by Bri Sailor
“I’m talking about what has happened since Darkness took over the spirit realm!” shouted Atreyis. “She was completely helpless! I found her laying in a pit near the gateway, begging for oblivion! I’ll be damned if I leave her again! I lost her once and I won’t lose her again!”
“You don’t understand,” Cora said calmly, “it’s not that simple. I’m still amazed that your soul is still intact after how long you were there when Lusha pulled you in. You need time to heal from everything that has happened. Give me a couple of days to prepare everything so that you can safely go back.”
“Why can’t I just go now? Just send me back!” pleaded Atreyis.
“It’s not that easy!” Cora rubbed her eyes. “If that gateway is what I think it is, if you try to go through it, I…I don’t know what will happen! I don’t know if I can get you back!”
Atreyis grew grim. “What do you mean?”
Cora sighed. “I think that this gateway that you saw is the portal to the Ever Dark. I think it is what you and Ky were the original guardians of. I’ve never even been there myself! If you were to go too deep I may lose any connection there is between us and you could be trapped there forever!”
The princess crossed her arms. “So what do I have to do to prepare?”
Cora shook her head. “Nothing. It’s not you. I need to spend some time in meditation and look through some writings. I may have part of the Goddess’ soul within me but not her mind, and I still have no idea what I am capable of. And despite all that I have read, there is still nothing that describes what truly lies beyond that gateway. Béloneras himself could very well be there.”
Atreyis sighed and relented. “Fine. Take your time and prepare. I want Ky back, but I am willing to wait to make sure that she will actually come back.”
#
Atreyis paced in the underground library the priestess had finally sent for her telling that it was time. Cora had spent nearly two weeks preparing everything. She had created a grid of crystals on top of runes that she had drawn on the ground. She was sitting beneath the statue of the Goddess meditating. A soft golden glow surrounded her body as she gently hovered in the air ever so slightly. Atreyis grabbed the hilt of the crystal sword and unsheathed it. She stared at its etheric beauty in the soft firelight. Cora stopped glowing and lowered back to the ground. She opened her gently glowing gold eyes and looked at Atreyis.
“Are you sure you are ready for this?” she asked solemnly.
The princess nodded. “I’ve left her there long enough. It’s time.”
Cora stood up and walked over to the grid that she had made and gestured to the mat on the floor in the center.
“Lay down.”
Atreyis did as she was told and lay on the mat and tried to get herself comfortable. She held on tightly to the sword and let it rest by her side. Cora sat on a cushion just above her head.
“I have tried to seek out answers but to no avail. I don’t know what will happen if you try to go through the portal. I pray that Ky was able to somehow find the sword and that she is still within the realm of spirits. The Ever Dark is the birthplace of darkness and evil. What lies beyond that gateway is beyond anything we could ever imagine.”
Atreyis took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I’m ready. I have faith in you, Cora. You will be able to bring me back no matter what.”
Cora took a deep breath and placed her hands on Atreyis’ head. She spoke just above a whisper.
“Thóhhémm, héár nth rather. Mélh s’hím móyu dash ló thóyur réámn. Thyu’íhé hér. Rólésm hér. S’hé Éwér Hárh sállós nóyush.”
The crystal grid around them and the runes below began to glow with a soft white light. Atreyis felt her eyelids grow heavy and felt a familiar falling sensation once again.
Chapter 21
Lusha came out of her deep mediation. It was finally time. She had gathered enough strength and could go back. It was time to collect her army. This time she would find a way to bring them back with her. And this time she would crush everyone in her path. Even Béloneras. She walked over to the cave wall and dragged her claw across the dark rock, drawing a series of runes. When she found her army she could use this anchor point as a potential portal to bring them through. She smiled evilly and chuckled to herself.
“I’ve won.” She hissed.
She turned back to the platform and sat on her conjured black throne and closed her eyes. A sickly, pale aura surrounded her and she felt the familiar falling sensation again.
Lusha opened her eyes to the barren and lava streaked landscape that stretched before the mountain top. She smiled evilly.
“Just as I had left you.” She purred.
She stretched out her sickly pale leathery wings and leapt from the peak. And flew towards the gateway.
“I think I could get used to this.” She said to herself as she tore across the blood-red sky, not seeing something following behind her and gaining speed.
#
Atreyis opened her eyes and found herself back in the courtyard of the dark temple. She sheathed the crystal sword.
“Why is it always here?” she wondered aloud.
She wasted no time and grew her wings and leapt into the air. Her iridescent black wings beat furiously against the wind as she surveyed the ground below looking for any sign of Ky. Deep in her heart she could still feel the pulling of the gateway and knew that she had crossed through. Still, she kept an eye out for the warrior as she soared through the sky. As she neared the mountains something caught her eye. An outline of what looked like someone with wings was perched near the peak of one of the mountains.
