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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/books.php/entry_id/740345
Rated: 18+ · Book · Fantasy · #1826612
The Eternal Night is coming, can they stop it before it destroys everything?
#740345 added April 20, 2015 at 1:47pm
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Chapter VII-Cody's Story
Maybe it's time to tell them my story, Cody was thinking as he was grabbing his bag. Kyle shared his to me and Neotasha told his to the group. He was sitting on his bed now thinking about the past when he was a kid. His story was nothing like the other two he had heard. His was violent and tragic with an abusive father and the Dark Lord. Maybe he would tell them everything on the way to Adsmeria. It would probably take much longer to get there than they think, with the distortions of distance and the Forest in itself. They would surely set up camp at least a couple nights if not longer. So, that's it, he'll tell them everything during their nights camping, it would probably take more than one night anyhow.


He heard a light knock on the door and looked up to see Garen coming in. He had his bag already and sword, but he wasn't carrying his shield with him this time. He had told Cody early that he wanted to keep it safe from any harm or losing it because it was a gift from the Elves to their village ages ago.


"It's time for us to leave," Garen said. "Are you ready?"


"Yeah, I just finished packing," Cody replied. "Let's head out."


Cody got up from his bed and grabbed his bag, already having his sword on his hip. Garen and he walked down to the edge of the city and joined up with the group that was heading into the forest. The group was a good size, hopefully enough to convince the Elves to join them. It was Langholm, Jake, Canola, the Major General, the Commandor General, a Third General, Becky, Neotasha, Ax and, finally, Garen and Cody. No one said a word when they joined the group, only turned around and entered the beautiful forest ahead of them with Becky and Neotasha in the front to lead them to Adsmeria.


As soon as they walked into the forest, they could feel the presence of peace and calming. There was a strange aura that surrounded them that felt amazing and the smells that entered their noses was delightful. The trees grew beyond their sight and all had leaves of different colors that were all beautiful, even the white or black leaves looked amazing. Every color of the leaves represented the colors of Fire of Color, including the Original Four, it was a sight that none of them, except Becky and Neotasha, had ever seen before.


Animals would run past them and climb up the trees that they had never seen before and the birds flying by were the color of the rainbow. How could a place like this go unheard of for so long. Never had Garen learned about this place and what beauties it held, even if he did, there would be no way to explain this beauty unless actually there.


"They know we're here," Neotasha said as he shifted his eyes back and forth. "They're watching us from the trees, higher than any of you can see. They don't have any intention of attacking us, just observing us for right now."


"Do they know that you two are with us?" asked Canola.


"Oh, yes they know," Becky said.


They could see through the trees that the Near Star was beginning to set, casting an orange glow over them. The clouds now looked pink and purple as the light of the setting Near Star shined out. Neotasha stopped the group and set down his pack, taking his sleeping things out.


"It's best that we set up camp now," he said. "It's almost impossible to travel through this forest at night."


"Any beasts we have to be worried about?" Cody asked.


"No, but the security around is higher," Becky replied. "If you don't know your way through this forest you will never find Adsmeria. You'll be wandering the place until there's no life left in you to travel."


"I could get all my men and comb every bit of this forest," said the Major General. "We could find that city."


"No you couldn't," Neotasha said laughing. "The forest is designed to lead people away from the city. There are certain mind altering traps placed in almost every area of this forest that will lead you away. I put a few up myself. The only way to get to Adsmeria is if you know the exact path to it without running into any of these traps. They are all almost Purple Fire and will have you going a different direction than you think you're heading. Other traps are Silver Fire, like my own, and will distort time around you and have you wandering in a completely different are."


"That is quite thought out," Langholm said. "The best defense any place could have."


"It is quite amazing," Cody said. He looked over at Neotasha, Becky, Garen and Ax with a pit growing in his stomach. This is the time to tell them. "Will you guys follow me away from the rest of the group. I need to tell you all something."


"Whatever you have to say can be said in front of everyone," Canola sneered.


"No, you will all sit here and I will take them somewhere out of earshot," Cody replied back. "This is none of your concern, so if you could politely fuck off, that would be nice."


"You cannot talk to a king like that!" Canola shouted.


"Who's going to stop me?" Cody asked.


