Chronicles of Contessa: Shadows of the Heart

“My life is valuable” Lucca said in his mind, if he could not speak the words he would emit them. Aternius was surprised at the prince’s power and widened his eyes briefly,
“You are nothing to this world, a shrub beneath a foot but to me, you could cure my ails”
“If what you say is true, then you are nothing as well” Lucca said meeting the blue eyes with his of red, and Aternius was shaken.
“He’s right” a voice from behind Lucca spoke, Aternius shifted his thoughts and his grip on Lucca was released. Lucca breathed deeply as Lanzon stepped out from behind the young prince.
“We are all nothing, but so long as I know that… I will protect my nothing, and what I owe you is nothing compared to what I owe this young one’s master and I am in his service” the reptile said.
Lanzon had his sword drawn already and it glistened in the silver light of the city just over the horizon. Aternius smiled like a demon and his blinding white robes were all the more brilliant, Lucca drew his sword.
“You cannot stop me from regaining my powers” Aternius said as his arm melted and became along icicle making the light morph, it resonated smoke from its frigid glass-like form.
“If the answer lies within your blood, then I will gladly spill it” he said menacingly”
“Your master was right to keep you in that prison, had we only passed it by” Lanzon said.
“Don’t waste your words, he spent a millennia thinking of this, we won’t shake him now”
“The boy has some reason” Aternius said.

And the fight began…

It was so swift and ended as such, a hurricane of stabbing icicles and slashing swords. Aternius was faster then anything Lucca had seen, there were indeed otherworldly beings and he struck with so much power. Lucca was blocking the attacks, one swing slightly bent his blade and sent Lucca flying back ward. He hovered above the air as he soared across the silver plane of grass, Lucca looked up and saw Aternius right before him running at the speed Lucca flew at.
Lanzon was no stranger to the speed of the wind, he was running alongside this sight, he leaped into Aternius but the magician jumped to meet him. A rally of stabs and parries ensued, and Lanzon brought his warrior history before this white-robed miscreant with such ease. Aternius seemed at a disadvantage as Lucca rolled on the grass from his earlier blow, but it was almost boredom on his face, Lanzon stabbed and Aternius moved to intercept but played a devilish trick.
His icicle turned to water as the lizards blade struck it, then solidified into ice once more after the reptile’s blade was buried in liquid. Aternius pulled the sword out of Lanzon’s hand like a father pulling a toy from an infant, with his free arm the water-magician formed another icicle and sent it to Lanzon’s chest.
He grabbed the very tip preventing the ice from piercing his leathery skin and flew away as long as the magician would allow. The icicle stopped and Lanzon flew from the tip of the ice blade and slid on the ground.
Lucca saw that there was indeed a limit to his power, Aternius breathed heavily as the spear of ice reached to far to control and drops of water fell from it. Lucca stood and readied his sword. Aternius turned to the prince, as water dripped from his hair, darkening the aqua color to a near black and intensifying the eyes.


Lucca lunged, Aternius was half solid and half liquid his lower body had seeped into the earth and ice spokes were shooting from the ground itself. Lucca was quicker however, and a look of frustration appeared on the magicians face. Lucca dodged and sliced his way through the barrier of ice, Aternius alas tricked him making tentacles of water and solidifying after they entwined his legs and arms directly before him.
Lucca was stuck mere inches from his opponent, and Aternius looked into him,
“Did you feel you could stop me when you are but a man?” he said and stabbed Lucca’s left arm with a beam of ice. The cold made the pain even worse and Lucca cried out in pain, the water was seeping into his very veins in cold wafts.
Suddenly Aternius’s right arm was severed by Lanzon’s blade, Lucca used this moment and sliced off the other arm and broke free of the ice prison that held his limbs.
Lucca then sliced the magician in half, but water not blood flowed from him and he laughs as Lucca held his disembodied torso to the ground and the remains of his body began to soak into the earth.
“I have shed your blood, one part of my powers are restored… I can feel it”
“You are separated from your body, you will become the earth devil” Lucca said
“I do not end dear boy… I flourish, I shall become the earth… for now, but when the bright sun rises I shall be the air… and when next it rains my power will be beyond your very dreams” his voice became difficult to understand as he turned into pure water.
Even his white robes became liquid and he melted into the ground, Lucca fell to his backside and held his arm in pain. Lanzon was next to him and took his arm, he spat a venom on the wound and Lucca’s eyes widened for the pain was like an open eye in a room of salt. He passed out and felt darkness take him, comforted only by Aternius’s words of return, which gave him only anger.

*~*

My eyes opened, I heard the soft sound of a bird on a tree in the distance and it sang so very beautifully. Even the very lids of my eyes were weak, perhaps from the darkness… for so long the darkness. My hair was tossed on my brow and I felt it soothing my skin, I had not felt such a thing for a lifetime.
The sun, beaming in through the window warming my legs beneath a sheet of wedding’s white and I was content. There was soft hint of pain within my chest but it was comforted by so many pleasantries that my eyes could see. Is this what I had shunned… cast aside as idle matters of little importance to me, yet could do so much if only I’d looked.

I did not deserve to live.

