Chapter 2

By: Erik Brown

He was drowning. Waves tipped with white froth towered over his head, and came crashing down, trying to crush the life out of him. Or maybe to crush his will, to wash away his strength, to destroy him from the inside. He beat his arms against the water, looking for land somewhere beyond the choppy horizon. He lamented, for he saw nothing.

A deep and resonating voice rang out from the sky above him, "Submit! You cannot stand against me!"

"No!" He cried out, as he best he could in between taking breaths of air.

From overhead a booming laughter tore the sky, "You fool, don't bother to even try to resist me."

"W-Who…" Te'ro tried to cry out at the voice, but salty water kept filling his mouth, forcing him to be careful to not swallow the salty liquid.

"You ask who I am? Well, I am power, Te'ro! I am pure unstoppable power, and you shall fall before my might! But do not fear, you I chose, to continue my life, and once you succumb I shall be in control of you."

"Never! I control myself!"

"You can't stop me! You should just give up!"

"I…Argh!" Something cold from beneath the foamy surf grabbed his ankle, and held it in a vice-like grip. "What is…" Te'ro shouted in panic, as the creature beneath the waves began to drag him under. Water flooded into his mouth, slid down his throat, and filled his lungs.

Te'ro swung his arms in great circles, but to no avail, he just sunk further. He looked out into the depths, as the water moved about, making the inky darkness swirl about his body. His lungs began to ache, and he could feel himself beginning to black out. Than when he thought it couldn't go on, it didn't.

And suddenly… he was on a bed in a dark room, staring at the moon that hung in the window, just in front of his face. The moon seemed to swirl, as if he were still underwater, and that frightened him greatly. Te'ro was breathing fast in hurried breaths; his body was drenched with sweat.

The moon hadn't stopped swirling, but at least he was starting to calm down a bit. He heard Rei below him, on the bottom bunk, ask, "Te'ro? Are you alright?"

Te'ro closed his eyes, "W-Where am I?"

Silence, "Rei," Te'ro asked in a panicked voice, "Are you still there?"

Te'ro heard Rei sit up, "I'm still here Te'ro, but don't you know where we are?"

Again silence, "You're scaring me Te'ro, we're in the cabin!"

Te'ro opened his eyes, the moon had finally stopped churning, "I'm fine, just had a bad dream. Sorry."

Rei flopped back down on his bed, "Well, try not to freak me out like that again."

"I've been acting strangely these past weeks, haven't I?"

"Yes."

Te'ro lay there, silent. Rei broke the silence, "What's been going on?"

"Nothing."

"Don't say that! I've known you for many years, something is on your mind, I know it."

"I-its nothing, really."

Rei rolled over on his bed, and said in a frustrated voice, "Good night."

Te'ro closed his eyes, and was about to sleep, when he remembered the map he got from Val'Gain. "Rei, are you still awake."

Rei sighed, "Yes."

"That map that I got from the Treasure Shop. It's of this area, you know?" He waited for Rei to say something.

Rei only replied, "Yeah."

"Well, I think it might lead to something, it couldn't be far from here."

Rei laughed, "A treasure hunt?"

"Yeah, why not. It would only take a day."

"Why not?" Rei said with false bravado.

"Exactly." And a song came into Te'ro's mind as he slept, and flitted through his mind all night. And when he woke in the morning, something amongst the trees sang it to him, perhaps so he wouldn't forget.

…

Rei sat on a rock, unscrewed the cap to his thermos, and drank some still hot cider from it. Then he sighed, and looked about him at the scenery. Sunlight shined down in shafts of light, through the canopy of trees, to crisscross across the mossy woodland floor. It was all so beautiful, and as he watched the trees, he strained to listen a creek running through the forest not too far off.

The young bird smiled, it was kind of fun being out in the woods. Treasure or no, so far it was quite fun. He just wished that Te'ro was having as good a time as he was, but his friend was peculiarly caught up in the whole thing.

He took another gulp of cider, and then he drank the air, for it was so clear and rich. The morning was wonderful. Far above the trees light clouds swirled about, and it made the illusion that it would be a clear day. Rei screwed on the cap of the thermos, and leapt off of the rock he sat on, landing near his friend.

Te'ro was looking over the map, soaking in all of its many details. Rei looked at it over Te'ro's shoulder, and he noticed something odd. As he looked at the map, strange symbols seemed to be written all over the map. Directions of sorts, but written in some strange archaic language. The alien symbols were everywhere on the paper, except for the corner. In the corner was something that was written so that Rei could understand it.

But Te'ro pulled away, and wouldn't let Rei see it, "What are you doing Te'ro, can't I see the map now?"

"No."

Rei picked up his backpack, and slung it over his back, "Gosh, why so cranky?"

Te'ro glared at him, "Never you mind."

He walked over to Te'ro, as the red bird rolled up the map and put it in his coat. Rei said to him, "Hey, what's eating you Te'ro?"

"I," he hung his head, "I can't tell you Rei."

