by Fandy Adams
Suddenly one of the faces opened his eyes, white and old eyes, as if the life had long gone from him. Then he spoke to them with hoarse voice.
“Stop there …” said the face in the pod, “…or die.”
“Who are you?” asked Scarlett.
“I have nameless since the origin of mine.” said another face in the pod.
“The only name of mine was come of your tongue. Terranvord.” said the old face in pod.
“Who are they?” Rey whispered to Morran.
“I don’t know. I just met them like you.” said Morran in low voice.
“They’re just ‘entity’, an embodiment of mine.” said the woman face in pod.
“So Azriel was one of you.” asked Scarlett.
“Azriel! Don’t call that name inside mine. That filthy little bastard ruined mine and stole one guardian of mine.”
“Wait a sec, so the Dark Lord wasn’t part of you?!” said Scarlett, look surprised and curious.
Chapter 18
The Twin Flame
Marius turned away from the road and walked up to the northmost of the city, where the battles in the past only make a crack to the city walls. It was yellow old picture of the city, the old part of Khatar that has never changed for decades since Continental War. The area was well and clean though not many crowd here, only peoples passed by without giving their eyes, for they had little interest to visit or stopped by.
However Marius halted by some ruins there, a hotel if that what it was, leaving desolated for many years. Neither roof nor windows has left, only old wall that survived through many rains with moss and vines settled on it.
Marius entered the ruin, the sunlight shining freely around the room, yet still felt gloomy for too long in desolation. The grass and shrubs grew amongst broken floor as if someone preserved them. And there he found someone, and old man wearing shabby gray robe sat on the moss-covered rubble of pillar while he brewing water.
“You guys really need to decorate this place.” said Marius.
Knowing his presence, the old man gazed at him in the blank for long time, long enough to makes anyone stood in fears to leave. He gave only muteness but then he raised a hand. Marius caught a glimpse of light behind the sleeve of slummy robe. No fire or any magic out to attack Marius but a shadow suddenly grew behind him.
Marius turned around and looking at the horror that grew tall behind him. It was like carnivorous plant but huge enough to swallowed two men in a snap. The stems are long and thick as common tree trunk but lithe as the plant could weave like big serpent.
“I really hate this.”
The giant plant snapped and gulped him instantly, quick and without resistance. And there the old man poured the hot water into the cup as if nothing happened.
***
“Azriel ... that man of wicked and conceit was never being of mine nor casted him out as you said human female. He suddenly appeared inside mine.” said the female guardian.
“How could be?”
“Just like when you teleported human female, you just appeared inside mine.”
“Wait, how do you know if I could teleport? I believe you couldn’t see us at all.”
“Couldn’t see you inside indeed, but every vibration of every person could be felt by mine. Even one’s strength will made different vibe.” said the thin guardian.
Stocky guardian immediately continued the words. “A man was suddenly appeared inside mine when I attacked of what they called Anadorra.”
“At that moment 542 people are inside and mine could felt the vibrations of each person, especially when they trembled with fear.” replied the young guardian.
“However as mine attacked them inside, suddenly one man appeared inside. His vibration was so different from the others, fear none and strength great, he killed half of mine by one magic, old and dreadful one, so I let the Unknown One out." said the woman guardian.
And old guardian then continued “Later, the same man came again, grew stronger his power and he represent his himself by the name Azriel as he stood on your spot now.”
“And he brought thereafter the old one beside yours into mine.” said the guardian with helmet before them.
“What he wants from you by came inside you?” asked Scarlett.
“His motive was unclear but he stole one guardian of mine.”
Then their eyes looked at the empty pod, a pod without face in it.
“Do you think it was the one you saw? The body Azriel had brought.” asked Scarlett.
“Most likely so.” answered Morran.
“For what Azriel stole one of your guardians?”
“His purpose with that of mine was unclear.” answered woman guardian.
They were silent for a moment thinking of something. Then Scarlett continued, “Could you help us to bring us back to the surface?” asked Scarlett.
“Why human weakling like you should be obeyed?” answered young guardian.
The old guardian immediately replied “Besides, I need two of yours. The female was fit to replace the empty slot which stolen by Azriel and the fresh meat to replace the old one like mine of this.”
“Wait, how about me? Don’t you need me?” said Morran innocently.
“Then we shall trade, our life for yours.” Said Scarlett as he pointing her sword to the heart but strangely there’s some invisible power protected the heart.
“Do you think I wouldn’t protect the life of mine? No steel can cut through it and no magic can destroy the barrier of mine. Here all mine to control.”
The sixth guard was then out of the cocoon, they look like ordinary people but their eyes pale and hollow like was long dead. And from their wrists stick out a serrated blade of bone. Their ability is not so tough, just like a common soldier. But how many times they attacked them they seemed deathless, even when Scarlett beheads one of them they still move freely to attack them. And they got more troubled as the leeches came out. They’re look different than before, dark colored with red stripes, smaller but much faster that even Scarlett herself as the swiftest among three got overwhelmed against them.
