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Kullen rose from the ground, his eyes blazing as he looked at Merik. Stix and Ryber starred at the seen before them. They were outside of the Sleeping Place, above the giant galaxy hole. And Kullen was not happy. Merik stumbled back, trying to put himself between the angry Windwitch and his crew.
"Why are you standing in front of my heart-thread, brother?" His voice echoed of thousands of winds as he pulled air to him, the current lifting up their coats.
"Kullen!" Ryber exclaimed, her eyes looking up at him. "You need to calm down." She urged. Kullen laughed a laugh that was not his. It sent chills down her spine.
"Ancient one, stop." Stix responded instead, stepping past Ryber and Merik.
"Ancient one?" Merik muttered, looking between them. Ryber just shook her head at him, focusing at the ones that housed more than one soul.
"Oh, so you've finally awakened." Kullen spoke, eyes fixated on Stix.
"Aye." She nodded, her pale braids tangling behind her as his wind whipped around them. "Now stop it." She commanded.
"Hah!" He laughed, shaking his head as a grin split his face in half. The uncanny look just got worse and worse as his eyes shifted between everyone. "Bold of you to assume you can control me. I am ruled by no one. Not even the creator." He bellowed, wind driving them back more and more on the slant of stone.
"Kullen! I know you are there, brother!" Merik screamed, ignoring the look Stix sent him. Ryber pulled out her cards, what were those going to do at time like this? "Stop this wind!"
"Hah! You called upon me, don't you remember that, Merik? For I am the one you've impersonated!" Merik blinked at him, pulling his hands up to block a rather feisty wind. He couldn't grasp and control them. Kullen had always been stronger than him.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Don't lie to me!" He snapped, moving quickly and a jolt sent Merik sprawling three floors below, landing in front of a doorway that had just opened, allowing new people to join them. A familiar blonde head appeared before his rapidly unblurring vision.
"Safyia?" He reached out, cradling the golden face before him. She was the light. The sun. That moment really made him think about how she probably could be the Cahr Awen. The Light Bringer.
"Merik!" She grabbed his hand with hers, reaching down with her free hand to trace his scarred features. "Care to explain why you were punched in the face by a dead man?" She asked, her eyes staring into him. "We were there, we saw him cleave!" She gasped, gripping his hand on her cheek now.
"I don't know, Saf, I don't know." He shook his head and regretted it as the cave spun around him. "Oh, Noden." He groaned, trying to sit up.
"We need to go." A voice spoke next to Safi. Merik glared, seeing the person kneeling next to Safi. Wait, was she with these Hell-Bards?
"Safi?" He asked, looking at them. "Are you in trouble?" He clutched at her hands as she moved.
"What?" She turned, her accent litting at the end. "Oh, no." She laughed, that beautiful magical tinkling noise that elated him. "No, the Hell-Bards are with me." She smiled widely, going and getting him into a standing position.
"What?" He asked, immediately looking down to see the new mark upon her arm. He looked back at her to see the chain around her own neck. "You are noosed." He mumbled, reaching forward to lift the chain, looking at it with a hollow expression. Her eyes darkened and her lips falter.
"They've got Iseult." She whispered. "I must get to Is." He looked at her as two of the Hell-Bards pulled her away, their hands slowly departing as she turned and ran away from him. And his hopes of them being together. He saw how that one looked. The blonde with the facial scar. At least he knew that Safi had a type. She liked scars apparently. He was pulled out of his moment with Safi as Kullen bellowed above.