Tales of Exzalia dying worlds

"Damn it . . ."

Berk jumped and turned. Pip had become deadlier but also alot more fragile. He immediately cast Breath of Life on her, healing the wound. With the Null Zone gone, magic was no longer a problem. He wondered why Pip had not healed herself now that the Nox spell preventing them from using magic had been lifted. He shrugged the thought off and put her arm around his shoulder, seating her against the nearest tree. He gestured for Lyra to follow.

"Are you in pain?" Berk asked Pip.

Berk cursed silently to himself, Pip seemed to have past out. No doubt the fact that she ate so little was not helping.

 

This woman in a black cloak attacked mom with a dagger, and then she warped her and Emery away, but right before she said, 'Remember the name Misven.' Please, I swear. I wouldn't lie about something like this!"

"Then you heard wrong!" Tassy snapped, her outburst catching everyone of gaurd. Rayla was indeed near breaking down, the desperation on the girls face tugged a little at Tassy heart. she relaxed and sighed a little.

"Forgive the out burst, I am...touchy about my mother. But She is dead, I know, I visit her grave regularly. You must of heard wrong. As for Will, his chances for survival will increase greatly if he knows you're safe. head to where I told you."

 

Lyra

Lyra's heart skipped a beat when Piper had collasped on the ground, and as she took in the gruesome scene of battle she became light-headed. All the drama, all the pain, all the yelling...was this what adventures were like?

Her dad cast his healing spell on Piper and she noticed him look her in the eyes, bidding her to follow. Lyra followed willingly, wishing to get away from all the dead bodies.

As dad rested Piper's back on a tree stump, Lyra stood there awkwardly, worry prominent in her features. "Dad..." Lyra said in a small voice. "Mom and Rayla's mom were captured."

 

Carson shook his head. "Tsk....tsk. As I said it be easier just go with you Tassy and remember stranger things have happened then someone coming back from the dead." He said stretching. "But if you insist on going alone just don't die yourself." As Carson walked away he stopped and said something out of character. "Mother I love you, please do try and find us soon or we will find you, I don't want Marine away from you and father for long." He said with a sigh but he quickly started beaming again.

Carson laid his little sister down by Pip who was also pass out. The the man known as The Walker started moved to the hostage they had taken. "Hi what's your name?" He asked nicely. "It would be ever so nice if you could tell me some things. First who's your king or leader at least?, were do you take prisoners in this area or just in general? and finally what's your leader's plan?" He finished sweetly his eyes were wide and caring.

 

"Mom and Rayla's mom were captured."

Berk sighed deeply as he turned to Lyra. Trouble always seemed to cross his path, he regretted ever leaving New Charon. Emery had been right. He locked eyes with Lyra and then gave her a big hug. His large fingers stroking through his daughters hair.

"At least you are okay, I will get Em- Mom back, I promise." Berk said in a low voice. He then released his daughter and sat down, keeping an eye on Pip.

"Have a seat" Berk patted on the soil next to him. "It's important to stay calm. That way you will remember the most, tell me everything" Berk said softly.

"It would be ever so nice if you could tell me some things. First who's your king or leader at least?, were do you take prisoners in this area or just in general? and finally what's your leader's plan?"

The uncasteable's brows furrowed. His eyes darted over the dead bodies of his brothers in arms. The mages were responsible for this, they had to die. All of them, just like Moren had said, and he was damn right. He spat at Carson's feet.

"Moren will avenge us." the boy stated boldly.

 

The boy they had captured looked defiant, but anyone with a nose could smell the fear in him. "Our goal is to avenge the way we uncastables were and still are being treated by mages, as for prisoners. We are only after Magnolia, no others would have been taken."

 

Carson smiled brightly. Just like his dad......but something was off. His eyes snapped opened they his green eyes glowed as if he was some sort of devil. Carson got close to the boy's face. "I'm not sure if that's all you know. Oh well even if you do or don't know anything else you won't be escaping this." He said still smiling. "Anything the mages did to you uncastables or vice versa was only playtime." Carson grabbed the boys hand and squeezed. Carson's strength was damn near in inhuman too the point the boy's hand was crush almost instantly.

"You've taken parents away from their children and children away from parents. Don't get me wrong the mages have done the same and if you were a mage I'd still be doing this. But you see have you ever heard of The Walker? Of course you have...well guess what? I'm that monster that devours people for their sins." Carson bit down on the fingers of the boy's crushed hand. His teeth tore through the mush bones his fingers were and ripped four of them clean off save for the thumb and spit them on the ground. Blood spurted on Carson's face. "You talk about revenge and honor. But guess what? Once you kill.....you become a monster." Carson smiled through the blood on his face. "But that's not the point I'm trying to make. All I got to say is I'm going to punish you!" He excalimed.

