#but i literally cannot bring myself to make it for supper despite really wanting it for 2 days now

[haojun]

Anybody else refuse to eat certain foods bc you are home alone and you're afraid you might have suddenly developed a severe allergy to said food and don't want to risk not having someone to rush you to the ER should things go south when you eat it? Just me?

[talpup]

Summary: Yami Sukehiro just wanted to join the Magic Knights and make his mentor proud.  He knew there would be trails.  He knew trouble would come his way.  Knew he would be faced with discrimination for being a foreigner and a peasant.  What he didn’t know.  Didn’t expect.  Was that literal Chaos would come his way.  That he and his mentor’s sister would be at the center of world ending trouble.  Or that he would fall in love with his mentor’s sister and face more than discrimination; but the jealously of Nozel Silva who loved the same woman he did.

Please remember this fic is rated mature and has warnings of violence, abuse, sexual tension, sexual behavior, and other possible triggers. For a full list of story tags please check the fics AO3 (link to that at the top of my tumblrs homepage).

***Unlike most chapters which are segmented into a days events, this one is a continuation of the same day as the previous chapter.

Chapter 99

Yami and Teris had spent the evening out at the Saber Wolf pens.  It had meant missing supper but neither had minded.  With the way Yami had been this last month or so, it was clear he needed space to breath.  And with events having Jax bar Yami from going out riding, cuddling after sharing what happened during each others morning had been the least and best Teris could offer.

In truth, Teris had needed the breather too.  Her reluctance to leave the space and return to the rest of the world and its never ending troubles leading her to tarry longer than she normally would have.  Yami hadn’t been happy about the reminder of this evenings meeting.  But his hope that Jax would finally tell them whatever it was he had been hiding for the past few weeks kept him from putting up much of a fight when Teris said they should head in.

Jax was coming up from the back hall when Yami and Teris entered the house.  “There you two are.  I was getting ready to send someone out to search for you.”  His eyes narrowed.  “You didn’t go out riding did you?”

“No.” Yami glowered.

Teris sighed heavily.  There went any release of tension their evening together had brought.

Jax huffed at Yami’s growling tone.  “I see you’re still in a temper.”

“Yami!” Bran dashed down the stairs.  Seeing Jax, he straightened and gave him a nod.  “Captain.”  Clearing his throat, he turned back to Yami.  “I need to talk with you.”

“It’ll have to wait, Bran.  I have a meeting with my Vice Captain's.”  Jax turned, expecting Yami and Teris to follow.

“It can’t wait!  It’s important.”  Bran blurted.

Jax turned back, brow raised.  Bran wasn’t the type to challenge.

Looking up at Yami, Bran told.  “It—it has to do with that thing we talked about at my family's farm on Vanessa’s birthday.”

Yami rubbed the back of his neck, muttering a curse.

“What’s he talking about?”  Teris asked Yami.

“You know what this meeting is for.  Is this really that important?” Jax asked, subtlety reminding Yami of the people waiting in his office.

“Yeah.” Yami told the Captain.  He looked down at Bran.  “It better be.”

“Fine. Teris.  With me.”  Jax pointed at Yami.  “My office, quick as you can.”

Yami gave Jax a nod.

Teris hesitated by Yami’s side.

Hand brushing down her arm, Yami tilted his head toward Jax, encouraging Teris to follow the Captain.  “I’ll be there in a bit.”

99.1.2

“Where’s Yami?”  Greywright asked when Jax entered with only Teris.

“Had something important to deal with.  He’ll be here shortly.”  Jax closed the office door.

“Well in that case.  If I may, I’d like to start by discussing the meeting I had with Teris this afternoon at Magic Investigations.” Marx said, not wanting to spend the evening repeating themselves to catch Yami up.  He looked at Teris.  “I am correct in figuring you already told Yami about that, yes?”

Sinking into a hard-backed chair, Teris nodded.

“You had a meeting with one of my Vice Captain's?”  Jax turned from Marx to Teris.  “Why didn’t I know of this?”

Teris opened her mouth to explain; but Marx spoke up first, telling Jax, Greywright, and Julius about the small painting Magic Investigations had unearth in the ruins of Yurist’s lab.  Marx stopped at the point where he had asked Teris to look at the portrait and ask the History of Chaos about it.

