Previous Chapters:

Prologue-Ch.4

Chapter 5: Talon's Welcome

Chapter 6: Gaati's Machine

Chapter 7: Necropalace

Chapter 8: Through Blinding Light

Chapter 9: Shadows of the Past

            For once in a long time, Kenai was actually afraid.  He wasn’t worried about death, however.  Kenai could not face the truth about his family.  Now that he thought about it, he never knew that much about his brother and sister.  But now, since that day, he had been in such a huge family reunion.

            The room of the last trial was in a faded shadow, with nothing but an altar at the other end.  Unlike the other rooms, this place seemed more like an actual Necropalace.  Halfway through the room, Kenai saw skeletons, obviously of ones to weak to endure their fate.  When Kenai reached the altar, he saw it: the Necrostone.  It was the source of all dark magic in Zephyr; its power made Kenai tremble.  Then, the ground beneath Kenai shook violently. 

            You, of accursed blood.

            Kenai stood surprised.  Nobody was in the room.  He certainly didn’t expect the Necrostone to talk to him.

            Thou who holds the power of those rivaling us, what have you come to achieve?  You deserve no power.  You are a disgrace to all Shadow.  Why must I grant you your right of passage, when you knowingly hold traces of Aura?

            Kenai just stood there, speechless.  The pebble was not lying.  Ever since he was young, Kenai knew of his mother, an Aura sage.  How his father met her, he had no idea, but it had caused the Auraic to become extremely upset.  So much that he ordered the execution of the couple.  The Auraic must have seen something in his hybrid magic, and kept him alive.  Why else would Zen keep him locked up?

            You have even brought your own family here.  How dare you keep your own sister from knowing the truth!  The longer you wait, the more she will hate you…

            “Enough!” yelled Kenai.  “How is it my fault that I’m a hybrid?!  How is it Nikolas’ or Caitlyn’s fault, either?  Nikolas and I have been living a lie, trying to hold our secret with dignity.  Caitlyn knows nothing yet!  You don’t knows how hard it is, being against what you truly are and being separated from those you grew up with.  Watching your parents die, right in front of your very eyes, by those with whom you are a part of…”

            Then so it shall be.  If you can face your truest fear, then the crest is yours.  If not, you will rot in this temple, disgracing the Katanga name further.

            “I’ll take whatever you have,” challenged Kenai.

            So be it.

            The Necrostone started to rumble on its altar, slowly rising into the air.  Dark puffs of smoke formed around the stone making a human figure.  Kenai stood aghast, knowing whom the stone was trying to mimic.

            “Father?!”

            Yes.  The man whom you blame for your forsaken status, but also the man whom you idolized.  Fighting the man who taught you everything you know will be your trial.

            The misty figure raised a scythe almost as tall as him, also made of the smoke.  It lunged towards Kenai, ready to strike.  Kenai just stood there and took the hit. 

            “Uraghhh!  What?!  It’s…just…mist…”

            Kenai was on knees, gasping for breath.  He looked for his wound, but found none.

            The smoke leaves no mark, but is always felt.  You must endure your pain and attack!

            It was Kenai’s turn to take initiative.  He fired several Dark Shots at the figure, but did no damage as they all went through the smoke.

            How am I supposed to kill something that can’t be hit?  The smoke just flows past my attacks, physical or magic.  Plus, this thing moves way to fast for me to dodge.  Its attacks aren’t fatal, but soon I won’t be able to move if this pain persists…

            Kenai decided to try to deflect his “father’s” attacks with his own weapon.  However, the scythe curved around and struck its target.  Kenai was knocked to the floor, and he struggled to get up.  The sage was wobbling at his legs; he couldn’t take much more of this. 

            There has… to be some sort… of weak point…, thought Kenai.  Specter!

            All Kenai could see was a blurry mass of gray, with different shades of the color blending together.  While Kenai tried to look for a weakness, he was left wide open for another slash from the misty figure.

            “Arghhh!”

            Kenai was too tired to get up anymore.  After an attempt to pull himself up, he fell back onto the floor.

            I guess the descendant of a Shadow of the highest order can’t claim his crest.  So it is true, the child of the strong can never live up to their father.

            “Never compare me to my father!” yelled Kenai, fighting his way onto two legs.  His eyes became black like pure obsidian.  His insight became much clearer now.  The Necrostone, the source of the mist, was within the figure all along.  Holding up his left arm to steady it, Kenai fired a single shot at the Necrostone.

            It was over in a flash.  The gem fell to the ground, lifting all of the mist from the room.  Kenai’s energy returned as well, and he placed the Necrostone back onto the altar.

            How surprising.  You have strength after all.  Quite odd how it comes from the hatred of your father, whom you idolized.  It’s doesn’t matter.  I now bestow the symbol of all Shadow, the Phantom Crest.

            As the crest appeared on his left hand, he was trembling.  All that power coming at once gave his hand a numbing sensation.  When it was over, the crest, which was a circle with a cross over it, lay etched onto Kenai hand.

            “At last, I can pay back those that have made me suffer,” Kenai whispered.  “Might as well take this along, too.  If the Auraic gets his hands on the Acrocrystal, this may be the only way to stop Maxwell.”  He took the Necrostone, put it in his pocket, and went out to meet Caitlyn.

            “Ah, what does it do?” asked Caitlyn upon seeing the crest.

            “You’ll find out soon.  Come on, we have to get to the Talon base and help Gaati as promised.”

            “Hey, you feeling okay?”

            “Umm, sure.  Just…a little tired, that’s all.”

            She’s gonna find out.  Sooner or later she will learn our family’s curse.

Stay tuned for Chapter 10: The Diversion!