Chapter 19: Foretold Epitome

19.0

A hollowed out John sat lifelessly on the dining table of the Harvest residence. Heavy breathing plagued him as the former Healer of A’vetheas watched the unmoving furniture as the stale air exited his nostrils.

In the past, having seated at the dining table with his adopted family brought his rapid heartbeat into a deep calm.

John sought to replicate those feelings by being seated as he would if the Harvests were there.

 

They were not.

 

5 empty chairs faced him. Each belonging to Miros, Itzella, Miril, Mera, and Meli.

John hung his head downwards, letting the creeping sensation of his heart to gnaw at him.

He was brought back to Parac Village weeks ago by Ephinelyth, yet he had not taken a step outside of the Harvest residence nor dared looked out of the windows to glance at the outside scenery. If not for the walls that shielded him from the world outside, John would have given in to him fraying sanity.

What he once thought to be his shelter after his exile from A’vetheas, had now become the prison for his mind.

 

The cruel irony was not lost on him.

 

Every second he was awake, he wished he was unconscious, every moment he was in slumber, he saw their faces in his dreams, he could clearly picture the Harvests here, still alive…

 

But John knew otherwise, he was broken, not delusional.

 

As for Aurelius…

His fists balled, the reality of the wolfkin’s death had yet to settle in his heart. Days passed, aimless days of him not doing anything passed, yet it felt as if mere seconds ago he were still talking to Aurelius.

 

The wolfkin who sacrificed himself.

A man who had no soul.

Yet, was more human than he ever could be.

 

Bang!

 

John pounded his fist at the table, body shaking as the last words of Aurelius echoed in his mind.

 

“—her brother who had no soul, lived a life he would give his soul up for. Thank you, John, my brother.”

 

John saw no logic nor reason behind the words of his now deceased friend.

 

He had many questions for Aurelius, he wanted to ask the wolfkin where had he come from, what did he mean by having no soul, why had Aurelius came for him despite knowing the dangers, despite knowing he would die for John…

 

Like a sharp blade, the thought slid through the crevices of his heart.

She should be back anytime now.

Diverting his mind to Evie who went to fetch supplies, John halted his painful thoughts.

He had not spoken telepathically nor verbally with Evie ever since the day he awoke to the Harvest Residence. John kept all his grim thoughts to himself as Evie silently aided him in his daily activities, for the mere act of chewing and swallowing food proved to be far too taxing for him.

His suspicions that the dragon girl was reading his mind when he was asleep but had yet to find proof of it.

For all his reluctance to communicate with her, Evie still kept a respectful distance and remained by his side, never saying anything to berate or dissuade him.

Aside from his daily needs like food and clothing changes, she usually left him to brood to himself, which frankly, lasts only a few hours per day as John slept whenever he could to avoid being awake.

 

He would say he was grateful to what Evie was doing for him. But frankly, he felt nothing.

 

He could not feel a thing for the external world, the living breathing, ever changing, cruel world that he lived in. All that he knew was to keep things to himself, for the fear that he would ruin everything should he interacted with them.

It happened with the Elves, it happened with the Harvests, it happened with the hero’s party, it happened with Aurelius, it even happened in with Kahnira…

Ephinelyth deserved a better fate.

And John Sarvod deserved to be exiled for all of eternity.

The elves were right.

He brought chaos to the world around him.

He did not see it then, but now, everything was clear to him.

He was a demon.

A monster who corrupts everything he comes to touch.

And an Elder Dragon like Ephinelyth…

John slowly got to his feet, his knees, weak from the lack of use, wobbling as he pushed himself off the table.

I will leave… She should not be involved with me.

 

The gears in his head rotated as he slowly concluded to flee civilization, banish himself away for all of eternity until his body succumb to either hunger, the elements or wild beasts, whichever came for him first.

 

He promised Kahnira he would not end his own life, but dying because of ‘unfortunate accidents’ were not ‘intentional’ and were counted as just bad ‘coincidences’.

He just had to walk straight into the woods that would lead him to Reperane Woods, who knows, if the dark beasts would encounter him first or he would ‘accidentally’ walk off a ledge and plummet.

 

Either way, he would be done with it all.

 

He would free Evie from the responsibility of taking care of him, he would free the world of a demon, he would stop the agony that he caused, he would end everything once and for all.

