Fanfiction ► Kingdom Hearts: Brilliant Rise

[Dark Hearts King]

“No…”

“Not this again…”

“This dream…this nightmare…”

“I can’t bear to see it again.”

An elf wizard, barely past his 200th year, had his hands outstretched in ritual, lips moving too fast for comprehension in the muttering of a magic incantation. He was completely surrounded in a swirling cone of darkness, a living shadow that was twisting and weaving shapes, dancing demoniacally all around the elf.

His garb was clearly that of the Order: a tunic sharing the colors of charcoal and scarlet, suede pants tucked deep into knee-high boots, leather gloves that reached his elbows, and a single, black cape hanging from his shoulders to touch the ground and sweep around his form. His hair was of the purest platinum-blonde, part of it plaited into two thick braids visible on the right side of his face, the rest of pulled back by a crown of leaves and cascading down to rest at his mantled shoulders. His eyes were gleaming, a stark amber, glistening with passion for the art he was commencing.
As he continued to mutter the words to his magic, the darkness began to slowly take form. From within the shifting cloud, thousands of glowing eyes, sickly yellow and alive with hunger, broke through the shadow as the only form of light in the area. However, they were of no comfort as they came with increasing speed to the elf’s location, a light of rapacity that wanted nothing but to consume the wizard calling them to his place.

From the eyed darkness, talons of quivering liquid shadow erupted and inched closer and closer to the muttering elf, the latter unresponsive to the approach of the deadly weapon. The darkness began to brush against his skin, frozen and bereft of life, causing the elf to mutter much faster in what almost seemed like an erratic chant. The elf waved the darkness away and continued to cast, but the shadow only dissipated for a moment and reformed to continue its steady approach. The mass of black fluid emanating from the wall of swirling darkness took the shape of a partial elf form with tendrils extending from its head like tentacles, before reaching out with its talon and touching the elf’s chest.

The elf shook with a sudden spasm, face wrenched in pain as he clutched his chest. From his reaction, it appeared that the elf could feel a riveting discomfort at the location of his heart. The elf’s body shuddered with a strange unnatural palsy, forcing the elf to scream in agony as he felt the feeling fade from his body. From his chest where the dark talon had submerged itself into, a globe of iridescent energy was removed, taken from the elf’s chest and slowly floating under the guidance of the dark talons. It was a bright light that briefly hid the darkness away, but was immediately consumed by the cloud.

Then all went black…

Aiden launched from his night coverings, roaring in fear as he sat upright struggling for breath. His brow was slick with the perspiration of terror. Taking a moment to relax as much as he could, he cursed for losing self-control. This vision of his was a recurring event for him during his sleep, something that bereft him often of the rest he desired. Today would mark the day of the third moon that he had been suffering from this vision, and each and every day became harder for him as he struggled with exhaustion.

Try as he might to subdue it, the nightmare was slowly taking over. He felt more and more connected to the blonde-haired elf in the dream, this time actually witnessing the dreaded event in the wizard’s point of view. He feared the worst: stories of elves cast into eternal sleep from wicked visions were all too fresh in his mind. He nodded to himself in silent confirmation, face furrowed and stern with the decision of a new course of action. He needed help.

Reluctantly removing himself from his place of rest, he gathered his clothing for the new day. He selected a long sleeved jerkin worn by the elves during the beginning cold of the harvest season. Maroon was his favorite color, thus he made sure to select a drape that would match that particular color to hang from his belt over his baggy suede pants. His boots were unique, painted and featuring an ornate design of leatherwork done by someone other than those employed by Ashra. The boots were an heirloom of his currently absent parents, thus Aiden wore them to remind him that they were not gone from his world, merely missing after the great battles between his race and the wicked Essewein family.
The air was brisk, slow to take warmth from the approaching rays of sunlight cast from the canopy of brilliantly white Waylan trees coiled and seemingly woven into each other in a protective enclosure around the city. Aiden wasn’t bothered by this morning chill, curiously aware that he wasn’t shivering normally as would be the common reaction to such cold. Instead, he was rather warm, and Aiden ended up putting off the phenomenon as something minor attuned to his magical ancestry.

Magic was of his family, but was something he had little concern in. Despite his bloodline connection to wizardry and the Crimson Sigil, it was his greatest dream was to one day leave his home city of Ashra and follow the lineage of his father, a citizen of the capital city and court of the Queen of the Elves. It was there he wished to be enlisted into the Aubrien corps, the elite band of archers given duty by the Queen to protect the forest realms of its often mad inhabitants.

Aiden smirked as he envisioned himself one day as an Aubrien archer. He made slow-motion movements, role-playing the action of drawing a arrow from a quiver and pulling an imaginary string. When he put down his arms, he jumped back from the open doorway, startled by the sudden laughing of Malaki, who was observing the young elf's curious reenacting of the Aubrien method.

“I believe it will take quite more than acting to get you to the capital city, let alone pass the Queen's test. First you have to remember timeliness. Are you waiting for next year's ceremony?”

