by JH Terry
XVIII: The Teal Abyss and Sherog
As they continued to travel through the Teal Abyss, Tom began to feel quite tired. However, he still followed Akemi’s footsteps as though he were in a trance. Slowly, into his subconscious a soft murmur could be ascertained. Then, a strange language was heard, it sounded like:
Emontisatom, emontisday, emontispaarl, emontislay. Diveritousanctun, diveritusee, dijamberlambton, dijortonly.
Then, the strange sound became English:
You come to see, you come to play, you come to live, you come to stay. Your cause is just, your cause is true, your cause is fallacious, your quest is through!
Suddenly, Tom opened his eyes to see he was falling down towards the glass shards. Peter rushed out to catch him. As he did so noise filled the abyss. It seemed as if time stood still as Tom fell down. From the corner of his eye he could see Akemi turn around, her face looking in horror. As he looked forward the glass shards glittered. The further he fell down, the clearer he could see his image amongst the thousands of slivers.
“This is it,” thought Tom. “This is the end.”
Then as if in a dream he was no longer falling. instead an arm was steadying his balance and lifting him up. Tom looked up to see that it was Peter. Tom breathed a sigh of relief. Back on his feet Tom looked to Peter who was sweating.
“Thanks Peter.”
Peter smiled, “Any time Tom.”
In embarrassment Tom looked over to Akemi. Yet Akemi was not paying attention to him or the others. Instead she was gazing in horror at something behind them. It was only them that Tom noticed the noise. Looking back, he saw that a great storm was filling the abyss. Billows of air in the form of clouds were quickly starting to enclose the chamber. Unlike the dark, grayish storms they were accustomed to, this storm shone with a bright light. Soon the storm would be where they stood.
“Look what you have got us into now, Tom!” said Kate slightly vexed.
“Kate, it was an accident. You had one of those in the corridor too,” said Peter.
“At least I was not alone in the matter,” said Kate.
“What is that bright light?” asked Tom.
“ Those are the glass shards. Those clouds are filled with millions of them. Now all of you come here,” said Akemi to them. As Tom, Peter and Kate came over, Akemi retrieved from her belt a small navy blue square. She then opened it up to reveal a long cloak.
“What are all the things that you carry in that belt?” asked Peter.
“Do not worry about that for right now,” said Akemi, “sit on my cloak.”
Akemi placed the cloak upon the floor. Tom, Peter, and Kate climbed onto the cloak.
“Now,” said Akemi, “cover yourselves with it completely until the storm passes. This cloak will camouflage you from anyone seeing you are here.”
“What about you?” asked Tom.
“I shall be fine, just do what I told you.”
Tom, Peter and Kate did as Akemi commanded them to do. They anxiously sat within the cloak as the storm approached. As if by some strange coincidence, even though the outside could not see them, they could see all that occurred outside.
“It is like television,” said Peter of the storm.
“Or like the computer imaging of movies,” said Kate.
“Unfortunately it is real,” said Tom slightly worried of what was to happen.
“What is she doing?” asked Kate.
“I do not know,” said Tom, “but I think that she knows what she is doing.”
Looking to Tom’s pocket, Peter saw one of the rubies fall out. The gem glistening against the cloak.
“Tom, what is that in your pocket?” asked Peter.
“I found it in the cave on that snake,” said Tom. “I think it is one of the rubies of Quarduiz.”
“Why did you not tell her, or us?” asked Kate.
“I was not sure what happened or if they are the actually gems Akemi talked of,” said Tom. “I found four rubies, and an emerald.”
“An emerald,” said Peter. “How is that possible?”
“I do not know, but there is something that Akemi is not telling us. Something that is very important, yet she chose to keep it hidden from our knowledge.”
“I think we should ask her about it,” said Kate.
“Are you crazy?” asked Peter. “Perhaps she realizes what we know along with our doubts and decides to end our journey earlier than expected.”
“Peter is right,” said Tom. “Let’s ask her to tell us the entire truth. No lying. If we feel that she is being honest, after a while of testing though and under a majority vote to do so, then we will tell her about the gems, but only after that. All right?”
“All right,” said Peter.
“Yes, all right,” said Kate.
Tom took the gems out of his pocket and placed them in the main compartment of his bag, amongst his clothes.
“It should be safe there,” said Tom.
“Hopefully,” said Peter, “Our lives depend upon you, Tom. Those gems are our bargaining chip.”
“You better not do something stupid this time,” said Kate. “If you lose them I will personally make sure you do not live to see Earth again.”
“Thanks for the concern, and the added pressure,” said Tom sarcastically.
