Ilios

In a time before souls became one with body, man had their souls beside them as their familiars. Each held the secrets of the beholder and the magic of life and death. A familiar took the form of the person's true self, if they were good and kind then the familiar was beautiful, but if they were evil and cruel they were hideous beasts.

In this time there was a young man by the name of Fos Foréa. He was a young boy of the age of twenty. This boy had the gift of light, he brought light to the darkest times, truth to the unknowing, love to the loveless, and hope to the hopeless. Beside him was always ílios, his trusty peacock familiar the colors of the rainbow. Ilios was one of the most powerful familiars at that time, and the bond to his human was unbreakable.

This tale is not of their connection though, but of how it broke. In the moon cycle of the solar eclipse, a great darkness fell upon the earth. Fos Forea was the head librarian of the Pantheon Library. He wore the traditional clothing of the Kýrios, A white robe hemmed with gold and copper, a belt of gold and brass with the sigil of the master librarian. Upon his left-hand ring finger, rests a golden ring with a peacock engraved in a sunstone. He wore cuffs of gold upon his wrists, and his flowing brown hair was topped by a laurel wreath. From his robes protruded his wings of many colors. When the blood moon rose he lit the library with the light of the new sun.

The full moon shone down on the golden gates of the library on a quiet night of all but the flutes of Apollo. Up the cobblestone path walks a woman in a black dress with a silver cloak draped behind her. Her nails were red as a blood moon, as were her lips, Her eyes were as the moon silver and cold. Beside her walked a black swan with eyes like the moon, and feathers as black as night. The woman's dress was as if made of the night sky with shining gems that sparkled like stars. The pair walked silently up the way to the grand entrance to the library. With a rising of her hands, the doors slammed open, flying off their hinges. In walked the two as books flew like birds off the shelves, ladders rumbled, and lights flickered. Out of the rafters floated Fos Forea and his familiar saying with a booming voice "Who dare enter these ancient halls of texts beyond!"

The woman removes her hood and black hair flowed like a river from the hood. "I am Lunas, witch of night, goddess of the blood-moon, bringer of the fall! I have come in search of the son of the sun, he who is pure of heart and soul, protector of the forgotten, and keeper of the light."

With a great roar, Fos Forea answers, "I am he! Master Librarian of the ancient world. What are your dealings!"

Lunas' eyes flashed as she bore her teeth in a devilish grin. "To kill him!" She lifted her arms and cupped her hands as a glowing blob of darkness and stars formed, like fire within her grasp, "Your soul is mine child!" She threw the magic at him as he drew the sigil for shield in the air, with the outspreading of his palm a golden light flowed from the sigil forming a half-sphere. The magic hit the shield and the building shook.

Fos Forea dropped to the ground and folded his wings. He put out his left arm and clicked, He stared into Lunas's cold, silver eyes intensely. Ilios flew down and landed gently on his arm while spreading his magnificent fan. Fos Forea drew a glowing green sigil of a leaf when he palmed it thick vines sored into the room threw the broken door. The vines entangled the woman and her familiar that had been quietly hiding in the shadows. Completely covered in vines the witch and familiar stopped struggling. For a moment all was calm.

With a shriek and a burst, the woman unfurled massive bat-like wings that shone like the night sky with stars and darkness, from her head protruded long slender horns with a gentle curve. The once black swan was now a furious lion with starry black fur. A great roar bellowed from the beast as windows shattered. The witch took flight above Fos Forea as Ilios followed, his fiery eyes gleaming with anger. With a swing of his body, sharp quills whistled through the air clipping Lunas's arm. A furious screech echoed from the woman and her familiar, with an angry glare the two dove for Fos Forea, but was stopped by Ilios's fan as he landed in front of him. Fos Forea quickly drew the sigil of true form. The sigil glue bright gold as the witch and her familiar froze, their skin began to burn like paper lit with a match. At their feet lied a pile of ash, in their place stood a demon with silver eyes, horns of black, wings of sky, claws like knives, and a tail like a whip. Her skin was scaley and upon her wrists lied the symbol of the blood moon on the left and eternal darkness on the right. Around her neck was wrapped a shadowy winged viper with eyes like rubies. It's scales like black crystals with a moon upon its brow. The vile creatures glowed with the shadow of the night. With a shriek, a sonic wave blasted the Fos forea and his familiar against the wall. The beast rose from the ground with fire in her palms. She threw the balls of fire at the two, but they rolled out of the way. With a somersault and a jump Fos forea spread his wings and lifted upwards. He rushed to the ground and grabbed a crystal orb from the rubble of some broken shelves., he lifted up and called Ilios. Fos forea threw the orb in the air and the two drew the sun sigil, they activated the spell and the orb shined with a burning hotness like the sun. The two beasts collapse unmoving, the orb lightened its light to a soft glow and fell to the ground. Fos forea came to the ground as Ilios landed on his shoulder. They walked over to see the bodies, they kneeled down to check for life when the viper struck, with a flash of colors, something fell to the ground in front of Fos Forea. He looked down and there before him lay Ilios. In a flash of anger Fos forea rose to his feet pulling a dagger from his belt and stabbed the viper, A shriek of pain game from the witch as her torso began to bleed. Fos Forea grabbed a book and began to draw several sigils over it, before he could finish Lunas rose with fury blazing in her eyes, "You have not killed me child! For this is not the end! Upon the earth I cast the darkness, The sun shall shine no more." eerily calm she began to chant, "By the blood moons light, my curse be cast. Darkness rein and everlast, no knowledge spread, no hope be found, Broken hearts and shattered souls. By the starry night, this is now."

With a rise of her hands, billowing darkness came from her hands. Fos Forea finished the sigils and turned the book towards the witch. With a wicked laugh, she dissolved into the book never to be seen. The library in flames, crumbled to the earth, all art and knowledge lost. Fos Forea crumpled to the ground, weak and broken. He crawled to his familiar with hot tears streaking his face, with the last of his magic he held his familiar to his chest and chanted, "Curse be cast, but curse be broke. By my light one day return, the light of earth eternal burn. By these stars I say, Knowledge, here will stay." The two glowed bright and as fast as light came was gone, all that was left were 13 stars, like glass lying on the ground. Apollo saw this and with a single tear, he blew on the land where the library once stood, the stars glowed bright and soared into the darkened sky. Therefore the rest of time, flew Ilios, the lightened soul, the one who sacrificed himself to save the one, he held dear.