Fit for a God 3 Light Version: Flammie and Glory
Fit for a God 3 Light Version: Flammie and Glory
By shadowlugia249
Author's Note: Unlike the last two "Fit for a God" stories, this one came to me while I was awake. I decided to take a different approach this time. Since there are too many complications to do this in first-person perspective, I have to resort to classic third-person. However, this version will introduce new traits about the characters that I have never used before. You need to work with me on this one, so I'll do my best to impress. Enjoy!
After sustaining a devastating fire at the hands of one of his own creations, Aridos had had to start from scratch in rebuilding his little "experiments". It had cost him most of his money to rebuild the shop and was even more difficult to put together than the first occurrence. (Author's Note: Read "Fit for a God" to see what Alex did when he returned to the shop) And the fire that had destroyed his shop the second time was even more destructive than he had anticipated. Not only that, but one of his most crucial magic books had been stolen by the one he had called "Vexx" (Author's Note: Read "F4G 2" for more details.) He had been severely wounded professionally when that book had been stolen, but after the most trying year of his life, he had secured another spell book and was back in business.
He had had that first book longer than he had originally thought. This newer version contained things he had never tried before and things that were guaranteed to improve his business. It was amazing how much this technology had progressed in his life.
So now filled with new inspiration, Aridos was eager to try a newer model that he had never seen before. It was called (...) and according to his research, this would be the start of a whole new generation of products. Now all he had to do was find the right person to introduce his latest model to. He had slaved for a month to perfect everything in the new model and after a previous model turned out a bit more... "potent" than he had expected, he had produced a newer, more "heart-warming" sister-model to his previous failure.
Aridos stroked his latest model with admiration. He could not influence it like this since he was its creator, but he was sure that there was someone very special out there that would be more than happy to become this one.
Skyle Kelvin was your typical 19-year-old. He was fresh out of high school and was currently unemployed. He was currently living on his own in the city of Willmar, Minnesota. He was no different than your average young adult except for just one slight obsession...
Skyle loved mythological creatures.
He was a big nut for anything that was not in your average plethora of common creatures. Dragons, kitsunes, Pokémon, Digimon, Legendz - you name it! He was a master of them all. He had collected all sorts of Pokémon cards, Digimon video games, Legendz Talispods and his pride and joy - a large, black talon that was rumored to have been excavated near a Middle Ages catastrophe site. Granted, it wasn't confirmed that it was a dragon's talon, but Skyle didn't care about that. Anything close enough was good enough for him.
But despite his lust for the mythological, there was one creature that had evaded every attempt he had made to study it: the legendary Flammie. All he had in terms of evidence was an old page that he had snuck out of his local library to study. The page was very vague in terms of details, and all that was there in terms of a picture was what looked like a dragon-like beast with not two, but four wings. It was one of those Ancient Greek drawings and had a picture of a moon in the creature's hands. He didn't know why, but he had fallen in love with the creature almost immediately.
The text under the picture read in the common tongue and appeared to sum it all up in a single paragraph:
"While there are no creatures as majestic or as powerful as the mighty Flammie, Flammies have been extinct for over 2000 years. They lived off of the light of the moon and were rumored to have been able to breathe a variety of elements. But almost nothing is known about them since they also have the ability to disguise themselves as humans in every detail. No one knows what happened to the legendary Flammie, but it is rumored that they still walk among us."
And at the bottom of the ancient page, someone had vandalized it by writing in a spidery handwriting, "For a magical time, come to Aridos Mythic Marvels." It then gave an address that was located at an old costume shop in Willmar that had burned down over a year ago. At the time, Skyle had not considered it a big deal. The place had gone out of business after the fire, but now he was taking a second look at the place. It had just recently been rebuilt and he was always putting off when he was going to check it out.
Skyle had nothing better to do, so he decided to ride his bike down to the shop and get a good look at its wares. Most of the "mythic" shops he had been to had had absolutely nothing in regards to Flammies, but something about this one was drawing his suspicions into play. It was at least worth a try.
Aridos was cleaning up his shop later that day. He grumbled to himself as he cleaned the display racks for the umpteenth time. No matter what he did to them, the magic of his wares always seemed to attract more filth. These were his works of art and yet he couldn't even keep them clean. Countless hours had gone into each one and this was how God treated them?
Aridos wasn't one of those "Science vs. God" creeps that were always arguing over what was more appropriate. He was involved in something more... meaningful. He was a person of magic. As far as he knew, magic used to be quite plentiful in the world before science. But since it was now in limited supply, he had studied on how to harness it properly. In his own words, "Magic is God's way of making dreams come true."
But he was not like any of those cheesy illusionists that you see in Vegas. No, Aridos was the only real deal for miles around. And it was with this understanding of magic that he was able to create such beautiful masterpieces for his customers. Still, he was very old and it still scared him on all the new advances the study of magic could create. In fact, his latest success had somewhat startled him. He had managed to seize an energy from a void where magic meant next to nothing and insert it into the finished project. In fact, he wasn't so sure that it would be suitable to part with if it could...
Nah... Aridos was rambling on again. He was speculating again and it was none of his business. As long as his customers and creations were happy together, that was all he cared about. He returned his attention to cleaning his wares in silence.
Just then, he heard a knock on his door, catching his attention and allowing him to address a potential customer. He had had the knocker installed as a precaution after his store being destroyed twice before. He still only accepted people who were of legal age or older, but he had added some extra security measures to make sure that no one could just walk away with his merchandise like last time.
(Author's Note: He is recalling the incident with another Skyle and a dragon costume called "Vexx" in "F4G 2")
When Aridos reached the intercom mounted on his desk, he looked through the camera that was looking straight at the person at the door and said, "May I help you?"
The person at the door looked like he was hearing things. "Uh... I'm here to do some shopping, if that's all right with you."
Aridos glared at the screen. He appeared to be safe to work with. "Are you over 18?"
"Huh?" The man seemed confused.
"No one under 18 is allowed in here." Aridos had a policy to only let people who were of adult age to use his merchandise. He still hadn't managed to get his wares to work with anyone even a day younger, but that was a work in constant progress.
"Uh... I'm 19, sir." The teenager outside was still looking for the speaker.
Aridos had a natural ability to tell if anyone was lying. He had turned down people trying to sneak inside on more than one occasion. But judging by his innocent expression, he was telling the truth.
"Fine... Come on in!"
He pressed a button and the door outside gave a buzz and the teenager walked in.
Skyle was a little taken aback when the owner of the store had asked him his age, but he was even more confused when he saw how dark the interior of the store was. It seemed that the only sources of light seemed to come from the various displays. Normally, he saw this at occult shops, so this was a little different for him.
He soon adjusted to the dim light and saw exactly what this place was selling.
"Huh. Costumes." His disappointment was obvious. He had hoped that he was walking into a magic shop, but all he saw were just cheesy costumes on endless racks.
