Dragon Blood

Chapter 128

Aurora lurched forward, screaming.
Not again! It couldn't be! Peter won't die!
Tewe laughed as she pushed him out of the way, and grabbed her wrist.
,,You think you can mess with me, little human?"
She punched him in the face and wriggled out of his grip. Oh, she was so tired. Her limbs were heavy and her punch lacked any force.
Peter laid on his side between some rocks, unmoving. The snow around him was bloody, the puddle growing as she watched.
She kneeled next to him and carefully pulled him to his back. He groaned and his eyelids fluttered. She drew in a sharp breath.
The dagger stuck out from his left shoulder. Painful as hell, but not life-threatening.
She exhaled, relieved.
,,Aurora?"
,,I'm here, sweet boy," she said and kissed his brow.
She couldn't heal him. She had barely enough magic left not to pass out.
Sighing, she did something simpler and eased the pain.
Peter relaxed a little, his eyes coming fully open. ,,Will I...?"
,,You'll be okay. Don't pull it out and don't move too much."
,,How sweet. I think I will be sick," Tewe said and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her back and away.
Aurora slammed her elbow into his chest. He smiled, released her hair and grabbed her neck.
Her eyes bulged as his fingers dug into her throat. She hung limp, gripping his thick arms.
He lifted her from the ground. ,,Once I kill you, Fake Eternal, all I want will be mine."
Her vision blurred. Oh, gods! It was really happening!
She choked and coughed. Her grip on his arm slacked and soon her hand fell down completely.
No magic answered her call. She was all alone.
She was going to die.
Somebody help! Please! Whoever you are! Oh, Eternals.
Nothing.
The Barrier glowed and got closer. She blinked and laughed, using all the air she had left. She was hallucinating now.
Something touched her mind, warm and bright. She couldn't really stop it from entering.

You woke me up, child.

The grip on her throat didn't get any looser, but she felt like she could breathe a little.
Warmth spread inside her chest, soothing her burning lungs.
Tewe frowned. She could see his face clearly again.

I... did? How? Who are you?

She was dying, yet she asked this?!
I heard you calling me. I woke up from my slumber to answer you.
The voice sounded neither male nor female, but old, wise, and gentle. She felt a need to trust this unknown entity.
Maybe she was foolish. What did it matter in this situation? She could trust a strange power, or she could die.
Can you help me?

The thing smiled... if a pure power could smile.
Of course, child. That's what I was made for.

