Destiny Rising

by Lachlan Wells

  “It didn’t go the way I wanted it too,” Adrianna frowned. “I didn’t get the chance to apologize to you and your party. You know, leader to leader.”

  “I’m not much of a party leader anymore. Umbra and Kathy left after we argued over getting revenge on you guys. Jace and I voted against going back, ironically enough and here we are. In this shithole of a desert with a cult I want nothing to do with.”

  “Why are you with them?”

  “Because I agree with them,” Markus shrugged. “At least some of their philosophies about the creation of the Quell and how it does more harm than good.”

  “We’re all apart of the Quell now, aren’t we? Born and raised the most of us,” Adrianna reasoned. “That’s like saying the cities with live in should be destroyed.”

  “I don’t think that’s the same concept.”

  “I’m gonna be straight with you, Markus,” Adrianna took a deep breath. “I’m here to slice that big heart you guys have in two and severe the connection the Crimson Army holds with its members.”

  With a frown, Markus tilted his head. “You know I’m bound to prevent that from happening.”

  “I know, but what did they tell you happens if the Quell is destroyed?”

  “We no longer hear the lies and our minds die.”

  Adrianna hesitated. “Literally or figuratively?”

  Markus shrugged, unwilling to answer. “I don’t think I’m ready to die yet, and Jace would sooner kill you than he would help you. Or turn you in for that matter.”

  Adrianna clenched her fist. “I’m sorry about Bair Island. I didn’t want any of that to happen!”

  “I know.”

  “We seem to know a lot between the two of us,” Adrianna gave him a small smile that quickly vanished. “I don’t want your minds dying or anything, so if there’s a way to severe the connection between you and the Crimson Army, I’ll find it before destroying the heart. I’ll just steal it instead, or something. I just...I can’t let the Quell get rewritten by some pagan goddess and risk wiping out everything we’ve ever known. It’s been the only place that’s made my life worthwhile. There’s so much opportunity to see and meet amazing people like you and Jace and the others. I feel like taking that away is also take a piece of everything we’ve all worked for away.” Adrianna wasn’t expecting to bare her heart in that moment, but she wasn’t going to let up.

  Markus pulled out his bow and Adrianna tensed. “I’m not proud of what I’ve done in the past month,” he looked at her grimly. “I know Jace wouldn’t agree, but you guys were just looking after yourselves. We started that fight not you. All you managed to do was finish it. We could have figured something out. I didn’t want to join this cult, and if there’s a way out of it, I'll take it. Get out of here before we both get caught.”

  Adrianna inched toward the door and Markus moved out of the way.

  “I know I’m in no position, but could you do me a favor?” Markus asked and Adrianna stopped. “Kathy wanted answers to something beyond even my comprehension of the Quell and the answer was in the Shadow Isles. There’s more than one road there and I get the feeling she’ll need a Seeker on her side to get there. If you ever have the opportunity to see her, help her before she damns herself to some irredeemable place.”

  With a nod, Adrianna issued a thanks.

  “Be careful,” he replied. “Not everyone will be as kind as me.”

  “You could always come with me. Help out.”

  He shook his head. “If you’re doing what I think you’re doing, I want my last moments to be with my cousin. Get out of here, Seeker. Do some good.”

  Chapter 38: Ultimatum

  The halls of the pyramid spiraled around the interior of the pyramid with three levels below her position and two above, each with a handful of red robes rushing to and fro, preparing for their departure. It was a miracle of sorts that kept her from being seen. She stopped when her waypoint pulsed and she peeked around another door.

  A large chamber with maybe thirty red robes inside all moving crates and carts around the room, strapping down several objects to the base of the pyramid which was far bigger than she expected it to be. What really caught her eye lay in the center of the pyramid. Her vision pulsed with success as a crystalline purple heart gently beat, suspended from the apex of the pyramid. It was about the size of a small boulder and looked very heavy. There was no way she was going to be able to steal that thing.