"What?" Rei looked at his friend, "You can't tell me? We've been friends since we could walk, we've told each other everything, we're like brothers!"

Te'ro began to talk, "Rei, its…" but was cut off.

"No, forget it," Rei snapped, "I don't care." And he turned his back on Te'ro.

Te'ro raised his head, "You of all people! Now you're getting mad at me!"

Rei turned to look at his friend, "That's because I feel like you've been hiding something from me. Now its obvious you are! So tell me, Te'ro, what is wrong?"

Te'ro hung his head again, "I can't tell you… but its some kind of force, something…" And his voice trailed off.

Throwing his hands up in disgust Rei started to walk away.

"No wait…"

"What is it?"

"We have to go east."

…

Looking up he half expected a crack of ominous thunder, but it didn't come. The white and sparse clouds that had populated the sky in the morning had been driven off by thicker, jet-black storm-heads. Rei looked forward, off into the mountains and forests.

Then he looked at the watch on his wrist, a wonderful gift he had received from an uncle a few years ago. Moving gears, powered by a small battery, turned the hands on the face of the watch, beneath a thin sheet of glass, surrounded by silver casing. And it would turn and turn, until it's tiny battery gave, and it's arms refused to turn.

"It's getting late Te'ro, we should turn back."

Te'ro stopped, but he didn't turn around, he only coldly said, "It's only noon, we go on."

"No!"

The red bird groaned, "Why?"

"Because, it's getting late, I'm tired and I would rather be at the cabin."

"Fine."

Rei shuddered, a chill wind ran down his spine, "What?" He was bewildered, and frightened.

Wings stretched out full length behind the red bird, then he folded them around his body, "Go back. Go back to your family, " and he turned around, and Rei saw no feeling in his eyes, "Leave my presence."

"You're insane!" Rei put his arms around himself.

"Go to your loved ones, forget about me."

"No, I would never… What's happening to you, Te'ro?"

He continued to look into his friends cold dead eyes, "You care for me?"

Rei shuddered, and his friend's icy demeanor frightened him through and through. "Yes, why wouldn't I, we're friends aren't we?"

"I have no friends."

"I'm your friend, and if anyone would care for you, then I and my family do at the very least."

Te'ro continued to stare with his lifeless eyes, "I don't care for you." With those words, rain began to fall from the heavens, from the black storm clouds.

Rei cried out in anguish, "You aren't Te'ro, are you! What have you done with my friend?"

"Te'ro is mine, he has only ever been a vessel to contain me."

"No!"

"Yes, and yet there is more, for I am who Te'ro really is. He and I are one being; I care only to progress, only to be the most powerful. I need no one, and no one needs me. All I need is power. And that is what Te'ro is as well, and nothing more."

He sank to his knees, and shut his eyes to block the dreadfully cold glare, "I don't believe you, Te'ro has a heart, you, you're heartless!"

"Now leave me, you weakling!"

"Never, I know that Te'ro is still there, if only he would fight you."

"Pitiful."

Rei stood up, and opened his eyes and looked right into Te'ro's eyes, or whomever it was that stood there. Over the sound of the drenching torrent of rain, he yelled at the red bird, "Te'ro, fight him! Power will only leave you empty. Fight him! Believe in what you believe in!"

The red bird's body convulsed, suddenly his eyes were filled with life again. "Rei, get away from me! As long as he is still inside of me, you won't be safe."

Rei's eyes began to well with tears, "No, I won't leave you my friend. Why didn't you tell me you were in trouble, I would have helped you."

"For awhile I was able to keep this thing in check, deep below my subconscious. But something in these woods have triggered it, made it strong! Run, Rei, go back to your family."

"You are my family, you are my brother! Not by blood, no, but that doesn't matter one bit!"

The rain fell hard, and Rei began to lose track of his friend. Te'ro raised a hand to his head, "Rei! Go, now, he's beginning to win again!"

"No! Fight him!" The rain was drowning him out, so Rei began to walk towards Te'ro. Suddenly the red bird slipped on the rock that he was standing on, and fell backwards down a sharp incline.

"Rei!" Te'ro rolled down the hill, hitting rocks and tumbling though bushes, only to hit his head on a rock. There he landed far below Rei, sprawled out on the ground, his wings draped on the ground, as if in hideous frozen flight.

Rei gasped, shocked beyond belief. Fear froze him in place, as the rain continued to drench him. His mind was going blank, panic began to set in, but he shook those feelings off. He couldn't stand there and allow his friend to be hurt. So he slowly slid down the hill, towards the motionless body of his friend.

As he reached the body, it shuddered, and then went still again. Rei put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "Te'ro?"

The red bird sat abruptly sat up, and he turned to look at Rei. A muted gasp went out of Rei, now Te'ro's eyes weren't dead, but they weren't Te'ro's eyes either. They were filled with an insane fire, a mad lust for power shone in his eyes. Then he smiled, and a hand darted out and struck Rei hard against his face, right under his eye, sending him sprawling.