The question hung in the air unanswered as Aiden took a small moment to recover from his embarrassment. When he was content, he only offered a glance of confusion towards the guardian elf, who folded his arms in subtle disappointment.

“The Moon Harvest?”

Aiden gasped as he recognized that one of the most important civil events of Ashra's culture was today, and he had spent more time than he needed to trying to get prepared for the day. Without a word to Malaki, he rushed into the washing room to get ready for the ceremony.

As the collected rainwater washed over his tense body, he relaxed from all the tension from his experiences during the night. He was worried. Not only was the dream causing fearful nights, it was beginning to instill some amnesia. He had no regard for this important event, not remembering to prepare for it the night before. He shuddered at the thought of forgetting important events to the influence of this vision. What more would the strange premonition take from him?
He swiftly dried himself and made his way back to his chambers, pulling the jerkin on and attaching the drape to the belt as he tucked in the pants into his painted boots. He pulled back the matted, twisted locks of hair that were commonly worn by the males of Ashra in a tight willow band, leaving two of his tresses to act as bangs on either side of his face. In them he strung amber beads, two on his left and one on his right.

He nodded as he was satisfied with his appearance, taking the bridge of Waylan planks lashed together to join his chambers with the mainhouse. When he emerged from the opening into the foyer of his dwelling, Malaki was seen, leaned against the table in apparent impatience.

“They are going to start without you.” He said bluntly.

“Patience is a natural attribute, Malaki.” Aiden replied with a sarcastic smirk.

“As is respect.” Malaki retorted.

“A two-way road, eldest.” Aiden said.

“Move whelp, before I make you.” Malaki stood up from his lean against the wall, moving forward in a threatening jest, suggesting the action of harm.

Aiden only laughed as he left the home of his guardian, inwardly grateful for every moment they spent bonding with one another. The irritable, silver-tongued elf may not know it, but it was these small moments that released Aiden's fears of the night, and of the recurring vision it held for him. He could barely remember the moment that Malaki had made the decision to take the elf into his home, after it was determined by the Ivory Council that it seemed that neither of his parents were to return home from the front with the evil magic of the life-stealing Esseweins.

He had made it down the levels of walkways that would take him to the center of the village, where the initiations would begin. To outsiders of the elf world, Ashra was nothing but a complex web of living structures, but to those born in the city, walking from dwelling to the main village was impressively simple, a pattern integrated into every young elf born of the Waylan trees. As he took a walkway to the right of him, the sounds of the forests beyond rose through the trees in orchestra, leading Aiden to absent-minded thoughts, filled with depressing ideas.

“Aiden!”

The familiar voice rang like a bell, dispelling Aiden's despondence, causing him to grin from ear to ear. As he turned, his assumptions were confirmed as the fleet form of a girl came running to him, attempting to catch him off-guard by an affectionate embrace from behind. Unfortunately for her, Aiden had turned around, and the two were thrown to the ground by the force. Both bursting in laughter by the event, they stood up and shared an appropriate hug, the girl's face bright red with embarrassment for being so clumsy.

“Aiden, it's great to see you.” She said, recovered from her stumble.

“I share the same feelings as well, Alassë.” Aiden said, with a formal elven bow towards her.

She smiled, and then walked forward down the path that Aiden was taking.

“I'm so excited for the ceremony! It'll be my first time as a member now.”

Aiden grinned, excited for her. She was referring to her enlistment into the militia group of Ashra, the all-female fighting force of Warriors that prided with the complete defense of the city from the outsiders. Their name was so well known throughout the forest realms that the Queen found it nonsensical to send the Aubriens to protect the Waylan forests and the Llomvar Mountain.

“..and we get to go together.” A point she emphasized by interlinking her fingers into his hand, striding down the walkway the same pace that he was going. He couldn't stop smiling.

They walked in silence, enjoying the serenity of the moment. As Aiden was gazing at the beauty of the ivory barked city, his eyes fell upon an obscured figure that was standing on a dead-end of a walkway that extended from the nether regions of the city, behind the settlements. His back was turned to the couple, head up gazing at the sky in observation. Aiden's blood ran cold.

“Aiden, what's wrong?” Alassë asked, concerned with Aiden's sudden involuntary appearance. His hand had dropped, all confidence had left him, and his face was wrought in discomfort and the tell-tale signs of fear. The Warrior stopped and put a hand to his face, drawing his attention away from the walkways to her. He gazed into her deep blue eyes.

“Are you okay?” She asked, the tone of care prominent in her ringing voice.

“...yes. It seems I've forgotten something back at Malaki's domicile. Go on ahead without me, because I don't want you to miss the initiation.” He quickly kissed her on the cheek and let go of her hand, turning back the way they came.

She didn't want to dispute Aiden's sudden change of reaction, deeply concerned for the shift in his emotions. First he was elated, happy to be with her as she was with him. But immediately it was erased in a sudden dread, filling Alassë's thoughts with the worst conclusions. She turned down the walkway hesitantly, occasionally turning over her shoulder to see Aiden heading back up. When he was out of sight, she turned her way and made it to the agora of the city.

