eyes and Aaron began to wonder if Tarimus had indeed caught up with him. He quickened his pace to a trot until he came to a clearing. It looked as if someone drew an invisible line and decided that this was where the forest would end. A sea of thick fog stretched out before him with an occasional shadow breaching the top of the swirling canopy. Is any of this real, Aaron wondered? All of this was real enough for his parents who gave their lives for his. The bitter thought was like acid smoldering in his mind. In the blink of an eye the arguments played out in his head, because of his failure to act, others had paid the price. Guilt weighed heavily upon his broad shoulders.
What else could you have done, a wise voice reasoned.
Something…Anything. He whispered back.
Zeus eyed him through the savage eyes of a wolf and took a bold step towards the fog with a growing hunger in his eyes. Alright my friend I’ll follow you. Holding on to the dense fur on his back they plunged into the fog. He held on as if his life depended on it, because to let go would mean being lost. The fog thickened so much that he could barely see his hand in front of his face. The air grew cold around them and Aaron stumbled blindly holding on trying his best to find his footing, but Zeus quickened the pace. The ground beneath him leveled off and hardened. He was sure they were going down a road of some sort and there were buildings just beyond the swirling fog. Aaron closed his eyes and allowed his other senses to take the lead. The medallion grew warm against his chest and he focused on the dragons around the white pearl at the center.
Zeus came to a stop and nudged his hand with his muzzle. Heat began to build in the pearl and Aaron fed the heat with all his concentration. When he could no longer stand the heat he reached into his shirt and pulled the medallion out, holding it over his head, but he didn’t let go of the power gathering within. Faint whisperings urged him to give over and release his hold upon the power, but he held on a few moments more until he could bear it no longer. Light rippled from the white pearl in bursts burning up the fog around him and Aaron found himself standing within a towering coliseum all grey with worn stonework through out. The ground beneath his feet held old dry dirt stained with blood and stunk of death. A crisp wind blew and Aaron looked up to discover the stadium full of onlookers, all eerily silent. Whenever he focused in to get a better look at them they went distinctly blurry, but from within his peripheral vision he knew they were there. There was something grim and silent watching him. A stature of judging left Aaron feeling undeniably exposed. Mutterings and hushed tones swept through the coliseum filling up the silence in a vacuum and he clearly heard Ferasdiam marked, and Safanarion.
“How quaint,” a voice called from behind him.
Aaron spun to see a cloaked figure standing behind him and Zeus let out a deep rumbling growl.
“You are a long way from home. How honored I am that you’ve come to mine.” Tarimus hissed.
Silence embraced the coliseum as a hush swept over its attendants. This is what he’d come for, to face Tarimus. It was inevitable despite what Colind had hoped to achieve. Who was Colind trying to protect himself or his son?
“I know what you want and if you think you can take my soul then go ahead and try.” Aaron said.
Dead black eyes regarded him frostily, “I see,” he said.
Aaron expected more of a response than this and he knew to the depths of his soul that there would be no waking up from this nightmare.
“I am going to Safanar,” he said defiantly.
“You walk a fool’s path boy.” Tarimus muttered and then made a waving motion with his hand. A bell clanged throughout the coliseum and by the third gong a columned stone doorway appeared at the far end behind Tarimus. “There is the door. All you need to do is get passed me.” Tarimus sneered.
Aaron
What else could you have done, a wise voice reasoned.
Something…Anything. He whispered back.
Zeus eyed him through the savage eyes of a wolf and took a bold step towards the fog with a growing hunger in his eyes. Alright my friend I’ll follow you. Holding on to the dense fur on his back they plunged into the fog. He held on as if his life depended on it, because to let go would mean being lost. The fog thickened so much that he could barely see his hand in front of his face. The air grew cold around them and Aaron stumbled blindly holding on trying his best to find his footing, but Zeus quickened the pace. The ground beneath him leveled off and hardened. He was sure they were going down a road of some sort and there were buildings just beyond the swirling fog. Aaron closed his eyes and allowed his other senses to take the lead. The medallion grew warm against his chest and he focused on the dragons around the white pearl at the center.
Zeus came to a stop and nudged his hand with his muzzle. Heat began to build in the pearl and Aaron fed the heat with all his concentration. When he could no longer stand the heat he reached into his shirt and pulled the medallion out, holding it over his head, but he didn’t let go of the power gathering within. Faint whisperings urged him to give over and release his hold upon the power, but he held on a few moments more until he could bear it no longer. Light rippled from the white pearl in bursts burning up the fog around him and Aaron found himself standing within a towering coliseum all grey with worn stonework through out. The ground beneath his feet held old dry dirt stained with blood and stunk of death. A crisp wind blew and Aaron looked up to discover the stadium full of onlookers, all eerily silent. Whenever he focused in to get a better look at them they went distinctly blurry, but from within his peripheral vision he knew they were there. There was something grim and silent watching him. A stature of judging left Aaron feeling undeniably exposed. Mutterings and hushed tones swept through the coliseum filling up the silence in a vacuum and he clearly heard Ferasdiam marked, and Safanarion.
“How quaint,” a voice called from behind him.
Aaron spun to see a cloaked figure standing behind him and Zeus let out a deep rumbling growl.
“You are a long way from home. How honored I am that you’ve come to mine.” Tarimus hissed.
Silence embraced the coliseum as a hush swept over its attendants. This is what he’d come for, to face Tarimus. It was inevitable despite what Colind had hoped to achieve. Who was Colind trying to protect himself or his son?
“I know what you want and if you think you can take my soul then go ahead and try.” Aaron said.
Dead black eyes regarded him frostily, “I see,” he said.
Aaron expected more of a response than this and he knew to the depths of his soul that there would be no waking up from this nightmare.
“I am going to Safanar,” he said defiantly.
“You walk a fool’s path boy.” Tarimus muttered and then made a waving motion with his hand. A bell clanged throughout the coliseum and by the third gong a columned stone doorway appeared at the far end behind Tarimus. “There is the door. All you need to do is get passed me.” Tarimus sneered.
Aaron
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