SD Part 6

The Banished scowled as Nyx Dawn reported that Octaboona and Pyro Dawn were still alive. “You have failed us.”

“No wait... I have good news” Nyx stammered, “Skyril Oblivion is dead.”

“It is irrelevant. She matters not. Only the two Great Immortals are of any consequence.” Nyx avoided looking at Her eyes, only madness and rage could be seen in those ghastly orbs.

“This is your final chance. Unless you kill them then you are no longer... necessary.” She smirked.

“Now go!”

♦♦♦

Israel Elysium was shocked. “Skyril... dead?” he whispered. His voice was horse and gaunt. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes but he angrily brushed them away as he turned towards Octaboona. “This is all your fault!” he screamed. “If it wasn’t for you and your meddling none of this would have happened.” He stood up straight, brown leather jacket gleaming in the light of the setting sun, casting his grief stricken face into shadows. “Leave this place Ambrosius. Take the boy with you and never return to my home. I’ll have nothing to do with you, Great Immortal. I’ve done my research. I know what you are now. I’ll not let this evilness besmirch Elysium Asylum any longer!” Israel reached for his shotgun and aimed it at Octaboona. “NOW GET OUT!”

♦♦♦

Kallista approached Israel carefully. “Why did you send Octa and Pyro away? It’s not their fault that Skyril died. It was Nyx.” Israel snorted. “That’s what he wants you to believe. But he’s in league with her, and with the Banished. He’s just the same as they are.” Tears rolled down Kallista’s face. “Don’t say that. It’s not true. The Banished are evil, Octa is not. He’s my friend! I know he’s good.”

“Do you know what the Banished used to be called before they took on that persona? I found it out. They were known as The Eight Great Immortals. Octaboona was one of them. I know he was. The last time we met he told me he was the last. Well now I know what he’s the last of. Or pretends to be the last of. He’s an Immortal. He’s on the same side as The Banished. He’s just as evil as they are. Worse even. He destroyed the town of Baia... there are stories of him fleeing from the scene for no apparent reason. He tricks people into liking him and then he betrays them. Just like he betrayed Skyril.  Just like he will betray you.”

Kallista’s face was full of confusion and doubt. “But I know him. He’d never side with them. You’re lying to me! It can’t be true!”

But the seeds of doubt had been planted as Kallista ran sobbing from the room.

♦♦♦

March yawned. When was Octaboona going to get home? She’d been sitting by the door for ages but there was no sign of him. Necros had appeared a short while ago, and he seemed glad that she appeared to be staying in one place for once. To pass the time she told herself The Tale of the Eight Great Immortals again.

“Once upon a time” she murmured sleepily “the world was dark and barren. Ruled over by sadistic terrible gods, the Faceless Ones, humanity was tortured and enslaved for their amusements. Yet the Ancients banished them to another universe and eventually wiped themselves out.” Or so most of the world believed. Yet  March’s family knew more. The Ancients had set up a group of guardians to protect the world from further harm. The Eight Great Immortals as they were known. For many centuries, this group was a shining beacon, defending humanity from various threats and monstrous beings. Yet for some reason The Eight Great Immortals suddenly vanished and were gradually forgotten about. Soon after their disappearance, the world was plagued by the first of a new threat, the Remnants. Gradually other races grew strong again, such as the vampires. Entire towns mysteriously vanished, the most famous of which was the destruction of Baia. And for the last hundred years there had been rumours of a new evil, the Banished. This tale had been passed down March’s family for generations, the only ones still to remember The Eight Great Immortals. March had always wondered why they had disappeared, what had happened to the wonderful guardians of humanity and now here she was, sitting outside the home of the very last one.

March transformed into a sleek silver cat and curled up on the doorstep. “I hope he gets home soon” she thought before falling asleep.

♦♦♦

Pyro Dawn frowned. Octaboona seemed to be rather more menacing than usual. Or was that just due to Israel throwing them out of the Asylum? Not that they visited it much anymore, Israel had always been wary about Octaboona staying there. Pyro stared into Octaboona’s eyes. Was that a flicker of rage in them or was it just a reflection of the sunset? Pyro suddenly felt worried for the first time in Octaboona’s presence. Why had Octaboona taken him in? Why was he training him in magic? Did he have a dark ulterior motive? Who exactly was Octaboona anyway? More to the point, what was he? Yet no answers came to mind, and Pyro realised that he knew barely more about his mentor than he had since the day they met.

 Octaboona looked around to see a small silver cat asleep on his doorstep and a tall handsome man with weary eyes standing next to her. “Necros, March, greetings. And to what do I owe this unexpected arrival?” The cat blinked and transformed back into a young girl. “You know who we are?”

“Why of course. It was I who asked Necros to guard you in the first place.” Necros muttered. “You owe me Octaboona. It’s been a nightmare trying to keep up with her.”

“I did mention it at the time. I wouldn’t expect it to be otherwise. Not when you consider who she’s descended from.”

March blinked. “Wait a minute. Who am I descended from? Why did you ask Necros to guard me? Why does it matter to you? And why have you been missing so long? What happened to the Eight Great Immortals?”

Octaboona raised his hand and March fell quiet. “Come inside and I’ll answer your questions. You too Pyro. I suppose it’s time you found out who I am, who you will be. It’s time for me to tell you everything”

♦♦♦

Meanwhile, in the Pit of Broken Souls, there was the sound of metal clashing against rock, a high pitched scream and then silence.

SD 5

Yay. Another part of my fanfic!

Necros opened his eyes, looked around, sighed, and then closed his eyes again.

