A throbbing pain had seared itself into Sain's mind. To be honest, he wasn't even sure if he was breathing. All that existed in this solitude was an all encompassing pain, surrounded by the dark expanse of his own consciousness. He could feel his strength and will weakening by the moment as if being siphoned out of him through his heart, every beat leading him closer and closer to his end.
"So this is how I die." Sain thought in the dark as pain slowly brought with it clarity.
Despite pain and reluctance the void seemed to beckon him, soothing his emotions and quieting his troubled mind. He felt... empty. His struggles, his ambitions, even his joys slowly emptied away. He felt as if he was simply a husk for the void. An empty shell, devoid of even pain... yet he found to his surprise that he persisted. The draining sensation within him suddenly ceased as if a hole had been stoppered up where his heart should be. Pain returned, but it was followed by a warmth and flood of emotions unlike any that Sain had yet to experience in his seventeen years of life. Sorrow, acceptance, rage, love, regret, loss... emotions so strong and powerful and ever so old filled him where the void had been. The darkness flowed like a black ink, compressing it within his still beating heart. The darkness of his mind slowly was overtaken by a bright white light that seemed to stretch out into infinity. Standing in front of him Sain saw a large green hawk looking down at him with care.
"Hello little one," a woman's voice slowly echoed in his mind with power and nobility but filled also with a compassion and care he had only ever heard from Gera when she spoke to him. "I have so much to say but so little time to say it. Take care of my son. Let him know I loved him and protected you both till the end. Don't waste the time I have given you, but most importantly never lose yourself! Your future will be a frightening one, fraught with hardship. Keep each other safe. Thank you for trying to save me little one. I am glad I could meet a human like you... before the end. Live proud little one-"
As the voice echoed in his mind the light seemed to get stronger and stronger, and Mira's body slowly took on the white hue of the world around them before slowly fading away in the light. Sain tried to reach out to her, tried to run but he found he could not move. In fact as the voice began to slowly fade a tugging sensation from the condensed void in his heart seemed to pull him back forcefully as if anchored to something. With a final tug the world seemed to shatter around him and he began to fall once more into the dark.
***
Gliding over the Rosewood, a man and a serpent rode the roots of the surrounding plants forwards as the serpent lazily gave directions.
"Turn four degrees north-west and continue for six-hundred meters and we should find the boy. The girl was pretty good at hiding her marks and altering evidence. Even if we know it was her handiwork, we can't prove it. Quite the promising young adept, eh Reazon?"
Reazon just let out a loud harrumph as he slightly adjusted his course, before tightening the silk cord that held his long black hair into a ponytail. Reazon was a tall man around six foot two in height, and although he was not overly muscular he gave an impression of might and power to those who looked at him as if his body had decided to compress his muscle instead of expanding them. He wore long blue silk robes that waved in the wind as he traveled, the emblem of a black rose embroidered on his sleeve and collar declaring his school of learning. His stave was held behind his back and emitted a pale blackness as if the void itself was devouring all light that it passed. On his shoulders the black six-legged serpent continued to gaze in the direction of their objective with its third eye on its forehead, the other two remaining firmly shut.
"Rhyme, You are certain the adept will not have seen his face?" Reazon asked the serpent with a begrudging tolerance as it continued to use him as transportation.
"Of course I am sure," Rhyme replied smugly. "Kara may be a skilled and devious adept, however her arrogance once she thinks she has accomplished her task is something she can't change. It is just as much a part of her nature as it is mine to spend time delving into possible futures!"
Reazon ignored Ryme's comment after getting his confirmation, turning his grey eyes once more towards his goal. Soon the clearing became visible. Reazon paused briefly at the sight of the two bodies and the destruction of the scene. It was a scene most would find incredibly convincing if they had no prior knowledge of what would be. The two adepts were clawed apart and the scars of battle told their own tales, the supposed culprit lying still collapsed in a heap covered in wounds. The wind gently caressed the soft green feathers as if bidding farewell to a loved one and morning her passing. Even Rhyme, known for his aloofness and sense of superiority, seemed subdued by the sight of the now deceased creature. Collecting the staves of the gardeners, Reazon brought up his hand and the earth itself seemed to open it's mouth wide to swallow the bodies of Cain and Gile. He removed the crystals from their staves and placed them on the now freshly turned earth, and it seemed as if the crystals themselves took root in the earth below. After completing his duties towards the adepts he turned once more to the fallen beast. Just out of the range of the clearing beneath the bushes, a glimpse of white hair could be seen peeking through the undergrowth. Making his way over, Reazon brushed aside the shrubbery to reveal the lanky youth. Sain's pale skin resembled chalk at this point, dark green lines seeming to have twined their way from his chest and begun to climb his neck. A glimpse of his red eyes flickered as the young man seemed to cling to life, his consciousness flickering in and out.
"Well he certainly turned out to be a scrawny one." Rhyme said with a hint of curiosity in his aloof voice."Barely can see the resemblance at all to his father's side. Even if he does take after Dayja more than Jet you wouldn't think it would be this pronounced."
Bending down, Reazon picked up the youth in his arms, checking his pulse and following the black lines down his neck to the wood grain ring now embedded into his flesh. It vibrated at his touch, almost seeming to beat itself like a second heart, tiny tendrils digging into the flesh of the pale young man.
"Rhyme, look at this," Reazon began pointing out the growth of the veins. "The veins shouldn't have been able to grow nearly this far. Even Addy didn't show this much reaction."
"It is fine, Reazon," the serpent replied casually. "He has stabilized and even if the veins are growing more than expected there should be no adverse effects. Let's just pick up the boy and go before anything unexpected happens."
"Really? Unexpected? from you?" Reazon asked his voice laced with sarcasm lifting Sain up. "What,oh great lizard who sees all possible futures, could catch you by surprise?"
A large green egg rolled out from under Sain, a black crown evident on its shell as well as several drops of red blood that had fallen from Sain's body. With an exasperated sigh, Rhyme responded.
"That isn't supposed to be there, so... that. That is what I wanted to avoid."