[Sister! I have found him. I can sense him. The forgotten. The one mother so carelessly abandoned.]

The voice from before said as Jean and company ran northward through the forest.

“Am I the only one hearing that?” Fea asked from above.

“No! How are you doing? Let me know if you get tired.” Jean asked as he followed Ayanna’s lead.

She took great care in keeping track of where she was going while also keeping track of everyone behind her.

A strange hiss could faintly be heard in the air and the further everyone ran, the louder it got.

“Do not doubt my ability, Jean,” Fea said from above.

The group eventually arrived at a clearing, but to their horror, the grassy plane was filled with countless disfigured humanoid creatures that looked suspiciously like people.

Their heads were covered in blood-soaked sharp growths and they all made strange hissing noises.

One of them noticed Jean and the group.

The disfigured man hissed as he pointed his blood-stained hands at Jean and the group.

Jean opened his mouth to speak, but before any words couldn’t even leave his mouth, Ayanna dashed out into the clearing and decapitated the disfigured man and before the other hissers could even react, Ayanna went after each and every one of them.

What was once a group of about twenty or so, rapidly decreased as their blood coated Ayanna’s blade.

Her claymore tore through flesh and bone alike as she entered a frenzied dance with the horde that surrounded her.

Jean trembled as her silver eyes locked onto his.

She slowly walked towards him as several bodies fell to the ground.

Ayanna checked to see if everyone was ok before turning around and walking towards the other side of the clearing.

Jean and the others followed her cautiously as they stepped over several fresh corpses.

“You there! Bare ye the shackles of ignorance?” A voice called from within the woods.

“Yes!” Jean cried and in the next moment, several grey-clad people walked out from within the forest deep.

“Greetings, my name is Peter. Chief of the-“ Peter’s stopped himself as he eyed Jean and Ayden over.

“-Awnings.” He said, albeit softly.

“What brings you to our mountains?” Peter asked.

“My son is ill. We were hoping you could help.” Ayanna said.

“Is that so? Forgive me for my frankness, but how did you conclude that we would know how to cure whatever illness plagues the boy?” Peter asked with narrowed eyes.

“We…”

“We weren’t sure, but anything would be better than sitting by as Ayden suffers,” Jean said as he and Ayanna stood side by side.

The chief sighed deeply before looking up and narrowing his rather dark eyes again.

“I see. Such desperation… I apologize for my prior attitude. Come, I’m sure our priests should have a remedy of some sort for the boy’s illness.” Peter said as he and his grey-clad people walked into the woods.

Ayanna turned to Jean, who nodded before following Peter and his people.

They travelled up the mountainside where countless door-shaped holes could be spotted here and there.

"Sir, are you sure we should be allowing them into our home so freely?" A grey-clad man asked.

“Yes, for it is the will of the Progenitrix,” Peter said as he led everyone up the village's only street.

Jean looked around curiously and indeed, the village was quite simple, but there was beauty in that.

The smell of smoked meats, coupled with the cheerful laughter of children made this rather dark mountain appear… homey.

“Progenitrix?” Jean asked before noticing that a certain someone was missing.

“Yes. Our goddess. She is the source of all life and although I could go on and on about the intricacies of our beliefs, I’m sure you’d rather tend to a certain matter first, no?” Peter asked as the Cresent moon illuminated the part ahead.

“Of course,” Jean said.

Ayanna and Àlainn followed closely behind and Ayanna hadn’t lowered her guard.

Her still blood-soaked claymore sat ready on her shoulder.

They passed several stone-carved houses before eventually arriving at a gigantic opening in the mountainside.

Unlike the other door-shaped holes, which were about the size of normal doors, the one that stood in front of Jean was several times that size and for some reason, the air coming from within was also really pleasant. Almost sweet.

“Please, this way,” Peter said before leading Jean and company down a guarded path. Countless grey-clad men and women lined the path that led to a separate door, only this one was closed.

Behind the armed guards, sat even more people, except all of them were on their knees and wore various clothes.

Jean saw nothing but fear in their eyes, but he returned his focus to Peter.

“Open up and get the priests for me.”

“Yes, chief!” One of the guards said as he opened the door, revealing a huge chamber at the centre of which was what looked like a gigantic dead creature.

It was about the size of a whale and yet it had large, grotesque tentacles, not dissimilar to those of Yar’ Ley and its body was covered in a thick slime.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

It also had two human-like arms and a head covered in countless closed eyes.

