Dawn of Night Chapter Four: Lineage of Singers

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Kylor watched as the Voltaris flung her hair back, a smirk lighting her face. He couldn’t tell what it was, but something about her bothered him. I *don’t have time to figure this out. Any second they’re going to attack me, and I need to be ready to fight!* Kylor shook off his daze and assessed his opponents. The five mercenaries were the most immediate threat since they were the ones with weapons out. They were all in front of their mistress, poised to defend her.

The first mercenary was a normal human, around 4’3’’ tall and extremely scrawny. Due to the arrows in many of the militia members' bodies, however, Kylor did not doubt that he had the muscles to use the bow that was currently in his hand. The next one was a small pink-haired Felina. While she was only a little taller than the human, she had a graceful air of lethality to her. In her hand was an iron sword. With her graceful stance though, Kylor knew better than to underestimate her. The other three were human, but they were much taller than the archer, being closer to Kylor’s own height. These mercenaries were also extremely muscular. In their hands were spears. As a testimony to the recent fight, all of the mercenaries' blades were crimson and dripping with blood.

All in all, Kylor’s odds were not good as he gazed at the weapons pointed his way. All Kylor had was his father’s glaive in its enchanted emerald glory. *Well, I also have my song, but that isn’t going to do much here,* Kylor reflected ruefully. *It’s times like these that I wish that I had an Aggressium song up my sleeve!* As the tension in the village square rose, Kylor began to wish someone would move. *This tension is killing me!* *It’s almost like time has slowed itself down!* In fact, Kylor would have made the first move himself if he weren’t so outnumbered. Striking one of them would leave him vulnerable to the others, something he could not let happen.

The tension was broken first by the archer, who shot an arrow at Kylor’s face. Kylor simply swung up with his glaive, causing the arrow to go into the air above him. Then, as the mercenaries rushed him, and before the arrow hit the ground, Kylor struck the arrow’s fletchings hard. The arrow went sailing to the right of him, catching one of the bulky humans right in the face. *Good,* Kylor thought grimly. *One down, five to go.* Then they were on him.

The Felina reached him first and attempted to cleave his skull. Kylor was ready, however. With the speed of lightning, Kylor made his move, holding his glaive parallel to the ground with both hands. He then swung upwards, knocking the Felina's blade out of her hands before slicing diagonally from the top left to the bottom right. Without pausing, Kylor side-kicked her blade before it hit the ground, sending it straight into the archer’s chest with a force that sent the archer to the ground. The two remaining enemies stopped their charge and began to circle Kylor from opposite sides, now wary of attacking after witnessing what had happened to their comrades.

Kylor didn’t give them much of a breather, however, and charged the one in front of him head-on. The mercenary panicked and stabbed, but Kylor simply stepped to the right and sliced, catching his target in the neck. The last human bellowed with anger upon seeing his comrade die and hurled his spear at Kylor. Kylor was ready though, expecting an attack of this sort. *The dirty cowards. Can’t fight me face to face like a man.* Kylor twirled to the left side as he turned to face his opponent. Quick as a flash, he raised his glaive like a harpoon and let it fly at his victim. It was a direct hit in the skull. Quickly, before the enemy Ardoni could join the fight, Kylor rolled to the fallen mercenary. With a grunt, he pulled his weapon from the corpse's head and turned to face his last adversary.

The Voltaris female snarled at Kylor in anger. “So, the young little Ardoni knows how to fight!” Kylor merely smiled at her as he made a casual witty comment. “You don’t look too old yourself, Voltaris.” Kylor made a mockingly thoughtful face. “Is the Nightsinger scared to fight me like a true man?” The red Ardoni sneered in return. “You understand nothing, Kaltaris dirt! My father is the Nightsinger, though I know him as Victor Valas Voltaris.” With that, she pulled from her inventory a weapon Kylor had never seen. It was made of iron, and looked like a double bladed ax and a broadsword had been combined into one monstrosity.

She rushed at Kylor in a furious storm of slashes and stabs. Instead of going on the attack, Kylor held back and stayed on defense. As they fought, Kylor analyzed her style. She was obviously aggressive and used to playing offense. However, she still had her weaknesses. When Kylor would make a counterattack, she would flail as she attempted to block. And while she was fast with excellent combos, she would sometimes overreach her blade or swing too wide. *She attacks so fast! It’s almost impossible to get in a counterattack!*

Despite all her skill, the Voltaris couldn’t get past his guard. Panic became apparent on her face as she began to realize what was happening. *She must be used to fighting people with little fighting skill.* Kylor on the other hand had been trained by one of the best Felina captains in all of Felden. He was truly experienced at dueling and could easily protect himself from the Voltaris’ attacks.

