Post by Alessandro Darko on Nov 7, 2008 0:18:53 GMT -5
It had been several weeks since the disappearance of Alessandro Orion Darko.
Exactly three weeks prior, it would have appeared that Alessandro had met a fiery doom as he plummeted from the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts, and by some means of arcane magic, had become completely consumed in a blazing fire. The only things left on the ground being a small pile of ash and the Elemental Orb of Fire, and lets not forget his seldom removed Italian Horn. Several friends and members of the Order of Light had been alerted to the unfortunate event, and upon investigation, a one Keaira O’Connell had been the first on the scene, recovering the Orb and silver necklace. The staff, ironically those meant to protect the welfare of the students, not the other way around, were unaware of the method of departure the boy had taken, and were notified that he had simply “vanished” from the school. Search parties were rounded up, and several groups were sent through the Forest to scour each and every inch in search for the young Ravenclaw, but to no avail. Only those present would have known the truth.
Alessandro Darko had died. Burnt to ash by the element he governed.
But -- Was he really dead? Did the sight absorbed by a one Caitlin Collins really play out the way she had seen it? Or was there a higher power at work here?
That fateful night, Mr. Darko had been dreaming soundly in his dormitory in Ravenclaw tower when his mind had become ’touched’. His perceptions had been altered to make him think that what he was experiencing in his dreams, were reality. Sights, sounds, touch, smell, all of his senses were acute, and the block that usually prevents the motor functions from working while dreaming was lifted. Alessandro began to follow the voice and image of his past love interest, luring him into the night like a siren. The crows should have been a warning sign from him. All through the day, signs had been sent to warn him from his impending doom, and had he been a bit more focused he may have been able to prevent what happened, or he may have not, for destiny is inevitable.
The moment he witnessed Keaira swan diving from the tower, he snapped out of his trance and his heart became activated, dominating his thoughts with fear of losing someone he loved. If it weren’t for his brain, he would have driven himself over the very ledge without hesitation, but, ironically, it was the crows which startled him, causing him to lose his balance and fall. As he fell, time seemed to slow down, fear had exploded from within him, and the burning sensation he had been feeling in his chest was searing to the point where he felt like his insides were on fire. And then, the voice.
It was warm, and gentle, soothing, and it spoke to him, telling him not to be afraid, and that this was the way. ”Salvation is the hearts desire, the orb of fire within.” At that very moment, Alessandro prayed with all his might for salvation, in turn, exploding into a fiery jubilation -- that was his salvation, the salvation which produced his orb into reality. It had always been with him all along, in his core, his heart. Magic is a mysterious thing, for it wasn’t physically in there, one couldn’t view it through an X-Ray, but it was just there. The hunt was over, the prize was now in sight, but where now was the hunter to claim his prize?
No, Alessandro was not dead.
There were many realms and dimensions which lay parallel to the realm in which living things dwell. In terms of speculation, there was heaven, hell, purgatory, but then what about the other worlds in between? The Shadow Realm, surely, he had been there himself. Dragged there by the former Professor Kade, and the now departed Gat Soldier. If he had come to his senses sooner, he would have put Gat out of his misery, with a cheerful smile on his face, and then offer to conjure up a score of treacle and cocoa. But the Shadow Realm was not where Alessandro had gone. As his body was being consumed in flame, he was changing. His molecules were becoming fire themselves, and whence he fully became merged with the fire, the final explosion transported him to a realm that was completely engulfed in flames. An eternal hellfire, ever burning, never ceasing. It was not hell, there were no tormented souls being tortured for their past life sins, as a matter of fact, there were no discernible beings there, save for himself.
