Dust: AET - From the Ashes - Chapter 6

From the Ashes

Chapter 6

As Dust walked into the caves, the anger he’d felt towards Nix slowly wore off, leaving him with a feeling of emptiness and regret. The more the darkness closed around him, the more he realized what a horrible mistake he’d made. He stopped walking, closing his eyes and heaving a deep sigh.

“D-Dust?” Fidget said timidly. He’d almost forgotten she was there.

“What is it, Fidget?” He asked, his voice tired and filled with an emotion he couldn’t identify.

“A-Are you all right? You kinda...blew up at Nix...”

“I know.” Dust sighed. “I don’t know what came over me. I expect that’s the kind of person Cassius was.”

“But you’re not Cassius,” Fidget reminded.

“I know. I’m not Jin either. But their souls are in me, influencing who I am and how I act.” Dust opened his eyes and stared at the walls, the ring on his finger glowing to light up the area. “Jin makes me want to protect Ginger and keep her safe. Cassius was aggressive. The two of them put together...well...”

“...You got violent...” Fidget said softly.

“...Yeah...” Dust sighed. “I’ll have to apologize to Nix when I return to Aurora. It wasn’t my place.”

“But it wasn’t his either.”

“He didn’t threaten me.”

Fidget had no response to that.

“Nix only wants to keep Ginger from getting hurt again. I can understand that. That’s why he hates me, Fidget. It’s just like Ginger said. He doesn’t know the whole story. Seeing me alive must’ve made him think I’d abandoned her and left her to suffer alone.”

“He seems like a nice guy then. He cares a lot about Ginger.”

“Just like Jin...” Dust murmured.

“What did you say?” Fidget asked, flying a little closer. “I didn’t hear you.”

“Nothing.” Dust sighed. “It doesn’t matter.”

“...Okay...”

“Come on. We need to find Lady Tethys as soon as we can.” Dust began walking again, the darkness closing around him like a wall.

...

“Steam?”

“What is it, Nynia?” Steam asked, not breaking his stride. The Nimbat had been using his name ever since he’d told Dust. It was quite annoying, but he was beginning to get used to it.

“Why did you leave? Dust was right there, so...you could’ve killed him easily...”

“I know I could’ve,” Steam said, giving Nynia a sharp glare. “His strength is incredible, but...”

Nynia’s brow furrowed, as though she’d seen him waver slightly. It felt as though he just had. Back at the village, he felt something strange. He was angry and he hated Dust, even if he didn’t know why. And what’s more, somehow he knew what it felt like to have Dust’s blade slicing through his flesh.

“But what?” Nynia asked.

“I feel like I’ve fought him before,” Steam said.

“How is that possible?”

“I don’t know,” he looked at the sky, his brow furrowed with confusion. He was silent for a few seconds, pondering over such a question. How, if he’d only been walking Felana for a short time, did he feel as though he’d met Dust before?

A voice calling his name pulled him from his thoughts. It wasn’t Nynia’s voice either. He turned to face it, spotting a teenage boy running towards him, his large round grey ears sticking out like a sore thumb from his black hair. His regal garb filled Steam’s heart with dread. He wanted nothing to do with this boy.

The boy stopped in front of him, clutching a stitch in his chest.

“What is it now?” Steam asked, not caring about who he was. He knew he was looking at Prince Tyrell of Felana.

“Do you...have any idea...how hard you are...to track down...” The Prince gasped. After a few more seconds of heavy breathing, he finally stood up straight and looked up at Steam.

“My father wants to see you.”

Well wasn’t that just grand, Steam thought. An audience with the King.

“Tell him I will be with him in a few days.” Steam muttered. “I have some things to take care of.”

“Oh...um...okay...” Tyrell scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “I’ll just go back home and tell him then.”

“Please do.” Steam said.

Tyrell merely nodded and turned, heading back in the direction he’d come from. Steam, of course, had no intention of following him.

“Who was that?” Nynia asked.

“Prince Tyrell of Felana.” Steam merely said.

“You were summoned by a King?! Wow! What an honour!”

Steam didn’t respond, not feeling very honoured. The fact was, he had no interest in seeing the King again.

“Steam?” Nynia flew in front of him, watching him carefully. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Steam said, turning and walking away.

Nynia followed, on instinct this time, not out of fear that he would kill her if she didn’t.

...

“I forgot how dark these caves were...” Fidget whimpered as the darkness pressed around them.

Dust squinted his eyes, raising the hand with the glowing ring on it so he could see a little better. “I think we’re almost at Mudpot. I mean...I hope we are.”

“You and me both...I’m exhausted...” Fidget whined.

Dust chuckled. “Just be glad we haven’t encountered any monsters yet...”

Fidget groaned. “Now that you’ve said that, they’ll be coming at us in hordes, Dust. Huge, massive, big, stupid, ugly, HORDES!”

The cave quaked slightly, a few pieces of rock falling from the ceiling. Fidget let out a squeak and clung to Dust’s back as the swordsman gripped Ahrah tighter, his guard up, ears listening to every sound in the caves.

When it finally became clear that nothing was going to attack them, and the ceiling wasn’t going to collapse, Dust lowered Ahrah and stood up straight.

“Fidget, keep your voice down.” Dust said softly. “We don’t want to cause a cave in.”

“A c-c-cave in?” Fidget whimpered. “I don’t like the way that sounds...”

