Chapter 17

‘What do you mean’ I asked confused, ‘what don’t I know about Serafin?’

‘Oh Farren, Farren, Farren, Farren’ Aborwrath said, ‘there's so much you don’t know about her’

‘I know’ I said, ‘everyone has secrets though it may be harder to keep them since-’ I stopped something told me that revealing that piece of information was a very bad idea.   

‘What?’ Aborwrath said brows raised, ‘is there something your not telling me.’

‘Aborwrath’ I said, ‘either tell me what you have to say or kill me, but don’t prolong this.’

‘Oh you’re a feisty one aren’t you’ she said smiling.

‘Aborwrath I’m not playing this game’ I said anger biting into my words, 'either tell me or I walk outside and we see what happens.’ 

Aborwrath stopped smiling she dropped the persona, ‘you're no fun’ she said standing ‘i'm going to show you Serafin’s true nature, then you can go home with a peace offer.’ 

‘What do you mean her true nature?’ I asked.

‘You’ll see’ Aborwrath said.

Then that strange black almost misty subscene started to flow around Aborwrath and me, I could smell the sickly sweet smell of burning flesh things slowly some in to focus smoke and shadows first vague running shapes the buildings rose smoke and shadow at first, then they solidified I was in a street a large one and people were running, running and screaming, there were some sort of ship and people where running but there were too many in the crowd of people, they were crushing and soforcationg each over in there rush to get to the ships.

They had to be running from something I looked around there was evidence of destruction everywhere she choking smoke, debris and ash I could see the fallen skyscraper, then I heard a roar a familiar one I saw another building collapse, I heard screams and earth-shattering impact as the building hit the ground a second later the wave of dust and debris hit the ground I heard more screams as the crowd was further condensed, some people where outright crushed by the crowd people where suffocating on the ash and dust I couldn’t see anything through the dust and ash I heard more distant screams then he saw a silhouette, it was backlit by the sun it was thirty meats tall.

The ships started to take off a hand emerged from the dust cloud and it cleared, Serafin stood there she watched as the ships started to take off, she seemed strangely calm. Then she roared again and tore a chunk out of the nearest building.

I could feel her rage her anger and something else, but I knew what she was going to do, ‘Serafin no’ I shouted ‘no don’t.’

She threw it impacted the rear of the ship and they both collided in a spectacular explosion. Killing everyone who had been close to the ships and the shrapnel impaled countless others the people tried to escape clambering over their friends and family's dead bodies, trying to escape most of the buildings where at Serafin’s height she smashed a hand into one of the buildings and shoved it to the side. There was a creaking as the top of the building collapsed, people tried to move tried to run but there was nowhere to go it fell crushing and injuring hundreds of people.

I fell to my knees ‘no no no no Serafin  no why.’

And still, the rage boiled inside her.

Could feel the tears smell the fire and ash smell the sweat and blood and then everyone started running and still screaming Serafin just started destroying buildings, taking chunks out of them and throwing them not caring where they landed she crushed people beneath her feet and toppled buildings all the time roaring her rage to the uncheering sky.

I felt cold inside everting faded to black, then mist dissipated then I was laying on the ground.

I shook my head, I could feel the tears again I looked up at Aborwrath,  ‘that, that didn’t happen no there's no way your lying to me’ I shouted, ‘lying to me.’

‘I'm not you can ask her yourself’ Aborwrath said in a flat monotone, ‘I don't think you’ll like the answer.’

I felt the rage build up inside, ‘no you, your lying’ I shouted I knew he was not lying, but deep down I wanted it to not be true.

‘I’m officially done with this, your all so emotional it’s irritating’ Aborwrath said she flicked her hand.

I fell through the darkness I couldn’t tell how for how long and then I was back in the area that was cleared for the forward operating base, the moon was high and I could hear crickets chirping I felt Serafin’s presents again next to mine warm and familiar, she reached out and I recoiled she must have known something was wrong.

Farren, I heard her voice in my head she sounded overjoyed and worried, your back after the others Runetide and she stopped, what's wrong I could feel the trepidation.

I had seen Serafin do those things, I showed her what I had seen I felt her horror and at that moment I knew what Aborwrath had shown me was true, then I thought if she could move me what about Luna, Runetide, Alex, Arious, Quinn did she move them to?

Who is luna? Serafin surprised me.

What, why were you looking in my head?

Who is luna? Serafin was sounding very aggressive.

Serafin I thought, we had a rule we don’t go around looking in each other's heads.

Do you love her?

What? Serafin, I don’t know what you mean

I've seen in your head she seemed truly angry it felt like an inferno in my head, would just leave me for a pretty Lycanthrope girl?

Serafin, what are you talking about?

I'm in your head I know how you feel, you go for three days and meet someone else and what you just forget me?

No Serafin you don’t understand that’s not-

Don’t lie to me she roared I've seen inside your head you wanna lick her pussy huh your just about the right hight too.

