Tomes of Nevermore: Shattering Light

Chapter Fifteen: The Calm Before The Storm

"I knew I wasn't going to die." Ty said opening his eyes and looking up at the cascading color scheme of the rising sun above his head.
"Is that a sticker?" Pal said excitedly ripping the sticker off of Ty's skull. "Oh I have never had a clown sticker before. Thank you Tywin Weird."
"Ty?" Tarah said waking up from her sleep. "How long were you gone for? I had the weirdest dream."
"You have no idea." Ty said looking to his right and seeing Alister lying fast asleep with a big metal box tied to him.
Omi leapt over and shook Alister awake. "Alister!" Omi said. "You need to wake up! This is very bad. If Alister falls asleep he is vulnerable to the ghost trapped inside of him! Alister! Alister! Wake up!"
"I'm..." Alister opened his eyes and rubbed his face. "I'm fine. I think Petan subdued the ghost inside of me for the time being. I was... I was actually dreaming... Actually sleeping for the first time in years."
"Petan?" Omi said nervously. "Petan the Clown you mean?"
"Yeah that's him." Ty said laying back. "I don't understand how anyone could go without sleep. Your life must be terrible sleep is amazing. "
"Sleep is for the weak." Alister said looking at Ty with big angry eyes. Ty looked back at him and crossed his arms behind his head.
"Is there a problem ghost jerk?" Ty said.
"No." Alister said extending out his hand. "Thank you. I don't know what possessed you to do that, but I guess even the dumbest people can do incredible things. For what it's worth, I'm sorry we fought I guess. I really am. You're not as bad as you seem."
"Same to you jerk." Ty said closing his eyes and smiling.
"What?" Tarah said looking at both of them. "Did I miss something here?"
"Just a little bit of growing up. But I wouldn't worry Tarah, you're still the most mature." Omi said looking at the metal box tied to Alister with a piece of black string. "I suppose that this is the piece that we need to power up our ship?"
"It... It is?" Alister said. "But..."
"Funny how of all places in the world we happened to land near the only "temple" of Petan the Clown." Omi said. "Even funnier that he didn't want to kill me. He only protects children and I am well over nine hundred years of age."
"Who is Petan the Clown?" Tarah asked.
"He is the lesser god of silence, children, and the undead." Omi said.
"Why would a god of the undead have dominion over children and the undead?" Tarah asked. "And what exactly do dominions mean for a god."
"A very interesting tale and a very good question." Omi said. "Pal, be the delightful little mech that you are and take that power source and begin preparing the ship while I tell the story."
"Yes friend Omi Hall." Pal said. "It is my honor to touch such a beautiful physique as the phoenix. I will be respectful of course."
"As anyone with honor would be in the presence of someone they love. There is not love without respect." Omi said. "Now where was I? This old age, sends the train of thought in all sorts of unnecessary directions."
"The story of Petan the Quiet One." Tarah said. "And what dominions do for gods. Really how god's even work in the first place. I've read a lot of books but it seems like none have a very good answer."
"I'm tired of stories." Ty said lying back on the beach. "I walked all day, I already met the god. Why should I care anything else about him?"
"You didn't just meet him." Alister said. "You yelled in his face."
"Well he put on a crappy show and he got in my face first." Ty said. "I don't care if he's a god or a sandwich or my mother, he can't make me do anything I don't want to do."
"Very good point." Omi said. "But please do not interrupt it is very rude and I am very old and will keep forgetting what I was talking about if I keep getting interrupted. What was I talking about?"
"You were talking about Petan..." Tarah said.
"Right. Right." Omi said interrupting Tarah. "Petan the Quiet one of course of course. A sad a sad tale the story of Petan the Clown. When I was still a young boy, Petan was just a story that children would tell one another. The fact that in this age someone who was just a story has ascended into godhood is astounding. Regardless, long ago, the god Malkior Animus, The god of whom I was knighted in the light of, had a kingdom in the north. The Kingdom of Whitescape, with streets paved with precious gems and castles built atop hills made out of precious purple stones. Malkior's castle was so incredible it was actually even alive."
