"You wish to defeat Nuriel?" Pontus's voice was softer now, subsiding with the calming of the Waters.
"I do. The world will not burn." Laila's voice echoed across the lake, the power of both Earth and Water giving her words strength. Her mind flashed back to the visions of fire she had seen, the world burning to Nuriel's purpose. "I swear it," she said, softer, but the words held just as much strength.
"What of the greater threat? The darkness that haunts me..." The Apsect's voice was almost a whisper now, and her eyes turned away from Laila, as though looking for another distant source.
Laila did not know how to respond, was not sure that she should. A confrontation with whatever power was lurking behind Nuriel was inevitable. But it was an unknown. Nuriel was not.
"I must stop Nuriel first. I have seen the world's end in flame. I won't let that happen," she reiterated.
Pontus took a few more hesitant steps toward Laila, her eyes now distant. Laila realized that her initial assessment of the Aspect's state had been wrong. The Waters had not helped relieve her of the instability her imprisonment had foisted upon her; it had only helped to mask it. Pontus was nearly mad.
Pontus stopped in front of Laila, and she held Laila's gaze for a moment longer. Then she bowed as Laila had done earlier.
"Magusari," she said as the power finally drained from her voice. The single word carried more weight than any longer conversation could have.
Laila bowed in return, this time with confidence and calm. As she rose up, the Aspect reached a hand out and touched Laila at the base of her neck. Laila stood, unsure of how to respond. A cold spread out from the Aspect's touch, centered on her hand and slowly inching its way through Laila's chest and limbs. The cold did not hurt Laila, however; it was calming. The weariness drifted from her limbs and her heart slowed its pounding following their confrontation. The cold passed along her limbs and then coalesced into the arm that held her staff. The magic moved down her arm, and she felt it finally pass into the stone of her staff, but the magic did not dissipate. She could still sense it through the staff, alongside the more familiar confidence of her Earth magic.
Pontus nodded, satisfied, but she did not remove her hand. Laila felt something rise up from within her in response to the Aspect's touch. Pontus must have felt it as well. This new sensation countered the cooling calm of the water. She felt this new power in her head and her chest, a growing heat that turned to a burning sensation. Fear gripped her suddenly.
Pontus's eyes widened in response.
Laila's form burst into flame.
The Earth still coated her body, protecting her from the immediate threat of the fire, but she could feel its heat through the magic, burning across her. It raged through her, feeding on her own power, increasing its own.
"You bring this flame to the Waters. To my place of power!" Pontus's voice was powerful, but Laila could hear the fear in it as well.
"No...I did...I don't..." Laila struggled to explain what was happening, but the words did not come. And it was all she could do to restrain the fire.
"This was your purpose all along!" Pontus raged. "Our captivity was no longer enough. You came here to end us."
The instability Laila had seen before was now fully expressed in Pontus's voice and eyes.
"I did...not do...this," she said, struggling against the flames. This had been Nuriel's purpose, she finally realized. He had not attacked them to stop them. He had done it to facilitate this betrayal. To destroy the Waters.
Laila felt her defenses faltering, felt the pain burning across her skin, across her face. Pontus rose up before her, bristling with her own power. She swept over Laila again, slamming her against the stone spring. Laila fought against the Fire with Earth and Water, trying to restrain it. For an instant she saw Nuriel's burning visage in front of her. He seemed satisfied. The fire fed on Laila's power, and that of the Aspect.
Reaching its peak, the fire burst from Laila and her vision went white with heat and flame.
Twenty-Nine
Choices
Connor's skull rang as another blow struck him. His head hung low between his shoulders, dangling between the two Ondine that held him. The one before him reached down and placed a cold hand around his neck. Lifting him up, the Odine's pale eyes glared at him. Connor thought he recognized the face for a moment. It had the same wavering quality of all the Ondine, just like Tomo, but then it struck him. This was Ayman, or what had been Ayman.
