A Dangerous Legacy

Darx dreamed of the town center, the massive city square outside the palace. His friends and his mother were there, along with a large crowd. They were crowning him king. Queen Zara herself set the crown on his head while around him stood Amelia, Neku, Wendy, his mother, Oliver, Emma, Ryul and Shalia. They were all there supporting him as he stepped forward, embracing his destiny. Then he felt it, the crown, it squeezed his head, the cold metal cutting into his scalp. He looked around, everyone was laughing, their faces twisted. The crown stretched over his face, forming a cage. Sharp metal barbs pierced his jaw, trapping him. He couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. He looked to Amelia, his eyes pleading for help. In return she laughed at him, pointing at him, mocking him.

He looked to his mother, but she just smirked and moved to stand next to Kase. With his smug, wicked grin, Kase pushed Ilene down, her face at his crotch, Amelia joined her, then Neku, even Wendy. He looked away, shutting his eyes. It wasn’t real, none of this was real.

When he opened his eyes again the scene had changed. All of the people were gone, replaced by demons. They were mocking him. He had been betrayed. He looked down but his form, it was blurry. He couldn’t make it out. He was surrounded by bodies, his hands covered in their blood, but they were too strong, too many. He was defeated.

Soon they would take the palace, he knew it was only a matter of time. He felt the despair, the realization of how much was lost, and then it came, the abyss. It called, offering revenge, offering absolution. If only the price were paid. Darx felt the rage build inside him, he wouldn't die in vain. The offer had been made and now it was accepted. The demons' grins turned to shock and pain as the form shimmered in front of them, freezing them in their tracks. It drained their life, their mana, their essence as it drained his, or hers. Darx didn’t know who he even was anymore. Darx felt himself merge with the abyss, his strength, his will, his body, his soul, all forfeit to pay the cost, to remove the pain of betrayal, the stain of failure. The world turned dark; nothingness was all that remained.

. . .

Darx sat up, his heart thumping in his chest, his hands gripped into tight fists, his body covered in sweat. Darx fought to breathe. Whatever had just happened, it didn’t feel like a dream, it felt real.

Darx found his breath, gained control of his feelings. When his heart rate settled he thought about the dream. Could that have been a vision of the Princess of Calamity? Or was it his brain inserting her into his own fears of betrayal? Showing him the path he could take to follow her into calamity.

“Shit.” He whispered to himself.

“Darx?” It was Wendy, she was lying next to him. He was a bit surprised to see her with him in the smaller bed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Darx apologized.

“You look awful Darx, are you okay?” Wendy said.

“Just a nightmare, it’s nothing.”

“Bullshit Darx.” Wendy stated. “You haven’t been okay since you talked to the Queen. What happened in there?”

“I can’t Wendy,” Darx replied, “I can’t say it, not yet.”

She kissed him softly on his cheek. “Okay, just know you aren’t alone in this Darx. We’re here with you.”

Darx fell into Wendy, holding her to himself, his head resting on her shoulder, tears running down his face.

She held him, kissing his forehead gently as he let his feelings go.

“Darx, no matter what, Neku and I, we’re here for you.”

“Thanks Wendy.” Darx choked out. “I . . .” He couldn’t tell her, how would he even start? “I’m just really tired.”

Darx laid back down, Wendy held him tight and they both drifted back to sleep.

Darx’s next nightmare wasn’t any better. He was walking through a wasteland, ruins of buildings all around him. He walked for hours, his throat parched by the dry wind, his skin burnt by the hot sun. He was desperate for water, but there was nothing, just hot sand and hollowed out walls. Eventually he came to a building, one he recognized. It was his house, burnt and broken. He looked through the doorway and saw bits and pieces of his life. He walked inside, scooping up ashes and bits of books. His life in Merton, the dreams he had, the life he envisioned, it was all lost. He looked back out and saw the Church building in Riledo, the statues and the large stained-glass window depicting the Goddess making the first humans. Outside the front doors nuns were scooping water out of a well, pouring it into the mouths of people in rags. The pathetic wretches slurped up what little water they were offered. Their skin was weathered, their bones showing through their flesh. Darx got up, walked toward the water. But as he approached the people started yelling, cursing, shouting at him. “You! You did this! Demon! Monster! Child of Calamity! Look what you’ve done.”