Aiden waited till he knew Alassë could not see him. When he was sure she was far down the path, he went back, taking quiet steps as to not alert her someone was approaching. He came to a narrow coiling turnoff, taking the steps down to the back area where he saw the mysterious stranger.

The closer he neared the drop-off point, the more his head hurt. His heart pounded in his chest with apprehension. There was no way it was possible, but he swore he had seen something that others would deem him mad for. It was the reason why he was afraid to let Alassë know what he had just seen. It took some time before he could acquire her affections, and it was not something he was going to lose on a hunch.

He struggled to breathe with the increasing anxiety. This was truly madness. Either he was mistaken, or delirious with the lack of sleep. For he was completely certain, that the mysterious stranger that was standing on that dead-end observing the sky, was the elf wizard he had been seeing in his visions.

 

[Dark Hearts King]

Aiden turned down the corner of the coiling walkway and stepped down to reach the drop-off. The drop-off was a small suspended panel of Waylan tree used as a launch point for flying mounts. The wizard took his gaze away from the sky and looked straight at Aiden. His eyes gleamed exactly as it did in the dream, the warm golden glow of amber.

“Who are you!” Aiden croaked, voice laced with fear. His fist was raised instinctively, prepared to defend himself if he had to.

The wizard said nothing as it continued to gaze at Aiden, confirming that he had heard the young elf only by smirking a grin of confidence that gave Aiden the chills.

“Why do you call to me in my dreams? What is the meaning of the vision, and the dark cloud you summoned?” Aiden cried out.

The elf wizard continued to remain in his silence, irritating the Ashran and causing him to groan. Then he spoke, startling Aiden as words broke silence with a deep, eloquence resonance.

“Seems your purpose is about to be fulfilled. My dream is about to be realized, and I see in front of me the final piece of the ever-complex puzzle. I give you the choice. Hand to me what's rightfully mine...or fall to my power as I take it by force.”

Aiden could not make sense of the wizard's comment. He was addressing Aiden to imply that he had something in his possession that the wizard needed.

“Silence? Is this your final answer?”

Aiden could not say anything.

“Then by force it shall be. If you wish to remain silent, then you can stay silent!”

The wizard extended a gloved hand in Aiden's direction. The shadows that crested from the trees and the buildings in the nether regions seemed to quiver, too quick for Aiden to suspect anything. Immediately after the wizard closed its hand, the shadows shifted from their anchored locations and slid across the ground to form a solid black disc at the wizard's feet. The disc emanated billowing black and violet smoke, which wrapped around the wizard's body like a makeshift cloak before it dissipated into the atmosphere. The surrounding area seemed to darken in color, as if the panel the wizard and Aiden were standing on was enclosed in a bubble that dimmed the light.

The wizard waved his hand in a horizontal motion, closing his hand as soon as his arm returned to his side. The black disc under his feet rippled as if agitated and readying to strike. Pseudopod extensions eased their way from the disc and disjoined from the central plane that the wizard was standing upon, moving across the wooden surface with a will of its own. More circular portions of the black disc separated and moved to various locations on the walkway dead-end, active in undulating motion that made the small discs appear like black pools of water driven by storm.

Aiden counted a score or so of the discs, as more separated from the central source, and he felt an exterior source of unnerving hatred and will of demise. It seemed to be coming from the discs, and as more of them closed around his form, the stronger he felt the external emotion bear down on him.

And all at once, the discs began to rise upward, rippling and shifting into forms similar to elves, albeit hunch-backed and bearing two distinctive tentacles that came out of their pitch-black globes for heads, serving as some sort of hearing organ. When their eyes began to blink and form upon the dark heads, Aiden gagged with intense horror.

He felt the compelling desire to scream. However, the fear of these shadow things in front of him deprived him of the will to do so. Never had he felt so helpless in his life as he did now standing in front of these creatures. His breath came in short, staggering gasps, struggles to even obtain any comfort bereft during this very moment. He collapsed on the ground, feeling their intense hatred bore into his thoughts, his soul, and his very being.

These were the shadow beings in his dream, the ones who had somehow harmed the elf wizard that was before him. However, the wizard seemed to have complete control of them. Whatever spell he had cast in Aiden's dream, it had willed him the power to command these creatures of darkness. With a shudder of what seemed to be excitement, the shadow being closest to him launched from its dark accretion to the ground, claws raised and yellow eyes hungry for Aiden's demise. The elf closed his eyes, covering his face with his hand in instinctual defense. In the distance, Aiden could hear the cruel sardonic laughter of the wicked wizard, arms wide open as his eyes gleamed with success.

The sound of a blade thrust through the air coupled with the strange sound of the hiss of smoke caused the elf to open his eyes slowly. The shadow creature that was airborne in its pounced had turned to a burst of shadowy steam, releasing a globe of iridescence similar to the one that was stolen from the elf wizard in Aiden's dream. In front of him – bent down to look at him in the eyes – was Alassë.

“Next time you want to pick fights with strangers, try alerting the law enforcement first – and bring a weapon.” She said with a wink.

