“We demand the return of our child first,” stated the Earth Elemental flatly.
“Din would want to keep the formling somewhere she was certain the Earth Elementals couldn’t stumble over it. It would have to be someplace she knew well and felt safe,” Vexyna related to the Elementals.
“The Earth formling is held where you need to venture next, Vexyna,” said Trulo from through the trees.
“Trulo.” Vexyna was startled. “Where? How?”
“Answers to those questions and many more will be coming your way in a moment, but first let’s talk about the Castle of Langsuyar,” Trulo answered as he strode towards Vexyna.
“Langsuyar?” the Water Elemental asked. “That is where the Coffer of Essence is found. It’s on a remote island to the east of this continent.”
“Do you both desire to be transported to the Castle of Langsuyar?” the Wind asked.
“I think so,” Vexyna answered, looking at Trulo for approval. “That is a good possibility for where Din might’ve hidden the Earth child.”
“We will need the Water to part in order for us to pass to the island,” said the Earth before flattening into the ground and disappearing.
“A path shall be granted,” replied the Water before it was absorbed by the lake.
“The Castle of Langsuyar it is,” said Trulo. In a breath, he and Vexyna were caught up in the chariot of the wind.
Vexyna’s heart was in her throat due to the excessive speed at which the wind was taking her. “Close your eyes,” she heard the wind blowing in her ear. “We’ll get you there safely. Don’t worry.” She took the voice’s advice and it helped, but only somewhat.
They were speeding across the top of the water when Vexyna next opened her eyes. Up they swiftly soared before meeting the stones walls outside the castle. Over the wall the Wind carried them. Slowing before stopping, the Wind deposited Vexyna and Trulo in the courtyard just outside the enormous wooden doors leading to the castle’s interior.
“Holler if you need anything,” they heard the Wind say before it blew away.
Unyielding iron door knockers forty-eight centimeters around faced the lone duo.
“Nice of you to join us,” said a voice from further down the stone wall into which the giant door was set.
Standing just outside a smaller wooden door was Phantasmine. Beside her was the blond soldier, Span. “Let’s get on with the festivities now that the gang’s all here,” Phantasmine said in her strange voice.
“How?” Vexyna’s mouth was agape as she stared at Phantasmine.
“Never mind that now,” Phantasmine snapped. “Come this way.” She turned and stepped over the thirty-centimeter-high frame of the door.
Span waited for the other two to step inside the castle before he entered.
Once the door was closed behind him, Span hastened to where Phantasmine was standing. From beneath his cloak, he produced two small vials. Popping the stoppers out of each with his thumbs, he proceeded to shake the contents up into Phantasmine’s nose. Sneezing lead to snoring as Phantasmine drooped into Span’s arms.
“We haven’t much time before we’re discovered,” Span said to Vexyna as he cradled Phantasmine in his arms.
“What’s going on?” Vexyna asked.
“Vexyna,” said Span, leading them down a dark hall, “I was Din’s right-hand man, so I know all about what is going on. Thanks to Doctor Deathbrain’s innovations, I was able to regain my wits and realize the gravity of the situation. I will help in any way possible.”
Slowly, Phantasmine’s body began to change. Her hair grew darker and thinner. A darker tone took hold of her flesh as her eyes assumed an almond shape. She had become what Cinnamon would’ve looked like as an adult.
Gaping at Phantasmine’s new image, Span said, “Unbelievable. That is exactly what Doctor Minihara looked like.”
“Who was Doctor Minihara?” Vexyna asked.
“She was a teacher, colleague, friend and confidant while I was doing research in Illusia. That was before she returned to Vangrash and I went off with the cryogenics team.”
“I take it you two knew each other well,” Vexyna probed.
“We became quite close.” His eyes betrayed him. It was obvious in his expression that he and Doctor Minihara had been much closer than he was admitting. “It was a long time ago. It’s better left in the past.”
Not one to let a mystery this intriguing just slide by, Vexyna accused, “You two were having an affair, weren’t you?”