  She peeked over the railing to the ground floor.

  Perception Check. Check for dangers. 12 + 2 (Wis) + 5 (Careful Eye) = 19. Success!

  The chamber below held just as many red robes but two of them--Adrianna squinted, two of them were different. They were wearing black with red accents across their studded leather. Her heart hammered twice as fast as the pulsing artifact in the pyramid. Were these the fabled sisters?

  Her attention was drawn from the two figures and towards a man being dragged towards them.

  Carefully, she started to climb down the side of the wall, using her Wayfinder to pinpoint the sweet spots helping her to descend lower.

  She was able to discern the two figures more clearly now. One had a burn down his face and the other was a woman with intense red eyes that stared down at the figure who was thrown to his knees.

  She sharply inhaled as she saw her uncle, Tomas Oban, look up defiantly at the two.

  “Well, if it isn’t the Sisters’ most trusted grunts,” her uncle laughed, spitting blood to the ground. “Couldn’t bother to come down here themselves?”

  “They don’t have time to deal with your pettiness,” the burned man spat. Adrianna looked above his head.

  Crimson General - Trusted Crimson Brother

  “Or you were basically just told to take out the trash,” Tomas snorted.

  “You used to hold this title with high esteem,” the Crimson General growled.

  “Till it got boring.”

  “Let’s cut to the chase,” the woman sighed. “You guys will argue until the next year.”

  Crimson Captain - Trusted Crimson Sister

  Each of them had something over their heads she had never seen before. Both had a black skull next to their name that had an ominous red glow emanating from it. It left her with a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  “Tell me where the girl is and we’ll let you live out the rest of your pathetic life,” the Crimson Captain pulled out a long staff from thin air and lifted Tomas’ chin towards her. “Or we can save ourselves a world of trouble and just end you here.”

  “You understand I can’t be killed that easily,” Tomas chuckled. “Maybe I’d shudder at your threat if I knew you had any real power.”

  “It is true, we don’t know how you evaded our connection for so long,” the Captain muttered. “Some of our diviners were less than adequate in finding your manipulations of the Quell.”

  “It wasn’t that hard.” Her uncle smiled, almost satisfied with his predicament.

  “Twenty years?” The General clenched his teeth, gritting bone. “You had help, old man. Was it Esmeralda?”

  “You know better than me why that’s not true,” Tomas’s voice turned icy. “Tread carefully.”

  “What are you going to do?” The Captain sighed and slammed her staff to the ground. “You are within the Crimson Pyramid. This stronghold can withstand an army.”

  “For starters I can talk about how terrible your outfit happens to be.”

  The General backhanded Tomas and Adrianna forced herself to think fast. If they did manage to get the information they wanted out of him, they’d find out quickly she was nearby and the others would be caught even faster. If they did manage to kill him and he was just provoking them to give the team time to get the heart and they didn’t succeed, she’d have one less family member. Then it would just be her. Alone.

  “I think killing him would do us a lot of good,” the General took out a red blade that looked eerily similar to Hancock’s Shadow Weaver. “Chance
s are, the girl will come searching for you.”

  The two looked at each other, contemplating their choices as Tomas continued to make side comments.

  Adrianna inhaled. It was now or never.

  She notched a bolt and cranked back the string, listening to the mechanical pieces snap in place. There were no exits now. There was no way she could rig something to gain an advantage, so she took a deep breath and jumped to a catwalk directly overhead.

  “Hey!” she called out, but her voice barely made it down to the next floor. Not even the red robes on her floor noticed her. “H-hey!” she tried again but was only met with the chattering of orders.

  She then took her crossbow and banged on the side of the catwalk. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

  That grabbed their attention. She stared down at them her crossbow now pointing at the pulsing heart above her.

  “Oh!” The Captain grinned. “ Arrival as expected.”

  “Shut up and listen!” Adrianna yelled. “Let him go or the heart gets it!”

