“Stormforth. So this Destin, is where you decided to retreat to? Not a bad way of life, I’ll admit.” A voice said behind him. The room was nearly pitch black from the fire dying down. He sat up from his bed to see a figure standing behind his table. He walked around the table grabbing some fruit and biting into it. “Glad to see you’re doing so well after that heroic escape in Vertrock.”

Destin squinted his eyes to get a better look in the dark room. “Who are you!?” Destin said trying to get a view. The voice was smooth and vile and the man standing before him was only a little taller than him. “Show yourself!” He demanded.

The figure walked forward towards where Destin slept, “I’m offended Destin.” He flicked his finger to bring the fire ablaze again. “After all, this is no way to speak to your High King.” He stepped into the light, revealing his pale sharp face with jade green eyes.

Destin stumbled back only to have the fireplace catch his fall, “Revnic! How did you get here?” His instincts powered himself up ready to attack. “You should be dead for nearly two hundred years.” He said the wind picking up in the room from Destin’s ability.

“Knowing my lifespan it would have been over two hundred and fifty years, but here I am standing before you in this modern day.” The High King joked. There was sternness in his voice yet for some reason his conversation for this occasion felt light. “If only you knew what I knew, or had seen what I’ve seen, then perhaps your mind would view this world differently.”

“Differently how? As far as I am concerned this civil war against you is fully justified, and the lives lost is blood on your hands,” Destin boldly spoke. A multitude of emotions flashed in his mind all driven by the anger and hatred of the man standing before him.

He picked up some fruit from the table which was left from the dinner and ate a few bites. “Understand, even standing against me, I rule over you. As long as you stand on Alluvion soil, I am in control.” He took another bite, his tone more serious than prior words. “You’d be smart to remember that.”

Destin braced himself for a fight, waiting for the High King to make the first move. Here and now if he could help it he would make his stand. If anything cause attention enough for guards and hopefully Gideon to hear. If he would be able to make it into the room, they would have a chance to stop him here and now.

The wind suddenly stopped, leaving Destin wondering what the cause was. He checked the whereabouts of the room only to see Viran with a smirk. “I’m disappointed in you. Truly I expected more respect. Now sit!” He moved his hand down forcing Destin to sit in the chair next to him. Despite all his efforts he was unable to escape the bond.

Destin was quiet for once, figuring any arguing was futile at this point. The most puzzling thing about this conversation was the power he held in the room. He figured Viran would be powerful, but never so much so as to be able to control his entire body with ease. It didn’t add up, but why? With all his effort, he was still unable to summon his power like it had been shut off with a switch.

The idea came into his mind, “This… is a dream…” He said focusing directly at Viran, “None of this is real!” Volts of electricity flooded his entire body as all the muscles tensed up, his hands having a death grip on the chair. The shock released the moment he felt like his heart was about to stop beating.

“I assure you Destin, it is as real as the outside world. The difference is your death is not permanent. All the pain in the world could not save you from this nightmare.” The High King said, holding his hands out. “And your death will not be swift.”

Another wave of power shocked Destin’s body against his will. He tried to cry out but his lungs exalted all the air. He bit down, grinding out the unfathomable pain flowing through his entire body. The shock left his body again, giving him a moment to recover.

His breath was short and brief the beads of sweat falling down his forehead. A tear fell down his eye with the pain he had experienced. It felt as real if he was awake, this dream made no sense. It was as real and vivid like he was awake sitting in his room tonight. The stone was cold, the wood textured, the pain real, yet it was all imagined. He finally recovered his strength and began to relax.

“I ask the question, you answer.” Viran motioned, “Any resistance and you can feel far worse pain that what has already been experienced. Understand?”

Destin nodded in agreement bracing himself for the pain to come. In all his time in Vertrock the memories of each scar felt like mercy in comparison to now. In revealing what he knew to the High King, there was no chance on judging if the torture would cease.

The first question was simple, “What did Gideon tell you?”

Destin held his ground in silence, not to answer in the slightest while he braced for the pain which was to come. When Viran knew he would not say he motioned with his finger a path while a deep cut began to slide across his core, but no blood soaked the wound. He was bound, unable to move as the cut grew deeper and deeper. He cried out in agony and not being able to take the pain anymore he cried out, “The… Fin…. battle.” He managed to get out, the wound healing itself while the sharpness of the pain remained, “Arthemis, the fall of the Highborn.”

The pain subsided fully, “What else did he say!”

With great mourning with the betrayal of his friends and allies Destin told the High King all he needed to hear. No longer would he risk the pain he had felt in this dreamlike state he was in. He had no clue that when the morning came if he would naturally wake up, or since he was in this realm if time could last the eternity.

Destin explained further about what Gideon had shown him in the cavern that night, and their escape from Orrinshire. He said everything about meeting with King Airrick, the only thing he was able to leave out was the knowledge of the atyri’s return. Something that even the High King knew nothing about.