“Ky!” she gasped.
She beat her wings harder, when Ky suddenly flew off towards the gateway. As the princess drew closer her heart stopped and her stomach dropped. Her eyes burned a bright blue and the fire that burned inside her threatened to explode out.
“Lusha!” she growled through clenched sharpened teeth.
She let out a small roar and tore after the witch. Lusha continued her flight ahead, not noticing the infuriated princess gaining ground. Atreyis flew up into the clouds but never lost sight of the witch. Lusha was completely unaware of her presence. The princess was finally on top of her. She could barely contain her rage and let out a roar as she dove like a falling star straight for the witch. Lusha heard the sound a moment too late and turned to see the now fully transformed black dragon Atreyis blasting her with white-hot flames.
The witch tried desperately to shield herself from the fiery onslaught. She managed to use a bit of magic to protect herself only to find herself wrapped in the dragon’s claws and hurtling headfirst towards the ground.
“You!” she screeched at Atreyis.
The dragon looked at her with glowing blue eyes.
“I will send you to oblivion!” she growled and looked back at the rapidly approaching earth.
Lusha shrieked as they fell. At the last second Atreyis suddenly let go of the witch and kicked her to the ground and caught herself with her wings. The witch slammed into the ground, splitting it and causing an earthquake that shook the mountains. What sparse dead trees were in the barren waste were instantly leveled. Atreyis didn’t miss a beat and unleashed her hellish fury at the crater as she hovered in the air. Her wings fanning the already otherworldly heat of the flames. When she felt it was enough she dropped to the burnt and smoldering edge of the crater and stared down into the black abyss as black smoke rose from within. The dragon let out a roar of triumph and rage.
Her roar was answered with a demonic shriek. A white blur launched itself out from the depths and landed on the other side of the pit. Lusha was smoldering but otherwise unscathed. She pointed a claw at Atreyis.
“I thought I had killed you!” she shrieked. “I gutted you like a fish on that hilltop! How are you here?! How are you not with the rest of those wretched souls?!”
She began walking towards the dragon. Atreyis mirrored her.
“I was dead but
Cora brought me back! And now I am here to rid every realm of your stench once and for all!” she roared.
Lusha let out another shriek and looked to the sky. “Damn you, Ailana and your little whore! I should have killed her when I had the chance!”
She looked over at Atreyis once more. “How did she know I was even here?”
Atreyis stared her down. “She didn’t. It’s just my good luck that I happened to find you. And your unlucky self who happened to find me.”
Lusha paused a moment and smiled evilly. “You mean you had no idea I was here? Ha, ha, ha. Oh, little girl, you have just told me everything I need to know.”
Atreyis roared. “And what might that be?”
Lusha laughed again. “It means that Cora was only able to bring one of you back. Which means that you are here looking for Ky. And that means that the weapon of the Goddess is rendered incomplete and useless against me when I return to the realm of men with my army!”
Atreyis’ fury boiled over and she unleashed another barrage of flames at the witch. Lusha quickly dodged them and flew at the princess with claws at the ready. The dragon jumped out of the way just in time and lunged at the witch with her sharp teeth, catching her leg. Lusha shrieked in pain as Atreyis clamped down hard and ripped her out of the sky and slammed her into the ground.
The witch quickly countered by throwing a large orb of energy that exploded in the dragon’s face, temporarily blinding her. The witch quickly jumped on her back and placed two glowing hands on the dragon’s head. Atreyis tried like mad to get the witch off but she held on tight. Lusha began mumbling an incantation.
“Körërn öx därkmënn, riik t’kiin döüg xrökt t’kiin x’gësk!”
Atreyis suddenly felt like she was being ripped in two and let out a screech. The witch jumped off of her back and watched in glee at the dragon’s torment. The princess slowly changed back into her human form and collapsed onto her hands and knees on the ground. Her eyes stopped glowing and returned to normal. She watched in horror as a smoky cloud leeched from her body and she felt herself grow weaker. The witch cackled and tried to capture the cloud. But before she could catch it with a spell it disappeared.
Lusha snarled a moment before turning back to Atreyis. She walked over to the girl and kicked her hard in the gut and knocked the wind out of her. The princess fell over and looked up at the witch in terror. Lusha smiled evilly.
“Ah.” She sighed happily. “I shall never tire of seeing that look of pure fear in your eyes.”
She knelt down next to the princess and stared deeply into her eyes.
“You shouldn’t have come here, child. Now you are trapped here forever!” she laughed before leaping into the sky once more.
“Good luck getting out of here without your precious dragon powers!” she cackled to the wind before disappearing.
Atreyis tried to get up when a loud explosion suddenly sent her flying back into her body. She flew through the air and crashed into a bookshelf. All of the protective crystals had exploded and Cora herself was sent flying backwards. The priestess quickly recovered and raced over towards the unconscious Atreyis.