"Not just any costumes! These are works of art!"
Skyle nearly jumped out of his skin! An aged, decrepit old man had appeared at his side as if out of nowhere. He was considerably shorter than him and his body was more wrinkled than his great-grandmother. But a look into his piercing-green eyes told him that this was a man of complete wonder. He wasn't sure how old the man was, but his eyes suggested that he was much younger than he looked.
"Excuse me?" said Skyle, catching his breath.
The old man had a permanent frown but his expression told volumes. "These aren't your average dime-store Halloween costumes. These are true works of art. I made them all myself and the amount of work I put into each one makes normal costumes seem like cheap rags."
"Uh... okay..." Skyle wasn't sure what to make of this man. He obviously took a lot of pride in his work, but he would be the judge of that!
The man gave him an inconclusive look and shrugged before walking away. "Carry on. Let me know when your ready to check out."
Skyle waited until the man was out of earshot before he muttered under his breath, "What a nut job!" (Aridos didn't mind. He had been called that on countless occasions. The punk would soon be eating his words.) Skyle sighed and went to go check out the nearest costume rack.
There were only four costumes to a rack and they appeared to be of figures he had only read about in stories. There was a dragon with a blinding-white skin that appeared to be carved out of a large diamond called, "Hyozanryu". (Author's Note: DCT 2 cameo!) There was also a large, flame-colored, bird-like creature that he recognized as a "Blaziken" from the third generation of Pokémon.
On another rack, there was a large, furry costume with a large, dangling, red pompom labeled, "Moogle - Not actual size". Plus there were costumes of what appeared to be full-sized bipedal animals. There was one that looked like a six-foot Red Fox, an impressive one that looked like a full-grown otter complete with rudder-like tail and furry, webbed hands.
Finally, there was something that startled Skyle the most - a scaled-down version of the white Windragon and Legendz, Shiron. He recognized those brown gauntlets and leather helm anywhere! But how could that be? Legendz had only had one season and had never left Japan. There wasn't a single item promoting Legendz in the U.S. as far as he knew. Curiosity getting the better of him, Skyle picked up the Shiron costume and nearly fainted from shock!
The costume was heavy and it felt so... real! The fur of the costume was smooth and glossy and he was certain no one could create anything like this with this much detail. Even the golden metal of Shiron's neck ring was an accomplishment all its own. The feel of the costume's leather gauntlets was unlike anything he could deem possible. Not only that, but the eyes of the costume seemed to have a life all their own. They were the same clear-blue shade and seemed to stare a hole in him.
Now officially on alert, Skyle put the costume back on its peg and went back to browsing. He was amazed that this old man could put such detail and majesty into a simple costume. He had to wonder if these costumes were much more than that. It still scared him at how real they felt as he ran his hand over them. There was no fabric or material that could replicate the feel of them, so how could he do it?
He was so startled that he walked right by a display marked, "New!" without noticing it. He stopped suddenly and backed up a few steps to get a better look. Just then, all of his doubts were cast aside as he examined the new costume.
It was a Flammie costume! He could recognize its form from the page he had stolen from the library, but seeing one in this detail and condition was next to impossible! It was covered in what felt like high-end, glossy, creamy-yellow fur. The sheer detail nearly caused Skyle to run for the hills from shock. All down its chest was a line of rugged, orange scales that appeared to be like the belly plates on a dragon. Its paws were massive and its four digits on each paw were each tipped with a sharp, pointed, brown talon. Its pads were pink and reminded Skyle of a dog's paws. But the footpaws were slightly bigger and had only three taloned digits instead of four. It also had a tail that was as thicker than his thigh and was lined with the same orange scales and creamy-yellow fur.
Sure enough, hanging limply at its sides were two pairs of different-sized feathery wings. There was a green line that ran the length of the tips of the feathers. And its face was the most adorable thing he had ever seen before. It had a short, curve muzzle with a short, pointed, white fang sticking out of the tip of its maw. It also had a pair of blue-tipped, deer-like ears and a mane of thick, untidy goldenrod hair. But its eyes were the most telling of all. The irises were a shining baby-blue color and seemed to radiate innocence and curiosity from them. Wow.
Skyle put his hand on the costume's dangling paw and felt the softest fur he had ever felt in his life. Alpaca fur had nothing on this stuff. It was just amazing at what this strange old man had done to bring this thing to life.
"Excuse me," he said, turning to the man. "How much does this cost?"
The old man turned to face him and was about to answer when his eyes went wide.
Aridos could have sworn that he was seeing things! As soon as Skyle had touched the Flammie costume, it had started to fidget and move on its own accord! Thankfully, Skyle had turned around before he had noticed it. The Flammie costume had lifted its head and it was looking at him with those baby-blue eyes. He knew that it couldn't "see" him, per se - the costume was just a existing being that could not "feel" like most people could - but if it scared Skyle off, it would mean that he would both lose a sale and disappoint the costume of ever feeling for itself. He had to think fast.
Muttering under his breath, Aridos uttered a spell that would stun the costume long enough for him to send Skyle on his way. He would have to do some heavy research on this before he sold it.
"Excuse me?" said Skyle, turning around just at the costume's body went limp. Turning back around he said, "I want to buy this costume. Is there a way I can pay with a debit card?"
Breathing a sigh of relief, Aridos shook his head. "I can ring it up for you, but I have to make sure there are no problems with the costume."
Skyle seemed disappointed. Aridos could tell that he really wanted that costume, but he had to make absolutely sure that he understood everything about it before he parted with it.
"Oh... that's... okay. Can I come back another time?"
Aridos was not sure how much time he would need, so he set a fair date. "Come back in a week. I'll have it ready for you by then."
This was further disappointment on Skyle's mood, but he finally sighed and said, "I'll be back, then. Have a nice day."
He walked out in a slump. Aridos was sure that Skyle would have given anything to have that Flammie costume, but he wanted to be safe than sorry. When Skyle had left the shop, Aridos went over to the costume and lifted the spell he had put on it.
The costume started moving again, but it was reaching out with its paws like a blind man. He had a feeling that it could somehow "sense" that Skyle was gone because it finally gave up and hung limp again. Aridos had a spell that had been listed in his spell book to access the feeling of the costume and muttered it as he placed his hand on its chest.
The costume came alive again, but it seemed to look right at him even though it couldn't "see" him. It also spoke for the first time even though is mouth wasn't moving.
_Who's there...? Where am I...? I can't remember.... anything..._It sounded young and distinctly female.
Aridos closed his eyes and spoke out loud for the costume to hear him. "You are safe here. The person who awakened you is gone now, but he will return in a week. Can you tell me about yourself?"
The costume's expression was blank, but he knew that something was living inside it.
My name is Seryn... I thought... I died... I remember... the afterlife... but then... a great power... and then... black... I could not... feel anything... Why is it so dark...?
