literature

The Keeper of Fire and Light (Part 2)

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(Continued from Part 1)


When Errad awoke some time later, he slowly rose to his feet and shook his body. Where Epsil’s feathers once lined the walls, there were nothing but piles of ash in their place. His chest heaved with each breath, the experience left him with scarcely enough strength to stand. Every surface and joint in his body ached as though they had never been used before. He felt like were a metal object melted down against its will and recast as something new.
Turning his head, he saw Malon’s body a few feet away. Forcing his legs to move, the joints cracked loudly as though they were his first steps. Errad held Malon in his claws and cried. Although he had saved his brother from the pain he experienced during the transformation, nothing dampened the truth. He’d killed his only brother, even after swearing to the almighty that he would protect him. Malon was mortally wounded and was doomed to die anyway, but it didn’t overshadow the fact it was Errad himself who finished him.
“Malon, forgive me.” he wept.
The instant he heard himself speak, Errad gasped.
“My voice!”
To his shock, his voice had changed and he no longer sounded like himself. His new voice was deeper, stronger, more imposing. Even more bizarre was how the chamber was still well lit although the phoenix feathers along the walls had turned to ash. How can this be, he wondered.
Stretching his wings, he realized where the light was coming from. The primary and secondary feathers were glowing orange in the darkness of the cave. Snapping his wings closed and holding them tightly against his body, Errad was in disbelief. His physical size hadn’t changed, but he no longer looked or sounded like himself. If that weren’t enough, it appeared the orange feathers on his wings, around his eyes, even his new eyes themselves could emit light in darkness.
“This can’t be.” he muttered while shaking his head and in denial of it all.
Sitting on his haunches, he held up his trembling claws.
“What did Epsil do to me? Why does his flame have to survive at all costs?”
With far more questions than answers overwhelming his mind, Errad chose to ignore them and focus on his brother. Picking up Malon’s body and placing him on his back, Errad was determined to take his brother home where he could be laid to rest properly and with dignity. With a heavy heart weighing him down with every step, he exited the cave and stepped out into the cool air. The sun had begun to set, meaning he’d been blacked out for a number of hours.
Leaping off the cliff and spreading his wings, Errad turned southwest toward home. His parents had to know what happened and he had to be the one to explain everything. As much as he didn’t want to return home to spare himself from witnessing his parent’s reactions to Malon’s death and his alterations, it would’ve been wrong to tell them nothing and have them discover the truth on their own.

Outside the cave, Thesha and Elmad landed after returning from a successful hunt. In his talons, Elmad carried a wholesome deer, something which would sustain the family for several days. By working together, they managed to take the brute down quickly and without a struggle. Once on the ground and with his wings folded, Elmad sighed heavily.
“Was it too heavy, dear?” Thesha asked.
Elmad shrugged.
“Eh, it was a little weighty. I suppose that’s a good thing. It means we’ll have plenty to go around.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that.” Thesha replied “I’m certain it’s because winter wasn’t too harsh this year, more deer survived.”
Elmad nodded and walked inside the cave, which was empty.
“That’s odd.” he thought aloud.
Thesha’s ears perked up and she walked toward Elmad.
“What is?” she asked.
“Malon and Errad aren’t back yet.” he replied while fluttering his wings “Malon did say he had something to show his brother. Whatever it was, he was really eager about it.”
Thesha wasn’t concerned.
“I’m sure they’re fine, dear. They’re probably playing around and laughing somewhere. Remember when you were their age? I know I was rarely home until after dark.”
Elmad nodded.
“Yes, I definitely remember those days. We’ve all come a long way and changed so much since the beginning. Come to think of it, so much has happened since Errad and Malon came into our lives.”
Thesha nuzzled Elmad’s neck, inciting a content sigh from him.
“As long as we love each other and stick together, we can overcome anything.” she whispered.
“That we can.” he agreed with a small smile.

