Passion (Book 1 of "The Fantasy of Life" Series)

Chapter 30

Ashanaya

I sighed as we walked, the constant walking was something that made me regret this decision to go after Valerie myself. I never wanted to go back, and I wanted to be the one to kill her, but couldn't I have just send someone after her to bring her back to me? Was all of this necessary. I guess the walking shouldn't really bother me, it is just walking, it was just a bit tedious.

"York are we getting close?" I asked.

"No, not really." He sighed. "I'm not really excited to get there, there were a lot of Ashen."

"You've taken a lot of Ashen before." I said.

"I've taken like 6 at a time and when I do I feel like I'm going to die after. It takes a lot out of me, and when I do I'm still holding back." He explained.

"You were still holding back?" I gasped a little. "What's it like when you don't hold back?"

"I don't know, probably even worse than before I changed because elder nymphs are the best nymphs with magic. They created the nymphan magic." He shrugged. "We might see soon, I know Valerie has at least 20 Ashen on hand."

"I'm kind of scared for that." I admitted.

"It's really bad with druids, I've heard kindred tecniks can be pretty devastating. I think Valen would be pretty scary if he tried his best, even though he doesn't use magic." York didn't seem to mind the fact that his magic could be extremely powerful. The thought didn't change his outlook at all.

"Is something wrong?" I looked over at him, worried.

"I don't know, I kind of feel like something's ending, and me and Valen, I don't know, after what happened between Yorwek and I.." He trailed off, unsure of his words.

"Yorwek?"

"The emperor." He answered. "Valen told me before we got to the mountain that Yorwek would fall for me. He was right. I tried to let him down easy and I just watched another heart break. I felt so horrible and so helpless. He showed me things, I felt like he deserved a chance but then again.. I'm gonna live to be about 600, Valen won't be there for 500 of them, but Yorwek still will, I can have Valen now and think of Yorwek after. Oh god, that's a horrible way to think isn't it?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think it's that bad." I shrugged. "It's probably weird."

"Probably." He agreed. "So how are you and Cullen?"

"We're together now. It's- well it's kinda cheesy I'll spare you the details, but he proved it." I pushed some of my hair behind my ear nervously.

"That's nice. I hope Valen does the same soon." He sighed then slowed down. "I thin-" He gasped and ran deep into the woods.

Valen ran up to me and looked toward where York was going frantically. "What's he doing?"

"I don't know." I started running after him, everyone else followed.

"York!" Valen called after him.

York skidded to a quick stop, looking down into a hole in the ground. It was about 10 feet deep and it had people on the inside, to be specific it had Ashen covering the bottom, there were at least 12 of them, and they seemed to be.. eating?

I heard a loud piercing scream. I looked into the hole and my eyes widened. They were eating someone.

"Is that a... kindred?" Marhara seemed astonished.

All of the Ashen looked back at us, their red eyes seeming to glow. One smiled and pulled a gem out of almost no where and winked at us before slamming the gem against the back of the kindred's head. All of the Ashen backed away from her and she began to rise. She spun slowly, then as she was about 10 feet above us she opened her eyes and they were red. She smiled and as she did her teeth began to shift and become pointed and fang-like. Her light brown hair slowly changed to a jet black colour, and her hard yellow skin lightened in colour until it was almost white. Her fingers became thinner and her nails grew into claws. She twitched and mosquito like wings sprouted from her back, she spun in place until black mist became to gather around her. The ground at the bottom of the hole began to rise as the kindred declined, she hit the ground just as it was made level with the ground we were standing on.

She was about 5'3, her arms and legs very thin. Her eyes were red without pupils, they were slanted and very large. She had earholes like the water nymphs, with only slight bumps at the back of them.

The kindred twitched and began to speak in an incredibly scratchy voice. "I am Shirajiin. The Duchess waits for you, she cannot wait to spill your blood in the name of the master."

"What is the Master?" I asked, pushing ahead of York.

"Something older than time itself, large enough to dwarf mountains, a ruler of the skies, and conquerer of the ground." She smiled devillishly.

"I swear to god, is it a dragon?" Kel rolled her eyes.

"Looks like the playthings remember the old ways after all. A dragon is your word for it yes." She tilted her head up toward the sky. "He awaits your sacrifice."

"Jorgan hannasath." York gasped putting his hand over his chest.

"Swear to your nonexistent gods, they will offer no help now, for Simdagun has already killed them." The kindred opened her eyes wide, they slowly grew in my mind, enveloping everything around. "Take the gift I offer."

The darkness took over the entire scenery, it left just the kindred and my entire group, the Ashen had disappeared with the scenery.

Shirajiin spoke again, but her voice now was much deeper and frightening. "Recieve the gift of Simdagun, see your ever-looming end!"

There was a very intense flash and everything drained away, instead of being sorrounded in darkness with everyone around, there was nothing, I was left floating in an eternal void of nothing.

My body fell into thousands of different particles and fall into the void, sucking me into something new, some new kind of horror.