by VS Winters
The third creature to be caught was a larger one, and it took a bit of energy out of me to cleanse her. She was a beautiful, glistening white Pegasus, and obviously the party moved into my bedroom with her arrival. When she was captured her hair and wings had turned a dark gray color and her eyes that bloodred that was common with all the corruption cases. By the time she was cleansed, her hair sparkled white and her sweet persona showed through. She spoke to us telepathically, and the others seemed to naturally gravitate toward her.
The fourth creature was a gnome, standing just three feet tall, stout, with a long gray beard and jolly cheeks. They were creatures I didn't actually believe to be part of our mythos, but there was more to the world of the gods than I had realized. The fifth creature, and last at that point, was wise and older: a phoenix. This phoenix spoke with calm and collected words, and when we had found it trapped, it seemed to be fighting the corruption more than anyone else other than Crius. I felt in awe in its presence.
I pulled a chair into my bedroom and watched all of the creatures climb up onto the bed with the Pegasus, the phoenix resting gently on the makeshift perch that the vines had created for it. It seemed even the magic knew to show the phoenix reverence. "I know you all have been through a lot, and I can't begin to understand it, but I'm hoping that you can help me with this. We're trying to help those infected by this corruption, but we don't know a lot about it. Some of you have shared what it's like being inside of it, your experiences as you were drifting through unable to stop yourself from the voices, but do any of you know any further strong information that can help us try to find the source of where it's coming from?"
They were all quiet, looking at each other, most of them having told me everything that they knew. The phoenix, Orion, had been quiet for some time. He slowly turned his fiery, red-feathered face toward us and began to speak. "I fought it as much as I could. In all the years I have traveled the world of the gods, I've not seen anything like this. I heard about it before I was corrupted. Within Olympus, and through the underworld and beyond, everyone refers to it as the deicide."
The name sent a flutter through my chest, as I knew exactly what it meant: the killer of the gods. It seemed that I wasn't the only one taken aback by the name, as everyone else took a seat and quietly sat their hands clutched in their laps, huddling close to the Pegasus. She raised her head and spoke to us. "It is the first time that I've heard this name, but it does not surprise me. We are all survivors of this…deicide, and I suspect that everyone will give you as much information as we can. Other than Orion, most of us knew nothing about it before we were corrupted. We wish we could help further."
The gnome stood and pulled down on his small vest, clearing his throat. "Perhaps some time together, some moments of reflection will help us come up with other answers for you. We appreciate the solace of this home and the protection of your magic."
I stood as I nodded my head, smiling kindly at each of them. "If anyone needs anything, please let me know or let Alecto know, as she is my trusted guard. We'll do our best to help you."
I walked from the room, and as soon as I stepped out of sight, I leaned against the vine-covered wall and rubbed my temples. The name gave me a clue, but not much more than what I had to go on in the first place. What I really needed was Crius. I needed him to come back and I was starting to think that maybe I should go after him.
But go after him where? While I was courageous, more so than ever before, searching my way through the underworld didn't sound like the safest or most valuable use of time. I had no real choice. I had to push forward, and hope beyond hope that Crius came back in one piece.
Chapter Twelve
Sitting on the tire swing in the backyard, I gently tipped forward and back, barely rocking myself. My eyes were stuck on the green grass growing wildly around me. I could feel the magic in them just as I could in the house.
In that moment though, the magic didn't comfort me. Crius hadn't returned, and I struggled to find the connection that I knew we had. I knew that letting him go on his own meant that there was a chance that I would never see him again, but I also knew that in whatever war we had found ourselves in, there might be more times than not that I had to relinquish that closeness. That didn't take away the worry bubbling deep in my chest, threatening to take me over.
"I couldn't find you. I was worried." Alecto walked gently toward me.
She could see that there was something bothering me, and I knew that her vow to me was extremely serious, despite the jokes and the pizza. Again, after my powers were revealed and the dreams that felt more like visions, it was as if I knew things that I hadn't known before. A Fury's oath meant more than their own life, and I knew that Alecto would stand next to me no matter what. Still, I couldn't help but think about her two sisters and how she must feel, knowing they were out there still filled with the corruption.
"I fear for Crius," I said looking up at her. "I suppose it's close to how you probably fear for your sisters."
Her eyes shifted to mine, a glimmer of surprise in them. "If I was capable of being brought from the corruption, my sisters will be too. It will happen in time. As far as Crius, Titans are strong and prideful beings, and I wouldn't worry about him too much. He will return."
I stood up and wrung my hands in front of me nervously. "But what if he does not? I think that maybe I should go after him. You know the way. You probably know it better than him…"
Alecto shook her head. "You are not prepared to go to the places that Crius has gone. I'm not saying you’re weak, as I believe you are anything but. At the same time, we're talking about an entirely different world, and down there…there is no safety for your mind, for your body, or even for the magic within you. There are creatures that can twist you and mold you into what they want you to be without you ever even knowing. It is beyond what human nightmares are made of. The light inside of you is incredibly important, but down there, it could be snuffed out in the blink of an eye. While I am a noble warrior and protector, I am not enough to protect you from that. The safest place for you to be right now, the place that Crius wants you to be, is here where the magic can protect you."