Energy flooded her. She gasped and burned. Her entire being tingled, threatening to burst. She never held this much power before.
It felt good.
Tewe gasped as if burned and flinched from her.
She could see him. Really see him, not just his physical form. The white and blue winter powers filling him up. The small piece of evil trying to stick to his head.
,,You don't want the world," she said. She understood now. All of it. ,,You just don't want to be so lonely."
He backed away from her and shielded his eyes. Her radiance was too much for him to handle.
,,You want to be loved. But I can't give that to you."
He shied away from her outstretched hand, retreating further.
She could see more than just him. Translucent Hana standing above Peter. The coming Eternals, called by the power. And a golden thread connecting her to the Barrier.
She knew what she needed to do now.
,,You will stand still. And no more tricks," she commanded Tewe and touched him.
His eyes went wide. He tried to take a step back but was stuck in place. Good.
Hana raised one eyebrow as she approached.
Aurora stretched one hand to Peter and pulled him to his feet. He stared at her in amazement.
But then he flinched as his eyes landed on Hana. ,,Can you... see her too?"
Aurora nodded. She not only saw, but she could also hear her too.
,,You need to let go of me. Both of you," Hana said.
,,What? NO!" Peter protested.
Aurora sighed. She anticipated this from the moment she saw Hana in this place.
,,You need to let me die. Once and for all."
Peter turned to her. ,,You can't do this, right?"
Aurora shook her head.
,,You got me stuck in this place between life and death. Only you can get me unstuck," Hana said to Aurora.
,,And if I don't, your soul will soon be lost forever."
Peter paled and trembled.
,,I wish you a sweet and peaceful eternity, sister," Aurora said and smiled.
Hana nodded in thanks. ,,And you, child?"
His eyes watered and Aurora pulled him into a hug, careful not to touch the dagger. ,,I can't."
,,You can. We can," she said, stroking his back.
,,I will always be there when you need me," Hana said.
He straightened, pulling himself together. ,,Alright. I..."
,,I love you," Hana said and disappeared.
They stood in silence for a moment.
,,Come. Let me treat that dagger."
Before, she wouldn't be able to heal that properly. But now she had access to the Barrier and it's knowledge.
She pulled the dagger out and threw it toward Tewe. Peter hissed and twitched but didn't scream.
,,Hold still," she said and pressed her palm to the wound. It still wasn't easy.
,,Tewe!" somebody yelled and the healing spell broke.
The insides of the wound were healed, but there was still a bleeding gash. That had to do for the moment.
Yfdar arrived. Just the Eternal she needed. He rode a black cloud at a dizzying speed.
He was about to attack Tewe. She sighed and went to defend her worst enemy.
She held up a hand and formed a shield. Yfdar went straight through unaffected but his magic disappeared.
He staggered and looked around, bewildered. ,,What did you... wow!"
She released his magic. ,,I have everything under control. Let's proceed."
,,Proceed with what?"
,,I need your help," she said to Peter.
,,My help? Uh, okay?"
She took his hand. ,,No matter what happens, don't let go! Understand?"
He swallowed and nodded.
,,Good. I need you to believe that Tewe isn't evil."
,,I have to what?! How am I supposed to do that? And how does that help anything?!"
She laughed. ,,Your beliefs change people. That's your special magical talent."
,,That's not..."
,,Possible? You changed me. Multiple times, like just now. You can do this for him too."
,,I just said some words..."
,,You saw good in me when I couldn't see any myself. That is a powerful gift."
He looked from her at Tewe and back, still unsure. ,,But you are good. He isn't."
,,True. I don't need you to believe that he's good. He nver was and never will be. All I need is for you to believe that he isn't evil. Look at him. See him. He has Evil in him, but that's not who he is. He is a force of nature, neither good nor bad. He hurts us not because he wants to, but because we stand in his way."
,,I think... I might understand."
,,Good. Now hold tight!"
She touched Tewe's forehead with her free hand. He hissed and jerked away.
Ready? She asked the Barrier.
Always.
Aurora closed her eyes and dove into the deep icy waters. Monsters emerged to fend her off. She held up one hand and they shied away from her, raging just at the edge of her light.
She used her own bit of evil to locate the one in Tewe. The black mass loomed over her. She grinned. It was attaching itself to Tewe's mind, only to get rooted out seconds later.
Tewe screamed and raged under her touch as she cut into the tendrils. They hissed and recoiled, then regrouped.
It resisted her pulls, diving deeper, anchoring itself.
Little by little, it gave way. Her magic attacked t again and again, cutting the smaller tendrils before they could take root.
Peter gripped her hand harder and she winced. The evil took advantage of her slip-up and expanded back to its full form.
She had to start over and it didn't please her in the slightest.
It had to be cut all at once or it wouldn't go.
Aurora took a deep breath and threw all her force at it. Tewe roared and thrashed in her grip, the monster in his mind circling around her closed in.
Golden light coated the darkness, making it shrink back and compress.
With a raging kick, it tore a hole in the gold and spilled out like a plague. It laughed at her, taunting her. Come little mortal, try me.
With a growl, she made a clean cut through all the roots and pulled.
The thing screeched and writhed, attacking and burning.
Crack
It gave way and Aurora lurched back to reality. Sweat dripped from her forehead, her heart was racing and she could barely breathe.
Tewe gasped and collapsed, white foam forming in the corner of his mouth.
Above her hand spun a ball of black energy. Such a small thing caused such a monumental trouble.
She turned to Yfdar and noticed the other Eternals now stood around them.
,,I believe this belongs to you."
Yfdar stared in disbelief. ,,How...?"
The other Eternals murmured. Only the Knowing One was smiling ruefully. Of course she knew.
,,Take it!"
He reluctantly obeyed. The moment he touched the darkness, it seeped into his skin and he shuddered.
,,Father? Do you feel any different?" she asked. Only now she realized it could make him more evil too.
,,I'm... fine? Don't worry, child. I can handle my own power," he said after he noticed her worried expression.
It's time for you to make a choice, Barrier said. I can make you into a full Eternal. 

