I gasped as realization sunk in. Kitfox froze and wheeled about to look at me. Ignoring his concerned look, I walked up to one of the countless mirrors that made up the walls of the maze and exhaled on the surface. With a finger, I wrote in the fog:
Kúskú stole my voice and silenced the dragons!
Kitfox sighed in relief. “I was so worried it was something else.” I nodded in agreement. “Come on. Let’s find the others and collect that dragon so we can get the heck out of this place. It’s giving me the creeps.”
I smiled and closed my eyes to focus on the pull from Kúskú. Following the trail to a source close by, I clapped my hands excitedly. I opened my eyes again to find myself standing alone. I instantly knew something had happened to Kitfox. There was no way he would leave me...
Or would he? I forced myself not to panic. But alone in this terrible place, where every which way I turned looked exactly the same, it was hard to not to. I swallowed past the emotions and pushed myself away from the mirrored wall.
If finding Kúskú was the only way to end this nightmare, then so be it! I let my eyes close and focused on the pull of the Dragon of Illusion. Once again finding it not far away, I took off in the direction I hoped would not lead me astray.
◆◆◆
“Help me.”
Kkorian gasped as the whimper echoed up from the depths of the hole that had swallowed Shazza. He dropped to the floor and called out to her in desperation, praying that she wasn’t hurt by the fall.
“Kkorian, help!”
“I’m working on it, Shazza!” The pirate retreated from the opening just enough to give himself room to work. “Keep talking to me so I know you’re alright!” He listened for her responses as he dumped the contents of his pack on the floor and rummaged through everything. Finding the things he would need, he began piecing everything together.
“The sand won’t stop.”
His heart skipped a beat at her tone. Never once had he heard a Dákun Daju sound so desperate and terrified. He cleared his throat and tried to calm her down. “It’s gonna to be okay, Shazza. I’ll have ya outta there in two shakes of a tail feather.”
“Make it stop! Please! Just make it stop!”
Kkorian found himself wiping away tears. “Hang on, Shazza!”
The last piece clicked into place. He secured a length of rope to the rudimentary hook and glanced about. He silently swore when he realized there was nothing for the hook to grab on to.
Another desperate cry from Shazza echoed up from the hole. Kkorian cursed his luck and pulled a pistol from its holster. Shielding his eyes, he fired a round into the wall. Several mirrors fell away leaving a metal frame. He quickly tossed the hook to the frame and jumped down.
Kkorian fell for only a moment before the hook took hold on the frame. Glancing down, he was still several meters from the pinnacle of the sand. He couldn’t see Shazza. Swearing, he forced himself to let go of the rope.
He landed with a loud crack and ignored the searing pain in his ankle. Desperately, he scoured the sand, pushing this way and that as he searched for Shazza. Seconds ticked by like hours and still no sign of her. He desperately called her name over and over. Finally, he unearthed her hand. Wasting no time, he dug in deeper and deeper until he had freed her head.
Kkorian patted her cheek to rouse her, praying that he wasn’t too late to save her. “Shazza! Shazza!”
Her eyelids fluttered open. She looked at him with such emotion that he was left breathless. With his help, she finally managed to pull herself free from the sand. She clung to him and cried openly, thanking him over and over. He rocked her gently, whispering that everything was alright as he dared to kiss her forehead... her cheeks... her lips.
When at last Shazza had calmed down from her panic, she helped Kkorian climb back up the rope. Upon learning the pirate had broken an ankle in his rush to save her, Shazza tried a spell to heal him. When it failed, she helped him pack up the things he had dumped on the floor before picking him up and carrying him off.
◆◆◆
Kitfox snarled violently and pounded against the mirror. When it didn’t give way like he expected, he turned his claws upon it. Every scratch he made in the pristine surface immediately vanished, leaving the mirror unscathed as ever. He swore and touched his forehead to the mirror’s cool surface.
“I’m sorry, Xy.” His voice was strained and tears threatened to fall from his eyes. “I swear; I only took my eyes off of you for a second! Then this damned mirror stole you away.” He suppressed a sob and let his hands drop to his sides. “I’ve failed you.”
“Help!”
Kitfox’s ears perked up.
“Someone!”