“Atreyis!” she shook her. “Atreyis, wake up!”
The princess moaned a bit. Cora’s eyes flashed gold and she placed a hand on her head. Atreyis suddenly gasped and sat up.
“Atreyis!” gasped Cora. “What happened? I was able to follow you and then suddenly there was nothing but darkness!”
The princess spit out some blood and looked at the priestess.
“I found Lusha.” She wiped her mouth and stood up. “I don’t know how she was there but I found her.”
“What?” said Cora, the concern rising in her voice.
“Exactly.” Answered Atreyis. “She was standing on the mountain top. I thought it was Ky, but as I got closer I saw that it was her. She didn’t know I was there and so I thought I could use the element of surprise to my advantage. I was wrong.”
The princess wavered. She felt like she was floating and was having trouble concentrating. The hair raised on the back of the priestess’ neck and arms.
Cora stopped dead in her tracks, her voice changed. “Atreyis…Atreyis, what is wrong. Why does your energy feel…wrong? What happened?”
Atreyis spun around and yelled. “I don’t know! We fought! I thought that I had beaten her! But she jumped on my head and said some sort of spell. It felt like I was being ripped in half. The next thing I know there is this cloud of smoke or something in front of me and Lusha tries to capture it. But it disappears. Then she kicked me in the gut, told me I was worthless and that now I was forever stuck in that realm without my powers.”
Cora’s face turned white as a sheet. “What exactly were the words she used?”
Atreyis shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t understand the language!”
“Think!” yelled Cora.
“I don’t know!” shouted Atreyis.
Cora sighed in frustration as her eyes turned gold and she grabbed Atreyis’ head. She ran through her memories. There. She could see the barren landscape. Lusha. The fight. The spell…
The priestess gasped and nearly fell over. Her entire body was shaking.
“What?” shouted the terrified princess. “What did you see?”
The color was still drained from the priestess. She could barely look Atreyis in the eye.
“S-s-she…she took your soul!”
Atreyis went completely numb. The world started to spin around her and go dark. How? Was that even possible? Cora caught her before she could hit the floor.
“Atreyis! Stay with me!” she shouted. “It is imperative that we get to the Seal immediately! We still have some time because she wasn’t able to capture your soul which means it is still in that realm! But you won’t last long without it!”
Through bleary eyes the princess looked at the priestess.
“How long do I have?” she rasped.
A tear trickled down Cora’s cheek. “I don’t know. Not long.”
Atreyis tried to stand up. “We need to get Ehren. He can fly us to the temple.”
Chapter 22
All of the hair rose on the back of Nya’s neck. She rushed from the Seal up the stone stairs to the temple. Taryn, Vex, and Riker were leading training drills with the temple guard and even some of the younger priests.
“Someone’s here!” shouted the Keeper as she ran towards them. “They just crossed into our lands and tripped one of my protective runes.”
Vex’s eyes flashed and he yelled out orders. “Get everyone outside!”
“Archers follow me!” shouted Taryn as she ran towards the steep stairs that led to the top of the temple. Riker followed Vex outside. Vex clenched his jaw as he prayed to the Goddess. Their numbers were less than one hundred, if anything they may only slow the witch down for a few seconds, but they had to try. Taryn and her archers swiftly and carefully made this way down the temple grounds the rest of the guards stood at the ready. Their hands transformed into various hues of blue, red, green, and purple scaled claws. The brilliantly shining sun made the white of their robes and polished silvery armor seem like a beacon of light. Their swords and spears shook as they quaked with fear with the memory of the last time the witch stormed the temple.
“You ready?” Vex asked Riker.
“No one ever is.” He replied. “I would at least like to have my shot at her since I missed the last time. Can’t let everyone else have all the fun.”
#
Ehren closed his eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air. His strong blue wings easily carried both his sister and Cora. They had fashioned a large basket of sorts for the prince to carry them in. The priestess held Atreyis’ head in her lap and from time to time would surround her in a golden light, trying to stave off the inevitable. For the last couple of days the princess had been in and out of consciousness and mumbling Ky’s name. Finally, the forest where the hidden temple resided came into view. Cora had instructed the prince to land outsid
e of the forest for fear of protective spells and traps that could be in place. As soon as they landed and started into the trees the priestess reached out and felt for any spells. She was unable to detect anything but had the distinct feeling that Nya was there. Cora carefully led the way and dispelled whatever traps that had come across. A couple had taken her by surprise but the skillful priestess was able to protect the three of them. One particular fire run made her smile. She remembered the feeling when the formidable Keeper took down the witch’s spell in Óhn.
“Keep your eye peeled.” Said Cora. “Nya will have other surprises in store the closer we get.”
“As long as we have you, I’m not worried.” Said Ehren as he shifted his sister’s weight on his back.