The Star, The Demon, and The God - 41. The Champion of Drulai

Over a thousand years ago

Laneer Bancroft - The Spirit Sailor

The air all of a sudden feels ice cold as I watch Yinx rise up through the beam on moonlight.

The wolf whines and tries to transform but the silver chains that bind me prevent it.

All I can do is stare as Yinx slowly drifts up to the sky.

What is going on? What is the moon god trying to do? Is he taking Yinx away from me now? Yinx said he had a plan!

A shape forms higher up in the beam. I can somewhat see it is the shape of a man.

It’s him. It’s Morgoren.

I struggle against my bindings again but no such luck in that regard.

Yinx would never choose to go with him! I know it!

That stupid god is controlling him!

I need to get out and save him!

The air becomes warmer out of nowhere.

A moving shadow flies around me and chases Yinx.

Screams of terror can be heard from all the people in Avelin.

The shadow flies up the moonlight beam and reaches Yinx quickly. Yinx’s body seems to absorb the scary thing and he stops flying upwards.

For a moment, everything feels like time has frozen and the world has gone silent, but then the beam of light begins to crack like glass.

“You!” I hear Yinx scream in a voice that makes my blood run cold.

A giant cloud of darkness spreads across the sky, completely blocking any light from the moon.

Darkness encases the city, but there is still a source of light. That light would be the moon god himself.

A wave of fire is sent upwards after him by Yinx.

The god dodges and dives down to fly low into the city.

He ends up somewhere behind me and I can no longer see him since I am strapped to the side of a cage.

I can see Yinx perfectly however and it is a scary sight.

Yinx conjures powerful magics that I have never seen him use before!

He is sending scary lines of darkness that look deadly.

Screams are everywhere around me.

The sounds of buildings crashing and turning into rubble can also be heard.

My eyes widen when Yinx creates a giant ball of fire with his hands and holds it above his head.

It looks as though he is holding the sun and that is a frightening thing to see.

What has happened to him? He is killing and destroying so much!

Yinx swings his arms forward and the giant ball of fire gets sent behind me.

The ground shakes as an explosion goes off behind me.

I could even feel the heat of the explosion from here!

Yinx screams in anger at something and he grabs onto his hair.

“Y-Yinx,” I call weakly, too quiet. He wouldn’t have heard me.

The dark cloud in the sky slowly slips away and around Yinx.

Shadows around me seem to be pulled and lifting off different surfaces, making their ways towards him as well.

All that darkness crowds around him. It twists and turns like a black sandstorm.

I struggle against my chains once more, desperate to get to him to try and help! I need to help! There must be a way! There must be!

Another scream comes from Yinx, this time it sounds as if he is in pain.

My heart freezes when I hear it.

