by Bri Sailor
T’kë kë’ihstörë gëäd’n tö t’kë d’giimd giigkt öx t’kë diigën. D’gädë t’kät süt t’kë iinkëmëträdgë. N’tögër xrökt öür gämds. Kiidtörih ëtskëd iikt d’törë.
“The keystone leads to the blind light of the vile ones. Blade that cut the impenetrable. Stolen from our lands. History etched in stone.”
“It’s not a ‘keystone’…it’s a stone key!” she exclaimed suddenly.
The frantic priestess began running her hands over the wall as she searched for something.
“What? What is it?” asked Kova urgently.
“This wall is a door!” exclaimed Cora. “That ‘key’ opens it! I’m sure of it! Quick, find where it goes!”
Kova joined the frantic search. Suddenly she froze in place. Her hand pressed into the wall as the carving of Beloneras recessed into the wall and revealed a hidden keyhole.
“Cora!” she yelled.
The priestess ran over. “By the gods!”
Kova took the stone key and pushed it into the hole. It fit perfectly. Suddenly, a loud book shook the ground and dust began to fall as the ornate wall slowly slipped into the earth. The two women were dumbstruck. After nearly three minutes the wall had completely disappeared into the ground.
“What did you do?” came an astonished voice behind them.
Kova and Cora jumped at the sudden intrusion. While they had been hypnotized by their discovery Atreyis, Ehren, Toran, Arainya, and Drax were all standing behind them.
“When did you get down here?” asked Cora.
“When there is an earthquake seemingly out of nowhere, an ancient, and possibly powerful library underground becomes suddenly suspect.” Said Ehren matter-of-factly. “Atreyis and I saw you and Kova leave and figured this is where you were.”
“I found a key my parents had left me. And Cora figured out that it went in the wall.” Kova surmised.
Cora just stared at the wall. It was solid granite with a single inscription carved into it.
“S’hé móyum ól s’he réwéám.”
“What does it say, Cora?” asked Atreyis.
Cora stepped up to the wall and concentrated. Her entire body and eyes gave off a bright golden light. She reached out a hand and placed it on the cold granite.
“The Soul of the Goddess reveals.” She said softly.
The wall began to blow with the same bright gold light. It was as bright as the sun as everyone shielded their eyes. Suddenly, the glowing stopped. Everyone blinked. The granite was gone and what remained was nothing but a solid dirt wall and an ancient Khénnan royal banner.
“Is that—” said Toran breathlessly.
Cora turned around. In her hands were two glowing objects. One rectangular in shape, the other a sword made out of pure crystal. The priestess gasped as a white light suddenly blinded her vision.
#
Cora stood in a desolate land. The grasses were brown and short and sparse. All she could see was a rocky waste. Large black mountains loomed in the distance. It all felt familiar. A horn blast drew her attention away from the mountains towards the opposite horizon. Glowing white beings marched in an unfathomably large army towards the mountains. The ground suddenly began to shake and a horrific, earsplitting shrieking roar came from the black mountains. The priestess looked over in horror as a black cloud rose up from the mountain and raced towards the army.
#
Cora suddenly fell to her knees as she was thrown back into her body.
“By the gods! Cora are you alright?” exclaimed Ehren.
He helped the shaky priestess up.
“Yes. I think so.” Her voice wavered. “We have everything!”
“The final piece.” Gasped a suddenly remorseful Kova. “I am sorry for ever doubting all of you. Truly this is the weapon of the Goddess.”
Cora’s face was set with resolve. “Gather all of the troops. Any person capable of fighting. We leave immediately for the Temple of Ages. With or without Nya, Taryn, Vex, and Riker. We have what we need. Not another moment can be wasted. The final battle will take place in the Northern Wastes. I saw it.”
Toran stepped forward. “We shall send messengers at once. Every army of the kingdoms will meet together to end this once and for all!”
Atreyis had tuned everyone out as her eyes had remained on the crystal sword still in Cora’s hand. Her vision tunneled. She was suddenly standing in front of a bewildered priestess.
“Atreyis?” said Cora fearing for her seemingly possessed friend. “What’s wrong?”
The princess reached for the sword.
“I have seen this before.” She said ominously. “Another age. A lifetime ago.”
As her hand touched the sword a bright gold light enveloped her and she collapsed.
Chapter 19
The black dragon flew silently through the dark gray clouds. Something felt like it was missing. A part of her. Almost like a memory. She glided through the bare, snowless rock of the mountains. There was nothing left. Nothing but a barren wasteland. What lush life had been there was now gone. Darkness had taken over everything. The dragon felt hollow and alone. It fell from the red sky and weaved through the craggy mountains. Nothing about any of this felt right. It continued its flight from the mountains and soared over newly formed rivers of lava. It snorted in disgust and dove lower.