After dragging the deer inside the cave, they began eating but saved more than enough for Errad and Malon when they returned. Almost an hour later as the sun dipped below the western mountain peaks, rays of light out lined regions in shadow. Elmad and Thesha settled down, they figured their sons would likely be home late, which was a common occurrence during the calm portion of the year. Since the winter months had forced them to remain in the cave for a months on end, Errad and Malon savored every moment they could spend outside.
Elmad sat on his haunches outside the cave, he was hoping to be out long enough to meet his sons when they returned. He’d slept not knowing where they were before and woke up frightened, only to be relieved when he saw Errad and Malon home safe and sound. The mountains of Sulor were unpredictable, he like Thesha always worried about their sons whenever they went off on their own. But Errad had proven he could look after himself and his brother, which eased their parent’s minds.
“Where are those boys?” he wondered “Sometimes I begin to wonder. I was just like them back in the day, going wherever my wings took me and flying without fear. As long as they’re together, they’ll be safe.”
Elmad snapped his head right and flicking his ears about. Just beyond the cave and treeless hill an immense forest of mammoth fir trees which extended for miles in all directions. Because the surrounding mountains blocked sunlight as the sun receded, the area was covered in shadow is visibility decreased. Although Elmad didn’t see anything, he heard something close by. It wasn’t a rustle caused by a roosting bird or squirrel leaping between branches, the sound resembled a voice, a quiet sob.
Narrowing his eyes and standing up, Elmad’s feathers raised and he assumed a defensive stance. He didn’t know what the source of the noise was, but it was best to be on guard.
“Hmm…”
Wanting to be certain it was nothing, Elmad stealthily began walking away from the cave and into the trees. Owls hooted in the distance and various insects filled their air with their ambient noise. The griffin was enveloped in a pocket of silence, everything able to see or detect him remained quiet due to his position as the apex predator.
Walking between a pair of trees, he entered a tiny clearing not visible from the air. In the twilight’s shade, Elmad spotted a motionless mass on the ground. Approaching it, he realized it was a young male griffin.
“Oh, my.” he said with a shake of his head.
The death of a griffin was an uncommon event in Sulor, especially that of a young one. He remembered a pup dying many years before due to an accident, and news of the death rippled across the clan. Everyone was present to pay their respects, including himself and Thesha who were unmarried at the time.
Elmad took a closer look at the dead griffin and was mystified at the injuries it had sustained. It was horribly burned and its throat appeared to have been cut. The lack of blood on the ground meant the griffin couldn’t have died at the clearing, it had to have died elsewhere and was taken there. Covering his face with a claw, Elmad shivered. He’d never seen such a thing before in his thirty one years of life, it was a sight straight out of a nightmare.
“Poor soul. How did this happen? Did he jump through a fire or something?” he wondered.
Looking at the griffin’s face, he recognized who it was. In that moment, everything in Elmad’s life from that point back to his earliest memories flashed before his amber eyes. It wasn’t a friend or relative’s son, it was one of his own.
Thesha heard a loud guttural moan outside the cave. Raising her head, she could tell it was Elmad. Instantly she feared for her mate’s life. Standing up and running to the cave entrance, she called his name.
“Elmad! Elmad, where are you?”
A pained cry sent a shiver down her spine. Flicking her ears, she pinpointed the direction of the cry. Running between the trees as fast as she could, she believed Elmad was in danger and prepared to face any potential threat. Bursting into the tiny clearing through a bush, she found Elmad. He was standing over Malon’s body and turned to look at her through reddened eyes.
“H-he… He’s…” Elmad stuttered, but couldn’t will himself to finish.
Something inside Thesha died, her heart. There was her second son who had endured and overcome so much in his early years. Now he was gone, and his passing was clearly not swift or painless. It shattered her soul into a thousand pieces. She and Elmad screamed into the heavens, unable to subdue the pain of their loss.

