Shawna didn’t have time to take in the ethereal beauty of the realm: ice-like trees surrounded by ever-swirling eddies of snow, spring grasses and flowers repeatedly blooming and dying, all seasons were happening all at once in this utopian perfection. All she saw was a vast lake in the distance. The entire lake was seething, boiling, moving as if it were alive and trying to form into solid matter. A hundred or more Kayi-Elk were galloping everywhere, shouting, and racing towards the water.
“He has vanished,” shouted their guide as he cantered up to them. “The sorcerer has laid a powerful curse upon Karuna, and we cannot break it.” The Kayi-Elk looked murderous and petrified at the same time.
“Help us!” he said to Shawna, desperation clouding his crystal eyes. Not waiting for her reply, he dashed away towards the gathering Kayi-Elk near the lake’s edge.
Her heart lodged in her throat.
“I don’t know how to help you!” she tried yelling after him, but he was too far away.
“Maybe we should leave,” said Orin.
Mira whirled on him. “Leave? If we leave—” Her eyes narrowed and she pinned her ears back.
“If we leave—what?” he said, narrowing his own eyes.
“Are you here to aid us or not, boy?”
His jaw clenched, but he drew his sword and nodded.
“Look!” Lula said, flying out of the backpack and pointing towards the mass of Kayi-Elk below.
Out of the lake’s center rose a thing even worse than the nightmarish molochs. Giant antlers broke the surface, then an enormous human skull dripping with flesh emerged. It let loose a screaming high-pitched roar so horrifying that everyone tried to shut out the painful cry and shook their heads until it ceased. The hellish creature continued to rise. The skeleton of a human female torso that was half in flesh, half decayed, appeared. Then, attached to the torso, the decaying body of a once beautiful elk, its hair swirling with greens and browns of the earth, broke the surface and began to advance towards them.
“Is that Karuna?” Shawna yelled over the deafening tortured scream.
Orin came up beside her. “Yes. We need to leave!” His face was as white as her knuckles. “We shouldn’t have come here. There’s nothing we can do. She’ll be killed,” he said, gesturing towards Shawna as he glared at Mira.
Shawna jumped down from Mira’s back and looked at Orin.
“It was him wasn’t it. The one you warned us about.” She grabbed Orin’s arm. “Gavan did this. But how did he find it? Do you know?”
Orin looked away. “No. Maybe it was her,” he said.
“You mean—” said Shawna.
“Your mother.” He pulled his arm away from her tightening grasp. “I know as much as you do.”
Antares looked at Orin and flexed his claws. The earth trembled. Orin put an arm out and pushed Shawna back from the huge monstrosity slowly striding through the roiling waters. The Kayi-Elk were holding their arms up, facing her, and chanting something. The lake had turned a sickly gray-blue. Bubbles the size of small hills rose then burst sending toxic steam skyward. Shawna craned her neck back, inhaled, and grabbed Orin’s arm. The dusky sky was tearing apart like disintegrating cloth. Directly above the lake there was nothing but space, endless and dark, littered with stars. Orin backed into her so quickly that she nearly fell over.
“What’s happening?!” she shrieked. “What do we do?”
Mira remained silent for a long time then turned her head up to the appearing galaxies. “The last time,” she said quietly. “There was no escape for them the last time—” but the memory seemed too harrowing for her to continue. The starlit darkness was eerily reflected in her eyes as she stared up at it.
The dying Guardian, almost an entire skeleton now, was just below the rise they stood upon. It seemed to sense them. It opened its jaws wide and screamed a piercing yowl. Shawna’s hair stood on end from the sound.
Mira, a horrified gleam in her eyes, turned and knelt down. “I’m afraid Orin’s right. There’s nothing we can do. It would be the death of us all.” Shawna didn’t need to be told twice as she scrambled onto her back.
Lula flew into the backpack. “I absolutely agree.”
Orin glanced at the massive Kayi-Elk guardian, more and more flesh was falling away in strips as it howled and screamed, then he leapt up behind Shawna.
“We cannot help them. Let’s hope we can escape with our lives,” Mira said. “This place is lost. Hold on!”
They galloped away from the terrible scene, leaving the last of Karuna’s clan mad with horror.
“What will happen to them?” Shawna shouted over the sounds of chaos from behind.