Carson's index finger began slowly moving towards the boy's eye and stopped he grabbed hold of the boy's eye lid and pulled. With that kind of strength you can imagine what happened next. As Carson flicked the boy's eyeball away he got close to his victim. "Anything else you wanna talk about before I continue?" The boy was alive Carson knew all about keeping his pray alive.

 

And suddenly the boy was dead. A rather swift painless death, a weave that simply ended him and his suffuring.
Tassy walked up to Carson, "Nothing will change how sick you have become, and this is the exact reason I am not travleing with you. But As long as you are in my presense I will not condone torture of children. Do I make my self clear?"

 

The young uncasteable screamed. Berk jumped up at the high-pitched noise.

"What are you doing!" Berk exclaimed as Carson ripped out an eye of the poor lad. He was aiming to kill the boy but evidently someone else had already done that, thus giving the suffering child a clean death. He then turned to Carson. "Monster" he spat towards Carson. His eyes were merely slits, he grabbed Carson by the collar and threw him on the ground. "If you weren't Pickles son you would have died just the same." Berk said coldly.

 

Carson flipped upward from Berk's outburst as soon as his back hit the ground, he didn't respond. "Die? Impossible. Death doesn't exist for me in my tale." He said in reply to Berk. Carson then turned to his mother and frowned. "Sick? Hardly the kid didn't talk, he helped killed and capture our friends so I tortured him. You can call it sick and I don't blame you to be honest. But seriously it ain't like killing and torture is anything new to us.....most of all you Tassy." He said leaning against a large boulder.

He yawned. "Besides I hardly find it a reason on why you wouldn't travel with me. Lets be honest here I'm probably the most practical member of the family." That was the truth. Even for all his warped ideals and beliefs. Carson was far more intelligent then his sister or father in ways..........in other ways not so much.

 

Lyra

Lyra pressed closer to the tree, hiding her face from her father's anger. She'd just seen a boy die...a young boy. Death was unfamiliar to her, being protected from such things on New Charon. Back home she had witnessed a few animals die even after healing them. It had taken weeks for her to feel better after seeing those limp bodies. Now, she stood stunned and shaking.

"Why do people have to die?" Lyra muttered to herself. No matter if the boy had been an enemy, she still didn't understand how people could be so cruel.

 

Rayla

"As for Will, his chances for survival will increase greatly if he knows you're safe. Head to where I told you."

"Home? Is that where dad is? But that's several days away..." It's too far, mom and dad could be dead by then...

Suddenly a scream sounded from behind Rayla and she watched in horror as Carson began mutilating a young man, no older than Keiran. Tassy killed the boy and then began berating her son. She looked away, clutched her stomach and threw up on the ground. Too much...it was too much...

Rayla's fingers became cold and she started shivering as panic and shock began to set in. Mom kidnapped, her unborn sibling in danger...dad missing...blood, death, so much blood.
Go home...to what? An empty house? What if they don't come back? Where are they? Why? Why is this happening?

 

"I may have killed in the past Carson but I have never used torture espsially against children. Not even Misven would stoop that low, do it again and I will treat you like you treated the boy."

Sol sadness seemed to pass slowly, he had been gazing on his now burning city when a changed came over him. "Right!" he turned to Rayla and the other kids and winked. "I'm going to protect all of you! So don't fear as prince it is my duty!"

"You tell em your awesomness." Knob chimed in.

 

Carson simply shrugged. "I'm not you and I'm not Misiven. I operate on my own terms you know that." He said calmly as he wiped the blood off his face. Carson then bent over and picked up his little sister. His face went from psychotic to perfectly happy and gentle like his dad. "I apologize." He said sincerely. "That's why I said please try and hurry back with Pickles. Your more suited to be......parents to Marine then I ever can." He said. "So please come back for her." Carson had heard what Sol said. He just didn't respond.

Carson knew he was a monster. He didn't hide it he used it to his advantage mostly. He focused all his monster on killing other monsters or just petty thugs, as you can imagine he didn't have very many long term enemies. Of course some may be surprised to learn he could be quite merciful at times. But of course he was heavy believer in no kill like overkill.

 

Thoranth

Thoranth sat on a rock pouting. The queen was probably dead and that meant all of his promised wealth too. He couldn’t catch a break. He shivered, and adjusted his jacket.

