Essence of Time - The Forgotten Journey von Deamond ================================================================================ Kapitel 13: ------------ Chapter 13 „Lalalalala…“ Steel stared into the fire of Zeyir’s sword while the others were slowly waking up from their rest. Shade rolled herself around on Callo’s lab while her master rubbed his arms. Callo was still not used to the cold weather outside the desert… “Morning guys…” The elf’s ears went up and down slowly. “Morning…” Zeyir turned from one side to another but whenever his leg touched the ground he felt the pain of the wound from his fall so he gave up and just stayed where he was. “…Where is Allen?” The demon muttered into his arm he was using as pillow. “He went hunting about half an hour ago!” Steel smiled and walked towards Zeyir, checking his leg. “Your wounds heal fast! This is incredible…” He smiled from Zeyir to Shade. The darkness-spirit shot him a dangerous look and leaned against Callo. Steel’s mood sank again and he returned to their camp-fire. “Ugh… I got this stupid ‘morning-after’-feeling… but without drinking the night before this feels even worse…” Zeyir grumbled on the ground, ignoring everyone else around. “How is your leg?” Callo stood up from the ground causing Shade to float away from him again. “It’s alright! I should be fine by tomorrow… demon-powers, you know?” “I see.” Callo smiled relieved. “Guess it was a good thing you were the one falling down there and not one of us!” He added without concern. “You are just as mean as my father, you know that!?” Zeyir shot the elf an angry glare before getting up from the ground, hobbling from his rest-place to his sword on the ground. Shade floated over Callo’s shoulder, trying to gain the elf’s attention by sighing heavily every once in a while… After over ten tries without success she balled her fists and shot him an evil glare. “Uh, Callo? How about we play some Tactics?” She tried to speak as calm as possible. “Not now, Shade.” The elder replied flatly before turning to Steel and kneeling down next to him. “Uhm… so, Steel… what exactly are your abilities? It is important to know your partner to work with him.” “I agree! That’s why you better use my power instead of his!” Shade replied with a sweet voice while sitting down between Steel can Callo. “Shade, I will play with you later… now Steel…” Callo pulled aside the small shadow spirit and turned towards the metal spirit again. “Well, my specialty is chain-magic as I used for Zeyir… but I’m also pretty good in sharpening metal or making it harder!” Steel grinned proudly. He was really glad to finally have someone his abilities were useful to… “That’s great. I’m sure I can use that very well during fights!” Callo looked into the sky, remembering some of his previous fights… “Yeah, the sharper and harder a blade is, the better I can use it!” He grinned and looked down at Steel. The small spirit smiled back and leaned forward, hugging his knees with his short little arms. “Hey, you can still use my powers for strengthening your blades, Callo!” Shade hopped up and down next to them, trying to regain her master’s attention. “Of course, but you are a darkness-spirit. And if I’m using Steel’s powers I can focus on the blades with him while I summon your might for the shadow-mirror!” Callo put his hand on Shade’s head, pressing her down a little to prevent her from hopping around all the time. “What is wrong with you today anyway?! You are so… hyper today!” He shot her an angry glare. Shade lowered her gaze and disappeared into dark mist. “She seems a little… angry and sad…” Steel looked up at Callo in concern. “Hmpf. I don’t think so… sometimes she is just in a weird mood… but how she was acting today was just plain rude!” Callo barked annoyed. ‘I wonder what has gotten into her today!?’ He thought to himself. Zeyir who had watched the whole conversation from the other side of the camp just sat there and shook his head. ‘Who is the dump guy here, huh? Shade is jealous, you dork!’ Zeyir bit his lip. He felt sorry for the little spirit. After a few minutes, Allen returned to the camp, three fishes and restocked bottles with fresh water hanging down his arms. “Hey! Guess what I found! A river leading from outside of Mirror-mountains inward! So the water is still clear!” Allen ran up to the others excited. He handed over their bottles and searched for something to cook the fish with. Steel handed him over a piece of metal that looked a little like a bowl. “Is that alright?” The spirit smiled and chuckled happily as Allen nodded cheerfully and took the bowl. Zeyir remained on the edge of the camp, staring at his leg. He remembered the moment he fell… how the metal cut his leg… how his senses turned all black for a second… “Damn… what is just wrong with me…?!” He muttered to himself and tried to concentrate his Mana… The longer he had been here on Midgard, the weaker his demonic senses seemed to become… After breakfast, the group slowly started moving on. Zeyir had ensured the others that he was alright and could walk without problem anymore, but Callo and Allen both had decided to take care of Zeyir’s bags for him. After an hour of walking though… Zeyir’s