The black wolf stood outside on the sidewalks of the cobblestone streets. “What is wrong with you today? You’ve been pissy and distant.”
“I am a wolf. A cursed creature. I don’t expect you to understand?” Dougal answered and ignored her.
“You can still speak like a human so why don’t you tell me what’s been bothering you?”
“People will think you are crazy talking to a wolf.” Dougal said. “Let’s go.”
Lola surveyed her surroundings and noticed as people walked by they gave her strange looks and winces. She never talks to Dougal in public otherwise people would think she is insane. People were not disturbed by the black wolf although his ram horns were odd and unusual. Some had mistaken Dougal to be a hybrid. He preferred such assumptions than for people to think he was a fiend.
Lola kneeled down and grabbed the wolf by the horns. “Whatever it is save it for later. We are on a mission.”
“I should be telling you that. My dear.” Dougal told Lola with cocky tone. “Now you tell me how are we going to get inside the castle? I assume you have a plan.”
“Oh I have a plan but we must get away from here first. Follow me.” Lola ran up the streets. Dougal followed behind. The sloping streets of the south lead to a hill. Lola kept running up pass houses and working class people. The cobblestone street ended with an unfinished stone wall. Topless men worked on the wall, hauling wood and carrying stones on wheelbarrows. Lola sprinted by the construction workers disturbing them and jumped over the unfinished wall.
She now ran on tall grass outside the city area. Up a hill she went and looked over her shoulder at Dougal. “Where are we going?” Asked the wolf.
“You will see just follow me.” Lola answers and continued trudging.
“Are we leaving the city?” Dougal asked. “I thought we were sneaking into the castle.”
“We’ve been living in this city for three years.” Lola stated. “You should know better than to try and sneak into the Alexandrian castle from the front door. Intruders are highly punished. I thought of a better way.”
“A secret passage.” Dougal assumed.
“I wish I had found a passage. If there was one we would not be the only ones sneaking into the castle.”
“Then by the triforce. Whatever you have plotted, I hope it gets us through and unseen.” Dougal prayed. He had plans to enter the castle stealthy but with his wolf form it was impossible. He was so fortunate to have Lola but sometimes he doubted the girl and worried about her and her abilities. Still he had faith in her. They were on the same path after all.
They went up the hill till they reach a dirt path that snaked up to the very top. They followed the path and at the very end they saw a stone shrine. Lola stood before it stared at the stone statue of Omegus. The god of the triforce. One half of his body was black and the other was white. His left wing was shaped like a bat and his right wing shaped like that of a white swan. Lola and Dougal gazed at the statue solemnly and felt compelled to kneel and pray. Lola believed highly in Omegus and prayed to the god whenever she saw a shrine. She was graceful for all the wonderful adventures she had throughout Alexandria. She believes Omegus helped her become free from that prison she was in three years ago. Dougal on the other hand never prayed but simply had faith in what is to come.
The people of Alexandria follow the teachings of the triforce. The living, the dead and the limbo. The triforce teaches the people to connect with Omegus the god and find their path in Odealeous. Omegus is believed to balance darkness and light into twilight so that the world can be at peace and prevent destruction. The triforce teaches us to learn from our darkness and our light because we are made of both. Many magus who believe in Omegus follow the teachings of the triforce so that they can reach a high level of trance and be one their “inner god.”
“Come on Lola. You will have time to pray when you get back.” Dougal urged.
“I know but I just wanted to chant a mantra for what is to come.” Lola muttered. She got to her feet and paced towards the edge of the hill. Beyond she gazes at the city again. The thousands of houses and castle that reigns in the very middle with that godly sword sheath at the very top of the highest tower. Lola spreads open her arms and allowed her mana to flow and swirl. The wind began to gust around her and lashed at Dougal. Purple smoke billowed on her back and long wide black and purple wings spread wide. Her wings were so large and wide, enough to cover her whole body. Her eyes changed to a pale white zombified color and had vertical dashes for pupils. Fangs peaked from the sides of her lips. Her nails grew and her skin became paler.
Dougal only snorted at her transformation and said. “So you are thinking of flying us there. Are you mentally ill?”