  “Do you have the power to do that, girl?” The General point his sword up at her.

  “Do you have the balls to find out?” Adrianna replied.

  Chapter 39: Negotiations

  “We want to thank you for making this so much easier,” The Captain adjusted her grip on her staff. “It’s not every day the prized target of the Crimson Sisters walks right up to our front door.”

  “And thank you, old man for giving yourself up so easily,” the General nodded toward Tomas.

  “Now if you’ll please come down from there before you make a mistake.”

  “Not so fast, Crimson butts!” Adrianna pointed at her target. “I dipped this bad bolt in some magic dust I picked up from the Maze of Horrors. Only a magical item can destroy it, right?”

  The two black-robed leaders looked at each other before gazing at her.

  Deception Check. Bluff. 14 + 1 (Cha) = 15. They need convincing.

  “The girl is bluffing,” The Captain lifted her staff, and lightning shot from its tip, sparking in the air.

  “Am I?”

  “Are you?” The General snapped.

  “Maybe!” Adrianna answered, lining up her crossbow to the center of the pulsing heart. “Just got proficiency with this bad boy and everything...but let me know if you want to take the risk.”

  The two looked at each other and the General smiled. “But of course, little girl. Your uncle is yours.”

  “All we need is your blood in return,” the Captain didn’t bother to beat around the bush. “Your uncle for you.”

  She could feel Myra get closer, and she figured if she could just stall for a little more time, Hancock would be here. Then she’d find a way to transport her uncle out of here.

  “What’s on your mind little girl?” the Captain held up her staff. “Don’t you care enough if your uncle lives or dies? Or are you desperately trying to create a plan? Stalling for time, maybe?”

  “Contemplating your demise.” Adrianna snapped. What would keep them here? What would give her time? “Because there’s no guarantee that you’ll keep up your end of the bargain or vice versa. We have no way of trusting each other. You know that. I know that. Let’s not talk negotiation without looking at parameters.”

  The General looked up at her incredulously. “Parameters?”

  “Obviously,” Adrianna bluffed. “Like, respect for the fact that we’re both intelligent people and not to treat one another like we’re children. Let’s start with names.” Adrianna bowed slightly. “I am Adrianna Swann, Seeker of Knowledge.”

  With a sneer, the General brandished his sword. “You dare--”

  “You may call me Captain Somber,” the woman narrowed her eyes, obviously willing to play her game. “And my unfortunate companion is General--”

  “Wrath,” the General stated rotating around Tomas.

  She wasn’t expecting them to introduce themselves in such a manner, but their titles glitched and shifted themselves accordingly.

  General Wrath - Commander Warrior

  Captain Somber - Commander Mage

  The skulls remained and all aspects of these new revelations made her nervous. If she was going to win against them, she’d need to figure out how to separate them from their weapons. If she could survive that long.

  Come on, Myra. “Somber, Wrath,” she avoided looking at her uncle. “Pleased to meet you.”

  “Can’t say the same,” Wrath gritted his teeth. “Now what is this about negotiations?”

  “Simple,” Adrianna rested her foot on the edge of the catwalk to keep her leg from bouncing in nervousness. “I want something. You want something. There is a way we both can get what we want.”

  General Wrath paused. “What?”

  “I think she aims to distract us,” Somber sniffed. “You will turn yourself into the Crimson Army and we will take the traitor with us. There will be no negotiations!” She shouted up at Adrianna.

  “Or I’ll take my uncle with me, give your little heart a good makeover and exit the building in a blaze of glory,” Adrianna taunted. She wasn’t sure how long she was willing to keep this up, but it was going to take some sort of miracle to get this done the way she needed it to. “I mean, I’m willing to sit down and draw up the contract and figure everything out. I’m not above civilized conversation, which is respect of the highest degree.”

  Ari! Myra’s voice filled her head.

  At the same time, Captain Somber lifted her staff. “Enough!” A shower of lightning shot from her staff and arced towards her faster than she could blink.

