Dragons of the Apocalypse - An Achievement Hunter and Ray Narvaez Jr. Fanfiction

Chapter XVI: Fear Inhibits the Ability to Act

Ten days. Ten cycles of the sun was the amount of time it was estimated to take for the six vessels to finally complete their journey and arrive at Mount Coronor. If they survive, of course.

Four days after the showdown with the demon wizard, the draconians were in fairly good shape again. Geoff had been using his breath power to slowly heal everyone, and Jack had been helping out as well with his ability to heal through water. Things were looking up again.

Except for the fact that, you know, the world was slowly tearing itself apart.

It was painfully evident that the world was slowly giving in to destruction’s grasp. First it was the demons and earthquakes, then the splits in the ground and the fires, now clouds always covered the sky and it seemed that fire encompassed the Earth, replacing the beautiful, once blue sky with a fiery, hellish above that was covered with ugly deep grey blemishes.

The vessels didn’t have much time to think about what was happening around them though, as only one thing was important to them at that time. They couldn’t be too late. They couldn’t fail their mission.

The draconians moved swiftly for four days after surviving the attack by the monster that had tortured them and nearly ended the world’s chance of surviving.

They were stopped in their tracks again ten days from the expected arrival at their destination, though.

This time they were travelling through a swamp. Their wings were sore and tired from overuse, and in an attempt to preserve as much energy as possible while still progressing, the vessels decided to cross the swamp they had come upon on foot.

Careful to move as quickly yet carefully as possible, the six made it through a majority of the swamp without any issues. When they got to the densely forested part, though, that was when things went downhill.

As they were walking through a clearing, a huge serpent that seemed to be made of darkness fell from the trees and landed in front of the six draconians. It was as black as night, with eyes as red as blood, its tongue black with red tips. It was large, bigger than all of the vessels, and it seemed to emanate power.

The draconians prepared for battle, prepping either their weapons or breath powers and launching into battle stances. The snake just chuckled at them, lowering its large head so that it was level with the heads of the vessels.

“You think you could harm me?” The serpent of darkness asked, tilting its head to the side. Its voice was ominous and deep, sending shivers down the spines of the six vessels.

“You ssssssee,” It spoke again, its tongue flicking out as the draconians stood frozen in their battle stances, “I am empowered by desssssstruction and hatred.”

“Thissssss issssss why I am sssssso powerful. There issssss sssssso much desssssstruction and hatred right now, I am posssssssibly the most powerful creature in exisssssstance. And with that, I will desssssstroy you, BY USSSSSSSING YOUR OWN WEAKNESSESSSSSS!” And with that shout each vessel was lifted into the air by an unseen force. They each struggled for a moment, overpowered by the serpent’s influence, slipping unknowingly into the worst torture one could ever imagine.

You see, when the serpent said that it would destroy the six by using their own weaknesses, it meant that it would destroy them by showing them very realistic depictions of their own fears, over and over and over again.

Geoff feared leading his friends astray. He saw himself leading the five other vessels up Mount Coronor, as they had finally made it. He jumped over a large, dark pit in the mountain, gesturing for them to join him. Ryan jumped first, but right before Geoff’s eyes, the man was sucked down into the depths of the pit, dark tendrils pulling him down. His jaw dropped along with the others’, though they all decided to attempt to make the leap as well. Next was Ray, who nearly made it, but then tumbled down when he missed the ledge. Michael was snatched by a single tendril right after he leaped. Gavin stumbled over a sudden crack in the rock.

Finally, only Jack was left, and he looked at Geoff with fear as he began to make the jump. Geoff’s nerves steeled, he wouldn’t let the first person he met, the first friend he made, his best friend, tumble into the abyss. So when Jack was unable to get to the other side, Geoff grabbed his arm, attempting to pull him from the clutches of the pit. Jack tried desperately to grab Geoff’s arm with his other hand, but he couldn’t, though Geoff didn’t know why. That was until Geoff saw the tendrils greedily attaching themselves to Jack, and witnessed one finally unclasp Jack’s arm from his own and drag him into the abyss.

The leader fell to his knees, tears gathering in his eyes.

This was his fault. He did this. His choice had gotten his friends killed.

He didn’t see any other option. Geoff turned his back to the pit and fell down it.

Ray feared betraying his friends. He knew somewhere in the back of his brain that he was the weakest, the most vulnerable. He saw himself with his friends, with Mount Coronor in the distance, when he felt evil wash over him. He stopped, he fought it, he wouldn’t let it take him.

But it did. It controlled him, took over his actions, forced him into the passenger seat as he caught up with his five fellow vessels.

And murdered them. He watched it unfold, watched his own hands murder the ones he cared for, the ones who would help him save the world. He couldn’t bare it.

Jack feared failing to save his friends. He cared for them, he would sacrifice himself for them if it came down to it. He saw himself with them traversing a thin sheet of ice. He was walking with his eyes closed, focusing deeply. He had created this icy path, it would help them cross this chasm that would tire them if they attempted to fly over it. Suddenly, about halfway across, he felt a boiling heat. Jack tried to ignore it, but it was too much, the bridge collapsed and they all fell, skeleton hands shooting up from the abyss to rip off their wings before they could fly out. He had failed.

Gavin feared not being able to complete his destiny. He saw himself with the others, finally on top of Mount Coronor. They had made it, and they were at the altar. They were lending the power to balance the world, and just as each element was about to combine, the connection broke, and suddenly the world was splitting down the middle. They were too late.

Michael feared falling in battle. He saw himself fighting with his five friends, fighting with all the fight he had in him. But suddenly, the demons were getting more powerful, smarter, more strategic. They were hurting him, they were hurting the others, they were getting overrun. He was fighting the best he could, but it was too much. He knew it was over when he was being torn limb from limb. He was too weak.

Ryan feared succumbing to the darkness. He had told himself he didn’t fear it, but deep down he knew that he feared the true evil that resided inside of him. He saw himself with the others, he could sense that they were nearly there. He then felt the darkness over his heart, but it was staying there, it wasn’t just a flash. He felt a rush of excitement, then only fear as he felt the evil taking him over. He couldn’t fight it, as it was now him. He looked as his friends, and knew that he would destroy them. He would destroy the whole world. He couldn’t believe what he had become.

The six vessels struggled in their forced unconsciousness, experiencing their worst fears over and over again as the serpent laughed.

Unfortunately though, the curse was destined to not be broken.