Chereads / Dawn of Mythic / Chapter 9 - IX - Ferrum's Beginning

Chapter 9 - IX - Ferrum's Beginning

A loud banging noise was knocking on Ferrum's door.

"Ferrum! Ferrum! Are you there!?" Eranheart shouted, banging his door louder and louder. After a minute, the door opened.

"In the Overseer's name, are you some kind of sloth or something?" Eranheart said."Look, we gotta go and… start-"

Suddenly there was the sound of something collapsing to the ground.

"Huh? Ferrum?"

Eranheart looked down and Ferrum had fainted on the floor. In his hands were several medicine balls and the other a bloodied knife.

"Holy-! Fucking hell Ferrum! What the hell did you do!?"

Hearing all the commotion, Cerana appeared at the door.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Ferrum! He fucking overdosed! Don't just stand there, get a doctor for heaven's sake!"

"R-right!" Cerana quickly rushed out the building, heading to find a doctor.

"It's okay, Ferrum. You'll get treated in no time! In the Overseer's name, what did you fucking take?"

Eranheart looked at the medicine balls on the floor and grabbed one. He sniffed it before consuming it.

"Heaven's sake…"

Ferrum slowly opened his eyes as he was met with a wooden ceiling.

He slowly looked around and found himself in the infirmary again.

He felt weak. He could not move any part of his body, no matter how hard he tried.

"So you are awake."

Mairi stood next to him, her eyes glaring down on him.

"If you were in pain, you could've told me. The medicine from the Apothecary will not help with your pain."

Ferrum opened his mouth but Mairi continued to speak.

"As a Mythic, we are immune to illnesses and curses that a non-Mythic would normally be infected with. We are instead inflicted with diseases, born from magic. You have Geranopis. A severe heart disease that could've been treated days ago if you had told me." Mairi explained, knowing full well what Ferrum was going to say.

"I already fed you the medicine, though I highly doubt it'll take effect considering your current state."

Mairi pulled in a chair and sat down, her hands set on her lap.

"How… does it get-?" Ferrum began but Mairi finished his question.

"Worse? I don't know, it gets progressively worse no matter what you do. This disease has been known to kill many Mythics because they failed to notice the symptoms of Geranopis. It generally kills a Mythic in two weeks or worse, just a few days."

Ferrum recalled the time his father died from an illness and he wondered if he too had Geranopis.

"My mother… she would call this a curse."

"Your mother would not be wrong." Mairi responded. "It essentially is a curse. A disease that can kill you if not treated immediately. It's a good thing I managed to survive. All thanks to Eranheart."

"Eranheart? What did he do?"

"Eranheart is a certified Apothecary. Though he could've chosen another person, he decided to stay in the village and work for me. When I was bedridden because of Geranopis, he saved me. I owe him for that. If only you had told us about it earlier."

Ferrum stared out the window and watched as the sun was still in the sky, though it was beginning to start setting.

"So what now?" Ferrum asked and Mairi shook her head.

"Nothing. You are fated to die. There is nothing I can do, even if I wanted to."

There was a knock at the door and Cerana, Eranheart, and Gerald entered. Gerald quickly ran up to Ferrum and began to apologize profusely.

"I'm so sorry! This is all my fault! I-!"

Ferrum managed to raise his hand, silencing Gerald. He would motion his hand, telling him to move aside.

"If I am to die, then let me at least watch the sunset."

Everyone could only pity Ferrum as he watched the sun set.

When the sun fell and the night took over, Ferrum turned towards them.

"I do not need your pity… leave."

Mairi would be the first one to leave the room.

"I will be in my office if any of you need me." She said before leaving.

Gerald would follow suit, taking his leave. Cerana left the room but not before leaving some food which was for Ferrum.

Eranheart was the only person in the room. Ferrum stared at him before asking why he was still there.

"As cool as you want to be, Ferrum, I can see through you. Dying alone… it's not what you want."

Ferrum stared at him before turning away.

"Ferrum, why didn't you tell us? We could've helped you?"

There was no response from the former. Eranheart sighed and stood up. He walked to the door, holding onto the handle.

"I've seen it before Ferrum. Stubbornness can get not only you killed, but others as well. Farewell."

When the door closed, Ferrum slowly picked himself up. He stared out the window, watching as people hung out and partied.

He stared at his hands which were as pale as a ghost. Ferrum let out a sigh as he slowly walked towards his bed. Instantly, he collapsed onto the bed as his vision slowly faded into darkness.

"I'll be joining you soon… father."

"You can't just drag him into a war! He's just a child!"

A woman's voice shouted. The soft but stern voice of a man followed.

"Strength is not born, it is earned. My son will not idle around."

"Our son has yet to even wield a sword and you think granting him the monstrous power is a good idea!?" The woman argued.

"Strength comes in all shapes and sizes. No matter if he is a child, he will be my successor. He has my blood."

Suddenly a bright light shined and a hand reached towards Ferrum.

"Come with me, son. You will become strong, stronger than those that call themselves the strongest."

Ferrum didn't reach for the hand but his body moved on its own.

'Am I dead? Is this some sort of dream? Or vision?'

When his body grabbed the man's hand, he would be led outside the house. He would bear witness to not only the luscious green plains and nature in its natural beauty, but destruction of war and the forces of nature.

"You will one day rule what you see in front of you, son. It is your destiny."

The man crouched and patted Ferrum's head. He had a smile which was covered in many scars and stitches. His hand glowed and Ferrum felt a surge of energy flow through his body.

"The light is yours to rule. My son, Sirafuem. You will no longer be human. You will become a dragon. The Dragon of Light."

Ferrum opened his eyes and dropped to the floor.

He took deep breaths as he stood up and walked out the door. Exiting the infirmary, he began heading to the fields where the sun would rise.

As he reached the fields, he fell to his knees and puked blood. His vision blurry and pain surging in his chest.

"So that is your name… huh?" Ferrum chuckled as he lifted his head. The sun slowly rising across the horizon.

"Ah… what a lovely sunrise."

Ferrum smiled as the sunlight blinded him and he saw a glimpse of the dragon in front of the sun before a burst of light erupted from his body.