Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Priestess of the Moon: Return of the Lunar Dragon ❯ Ghost Wolf ( Chapter 10 )

Aubrey roared in fury and he nearly ripped the report he held in his hands. He had failed again. The Priestess of the Moon had destroyed almost all of his army. The worst news of all was that the Priestess was Kiya. How could have this happened? He tried and tried but he failed again and again. Daorth was going to hear of this. The Shadow Lord was going to come, any moment…

 

:AGAIN AUBREY! YOU HAVE FAILED ME AGAIN AND AGAIN! I SHOULD SINGE YOUR BODY RIGHT WHERE YOU STAND!:

 

Aubrey cried and threw himself to the floor. “I'm sorry my Lord!” he cried, “I have failed you again!”

 

Daorth snarled from where he stood in the shadows. Suddenly, he stepped out of the shadows, his entire body. It nearly filled the room with his great bulky form. Aubrey didn't move, although he was only feet away from the dragon hideous claws. The dragon roared, his voice making the castle tremble. :You have failed me for the last time, Aubrey. You are done. I thought I could leave you to everything, but I was wrong. Now I will take your place and your soul will burn in the underworld for all eternity.:

 

Aubrey screamed as he felt himself being ripped from his body. He was being sucked away, sucked into a dark abyss, into hell itself.

 

Aubrey's body laid on the floor where his soul left it. Daorth turned into dark shadow and slipped into the body. Everything was still, and then the body moved. The eyes opened and Daorth, now in control of Aubrey's body, stood up. He looked about him and grinned evilly. Holding out his hand, a sphere of darkness formed. He chuckled and he whispered, “The Lord of Darkness it in living form once more. And the Priestess of the Moon will die.”

 

Daorth let his dark powers seep throughout the city. That night, the city of Riverside turned to darkness. The people of the city screamed as their bodies seemed to be on fire. The elven army turned into dark elves; elves of evil with dark purple skin and silvery hair, claws on their fingers, fangs and eyes of fire. The people of the city were turned into shadowspawn and became the slaves of Daorth. The entire city twisted and the castle turned into a black fortress. The land around became black and pits of fire exploded from the ground.

 

Daorth stood on a balcony of his newly-made fortress and laughed hysterically. Soon, the entire world will look exactly as Riverside had become. And he will rule all. “Come to me, Priestess!” Daorth cried to the darkened sky, “Come to me and DIE!”

 

~*~

 

 

Kiya gasped as she jolted awake, the skin of her body covered with a thin sheen of sweat. She sat up quickly and drew her blankets around her. She was in the tent, Reiku lying next to her. She just had a dream, no a nightmare, that the entire city of Riverside was sucked into darkness. She had seen Daorth, in Aubrey's body, shrieking to the sky. And somehow, Kiya had a feeling that it wasn't a dream. The sense of darkness she had felt in the dream was still there, coming from the north, from Riverside. She closed her eyes tightly, thinking of all those people that had suffered the torture, even though it was only moments, before their bodies and souls were corrupted by darkness. And the imperial army turned to dark elves. It was too much. Kiya hugged herself tightly and cried softly. Her home had been turned to darkness. She couldn't do anything, for now anyways. Kiya finished crying and wiped away her tears. She will make Daorth pay and she will free all of those people. Sighing, she laid back down and pressed herself close to Reiku's body, seeking protection in his arms.

 

Reiku grunted as he woke up. “Kiya, what is it?” he asked her.

 

Kiya looked at Reiku's tired eyes and she told him. “I'll make that bastard pay,” she whispered fiercely, “When the time comes, I will make him pay.”

 

Reiku smiled slightly and kissed her. “I know you will,” he told her, “and I'll be right beside you.” He wrapped his arms tightly around her. “Now, go back to sleep,” he said softly.

 

Kiya cuddled closed to Reiku and sighed. The sound of his heartbeat in her ear made her slip off to sleep.

 

When she woke the next morning, Reiku was already packing for the journey. Kiya got up and got dressed into the only clothing she had and needed; the clothing of the Priestess of the Moon. She helped Reiku finish packing and taking down the tent. Keilila sat near the fire, stirring something that was brewing and smelt wonderful. Ryudo sat on the other side of the fire, crossed legged, his staff lying across his lap. The monk seemed to be praying, so Kiya didn't bother him. She sat next to the monk and closed her eyes. She let herself drift off, collecting all of her thoughts and stowing them away, except one thought; the thought of Riverside. She focused on that thought and she felt herself being taken away, her sprit leaving her body. She could still feel her body, her hands resting on her skirts, but she was no longer in it. It was something the Priestess five thousand years ago could do, and now she could. She sped over lands until she was over Riverside. And her fears were confirmed.