The darkness around him all of a sudden bursts out.

~~~

Some time later

Sighing to myself, I cross my legs and stare up at the dark beyond.

I have no idea how long I have been like this, but I know it couldn’t have been that long. I swear I only died moments ago.

For past...who knows how long, I have been trapped in a strange place. It is a dark room that has a single circle of light from a source I cannot see.

That is all.

The only other things here are long pieces of grass that circle around the light.

No chairs, animals, other spirits, nothing. Nothing at all.

So far, the afterlife feels rather bland.

At least I think I am dead.

The blast of dark energy from Yinx sure seemed lethal. It definitely burned for a moment. Then I felt nothing.

All of a sudden I found myself here and that is the end of that story.

I will admit, my feelings on the matter have definitely calmed down.

When I had first arrived, I was a bit of a crying mess when I realized I had died by the hands-er...magic of my lover.

That’s the thing though. Was that his magic or was it the magic of the God of Darkness?

I believe it’s the latter.

Whatever happened to Yinx, I know it wasn’t him. He would never go crazy like that!

The Yinx I know is calm and collected. He was someone who would walk up to a strange werewolf in the middle of the woods at night and free him.

So no. I do not blame him for anything that happened up there.

If anyone is to blame, it is both of those gods for getting in the middle of Yinx’s life!

I hope he is okay. That is something I have been thinking about constantly.

Morgoren had shown me a vision of destruction for if Yinx were to choose the God of Darkness.

I know Yinx said that it was a trick, but why do I feel like nobody expected this all to happen? Surely the Moon God did not expect the God of Darkness to slip into Yinx and...and take control?

I have no idea what happened.

All I can pray for is that he is safe and no harm has come from him.

Maybe he managed to get away from the city and is hiding from Morgoren somehow!

The light flickers slightly.

Frowning, I stare at the light and wait for it to happen again.

That is definitely new.

“Greetings, Laneer Bancroft,” A woman’s voice says. “Welcome to the Middleplains.”

Middleplains? What?

So I really am dead.

That’s...a bit surprisingly even though a small part of me knew it.

“Who are you,” I ask.

A figure steps into my circle of light, startling me.

Quickly I stand up to face this strange lady.

It is a woman wearing a colorful dress made of feathers and jewels. She wears a crown made of gold shells on her head.

She is beautiful, though seeing her here is slightly worrying.

Is she supposed to judge me?

My father already cursed me to damnation so I think this will be rather quick.

The lady chuckles and steps closer to me.

“Fear not, Dear Laneer,” She gives a warm smile. “You will not be turning into a demon.”

I blink. “Really?”

She nods.

“You’re serious?” I ask, just to be sure.

She smiles. “Quite serious. So serious in fact, that I have made an even better decision for you.”

That...doesn’t sound so good.

By now I realize this is most likely a goddess.

I am not entirely sure which one, but I think it is safe to say that none of them are entirely good. That can be said from my past experiences.

“What would that be?” I narrow my eyes. “Why am I here? This place doesn’t feel normal you know. Aren’t there supposed to be more spirits here? This does not feel like the plains. I know I was not the only one who died. So many were up on the mountain with me.”

I ramble on for a bit since this lady’s presence is making me extremely nervous.

Oh gods what the hell does she want with me?

“A Champion,” She says. “You will become my champion.”

“Me?” I exclaim. “What the hell did I do to make you want that?”

She laughs.

“I took care of Yinx when he was younger. He came into my forest and lived there for quite awhile. Although I never spoke to him, I still cared greatly for him. When he came back and I could feel how much happier he was, why wouldn’t I reward the one who managed to do that?”

This feels very odd and sketchy.

I sure as hell don’t trust her.

Wait a moment…’her forest’?

This is Drulai? The Mother Goddess?

“Yes, child,” She says with a motherly smile. “And I wish for you to become my one and only champion.”

I...trust her a little bit more but the fact this place looks so strange, I feel like there is something else to this that she hasn’t told me yet.

She sighs and summons a chair out of nowhere.

“Yes I am afraid you are right,” She says.

Dammit! I hate when she reads my mind!

Stop reading it Drulai!

She gives a sad smile. “Apologies, but what you thought was true. This is not truly the Middleplains. You would have met my daughter there. Taisla. The one who revealed your location to your father.”

That bitch.

“I kept you here to keep you safe,” She says. “It isn’t anywhere sadly. Consider it a space in my pocket, though I regret to inform you that you really did die. You are a trapped spirit.”

“Now what?” I ask. “Clearly you want me for something.”

She shakes her head. “No. Not for now at least. In due time, we shall see.”

“What is the terrible thing you haven’t told me yet?” I narrow my eyes. “Is it something to do with Yinx? Is he still alive?”

The Mother Goddess purses her lips and only answers one of my questions.

“You being here put a great cost to your soul. If you were to be free, the moment you step out of this small realm, you would cease to exist.”

Oh.

Well! That’s...a thing!

“If you were to become my champion, I could prevent that,” She says. “Unfortunately, there are things you must agree to if you wish to join me.”

Why would I want to join her? Yinx did not want to be a champion for a god, why should I?

Sure, the god is Drulai of all gods, but a god is still a god!

“Two things could keep you safe. One of which, you might find some sort of peace with.”

I guess I could hear her out.

“What would that be?” I ask. “Do I have to kill people to please you?”

Drulai gives a look of surprise. “Goodness no! Quite the opposite, but that is not what I am talking about.”

I don’t interrupt her again.

“Your wolf curse would take part in keeping you safe. The wolf can disguise who you truly are inside if you wear its head.”

“...and what else?” I push when she waits on me. “What am I supposed to make peace with?”

I know it sure as hell isn’t the wolf.

“You would never be able to die...so long as...Raiyo lives,” She says slowly.

I blink and shake my head.

“Who the hell is Raiyo?” I say, slightly annoyed that my life depends on some random person I don’t know.

Drulai’s face wrinkles up as if she really does not want to say.

“It’s...it’s Yinx. Yinx has been reborn into a god named Raiyo.”

A long moment of silence passes as I try and think over what she just said to me.

“Reborn?” I say, a bit confused. “What do you mean? Did one of the gods make him their champion?”

She shakes her head. “No. It is a bit tricky to explain.”

“Then try,” I glare, my chest heating up in anger.

I quickly try to calm myself down when I remember who I am speaking to.

“Yinx was...a troubled soul,” She starts. “What you saw on the pretty outside was nothing compared to what he truly was.”

“While he would be calm and even introverted, deep down he was filled with a fiery rage towards us.”

“Us?” I frown, feeling a little hurt.

“The gods,” She clarifies.

“His rage has become unleashed when the God of Darkness helped break Morgoren’s trance. You saw a part of it the night you died.”

Right.

I’ve never seen him like that before. He looked so scary as he roared with each spell he sent after the Moon God.

“Well, when Yinx had died, his rage had taken form into a soul. A demonic soul. An Archdemon to be exact. First of his kind.”

Okay now this is sounding insane.

“When did this happen?” I ask. “That sounds like a lot all at once.”

Drulai breathes out a small laugh. “A lot indeed. To answer your question however, it has been two weeks since the death of Yinx.”

My gut twists up when she says that.

“How-” I choke slightly on my words when I say them. “How did he die?”

The goddess tightly presses her lips together.

“Let us discuss that at a later date, after we leave this place,” She says.

Narrowing my eyes, I raise my chin to seem taller.

“What makes you think I would be your champion,” I ask with an arched eyebrow.

She smiles. “Do you wish to stay in this hole longer, or are we going to stop pretending your mind and heart agreed to it as soon as you learned that Yinx was still alive?”