When she stumbled after overarching during a swing, Kylor seized the opportunity to gain the advantage. Spinning his glaive, he caught the hilt of her blade with the blunt of his weapon and swung up, knocking the sword-ax combo from her hand. Unfortunately, this only made her mad. The next thing Kylor knew, his opponent hit him with an Aggrocone at point-blank range.

Kylor was blasted off his feet and slammed into the ground with a bone-jarring impact. *Well, at least I’m still alive.* The iron chestplate he had been wearing had protected him from the bulk of the damage. However, it had been so tattered that it had broken in the process. Despite the protection, though, he was still badly injured and in no condition to fight. His opponent smirked at seeing him down as she retrieved her weapon. Slowly, she came towards him with purposeful slowness. *She’s toying with me,* Kylor thought with amusement. *She thinks that victory is hers.*

Kylor still had one trick though, a trick he employed now. Quickly, he summoned his power from within and used Protepulse. Immediately, Kylor felt himself heal as new strength flowed through his being. His enemy had now stopped and was raising her blade with a wicked smile on her face. *She plans to kill me, but that isn’t happening today.* As she swung, Kylor raised up both his legs and pushed off her. His push was strong, both sending her flailing backwards while sending him into a backflip. Landing on his feet, Kylor lunged forward with his leg outstretched. The Voltaris’ eyes grew wide as the two collided. Pushing with his leg, Kylor slammed his opponent into the grassy ground. Raising his glaive, he prepared to kill her. Until he actually registered the pattern of her runes. Then his mind went numb as the pieces began to click in place in his mind. His expression turned horrified as he experienced a life-shaking revelation. *Her runes, I know her runes. These runes match with the relative I lost years ago,* he marveled. *Which means…She's my adopted sister!*

Kylor’s mind raced as he tried to rationalize what he was seeing. *It couldn’t be, though!* Then it hit him. *But no one, not even the search parties, could ever find signs that she died!* *She got lost in the woods when I was three,* Kylor remembered. *She wasn’t found again, but she had the same flowery runes that this Voltaris has!* Kylor looked down at the Voltaris with a shocked expression. “Kora,” he asked. “Is that you?!”

Kora looked stunned to see that the Kaltaris knew her name. Immediately she became suspicious. “How do you know me?” Kylor backed off so that Kora could stand. “You’re my sister!” Disbelief took over Kora. “When you were young, you got lost in the woods!” He pleaded as she began to back away. “No one could find you! You ran away because you were angry at Father!” Kora simply shook her head, refusing to believe him. “Runes never lie, they only match those related!” Then it came to Kylor. *I know how to prove it!* “When you were two, you accidentally killed a little rabbit.” His face showed sadness. “You didn’t tell anyone but your brother because you felt guilty. You thought that everyone else would hate you. Your brother promised to never tell anyone, and he never did.”

Kora sucked in a breath as recognition dawned on her. Her entire body began to shake. “It really is you!” Kylor smiled and offered her his hand. “Come Kora, let’s get out of here before more come!” But Kora shook her head. “I can’t. I must go face Victor. I want to know if this is the truth.” Kylor opened his mouth to argue, but Kora stopped him. “I know it’s the truth, but I want to hear it from him,” her face was a mask of cold fury. Kylor looked at her in concern. “Won’t your father hurt you for letting me get away without further fighting?” Kora smiled slyly. “Not if he doesn’t know. I’ll tell him that you beat my men. Then, he thought you killed me but I managed to survive and get away.” Kylor knew this plan was risky, but he understood the need for closure. Just as she wanted to face the Nightsinger, he wanted to face Akatie and demand to know what she knew of his father. *This whole time, she lied to me! She knew who I was and what all of this about this whole time!* Kylor nodded to his sister. Kora walked over to her sword and picked it up. With a flourish, she slipped it onto her back. With a final wave, she turned and walked deeper into the birch forest.

Kylor went the opposite way and ran into the forest. It had just become daybreak and the rising sun allowed Kylor to see better than he had that night. *I didn’t realize I had been reading that letter for so long!* Even though the terrain was a little uneven, he continued pressing forward, determined to get Torville as soon as possible. Within the end of the hour, Kylor had reached the village. At first the people cheered, thinking the militia had finally returned. When they realized that Kylor was alone, however, the crowd became uneasy. Many began shouting for explanations of where their militia family members were. Kylor had to shout to be heard over the restless mob that was closing in on him. “A group of pirates were waiting for us. They were all defeated, but only I survived.” The crowd refused to disperse, clearly not pleased with his statement.

