Sword of the Stars Part 7
A Sense of Purpose
Duo opened his eyes when the tent flap opened, letting the afternoon sun fill it. With a moan, he put the pillow over his head.
"Come on, get up," Heero said with more than a hint of impatience. "Everyone's waiting for you."
"I'm tired," Duo mumbled, not caring who was waiting. His sleep had not been peaceful. He had dreamt of fire, Redwood, his father, and Talpa. Nothing pleasant.
"Evidently," Heero agreed. "So am I, but that old man needs to talk to you."
"Me?" Duo asked.
"You," Heero confirmed. "He won't even tell us his name until you come out. He's also forbidden us to leave this clearing until he speaks with you... He wouldn't even let Quatre go to see how Garrania is doing against Triantia." He paused. "Quatre was growing impatient. He was planning on coming in here to kick you awake. It's a good thing I decided to wake you instead."
Duo frowned. What did that strange old man want with him? He moved the pillow and sat up. "What's so important that it can't wait?"
"We'll find out, I suppose," Heero shrugged. "Now, come on. I'm dying to know what's going on, too."
Duo followed his friend into the clearing the old man had led them to several hours ago. While he prepared a meal and tea, the old man had suggested that they all get some sleep. Wufei had refused, seeing as he had done nothing exhausting, but Quatre, Heero, and Duo had gone into the tent to rest gratefully.
Duo sat down next to Quatre, who shot him an impatient glare. "About bloody time. He wouldn't let me see how Uncle and the army are doing until you woke up."
Wufei sat down on his other side and handed him a still-warm bowl of soup. "You missed the meal, I'm afraid. But we saved some for you."
Duo took the bowl gratefully and sipped the soup slowly. Heero settled down further away, resting his back against a tree trunk. The old man sat down across from Duo and regarded him with wisdom-filled eyes.
"Did you sleep well, my boy?"
"Not really," Duo admitted. "Who are you? Why did you want to speak with me so badly?"
"I am Yohan, Duo, and I have been searching for you for a long time."
"Searching for me?" Duo frowned. "But why?"
Yohan took a deep breath. "Before I tell you that, allow me to explain the core of this senseless war. I will tell you the real reason for all this fighting. Do you know of the Netherworld?"
Duo shook his head. "The Abyss?" Quatre asked. "The Abyss is just a silly legend used to frighten children."
Yohan smiled gently. "Ah, my boy, if only that were the case. As it is, the Abyss is very real. Now listen, Duo. Listen carefully.
"Our world is unique from any other, for ours alone holds the entrance to the Abyss. How this came to pass, no one is certain. The Abyss is a world parallel to our own. However, the Netherworld is a world of evil. Its master is a deity known universally as the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord is a being of supreme power, but he was not without limitations either.
"You see, in order to stabilize his vast powers, he must use a host body. Not just anyone can be used as a host. I do not know all of the necessary qualities to be a host, but I believe extra-sensory perception is one of them." Duo glanced nervously in Heero's direction. His friend was staring at Yohan, unblinking. The old man continued. "Once the Dark Lord chooses a host, the body is granted incredible longevity. However, every thousand years or so, the host body dies, and another must be found.
"Centuries ago, the minions of the Netherworld would come to our side and attempt to conquer us. Once our world is mastered, the Dark Lord would be able to flex and stretch his powers to other worlds. In order to prevent the Dark Lord from ever gaining total control of our world, an ancient group of spell-casters known as the Stardragon Mages pooled their powers to create a weapon with the power to fight him. They crafted the weapon they called the Star Sword. Magic made the blade, making it indestructible. The Mages tempered it so that it protected the bearer against magical attacks and spells. And lastly, the Stardragon Mages gave the sword the power to call upon the Celestial Dragon, a powerful spirit of boundless energy. With the power to summon the Celestial Dragon, the bearer of the Star Sword would be able to fight the Dark Lord and have hopes of winning.
"All was not as it seemed, though. For one thing, the Star Sword would not accept just anyone as its wielder. It wanted a special warrior to take its hilt. One who was pure of heart, wise, just, and many other complex things the sword refused to speak of. Since the Stardragon Mages had created the Sword, they were also granted the gift to sense a potential Star Sword wielder. The Mages disbanded and searched the land for one worthy enough to wield the Sword. As they did so, the minions of the Netherworld had begun their search for yet another host.