Julius turned to his sister.  “You had never thought to ask the History of Chaos about its author before?”

At his incredulous tone, Teris became defensive.  “It’s called the History of Chaos!  How was I to know it had any information about Yurist himself?”

“Because most authors put some kind of note or forward in their work.” Julius shot back.

“Enough.” Greywright ordered.

Caught between annoyed and humored, Jax complained.  “You two are such siblings.”

“I said, enough.”  Greywright rumbled.  He glanced at Julius, thinking the same as Jax and cursed the way of things.  Even if everything worked out to its best possible outcome, Julius and Teris would still face hardship and heartache.

A Wizard King gave up all family ties to serve the kingdom and its people.  On paper it sounded sensible.  It kept the Wizard King, and therefore the Magic Knights from focusing on the welfare of certain citizens.  Cutting ties and taking on a new last name also meant enemies couldn’t exploit a familial weakness, since there wasn’t any.  But in reality, many Magic Knights still focused on the welfare of certain citizens.  And while enemies might not be able to fully exploit a familial weakness; becoming Wizard King, cutting ties and changing your family name didn’t erase the love and experiences one had before those ties were cut.

Sighing, Greywright focused on Teris.  “What did the page of Chaos say when faced with this portrait Magic Investigations found?”

“It’d be easier if I just showed you.”  Teris unclasped the case that hung at the back of her waist and called forth her grimoire.  The tome landed in her hand, falling open to the page of Chaos.

Julius didn’t even try to tamp down his curiosity.  Getting to his feet, he moved to stand behind his sister eagerly looking over her shoulder.

“Who is this?”  Teris asked the page, thinking of the man and pregnant woman she had seen in the portrait.

“There’s a mental link?”  Jax uttered, unnerved.

“What’s that?”  Marx asked, turning to him.

“Since when could she think something and have the page pull an image from her head?”  Jax asked, wondering why no one else seemed distressed by this.

Marx blinked, eyes going wide at the disturbing realization.  He censured himself for missing such a thing when just this morning he had asked Teris if all Nova’s were guilty of ignoring the painfully obvious.

Too mesmerized by what looked like ink billowing on the page of Chaos, Julius didn’t even hear them.  The swirling dark liquid coalesced into letters, words, and finally full sentences.  He reached without thought, needing to get a better look at the magical sight.

Teris gladly let her brother take the spell-book, having read the answering message twice.  Once with Marx and then when she had shown Yami.

“My son is death.”  Julius read.  He looked up at Jax and Greywright, and clarified.  “Lower case ‘d’.”

Jax exhaled, relieved at the distinction.

Eyes lowering, Julius continued reading.  “He killed my beloved Celeste who died bringing him into this world.  A world dimmed of light and full of darkness now that she’s gone.”

“Little ‘l’ and ‘d’?”  Jax asked.

Julius nodded and went on.  “If I had seen it, I would have stopped it. Found some way to save my sweet, beautiful beloved.  What good is a Prophecy Mage who cannot see what will effect him most?  But the more connected I am to a happening, the harder it is for me to see.  I left my newborn son with a governess and threw myself into my work.  Years must’ve passed for he is now grown.  I didn’t even know Erin had left for the Spade Kingdom until this portrait had arrived.  He looks happy.  He and his bride, heavy with their child.  He and Mir—“ Julius faltered, looking up at the others, “Mira Spade.”

The Azure Deers Captain looked at Marx.  “Not the Mira Spade?”

“The time frame fits.  Though we have no images of her.  So even if we had a proper date, we wouldn’t be able to say for certain.”  Marx answered.

“Why? Who’s Mira Spade?”  Jax asked.

“The daughter of some long past Spade Kingdom King.”  Greywright said. “There’s not much we really know of her.  But the little we do has fed into some fantastical tales.  It was said she married a foreigner who took her name as a show of fealty to his new home and family.  Story says she was cursed for the marriage, and began to wither soon after becoming pregnant.  She supposedly didn’t last till term.  Weakening and dying.  It’s said the babe was cut out of her.  And despite being only seven months, that the child lived. That every nursemaid that came on to care for the child began to wither and weaken just like Mira had; all the while the child continued to get stronger.”

They all stared at the Magic Knights Commander.

“What? I know things too.”  Greywright said.