"Garcharu am gyfnod mor hir!" The elemental’s voice sounded angry, but Connor had no idea what he was saying.
"I...don't understand." Connor's voice was weak, the pain in his head was intense.
The pale eyes narrowed, glaring at Connor. "Why?" Ayman's voice hissed, clearly uncomfortable with the language.
Connor's head was too full of pain to understand the implications of the elemental's question. Why what? He stared blankly at the Ondine.
"I don't—" A blow to his stomach cut him off.
"Why?" Ayman hissed again.
"I—" Connor began to speak, hoping that he could plead ignorance.
An explosion of heat tore down the tunnel. Not fire, but heat. A roar echoed above them, coming from the Waters. Coming from where they had taken Laila.
The explosion knocked the Ondine holding Connor's arms off their feet, freeing him. He tumbled forward, Ayman's hand still wrapped around his neck. The Ondine maintained his grip in the face of the sudden explosion.
They fell to the stone floor. Connor flailed against Ayman's grip, trying to free himself.
Laila!
The thought rang out in his mind. His arms free, Connor called on the Sword and blue light burst to life in the dim stone tunnel. The Sword glowed in his right hand and he raised it up, threatening Ayman, who still maintained his hold around Connor's neck. The Ondine squeezed in response, cutting off Connor's breath. Connor brought the Sword closer, its blue light reflecting across Ayman's pale visage. Then Connor saw the madness in the elemental's eyes. Ayman was not going to release Connor.
Another explosion rocked the Waters above them, and Connor acted, slashing the Sword down. There was a burst of steam, and Connor pulled himself free as Ayman shouted in pain. A thick blue liquid dripped from the gash on his wrist. Connor rolled back and up onto his knees. He held the Sword out, point facing Ayman.
"I have to help her!" Connor said, unsure whether or not Ayman could understand him.
He rose to his feet slowly, watching Ayman closely. The Ondine held his wrist in pain, watching Connor. Connor spun and ran back up the tunnel, ignoring the other two Ondine on the stone of the tunnel. A part of his mind recognized that they also appeared to be in pain, but the rest of him was too focused on reaching Laila.
Sprinting back toward the exit, the Sword dissipating, Connor pushed his way through the heavy waterfall. The cool water soaked into his clothes and the pressure forced him to his knees. He kept going despite the force of the water, pushing through to the other side.
As he crawled out into the open air, he was bombarded by a wave of heat and the smell of smoke. He turned and scrambled up the narrow path between the flows of water toward the lake's surface. The sight that greeted him was staggering.
The entire surface of the lake seemed to be on fire. Tongues of flame danced across the dark waters and the vegetation that had gathered around the lake's edge burned, casting a haze over Connor's vision. He struggled through the heat and smoke to the edge of lake. A pillar of smoke rose up from the center of the water, and it was from there that the flames seemed to originate. Connor waded into the water, ready to swim toward the center. He needed to find Laila. Questions tore through him as the cold water contrasted with the heat of the fire.
Where is she? Is this Nuriel?
A burst of flame forced him back toward the shoreline. He stood, waist deep in the water, looking for some sign of Laila. The flames dancing across the water began to die down, leaving bouts of steam in their wake. The pillar of smoke
at the center of the lake appeared to originate from a short formation of stone that looked like it may have once been much larger, still glowing red-hot from the flames.
The steam began to settle and mingle with the smoke of the vegetation. Connor swam out into the dark, misty waters. The contrast of heat near his head and the cold water beneath him, mixed with the pain still ringing in his head, was disorienting, but he tried to stay focused, searching for any movement.
There!
Something moved beneath the surface, something that did not match the color of the waters. A form. He dove his head into the cold water and opened his eyes. A robed form floated, surrounded by other ghostly forms. The ghosts flitted about the figure, seeming to hold it in the water. Connor saw the stone staff in the figure's hand. Laila! He swam toward her, pulling against the water, ignoring his lungs’ need for air. She was only a few feet below the surface; he could still reach her.