  Chapter 40: Stroke of Luck

  BLESSING OF FATES: ACTIVE

  She knew she had better not get hit by the burning arc of light coming towards her, but it came at her impossibly fast. Inexplicably, it whipped by her head and slammed into a group of red robes who had managed to sneak up behind her. Three of them turned into black mist, but the remaining two solid figures slammed into the cart they were presumably moving. Weapons of all sorts tumbled to the ground—one of them being a tall wooden staff with a bright ruby on top of it--her Uncle’s staff.

  Encounter! Start initiative!

  “Adrianna, run!” Tomas yelled and Wrath backhanded him with the hilt of his sword.

  Instead she let loose a bolt aimed at General Wrath and dashed towards the staff. She didn’t bother to check her surroundings as she grabbed the stick and whipped it around to see if anyone followed her. Seeing that she was in the clear, she listened as Wrath and Somber started barking orders.

  Before she could move further, Parrish and Ivory descended like twin birds from the crown of the pyramid. A horn blast resounded within the chambers. The two’s descent slowed as Parrish murmured a prayer as his pure white bolt seared into the air striking both Wrath and Somber to the floor.

  “Wait there!” Ivory called, getting ready to blow her horn again.

  Instead of waiting, she took three steps and jumped off the catwalk to land on one of the many crates on the ground floor. She’d deal with the heart later.

  Acrobatics Check. Land safely. 11 + 3 (Dex) = 14. Minor Success.

  She landed hard on her legs, her ankles nearly giving out and tucked into a roll for a messy landing.

  STATUS: patched up, bruised

  “Adrianna!” Tomas hissed, working against his bonds.

  She threw the staff down beside him and whipped out her dagger, quickly slicing through the bonds. “Come on! We’re getting you out of here!”

  Tomas picked up his staff and slammed it, the magic now pouring from his fingertips. “Were you quoting a book?” he laughed incredulously.

  Adrianna grinned, relieved that she had made it this far. “Case of the Fallen!”

  “I thought that sounded familiar,” Tomas smiled, in spite of himself. “Smart thinking.”

  “It was the only thing I could think of to keep them busy. I figured it was something NPCs wouldn’t know about and entertaining enough to buy me time.”

 
Tomas looked at Adrianna for a moment before nodding to himself. “We’ll need to talk about your little NPC trick, later.”

  “What do you mean?” Adrianna frowned.

  Ari! Where are you? Myra’s voice sounded again.

  Center of the pyramid! Adrianna cringed when she heard Myra’s frustrated reply. Later! You’re moving in the right direction and we could really use that sword.

  Captain Somber pointed at Adrianna and started chanting as her staff began flashing. Parrish flipped his coin and flung his hand out toward the woman. A white flash immediately consumed her spell.

  Ivory blew her horn again and a group of red robes were thrown uselessly aside. “Why do they have skulls over their heads?!”

  “I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees it!”

  “It means they’re levels higher than you,” Tomas yelled.

  “Fantastic!” Ivory grumbled and took another deep breath.

  A sudden silence went over the pyramid. Adrianna looked up. Hancock let out a feral scream as he arched his blade over the stunned people. Shadow Weaver struck firm and true to its target with Hancock as an unstoppable force.

  Like a hot knife on butter, the crystal split and two, crystalline pieces spilling over everyone.

  “No!” The entirety of the Crimson Army cried out as one, including Tomas.

  The two pieces tumbled to the ground, one almost crushing Ivory and the other smashing into the crates.

  A great scream reverberated in the chamber. The sound of two sirens in discord howled throughout the pyramid, pain wracking through the army’s bodies.

  Adrianna locked onto a pair of eyes across the chamber. Markus stood with a defeated look on his face, somewhere between anguish and gratefulness.

  Then all at once, the Crimson Army and everything connected to it fell to the ground, dropping in unison.