“No, we…” Span sank to his knees. “Yes. We were lovers. I betrayed Phanta and Minihara betrayed Deathbrain. To this day, I do not believe either one knows. Please keep it that way.”
“It must be odd, then, seeing your lover’s body with your betrothed’s mind,” Trulo added.
“You don’t know the half of it. What if that body is able to call upon genetic memories and somewhere inside it realizes who I am and what I’ve done?” Span was working himself into a state because he was thinking too much.
“How did Doctor Deathbrain help you? I didn’t even know you two were acquainted with one another.” Vexyna was finding it hard to trust the man who had brought destruction to her quiet village.
“When Phanta first got here, she was, um…” Span hesitated. “…A little bit frisky. Apparently she had nanobots in her system, created by Doctor Deathbrain, which were transferred to mine. They repaired the damage done to my brain by the cryogenic process and allowed me to break free from Din’s spell.”
“That’s incredible,” Trulo marveled. “How did you know Doctor Deathbrain created the nanobots?”
“He is the only one in my memory capable of such a thing,” Span replied matter-of-factly. “The doctor is, after all, an Illusian like Phantasmine or me. The Earth formling was being held here. If it weren’t for the co-operation of the Water Elementals, the Earth Elementals would never have been able to make it to this island to claim their offspring. Here,” he said as he handed Trulo the staff Vexyna had seen Span use in Shojiki. “I do not believe that I shall have any further use of that. Pound it on the ground to summon the Earth Elementals.”
Before Trulo could ask how the staff worked, Vexyna piped in, “So the Elementals have been taken care of, good. Why did you knock out Phanta?”
“She is still controlled by the Crystal of Change inside her head,” explained Span. “As long as the crystal remains, she will always be a servant of Dacreel.” The group had been cautiously marching down a long corridor lined with banners created from fabric with dull colors. Span stopped in front of a small, red-stained door. Hinges complained as the door, which was showing obvious signs of aging, swung open slowly. “In here,” he said, indicating the other side of the weathered door.
Inside was a tiny room fitted with a single cot, chair and porcelain pot. Dusty chains with empty shackles hung from the walls. Span put Phantasmine on the cot. After affixing one of the shackles to her wrist, he turned to Vexyna and Trulo to say, “From just outside the door, turn left and keep going until you come to a large central hallway. The throne is in the chamber beyond the great hall. Be warned. Din will be waiting in the great hall. I shall escort you in as my prisoners. This will give us the element of surprise.”
Leaving Phantasmine in the tiny room, the three others made their way to the great hall. Once brightly colored a lush red, the carpet now lay stained with age. Tattered pennants and banners waved idly as they passed.
The Red Empress, resplendent in her usual garb, greeted them cheerily. “Hi!” She waved. “It’s so nice of you to come. Take the boy to Langsuyar. Leave the girl to me,” she commanded Span.
“Yes, ma’am,” snapped Span as he led Trulo to the doors beyond the three thrones sitting at the far end of the great hall.
Vexyna was not impressed with the way things were proceeding. Closing her eyes, she clasped her hands with the index fingers extended. “Colo omit monto…” she began to murmur.
“Magic doesn’t work here, dear,” Din informed
her. “There are anti-magic chambers surrounding the room containing the Coffer of Essence.”
Hands relaxed at her sides again, Vexyna glared at Din.
Pacing slowly around Vexyna, Din tapped the tips of her lips with edge of her forefinger. “Well, sister dear, it’s time for a family chat.”
“We have nothing to talk about,” Vexyna stated flatly.
“Oh, but we do,” Din retorted. She stopped pacing. “Let’s talk about how you’re here to become a baby factory for Dacreel.”
“Not hardly,” Vexyna spat back. “Why were you massing troops and goods?”
“To protect your offspring when they were not out feeding,” answered Din. “I was building an army and fortresses for your children.”
“My children? Loosen your bra.Your brain needs oxygen. I’m not squeezing out any puppies anytime soon.”
“Ah, but you will.”
“Where’d you come from, anyway? Where were you raised? Did you know your father?”