Darx awoke, his head pounding, his breath shallow. He felt awful. He knew he was shaken from hearing that he contained the same dark energy as the Princess of Calamity. He knew that could be the cause of the nightmares. But it felt like something more, like those were scenes of his destiny, of who he would become, the things he would do. . .

Darx reached behind him and felt Wendy’s hip. She was right there, still with him. He slowed his breathing, settling himself. He lay there, listening for a moment to the sound of her breath as she slept. He wasn’t alone. Darx told himself that a few more times. He wasn’t alone. If he was going to fight this darkness inside him, it wouldn’t be on his own. He had Wendy and Neku, the Goddess had sealed the darkness away inside him, and Zaine had also helped him.

Zaine. . . that made him think. Knowing the source of the darkness inside him and how Zaine had twice steered him away from that darkness, saved him from it; it made him want to find her, to save her as well. He knew Imris had advised against it. She had warned him that his connection to Zaine would lead him down the wrong path. But the wrong path seemed pretty clear to Darx. The wrong path was the darkness inside him, a curse that went along with his Zrephian blood. He had thought Zaine was the source of that darkness, but he had been wrong. Zaine was the reason he hadn’t lost himself to that darkness. It was Zaine that led him away from his dark self in the ruins and she had pulled him back from the edge that night at Oblivion’s guild hall.

Darx wished he could see her again. The last time he had seen her she was weak, said she didn't have much time. It had been over 8 months since then. Zaine's energy was still connected to him at least, Usofra had felt it. He hoped that meant she was still alive. Imris wanted him to sever his connection to Zaine, but that connection had saved him multiple times. How could Zaine be bad if she saved him? But Imris had saved him too. If he had to choose between Zaine and Imris, what should he do? If one of them was lying to him, setting him up for another betrayal . . .

Darx didn’t know what to think. He didn’t know what to believe. All he knew in that moment was he would give anything to see Zaine, to know she was still alive, that he still had time, that he hadn't failed her.

When he was alone, when things were the worst and Darx had no one, Zaine had been there for him. He had since found Neku and Wendy, the ones Imris told him to look for. If he found Amelia and dealt with Kase he'd have her and his mom back. But Zaine. . . Zaine had no one. She was out there, alone and dying. He couldn’t abandon her, even if the Goddess had warned him. If he could find her, help her, maybe she could help him too. She seemed to understand the darkness inside him. She could help him fight it. Imris couldn't be against that, could she?

As he thought this, Wendy shifted. She snuggled into his back and put her arm over him. Darx listened to her soft breathing, felt the warmth of her body next to him. It relaxed him, gave him a reprieve from his thoughts and fears. In that moment, he drifted back into sleep.

. . .

“Good Morning Darx.”

Darx opened his eyes. “Amelia!”

“Sorry Darx, not the real one.”

Darx sat up and looked around, he was in his bedroom in Merton again.

“Why am I back here?” Darx wondered aloud. “I’m not in distress, I’m not in any danger.”

“I don’t know.” Amelia answered, “I just know that you came here.”

“Are you saying I chose to come here?” Darx asked.

“I wouldn’t say that, Darx. I’d say that you are the reason you are here, not necessarily that you chose it.” It was Syvis’ voice.

“Well, at least it’s better than the nightmares.” Darx said. "This darkness, inside of me, the way it exploded that night. . . I could be the same as her. I could destroy everything."

"That night, that moment at Oblivion has caused you so much pain." Syvis stated, then looked at him apologetically. “I’m sorry Darx.”

“Oh give it a rest.” Darx snapped back. “You aren’t even the real Syvis, and I’m already getting sick of her apologizing.”

“She still loves you, Darx.” Amelia stated. “You heard what she said about her potions.”

“Please, Amelia.” Darx answered. “I don’t want to dwell on it.”

“But you’ll have to deal with it.” she answered. “You still love her, we all know it, and she still loves you.”