A short distance away and underneath a fallen log, Errad covered his ears and clenched his eyes shut as he heard his parents voice their grief. He didn’t want to hear them or see their faces as they reacted to Malon’s death. Uncovering his ears and opening his eyes, he took a deep breath.
“They have to know everything, down to the last detail.” he thought and glanced left at his glowing feathers “Even these. No one else can tell the truth apart from me.”
Emerging from beneath the log and standing up, Errad’s body was trembling as he slowly approached the clearing. He intended on explaining the day’s events to them, as much as he didn’t want to cause them any more grief. How he could tell his parents that it was he who cut Malon’s throat to end his suffering and how could he possibly explain the alterations Epsil made?
He could hear his parents speaking, asking how it could’ve happened and who was responsible.
For the second time in the day, Errad would have to explain to a grief-stricken parent why their child was dead. Only, these were his own parents. He averted his eyes from his parents as he entered the clearing and made his presence to them known.
Elmad and Thesha noticed a glowing orange light across the clearing and stared at the incoming creature with broad eyes.
“What is that?” Elmad asked.
Errad didn’t respond, he couldn’t coax out a reply.
“Who are you?” Thesha asked.
Looking at his parents, Errad struggled but managed to hold in his tears. His glowing orange eyes made them gasp in fear, which was well warranted. They had no idea who is strange newcomer was, but could tell it was some sort of griffin.
“Did you kill our son?” his mother asked.
The barriers holding back Errad’s emotions gave way, he couldn’t hold them in any longer. Nodding firmly, the words flowed from his beak unrestrained.
“I had to, I had no other choice. He was so badly hurt, I had to end his suffering. I had to.”
“Where’s our eldest son?” Elmad asked.
Errad’s mind became blank.
“W-what?” he stuttered confusedly.
Erad didn’t understand what his father meant, he was standing right in front of him. In his haste, Errad forgot his appearance and voice were altered by Epsil. As the result of the phoenix’s alterations, his parents quite simply didn’t recognize him.
“My eldest son, Errad. What did you do to him?” Elmad demanded.
Errad scoffed in disbelief, he believed his father had gone insane.
“What are you talking about? I’m right here.”
“Where is he!? What did you do to my baby!?!” Thesha screeched with tears running through her facial feathers.
She lunged at Errad, letting loose an infuriated cry. Within Errad, an instinctive sense told him he was in danger. Without warning and without command, Errad’s body was suddenly enveloped in a veil of red flame. His eyes blazed red like rubies while his flaming red wings rose above his body to give the impression he were larger. A harsh, gravelly, almost mechanical roar exited his beak, one which reverberated through the surrounding woods.
Instantly, Thesha stopped in her tracks and backed away in fear. Because she was no longer considered a threat, the same involuntary sense which triggered the defensive reaction extinguished the flames on Errad’s body. When the flames extinguished, the sense relinquished its control over Errad’s body. Folding his wings, he was left in shock. Something had overridden his mind and taken control of his body, everything that happened was out of his control.
“How did that happen?” he wondered mentally “How did I create flame? If I didn’t do that, what did?”
Elmad and Thesha were left in shock as well. But Errad’s lucid display of flame was more than enough to provide justification for and support a conclusion.
“You.” said Elmad after a pause “You burned Malon, you murdered our son.”
Errad couldn’t believe it, his parents like Epsil had everything wrong and were making the same mistakes the phoenix made.
“Wha-? N-no! No! This is a mistake! You don’t understand!” Errad cried, desperate to explain.
Unfortunately, his parents wouldn’t have it.
“Where’s Errad!? WHERE IS HE!?!” Thesha roared again.
As his mother began to approach for a second time, the same involuntary sense began to build; like pressure building beneath a volcano readying to erupt. To counteract the sense and prevent himself from being enveloped in flames again, Errad backed away faster than Thesha approached.
“Stay back, please. I don’t want to hurt you, mom.” he pleaded.
Narrowing her eyes, Thesha hissed.
“You’re no son of mine. You’re a murderer.”
Elmad joined his mate and together they advanced toward Errad who only backed away faster. Breathing quicker as his parents neared, he received the same menacing glare from his parents that Epsil had given him back at the feather lined chamber. The phoenix’s words came back to Errad, much of which now made a horrifyingly high amount of sense.

“Let this day be known to you as the start of your curse. The flame will be a part of you for the remainder of time, it will be yours to bear and yours alone. My essence now lives within you, your previous life as you knew it is now over. If you are unwise like I have been, the flame will consume you. Should the flame cease to be, the world shall be plunged into darkness.”

He understood what the phoenix meant, figuring out part of the alteration’s purpose. It served to turn him into a stranger and eliminate any chance of being recognized by his own family. The tiny white flame which entered his breast was Epsil’s essence, likely the source of his powers which now resided within the griffin. The essence was probably the sense which triggered the defensive action, it was the white flame protecting its host and in turn, itself.
There were too many questions bombarding his mind and too few answers. Backed against a tree, Elmad and Thesha raised their wings into threat displays and hissed threateningly. Within Errad, the essence was instructing him to defend himself by resorting to deadly force. However, Errad couldn’t and wouldn’t allow the flames to involuntarily erupt and harm his parents. He still loved them with all of his heart and didn’t wish to bring harm to them.
With no alternative or chance to talk them down, his only option was to flee. Leaping into the air and spreading his wings, Errad crashed through the tree branches above him and flew as fast as possible. Embers trailed from his wings, marking his flight path. Thesha and Elmad gave chase, he was too fast in the air and couldn’t keep pace. They could only watch as he flew further and further away.
As Errad left his home behind, he could hear his mother and father yell after him, both issuing grave threats. Their anguished yells brought tears to Errad’s orange eyes, they were responsible for his existence and now they swore to kill him should he ever return. In their eyes, he was dead to them.