The ocean was near, the cry of sea-birds was nearly bringing me to tears… I had never loved my home more then this moment. Even with no one to share my love for the sounds, the feelings that filled my senses. I looked down my sheet of white and saw a man in a chair, he was dressed very finely like a king.
My eyes were soft and somewhat hazy but his face that showed signs much worry, he looked cross even as he dozed in the corner, his head resting against the wall. He was my brother, sleeping in vigil for me? Did I truly regain his love, after so much hate and blows? My eyes grew more unclear as my thoughts did bring more tears.
My brother… of the good name Enea, that I had so many times cast aside, insulted. Whatever blood flowed in me, did not link with his in honors terms.

Enea…

To his left was a dark man, a quiet man… one could look into him and know the world, yet nothing of himself. His robes were more menacing, despite the odd aura of kindness he let flow about him. A robe of pure black, arm plates that curved like the antlers of a young buck… burned until ash and then strapped to his shoulders. His pale face of cream that would sway even the most conservative mind into shady thoughts. His dark eyes and midnight hair that shimmered with the sun’s reflection, and frail face that held strong. His face was looking to the floor, perhaps he had stayed that way for hours… and would continue to do so until his thoughts were interrupted.
Ventroth… Mephistos

I had gained his trust and knew him well, while my mind was still in darkness. How deceitful it was that I did not trust him, even when learning secret findings I could feel his cold hands around my neck, screaming in silence to halt my words.

There was one more man nearby, he was a distant friend I was trying to place, my mind was still in a misty cave. He was leather wrapped, a hat tucked under his arm and sword loose at his side. His face like a tapestry of all walks of life, a tale that could be told by no other and a friend who would stand by in any danger. Eyes of love and knowledge, someone always willing to offer his thoughts or correct your various ways of acting to others, a philosopher of air land and sea. And all who dwelled there as well…

Only one… Abraham Brunelle

There was something warm amidst all the coldness that spread across my chest, while the sun was warm my skin recoiled. But my hand stayed peaceful, and it comforted me even though I knew my sins outweighed the hand that held mine so gingerly. My eyes traced across the room slower then the sun on a summer day, my eyes passed over all those in the room that I had already seen. Near the door was a young woman, burgundy hair and a face that looked as though it could brighten hell. Her cheeks dusted with the stars of heaven and sparkled like new fallen snow under candle light. And eyes that a younger boy could become lost in, all this made her the more enticing but I could see through her aspiring attractive ploys… she played her own tune and wanted those of the same instrument to play along in taboo melodies that the night would be shy to watch.

Aisha… with her often glances at Ventroth, as though she were reassuring herself of something I could never understand.

I saw the hand that held mine then, a milky white hand of love and affection… I could not remember a time before that a hand held mine in such a manner. Unless I thought harder and remembered that face that haunted my young dreams… my mother. The white hand led to a velvet sleeve, fabrics made to mimic her flesh out of jealousy. It followed to where it cut away and fled from her shoulder where the white skin bled through and following to her neck where jewels and diamonds and all godly things would be drawn.

And there was her face, draped in sadness her chest heaving outward every few moments. Tears falling and falling not knowing where to finally land, it seemed they wanted to turn around and return to her. They fell to me and tapped against my hair and soaked in and flowed beneath and filled my soul. She was what I had truly protected, what I desire to know… the strength of the word family that I had tread over in anger and torn apart made not the slightest of scars. Still she would be there holding my hand as I was ready to topple into the abyss, her voice called me back.
It was my turn to embrace the feelings that laid within my heart, the tears came without my face even changing into that of despair. My eyes fully opened and gazed at my sister, who still loved me after all. They fell out the corners of my eye as I watched her care for me the only way she could… how many tears did she let fall when I left? Had I been so blind to pain.

Alexandria… my sister Contessa of Thosaea.

I squeezed the hand that held mine and she stopped crying almost instantly, and opened her glassy eyes in wonder at the worthless being before her. She hugged me then and cried even harder out of happiness, I was in some shock as I felt her warmth make me feel alive once again. The coldness that covered my chest had evaporated and all that was left was this feeling inside that I would take all my days before this and forget, and live on from here.
My consciousness began to fade again and Alexandria could feel it, she pulled back to look at me as my eyes closed and opened sporadically.
“No… no don’t leave yet, please stay!” she cried to me, the others in the room were closer now.

Another man appeared from absolute thin air and was over me in an instant, he was the essence of a moonless night. Covered even most of his face in darkness he held out his grayish hand over my chest and green plumes of fire looking energy flowed into me. The feeling was the border before pain, this man with his torn shrouds that somehow moved to try and heal me brought back memories from time long past. Sorcerers were nearly a thing of folklore, but in the land of Thosaea all was a possibility. And he worked for the name of stability, an evil one and he could vanquish us all. A councilor of the people, the man with the unknown soul.

Suitably named… Dark Lord Veeba

“He is venturing through himself… he may need to witness more” the dark lord said, “he will return to us” Veeba hissed and he vanished from my chest. My eyes went dark, before this I saw my sister looking at me, mouthing my name but all faded to silence.

Lucca… Lucca…