The slickness of his voice was smooth and mischievous as his tone changed, “Destin… Destin… you have no need to fear currently. I too would be intimidated by my evil endeavors if it had been revealed to me in such a way as well.” He lifted his finger to brighten the room better, “Better?” He cracked another smile and walked closer to Destin. “You must have a lot of questions for me?”

“Not particularly. Considering your generals killed my father, you will die by my hand in the end of this!” Destin promised his face with such a vengeance even the High King hesitated a moment. “Your men slayed my father when he was nothing but loyal! Arthemis killed off the Highborn when they were nothing but loyal. Something tells me if I trust you, you’ll stab me in the back as well!”

“You know how it is, once the word of magic gets out then the foundation of Alluvion is at stake.” His tone became far more serious, “Orrinshire was a prime example of that!”

“Hundreds dead, and you still sleep soundly.” Something Destin couldn’t understand about someone who had so much blood on their hands. “So you have ties with the orcs? You and your minion?”

“I do what is necessary, Arthemis does what is necessary for the world. Starting with the Highborn.” The High King said with disgust in his voice. “To have magic in the world only results in madness. You never saw the world back then, only the one now.” He gazed into the fire, “Magic made those gifted with it have power over the common man.”

“In what way?” Destin inquired. He could see that people having such abilities would give them an upper hand as proof of the High King, but how was economically was beyond him.

Viran released Destin from his hold to the chair as he felt himself lift off the chair like friction had ceased. He stood and walked over to the table, “Highborn had full control. Politics, economics, the common people were put into a lower class all of their own. Any objection could be silenced in an instant and no one would give it a second glance.” Viran shook his head, “It is why I fought so hard to become the High King.”

“And the tens of thousands you killed!” Destin raised his voice into a shout, “What of them? What voice did you give them!?”

Destin was thrown against the wall, pinned down by a dark force while a cloud of darkness colluded around the High King, “You know nothing of sacrifice! The cause is mightier than the cost, and any lives lost are never forgotten. The Highborn stole freedom from the common man, they were the word and the law and they changed it as they saw fit. Just or unjust it was executed promptly and precise.”

Destin fought with all his control to lift his body from against the wall, but the hold from the darkness was too strong for him to break. He had just enough strength to move his hand slightly into a fist to begin pushing away. His will to fight was strong but his physical strength was weak, and try as he might, there was little he could do against the High King.

Viran’s yelling continued, “For years I moved up the ranks, sacrificing it all for the people, for you Destin! Until I was able to sway the vote of the Syndicate in Andorran to elect me the High King over Alluvion.” The wind picked up around them with the table toppling over from its energy. “And until you see that my cause was just, your mind will be closed to the truth. Magic is no more.”

The room shattered around them the explosion causing Destin ears to ring. The stone turned to dust blowing away in the wind with Destin collapsing to the pure white ground. He felt the ground, and yet it felt like nothing, though it was solid. He stood up to see the entire world was a pure white stretching into infinity. “What have you done?”

Viran ignored the question his voice becoming a hush while he spoke softly to himself, “They will never know the gift I gave them.”

He had full control of this binding they shared in this dreamscape, Destin knew this, but what caused such power to shut him down like this? With Viran in his current rant, he wanted to use this opportunity to find an opening, some way in which he could gain control back. One thing was certain this connection was created by the High King, meaning he had to come to Destin.

“This secret, how was it kept hidden so well?” Destin asked when the realm grew quiet. “So much knowledge, and surely the memory of the people would keep magic alive.”

He slowly nodded recollecting something with a calm smile, “Time is a human’s greatest ally and greatest detriment. It only took a single generation, if that, once the Highborn were destroyed outside of Arthemis, the destroying of their records and histories became simple.” A book materialized beside Viran floating in the air, “Religious texts were altered, and soon all were forgotten.”

Was it possible that the hold the High King held in his mind was due to Destin giving him the permission. That he had lost control of his own dream, only because he accepted the illusion as reality. Valid as that sounded, it felt like a long shot, but it was his only option. Regardless of the hold Viran had, he needed and was going to escape.

“Since the beginning atyri, humans, dwarves, orcs, and all manner of intellectual creatures thrived in Alluvion, and with their much grander lifespans, including immortality, they needed to be outcast. Perdition was the logical choice to send those monsters.” Viran plainly stated.

A soundless spark lit behind Viran with Destin’s small flick of the wrist. It was subtle enough to go unnoticed, but more than changed the entire tide. “So in your attempt to correct the world, you only chained our world up differently. The people are not more or less free than when the Highborn ruled, they only are oblivious to the gift and knowledge you have stolen.

He needed to figure out a way to awake. Viran said specifically that if he died then he could just be brought back. If there was some way he could cause it on his own and jump himself awake it might be enough to wake him. The environment around them gave no way to jump seeing as the realm reached into oblivion. He had control, and that was all he needed to know.