“Why her?” he muttered wearily. “Of all the people, why did I have to get her?” Necros ran his hands through his hair, and wearily began looking for his charge. “March!” he shouted. “March Pathway!” There was no reply, except for the chattering laugh of a chipmunk, scampering around in a nearby tree. Necros looked up and scowled. He glared at the chipmunk. “Come down this instant March.” The chipmunk looked at Necros cheekily, and then jumped off a narrow branch. A young girl landed lightly on the dewy grass, still chuckling, as she wiped a strand of crimson hair out of her sparkling blue eyes.

“What?” she enquired gleefully. “Have I upset you or something?” She tilted her head to one side. “I didn’t vanish really. I was right above your head all along!” March chuckled again. “Some guardian you are.”

Necros scowled and slumped against the trunk of the tree, too exhausted to come up with a retort. Out of all his many charges, Necros reflected, March was the worst. She never stood still, always vanishing, or talking incessantly. And when she actually got into danger, like all his charges were apt to do, she didn’t even have the courtesy to let him deal with the assassin or vampire or whatever it was, having singlehandedly defeated them, before Necros could catch up. But at least she seemed to irritate or terrify them as much as she infuriated him, Necros thought. He often wondered why he remained March’s guardian at all. Because I wouldn’t want to have her as an enemy, he realised. And the pay is good. Necros looked around and groaned miserably. March had disappeared again.

♦♦♦

Skyril Oblivion smiled and looked out of the window of her room in Elysium Asylum. A beautiful tempest raged outside, the torrential rain beating against the window in a pleasant rhythm, as the wind howled and the world was little up with dazzling lightning.

“Beautiful weather” Skyril murmured. Her green eyes flashed as a sudden knock on the door interrupted her stormy daydreams but it was only Kallista.

“I just got a message from Octa. Pyro is in trouble. We need to go after him.”

“But I barely know him! What do you need me for?”

“Well you’re the only one crazy enough to go on a rescue mission in this weather” Kallista grinned.

“Crazy? Moi? I’ll have you know that this is excellent weather to be out on a rescue mission”

“Like I said crazy”

Skyril jumped up. “Let’s go”

“He’s at the Wastelands of the Southern Cliffs”

“But isn’t that the place with the Pit of Broken Souls?”

Kallista nodded.

“Why is he there in the first place?”

“Apparently he decided to hunt down Nyx Dawn”

“And you call me the crazy one” Skyril muttered.

♦♦♦

Pyro Dawn gasped as he looked around for Nyx Dawn. The Pit of Broken Souls loomed on either side, the jagged rocks gleaming menacingly in the rain. Nyx Dawn had vanished into the inky darkness and Pyro knew that she was waiting to strike. He gulped nervously and wished that he hadn’t come here alone. His plan had seemed so simple at first, Octaboona wouldn’t tell him anything, claiming that he wasn’t ready to know, and he needed to more training. Yet Pyro was impatient at the best of times and he wanted answers. So he decided to get them from the one other person who might have the knowledge he needed. Nyx Dawn. So whilst Octaboona was engrossed in the history of ‘The Empire of Quetzal Acratoon’ which Octaboona said was about the Ziggurat cities of Nuevo Maya, Pyro had slipped away and gone to the Wastelands of the Southern Cliffs, which according to Octaboona, Nyx Dawn often frequented. Now that he was here however, he realised that his quest was futile, and that Nyx Dawn was most likely going to kill him.

A silver knife whistled past his head and Pyro jumped. Yet it wasn’t Nyx who had thrown it. He sighed with relief as he spotted Kallista, Octaboona and the stranger who had thrown the silver knife. Yet before he could ask her, who she was and why she had thrown the knife, Nyx Dawn snarled as she leapt out of the shadows.

♦♦♦

Meanwhile March Pathway laughed and clapped her hands together. She had finally tracked down the current dwelling place of Octaboona Ambrosius. She briefly wondered where Necros had got to then dismissed the thought as she approached the location. March had always been fond of the Tale of The Eight Great Immortals, which had been passed down her family for generations. And now she discovered that the story was true and the last of the Great Immortals was actually alive. March knocked on the door but no reply came. So March turned into a cat and curled up on the door step waiting for Octaboona to come home.

♦♦♦

Octaboona waved a hand and Nyx Dawn went flying. “Why does the boy have to be so curious?” he grumbled to himself. “This is not how I planned to spend my afternoon, chasing down an assassin”. Kallista and Skyril stood by his side as Pyro scrambled towards them. Skyril threw another silver knife at Nyx, but she twisted aside at the last moment and then sent a whirling shadow towards Octaboona, who ducked and then deflected the shadow back at Nyx. Skyril concentrated and held her palm out towards Nyx’s eyes. A sudden flash appeared around her hands and two glowing orbs flew from Nyx’s face and into Skyril’s outstretched palms. Nyx cursed as her sight left her, blind she stumbled away moaning.

Kallista ran forward, yet Nyx had disappeared into the shadows. Skyril dropped her hands and the orbs flew into the distance. Although this gave Nyx back her sight it also allowed her to pinpoint Nyx’s location. Pyro aimed at the orbs and unleashed two twin torrents of flame. Octaboona muttered again. “Home. Now.”  Yet as the four of them turned to leave, Nyx Dawn crept out from behind a blackened pillar, shook the soot from her hair and pushed at the shadows, then vanished as the shadows enveloped her. Caught unaware Skyril screamed as the shadows buffeted her and pushed her off the edge of the Pit of Broken Souls, as she fell towards the jagged rocks, many feet below.