I’ve gone on a lot in my short time about how much fear I felt since waking up, but after the last few day’s everything before seems pathetic in comparison. I now understood true fear thanks to the fiend that stalked me every night in the darkness. Slow agonizing dread ripping my lucid thoughts to shreds, death was slowly becoming the more tempting alternative.
The nights were filled with the sharp chattering of my teeth, an action induced from the cold the creature always seemed to carry like an ever-present tide, ebbing and waning between the day and night.
Some days it would simply stand outside unmoving, a false statue and others it would inspect around the shack as though looking for somewhere to enter, a casual brush from its body causing the shack to shake lightly. It's heavy breathing alone enough to push my sanity to the edge as it waited for delirium to take me and open the door like a predator spooking its prey into action. But by far the worst nights were when it would simply describe in extreme detail all the tortures it would bestow on me before consuming me, as though it were an honor for my pathetic existence to receive his grace.
Hours of slowly flaying off my skin with its claws, inhumanly forcing me to gouge out my eyeballs only to eat them afterward, using my own hands to crush the hatchling to death as it struggled uselessly.
Things could also be worse as these were but passing thoughts to the fiend and were but the more simple ones it diabolically whispered about. The appetizer before the meal, the fermenting of fine wine, the planting of fear before the rich harvest.
The only reason I hadn’t simply crawled into a ball, and lost my mind was that of the hatchling, my godsend Ember as I’d taken to calling it. The only light keeping me from diving head first into the abyss.
The nights were horrid, but the daytime with Ember was the only solace in my home that had become a prison. Thinking back it was the fourth day after the fiend's visit, I groggily awoke from a nightmare because of the restless Ember moving around in my hand, trying to escape its confines while loudly chirping in annoyance at its inability to.
Opening my hands the muddled mass of thoughts that was my mind was wiped as I was met the most stunningly beautiful pair of eye’s that would probably ever exist in this world. The embodiment of a summers sunset existed as its eye’s. The hue’s of crimson, and violet infinitely swirling in a maelstrom of beauty, and chaos. It was an extraordinary contrast to the silky white fluff that made up most of its body.
Losing myself in those eyes I slowly forgot the fiend and felt myself relax, the stress-filled muscles that a five-year-old should never experience lose their tightness. This sense of peace was healing in nature and I wish I could ignore the world and stare into those eyes forever.
But as they say, good things never last long as Ember began chirping loudly again annoyed that it was still trapped in the grip of my hand. The fear crawled back slowly but finding less of a foothold in my heart. Until the fiend returned to ruin it again I would make use of this calm and take care of my cute little Ember.
With the ability to now form complex thoughts that didn’t involve me ending up in the stomach of a monster, I softly placed Ember on the heavy blankets that laid on the floor.
It was amazing to think the fluff ball hand become even fluffier over the course of 4 days. It’s probably grown enough to be considered a nestling, now able to move around somewhat but still to weak fly.
The little white ball chirped happily as it gained its freedom. It beautiful eyes looked up at me cutely making sure I was still in the same spot, maybe afraid that I would leave it alone.
I’d come to the conclusion that my little Ember was a magical creature of sorts, as I read in the Lacrons book. Similar to regular animals but starting at a higher point than their brethren they were able to manipulate mana from the moment they were born. The soft warmth it always gave off being my first of many clues.
As a magical creature, they were born being able to rapidly develop their intelligence, its awareness of my existence as something other than its caretaker being another one of my clues.
Unhurriedly getting on its thin legs that looked more like fine twigs, Ember took a standing position and held it for an entire 10 seconds before falling back down onto its fluffy rear end. The sight was a breath of air into my heart, as even more of the fear left me to make room for the growing love I had for this cute little companion of mine.
An impossible miffed expression appeared on its face, as it started chirping loudly then looking at me as though it were my fault it didn't have the strength. Hearing Embers chirping change tone to indicate it was hungry I pulled out what remained of the little deer. Since I had fed it the first time over 45 kilograms of its flesh had been consumed by the little black hole that was Embers stomach.
It was also picky over its choice of meat from the deer only eating the soft fatty flesh meaning the actual meat I could feed it on this deer was almost gone with today's meal being last of the useful meat. I hadn't eaten any myself, as I was to worried about ending up in a stomach to think about filling my own.
The chirps continued as the meat slowly disappeared into Embers maw. Once again releasing a cute burp chirp Ember ruffled its feathers then chirped in my direction indication that it wanted me to pick it back up.
Laughing softly for the first time in day’s I delicately picked it up between my hands as it quickly snuggled itself into my palm quickly falling asleep.
Placing Ember up to my chest, its warmth provided me with the feeling of being in contact with another person something I craved dearly. It was still bright outside, but it wouldn't be long before that changed, and it returned.