With nothing left for him in Sulor, Errad headed south, away from the mountains for the first time in his life. Over the course of a single day, his previous life ended. The legendary Epsil cursed him and was now dead along with his three children. Malon paid the ultimate price for a heinous crime he didn’t commit, and it was Errad himself who finished him. His parents made the same mistakes Epsil had made and believed he was responsible for both his own and Malon’s death. Because the Errad they knew no longer existed and his body would never be found, Elmad and Thesha would assume the Errad they so dearly loved had suffered the same grisly fate as Malon.
Above the griffin, the moon shined white in the clear night sky while untold billions of stars glittered like slivers of broken glass. Flying south aimlessly, words such as time, distance, and endurance no longer applied. He was determined to get as far away from his old home as possible, so he could never harm the ones he still loved.
Days layered atop one another, darkness and light becoming a blur. Errad stayed aloft continuously for those days, he lost track of how many. Below him, unfamiliar woodlands stretched for miles, beyond the limits of his vision. He didn’t wish to land, but a fierce thunderstorm with driving rain and wicked lightning forced him out of the sky.

Landing on muddy ground beneath tall and broad deciduous trees, rain pattered on Errad’s quivering body. His orange feathers were the only source of light in addition to white flashes of lightning. Thunder crashed in the sky above while rain dripped from his rain soaked feathers. He’d reached a new low, feeling lesser than an insect beneath a stone’s crushing weight. Trudging through mud and endless puddles, he embarked on a vain search for shelter. As minutes went by, the storm intensified and winds brought with them acorn sized hail which bounced off his skull.
On the brink of abandoning hope and curling up beside a tree, Errad caught sight of something he’d never seen before. Standing taller than any neighboring tree was a two hundred and fifty foot square shaped stone tower with a flat top. Extending horizontally from the tower was a structure consisting of tall stone walls lined with intricate stained glass windows topped by a sloped stone roof. An abandoned gothic cathedral.
Approaching the monolithic structure with caution, a pair of wood and iron doors formed the main entrance at the tower’s base. Pushing on the left door with a claw, its hinges creaked loudly and echoed through the cathedral’s interior. Stepping into the dark interior, Errad pushed the door closed and was finally out of the rain. The floor was barren and open, round columns formed two aisles on the opposite sides of a broad nave. A vaulted ceiling stood over eighty feet above the floor, providing enough room to fly inside.
Flashes of lightning filtered in through the windows, which prevented the rain from intruding. His glowing feathers provided more than adequate light, no one else was there or had been there for quite some time. Shaking his body and throwing the excess water off, Errad shivered briskly. For the first time in days, he could think clearly. He wept for his brother, his parents, and even for Epsil.
“Malon, dad, mom, forgive me. I’m so sorry for what happened to you, Epsil. I didn’t mean for any of it. I never should’ve gone into that cave, Malon and I never should’ve been there. You should be with your children beneath the mountain right now. I should be at home with Malon, dad, and mom right now.”
In place of tears and sadness, his anger began to build and breathing grew heavy. His anger was based on helplessness, and the fact he could never return to his rightful home without being treated like a stranger.
“Instead I’m here, wherever here is. Malon’s dead, Epsil’s dead, dad and mom hate me. I lost everything and now I CAN’T GO BACK!!! I CAN NEVER GO BACK!!!!”
He let his anger out in several furious yells thrashing about wildly, not that he cared. His voice echoed through the cathedral violently, any louder and he would’ve made the stained glass windows crack.
“AAAAAUUGHH!!!!” he hollered “I HATE you, Epsil! Why didn’t you listen to me? I was trying to explain everything, but you didn’t listen! I didn’t mean for your children to die, it was an accident! You stubborn fool, you’ve taken everything from me! I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING ANYMORE!!”
After a few minutes, Errad got a handle on his anger and calmed down.
“I guess none of that matters anymore, it’s in the past. I can’t change the past. What’s done is done.”
He was still shivering and wanted to be dry.
“What I wouldn’t give to be dry right now.” he thought.
In the next instant, the residual water clinging to his feathers evaporated in wisps of steam as a weak veil of red flame enveloped his body before vanishing seconds later. It left him flabbergasted, he came up with a simple thought and the essence within him responded accordingly.
“I didn’t know I could do that.” he thought “The essence, the fire, it listens to my thoughts?”
Holding up his right claw and extending a talon, he thought of a flame appearing. Much to his surprise, a ball of yellow flame appeared and burned steadily on the talon. He felt no pain nor heat, the fire didn’t affect him.
“Whoa.” he said through wide eyes.
Thinking about the flame going out, it immediately vanished. Opening his right claw and holding it before his face, he pictured a larger flame in the center of his claw. Without delay, a bright plume of yellow fire appeared and lit up his face. He stared at the radiant plume intently as it flickered about in his claw.
“That’s incredible. I can think of a flame, and it will appear? That must be how Epsil controlled the fires around him, that’s why the columns of fire in the chamber swelled when he was grieving.”
Extinguishing the flame and closing his claw, Errad sighed. Shaking his head, he was in denial of it all.
“No, no, no, no. This is all wrong. This isn’t me, none of this is me. The real me is graphite grey, not this deep black or coppery orange. My feathers don’t glow in darkness, and I certainly can’t summon fire out of thin air!” he raised his voice.
Muttering incoherently, he knew there was no point in denying that this was his new form. Whether he wanted it or not, this was his new life. Errad believed the sooner he accepted his new state, the better.
“This is what I am now. Like Epsil said, my old life was over. He took away a part of myself and intentionally left me with nothing to lose. All so I could guard his flame after he died.”
Gazing up at the vaulted ceiling, Errad figured the cathedral would be as good a place as any to call home for the time being. It had all the space he’d need and was constructed of stone, which wouldn’t burn. Because he was no longer welcome and likely an outlaw in Sulor, he would have to reinvent his way of life. Surprisingly, advice his father gave him and Malon resurfaced.
“I know, dad. I shouldn’t be ashamed of who I am or be afraid of what I am. But it would probably be for the best that these powers of mine remain secret. They’ll bring more harm than good if they’re abused.” he thought and held up his claws which were coated in red flame “No one can know about this. I need to figure out what exactly these abilities are.”
With a great burden upon his shoulders and pain in his heart, Errad chose to move forward.


