Branded Part 5

An endless sea of stars shone brightly above in the night sky. A huge fire pit crackled, the red hot coals blazing against the darkness. Drect sat beside the pit staring into the shimmering waves of heat. Vorias stood behind her as silent as the night. He watched as a pair of falling stars streaked across the abyss, their cosmic tails intertwined with each spirally in a series of random patterns.

“I have something for you.” she said in perfect Gothic. Slowly she stood. Follow me.” The Archon began to walk along the edge of the pit. Vorias followed behind her. She came to a halt at the terminus. “There.” she said pointing down. His eyes fell following her single pointing finger. A long scabbard lay upon the barren ground, the hilt protruding from the rim had been fashioned in the head of a Void Dragon, large multi faceted gems had been fit in the eyes, sparkling with a life their own.

Vorias bent down upon one knee reaching out to grip the hilt. Briefly it seemed to wrest in his gauntlet fighting his grip then it lay still. The Librarian felt a slow pulse stirring within the weapon, quickly it synced to his twin beating hearts. He rose again drawing the long blade free. Its edges were fractal shimmering like broken bits of a dark mirror. Gazing into the entropy he spied an image of himself looking back into his eyes. The sword felt light.

“Bind it.” Drect said.

Vorias pulled at a slim silver chain encircling his neck with his free gauntlet. A small black orb hung dangling at the end. It seemed to pulsate, writhing upon itself. Clasping it tightly the Librarian ran it along one edge of the blade. It shrieked like a wild banshee piercing the utter silence. Pitch black ectoplasmic tendrils erupted suddenly engulfing them.