Aridos did his best to comfort the being called "Seryn". He was amazed that he had drawn an actual soul from the Void and inserted it in this costume.
"I've brought you back from the afterlife and given you a form. It's dark because right now, you only exist. You do not have anyone to merge with and therefore, you cannot see or feel for yourself."
But Seryn seemed to be looking for something. The one... with the kind soul... where is he...? I feel... lost... without him... I'm dying again... Please... don't send me back... I need him...
She was talking about Skyle. Somehow, when Skyle had touched her, he had brought her back to life. Now, she was surviving on the energy he had transferred to her and she was frightened that he would not return.
"He'll be back in a week. I can keep you here until he returns, but you'll have to sleep until then. When he returns, he will take you home and you can merge with him."
Yes... I would like that... As long as he's happy... and I can feel... this darkness... it scares me... please find him... I want to live again...
Aridos put his hand on Seryn's forehead and spoke in a gentle voice. "Rest for now, Seryn. But before you go, can you tell me something?"
What... what is it...?
There were still a few pressing questions he had to understand. It would ultimately decide whether Seryn would see Skyle again. "What are you? Are you human or beast? And are you Light or Shadow?"
I am... Flammie... Light... now... let me sleep.
Aridos nearly fainted. He had found an actual Flammie spirit and put it in a Flammie costume! What were the chances of that?! As for the moment, he let Seryn sleep. She needed to conserve her energy for when Skyle returned.
Aridos then went to his back laboratory and took these crucial notes in an ancient notebook. These would be crucial for future projects and better costumes. All the while, he turned to look at the costume that he had considered a failure to sell. It was surprisingly similar to the first Flammie costume, but this one had considerable differences. It had shadowy-violet fur, crimson hair, blue pads and talons and two fangs on each side of its furry muzzle.
There was also a distinct air about this one that scared Aridos. He didn't like it. It felt... evil. There was no other word for it. That costume was pure evil. If he couldn't fix it, he would have to destroy it completely. He just hoped that no one found it while he was trying to repair the damage...
(Author's Note: Read "F4G Shadow Version" for details.)
The following week was nothing short of torture for Skyle. He had been considering all of the possibilities of getting a Flammie costume all his own. He would finally be able to know what it was like to be a Flammie and maybe - just maybe - he could be able to go out for a flight on his own. According to the old man, the costume contained some magical properties that allowed its wearer to actually become the costume. As long as he could get it off again, he had no problems with it. It wasn't like the costume would actually take over his body! That was complete nonsense. He just wanted to know what it was like when Flammies once existed in the world. It had been so long since anyone had seen one that he was at wit's end with anticipation.
But Skyle couldn't get over the feeling he had gotten when he had first laid his hand on the costume that day. It was like it had drawn his energy from him slightly and had somehow "sensed" his presence. It made him shudder at the feeling he had felt when he had turned his back on it. It was like the costume was watching him somehow.
But Skyle cast it aside as a crazy thought. The costume may be magical, but alive? Please. There was no way to give a costume an artificial life, magic or no magic. He cast it aside and forgot all about it.
But then another thought alarmed him. What if the Flammie costume was not up to scratch and the old man decided to scrap it? All of his anticipation and waiting would have been for naught! It was certainly possible that something might not be right with the costume and he would never see it again, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet. There was still hope.
Finally, the day arrived for him to pick up the costume and he headed back down to the shop to claim it. He got his things ready and went back to the shop with mixed hopes.
Aridos, meanwhile, had had his hands full just before Skyle arrived. He had been dealing with a punk kid who had come to his shop to cause trouble. The kid had been loitering around, making snide remarks about his hard work and just looking for a fight. Finally fed up with his antics, Aridos had been forced to eject the kid from his shop, much to the boy's objections.
But even though he was a nuisance, Aridos didn't think that the boy was being a problem on purpose. He had the ability to tell that there was something else at work within his mind. He wasn't evil, but there was something deep inside him that was fighting with him to break out. It was like he had a split personality and the evil part of him that had been locked away was somehow acting out to cause trouble.
It was just like the young man over a year ago that had channeled his evil into a costume, thus bringing it to life and merging with him. He had tried to prevent the costume from merging with the teenager, but he had been called out at the last minute and had left him alone with the costume. After stealing his first spell book, and setting fire to his beloved store, the newly-merged dragon had fled into the world. Aridos hadn't heard about him since. (Author's Note: That was the situation with a different Skyle and an entity called "Vexx" in "Fit for a God 2")
But Aridos' suspicions were confirmed when he went to the back of his shop to check on the second Flammie costume. The violet Flammie was still on its hook, but it was clawing and thrashing blindly on its own accord as if trying to get to someone. What even more chilling was the voice he had heard coming from the costume, even though its mouth wasn't moving.
Let me go! Let me be with him! Our power...! We are to be together! I want him... he wants me... we are to be one... one entity... kill... die... Seryn...!
Because of the costume's frantic actions, Aridos had been force to stun the costume like he had with Seryn in order to keep the Flammie under control.
But this also alarmed Aridos to a new degree. The teenager who had had the split personality hadn't been anywhere near the Flammie costume and yet it had reacted to his presence as if it had been touched by him. Not only that, but it had said the name of the other Flammie, Seryn. It had wanted to hurt her as if it knew her. But how could that be? The only possible explanation for that would be if Seryn and the spirit in the other costume were... (Author's Note: That's a secret!)
Now Aridos seriously reconsidered what he was getting into. He had had that new spellbook for less than six months and he already had two costumes thinking and acting for themselves. He should have stopped what he was doing before anybody got hurt, but he was too curious to see how this would turn out to quit while he was ahead.
A bell tinkled overhead, signaling that another customer had arrived. It had to be Skyle. He had been too anxious to stay away. In fact, he was a day early. But since Aridos had dealt with Seryn ages ago, he figured it wouldn't hurt to let him have it early.
As Skyle made to open the door, a flustered young punk came storming out of the shop in a huff. He was in a bad mood and Skyle didn't blame him. He looked like trouble with a capital "T" - the violet jacket, the dyed, crimson hair - he was nothing but trouble at first glance.
(Author's Note: But don't let that go to your head. Read "F4G 3 Shadow Version" for more details.)
A bell tinkled somewhere overhead as Skyle entered the dark shop once again. He just couldn't take the anticipation any longer. He wanted that costume and nothing was going to keep him from it! It was almost like the costume wanted him, but that was utter nonsense. He was just so desperate for something magically related to Flammies that he couldn't stay away.
When his eyes had adjusted to the dark lighting, Skyle made a beeline for the special display where the Flammie costume was hanging... but it wasn't there!
"NO!" he yelled in outrage. "It's not fair! I thought I was going to get it! IT'S NOT FAIR!!!" He started to throw a hissy fit when he heard a familiar grumble.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You might break something."