*I’ve had enough.* With an annoyed expression, Kylor pushed his way through the mob. When he finally made it out, he charged towards Akaties house. When he got to the door, he didn’t even bother to knock as he barged in. Akatie looked up in surprise, but became tense as Kylor threw his father’s letter onto her kitchen table. Kylor glared at her with such intensity that Akatie stumbled back. “Explain,” he growled at her. Akatie nodded sadly as she motioned for him to take a seat. Once he had, she took a steadying breath and plunged into her story.

“When your father moved into Dryvandale, he had heard of a great Ardoni who was trained in the art of song-wielding by Galleous himself. He knew that his enemies would one day come after him. He wanted someone who could take care of his son. Not only that, he wanted someone who could train his son to wield the songs so that his son was never defenseless.” Akatie kept a patient expression as Kylor asked his question. “So is that why you brought me in?” *Because of…what?* Akatie nodded. “You are wondering if I would still have taken you in had you not been Tysoar’s.” When Kylor nodded, she smiled. “I still would have. In fact, it wasn’t till many years later that I actually realized who you were. Trust me, you are the closest I have to family.” Kylor wasn’t quite ready to forgive her for keeping him in the dark. He could see from her face that she was hiding guilt. *She’s not telling the full story.* However, Kylor let it go. “I must leave then,” he vented. “I read my father’s note. It is my job to carry on his legacy. He knew that the Nightsinger had to be stopped. And so do I.” Akatie examined his face with concern. “Not out of revenge?”

As Kylor searched himself, he was surprised that he didn’t care about revenge. *Ardonia is my home! I can’t let it be plunged into night. I want to make my father proud, and I want to finish what he couldn’t himself. I want to make sure that my parents didn’t die in vain.* No, there was no vengeance. He had come to accept that his parents were gone and had since moved on.  He kept his weary voice steady as he replied to his teacher. “Revenge won’t bring them back. It will only dishonor them, for I know my father wouldn’t want that. Ardonia is my home. I can’t let it or my friends fall.” Akatie smiled, tears in her eyes as she looked at the young Ardoni in front of her. “Kylor, I can’t be much help with the Nightsinger. I don’t know that much about what is going on.” She hurried on as she saw the crestfallen look on Kylor’s face. “But, I know where to find those who do. Go to Hill Valley. There, you will find your first cousin, Drakius Kaltaris as well as Nitrus Voltaris.” Hope filled Kylor and he nodded.

Akatie bent to a chest that was part of her kitchen counter. Opening it, she pulled out three things. One was a map. “This will take you to Hill Valley. As for this other gift, your father would have wanted you to have these.” Akatie handed him two Netherite ingots. “For when you forge your own diamond blade. Use these to make your blades even stronger.” She then pointed out to the stables connected to the outside of her kitchen. “In the last stall, you will find Gingerale, my fastest horse. Take her and follow the map.” Tears swam in Kylor’s eyes as he hugged his mentor. *This might be the last time that I see her!* He broke away from the hug and went to the door. Halfway from opening it, he couldn’t help but turn back to Akatie. “I will end this.” Akatie merely smiled at him. “I know you will, son of Tysoar. Your father would be proud.” Then, with a nod, Kylor went outside.

Going to the last stall, Kylor saddled up Gingerale, a chestnut brown horse, and rode out of the town. As Kylor looked out at his town for what might be the last time, he saw the chaos at the village center. The poor mayor was having to face a mob. *They're blaming him for what happened to the militia and demanding a better explanation.* Kylor felt sorry for the mayor, and a little guilty as he urged Gingerale into a full gallop to the west.

Hours passed. Every so often, he would check the map to make sure he was on the right track. He made sure to reward Gingerale with apples while they rested and checked the map. The rest stops never lasted long, and soon they would be riding through the terrain once more. After what seemed like an eternity of traveling through deserts and plains, Kylor found himself in a meadow biome. It was filled with grassy hills adorned by vibrant sunflowers, crying tulips, and blood red roses. He and the horse continued through the hills. Kylor quickly checked with the map as they plodded forward. *The map says that we should be only a hill or so away.* Kylor squinted as he looked around. Sure enough, over the next hill they encountered a huge plains-like area. In it was a flowery village filled with cozy villager houses and lit by lanterns. As Kylor rode into the village, he was amazed at what he saw. Where he came from, Humans and Felinas dominated. Here though, most of the population was Ardoni, like him. The people here are nicer, too. Several of them waved at him as he passed. *The people back home would never do that unless they knew me personally!* Sheepishly, Kylor waved back.