power left him again… “I… I guess… I need another break…” The demon tripped more than walking as he fell forward towards a dead tree-stump to lean against. “Wait, I will help—“ “Not necessary!” Zeyir looked at the worried desert-elf before sitting on the ground. “Just leave me alone.” He closed his eyes and yawned a little bored to hide that he was in fact shivering from the pain. “But maybe if you get some more darkness-mana this might help you!” Steel chirped next to Callo and the elf nodded. “He is right. Hey, Shade!” Callo looked around… No one was coming… “Shade?” “Why isn’t she coming?” Allen looked at Callo in confusion. “I… don’t know…” Callo blinked for a second and looked at Steel. “Guess there is only one way then.” He opened his arms and started chanting. “Servant of the Midnightqueen, child of Luna, come forth and lend me your might! I summon you by our pact! Shade!” … “You know, this starts getting really embarrassing for you…” Zeyir chuckled and shook his head. “Can’t you even control your own spirit?!” “Shut it!” Callo barked, his eyes gleamed worried. “Hey, Shade!!!!” He shouted into the air, hoping she might hear him. “This is not good at all…” Allen looked around. “Do you think she might got hurt?” “I don’t know… but I must find her! Steel, come on!” Callo ran off back to where they were coming from. “Ah, wait! I will help you find her!”Allen started running after Callo, but then stopped again and looked at Zeyir. “Are you going to be alright?” “Sure thing! Now go and find her already!” Zeyir watched how Allen disappeared behind a couple of trees. He sighed and looked at a tree not far away from where he was sitting. “You are making them really worried, you know?” The demon smiled. “You… saw me?” A familiar voice came from the spot Zeyir was glaring on and in a cloud of darkness, Shade appeared all of a sudden. “Why didn’t you tell them?” “It is none of my business…” The demon replied flatly and stood up, leaning on the tree. “But what makes me wonder is the fact that you didn’t show yourself, even though you saw how worried Callo was.” Anger appeared in Zeyir’s eyes. “…” Shade closed her eye and floated in midair while rubbing her arm. “Alright… if you don’t want to tell me…” Zeyir felt his curiosity rising within him… “…” It became worse… “…” And worse… “Okay, okay!” He shook his head and stared at Shade. “You are jealous, right?” Bull’s eye… “I… I’m not at all!!” The little spirit blushed so much she could have been a fire-spirit. She hopped up and down, waving with her arms eagerly. “Oh you are SO jealous!” Zeyir grinned evilly. “But hey… I don’t think you really have to be…” The demon smiled. He patted his lab, offering Shade a seat just like Callo used to do. “Hmpf…” Shade scratched her arm before sitting down on the demon’s lab. “But this Steel-guy just… ARG! He drives me mad!” “Hm…” Zeyir closed his eyes, leaning back a little… “This is just so mean… I’m Callo’s partner since over seventy years and… and now he just ignores me…” She sobbed a little… “Stupid Steel… Calo likes him much more just because he can form and strengthen Iron… I wish I was of such use to him too…” “What!?” Zeyir jumped up from the ground in fury, causing the shadow-spirit to fall forward on the ground. Only a second later, Zeyir regretted his action though… “Ouch!” He held his leg and sat down again… “You are a real bad-luck-magnet, huh?” Shade stated from the ground while rubbing her elbows. “Yeah…” Zeyir bit his lip before returning his gaze to the spirit. “But now to you again… You think he dislikes you just because you can’t strengthen iron like Steel!? That’s ridiculous! Do you know how damn awesome your might is!? The shadow-seal in combination with that mirror-trick… That’s plain great! When you were fighting us the first time you kicked our butts with your might! Callo and you didn’t even need the help of the other guards at the temple!!” “Then tell me why he formed a pact with Steel and wants to train with him instead of with me!?” Shade interrupted the demon from the ground, hitting his leg by accident. “Oh, s… sorry!” She hesitated as the demon had to bite his lip again… “…” He shot her a deathglare that way comparable with Callo’s deathglares… “Sorry…” “Hmpf! Anyway… How exactly would you have managed to get me out of that hole all alone without Steel’s help?” Zeyir looked at her, a cold glance in his eyes. “I…” Shade tried to think of something… She couldn’t think of anything… They had a rope in their bags but… that had been at the camp that time… and… “I don’t know…” Shade looked at Zeyir worried. “Exactly…” The demon leaned back against the tree and looked up at the dull sky. “You and Callo are a perfect team… but of course you can’t do everything… sometimes it needs different abilities to accomplish a goal.” He looked at the little spirit in front of him. Shade looked at him intensely, listening to every single word he spoke. “Steel is one of the only spirits left in this area and he was looking for a partner… you are not in the desert any longer… the more help we all get, the better we can finish this journey! Callo cares for you… but he needs to learn about Steel’s abilities first to use them