Turning to the counter, Skyle's heart leapt when he saw the old man carrying a beat-up cardboard box with the words, "Skyle Kelvin - Flammie 2" painted in large gold letters on the side of it.
The old man grumbled as he set the box on the counter and scanned it with an ancient scanner and rang up the price. "You're early."
Skyle realized this and got his temper under control. "Yeah... I couldn't stop thinking about it. You're the only one who's got one and it's driving me nuts!"
There was something about the box that seemed to annoy the old man and he pounded it with his fist and said, "I know he's here! Just hold on a while longer!"
Skyle thought it was an old man's hallucination and ignored it. He watched as the man checked the price on an ancient computer.
"$17.50, please."
Skyle thought he was imagining things. Was it really that easy? Was all this waiting coming down to a "too-good-to-be-true" price? He had to make sure.
"Say what?"
The old man gave me a look that suggested that I was crazy. "$17.50, please... unless you want to pay what it's really worth, paper or plastic?"
Skyle caught himself and forked over his debit card and ID. He had a feeling that the true price of the costume was way outside his price range. The old man grumbled and reached under the counter to look for something after swiping his card. He didn't come up for a solid minute when he held up a piece of yellowing paper.
"Follow these instructions precisely or the costume will not work. And if you get stuck inside, just come on down and I will assist you. Just make sure it's what you really want before you do."
"Oh... kay..." The old man was clearly not all up there in the head. Skyle took the box in both arms and carried it out on his own. As he left, the phone rang and the old man answered it. Skyle didn't hear what went on, but the old man seemed to be alarmed by the news. But he was already out the door before he could hear anything else.
On his way home, Skyle passed an alley near the shop where a shady figure was standing, waiting for something. If he had stopped and looked, he would have seen that it was the same punk he had seen being ejected from the costume shop. But he did hear him mutter to himself.
"But why do you have to have a form? Aren't you happy with me to control?"
A second, darker voice came from the same area, but Skyle figured it was someone else. "No! I must have a solid form! And the window is slipping away! Find it and bring me into the Light!"
Skyle continued on and muttered to himself, "Creep."
All the way home, Skyle could barely contain his excitement. He was about to don a magical Flammie costume - something that was not only impossible but also unheard of in the real world. So you could only imagine his excitement when he opened the box for the first time and took out the Flammie costume and laid it out on the floor.
The feel of the fur was astonishing! It was like feeling a blanket of the softest thing you could imagine but ten times better. Nothing compared to the feel of actual Flammie fur or whatever this was made of. Not only that, but the feeling of the rugged, orange, leather scales all the way down the front of the suit was smooth beyond all reason.
He felt so comfortable with the costume that he decided to try something he could only do in the confines of his own house. He took the costume to his room, laid it out on his bed and then stripped down buck naked. He wanted to roll in the astonishing fur for just a minute to feel it all over his body. After making sure that the windows were all shut, he laid back on his bed and spread his arms out on the costume.
The feeling was indescribable! It was like he had fur of his own and the softness of the costume. He just wanted to lie here and forget everything. The Flammie fur had that big of an effect on him.
Skyle was so busy rolling in the costume that he didn't see the arms of the costume coming up on either side of him and wrap around his chest until it was too late. He suddenly felt his body freeze up and the costume suddenly turn liquid-like and freezing-cold. He panicked as the arms of the costume positioned themselves over his own and grab his wrists in its paws.
"What...?! What's happening?! This costume... It's ALIVE?!?!"
He tried to move, but the costume had him pinned down and he couldn't have moved if he had wanted to. He felt a chilling liquid-like sensation molding itself over his feet and legs. The costume's fur had become like a liquid tendril and was slowly wrapping itself over his body, killing off his senses and taking over his body.
Skyle was too scared to scream. He was being eaten by a costume and the shock was too much to respond to. He could only watch as the liquid fur oozed its way around his foot and then the other. As it did so, his foot went numb and was soon completely consumed by the furry paw.
The costume then started to slowly devour his legs, but then something happened that startled him slightly. New nerves and feelings started to fill the spot where his own body used to be. It was very alien to him and it felt like his own body was being killed off to make way for the costume's nerves. He was soon able to feel his legs and feet again, but there was a definite thickness to them that felt just like furry pads.
The costume still hadn't released him, so Skyle was powerless to stop it from starting to consume his torso. His heart all but stopped beating as the cold ooze creeped over his chest, almost swallowing him in the process. But then he felt an icy feeling down where his dignity was. Pretty soon, there was no dignity left. He was an it!
But the next few feelings seemed to take Skyle's mind off the recent discomfort. The Flammie's wings were fusing into his back, attaching to his spine and calibrating the nerves in his back to be able to use them when this was done. Not only that, but he felt his backside disappear as a brand new tail attached itself to it. He couldn't get over the chill it gave him, but he was starting to take in the new feelings that were flooding through him.
When the costume had completely covered his chest, Skyle's heart and lungs stopped working for a moment. It was like he had died right then and there, but soon, he took a breath of air from the new lungs the costume had given him. A new heart beat in his chest, reinstalling his fears the costume was killing him.
Finally, the Flammie had released his wrists, but that victory was short-lived. Like a liquid glove, the costume's paws and arms absorbed his own, giving him a new heavy feeling in said limbs.
To finish it all off, the head of the costume had molded over him so that he was looking out of its furry mouth. He had a few last moments to see for himself before that, too, vanished. With an impressive gulp, Skyle felt his head become "swallowed" by the costume. His vision went black and all he could do was panic and think. But then, he heard a voice that confirmed his worst fears.
Don't worry. I am not going to kill you. I just want to see the world for myself.
It talked! The costume was alive! Not only that, but the voice had been female, adding to the humiliation.
"What are you doing to me?! Let me go!"
But Skyle... isn't this what you've always wanted? This is what I've_wanted. You wanted to become a Flammie... and I've wanted to see the world for myself._
Okay... it was eating him... it spoke... and it want to become him! What else was it capable of?!
"Let me go! I don't want this! Please let me go!"
But the costume had come too far to turn back now. It would do its best to convince Skyle that this was his best choice.
Please, Skyle... let me show you what I mean. I want to feel... to make you happy... please let me show you...
Skyle realized that the costume was in control. It obviously wouldn't let him go until it got what it wanted. So against his better judgment, he surrendered control and let it do what it wanted.
See? Was that so hard? Now... relax. I want to feel.
For the first time since making contact with the costume's consciousness, Skyle's vision came back into focus. He could see again and the sensations he was feeling were incredible! The faint smell of vanilla wafting from his fur... the feel of the bed below his paws... the sounds of city life outside his house... it was all so overwhelming that he was starting to cry. A faint silver tear trickled from his eye and he reached up with a talon to wipe it away. It was so wonderful to feel this way for the first time.
But wait... why was he getting emotional over this? He dealt with this on a constant daily basis. Why was it a big deal now? He then realized that the emotions were coming from the costume.
