Aeternitas by M Mixson (free ereaders txt) 📖

Magic made you become this, am I right?”

“Oh yes, little Source. I am the magic and the magic is me,” it cackled and swooped down to stand in front of Eian. “Pretty little thing you are, what were you thinking in coming here?”

Eian stood straight in defiance of this overbearing creature. “I don’t need to tell you what I do. You are not the master of me!”

The vampire laughed and circled Eian who didn’t move a muscle.

“In that you are right, brave human.”

It paused. “How interesting. Part human and part Source. You certainly are intriguing. The Dark Source would enjoy you immensely.”

“Dark Source?”

The Vampire grinned. “Never you mind, that’s not for you to know. Your friends will die. I like you so I think I might keep you little pet.”

“I’m not your pet!”

The vampire laughed again and trailed a sharp finger down Eian’s cheek cutting skin.

“Really? Why do you quake so when I draw near? That seems to mean fear to me.”

Before anymore could be said the vampire shrieked as Zese pierced its heart with his sword. The vampire faded out quickly, his eyes tracking and promising certain death to the three of them.

Ohiel licked his lips. “Well, that was an interesting encounter.”

Eian nodded a little nervously. “I think it’s time we returned to –”

He was cut off as Zese in all his brutish manners sank into the seat of the throne.

For a moment it was all absolutely dizzying and then they were right side up again.

Blinking a few times to reorient himself Eian looked around. They were exactly where they were a few minutes ago except this throne room was of red and gold. Ohiel was standing over by a large canvas and it looked like as he stood there that he was painting. Zese had moved towards the doorway and was staring in horror.

“This is what I saw…” he whispered. “This is…this is my vision, exactly!”

“And you’re the one who caused it,” Eian told him a little spitefully. “We’re as far as we could be from our stations. We are across a whole continent. Who would believe us when we say we travelled here by magic portal?”

“No one,” Jiliy’s voice echoed from the caverns. “I’ve been waiting for you here for months now, well, only what felt like months here. I had a vision, or well my master had a vision, that you would appear here at this day and time.”

“Months?” Eian queried. “We’ve only not seen each other for a few hours!”

“Wrong,” Jiliy’s voice hissed again. “You displaced yourselves. You touched something,” he turned to Zese, “and that city displaces time, so you crossed into a complicated time length. You’re all going to die so it’s a moot point.”

“So,” Ohiel said edging closer to the slowly morphing Jiliy, “You’re saying that time got distorted because Zese touched something?”

“Yes. You see, on this throne,” he ran his fingers down the length of the arm, “is an exact replica of the throne room in Venicia. Venicia however due to the Princess’s tampering was thrown into the waves of time. She sank it into the sea but for some reason magic interfered and froze it in time. Or someone did. Then this throne room was created right after Venicia sank. This time period here and now, is in the past.” He smiled. “Technically no time is passing since you are simply floating in this space. No time passes here and your time is frozen when someone passes through…it’s complicated and I don’t really understand it myself. All I know though is that to go back you have to activate something. But first,” he turned to Eian and grinned, “we have something to resolve. There is true power here and I will take my vengeance!”

He lunged forward and caught Eian around the neck, squeezing hard. Zese jumped in and knocked him back with a well-timed kick.

Jiliy’s face distorted. “I’m not going to get stuck here because of you three – I was sent here to stop you and so I shall!”

He grabbed Ohiel and tossed him across the room with vigor. The night was dark and deep and Jiliy’s magic was stronger at the time.

Eian lifted the earth and thumped it to the ground again.

“Those petty tricks aren’t going to work on me any longer!” he hissed and grabbed at Eian who dodged out of the way.

Ohiel struck next, aiming at his gut, but instead got a face full of fingers and was tossed to the side yet again.

Even Zese the superior warrior was useless as he leaned against a wall attempting to prop himself up, his sword laying broken in multiple places several feet from him where it was thrown when he hit the wall.

He clambered to his feet where he made for the only other sword in the room – the ceremonial sword. He had pulled it off the rack and all of a sudden in a twisting motion they found themselves standing back in the icy blue palace.

Heaving in a deep breath Zese attacked only to be thrown across the room yet again.

