Tales of Aria: The Legend of Damiano's Disk

by Carl Russ III

  “Dami‑whatnow?!” Aiden blurted. “What the hell are ya talkin’ about?!”

  “We’re not here to answer your questions,” Hagan snapped. “Just take us to Secar.”

  Suddenly, Lucas unsheathed his sword. “More trouble!”

  Hagan reached for his bow and quickly loaded an arrow as a brown snake‑like creature covered in spines quickly approached from the distance. “Keep still, I’ve got this one,” he said, carefully aiming. He released the arrow, but was surprised to see the foe promptly slither out of the projectile’s path. “Damn, guess not.”

  “Glacies stiria telum!” Iris conjured an icicle missile and quickly sent it speeding toward the enemy. The snake moved to dodge, but wasn’t quick enough. It hissed as the icicle pierced its skin.

  Meanwhile, Hagan shot another arrow. It buried into the creature’s head, causing it to convulse wildly. “There, I think that did it,” Hagan noted. “I’ll go get my arrows when it stops moving. Nice shot, Iris.”

  “He’s getting away!!” Lucas shouted frantically as he ran to catch Aiden, who had taken the opportunity to escape the trio’s captivity.

  “Just let him go!” Hagan yelled. “We already know Secar’s this way!”

  Lucas stopped running as Aiden continued farther into the desert. Damn! I should’ve watched him more carefully. He turned back and rejoined Hagan and Iris. “Sorry, guys. I turned away from him and he took off.”

  “No big deal,” said Hagan. “We don’t need him anyway. Let’s take a quick water break and keep moving.”

  “Indeed,” Iris added. “Once the sun sets, we’ll be blind to oncoming threats. It’s a risk we cannot afford to take.”

  Chapter 32: The Reading

   

  Zoe spent hours scouring through every book on magic she possessed, desperately seeking information on removing jinxes. Nothing in here either. Disappointed, she shut the book and sprawled on her bed. Ugh, this is so frustrating! I know I read about jinxes in one of these books... Which one was it?

  Zoe was startled by a knock on her door. “What do you want?” she groaned, sitting up.

  “May I enter?” a voice asked.

  Recognizing it as Passford, she replied, “Yeah.”

  The door creaked open as Passford entered the room. He took a few steps toward her, “Miss Zoe, your father has requested you–”

  “My who?” Zoe interrupted coldly.

  Passford paused, caught off guard by her response. “Your father... Lord Quinn.”

  “His name’s Javan,” Zoe snapped. “That’s all he is to me. Javan.”

  “That’s quite disrespectful,” Passford commented with a straight face.

  Without a moment of hesitation, Zoe quickly rebutted, “Jinxing your daughter and convincing everyone that she’s batshit insane isn’t very noble either.”

  Turning back toward the door without acknowledging her cutting remarks, Passford went on. “Lord Quinn has requested your presence in the meeting room immediately.” Glancing back at her as he reached for the doorknob, he added, “You should probably show a little more respect for the man who saved you from a life of poverty, young lady. I understand that you have been brainwashed, but it’s no excu–”

  “I wasn’t brainwashed!!” Zoe bellowed, jumping to her feet. Alarmed by the unexpected mood swing, Passford hastily proceeded into the hallway, hurriedly shutting the door behind him.

  “Uggghhh!!” Zoe exclaimed, stomping her way over to the door. “Stupid jinx! Stupid Javan!...Stupid pink!!”

  Continuing through the hallway and down the stairs, she marched to the double doors of the meeting room. Inside was a large, rectangular table equipped with several chairs. Farthest from the door, at the head of the table, was a much larger chair in which Lord Quinn sat. The room was well lit by two massive chandeliers. All of the window curtains were closed.

  Zoe threw the doors open, yelling, “What now?!” as she entered.

  “Temper...” Lord Quinn sternly reminded her.

  Zoe was surprised to see that her adoptive father was accompanied by two people she had never seen before. Seated on Lord Quinn’s left was an older woman, dressed in a dark‑red dress with a black shawl. She had green eyes and long curly graying brunette hair. On her head was a black pointed hat with a large circular brim, decorated with what Zoe considered to be a rather ugly flower. To the mysterious woman’s left, sat a young man around Zoe’s age, if not a little younger. He had long, blond hair and hypnotizing blue eyes, dressed in a tattered white shirt and brown vest. An emerald was tied around his neck. The jewel was quite beautiful in contrast to the shabby string it was attached to. An obnoxious grin consumed his face as he watched Zoe slowly walk along the opposite side of the table, approaching the chair on Lord Quinn’s right. Turning her attention away from the stranger’s bizarre fixation, Zoe looked at Lord Quinn and sarcastically asked, “Did you have fun lying to the king today?”

