Digimon Fan Fiction ❯ The Children Of Fate ❯ 10 ( Chapter 11 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: moose_of_doom 
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.01.2005 | Pages: 8 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 244 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Digimon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Romance | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.01.2005 | Pages: 8 | Words: 3.2K | Visits: 244 | Status: Completed
Chapter 10:
*********
The puddle was muddy, lukewarm, and smelt like something had crawled into it and died.
To Michael, it looked like an oasis. He half-collapsed beside it, and scooped some of the disgusting water into his mouth. Ignoring the impulse to gag, he continued to drink until his thirst was slaked.
He lay back against the rock at the side of the puddle, and put his head back. He knew he was near now. The end was in sight. The only thing he couldn’t predict was how the others would react to his presence in the group again. Davis, he knew, would accept him, if only for the news of Kari that he would bring. The troopers though… he had been the cause of their leader’s death.
But he couldn’t stop. He had to keep going, for as long as it took. He got to his feet again, wincing as the movement pulled at the wound in his chest. His head felt faint, but he resolutely carried on walking.
=============================================================
TK was sleeping near the entrance to the chamber, Tasha with her head on his shoulder, when they heard the scratching. One of the blonde man’s eyes crept open, and his head twitched slightly as he listened to the strange sounds.
“TK?” Tasha said sleepily. “What is it?”
“I don’t know.” He said quietly.
Gently he helped her lean away from him, and stood, allowing his senses to reach out into the cavern. He felt, rather than saw, the hole in the wall, as the chip of stone fell away. He moved quickly over to the chink of light, as Tasha, giving up on any notion of sleep, got to her feet and followed him. A small, snub-nosed face appeared at the peephole, and looked at him intently.
“TK?”
“Patomon? How the hell did you get in there.”
“We broke out of our cell. We don’t know how long it is until they find out though.”
“You’d better get the hell out of here, then.”
“Huh?”
“Wussuh? Who are you guys talking to?” came Tai’s voice.
“Tai, get over here. The Digimon have escaped.”
The older man got to his feet, groaning slightly as his muscles began to ache.
“Is it me, or does history seem to be repeating?”
“No time for that now, Tai. What do you think.”
Tai glanced down at the little peephole.
“TK’s right. Get the hell out of here. If you can avoid being captured again, we can meet up with you when the time comes. You can report back to us when you find something useful.”
Patomon nodded slightly.
“Do you guys want to speak to your Digimon before we go?”
Tai glanced around at the sleeping Digidestined. All of them, except Kari, seemed to only be sleeping lightly.
“Everyone except Kari. Taythe gave her a roughing up, and she needs to recover.”
“No. That’s not it.” Came a new voice.
“Gatomon?”
“No, it’s the friggin’ Easter bunny. Of course Gatomon! And Kari’s not just recovering. She’s getting some reassurance.”
“I don’t suppose you’re gonna explain that?”
“If I knew, I’d tell you.”
Tai sighed.
“Somehow I knew you were gonna say that.”
=============================================================
The dream had returned again, and once again, Taythe was unprepared for it. Her longsword was in her hands, as she swung blindly at the figures who surrounded here, the shadowfigures who haunted her nights, and even her days with their creepings. She felt the bladed dig deep into their huddled masses, but there were always more of them, hissing, snarling fiends that tore at her cloak and hair, trying to reach her flesh. She ducked blindly away from them , and backed off, finally coming to the resistance of a wall behind her.
And then her was there, the figure walking among the shadows, unafraid of them. His sword was sheathed this time, and he crowd of shadows drew back, warily circling him. Finally, as one, they charged him.
The Golden-Bladed Katana whistled from its scabbard in a single movement, as Davis span, the bladed cutting through the shadows like a knife through warm butter. From the power of that single strike, the shadows vanished, to be replaced by a gleaming whiteness. The sense of Peace pervaded Taythe’s mind, as Davis sheathed the sword at his waist, and turned to look at her, a look of kindness in eyes that betrayed maturity far beyond the years that were apparent on his face.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this, little sister.” He said quietly.
“Why you call me that? I hate you! I hate you with every ounce of my being!”
“Now, if that were true, then I couldn’t be here. Why do you hate?”
“My Hatred gives me strength.”
“True strength will never come from Hatred, Taythe. I should think that you know that by know.”