He reached a hand out as he swam, grabbing at Laila's robes. The ghostly figures batted his hand away, keeping him from getting a handhold. Anger and desperation tore through him and his hands came to light with the Sword. Immediately the ghosts dispersed from Laila's body, their liquid forms dispersing into the water. Grasping a handful of Laila's robes, he pulled her to him and kicked powerfully with his legs to the surface. Leaning back and keeping Laila's body above his own, he slowly kicked his way back to the smoldering shoreline. The ghostly forms darted all around him, but they did not hinder his movement any longer.
Reaching the shore, Connor pulled Laila halfway out of the water. Her eyes were closed, and her skin was cold from the water. He watched her, looking for signs of breathing.
Connor gently placed his hand on her chest, searching for signs of life. His heart skipped as he felt the slightest movement. He held his breath, staring intently at his hand, hoping that it had not just been his own movement that he had felt. Her chest rose against his hand, slightly stronger this time, and Connor took in a deep breath of relief.
"Connor." Laila's voice, but weak, barely a whisper.
He looked up at her and saw her face. She had been burned.
The lower right portion of her face was red and blistered. The burn stretched down from her chin underneath the shoulder of her robes, and Connor could not see how far the damage went.
"You're..." He reached a hand out, wishing he could do something.
Laila nodded. "Nuriel..." was all she said.
I should’ve been stronger. I could’ve protected her, Connor thought to himself angrily.
Connor hung his head over Laila. He felt her hand on his cheek. Tears of frustration in his eyes, he looked up at her and she simply shook her head.
"Not... your..." she started, but she could not get the words out. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her staff to her and motioned for Connor to help her stand.
"No, you shouldn't move," Connor said, but Laila simply shook her head again and tried to get to her feet.
Connor lifted her onto his shoulder reluctantly. Supporting her weight, they turned back to the misty haze of the lake. The ghostly forms danced frantically beneath the surface, but none of them approached. Connor felt a heat begin to emanate from Laila's body and saw earthlight begin to glow from her staff. As it did, he felt her strength return, and she was able to pull some of her weight off of his shoulders, though she did keep her free arm around him for support.
The ghostly forms disappeared and another form took their place, a larger one. Rising up from the surface of the lake, Connor recognized it as the creature from the Tomb. The Aspect.
"Betrayal, Magusari..." The words flowed from the figure's mouth haltingly. The larger form coalesced, shrinking into a smaller one, the form of a woman. She was hunched over, holding her arms across her chest in pain. Small spurts of steam rose from her watery body from gashes and cuts that would have bled on a human.
"Nuriel. Not me." Laila's voice was still weak, but her power supported her now.
"I know that now. I felt his...presence at the end." The Aspect looked back over her shoulder at the lake and her shoulders slumped further. "The Waters will never be the same."
"I...I am sorry."
"It is done," she answered, turning back to them. Connor could see a glimpse of madness dart across her expression. Then it was gone. "And I fear the damage to our world from this conflict has only just begun." She turned and looked out to the east. "Even now, in the lands of our imprisonment, the first battle has been joined. My people, mad from their millennia in captivity, struggle against a force of Manders. Just as he attacked here, he also attacked there, likely hoping to wipe us out in one deft stroke."
Connor stared at the Aspect as her words sunk in.
"Anrhe..." Connor whispered. The Aspect was talking about a battle in Anrhe.
He felt Laila stiffen as the realization struck her as well.
"Mother. Dio." Laila whispered.
The Aspect reached out a hand toward Laila's burned face and neck. "If you have friends back there, I fear you have a choice to make. The Waters can heal you. You have mastered their power now, but it will take time. And only here is it possible, where the power of the Waters is concentrated. The power that Nuriel placed within you is still there; the burn is evidence of that. And he will remain aware of you if you do not purge his power now, healing yourself in the process."
"And the other choice?" Laila asked.