“Their land is destroyed,” said Mira, “and so are they.”
Shawna looked back again, trying to see around Orin’s shoulder, but he was trying to shield her. All she glimpsed was the destroyed guardian howling with rage and pain, the sunset sky disappearing above, and the green earth slowly shriveling to arid dirt.
“Wait!” she yelled. “Sparkle? Stop! Mira, stop!”
“What?” said Lula, emerging from the backpack.
The bat was frantically flying towards them, but Karuna was striking like a snake trying to catch him in her bony hands. Sparkle swerved, dove, weaved, but not fast enough. She caught him.
“No!” shouted Lula.
“Lula! Don’t!” Shawna called out as Lula shot towards the monster.
Sparkle slipped from between Karuna’s fingers only to be captured again by her other hand. She was toying with him. Lula was a blur of gold dust as she tried to help the silly pink bat she pretended to hate, but adored more than anything. Sparkle squeaked hysterically for her.
“You big…bony…nag!” she screamed, throwing a flurry of dust at the giant skull.
Karuna roared and turned her eyeless sockets towards Lula.
“I said, stop,” Shawna yelled again at Mira as Karuna advanced on Lula.
The crazed guardian was starting to crush Sparkle in her fleshless hand.
Shawna tugged on Mira’s mane. “Stop!”
Without fully realizing what she was doing, she let go and flung herself from Mira’s back, landing hard, and rolling head over heels through a snow patch. Mira cried a startled neigh and slid to a stop so quickly that Orin nearly flew over her neck.
“Shawna!” he shouted as Mira pivoted on her hind hoof. “What are you doing?”
She ignored him and was glad she hadn’t broken anything. Her pack was ripped away, and her sword had flown from her grasp. She raced over to grab it just as Antares leapt over her. He was electrified from tail to tooth, red lightning striking the ground as he sailed overhead. He landed fifty feet in front of her and lashed his tail, sending lightning crackling and flying from it like whips. His roar at the advancing creature made Shawna’s crystal sword vibrate in her hands.
Mira skidded up to them, dirt and snow glancing off Shawna’s face. “You idiot, girl! There is nothing you can do. If you try to break your neck again I’ll break it for you.” Mira was so furious all she could do was stamp her hooves, sending white flame curling up her legs.
Shawna felt the persuasive magic and almost did as she was told, but something inside her rooted her to the ground. She paused, hand outstretched towards Orin’s reaching palm. She slowly shook her head then turned around, sword clasped in her hands, and pointed it at the enormous living-corpse in front of her.
“Hey!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. “HEY!”
Karuna turned her giant skull towards her, red flame erupting from empty eye sockets. She gasped. Moloch! She didn’t allow the thought to go any further. Just…don’t run, she commanded her legs. She glanced down to make sure she even still had legs.
Antares looked surprised when Shawna stepped next to him, ready to fight. “You should run,” he growled.
“Shut up,” she snapped, keeping her eyes on Karuna.
The sudden silence beside her finally made her look away from Karuna’s
advancing corpse. Antares was staring at her, and she wondered for a moment if he was going to cuff her like an ornery cub. He started growling deep in his throat, then huffing through his nose, and she realized he was laughing. Now she was stunned into silence.
“Well, I didn’t say which way to run,” he said through his laughter.
She smiled, then they both turned their attention back to the monster below. Lula was still valiantly trying to rescue Sparkle while Karuna swatted at her like a buzzing gnat. Karuna’s eyes were on Shawna and Antares. She seemed to have forgotten that Sparkle was in her hand.
Orin yelled at Shawna again, but she ignored it. Mira snorted and pawed the ground, demanding her to listen. Anyone else would have fainted in fright from the unicorn with flashing horn and white fire in her eyes, a beast of fury not beauty, but Shawna felt a sudden strength and confidence. It was probably insanity. It was probably going to cost them their lives, but she wouldn’t run. Not this time.
No matter what Lula did, it seemed to not affect Karuna. Sparkle was still struggling between her skeletal fingers as she strode up the incline. She halted not far from them, towering as impressively as Kryos.
Shawna could see that Karuna was now nothing but a mindless giant. She gagged and nearly threw up as the sweet repulsive smell of decay wafted towards them.