“Yeah, you broke the Ice Queen out of her protective shell and now she’s a raging nymphomaniac.” That voice was new, he looked over and saw Mia, standing at his door, wearing her fighting garb, leaning on her sword.

“Mia? What are you doing here?” Darx asked, sitting on his bed in an increasingly crowded bedroom.

“I don’t know, we’re all you here, right?” Mia said, smiling. “I’m just a new part. Maybe I’m your confident and sexy parts?” She said with a wink.

“Okay Mia.” Darx sighed. “As the most recent part of me to join our little group, what do you think I should do?”

“Fuck everybody.” Mia said, leaning forward, a seductive smile on her face.

“Thanks, that’s real helpful.” Darx said sarcastically.

“No, seriously, think about it.” Mia continued. “Neku wants you. You keep trying to see her as a loyal friend, but the woman wants it Darx. You’ve already been there, why not embrace it? And Wendy, you take the small bed, give her and Neku the big bed and she ends up snuggled up to you? Girl wants it.”

Darx didn’t know how to respond to this, he just shook his head.

“And Syvis, your cock broke her entire world. You can’t take her back by talking about your feelings. I'm not saying you should trust her, but the next time you see her, remind her of who you are. Fuck that fat ass good and proper. Give her the kind of sex she craves, make her your. . .”

“Enough!” Darx shouted, cutting her off. “Damn, I’m sorry I asked.”

“I mean, it would work.” Mia said smugly as she leaned against the door frame.

“I can’t believe I came here to listen to that.” Darx said, looking to Amelia.

Amelia laughed, “But you did come here, Darx. You came to us.”

“But why?” Darx asked no one in particular.

Syvis came and sat next to him, “What was happening right before you came here? What were you thinking about?”

“I had nightmares.” Darx said. “Crazy ones.”

“Such a dope, he really can’t see it.” It was Cal, sitting in his window sill, eating an apple.

“Cal, go away.” Amelia said, shooing him.

“Hey, don’t blame me." Cal stated. "I just show up when loser boy here knows he’s an idiot but hasn’t realized it yet.”

Darx couldn’t help but laugh. Cal was right, he’d show up in this, whatever this place was, tell Darx he was stupid about something, and then soon enough Darx would realize Cal was right.

“So what am I not seeing?” He asked Cal.

“I don’t know.” Cal answered. “I just know you aren’t seeing it.”

Darx glared at him.

“What?”

“Interesting Darx,” Syvis stated, “If we are manifestations of your subconscious speaking to your conscious self through this place, then Cal makes sense. Your subconsciousness is seeing something your conscious self isn’t able, or ready, to see yet.”

“Like Syvis and I both falling in love with a lie.” Darx said.

“And maybe I’m here because deep down you know the right course with Syvis now is to just fuck her brains out and forget the love stuff.” Mia whispered in his ear, she had climbed on the bed behind him.

“If that’s true I’m definitely not ready for that.” Darx said, standing up to get away from Mia and Syvis. He walked out of his room into the kitchen. He heard what sounded like a punch behind him.

“What? If he doesn’t he’s leaving her to Kase. . .”

Mia’s voice was cut off by Darx slamming the door. He really wasn’t ready to deal with that.

He looked out the window, saw the familiar sights of his home town. Nostalgia, regret, and sorrow all mixed together in his heart. Why was he here? Why did he keep coming back here?

“What were you really thinking about Darx, before you came here?” Syvis again.

Darx did his best to clear his mind of the memories of Merton, his thoughts of Syvis, and Mia’s words.

“Zaine, I was thinking about Zaine. I feel like I’ve found a path to get back the people I care about, and I think I’ve found the people the Goddess told me to find with Neku and Wendy. But Zaine, she was with me when I had no one, at my lowest and loneliest she was always there. Now she’s out there somewhere alone and dying and I’m here playing politics.”

“So what do you want?” Amelia asked.

“Honestly? I want to save everyone." Darx said. "I want the pain and death to stop.”

“No, not that big. What do you want right now?”