The screams of the boy still echoed on his nerves. Apparently this motely bunch was now torturing for information. He was no stranger to torture he’d seen grown men turned to blubbering idiots at the hands of an arbitrator at public executions, but nothing like this. The One they called Carson was clearly a sociopath, he’d dealt with their kind before, you didn’t get to as many pubs he’d been to without rubbing shoulders with the worst lowlife. They were all the same killers and thugs, no remorse or empathy, they’d smile and shake your hand or buy you a drink, but you could always tell that you were one step away from them driving a knife through your gut.

He was mostly surprised by the others reactions. He would have thought such upstanding citizens such as these would have stopped such a man from committing such a heinous and barbaric act. But they all still seemed dumbstruck; the fall of the queen must have come as a shock to all of them especially the young ones. He glanced around him before taking a silver flask from his jacket pocket, and took a quick sip. He let out a sigh of contentment. The whiskey was over fifty years old, and the best of the best, he usually only used it on special occasions. The group was still bickering, and frankly he didn’t care.

Though the boy prince sol was still amongst them, and technically would have all of the riches of the queen. Maybe there was still a way to salvage the situation, after all wasn’t it his duty to fulfill the debts of the mother. Maybe there were still riches to be had from this venture, and when he really thought about it his life faced a certain some amount of risk every day.

“So what now? Where will you all go from here?”

 

Berk Strongarm

Berk was not at all satisfied with Carson's attitude. "Actually, you are right. I won't kill you. I'd have you locked up in the deepest, darkest dungeon to rot that psychotic smile off your face. You seem to take great pride in being The Walker but if the stories are true, then I have never in my life met a creature, yes creature, more vile and cruel than you. If you can do this to an enemy who was answering your questions, than what will you do to one that does not answer? You think yourself so great? Well let me teach you one lesson, pride goes before a fall." Berk said sternly. He meant every word. Carson only had to go once more out of his way and Berk would personally drag him to the insane asylum.

He walked back to Lyra and grabbed her by her arm. "Come." he said "let's talk, what happened?"

 

Carson didn't even flinch at Berk's comment. "I don't really think being The Walker is a great honor. When I say it I like it to inspire fear into my enemies." He said as he cracked his neck. "As for me torturing the kid he had it coming. He damaged what I hold dear so I damaged him, not to mention who knows how many people he killed before coming across us." Carson sighed. "But you are correct sir I am a monster. I cannot ever justify what I do, I simply inflict my judgment on those who hurt others. Am I scum? am I vile? Yes I'm all these things." He said admitted without blinking.

"But if you think me the worst monster you have ever met then I'm afraid I disagree. There are far worse people out there then me.......how do I know? Because I kill those worse people pedophiles, rapists, killers and other monsters I enjoy the hurting them but I do not raise my hand against the good." Carson paused and his eyes looking distant. "But if you did attack me I wouldn't fight back. I don't kill or fight men like you. Not out of fear of course. But out of respect for myself, you and your family." As anyone could tell Carson's morals were anything but the average set of a person. "Though you would likely beat me." He added with a sincere tone

He paused and looked thoughtful. "There's nothing great about me. I'm just me." He added

 

Leiwin

Leiwin took a deep breath. He had lost eye contact with the battle off in the distance when soldiers started to surround him. Most of those soldiers lay on the ground around him now. As he cleaned his swords' blades with white cloth he tried to assess the situation. He had seen the dark spell go off right before he was attacked, and now, it seemed that the uncastables had fled. Had they surrendered?

Leiwin cast the crimson cloth aside and examined his swords thoroughly. They were both spotless. Sheathing them, he picked up his bow and slung it across his back, where it had originally rested.

Leiwin started heading down the road to where the queen's party was resting. He could see now that there had been major casualties. Bodies and bodyless limbs were spread all around the battlefield, and most importantly, the queen was nowhere to be seen. As he got closer he thought it best to announce his presence, lest their be any misunderstandings about which faction he belonged to.

"Greetings, I mean you no harm." he shouted from some distance "I was summoned by her majesty, Magnolia to Fare but got lost along the way. I saw the whole battle take place, the bodies I have left behind me in the road should be proof enough of my allegiance."

 

"Because I kill those worse people pedophiles, rapists, killers and other monsters I enjoy the hurting them but I do not raise my hand against the good."

"Don't pretend you are any better than them, not even by your own warped definition of what is right and wrong!" Berk shouted over his shoulder.

 

Carson laughed. "When did I ever say I was better then anyone else!?" He shouted back cheerfully. "I just think what they do is worse. It doesn't make me any better. I'm still a killer." He paused and beamed brightly. "But I enjoy killing those types. They deserve it."

