Heaven's Darkness (Book 2)

Chapter 3 - Ashura

"Quint, I appreciate you bringing her."

"I had no choice, Master. Her condition is growing more and more unstable like her father's. What I find interesting, is that she is not genetically similar to Aerion, yet she is experiencing extreme magical power levels like him, as well as a dragon form."

"Quint, I have my own theories about what may be happening here, but even I'm not entirely sure of her situation. Whatever happens, she needs to be monitored at all times."

I slowly blinked my eyes open to find Quint and Master talking a few feet away from me. I was laying on a patch of clearing surrounded by an army of large, bushy trees that reminded me of the outskirts of Forthbrook.Wait, why was I here?

"What is your plan, Master?" I heard Quint ask. "Only you and I are known to be able to breathe in this kind of a magical presence. She can't enter a highly-populated urban area without choking pedestrians to death and ruining everything around her."

Realization hit me like the full front of a train. The magical disorder Aerion had that annihilated Boreas. I had it, too. Desperately flicking my eyes around, I noticed the grass around me and the leaves of the trees slowly turning a sickly brown color, the ones nearest to me changing colors faster than those farther away.

"We can't risk the people of Forthbrook being exposed to this. You will stay here with her until I figure out what to do as a more permanent solution. Before you fulfill that, though, go quickly and fetch Red and Nama. Take them out of the raid and bring them back to the guild. I will not have only two members of my guild up there alone; it is much too dangerous. I cannot have Ashura return up there or else she'll slowly disintegrate those two. Just bring them back and tell them I wish to speak with them as soon as I'm available."

"Yes, Master," Quint obediently said, releasing a pulse of magical energy before disappearing to fulfill his task.

Suddenly, I heard the crunchy footsteps of Master Caelestis approach my resting form from my right shoulder.

"I see you woke up."

I shifted uncomfortably on the ground, finding it extremely difficult to move my sore and aching muscles. The master's presence was unnerving me. Most of the time, Master had something better to do and wasn't around the guild. The fact that he was with me meant this was serious.

"Did I do something wrong, Master Caelestis?" I worriedly asked.

The small, old man took a seat to my right, crossing his legs, and sweeping his white and blue robes over his knees. "No, you did nothing wrong that you could control."

"T-then, what's happening to me?" I stammered.

A sigh escaped his elderly lips as he stared straight ahead. "Child, I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure of what it is."

I fearfully watched the grass below our feet crumble from the death I brought upon it. I painfully wiggled a finger to feel a blade of grass, only to have it shatter at my touch. "I-I shouldn't have pushed you so hard to let me go on that mission. I've caused much more trouble than I would have if I had just accepted being injured and stayed behind. I'm sorry."

The master furrowed his brow. "You're apologizing? Everything you had told me was correct. You were definitely the most valuable member of the team. If you weren't, I would never have succumbed in the first place. Everything else that happened is helping us to understand exactly the mystery you are. It's all part of learning how to handle your powers. The dragon transformation was bound to happen eventually."

I closed my eyes. "But, if I stayed behind, I would still have my left arm. I wouldn't have transformed into that beast and scared the life out of my friends. I wouldn't have nearly killed them with my presence. I wouldn't have grown so weak like I am now. None of this would have happened."