“Thera?!” Kitfox pushed away from the mirror and quickly scanned his surroundings. It wasn’t until another cry for help later that he discovered the source was beneath the floor a few meters away.
He called out to Thera again, hoping she would hear him where ever she was. Nothing. With a look of concern back at the mirror hiding Xy, Kitfox moved to help the Feykin.
“Shield your eyes, Thera! I’m breaking the floor!” He gave her a moment to get ready before slamming his foot on a particular mirror. The mirror cracked, shattered, then drifted away. Water gurgled as it surged over the floor. Kitfox swore and reached into the hole he made in hopes to find Thera.
The Feykin burst out of the depths, nearly sending Kitfox reeling in fright. He recovered quickly and helped her to her feet, patting her back as she coughed up water.
“You okay?” Thera only smiled weakly in answer and hugged herself in a vain attempt to warm back up. Kitfox stripped off his tunic and gave it to her to dry off.
“Wh-where are the oth-others?” She asked through chittering teeth.
“I’m not sure about Shazza and Kkorian, but Xy is trapped behind that wall.” He pointed to the mirror he tried to break.
“Kkorian and I are fine.” Kitfox jumped in alarm at the Dákun Daju’s sudden appearance. He glanced at the end of the corridor to see Shazza cradling Kkorian in her arms. The pirate looked like he was torn between pain and pleasure.
Kitfox so desperately wanted to breathe a sigh of relief. But with Xy still trapped alone and facing who-knows-what, he found he couldn’t just yet. He stared over his shoulder at the mirrored wall and silently prayed she was still alive. There had to be a way to break her free.
“What’s that noise?”
Kitfox’s ears twitched at Shazza’s inquiry. “I don’t hear...” There! A rumble, as soft as a whisper, broached the outer range of his senses. He moved to see around Kkorian and Shazza. “What is that?”
“The dragon?” Offered Thera.
“No way.” Kitfox shook his head. “Not unless this one has about a thousand legs.”
“In that case, we’d better not stick around here to find out what it is.” Shazza shifted Kkorian’s weight in her arms and took off at a brisk pace.
“I’m not leaving Xy.”
Shazza reeled around to glare at the Demon. “You don’t have a choice.”
He scoffed. “Yes, I do.”
“Whatever’s coming could kill ya, mate! Don’t you...”
“I don’t care what’s on the way!” Kitfox growled and clenched his fists so tight he was sure his claws broke skin. “I’m not going to abandon Xy!”
“Then we’ll leave without you.” Shazza turned her back on him and once again started away.
“Coward!” The Dákun Daju froze at Kitfox’s furious shout. “Running away and abandoning your friends because you’re scared! What about them?!”
Shazza’s heart skipped a beat. “K-Kitfox...”
The Fox Demon didn’t fight to hide his emotions from any of them and let his tears fall unabated. With an enraged howl he rushed the mirror that held Xy captive, slamming into it as hard as possible. When it still refused to shatter, he roared and tried again.
“Stop it, Kitfox!”
“No!” He slammed his shoulder into the wall a
gain. “How can you tell me to abandon her?!” Another slam. “What do you think Xy feels right now, all alone in this god-forsaken place?!” Another slam. Another. Again. Over and over.
Blood ran down both mirror and arm.
“Xyleena!”
◆◆◆
A silver gateway stood before me. It guarded over a cobblestone bridge that spanned a deep, sapphire pool. Beyond the bridge, atop a mound of jewels and shattered mirrors, a silver dragon slept on. I shoved the gate aside and stormed right up to the dragon.
Still unable to speak, I picked up one of the many jewels and hurled it at his head. The dragon stirred, but did not wake. Frustrated, I picked up several more jewels and tried again and again. Still, Kúskú slept on.
“Xyleena!” Panic washed over me as Kitfox’s anguished cry echoed over and over. I ignored the pain of impact as I fell to my knees. I couldn’t help thinking he was badly hurt and calling out to me with his last breath.
Kitfox! I cupped my face with my hands and bawled.
“Do not cry, Little One.” A liquid voice from above made me gasp. I looked up at the silver dragon as he lifted his huge head from his forelegs. His amber eyes seemed saddened by the fact that I was reduced to weeping by the nightmare he wove. With measured delicacy, he moved his tail to gently wipe away my tears. “Everything is all right now.”