“You see,” said Din as she took a seat, “we do have much to talk about.” Her red velvet chair with brass tacks holding down the green satin trim sat gracefully on its dark wooden legs. The Red Empress was almost swallowed by the sea of red flowing between her wardrobe and her chair. “I’m from the other side of the Oweesh desert. Mother blessed one of the miners and I was raised as a geologist and mineralogist.”
“Is that how you came across the Earth Elementals?”
“One of my jobs was that of scientific investigator for the extreme digs. Those digs went miles underground. On one such particularly deep exploration, I chanced upon an ancient chamber. Within the chamber were strange scratching on the walls. Curiously, I sketched the scratchings in my notebook. Later study revealed the markings to be a dead language. It was directions on how to find a much larger cavern. That large cavern was one of the Earth Elementals’ homes.”
“So you broke in and stole one of their children?” Vexyna accused Din.
“Pretty much,” replied Din glibly. “Then I went back to the Earth forms and told them I’d help them find the child on the surface. I was the one who devised the staff I entrusted to Span. Colored lights on the bands of the staff let the user know whether or not they have keyed in the proper sequence to get the desired response from the Earth Elementals.”
“Span.” Vexyna was caught in thought for half a second about Phantasmine and her would-be husband. “Where has he taken Trulo?”
“Mother wanted him, so she has him,” Din replied casually. She took great delight in seeing Vexyna’s reaction. “She can’t leave the throne, but she can still have fun with a live snack.”
“Out of my way,” Vexyna proclaimed as she tried to push her way past Din.
Grabbing Vexyna’s wrist, Din flipped her away while rising from the velvet seat.
After landing with a thud, Vexyna sat rubbing her lower back. “Let’s try that again,” she said, rising to her feet.
Striding swiftly over to Din, Vexyna firmly grasped Din by her shoulders and stared deeply into her eyes. “Obey me,” she commanded.
From beneath Din’s waistcoat rose a thin, shiny, black, multi-faceted tail. A sharp tip darted about in the air before securing itself in Vexyna’s back. “Suck pheromones,” Din hissed.
Control began to seep from Vexyna as Din pumped her full of the stimulating chemicals. To Din’s dismay, Vexyna began to robotically pull her closer.
Focusing her thoughts with extreme effort, Vexyna leaned her chin down and managed to extract one of the capsules Doctor Deathbrain had given her into her mouth from its resting place in a shoulder pouch of her cloak. The doctor’s treatment took effect swiftly, but Din was still producing a dangerous amount of stimulation for Vexyna to handle.
With hands locked together at the waist and shoulder, Vexyna and Din engaged in a passionate dance.
“Give in already,” Vexyna exhaled with narrowed brow.
“Dacreel gives me the strength of will to defeat you, dear sibling,” Din replied through clenched teeth.
“There’s Dac in my background, too, you know?” Vexyna’s body surged with a pulsing, greenish-white glow. Determination gripped her face and she proudly announced, “But Dazartan is also on my side. You cannot win.”
Searing white light ripped through Vexyna’s hands. Grasping Din’s tail with both hands, she pulled in opposite directions with all her might.
A scream tore from Din’s throat. She staggered back clutching the bloody stinger-less end of her tail. Her face contorted with rage as she flung herself at Vexyna. Viciously, Din gripped Vexyna’s hair.
Returning the move, Vexyna resumed her stare into Din’s eyes. “Obey me,” she repeated. The pupils of Vexyna’s eyes exploded in a kaleidoscope of swirling colors. Her hypnotic gaze held Din motionless. If I can’t get her to do what I want her to do, I guess I’ll just have to do this the old-fashioned way, thought Vexyna. She slowly backed Din up against a cold stone wall. Vexyna released her grip on Din’s hair only to take an even firmer hold of her shoulders. She shoved Din’s shoulders forwards and backwards, repeatedly smashing the back of Din’s skull into the wall. This process was completed several times until Din slumped in Vexyna’s arms.
Dumping Din’s body on the soiled carpet, Vexyna thought of Trulo and raced to the doors behind the three thrones.
