The Veridians

Chapter 9

Callahan gasped. He awoke in a void of darkness & black. He saw nothing, he couldn't even see his hands beneath him. But as he remained in this void, he began to make out his own body. And it became clear to him. He was in the void of his mind. Which meant that there would be someone else to greet him in the void. From the center of the void emerged an eruption of green flame. The stallion struggled, writhing in pain, neighing for a soul to help. But Callahan remained still. Callahan did not approach the stallion, he did not take a second thought on his actions, he just stood. Watching. Watching the stallion die a horrible, gruesome death. As the stallion struggled, however, the burning green flames began to dim. The stallion shrank in size, its power being drained. And in exhaustion, the stallion collapsed to the ground, lying lifeless & preparing for an eternal rest. Callahan was still.

"So this is it. This is where both our stories end. This is where we die. And at last, I won't be able to hurt people. Never again will you hurt them or me." Callahan took a pause. "Goodbye, stallion." In that moment, Callahan closed his eyes, preparing to be put to rest for eternity. He began to lose feeling everywhere, and as his eyes remained closed, he accepted his fate. But this would not be the end of his story. From behind him, Callahan heard a footstep. It started as little to nothing, but eventually, the footsteps emerged louder. Louder, and louder, until the source of the footsteps came to stand beside Callahan. Callahan reopened his eyes, as his wonder & confusion got the better of him. The figure stepped past him, as his image & appearance was revealed. The figure was just over Callahan's height, having short, brown & curly hair on his head & face. His beard went down over his neck, which led into a gray shirt & green shorts, both of which were torn & tattered. And as the figure had fully passed Callahan, it knelt down to touch the stallion. The figure's hand shone with a green eminence, gently hovering over the injured soul. And the stallion was revitalized. But the stallion did not approach Callahan. It remained peaceful. The figure removed its hand from the stallion. And its eyes graced from a focus on the stallion to a focus on Callahan. The figure fully took in Callahan's appearance, and with a calmness in his eyes, he smiled.

"Callahan. My boy."

"...Father?"

He nodded.

"How did you—what are you doing here? How did you get here?.. Are you just another image in my head...?"

His father smiled softly. "I am what remained of my soul when the Verza Emerald was passed onto you. I've always been here, I was just hidden away. And now, I've come to greet you before you pass on to the other side."

Callahan's father stood up, walking in the direction the stallion faced. He knelt down to see his son, as he looked him up and down.

"You look very young to have passed the Verza Emerald onto your kin. Why is that?"

Callahan was embarrassed ever so slightly, but after the initial shock of the question, he resituated himself & stood his ground. "I.. I'm not passing the Emerald along to anyone. It's going to die. Along with me."

His father, puzzled by the response, calmly put three fingers on Callahan's shoulder in comfort. "Why is this what you have chosen, my son?"

The nervous feeling came rushing back into Callahan's psyche. He paused.

"The stallion is dangerous. I can't be around the people I love knowing I could be overtaken at any moment. I've already hurt people so much, I'm-" He hesitated for a moment. "I can't live in this world without someone to keep me under control. But nobody can do it. I'm just... a monster. A hybrid like me shouldn't have had control over the Verza Emerald in the first place. My body was never right to house it."