He turned his back to her, and started to walk away. Taythe ran at him, plunging the longsword at the unprotected expanse of his back.
He slid aside from the blow, and allowed her to carry on past him, to turn and stand in front of him.
“You can’t stop me leaving, you know. I’m not even here.” He said in an amused tone.
“You’re dead…” She whispered. “I killed you…”
“No. That wasn’t my fate. It doesn’t have to be yours either.”
She spat on the ground at his feet at that sentiment. He sighed.
“I’m not asking you to swerve from your path, Taythe. All I’m asking you to do is think about why you walk it.”
And then he was gone, leaving only the sensation of peace that she fought to keep out of her mind once more.
=============================================================
Derron continued to stare at the door long after Gennai had departed, his mind racing over what the young/old man had said.
The Paladin, still alive? A part of his had suspected it, but he had never thought that it would come back to haunt him so quickly. His mind ran over the possibilities before he came to his decision. Going into the next room, he gently shook Taythe into wakefulness, smiling slightly as the dark haired girl came back to life.
“Huh? Father? What’s wrong?”
“I just had a visitation, young lady.”
She gazed at him, incomprehensibly. He rolled his eyes.
“Don’t you see? It was Gennai.”
“What? But how did he get past the defences?”
“It seems that he had permission. He also told me something interesting.”
Her dark eyes fixed on him.
“He told you that Daisuke is still alive.”
He froze.
“How did you know that, Taythe?”
“I’ve been having… dreams.”
Derron settled back against the wall that bordered with her bed.
“So… the time has finally come.”
“The time for what?”
“You weren’t destined to kill Daisuke on that Snowfield, Taythe. I’ve suspected it for a while now, but you were destined to WIN that fight. It had to happen.”
“Why, father? Why couldn’t I kill him then?”
“Because Daisuke is like you now. He is no longer confined by the restraints of fate. The future of both the digital world and the human world will not be decided by the higher powers, but by you two, with your swords. The one who wins will be the writer of this worlds fate.”
He smiled, and laughed suddenly. Taythe, Taken aback by the sudden sound, stared at his as if he’d gone mad. When his laughter subsided, he patted her on the shoulder.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to alarm you. I’ve just got to admire the way that Gennai and his master have played this game. They even managed to manipulate me into the correct position. I’m laughing because I’m not the one who had to do all that work!”
Taythe thought about it, and then she to laughed.
“So all this time, we’ve just been letting them do all the work for us? I like it!”
Derron wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
“Heh… now, we need to upscale the Oridian mining, though. We need enough of it to open the gate. Only the Digidestined have enough internal energy to handle it. When we detonate that stuff…”
“The gate to the dark ocean will open, and we’ll have won.”
=============================================================
“So, here we are.”
“Erm… yeah, why ARE you here, Ichiro?”
“What, I cant visit my prospective great-Granddaughter-in-law?”
Kari fixed him with a look, which he returned blandly. Finally, however, he folded under her gaze.
“Alright, Alright…Gods, now I know how you keep Davis under your thumb.”
He sighed.
“I’m here to help you get through your doubts. There are some things you need to see, and they may not be pleasant.”
“I’m not afraid.”
“I know. I am.”
=============================================================
The scene changed to a plateau in the digital world. across the expanse of rock, two men faced each other. Both were cloaked, and both, in their hands, held a Katana. One of the figures Kari recognised, for she stood next to his spirit at that very moment, and she could see the golden-bladed Katana that her own lover had wielded in the hand of the image in front of her.
The second man looked like Ichiro, only slightly older. On his face there was a grim smile, and held loosely in his right hand was a familiar weapon – the silver katana that Tetsato Dartha had given to TK.
“Is there no other way?” Ichiro asked his brother.
Taneka grinned wryly.
“Sorry little brother. I don’t have a choice any more.”
“Of course you do, Taneka!”
“No, I don’t. After you left, and before I could follow, Father made me swear the blood oath. I have to obey him, no matter what I feel.”
He lifted his Katana in a negligent gesture, and assumed a ready stance.
“Only one of us can walk away from this, my Brother.”
“I know.” Ichiro said bitterly, assuming his own stance.
The two brothers ran at each other, their blades swinging up to meet in mid air. The clash of steel in the evening light sounded like thunder in Kari’s ears. The two regarded each other over their crossed blades, and smiled.
