Shards of Felwyn

Return

Laying on a soft, sandy beach, the sun shone down on Cosmo from above, warming his chilled body as he breathed in the smell of pine forests and saltwater. A comforting feeling of familiarity rested in his stomach and, for a moment, Cosmo felt as though he could have laid there forever. Gripping the sleek magenta crystal in his hand, he sat up and looked out across an infinite cerulean sea. Under the bright sun in the sky, the sand glowed a vibrant platinum, making it into every nook and cranny of his clothes. Taking another deep breath, Cosmo knew it with certainty: he was home.

Suddenly, visions of the destruction of Coeden flashed through his mind, and his heart raced. He stood up, looking from side to side and taking in the view. Without a doubt, the very forest he had hunted and foraged in during his youth now stood before him, entirely intact. This is impossible. I know what happened. This can't be real. He thought, an uncomfortable mixture of worry and hope climbing into his throat.

Cosmo began to move, walking towards the pine forest that stood in front of him. Ducking between the low hanging needles and leaping over the fallen trees, Cosmo traversed through the woods for what felt like hours. Mindlessly, he found himself staring into the distance, looking into the endless rows of trees and the darkness that laid within.

It is time. A familiar voice boomed through the forest, disturbing the deafening stillness. The last time he had heard it had been on Hiӓen, just before he felt the flow of mana for the first time. It had been the same force that guided him through the forest on Coeden, and eventually through the horrifying things he saw within that gnarled cave so long ago. Fearful the same thing would occur, he turned around and began to run for the shore.

Stop. The command resonated through Cosmo, as though it was a fact as obvious as the color of the sky. Stopping in his tracks, it was as though the world had frozen in time. He fought against whatever entity demanded his control.

The time has come to complete your journey. The voice rumbled, rattling his skull. Cosmo turned around, unable to control his body. In front of him, once again, loomed the cave where everything had begun. Deep beyond the gaping mouth of stone, he felt as though something was watching him, waiting for him to enter.

You have grown much. Do not forget that.

Cosmo woke with a start, lifting his head from the muddy ground below. His heart was racing and his breathing was shaky.

"Cosmo?" Molniya asked, surprised. Turning to his right, he found a small campfire, surrounded by his friends, who were all staring at him with worried looks. The noises of the night surrounded him as he took in his environment, disoriented. Molniya had already stood from her position by the fire and knelt next to Cosmo, still bundled in the travelling coat he had worn the day Coeden had been destroyed. "You've been unconscious for some time now."

"And you slept like a rock." Lileth added, chuckling. "No matter how many times we tried, we couldn't wake you."

"We also retained our possessions." Elias interjected. "I am not exactly aware of what transpired: I had been under the assumption that we would be without them." Cosmo shook his head, trying to get his bearings. With Molniya's assistance, he stood.

"It was Reathogg." He answered, looking at Elias. Walking over to the fire, he sat down next to Elias. "I don't know why, nor how. But it talked to me, before I came back."

"It seems as though the universe has held us in good favor once again." Elias responded. "What did it say?"

"It warned me of an arduous journey ahead, and that we would surely fail without them." Cosmo replied.

"Good," Lysander smiled, looking into the smoldering fire in front of him. "I wasn't really wanting to give up the wand." He looked down at it, moving it in his hand.