Lykaon

Chapter 15: The Serpent's Whisper

POV: Dakoda

For just coming out of what could be described as involuntarily hibernation, Ashara appeared incredibly stunning. Her physical beauty was almost drowning out my thoughts as if it was more than visual. It was quite difficult but I eventually managed to block it out from guilt and opened my mouth to find out just what was going on.

"Why did Lykaon trap you here?" I questioned her. My counterpart had insisted she was dangerous but I sensed no ill-will in her aura. Although strangely enough I couldn't yet detect what color she reflected. That part did make me apprehensive for she was clearly capable. 

She half-smiled and began to walk toward me. "You really do look just like him. A less insane version of him, that is. At least I hope." Pushing her vividly red locks out of her gaze, she then continued, "He put me in that box so that I wouldn't destroy his precious destiny. He thought his love for me was weakness and led him down the wrong path. I'm sure you noticed his undying infatuation with "fate" during his lecture. How convenient that he left out so many details of your being. He doesn't want you to stray from his scheme so he planned to only give you information bit by bit."

Ashara now stood incredibly close to me. I thought of backing up but I didn't want to appear weak in the process so I stood my ground. "What details?" I asked, shifting uncomfortably as I did. 

"He didn't even tell you how many incarnations of yourself you have trapped inside your head, for one. There's eight of them, Dakoda. When you first came here I thought you were the 8th but it soon became apparent that you are in fact the 9th. That was proven by your reaction to my prison; you weren't at all fazed by the inexplicable design of it. Though how you could possibly be the 9th and not the 8th escapes me... Perhaps that version of yourself in your head can give you some sort of clarity," she explained as her vibrant green eyes bored a cavern through straight through me.

I attempted to understand what she was saying but it made no sense. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm the 9th incarnation but logically I should be the 8th? Why? Why does me being the 9th not make sense? This is ridiculous... I'm starting to wonder if any of this is real or just another vision."

"Don't worry about it for now. I'm sure it'll align in your mind eventually." She laughed and held out her hand to me. "Show me your palm."

My eyes widened. I couldn't think of any other reason she would ask such a request other than if she already knew of the mark. My fingers twitched as I slowly raised my upward-facing palm toward her outstretched hand. When it was in range she grasped it tight and that's when I could finally sense her aura. There was no mistaking it's pitch black color; an aura of darkness. She seemed to realize I had felt it and instantly looked me straight in the eye, "You're not one of the sheep, are you?"

"W-what?" 

Her smile returned. "The sheep who believe that darkness is evil just because that's how the other elements have painted us. In reality dark is no more evil than anything else. Darkness is just another part of the universe. Evil comes from how you use the power you're given."

I nodded as it registered in my brain just what she meant. "I don't claim to know what's evil and what's not. What I do know is I've seen users of every element commit atrocities that I can't justify in my own mind. I've no right to judge them until I myself am perfect, which will never be. Evil is all a matter of perspective as far as I'm concerned."

"Very wise. Perhaps even more wise than your predecessors. Most of them had absurd superiority complexes." Ashara chuckled before continuing, "Look where that got them. Stuck inside your dome." 

She gently began to remove the wrap that covered my hand and finally revealed the mark beneath. It seemed to whisper with multiple voices; something that had never occurred anywhere but here. Individually they were too quiet to tell what they spoke but together they were quite audible. Their combined voices echoed off the temple walls.