Chapter 11: Wings of fate

Luna latched on to Nyxon as hard as she could. She could feel her grip slipping away as she tried to keep her hand on Nyxon’s wrist. He was heavy– almost too heavy for her. Nyxon shouted, “LUNA! BUT I THOUGHT–”

“Thought I would leave you?” replied Luna. She kept tugging at Nyxon’s arm, but Nyxon tried to weigh himself down. “What are you doing? I’m trying to pull you up!”

“Luna! There’s so much happening right now! I’m scared! I want help!” shouted Nyxon.

Luna’s eyes widened. “Help? What’s wrong?” asked Luna. The duo soon turned to the sounds of the royal guards charging down the mountain. Nyxon quickly explained everything that was happing. He needed to leave. Luna couldn’t bring herself to take in all the info. She was confused, but she knew what to do. “W-Wait! What’s going to happen to you?” asked Luna.

Nyxon shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know… But–I’ll be back soon!” shouted Nyxon.

Nyxon used all the strength he could muster to pull himself up. He patted Luna on the head before he tore her hand away from his arm. Luna gasped. She looked over the mountain as Nyxon descended lower from her point of view. The guards were coming closer to her position. She sat up from the ground as the guards approached her from behind. She reached for her pocket to get her mask. It was shaped like a falcon.

“You! You’re under arrest! For crimes against Esmus! For helping a criminal!” shouted the guards. They charged their weapons at Luna, trying to intimidate her. The guards gestured to each other, “Detain her.” said one of the guards.

Luna turned around. Her face was concealed by the mask she carried over her face. “He asked me for help. Nyxon needs my help…” thought Luna. She raised her hands into a fighting stance. She manifested a sword and whip into her hands as she observed her enemies. The dark clouds above started to rain. It made her even more observant. She shouted, “No one is getting past me! If you want Nyxon–” shouted Luna. She dashed to the group of guards,” You’ll have to kill me!”

The swords clashing against each other started to worry Nyxon. He kept falling through the air, trying to find Lapis. There she was– falling through the air still. Shards of glass continued to flow across her body. Nyxon swam through the air, trying to catch her in time before she clashed against the mountain. He finally managed to bring her into his arms. Her cold, pale skin coming into contact with him was almost heartwarming for him. Nyxon slowly started to realize how close the mountain was to him. He smacked his back against it to try and make room for his wings to come out.

He began to fly through the air with his unconscious sister as he tried to find stable ground. He was nervous. His body couldn’t stop shaking as he remembered what his Father said to him. He almost wanted to cry– but there wasn't time for that. He finally landed in the middle of a forest. It was eerie. He couldn’t hear anything but whispers in his ear as he moved his feet along the muddy surface. He could hear something. It sounded like a heartbeat. He took Lapis against a tree to try and get any feeling of hope left. He pressed his ear close to her chest. He could hear it– she was alive.

Nyxon started to cry. He couldn't believe Lapis was still alive. He wrapped his arms around her, almost too tight for her comfort. She woke up. She started to cough from how tight Nyxon was hugging her. “I-I’m fine…” said Lapis. She sounded weak from the fight earlier. She patted Nyxon on the shoulder, trying to signal she was ok.

Nyxon sat up, trying to see if they were being followed.” I think we're okay.” whispered Nyxon. He offered to pick Lapis off the ground. She brought her limp arms up to Nyxons back to be picked up. Nyxon caught a smell of something– no, someone. He hid himself behind a tree as Lapis covered her mouth. If she were to cough even once, she would be caught along with Nyxon. Someone landed on the ground heavily. “NYXY!” a voice shouted. A voice Nyxon recognized too well. It was Manda.

Nyxon felt his heart drop. Lapis could tell how he was feeling, and she had to do something. Lapis’s eyes widened. She felt her chest hurt more as she tried to hold in another cough. Nyxon couldn’t bear to watch Manda look aimlessly. He wanted to shout, but his mouth wouldn't let him.

“NYXY! IM SORRY! IM SORRY I LIED TO YOU!” shouted Manda. She looked like she were ready to cry. Her breath was erratic, trying to look helplessly for her lost brother. She started to cry, “NYXON! I’M S-S-SORRY!” shouted Manda. She fell down to the ground, trying to wipe her eyes from the endless stream of tears coming down her face.

