Part 5
" - I shall enjoy stripping of you of your powers to make them mine Stormslayer." She laughed maniacally. Jorge I am so sorry that I did not let you come with me. My body began to grow uncomfortably hot. If I was separated from my beast then there was nothing to stop him from coming forth and wrecking havoc. I could feel him push closer to the surface as my skin felt like it was on fire and I was burnig from the inside out. I muttered
" - Not the baby" but I am not sure how much of that he heard if he could. My clothes became a bright blaze. The couple screamed in frustration as my beast was now in total control.
" - How is this possible ? " the woman screamed. My beast let off an evil laugh.
" - Because I am a God!!" the beast bellowed in return. I had no control and watched through the eyes of my beast as he grabbed the mage by the throat. I watched in horror as he drained every last drop of her essence from her now wither body. He casted the body aside and searched around for the young man. He was no where in sight. The beast bellowed then the lights flickered and we seemed to be in a different spot. I could see the young man as he ran for his life.. He threw every possible spell he could at my beast and the beast just laughed. He caught up with the young warlock and turned him to face him. I could the horror reflected in his eyes. He kept muttering something about they told him it would be easy.
I screamed at my beast to ask him him what he meant by they but when asked the warlock only repeated the same statement. The beast was getting impatient and he was still hungry. I tried to close my eyes this time so I would not have to see what the beast was going to do with him and the god's did grant me this mercy. Everything went black for me. When I woke up I was in a tiny room. I did not recognize the surroundings. I glanced down to see my clothes had been changed but my body hurt all over. I tried to get up but my head began to throb. I laid back down and closed my eyes once again. When I reawakened I noticed it was again night. I must have passed out again. I was still in the same tiny room but there was a fire started in the fireplace. I could smell food cooking. I glanced around to see a figure leaning over a large pot of something. He turned around when he realized I was awake. My eyes could not believe it but it was panda! I did not know if I should be scared or happy. He leaned over me and placed a cool rag on my forehead.
" - Relax Majesty. I will not harm you. I found you half dead outside in the woods. Why did you come back?" he said. I whispered :
" - Someone tried to harm me and inadvertently harmed my son." He looked down at me in shock.
" - You had a son?" he asked. I just nodded.
" - Then that would mean you are having another by the looks of it." he said with a smile. I just smiled and nodded once again. My body still hurt all over. I looked to panda
" - Why does my body still hurt so much?" He gave me a grim look.
" - I had to give you an antidote for the foxtail poison. You body is still trying to get rid of the rest of the effects. Normally only a small amount of foxtail is used to paralyze however it looks as if they used their whole stash to take you down. The aches you are feeling may be left over from your beast coming to the surface at an alarming rate. The poison stopped you from controlling that accelerated rate. You should be good as new by tomorrow night." he said.
He turned away to make a bowl of stew. I managed to sit up and he placed the bowl in my lap.
" - Eat majesty you need your strength. I managed to get some broth in you this morning but not as much as your body requires." I took a bite. It was the exact recipe from cooks book that she made at the castle on cold winter days for us. I looked up at panda.
" - Why are you still here? I thought you had left the night of the fire. Whatever became of Yoda and baby girl?" I asked between mouth full of stew.
" - I remained because I could not leave my home. Yoda and baby girl will never harm another soul again. They both perished in the fire!" he said as he bowed his head.
" - If I had known that you were with child then I would have stopped that mess before it that bad. I never meant to hurt you or Dark. You were the only two besides cook that made me feel alive again, like part of a family. That is all in the past now and I am happy to see you were ok. But majesty your eyes are telling me that everything at lionheart is not as grand as it should be. Let me guess Collosus has voiced his opinion that you should reinstate Kuso as leader again?" I slowly nodded.
" - I figured as much. I wished you had listened to me and took Dark and yourself away from here and leave everyone else behind. You still have a nest of vipers within. The true reason why we did what we did was because of the cruel treatment of Kuso and his thugs. We all grew up as children and Kuso was always the brains behind the scene. He loved to remind me of what happened to me as a young boy, of what he ordered the others to do to me. I could never forgive him for what he had done and your father would not have either if he had known. I loved your father like a brother until your father took your mother away from me. Apparently they had been bonded at birth. You should know of this since you seemed to be bonded to your own half brother. Somehow you were able to override that bond and it allowed you to be with Darkangel who the gods had chosen for you. The mage council was cruel with their magical bonds. It went against nature and the gods. The gods will deliver their punishment soon enough I am sure of that." he said. I had not realized how much Chaos panda had lost. I am greatly surprised he had not succumbed to madness.
" - Panda I need to find the mages council or the mage who is behind my son's comma state. There has to be a way I can stop it." I said sadly.