Span’s staff rested just inside the wide, short doors. There was no sign of Span. Blackened walls scarred with hundreds of tormented faces seemed to rise out of sight. In the center of the room sat the throne. It was a massive stone structure with metal bands forming ribs around the occupant.
Trulo sat on his knees beside the throne. A collar had been strung around his neck. The lead rested lightly in the aged palm of Langsuyar.
Tall and graceful, Langsuyar sat stoically on the throne. Her clothes were all black with red and gray highlights. The high back of her cape’s collar accentuated the length of her slender neck. In the middle of her chest lay an amulet similar to Vexyna’s. “Welcome, my child,” said Langsuyar as Vexyna’s amulet tore itself from her chest and joined with Langsuyar’s.
Pain ripped through Vexyna, causing her knees to buckle. Clutching at her chest, she could find no evidence the amulet had ever made its home within her flesh.
“Where is your sister?” Langsuyar asked when she noticed Din was not with Vexyna.
“Taking a nap,” Vexyna replied while she continued to check her chest for holes. “Mother, you have a lot to answer for.”
Waving a hand in front of her, Langsuyar stopped Vexyna. “You were created to serve the great lord, Dacreel. That is all you need to know.”
Moving closer to the throne made it possible for Vexyna to notice the rings on her mother’s left hand. “Are those the wedding bands my father gave you?” Leaning forward in her stance, Vexyna glared with nostrils flared and added, “Or are they from another lover?”
“Your father’s bands cannot be removed without severing the fingers,” Langsuyar informed her daughter. She watched her words slow her daughter’s pace. “I am bound to him as he is bound to me. Our souls will melt together in eternity.”
“Release Trulo,” Vexyna demanded.
“He is mine now. I will not give him up.”
An explosion of light gave way to the clang of metal. Tiny pieces of chain could be seen glittering between Trulo and Langsuyar. No longer captive, Trulo moved quickly away from the throne.
Heads pulled back in reaction to the tall figure that had slid so silently up to the throne.
Standing defiantly before Langsuyar was Aliyah, blade still spinning in her hand.
“You dare free my pet?” Langsuyar glared at the Traveler.
Bolos encircled Langsuyar’s neck, causing her to jerk. “We do,” Cateran’s voice rang out as she cart wheeled into view.
“You guys!” Vexyna cried. “Ali, that was amazing! Nice new trick you’ve got there, Cat. I thought you two were off working on your own destinies.”
“O
ur destinies are intertwined,” explained Aliyah. “Yours is a part of ours.”
Langsuyar seethed as Cateran’s bolo melted from her neck. Eyes glowing with a gaseous blue flame shot forth their fury and knocked the group back several meters.
Rubbing the various spots on her body that had bumped against the wall and floor, Vexyna asked, “Where’s Raj?”
“Helping Doctor Deathbrain deal with the fogs and mists,” Cateran answered as she, too, tended to some bruises.
Already on her feet again, Aliyah advanced on Langsuyar.
Seven-centimeter-long black energy shards ejected themselves from Langsuyar’s fingertips.
The Traveler’s blade was too fast for all but one of them. One managed to penetrate Aliyah’s defenses and ripped a chunk out her left leg, causing her to spin hurriedly to the ground. She pulled herself to a wall away from the throne. With her back to the wall, she tended to her wound.
Back flipping across the stone floor, Cateran managed to spring off the edge of the throne and high into the air. She was descending heavily onto Langsuyar’s head when Langsuyar swiveled to one side and spewed forth a noxious green gas.
Choking, but otherwise unharmed, Cateran flipped back off the throne and landed with the group. She quickly dropped to her knees, clutching her throat.
It was Vexyna’s turn to advance on her mother. Before she could reach the throne or even speak, a majestic jade dragon swooped out of the inordinately high ceiling.
“Lanton,” gasped Langsuyar.
“Father?” Vexyna’s eyes were wide with wonder.
“Then you are not dead,” continued Langsuyar. “I thought the girl had been released to me. I had no idea you would come to claim her back.”
