Amity

Chapter 19: The Man Forged From Darkness

A cold wind washed over Dré as he regained consciousness. He squeezed his fist as he worked his way up to his feet, feeling the ash crunch in his hand. It didn't make any sense for him to be cold, considering what he'd done. Images of the blue fire eating away at the trees and bushes sprang into his mind. He didn't understand; how did Megumi have such good control over her fire when he didn't?

Megumi! Kim! They were both with him before he unleashed the blue fire. Were they able to avoid it? He opened his eyes, expecting the burning forest and his friends checking on him. Instead, he found himself in a snowy, cobblestone street. Darkness surrounded him, as if this section of the city was the only one in the world. The street was empty, so silent that he could hear the falling snow landing on the ground.

That and someone breathing through a mask.

Jumping to his feet, Dré spotted the man. Dressed in an all-black tunic with black, leather gloves, the man's gaze was ensnared on the building in front of him. Steam rose up from his silver mask covering his jaw. Snow clung onto his tunic and black hair, which reached down the nape of his neck. Even as Dré stood there beside him, the man didn't acknowledge him. His furious eyes were still stuck on the building. Dré looked to where the man was staring, finding a gated fence. Behind the fence was a large mansion made of what looked like marble, with two dead trees on either side of the snow-covered cobblestone walkway. Dré took a step forward, his mouth working to ask a question, when he heard a young boy's voice from behind him.

"Reminiscing on your former glory?"

The man finally looked away from the building to the boy standing behind him, the same boy that was standing behind Dixon when he snapped. With a cry, Dré stumbled backward as he crawled towards the gate, hoping to get away from the demonic child. The boy gave that inhuman grin as he continued. "Things are not the same here as they are on Earth, am I correct? I would be most surprised if you manage to find anyone to follow in your footsteps like your last leader."

"Who do you think you are?" the masked man asked in a gruff voice.

"Oh, I go by many names. The one that I am most fond of, however, is Aggaron, the Wish Granter. As my name suggests, I have come to grant you a wish-"

"Do you really expect me to buy into any of this, kid?" the man interrupted. He turned back towards the building, towards Dré, folding his arms across his chest. He still gave no indication that he noticed Dré's presence. Wait, can they not see me? Dré closed his eyes as he gave a breath of relief. Still, what they were talking about seemed pretty important. Dré figured that he should use this time to listen in on what they were saying.

Aggaron only chuckled as he hovered towards the man. "In a way, I do. I know all about you, Abraham Shadow-spawn. Or was it Swordsworn? No, it was not either. It was Abraham Baxter, was it not?"

Abraham's eyes shot open before he turned to the boy, throwing a black ball of fire at him. In a wisp of black smoke, the boy seemed to almost teleport inches away from Abraham, holding a black blade to the masked man's neck. "How did you find out about that name?" he growled, undisturbed by the knife's point poking at his skin.

Tilting his head, Aggaron flashed his shark-like teeth as he said, "Simple. I am a businessman. I must know about my potential client. So, shall we talk business?" He backed away, making the knife disappear from his hand in a puff of black smoke.

Abraham stared at Aggaron for a moment, his hand on his neck. "What business do you have in mind?"

"You seek an army. One that can replace the cowards that were once known as the True Amians. You want one that is as strong, if not stronger, than that group could have hoped to become. That is where I come in. How would you like to have a legion of Edge Walkers at your disposal?"

"Edge Walkers?" Abraham sounded intrigued, yet skeptical. "So, if you're doing all of this for me, what do you expect in return?"

"Simple. I expect your undying loyalty to me and to find someone."