"Malkior Animus, he was the first god wasn't he?" Alister said interested.
"Aye he was. The first to ascend to godhood and the first god to be killed. Funny thing. Godhood makes gods immortal but not indestructible. A rather strange concept to wrap one's head around truly. But I like to think of it as gods do not age like you and me, the only thing that can stop their existence is being destroyed by something else."
"So if a god doesn't get killed he lives forever?" Tarah said.
"As far as I know." Omi said. "I have never been a god, just a knight. It's hard to say. But that's all beside the point right now. God's receive their powers from things called dominions, there are as many dominions as their are stars in the sky. A person can becomes a lesser god when he or she obtains three dominions and a greater god when he has seven. Petan, for example has power over children, the undead, and silence. But all of this is besides the actual story, I do not know how Petan became a god truly, but I do know that Petan was born to a poor family in the city of Whitescape. His mother was supposed to have been one of the sweetest creatures to have ever been born into this world, his father was supposed to have been the total opposite."
"One dark day," Omi continued. "His father came home and... Put an end to poor the infant child Petan and his loving mother. There are tons of reasons why, some say he was made to do it by an evil god, others say it was his doing, blaming alcohol or the fact that his father was probably mad but whatever the reason two lives were put to an end that night."
"And the god Malkior Animus brought Petan back from the dead?" Alister asked.
"Why would a god bring him back though?" Tarah asked. "I thought gods didn't care about what happened to mortals?"
"Most, if not all do not believe me." Omi said. "But there are certain things that the gods do not forgive. Like breaking a vow made to the god's for example. The worst part was this man was supposed to have been a knight. A disgusting man truly."
"So what did the god Malkior do?" Tarah asked.
"He settled the score." Omi said. "The mother was the one whose vow was broken, but it was the son's death that hurt the mother more. She wanted her child to be brought back so that is what Malkior did. But the child was a baby and incapable of complex thought or avenging his mother's death, so Malkior altered Petan's appearance but kept the innocent mind of child within him. Needless to say, Petan got his revenge and his father was laid to rest. The story goes that Petan sleeps until he hears a child's tears. Regardless, Petan is an avenger, a dark and apparently all powerful one. Now he kills parents who commit a great wrong against their children, then he bring the children back to life to spend eternity with him in his realm."
"So all of those kids..." Alister looked down at his hand.
"All of those poor lost children you saw had parents who probably killed them or worse." Omi said. "Petan, in his own way, is trying to protect them."
"So is Petan good or evil?" Tarah asked.
"Petan is neither. Petan is just a life, just like yours or mine. Capable of great good and great evil. I just wonder how Petan is even a god." Omi said. "He's supposed to have the mind of an infant."
"He does believe me." Ty said. "But I'm good with kids. So he seemed to get what I was talking about."
"You taught him how to take off his head and juggle with it." Alister said. "But their was something else Omi. Aidan found me, Ty already knows I'm a king."
"A king?" Tarah said in shock.
"Oh yeah." Ty said. "I forgot about that."
"Well good." Omi said with a smile. "Then we can stop playing games. Tywin, Tarah, This is Alister Wildeheart, The Rebel King, Son of Vladamire Obsidianheart and Aella Wildedream, Leader of the Rebel Army, and the one comically called The King of Ghosts."
"That's incredible." Tarah said standing up and bowing. "I'm... I'm sorry if I said anything that offended you your grace."
"I'm not sorry." Ty said. "I saved your life. The way I see it you owe me now so remember that when I'm fighting in your army because I'm gonna need some armor and maybe a nice mech mount to ride into combat."
"That's exactly what we're going to do." Alister said standing up and looking at the big glowing moon in the distance. "We're going north and we're going to take whatever army we have left and I'm going to go kick in my brothers castle door and drag him out by his head and put my spear through his heart."
"So aggressive." Omi said. "He is your flesh and blood Alister. Do not forget that."