All Aiden could do was smile and breathe a sigh of deep relief. He gazed into her blue eyes. Despite her cheery disposition, he could see a subtle hint of betrayal. He couldn't tell if it was real or he was just making it up – but he knew he had wronged her when he decided to encounter his fears alone. If he was to have a proper relationship with her, they needed to take on difficulties as a team. In his thoughts he swore he was going to make it up to this girl that had just saved his life. Gifts, a day-off from duties, a ride on one of the winged mounts, he only wanted now to express his appreciation to her.

“These creatures aren't going to kill themselves.” A deeper voice said to his left.

Aiden turned to see a poised Malaki, lance in hand aimed in the direction of the elf wizard. Behind him was a small party of Warriors, armed with their eclectic mix of axes and swords, delicate figures filled with the determination to defend their home.

Aiden's eyes began to water with joy. To this day he never really appreciated the roles these people had in his life. All this time he kept his premonition secret, afraid of the judgment of others should he discussed of it out loud. But surrounding him were the people of his community and the two people that he loved the most in his life, all willing to face this trial alongside him. He wiped his eyes to make sure no one would see his forming tears.

Alassë reached down and helped Aiden up from the floor. He dusted himself off and then glared at the elf wizard.

“I fear you nor your shadow creatures. Leave this place, for you are no longer welcome.” Aiden said, glaring at the wizard. The wizard's replying smile was ugly.

“Seems I've outlived my visit here in my city of dwelling. Talk about a homecoming reception! This has got to be the worst greeting I've received.” The wizard replied with a sneer.

The mood swing and sudden change in the tone of voice put off Aiden. Malaki leaned in a bit closer to scrutinize, eyes narrowed to identify the wizard before him. When the elf guardian recognized him, he let out a slow breath and chuckled mirthlessly.

“Veldoris...this is low...even for you.”

Behind him, some of the more veteran of the Warriors of Ashra began to mutter the name, a mixed reaction of shock and contempt. The elf wizard merely smirked at the sound of the name Malaki titled him, signifying a vague recognition, as if it was a nostalgic memory in the back of his mind.

“Time to end this.” He said suddenly, tone dangerous and low.

The air around the wizard blurred as he shot forward, aimed for the collective group, face contorted in hatred and rage. He rose swiftly into the air, then falling back to the ground with his fists, sending up a shockwave that scattered everyone across the wooden panel – some falling onto the walkway pass and others having to regain their foothold on Waylan coils beneath the wooden panel. Aiden turned behind him to the see the wizard airborne. In his arms was a struggling Alassë.

“If I cannot have what is mine, you cannot have what is yours!”

The air behind him quivered and split in two, revealing a radiating elliptical doorway, pale blue and purple light cresting in wisps and columns into the air and over the wizard's body. He fell into this corridor, Alassë in his grasp. She looked at Aiden and reached out her hand. He dove to grab it, barely touching the tip of her fingers as the darkness enveloped both of them. He roared in frustration, swinging his arms aimlessly in the air.

“Alassë! Alassë!!” He continued to call her name, hoping to hear a response, to hear the voice he loved so much to hear. But there was nothing, only the horrid noise of talons scratching the surface of the wood where the shadows leapt eager for the hunt. Malaki had to rush and calm the elf down. Aiden beat back his arms, but Malaki would not relent. He embraced the young boy, whose body began to shudder with uncontrollable tears. Aiden stood there, comforted by his guardian, who kept his spear pointed at the beasts to warn them of the dangers of crossing the imaginary threshold he implied.

“Relax, Aiden. Creatures like these seem to grow excited in the event of despair. Don't feed their hunger. We need to starve them in order to fight them. By defeating them we can follow their master.”

It took a moment for the young elf to recompose himself. He then nodded and stood afar off. Catching his eye was the gleam of a prostrate sword. He picked it up and immediately recognized it as Alassë's. He gripped the hilt firmly, anger fueling adrenaline in his body. He used this to drive a will to rid these creatures.

The shadows, palsied and greedy, made sudden jerking movements in attempts to stand still. However, the life in the area made them inherently excited, eager to jump and devour. Aiden pointed the Amber Sword that was Alassë's possession.

“You've made me angry. Not a wise choice.”

Both him and Malaki ran and began to strike down the creatures. They tried their best to move out of the way, but the combined might of the elf fighters were no match. Spearhead and sword point moved fluid through the hosts of shadow, cutting them down, releasing their psuedo-forms and gleaming orbs of light that they all held within them. Each approaching shadow creature was dispatched swiftly, no hesitation made by either Malaki or Aiden.

Aiden turned the sword in his hand, jabbing several times in a graceful pattern that was a technique handed down among those gifted in swordplay. The method managed to take out several shadows, and Aiden turned to take one out that was creeping behind him. When he turned, he caught on the corner of his eye the fighting form of Malaki. His focus was at the front and side, therefore leaving his back completely open to attack. Whether he was aware of this or not, Aiden couldn't tell. However, the shadows could.