The heat and light from the molten rock radiated off of her scales. She didn’t know where she was going but felt an odd magnetic sensation pulling her somewhere. Off in the distance she could see that the rivers of lava were converging into a giant fiery lake. As she neared it she could see a black platform in the middle of the lake and an archway. Suddenly, the dragon found herself falling from the sky as her wings disappeared. Her screams rang out across the empty expanse as she crashed into the platform with an earth-shattering explosion. Once again Ky found herself lying in a crater of her own creation. She wanted nothing more than to die and for this suffering to end. Hot tears streamed down her face.
“Ailana!” she screamed to the red sky. “Why did you leave us?! Why did you take her away from me?!”
The warrior had nothing left as she crawled to her knees. Her tattered clothes blew in the hot wind. Dirt streaked her skin and her matted hair whipped in her face.
“What more could you or her do to me?!” she raged to the vast sky. “End my suffering! End my existence! Why am I still here after all of this?! For what gods-forsaken reason am I STILL HERE?!”
All the strength left her body and she feebly slammed her fists into the dirt like a pebble falling onto a bed of moss. Her body shook with anger and grief and hot tears flowed. The pressure behind her eyes was so great she thought they would burst. She was truly alone. Atreyis was gone. Everyone. Everything. Nothing remained but her. Whatever light had been inside her, whatever love, whatever hope, no matter how buried, was now gone. Her entire being felt as if every last bit of light had been taken from her and nothing remained but a gaping void that could never be filled. It was consuming her but leaving enough so that she may exist forever in this agony, this torment.
#
Atreyis felt herself falling from a great height once again. She held her breath and braced for impact. It never came. Opening her eyes she found herself staring at a wall of liquid crystal once more. She reached out to touch it and the surface rippled like water. Fear began to take over.
“No no no no. Not again.” She mumbled in fear. She took a step back and turned around. The sight took her strength away and she fell to her knees. All around her was nothing but barren wastes, gray clouds, a red sky, and rivers and lakes of lava. Everything looked familiar but wasn’t right. Where were the green meadows she had once seen? Where was the palace? And that temple…
Shivers raced up and down her spine as she remembered the evil in that place and what she fought there. She stood on shaky legs and looked back at the archway. There was something familiar about it as well. Like a very distant memory. Something was wrong with it as well.
She took a step back and studied the glassy black stone of the arch. Something inside her told her that it wasn’t like this before. She could feel it try to pull her in. It felt like a trap. She shook herself. To the right and left of the arch were two pedestals. Both were empty and looked as if they had once held something. The princess walked over to one and traced a finger around the edge of a carved hole.
“I wonder.” She said to herself.
She looked at the crystal sword in her right hand and looked at the pedestal. In one swift motion she sheathed the sword within the stone. Immediately a bright white light began to shine from the crystal sword. The light began to creep up the black stone of the archway, turning it white as it went. As the white crept part of the liquid crystal gateway froze solid. When the light reached the halfway point of the arch it suddenly stopped. Atreyis stared in awe as she reached out and touched the now solid surface of the gateway.
“Amazing.” She breathed.
She walked over to the other side to the other pedestal. It had the same hole that would fit a second sword. She traced the outline of the hole.
“Where are you?” she asked the empty stone.
The princess walked back over to the sword and pulled it out of its pedestal. The archway once again turned black and the gateway to liquid crystal. Atreyis stared at it. She squinted. There was something on the other side. What was it? Her eyes instantly widened as she realized she was looking through the crystal. She ran around to the other side of the arch and stopped at the edge of a vast crater. There nearly a hundred feet below her lay a shaking, nearly naked Ky.
“Ky!” she screamed as she leapt fearlessly into the pit.
The warrior stirred some and looked up. Through bleary eyes she swore she saw the Goddess descending towards her. A golden light surrounded the feminine being and her massive angelic wings were outstretched as she glided towards her.
“Ailana?” rasped the warrior.
Atreyis landed softly next to the warrior and held her as the tears flowed freely.
“Ky!” she cried. “I knew you were here! I knew you were alive!”
The warrior’s dim gray eyes filled with tears as the blurry face of the princess and her sapphire blue eyes came into focus.
“Atreyis!” cried the warrior.
She jumped up and threw her arms around the princess and kissed her deeply. Atreyis pulled her close and refused to let go. The two held each other as they sobbed.
“She killed you!” cried Ky. “I saw it! I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you!”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t fight back!” sobbed Atreyis. “I tried. I fought with everything I had. She was just too much!”
Ky hugged her close. “I won’t lose you again. Never!”
Atreyis buried her head in Ky’s shoulder and refused to let go. “You won’t. I’ll never let go.”