I knew she was right, and just thinking about the places that Crius was traveling sent shivers up my spine. It still didn't stop the worry though, or the want to go after him. The bravery inside of me had trickled back stronger than I ever knew that I had, but I also knew that was because of whoever I used to be, or whoever was twisted inside of me.
As we stood there, over Alecto's shoulder I saw a flash of light through the small uncovered area of the kitchen window. That flash was followed by the flicker and dancing of shadows. A dance all too familiar to me. "Oh my God, someone has set the house on fire!"
Both Alecto and I bolted forward, slamming into the back door and opening it wide. I turned to the left to see a creature darting in and out of the shadows, everything catching ablaze quickly. The vines began to shriek and shrink back, but the flames were too fast. I ran to the bedroom door and looked at the scared creatures all standing close together. "Get out of here, find safety! We will find each other again."
The creatures that could teleport or open portals did so, taking some of the others with them. The phoenix moved along the ceiling, the fire not even attempting to touch it. The only one left was the Pegasus, who was too large to move quickly and had no teleportation powers like the others. Her eyes glimmered as she stared at me. "Go. I will find a way out. Do not worry about me."
Alecto grabbed my arm and I turned to her. "Before the way is taken over, the front door is open."
I nodded and looked back to the Pegasus but I didn't see her. I hoped that she understood how to get out. Alecto and I turned and started making our way down the hallway fast as we could. As we reached halfway, there was a loud crack and we watched as a shadowy figure stood within the billowing smoke, his arms raised high in the air with sparks of magic shooting from his palms. The magic soared up to the beams in the ceiling
and everything came crashing down, blocking our way out of the house.
Alecto fell back, fire singeing her arm up to her shoulder. I hurried to her side and patted her down, looking her in the eyes. "We're trapped."
Alecto gritted her teeth. "We can teleport. Hold on to me."
I ducked my head and held tightly to her, but after several moments I opened my eyes again, realizing we hadn't moved. She helped me to my feet as she shook her head. "Whatever corruption has gotten to the magic, it's keeping me from doing my own. Some sort of boundary spell or blockage."
We both looked around us, fire blending up the walls and over the ceilings, one way blocked, the other engulfed in flames. Alecto narrowed her eyes toward where the back door was. "How many feet to the back door from here? From where the edge of the fire begins?"
I shook my head, covering my face as I coughed. "I don't know. Maybe five feet?"
Alecto reached into a small satchel attached her waist and pulled out a blue vial of sparkling liquid. "My own natural magic may be blocked, but it's worth a try. This is a potion given to me by a mage in the underground during the wars. It's a protective shield, and if it works, should allow us a pathway out the back door."
I gave her a nod. "It's worth a try."
The smoke was overwhelming, and I had a hard time keeping myself on my feet. Alecto grabbed me under the arm with one hand and took the vial with the other, throwing it quickly into the flames. We both watched, the smoke enveloping us. For moment we saw nothing and my heart sank, thinking that the fire and the blazes were too much, that my time was over. But just a second later, a sparkling blue effervescent veil rolled outward, pushing the smoke and fire to the sides, creating a tunnel to the back door.
Alecto grabbed me around the waist and without a word we bolted forward, heading straight for the door. We could hear the scratching of the creature behind us, but that didn't slow Alecto. She ran straight through the tunnel of safety and jumped out the back door, both of us rolling and coughing through the grass as far away from the fiery blaze of the house as we could get.
I crawled into the fetal position and rubbed my fingers through the dew on the grass, trying to wash away the thick soot on my eyelids. I coughed deeply and painfully, trying to catch any breath of fresh air that I could. I called for my light, seeing if there was anything it could do to help me, and I could feel the warmth simmering through my veins. It calmed me, as did the magic that still remained in the grass and flowers of my backyard. Slowly I began to catch my breath again, sitting up cross-legged as the heat from the fire radiated against me. There was a sadness inside of me, something I hadn't ever thought of before, but as I watched my magical house burn to the ground, I couldn't help but mourn. I had been through so much in that house, and over the last few days it had protected me from death on multiple occasions.
Alecto had been on her feet from the moment we rolled through the grass, searching through the flowers on the edge of the property and around us, looking for the culprit who set the fire. It was night at that point, but the blaze of the house lit up the yard well. I grabbed on to the tire swing and hoisted myself up to my feet, shaking off the ashes that had floated down onto my shoulders and into my hair.
"Keep your eyes open, he is out here somewhere. If he is corrupted, he won't give up," Alecto said, standing a few feet away and looking through the tall stems of the flower beds.
I gave her a nod and turned to the other side, keeping my eyes peeled and following every move of the shadows. I couldn't feel anything through the magic of the grass, at least not anything that would've warned me of the creature darting from the shadows out of nowhere. As soon as I felt that burning within my chest, I turned to find a creature looking somewhat like a goblin, with a deep underbite and jagged jowls, green in color with gnarled bumpy skin, just inches away from me. It slammed into me hard and we both flew back, rolling separately across the yard.
