than stars, fiery comets flew all about, crashing into places unknown deep within the forest. His subconscious was setting everything it touched afire. Gisbo looked about, unable to believe this was the same place he had just visited before the great battle at Flaria. He took a step forward and realized the grass was muddled with a sticky, black sludge.
“Drakeness . . . here? Oh, oh no, FAO! FAO!” Gisbo yelled as he ran to his white wolf who, rather than standing upon her tall rock, happy to greet him, was draped over one side of it. Her white coat was bloodied and marred with blackness. Her chest rose and fell unnaturally, and with every breath, she squeaked with pain. Gisbo wrapped his Boon, the guardian of his inner world, up in his arms.
“Fao . . . Fao, please, speak to me, girl, come on,” Gisbo said, rocking her and feeling his eyes begin to water. A single tear dripped down his cheek and onto Fao’s head.
“Hello . . . my . . . my boy,” Fao said weakly. “I’m fine, I really am.”
“No, no, you’re not. This is because of me, isn’t it? All of this?” Gisbo asked.
“NO!” Fao shouted before erupting into fierce coughs.
“Hey, hey, take it easy, girl, come on now,” Gisbo said.
“No, no, you mustn’t ever blame yourself. This is not you. This was pre-ordained. The enemy is here, already within you. I’ve done what I can to help you, anything and all, but the black things, they attack me. Soon those that I killed will respawn, back to do it again in an endless cycle. Gisbo, this path you are on, you MUST change it, or soon they will overwhelm me and take me by sheer numbers. Then you will be lost forever,” Fao said.
“I won’t let that happen. I can’t . . .” Gisbo said, “ . . . but, how do I stop this?”
“There is a vision. Seek out Rolce, ask him about the vision, and most importantly, beware of, of . . .” Fao said.
“What?” Gisbo asked.
“You must distance yourself from Nina. You do not belong together. I don’t care what she’s told you, you mustn’t. You must break away,” Fao said.
“Fao, I . . . I can’t do that. I . . . I . . .” Gisbo said.
“Love her?” Fao asked.
“I, I don’t know,” Gisbo said.
“But you can’t say it? Even to me?” Fao asked.
Gisbo was silent.
“Then you truly don’t,” Fao said. “I know this will be hard, for both of you, but it must be done. You must distance your feelings. If you don’t, it could cause a series of events that you will not come back from. You trusted me once before, Gisbo. Please, trust me again. When you’re together, because of, because of who she is, it . . . this darkness inside you, it’s a part of it, and if you don’t control it . . .” Fao said.
“I don’t know what it is. Every time I’m around Nina, I get this unpleasantness flowing through me. Why, Fao? All was fine before the Drakeness,” Gisbo said.
“You will learn why in your own time,” Fao said. “For now, trust me. I have no reason to lead you astray.”
“I will, Fao, and I do. I . . . Look at this place. Please say I can make this better?” Gisbo asked.
“You can, but it will take time,” Fao said.
“Then I won’t come back until I do. I make my stand here. I will prepare for this tournament and win and stop whatever is coming by my own hands,” Gisbo said.
“Gisbo, hold on to your fighting spirit,” Fao said. “I don’t just believe you can, I know you can, and you will. I love you, Gisbo. Come back to me safe and sound.”
“I will, girl. I love you too,” Gisbo said as he held his wolf tightly. The world dissolved around him and he found himself standing back on his front porch with Fao by his side again, fur white as snow. Gisbo bent down and gave his wolf another hug and she lapped him fiercely.
“What are you doing up so late?” Rolce asked as he walked out of the front door, rubbing his eyes, clad in his underwear.
“I should be asking you that,” Gisbo said.
“Well, someone
“Drakeness . . . here? Oh, oh no, FAO! FAO!” Gisbo yelled as he ran to his white wolf who, rather than standing upon her tall rock, happy to greet him, was draped over one side of it. Her white coat was bloodied and marred with blackness. Her chest rose and fell unnaturally, and with every breath, she squeaked with pain. Gisbo wrapped his Boon, the guardian of his inner world, up in his arms.
“Fao . . . Fao, please, speak to me, girl, come on,” Gisbo said, rocking her and feeling his eyes begin to water. A single tear dripped down his cheek and onto Fao’s head.
“Hello . . . my . . . my boy,” Fao said weakly. “I’m fine, I really am.”
“No, no, you’re not. This is because of me, isn’t it? All of this?” Gisbo asked.
“NO!” Fao shouted before erupting into fierce coughs.
“Hey, hey, take it easy, girl, come on now,” Gisbo said.
“No, no, you mustn’t ever blame yourself. This is not you. This was pre-ordained. The enemy is here, already within you. I’ve done what I can to help you, anything and all, but the black things, they attack me. Soon those that I killed will respawn, back to do it again in an endless cycle. Gisbo, this path you are on, you MUST change it, or soon they will overwhelm me and take me by sheer numbers. Then you will be lost forever,” Fao said.
“I won’t let that happen. I can’t . . .” Gisbo said, “ . . . but, how do I stop this?”
“There is a vision. Seek out Rolce, ask him about the vision, and most importantly, beware of, of . . .” Fao said.
“What?” Gisbo asked.
“You must distance yourself from Nina. You do not belong together. I don’t care what she’s told you, you mustn’t. You must break away,” Fao said.
“Fao, I . . . I can’t do that. I . . . I . . .” Gisbo said.
“Love her?” Fao asked.
“I, I don’t know,” Gisbo said.
“But you can’t say it? Even to me?” Fao asked.
Gisbo was silent.
“Then you truly don’t,” Fao said. “I know this will be hard, for both of you, but it must be done. You must distance your feelings. If you don’t, it could cause a series of events that you will not come back from. You trusted me once before, Gisbo. Please, trust me again. When you’re together, because of, because of who she is, it . . . this darkness inside you, it’s a part of it, and if you don’t control it . . .” Fao said.
“I don’t know what it is. Every time I’m around Nina, I get this unpleasantness flowing through me. Why, Fao? All was fine before the Drakeness,” Gisbo said.
“You will learn why in your own time,” Fao said. “For now, trust me. I have no reason to lead you astray.”
“I will, Fao, and I do. I . . . Look at this place. Please say I can make this better?” Gisbo asked.
“You can, but it will take time,” Fao said.
“Then I won’t come back until I do. I make my stand here. I will prepare for this tournament and win and stop whatever is coming by my own hands,” Gisbo said.
“Gisbo, hold on to your fighting spirit,” Fao said. “I don’t just believe you can, I know you can, and you will. I love you, Gisbo. Come back to me safe and sound.”
“I will, girl. I love you too,” Gisbo said as he held his wolf tightly. The world dissolved around him and he found himself standing back on his front porch with Fao by his side again, fur white as snow. Gisbo bent down and gave his wolf another hug and she lapped him fiercely.
“What are you doing up so late?” Rolce asked as he walked out of the front door, rubbing his eyes, clad in his underwear.
“I should be asking you that,” Gisbo said.
“Well, someone
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