With his words, the nightmarish castle of mirrors melted away as if it never existed. The instant the walls vanished, Kitfox spotted me and took off for me as fast as he could. Ignoring the fact that he was shirtless and bloody, I threw myself at him. We toppled to the ground and I hugged him tightly. I wept on his chest and thanked the Gods that he was alive as he wrapped his good arm around me.
When the others joined us beside Kúskú some minutes later, I peeled myself away from him and set about healing his wounded arm.
Shazza sat Kkorian on the ground beside me and shot daggers at Kúskú. “What in the names of the Five Souls was all that about, Dragon?”
Kúskú stood and stretched before stepping off of the rocky shelf that had been mirrors and jewels only moments ago. “It was a series harmless illusions designed to test you.”
“Harmless?!” Shazza exploded at the word. I did nothing to curb her rage at the dragon. Instead I focused on healing Kkorian. “I was nearly buried alive in a sandpit and Kkorian broke his ankle jumping in to dig me out! How is that harmless?”
Before Kúskú could explain, Thera interrupted. “I nearly drowned before Kitfox broke the mirror and let me out! And please explain just how all of that,” Thera gestured to the now dark and empty ravine bottom, “tested us!”
“My Mirror Castle and the illusions within were designed to test the trust you all must place in each other, for it is a necessity in what lies on the road ahead.” Kúskú kept his voice even, which only made Thera and Shazza all the more furious with him. As if detecting their growing anger, the dragon sighed. “Before your rage boils over, please hear me out.”
“Speak quickly, Dragon.” Shazza crossed her arms.
“Thera, on the way to the bottom of the ravine, you took flight and abandoned the others on the ledge.” The Feykin blinked in surprise. “Then, instead of returning to them to offer aid to the bottom, you entered the castle alone.
“Shazza, you didn’t care whether Kkorian was afraid of heights or not; you just threw him over your shoulder and jumped to save time instead of creeping along the ledge. And yet he braved both of his fears by jumping into a deep, dark hole to save you from your greatest fear.” Shazza met Kkorian’s bewildered gaze with an unreadable look. “Then both you and Thera argued with Kitfox about his refusal to abandon Xyleena behind the mirror, even in the face of unknown danger.”
I looked Kitfox in the eye and he blushed with embarrassment.
Shazza sighed. “So, what you’re saying is that Thera and I have issues with depending on the others for help?”
“Not just the two of you.” Kúskú gazed at Kitfox and Kkorian. “Xyleena managed to find me before I could test those two.”
“Wha-?” Kkorian gawked at the Dragon of Illusion.
Kúskú’s eyes flashed white. “Kitfox does not trust Kkorian simply because he is a pirate who was once spotted in the company of the Shadow Keeper.” Kitfox’s ears drooped in guilt. “And Kkorian doesn’t trust Kitfox because of his guild affiliation.”
The Fox Demon looked at Kkorian in surprise. “Really?”
“Er...” Kkorian cleared his throat. “I’ve had... trouble in dealings with the Tahda’varett.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“That is not important right now.” Kúskú said with a sigh. “First and foremost, you all must work on learning how to trust each other.”
“Kúskú?” The silver dragon looked at me in interest, “Why do I have to continue on this quest? I have seven out of twelve dragons and Dimitri has yet to obtain anything relevant to freeing the Shadow Dragons. Why not just destroy the Dragon Diary to keep it out of his hands?”
“Please give me Amorez’s diary.” Thera quickly removed the book from her pack and extended it to the dragon. Without warning, he took the ancient book in his maw and ripped it to shreds. I watched as the scraps of ancient parchment fluttered to the ground. The edges of each scrap glowed brilliantly as they hit the ground. A moment later, all the pieces were fused back together and the diary looked as though it had never been touched. “You see? The Dragon Diary is protected by several layers of magic and cannot be destroyed until the Light has been completely gathered. The only way to prevent the Shadow Keeper from obtaining the keys to unlocking the Dragons’ Gate is to finish the quest and unite the hearts of Twelve.”