"The Mages found the one worthy enough to wield the Sword not long after the Netherworlders found their new host for the Dark Lord. The wielder of the Star Sword journeyed to the Abyss and faced the Dark Lord, calling upon the Celestial Dragon. The details of the battle are unknown, but the warrior dealt a mighty blow to the Dark Lord, sealing the vortex to the Netherworld shut. No minions of the Dark Lord could enter our world.
"The force needed to seal the Abyss was too much for the Star Sword. Its power was exhausted. The Stardragon Mages decided to seal the Sword in a floating castle known as the Celestial Palace, which can only be reached by the Temple of the Skies. Even now, the Star Sword lays dormant in the Palace, waiting for another worthy warrior to come for it.
"The Netherworlders, on the other hand, have waited patiently for nearly one thousand years, trapped in their Abyss. But now, their current Dark Lord host is beginning to lose its life force. And although the seal can keep the lesser Netherworlders from coming here, it did not stop Ling and Talpa, the Dark Lord's highest ranking officers."
Duo gave a start. "Those two are the ones at the tent! And at Redwood!"
Yohan nodded. "Talpa is the General of the Netherworld warriors, the commander of the Dark Lord's armies. Sorceress Ling is the Dark Lord's most loyal and valuable servant. She can sense the next host for the Dark Lord, and seek him or her out."
Once again, Duo glanced at Heero. Quatre and Wufei were staring, too. Heero looked as if he wanted to run away. He avoided their eyes and hugged his knees close to his chest.
"If Talpa is leading the armies of Triantia," Yohan continued, "it can only mean that the Dark Lord has somehow enlisted Grantis' aid. My best guess is that the Dark Lord plans to do two things at once: conquer our world using Grantis' army, while Ling travels with them and finds him a new host. Once he has both, he will be at full power again. He will break the seal on the Abyss, conquer our world completely, and do the same to other worlds."
Wufei turned to Yohan. "Can't the Star Sword stop him again?"
Yohan smiled. "I'm getting there, my child." He faced Duo again. "The Star Sword has been resting and growing even stronger these past centuries, and it is calling for a new champion to take its hilt. I am one of the last Stardragon Mages, and I set out to find the one worthy enough to wield the Star Sword. My senses led me to you, Duo."
Duo set the soup bowl down and shook his head. "I am supposed to believe that a sword in a floating castle is calling me to come and wield it? I am no fool, Yohan."
"Neither is the Sword, Duo," Yohan replied. "It knows who you are. It calls your name. It will allow you to take it if you can prove yourself. If you were not the one, why would I have wasted my time seeking you out?" Duo didn't answer. He looked toward Heero. His friend was staring at him with empty eyes. After a few moments, Heero rested his head on his knees again.
Yohan stood up. "Take your time and consider what I have said, Duo. It is the truth, that I can guarantee."
Quatre stood, too. "While he's considering, I am going to see what's happening out there." He left the clearing, with Wufei at his heels. Yohan followed them, leaving Duo and Heero alone.
For several minutes, neither of them said anything. Then, Heero looked up. "So what are you going to do?"
"What do you mean? You want me to believe that someone from a place like Redwood is destined to save the world by fighting a legendary deity with a talking sword from a flying palace? Heero, come on, I can't believe that. There's nothing special about me. Yohan must be wrong." Suddenly, Duo turned to face his friend. "But what about you? Do you think you could be" he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.
Heero shifted to a cross-legged position and ran his hands through his hair. "Duo, when I was outside that tent, something inside of me was shouting for me to get away. Well, that is, it didn't really say that, but I could tell what the feeling meant. It was almost as if my spirit knew I was in danger. The more I thought about going into the tent to kill Talpa, the louder it seemed to shout at me." Heero leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes. "'No, stay back! Run away! Run far away! Go somewhere--go *anywhere*--but get away from here!' That's what it was telling me." His friend stared at him with eyes full of panic. "Didn't you ever think that the fact I always knew when I was in trouble was strange?"
"Not really," Duo said. "But I guess there's more of a significance to it than we thought."
"They were after me, Duo!" Heero continued. "In Redwood the soldiers were sent to get me! They followed us with those poison darts to the border because they were supposed to bring me back to Ling! In the tent they were trying to get me! They want to take me back with them and use me for their Dark Lord host or whatever Yohan called it."
"No one's taking you anywhere unless you let them know where you are," Duo said. "You'll just have to keep moving and they won't be able to get you." Duo hoped he sounded encouraging. The truth was, knowing his closest friend was the next Dark Lord host was very frightening. Despite their friendship, he wouldn't have traded lives with Heero if he were offered a kingdom.