“Ava,” Mira began to scold, but fell silent when something else caught her eye.
Shawna looked down and gasped. The necklace was beginning to glow and float. This time, however, the one transformed sapphire stone emitted a ray of white blinding light. The light shot straight at Karuna and hit her directly in the chest cavity. Her rib cage glowed like a tiny sun had erupted inside it. Her screaming roar nearly made Shawna’s ears bleed, and she dropped her sword to cover her ears. Antares yowled with pain and red lightning shot erratically in all directions.
As soon as the sapphire-light had appeared, it suddenly vanished. Shawna had fallen to her knees. Karuna ceased her howling. She started lumbering towards them. Every hoof beat was like a little earthquake. When she crested the small hill, she opened her hand to reach towards them, each finger bone longer than Shawna’s sword. Sparkle fell to the ground, unconscious, beneath her massive hooves.
“Sparkle!” squealed Lula, plunging towards the ground.
Antares roared and swiped a paw through the air sending forth a concentrated wave of energy like an extension of his claws. It whipped through Karuna’s arm bones, shattering them like glass. Shawna forced herself up again. When Karuna reared back, more than twice in height now, and beat the air with hooves the size of boulders, she almost agreed with Mira; she was an idiot. What in the world did she think she was doing?
I have a sword I can’t use and some rocks.
Karuna’s front hooves slammed into the earth, knocking everyone except Antares off their feet. Mira neighed and scrambled upright again.
“I don’t think you’re an idiot,” Orin suddenly said next to her, nocking an arrow to his bowstring. “But you’re completely insane.” He smiled.
“Look out!” Mira reared, horn ablaze.
Karuna launched her massive self over their heads, flying a hundred feet, two hundred feet, her legs seeming to slowly stretch out as she readied to land far on the other side of them. It felt like time was crawling as Shawna craned her neck to watch the ribs, spine, and few strands of hide hanging off Karuna’s skeleton sail overhead like gruesome banners. The last of the sky began ripping apart as if being torn by invisible claws. Even Mira steadied herself, disoriented by nothing but deep space now suddenly appearing above them. The light quickly faded from dusk to nearly dark. But It was not as if night had fallen. Instead, billions of stars, swirling nebulas, and galaxies emerged far too close for comfort. It might have been incredible if it didn’t feel like they would all be torn apart along with everything else. Orin aimed an arrow as Karuna readied to land.
“Weapons are useless,” said Mira.
He loosed it anyway and it caught in a strip of flesh like a harmless bur. Karuna landed, sending a dust cloud over everyone. She turned around to face them and took two long steps before the arrow exploded in fire. Antares and Mira leapt forward at this distraction and pushed her backwards with flashes of lightning and whirling white flame. Whips of energy shot from Antares’ claws and wrapped around Karuna’s front legs. Mira reared, and when she slammed her hooves into the ground fire erupted and raced towards Karuna, climbing up her legs and torso. Karuna gave an awful tortured scream as her ribs began to crack. The disintegrating sky had almost touched the horizon, a last strip of light separated the void of space from solid ground.
“Wait,” Shawna said, but no one heeded her.
She felt Orin’s hand around her arm and she barely noticed it. She didn’t know what would happen when space met earth, but she had a feeling that it would mean any chance of escape was over.
“The sapphire,” she said quietly. It seemed pointless to try and use it, but she hated feeling useless.
Orin heard her. “You can’t. It’s too late!” He gestured towards the crumbling frame of Karuna.
Tiny fragments of bone were fracturing and falling like sharp hail as Antares and Mira continued to use all their force against her.
“We can’t destroy her,” said Shawna. “We have to help her.”
“We…we what?” Orin blinked.
“I have to help her,” she repeated.
“Okay, now you are crazy,” he said, digging his fingers into her arm. “You can’t do this.”
“Don’t tell me I can’t,” she hissed, twisting her arm free and glaring at him.
He raised his hands and backed away from her.
The necklace was suspended in mid air, defying gravity. It glowed intensely, the one sapphire glowing brightest. At first it surprised her, and she didn’t move, then she slowly clutched the sapphire in her fist. It felt warm but not burning this time. It glowed brighter and brighter, then the sapphire flared like a tiny sun. She tried not to shut her eyes. No one but Orin saw what happened. Shawna’s hand glowed red from the intense light, silhouetting her own skeleton within. A part of her felt like she should be panicking, but a strong wave of calmness washed over her.