“If it has to be done, Taneka, lets do it right.” Ichiro murmured.
“Aye. That we will, Ichiro.”
They spun away, sweeping their cloaks away from their bodies in one swift movement, leaving them in the plain robes of a warrior. Before the cloaks had even touched the ground, Ichiro was spinning into a low cut at his brother’s chest, lethally fast.
Taneka met the blow straight on, and the duel continued.
Kari tore her eyes away from the battle to look at her companion. The real Ichiro’s eyes were fixed on the duel, on his brother’s face. Tears showed at the corners of those eyes.
“Why are you showing me this, Ichiro?”
“Because you need to see what really happened between me and Taneka. If you are to understand Derron’s weaknesses, you must first recognise where his strength comes from. This was the last time me and my brother ever met.”
Kari turned her eyes back to the duel, in time to see Ichiro hastily dodge a swipe that Taneka aimed at his neck. The young man stumbled, and fell to the ground. Taneka leapt forward, his sword poised at his brother’s throat.
“Get up.” He snarled.
“Finish it, Taneka. You’ve won.”
“Don’t be so weak! Get up!”
Ichiro, a puzzled look on his face, got to is feet, his Katana dangling loosely in his hand. Taneka hooked the golden bald against his silver one, and pushed the blade upwards so that Ichiro was once again forced to look at his brother past the crossed swords.
Again, Taneka smiled, gently this time, and when he spoke, his voice was filled with love.
“One of us has to walk away from this, Ichiro. And it has to be you.”
“Taneka…”
“Shut up and listen, little brother. When you first started sneaking out of the castle to be with Arra, I could feel that something was shifting in this world. I stood beside you at your wedding to her, remember? I walked her down the aisle to you. I spoke on your behalf. I knew then that you were going to change the world, my brother, and that I would just try to live in it.”
He closed his eyes as e spoke.
“But there can’t be two of us in this world, Ichiro. So long as you and I are alive, we could be used against each other. When you kill me, you cut loose the last restraint between you and Father. I just need to ask one favour of you. Tell my Wife how I died. Tell her I died to save this world.”
“Taneka, no!”
“Promise me, Ichiro!”
The younger mans eyes brimmed with tears as he gripped his Katanas hilt in an iron hand.
“I promise, big brother. I love you.”
Taneka smiled, and pushed with his sword, making Ichiro back off. He began to run at his brother, his sword held ready for a lethal strike.
Ichiro sidestepped the downswing of the sword, and dropped. Spinning, he swept his brothers legs out from under him, and raised his Sword. Taneka looked up at him, and only love was apparent in the other man’s eyes.
“Remember me, Ichiro.”
The golden blade stabbed downwards once, with a ring of finality.
=============================================================
Ichiro’s eyes were downcast as the scene faded into the nothingness of the dreamscape.
“I’m sorry.” Kari said, knowing that the words would never be enough for the warrior.
“Don’t be. Taneka made his choice. And that’s what you have to do now, Kari. You need to decide whether you’re going to fight on, or give up.”
She looked up into his eyes.
“I’m going to fight, Ichiro.”
He smiled.
“Did Daisuke ever tell you how I received the Paladin sword?”
“No.”
“Gennai came to me in a dream, and presented it to me.”
Ichiro reached behind his back, and drew two short daggers. They shone in the misty light, seeming to gleam with souls of their own.
“These are for you. When you wake up, they’ll be in your hands. Hide them well, Hikari.”
“I will. Ichiro…”
“Yeah?”
“How’s Davis?”
“Oh, he’s just fine. My wife’s dealing with him. He’ll be waking up any time soon.”
“Thankyou.”
“You’re welcome.”
His voice faded into nothing, as she closed her hand on the daggers, and the dreamscape faded away.
She woke up, and the sheathed daggers were in her hands. Smiling, she stood, and slipped them into place underneath her shirt at the small of her back.
“Now its your turn, Davis.”
=============================================================
Michael stumbled against the entrance to the cave, his legs finally giving way underneath him. Looking up at the sky, he muttered a silent apology to the people back at Taythe’s fortress, and slumped back against the rock.
He closed his eyes, and began to slip away.
The sound of footsteps brought him back to his senses, and he painfully opened his eyes again.