“I want to see Zaine.” Darx admitted. “I want to know she’s still alive, that I still have time, that I can still save her.”

“And you came here.” Syvis said softly, her arm around his shoulder.

Darx looked around. The first time he came here was right after Zaine had stepped in. That night when his world broke and he was giving in to the darkness, she pulled him back and he was here. . .

“This. . . this is the same place I used to see her.” Darx said, starting to put it together. “But how? It was always blank, a nothingness, she was just a silhouette, but here I see your faces and I’m in places I remember.”

“Oh man, it’s right there, isn’t it, you can almost see his slug of a brain crawl to the answer.” Cal mocked.

“This is your world, Darx.” Syvis said, and it all made sense.

“Yes, this is my creation. You are all my creation. You are all part of me, and we go to places I remember.” Darx thought out loud. “So she must have pulled me to a place she created, which is why it was blank, why she wasn’t visible, because she can’t remember anything and she doesn’t know who she is.”

“Well, my work is done, see you next time loser.” Cal said, walking out the front door.

“So if this is my world. . .” Darx said.

“We can have an orgy and you can finally get a taste of this luscious ass?” Mia interrupted.

Darx didn’t even look, he had other things on his mind. First was Zaine. Darx looked around him, Zaine wasn’t here. He could feel that she wasn’t. Darx sat down and thought about the time he spent with Zaine in her dream world. She kept telling him time was short, and that was before he was sucked into that portal, before [Imris] sealed his darkness and connection to Zaine. He thought about the time he spent in that place, talking to her. He remembered practicing his magic there, Zaine watching over him.

"Wait a minute." Darx said out loud. "If this place is like the place I saw Zaine. . ."

Darx focused his mana in his hand, and there it was, his [Water Lance]. The first thing he had made in the dark place where he always met with Zaine. Darx looked at it, then threw more mana into it. He made it bigger, then condensed it, more mana in a smaller size. The cone of water swirled angrily as he pushed more mana into it.

“Impressive.” Syvis said as she walked up beside him.

“Is it?” Darx asked. “I’m just using the mana of this place to make a spell bigger.” He walked to the front door of his house, opened it and threw the spell out into the forest, nothing real was out there anyway.

“Out there, Syvis, in the real world? I’m worthless.” It hurt him to admit it, but it was true. Weak spells, low mana, losing to a rogue that was weaker than him only to be bailed out by [Triple Slash] and [Harmonic Drain]. Zaine had always said he needed to get stronger. He was a B-rank now, he had [Goddess's Gift of Mastery] and that had allowed him to get [Harmonic Drain] and yet, in the fight, it was no different than in the caves. He was mostly worthless. Even if he could find her, he was too weak to save her.

Darx built his own set of abilities, he should be more powerful than other B-ranks, but he wasn’t. Wendy had to save him from the mage. She saved him from the tank as well. Neku was, well, Neku was incredible. Darx could see her flying through the air, piercing the tank’s armor with her spear, she took down the tank, chased off the healer and killed the archer that had shot him. Darx had taken out the rogue when he got overconfident and walked into [Triple Slash].

“Darx, that’s not true, you aren’t. . .”

Darx cut Syvis off with a wave of his hand, he didn’t want to talk to her anymore and with a gesture she vanished. Darx was tired of being saved. He was tired of needing people to rescue him all the time. Syvis saved his life when he was a kid. Kase saved him when they were attacked by the troll. Syvis again when Kase fought him in the capital. Syvis saved him in the caves, and again in Oblivion’s guild hall.

But there was even more. He ranked up multiple times when he was overmatched. When he was trapped in the portal Imris saved him, when the Abyss threatened to devour him Zaine had saved him. He was always failing, always being bailed out by others or by his Zrephian heritage. If he had been a normal adventurer, he’d be dead by now. He was sitting here thinking about saving Zaine, but how could he do that when he could barely keep himself alive.

“You don’t have to be this weak, Darx.” He knew that voice. It had been a few days since he heard it, but he would never forget it.

“I know, but I won’t give myself over to this darkness.” He answered. “I can’t.”

“You also can’t hide from it either, not forever.”