There was still one more thing that would happen before I could be left to my own thoughts though, and it was gathering fast.
Every day after feasting, and falling asleep Ember would begin to aggravate the mana around it slowly sucking it all in. The issue was that I could feel that the surrounding mana had changed drastically ever since the fiend showed up. Dark, and rotting the mana felt, if I could have seen it I'm sure it would look like a miasmic death cloud drifting softly to take the lives of its unsuspecting victims.
Even without any knowledge of what it was, it couldn’t be something good for you when it radiated off the fiend itself. The mana would slowly gather around us, and since I was completely surrounding Ember it was being absorbed by me. I didn't know how I did it but it simply entered my body where my soul was a standby gradually consuming it.
It would then release a violet hot mist that floated towards Ember who greedily absorbed it, before stopping its unconscious pull on nearby mana.
After that, the stillness return, leaving me alone in the shack that contained me. The fiend would return tonight to continue its meal prepping as it liked to describe its chattering, and the fear would begin to consume me once again.
I felt myself grow heavy, the weight of the future bearing down on me. I estimated I had at least 9 months of food left for myself before I would waste away into dust. Ember, on the other hand, had less than 2 months with it preferring choice cuts of meat as its meals. I saw no way out of this situation, it left me feeling powerless and drained.
“My fear is ever consuming, my existence uncertain since my first moment of awareness, yet why do I maintain my wretched sanity? It chips, cracks, buckles, bends, yet it won't break? The youth I am already broke long ago, my mind perceiving things not as a child but as an adult. Is that what caused my memory loss?” Speaking to myself I asked questions that I knew no one would answer.
Pulling me out of my depressing thoughts the little bird in my hands burped and fell still once again. A wisp of mana the same hue as Embers eye’s floated around it. Strange, I've never seen Ember do that after a meal.
My ever unusual Soul began to rotate faster than I've ever seen it before as the sphere turned into an ovoid from the rapid speed it was moving at. My mind was becoming hazy as I felt my soul take control of my body and absorb the little wisp into itself.
Things were going dark as a heat filled me, and I watched in fascination as my soul went from pure violet to being sprinkled with bits of glowing crimson. A thought that originated from my soul came to, a connection was being formed. Gazing at the little Ember in my hands I felt its existence in a way I couldn't describe. Oblivious to what was going on Ember slumbered on, unaware of the massive changes that were going on around it. The haze in my mind thickened even as a bright flash became the last thing I saw before I lost consciousness.
Melanie Kedora's Perspective
The bitter wind was soothing as it helped me contain the rage that was prone to boil over at any moment as I stood over the side of my skyship Star Drop.
“Fucking Council! They knew I was going to head out for an expedition to the Seatol Islands for a few weeks yet they pull this bullshit out of their crummy assholes for me to do!” I was livid as I remembered the orders I received a few hours prior.
“A large disturbance in the ambient mana was detected far to the west of the island, and we require your assistance to uncover what is causing it. Hopefully, it’s just the Guardian punishing some fools, so make haste we expect your return within a week, and not a moment later otherwise we will suspend your privileges for a year.”
Just thinking about it was infuriating, they loved to pull this shit on her all the time simply because she didn't like all their rules.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“Calm down Mel its only a week then we can be on our merry way.” Laughed Carvolo as the wind blew his long black hair into the wind, his coppery tinted horns curving like those of a ram. The bastard probably thought he looked majestic the narcissistic idiot.
“Ah just shut the hell up Carvolo before I drop your sorry ass overboard. Watching you try to get back on would do plenty for my anger right now.”
As Carvolo’s face pale it eased some of the anger I held as I looked at the outer core of my precious ship making sure was still running smoothly. Strange things happened all the time, and finding my ship leaking mana while outside the safety range was not something I particularly felt like experiencing
The Isle of Broken Memories was a pretty ominous name for my homeland but it had its reasons. Those who left the safety of the small colonized area would sometimes go missing without leaving a trace, and those that came back would be broken off the mind unresponsive to their loved ones, sometimes claiming they didn't know them.
Many warranted it to the Guardian, a magical beast that claimed this island as its own, quite the accomplishment considering it was a ⅕ the size of the nearest continent of Mezz. If it wasn't because one of my ancestors made a very expensive secrete deal with it for a portion of its land to be occupied by my race I doubt this island would have a sentient life besides the odd beast here or there.
Any race that came to the island without its permission was warned once then if failing to take heed to the warning they would simply die on the spot as though divine will have descended to take the life of the foolish, which probably wasn't far off from the truth.
