted to tell them, she wanted to tell them how idiotic she was for taking this mission, for how stupid she was for not being more careful, how she was a liar for telling Xerxes this mission would be okay and regret for even meeting Xerxes that day, which had now subjugated him to such a horrific death.

She knew saying it would make it feel more real, that she saw him be incinerated and engulfed by those flames. His smile knowing she would be able to escape, and that he accepted death so easily.

Aya opened her mouth, but there were no words that came out. It was like she was choking on her words, each mumble was pressed back into her. However, Dorian who was concerned for someone who had become a brother to him pressed on.

"What happened to our brother, what happened to Xerxes? Tell me." He demanded, whilst not even glancing at her. Aya not even knowing how to answer it in a way that made it seem acceptable, decided to just say it whilst covering her eyes with her forearm.

"Xerxes died protecting me." Vanessa released a laugh that was filled with nervousness and uncertainty.

"What did you say Aya..?" She asked to be sure what she just heard was real.

She hesitated and said it one more time, with her experiencing the same feeling all over again. "He died Vanessa, we thought. No, I thought it would be okay to secretly take this mission, I wanted you all to be proud of me. I didn't mean for this to happen I promise Vanessa, I didn't want Xerxes to die."

Vanessa's concentration on her healing incantation was slowly breaking, as there was nothing she could say. What would she do? Lecutre Aya for being so stupid. Cry because she knew it was ultimately her fault for leaving the kids unattended? She didn't know what she could do and that was apparent by how she was acting. Aya's pleading sounded incoherent as her mind drifted off her whole mind beginning to revolve around Xerxes and her memory of him.

She was an adventurer, and throughout her time of being an adventurer many people close to her have died and yes there were tears that were shed, then there was heartbreak but this felt different though, she remembered his face when they had first found him.

It was right after the war with beast and man, roughly 12 years ago. Her party had divided off into different groups, her leading one section of the party and the other adventurer Jeshur Idonis leading the other. They were tasked with recovery and saving anyone who was in need of help.

Nostalgia filled her mind as she looked up at the fallen kingdom and then memories began flurrying in her head, a little boy who was crying, his small purple hair so alluring to her, the abandoned child in need calling for help.

She tried for years to find out who her parents were and eventually dwindled it down to them being dead and with no one who could take care of him, she decided to stop being a full-time adventurer and raise Xerxes as her own. Her son. Rocking him within her arms, naming him Xerxes, and teaching him how to use mana. 

She learned how to love family again, she learned how to have dreams that superseded her desire to be a great adventurer and that was to raise Xerxes, the boy who was found in a war-torn battle close to the fallen kingdom, into a man who could stand confidently in the world carrying the flame of Vanessa's dreams into his own. 

So what was this feeling? To Vanessa, it could only be described as a catharsis of emotion all fuelled into one singular thing, rage, pity and despair moulded into shape to form her tragedy, she didn't know how to process this level of anguish and stayed still not daring to do anything. If she moved, if time was able to carry on then he would really be gone, wouldn't he?

On the contrary, Dorian heard nothing, there were thoughts of sorrow and rage that were similar to Vanessa. His head wasn't exactly clear but foggy, there was a flurry of varying emotions his thoughts overpowering Aya's crying that became like a background muffle. 

With the way he has always known, he decided to be there for his brother, not wanting to accept reality. He bent his legs, tightening his hold upon his sword, with a cloud of snow forming from a blitzed through the land straight towards the forest, as the sound of Aya calling out to him became distant, with him travelling as fast as he could.

He reached the entrance of the forest in a few minutes as the noise of crackling fire snapped within his ears. Dorian looked around, with his expression darkening, seeing the carnage that was unleashed. 

"How did this even happen, is this the power of a beast from The fallen kingdom?.." He asked.

Doubt slowly began to creep into his body, his hopes becoming slim that he was still alive, that Xerxes was here with him. Even if he was just deluding himself he wasn't going to give up yet.

His voice cracked as he called, "Xerxes!" He slowly walked into the forest, but there was no response as he began slicing past branches, with him going to the most previous point of mana density and in his path there was only destruction.

He tried for another time, nervously trying to talk casually as if Xerxes was right in front of him, "Xerxes if your stubborn ass is still here please say something." However, there was nothing, until he tripped.