Darx looked up, his dark form was seated, talking calmly. It was a very different experience than the last time they faced each other. “I’m certainly not going to give in to it now." Darx stated. "Especially with what I just learned.”

“It’s different now.” His doppelganger responded. “You were broken, too weak to handle your power. You have grown since then.” It looked him in the eye. “You are strong enough to handle it now.”

Zaine’s words flashed into Darx’s mind.

"You must master the darkness."

Could he?

“You can run from it. You can try to ignore it Darx, but it will still be there.” His dark form didn’t let up. “Ignoring the truth didn’t work with Syvis. It didn’t work with Amelia. If you try to ignore the reality of your power and hope everything will just work out you will be weak, you will lose, and eventually you will give in to the power in your desperation and it will rule you."

Darx had felt the power in the darkness, the malevolence behind it. He didn't want to admit it, but his dark form was probably right. If he kept that power hidden, avoided it and then in his weakness lost to Kase, what would he do? His thoughts went back to his nightmares, the destruction, Child of Calamity. Would he be willing to die? Would he be willing to sacrifice his mother to Kase to save everyone from the power inside him? He knew the answer. Zaine had saved him from that power when he found Syvis and Kase together. In front of the Queen, he had felt that rage just talking about Kase. If things got bad, if he was losing to Kase. . .

“You must either learn to control your power or eventually it will control you. Uncontrolled power is dangerous, like a sharp knife in a child's hand is a danger to everyone around. But that same knife in the hand of one with the strength and skill to wield it properly it is a tool, a weapon. Dangerous to your enemies, help and protection for your allies. And you don’t have long Darx. You don't have time to build your strength slowly. You can’t afford to be weak any longer.”

That thing, whatever his dark form was, it was right. He was practically useless in a fight, and things weren’t going to get easier. The Dark Elves were coming, he needed to show them his power. The war was coming, the people would look to him to lead them against the demons. The party they fought in the slums was nothing compared to what was coming. He couldn’t afford to be weak. He couldn’t afford to wait. But the power inside him, it was too much, it scared him.

“Let’s try something, Darx.” His dark form walked to him. “Bring back your [Water Lance].”

Darx hesitated, it didn’t feel right doing what this version of him wanted. But what if he could handle it now? What if he was ready to master it?

His dark self knew his thoughts. “You could save Amelia, win over the Dark Elves, stand up to Kase.”

“And the rest, the part that would hurt others, take down the Queen?” Darx asked.

His dark form sighed. “If you are determined to serve unworthy masters, I will object, but I won’t fight you.”

Darx stared for a second, then raised his hand and summoned his [Water Lance].

“Good, now push more mana into it.”

Darx drew from the mana in this place and pushed that mana into the [Water Lance].

“No, not that mana. The mana you call the darkness, feel it Darx. Harness the power.”

Darx tried to feel the darkness, but it was distant, it didn't feel like it was his. A moment of doubt crept in, what if his dark self was wrong, what if he couldn't wield this power? What if he was destined to fail, to lose to Kase, lose to the demons. The people of Riledo, the people he cared about, they all needed him to be stronger. Wendy and Neku, they couldn’t keep covering for his weaknesses, he needed to be stronger.

The scene shifted. Darx was in the caves, the place where he faced those demons and fell unconscious. The darkness was there, he could feel it.

“Control it Darx.” His doppelganger instructed, “It feeds off your fear and pain, but it is your power, and you must be its master.”

Darx could feel the power in this space. He tried to force it to manifest, to make it show itself. In his left hand a purple orb appeared. It crackled with power.

“Yes. Good.” His dark form hissed. “Now use the power, it is yours to command.”

It was his power. But what did Darx want to do with it? He looked at his right hand and reformed his [Water Lance]. Darx brought his left hand to his right, willing the water spell to become ice.

The swirling water of his [Water Lance] slowed, then stopped, it crackled as it froze into a slightly purple spike of solid ice. Darx could feel the power coming off of it.

“Your birthright, Darx. It is now in your hands.” The dark form stepped backwards, fading away. “Use it. Master it.”