“My mission is far graver than that, I’m afraid,” intoned Lanton. The dragon landed softly and, as it did, it changed into the human form of Lanton. Walking towards Langsuyar, he said, “For the good of all, you must relinquish the throne to Vexyna.”
“No, my love,” replied Langsuyar. “Din must take this place.” Her eyes flared with a gaseous blue flame. “Vexyna will be used to produce many offspring to serve the will of Dacreel.” With the tips of her fingers pointing upwards, she thrust her arms forward with palms toward Lanton, causing a yellow ball of energy to fire across the chamber.
Doubling over after the impact of the energy ball, Lanton dropped to his knees.
“It is time to extinguish your light, my love,” Langsuyar said coldly. She raised her hands in preparation of delivering Lanton to Heaven. Her arms were held high over her head. Between her two palms, a bluish-yellow ball of energy grew larger.
Flipping forward quickly, Lanton grabbed Langsuyar’s wrists and held her arms in place. Looking deeply into her eyes, he said softly, “Enna, you cannot harm our child.” A deeply hued green aura was building around Lanton.
“Enna?” Langsuyar gaped. “You still remember my original name.”
“Of course.” Lanton smiled into her eyes. “Do you remember building snowmen?”
“And the way you always kept me warm,” Langsuyar replied, somewhat dreamily. Her energy ball had stopped growing, but Lanton’s aura had continued to envelope them.
“Let me warm you up now,” Lanton said as he leaned forward to press his lips against Langsuyar’s. Crossing his arms in front of him, he interlaced his fingers with hers and caused their wedding bands to connect.
Langsuyar’s energy ball fizzled out as both rings began to send out chimes. As their lips met, he slowly pulled their arms down.
The couple dissolved into a fine yellow-green mist as their hands passed along their bodies. Soon, all that was left of them was a bit of lingering mist and the faint tinkling of chimes.
“Father!” cried Vexyna as she sank to her knees.
A bubbling red mist poured forth from the Coffer of Essence and filled the throne once again with the form of Langsuyar. “Ah.” She belched. “Free from love at last. Now, let us deal with the children.”
Glowing with rage, Vexyna advanced slowly towards her mother. Bits of silver flame danced in and out of her entire body.
Langsuyar extended her index finger towards Vexyna, then slowly curled it up.
Vexyna was halted in her tracks. She stood trembling, grasping at the platinum band around her neck.
“A precaution, you might say,” explained Langsuyar. “We don’t need any more interference from that side of the family.”
“That’s too bad,” echoed a stern female voice from nowhere.
“Zuud-Akh’Du,” Langsuyar seethed.
“Correct for fifty points. Are you ready for the lightning round?” Shards of light crashed from above all around the throne.
“This is not your fight,” Langsuyar cried at the air.
“You extinguished my son and now you have taken an unfair advantage over my granddaughter. I’m here to even the odds.”
Dots of multi-colored light danced about Vexyna’s neck. The platinum collar vanished.
“Now you are free, Vexyna. Free to call upon the gifts Dazartan has given you. The rest is up to you.”
Still feeling her neck where the band had bound her, Vexyna spoke to the air. “Thank you, Grandmother.”
There was no reply.
“You will all die!” Langsuyar screamed. She rose from the throne and thrust her hands over her head. Dark purple and black volleys of jagged light shot between her upturned palms.
Bits of silver flame resumed their dance in and out of Vexyna’s body. Soon, her entire frame had been consumed by the silver sheath. Glowing green eyes pierced the veil.
Vexyna continued to move slowly toward Langsuyar. All the while, Langsuyar lobbed balls of pulsing energy at Vexyna. None appeared to have any effect on the advancing girl.
Soon, Vexyna was upon Langsuyar. “Time you were de-throned,” she announced. Vexyna shook with power and rage. Grasping her mother firmly by the neck, she tilted her head back and both began to moan.
Moaning quickly gave way to wailing and screeching on Langsuyar’s part.
Oddly shaped bits and pieces of Langsuyar’s flesh began to break away and fly in the air. Her screams intensified the less of her there was to see.
Soon, all that was left of her were her empty echoes in the huge chamber.