“My pleasure,” said Kate as Tom and Peter looked to each other as if the future was not going to be an easy passing of time.
They looked to the storm again to see that Akemi stood between them and the approaching storm. She stood confidently before the storm. She seem determined and ready to defend what was before her. The storm approached and in its wake came, unseen by Tom, Peter and Kate before, a gargantuan figure.
“Sherog, show to me thyself!” exclaimed Akemi.
Suddenly the storm stopped in mid-air, causing each shard to be individually suspended within the air. From behind a mirror-like hand moved these shards gently away, just as one’s hand can easily break the uniformity of water cascading down a waterfall. The creature before them was nine yards tall and made of mirror smoothed along its dimensions. It wore a kilt-like mirror skirt and had its silvery hair cascading over its face in such a way that it could not be seen. Despite its height and wide girth, it was able to be supported by the firm bridge without even the slightest sign of stress or tension. When it was thirty yards away from Akemi it stopped. Its growling could be heard from under its breath.
“Who are you to invade my depths?” asked Sherog in a very deep, unpleasant voice.
“One who has known you all too well,” said Akemi.
Sherog then blew some air from his mouth causing his hair to move entirely away from his face to behind his head. Tom, Peter and Kate peered onto the giant to see that he a face just like a human’s, yet it was very worn in appearance with deep blue eyes. Seeing Akemi he slightly smiled. However, soon that smile was lost and he looked outraged.
“Get out!” he bellowed. “Get out of my domain. I live alone, and want to be alone!”
“What do you mean? What has happened?” asked Akemi, startled.
“If you do not leave now you will suffer by my WRATH!”
“I shall not leave.”
“Then you will feel my HATRED!”
Sherog released the shards of glass from their static state and directed them all at Akemi. Akemi quickly took her sword from its scabbard and deflected each shard of glass that came towards her with a flashing motion. From within the cloak the three were amazed as it did not seem as if she held not one, but several swords due to the speed that she deflected the glass shards. Like a work of pure imagination Akemi defied even the more principle beliefs of physics with just a demonstration of pure precision.
“Awesome,” said Peter in the well-protected cloak.
“I wonder how she does it,” said Kate.
“It won’t work a second time,” said Akemi angrily at Sherog.
“Looks like you learn too quickly,” s
aid Sherog. “Perhaps a new lesson should satisfy your eager mind….”
“Wait,” said Akemi. “Before you do that, think about what I say.” She placed her sword in its scabbard and was walking slowly backwards to the cloak. “If you do not heed my words, my once noble friend, I will be forced to destroy you.”
In response Sherog bellowed in laughter. “A puny thing like you? You couldn’t and will never be able to perform such a feat.”
“If you are so certain…,” said Akemi as she edged to her belt.
“I am certain, this is just a trick created by your faulted Draygon mind.”
“How dare you use such language at me!” exclaimed Akemi. Offended, Akemi revealed Tom, Peter, and Kate within the cloak. Seeing Tom, Sherog began to growl.
“Give him to me, witch!” said Sherog.
“I want you to remember this moment well when you were defeated by what you called a lowly Draygon!” Akemi then placed two earplugs from her belt into her ears as Sherog walked closer to them. She then opened another compartment of her belt and retrieved a little bit of bluish powder. “Cover your ears,” she said to Tom, Peter, and Kate. As they did so, Akemi consumed the powder. Then, with all of her might, she screamed at an extremely high pitch toward the glass bridge. Sherog placed his hands on his ears trying to resist the horrendous sound that Akemi was producing but with little effect. Suddenly the bridge began to crack and slivers of glass came off of Sherog’s body and fell to the ground. Due to the intensity of the noise, Sherog screamed, “Ah! Stop Akemi, STOP!!!” Yet she did not budge. Along with Sherog’s added weight more parts of the bridge began to break off. As they descended down they fell within the teal hue, lost to the natural forever. In fear Sherog began to desperately run for safety as the bridge continued to break apart.
Seeing Sherog run away, Akemi stopped screaming. “Uncover your ears,” gestured Akemi to Tom, Peter and Kate. “Hold on to the cloak.” Tom, Peter and Kate did as Akemi directed them to do, but were unsure of the reason why.
“Avanté!” exclaimed Akemi to the cloak. Without a delay, the cloak lifted up from the ground by two yards, but Akemi still stood on the bridge with the cloak in her right hand.
“What’s happening?” asked Kate.
Then with a great jerk, the cloak began to fly in the air away from the bridge continuing on their path. Akemi trailed behind them securely holding onto the cloak. She peered behind to see the bridge crack and break completely apart. With the bridge Sherog fell down with it into the teal abyss. As he fell he exclaimed, reaching out to Akemi, “Akemi!”