“Malaki! Look out!”

Aiden stretched his hand open towards his guardian, watching in absolute horror as one of the shadow creatures fell into its black disc and progressed behind Malaki's location, launching itself from its dark anchor to strike preemptively. Malaki turned to look at Aiden, his eyes catching the sight of the approaching creature. In a moment of horrific view to Aiden, the shadow thrust both arms into Malaki's chest, removing from it the iridescent globe common to its species and the elf wizard named Veldoris. The creature leapt of his chest and disappeared into its black disc, apparently satisfied with its catch. Malaki's face relaxed and he fell to his knees. He looked in the young elf's direction.

“I believe in you...have...faith...” He muttered as his body faded before it hit the floor.

Tears poured freely from the elf's eyes. First his beloved, now his guardian who had raised him, were both lost to this foreign species of darkness and their master. His muscles tensed as his body shook with unnatural fury. Beads of sweat rolled down his brow, cheeks and neck. He bared his teeth and clenched his fists. A strange sudden warmth seemed to dispel all cold and hate in the area. It filled Aiden's chest and spread slowly down his arms and legs, filling his entire body with a powerful, burning sensation. His skin began to steam around him, the sudden sweat evaporating instantly. Breathing deeply and steadily, he grew rigid and threw his head to the sky.

From his mouth came the most unnatural bellow, a strained cry akin to that of a bird's warning and a beast's sorrow. It filled the air like the sound of pack of Wolves howling to the twin moons of harvest. Every shadow twisted and jerked in increased agitation.

Aiden took an immediate battle stance, bringing his sword behind him in a technique older than he was. Unbeknownst to him, the blade began to take a new shape. Flames started at his shoulders – bright red and white – slowly cascading down his arms in a fashion similar to a waterfall, to pool and gather around his hands. The flames burned brightly for a moment, demonstrating his heritage to the lineage of those of the Pact of Flame. Soon the flames dissipated in his right hand that held no weapon. All that was left was the globe of fire coalescing in his left, coiling around the hilt of the blade, to no harm of the elf holding it.

The flame began to construct and weave into solid form, extending the hilt to form the head of a rainbow crested bird at its end. In the sculpted bird's mouth was a chain, to which several links extended from. At the end of this chain, the fire ending after its construction, was a charm of sorts – a symbol of the Shepherds that signified fire. The flame remained burning at the hilt, and when the bird handle was finished, it began to extend, coating the blade with its transforming properties. The crossguard extended outward and wrapped around his hand, in similitude of a pair of scarlet wings that began near the head of the bird, and ended at the beginning of the blade. The blade began to take on more of a rod shape, losing its apparent edge to an ornate carving of feathers into the feature of a pole-like object.

The rod of this new weapon extended farther than the reach of the blade – adding a foot or two to the weapon's length before sharply turning off to the right. The flame burned and materialized two intricate teeth like extensions from the rod's end, shaped in appearance to a bird's set of talons.

Aiden recognized the change soon after it completed, glancing at the manifested weapon in his hand. It was definitely not a product of elven craft. It was crimson in color, vibrant like the plumage of a rare bird. When Aiden raised the blade vertically to take a good look at it, the design was eerily familiar to him. It seemed to be shaped like a key.

Without hesitation, he gripped the key-shaped weapon tightly and shot forward, easily spinning the blade in his hand to form a rapid vacuum, drawing in all the shadows in the area. Despite the blade's strange handle that would make it appear difficult to use, the new weapon was extremely versatile, allowing Aiden to strike behind him as fast as he could in front of him. He kept the weapon at a steady spin, sending off discs of flame gathered from the kinetic energy of the weapon.

The weapon passed through the forms of the shadow beings faster than the sword did, causing them to catch flame and release horrid screams of pain. When the multicolor orb erupted from the dissipating form of the shadow creature, it would fly into the key-shaped weapon, instead of floating off into the atmosphere like it normally would. But more came, forming from the dark ring Veldoris had left behind. For every one Aiden cut down, five would take its place. Soon Aiden was completely surrounded by a rippling ocean of darkness and yellow eyes.

The elf was seething with rage. Weapon and user became fluid in motion and form, cutting down all the shadows with crimson ribbons of lethal flame without any falter. The shadow beings were powerless against the blaze, which began to seep from the weapon and slowly coat the form of Aiden. Tears streamed down his face as his body shook from the turbulent waves of emotion coursing through his body. The flames rose higher and burned brighter the angrier he got. Involuntarily, he clapped his hands, releasing the flame from his body that shot outward and consumed the sea of shadows in brilliant scarlet resplendence. The fire still on his body, Aiden felt himself rise into the air as he passed out, no longer aware of his actions.

 

[Dark Hearts King]

When Aiden came to his senses, it felt like he was falling from the sky. It was a steady descent, not a true fall but more of a drifting, as if lowered by some unseen force. He was completely surrounded by darkness – ink-black and impenetrable, it was a wall of abyss, alluding nothing to his new location.