"Isn't it wonderful?" he found himself saying, though the words were not his. "For the first time in thousands of years, I can see... I can smell... I can hear... It's all so overwhelming."
But Skyle seized control and spoke through the same mouth that he had just used. "What are you talking about? This is nothing. If you could take over my body, then you obviously felt me there."
The Flammie mind took over again. "You don't understand, Skyle. As a costume, I cannot feel the way you can. All I can do is exist. I cannot feel the world around me like you take for granted. It's very difficult for me to explain it without showing you. Please... please let me stay with you. You cannot imagine the fear and loneliness I went through without you."
Skyle was unsure about what to do. He didn't want to lose whatever humanity he had left, but he didn't want to pass up the opportunity to experience life as a Flammie just yet. The powerful emotion coming from the Flammie's mind was enough to choose his fate.
"All right, one day. I will let you show me around for one day. But then you're coming off!"
This wasn't quite what the Flammie had in mind, but she would find a way to change his mind somehow. Of course, Skyle did not hear this thought.
"So... do you have a name?" he said, running a talon through his new fur.
The Flammie smiled and said just one word: "Seryn."
"Seryn... that's a nice name. I never met anyone named "Seryn" before. Well, "Seryn", shall we go out for a little flight?"
Seryn's mood rose. "You read my mind. We Flammies are known for our flying ability. Are you sure you can get out of the house?"
Skyle shrugged. "How hard could it be?"
He soon found that out the hard way. He tried to walk as soon as he set his footpaws on the floor, but his muscles and bone alignment weren't what they used to be and he fell on his front paws on instinct.
"What the...?! Seryn?"
"I should have told you that Flammies are quadrupeds. It's nothing that I can't handle, though."
Now realizing that he would have to spend his time in the costume on all fours, Skyle sighed and gave Seryn complete control. Seryn then walked out of the house and into the afternoon sun.
Now that they were out in the open, Seryn and Skyle would have to watch and make sure that they weren't seen. After all, when was the last time you saw a ten-foot winged beast running around the community on its own? While Skyle was still getting used to walking as a quadruped, Seryn had taken over the task of finding a place for them to go. She had an idea where she could convince him to stay with her in the costume as long as possible. But she had to work fast. Her 24 hours were ticking away.
But before they left, Seryn took a moment to bask in the feeling of the sunlight. Oh, what a feeling it was! The feeling of soft warmth inside every one of her fine hairs was like waking up after a devastating nightmare to a shining heat. And the feel of the wind through that same fur was amazing! It softened the heat of the sun slightly and filled her body with a soothing coolness that was like swimming in a lake after an extensive tanning session.
She couldn't even ignore the firmness of the lawn beneath her paws. She flexed her digits and dug her talons into the earth as they walked. It was soft and spongy, just like she had always dreamed of, locked away in the afterlife all these years. She had forgotten how good it felt to move on your own and feel the sensations that she was feeling now. And if this was the feeling she got during the day, she could only imagine how it was going to feel tonight when she absorbed the moonlight for the first time in over 2000 years.
Are you done yet?
A voice like a lead weight brought her back to reality. She had gotten a little carried away with her emotions while walking through Skyle's backyard and Skyle finally seemed to be onto her.
"I'm sorry. You have no idea what it's like to feel these sensations after 2000 years."
It's not that big. I feel this all the time and it never bothers me... wait... 2000 years? What are you talking about?
Seryn blanched when he confronted her with this and made up an excuse. "It's like I've been gone for 2000 years. You forget how things feel after a while cooped up in the darkness of a costume."
Oh, yeah. I forgot.
Seryn let out a private sigh. She didn't want Skyle to panic when he finally found out that she had lived once before. It was bad enough that she had taken over his body against his will. She didn't want him to freak out when he realized that she had been reincarnated.
Are we going for that flight now?
Seryn sighed. He was getting a little demanding now, but she would soon change his tone when she merged with him for good.
(Author's Note: You should realize by now that these costumes are not evil - their intentions are more demanding than the wearer's own. Keep reading!)
Seryn went to a spot in the yard where she could get as much space as she could to get airborne. She flexed each of her four wings one at a time before finally spreading them out all at once to prepare to take off.
"Are you ready for this, Skyle?" she said in anticipation. Skyle gave a mental shrug. Go for it.
"All righty then! Here we go!"
With a few solid, fluid pumps of her wings, Seryn was in the air. She had to use all four wings at once to get into the air, but once she was at a good 50 feet, she could start flapping them in a chain motion, gaining her precious height and speed. She was at 200 feet in seconds and she was on top of the world.
What a feeling! All these years of being in the afterlife had all but erased the pure feeling of freedom and ecstasy that was flying. Her wings were on auto-pilot, which allowed her to bask in the freedom of flight. The skies were hers to command and conquer. The feeling of cool, powerful wind ruffling through her feathers was beyond description. She was truly at home in the air and that was just fine with her.
But Skyle was singing a different tune. Oh... Oh! OH!!! High! This is very high! Seryn! Help! I think I'm gonna be sick!
Seryn chuckled and gave him a mental pat of reassurance. "It's okay, Skyle. This is completely normal. We're right at home in the air. Here... let me show you."
Even though they were sharing the same vision, Skyle still had a constant fear of heights. To remedy this, Seryn channeled some of her wild ecstasy through their link to him. Once he had gotten a good helping of it, she broke the connection and asked him, "So, what do you think now?"
He was still nervous, but not as much anymore. It's not so bad. I think I can come to like it in time. I'll have to take a break after tomorrow so I can get my head on straight.
This translated to Seryn as another attempt to take her off and leave her in the darkness again. She was cautious, but she was still determined to get him to stay. She never wanted to go back into the darkness, so she changed her plan to convince him. A few aerodynamic tricks ought to get him to think about it.
Seryn held her paws at her sides and went into a loose loop with enough speed to get Skyle to start hyperventilating.
Oh-my-god-oh-my-god-oh-my-god-oh-my-god-oh-my-god!!! Don't do_that!!!_
"Come on, Skyle," said Seryn, smiling and giving him a mental pat. "This is what Flammies lived for! We used to have so much fun flying that we'd spend every moment we could in the air. Embrace the feeling of pure freedom and be somebody!"
Skyle soon realized what he was getting himself into. He had wanted to be a Flammie after all; he might as well get used to it. He was stuck with Seryn for the next 22 hours.
Okay... can we just slow down a little? I'm getting a little airsick.
Seryn giggled and pulled out of the loop to go into a quick twist and spin. Skyle handled this one a little better, but he was still a little paranoid.
By the time they were done, Skyle was in better spirits about flying and he was able to think about what Seryn was offering him. But to Seryn's disappointment, he still didn't seem completely convinced. He was still determined to take her off and go back to his life as a human.