"Enough!" Everyone coward down slighty as Langholm's authority roared through their bodies. The voice of a true king. "I will not have this fighting. Canola, you will leave them to their business. Cody is right, it is none of your concern. And if you try telling me that I can't speak to a king like that, I will strip the title away faster than you received."


Canola nodded slightly and shied away from him as Cody walked off, followed by the others. They all wanted to know what Cody had to say. He dropped his pack and sat down, leaning against it to give him support as the others did the same. Neotasha pointed his finger to the middle of the group and Silver Fire came up, giving them light. The group were all looking at Cody now, waiting for him to speak.


"I have told you all of at one point in time that I will tell you the story of my past when it's approiate," he started. "I feel now is the time that I can tell all of you everything. My whole story may not be done in one night but I will tell as much as I can every time we camp. This isn't easy for me; I've never told anyone my story before. So, listen close and please don't judge me too much on my past."











He was thirteen at the time with his gentle, grey eyes and short brown hair. He lived in the rich community of Kalashi and he hated every bit of it. Everyone treated him like shit here because they all hated his father, Cadiash. He was once known as an honorable Hand to King Langholm, but grew violent after the War of the Kingdoms and was banished from the city of Langholm. His father didn't stop his violent streak, it only worsened when they arrived in Kalashi. He beat people for no reason, got into fights constantly and beat him and his mother whenever he was bored, which was almost every night. The last bruises on his eye was just healing up, so it was soon that he was about to get some new ones. His father was out right now, drinking with some people he knew from the War and probably getting into a fight. It wouldn't be long now before he came home and used him and his mother as his punching dummies.


His mother, Janice, was sitting in the living space waiting on edge for Cadiash to return home from his night out. She didn't have any bruises or cuts on her face but she had the marks of Cadiash's hand around her throat and burn scars across her chest. tears started to form under eyes as the mid night came around, signaling that her husband would be home soon. She had tried to escape him a few times before with Cody but he always found her and dragged her back home by her hair. Whenever he got his hands on some more money than they already had, he would go down to drink and when he got back he would beat Cody until he was unconcious and beat her whenever she tried to intervene. After that, he would grab her by the throat and bring her to their bed to rape her. That was the only time they would have sex is when he was drunk and he forced it.


The door swung open and slammed against the door and Cadiash came stumbling, smelling of beer and rum. He started walking over to Cody's room, tripping over furnature and throwing it out of his way. He entered the room to see his son standing there in a fighting position and he laughed, then spat at him.


"You really want to fight me, boy?" he slurred. "You really do have a death wish then, don't you?"


Cadiash could hear footsteps running up behind him and he looked back quickly to see Janice. He jabbed his elbow at her, catching her mouth and breaking some teeth.


"Don't you interfere, you stupid cunt!" he shouted at her, then turned to see Cody charging at him.


Cadiash back handed him across the face and sent him flying to the other side of the room, warm blood spilling out of his mouth. Janice jumped on top of him and started beating at his head, causing him to stumble more, yelling out in rage. Grabbing onto her head, he threw hard to the ground and pulled out his knife, holding it to her throat.


"Don't you touch her, Cadiash!" Cody screamed.


"Shut up, you worthless piece of shit," he said and swung his arm causing the room to catch with Raibow Fire.


"Cody, run!" his mother yelled. "Get out of here while you can." She was clawing into his throat now, tearing off his skin.


Cody stood there, not wanting to leave his mother to this monster. He started walking forward when he saw Cadiash punch in her face repeatively. Janice's face was unrecognizable now, but he continued to punch away and Cody ran. He couldn't take it anymore, it was too much. The bastard killed his mother and he couldn't do anything about it. He didn't know where to go, but he knew he would go far. Maybe Kio, Cody had heard talk about it being a peaceful village that Cadiash was not allowed to go to and it was closer than Langholm was.











"So, I ran for hours," Cody conclude, starring painfully into the fire. "I didn't stop until I reached Kio. I knew it wasn't as far as I would like to have been, but it was safe there. Killimore was a powerful Fire Raider and was allied with Langholm during the War. I knew my father would not be able to enter the village no matter how much he wanted to get to me. That's when I met Kyle and that's when we started training. I trained for the sole purpose of getting revenge, to kill Cadiash in the same brutal way that he killed my mother." Cody took a pause and started poking at the Silver Fire in front of him with a stick. The could hear in his voice and see it on his face that telling the story was painful for him, but he never shedded a tear. Not one time during the story did he show signs of crying. "That's all I can tell for the night," he continued. "If I tell anymore, I'll start reliving everything and that's not good."