The leeches bite the old man everywhere. Few stuck in Rey’ arm, cut but still life to move and bite him deep. And Scarlett got wounded against the guardians. Rey looked around. On the dim blue he saw black leeches swarming endlessly from the shadows and among that there were ceaseless guardians. Morran casts a magic but his flame was diminished and Scarlett took more wounds as he got fatigued. Rey shouted mad and swung to everywhere. So exhausted and mad he was that his swing dragged himself to lunge forward to the heart and suddenly, without expected the sword pierce the barrier and stabbed deep in the heart but his hand slipped off the sword and he stumbled and hit Scarlett to fell on her.
Suddenly a great tremor ran through the whole place with the loud groans thrilling in the air, it sounds hoarse and terrible like screams of thousands people who died inside. The six guardians collapsed straight away, so was the leeches, they squirmed as if they were burnt from inside. The whole place was shaken. The pale flesh strained and trembled, all the wall all the ground seemed to swallow them. And wailing scream was echoed in the shuddering air, forced them to close their ears.
The scream stopped suddenly and they felt the tremor weakened slowly. They got up and stood trembled, tense and fear still upon them, and neglected wounds began to feel sore. Rey and Scarlett looking each other, a feeling of glad looked on their sweaty and weary faces. However Morran stood looking at the heart and only show his back to them. His eyes fixed and his gesture still as if he was enchanted by something.
They both wondering what made him so, and slowly they stepped aside to see what’s behind the old man. Surprise and wonder came upon them as they saw something stuck in the big heart. It was a sword, long and broad as if it could slay a horse with single hit. Black and gloom it was that even the light of blue flare could not glinting on the surface, for it was not made by any steel but the stone of earth. And abstract c
arving was graven in the middle of the blade. No other sword had pierced the heart other than broken sword which Rey hold before as they could remember. Either someone switched it or the sword itself grew into another shape.
Rey surprised and wondered, so was Scarlett though she was less curious for he always heard about shapeless blue sword from his uncle while Morran had different look than the other. His pale eyes got brighter in the dimness blue, it seemed he knew what it was but he couldn’t make sure of it. With excitement Morran trying to touch the sword, but not yet his bony fingers touched it a mysterious forces stroke him to him repelled.
Morran tried to get up but he fell. Rey round his arm immediately on his shoulder and help him up. Even he could felt a great tremble from that old man, wonder what happened to him.
“Obviously it was not unusual weapon.” said Morran. “No wonder if it could break the barrier and stabbed the heart. How do you have that sword kid?"
“I found it in the ruins.”
“That’s strange.”
“What is it?”
“The sword was ‘protected’, that’s why I thrown away when touched it,” said Morran.
“Protected?”
“It was ancient technique and rarely used these days.” said Morran. “An object, weapons, Sphere or jewelry we give some barrier on it, so other than the rightful owner everyone who tried to touch it would be thrown or even worse, they could be burn, sting or felt an excruciating pain.”
There was a silence for a moment as they looked at the sword.
“I’m all right. You can let me go.” said Morran. “Take your sword kid!”
Rey stepped slowly into the sword but he halted his hand right before the hilt, and a doubt and fear fell on him, feeling that he would be repelled like Morran had. Then a sudden courage moves his hand to grab the hilt. And strange, nothing happened to him, no invisible force stroke him or made him thrown away. He drew the sword and swung it. But something was strange on his feeling, the sword was just slightly heavier than the broken sword he had before while it was quite big and made of stone.
“That’s strange.” said Morran.
“What's wrong? He just could grab it while you rejected.” asked Scarlett.
“He found it in the ruins, doesn’t he?”
“Yes I did.”
“If he found it in thousands-year-old ruins, how the kid who was born less than two decades could be the rightful owner?”
For a moment they paused and wondered, but the eerie silence of the chamber reminds them of the true horror about them.
“We'll save that question for later, we still have an unresolved problem, our way out.” said Scarlett.
“Maybe we should go back to the city ruins. Maybe there’s something we could use to bring us to the surface.” said Morran “The leeches must be dead by now, so I think it was safe down there.”
***
Marius found himself in the wide dazzling chamber. Stringy pale root was above him and beneath him was a circular symbol with fir-tree painted inside. There he saw two soldiers guarding the only door in the room with a woman sitting at the table beside them.
Marius walked to the door while rubbing his face with a tissue. “Hey Ellora, can you ask the boss to think of a way other than Chomper secret pass? Every time I passed it, I feel ...”
“I do not have the authority and it is not my business. If you didn’t like that way I can tell you the secret way to another world.” said the woman, pointing her finger down.
“You still mad about Palisador?”
“It just common trip, nothing special about it.”
“Yeah sure.” said Marius smiled.
The door opened and Marius stepped into a place like an underground office. Built in the cave, the roof above him was rough stone but the entire floor was flat and covered by white marbles, the light glimmered on it and so everything looks bright and clear. In the middle there’s huge glass cylinder, looks sturdy and solid as if not hanging at the roof but grew of it. Marius looked at it, chairs lined-circular around the table but no one was there right now.
