Ashes

Arch II. Empire of Steel. Legend 6. Power

Eclip awoke in prison, surrounded by dead silence. His body felt heavy after that girl's attacks. Everything around was plunged into darkness, occasionally interrupted by glare of pale light, which souls here dared to call the moon.

He realized that he was chained several meters above the ground. Iron shackles held him tightly, depriving him of any ability to move. The weight of the chains was felt on his wrists, and the cold metal penetrated his flesh, causing a feeling of unbearable pain

The door of the dungeon opened with a creak, and a girl who resembled a swan entered the room. Making a mechanical grinding sound, she soared into the air. Seeing her, Eclip began to panic and try to escape. The shackles seemed to squeeze my wrists tighter, causing even more pain. Drops of blood slowly began to drip onto the floor.

"Calm down," she said in a calm voice, gently running her hand over his cheek. 

"Who the hell are you?" - he said through the pain. "What... Do you want from me?"

"I want you to calm down," the girl smiled. "Oh, who am I... Who am I... My name is Felleria. Guardian Felleria. Sweet Felly for you" she said it as if mocking him

"Let me go" he whispered

"No." She shook her head. " My Lord will be furious if you leave. So your eternity will continue here."

The shackles suddenly opened and the young man fell to the stone floor. Rising with difficulty, Eclip tried to head towards the exit, but the chains that flew out of the walls shackled him again. Felleria barely audibly landed in front of him and laughed loudly. His jailer seemed to take pleasure in tormenting him. A second girl, Felleria's older sister, appeared next to the young man. Taking the chains that held his wrists, she asked him to follow them. The third chain, which led from the metal collar, was already in the hands of the younger sister. All the way to the throne room, she kept tugging at the chain, causing the young man unbearable pain.

They returned to the throne room, which had been in a terrible blizzard several hours earlier. An intense cold still wafted from the walls covered with a thick layer of ice, which made it seem as if winter had come to the Empire.

Felleria pulled the chain one last time, and Eclip fell to his knees. The second girl let go of one of the chains, which the younger one immediately grabbed.

"Please don't be nervous," Cassie, that's the eldest sister's name, tried to calm him down. "Just... Don't argue... Don't resist. Everything will be alright."

At that moment The Ghost entered the hall. The guards immediately knelt in front of him, lowering their heads. He ordered them to rise. Then, after thinking a little, he began to speak.

"So, you're still here," his voice sounded completely different. More serious. "The young Dragon imagines himself to be a hero. You decided to come here and ask for something that others wouldn't even dare to dream of.

"I'm not asking you to return everyone, I'm just..."

"SILENCE!" he shouted loudly. From his scream, the ice on the walls shattered and fell to the floor in small fragments with a ringing sound. "Insignificant, do you know that from time immemorial, everything is stronger?

"Power?" asked the young man

"Power," he nodded approvingly. "This is not a simple word. Everyone is ready to prostrate before it. And only power can change everything in an instant."

"But..."

"But I won't change fate's decision, Eclip. It's the same if I argue with the universe. But I don't need it. Do you know what will happen if I listen to you and do it your way?" He looked intently at the young man. "There will be chaos. The living will understand that they can come down to me and demand me that the souls to be returned to life."

"Chaos... As if nothing like this had happened before," Eclip thought to himself, looking away to the side.

"Cassie, Felleria, I ask you to correct this misunderstanding in the form of a LIVING soul in my Empire." 

"As you wish, My Lord," they answered in unison.

Felleria clenched her blade in her hand again, ready for execution. She felt the cold blade fill her with determination. She gazed at Eclip, who was kneeling in front of her, waiting in the wings. On the other side stood Cassie, clutching shackles in her hands that did not give the young man a chance to escape. The shackles were heavy and cold, but the girl was faithful to her Lord.

Fear enveloped the young man at the moment when Felleria's blade flashed brightly. The heart began to beat even faster. Various thoughts began to come into his head, and he could no longer keep them in order. It seemed that here and now his adventure would end. Eclip realized that there was no longer any hope of salvation, and his fate was sealed. Felleria raised her sword over the young man.

"What's going on here?" Elini's frightened voice was heard at the entrance to the hall "Let him go!"

Elini quickly approached Eclip and sat down opposite him, blocking him from Felleria. She stared at him and then looked at Cassie. She obediently released the chains, and the shackles immediately freed the young man's hands. They stood up.

"Are you okay?" she asked, but the young man did not answer her. He looked tired and seemed about to pass out. "Everything will be fine. John, what have you done?"

"Elini, get out of here." he ordered. "The fact that you live here..."

"...Doesn't make you an executioner!" she shouted loudly. Her eyes were filled with tears.

"Elini... There was no need to..." - Eclip tried to stop her, but she didn't seem to hear him.

"Of course, you are great, everyone knows that," she continued, having calmed down a little. "And everyone here trembles before you. But if you leave your prayer unanswered, then how will you justify this role?" Elini took a step forward. "I don't have vain hopes... And I see that your temper cannot be changed. But if you love me, even if you love me even a little... Let him at least once... Hug her again"

"Elini... It's not good for a daughter to contradict her father... But how can a goddess be threatened?" he sighed. "Do you want proof? Well then, you'll get them. You won't have to wait long. Find and bring Abby here."

The guards bowed obediently and hurried to leave the throne room. At Eclip's questioning look after The Ghost said about his daughter, Elini replied that he (The Ghost) made a promise to the goddess Uma that he would take care of the girl as his own child. This was a necessary measure to save Xentaron from the same winter that began on Delamere. But there was another problem on Xentaron, which Eclip told both her and John, hoping that he would change his anger to mercy.

Feeling a sharp pain throughout his body, Eclip fell to the floor. Elini realized that the young man felt even worse and helped him get up. She took him to her chambers.

As soon as the Dragon touched his head to the pillow, he immediately passed out, not hearing the door open with a roar, and a girl appeared in the aisle.