“Hear the story from Sabine?”  Julius teased, mentioning the Knights Commander’s ex who had once been an Investigations Mage.

Greywright colored slightly at being caught.  “It was a favorite tale of hers.”

“And tale is all it is.  For there is little we actually know about Mira Spade.”  Marx said.

“Well I guess you now know she married Yurist’s son.  Bet you and your fellows in Investigations will have a field day with that.”  Jax said.

Marx had to admit that confirmation of such a long held question many had wondered over would be a rather large deal in Magic Investigations. That was if he wrote up a report detailing the discovery.  “There will be no field days for Magic Investigations yet, Captain.  The meeting I had with Teris was off book for a reason.”

Greywright nodded, glad he wouldn’t have to tell Marx to keep quiet.  “He’s right.  So long as Ellara is running Magic Investigations, nothing about Yami, Teris, or what we learn about the Agents of Chaos can be reported over there.  That includes anything involving the History of Chaos, Yurist, or any of his other works.”  He looked at Julius. “What else does the page say?”

Teris shook her head even as Julius answered.  “That’s it.”

“But what does it even have to do with Yami, Teris, or the Agents of Chaos?  Other than that Yami and Teris have the History of Chaos and Yurist wrote it and had a son who married some Spade Kingdom Princess who died before their child was born?”  Jax asked.

Marx opened his mouth to answer.  But before he could speak, a knocked sounded.  Yami entered with Bran in tow.

Jax shot to his feet.  “What’s going on?”

“That important matter was even more important than I thought.”  Yami said, closing the door behind Bran.  Sighing, he told them of the task he gave Bran the day of Vanessa’s party.

Jax stared in disbelief.  “You ordered him to spy on members of his own squad?  My squad!”

“Asked.” Yami corrected.

Jax scoffed, anger bubbling.  “As if he’d tell you no, even if you weren’t his Vice Captain.  In case you haven’t noticed, Yami, the boy looks up to you.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, the kid’s grown up.”  Yami snapped back.  “Yeah, he’s a bit creepy with the way he looks up to me. But I made it clear this wasn’t an order but a personal and dangerous ask that could land him in trouble if caught.”

Bran colored slightly, embarrassed at being called creepy and being discussed so openly.

Jax shook his head, still upset.

“If he didn’t have the backbone to tell me no, I wouldn’t have asked.”  Yami said.

Though nervous, Bran took a step forward.  “I did it cause I wanted to help.”

Jax ignored Bran.  “What did you tell him?  Did you tell him about Ellara?  Yami.  What were you thinking!”

“I was thinking that we have an unwitting spy and a creepy ass bastard, who knows more than he’s saying, living under this roof and it would be nice to know what they were up to when they thought no one was watching.”  Yami said, his own anger rising.

“He has a point.”  Greywright said.  “While I trust that you, Yami, and Teris are careful about what you say around Olsen; this is one area we can be pro-active about.  None of us want to think Olsen is being used to spy but what if Ellara used him to plant something?”

Jax frowned.  “Plant what?”

Greywright shrugged.  “I don’t know.  That’s the point.  None of us know. Bran’s ability to listen in was invaluable during the Nine Day War. It would be a waste not to make use of him.”

Bran ducked his head, tinting at the praise.

“Make use of him against my own people?”  Jax challenged.  Before Greywright could speak, he sighed and turned to Bran.  “What did you overhear?”

Bran quickly told how he had been riding a Jay following Iban through the forest when Ellara appeared, and had then explained how he jumped into several bees to listen in.

Jax was barely able to keep silent and let Bran finish.  As soon as he was done, the Black Bulls Captain exclaimed.  “She’s married to him!”

Disturbing as that was.  As troubled as Teris was hearing Bran tell of the deal Iban had with Alowishus, the entire thing sounding as if the Blood Mage use to have some personal and not just ancestral connection to the Agents of Chaos; she was more concerned about Yami.

Settling down Jax a glanced at Julius, Greywright, and Marx.  Naturally, he had told them about Iban and the binding vow Alowishus forced Iban into.  Jax had been disappointed when Julius and Marx confirmed that such a binding blood vow couldn’t be broken without suffering the ill effects stipulated when the vow was made; but somewhat reassured that Iban hadn’t lied about it.

The Black Bulls Captain looked at Yami.  “Well I suppose that explains your temper.  Good to know, I guess.”