“You’re late. He’s already gone.” said a big man, who suddenly stood beside him. His face was big with neat haircut and his style was clean like a man who always behind the desk. “What’s delayed you?”
“Four Brothers, Iceberg and Flamberg, and they brings flying steed with them.”
“Why they’re here? Did they want to settle an old vengeance with you?”
“I don’t know why they came here Grunt, but I think they hunt for the others.”
“Who?” asked Grunt.
“Three students from Grove, and Scarlett with them.” answered Marius.
“Scarlett? What she’s doing here? Palace was miles away from here.”
“I don’t interesting about what she or they doing here but I’m more interested about what they have till Four Brothers chased them.” said Marius. “There’s two left from them now, could you send someone to look for them and if possibly resend them both back to Lucretia.”
“Two left from them? What do you mean?”
Marius then told everything to Grunt about what happened on his journey here. About Scarlett and the foes they have faced and about how the train split apart by the great blast from the dragon and brought both friends and enemies down with it.
“So Scarlett …”
“I don’t want to think about that. I knew her, she talented for cheating the death. Just do what I asked to you.”
“Ok, I will send someone to pack them up and next morning they will found themselves on the bed in the dorm. Just tell me how they look alike.”
“I’ll give you their face.” said Marius. “Any new information?” asked him.
“Yes. We’ve received word from Volk tribe, from Agra the Head of Forest Guard. Do you know him?”
“Not really, just seen him once with Sahagin. I heard he was an Aesir when he was still young.”
“He has reported that great number of Raider was move northwest, might be half of their population. They don’t know what have lured them here, there’s no battle here to be raided after all, not yet to move them in such number.”
“What’s Raider do with all of this?”
“Maybe you should check this.” said Grunt.
Then he brought Marius to a small office, it looks clean and compact. A plant grows tall in the corner, almost touch the roof. Grunt took something out of the drawer then he gave it to Marius.
“Like you see few of our fallen comrades got sliced, five aligned-slices, Raider claws. So we conclude that they took a part on this.” said Grunt.
“Maybe, but they don’t take the bigger part in the death of our friends.” said Marius while examined the photo.
“What do you mean?”
“Do you think our sentinel would easily killed by Raiders? Need someone at my level to take our friends down. Raider had no skill to beat them except in the great number but our friends only had one five-slice on the back.” said Marius “Our friends had fought with Blitzberg of Four Brothers and these Raiders just hunt them to death when they were trying to survive.”
“Four Brothers in this, how do you conclude that?” asked Grunt.
“Three-pointed star wounds. This wound came from three-edged blade and the only one I knew who wield such sword was Blitzberg.”
“I never knew about that.”
“Nobody knows except you had fought him and alive.” said Marius as he thought of something “Cancel my last request, let me catch up those two younglings. I think I will found something interesting if I catch them.”
“Then what do you need?”
"Sword of course, a royal standard, mine was taken away by the Wyvern. And give me something special to hunt flying beast.” said Marius.
***
The sun escort them to the west since they drove from Khatar, the sunlight breached the clouds and obscure the gray mountains at the distance with the golden curtain, and th
e green plains stretching before them and flickering in yellow. More than hour they rode from Khatar to that plain, Eorin took a lead galloping her horse at a good pace while Aska follows behind with smaller horse.
“And you claimed the fastest rider in Vindhavar?” Eorin sneered while left Aska behind.
“That’s because the old man gave snail horse to me,” answered Aska.
“Don’t protest, this is what we’ve got for that price, I had to pawn my Sphere to rent these horses and it was the one which had healing abilities so from now on let’s hope that nothing bad happen to us.” said Eorin
Suddenly, as they rode with confident and spirited, a huge shadow flew straight over their head as if the nightmare has return. The horses were neighing with frightened, reared their feet and jolt the air and Eorin almost cast from the saddle.
“Not him again”
The Wyvern gave long cries, loud and frightening but sounds cold as if it was not a winged beast over the sky but untamed steed under the spell. Wyvern was then turned around, shadowing them like raptors on its preys. They sped into full gallop but how fast they could be on the plain, the Wyvern seemed already had them on its claw.
Suddenly a flame blast before them to the horses fell and casts the riders into the ground. Aska immediately get up and sprang to transform into the great eagle. He flew high swept off the wind and swift as an arrow, stretched the wings proudly like the legendary bird. But Flamberg was the great master of his dragon. He could bring the Wyvern even without orally commanded as if they are one. Forged by the winds the breath of fire blew like flame saber in the sky, even as he could swerved away from the flame but the searing wind have felt on his feather against him. And he got more troubles as the rider casted rapid fireballs on him like rain of fire.
By heat and inevitable fire the great eagle got defeated in his last swoop. He fell into the ground and the shape of great eagle faded into helpless teenager. Eorin ran down to Aska immediately, he tried to fight back against Flamberg but the air has already conquered by the black-jacketed rider while none of his magic could reach the air, even to touch him.
The Wyvern then swooped down and hovered just above them with dark wings flapping slowly, graceful but terrible, shadowing them in darkness and despair. And the rider sat high and might on his winged steed, looking at them with scornful.