And so Errad lived at the cathedral, hundreds of miles south of Sulor. For the next ten years he lived there, completely alone and isolated from others for fear of harming them. In that time, he’d learned many things about his powers, continuously rediscovered his own strength and abilities.
He had unnatural physical strength and could easily move heavy objects, reminiscent of a phoenix’s strength. He could sense the flames, the life forces within other living beings. With that ability, he could determine an individual’s health, age, and if they were ailing. Most startling of all were his orange primary and secondary feathers, which possessed healing powers and glowed in darkness even after they had fallen off.
Errad had matured and grown up, turning twenty years old and entering his physical prime. He’d become a recluse who longed for companionship, but turned away the idea for fear of bringing harm to any potential friends. Within him, Epsil’s essence burned strong and acclimated to the form of its new host. Having performed necessary repairs to the cathedral and covering the windows with wooden boards he fashioned, Errad could summon fire and learn without fear of discovery or run the risk of being eavesdropped. He came to forgive the phoenix for his actions and choices, even though they were wrong.
By venturing outside only when absolutely necessary, his presence remained unnoticed by the three local clans of southern griffins. The old cathedral stood in territory claimed by the clan of Corelth, bordered by the clans of Kylrad and Elvarn. He observed each clan from afar and learned about their similar cultures, but never approached for fear of being caught and having his powers exposed.
Every year around the time Malon died and his life was altered forever, Errad would sit atop the cathedral’s tower and spread his wings, holding them high above his head. In Sulor, it was a form of tribute to a departed soul, symbolizing wings which would carry a soul from the mortal world to Suriel’s embrace in the heavens above.
After ten years of solitude and acquired a wealth of knowledge about his powers, Errad determined the purpose of Epsil implanting his essence within him. His essence was the white flame which meandered through the air and entered the griffin’s breast during the alterations. Epsil himself said the world would be plunged into darkness if it ever went out. That explained the importance of the white flame and why it had to survive at all costs. Without the white flame, there would be no light and everything living would die.
Having accepted his curse, the griffin also accepted his fate. He was destined to carry the fiery essence within him for the remainder of his days. However, he longed for understanding and not having to live in constant fear. Such longings eventually overrode his desire to remain hidden and protect the essence. Coaxing himself away of the cathedral’s shielding walls, his personal desires had the potential to put not only his own life, but the lives of every living being in Haldur in grave danger.
Gazing out a window at the daytime sun, Errad was confident he would find a way to meet someone, perhaps make a friend who would understand his plight. At the same time, a suppressed sense within him protested and complained wildly, wishing for him to never venture near the clan grounds of the local Corelth clan. The choice was simple, go forth and pursue a personal desire, or remain in isolation. Standing in the cathedral’s doorway, Errad made his choice.
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DerAnanasKing's avatar
ok Errad had a lot of shit going on in a verry short time, but you really made it interesting and reasonable. I´m tuned hope you gonna contineu this story. 



part3: "nah I´m good" END LOL