"He murdered my mother and father for a crown and the power of a god." Alister said. "He deserves everything a traitor will get. Everything that has gone wrong in my entire life has been his fault!"
"But killing your brother will not bring your parents back or end your suffering Alister." Omi said.
"But killing my brother will make me the rightful undisputed king." Alister said.
"The people will make your their king young Alister." Omi said. "You're bloodline simply gave you the chance to compete for the crown. That is what your brother doesn't understand. The people do not want a king, they want a hero who stands up and fights for them. Monsters and heroes aren't born they're made. And the two often aren't as different as they may appear at first glance.
"Your brother murdered your parents?" Tarah said nervously. "I'm... I'm so sorry. I had no idea."
"It doesn't matter." Alister said. "There's no use talking about the dead when gods like my brother and Aidan and Petan the Quiet One exist in this world. When I'm King, the true and only king of the lands given to my ancestors by the gods and it's my head wearing that stupid crown then things will change. But to make that happen I need to win. And to win, I guess I'm going to need the three of you for whatever reason. There's nothing I hate more than needing people, it hurts my teeth just saying this now but I can't do this alone. And if it wasn't for the three of you I'd probably be dead. I owe you all my life but to pay back that debt my brother has to die."
Alister looked down at his hand and continued. "I don't know how, but my brother unlocked three powerful dominions after he murdered both of our parents to seize the crown. He would have killed me as well if Omi didn't save my life. Like an idiot I wanted revenge, so I dabbled in dark powers to grant myself dominions. When I opened the door to the spirit world however I accidentally let a ghost free. That's the reason I'm the possessed monster that I am today. All because of him, but I knew when that ghost entered my body that is wasn't over. It doesn't matter what stands in my way, I will make my dream come true, and I'll do it myself if I have to."
"Spare me.You're a king. I'm going to be the greatest knight in the world, I'm supposed to save you your grace." Ty said mocking Alister's title
"And I am supposed to teach you." Omi said. "And though Tarah won't say it she will help advise you. She is a greater tactician than I myself could ever hope to be. With her mind on your side, young Alister Wildeheart you will have a far greater chance at winning this war. Plus the gods seem to have a mercy for orphans and we have three. Three's a magic number. In Front of me stands a trinity. A king, a witch, and a knight all squiring for a tiny furry man. What a lovely story this will make."
"The phoenix is ready." Pal said as the mechanized phoenix ship let out the scream of an eagle. "I have also given it flame stickers."
"Very good." Omi said. "Flame stickers are a wonderous thing."
"It will feel good to just relax and drive." Alister said trying to leap into drivers seat only to be pulled back by Pal. "I am sorry king and sort of friend Alister Wildeheart, but Phoenix and I have been talking and we think it would be best if I drive. Nothing against you. We are just soulmates and I will drive a great a deal better and safer as well."
"But it's my ship." Alister said defiantly.
"You do not own a mech!" Pal said floating into the ship. "They are your friends. Do not let them talk to you like that Phoenix, you are perfect."
"Even Kings can't drive all of the time." Ty said with a laugh as he leapt into the ship. Tarah shrugged and did the same.
"And I have auto front seat because I'm the master." Omi said laughing. "So looks like you get the lumpy seat in the back Alister."
At first Alister wanted to get mad and snap on everyone involved in putting him in the worst seat in his own vehicle, which according to pal was not truly his property to begin with. But when he saw everyone laughing and smiling and joking with each other, suddenly none of that mattered anymore and all he wanted was to be a part of what they were all experiencing.
The ride north was long and uneventful, like most travelling often is. But the children laughed and joked and talked about life and love and stickers and memories the entire ride their.
There is an expression that says "It is always calmest before the storm". This of course refers to the way black clouds roll in before a storm and the wind begins to pick up and everyone just gets a sense in the air that something is coming because it is too ominous for something not to happen. That precisely describes how the children felt. Though they were being lulled into safety by the mind numbing boredom of being stuck in a mechmount a storm was most definitely on its way.