Carson smiled warmly at the new comer. "Greetings sir. I'm afraid Queen Magnolia has been taken by the uncastable army. We are all heading to a safer location soon.

 

Lyra

Lyra looked to her father and saw the strain in his eyes; the anger as he yelled at Carson.

"Dad, don't be mad at him," Lyra said softly, gripping his arm. "He's Marine's brother...when she wakes up I don't want her to be upset. She's a good friend."

All of the pressures of the day were wearing on Lyra and it was plain to see as she fought back the threatening tears. "About what happened...well, I wasn't with Mom. She let me go play with the other kids. I surprised Rayla actually and that wasn't really that fun...but anyway, we were playing tag." Lyra spoke quickly. "Then when we were running outside, other people starting running with us, screaming and panicked. Sol said he knew a way out of the city, but other uncastables were coming so we needed to find Mom and Rayla and Keiran's mom. We didn't know where they were, until we went into the garden. Mom she..."

Lyra threw herself into her father, hugging him tight. "Dad, Mom's gone! And it's all my fault that I wasn't with her. Now bad people took her and she's gone!" Her small body shook as she held onto her father in a hyperventilating, crying mess.

 

"Dad, Mom's gone! And it's all my fault that I wasn't with her. Now bad people took her and she's gone!"

Berk chucked his daughter close as he let her words sink in to him. Fare attacked, probably conquered, his wife and Emery gone and his beloved daughter in tears. "We will get her back, together, and with Grynn" Berk said eventually. "We will stay together until we find her, okay? And we are going to find her and then we will go home and all will be good. When I first met your mother.." Berk paused for a moment, reliving the memory. "When I first met her I thought she was distant and introverted. But I quickly learned that she did so because she had been ignored for a great part of her voyage. Your mother does not like to talk about it but, she used to be mean towards others and acting superior to others. But by the time I met her she had changed. No one else seemed to see it, perhaps because they had the old Emery in the back of their minds but I, as a newcomer, did see it. She was strong, determined and would go to any lenghts to fight for what she thought was right. She protects the things she loves with great passion. She loves you Lyra, she may show it in a different way, but she loves you. Where ever she is, she will survive, for Charon, for me perhaps, for Pip, but also for you Lyra." Berk said.

He did not really know why he was telling Lyra about her mother's past. Maybe because it gave him courage to be as strong as her, or maybe because it showed that people could change. Something that Berk hoped, would befall Carson soon.

 

Leiwin

The news of the queen's capture were disturbing, at the very least. Leiwin still didn't know what was going on, but at least one person in the group had acknowledged him. It was probably safe to get closer now.

As he did, he realised that there were people around his age at the scene. Leiwin wasn't used to being around people his age. The time he didn't spend alone, he spent with his fellow sentinels. No one besides the man who had greeted him seemed to have taken notice of him, everyone was resting, grieving or tending to their or other's wounds. Leiwin thoght it best not to disturb the people, they needed time to digest what just happened.

Instead he approached the man who had greeted him. He had his face covered in blood, and yet he smiled from one year to the other. The sight was kind of off-setting. Even so, Leiwin needed answers.

"Sir, I am Leiwin Arcanis. As I already said, I was summoned by her majesty, for what I do not know. If she has been captured, might you enlighten me?" Leiwin said politely "What was I summoned for? Are you people the 'others' the fairy talked about?"

 

Carson wiped the blood off his face and stood up. He walked over to Leiwin and happily shook his hand. Carson was practically glowing like his father he loved meeting new people. "Well originally a group mostly comprised of our parents were traveling with the Queen to help her gather allies from another nation......I can't quite remember which one." Carson looked thoughtful but he started beaming brightly again. "But at the moment my mother as instructed us to go to their house." Carson said nodding towards Rayla and Kieran. "That's about it." He said cheerfully as started to walk away. "Ah yes sorry my name's Carson but I must check on my sister." Carson practically skipped away.

 

Lyra

"...She loves you Lyra, she may show it in a different way, but she loves you. Where ever she is, she will survive, for Charon, for me perhaps, for Pip, but also for you Lyra."

Lyra wiped away her tears as her father spoke words of hope. Her mom hadn't been a nice person back then? How could that have happened? Still, she knew her dad was telling the truth. Was that why Mom never let her do certain things or kept her from having fun...to protect her?

"Thanks Dad," Lyra looked into her father's eyes, managing a small smile. "Mom, does know how to be strong. I mean, we almost couldn't convince her to come with us...but, maybe she was right about adventures." Worries continued to toss in her mind, but Lyra knew she needed to be strong too. Strong for her Mom.