Just then, Yohan, Wufei, and Quatre returned. Duo turned to them and gave a start. Quatre was crying on Wufei's shoulder, and the Cleric was shaking his head sadly. Heero stood up.
"What happened?"
"Uncle Mudas..." Quatre managed between sobs and hiccups. "Garrania...my home..."
Wufei smoothed Quatre's hair and led the boy to the tent. The two went inside, and Quatre began to wail. Duo lowered his head when he heard his friend. His sobs were those of someone who had lost everything.
Yohan sat down wearily. "The Triantian army has defeated Garrania. The Imperial flag flies over the Palace."
Heero lowered his head. "No..."
Duo shook his head angrily. "Not Garrania, too!"
"This will continue," Yohan said. "Until the Star Sword is awakened and used to defeat the Dark Lord." He stared at Duo. "Well?"
Duo glared at the mage. "Yohan, I can't do it. You're wrong. I'm not the one."
Yohan waved a hand. "At least think it over. I tell you, you are the one I've been searching for. Get some rest for now, and tell me your decision later. Fair?"
Duo shrugged. "Fair. But my mind is made up already."
"So you say." Yohan glanced at the tent. "I only have one tent, and they seem to have taken it over. Would you mind sleeping out here?"
Duo shook his head. "No." He was tired. He just wanted to sleep. He didn't care where.
"I will be meditating in the woods. I shall return shortly." Yohan left the clearing.
Duo settled down to sleep, grateful to forget everything that had happened so far and rest. He was vaguely aware of Heero lying down by the tree. Quatre's sobs became whimpers, and then he fell silent. Duo closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
~*~
The forests of Redwood flew by, first as they were, and then engulfed in flames. Lilly fell from the window of her burning house, Duo's father shouted at him to come back. Then the forests were gone. The river and waterfall appeared. Heero was hit with the darts. He threw himself off the cliff. The flowing river became the plains of Garrania. Soldier rushed at each other. Then there was the tent. Ling glared with fury. Talpa unsheathed his black sword and swung it. As the black blade swung, it became flowing, midnight hair. The woman owning the hair turned around, but as she did, her face darkened beyond recognition. She raised her arms to the sky and lightning crackled. As thunder roared, she vanished. The dark sky parted as a glowing object fell from it. A sword. It struck the ground with the blade, lodging itself in the earth. It was glowing so brightly, it could barely be seen. <<Take me.>> it seemed to say. <<I choose you... Prove yourself to me... Prove yourself to your father... Prove yourself to yourself... You wish revenge? Then take me and smite the Dark Lord! You are the only one worthy enough to grip my hilt. Please...come for me...>>
~*~
Duo sat up with a jolt. He glanced around him and sighed in relief. It was only a dream. /No, it wasn't. Not completely./ Duo looked at Heero. His friend was sleeping soundly. Night had fallen, Duo realized. He hesitated for a moment, then got up and left the clearing in the direction Yohan had gone.
He found the mage sitting on a flat rock not far from the clearing. Before he arrived, Yohan spoke.
"Have you decided?"
Duo sighed heavily. "I dreamt... Well, it wasn't really a dream, but It spoke to me, Yohan. The Sword, I mean. It knew me...it knew what I wanted, what I felt..."
"The Sword chose you, Duo. I explained that already. You will find that the Star Sword knows you better than you know yourself." The mage turned to face him. "Do you see now? Do you understand? The Sword wishes for you to be its wielder, Duo. It will accept no one else. Only you can stop the Dark Lord from taking this world and others." Yohan's eyes seemed to stare into Duo's soul, "What do you say? Will you accept destiny?"
Duo lowered his head. "You don't understand, Yohan. I just can't take the responsibility. I wouldn't know what to do."
Yohan leapt off the rock and seized Duo's shoulders. "You need not worry about that. I will guide you, and so will the Sword."
Duo thought for a moment. None of this seemed real, but it was. And what would Duo's father think of him if he let the world fall to evil? Duo looked up at Yohan. "I...I'll do it."
The mage squeezed Duo's shoulders happily. "Excellent! Come, let us return to the clearing and prepare for the next step!" The old man starting walking out of the woods, and turned his head. "By making that decision, Duo, you have given us a good chance against the Dark Lord."
Duo stood alone in the woods for several moments, thinking about what he'd just done, before following Yohan back to the others.
TBC...
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