“I can’t think of a better way my dear.” Lola said with a smirk, fangs peaking.
“You are not carrying me. I rather wait here while you go and get yourself captured in the castle.”
“How cruel of you Dougal.” Lola said. “You are going to leave me all alone. I thought we were a team.” She walks to the wolf with open arms. “Come here.”
“Get away from me. You know I don’t like flying.” Dougal begins to step away from Lola. The dark magus flaps her wings causing gust and elevates off the ground. She grabs the wolf by the underbelly and ascends. Dougal growls and flails. “Curse you Lola!” He screams at her but she only giggles and ascends higher in her dark form. She flies away from the summit and towards the castle with wind lashing her face. They were chiliads of feet high and below everything looked like a garden of greens and stones with ants. Lola gripped her rod and squinted. She saw something as she got closer to the castle. The godly sword of the castle glinted and blinded her for a moment. Dougal had stopped flailing. He stared up at Lola and said. “Can you see it?”
“See what?” Asked Lola squinting at the sword.
“Don’t get mesmerize. There is a barrier over the castle.” Dougal informed. “We better not touch it. I am surprise you didn’t see it.”
“I thought I saw something but it is too transparent. What would happen if we touch it?” Lola asked. She became curious and eager to come in contact with the barrier.
“Don’t be a fool. Fly over it.” Dougal commanded.
“How will we get to the castle then?” Lola asked. “We are going to have to poke a hole.”
“Let me give it a try.” Dougal said and sneezed a bullet of fire from his maw. The bullet flew far; it hit the barrier and reflects. Lola gasp with panic and tilted in the air. The bullet nearly scraped her left wing. It seems like the barrier covered the entire center area of the city. A round perimeter around the castle district. “The damn thing reflects offensive spells.” Dougal said. Lola flew higher and higher. The wind became stronger with altitude. They were much higher than the pommel of the castle’s sword. Lola paused and hover gazing down at the light that reflected off the barrier.
“What now princess?” Dougal teased her, uncomfortable with Lola’s skinny arms around his underbelly.
Lola pointed at the barrier with her rod. “Even if we break through the barrier we will be attacked by guards and mages of the castle.” Dougal said.
“How about a little positivity. You are aggravating me.” Lola snarled.
“Forgive me but heights make me anxious.” Dougal replied and sneezed another bullet of fire. The bullet reflects of the barrier again. Lola tilted and it flew pass her. “Did you not learn from the first time?” Lola asked annoyed.
“Wait! I think I saw an opening.” Said the wolf with excitement.
“It’s transparent you can hardly see that barrier itself.” Lola said.
“Hit it with a stronger spell.” Dougal suggested. Lola’s spun her rod and the gemstone bathed with fire. “Pikan Granda!” Lola yelled and shot a large fire ball from her rod like a catapult. The fire ball hit the barrier and it bounced back. Lola spun to the side dodging her own spell. “This is futile.” She said dizzy.
“No! Take a look.” Dougal alarmed he
r. Lola looked at the exact spot where her spell had hit and she noticed the barrier sealing itself like melting glass. It closed like liquid running over a wound transparently. Lola smirked realizing how she could break a hole in the barrier. She spun her rod again and launched another spell. “Pikan Ray!” A beam of flaming red light flew from her rod and strikes the barrier. The spell made a crack in the barrier. It looked like broke glass. Then it quickly began to close again liquidly.
“I see.” Lola realized.
“Yes you are going to need a more powerful spell. The Alexandrians must have incredible mana to cast such a defensive white magic spell.” Dougal remarked.
“White magic you say. Then I will break their spell with darkness.” Lola gave a wide fiendish smirk. Black haze and shadows swirled over Lola’s rod. It incinerated with black fire, one of Lola’s favorite spells. A fire that burned quicker and consumes faster. A fire that would melt the flesh of anyone’s bones. Lola chanted no wonders or mantra. She focused her dark mana to her rod and shot a sphere of black fire. The black sphere flew and hit the barrier with a thud like thunder. It detonated with a loud crystalline sound of braking glass. The strong winds of the sky cleared the smoke. Lola and Dougal saw the hole in the barrier. It was like a broken window with crystal shards hanging from the sides. The lines of the broken glass detailed the hole in the barrier.