To look straight into the face of a Ghost. The spectre opened it’s mouth, and began to speak to him.
“Jesus, me old son, but don’t you look a mess?” Liam said.
=============================================================
*********
The puddle was muddy, lukewarm, and smelt like something had crawled into it and died.
To Michael, it looked like an oasis. He half-collapsed beside it, and scooped some of the disgusting water into his mouth. Ignoring the impulse to gag, he continued to drink until his thirst was slaked.
He lay back against the rock at the side of the puddle, and put his head back. He knew he was near now. The end was in sight. The only thing he couldn’t predict was how the others would react to his presence in the group again. Davis, he knew, would accept him, if only for the news of Kari that he would bring. The troopers though… he had been the cause of their leader’s death.
But he couldn’t stop. He had to keep going, for as long as it took. He got to his feet again, wincing as the movement pulled at the wound in his chest. His head felt faint, but he resolutely carried on walking.
=============================================================
TK was sleeping near the entrance to the chamber, Tasha with her head on his shoulder, when they heard the scratching. One of the blonde man’s eyes crept open, and his head twitched slightly as he listened to the strange sounds.
“TK?” Tasha said sleepily. “What is it?”
“I don’t know.” He said quietly.
Gently he helped her lean away from him, and stood, allowing his senses to reach out into the cavern. He felt, rather than saw, the hole in the wall, as the chip of stone fell away. He moved quickly over to the chink of light, as Tasha, giving up on any notion of sleep, got to her feet and followed him. A small, snub-nosed face appeared at the peephole, and looked at him intently.
“TK?”
“Patomon? How the hell did you get in there.”
“We broke out of our cell. We don’t know how long it is until they find out though.”
“You’d better get the hell out of here, then.”
“Huh?”
“Wussuh? Who are you guys talking to?” came Tai’s voice.
“Tai, get over here. The Digimon have escaped.”
The older man got to his feet, groaning slightly as his muscles began to ache.
“Is it me, or does history seem to be repeating?”
“No time for that now, Tai. What do you think.”
Tai glanced down at the little peephole.
“TK’s right. Get the hell out of here. If you can avoid being captured again, we can meet up with you when the time comes. You can report back to us when you find something useful.”
Patomon nodded slightly.
“Do you guys want to speak to your Digimon before we go?”
Tai glanced around at the sleeping Digidestined. All of them, except Kari, seemed to only be sleeping lightly.
“Everyone except Kari. Taythe gave her a roughing up, and she needs to recover.”
“No. That’s not it.” Came a new voice.
“Gatomon?”
“No, it’s the friggin’ Easter bunny. Of course Gatomon! And Kari’s not just recovering. She’s getting some reassurance.”
“I don’t suppose you’re gonna explain that?”
“If I knew, I’d tell you.”
Tai sighed.
“Somehow I knew you were gonna say that.”
=============================================================
The dream had returned again, and once again, Taythe was unprepared for it. Her longsword was in her hands, as she swung blindly at the figures who surrounded here, the shadowfigures who haunted her nights, and even her days with their creepings. She felt the bladed dig deep into their huddled masses, but there were always more of them, hissing, snarling fiends that tore at her cloak and hair, trying to reach her flesh. She ducked blindly away from them , and backed off, finally coming to the resistance of a wall behind her.
And then her was there, the figure walking among the shadows, unafraid of them. His sword was sheathed this time, and he crowd of shadows drew back, warily circling him. Finally, as one, they charged him.
The Golden-Bladed Katana whistled from its scabbard in a single movement, as Davis span, the bladed cutting through the shadows like a knife through warm butter. From the power of that single strike, the shadows vanished, to be replaced by a gleaming whiteness. The sense of Peace pervaded Taythe’s mind, as Davis sheathed the sword at his waist, and turned to look at her, a look of kindness in eyes that betrayed maturity far beyond the years that were apparent on his face.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this, little sister.” He said quietly.
“Why you call me that? I hate you! I hate you with every ounce of my being!”
“Now, if that were true, then I couldn’t be here. Why do you hate?”
“My Hatred gives me strength.”
“True strength will never come from Hatred, Taythe. I should think that you know that by know.”
He turned his back to her, and started to walk away. Taythe ran at him, plunging the longsword at the unprotected expanse of his back.