~~~
~~~

Luno

Where the wolf-headed sailor once stood, a man with fair skin and red hair stands in his place.

I step from behind Tobi and gently push his weapons down.

This is not an enemy. It is still the same Sailor. He still has the same body.

The pale scars from his wounds are still there.

It is very strange to see a human face on him now.

How did that get there? What happened to him? Did I do that?

The face is handsome, I'll give him that, but it is worn down and rugged as if he has gone through so much in his life.

He has a surprisingly nice beard and faint freckles that dance from one cheek to the other.

His red hair is a bit long, it almost touches his shoulders.

Based on the memories I saw, I can tell he has lived for a very long time.

Avelin was destroyed hundreds of years ago and the Sailor had seen Lleros.

I saw him in Avelin as well! I saw him in that scary jailhouse. He was holding Lleros in his arms! They thought they were going to die!

The Sailor frowns before reaching to touch his cheek.

His eyes widen when he realizes he no longer has the face of wolf.

“How...how did you do this?” He asks, still touching his face and hair.

I’m still too shocked to think of an answer. I don’t even know how I did this!

The Sailor touches chest over his heart and frowns.

“The wolf,” He narrows his eyes before looking up at me. “He’s gone. The curse is gone! How?”

“Gone?” Tobias asks, also sounding as surprised as I am. “What do you mean ‘gone’? Was the Sailor never you? Were you trapped in this body or something? I’m so confused!”

Now I realize there is a question I should have asked long ago.

“What is your name?” I ask, tilting my head and stepping closer.

Tobias grabs the back of my jacket to keep me from moving further from him.

The man gives me a sad smile and chuckles slightly.

“I must say,” He says, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. “It has been a long time since someone has asked that. Nobody ever cares who their transporter is. All they want is to reach their destination. Not once was I asked since I started with my duties.”

I frown at his words, a bit sad that he was so lonely, though I knew this already didn’t I?

It is now that I realize who he is. I heard his voice just before Tobi had fallen into the black water. It did not sound as rough as it does now, but the realization of it all hits me like a punch to the head.

“My name...my name is Laneer,” He says, clearing his throat. “Laneer Bancroft.”

Tobias’ grip on me disappears.

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” I exclaim. “You heard me say your name! How are you here and alive? What happened to your wolf head? Why did you have a wolf head?”

My voice gets louder and louder with each question.

I can’t tell if it’s from excitement or shock. Perhaps a mix of both.

Definitely both.

“What are the odds that you are Laneer! We met more of your family and they would not stop talking about your Mother and your bloodline. Did you hear about how they fought against Raiyo? Of course you did. I’m sure everyone did. Oh gods! I’ve been hearing so much about you it almost feels like I know all about you!”

An arm wraps around my shoulders and Tobias is at my side.

“Calm down, Luno,” He glares before turning to Laneer. The Laneer!

“Let him try to answer one of your questions at least,” Tobi laughs.

My face ends up burning in embarrassment and I bow my head down to try and hide my face.

Laneer huffs an awkward laugh. “Yeah. That is slightly overwhelming to say the least.”

“He’s easily excited,” Tobias waves off. “Don’t worry too much about it. I will ask though, why are you here? How are you still alive after who knows how fucking long?”

I purse my lips slightly before shyly saying, “One thousand and thirteen years.”

Tobi sighs and this time Laneer has a real laugh.

“It’s Drulai isn’t it?” I ask, my shyness already slipping away. “She’s the reason you’re here. You’re her champion!”

Another sad smile from Laneer.

“She’s a small part of it I suppose,” He says before reaching into his pocket.

It’s the moon necklace! How did he get it? I was the one who grabbed it from the light beam!

“You dropped this when you rushed to heal your friend,” He says, letting go of the necklace and letting it float between us.

Oops.

I am about to reach for it but Tobias snatches it away before I get the chance.

“Well we know who isn’t allowed to touch this again now do we?” He smirks down at me.

Everyone grabs their things and then we set off once again. Laneer is extra pushy on trying to get out of this place.

He says more of those dead angels could come after us, but I know he is trying to distract us.

I know it is best to not get into others business, but I really want to know what happened to Lleros!

If there is anyone that could answer that, it is Laneer.