properly. You are partners since over seventy years! You are a great team already!” Zeyir grinned as he repeated Shade’s words from before. “Maybe you are right…” She sighed frustrated and looked up at Zeyir… “Maybe I should go and show myself to Callo now…” “Nya, stay here…” Zeyir grinned evilly. “Let him suffer a little more… maybe he sees how much he got on you then.” The evil smile on his face grew wider and wider. Even Shade started chuckling now. “You would make an awesome Shadow-spirit, you know that?” She giggled and hopped up. “You are just like Nocturne… evil, mean but yet so adorable!” She smiled and disappeared in dark mist. “Tse… Adorable…” Zeyir shook his head, trying to look as mean as possible, but somehow… he couldn’t suppress a smile. After another half an hour, Callo and Allen finally appeared behind the trees again. Allen waved Zeyir happily, signalizing him that they had found Shade. “Hm… Spoilsport…” The demon muttered under his breath as he saw Shade floating next to Callo, smiling at him eagerly while Steel floated next to her, grinning like an idiot… “She was still at the river I was before. She wanted to fetch us some more fish for the journey…” Allen smiled and showed the demon a net with fish. “U-huh…” Zeyir nodded unbelieving, shooting a weird glare at the little darkness spirit. “Yeah! I couldn’t hear Callo calling for some odd reason… Must be because I concentrated on fishing too much…” She chirped innocently. “Of course…” Zeyir chuckled and got up from the ground. “Well… I’m refreshed. How about we travel on?” He smiled sheepishly. “No way.” Allen protested, looking at the demon. “Don’t take your injuries so easy!” He pressed the demon back on the ground. “We will stay here until you are feeling better!” “…” Callo sat down next to him as well, staring at Zeyir with a glare that said ‘Dare standing up before tomorrow and you are dead’… Zeyir didn’t dare questioning the truthfulness of this statement… “Alright, alright… But Allen…” He looked up at his friend. “Hm?” The human knelt forward, looking at his companion curious. “You gotta cook me that awesome meat from before again! That was great!” He grinned. “But it is Callo’s turn with cooking… we wanted him to cook from the first day and yet he didn’t cook a single time…” Allen nyorned innocently. “Why do always I have to cook for you!?” “Cause you are an awesome cook! Besides, we have a whole journey ahead of us! We will have plenty of chances to let the desert-guy cooking for us!” Zeyir grinned and looked up at the sky. It started clearing up… and the red color of the sky announced the upcoming night. “Wow, it’s this late already?” Callo looked up in disbelief, ignoring the ‘desert-guy’-statement... “Guess we wouldn’t be able to travel on anyway…” “Hm…” Allen looked up as well. Steel and Shade joined their companions, watching how the little stars appeared in the dark sky of the night… “Once upon a time, Midgard was still young and it’s life started to grow in the newborn world, like flowers in springtime…” Shade started all of a sudden. Callo’s ears went up at the sound of the familiar tale. “But the life feared the night, it was dark because no one was able to see through the dark embrace of the night around them. The people of Midgard feared the night; helpless, defenseless, lightless.” Zeyir closed his eyes, feeling the soft embrace of the night. “The Great Spirit of Darkness, Nocturne, looked at the frightened people and felt sorrow and sadness for their suffering, but neither was she able to roll the Sun over Midgard, just like the Spirit of Light, Sol, did every day, nor could she ban herself from the world. One night, when the darkness was stronger than ever before, Nocturne decided to come and visit Sol in his holy realm, where he rested from moving the sun for the world.” Allen leaned forward, remembering the dark night when he had lost his home… yet he had met Zeyir… “She stole his holy crown and placed it upon the nightsky. The giant jewel in the middle of the crown shone gently over the world and embraced the sleeping beings in their soft slumber. Sol sent his lower spirits to watch over the crown, unable to get it back, but at least having guardians next to his precious relict. This is why the night is holy… Light and Darkness meet each other in the center of the sky, guarding all life during their soft slumber.” Shade finished her tale and looked at Steel with a soft smile. The metal-spirit looked at her as well with thankful eyes. “Sorry for being so rude before… welcome to our team!” She whispered into his ear. Callo looked at Sol’s crown and a sad feeling entered his chest… He remembered the desert, the Moonguards, Sol’s temple, … Serena… “Huh, what is that?” Steel asked all of a sudden, pointing at the sky. *Flash* “!!” Allen jumped up from the ground, his heart bouncing against his chest in an incredible speed… “A shootingstar…” Callo looked up, unaware of the danger coming from the shining beauties. “Don’t worry, Allen… it is too far away…” Zeyir watched how the star came down far beyond the mountains… ‘Another God entering the game…’ He thought to himself before lying down to rest Hosted by Animexx e.V. (http://www.animexx.de)