Then Te'ro spoke, and the words were colder than an arctic night, "Fool! There is no fighting me!"

As Te'ro stood up, Rei cowered on the ground, tears pouring from his eyes. Rei looked over at his friend, as the red bird ran his hands over the smooth face of a moss-covered rock. His hands darted over every feature of the rock, and then he stopped, and pushed inwards.

A grinding sound of rock on rock followed, as a large portion of the rock slowly slid to the side. It revealed a doorway, which led into abject darkness. Te'ro walked right into the inky darkness, without the aid of a torch. Rei closed his eyes, and when he looked again, a turtle stood in front of him.

"Val'Gain?"

The turtle stared at Rei with a cold piercing stare, "Follow him Rei, follow your friend."

Rei shook, "But he is no longer Te'ro, something else is in control of him."

"Only you can stop him."

"Stop him! He's so much more powerful than me?"

The turtle looked away from Rei, and into the cave, "You're right, now is not the time. But," then he turned to look at Rei, "You must follow him."

"I can't."

Val'Gain roared at Rei, "You can! For you are strong Rei, stronger than any of your ancestors ever were."

Rei was silent, and he looked away from the turtle's piercing gaze, but when he looked again, he was alone. Rei sobbed, "What do I do?"

And Val' Gain's voice came to him again, "Do what you believe in, Rei. And be strong."

Rei weakly stood up, his knees shaking underneath him, "I must do this. For my friend, I must try."

He walked over to Te'ro's abandoned backpack, and found a flashlight. He turned it on and off to see if it was working, it was. "Good," he exclaimed. Then slowly he crept over to the cave, fearful that something might lunge out at him from the inky darkness. Flicking on the flashlight, he bravely walked into the cave.

It smelled dank in the cave, nothing had been there for perhaps a hundred years. He shone the light over the cave walls, back and forth to see if maybe there were any messages or hieroglyphs to see, maybe to identify what it may have been used for, for the rock door had been quite odd.

Down a small flight of stairs, around a corner, and down and down the continuing darkness of the cave. Here and there he saw strange characters on the wall, written in the same language as the strange ones on the map. The stairs and the door were certainly built by someone, and the smooth walls supported that as well. Then Rei thought of the map, and realized that this must be where the treasure from the map was hidden, but why go to such trouble.

Still shining the light everywhere, he suddenly stopped. The light rested on a rough wall, filled with letters, and they were written in Rei's language. He looked at it for awhile, trying to piece together what it said, for it had been chiseled out in what seemed like a hurray. The he gasped, as he read the first few words, "To my Great-Grandson, Rei Kiljrow…"

This was impossible, a note had been written expressly to him, some one hundred years ago. Was this really the work of his Grandfather, Dedrik Kiljrow? There was no way that Dedrik could have carved this out after Rei had been born, for Dedrik had been dead for some time. Perhaps he had hired someone to build this long ago, but even then, why was there a note to Rei? Perhaps he had had someone alive now do it?

No, for the air was too dank, the cave was too elaborate, and the time and money involved too much, and his family was not that well off. Rei's head spun round and round with the possibilities, until he became quite sick of it, so instead, he decided he would just read what was written.

To my Great-Grandson, Rei Kiljrow, I give sincere apologies from the bottom of my heart. Today I know that you will lose a friend, and I feel your pain. But Te'ro will never be fully gone, his spirit will live on, as long as you stay his friend. Then you shall meet him again, and all will be made right. I may never know you, Rei, but I am raising your Grandfather well, in hopes that he too will teach his son well. I love you Rei, despite that I will never meet you face to face. Maybe we will, for there are stranger things that have happened before.

Dearly I give these words,

Dedrik Kiljrow

Rei shivered, "What is going on?" He shouted, and listened to his words reverberate along the walls. "What is going on…" But he fell silent, as he heard, once again, rock against rock, as another door was opening. He cocked his head to hear it, it was indeed coming from deeper inside the cave. It must be Te'ro!

Shining the flashlight in front of him, Rei dashed along the cave, running still faster as he heard the sound of rock against rock stop. He ran right up until the rock doorframe, and stood in the midst of a large anteroom.

All around him were carvings of great dragons, winged dragons, four legged dragons, and giant serpents adorning the walls. Painted in bright vibrant colors, though they were surely thousands of years old. And in the center, was the treasure that the dragons guarded. A silver orb stood on a pedestal in the center, it was slightly smaller than a desktop globe, and it pulsated with an eerie light. Just behind the pedestal was a large, ornately carved, stone box. And in front of the pedestal, stood Te'ro.

The red bird walked slowly towards the orb, and it pulsated in response to Te'ro, as he held out his hands to it, as it's light made the dragon carvings play and dance along the walls. Rei yelled at his friend, "Te'ro, no!"

"Nothing can stop me now!"

Yelling at the top of his lungs, Rei again yelled at his friend, "No!" Then his lungs aching, he wept, "My friend…" But it was too late.