With tears streaming down both of their faces Ky pulled back Atreyis’ head from her shoulder and kissed her deeply again. The princess kissed her back and held her tight. Both refusing to break the embrace for fear of being torn apart for forever. Atreyis felt her wings grow and she held on tight to the warrior as she leapt out of the pit and landed lightly by the archway. They kissed one last time and touched foreheads.
“I don’t know how I will bring you back,” sniffed Atreyis, “but I will.”
“How did you come back?” asked Ky as she wiped her tears. “The last I saw you was the briefest of moments before a golden light took you away. It all happened so fast I wasn’t sure it was even real.”
Atreyis wiped her tears. “It was me. I was there. I saw you. I would recognize those red eyes anywhere. That’s how I knew you were still alive. Cora was somehow able to bring me back…” she looked into Ky’s eyes, “but not you…”
Ky nodded her head. “I think I understand. Before I came here…when I could feel the darkness pulling me under, I saw a golden light. I tried to go to it…but the darkness…it…Aliana forgive me for begging for death! I should have been stronger!”
Ky started to cry again and Atreyis quickly kissed her.
“It’s alright.” She comforted. “You’re here. I’m here. All that matters is that we find a way to get you back. It will take every single one of us to fight Lusha. Prophecy or not.”
The princess let go of the warrior a moment and held the crystal sword before her.
“There is another like this.” Said the princess ominously as she looked into the warrior’s eyes. “It brought me here. And I think it’s how we get you back.”
The warrior was confused. “What do you mean? How did it bring you here?”
“I don’t know.” Said Atreyis. “Cora found it and as soon as I touched it I was brought here.”
Ky threw up her arms and looked all around them. “Where? Where could it possibly be?”
“I don’t know!” said an exasperated princess. She moved to speak and felt something deep inside her shift. She looked up at Ky with wide eyes and grabbed her shoulders.
“Look, I don’t have much time left, I can feel it.” She rushed. “You must find the sword. I don’t know how but I will return. Lusha pulled us into this realm once in our dreams, maybe Cora can send me back.”
“Don’t go. Please don’t go!” begged Ky.
Atreyis felt herself begin to fade as she shimmered before the warrior.
“Find the sword! I will be back! I love you!”
The princess and the sword vanished, leaving the warrior alone once again.
“I love you.” Whispered Ky. “And I will find a way back to you.”
Chapter 20
Atreyis collapsed to her knees as she was thrown back into her body in the underground library. She gasped for air. Cora was immediately at her side helping her up.
“Atreyis!” she gasped. “Are you alright? What happened? You touched the sword and collapsed!”
The princess held on to the priestess.
“I’m fine.” She gasped. “I saw Ky. I was thrown back into the realm of spirits. She was there. There was an arch with some sort of gateway.”
“What do you mean?” asked Ehren.
“I don’t know.” Said Atreyis. “I couldn’t see where it led. What was important was the pedestals on either side.”
She held up the crystal sword. “This fit into it perfectly. And it changed the gateway. It started to close it off. I don’t know what it means. All I know is that this sword took me there and that if Ky can manage to find the other one it can possibly bring her home.”
Curious eyes all fell on Cora. She looked around at all of them.
“I don’t know what to say.” She confessed. “I can feel the truth in your words, Atreyis. But I read nothing of this…anywhere…”
The princess looked at the priestess with soft eyes. “It’s alright. Now that I know for sure that Ky is still out there…all that matters is that we get her back so that we can finish Lusha once and for all. I will have to help her though.”
She put her hands on Cora’s shoulders. “Lusha once pulled both of us into that realm through our dreams, and you were able to reach us. I think you can do that again and send me there to assist Ky. As soon as possible.”
Cora nodded. “I will try my best.”
Atreyis hugged her. “Thank you. Now we must gather everyone. If your vision is correct, and I believe it with all my heart, we are going to need every sword we can spare.”
Toran stepped up. “Joslette and Doan are already on their way back to Thaemo. Those that remain of the Black Army who are free of Lusha’s spell have been allowed to return home. Those that want to still fight the witch are being split up between Joslette, myself, and Kova’s command. I will send word to Vex in Óhn as well to come to Lynica. Joslette and Kova will join us there with their forces as well. From there we will march towards the Northern Wastes and finish the witch once and for all.”
Kova nodded in agreement. “My people have already started preparing.”
; “We must leave now for the Temple of Ages.” Said Cora suddenly. “We have all of the crystals. We can’t waste any more time.”
“We can’t, not yet. You must send me back first.” stated Atreyis firmly. “If Ky and I are truly the weapon of the Goddess we need her back! You need to send me back!”
“Once we reach the temple—” started Cora.
“No! Now!” Atreyis snapped. “You don’t know what it looked like there! Where she was! Where I left her! Nothing but a barren wasteland! A hellish landscape of fire and lava! And there was a gateway that felt like it was pulling me in.”
“What are you talking about?” Cora was suddenly very scared.