This will work, she chanted silently. This will work. It has to. Her heart raced furiously again, but not from what she was witnessing. It felt like electric coils of energy were erupting through every vein in her body. She let go of the sapphire and raised her hand. A single thin beam of light shot through her palm at Karuna, disrupting the magic from Antares and Mira. They both spun around, shocked at what was unfolding. Shawna and Karuna were connected by ropes of light, enwrapping them, and throwing everything into sharp relief. Karuna continued to howl that horrible scream, neck arched back, eye sockets pointed star-wards. The light grew more and more intense. Everyone averted their eyes, except Shawna. She let the brightness blind her.
Karuna’s skeleton began to twist and rear up, pawing at the light, fingers curled, clawing at her own skull. She began to disintegrate. Her bones shattered, turned to dust, a last howl echoing long after she became a swirling cloud of ash.
“No!” Shawna screamed out loud in disbelief, but no one could hear her.
She could see nothing within the pure white blinding light. The connection broke, and she slumped to the ground as the light dispersed like a shockwave.
“Shawna.” Orin’s voice sounded so far away.
She felt the familiar barbs of fear sinking in, the peaceful power of the light fading. She jerked her head up to see what everyone was neighing, roaring, and yelling about. Wasn’t Karuna okay? Wasn’t it over? Hadn’t she done the right thing?
I was wrong. She dug her fingers into the earth. I’ve killed us.
The bright glow she had released was stretching, bending, and wrapping around the edges of the horizon like a tsunami of sunlight rushing away then back towards them from all directions. The earth shook violently and threw e
veryone, even nimble-pawed Antares, to the ground. Shawna clutched at the sapphire in hopes of whatever power she had possessed would return. It remained cool and dull. The earthquake lessened to a steady rumbling roll, vibrating beneath their unsteady feet.
“Run!” Mira screamed, prancing and rearing in fear.
Orin leapt onto her back, pulling Shawna up behind him. The earth quaked while little fissures of light started to run like veins over the ground as they galloped for their lives.
“Lulaaaaa!” yelled Shawna, searching for her friend.
Lula’s dead. She was consumed by panic. No. No, she’s here somewhere.
She continued to yell for Lula, but there was no sign of her or Sparkle. The horizon was a solid sheet of golden-white light swirling with darker specks while nebulas and galaxies hung overhead. The power she had released was consuming the land itself and starting to arc towards the darkness above them. Soon it would encase them entirely, a shining dome of light, and cremate them along with everything else.
What have I done? She felt her eyes sting and closed them tight.
“There!”
She looked to where Orin was pointing his chin; the twin columns they had entered through. They would make it but Lula wouldn’t, Sparkle wouldn’t. They were leaving them behind. How could they do this? Just run away from them? Her mind raced with thoughts, trying to latch onto a solution.
There has to be something I can do. I can’t just leave them here. But — said another voice in her head — none of this would have happened if you hadn’t pretended to be brave. Now your friends will die because of you. She shook her head. No, not true. She couldn’t think that.
The columns were rushing nearer. She didn’t know what to do. She looked around desperately, hoping to see Lula and Sparkle flying towards them. With a massive lurch, the earth was pulled out from under their feet again and Mira fell, sending everyone flying through the air. Shawna felt the ground impact with her hip then the back of her head until she rolled to a stop. She was dazed but conscious enough to see the earth and the last remaining Kayi-Elk engulfed by the light in the distance. She scrambled backwards, running into someone else. Orin was on the ground as well, frozen in place.
“What’ve I done?” she whispered, not turning her head.
“You didn’t do anything,” she heard him reply. “Gavan cursed Karuna, not you.”
She turned to look at him. His gaze remained fixed on the horizon. Mira and Antares stumbled over to them, their legs braced against the shaking.
“Get up,” commanded Antares.
“We’re almost there,” said Mira, turning towards the columns.
Shawna was amazed the columns were still standing as almost everything she could see was crumbling along with the ground. They stumbled and crawled as best they could to their only escape as the world around them collapsed. They were going to make it, only a little further. She glanced around again, hoping against hope their companions would appear, but they did not. Antares had reached the columns. He turned to urge them on then disappeared through the barrier as the rest of them reached the doorway.