“Captain Melanie, forgive this incompetent ones words, I simply wished to ease the anger caused by the idiots from the council.” Getting to one knee in a respectful tone Carvolo began showering me with praises, a skill he took great care to constantly improved to my annoyance. Though hearing him call the Council idiots did bring a smile to my face.
Seeing me smile I visible saw him relax. While not a bad person Carvolo was a womanizer, and the only reason he had joined my mottle crew was that he decided I would be his next conquest. The idiot didn't seem to realize I completely saw through him though. If it wasn't for his charismatic ways with the Council and his skill with the bow I would never have let him join my crew.
Carvolo was getting back on his feet when he was suddenly tackled to the ship's deck by a large brown beast. “Get off me you stupid mutt!!” His scream girlish in pitch made me laugh out loud as Joon started licking his face with excitement slobbering it up until Carvalos face was drenched.
“JOON HEEL”! A petite woman no taller than 155 cm commanded as she rose from the inside of the ship. Whimpering as though being caught doing something bad Joon stopped covering Carvolo’s face in its saliva and quickly returned to its half-sized owner. The Haeckel being a strange breed of a beast like a mixture between a dog and a bear.
“What did I say to you about putting garbage in your mouth! You’ll get sick!”
With the savage words that exited her mouth, I smiled brightly as I watched my childhood best friend, and second in command Anita Grell walk towards me. Though small in stature she was anything but weak, being a beast master she was able to commune with all matter of animals and beasts befriending them and using them to support her already brutish fighting style. Her ashy horns pointing upwards into the sky, ready to impale any that annoyed her, fierce grey eye’s promising such pain would be brutal.
Carvolos face looked like he had eaten the most bitter of medicines as he tried to clean his face and quietly excused himself swiftly heading back into the ship. I almost felt sorry for him…... Almost being the choice word here.
“You cool down yet Mel? It's only a week so don't let the Council get to you, we'll be heading out towards the Seatol Islands in no time.” Her cheerful words quickly quenching my anger, she’d always been great at doing that and I loved her like a sister for it. She was incomparable to the fake blood ones I actually had. Nothing but lies, and tricks behind their every smile.
Sighing deeply I agreed “Your right Ani but those idiots just love scratching me the wrong way, just because I renounced the ‘responsibilities’ they wanted to force on to me.”
“It’s fine Mel that's in the past now, they can't stop us from chasing our dreams anymore. Soon enough we can leave their control and become independent taking whatever contracts we please. Just 5 more years till then so just don't lose it until then please.” With puppy eyes, Anita completely washed away any remaining rage I held. She was right, I would simply follow their orders until we were allowed to take our own contracts, but after that day I would be sure to speak on all the feelings I'm bottling up.
The door open as the remaining 2 idiots of my crew walked into the deck.
“Hahaha did you see Carvolos face hahaha he was dripping saliva all over the floor, ah it was priceless. Stupid charismatic punk, just because he looks better than me he thinks can try to swoon the captain with his sugar words.”
“Woah there Fenton your words make it sound as though you yourself want the captain.”
Going red Fenton went mute as he looked in my direction, like a cute deer caught in headlights he went rigid as he saw me smiling in their direction. Gorn laughed his huge frame a massive difference from his best friends relatively smaller one. These two idiots were also my childhood friends, and despite their stupid antics, I loved them both like family.
Fenton being the ship's healer, and Gorn the artificer who made sure everything was kept in working order including our weapons. A mottle crew indeed considering we were all in our late teens still children to our elvish race, who didn't fully mature until 75 years.
Fenton was around my height but since he likes to hunch at times he appeared shorter but was still handsome in a scholarly way. His Azure eyes taking peeks at times he thought I wasn't looking. His short cropped hair allowed his antler-like horns to truly stand out, something he held great pride in.
I would also have to be as dense as a rock to not realize he had feelings for me but, I didn't really feel like starting any relationship yet. Plus I would probably end up killing him because of the stress his idiocies brought me, heavens forbid we were together, I don't think I he would live longer than 2 weeks.
Gorn, on the other hand, was a massive man. Dark tanned skin with bulging muscles that could shatter solid stone. He stood at 200 cm tall dwarfing Fenton's 175 cm height. Black eyes like the night enhance his already handsome face. But the most interesting thing about his appearance would have to be his long single horn, like the famous Unicorn it was also a deadly weapon at his disposal.
Now that we were all here I smiled as I stared at my crew. Each some of the best in their respective fields for their ages by a long shot, well at least on the Island.
“So are you all ready to get this job done so we can finally go make a name for ourselves?”
“You know it, captain!” They cheered in unison as they all got to their places.
Ani began to attract the birds in the area towards here with her nature magic, asking about anything strange happening in the surrounding area.