“No!” exclaimed the Red Empress as she staggered into the chamber. “It’s too soon. There are no offspring to continue the line.”
“One of you two has to take the throne soon or Dacreel will automatically begin his attempt to emerge on this plane,” Aliyah told Vexyna and Din.
“No,” repeated Din, “I want to remain free.”
“Vexyna must take the throne,” Trulo stated. “Qrxyn said that was her destiny.”
“No, Qrxyn said it was her destiny to seal the Coffer of Essence,” Aliyah corrected.
“Does anybody know how I’m supposed to seal the Well?” Vexyna asked.
“I don’t know,” answered Cateran, “and there’s something else I want to know. Spinning storm clouds shouldn’t form inside a building, right?”
“Clouds? What are you talking about, Cat?” Vexyna was puzzled.
Pointing at the ceiling, Cateran repeated, “Storm clouds. Spinning storm clouds.”
High above them in the center of the ceiling, tiny wisps of cloud were gradually growing larger as they swirled about in the air.
“Does the word ‘vortex’ mean anything to you?” Aliyah asked Vexyna rhetorically.
“Now what are we supposed to do?” Vexyna wondered.
“I vote for running away,” Din shouted while hastening towards the doors.
“Form the Tiger’s Triangle,” Aliyah said in a grave tone of voice. “That is the only way for us to close the gate.” She indicated that Vexyna should remove the dagger from Aliyah’s sash.
Grasping the dagger firmly, Vexyna soon found herself surrounded by the two redheads. They were seated facing opposite each other. They had removed their footwear and had placed the soles of thei
r feet against each other so their Marks of the Tiger rested together. Vexyna held dagger’s blade between her palms with the handle pointing towards the floor. Each Vag reached up and touched the handle at the same instant.
From high above the trio, a handful of scaly claws reached through the ever-increasing cloud mass to swipe at the occupants of the room. Din, who had been caught up in watching the activities, was trapped in the grasp of the giant claws and torn screaming from the room through the clouds. Light flashed violently through the clouds as Din’s screams of torment died out.
Silently, Trulo watched as the trio of girls levitated until they were situated between the Coffer of Essence’ throne and the clouds in the ceiling. A golden pyramid of energy had enveloped them.
Inside the pyramid of light, Vexyna felt only warmth, calm and serenity. She thought about the loss of her father and grieved for the fact she still had so much to say to him. She thought about Trulo and how much she wanted to make sure he was safe. Outside the pyramid, its light grew more intense.
Huge cracks began to form in the chamber’s walls and floor. Great chunks of pillars and walls began to crash down around the occupants.
Grasping the staff Span had given him, Trulo banged the end into the ground rapidly three times. The bands on the staff quickly changed colors. Trulo looked anxiously about the chamber in search of reply. None came.
Plumes of dust billowed through the room as the castle continued to disintegrate. Soon, all that was left was a small patch of stone floor containing the throne over the Coffer of Essence, the levitating girls and Trulo. Above were only darkened sky and the whirling vortex. Below, the inky water surrounding the island crashed madly against what remained of the supports to the last piece of castle.
Searing, brilliant white light exploded skyward from the Triangle and pierced the gateway in the sky. A thousand simultaneous screams of torment were heard before the vortex vanished in a puff of smoke.
The Triangle’s light began to fade rapidly and the girls dropped quickly back to the floor. Each of the girls slumped backwards into unconsciousness, thus losing their grips on the dagger. Tumbling off the edge of what remained of the floor, the dagger splashed into the sea.
Trulo dashed from girl to girl in order to rouse them from their slumber. They would not wake up. He tried calling out for aid from the Wind Elementals, but it was the wind itself that pushed his cries back into his throat.
Sinking to his knees, Trulo cradled Vexyna’s motionless head in his arms. He began to sob uncontrollably as the floor beneath them started slowly eating itself away.
One by one, the girls tumbled into the dark waters. Trulo still clutched Vexyna tightly as they, too, plunged deeply into the water. Down they dropped until the floor of the sea rose up to meet them.
Chapter 20: Final Words