The center of this village was the same as that of Torville. Kylor dismounted when they reached the center and connected the horse to the bell by a lead. He was just about to turn around when a voice startled him, sending him whirling around. “Welcome to Hill Valley, travelor.” Kylor examined the Ardoni in front of him. The speaker was male, not quite seven foot, and rainbow all over. His horns were also larger than most that he had seen, indicating that this Ardoni had been alive for a long time already. I would say at least fifty. The Ardoni continued his welcome. “I am Nitrus Voltaris. Who would you be?” Kylor sucked in a breath. *So this is the individual I’m looking for.* “I am Kylor Kylus Kaltaris,” He replied. “I am here on the business of the Nightsinger.” Nitris’ eyes went wide with shock, but the old Ardoni quickly pulled himself back together. “It seems like we have a long conversation ahead of us,” Nitrus’ eyes cut back and forth. “But we had better hold it somewhere more…private.” When Kylor nodded his agreement, Nitrus led him to a tall house at the end of the village.

It turned out that it was Drakius’ home. It looked about the same as Akatie’s, but was at least twice as large. *I hope Akatie’s okay,* Kylor thought with worry. Drakius was a strange looking Ardoni. He too had horns, one that were even bigger than Nitrus’. The runes on the left side of Drakius’ body were red, while the ones on the right were green. Drakius was a kind Ardoni and a great listener as he actively listened to Kylor’s story. He nodded to show understanding and didn’t interrupt once. Nitrus on the other hand was pacing madly across the room, wearing out the scarlet carpet underfoot. “I am sorry to hear that Tysoar is dead,” Nitrus sighed, sadness creeping over his expression. “Your father was a great man and a powerful Ardoni. I wish we could spend more time mourning, but we must push forward. We must confront the Nightsinger before he grows more powerful.” Nitrus’ voice was rising and he kept sweeping his arms in frantic gestures. “If he finds the primes, he could do even more damage!” Kylor, seeing the expression on Nitrus’ face, and feeling that his father was silently being accused, quickly spoke up. “But my father never told the Nightsinger anything!” Nitrus’ expression softened, but not by much. He continued to shout and wave.

Soon, Drakius stepped in as he saw what was unfolding. “Nitrus, we are in no position to attack the rogue Voltaris! We don’t know where their base is, or even to what the full extent of their involvement with other factions is! They might have more allies than just the Unyielding Legion!” As the other two argued back and forth, Kylor grabbed a frame sitting on a shelf behind him. In the frame was a family tree, one of both Kylor and Darkius’ family. Kylor found his mother and father on the tree and studied their connection. *So my dad was the brother to the sister of the mother of Drakuis. And my mother…* Kylor’s mind went numb with shock. *She was the daughter of the daughter of Achillean Nestoris! That makes me…the great grandson of the Tidesinger!*

As Kylor struggled to understand this, he could hear the argument behind him tapering off. He turned back towards his elders as they began to address him. From what Drakius was saying, it appeared that Nitrus had lost the argument. Drakius appeared smug as he spoke, while Nitrus merely scowled at the floor. “It has been decided. We cannot ignore the threat that the Nightsinger poses. Therefore, Nitrus will ask an old friend of his to help investigate. Meanwhile, you must become ready for the trails ahead before you can go charging into battle. You will stay and train with Nitrus.” Drakius beamed, expecting Kylor to be excited. But Kylor’s mind was stuck on his revelation. *I am both the great grandson of the Tidesinger, and the Deathsinger is my uncle! How is this possible?!* Drakius continued to look at the young Ardoni with confusion. As a form of explanation, Kylor showed the family tree frame to Drakius, who smiled with understanding. “Well, Kylor, did you hear our decision?” Kylor nodded and Drakius nodded back. “You’ll be staying in the same room as my son.” Kylor nodded again, when the door leading into the house opened.

Kylor turned to see who was standing in the doorway. It was a Kaltaris Ardoni. The newcomer was about seven feet tall, and, judging by his horns, was at least fifty. *Funny,* Kylor thought as he studied the stranger’s arms. *Those rune markings look like bands of Protisium energy!* The stranger cleared his throat, his face broadcasting his confusion and surprise. “Who is this father?” The stranger’s voice was light with a gravely undertone. Drakius looked at the two boys. “Kylor, this is my son, Theseus.” Drakius then turned and gestured towards Kylor as the two boys stared at each other in wonder. “Theseus, this is your cousin, Kylor Kylus Kaltaris. He’ll be staying with us for a while.”

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