He abruptly stood onto solid ground, unaware that he now had footing. The darkness beneath his feet began to steadily transform into an enormous flock of birds. The birds flew away in a burst of feathers and air, showing a radiant light that began t slowly form into a circle. When he uncovered his eyes, he was standing on a large circular panel of colored glass, vibrant with color and stranding out in the darkness surrounding it. The glass flooring seemed to stretch out infinitely in front of him. He turned to look behind him, to see nothing but empty black space.

“So much to do, so little time.” An inaudible voice said. Aiden could hear it, but not through his ears. It was as if he was talking to himself. However, the voice he heard within was deeper and more intuitive in sound.

“Take your time.”

He scanned his surroundings, turning to look at the glass panel he was standing on and to see if he could identify anything in the absolute darkness surrounding the platform. It startled him to recognize the bronze skin and the blue eyes depicted in the colored glass illustration. He looked closer, able to put a name to the person that was the subject of the glass. It was Alassë.

She was to the left side in a comfortable pose, her sword nowhere in sight. Her eyes were closed in peaceful rest. Behind her, he could vaguely make out the city of Ashra. On top of that particular section in the colored glass, there were three silhouettes. The two on the left and right side appeared old, possibly her parents. In between them was the third silhouette, its form strangely familiar to the elf. On top of those silhouettes was a depiction of the Warriors of Ashra in battle, fighting against the dark creatures that assailed him moments ago. The inaudible voice spoke to him again.

“Don't be afraid.”

“The door has been shut...for now. Your purpose is required beyond that door.”

“Now step forward. Can you do it?”

He stepped forward slowly, taking his time for he was wary of the strange surface. His feet echoed on the polished glass, not making any damage on the picture of Alassë. He looked up as a beam of light illuminated on the location where he stopped. The light was warm and comforting, filling his soul with a profound assurance of peace. He turned abruptly as a pillar of the most intricate stone rose from the surface of the glass to his left, releasing a globe of light that coalesced into a shield.

“The Power of Souls sleeps within you.”

Directly behind him after turning to view the pillar of stone, another pillar was heard emerging, revealing in its globe of light the form of a wizard's rod.

“If you give it form...”

A third pillar took the remaining location in a room, forming a triangle with the other two, releasing from its light a sword of the most incredible craftsmanship.

“It will give you strength.”

He realized he had to make a decision between the three weapons. He needed to choose which one to hold onto, and which one to cast away. He decided to test and see all the weapons. He walked up to the pillar that suspended the sword in the air.

“The power of the Warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction.”

He released the hilt of the magnificent mysterious blade, crossing the platform to hear the words of the inner voice about the shield, the weapon that was the first to manifest.

“The power of the Guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all.”

After taking a moment to test the feel of the weapon in his hands, he let it return to the pillar in its airborne suspension, walking to the pillar that held the rod.

“The power of the Mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin.”

Immediately he felt a surge of strength coming from the rod. It filled his body with a immaculate feeling of confidence. He turned to the sword, eager to choose that weapon first. But something within him desired the power of the Mystic. With a nod, he looked upwards at the beam of light as he held the rod in his hands. The rod vanished with a burst of light, and he felt the desire to choose the weapon he wished to discard. He looked at the sword with a loathing that was not of his own. Deciding to not question instinct as before, he walked and discarded the power of the Warrior.

Suddenly to Aiden's surprise, the pillars began to crack and crumble, tossing the elf to the ground from where he stood. He looked up in alarm as he watched the pillars sink back into the glass surface. The panel then began to shake over and over again, a fearful tremor that kept Aiden prostrate as he tried his best to hold on to a smooth surface. The earthquake caused the panel to shatter, making Aiden bellow in fear. The glass shards fell into the darkness around him, leaving no surface for him to stand. He no longer felt a solid surface, joining the shards with their descent into the unknown darkness. It was nothing but darkness until he saw another panel. This panel swam into his sight, shifting back and forth until it came in front of him clearly and vividly. This was of a different artwork. As he fell, he saw the image.

A depiction of Malaki was leaning against the circular form of the glass panel, arms folded and eyes closed as if in deep resolute thought. In the background of the panel was images of elves he couldn't recognize. He saw a female elf with her back turned to his guardian, a few elves of unknown ancestry wearing strange armor-like clothing, and above that the Royal Seal of the Forest, emblem of the Queen's honored. A silhouette behind the Seal most definitely appeared to be the Queen, filling Aiden with a sense of wonder.
Involuntarily he turned to land on his feet as the glass panel came within proximity. When he felt the solid surface, he walked forward on this new circular pane of glass, trying to once more determine his location. A globe of light surrounded his hand, and the Rod he chose from the earlier platform materialized in his hand.

“You've gained the power to fight.”

He spun the Rod in his hand, getting a feel for its use. After moving it around his hand to get used to it, he held it in the method of magic-users as he turned to witness a strange movement on the ground.

“There will be times you have to fight.”

The motion that was caught by his peripheral was a shadow, flat and 2-dimensional, until in manifested into solid form with its common palsied and jerky dance-like movements. It leapt back and forth.