John trudged with his weak body as he approached the door, mind filled with thoughts of putting his pathetic misery to an end by the hands of fate.

The moment his fingers reached to turn the knob and open the door, a blast of searing wind assaulted John’s body, forcing him down to the floor as an overbearing pressure pinned him to where he was.

 

For that moment, John’s numbed senses return to him, his eyes widened in shock as a wall of deep dark red scales was presented to him at the very doorstep of the Harvest Residence.

 

“!!!”

 

A pair of yellow eyes with vertical slits for pupils gazed sharply at John, threatening to crush his will by his sheer glance.

 

“N-no…” a small gasp escaped John’s lips. He frantically move his arms backwards, pushing with all the strength he had in his body, doing anything he could to get away from the monster that appeared in front of him. “NOOOO!!!”

 

The scene of Alwin Zinrelle’s punctured chest flashed in his mind, evoking a memory that he long forgotten, an encounter that he had with the very being that Evie attested herself to be.

 

Elder Dragon!!!

It was the Elder Dragon that summoned magma and destroyed a significant portion of Reperane Woods on just a whim. The very same Elder Dragon that hurled him to his death for denying his identity as a demon.

 

No, not like this, Aurelius… I… H-he…sacrificed himself for me...

 

The imagery of Alwin Zinrelle dying was far from Aurelius’ death in Erin’s hands. He was acutely reminded of that at the sight of the Elder Dragon, dispelling all thoughts of ‘dying due to unfortunate coincidences’.

If he were to die, it meant everything Aurelius did, all the promises he made to the wolfkin would be in vain.

 

“No, I-I can’t die…”

 

“Tsk!” the enormous dragon before him clicked his tongue in annoyance, “I have no need for a human male—” the Elder Dragon halted himself before his yellow eyes focused on John who was scrambling to his feet and escape. “You, lowly demon!!! What are you doing in my sister’s stead?!”

John pushed his legs to run to the other end of the house, but his lack of exercise made him sluggish, as his leg muscles responded, a heavy hand planted against his shoulder, freezing him where he stood.

Stasis magic.

Though his conscious remained instact this time, unlike the time Kirksten sold him out to Fester Aquilla, John immediately understood he had no escape.

He did not even see the Elder Dragon move, much less understand how quickly did the dragon took on a human form.

The dragon spun John around to face him, “I said, what is a being like you doing in my…”

The Elder Dragon took on the form of a human male with cropped auburn hair, perfect jaw and fierce yellow eyes that spoke of the burning wrath that John incurred by trying to escape.

“Have I seen you somewhere? Black eyes, black hair...” the intense expression of the Elder Dragon softened quickly before his face lit up in epiphany. “The rude demon who was bickering with the elf!”

The dragon released his hands on John as he placed his hands on his own temples, but the paralyzing effect was still on John.

“It appears you did well surviving my mercy. No wonder you flee at the first sight of me,” the dragon chuckled amusingly, smiling as though they were two old friends from a different time. “A wise choice indeed.”

The smile, though genuine, abated as quickly it arose before a horrible expression took over the Elder Dragon.

The Elder Dragon raised his hand in the air, morphing it into the claws of a great dragon as he looked at John with cold calculating eyes.

“I sense hostile displeasure from you, demon,” the dragon spoke. “Letting you live has only bolstered your demonic nature! Have you embraced your chaotic nature, HAVE YOU!!!???”

Grabbing John’s neck and raising him to his feet, the dragon’s claws dug into his flesh.

John, who unable to do anything dangled from the dragon’s grasp, not speaking a word as he stared emptily back at the Elder Dragon who had become greatly enraged.

“YOUR KIND HAS TAKEN ENOUGH, IT IS TIME I END THIS PEACE FARCE WE DRAGONS HAVE—”

 

“That is enough, Velerion.”

 

Evie’s voice echoed in the doorway as she appeared with bags stuffed with groceries that she intended to make use of later on in the morning.

“Ephinelyth…” releasing both his hold and magic on John.

Velerion, the Elder Dragon turned his gaze to the silver maiden with a scornful gaze.