When he came to, he was screaming. His eyes flickered open, completely comprised of flame, with glowing accents that characterized the lines in his face, the structure of his body. He was glowing white hot and flames flowed from him like a fountain of fire. He couldn’t even determine whether or not he was wearing clothing, but it didn’t matter. For some reason, he was alive, but different and he had to figure out what was happening to him. His eyes scanned the environment which looked frighteningly familiar. He was standing on the front lawn of Hogwarts, but everything was either burning, comprised of fire, or scorched all to hell. He whipped around to regard the rambling castle, all ablaze and flickering with fire. The sounds of burning were deafening as everything sizzled and popped, and sounded as if a rather blustery wind was blowing in his ears. Looking down at his palms, glowing white-hot, and spewing flame, he turned them over once and again, hoping to see some sort of remnant of his self, any sign that he was still Alessandro, made of flesh and bone.
Master of Fire
It was a calm voice that called out to him, the same one he heard before he burst into flame. Master of Fire, do you know why you are here? It asked him serenely. He looked over his shoulder at the smoldering forest seemingly made of fire itself, and then back at the similarly smoldering castle. ”No! Why am I here? Why is this ‘the way’? Am I dead? Is this hell?!” So many questions poured out of him, and he hoped to seek answers to all of them. You are here because you sought that which needed to transcend realms. This is the way to Salvation. You are not dead. You have not yet fulfilled your purpose, none of the children have yet fulfilled the purpose. This is not hell. This is the Realm of Eternal Fire.
Everything he wanted to know, but not specific enough.
”If I’m not dead, how did I get here, what am I??” He asked wildly, looking at his hands again. “What do you mean ‘that which I sought needed to transcend!?” He shouted, looking around him quickly. There was a delay in response which prompted him to shout. ”Answer me!” At that moment, everything merged together in one fiery inferno with no distinguishable landscape. There was no up or down, in or out, there was just fire. A brilliant and blazing light was seen from afar, the source of the voice. ”Who are you?!?!
Through the crackling of the flame, the voice permeated loud and clear, but with its innate gentleness. I am the Divine Flame, the keeper of the Realm of Eternal Fire. The source of the power which you govern. I was born of the fragment of light which created the elements. In harmony with the other Divinities, the Divine Light shall once again purge the darkness from the world that you know, setting it free from the grip of the Shadows. It is unfortunate that things have digressed this far. There is chaos among the Order and it appears that random factors have influenced this path to be taken. To answer your questions before I reveal what is to become, you were transported here through the power of flame. That which you had sought, the Orb of Fire is an extension of your power, my power. It links you directly to the source. Your orb had been inside of you since birth, when destiny had chosen you to be the Elemental Master of Fire. You also were born with another gift as well, the gift of sight. An ability that has stagnated and had not yet fully grown to its potential. You received a prophecy that divined how you should receive your orb, but had yet to decipher it. When you begged for salvation, that was the key, and your orb resonated with your desires -- Salvation is the Heart’s Desire, The Orb of Fire within.
At that moment he reflected back on all the times he had thought he was close to figuring it out, but realizing how far he was. He never once imagined that the orb was with him all along, inside of him. Before he could ask if it was in him all along, why hadn’t he had the ability to defeat the darkness around him. When the orb resonated with your desires, It crossed over from this realm, through you, as you crossed over. I pulled you here, otherwise, you might have perished in the fall. Master of Fire, do you realize that you must let go of that which you love? All things outside of the battle between light and dark are irrelevant. Your duty is to stop the forces of darkness, and you have lost sight of that. The Shadow Warrior of Metal has held your heart and prevented it from realizing its true goal. Do you love her so that you would forfeit your life? As you so proved the night you followed her to the tower? You must let her go. It seems as though the Master of Metal has claimed her now, it is a problem, but less so that would not damage the bonds between Master and Warrior. You must let her go, and resume your responsibilities. Master your element, vanquish evil alongside her and the others, don’t lose sight of your purpose in this war.
This was all too much, he wasn't understanding everything, perhaps wasn't ready to understand. Was he to give up Keaira? Why was it so important that he let her go? She made him vulnerable, other than that, he couldn't see any other reason. Something that the Divine Flame has said, though, gave him hope. It spoke like he would be returning.