“You won’t like the way it feels either, so keep quiet.”

Fidget merely nodded, not letting go of the back of Dust’s shirt. He sighed softly, continuing his way through the caves. The phosphorescent mushrooms had a rather nasty habit of ruining his night vision whenever they passed them, forcing him to stop to be able to readjust so he could see a little bit better. Regardless, without their light, Dust knew that actually seeing would be next to impossible. At least they told him where the paths were.

After awhile, Fidget worked up the courage to let go of his shirt and fly on her own. Dust was glad for it. Her weight threw him slightly off balance. She didn’t weigh much, probably about as much as a small rabbit, but when he was climbing up cliffs, it tended to make him feel as though he was about to be yanked right off the side where he’d plummet to his death.

After climbing yet another wall of rocks, Dust took the time to catch his breath, running a hand over his sweaty forehead.

“Boy I’m glad I can fly...” Fidget said to herself. “Climbing looks hard...”

“You get used to it.” Dust merely stated, although he couldn’t help but feel slightly envious of Fidget’s wings. “Let’s keep mo-AH!” Dust’s foot slipped out from under him as he stepped in a patch of water. Next thing he knew, he was sliding, icy water soaking through his clothes and chilling him to the bone as he skidded down the rocks with the water.

“DUST!” Fidget cried. “DUST! I CAN’T SEE!”

“FIDGET!” Dust shouted back, crying out as his back hit a sharp rock. No sooner than he was hoping he wouldn’t go over a waterfall, he reached one. Terror raced through him as he fell into darkness. A petrified scream tore from his throat, and he smashed into the water at the bottom, sinking like a rock.

...

“DUST!” Fidget cried. She’d heard his scream. It had cut off suddenly. Fidget hoped he was all right.

Through her panic, Fidget had the sense to grab one of the small, glowing red mushrooms. She held it out in front of her as she followed the underground river that had taken Dust away. It was flowing rapidly, telling her that Dust had been swept away quickly and without warning. The river ended at a giant hole in which the water poured down in a massive torrent.

“DUST!” Fidget cried, flying down the hole, the mushroom barely lighting the way. “DUST!” She finally reached the lake at the bottom of the waterfall. Her heart pounded at the sight of the stalagmites poking out of several areas. Did Dust hit any of them? She floated over the water, the glowing mushroom making every inch of the water look as though it was stained with blood. All she could see in her mind was Dust’s body impaled by one of those horrid things.

“DUST!” Fidget cried again, this time her voice coming out as a shrill cry, almost a shriek.

“He is here, Nimbat,” a peaceful voice said as the underground lake began to light up.
Fidget dropped the mushroom, hearing it land with a soft plop in the water below. Lady Tethys emerged from the lake, carrying Dust’s unconscious body.

“DUST!” Fidget cried, flying towards Lady Tethys.

“I felt him land in the river. I did my best to keep him from harm, but the waters can be...difficult to control once they start moving,” Lady Tethys said, bringing him over to the edge of the lake and setting him on the ground.

“You’re connected to the Life Thread. Did he pass through?” Fidget asked desperately. “Can you bring him back?!”

“Relax, Fidget. He is alright. Merely unconscious. I managed to make the waters steer him clear of the stalagmites, but he still took a hit when he landed.”

“Oh Dust...” Fidget whimpered.

Lady Tethys held her hand over Dust’s body. The water that soaked his clothes glowed brightly before fading away.

Dust let out a weak cough, his eyes fluttering open.

“Dust! You’re okay!” Fidget cried, flinging herself into him, making him grunt in surprise.

“Fidget, I think I’ve taken enough hits for the day...” He mumbled.

Fidget flew into the air again. “Right. Sorry.”

Dust sat up slowly, cringing as he looked up. “Thank you, Lady Tethys. You saved me.”

“As you saved me once,” Lady Tethys said, sounding pleased.

“That’s true,” Dust said with a smile.

“Were you on your way to Mudpot?” Lady Tethys asked.

“Sort of. We were coming to talk to you,” Dust said.

“Oh?”

“We came to ask if you knew anything about somebody named Steam,” he explained. “I was wondering if anything...strange happened. Like if he really is a creation of fire and water.”

“...I sensed a great force against the Life Thread recently. Two souls were ripped straight from it and forged in my waters while it boiled over lava,” Lady Tethys stated, confirming his fears.

“Which ones?” Fidget couldn’t help but ask.

“I am not sure. But both possess a deep hatred for you, Dust. I fear that this person, Steam you called him, was created by a person who wants you destroyed.”
Dust swallowed nervously, glancing away for a moment. He didn’t realize he’d made enemies on his travels.

“So Steam might be just like Dust?” Fidget asked.

“In some ways, yes,” Lady Tethys said, looking grim. “Except Dust was created from two souls that never reached the Life Thread. The souls of Jin and Cassius were fused in the very spot both perished, their bodies turning to dust and forming you.”

Dust stared at his feet. So that’s what had happened. He knew his soul was a combination of Cassius and Jin, but he didn’t know he had their bodies as well.

“Can you tell us who created Steam, Lady Tethys?” Dust asked.

“That I cannot say.” Lady Tethys replied. “It is rather difficult to see at times. The fire spirit however, may have seen it all. It took place on his volcano.”

Dust bowed his head.

“L-Looks like we’re going to the volcano after all...” Fidget said to herself.

She missed the shudder that passed through Dust’s body.