He slid aside from the blow, and allowed her to carry on past him, to turn and stand in front of him.
“You can’t stop me leaving, you know. I’m not even here.” He said in an amused tone.
“You’re dead…” She whispered. “I killed you…”
“No. That wasn’t my fate. It doesn’t have to be yours either.”
She spat on the ground at his feet at that sentiment. He sighed.
“I’m not asking you to swerve from your path, Taythe. All I’m asking you to do is think about why you walk it.”
And then he was gone, leaving only the sensation of peace that she fought to keep out of her mind once more.
=============================================================
Derron continued to stare at the door long after Gennai had departed, his mind racing over what the young/old man had said.
The Paladin, still alive? A part of his had suspected it, but he had never thought that it would come back to haunt him so quickly. His mind ran over the possibilities before he came to his decision. Going into the next room, he gently shook Taythe into wakefulness, smiling slightly as the dark haired girl came back to life.
“Huh? Father? What’s wrong?”
“I just had a visitation, young lady.”
She gazed at him, incomprehensibly. He rolled his eyes.
“Don’t you see? It was Gennai.”
“What? But how did he get past the defences?”
“It seems that he had permission. He also told me something interesting.”
Her dark eyes fixed on him.
“He told you that Daisuke is still alive.”
He froze.
“How did you know that, Taythe?”
“I’ve been having… dreams.”
Derron settled back against the wall that bordered with her bed.
“So… the time has finally come.”
“The time for what?”
“You weren’t destined to kill Daisuke on that Snowfield, Taythe. I’ve suspected it for a while now, but you were destined to WIN that fight. It had to happen.”
“Why, father? Why couldn’t I kill him then?”
“Because Daisuke is like you now. He is no longer confined by the restraints of fate. The future of both the digital world and the human world will not be decided by the higher powers, but by you two, with your swords. The one who wins will be the writer of this worlds fate.”
He smiled, and laughed suddenly. Taythe, Taken aback by the sudden sound, stared at his as if he’d gone mad. When his laughter subsided, he patted her on the shoulder.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to alarm you. I’ve just got to admire the way that Gennai and his master have played this game. They even managed to manipulate me into the correct position. I’m laughing because I’m not the one who had to do all that work!”
Taythe thought about it, and then she to laughed.
“So all this time, we’ve just been letting them do all the work for us? I like it!”
Derron wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
“Heh… now, we need to upscale the Oridian mining, though. We need enough of it to open the gate. Only the Digidestined have enough internal energy to handle it. When we detonate that stuff…”
“The gate to the dark ocean will open, and we’ll have won.”
=============================================================
“So, here we are.”
“Erm… yeah, why ARE you here, Ichiro?”
“What, I cant visit my prospective great-Granddaughter-in-law?”
Kari fixed him with a look, which he returned blandly. Finally, however, he folded under her gaze.
“Alright, Alright…Gods, now I know how you keep Davis under your thumb.”
He sighed.
“I’m here to help you get through your doubts. There are some things you need to see, and they may not be pleasant.”
“I’m not afraid.”
“I know. I am.”
=============================================================
The scene changed to a plateau in the digital world. across the expanse of rock, two men faced each other. Both were cloaked, and both, in their hands, held a Katana. One of the figures Kari recognised, for she stood next to his spirit at that very moment, and she could see the golden-bladed Katana that her own lover had wielded in the hand of the image in front of her.
The second man looked like Ichiro, only slightly older. On his face there was a grim smile, and held loosely in his right hand was a familiar weapon – the silver katana that Tetsato Dartha had given to TK.
“Is there no other way?” Ichiro asked his brother.
Taneka grinned wryly.
“Sorry little brother. I don’t have a choice any more.”
“Of course you do, Taneka!”
“No, I don’t. After you left, and before I could follow, Father made me swear the blood oath. I have to obey him, no matter what I feel.”
He lifted his Katana in a negligent gesture, and assumed a ready stance.
“Only one of us can walk away from this, my Brother.”
“I know.” Ichiro said bitterly, assuming his own stance.
The two brothers ran at each other, their blades swinging up to meet in mid air. The clash of steel in the evening light sounded like thunder in Kari’s ears. The two regarded each other over their crossed blades, and smiled.
“If it has to be done, Taneka, lets do it right.” Ichiro murmured.
“Aye. That we will, Ichiro.”
