Children of the Void – an excerpt By Michael Ryan
calmly, waiting for the response he knew was coming.
Walking to the centre of chamber, Draco pressed the gem on his ring and revealed himself without a word, waiting to see how his old allies would react. He was curious whether or not they still kept the wisdom he’d once taught them, or whether time had dulled their reason. Without warning, two long chains flew at Draco from both sides, wrapping around his arms and pulling in opposite directions, not enough to cause any real damage, but certainly enough to catch the First Chosen off guard and limit his movement. Though Draco was in pain, he couldn’t help but smile at the trick; it was quite effective. “You’re the one claiming the title of a god?” A figure called out from ahead of Draco, a voice he recognised immediately. “Of course not, there’s only one god.” Draco replied. “But Draco, you do claim to be him, don’t you?” The voice continued. It was a male voice, the voice of one of the
The two figures stayed quiet for several moments, taking the time to both observe Draco and consider his words. Then, suddenly, the chains came loose and fell to the ground, freeing the First Chosen. As Draco regained his composure, the woman he’d heard before walked up beside the male figure. strongest people Draco had ever met. “I’m sorry, is the new face putting you off? Yes, I claim to be Draco, because I am.” The Chosen replied, grimacing in pain as the chains pulled even harder.
“You finally came back.” The woman said, the joy in her voice clear. “It’s been so long, but you’re finally here.” “I told you that I would return; don’t tell me you lost hope?” Draco asked.
“You’re in pain.” A woman called from behind him. “Are you telling us that Draco, the First Chosen, is in pain?”
“Of course not, but we can’t say the same for the rest of the army; our ranks are smaller than they’ve been in centuries.” The man explained.
“Of course, I’m in pain. Have you forgotten everything I taught you, or are you testing me? Either way, I recommend that you remove these chains before I have to exert myself breaking them.” Draco spoke
“I’m not surprised, I was gone far longer than I intended. Despite all that time, you two still look so young. You’ve been so strong.” Draco said, looking over his two old friends.
Continues overleaf Illustration based on: Parte di ampio magnifico Porto all’uso degli antichi Romani, ove si scuopre l’interno della gran Piazza pel Comercio by Giovanni Battista Piranesi
June 2022 Dircksey 13