I was angry now you looked in my head, that was a rule and you just broke it, why? just to make your self feel better now you can blame me for something to does that make feel better? do you feel good now? coz I feel like shit I was shouting now but not out loud the tears were real enough why would you do that?

Serafin cut the connection.

I completely broke down I was a sobbing mess I just fell to the ground I just let it out.

God I thought, I’m crying again for the third time today why, why, why?

I just lay there for a while until it just stopped, until I had nothing left, but all the time I kept thinking why, why would Serafin do that? how could she do that? I thought back to after the battle at the portal more specifically the day after how could she the Serafin I know do that?

Serafin sat there unmoving muttering to herself, ‘Why did I do that again I just gave her a weapon again after last time’ she looked up to the stars and answered herself, ‘because he was small he was kinda cute but also because he reacted differently, he didn’t try to attack me or run away, in fact, he helped me’ she sighed, ‘I promised myself but now it's too late now he hates me’ Serafin stood chose a random direction and started walking tears in her eyes, ‘this won't happen again not to someone I know.’

I sat there alone and confused, where did I go when he needed help and advice? I stood knowing where I would go I began the long trip home.

I didn’t know what to think he was confused and this was the last thing I needed to have my head in the game and with the invasion so close this was the last thing I needed, so I walked my legs hurt but I ignored it just thinking to myself.

Aborwrath smiled to herself, she didn’t genuinely smile often but watching this, It did bright a smile to her face.

Interlude 4

The camp was gone Dante had not liked anyone there, but still, the loss of life was regrettable there weren't many bodys which meant a very slow and painful death they, all removed their helmets locking to two pieces back together then mag locking them to their left thighs.

‘Any luck on locating the others? Dante asked, ‘whoever brought us together did so for a reason and I'm guessing it wasn't to play checkers, I think we may all have posed a threat we need to regroup’

‘Good news on that I have located Runetide’ Uriel said, urgently.

‘How?’ Dante asked.

‘We are linked it took me some time but that’s because they are both in Archericon.’

‘Shit, how are we meant to get there with the insurrection doing whatever there trying to do, and the fact that Archasia and Archericon don’t exactly get along, how do we get across?’ Sol was almost angry. 

‘Runetide said she will come pick us up she says something big is coming up, there going to need everyone for this one but me may need to split up.’

‘Huh, so we split up why? and what's this big event coming up?’ Luna asked ‘also hows Farren?’ she asked this after as if she didn't want to seem too concerned.

‘To answer your first Question’ Uriel said, ‘yes I will be going to Archericon with Runetide, to answer your second question Aborwrath has an army and the running theory is that we are all in some way or another posed a threat to her and she pulled us together to kill us. To answer your third question Farren arrived back later than us and his reunion with Serafin shows us that Aborwrath was pulling the strings.’

‘But then she just didn’t kill us?’ Sol sounded confused, ‘but why?’

‘Got no idea’ Uriel said shrugging, ‘according to Runetide she loves to play games so I suppose its just part of her game, but I have had luck with Arious I know where he lives.’

‘Let me guess Runetide’ Luna smiled.

Uriel bushed.

‘That looks to be everything’ Sol said standing, ‘luckily there’s plenty of ammo for our guns stacked here and’ she said hefting a create ‘I found all the stuff I need to fix my gear imagine trying to fight a dragon with no ammo, no gun and half your armour missing.’

‘That would not be fun,’ said Arious from behind them.  

Peace talks on the continent of Archasia

The talks were not going well the prime minister of Archasia considered himself a very open man, but even he did not like the prime minister of Archericon. He looked like a jovial man round red face liked to laugh a lot but he was not a nice man the prime minister of Archasia sat back in his chair he was a thin man with a very serious face and long fingers, he didn’t look like a family man who would tell dad jokes but he did. They were seated in his office next to each other on comfortable chairs they were talking about letting in dragons to the Archericon territory, no one was privy to there conversations they were privet

‘So you want to make some of the scaled bests onto our territory?’ the prime minister of Archericon laughed, ‘my dear man I wouldn’t let them in if satan himself were invading.’ he chuckled to himself.

‘But you don’t understand’ the prime minister of Archaisa said ‘what if something happens? I know this will sound strange, but the dragons are becoming restless and the insurgency that what there calling themselves they are becoming more active, they say somethings coming all I'm saying is consider it dragons may be helpful.’

‘What? your take the words of these overgrown lizards and some overzealous humans who think killing other people will help them? propitious’

The Archasian president noted that the other prime minister like that word a lot and he didn’t like dragons, but also that he was holding something back, there was something he wasn't being told and in the allotted hour he didn’t find out, but he left the Archasian prime minister with one final word.

‘You know we are only alive because of a dragon?’

The other prime minister didn’t reply to this, he just walked out.

This left prime minister of Acrhaisa worried, he had heard things and nothing the Archericon prime minister said confirmed anything.