Chapter 29: Into the Daylight from the Dark

Eian knew what he had to do. He looked up to the sky for guidance but none was forthcoming. Zese lay propped up against a destroyed wall bleeding from his side. Even from here Eian could see his breathing was labored. He wouldn’t last long at this rate. Ohiel wasn’t moving at all where he lay on the floor. He glanced towards the dark power that was forming and ran to Zese’s side. “Zese? Can you hear me?”

“Eian,” Zese’s hand was weak as he gripped Eian’s forearm. “Be careful.”

“Be still,” Eian whispered. His shock of white hair fell forward in his eyes as he healed Zese. He felt utter relief as Ohiel twitched and gave a small moan.

Still alive. They were both still alive. He stood and picked up Zese’s sword where it lay, fallen next to its master.

The sword was heavier than he thought it would be. He grimaced as it pulled on his injured collarbone. Still he hefted it into the air and it as it caught the light it sparkled a brilliant silver. The shadow it cast on the wall was large and dominating. He breathed through his nose as he prepared to face the encroaching shadow.

Jiliy stepped out of the darkness and into the quickly fading light of the room. His once handsome features were distorted with hatred and anger. The magic that he used had corrupted him beyond humanity. There was no human left inside anymore. All that was human had been eradicated by the black magic and as Eian looked at him he realized that the magic was killing him slowly and painfully. His human shell simply couldn’t handle the power that was raging inside of him. Eian wondered if he could stall long enough if the former human shell of Jiliy would self destruct on its own. He watched as the shell wavered from side to side as it sought to find its balance.

Behind him he could still hear the slightly ragged breathing of Zese as his body continued to heal through the use of magic. In the corner of the opposite side of the room Ohiel had managed to prop himself up but he was holding one hand to his face. But when he uncovered his face for a brief moment he saw that Ohiel had lost an eye. He wished he could go over and do something at the moment but he knew he was running out of time.

The icy blue throne room continued to reflect the night. In a few moments Eian knew the sun would be rising and the dark would be over. But for now he had to trust that he could hold off Jiliy long enough. All the old fairy tales he had heard – he wondered if they were true. If true evil despised the sun. He knew it might be one of his chances to help defeat the evil creature that now resided inside Jiliy’s body.

Carefully he maneuvered himself so that his back was facing the windowed wall.

The creature of dark magic that had once been Jiliy smiled in a way that sent chills down Eian’s back. As he prepared to raise the sword a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He lowered the sword a fraction as he turned his head. Standing almost in the middle of the room was a female figure. She was regal, beautiful.

“Princess…” he whispered. She turned to him and smiled.

“Eian,” she spoke. “Isia’s spirit called to me from the Afterlife and begged me to come here to you. She said that it might be your only chance.”

Her pure radiance was nearly blinding to him and he sought to see her through the light but the more he looked the brighter she became.

“Come closer. I have a gift to give to you. It may help you to defeat this creature of the dark.”

Eian approached her slowly if not a bit hesitantly. She held out one delicate hand and kept it out as Eian approached her.

Once he was in front of her she looked him over, looked at his bruised and battered body.

“I cannot heal your injuries, I can only give you the strength to continue on this quest of yours.”

She paused. “You always wanted to know what killed your parents. I suppose you learned a few days ago that these creatures of the dark are called vampires and are what murdered your parents. Now you have the chance to kill the thing that led you down this path – the thing that caused all this pain and sadness to happen. And it is my duty as a goddess to help you fight this thing. I can no longer kill myself but you as a vessel can do it for me. I always thought it was Zese who was destined for greatness. I can see I was wrong, it was you who was destined for greatness. I simply saw you through him. Now put that sword down and give me your hands for a moment.”

He placed the sword on the ground and placed his hands in hers. A bright light emanated from her and into him for a few long seconds it felt like he was dying, like he was weakening but when she pulled away he found his strength restored.

“Now hand me your sword. Well, Zese’s sword.”

Eian picked it up off the floor and passed it to her. She murmured something over it and it too began to glow a golden color. She handed it back to him and whispered, “Good luck,” before she disappeared.

Eian lifted the sword towards the sky and faced his opponent. He found very quickly that his strength was nearly not enough to stop the incoming blows from this mystical creature. Fear for his life heightened his instincts and he desperately lunged this way and that trying to gain the advantage that would allow him to win. But at every moment he was blocked. Anger was slowly rising to the surface and his magic began to leak out and pour into the sword.

The vampire hissed, “You’re going to die a slow and painful death.