Nyxon couldn’t bear to watch. He felt like he was being stabbed in the heart. Watching his sister cry was the worst thing imaginable for him. Manda started to strike at the ground. She was furious. Nyxon started to cry, too. Lapis could feel the tears from Nyxon flowing down to her arms as Nyxon continued to hide behind the tree. He had to come down to a choice. He needed to decide whether to go after Manda or protect Lapis. But what if it was a trap? Could Manda have been lying the entire time? Nyxon’s mind was spiraling out of control, trying to devise a solution. Nyxon poked his head from the corner– she was gone. Manda disappeared. He was upset– he couldn’t afford to be distracted. He needed to keep moving.

The forest only seemed to get darker as Nyxon descended into the land. He was scared, hungry, and wondering what was next. Lapis coughed again. He was just happy to know she was alive. “You did the right thing, Nyxon,” whispered Lapis. Nyxon didn’t respond. He was too focused on keeping himself on the right path. Lapis noticed his mind was astray. He wouldn’t even think for himself. “You wanted answers… right? Lapis added on.

“Y-Yeah, anything you can tell me?” asked Nyxon.

“You need to ask the question first, y’know,” replied Lapis

Nyxon thought to himself, trying to figure out what he wanted to know the most right now. He closed his eyes, sighing with relief, “What was… Mom like?” asked Nyxon,

Lapis could feel her cold dead eyes opening, “Mom?” she said to herself. She looked up at Nyxon. He still carried her on his back from when they left the castle. She almost changed the expression on her face from her cold, emotionless state. Lapis nearly smiled at Nyxon, “The more I look at you, the more I start to notice you look just like her.” whispered Lapis. She could almost feel herself smile. Nyxon could finally feel how she felt. He was happy to help.

Lapis continued to cough. It only seemed heavier and heavier the more they continued into the forest. Nyxon came to a stop, trying to figure out what was wrong with his newly found sister. He perched her against a tree to inspect the wound that his Father had given her. Her chains across her wrist seemed also to be intact. No matter what Nyxon did, he couldn’t pull them away. He tried biting and cutting them with his sword– but the task proved impossible. Nyxon caught a smell of something foul– like something had died around him. He noticed the smell was coming from Lapis’s wound. “What are you getting at?” moaned Lapis.

“It smells bad-”

“Of course, it smells bad!”

“No– but this smells really bad,” said Nyxon. “Like poison! Lapis, you were poisoned!” shouted Nyxon. Nyxon could feel panic starting to swell. It poked at his heart and body like a sword.

“Can’t you fix this?” groaned Lapis.

“I-I don’t know! I’ve never been poisoned before!” Nyxon started to feel his breathing get heavier. He wanted to run to Manda– maybe she knew something. Nyxon started tearing at his cloak, trying to cover up Lapis’s wound as best as possible.

Lapis could feel her energy slipping away. She kept trying to cling to Nyxon, desperately trying not to slip or cough to worry him anymore. Nyxon kept wandering, trying to find shelter for Lapis to take cover in. Nyxon continued to walk until he found a cave– it was massive. Nyxon could almost get lost by just walking inside it. He found a spot on the ground damp enough for Lapis to lay on properly. Nyxon felt at ease when Lapis seemed safe. He watched her sleep for a while, resting beside her to ensure nothing would happen. Nyxon could feel her skin get cold. He needed to find a way to stay warm.

Nyxon managed to find logs to chop down with his sword. He gave up however– and used his hands to break them apart. He could feel his nerves spike with each hit. He couldn’t stop hearing things in the distance. The owls, the logs hitting the leaves below them, and a very annoying crow. The task was soon finished. Nyxon finally hauled the logs into the cave where Lapis was resting at. Nyxon started to spew fire from his mouth as the flames grew brighter and brighter. Lapis let out a sigh of relief from how warm she was now. Nyxon couldn’t take his eyes off where he had placed the torn cloak to protect Lapis.

Nyxon watched the fire burn. The smoke entering the air provided a comfortable fit for Nyxon. He couldn’t help but think about his guilt and fear when thinking about what his Father told him before he left the castle. “A monster… I-I’m,” whispered Nyxon. He could feel the tears forming as he stared into the fire. “I’m not a m-monster-” cried Nyxon. He planted his face into his knees, trying his best not to cry too loud to alarm Lapis. Lapis could feel her brother's pain; she knew what it felt like.

