Totd: Shattered secrets chapter 1

Tales of the Damned: Shattered Secrets (Dark drifters 2)


"It has been 3 months since the events of dark drifters, things are moving rapidly in the city of Haven, but as Ionos and Aeryn have enjoyed becomming closer to each other and some well needed peace, that is about to change..."


Chapter 1: "Loss"  

It had been a good time for Ionos and Aeryn, their relationship had grown and both felt very comfortable with each other, there project the bike which had now been named “Thunderbolt” was nearly finished, having been repainted and almost totally rebuilt to bring its power output even higher while making it more stable at high speed.

Elsewhere in the world things had changed drastically, Baron Praxis had been killed and Haven had entered a time free from tyranny, although before the scenes corruption was still growing, and the unseen threat of Metalheads was getting ever closer.  
Ionos and Aeryn didn’t really hear much of the news though, keeping out of eyesight since Mizo had only just given up on chasing them, a close call had happened a few weeks back but since things had apparently settled down.

Lying awake one morning Aeryn found Ionos tossing and turning in his sleep, she placed a hand on his shoulder “Ionos, wake up”

“ughhhh no…” He lightly said before opening his eyes to see Aeryn’s bright purple eyed face looking at him.

“Ohhh sorry did I wake you” He felt a little bad, he had been having bad dreams for the last few weeks, with increasing effects on his mind, he didn’t know why but felt a little embarrassed to tell Aeryn.

“Hey, you ok? You’ve been shuffling a lot in your sleep, if something’s bothering you, tell me what it is ok?”

Ionos took a deep breath and felt a little red as he looked at her, he still couldn’t believe how far things had come in such a short time, he wished he could just tell her everything, felt frustrated that he hadn’t, but he was also afraid to fully let go of something that he had bottled up, the pain it would cause to openly talk about.

“I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s just my mind trying to get me to tell you things that I didn’t know if I was ready to tell”

Aeryn gave him a slightly confused look but placed arm around him, “Its ok, I told you, when you’re ready you can tell me about it”

“Maybe… If I show you, it`ll be easier on us both” He said trying to keep a strong face now even though his felt heavy.

So it was that after eating breakfast Ionos drove to the Mountain Temple in the peaks outside Haven, with Aeryn by his side.  He hadn’t been in a long time, the journey was long but he had Aeryn to keep him company, she held his hand letting him know that he wasn’t alone, no matter what, they eventually reached the roads leading to the Temple, and luckily they had managed to avoid Haven altogether using a route few knew of.

The temple itself was not visible until nearing the top of the mountain, the design was Precursor but it had been rebuilt a few times in places and now had a more advanced heating system and more grounds. Ionos looked at it with memories stirring in his mind. Once he parked up both wrapped up with heavy scarfs across their faces to both help with the cold and to hide their identity just in case.

After a small walk through the snow covered path Ionos saw the memorial site where he had lost all that had mattered to him for so long, he kneeled down at the site placing a selection of flowers over each grave, the names of his parents looked back at him Alizanne and Orrion Voldarus.  He hated himself for not coming sooner but it had been so hard in the past and although now it wasn’t easy, the feel of Aeryn`s hand on shoulder let him know he wasn’t alone anymore, she didn’t speak any words, just held and let him know she would always be there for him. Ionos stood after a short time and took her hand holding it in his, the two figures gazed out into the view, and almost all of Haven could be seen in a breathtaking vista.

“I’m glad that they were buried here, it may not seem like it now but in the summer months, this place is filled with flowers and life, it’s also far from any city, I didn’t want them buried in such a place”

“I`m sorry Ionos, do you know what happened to them?”

“My… parents, they were killed about 3 years ago, nobody knows exactly how but, they were with someone, I heard a lot of story`s some said it was wild beasts some said metalheads. They never came to an exact cause of death”

His free hand became a fist as he thought of the past and the way he was simply pushed aside, the deaths just put in a file and forgotten about blamed on some unseen creature. His thoughts were soon shifted however by the approach of someone from behind; as he turned he saw Aeryn was already looking at what appeared to be a monk of sorts, though she wore an outfit that looked closer to a worrier or a mage.  

“I`m sorry to disturb you both, but I was coming here to tend to the graves, my name is Muka I live in the temple just above, you are Ionos Volderous, and Aeryn Winter, it’s an honor to meet you both again”

Ionos looked at her slightly confused “I’m sorry but I don’t believe we have met before” Aeryn shared a similar thought but Muka simply smiled, “I wouldn’t expect you to remember It was a long time ago,”

Her voice was calm and almost soothing; she had an aura of peace and deep wisdom.  “My name is Muka, I`m a guardian of this temple, I wish to speak to you, your friend can join also the time seems to be right for you to learn of answers to questions long asked”

Ionos looked at her trying to gauge her intent but it was simply not possible Muka`s face gave nothing away, but her words felt like they had truth in them, he nodded and with Aeryn followed Muka up to the temple.

Inside it was warm and had a feeling of security, oddly there were only one or two other guardians inside all distingued  by their robes and armor like outfits of green and sandy tan. They looked quickly at the visitors as they passed but didn’t seem concerned.

Soon Muka had lead them to what appeared to be a wall, first thinking that she`d taken a wrong turn Ionos was about to say something when the guardian pressed her hand against it and a hidden door opened up, stepping though the entire environment changed, the temple gave way to what appeared to be a room of high tech computers and technology, at first Ionos thought that it had been built as an extension but the walls were still that of the temple.

“Don’t look so surprised, we may live in a temple but we aren’t primitive by any means, we just need to keep up the impression for certain… party’s shall we say”

Muka quickly guided them to an adjacent room which had a table in the center with a console and places for them to sit and talk in private. “I`m sorry for the slight deception, but as you can imagine the old baron was quite quick to dispose of any he thought were a threat. This was the only way we could keep hidden and off the radar as such”

“It’s an impressive setup” Aeryn said having kept quiet until now, Ionos the other hand was more interested in WHY they had been brought here.

“You said you had answers to questions” He spoke up, “What answers are you talking about my parents? How do you even know who I am anyway?”  He was feeling on edge now his emotions had risen to the surface and he was having a hard time trying to push them down.

“I can understand this must be difficult but please hear me out, I knew who you are because I was there after your parents died, the few guardians here created the graves you saw outside and watched over them.  I have been waiting for you since then” Muka took a long breath and took a moment before continuing

“Your parents were not killed by the claws of a wild animal, though you could I suppose call what killed them a beast, it was a Darkmaker, a being of immense power and hatred for precursors, now your parents were not precursor but they were with someone who had precursor blood in them when they died.”

Ionos simply stood shaking his head, not sure of what to think “Darkmakers, precursors? Its like something out of a story told to kids, your telling me they are real? I don’t know what to think, it doesn’t seem possible”

“It is real Ionos, and you and your friend are about to discover something that has been covered up for far to long”

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