“What are you…” the man’s yellow eyes darted to the bags of grocers then quickly to John. “I see...so this is where you’ve gone to!!! You chose to side with this demon than your own family, now it explains why I could never get a hold of where your whereabouts are with those minions of mine!!!”

 

“I side with no one. Only myself.” Her eyes turned to John and asked spoke to him telepathically. “Has he done anything to you?”

 

“N-no, not yet.”

 

Sensing Evie not paying heed to his statement, Velerion altered his tone into a more composed one and continued, “Father’s ending rites of his ascension are of today. The both of us must be present—”

“So you can take his place as the leader of all dragonkind. Do as you wish. I have no interest in such things.”

Velerion grit his teeth, “The others would only accept it if your presence is there. Another Elder Dragon must be present to solidify—”

“Must? Or is it because you are fearful, they might see you for the impotent leader that you make yourself to be?”

Velerion spat, “You good for nothing, I am your brother! This is the least you could do after both our parents have departed from this world! I have yet to see your contributions to Courzer!”

“A leader that wishes only the obedience of others is no ruler at all. Mother may have gifted you your prophecy of your prosperous future, but that is all that you reduced yourself to. You are only a slave to your ambitions than you wish for others onto yourself.”

“What do you know about ambition, Ephinelyth!? You were born without one!!!”

 

“I know I am free to choose mine.”

 

Velerion seethed from his clenched jaw, racking his head for a way, anyway to convince Ephinelyth to return to dragon society.

All he needed was for her to approve his position before all dragons and it would be enough to solidify his position as his father, Kharston’s successor.

Even if Ephinelyth planned to public denounce his position, he would find a way.

 

To be exact, he already had measures to make her do so.

 

All Velerion needed was to have her go with him.

 

His eyes turned to John.

So this is her chosen, a very poor choice.

Velerion moved, attempting to grab a hold of John, only for his hands to miss his target before his own hands redirected to his own face, hitting himself in the eyes.

“Gah!”

“I will have to remind you, though I dislike reading minds, if you intend to harm him, I will not hesitate to use them to your disadvantage.”

Evie spoke, making sure her brother understood what just happened.

“You…”

“If you wish to go down this path despite my warnings, I will even eliminate all your ambitions. To where even mother’s prophecy to you becomes irrelevant. If he comes to harm, I will ensure not just you, but all of dragonkind would suffer for your mistakes.”

 

“Your threat hardly matters, Ephinelyth.”

 

“I would like to remind you, I am a dragon who was never meant to live. And when my only purpose is to bring destruction to you…”

 

Ephinelyth may have mind reading abilities, but what she did not know was that Velerion had anticipated this and prepared a soft mental barrier that hid his lurking thoughts.

With his limited abilities as an Elder Dragon, he accumulated enough mana that could temporarily cloud his more secretive thoughts from Ephinelyth. All he had to do was to get her back to dragon society before the time runs out and he would have his supremacy to rule over other dragons.

Since she had made the demon male her ambition, I would have to leave things up to my other plan.

 

Suddenly, Ephinelyth jolted upwards. She placed her hand by her ear as the transmission of [Message] reached her.

 

Velerion let out a wry smile.

 

Just in time.

 

“Petunia? What is the matter? I have no—” Ephinelyth’s face darkened as her voice trailed off when she hear the voice from the other side of [Message]. The silver maiden remained stiff before she swiftly ended [Message].

“How is your old friend’s family?” Velerion raised a confident brow. “I won’t be able to leverage this demon here…but there are other ways I can. If the other dragons don’t see the both of us returning to where Petunia and Mizzy is…” Velerion drew a horizontal line at his neck with his thumb. “I can’t assure everything…”

Evie dropped her shoulders, releasing the bags that she had brought back with her to the ground. Velerion won.

For all her threats, Velerion knew his sister well enough to tame her scorn, least it spiral out of control.

“Your sickening desire for power would make Father and Mother proud.”

“I am glad you understand, sister. Let us make haste at once,” Velerion exited the house before transforming back to his dragon form, leaving a vulnerable Ephinelyth looking at John.

She tried to speak, but words failed her.

But when she caught the slightest glimpse of John’s faint expression that pleaded her to stay with him in his eyes, a bittersweet smile came to her cheeks.