Teris didn’t see anything good about any of this.  The Darkness within Yami was affecting his temperament, and according to what Bran overheard would consume him if left to grow.

“What do they mean, ’more desirous of Teris’?” Julius questioned, protective brotherly instinct simmering to the surface.

Mildly chagrined, Yami rubbed the back of neck, avoiding his mentor’s gaze.  “Yeah.  I’ve been struggling a bit.  Feeling pent up and angry.  But the force inside me isn’t going to consume me.  I’m handling it.”  He shot Jax a brooding look.  “Though it’d help if Teris and I could go riding on our wolves.”

Jax’s eyes narrowed.

Yami looked at Teris asking the question he had wanted to ask but hadn’t because he didn’t want to worry her.  “Did you have the same problem in the year leading up to the Solstice?”

“Yeah, but not--”

Teris was cut off by Julius.  “If the ritual the Agents of Chaos did on the Summer Solstice released the building force inside Teris.  What happens to Yami when we stop them from doing the same to him for the Winter Solstice?”

Teris’ eyes widened, darting from Julius and back to Yami.

“Let’s table that disturbing thought and come back around to it.” Greywright said.  “Everyone take a seat.”

Jax sat back down, while Julius handed Teris back her grimoire and returned to his place on the sofa.  Yami pulled a hard-backed chair next to Teris’ and sat down beside her.

Bran looked about nervously.  He hadn’t been invited to this meeting. He hadn’t even known the Magic Knights Commander, Captain Julius, and a top ranking Investigations Mage had been in here.  Yami had merely brought him in to relay what he had overheard while riding the bees.

“Take a seat, Bran.  You’re a part of this now.”  Greywright said.

Even though the Commander outranked his Captain, Bran looked to Jax for confirmation.

Jax nodded.

Bran looked at Yami.  This clearly surrounded him and Teris.  If either Vice Captain told him to leave--

“Sit!” Yami barked.

Bran nearly sat on the floor in his rush to comply.  He managed to back up a step and sit on a chest near the door.

“There’s that temper again.”  Jax chastised.

“No. That’s just Yami.”  Julius said, hiding his humor in his sympathy for Bran.

Greywright rubbed his forehead and sighed, thinking he was surrounded by a bunch of children.  “Julius, even though Marx was the one to discover it, Shadow was once a Captain of your squad.  So why don’t you tell Teris.”

Instead of telling, Julius picked up a fabric bound book from the coffee table and handed it to his sister.

“What is it?”  Teris asked, taking the book.

“It’s the last journal of Captain Shadow Banashe.”  Julius saw the change in Teris’ expression, and gave her a reproving look.  “I see you recognize the name.”

“She made no mention of Captain Shadow’s name in her report or debriefing of the geyser labyrinth.”  Jax said of Teris.

“I got it from you.”  Teris said, looking at Marx.

Eyebrows knitting together, Marx opened his mouth to refute ever telling her such a thing.

“Well not you directly.”  Teris went on.  “There were several files left open on the table during my debriefing that day.  I didn’t see her last name but I saw the first, and that she had been a Captain of the Azure Deers.”

Julius’ expression darkened, disapproval growing.

Marx bristled at the violating breach of classified files.  Julius never would've done such a thing.  Well, Marx amended in his head, Julius’ obsessive curiosity most definitely would’ve seen him do such a thing; but he never would’ve admitted to it without any sign of guilt or shame the way Teris just had.

Jax ran a hand over his face, both exasperated and impressed by his Vice Captain.

Thinking she would make one hell of a Magic Knights Commander one day, Greywright fought a smirk hoping Sir Jorah truly could find a way to keep Teris from being banished for her refusal to wed Nozel.

“Did you see anything else?”  Greywright asked.

“Nothing of use or that I’ve been able to piece together to make sense of.” Teris frowned, annoyed with herself.  Shadow had been the Clover Kingdoms last light magic user before her.  The mummified corpse had called herself the Light Bringer and Harbinger of Darkness.  She looked down at the long dead Captain's journal, the cover frayed and faded.  “When did you find this thing?”

“The day before Flic turned himself over to your comrades.”  Marx said.