Becky went over to Cody and hugged him carefully as he tried to shrug her off. "It's alright, Cody. Take at your own pace and stop trying to reject us. It's not weakness to let us in to comfort you and you don't have to fear us judging you."


"It's not that," Cody said. "I just don't know how to show emotion or to let people in. Whenever I do, something bad happens. I try as hard as I can."


"You'll get the hang of it, eventually," Garen said. "Let us sleep for now so we can get an early start."


"That's a great idea," Cody said. "The rest of the group has already fallen asleep."


The group got out there sleeping things and start stripping down to their underclothes to sleep. The night was peaceful with a ligth breeze and the soft soun of animals around them. Some of the men snored through the night, but no one took noticed and slept soundly. Everyone, except Cody. He decided to sleep next to the group but couldn't find himself able to sleep. All he could see when he closed his was Cadiash beating in his mother's face, until he was able to fall asleep late into the only to be woken again a few short hours later.


He was woken by the movements of Becky and Neotasha. When he moved a shirt away from his eyes he could see the early morning light of the Near Star barely breaking the surface of the earth. Everyone else around him was starting to wake as well, so he decided to get up and dressed.


That morning they ate some squirell that Becky had gotten for them and berries that Neotasha had gathered from around the area. The generals drank beer, saying that it woke them up better and everyone else had water. As they started their movement, they noticed that the forest had started to look even more beautiful than before. Instead of the leaves being solid color, it now ran through them like liquid. The presence of strong Fire Of Color was all around as they grew closer to the original founders of the great power.


Neotasha had told them it would be at least another night before they got to Adsmeria and that they would have to sleep outside again. There were moans and complaints amongst the generals and Canola, but Cody only thought of one thing. It would mean he had to tell them more of his past. He promised them that he would tell them everything he could and he never went back on his promises.


As the day went on and the night began to set in, Cody began to panik a little more, getting more and more nervous. He was about to talk about Kyle, before Garen knew him as a friend and before anyone else knew him as an enemy. Everyone began to set up their camp again and Cody led the Heroes away from the main group again to fill them in on what he had been through.


"We left off with you making it to Kio," Garen said. "It's going to be hard for me to hear about Kyle again and probably harder for you to talk about it, but get tell it anyway."


"No worries," Cody said, "I don't plan on skipping this part at all. I had finally reached Kio and Killimore was one of the first people I met. I actually walked in on him teaching a class."











"Rainbow Fire is the strongest and possibly most dangerous Fire that we can poccess," said the young looking man with oil black hair. He wished someone would have told him that Killimore would be teaching a class. The teacher turned and smiled at Cody. "I was expecting you, Cody. Please, joing us. You can sit here next to Kyle."


Cody only nodded and took a seat next to a kid around his own age with dark brown hair and brilliant green eyes. The kid smiled at him quickly, then motioned for him to listen to Killimore speak.


"Rainbow Fire Raiders have the ability to use the ability of any other Fire if they have experienced it's power and they have the ability to read minds as a person is thinking it. This is why they are called Fire Readers." The teacher stepped down and stood in front of Kyle and Cody, looking at them. "It is the rarest Fire to come across, in fact, Kyle is the only one in the village that can use it. Until Cody joined our group. They are also the easiest to go evil, to become a horrible person. They are corrupted easily by the need of growing more power. Not all bend to these ways, of course. So, that's the end of this lesson, you are all free to go home now. Cody, Kyle, I would like you two to stay back for a while longer."


Cody and the boy next to him sat there and waited as the class cleared out of the way. They both looked at Killimore with curiousity. Cody was here to speak with Killimore, but he had no idea why Kyle would stay behind. As the last student left the room, Killimore cleared his throat.


"Meet your new roommate and brother, Kyle," he said with a smile. "Cody has traveled here from Kalashi to escape a horrible home and I feel like living with your family would be the perfect fit. Kalish and Mary have already agreed to hit." He watched their reactions carefully, his smile growing as Kyle began to smile.


