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Chapter 40: I found you

The giant doors bounced off the chamber walls and groaned with a deafening thud. I heard a voice shout over the din.

"You gigantic asshole!" Jackson yelled and for a brief second I was afraid he was speaking to me. Guards froze in their place as he strode into the room.

I was alarmed when I saw Jackson. He was dressed in battle armor and he was holding two rapier swords, one in each hand. He strode down the chamber and I was shocked as I watched the heads of the elves bow as he walked by. He came up to me and smiled

"Are you alright?" he asked me and I felt his magic sweep over me.

"Yes I'm fine" I said

"Good" he said as his eyes snapped up to Veritas, Aldo and Vash and narrowed in anger.

"You should not have brought him here" Jay said addressing the three elves that seemed to be towering over on standing on the raised platform in front of us.

"You have been hiding a hand of Ada, a key to opening the Umbral Gate and you yourself have refused to lift a finger to help your people. Betrayers! Unbelievers!" Veritas shouted and several elves in the room began to chant

"Betrayers!"

"Unbelievers!"

Veritas held up his hand for silence

I tried calling up my magic but I couldn't, it was like it wasn't even there

"Jay, something happened to my magic" I hissed and he snapped his head to me

"What?" he asked

"Oh I see your dog has learned a bit about one of my powers" Veritas smiled "don't worry, it'll wear off in a few hours"

"What did you do?" Jackson growled

"Serpent Sting, paralyzes certain parts of your opponent, I focused on his magic... seems like it worked" Veritas smirked

"Get up Raven" Jay said holding out his hand

I reached up to him and pulled myself up and he held onto me tightly.

"It's going to be alright, we're going to get out of here" Jackson said and I believed him

"Oh enough of this... SIEZE THEM!" Veritas shouted

I watched as three elves came at me. I couldn't call on my magic but I remembered my sparring I learned with my Dad and Ian and turned and kicked my first attacker in the face and exchanged blows with another.

Veritas seemed to be sparring with Jackson evenly I was blocking when I felt a hand on my shoulder and I spun around and came face to face with Clayton and Casey

Clayton moved to grab me and I landed a quick blow to his knees and I watched him fall. Casey grabbed hold of one of my arms and spun me around before I could stop him he had me pinned and I was on my knees.

"RAVEN!" Jackson shouted and I looked up as Jackson had become distracted with me Veritas landed a blow to his neck and I watched him fall to his knees.

"There, that was easy enough. Without your magic you are both pretty defenseless." Veritas said

Jackson and I were completely at the mercy of Veritas. I looked over to Jackson and he looked at me with a look of sadness I don't think I could ever forget. Clayton was now back up and was holding my other arm. I didn't struggle as I was more than sure Clayton could really hurt me.

"Now Aden you are going to be helping me open this gate" he paused "otherwise your dog here will be leaving in more pieces that he came here in"

I watched as Veritas nodded to Clayton and Casey behind me but they didn't move.

Veritas looked mildly annoyed and said

"Break his arms" Veritas said

"But he's just a boy" Casey said and I could hear some uncertainty in his voice.

"Do it!" Veritas shouted "Your Lord commands you!"

I looked back and I saw Clayton and Casey looking at each other and they both looked down to me.

"Please..." I begged and I shut my eyes and I bowed my head accepting what was about to happen to me.

"No, I will not" Clayton said and helped pull me up

"Neither will I" Casey said "there is no need to harm him"

An awful silence filled the chamber

"Then you can join them" Veritas whispered and with a small nod the guards around the room stepped forward and drew their weapons.

"If you draw on my brothers, and my beloved, I will fight you too!" Colin shouted

Now there was me, Jackson, Colin, Casey and Clayton. But looking around the room I could tell we were no match for the hundred or so elves surrounding us.

"I've known for awhile that your loyalties were in question, I am glad I can finally see you for the dogs that you are. You shall all have the pleasure of dying together" Veritas said with an awful glee.

The situation was escalating wildly out of control...

I silently prayed that someone would save us... and as if my prayer had been heard a voice broke the silence

"I think I have allowed this to go on long enough..." I heard the voice say

The voice echoed wildly around the room and the deafening silence reigned and a look of surprise crossed over Aldo and Veritas's faces

"Show yourself!" Veritas yelled

I looked down and my shadow seemed to get longer and longer and then it suddenly bent skyward and seemed to come out of the ground. I watched in horror as two eyes and a mouth appeared out of it and it stood in front of me. This walking shadow then smiled at me and then I felt it move away and it seemly jumped to Colin and Jackson and stood by them.

"You dare show your face in our temple?" Veritas said lowly

"Actually Veritas..." The shadow spoke "this chamber used to be part of the foundation of our citadel and was actually my childhood home. So shouldn't I be saying to you `what are you doing in my house?'"

Veritas did not seemed amused

"Leave now, this is temple business" Veritas said

"No, this is my business; you have threatened the lives of my subjects and have been using resources not for the betterment of our people, but for your own twisted personal gains. You also threatened the lives of the only two known hands of Ada and I simply cannot allow you to go on this path you have chosen." The shadow said and I watched as it jumped again this time right to Veritas himself who raised his sword instantly

Veritas moved to strike but as soon as his hand hit the shadow he froze in place.