“Go,” Mira said, her head low to keep her balance.
Shawna turned one last time to search for her friends.
“They’re gone. Get through the doorway.” Orin made to grab her and heave her through the barrier, but she shoved him back and gasped.
“Lula!”
He whipped his head around to see Lula and Sparkle flying with all their might towards them. His eyes widened.
“No,” he said under his breath.
Shawna hadn’t heard him. He stared at Sparkle whose green eyes flashed as they fastened onto Orin’s dark ones. Sparkle bared his tiny sharp teeth. He knew what Orin was going to do.
“Help them,” said Shawna, grabbing Orin’s shoulder.
She held the sapphire, but nothing she did or said made it ignite as her anger and panic rose. All she could do was watch, feeling helpless, as Lula and Sparkle struggled vainly to fly towards them while some invisible force sucked them back into the all-consuming light. They were so close. Orin’s fingers flew to his belt, and he uncoiled the long black braided rope with silver encased ends. He took a few pivoting strides away from them, whirling the rope above his head, then as he turned one last time he whipped it at Lula and Sparkle. Shawna wasn’t sure how this was going to work, but soon as the question entered her mind the rope stretched and unraveled into many smaller threads, creating a web. It wrapped around Lula, ensnaring her. With a quick downward jerk, Orin whipped her to the ground and she was released with a small thud at their feet.
She tried to stand up, hair sticking in every direction, but wobbled and fell over. Shawna scooped her up, smiling and crying at the same time.
“Ouch,” was all Lula said, holding her head.
“We can wait no longer!” said Mira, tossing her mane, and pawing the ground. “There is no time to save the bat.”
Sparkle was being pulled further and further away. Orin flung the rope again, but it was immediately ripped from his hands and disappeared towards the wall of light. He stood watching, his face as smooth and cold as the stone behind him. Mira shoved Shawna towards the invisible doorway with her nose as the cyclone grew.
“We can still try!” But her and Lula’s protests were unheeded as they were pushed between the columns.
Mira followed, leaving Orin to watch Sparkle’s distressing disappearance. Just as Orin turned to leap through to safety, Sparkle began to morph. He was changing rapidly into a giant bear.
“Damn you,” Orin spat, turning to follow the beast’s descent to the ground, now strong enough to fight against the tornado-like force.
It slammed into the earth a few hundred feet away, roaring in rage at Orin’s betrayal. The horizon was a lot closer, the light rapidly moving towards them, pulverizing everything it touched. The bear got to its feet and lumbered towards him, fury emanating from its eyes, from every gouging step, and deafening roar. Orin leapt between the columns to the other side, knocking Shawna over when he hurled himself through.
“Ah! Orin?!” she yelled as she hit the grass.
He quickly leapt back to his feet, turned to face the doorway with sword drawn, and fiercely glowered at nothing. A bird chirped nearby; a strange sound after all the destruction they had barely escaped. They were in the safety of the forest. There was nothing but rustling leaves, bird-song, blue sky, and the two vine-covered columns. It was if the end of the world had never happened.
“It’s all right,” Shawna said quietly, dusting herself off then slowly putting a hand on his shoulder. “You tried. We know you tried. It’s no one’s fault.”
Except mine.
Everyone else had moved a ways away from the benign columns, perhaps afraid the destructive light would suddenly suck them back in. Orin’s shoulders relaxed and he exhaled. He lowered his sword and turned to look at her.
Suddenly he yelled in agony as he was thrown into her again, knocking her to the ground beneath him. She screamed at the slobbering jaws and swiping claws of a massive bear. Orin’s heavy body was pinning her to the ground. The bear was materializing through the doorway, tearing up clods of dirt as it scrabbled at the ground, trying to gain hold. It was half way through, a disturbing sight since it looked like half of a bear suspended in mid-air.
It was roaring and swiping at the unconscious Orin and screaming Shawna. Its paws would be able to kill them both with one good strike. As It raised long black claws in another attempt, Mira charged it down, spearing its shoulder with her horn. It howled and tried to catch her with its deadly paws, but she was too quick as her horn came away slick with blood. Lula quickly flew over and blinded it with a puff of golden dust. It roared once more, then was dragged back into the hurricane of light within. Long trenches were left in the dark soil from its claws as it vanished.