"I thought I was going to live with you," Cody said.


"No, I am much to busy for that," Killimore replied. "Trust me, they are a great family. Kalish and I know each other from before the War and we both knew Langholm as well before the War. We met your father as it was starting to pick up and sadly watched his decline into wickedness."


"Okay, I'll live with them for now and see how I like it," Cody said.











"I loved it. We trained together constantly, growing stronger with each day. We got to the point of being able to control our age and keep ourselves young, even decline our age to the point of childhood. We both saw the potential in you, Garen, and decide that we would grow up with you. We told Killimore, Mary and Kalish of the idea and they agreed to it, liking the idea of having the son of Gar, another friend of theirs from the War, being our friend. It was planned to be in a week's time from the idea. The elder would use his Purple Fire to have everyone, but the ones we told, believe that we were your age. A few days before that occure, however, I was taken and that's when things began to change." Cody looked off in the distance, watching the main group sleep away the night. He took a sip of the beer beside him and continued, "The Dark Lord came and took me away. He could sense the hate and struggle in my hurt which made it easier for him to take control of me. Kyle witnessed the entire thing and was helpless to stop it. Once the Dark Lord had full control over me, I attempted to kill Kyle, but his father and Killimore were able to force me away. It looks as though he continued with our plan, in memberance of me or in hate, I couldn't tell you."


"Why was the Dark Lord even there?" Garen asked.


"He had control over the Dark Forest already and someone must have killed his previous host body, or he got bored of it. He was also there looking over the area to see any weak points in grabbing the Tablets. It wasn't long after he took control of that Kye and his men attacked Kio."


"I think it's time to put this story on hold again," Neotasha said. "It's getting late and Becky is not looking well."


They looked over at Becky, who was sweating and panting hard. "I'm fine, guys, just feeling a little weak..."


Becky kneeled over quickly and caught herself with an arm while she held onto her shoulder with her other one. Everyone ran over quickly, Cody reaching her first and ripping apart her blouse to see the shoulder. It was looking black and red again. Red lines flowing down her and to her chest. Ax ran over quickly and placed a glowing hand over her shoulder. He looked up at Neotasha with worry.


"She not breathing," he grumbled.


Neotasha ran over quickly, placing his ear over her mouth. He looked up at the tress looking around. "We need to get her out of here, now!"


Three figures were next to Becky now, with another one holding her. They all looked at Neotasha before they were gone again.


"What just happened?" Garen asked.


"Those were the Elves that were protecting this part of the forest," Neotasha replied. "They should get to Adsmeria shortly, for now all we can do is rest. I don't know the forest as well as I used to at night and I don't want to risk getting us lost now."


"You don't have to worry about that, Neotasha," came a voice from behind one of the trees.


A beautiful woman stepped out and looked at him smiling. She almost looked like Becky in the face, but that was all. She had dirty blonde hair that was braided down to her mid back. Her eyes were a bright and wonderful purple, she was tall and had a good muscle tone to her body. She walked over to the group slowly, looking at the others that were stirring in there sleep from Neotasha's yell for help.


"What are you doing here, Heather?" Neotasha asked. "You should be at your sister's side right now."


"I'm here to bring you all to Adsmeria," she replied. "Please wake the others."


Ax walked over to the others and stood over them looking down. "Wake up, humans," he growled loudly. "Elf lady here to bring us to Adsmeria. Becky not well. She already there for healing."


Langholm was the first ready, followed by Jake and the others, but Canola was taking his time. It looked to Cody that he didn't care at all that their friend was in danger of dying and the anger started coming across his face. Langholm looked up at him quickly and shook his head. Cody could feel himself calming slight, but still glared at this new king that he dispised so much.


When Canola was finally ready, Heather had everyone grab hands and she held onto Neotasha's. The next thing they knew, they were standing in the throne room with a tall woman sitting on the throne. Her hair was long and black and her eyes matched the color of her hair. She dressed in royal colors like the royalty of humans, which had Cody instantly dislike her. As he looked around, though, he saw that every Elf there were dressed as royalty.