Exactly three weeks prior, it would have appeared that Alessandro had met a fiery doom as he plummeted from the Astronomy Tower at Hogwarts, and by some means of arcane magic, had become completely consumed in a blazing fire. The only things left on the ground being a small pile of ash and the Elemental Orb of Fire, and lets not forget his seldom removed Italian Horn. Several friends and members of the Order of Light had been alerted to the unfortunate event, and upon investigation, a one Keaira O’Connell had been the first on the scene, recovering the Orb and silver necklace. The staff, ironically those meant to protect the welfare of the students, not the other way around, were unaware of the method of departure the boy had taken, and were notified that he had simply “vanished” from the school. Search parties were rounded up, and several groups were sent through the Forest to scour each and every inch in search for the young Ravenclaw, but to no avail. Only those present would have known the truth.
Alessandro Darko had died. Burnt to ash by the element he governed.
But -- Was he really dead? Did the sight absorbed by a one Caitlin Collins really play out the way she had seen it? Or was there a higher power at work here?
That fateful night, Mr. Darko had been dreaming soundly in his dormitory in Ravenclaw tower when his mind had become ’touched’. His perceptions had been altered to make him think that what he was experiencing in his dreams, were reality. Sights, sounds, touch, smell, all of his senses were acute, and the block that usually prevents the motor functions from working while dreaming was lifted. Alessandro began to follow the voice and image of his past love interest, luring him into the night like a siren. The crows should have been a warning sign from him. All through the day, signs had been sent to warn him from his impending doom, and had he been a bit more focused he may have been able to prevent what happened, or he may have not, for destiny is inevitable.
The moment he witnessed Keaira swan diving from the tower, he snapped out of his trance and his heart became activated, dominating his thoughts with fear of losing someone he loved. If it weren’t for his brain, he would have driven himself over the very ledge without hesitation, but, ironically, it was the crows which startled him, causing him to lose his balance and fall. As he fell, time seemed to slow down, fear had exploded from within him, and the burning sensation he had been feeling in his chest was searing to the point where he felt like his insides were on fire. And then, the voice.
It was warm, and gentle, soothing, and it spoke to him, telling him not to be afraid, and that this was the way. ”Salvation is the hearts desire, the orb of fire within.” At that very moment, Alessandro prayed with all his might for salvation, in turn, exploding into a fiery jubilation -- that was his salvation, the salvation which produced his orb into reality. It had always been with him all along, in his core, his heart. Magic is a mysterious thing, for it wasn’t physically in there, one couldn’t view it through an X-Ray, but it was just there. The hunt was over, the prize was now in sight, but where now was the hunter to claim his prize?
No, Alessandro was not dead.
There were many realms and dimensions which lay parallel to the realm in which living things dwell. In terms of speculation, there was heaven, hell, purgatory, but then what about the other worlds in between? The Shadow Realm, surely, he had been there himself. Dragged there by the former Professor Kade, and the now departed Gat Soldier. If he had come to his senses sooner, he would have put Gat out of his misery, with a cheerful smile on his face, and then offer to conjure up a score of treacle and cocoa. But the Shadow Realm was not where Alessandro had gone. As his body was being consumed in flame, he was changing. His molecules were becoming fire themselves, and whence he fully became merged with the fire, the final explosion transported him to a realm that was completely engulfed in flames. An eternal hellfire, ever burning, never ceasing. It was not hell, there were no tormented souls being tortured for their past life sins, as a matter of fact, there were no discernible beings there, save for himself.
