Mefistofel sat on a root, with his arms on his knees, his bony fingers crossed. Struggling to believe the words he just heard. The only reason for their journey resides inside a cold cave at the other side of the world. The heart of Feldor was the key to the victory of this war, and it was buried in the depth of the earth.
They had travelled so far, to be in the wrong place.
With his hands on his face, he can't help but feel giving up for a second.
Why Feldor never told him? With all his teachings, he never told him of this. Had it all been in vane? Had they travelled all that distance and endured so much death just to return all the way back? How would it be possible to return in time to fight the war and save Ariel and the others still fighting? He needed to know if it was still worth it. He needed if there still was someone fighting. He needed to know.
His brothers are spread around the garden, angry and heartbroken. No one talks.
Arthion's eyes are still on Mefistofel, they never leave the silver gaze of the winter moon.
-I can feel the doubt in you, young warrior. I can feel your need to know what has happened to the world. I can show you, but your spirit must be willing to accept the consequences. Mind reading is an ancient practise that my people have mastered aeons ago. If you allow me to read your mind, I'll see what has become of my world and I'll help you see what has become of yours. Let me see your mind and I'll help you find what you need to fight this war. Our minds are strong, they may collapse.-
It's not likely for vampires to give up their mind. It's a dark place no one should ever travel to.
The dark magic of different worlds are not meant to meet.
Mefistofel looks at his companions for counselling, all they have to do is nod. They all want to know what has been of the world they left. Is it still there? Is it burning? Is it burnt?
Standing up in all of his height, Mefistofel's eyes and the ancient warriors stay locked.
-What will happen to my mind?-
-You need to release all the braces that protect your dead spirit from the dangers of old magic. You'll have to allow me to penetrate your mind to the extent of looking so far behind, even memories you have no recollection of. The deepest feeling, the deepest anger, the deepest animal instinct will be revealed to me. I will not touch your mind, I will only open it enough to see what lies on the other side of this cave, on the other side of this world. You will be my mirror on the War that destroys this world. I will touch your mind long enough to see. I will let go if the danger is too big for you.-
-So be it! But if you do something I don't like, I will kill you!-
-So be it!-
Arthion sat opposite Mefistofel, his arms wrapped in the sleeves of his tunic. His eyes are closed, not a muscle moving. Nothing is happening. Mefistofel's eyes do not unlock from the warrior. There's a sense of peace surrounding this garden, gradually Mefistofel does not feel threat but protection.
His eyes are relaxed, his pupils are half way, a sense of drowsiness takes over him. Is he falling asleep..?.
A light more powerful than the sun is shining from the warrior's eyes. Everything around Mefistofel is light, all he cannot see is the warrior anymore, just light.
-Show me your past Mefistofel, show me your present and I'll give you a glimpse of your future.-
His voice has changed, it is now as deep as time. Like a thousand voices talking at once. It's not the common language. It's the language of magic. The ancient one. More ancient than any magic, more pure than any light. More powerful than any weapon.
The light around them becomes more and more powerful, Mefistofel's eyes cannot bear such brightness and his hands are covering his face.
He sees it all. The Great War. Elynia, the King. A young Feldor fighting, Arthion on his side. Fire and ashes, Death and Destruction.
Few seconds or a few hours, Mefistofel's hands are still covering his face, the light around him has vanished. He looks around and recognises the familiar garden.
Arthion is lying on the ground, with his arms burnt and his eyes wide open. His breathing is broken by gasps. He slowly tries to stand up, but the exhaustion of such powerful magic has consumed him. As he struggles to get up, the branches of the tree extend their reach and gently wrap around his arms, helping him up. His breathing is broken, his face is distressed, his eyes full of pain, his old spirit injured.
-I have seen the horrors that are destroying this world. The world that my forefathers forged no longer exists, my race has been wiped out. The old magic is dead. I'm..... the last one.......-
The eyes of the warriors are filled with sadness and grief. Tears flow on his face.
-The world you once knew no longer exists, Mefistofel. It's not burning. It's burnt. The dragons are wiping out all that your race and the humans have built. Whoever decided to bring them back to life, has caused the destruction of all you know. There won't be a war, the War has started before we realised. Those who control the dragons think they can lead them into ruling the world. The dragons are ancient gods. Nothing can command them. The ones you know are gone and no longer fighting, the ones who fought have perished.
I cannot see any hope.-
-What about Celandra? The witches? Lucius? There are humans still fighting. Vampires are still fighting! What has become of them? There must be someone who still can fight!-
Arthion lowers his head slowly, gentle tears staining his delicate features.
-Those who could fight, those who fought the war aeons ago have gone into exile, hiding themselves from the world and its madness. They will never fight again, they will never awake again.- his eyes slowly turn towards the giant statue of the creature holding the spear, the giant wings covering the place with their shadow.
-They were warriors once. Stone by day, alive at night. They were the protectors of this land before my forefathers created the human race. Their power is only equal to the dragons, their wisdom equals my forefathers. When the Great War ended, they decided to never be involved with the folly of the races of this world. They chose to sleep forever, away from the sun that gives them life. Away from this world forever. There's no power that can awake them. They chose to ignore the world, they are nothing but shadows now. WE are nothing but shadows.-
With sorrow and despair, he slowly sits on a bench, with the spirit of an old man too tired to live. The branches move around him, trying to comfort him.
-I fooled myself! I hoped the human race had learnt from its mistakes. I hoped for the last war to be fought. I hoped to end my final days in the rays of the real sun....
I'm sorry Mefistofel. There's none who can fight this war. You may release the power of Feldor but that doesn't guarantee you'll win against such an enemy. You need more warriors. And there are none.-
Mefistofel is still. His eyes reflect nothing but the light of that garden. Then he remembers what he met in the swamps.
-What about those who are Cursed.-
A gust of cold wind flies in the garden. The breath of Death.
-You cannot think about them. They are not dead or alive, they answer to no one. They abandoned the last fight and they were cursed for it. They care for neither Life or Death. What loyalty can you expect from them?-
-They have nothing to lose. If this war is won, their spirits shall be freed. If the war stays, they will always be prisoners of their deceit. Teach me how to release the power of Feldor, teach us to fight in the Light again! Let us fight this war! Join us! Fight with us!-
Arthion looks upon the statues. The old protectors of that land, the warriors who fear nothing, the warriors who never gave up protecting their land.
-I am too old to fight now, but I will help you, I will call upon the stone warriors who once protected these lands. We will fight together and save our land. May this be our last battle. But be warned, the stone warriors are creatures of pride and honour, they may refuse to fight, or kill us with one blow.-
-We have to take our chances.-
-So be it.-
Mefistofel stretches his arm out and Articus grabs it tight. His brothers gather around.
-We'll fight together, brothers.-
"The humans have once again destroyed our world, my love. They are hopeless creatures who destroy everything! They do not deserve our help. We went into exile for a reason. They cannot be helped."
"You are right, my love. But I cannot watch what's left of our world burn. We let them fight, they will eventually find us and destroy us while we sleep. If we don't fight, we will have nothing left.
They have no one else to help them, they lost everything! We are nothing but shadows. We will stay in the shadows forever. They have deceived our children. We have to save our children.''
"The humans are a force of destruction that cannot be stopped. We should leave them to destroy themselves."
"I will call upon the elders and ask them to join me. There's a hope for this world. We can control the dragons, we can lead them to our side and they will obey us. We can change this war and end it."
"The dragons have been corrupted. What makes you believe you can change them back?"
"Because they are our children. We gave them life. We can take it back."