Everyone stood in shocked silence. Shawna heaved Orin off her. He groaned from the long
gashes in his back but remained partially unconscious. Even Antares looked pretty shaken and ready to give up his position as guide and guardian. Mira stepped over to Orin, touched the tip of her horn to his wounds, and sealed them within seconds with white flame. He awoke with a gasp and groaned in pain. After lying there for a few minutes, he turned onto his hands and knees and stood up shakily. The flame had healed him, though long scars down his back were still visible. Shawna suddenly wanted to throw her arms around him. He looked at her, an exhausted smile across his face, and without hesitation she flung her arms around him. He bit back the stinging pain as he hugged her back.
“Well,” Lula piped up in a false overly-excited tone, clapping her hands together. “I can’t wait to find the next realm.”
Shawna laughed, though it was guilt and not relief that touched her eyes. Orin smiled, but it also did not touch his eyes as he looked down to brush the dirt off his clothes. Antares just groaned and lashed his tail as they all turned to journey, quickly, away. They were all more than glad to put distance between them and the pillars, but Shawna lagged a little behind.
Mira waited for her to catch up. “Look at your necklace.”
Shawna looked down and saw another stone had transformed into a sapphire.
“That proves you were right in doing what you did,” Mira said, stepping over a patch of pink flowers. “You listened, but not to fear, not our fear.” She hung her head. “We were wrong to try and destroy the guardian.” She looked up and nudged Shawna’s hand now holding the new sapphire. “You, however, were right.”
If Mira were human Shawna would have noticed her unease, the odd way she looked at her like something dreadful were about to happen. Shawna noticed none of this strange language in the twitch of her hide, the flick of her ear, or the way her nostrils flared. Mira lengthened her stride until Shawna was left to her thoughts again.
I was right?
She had been so afraid to hear that she’d put them all in danger for a selfish, careless, stupid, reason; to have lost Sparkle for such a reason. She felt more relief from that than from having escaped death, but a lump rose in her throat and her eyes stung. She would never again hear Sparkle’s happy little squeak, or watch his big brown eyes squinch shut as she scratched his foxy-face.
She felt like crying from both the relief and their loss, but Orin appeared by her side. “You really were amazing.” He felt a bit of guilt hit him from her distress, but he remained silent about the bat.
The bat’s eyes had been green, not brown. Something he didn’t want to explain if he could help it. She cleared her throat, blinking, not wanting to blubber like a little girl in front of him. Orin looked like he was about to say something else, but he just glanced at her then jogged up ahead to scout with Antares. Lula flew over.
“What’s wrong?” Shawna asked. “You know, Lula, it wasn’t your fault either that Sparkle—”
“It’s,” Lula said, scrunching up her nose. “It’s…it’s not that, though I think I will miss that stupid b-bat.” Shawna saw a couple tears caught in her tiny lashes before they were wiped away.
“Then what?”
“I just feel like there’s something I wanted to tell you. Something important, but now I can’t remember. I was going to tell you right after we escaped.”
Shawna remembered seeing Orin talking to Lula not too long ago. “Was it something you and Orin were talking about?”
She stared at Shawna. “That’s what’s bothering me. I can’t remember what we were talking about either.”
“Your skull’s not as thick as I thought. Your brain must have fallen out when you hit the ground.”
Lula choked out a giggle then sniffed.
“I’m really glad you’re okay,” Shawna said, smiling.
“Thanks for coming back for me.” Lula gave her soppy eyes. “My herooo,” she sang, clasping her hands together.
Shawna rolled her eyes.
“It’s good to have crazy friends,” Lula said.
“That’s for sure, Miss Attack-a-Giant-Walking-Skeleton.”
“Yeah,” Lula laughed sadly.
They exchanged slightly tearful but grateful smiles, then Shawna turned away to catch up to everyone else. Lula just fluttered in place, letting Shawna walk ahead. She hovered there watching Orin a few yards in front of them and raised a hand to her temple. It was like her attempt to save Sparkle and the last moments of watching him disappear had been wiped from her mind. What was it that had been so crucial to tell everyone?