Teris’ frown deepened.  She had held so much hope that Commander Greywright would learn something about the Agents of Chaos’ plans or whereabouts from Flic; but it seemed that even when something was dropped right in their lap, nothing of sizable use came from it.  It was frustrating.  They were always one step behind Alowishus and his followers.  No.  That was far too generous; they were no where near that close.  They were barely working on the same playing field.

“That was seven days ago.  You all keeping stuff from us again?”  Yami asked, eyes on Jax.

Jax stared back.  Even though he had listened to Commander Greywright and Julius despite his own wanting to tell Yami and Teris about the leather bound journal he found four weeks ago, he wasn’t about to be shamed by his Vice Captain for it.

“It wasn’t like we had much of a chance.  What with Nozel and Fuegoleon turning up missing the morning after Flic turned himself in.  You and Teris being taken later that evening.  Flic becoming gravely ill two days after you returned, and then him dying yesterday.”  Julius said, in defense of himself and his friend.  He glanced at Bran disturbed that what the young man overheard between Ellara and Iban all but confirmed his and Marx’s theory on how Flic was killed.  A part of him wanted to find Iban and force the man to tell everything he knew no matter how insignificant, and no matter the cost to the Blood Mages family.

“Julius only informed me about the late Captain's journal two days ago.  Marx telling him that same morning.”  Greywright said, thinking that they needed to come up with a better way to communicate.  But even communication crystals could be tapped into.  And according to what Yami had seen the morning of the Summer Solstice, the Agents of Chaos had hundreds of members.  Without knowing what type of magic those members had...

“A quarter of the journal is blank.”  Marx said.

“I’m guessing it’s more than just empty pages of an unfinished journal from a life cut short.”  Teris said, not seeing any other reason Marx would point out such a thing.

Marx nodded.  “While the blank pages are at the end and likely would have been thought of as empty, there are two sentences and a signature three pages later.”

“Three blank pages and then more writing?”  Teris looked between Marx and Julius figuring that even with everything going on they would've tried something to reveal what, if anything was written.

“You were able to sense what no one else did in the geyser labyrinth.  As if the remains of Captain Shadow had been calling to you.”  Julius said, disturbed and intrigued.

Teris darkened at the memory.  “She used me.”

Julius’ eyebrows furrowed in confusion.  “Used you?”

Teris picked at the threads of the frayed journal.  “She used me to get to Yami.  She called herself the Harbinger of Darkness.  Said she called to me to fulfill her destiny.  A destiny that was clearly to bring out the Darkness in Yami.”

Julius sighed.  “I can see how you might think that, but--”

“There’s no other way to think of it.  It’s what she did!”  Teris stormed.

Yami grabbed Teris’ hand and got to his feet, pulling her up with him. “Excuse us a moment.”

Jax and Julius blinked as Yami opened the office door, stepped out with Teris, and closed it behind.

“Well,” Greywright sighed, sitting back, “anyone want to relay to Bran the importance of keeping quiet about all this while we wait?”

Jax, Julius, and Marx turned to Bran.

Not knowing what to do, Bran smiled and waved.  Knowing that was the wrong thing to do but unable to stop, his other hand grabbed his waving hand and pulled it down.

An embarrassed blush tinted Bran’s cheeks.  “Sorry.  I’m just really nervous.”

99.1.3

Yami turned to Teris as soon as the door closed.  “You’re not some transformation mage pretending to be Teris, are you?”

“What?” Teris’ eyes furrowed.  “Yami, this is serious.”

“I know.  So why are you afraid to look at that thing?  It’s not like you.”

Teris bristled.  “You heard why.  She--”

“Whatever happened, happened cause I needed to get to you.”  Yami said, cutting her off.  He looked at her remembering the fear and anger he felt when she disappeared behind the rock wall.  He shook the memory away, telling himself as well as her.  “We’re not in some labyrinth where you can be locked away from me.”

“No we’re not.”  Teris agreed.  “We’re standing here after having just heard that the force inside you is growing so fast and strong that it might consume you.  That even the crazies who want to see that force grow are concerned.”

“Weren’t you listening?  I said I was handling it.”

“Yami. I’m worried.  I love you.”

Yami’s fingers clasped behind Teris’ neck, palms cupping her face in both hands.  His forehead pressed against hers, steel grey eyes staring into her dark bottomless ones.  “I love you too, Ikigai.” His nose bumped hers, breath fanning her face. “It’s why you have no reason to worry.  I’d never lose to anything, least of all some force inside me, so long as I have you.”