“Yes! I did it!” Lola shouted. Then the hole began to quickly close again liquidly. “No!” Lola yelled. She spun with Dougal and dived into the hole. She fell through the hole just before it closed and the broken glass grazed her wings. After she fell through the hole she felt her dark magic fading away. Her wings vanished leaving her to fall from the sky. She did not let go of Dougal or her rod. She panicked as she fell. Her heart pounded like boulders. “Lola! Use air magic!” Dougal said as they fell with whistling wind in their ears.
“I am trying. The barrier dispels my dark magic.” Lola tried to call her dark powers. I can’t die now. Not yet. This is not my time. She brought out her desires. She thought of Dougal holding her under a cherry tree as a human. She thought of those dark nights when she was in that mansion of her old master. I refuse to die. Lola let out a savage roar from deep in her throat. Her magic quickly returned to her. Her wings returned with clouds of purple smoke. She flapped rapidly and ascended up towards the castle.
Together they went up to the highest tower of the castle where the colossal sword was sheath like in a scabbard. Ahead they saw a spacious balcony. Knights, guards and mages of Alexandria stood on the balcony watching her as she approached.
“Do not attack them Lola.” Dougal told her.
“I know. I will only blind them.” She replied.
Knights and guards began to throw spears at her from below. Lola dodged them. She tilted in the air, dipped and swooped down. Then the knights launched their arrows. Lola simple flapped her wings rapidly causing a strong gust that blew them away. After the missiles came the mages. They launched fire at her and exploded around her like fireworks. The mages cast razor winds. Lola dodged their winds and blew gust at them again. Although she could fly in her dark form, she did not know many air spells. She specialized in fire. However that never stopped Lola. “I fear I might have to get violent.” She said.
“Then again. We are breaking the rules.” Dougal commented. “I thought you said you were going to blind them.”
“Of course” Lola answered and waved her rod. She pointed down at the balcony. Mages still launched their spells at her and guards threw arrows. One arrow pierced her left wing and Lola groaned. She began to fall from the sky and on to the balcony. She could not flap her left wing. She reached over and pulled out the arrow. Her wing bled and began to fade away leaving her with one wing. Lola decided to fall and face the guards and mages of the Alexandria castle. With one wing she landed on the balcony with a thump. The guards’ armors were painted white with black leather underneath. Their armor had studs and ended with pointy ends. They all dropped their visors over their faces. Their swords hissed loudly and their steel glinted with the sun light. The mages wore hooded tunics with a silver chest plate over it. Their hands hide under long sleeves wielding no rods or wands to cast magic. They are advanced mages, Lola guessed. Guards and knights pointed their swords and spears at Lola. Mages ready their spells with glowing spheres of mana hovering over their hands.
“Lola! The trickster powder.” Dougal yelled. Lola spun her rod and pounded the stone floor with the apex of her rod. Sparks flew and a cloud of red smoke billows and spreads in the balcony blinding everyone in sight. “Get her!” Yelled the guards. “Capture the intruder!” Shouted the mages but they lost sight of Lola in the cloud of red smoke. It irritated their eyes and their blindness causes them to bump into each other and accidently hurt each other. Lola snuck around them. She was unaffected by her spell. She scurried, head low and Dougal lead the way being able to see through the cloud of red smoke with his eyes of the blue moon.
They exit the balcony and ran down the castle halls. The halls were wide and long with rows of stone pillars. Statues of knights that stood fifteen feet tall holding broad swords were between columns pillars. Dougal and Lola continue to sprint till they reach a four way intersection. Four hall ways. All with pillars and statues aligned. “Which way do we go?” Lola asked jerking her head left and right unable to decide which road is best.
“I don’t think it matters which hallway we choose. We need to hide.” Dougal said standing in the center of the four hallways. Suddenly they heard the sound of steel clanking and boots thumping echoing in the hall from which they came. Guards and mages appeared. Lola’s heart pounded with excitement. “Let’s play hide and seek.” She said with a cocky tone and smirk.