“Magic will return Viran, and you will fall with the curtain which has hidden the truth for so long. Every life lost by your hand will be accounted for.” Destin challenged to Viran. “People will be able to know the truth and do with it what they will, good or evil.” His eyes awoke with his power unlocked, “And your hold will have power no more!” He lifted his hand outward with a spiraling blue flame charging out.

A wall of protection erupted around him while Destin pulled back to reality as the world materialized around him. The bricks collapsed in, the bed and other items faded in around them. Everything appeared back exactly how it was before they left. Both Destin and Viran were back in his bed chamber.

The fire parted ways with Viran standing there not amused. “So you figured it out then?” Viran smeared, “I’m impressed, honestly, but you still have much to learn.” The room began to fade to black with Viran clenching his fists prepared for a fight. “The problem with training under Gideon is you will only ever understand one aspect, never delving into the darkness.”

Destin dodged to the right with the darkness bolting out towards him in a sharp movement. He sent back in defense orbs of light, each detonating blinding flashes of light around Viran. Destin used this as his moment, running towards the windows and with every ounce of thought he focused on the window it beginning to vibrate. He leapt forward as the window shattered, Destin passing through. The glass cut around him each slice an individual sting while he fell towards the ground.

Viran rushed over to the window peering down below at the falling Highborn, “So you have chosen death.” Viran stated as Destin fell down the spire the dreamscape being fragmentized around him. Destin saw the ground growing closer hoping his theory was correct at this point. The moment before he hit the ground, his world faded to black.

Destin awoke straightway sitting up gasping for air the room spinning around while he regained his sense of reality. He tried to grip anything to stabilize the hold and bring back his focus finding the stokers next to the fireplace. His aim was off when his hand hit the stand of the fire stokers as they fell to the ground with a metal clang which rang in his ears.

He began to catch his balance the room coming more fully into view. He was about to lose what little fluids he had in his stomach when he turned to face the ground and closed his eyes. The black emptiness settled the madness around him, his balance and cognition finally returning with him gaining control.

The door slammed open with Gideon at the ready to assist Destin, his torch pinpointed his exact location in the room. “Destin!” He shouted with two guards rushing in to assist Gideon. He checked the bed, but it was empty and undisturbed. He ran to the fireplace to see Destin waiting there his hand over his one eye while he sat on the ground, “Are you alright?” Gideon asked. Even panicked the Highborn still found ways to speak proper.

Destin’s hand was shaky from the experience but still it slowly lifted above his head signalling he was fine. “This the real world? I made it?” He asked his arm going limp for it to drop back beside him. Gideon checked the room around him seeing the table overturned and the window shattered, and somehow there was a great deal of energy permeating from the room.

The guards continued to check the room and ensure everything was safe while Gideon knelt down on one knee next to Destin, “This is real, but I must ask what happened? I felt a strong energy source sweep the castle before I came running in.” Gideon checked the guards behind him before drawing his attention back to Destin.

“Viran… he visited my mind Gideon. He… questioned, tortured me, held me trapped in this alternate reality until I could escape…” It was all flashing back into Destin’s memory, everything that had happened, “And Viran… he actually is Re…” Destin was immediately cut off with his head falling back, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

The red glow from Destin’s eyes lit the room as his head slowly slumped forward with a grievous smile. It turned to focus on Gideon. The guards were terrified and held their guard while backing away. Gideon jumped to his feet, “Hello old friend.” The words came from Destin’s mouth though they weren’t his own. “It’s been far too long.”

The Highborn instantly knew the voice, “Revnic, back from the dead I see?”

“Always here, guarding Alluvion. Something you failed to do.” Destin floated to his feet, “Your days are numbered, knowing your return, soon you will be silenced. The moment you leave Stormforth you will be slain.” He laughed, “Yet even behind the walls of Stormforth you will not be safe for long!” The smile lasted on Destin’s face after the light left his eyes, and his body collapsed to the floor.

Gideon dashed over and caught him before Destin hit the ground, and with a sigh of relief he softly laid him on the ground. The guards stood beside Gideon now that the danger had pasted. “Leave us.” The guards didn’t need to be told twice as they fled out of the room. Gideon sat in his own thoughts reviewing everything while Destin was out cold. Revnic had survived all these years and was indeed the High King Viran. “The dark arts are as mysterious, as they are powerful.” Gideon whispered to himself.

He knew the enemy, now more than ever. With the peaking of the dawn over the mountain range the orange light peered through the window and fell down the wall banishing the shadows from the room until the light rested on Gideon's eyes, “As long as I am here, Stormforth, Alluvion, this world will not fall to your tyranny.” Gideon promised watching Destin’s motionless body, “And if you should forsake me from this world, you will journey with me.”