"Thank you Jackson" Cailen said and I wondered what he meant.

"You can borrow my magic anytime, even if I cannot summon it myself" Jackson said and then I understood. This Shadow had to be Lord Cailen Sieger, who could draw his powers from the others around him.

"The show is over, you will not pursue this anymore." The shadow said

"I will kill you for this" Veritas spat still frozen in place

"I am sorry then" the shadow said as I watched it suddenly swoop close to Veritas and then completely cover him in darkness

"My Lord NO!" I heard Aldo shout running to the shadow and yelling

"Please stop! Take me instead! Please don't hurt my boy please!" I was even moved as this older elf was begging for his son's life.

"Squire... you were born begging and living off the generosity of others, it was your son who built you a life to grow on. He became your strength" Cailen said and I watched as he backed away from Veritas who collapsed to the floor.

"He will live Aldo, but you would do wise to remember who it is you serve." Cailen said and jumped back to Jackson

"I have fixed your power" he said to Jackson "Get Raven home, by the time you get there the sun will be breaking" Cailen then jumped to me.

"Clayton, Casey..." Cailen said looking to the both of them "we have much to discuss I will be personally seeing you soon"

He then looked down to me

"Do you have any questions for me?" he asked

"Why stay hidden until now?" I asked

"I was not needed, but we will need to perform the call and attempt to open the gate soon. I am in hope that you will agree to help us." He said

"I will help you" I said

"I am glad, I do not threaten the lives of my subjects lightly. Life is precious and should be protected, as should you be." He said

"Am I the Ada Ky'rae?" I asked and I heard several elves around me gasp and I heard a crash as a guard close to me fainted.

"That is a question only you can answer yourself." Cailen said

"What do you mean?" I asked

"Reach into your heart, the place where your magic dwells and and ask yourself `Am I the will of Ada?' and let your magic give you the answer. Let your magic speak to you as it has been trying to do since the moment you were born." He said

I closed my eyes and I went to my focused place

"Deeper" I heard Cailen say and I went deeper and I felt ice surround me and I felt my magic flowing though my whole body.

"Deeper" he said again and I thought about what he was saying and I realized I was holding onto something so with that thought I mentally let go. I felt like I was fully emerged inside my magic and I felt it flowing all around me.

This was the deepest I had ever fallen into a state of meditation

"Am I the Ada Ky'rae?" I asked and I heard myself say it.

Suddenly my vision went from blackness to white and I felt the ice melt away and was replaced by a warmth and the warmth spread through my body and then out beyond it and I could feel everything around me. I could feel Clayton and Casey and their concern for me. I could feel Jackson and his love and bond with Colin.

I opened my eyes and I watched as great tentrils of light spread around me and I looked around and discovered like before they obeyed my will and the tendrils off my back gave me the illusion of tendril like wings.

The light from my body cast Cailen's shadow in high relief to the point were he looked to be almost a light grey.

"So are you?" he asked

"I am" I said

"I want you to think about all the elves in this room" he said

I thought about them and I could feel the fear and awe coming from them. I then realized that they were all on their knees and bowing to the floor.

"Why are they bowing?" I asked

"Because you represent the spirit of our god" he said "they have been praying for this moment for nearly four thousand years." Cailen said

"The spirit of their god?" I asked

"Well at least the power" Cailen admitted "will you help us?" he asked and I watched as Cailen himself fell to his knees and bowed. It was funny watching a completely black figure doing it.

"What do I need to do?" I asked

Cailen stepped up to me and his flat shadowy hand came up to my face.

"I am Cailen Sieger Al Ada" He said

He took his hand in with a quick motion I saw blood trickle from the shadows and fall to the floor. He had cut his hand somehow. I suspected he had a knife hidden in the shadows with him.

He placed his bleeding hand onto my forehead and I could feel the cool wetness of his blood.

"I am the rightful blood king, my blood holds the power of the ages... is there any who dispute my rule!" he yelled

The room remained silent

I felt a tingle of magic pass over me.

"I summon my brethren, of old and young, each man and woman and every child to hear my words and obey for I am your father." he commanded

"Come home" he said

My magic suddenly set my body to ice. My magic expanded and filled the room and I heard Cailen's words eaching through the chamber as if carried by my magic.

`...I am the rightful blood king'

`...of the ages...'

`...my brethren...'

`...each man and woman and every child...'

`...Come home...'

The voices swirled around me carrying the message then suddenly my magic seemed to retreat back into my body casting the room into sharp relief as it fell to darkness and then suddenly my magic burst out of me nearly dropping me to my knees.

It was like a massive invisible shockwave that burst out of me and I heard ringing inside my head

"COME HOME!" it rang in my voice. The room fell into silence and then only a moment later I heard

"Come Home, come home come home, home come come home come..." echoed inside my mind. Like a hundred voices speaking at once.

"What the heck was that?" I asked

"The spell traversed the globe and descended back to its starting point." Casey said in wonder.

At that moment I felt my knees begin to buckle and I felt myself passing out.

"Guys I..." I began and I felt strong arms hold onto me

"I've got you" I heard Cailen say and I tried to look up but I fell into the darkness.

Thanks for Reading

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Cailen