 

The entire land had been touched by evil. The ground was pitted and had deep crevices that spewed fire. She saw working pits with shadowspawn in chains, working with shovels and picks; shadowspawn who were once the people of Riverside, now slaves to Daorth. Guarding the edges of the pits were dark elves bearing swords with wicked curved blades. Some had whips that they lashed at the slaves. The once white, beautiful castle where she had grown up was now a black, twisted fortress. And standing on a balcony that over looked the land was her father. No, it wasn't her father, just the body that had been taken over by Daorth. Her father was now in the underworld, his soul destined to be forever tortured.

 

Kiya couldn't look any more. Quickly she returned to her body and opened her eyes. She saw Ryudo looking at her and blinked, “What?”

 

Ryudo frowned and said, “What were you doing? You were slumped, like you were sleeping, but I couldn't sense anything in you. It was like you were empty of everything.”

 

Kiya smiled and shook her head. “It was nothing Ryudo,” she told him, “I just left my body for a moment. Don't worry, it's perfectly safe,” she said, seeing Ryudo's eyes widening in horror, “my body still lives, just my spirit leaves. I still feel my body and all; I'm just not in it. But I can't stay out for longer than an hour, or my body dies and I become a spirit trapped in this world. But don't worry, that won't happen. I don't plan to do this much, just when it's really important. I just had to see if my dreams were right.” Then she told Keilila and Ryudo about what had happened to Riverside and Aubrey. When she had finished, Ryudo shook his head with a sigh.

 

“Now Aubrey isn't our biggest threat; Daorth is and you said that he is an ancient enemy of yours?”

 

Kiya nodded. “Ever since the first Priestess; five thousand years ago.”

 

Keilila shook her head as she took out wooden bowls and spoons. “Well, whoever he is,” she said, “we'll beat him. We have to.” She began ladling out porridge in each bowl, passing them out. “The fate of the world rests in our hands.”

 

Yes, Kiya thought, and Daorth will die this time. I will send him to the underworld for good, even if it kills me.

 

They finished breakfast and then set out down the road towards Anthrowood. They had been traveling for a week now, ever since their stop to M'sitsu's Temple. They had already gone through Wakka Village, but they didn't stop at the village. They wanted to get to Anthrowood as soon as possible. As they walked down the road, Kiya couldn't help but think of what was to come. Would any of her newly found friends be killed in the battle that was coming closer and closer everyday? The Prophecy didn't say they would die, but it never said they would live either. Kiya wished that she could see into the future, but she knew that she didn't have that power. And even if she did, she couldn't choose when to see and what to see of the future. The Seers in the world only saw the future when it came to them, when the future let them See. Kiya sighed softly and gripped the Lunar Bow she held in her hand tightly. She could only wait, and use everything in her power to make sure that none of them died in this battle.

 

After a few hours of walking, a fog started to form around them. It grew thicker every few feet. Kiya lifted up her hand and a sphere of bluish light formed. Ryudo muttered something under his breath and the dragon on top of his staff glowed with golden light. They continued down the road and that's when Kiya sensed it. A powerful feeling of death was in the air, so powerful that Kiya wanted to weep. Keilila drew her sword slightly, her ears laid back. Reiku stepped closer to Kiya and also drew out his sword slightly. Ryudo whispered a prayer to himself. They turned a corner and they saw what was left of a village. The sense of death came from that village.

 

The village seemed that it had been abandoned years ago. What was left of houses where fallen timbers that had been charred. Years of growth had grown over the remains, but it seemed that as soon something grew, it had died. The place was eerie and silent; too silent. There were no sounds of animals to be heard, no sounds of life at all. Kiya saw something lying in what had been a cobbled stone street and realized that it was the remains of a body.

 

Reiku suddenly stopped before they entered the village. Kiya turned and looked at him. He stood ridged and trembling. His eyes stared at the dead village and she swore she heard him whimper. “Reiku,” she whispered softly, “what is it?”

 

“This…” Reiku stammered, “this…was my home. My village…”

 

Kiya gasped and looked back at the city. Now that she was closer, she could see more remains of bodies all about. “This was…”

 

“I thought someone would have cleared this place out by now,” Keilila said, gripping the hilt of her sword.

 

“No one can,” Reiku whispered softly, “people have tried, but restless ghosts roam here now. They won't allow anyone to clear this place out.”

 

Ryudo stepped forward and frowned. “There is a strong aura here,” he said softly.”

 

“Restless ghosts,” Kiya said, “that's why this place is called Ghost Wolf. All the ghosts are wolves. Reiku's kin; his family.”

 

“We have to continue on,” Keilila said, “this is the only way quick enough to get to Anthrowood.”

 

Kiya nodded and she continued forward. They went down the cobbled streets, past several remains of bodies, now nothing more than skeletons. Kiya saw small skeletons and knew that they were children, the ones who hadn't been hidden like Reiku and the few other children who had been hidden with him. Kiya felt pain for the restless souls who inhabited this place. She knew that they had been trapped in this place for over a hundred years. A sudden wind picked up and Kiya looked up and gasped. Hanging from a tree were two figures. Kiya remembered the story Reiku had told her and instantly knew who those bodies once belonged to.