When he came to, he was screaming. His eyes flickered open, completely comprised of flame, with glowing accents that characterized the lines in his face, the structure of his body. He was glowing white hot and flames flowed from him like a fountain of fire. He couldn’t even determine whether or not he was wearing clothing, but it didn’t matter. For some reason, he was alive, but different and he had to figure out what was happening to him. His eyes scanned the environment which looked frighteningly familiar. He was standing on the front lawn of Hogwarts, but everything was either burning, comprised of fire, or scorched all to hell. He whipped around to regard the rambling castle, all ablaze and flickering with fire. The sounds of burning were deafening as everything sizzled and popped, and sounded as if a rather blustery wind was blowing in his ears. Looking down at his palms, glowing white-hot, and spewing flame, he turned them over once and again, hoping to see some sort of remnant of his self, any sign that he was still Alessandro, made of flesh and bone.
Master of Fire
It was a calm voice that called out to him, the same one he heard before he burst into flame. Master of Fire, do you know why you are here? It asked him serenely. He looked over his shoulder at the smoldering forest seemingly made of fire itself, and then back at the similarly smoldering castle. ”No! Why am I here? Why is this ‘the way’? Am I dead? Is this hell?!” So many questions poured out of him, and he hoped to seek answers to all of them. You are here because you sought that which needed to transcend realms. This is the way to Salvation. You are not dead. You have not yet fulfilled your purpose, none of the children have yet fulfilled the purpose. This is not hell. This is the Realm of Eternal Fire.
Everything he wanted to know, but not specific enough.
”If I’m not dead, how did I get here, what am I??” He asked wildly, looking at his hands again. “What do you mean ‘that which I sought needed to transcend!?” He shouted, looking around him quickly. There was a delay in response which prompted him to shout. ”Answer me!” At that moment, everything merged together in one fiery inferno with no distinguishable landscape. There was no up or down, in or out, there was just fire. A brilliant and blazing light was seen from afar, the source of the voice. ”Who are you?!?!
Through the crackling of the flame, the voice permeated loud and clear, but with its innate gentleness. I am the Divine Flame, the keeper of the Realm of Eternal Fire. The source of the power which you govern. I was born of the fragment of light which created the elements. In harmony with the other Divinities, the Divine Light shall once again purge the darkness from the world that you know, setting it free from the grip of the Shadows. It is unfortunate that things have digressed this far. There is chaos among the Order and it appears that random factors have influenced this path to be taken. To answer your questions before I reveal what is to become, you were transported here through the power of flame. That which you had sought, the Orb of Fire is an extension of your power, my power. It links you directly to the source. Your orb had been inside of you since birth, when destiny had chosen you to be the Elemental Master of Fire. You also were born with another gift as well, the gift of sight. An ability that has stagnated and had not yet fully grown to its potential. You received a prophecy that divined how you should receive your orb, but had yet to decipher it. When you begged for salvation, that was the key, and your orb resonated with your desires -- Salvation is the Heart’s Desire, The Orb of Fire within.
At that moment he reflected back on all the times he had thought he was close to figuring it out, but realizing how far he was. He never once imagined that the orb was with him all along, inside of him. Before he could ask if it was in him all along, why hadn’t he had the ability to defeat the darkness around him. When the orb resonated with your desires, It crossed over from this realm, through you, as you crossed over. I pulled you here, otherwise, you might have perished in the fall. Master of Fire, do you realize that you must let go of that which you love? All things outside of the battle between light and dark are irrelevant. Your duty is to stop the forces of darkness, and you have lost sight of that. The Shadow Warrior of Metal has held your heart and prevented it from realizing its true goal. Do you love her so that you would forfeit your life? As you so proved the night you followed her to the tower? You must let her go. It seems as though the Master of Metal has claimed her now, it is a problem, but less so that would not damage the bonds between Master and Warrior. You must let her go, and resume your responsibilities. Master your element, vanquish evil alongside her and the others, don’t lose sight of your purpose in this war.
This was all too much, he wasn't understanding everything, perhaps wasn't ready to understand. Was he to give up Keaira? Why was it so important that he let her go? She made him vulnerable, other than that, he couldn't see any other reason. Something that the Divine Flame has said, though, gave him hope. It spoke like he would be returning.
***