They spun away, sweeping their cloaks away from their bodies in one swift movement, leaving them in the plain robes of a warrior. Before the cloaks had even touched the ground, Ichiro was spinning into a low cut at his brother’s chest, lethally fast.
Taneka met the blow straight on, and the duel continued.
Kari tore her eyes away from the battle to look at her companion. The real Ichiro’s eyes were fixed on the duel, on his brother’s face. Tears showed at the corners of those eyes.
“Why are you showing me this, Ichiro?”
“Because you need to see what really happened between me and Taneka. If you are to understand Derron’s weaknesses, you must first recognise where his strength comes from. This was the last time me and my brother ever met.”
Kari turned her eyes back to the duel, in time to see Ichiro hastily dodge a swipe that Taneka aimed at his neck. The young man stumbled, and fell to the ground. Taneka leapt forward, his sword poised at his brother’s throat.
“Get up.” He snarled.
“Finish it, Taneka. You’ve won.”
“Don’t be so weak! Get up!”
Ichiro, a puzzled look on his face, got to is feet, his Katana dangling loosely in his hand. Taneka hooked the golden bald against his silver one, and pushed the blade upwards so that Ichiro was once again forced to look at his brother past the crossed swords.
Again, Taneka smiled, gently this time, and when he spoke, his voice was filled with love.
“One of us has to walk away from this, Ichiro. And it has to be you.”
“Taneka…”
“Shut up and listen, little brother. When you first started sneaking out of the castle to be with Arra, I could feel that something was shifting in this world. I stood beside you at your wedding to her, remember? I walked her down the aisle to you. I spoke on your behalf. I knew then that you were going to change the world, my brother, and that I would just try to live in it.”
He closed his eyes as e spoke.
“But there can’t be two of us in this world, Ichiro. So long as you and I are alive, we could be used against each other. When you kill me, you cut loose the last restraint between you and Father. I just need to ask one favour of you. Tell my Wife how I died. Tell her I died to save this world.”
“Taneka, no!”
“Promise me, Ichiro!”
The younger mans eyes brimmed with tears as he gripped his Katanas hilt in an iron hand.
“I promise, big brother. I love you.”
Taneka smiled, and pushed with his sword, making Ichiro back off. He began to run at his brother, his sword held ready for a lethal strike.
Ichiro sidestepped the downswing of the sword, and dropped. Spinning, he swept his brothers legs out from under him, and raised his Sword. Taneka looked up at him, and only love was apparent in the other man’s eyes.
“Remember me, Ichiro.”
The golden blade stabbed downwards once, with a ring of finality.
=============================================================
Ichiro’s eyes were downcast as the scene faded into the nothingness of the dreamscape.
“I’m sorry.” Kari said, knowing that the words would never be enough for the warrior.
“Don’t be. Taneka made his choice. And that’s what you have to do now, Kari. You need to decide whether you’re going to fight on, or give up.”
She looked up into his eyes.
“I’m going to fight, Ichiro.”
He smiled.
“Did Daisuke ever tell you how I received the Paladin sword?”
“No.”
“Gennai came to me in a dream, and presented it to me.”
Ichiro reached behind his back, and drew two short daggers. They shone in the misty light, seeming to gleam with souls of their own.
“These are for you. When you wake up, they’ll be in your hands. Hide them well, Hikari.”
“I will. Ichiro…”
“Yeah?”
“How’s Davis?”
“Oh, he’s just fine. My wife’s dealing with him. He’ll be waking up any time soon.”
“Thankyou.”
“You’re welcome.”
His voice faded into nothing, as she closed her hand on the daggers, and the dreamscape faded away.
She woke up, and the sheathed daggers were in her hands. Smiling, she stood, and slipped them into place underneath her shirt at the small of her back.
“Now its your turn, Davis.”
=============================================================
Michael stumbled against the entrance to the cave, his legs finally giving way underneath him. Looking up at the sky, he muttered a silent apology to the people back at Taythe’s fortress, and slumped back against the rock.
He closed his eyes, and began to slip away.
The sound of footsteps brought him back to his senses, and he painfully opened his eyes again.
To look straight into the face of a Ghost. The spectre opened it’s mouth, and began to speak to him.
“Jesus, me old son, but don’t you look a mess?” Liam said.
=============================================================