"The Waters are the source of all seas, rivers, lakes...everything. You came here along those lines of power. You can take yourself back to your friends with the same power. But you cannot do both. There is not time."
Connor glanced at Laila. Saw her reach up to her burned cheek, wincing as she did. With a shake of her head, she looked up and met the Aspect's gaze.
"I must help my friends."
The Aspect nodded. "Go then. I have seen your strength, you know what to do."
Connor did not know what the Aspect meant, but he felt Laila tense. Slowly she pulled her arm off of his shoulders, supporting herself with her staff and her power only. Connor watched as Laila closed her eyes and could almost feel the force of her concentration. He felt the Sword stir along his spine, responding in kind to her magic, but he ignored it, trying not to disturb her. So much of what Laila did was instinctive. And she was so powerful. He wondered how much stronger she might be if, somehow, she’d had the knowledge that the last Magusari had. There was no way to know that now. Only the esoteric knowledge contained in the Treatises was left. And he knew that Laila struggled to decipher any of that.
But Icarus, and all their friends, were in danger. Nuriel had begun his attack on the world, starting with the Ondine and their Edonin counterparts. Connor's distant people. A thought struck Connor as he watched Laila gather her strength. The Edonin were the remnants of one of the ancient clans, just as his people were. Their history had been influenced by the presence of the Straits and the Tomb, but perhaps...
Before he could complete the thought, he felt Laila's power surge. Saw the water begin to bubble and froth at their feet. Laila's hand reached out, her eyes still closed, and clasped onto Connor's wrist. She pulled him deeper into the lake as the water continued to swirl around them.
"Do not forget the greater threat, Magusari. I know I cannot..." The Aspect's voice drifted to them along the gathering waves. But Laila was too caught up in her power to respond.
"Do you trust me?" Laila asked Connor. Her head was still bowed, and her voice was still weak, both from pain and the strain of her magic.
"Completely," Connor said instantly.
Laila nodded, and Connor thought he saw the hint of a smile at the corners of her mouth.
With a roar, the waters of the lake rose up in a crushing wave, surrounding the two of them. Connor felt his heart leap into his throat, and he started to open his mouth. Before he could speak, the wave crashed down and water filled Connor's throat.
Thirty
Return
Air burst into Connor's l
ungs with a shock of pain. His chest heaved and he coughed water and rolled off his back. His hands scraped at the bare stone beneath him, struggling for a handhold. His head swam, unable to orient itself as his awareness of the world returned. Flashes of water and the singe of power danced through his mind, but he could not put the images together into any kind of coherent picture.
Still heaving, but thankful to be breathing air, Connor pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, head still hanging low to the ground. As the world continued to reassert itself around him, he could hear the sounds of rushing water behind him. He turned his head slowly, trying to keep himself from vomiting.
A river, cutting through the barren stone.
A body lying next to the river, feet fluttering in the current, but still where it lay on the stone. A young woman. Connor's mind struggled to make sense of things.
Next to the woman, a stone staff, grasped in her still hand. Memory rushed back to Connor.
The Waters.
The Aspect.
"Laila!" he gasped, scrambling toward the riverbank.
He tumbled to her side awkwardly, his disorientation overcoming him. He reached a hand out and felt her chest for any signs of life. No movement.
"No! Not again."
Connor pushed heavily in the middle of Laila's chest, forcing her lungs to function.
One time, two times, a third.
Laila spasmed, and water gushed out her mouth. She rolled to one side, gasping for air, her eyes still closed. Connor placed a reassuring hand on her back. Slowly her breathing became more stable, but she was still unconscious. Connor gently rolled her back toward him.
"Laila...? Laila, wake up." No response. "Laila, I don't know where we are..." He cursed quietly. "I don't even know what just happened."
Still no response.
Sitting back, Connor took in his surroundings as he calmed his mind. The barren stone stretched out away from them, showing that they were in a small valley cut into the stone. The sun was shining, though the air was cold...and damp, like the air after a long rainstorm.
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