"What?" Dorian looked down at what he tripped upon, and his eyes widened with his breathing feeling forced with heavy breaths, he didn't want to believe it was what he was seeing, it was his arm. That was his arm wasn't it and his sword had almost melted, this couldn't be. 

FranticallyDorian looked down and then didn't care if the flames burned him he hurried towards the most mana dense part of the forest, rushing through the blaze that was in front of him.

Dorian had been around fire for most of his life, he understood it very deeply, it was like a language that he could read, just by the motion of the flames, the direction they swayed, the illumination and potency they had, and he knew exactly what he was seeing. Xerxes' body wasn't here anymore, there wasn't a soul shard, there wasn't anything of him left. 

Dorian was confident about it, he knew when he made a mistake but nothing in his head told him what he wanted to believe. The flames didn't give him any sign of hope either.

Dorian solemnly crouched down and picked up a small necklace Xerxes had worn which was given by Vanessa as a gift on his 10th birthday, it was a necklace that had all of our initials, D. X. V. A, though the silver had begun to melt, Dorian didn't care about the pain it caused, how much pain did Xerxes go through? He held it and raised it close to his chest. 

He wasn't one to show his emotions to others, he kept them in, not wanting anyone to know how vulnerable he was, but there was only so much he could do. His knees buckled, and he dropped, with tears streaming out of his eyes, as he slammed an enclosed fist into the ground.

"Damn you." He cried whilst slamming his hand down again. He then screamed, "DAMN YOU MONSTERS." in a repetitive cycle his rage was uncontrolled with his hands bloodying from the number of times he was pummelling the ground and after some time. A gentle hand was placed on his shoulder. He looked back instantly hoping it was Xerxes.

But when he turned around he saw Vanessa, as he shook his head left and right whilst biting his lip, his eyes still filled with tears, as Vanessa pulled his head close to her chest giving him comfort as that day Xerxes was gone. 

The ride back had no words, their emotional states were too damaged and told a story in itself. Mr Hilt didn't dare to even dare to speak or even demand money, he rode his carriage for the next few hours, as Mr Hilt even had tinges of sadness. Despite not knowing the boy too well, he still learned to respect him.

He gave his condolences and dropped them close to the foot of the hill, where the guild hall was located.

Dorian and Vanessa walked back to the guild, Vanessa was holding Aya and her state even with healing magic was bad. They walked up the steps to the small hill where the Crossed Seas Guild was.

They saw the wooden gates, with the main members of the guild stationing the door, anticipating the arrival of the two young adventurers who had foolishly and recklessly left. 

The guild master saw the small party arriving back, but not whole. He quickly ran outside and asked in a panic, "By the heavens Vanessa what's happened."

Vanessa's voice was dulled, numb to her usual joy and she flatly said, "Guild Master Tully, Aya's in bad condition she needs immediate support and healing magic. Dorian's hands are burned he isn't in a great deal of pain just get them healed please."

Master Tully looked with confusion visible on his face, "What about my lad, what about Xerxes?" He questioned.

All of their faces described everything he needed to know, as Vanessa simply said, "He's dead Master Tully and I wasn't here for them. I was too busy doing quests instead of focusing my attention on where the kids needed it the most and now my son is dead." 

Everyone's faces in the guild became gloomy, with Aya and Dorian being immediately rushed to the head healer within the Crossed Seas guild, with Vanessa fell towards the guild master, resting her head on his shoulder.

Master Tully patted her back, "Let it out Nessa, let it out." Vanessa past the shock of his initial death, began sobbing drenching Master Tully's leather jacket with the tears of her despair, as the guild all mourned the death of Xerxes Draedon, who died at the age of 12 in the year of 762 PGWoS (post great war of succession.)

***

Pain. A raw, unbearable sensation gnawed at the edges of his existence. It wasn't just the searing agony, it was something underlying that feeling, that was clawing at his very soul.

His head layed against the damp earth, the sickly squelch of writhing worms filling the silence. The air was thick, stagnant and carried the stench of decay. Above him, the sky churned - a murky, shifting mass of colourless nothingness. 

Was it day? Was it night? What was even happening? He couldn't tell, it was as if time and reality itself fractured.

Drops of rain slipped through the tangled canopy, cold pinpricks against his burning skin, but something felt strange. This rain had taste, this rain had a pricking sensation when it dropped on his body. It was a new feeling besides burning and this was what he needed to bring him back to reality.

A ragged breath came from him as his fingers twitched against the soil, and his eyes fluttered open.

Xerxes had awoken.