“Well, it was worth a shot.” I muttered. Kitfox rubbed my shoulders in attempt to ease the weariness away.
“I can’t speak for the rest of you, but I’ve had just about enough of this place.” Thera replied. She looked at me as she bent to pick up the diary. “What do you say we get out of here?”
“Gods, yes!” We all laughed at Kkorian’s exclamation. Without further delay, I released all six of my dragons from the amulet. We flew out of the ravine in a tight formation, bound for the outskirts of Monrai.
◆◆◆
Dawn had come and gone before we reached Monrai’s borders. We touched down in a part of the surrounding fields and I dispersed the dragons. As we followed a limping Kkorian along the muddy road, I observed the quaint village.
The Myst shrouded Monrai in perpetual gloom, giving the town a ghostly appearance against the gray. Stakes topped with remains of twisted creatures lined the main road; a warning to monsters born of the Myst. A high wall of ragged river stones and iron secured the buildings and villagers within. Even in this early daylight, countless lanterns were lit. Their flickering glow gave everything a strange, yellow-orange aura. Buildings of stone and wood lined the streets and half vanished into the thick cloud.
Crows complained and took flight as we drew to a stop by the gate. A scraggly guard with a patch over his eye and a missing arm blocked our way. “What is your purpose here?”
“We seek to rest at the Bird in Hand.” Replied Kkorian. The guard nodded and gave a shout for the gate to be opened. We thanked him and quickly ducked into town.
“I don’t like the smell of this place.” Kitfox muttered, blocking his nose with his hand. Shazza agreed with him.
“It is an incense designed to dissuade monster attacks.” Explained the pirate. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work.”
“You sure know a lot about this place.” I said as I looked around. It surprised me to see so many villagers out and about despite the never-ending gloom and threat of attack.
“I consider this place me home.” Kkorian replied, leading the way down a side street. “After me mum died, pa dropped me off here and ran away with a piratin’ crew. Pulled in a mighty haul ‘fore Magnathor got him.”
“Sorry to hear that.” Kkorian shrugged off Thera’s sympathies and strode up th
e stone steps of a small inn. Uproarious laughter and cheerful music could easily be heard from within.
“Sounds like a party in there.” The pirate smiled as he pulled the door open and led us inside. As we neared the long desk in the lobby, Kkorian called a name which I figured belonged to the innkeeper. We waited barely a moment before a door was opened and a woman walked out to stand behind the desk.
I gasped at the sight of her. She was a Demon of the likes I had never seen. Long and thin horns grew from the top of her head beside elongated and furry ears. Brown and black hair fell in dreadlocks down her shoulders, half-hiding her angular face. Her sharp, almond-shaped eyes were painted, as were her lips and cheeks.
“Rhekja?” To my surprise, it was Kitfox who spoke. The Demon behind the counter looked at him. Recognition flashed in her dark eyes and she smiled.
“Kitfox, you scoundrel! Where have you been keeping yourself?” She skipped around the desk to greet Kitfox with a tight hug and I gawked at her even more. Rhekja was almost Hume from the waist up, but the rest of her was completely animal! Her sleek and muscular body was similar to that of a deer, complete with four cloven feet and a short tail.
“I was wondering where you disappeared to, Rhekja.” Kitfox’s voice yanked me out of my stupor. “What on Ithnez are you doing in Monrai?”
“Running the best inn in town, silly!”
“Wait a tick!” Kkorian took a few uneven steps towards the Demon duo. “You own the Bird in Hand? Where’s Eri?”
Rhekja nodded. “I took over ownership of the Bird in Hand when I purchased it from Eri two years ago.”
Kkorian paled. “And... uh... what happened to Eri?”
“He moved out of the Myst, but I have no idea where.” She turned her attention back to Kitfox and poked him in the chest. “You owe me an explanation, fox boy.”
“What explanation?” He grinned coyly.
“Freya came calling about a month ago. She was talking about gathering Demons to battle against the greatest threat ever to arise in centuries. What was she talking about?”
Kitfox looked at me. “You see that lady there?” Rhekja followed his gaze and nodded. “Her name is Xyleena Renoan. She is the new Dragon Keeper.”
Culmination Page 8