 

“Mother,” Reiku said softly, “Father…” Kiya turned as she saw Reiku dropped to his knees. “They didn't even bother cutting you down.”

 

Kiya's grip tightened on her bow. She could feel Reiku's pain through the bond they shared and she couldn't take it no more.

 

“Ryudo,” she said, turning to the monk, “Find me the center of the aura; the place where all of this energy is coming from.”

 

Ryudo looked at her for a moment and then he nodded. He set off into the village, searching. Kiya knew what she had to do. The Priestess before her had done it before many times, and now Kiya was going to perform the task; to put all of these restless souls to peace. She turned to Keilila and said, “Stay with Reiku. I'll be back.” She then set out after Ryudo.

 

“Kiya,” Ryudo called, “over here! The center is over here.”

 

Kiya followed the sound of Ryudo's voice and found him near a small fountain. She walked up to him and asked, “Where is it?”

 

Ryudo pointed at the fountain. The figurine that had once stood in the center had fallen over the side, leaving nothing but a stump of stone. The fountain was large, almost twenty feet in diameter. “It's here,” Ryudo said, “I don't understand why, but it is here. This is where the aura is the strongest.”

 

Kiya nodded and she walked up to the fountain. Looking in, she saw that there was water in it still. With a sigh, she stepped into the fountain. Taking up her bow, she allowed her power to pulse through it. She touched the tip to the water, allowing her power to pass through the bow and into the demon aura. The water she stood in glowed with light, but not as brightly as the Lunar Bow glowed. A slight, soft wind picked up and swirled around her, making the sleeves and the skirt of her clothing sway. Kiya began to dance slowly, holding the bow lightly in her hand. She then lifted it over her head and swung it around twice before bringing it back down to her side. She closed her eyes slightly and allowed her body to move on its own, almost falling into a trance. Behind her, she heard Keilila began to sing in her own language, her voice traveling through the air. In her past memories, Kiya recognized the song; it was the Song of Departure, only sung during funerals so the souls of the dead would move on.

 

The water exploded all around her and she began to float a few feet above the water. She still had control over her movements, like she was on solid ground. She continued to dance and twirl about, the Lunar Bow glowing brighter and brighter, the water particles about her glowing brighter and brighter. On the ground below, Reiku had joined Ryudo and Keilila and was now watching Kiya, his eyes glazed with sadness. Kiya began to hear the soft voices of the people who had died here. Around her, she saw the souls of the dead began to pull free of their corpuses and heading off to the heavens. The souls were noting more than silver orbs of lights that flew around, flying towards the sky. Kiya ended her dance and was lowered back down to the earth. She looked around her as the souls flew around. She saw Reiku's mother and father break free, but instead of heading towards the heavens, they went to Reiku. The orbs grew and took the shapes of the people they had once been.

 

Reiku stared at the ghostly faces of his parents in sorrow and happiness. “Mother, Father,” he whispered.

 

My son, Reiku's mother said. She lifted up a hand and touched caressed his cheek. :My handsome, grown son. How I longed to watch you grow. Now I can watch you live. Now we can be with you forever.:

 

Tears fell down Reiku's cheeks as he lifted a hand to where his mother had caressed him. “I missed you both so much,” he said softly.

 

:And we missed you, my son,: Reiku's father said, :and we will now always be with you.:

 

Reiku's mother looked up at Kiya and smiled. :Take care of him Priestess,: she whispered. Kiya could see ghostly tears fall down the woman's cheeks. :Take care of my son for me.:

 

Kiya nodded and whispered, “I will.”

 

:Good bye Reiku,: Reiku's mother and father said as they began to rise to the heavens.

 

“Good bye,” Reiku said.

 

:Thank you Priestess,: Reiku's father said, :for freeing us all.: Then they were gone; all of them.

 

Kiya stepped out of the well and she staggered slightly, her energy drained from the power she had used. Reiku rushed over and caught her before she fell. He lifted her up and held her close. “Are you alright Kiya?” he asked.

 

Kiya smiled and nodded. “Yes,” she said softly, “I just need rest.”

 

“That was quite a bit of magic,” Ryudo said, looking towards the heavens. “The souls of the dead have been freed.”

 

“The demonic aura has disappeared,” Keilila said, looking around her.

 

“Thank you Kiya,” Reiku said, softly for only Kiya to hear, “for putting my family to rest.”

 

Kiya smiled and closed her eyes. She had done what she meant to accomplish, and more. She had reunited Reiku to his mother and father one last time. She rested her head against Reiku's shoulder and sighed softly. All she needed now was rest. A few days sleep…