Golden Dawn

|Chapter 38 ~ Prince Of Night|

Statera.

It was the land described only by ambitious scholars and some who claimed knowledge of its borders in ancient scrolls and parchment. Yet here we were. Only a step away from entering the sacred country that was treaded by the very first Lesphares aeons ago.

It was absolutely magnificent. Each tree, every blade of grass. Even the very earth below hummed with song. The landscape appeared clear and colourful, so much so I almost thought an invisible veil had been draped over the realm that somehow enhanced my vision. A line of enormous trees towered over us, forming a border between the dead valley and the unknown that lay beyond. The trees were gigantic, the biggest I ever saw.

In front of the undergrowth waited Angelus. The Defender looked tired, but his posture did not give away any signs of exhaustion as he guarded the body behind him. Ferîan lay on his back and my heart contracted at how deathly sick the Lepshares looked in the shadows of the trees.

Quîncîn - at the sight of the Angelus - growled for us to increase our pace. The Lesphares hadn't  said anything while we travelled, not since he spoke to Angelus. I was suddenly aware of the deathly calm demeanour the Lesphares radiated from every ounce of his being. The sight of Ferîan's horrible state smeared off on us all, but Quîncîn appeared much more anxious than the rest. Angelus had perfected the art of keeping his features schooled, not ever giving away what he truly felt beneath his well war-crafted facade.

Quîncîn however still struggled at control. He was much more emotive and bold than one would expect and the observation somehow made me relieved. Gratified that I was not the only one who felt constantly slaved to my emotions.

"Damn..." Jacob whispered. "I don't think I've ever seen a forest quite so large..."

Christa nodded, her eyes wide in complete awe. Even though the forest absolutely fascinated me, my gaze was not focused on the giant trees anymore. I was looking through the very bush and into the forest's heart. My own raced when I caught a flash of silver. It was so quick I thought I must have imagined it.

"The rest are already leaving."

I jumped when Lex suddenly spoke right next to me. I turned to look at her and was immediately stunned by her serious expression.

"Artemisia what happened back there... we need to talk about it." She stated, eyes guarded and tense. My nails started to dig into my skin. No matter how hard I tried, the way I felt in that moment I saved Ferîan was embedded in my blood and flesh. I didn't think I would ever forget. 

"We are... concerned. We never saw something quite as horrifying, especially because it doesn't make any sense at all." 

Lex closed the space between us and I felt my entire body turn rigid. "Your transformation could change this entire war Artemisia."

The silence was terrifying. Not even the whisk of leaves nor the murmur of a river filled the late afternoon air. The nothingness hurt my ears and I hated the way it seemed to force unwanted recollections into my mind I rather would have kept buried otherwise.

My transformation.

Lex's words felt surreal, but somewhere at the back of my mind I could somehow comprehend what she meant. What happened to me never transpired before. Not in all the time Aliums had lived on Nova Terra. My mere existence could cause absolute chaos and distraught to the entire world and its people. Both for earth and the Lespharian realm.

A tingling sensation traveled down my back, a reminder of the creature I had transformed into mere hours before. Something that wasn't me. A monster.

Just when Lex wanted to say something else, Angelus called us in a rigid voice that forced my mind back to our current reality.

Ferîan.

God, his condition troubled me. Every step we took did not nearly feel quick enough, our progress so slow I was frustrated out of my mind. Even though Angelus convinced us Ferîan would stay alive longer than any normal Lepshares would - thanks to his freezing ability that somehow managed to halt the poison's spread and blood loss - the near-dead Lesphares still made me cold with sweat.

I couldn't however - no matter how troubled - take my eyes off our surroundings. The forest was otherworldly beautiful. Each fern and patch of moss so bright and green with pigmentation that it caused the entire wood to glow. The forest also seemed to shimmer with a blue radiance that came from the very barks that held up the roof of leaves above us.

The undergrowth had a strange feel to it. Every plant and rock seemed to thrive  with energy and vitality. An uneven pulse raced through the ground and up my legs with each step I took. Now and then I heard the flutter of wings. Wether the creatures sheltering behind the thick branches were dangerous or tame - I had no idea. Each living being besides us seemed to have hidden themselves far away from prying eyes, the notion somehow making me even more restless.

After a while of walking we finally managed to find a river bank we could set up camp next to. Angelus and Quîncîn immediately began tending to Ferîan's wounds while the rest of us scouted for whatever source of food one could find in a century old - alien forest. Our search ultimately provided us only with a minuscule amount of sweet berries and strange glowing mushrooms that I felt very wary to eat.

When night fell, the forest around us exploded into every colour and radiance I could imagine. The very grass glowed emerald and a blue hue hovered in-between the trees like an odd fog of sorts. I began to focus on the geographical landscape around me as we settled down for the night and realized we were slowly traveling up a mount that left my calves and feet burning.

While we prepared our sleeping arrangements, no one spoke. We were all far too exhausted and tense thanks to everything that has happened. Not even Christa managed to find something entertaining to say.

Angelus took first watch while the rest of us went to bed and even though I felt like sleep would find me as soon as I closed my eyes, I still managed to steal a glimpse at the Defender. 

He was staring up at the starry sky above. Even though the trees provided almost no clear view of the ether, the leafy roof pried a little open with each mile we made it uphill. The billions of lights were stark through the trees, glittering in all the hues of silver I could think of. It was this exact colour that now fell on Angelus' face.

I observed in wonder. The starlight made his hair glitter and crimson eyes shine. He looked utterly beautiful. As if his entire appearance truly came to justice underneath the gentle glow of the stars and moons.

An angel of night, a prince of the stunning darkness.

I couldn't remember when my eyes finally fell closed. All I could see was the image of Angelus, still gazing up at the heavens like he could see right past the very galaxies.