" - Majesty there is a way but the person you seek is not on this plane. But I know how to get to it. Let me try to right this wrong and help you fix this mess." he said with pleading eyes. I faintly recall the last words from my son before he became comatose" I know where they are and how to get to them.
" - It broke my heart just knowing my son was being punished because of me. The fates had a way of being cruel just as much as they are giving. I looked at Panda and nodded my head.
" - We shall go as soon as my body is healed." Panda nodded in agreement.
" - Now majesty eat up and rest. You body needs it to heal." he said and left the room. My dream were plagued with so much suffering. I kept relieving the moment that my son collapsed to the ground. Each time I tried to make it to him as he fell my legs would freeze in place and I would hear the sickening thud as he hit the ground. Dark's accusing stare just blared into my soul as he rushes forward to take him into his arms. The guilt feels as if it is eating my entire soul from the inside out. I awaken covered in sweat. I reached down inside to see if I could once again feel my beast.
He was resting soundly but grunted at acknowledgement. That was a good sign. My body did not hurt as much as it did when I last awoke. I attempted to leave the bed with great succes. I felt around for my pack in search of some better clothes. I donned a more suitable set of clothes and strapped my boots up. They were the only things that had survived the whole body change. If my beast had been in animal form everything would have been shredded. I headed out the door into what seemed to be a small corridor or hallway. I could see the fire's glow from the hearth straight ahead. I stepped into the small room that served as the kitchen and sitting area. Panda was sound asleep in the chair next to the fire. I softly walked to the door and closed it softly behind me. The crisp night air was so refreshing. I recognized where I was. We were at the small cottage just outside the castle's walls. Panda had secured Legolas to a tree and hitched a feed bag to his mouth. He was chomping happily on the bag of oats. I grabbed a torch from one of the outer walls and began to walk to the castles main gate. The hinges appeared to be rusted out and I could see the ruined walls of the castle beyond. It had been 7 years ago that I had left this place to the flames.
There was still a lingering smoke smell from that fire. I walked amongst the ruins finding half destroyed paintings and thistles growing up along the cracks of what was left of the walls. I walked until I can upon what looked like a portion of the castle still remained in tack. The door was covered in soot and I recognized it at once as I began to wipe it down. This was the outer prophecy doors to my old room. The door itself looked as if it had be undamaged. The carvings where still intact. I waved the torch around the door and stepped back with a scream. There was a pair of skeletons interwined with each other and both looked as if they were reaching for the door knob. One of the skeleton's was definitely a female. I recognized what was left of her red dress. It was babygirl. The other skeleton must be Yoda's. Now I understood what Panda meant about them not troubling anyone anymore. Both faces were twisted as if they were screaming. It looked as if they were trying to make it to my chambers to escape the fire but the power would not allow them to enter so they ended up burning to death. I bowed my head and said a prayer for them to the gods. A hand touched my shoulder. I leaped back with a scream. Panda was there with a frown upon his face.
" - You should not be here majesty." he said as he shook his head.
" - Come with me I will take you where you need to go". He offered out his hand for me to take. I put mine in his.
" - Majesty closed your eyes and whatever you do do not open them until I tell you." I nodded and closed my eyes. I had no other choice than to trust Chaos Panda. My head began to spin around. I had a sick feeling in my stomach. Please not now little one but this was not caused from the baby. the air around me began to change. It thickened to the point I felt like I could not breathe. I had to tighten my lids more to keep me from opening my eyes. Suddenly the air was thinner and I was able to breathe normally.
I did not recognize the scents around me. It smelled as if we were in a lavender field but there had been none in the realm for 15 years." You can open your eyes now " panda said. I opened them to be almost blinded by light. It was daylight out. I looked at panda in confusion.
" - Panda where are we?." I asked. Panda looked around then turned to me.
" - We are where you wished to go to see your parents!" he said. I looked around this was not a memory or a dream. I was confused. Stevos said my parents were in another dimension but the gateways had been closed by Dark. How was this possible. I didn't have time to asked Panda before a prominent voice yelled "Halt" and there was a sword at my back. I glanced around and noticed panda and I were surrounded.
" - Who are you and state your business with Firefly." came the the same voice." I pulled the hood of my cloak down. There was a loud gasp.
" - She's a nightmare mage. Kill her now before the rest of the mage council comes." He turned me around to face him.
" - You will not harm Ophelia." he says as he runs me through with his sword. I heard Panda scream "NO" as he tried to fight his way to me. The only thought that went through my mind as my life began to drain from me was of Dark and Dark Death. I had failed both of them. I felt my body slump to the ground. Panda knocked the fighter that had him by the arms to the ground and rushed over to take me into his arms.
" - You fools just killed Fiera's daughter." he leaned over me with tears streaming from his eyes.
" - Oh Majesty please do not die". I looked up at panda." Panda the baby......" i said as the world turned dark.
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