Head shaking in his hands, Teris opened her mouth.  Yami silenced her with a kiss.  It was meant to be a brief, reassuring kiss; but as soon as his lips touched hers his desire for her ignited like a broken jar of Wild Fire.

One hand dropped from her face, arm wrapping tightly around her waist. Yami pulled her close, leaning over her.  The words Bran overheard Iban tell Ellara replayed in his mind.  “The Darkness is already bleeding out and effecting him.  He has been more volatile.  Angrier than usually.  Possibly even more desirous of Teris and the Light that is inside her.”   That last sentence echoed as he kissed her.  “Possibly even more desirous of Teris and the Light that is inside her.”

Yami didn’t think anything could make him more desirous of Teris.  He certainly didn’t like the idea of anything effecting him that way. But as the kiss grew ever more heated, he thought he understood what Iban meant.  It had nothing to do with desire.  At least not his usual loving desire.  This desire was darker.  Consuming and unquenchable.  It wasn’t for Teris herself, but for what Teris was. What Teris could be.  A light and warmth that could fill a dark cold, bottomless hunger.

Yami pulled away leaving them both breathless.  “Read the damn pages.  I know you want to.”

Teris stared up at him.

Yami quirked a brow.  “Aren’t you the least bit curious?”

“Yeah. But…  The last time I gave into my curiosity where Captain Shadow was concerned bad things happened.”

Yami’s lips brushed hers as he spoke.  “You have no clue what you mean to me If you think some long dead woman could take me away from you.”

99.2

“A letter from Lady Ellara.”  Calen said, entering his Master’s office.

Alowishus frowned.  He wasn’t expecting anything from her.  Given the suspicions of Captain's Julius and Jax, coupled with the traitor Flic surrendering himself to the Magic Knights, Alowishus hadn’t imagined he would hear from Ellara for more than six months. Something had to have happened.

Alowishus opened the missive.  It was a brief message, straight to the point.  Typical of her communications.  But what wasn’t was that it didn’t bear her usual endearment at the end.  Curious.

Setting down the letter, Alowishus told Calen almost proudly.  “The Darkness in Yami is growing.”

“Already? Isn’t it far too soon?”  Calen asked.

Alowishus thought back to his latest dealing with Yami and Teris, three days ago. He supposed his eagerness and following anger over the Future of Chaos had something to do with his having missed the signs.  Still, that was hardly an excuse.  He was better than that. He had spent too much time and had too much riding on his plans to become sloppy and not notice every little thing.

“How do we tamp the force down?”  Calen asked.

“Tamp it down!  We will do no such thing.”  Alowishus said.

“But--”

“Yami is not the real concern here, his fix is an easy one.  What we need to worry about is Teris.  At this rate she will not survive the Ritual of Darkness.  If she doesn’t grow stronger, the Darkness within Yami will kill her and the Light inside her with it.”

“What are we going to do?”  Calen asked, worried for their hopes for the new existence.

“We will deal with Yami.  Contact King Morris.  I think it’s time I made good on my promise to let the Diamond Kingdom have Teris.”

  99.3

Back in Jax’s office, Teris took up Captain Shadow’s journal.  She hesitated, eyes lifting to Yami.

Yami gave her an encouraging nod.

Taking in a fortifying breath, Teris opened the journal to the marked page. Her eyebrows furrowed, wondering if the page marker had been put in the wrong place.  The pages weren’t blank.  Sure, that’s what Julius and Marx had been hoping for.  That as a light magic user like Shadow, she would be able to read the blank pages.  But surely it couldn’t be this easy.  Could it?

Teris began to read aloud, half expecting them to stop her and say that wasn’t the spot.  Only they never did.

“I was a fool.  I fell in love with him.  Everard Spade.”

Jax straightened in his seat.

Yami saw the looks the Knights Commander, two Captain's, and Marx shared. Was this about whatever secret Jax was keeping that the Captain had been going to tell him about before Greywright called in about Flic dying?

