Memories of the Forgotten

I find this chapter to be a bit shorter then I usually would like, but oh well... I guess my motivaion wasn't that well tonight for this story, but for another...

Anyway, this one has a quick fight scene, where we see our lovely hero... get his ass kicked. Hurrah for the plot! Hail to the Chief! I have no idea what I'm saying! Just read and review!

Chapter 7


Despite the lateness of the hour, John Aaron couldn't sleep. Something, for no apparent reason, continued to bug him, keeping him awake. He knew he had to get some sleep for the night, since tommarrow he had another day of work and training to put in. Sighing, he crept out of bed, making sure not to wake Jessica who was sleeping soundly next to him, and headed outside.

He was a good distance from his house when he looked out south. Again, toward that empty space, seeing once more the tower that had fallen. Why... why can't I get it out of my head? The last time he was troubled by things he couldn't fully understand, they had appeared to him in dreams. Now it seemed to nag at him during his waking moments. He recalled Midas saying about an evil that arose, yet he was unsure what it was. John had no idea if, or even how, the tower of a fallen demon was connected. Suddenly a voice rang out that brought him out of his thoughts.

"It's a nice night for star gazing, isn't it?"

John turned to find a man had appeared, as if from nowhere, gazing upwards to the stars. John had no idea how this person could have possibly snuck up on him. Jessica had been teaching him how to hone his own magic in order to sense the presence of magic in others. He had no idea how this stranger, therefore, had managed to sneak up on him in such a inhuman manner. It was as if he was shaped within the darkness itself before making his appearence known.

"Such beauties... it's hard to believe they are so far away, isn't it? How some people must long to reach up and grab the starlight, hold it preciously in thier hands..." Then as if to mimic what he said, he reached up his own hand, as if trying to grab something that was there, yet couldn't be seen. "But alas, we are bound... bound by the natural laws of this world. Pity."

Suddenly the man looked directly at John, as if just confirming his presence. "John Aaron, correct? I've heard much about you. Six years ao, you and your companions sealed the Dark Gate. Quite impressive, I must admit." He raised his hands and began to clap, the sound echoing into the night as John watched him, bewildered. "But, even darker times are coming. Soon, light will fade from this world. For the performance of the Forbidden Seal is underway."

At the sound of that, John began to gaze suspiciously at him. "Who are you? How, and more importantly, why do you know this?"

The man before him chuckled, as if he found what John asked amusing. "I know these things... because I was sent to ensure they happen." Suddenly in a quick movement, the man pulled out something metal that glowed softly in the moonlight. He threw it toward John with deadly speed and accuraccy. John placed his hands in front of him in response.

"Air Shield!" The air protected him from the attack, causing the object thrown to be deflected. The man smiled at him, or, at least John thought he smiled. It was hard to tell in this darkness.

"Not bad. I heard you were good, but I wasn't sure. Still, it's not like your a match for my skill." Suddenly, the man seemed to vanish completely, as John tried to sense for any magic trail he could follow. But the blow he felt was unexpected, as the man had attacked from behind striking John in the shoulder. John turned quickly to face his attacker, but suddenly found his left arm completely dead to him. For whatever reason he couldn't move it.

"What the hell did you do?" John asked, starting to become slightly afraid.

"I struck one of your body's pressure points. Striking a pressure point on the body can loosen it up. Or, in your case, paralyze parts of your body for short amounts of time. Of course, more force means longer paralyzing effects. But in certain cases, it could kill you. Like say, I aimed closer to your heart."

John suddenly felt over his head going against this person. The thought of being killed in a single blow unnerved him, and he suddenly wished he had stayed in bed. Then the man laughed again.

"You are funny. Losing your nerve like that. Shaken up by a few words. Pathatic."

Suddenly, words echoed thoughout John's mind, words that came not from this person, but a foe long ago. Die, like your worthless father before you! Filled with a sense of rage, he rushed out, prepared to unleash his magic with his good arm. "Fire Pillar!" John struck the ground near the man, causing him to jump out of the way as an eruption of fire blasted itself out of the ground where moments ago he was standing. Then pain coursed through his body, as he felt the same arm that had casted his fire magic being twisted and pulled behind his back. As the pressure increased, so did the pain, and John was certain at the rate it was going his arm would break, or tear itself out of it's socket, neither which comforted him.

Finally, just when he thought he reached the point of breaking, it ended, though there was still some discomfort as this mystery person was holding John's arm in place. "Now listen to me. I want the book where the Forbidden Seal is written. We are fairly certain you have it." John was about to tell him he had no idea what he was talking about, when the pain vanished and his arm was released. He turned, but once again found himself alone.

Suddenly a scream rang out through the night, as John turned toward the house. "No..." He whispered before rushing there. Suddenly the door burst open as Jessica came crashing through, landing right on John, knocking him down. It may have been unpleasent, but he broke a fall that would have surely been disasterous to her right arm had she hit the ground. The man fro before was holding a little girl over his shoulder as he stepped out into the night.

"Leave her alone, right now! Or I will make you regret it!" John said, a fury burning though him, one that he had not felt for years.

"Just some... motivation. If you want to see her alive again, you will bring me the book. Until next we meet then."

"No! You let my daughter go right now!"

John charged the man, but he threw something to the ground near his feet, causing a smokescreeen that blocked his vision. John shielded his eyes from it, trying not to breath in the smoke, but it had dissipated rather quickly, and where the man and his daughter was, now remained nothing. John stared at the spot, disbelief resting over his face. He snak to his knees as warm tears began to form in his eyes.

"No... no! Monica! Come back here with her, you monster!" His fury, his sadness, lashed out at the night, as the desperate cry rang out into the darkness, unable to stop the hot tears falling from the defeated warroir's face.