Brendan and I went with the masked Feles. I couldn’t help but wonder what true connection they held with the legendary Fang, if they knew Fang like my family did, perhaps they could give some answer dad had yet to give.

They led us to a place not that far from the abandoned village and hut where I found the crystal. There was a giant blue crystal shimmering in the light, I could only guess at the size of it, perhaps similar in size to Cathopia’s castle., a door shaped hole carved into the front of it. I looked upwards as we entered.

The inside of the giant crystal was carved out, little houses carved into the crystal walls, ramps leading all the way to the top, where a chandelier hung at its centre, shaped like a giant lily; it was beautiful.

“How did we miss this?” asked Brendan.

“The whole caverns made of crystal even the walls, it must have blended in or something,” I answered, trying to figure that out too, this place was massive, the size reflected on the number of inhabitants, leaving me with another question, how could we have not seen anyone when we arrived.

“Welcome to Crystellia,” announced the leader, taking us to the heart of the city, where a great fire burned, the dancing flames bounced reds and yellows onto the crystal walls, lighting the whole place up in a blaze of colour. I looked around captivated by everything I was seeing, it was amazing.

“Awesome,” I smiled, watching as all the Animalia began to turn and look in our direction, there wasn’t just Feles here, but Lupus, Ursus, Rattus, Serpentes, Caballus and so many others.

“Let us celebrate the return of a Warrior of Fang,” he raised his arms up, his voice echoing, carried throughout the crystal.

“Warrior of Fang,” they all began mumbling amongst themselves, then one by one began to cheer.

“Let us have a grand feast and party!” shouted one beginning to dance around the fire, loads of the others began to join in, they were all full of such joy.

“What’s so special about the Warrior of Fang?” I asked the leader.

“You do not know?” he seemed puzzled by my words.

“I have yet to receive my awakening and my dad was sent off before he could tell me more,” I responded honestly.

"Come," he moved away to sit down closer to the fire. "A Warrior of Fang is one who is fated to fight the darkness,” he began as Brendan, and I sat down with him. “When darkness rises within the world so does a Warrior of Fang, the light to defeat the darkness. Legend says that Fang would one day return to this world at the behest of the Goddess. His descendants can summon forth the power of his talismans, but only in the awakening will one know who they really are, and the darkness they must truly defeat.”

“Dumah is that darkness,” I said.

“No,” he shook his head. “He is simply the puppet, a servant, like so many others under the command of the eternal dragon.”

“The eternal dragon is just a fairy tale,” I responded.

He laughed. “Believe thee old tales, accept their words as truth and when you have your awakening, you will understand everything.”

“Can’t you just tell me?” I let out a sigh.

“No,” he almost snapped. “The awakening is important; it connects you to him.” He stood up. “Enough talk, enjoy the party.” He went straight into dancing around the fire with the others.

“That wasn’t very helpful,” commented Brendan.

“It was in some ways,” I said. “I’m destined to fight some darkness.” I looked up at the flames. “Did dad have to do the same?”

“You’ll just have to ask him when he gets back,” smiled Brendan.

“Join us Warrior of Fang,” chanted two female Uncias.

“Two females,” nudged Brendan. “They want to dance with you.”

“There is only one girl for me,” I snorted looking away.

“Tigra isn’t here, plus they only want to dance,” laughed Brendan. “Might as well have some fun while we are here.”

“Yeah,” I smiled getting to my feet. Brendan slowly followed and we joined in with the celebration.

Everyone was now dancing around the blazing fire, which seemed to never faulter, sending more embers above, reflecting off the walls, lighting the whole place up in a feverish heat of excitement.

Music was played loudly, the sound bouncing off the crystal walls just like the flames, the air filled with laughter and joy, something I felt in the near future I would see less off, as Dumah’s influence continued to inflict the king.

I stopped to stare at the flames, seeing the shadow of a figure within them, they looked at me, then he was moving around on guard, almost like something was happening.

“Everyone get out of here now!” I heard shouts and screams, then the fire was everywhere. “Hurry he’s coming!”

My eyes widened as I saw more of the figures presence enveloping, the flames spreading out across the crystal as I slowly turned around.

“He found us!” I heard more shouts.

“You need to get out of here Fang,” I saw the leader we had spoken to. “We’ll hold them off.”

“I can’t let you do that,” he refused to leave them.

“You are the last hope in this world, you must live.” The leader drew his sword and around him so many others did so too. “The Goddesses light sleeps within you; you are the last light to destroy the eternal dragon.”

“I know that, but I can’t do that alone!” shouted Fang.

“You are never alone, you have him and so many others,” he glanced at a phased out figure standing next to him. “With his help you will be able to separate the spreading darkness, within this ti…” he never finished as he was struck down with a shot of black energy.

“Fang, we need to go,” the phased out Feles spoke. “You know we have to.”

“Damn,” cursed Fang. “Let’s go.”

I blinked and the flames went out, the whole place was shrouded in darkness, the huge crystal we had entered smashed all around me. I placed my hand on a dancing Brendan, he stopped looking at me.

“This isn’t real,” I shook my head, indicating for him to turn around to see all those who had been dancing with us, standing together looking at us.

“What the heck happened?” Brendan was shocked seeing the sudden change.

“This place was attacked during the time of Fang; this place was destroyed, and they died to allow Fang to escape.”

“Yes, indeed,” the leader nodded. “We have been waiting ever since to know of his victory, our spirits refusing to pass from this world,” a weary smile crossed his face. “We sensed when you arrived filled with hope, we wanted to dance with our saviour one last time.”

“I’m not Fang,” I shook my head.

“But you carry his blood, his rein continues to fight back the darkness. Remember young Warrior of Fang, like your ancestor you are the only light that stands in the way of darkness.” He moved closer as their bodies began to fade. “These sacred places belong to you now, the waters here are purest you’ll find, take what ever you need, when you need.” I nodded finding no words. “I just have one request of you.”

“What is it?” I responded, feeling this sadness rising up within me.

“Remember us.” They were his final words as one by one they began to disappear; their spirits finally finding a peace they had waited so long for.

Even when they had long been gone, Brendan and I stood there in silence. I slowly looked around seeing the remains of the grand crystal we had entered only a short while ago.

The place was in complete ruins, the top had been blown off, with only the bottom half remaining, the houses that were carved into the walls, now looked like walls with giant holes in them. The main street we stood within empty with the echoes of the celebrations they must have once had here.

“Let’s go.” I spoke, my voice echoing in the empty space.

“Yeah,” nodded Brendan.

We left that place in silence, both of us filled with a heavy heart, what started out to be a beautiful place, turned out to be a place with a horrific past related to the darkness that now tried to consume Cathopia, would this fight of light verses darkness ever stop? And would Cathopia end up with the same fate as this place?