My entire body flew backward, the weightlessness reminiscent of the dream state Crius and I had been in. But this was no dream. I was caught within a battle of light and dark. The corruption had grabbed on to me and was trying to take me over. I could feel it seeping in as my light worked back against it, trying to fight off whatever it was attempting to turn me to. It was a back and forth, and I could hear the screams and anguish echoing in my head. I didn't know who it was at first, but then I realized…it was me. It was my fight.
The corruption seeped further, warping my light inch by inch.
"Be the light," a voice whispered. "Let it in, let the light take over."
A burst of energy flowed through me and the light jolted forward, slamming harder against the corruption, trying to move it out. The screams faded from the background and in its place were voices, familiar voices from the creatures that I had saved, the creatures I was trying to protect, and not just humanity. Humanity, of course, was always threatened when something as strong as the corruption had taken over, but I wasn't just fighting for them, I was fighting for all creatures, mythical or not. The Pegasus, the phoenix, the Masker, and all the others swirled around my mind as the hope inside of me expanded, adding to the light. It pushed hard against the corruption and I could hear it hiss and moan as the light took it over and shoved it completely away.
The light burst from me, and flooded across the grass and through the house, settling the large flames that burnt the remnants of what was left inside. Alecto ran up next to me and knelt down, putting her hand on my arm. "Kora. Can you hear me?"
Slowly, I opened both of my eyes and blinked at her. "I need a damn vacation."
Alecto chuckled and nodded her head. "Just lie still. I can't take you the way that we went before, you're too weak. I'll have to summon a ride from someone. I believe that you cleansed the goblin, but he ran off, not that it surprises me. Goblins are nasty little creatures even without the corruption."
Just then, a shadow fell over us and I tilted my head up with the little bit of energy I had left, seeing a bright white creature fly overhead. As it came into a clear picture, my eyes focusing on the shimmering hair and feathers, I realized it was the Pegasus. She landed next to me and knelt down, nudging me with her nose. "Where do you need to go? I will take you there."
Alecto let out a sigh of relief. "The only place I can think of right now is the speakeasy. I'm hoping it's not taken over yet. Can you get her there? I will teleport and get everything ready for when you get there."
At that point, my mind started to go hazy and the exhaustion took over. I could feel Alecto lift me up and place me gently on the soft fur on the back of the Pegasus. I snuggled my face and wrapped my arms around her, releasing the tension in my body as she took flight. I was in her hands and unfortunately, that was all that I could muster. The corruption had tried to take me, but the hope and light within me had pushed it out. I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it again.
Chapter Thirteen
I had to admit, the speakeasy couch was becoming more and more comfortable every time I sat on it. I could feel the exhaustion inside of me, but I did feel a little bit better than I had when I passed out on the lawn watching my home burn to smithereens.
I kept my eyes shut, unsure of whether I would fall back asleep or eventually wake up. I took in the surroundings, smelled the spice, the pungent odor of alcohol, and the silence of the room. I could only imagine that the speakeasy was once again empty due to everything that was going on. I wondered if the other creatures had left, going into hiding. I wasn't sure if that would be the best thing or not, but then again, I knew barely anything about their world.
"You know, when I first saw you, I knew you would be a problem." The voice was soft and familiar. "What I didn't realize at the time was just how annoying you could be. You had your chance to give up the light, to have the Titan take it so that I could dispose of him instead of you, but here you are, still holding on strong, forcing that pathetic little mortal body of yours to continue on."
I could hear the nymph's heels
clack across the floor. I gently opened my eyes, and watched her as she walked along the bar with her back to me, running her finger along the wood. I didn't make a sound, even though I was pretty sure she knew that I was awake. She continued talking, her tone unapologetic and bored. "I guess it works out okay though. The Titan will get what he deserves from someone, and while you're too weak to fight me off, I'll just take the light from you. It really is unfortunate though. This battle isn't with the humans, not yet, but I guess you're collateral damage."
She stopped at the end of the bar and leaned down, scratching the back of her calf. As the fabric of her dress slipped off of her skin, I could see what looked like scales beginning to climb up her green flesh. My heart started to beat faster and I looked in the mirror, watching as her eyes shift quickly to the corner, the centers of them bloodred.
When she stood back up, she flipped the slit of her dress open to reveal a band wrapped around her leg. She unsheathed a large hunting knife and set it carefully on the bar. In the mirror I watched as she pulled a small glass vial from between her breasts and set it next to the knife. "My only question is, where should I cut you first? I'm thinking that the light likes to hide in your core, which would mean I should probably slice up your belly, but then again, most of the energy comes from your chest, so maybe I should start there."
She continued on, chuckling to herself as she went over the different parts of the human body that she would extract in order to take the light. Suffice it to say, I had no intentions of letting the green bitch carve me up on the speakeasy couch. I was weak though, and I knew I couldn't fight her one-on-one, so I had to get creative. I'd spent years of war time moving within the shadows, creeping even around my house with movements as quiet as I possibly could muster. I was actually pretty proud of myself. Had I been just a young woman freshly out of high school, I might've been able to become some secret Russian spy or special operations military that no one knew anything about. As it was, that talent was going to help me out, because if it didn't, I was in for a world of hurt…and probably death.