“You see Sherog,” said Akemi, “even glass breaks.”
Akemi continued looking behind, her vengeance quenched, but not deadened from her soul.
Akemi climbed onto the cloak to see a sombre Tom, bewildered Kate, and unsure Peter. They had never seen this side of Akemi before.
“What is the matter?” asked Akemi. “Soon we shall come to Altium, and everything shall be fine.”
“What is going on?” asked Kate. “What are all of these obstacles for?”
Akemi sighed, knowing that their ignorance of the matter was no longer to be at her advantage. Worried at what to tell them, Akemi was about to speak when Tom said, “The truth, Akemi. The absolute truth.”
After a clearing of her throat, Akemi began to speak. “Well, primarily, we have been able to travel to another dimension.”
“What?” asked Peter.
“A dimension. It is between places or worlds at a particular part of time. What we have entered is a special one created by Reilly A. Pete for any intruders who would ever come into his lair. It is connected to various other dimensions, including the City of Yerub, Teal Abyss and your world. I have been here before, a very long time ago, when I was very young with Sherog, the creature you met before - he used to be my best friend.”
“That beast was your friend?” asked Peter.
“He is not a beast,” glared Akemi at Peter. Realizing the ferocity of her reaction, she shifted her position and changed her tone. “He was not a beast. It was those of the ancient city we passed who made him into what he was today. Considered freakish in nature, they captured him to use him as a protective guard. One day, at his mere pleasure, their leader, Emperor Lithi, threw Sherog into a pond of molten sand after having covered him in aluminum. Poor Sherog howled but yet he lived as the creature you saw today. His entire body, except for his face, a mirror. Due to that incident he hated all creatures. That was until he met me as a young child. He protected me when Altium was in chaos before.”
“You mean this has happened before to Altium?” asked Kate.
“Yes, to a degree. When I was just a child the five men from five of six provinces of Altium at that time, Mergot, Gordana, the Land of Disco, Elitomy, and Vundrania, went to vanquish the evil within Unop’s unoccupied land of Denia. Everyone knew about the prophecy, but at the time we were into new thoughts and scientific reasoning. Oh, if only we knew.
“We cheered them on as they walked through each town. We called them the Altinium crusaders. Legends grew over each one. Serv of Mergot, a politician and intellectual; Kiln of Gordana, an agriculturist and adamant conservative; Pef of the Land of Disco, one of the greatest dancers at the time; Ori of Elitomy, one of its greatest wizards; Err of Vundrania, the strongest and handsomest man of his village with golden hair and dark brown eyes; and Reilly A. Pete, one from Earth who was said to fulfill the prophecy.
“These five heroes set out for the world – a world filled with dangers, which, with their daring, they were to relinquish, forever. However, it did not turn out that way.
“They were bound only upon their quest, to rid Altium of its menace. Err was vain, Kiln was ignorant, Serv greedy, Pef just danced around, Ori was scared of what was to come, and Pete led them to his friend Unop. Soon after they went to Denia Unop would recruit Pete who turned into Norbis.
“So, when they came to Denia they were easily vanquished by Unop and his minion Norbis. They were each forced to tell the source of their province’s well being. If not, they were to die. Kiln was so ignorant he could not tell since he did not know that each province had a source of well-being. Serv was so bound to his political beliefs that he too did not know the answer to such a question, for he only believed in scientific facts. Pef did not even understand what was being said. He only knew about his dancing steps. However, the other two did know.
“Because of their weakness, the Vunders of Vundrania became animal-like creatures and the wizards of Elitomy have been in a dormant sleep. For their follies they became consumed by Unop’s evil, thus becoming part of his army. Before Unop can rule Altium, he must be able to conquer the source of well-being of each province.”
“How many provinces have been compromised?” asked Tom.
“Those I have talked about before, and the provinces of the Forest of Haber and the Land of Disco. Therefore, there are four that belong entirely to Unop.”
“How did it happen, I mean this change into evil?”
“Unop possesses the Crystal of Quarduiz, created by him when he was younger. This crystal contains the pure essence of evil. When it even comes close to someone he/she changes into the same state as Unop, his or her soul bound to the works of evil. This crystal’s essence is replaced over a province’s well being. Thus, making them under his control. When he has them all he knows that he will be unstoppable, but there is a chance.”
“What chance is that?” asked Peter.
Akemi looked at Tom as did Kate and Peter. Tom knew what he needed to accomplish, but just what he was meant to do, in a physical sense, was foreign to him.