Geez,_she thought to herself. _What do I have to do to get him to stay with me?! Wait... She looked up at the rising moon and smiled. I have just the thing to change his mind. This was how desperate she was to stay out of the darkness.
"Say, Skyle," she said, ruffling her feathers and giving herself a small cleaning with her tongue. "Have you ever watched a Flammie flying in the moonlight?"
Uh..._He seemed to be considering the answer to this no-brainer question. _I... don't think so.
Seryn grinned. "Then you've never truly lived before. Hold on! We're going up for dinner."
As soon as Seryn was in the air, she spread each of her four wings and locked them to go into a lazy glide. By now, the moon was well into the sky and the moonbeams were shining directly onto her back.
For the first time in 2000 years, Seryn felt as if she had died and gone to heaven again. The pure, unadulterated energy of the moon was collected by each of her feathers and channeled the energy through special veins into her body. The sheer magnitude of energy that was rejuvenating her and Skyle to full strength. The luster of her fur had diminished throughout the day, but the feeling of the moonlight gave her more than enough energy to get it to shine again. Not only that, but it seemed to sparkle and shimmer in the darkness, leaving a trail of sparkles behind her like a glittering comet.
To make sure Skyle considered this feeling, she opened a direct channel to him so that he could feel every ounce of strength flowing through him. He was amazed that just the light of the moon gave him more energy and strength than any mortal food or substance could provide. Seryn thought she had him truly convinced, but her hopes were damaged when he voiced his opinion.
"It's okay. It feels great, but I bet this happens all the time."
(Flammie expletive)!!! What did she have to do to get him to change his mind?! She had thrown everything she had in the mix to get him to stay with her and yet he was still as determined as ever to go back to his human life. If she didn't think of something, she would be letting herself and Aridos down. She had been brought back from the dead to bring happiness to the human of her choice. She had gone all out to keep from going back into the darkness and yet he still wasn't convinced! For the first time, she was starting to panic, but that was just for a moment. There was still one more thing she had yet to try. It was surely foolproof. She had been in control this whole time, limiting Skyle's actions so far, but if she were to give him his own control, she had a feeling that it would work to her benefit.
"Skyle, I know I've been doing what I've wanted to do all this time, but would you like to try it out for yourself?"
Skyle blinked using Seryn's eyes as she backed off and put him in the driver's seat. He suddenly felt like he was in control of Seryn for the first time. He wobbled slightly on his four legs and ended up falling on the ground.
"Ow." He was okay, but Seryn was still making sure he felt everything for himself.
"Okay... I can do this. No problem."
Getting to his feet, he shook his fur out and tried to mimic what Seryn had been teaching him. After testing out his wings, he managed to get in the air after a short running start. It took longer and he was a little clumsy in his ascent, but Seryn was determined to let him experience this for himself and said nothing as she watched. Soon, Skyle was at altitude and he was able to feel the freedom of flying for himself.
Now that he was in the driver's seat, he could finally feel the wind through his fur like it was his own. Not only that, but the moon was still shining, making him feel like a million bucks. It was truly a feeling like he had always dreamed about. It seemed that Flammies were truly free and indeed the lords of the skies.
"WHOOOOOO!!!" he cried, letting out a musical cry to voice his freedom. He went into his own twist and even flew on his belly like a swimmer doing a backstroke. This was a technique that Seryn had only done a few times, so she was impressed that he was pulling it off so flawlessly for a first-timer.
Finally, Skyle flew back down to the ground and spoke to Seryn for the first time. "That was great! I can't believe that I never realized what Flammies go through all the time. I could do that all night!"
_Yeah?_Seryn's hopes were raised. Was this the conversation that would cement their relationship together forever?
"Yeah, but I think I overdid it. I'll have to take a break for a few days before I try that again. I don't want to spoil it so quickly."
Immediately, Seryn's hopes all but crashed. He still wasn't convinced and it was starting to scare her. If he was going to take her off for a few days, then that was a few days too many for her to be separated from him! She had hoped that she had done him a favor by letting him experience it for himself, but she felt that she may have over done it.
But there was one last hope she had to get him to stay with her. It was the one thing that she had yet to try to convince him. If this didn't work, then all hope was lost. After all, she couldn't fuse with him unless he willingly agreed with her. It all came down to this.
"Skyle, dear, why don't we turn in for the night? I'm feeling very tired and I'm sure you are, too."
Yeah... I guess I could catch a few winks. I have to go to work in the morning, so I need all the rest I can get.
Seryn nodded and headed for a cave she had spotted nearby. It was one of the things that Skyle would have to get used to if he hoped to live as a Flammie. She was taking a big risk by doing this, but she was running out of options. Once they were in the cave, Seryn curled up and soon fell asleep. Skyle fell asleep soon after, but Seryn had planned this. Using her mental powers, she found a couple of ancient memories she had when she had been alive and inserted them into his subconscious. If these dreams didn't convince him to stay, she would finally be beaten.
Meanwhile, Aridos had returned to his shop after tending to a magical accident that he had been summoned for. It had been a long day, but he was in good spirits. He had finally seduced the violet Flammie costume so its evil could not harm anyone any longer. But before he could completely remove the soul from the costume, he had been called away to tend to the magical spill. He figured that he would catch a few winks and resume his work in the morning.
But once he reached the front door, he realized that something was very wrong. The door had been pried open with what appeared to be a crowbar and glass had been strewn everywhere. This was not the first time he had been robbed, but something about this incident told him this was bad news.
Running through his store as fast as he could, he made a beeline for his back room, praying. His store was a wreck. Costumes and racks and whatnot had been scattered everywhere, telling him that something B.A.D. had happened here. As soon as he reached the door to his lab, he realized that it had been knocked off its hinges. Throwing the heavy door aside with amazing strength for an old man, he ran into the room.
"Oh, (expletive)!!! Not again!"
His magical laboratory had been trashed. The vials of liquid he had used to make his costumes were scattered all over the room. Glass was everywhere and pages of his precious spellbooks were littering the floor. Not only that, but there were large, deep claw marks as if something had been unleashed in here and had gone berserk. He didn't need to look far to find the source of the commotion.
The violet Flammie costume was nowhere to be found. It had completely vanished from its place on the rack, leaving the others untouched. Of all the costumes he had had to have stolen, why did it have to be that one?
This was bad. Because of his efforts to seal it away, the evil Flammie soul had been enraged and become even more powerful than before. True, it couldn't unleash its power without a human to merge itself to, but that was not the case. Aridos knew exactly who had stolen the costume and unleashed the evil Flammie - it had to be that shady teenager that he had kicked out of his shop earlier. It all made sense. The costume had somehow called out to him and took over his body when he got here.