NO!

Are you sure? You already have he power for it. And I won't give you the opportunity a second time.

I'm more than sure. I don't want to be an Eternal. I don't want to be like them. To watch my loved ones age and die, one after another, while I stay the same forever, is the worst kind of torture. How long before it breaks me? How long before I become like them, heartless and indifferent to all the suffering around me, until someone's life means absolutely nothing to me?

I respect your choice. 

No mortal was meant to live forever. No mortal should wield this much power. But you are not a mortal. You were made by mages to protect and that's what you've done for countless generations. You understand the value of a life and the necessity to protect it. You are the Thirteenth, not me.

I... I am a mountain.
So? You know more abut what it means to be a mortal than them, despite their human forms.
Okay, maybe it would be for the best.

But I have one condition. I bind you to help those in dire need. But never let anyone with bad intentions to use your power.

That I can agree with. Thank you, child.

Aurora nodded and let go of their connection. Her head spun and she lost balance, the golden glow vanishing.
Karax caught her just in time. She wrapped one arm around his neck for support and blinked rapidly.
Everything settled a few seconds later. The Barrier glowed brighter than the sun
,,What happened?" Flayrra asked.
,,The thirteenth Eternal has awakened," Aurora said and pointed toward the mountain range.
,,Oh? Not you?" Yfdar asked.
,,Not me," she shook her head. ,,I refused."
,,You what?!"
All the Eternals stared at her in disbelief. Whatever they expected her to do, this wasn't it.
,,So I guessed right," the Knowing One said.
,,Didn't you know already?"
,,No. In half the possibilities, you accepted. I didn't know for sure what you would choose until you were actually presented with that choice. In some cases the Barrier didn't give you a choice in the first place and simply made you into an Eternal."
Aurora shuddered. A good thing they both chose reason.
Tewe groaned and pushed himself to his knees.
,,What's... going on? Why are you all staring at me like that?" He stood up, clutching his head, and made a reluctant step forward.
,,You mean you don't remember what you've done?" Firmis asked.
,,I do.. but when did you all get here? Doesn't matter, it's nice seeing you again."
They avoided his eyes, turning away and talking among themselves.
,,Hey, what are you doing? I'm not evil anymore. Everything is as it once was!"
Flayra snorted. ,,Nothing is the same and never will be, thanks to you."
,,You don't mean you are still mad at me? The War was millions of years ago!"
,,The War ended just now. Look around you. Can't you see the damage you've done?"
,,But I didn't mean to!"
They turned their backs to him and refused to acknowledge his presence.
,,Aurora? At least you forgive me, no? You said you understand!"
Karax had to hold her or she would have ended his miserable existence anyway. ,,Forgive you? FORGIVE YOU?! How dare you! You coated the whole world with snow, made us go hungry and die of cold, took over Teawarth and made my people suffer, started the first war in almost twelve thousand years, tried to kill my loved ones, and killed my sister! How dare you stand before me and ask for forgiveness!?"
,,I.."
,,NO! I don't care! I will never ever forgive you!"
,,I'm good now!"
,,tell that to your ass! You aren't evil, but that's no accomplishment of yours! I did that, not you! If anything, you fought me the entire time!"
,,Please make her see reason!" He turned to Peter.
Peter shook his head. ,,She's right."
,,I will do anything!"
,,And still none of us have to forgive you. Forgiveness cannot be earned, it has to be given."
She wanted to kiss him at that moment.
,,Alright, I understand. I want to try anyway."
,,Good. Your punishment is clear. You will work to set things right until not a single creature in this world remembers what you did," Aurora said, using the last drop of her magic to bind him. Then her legs gave way and she blacked out.