Kneeling in front of it was a naked man, who Jean noticed had a large green aura around his body.

“Come,” Peter said as he walked towards the gigantic corpse which was at the centre of the large chamber.

Upon arrival at the centre, Jean and everyone else realized that the man kneeling in front of the corpse was weeping.

“We’ve brought your brother,” Peter said before kicking the man’s head.

Jean’s eyes widened as the man fell pathetically on the floor, only to slowly sit up and look at Ayden.

Jean and Ayanna’s eyes shot open as the man looked almost exactly like Ayden.

The only difference was that his hair was almost pitch black and he looked several years older.

“Spend what little time you have left with him.”

“Wait! What’s going on here?” Jean asked as he placed his hand on Peter’s shoulder.

Peter glared at Jean before smacking him in the face as several armed guards approached.

“DO NOT TOUCH ME YOU UTTER PIECE OF-“ Peter took a deep breath before regaining his composure.

“Keep them here. The ritual is almost complete.” Peter said as he walked away, but in a flash, Ayanna threw her claymore at him and everyone watched in pure terror as the large sword lodged itself in Peter’s neck.

“Chief!” Someone yelled, but Jean didn’t care.

“Àlainn, here!” Jean barked as he handed Ayden to Àlainn.

He then unsheathed his dagger before handing Ayanna the other dagger.

“Seal the chamber!” Someone said.

“Wait! We’re still in here!” another cried as the large wooden door closed.

Ayanna and Jean glared at the eight guards in the room.

They were all clad in simple grey leather-based armour and they all wielded curved swords, but Jean and Ayanna didn’t care.

They dashed towards their opponents before engaging in furious combat.

Àlainn’s weak legs trembled under the force of carrying Ayden.

“Hand him over.” The weeping man said as he opened his arms.

Àlainn looked into the man’s dark eyes before slowly nodding as she handed Ayden to the man.

Jean noticed this and got distracted for a moment, only to get his right arm cleaved off by one of the guards.

Ayanna saw this and in what could only be described as pure rage, she mercilessly killed her way towards Jean as he fell to the ground.

“Jean!” She cried as she held a bleeding Jean tightly.

She then noticed that Ayden was in the arms of the weeping man and a strange light came from his hands.

Ayanna was on the verge of standing and violently murdering the man, but he looked into her eyes and in that moment, she knew to calm herself.

“Àlainn! Bandages!” Ayanna cried and the terrified Àlainn did as instructed.

Ayanna wrapped Jean’s arm while Àlainn applied the necessary medicines.

“Ayanna…” Jean called as his body convulsed violently.

“I'm sorry,” Jean said through his teeth.

“Ah!” Everyone’s attention was drawn to Ayden and the stranger.

Ayden had begun painfully jolting about, but the man held onto him tightly.

“Come on!” The stranger yelled as the pale green light that came from his hand grew larger and larger.

It eventually filled the entire stone chamber, illuminating many of the intricate symbols that lined its walls.

Ayanna carried Jean over to the stranger and the stranger looked at her intently.

“Thank you for caring for him.” The stranger said as fresh tears fell from his eyes.

“Who are you?” Ayanna asked.

“Gi’ Kolarum,” Gi said as the light from Hand slowly faded.

“What’s wrong with Ayden? You can help him, right?” Ayanna asked as the sounds of countless screams came from behind the chamber's door.

“I… no. Not exactly-“

“What do you mean? Aren’t you supposed to be a great one? Didn’t you create this endless night? So helping Ayden shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Ayanna asked as she tightened her grip on her dagger.

Gi trembled before looking at the unconscious Ayden.

“Don’t you think I want to save my beloved brother?”

“If you love him that much, then why did I find him alone in the mud?”

Gi froze.

“It was mother. She… I don’t…”

“Who is your mother?” Ayanna asked.

Gi lowered his hand and pointed at the floor.

“She is everything. The giver of life.” Gi said, but Ayanna frowned intensely in response.

“Can you help him?” Ayanna asked.

Gi looked into her piercing silver eyes as his lips trembled.

“No.”

Ayanna sighed deeply.

“Give him to me.”

Gi did as he was told and Ayanna gently held Ayden as what looked like streams of blood poured into the chamber.