“This is no time for games Lola. Follow me.” Dougal ran down the hall to his left. Lola followed him. “Do you know where you are going?” She asked panting.
“Of course not. There has to be a way out of this maze.” The wolf replied. He sprinted rapidly and gazed at the light at the end of the hall. He noticed someone stood at the end of the hallway. Dougal stopped and his paws slide over the stone floor. “You shall be punish for entering the castle without permission.” Said a man at the end of the hall. He wore a green tunic with yellow stripes and a golden chest plate over it. Another mage, Dougal thought. The mage’s hands began to glow green. He placed his hands on the walls of the narrow hall. A thud shook the stone ground. The knight statues began to budge, slightly moving their stone bodies. The dragging sound of stones echoed in the hall. All statues suddenly became animated. The mage in green removed his hands from the wall. He rolled his hands into a fist and swung them up and down. All the knight statues lifted their stone swords and they all pointed at Lola and Dougal.
“Surrender and you won’t be harm.” The mage in green said. Offering them a chance to live.
“Do I look like the type of gal who simply surrenders?” Lola responded. The statues began to trudge over to Lola and Dougal. The wolf growled and stood his ground. Lola glared at the mage who stood at the end of the hall. She pointed her rod in his direction. “Pikan Exploda!” She yelled from deep within her. From her rod, a sphere of fire swelled and ballooned with a volcanic color like that of lava. Dougal stepped away from Lola in fear.
“Lola you are an insane magus! Are you trying to kill us?” Dougal shouted panicking.
“No I am just trying to clear a path.” She responded and launched her spell. The sphere flew and it destroyed the stone statues turning them into lava. Lola’s spell reached the green mage at the end of the hall as it destroyed everything in its path. It crumbled the walls and toppled the pillars. The green mage ran, full of fear at the sudden explosive spell. Lola’s spell exploded once it reached the green mage. A large explosion inside the castle setting everything it had touched on fire and stones turned to burning lava. The ceiling began to drop stones creating debris. It happened fast, almost at the blink of an eye and Lola remained in one piece. Half of the hall looked l
ike a tunnel carved for the underworld.
Lola and Dougal ran through the destroyed hall. “You are going to regret this Lola!” Dougal said as he sprinted.
“Would you rather be dead?” Lola replied. “I didn’t really have a choice. We had knights and mages chasing us and then dozens of statues about to crush us. I rather kill then be kill. I will not die here.”
“I admire your courage.” Answered the wolf. They ran over debris and turned right at an intersection. Lola almost regrets destroying the halls. She admired the chandeliers, the black and white tile floor and the ivory pillars that held the ceiling ever so heavenly. The next hall was similar to the others but empty. No guards or knights patrolled the halls until Lola heard their roars behind her. “Intruder! King Alexander will have your head!” Yelled one of the knights chasing her. Lola only giggled. She spun and hurled another blast of fire at them. Some knights fell and some persisted. The mages were unaffected.
As Lola ran down the longest hall of the highest floor of the castle, she noticed a tall door with an eye embroidered of amethyst gemstones. Lola ran to the door and burst it open. Dougal leapt inside and Lola quickly locked the door. She panted and chuckled wiping the sweat of her forehead. Then she burst into a laugh. “What a chase. That was so heart pounding!” She said with joy.
“You are an insane magus Lola.” Dougal commented. He knew how much she likes danger. It was like alcohol for a drunkard. Lola laughed with her hands over her belly holding it in. “Come on Dougal. You cannot deny it. That was fun wasn’t it?”
“Hell no. We almost die. Let’s not waste any time. Those knights and mages will be knocking on this door anytime.” Dougal said and just as he mentioned it the knights and mages began to thump on the door. Swords piercing through the wooden door and knights ramming it. “Damn it. Here they are.” Dougal spun around and surveyed the room that they had entered. It was filled with books, scrolls, maps on the wall and paintings of the stars in the night. Feather pens lie on a desk with ink spilled over brown paper.
Tales Of Lola The Black Page 6