“But how could I not?” Teris continued reading.  “He was handsome and kind.  Powerful and strong.  More powerful than I could have ever imagined.  But we will get to that.  There was always something about him.  A melancholy.  Even when he smiled, it never fully reached his eyes.  He told of his mother's death.  And I thought that was why.  Who wouldn’t be forever marked by sadness when your own father said you caused your mothers death?  It broke my heart for him.  Opened me up to him.  Which I learned too late is what he had wanted.  He didn’t need to lie to gain my care and sympathy. His truth is that sad and broken.  He truly is a wounded, tormented soul. But the way he used that truth.  Sprinkled in just enough without telling the whole horrid tale…

I thought I was going to spend my life with him.  Little did I know.  It was my life he wanted.  The betrayal happened on the Summer Solstice.  He came to my base before dawn.  I thought it romantic.  Thought he couldn’t wait for our picnic that afternoon to see me.  He was ravenous.  Insatiable. The two of us making love as the sun rose on the longest day of the year.  Little did I know he was feeding on more than my lips.  He left me in bed weak.  Nearly dead and drained of mana.  My Vice Captain found me.  I was unconscious for days.  Stuck in Healer’s Hall for two weeks.  Confused. Heartbroken.  He had used me.  It was months later that I realized just much he had used me.  Had any of it been real?  I don’t know.  He never said.  Doubt I would have believed him if he had.

He was the Master of a group that called themselves the Agents of Chaos. The group apparently went back several hundred years.  Several say they were started by Yurist’s son.  Others that Yurist himself began the group.  All I know is that they were a group of zealots obsessed with ending it all to bring about some knew reality.  And that they were being led by the man I once loved and thought had loved me in return.

Everard Spade stole my heart to steal most of my mana.  Did he know I would survive?  Did he even care?  Was our accidental meeting even an accident?  Over the course our continued battles I would learn that Everard left nothing to chance.  Our meeting had been no accident.  Our love affair fully planned.  The man was patient.  Obsessed. While he might not have known I would survive having nearly all my mana taken the morning of that Summer Solstice, he had to have had a good idea that I would.  For his plans for me were far from over.

I don’t know how, but he began to enter my dreams.  Showing and telling me such haunting things that I wish I could have forgotten upon waking. One of the things he continually told me about were the primordial forces and the rise of Chaos.  That there would one day be a light magic user who was inhabited by a portion of Light; and a dark magic user inhabited by a portion of Darkness. That together their magic could end not just the world but existence itself. As time passed I came to dream of this Light and Darkness; but never when Everard visited me in my dreams which always happened on the night of the New Moon and the two nights before it.

It was during those dreams of Light and Darkness that I came to realize my destiny.  I am the Harbinger of Darkness.  I will call the Light and see the Darkness show itself, announcing the rise and growth of Darkness.  I don’t understand it or know why; but I am certain my fate as the Harbinger will be locked in place this day. Which is why I am writing to you, my fellow light magic user. Because those dreams have also told that I am the Light Bringer. I am the light magic user that comes before you, the one who is inhabited by a portion of Light.  It is to you that I write this warning.

Everard Spade is ancient and strong.  Older than any person has a right to be.  It is little wonder that he has gone mad.  Seeking out knowledge and making plans that will let him finally, truly, have the peace and rest he so desperately desires. But how does one kill Death?  Mana knows I have tried.  Tried to give him the death he wants and justly deserves. In the years following that Summer Solstice he has haunted and tormented my every step.  And I have tried and failed to rid the world of him and give him the eternal sleep he wants. I thought I had finally succeeded. That you and this dark magic user would be spared of his plans.  The world safe from his aims.  But I fear I was wrong. Though small and faint, I feel his presence once more. I fear I only succeeded in killing the body.  A body I know no soul could still reside in.  I saw that body burn to ash. I incinerated it with my magic.  But somehow the life force that had been within that body is growing and among us once more. Whether because of a curse.  A spell gone wrong.  Or a cruel twist of fate.  The man that calls himself Death lives on.”

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Next chapter snippet:

Julius’ eyebrows pulled together.  He didn’t like Jax thinking he was right.  He didn’t want to be right.  It had been a crazy theory at the time.  It was still a crazy thought.  Just because what they had learned last night further pointed to such a possibility didn’t make the idea any less insane.  But given everything else; talk of Chaos and primordial forces, and crazy zealots who wanted to end everything to start a new beginning.  Was the notion that they were dealing with someone that old really that insane?