"You have come to my city for assisstance in the war," she stated. "My name is Queen Ellenor. I would like to discuss with all of you about the war, but I think you have a friend that you would like to see."


"I would like to speak with you now," Canola said. "I do not care about the woman that travel with them."


"Is that so?" Queen Ellenor said. "You don't care about the woman that helped you get her? You are not a very good king, are you? No, I would think not. You will wait, as I said. You have no power here as a king, this my city and you are under my rule right now."


Cody smiled as she talked down to Canola. He changed his mind about her, she was a wonderful Queen. "Beg your pardon, Your Majesty," Cody said with a bow, "how is Becky's condition?"


She smiled down at him softly, "No need for such formalities. We don't recognize bowing to the highers in this city. In fact, there are no highers. Everyone here, inculding myself, are equals. As for Becky, she is not doing so well right now. The poison she was infected with is very potent to Elves. But she is in good hands right now and should be better within a few days."


Cody began liking her even more. "Where is she at, Queen Ellenor?"


"She is directly behind me in the Healing Room. Go and see her."


The Heroes all filed into the Healing Room followed by Langholm and Jake. Becky was laying on a table, breathing slowly and looking over at them. She smiled softly telling them that she'll be fine. Cody walked over to her side and knelt down, looking at her healing wound.


"Now may be a good time to continue my story," he said gently, "if you would like."


Becky smiled at him and nodded. Can she not speak right now? Cody wondered. It didn't matter, she could still listen and she wanted him to tell it and so he did.











It had been a few years now since the Dark Lord took him from Kio. All he had done was kill and torture. Cody had tried to fight the Dark Lord's spirit a number of times but he couldn't do it. Especially now that he had found out where Cadiash was hiding out. The anger had risen in him greatly, causing the Dark Lord's spirit to grow even more attached. It was a small village called Liam that he was going to now. That's where Cadiash was rumored to be as a teacher of Fire of Color. He had heard stories that Cadiash was no longer violent, but it still didn't change the fact that he had killed his mother.


Cody rolled over the hill above Liam, using the Dark Mist and vanished within it, reappearing in the village of Liam. It looked peaceful enough, which was perfect for him. He smiled and through a stream of Dark Mist at a house, causing it to light on fire. People started coming out of their houses and, as the saw him, turned back and ran. Cadiash walked out of one of the houses and looked up at him with a sour look.


"Why is the Dark Lord disturbing our village?" he spat.


"You don't recognize me, Father," Cody hissed. "It's Cody, your son." Cody looked over at his father and smiled. "I'm here to kill you."


Cadiash vanished from his sight and was back again, holding tightly onto his throat. His eyes have changed, Cody noticed. They're not the dark grey anymore but now a light and gentle grey with a small hint of the rainbow hidden under the grey. He didn't look as evil as he used to, as if he was being controlled by a spirit before. Cody let down his gaurd and began to hesitate on killing his father. Something has changed in him or something has left his soul.


Kill him, Cody. It was the Dark Lord's voice speaking from his soul. I never had control of this man before, he killed your mother on his own free will. Cody yelled out and pushed Cadiash away from him and pinned him down to the ground, beating in his face. He was giving him the same punishment that he give Janice. Cody continued to beat him until his face was collapsed into his skull. Cody stood up breathing heavily, he had no hint of the Dark Lord when he was beating his father to death. The Dark Lord had given Cody back control of his body after feeding his anger. As Cody felt the Darkness take control over him again, he could he the Dark Lord laughing within him. There was no getting away from it now, he had killed Cadiash on his own and now the Dark Lord has absolute control over him.











"Or that's what I thought," Cody said. "For years I couldn't count I continued on as the Dark Lord, thinking to myself that that would be life until someone killed me." He looked up at Langholm and Jake who had stayed to listen to Cody's story. "That's up until I met the old man."


"Wait, you knew each other before?" Garen asked.


"Yes, I am the one who helped him drive the Dark Lord's spirit from him."


Becky grabbed onto Cody's arm and motioned her hand away from her mouth and pointed at Langholm. He smiled softly and nodded.


"You want me to talk about the time we met," Cody said, understanding her.


She nodded her answer, looking up at him with what looked like to him a sad smile.


© Copyright 2015 Kyle Peterson (UN: kybaby40 at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
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