The mouth of the tunnel loomed before them. A repulsive stench of stagnant water emanated from the darkness and they could feel the rumble of the volcano beneath their feet. Bri eyed the dense darkness nervously as a warm glow caught her eye. Turning, she saw Surrial had produced a golden light orb.
‘This will help light our way,’ he said taking the first steps into the tunnel.
‘Xander, are you sure you have mastered water and fire?’ Bri asked, her eyes not leaving Surrial and his lit orb.
‘I’m positive,’ he replied, although inside he was not so confident.
Bri took a breath. ‘Fine. Trio let’s go.’
The Trio’s unusual quietness had unnerved Bri since leaving the Crux and setting foot upon the island. Especially when a good fight was on the agenda he was usually itching and hard to control. This time he was silent as they all followed Surrial down the tunnel.
Water dripped and echoed around them as they walked and the chamber was filled with tension. Bri was keenly aware of each footstep and the sound each of them made. The hair on her body prickled in anticipation. She was ready to spring into action if needed. Suddenly, a familiar smell crept up from behind. Bri stopped in her tracks and she took in the strong smell of the sea that had suddenly appeared.
‘Surrial, I can smell the sea. I think the psyrens are on to us.’
Surrial spread his wings, his hands ready and armed.
‘Xander are you ready?’ she asked.
When Xander nodded she turned to the Trio.
‘First, are you ready?’
Silence was returned and with it an unsettling feeling inside her stomach.
'First!' she snapped turning to face the Trio, but as she did she saw the psyrens rounding the dark corner.
'Surrial!'
'I'm there,' Surrial shouted.
Bri blinked as a brown orb flew past her head, turning back towards where the Trio was stood in stony silence.
'First, what’s wrong with you?' she hissed.
Behind her, she could hear the high pitched squeal as Surrial’s orbs hit them.
'The odds are not good Princess.'
Dread struck Bri hard in the chest as the Third's voice hit her ears.
'My lady,' Surrial said firmly.
'Briganti, Surrial can't hold them forever,' Xander shouted, as another orb flew past them.
'I do know. I'm trying,' she said through gritted teeth. 'Third, where is First?' she demanded.
The Third looked at her. Fear was deep in his dark eyes.
'First,' she yelled, now the fear was passing on to her.
'He is refusing Princess.'
'What do you mean he’s refusing?' she snarled.
She was now finding it hard to keep her calm. She could see that though Surrial was managing to keep the psyrens at bay, it was obvious he could not keep it going, and with Xander being so weak in the powers of earth he was of no use either.
'FIRST NOW! Or I swear I’ll make you extinct,' she began to shout.
'Talking is no good princess, he does not understand that sort of language,' the Third replied.
She knew he was right. Raising her fists she struck the Trio hard in the face. Blood poured from his face as the Third began to sob.
'First, I said now,' Bri yelled reaching back with her fists to strike him again and again until the Third was almost a bloody pulp on the floor.
She raised her throbbing hand one more time and suddenly her fist was caught in mid-air and the Trio’s eyes glowed red.
'You don't want to do that,' the First said.
Bri smiled with relief as she watched him soar into the air, sword in hand, landing within the midst of the psyrens, slicing and dicing as he did. Bri took up her own sword and began to take out her earlier frustration on her banished cousins.
Many tried to sing their way out of their attack, but the Trio and Bri were too fast for them, taking off their heads before their song could have an effect. Black bile and blood spilled on the already slimy walls and they all had to step over the rotting corpses in order to carry on through the tunnel.
'She was exceptionally clever, your mother,' Tatiana sang at Orlson. 'She cloaked you in magick to disguise your origin. She did not want you to be discovered.'
'Can you lift it?'' Dryad asked.
Tatiana looked sharply up at him, her lip curling with distaste. 'Of course I can lift it,' she snapped.
Orlson watched with morbid fascination the communication between his father and grandmother. It was the first time he had been so close to a psyren and he could never believe that they were once mers.
Her twisted gnarled features were covered in green and black slime. Through her oily hair, dark holes that were her eyes peered out from them, yet, underneath it all the power and royalty was strong inside her. She was obviously a very proud and regal woman.
His father on the other hand was not someone he could imagine ruling a kingdom. Orlson surmised that Dryad must have got his looks from his father, for under the old age that he had succumbed to he could see he was still a handsome man.
'What does it matter? I have not needed them before,' Orlson tried to say.
Tatiana turned to glare at him. Her eyes seemed to pierce his soul and he shuddered.
'The difference being, Orlson, my dear is that suppression is fine for a short period. But sooner or later it has to surface. So safer now than later.'
'You’re a supreme being. Enjoy it,' Dryad added softly.
The tension in the room was electric, yet Orlson was eager for them to help him. If he had wings it would at least give him the identity he had long been craving.
Tatiana indicated from him to sit beside her. He wrinkled his nose as her stench grew stronger. Sitting down he felt a chill pass through him as she laid her hands on his neck. Her small bony fingers travelled to between his shoulder blades where she pushed and probed as though she was determined to reach inside his skin.
The pain was so bad he had to stop himself from crying out. Suddenly, he felt movement under his skin as he felt her hands drawing something out. He could feel her hands moving more swiftly and harder as they worked. He now really wanted to move away from her cold touch; however, her grip was like a vice and his head was now threatening to explode.
Suddenly, he felt her hands release their grip on him as he felt himself collapse on to the cold stone floor. A sob escaped him as the pressure in his head threatened to blow at any moment. Then as quickly as the pain was there it was gone. He heard his father and grandmother gasp as he struggled to stand, all around him stray white feathers floated to the floor.
'My son,' Dryad said, pride in his voice.
'For once you have done me proud,' Tatiana said turning to her son.
Orlson had never felt such power running through his veins. He even felt as though he was glowing. Looking down at his body, his usually slender frame had given way to a more firm and muscular body. His wings were snow white and hung regal-like upon his shoulder blades. There would be no way Bri would refuse his love now.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Celestia's Tales: The Lybiria Scales Page 28