“Keep your fire burning strong.”

Two more manifested themselves and launched their ink-black bodies to attack. Aiden cartwheeled and took the rod to their heads, hitting them as hard as he could and sending them back to the darkness where they came. The final one he slew melted into the ground upon its defeat, and left behind a rippling panel of darkness that was right in front of Aiden's feet. As Aiden watched, the panels began to erupt on the surface of the glass, swirling around and moving across the floor as they grew with intensity. Aiden leapt away from the shadows, only to step on a panel of darkness rippling behind him. When the darkness was directly beneath him, he fell in, the black liquid cold and clammy to the touch. It was like the thickness of mud, swirling around his body in vibrant glowing violet and pitch black. He tried to step out, lift a foot, perhaps manage a step forward, only to find out motion was bereft from him, and he sunk deeper into the darkness, now encompassing his torso and his left arm.

He looked down in horror as his body was fading from existence, He felt nothing beneath him but the bitter, frigid lifelessness of the liquid darkness. He began to struggle, gasping as his head went under, He submerged once, then twice, and then a third time. Soon he could not fight it, as there was no ground to support his form. He went under. He struggled to breathe, beating away the liquid darkness.

When his eyes opened, he was prostrate on another platform of glass, breathing heavily and realizing the blessing of having the ability to do so. His chest heaved rapidly in and out, trying to calm his over-reactive senses. He felt the cool, strangely smooth stained glass beneath him. Standing up to gaze at the glass that was beneath him, he gasped as he recognized yet another pattern.

The stained glass depiction beneath him was a illustration of himself. He was the center of the artwork, arms extended on either side of him like the branches of a tree. Behind him, a massive bird of pure flame extended its wings underneath the painted Aiden's arms, flying upward behind it as if his painting was flying with it. The bird's flames were crested over him like a mantle of crimson, all swirling around a central location at his chest – the location of his heart .On either side of the painted version of him, beneath the wings of flame and his arms, were various images enclosed in smaller circles. These images were bright and vibrant the closer they were to his arms, but as the descended away and were further from the wings and the painted Aiden's arms, they turned monochromatic, taking shades of grey over color. He saw images of a mushroom, an enormous tree and and a strange egg-like shape enclosing a sphere of swirling darkness on the right side of his arm, and he recognized a dragon, a blue sphere with green patterns scattered throughout it, and a sword underneath the painted left arm.

After studying the illustration of himself intently, he got up and walked forward to see a door of the most interesting woodwork. The handles were of the brightest metal, and the wood of the door inlaid with metallic filigrees and intricate patterns.

“Be careful. Beyond that door lies a completely different world.”

The door opened as he laid a hand on it, slowly to reveal an intense glowing light from within. The light was brighter than his eyes could take, causing him to grit his teeth in pain and shut his eye closest to the gleam. The door creaked and opened all the way, revealing nothing but a solid port of light. The closer he got, the warmer it became, dispelling all his fears. He stepped closer as the light began to shine brighter and wrap around his form. Then there was nothing but solid incandescent white. When images began to form from the bright whiteness, he found himself walking on another platform, as the light cleared. A disc of light from beneath him moved away from where he was standing, shooting at a brisk pace ahead. When it reached the edge of the glass platform and fell into the darkness beyond, stained glass steps manifested upward in the formation of a staircase, gleaming with the colors of the rainbow.

“But don't be afraid. Don't stop walking.”

He took a moment to glance at the new stained glass illustration, this time observing a depiction of the elf wizard that had attacked him and his companions. This time the wizard was in peaceful rest, eyes closed as he stood with arms crossed over his chest in the fashion of those that have passed on. On one side of him was a single wing of crimson flame, filling the empty panel to his right with orange and red. On the other side of him were nine silhouettes, elven in appearance, seemingly all important. Above his head in a halo was the silhouette of an elf female. Her arms outstretched in front of her as if she was reaching out to the wizard beneath her. Light radiated a shimmering gold from her form, slowly engulfed by fringing darkness in the painting.

After taking this moment to attempt to interpret the panel, he ran and took the hovering glass steps to a new location. The stairs coiled around each other in infinite dark space, leading Aiden to a new platform several feet above the earlier one. He stepped out onto the glass station and glanced around, once again curious of the new illustration. His mouth opened wide in wonder as he glanced over the glass art, this one ten times more beautiful then the others he had left behind. With a flash of silver light, the steps vanished behind him.

Stretched out in illustration before him was a glorious illustration of a winged being, covered in a most peculiar armor that seemed to fit his skin like a glove. It was fashioned in intricate depictions of arcane marvels, patterns of stars and images of stellar space that gathered around the muscular form of the winged man. A hoary beard came from his chin down to his chest, suggesting the role of a sage. The winged man's hands were at the small of his back, and his eyes were open, glittering with the desire for knowledge. All around this winged sage were similar images in smaller circular patterns that Aiden had seen in the illustration of himself.

“The closer you get to the fire, the greater your shadow becomes.”