This was very bad. The soul of the Flammie, known as "Mana", had nearly taken over the world when he had been at large over 2000 years ago. If he tried that now with his newly-enhanced powers, mankind was doomed for certain. The only one that could stand up to Mana was his own sister and fellow costume, Seryn. He knew he should be concerned, but he was tired and he had a lot of cleanup in the morning. Aridos sighed and went straight to bed. It was out of his hands now. Only by a miracle of Fate could this be fixed. He might as well get on with business as usual once he had fixed everything up. Besides, Seryn would figure it out eventually.
That night, Skyle's dreams were out of the ordinary. He was normally filled with dreams of complete chaos and utter nonsense, but tonight, he dreamed of a civilization long forgotten.
It was the Era of Flammies. These great winged creatures were once in control of the world. They were a peace-loving species that, for many years, had shared their magic with the world. They possessed the ability to heal the most grievous of wounds, grant miracles of nature with their various elemental breaths and the ability to make very loyal pets.
Skyle walked among the Flammies that once lived in his own neighborhood. Back then, people were very trusting of Flammies and would do anything to have one in their families. There were the regular-sized Flammies that once walked on two legs but evolved to become quadrupeds. But then there were the Pygmy Flammies that were specially-bred as pets for the humans.
He watched two human children in tunics playing ball with a Pygmy Flammie like an obedient dog. True, the color of this Flammie's fur was a crimson-red, but it was loyal nonetheless. He also watched several people riding True Flammies in the sky like the dragons of folklore.
But what he saw next made him heavily reconsider his attitude with Seryn. A normal-looking boy that resembled him somehow was standing outside his home. But as he watched, he seemed to morph his body into a familiar-looking creamy-yellow Flammie. At first he thought that this was Seryn, but then he saw a similar True Flammie come out of the house and stand next to him. He immediately recognized this as Seryn and nearly gasped when he saw the two of them take off for a morning flight.
If this was the utopia that had once existed with Flammies and humans, maybe he should reconsider merging himself with Seryn. She had been all alone for over 2000 years and he was about to send her back into the void of darkness where life meant nothing. He should have taken pity on her when he had put her on. It was the least he could do for her. After all, he had always wanted to become a Flammie. This was a dream come true in the finest sense of the word.
But just as he was about to wake up in complete peace, he felt a second presence in his mind. The images in his dreams appeared to be coming from it and it seemed to be taking satisfaction that it had gotten through to him.
Skyle felt cheated and betrayed. This had only been a scam to convince him to become a Flammie forever, and he finally realized who it was who was doing it.
Seryn woke up to a rather annoyed Skyle. She didn't understand why he would be angry at her. She had given him something to think about along with the best night's sleep in ages. Why would he be angry with her? She found out when he spoke using her mouth.
"How could you, Seryn?"
"Skyle? Is there something the matter?" She was using the same mouth to speak but a different voice.
"This was all a setup, wasn't it? You planned this from the start, didn't you?"
Seryn looked nonplussed. "I don't understand."
"Those memories were yours, Seryn. You put them in my head to trick me into fusing with you!"
Seryn suddenly realized that she was caught red-handed. She had let up her guard on Skyle's subconscious and exposed her plan.
Skyle growled and twisted his paw painfully. He ignored it, but Seryn flinched at the pain he was using her body to inflict.
"How could you, Seryn?! I trusted you! I took you home when no one else would! I gave up control of myself so that you could live again! You showed me the world through the eyes of a Flammie just so you could take it away from me! How could you!!!" He grabbed their upper-right wing and tweaked it painfully. Seryn yelped in pain, but Skyle continued the punishment.
"I'm sorry, Skyle! I just wanted to make you happy! That was all I cared about! Please don't be mad!"
But Skyle had heard enough. He dug their claws into the back of their head and began to pull. Against all odds, Seryn felt herself being pulled away from him. She was receding back into the darkness as he started to free himself from her.
Skyle, no! Please don't leave me! I don't want to go back! I beg of you!
But Skyle had made up his mind. For the first time in 24 hours, he could feel his face once again as he pulled the costume apart.
"I don't care! You tricked me, you scum! I'll never wear you again!"
But Seryn was still alive as long as he was wearing part of her. Please! You have no idea what it's like there! It's nothing but pure emptiness forevermore! Please! I only want to live again!
Skyle had freed his head and was working on his back. "I have nothing more to say to you, scum! You'll never control me again!"
Seryn was hysterical. She could feel her consciousness being drawn back into the darkness. It was only by a twist of Fate that she could still reach him.
If you won't believe me, I'll show_you! I'll_ prove_what I went through before I met you! I'll_ make_you believe me!_
Skyle was just about to free himself from the costume's back when he suddenly felt an attack on his mind. His vision had gone black and his body had gone numb. He couldn't breathe or feel anything. He couldn't think or speak. All he could do was exist. In a last-desperation attempt to get him to believe her, Seryn had pulled Skyle's soul with her into the infinite darkness. Right now, his body was just a shell half-in and half-out of Seryn's costume.
Skyle was panicking in here. He was all alone here in a darkness that no light could reach. There was nowhere to go and his only friend was lost with him.
Seryn, help! What is this place?! Where am I?! Hello?!
But his voice fell on nothingness. The darkness swallowed up his existence like it was completely insignificant. For the first time, Skyle realized what he had condemned Seryn to by removing her body from him. He realized that in order to be among the living again, she had needed his body to exist again. She no longer had a body to call her own. In order to return to the planet, she needed his body to wear her costume so she could live again.
And now, Skyle realized the exact reason why Seryn had taken so much pleasure in her surroundings. In this void, he felt as if he had never been happy... never been sad. He could not remember the feel of the sun... nor the sound of water... nor the taste of food. He was filled with a single, blank emotion that this place gave off - hopelessness. He had never been more hopeless in his life. He realized for the first time that Heaven and Hell were just places that the faithful talked about to keep people in line. This was the true afterlife. This was the place every living creature went when they died. This was the place where countless souls would wait forevermore to be reincarnated. This was true chaos. Finally, the old Egyptian saying made sense to him: "Death is only the beginning."
(Author's Note: I don't want to be a killjoy to the faithful, but the "darkness" that Seryn talked about has to be worse than death. I needed a place that would be so bad that no one would want to go back to, so excuse me for attacking religion. I didn't mean for it to come across that way."
Finally, Skyle realized why Seryn cherished life so much. She had gone through this void before and had been reincarnated. Right now, he didn't care if he had to fuse with Seryn. He just wanted to see the Light again. He missed his human life, but Seryn was offering him an existence that trumped all life as he knew it. He was not sure what had killed Seryn in the first place, but he would give anything to be with her again. He wanted to become her and she the same. They were meant for each other and it had taken this extreme to finally figure that out. He didn't ever want to come back here. He didn't care what it took - he just wanted to be with Seryn.
Skyle...
Like the voice of an angel, Skyle turned to feel a presence there that hadn't been there before. He tried to find her, but he couldn't see where she was.
Skyle... come back to me...
I'll do anything! Just don't leave me!