Lapis turned her head weakly, “M-Magnus… is a liar and a terrible father,” she said weakly. “He kept me away from you… for so long. He’s not your dad or a King– He’s a monster!” shouted Lapis. She could feel her power swell from inside her. Her hair had started to transform like before. Nyxon could notice her power surging, but he didn’t mind.

Nyxon looked over to Lapis. He could see how her hair and eyes changed whenever she was angry. It seemed like it was the root of her power. “Hey, how are you doing that?” asked Nyxon. He was curious about how her powers worked.

Lapis was happy he wanted to know. “It really all comes down to emotion. If you can stay angry enough– you can use it to do some amazing things,” replied Lapis. She pushed her arms into the air, trying to show Nyxon what she meant. “Here, come look,”

Lapis took a deep breath. She could feel the chains wiggling on her wrist as her arm vibrated. The lightning from her fingertips started to spark. Nyxon could feel the lightning pass by his face– it felt like a sharp sting, but it only hurt for a second. “This– is where my anger can take me,” said Lapis. “But it can only go so far. These chains on my wrist limit my power usage. Magnus did it so I wouldn’t try to blow up anything.” Lapis started to let the lightning settle in the palm of her hand. It was almost like looking at a firework show, only inside a cave to Nyxon.

Nyxon was stunned by the fantastic display of power. He’s never seen anything like this, at least not up close. Nyxon brushed his hair aside, “Do you have to be angry to use it? The lightning– I mean.” asked Nyxon.

“No, but it’s just easier to control when angry. That’s why it’s so strong for me,” replied Lapis. She sounded wise when she was tired; it almost made Nyxon’s mind ease.

“What if… I can’t control it?”

“Control what?” asked Lapis.

“My anger. I can’t really control it,”

“Huh?” squawked Lapis. She was even more confused now. “What do you mean? Like– you have no control over when you’re angry?”

Nyxon was running in circles around Lapis’s head. Nyxon decided to explain everything that happened to him up to that point, from the day he was born all the way to when he first met Lapis. Nyxon even pointed out all the times that he would get angry. It felt like he was being boiled alive and would catch on fire if he got angrier. Lapis understood him. She understood everything. She raised her head, trying not to cough more than she had to. “I get it now. This isn’t the first time you’ve felt this way,” said Lapis. She almost sounded more like a teacher for a moment. “Elderians powers are all emotionally based– being angry is just the most intense one. And since you’re just now awakening your powers– your emotions are way stronger.”

Nyxon nodded, “So– it’s gonna be harder for me?”

“Way harder,” replied Lapis. “The reason my anger is so tame is because I put a goal in mind to where my anger goes. That’s how I use my lightning the way I do.”

Because Nyxon unlocked his powers too late, his emotions were more enhanced than ever. His anger could be his greatest tool but also his biggest downfall. If Nyxon couldn’t learn to control himself, he could succumb to his powers again and spiral out of control. After he managed to put Lapis to rest, he finally walked outside of the cave with a new goal in mind,

Nyxon stared into the moonlight, imagining himself as that thing again. That transformation– it scared Nyxon. But he knew if he wanted to get stronger, he needed to learn to control it. He stretched out his hand into the moon, hoping it would take him away somehow from all of this. He clenched his fist with hope in his mind, knowing he needed to protect his sister.

He put his fingers together, trying to use any form of lightning he could. He tried imagining himself with his father again, but that only upset him. Nothing would come out of his hands, not even the tiniest spark. He tried thinking of Brinks and how much he hurt him as a child, but it still wasn’t enough. He didn’t feel angry. He just felt disappointed in the end. Nyxon stopped trying. He wondered if the power he had now was enough to protect Lapis.

He wanted to cry, but he didn’t want to startle Lapis. He stared into his armor, admiring the brown scarf he kept around his neck. Luna scented it to smell like strawberries. They were Nyxon’s favorite. He roamed back into the cave. Lapis was still heavy asleep. Nyxon wanted to wrap the scarf around her neck, but he feared waking her up. He was nervous about waking her up accidentally, but he got the scarf on. Nyxon went to sleep next to Lapis. He hoped this was a nightmare he would wake up from soon.