 

“Velerion...took people, who are just like the Harvests to you, to me. Knowing this fool, he must have held them captive to force me back to Courzer.”

 

Without waiting for John to pose the questions that festered in his mind, Evie explained herself to him. Just a single glance at his eyes was all she needed to know what went on in his mind.

 

The reappearance of Velerion in John’s life once more had stoked a sensation that something would be robbed from him once more. The last time John met Velerion, the Elder Dragon in Reperane woods, his life was thrown into shambles, both literally and physically.

And now, Velerion would take Evie away from him.

 

“I’ll be gone for a few hours. I promise I will be by your side before dusk comes. I stake my life on it. I just have to make sure Petunia and Mizzy are safe.”

 

The sliver maiden followed her brother’s suit, giving John one last look before she left him, a look that only a woman could ever bestow on a man she truly desired.

 

“I love you.”

 

By the time John’s outstretched hand reached to stop her from leaving his side, the silver dragon and the deep red dragon had taken flight into the skies at supersonic speed, leaving a blast of wind hitting John in their wake.

John’s lonely hand hung in the air as he stared at the flat plot of overgrown grass at the Harvest Residence.

 

He was alone once more.

 

S-she...said she would return, right?

 

Though Evie spoke confidently to him telepathically and with the full intent of returning to him in time.

Something in John’s gut told him that like the promise she had given to him, would end up the same as the last she had given to him during the Ball of Paragons.

For what reason? He was unsure.

But his gut, like the many times that instinctively warned him of unfavorable circumstances, was now churning and reprimanding him for not stopping Evie from leaving him.

He was certain that if he spoke up, she would have followed his requests and abandoned the people that Velerion held hostage.

As vulnerable as Ephinelyth’s expression was when she looked at him, John Sarvod could not do a thing.

How could he?

When everything he ever held in his two hands vanished.

 

 

A familiar memory returned to him.

“Master, if the day comes that I am no longer with you, promise me this… You will allow no one dissuade you from what your desires are.”

“The day you are no longer with me!?” Young John shouted in exasperation, “No! That will not happen! Even if I grow old, even if I have become another person, even if I have married another, I will never ever want to live in a world without you, Kahnira! I’ll—”

A gentle finger placed itself on his lips, subduing his response.

“Please, master, promise me you’ll let nothing get in your way. This maid is unsure whether if it is your parents or if it is your way of caring for the people you love, you bury your own needs and wants in favor for others.”

The finger left his lips, but young John was still silent.

“I like the selfish boy before me just fine. If you ask me, the world has many things it wants to take. I think the world is better off if my master was more honest with his desires. I for one, certainly benefited from that.”

 

 

The memory faded before John could get a full glance of Kahnira who he knew to be smiling in his memories.

The way she spoke to him, the way she regarded him, despite his young age back then, it was as if she had her fate fully entrusted in his hands.

Was it because he did something selfish back then that Kahnira became indebted to him?

John placed a hand on his throbbing head.

Why is this memory returning to him now? Why this moment, why when he had lost everything when such advice was needed to prevent all the tragedies that would befell on him?

Had he been more honest about his feelings with Evie when she contacted him back then, had he explained his disappointment, had he…

 

He did. He did exactly all of that.

 

There was no one else to blame for what transpired after he berated Evie at Moxnet Academy for not fulfilling her promise.

John was doing exactly what he should have been doing.

What am I doing wrong all this time?!

He had always never been shy to hide his thoughts.

He was always the first to act.

He never backed away from confrontation.

 

His desires…

 

A realization settled in John.

 

He had none.

 

Like a hollow husk who knew not of the purpose of his life, he allowed the circumstances around him brought him wherever it strung him along.

 

Never once, he fought against his fate, the closest he came to doing such a thing was when he defected the empire when his freedom was threatened.

Even then, he had no objective for doing so.

His response was merely a reaction to an immediate threat.

Nothing of it warranted that it was what John Sarvod wanted to do.

 

And now, Velerion took Evie away from him.

 

How he wished he had stopped it from happening. How he wished, he could find an answer to reply to the dragon girl who asked nothing of return from him but his permission to stay by his side.

 

John had the courage to trounce demons, to battle vampires, to rebel against a corrupt Empire, but not enough to act on his selfish desires.

 

He was. without, a will.