Revelation Of The Chosen (Book 1 of The Radiant Warrior Series)

Chapter 30: The Nylus Rainbow Scale

The water started to ripple faster but this time it was from his feet to the small island.

"Excellent! Soon this will all be over and I will be one step closer to what I want, to what I desire," said the Dark One with a separate purpose.

A massive silver rusty bridge rose slowly from the water which parted ways for it to rise. It caused the land to shiver. The bridge commenced from his feet straight to the island.

The bottom was sustained by gleaming coned shaped supports while spiralling arches encircled the bridge, giving it the appearance of a vortex.

He stepped onto the slippery and wet bridge with no problem. His fortifications were working.

"I am coming for you and nothing, not even the sacred protections of this land can prevent my victory."

When he reached half way, he heard the increasing sound of rushing water. He quickly turned around and noticed it was a wave of rampaging, swerving liquid, heading directly at him like angry warriors' intent on breaking down a door.

"This is their greatest defence? How poor," he said, unamused.

He faced it with no fear whatsoever.

He held up the ruby pendant and a burst of rampant burgundy fire soared from it and devoured the oncoming tidal wave with no sign of a struggle until there was nothing left but rising vapour.

He commenced down the damp bridge but this time with caution. Amphitryty had more tricks than a sorcerer.

The Dark One stepped foot on the island safely and vigilantly moved towards the shrine while watching the lanterns dance back and forth.

He was very leery of them. He felt something ominous projecting from them but what it was, he could not decipher.

He was before the shrine which was surrounded by green hedges on all sides. He walked up the small wooden steps until he neared the small picketed gates.

He carefully pushed the gates opened and witnessed an altar, situated in the middle of the shrine.

"I am here for you. You can feel my power, my pull. It will not do you any good to resist. I am too persuasive."

The altar was a long white pillar with four winding golden eels. On top of the altar sat a large, golden catfish holding a curving Rainbow Scale of a merman in its mouth.

The eyes of the catfish were sapphire and the Dark One could feel its stare peer through him like a knife to his heart like appendage.

It was cognisant about why he was there, but it was his prize, his prize for enduring Amphitryty and her treachery.

He disrespectfully wrenched the merman's scale out of its mouth while he scowled at it with pleasure as it whimpered.

"Thank you and as I promised, you will survive. I depart and you will never see this again."

A spiral stream of water burst from behind the altar and there drifted Amphitryty.

She shouted, "Give back my father's scale or else you will take your last breath, right here, right now."

"This scale is very valuable to me. It is one of the items which are as old as the great Hyods themselves and I have no plans of releasing it back to you," he replied, pointing to her.

She was wondering how he survived the bridge, but that was who he was, a survivor.

This scale, her father's very scale was extremely important to the Empire of Light. If it fell into the wrong hands then the world would tremble at the Messiah of Darkness' feet.

"Return it at this instant," she howled.

She seemed dammed if she would let him take it without a fight but her tricks were just that, tricks. She had to be cognisant that he could control her once more like a puppet with no say.

"Like your fish friend there, you should adhere to what I say," he replied devilishly.

"As you say, I have no intensions of doing any of the sorts," she replied.

Amphitryty hissed at him while her long red hair took life and attempted to reach his neck but he swayed away like a fish from her hair's grasp as he moved backwards.

He laughed at her attempts. "Thank you for the Rainbow Scale. I am sure your sisters will never let you here the end of this."

He commenced towards the shrine gates, ignoring her screeches and screams.

"Come back here! Return my father's scale to its rightful resting place."

Amphitryty's eyes glowed green and she aimed them at the lanterns outside, left and right. She closed the gates of the shrine with her mind and the Dark One stopped in his track.

He turned his attention to the dancing eel lanterns which now materialized into the shrine leaving behind their post.

"What's this, more buffoonery," said the Dark One, finding her attempts laughable.

The lanterns stopped dancing and transformed into grander eels while exposing their razor-sharp teeth and anger it seems.

Thick red fire began bursting out into a spiralling formation from their mouths. They were headed for his heart while others aimed for the walls of the shrine, burning it with him inside.

His earlier suspicions about the ominous lanterns were correct. They were precautions against those like him.

"There attempts will be in vain."