Suddenly, Skyle felt like he had been plucked from the darkness by an unseen force and thrown back into a body. When he was finally able to think again, He realized that his body had been sealed back inside Seryn's.
But he didn't care about that. He had never been more grateful to be alive. He could breathe again. He felt pure joy radiating everywhere and the wind was blowing through their fur. He never wanted to go back - not ever!
But his excitement was short-lived. He suddenly felt himself growing tired and calm. His existence was fading, but not dying. He was finally surrendering control to Seryn, but he would always live on within her. Skyle may be leaving this world, but he wouldn't be going back to that darkness ever again. He would be one half of a whole new being that trumped his puny human life.
_Seryn...?_he said weakly.
Shh..._said Seryn, calming him and sending a wave of reassurance into his spirit. _Sleep now, Skyle. Your spirit will not go back to that place. We will be one entire being. We are no longer Seryn and Skyle. We are simply Seryn the Flammie. Sleep now and embrace your new life.
Before he left his human body, Skyle managed to say his last words before they finally became one. I'm sorry that I yelled at you, Seryn. I never knew what you went through to be with me. You deserved better than that and I'm sorry.
Seryn smiled and mentally whispered in his ear. I forgive you, my love. I apologize for making you endure this, but now you know. Sleep, my love. Sleep and embrace your new destiny.
Skyle smiled and slept alongside Seryn. They were currently two minds, but when they finally woke up, they would be at a higher existence in the world.
(Author's Note: Since there is only one being now, I am going to switch to first-person narration from Seryn's point of view. This is different for me, so I might be a little rusty at it.)
It was well over two days before the new and improved Seryn woke up inside the cave. I felt as if I had had the most amazing night's sleep in my entire life. I could not remember waking up with such satisfaction in my heart.
But my long sleep had left me a little disoriented and confused. The fusion had thrown off my ability to control my own body (but I didn't know that). When I stood up, I wobbled a little and ended up hitting my head on the cave wall. Now seeing stars, I clumsily walked over to the cave entrance and collapsed. With a squeak, I got to my feet again and sat back on my hind legs so that I could massage my aching temples with my paws.
"Oy... what happened to me? I didn't used to be this clumsy. I guess I got too much sleep or something."
"That seems to be the case. You always let your guard down at the most convenient times, dear sister."
At first, I didn't recognize the voice. My mind was still a little flustered after the fusion. But when I looked at the person who had spoken, everything hit me like a ton of bricks.
"M... Ma... Mana?! How can that be?! I thought you were...!"
"Dead?" Mana chuckled to himself and casually cleaned his talons. "I was, but like yourself, Fate has a way of playing right into my hands."
Mana was my Flammie brother from over 2000 years ago. He was the reason I had died in the first place, but I had never thought to see him again in the Real World. He was slightly bigger than me and had shadowy-violet fur where mine was creamy-yellow. His hair was a wild crimson-red along with his feathered wings. Mana's talons and pads were a distinct clear-blue whereas mine were brown and pink. Finally, my brother had two fangs sticking out of either side of his muzzle while I had only one. Even though I had never hoped to see him again, I would never forget the glare of those piercing-red eyes.
"You mean that Aridos...?!"
Mana chuckled and smiled mischievously at me. "You bet your talons he did. Isn't it strange that no matter where you go, I am never far behind you? Oh, I rue the day that we were born together, but that's just me. How have you been?"
This was a little different from Mana's normal behavior. Normally, he would have blasted me with a Shadow Breath and attacked me in a jealous rage by now.
"I'm... fine. Just a little... dizzy. How have you been?"
Mana dropped to all fours and walked over to me to get a better look at me. "Oh... you know, Death, Reincarnation, Possession, Infection... the usual."
I was suddenly alarmed at the last of his tasks. "Infection?! Mana! Have you been biting humans against their wills again?!"
Mana opened his mouth to reveal rather bloody fangs. This confirmed that he had gone out turning innocent, unexpecting human beings into Flammie-Humans just like he had in our previous lives.
"MANA!!! You should know better than that! Didn't a lifetime of exile teach you anything about going against our order?!"
Mana closed his maw and held up a paw as if saying, "Talk to the paw." "There are several problems with your accusations, sister. One: There are no longer any True Flammies left in this world except for the ones swimming in your gut." He paused to watch my confused state. "Two: It's 2000 years in the future, Einstein. The rules of our elders no longer apply to me." He paused again to watch me scowl at him. "Three: Since when have I ever cared for rules? I live by my own rules, Seryn. If it weren't for you in the past, I might still be flooding the planet with my followers."
I frowned on this as he gave me an annoying flick on the muzzle with his tail. "And if it weren't for you, "brother", our kind would have survived for those 2000 years! It's because of your "followers" that the humans figured out our weakness in the first place!"
But Mana didn't appear to care. "They may have known how to destroy us once upon a time, but this is a new era. This era, there are no elders to stand in my way. This era, the Flammie race will return to all its former glory. This time, you will not be around to stop me."
I growled as I raised myself up on my digits in anger. "Not if I have anything to say about it!"
But Mana still maintained his casual state. "You forget, Seryn. In that life, we were equally matched. But the magical meddlings of the one who brought us back to life has enhanced my power ten-fold. You don't stand a chance... scum."
I absolutely hated it when he called me this! I snarled and launched myself at him, teeth and talons bared. But before even get close, he reached out with a paw and radiated a dark, psychic force. I felt as if I was being strangled in mid-air and I tried to pry the invisible hands from around my throat. I knew for a fact that the only way to kill a Flammie was to destroy both their brain and their heart at the same time. And on the top of the list was the most widely-used one of them all - strangulation.
Now I was starting to panic. Where on earth did Mana get these powers?! I knew that Flammies were psychic to a certain degree, but they were never telekinetic! This was a problem from the word "Go"!
But Mana didn't appear to be trying to hurt me. He simply clutched his digits together, tightening the noose around my throat. If he was this powerful, I wouldn't even be able to touch him! I got lucky in the last fight, but at the cost of my own life.
But killing me didn't appear to be Mana's concern. With a flick of his wrist, I went flying off to one side and landed in a heap, gasping for breath.
"You bore me, Seryn. There's no fight in you that I consider a threat anymore. I have better places to be and you are no longer high on my priority list. Good-bye, sister. Watch as I take over this world once again, but this time, without your hindrance."
And with that, he spread his wings wide and took off towards the town. As I lied there, I realized he had a point. I was in no condition to fight him. If I ever hoped to stand a chance against him and his new psychic powers, I needed help. But I was the only other Flammie in existence anymore. What could I do?
I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but if I hoped to fight against Mana, I needed to come up with a plan. And if Mana was correct about my "gut", then I was at a much larger disadvantage. I could only hope that Fate dealt me a hand that I could work with.
To be continued...
Get the other side of the story in "Fit for a God 3 Shadow Version: Mano-a-Mana"