They ran along several intricate paths that were carved into the chamber's floor, but Ayanna didn’t care.

The sounds of strange chants could be heard coming from the other side of the large wooden door.

Ayanna turned to face Jean, who was being nursed by Àlainn.

She then looked up before sighing deeply.

“Wake me up,” Ayanna whispered.

“Pardon?” Gi asked.

“I think I’ve finally realized it. This is all a bad dream, isn’t it? The monsters, the murders, all of this. It’s just one big terrible nightmare.” Ayanna said with a chillingly low voice.

Gi’s eyes widened.

“This is no dream. I will lose two brothers today-“

“Shh,” Ayanna said while gently rocking Ayden.

A tremor then shook the chamber.

“Ah!” Gi screamed as the tremors intensified.

“Lord Gi’ Kolarum. I beg that you send Ayanna to the prionnsa’s side.” Àlainn pleaded.

“What will that achieve?” Gi asked as he held his head tightly.

“If we are to die here, it would be infinitely better if she was by his side,” Àlainn said.

“I- ok,” Gi said before raising his arm and pointing it at Ayanna and Ayden.

Ayanna then felt her mind slowly slip into a state of complete clarity, but even then, she held onto Ayden as tightly as she could.

.

..

Ayanna awoke in the chamber and within her arms was an infant with curly red hair.

Ayanna took a deep breath before gently rocking the child.

She then saw waves that distorted the space around her.

Ayanna didn’t care.

She simply focused all of her thoughts on Ayden.

The child eventually opened its big purple eyes and at that moment, it smiled.

.

..

Fea stood atop a branch in the forest.

He had suspected that Peter was up to something, but he chose to observe from afar.

What he witnessed was horrifying and he hated that he couldn’t see what was going on within the mountain.

A chill shook Fea’s feathers as he thought about what he could do to help.

Fea closed his eyes as he sat perched high within the tree line.

His mind slowly succumbed to sleep's embrace although he was determined to take a leap he had long since dreaded.

.

..

Fea awoke in a certain garden to find that all of his doors were open.

He quickly hopped over to the door beneath the Cuimhne rune and without a moment's hesitation, he jumped into it the light beyond it.

Fea found himself in the dark woods and he quickly flew towards the mountains, leaving his body behind.

He eventually arrived at a certain chamber surrounded by numerous grey-clad individuals who were slaughtering countless people and letting their blood run down into the mountain’s heart.

One of those people being sacrificed looked rather familiar. It was a woman clad in red, but Fea didn’t have time to gawk and so he continued onward.

Fea followed the blood until he arrived at a certain chamber.

He flew into the sealed chamber to find Ayanna cradling Ayden as Àlainn nursed Jean.

Fea also saw a man who looked rather peculiar, but he ignored him as he flew towards Jean, who slept soundly.

“Jean!” Fea called, but he received no response.

“Jean!” Fea said as he annoyingly flapped his wings in Jean’s face.

“Mmm?” Jean groaned as he slowly awoke.

“Fea? Are you in a safe place?” Jean asked as he sat up.

“That doesn’t matter. Listen, I suggest that you awaken.”

“Mmm... Long ago you told me that sometimes the body takes the form which suits its awakened state. Are you hoping that I become strong enough to get us out of here?” Jean asked.

“Yes.”

“And if I lose my mind?”

“Then… do your best to kill everyone other than those we care for,” Fea said.

Jean nodded before raising his hand to pet Fea and Fea didn’t resist.

“Return to your body and stay safe for the time being, ok?” Jean said as Fea flapped his wings.

Jean watched as Fea left the sealed chamber.

His eyes then fell onto Ayden and Ayanna.

He remembered back to when he first met them and the time they’d spent together.

Jean smiled to himself before returning to his garden.

This time, it was empty and he was all alone.

Jean walked up to the fountain to see that it had some water in it and within that water was the image of another fountain, but Jean didn’t care.

He sat crossed-legged on the warm grass and closed his eyes to find that he could still see.

He then watched as the garden slowly crumbled away.

The once luscious green grass rapidly dried away and fell into the vastness of the reverie plane.

The runes that hung above the doorways slowly floated towards Jean and landed on his head.

At this point, he knew that there was no turning back, but he didn’t mind.

All that mattered was maintaining his sense of self and that determination was bolstered by the fact that although he was in the vastness of the reverie plane, he could still feel something warm and precious in his heart.