12: Darken: Resurrection

Chapter One: Thorne

We teleported to the ship. I opened my eyes, my head pounding. "Where's Daria?" I asked, looking around frantically.

"She told me to run, and I did," Altheaon answered, his voice filled with regret.

Looking out at the island, we could see the sun rising and something happening—dust swirling in an ominous dance. "By the Great Dragon," Altheaon muttered, his eyes wide with fear.

"Get her out of there," I said urgently, looking at Altheaon. He nodded and concentrated, trying to bring Daria to us. A few tense moments passed. "I can't... it's not working."

I glanced at the gem in his hand. "The gem," I motioned. "Give it to me, it might be hindering your powers."

Althaeon handed me the gem and tried again. His face was a mix of concentration and desperation, but he eventually looked back at me and shook his head, defeat etched on his features. The enormity of what was happening on the island was sinking in. The swirling dust was forming into something, and we were powerless to stop it from here.

"Daria..." I muttered her name, my heart heavy with the weight of our failure. I looked to Captain Storm. "We need to get out of here, now."

He nodded, his expression grim. "All hands on deck!" he yelled, his voice carrying over the ship. "Make ready to sail due south with haste."

Odessa looked worried, her eyes searching mine. "What about Daria?"

"we are leaving her behind." i answered, "she sacrificed herself for this mission, and even when we should have succeeded, we failed."

"were just going to leave her for dead?" Althaeon looked mad, "shes still alive."

"with Draus back, she wont be for long." i said, trying to hide the emotion in my voice, "she will be remembered for this, but going back now would be a suicide mission." 

"we cant just leave her," Odessa looked more mad then anything, she looked to me, "Thorne, you were training her as your student, and you feel nothing about this?"

"i do feel something about this," i told her, "deep regret, i allowed myself to get defeated, i let my guard down, it is my own fault that we lost her."

"its my fault," Althaeon said, "i left her behind thinking i could just teleport her to me like i can with anyone else, but i was wrong." he clenched his fists, "i should never have left her behind."

i looked at Althaeon, "we are both to blame, but for now, we need to get back to Astraea." i looked to Odessa, "will you and your crew be okay to sail as far from here as possible?"

she nodded, "yes, and i will be keeping away from the kingdoms until the threat is past. please send word to Rose, tell her to keep safe."

i nodded, "i will." i turned to Althaeon, "lets get out of here."

He nodded and teleported us back to the fairy city, right into Astraea's throne room. She sat upon her throne in a long green gown, her white hair tied elegantly around her silver horns. She stood when she saw us, rushing down the steps, her expression a mix of hope and concern.

"Is it done? Are we safe?" she asked urgently.

I showed her the gem, but the look on my face must have said it all. The hope in her eyes flickered, replaced by a shadow of fear.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Where is Daria?"

"We had to leave her behind," Altheaon answered when I could not.

"Then teleport her to us!" she demanded.

"I have been trying since leaving the island," he told her, his voice strained. "The only reason I would not be able to teleport someone is..."

Astraea's eyes widened with realization and dread. "Is if there is a barrier, or if..."

Altheaon nodded grimly. "Or if the person is no longer... living."

The words hung heavy in the air, a painful truth we could barely face. Astraea's expression crumpled, the weight of the situation crashing down on her.

I stepped forward, trying to offer some comfort. "We don't know for sure, Astraea. But we had no choice. Draus is back, and he's more powerful than ever. We need to regroup, strategize, and find a way to stop him."

Her eyes met mine, filled with sorrow but also determination. "We will," she said softly, yet firmly. "We will find a way to honor Daria's sacrifice and protect our kingdoms."

"I'll go tell Alexander," Altheaon said, looking as defeated as I felt. "We will have to prepare for war once more."

"Draus will want to start with the dragon kingdom, your kingdom, Altheaon," Astraea warned, her eyes filled with worry. "His thirst for power will drive him to seek out the strongest opposition first, or..."

"Or he will start with the weakest, the humans," I interjected, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. "Warn Alexander and then go home, prepare your armies. We need to be ready no matter where he strikes."

Altheaon nodded, determination hardening his features. "I'll do what needs to be done. We'll be ready."

"The fairies stand with you," Astraea added, her voice resolute and unwavering. "We will kill him once and for all. This is a fight we cannot afford to lose."

The words hung heavy in the air, each of us bearing the weight of the impending battle. As Altheaon prepared to depart, I could see the determination in his eyes, a mirrored reflection of my own resolve. The future of our kingdoms depended on our unity and strength.

Altheaon clasped my shoulder briefly, a gesture of solidarity. "I'll see you on the battlefield, Thorne. Take care until then."

"And you, my friend," I replied, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

With a final nod, Altheaon teleported away, leaving Astraea and me to face the gravity of our situation. The road ahead was fraught with danger, but together, we would face whatever came our way.

Astraea turned to me, her expression a mix of determination and sorrow. "We'll need to rally our forces and prepare for Draus's next move. This is just the beginning."

"Indeed," I agreed, my mind already racing with plans and strategies. "We must be ready for anything."