Gorn pulled out a strange artifact from his Spacial pouch and place it on the deck, sending out pulses of mana trying to scout the area for any disturbances.
Fenton on the other hand simply sat down, and send out his awareness trying to sense the leylines for unnatural manipulations or rare natural events.
They were each doing the same thing in their own way. Trying to find the area we were supposed to head towards. Unfortunately, Carvolo and I didn’t have any skill like this and were left with nothing to do to but keep guard over them.
Having returned clean faced Carvolo was back to his usual calm self but this time without any of the flirty looks he likes to through my way. He was all business now and this ability to focus when needed was one of his few redeeming qualities.
The forest below us flew by and after around an hour all 3 ended their, investigation but none of them looked happy about the results. This might turn out harder than I expected.
“Ani you first what did the birds tell you?” Her normally cute face was full of pain as she began her explanation.
“The birds are in misery, many of their brethren simply ceased to exist, a wide extinction event happened nearby killing tens of thousands of animals within a certain range.” Her voice was full mourning for all the animals that had died. Specializing in nature magic her closeness to nature made events like this extremely painful to her. I would have to comfort her after the mission was done, otherwise, she would remain depressed for a few weeks.
“How about you Gorn anything strange pop up on your artifact?”
With a grim face, Gorm replied with less than pleasant news. “An emptiness exists to the northwest of us. It wasn't just the animals that died, all the plant life had also been completely annihilated.” His words full of a sense of foreboding. Things were really looking bad and if Fenton's answer was as we were suspecting things were about to get a whole lot harder.
Turning towards my friend I was surprised to find him panting and pale-faced with sweat flowing like a river down his chest. “Fenton please tell us it's not what we think it is…”
After taking a deep breath Fenton answered, and our fears become reality.
“The leylines nearby have been tainted, something that can only occur when a huge amount of resentful souls come into existence. To our North-West, 200 Km away exists a death zone without any life. I estimate it to be at least 70-100 km in diameter.” He goes silent before once again saying the words neither of us wanted to hear.
“It's the birth of a shade… A lesser demon.” He spits out the words in disgust. A shade despite being a lesser demon was extremely dangerous for anyone below the Legend rank, an entire 2 ranks above our puny Champion rank.
“Let's abandon this mission, losing our privileges for a year is nothing compared to our lives.” Quickly accessing the situation as more than we could handle, as Captain I gave the order to retreat. I wasn't going throw our lives away just so the bigots at the Council could save some coin.
Just as I was about to turn around and head to the control room Fenton grabbed my arm his face full now wearing a strange expression I've seen plenty of times before.
“Mel. I also sense something else.” Looking at him wondering what he was going on I ask him “What did you sense? Actually, it doesn't matter, we aren't going in there not when there's a newly born Shade.” I was about to start ignoring him when he got uncomfortably close, eyes burning with what I could only think to be a plan,
“The shade is weak, something inside the death zone hurt it enough where it's still recuperating. The souls of those that were once part of it were purified and whispered to me through the ley lines... They spoke of a Violet rage, cleansing them from the Shade.”
Staring into his eyes I came to understand what he wanted to do. “Do you think its a relic? Staring between Gorn and Fenton I saw Gorn eyebrows furrow, deep in thought, he then spoke his mind.
“The Isle of Broken Memories is one of the 9 cursed lands of the world, many powerful individuals have lost their life here either to the Guardian or to some other supernatural cause. Over the 2 million years of its recorded history, countless have disappeared within its boundary. For a super expert from the past have died here leaving a relic wouldn't be too far from a possibility.”
Facing Fenton again I asked the simple question that would determine our next move. “How strong is it now?” My face was all seriousness as I gazed into his azure eye’s, our lives were much more precious than some powerful relic, but it the shade was weakened and we could kill it we would make a huge contribution to the Capital and pocket a powerful artifact.
Eye’s locked into mine Fenton pridefully thumped his chest as he exclaimed: “It should be within our Champion rank powerwise, stronger than any one of us individually but a lamb to the slaughter with all of our efforts combined!”
There it was, the idiotic confidence. Things were probably just as he described but I knew nothing could be taken at face value. The shade could be anything in shape or size, so we would still be in danger, but to improve ourselves I think this could be a fine challenge. We had all been progressing slowly recently. A little life-threatening action might be what we need to improve ourselves.
“Turn the ship to the southwest, we got ourselves a shade to hunt, and some loot to collect.” My orders were swift, and sharp fighting the shade during the day while it was weakened would be a lot easier than during the night.
With the crew's blood pumping they all began heading down into the main Quarters of the ship when a bright light to the North-west illuminated the entire sky turning it a stunning violet. Seems today will be the first of many stories history will remember us by.