He looked upward as the inner voice spoke to him, his eyes looking momentarily at the region of darkness that was previously occupied by the stairs. His shadow suddenly appeared drastically behind him, extending as far as it could, as it would during the sun's highest point in a normal day. It followed his movement until he turned completely around, then it removed itself from the ground by its own will, distorting and shifting as it changed dimensions. Aiden leapt away from the shadow form as it rose into the sky. He began to take steps back as the creature grew larger, augmented by the impenetrable darkness that surrounded the platform.

“But don't be afraid.”

Before him was a massive, muscular elf-like form of pure darkness, black skin as impenetrable as the abyss surrounding the glass platform. The legs were rather short, feet thin and curling upward like parchment. Huge, long muscular hands tipped with horrid wicked talons stretched to it's left and right, as Aiden continued to step backward. Two small twisted wings emerged and unfurled in the darkness behind the beast, but appeared to be vestigial and incapable of lifting a creature of such a massive girth into the sky. Aiden glanced at the beast's rippling chest, alarmed that he could see right through it. The creature had a large, heart-shaped hole in the abdominal area, a strange feature that penetrated straight through the creature's body from the front to the back. The creatures head was covered in dozens of twisted, shirting black tentacles, wrapped around its face and rippling outward as if testing the air. The tentacles were so thick and numerous that only the creature's small, glowing yellow eyes were visible. Aiden had to strain to see the creature's height, as tendrils whipped from its face.

“And don't forget...”

The elf began to sweat profusely, terrified of the titan creature of darkness before him. He cried out and decided to run in the other direction. He wanted to get as far as he could away from the creature. He ran until he stopped at the very edge of the platform. He forgot that the platform was small, and that there was nothing but a bottomless drop-off on all sides. He leaned backward to prevent his fall, and breathed a sigh of relief as he prevented a untimely descent. He turned to see the creature rise, four times as large as he was, preparing himself to fight.

The air shimmered around his hand as the rod returned to him from the station earlier, his choice of mastery from the three orders. He spun the rod and lowered it at his side preparing to use it as a tool of combat. Leaving no time for the creature to take first blood, Aiden roared and spun the rod around, using it to smash the creature's hand where it rested to hold itself upward. He hit the massive black appendage several times, avoiding the strikes of the ceature's other hand, forcing it to remove its hand in pain. Just as Aiden planned, the creature did not calculate the effects of gravity, and toppled over from the weight of its form unsupported by its thin legs.
Aiden took the rod to the creature's tentacled face as it lay prostrate in agony. Making sure to maintain distance from the creature's dangerous tentacles, it made sure strike as many times as it could before it rose from the ground, hoisting itself with a healed hand. Aiden looked on in horror as it appeared that he could not damage it with the rod. He somersaulted backward as the creature rose an enormous fist, striking the ground just moments where Aiden was once standing. To the elf's dismay, the rod disappeared in a silver globe of light, leaving him unarmed. The ground beneath him began to swirl in its liquid purple and black. All Aiden could see was the horrid face of the dark creature, swathed in the tendrils of darkness that made its hair, taking the appearance in similitude of the dreaded Queen of Statues.

“But don't be afraid.”

The shadows crawled on him like a million ants, engulfing his legs in the darkness once more.

“You hold the mightiest weapon of all.”

The massive black beast shifted in and out of pure shadow, covered in the purple and black of the dark ring beneath Aiden. It was all that was in his view as the panel of glass beneath him melted into darkness once more. He screamed as the shadows coated him, dragging him again into their abyss. The titanic creature weaved in and out of the air behind him, controlling the shadows that took away Aiden's form. He reached out as far as he could, hand in the air. Darkness enveloped it. The darkness then covered his face as he opened his mouth to scream, receiving only nothing but liquid shadow, filling his mouth, ears and eyes. He tried to free himself, but to no avail.

“The flame of worlds...the Phoenix Soul...”

Right as it seemed that all hope was lost, a small flame erupted from his fingertips, immediately encompassing his hand. The darkness forced itself away from it, hissing like steam as if evaporating in response to the powerful heat. The flame came down his arm and freed him from the darkness, then to his chest and legs. Soon the darkness was well beyond him, rising and twisting in agitation, unable to consume Aiden where he stood. The flame extended from his body like a pair of wings, rising and growing in intensity as the darkness began to vanish. The titanic creature covered its face, attempting to shield the radiance of the flames from its eyes.

“So don't forget.”

There was no darkness in the area. Aiden was suspended in an intense medium of solid light, covered by a bird-like manifestation of flames. The dark creature and its power of the shadows was wholly encompassed by Aiden's involuntarily command of the light and the flames. Aiden shrunk in a crouching form, knees and arms pulled into his chest. He returned to standing in the medium, throwing his arms and legs as far back as they could, releasing an aura of flames that burst from within, intensifying the light. Aiden fell back into unconsciousness as the vision ceased.

“You are the one who will restore the worlds...with the Flame of Souls...”

 

[Dark Hearts King]

EDIT: Double Post, save for next addition.

Sorry...