  He remained silent, completely unresponsive to the barbed assertion. As she sat down, Zoe stared at the woman sitting across from her, who softly smiled. “Zoe,” said Lord Quinn, “allow me to introduce you to Veronica Aveley of Kieran Forest.”

  The mysterious woman across the table bowed her head as she was introduced. “The pleasure is all mine.”

  “Seated by her side,” Lord Quinn continued, “is her son, Laverick Aveley.”

  “Hi!” Laverick blurted, the large grin still plastered to his face.

  Zoe found his presence to be unbearably awkward, and quickly turned her attention back to Lord Quinn. “Why did you call me here?” she inquired sharply.

  “Don’t be rude,” Lord Quinn replied. “Introduce yourself.”

  Turning back to Veronica and Laverick, Zoe quickly spat out, “I’m Zoe.”

  “Hi Zoe!!” Laverick responded excitedly.

  “Excellent,” Lord Quinn remarked. “Now that all formalities have been addressed, I would like to offer a proposal.” He turned to Zoe. “I’m well aware that as a member of the Spades, you’re knowledgeable of the disk fragment’s current–”

  “Is that what this is about?!” Zoe snapped, quickly rising to her feet.

  “Calm yourself,” Lord Quinn warned.

  “No!!” Zoe shouted. “I told you, I don’t want to–”

  “Umbra immobilis mutus!” Lord Quinn interjected, pointing his finger at Zoe as she felt a stinging jolt surge through her body. Much like the condition she had experienced in Valdis Prison, she was once again unable to move or speak. “I had every intention of offering you a chance for cooperation,” Lord Quinn explained. “However, it’s overwhelmingly obvious that you’re uninterested. A minor setback at most.”

  “My goodness, is she always this temperamental?” Veronica inquired.

  “Unfortunately, yes.” Lord Quinn answered with a sigh, lifting a small glass of wine off the table. After taking a sip, he continued. “I suppose now would be a good time to execute your ability, Veronica.”

  Raising her eyebrows and wagging her index finger, Veronica smiled. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  “The gold, the gold!” Laverick shouted. “We don’t work for free!”

  “That’s right, Son,” said Veronica. “Good boy!” Laverick smiled broadly, feeling accomplished from gaining his mother’s praise.

  Lord Quinn sat the glass back on the table. “I assure you wholeheartedly that you will be appropriately compensated for your efforts. Though I must insist on first receiving that which I am paying for.”

  “He’s trying to cheat us, Ma!” Laverick exclaimed.

  “I’m most certainly not,” Lord Quinn calmly responded. “This is simply how I conduct my business. If you find yourself uninterested in our prior arrangement due to these circumstances, you may leave now.”

  “Let’s get outta here, Ma,” Laverick asserted. “I don’t trust this guy.”

  Noticing the look of uncertainty on Veronica’s face, Lord Quinn added, “Remember, there is far more than gold in st
ore for you. By assisting me in obtaining the missing fragment, you and your son shall be rewarded with high ranking titles and privileges under my reign.”

  “If what you say is true,” Veronica replied after a brief pause, “then you shouldn’t be opposed to allowing me to verify your claim.”

  “Of course not,” Lord Quinn responded. “Proceed at will.”

  Placing her index fingers on her temples, Veronica shut her eyes and concentrated. Suddenly, she made a wincing facial expression, as though she had experienced a sharp pain. She opened her eyes and lowered her hands. “You’ve had quite a troubled past, haven’t you?”

  “My past is not open for discussion,” Lord Quinn answered coldly.

  Laverick tilted his head to the side. “Is he lying, Ma?”

  “I’m not sure, Son,” Veronica replied. “I can’t seem to endure his emotional output long enough to establish a connection. It’s a very unpleasant sensation, to say the least...”

  “I don’t have time to waste,” Lord Quinn asserted. “If you wish to verify, read me now. If you are willing to trust me, do so. If you are unconvinced, leave at this time. I advise that you make your decision hastily. I’m growing impatient.”

  Veronica hesitated slightly. “Fine, I’ll trust your word. But I warn you, do not deceive me. I will get what I was promised, one way or another.”

  Lord Quinn smiled, lifting the wine glass. “You will not be disappointed.”

  “Very well,” said Veronica, “I’m going to have to insist that you leave the room during this particular process. Your presence will be far too distracting.”

  Lord Quinn got out of his chair. “Of course.” Cutting his eyes at Zoe’s motionless face as he walked toward the door, he went on. “I will be in the hallway. Take as long as you deem necessary. Inform me once you have finished.”

  After Lord Quinn had left, Laverick spoke up. “I dunno, Ma, I’ve got a real bad–”

  “Silence, Laverick!” Veronica barked sharply. “I know what I’m doing.” Raising her index fingers to her temples, she closed her eyes and concentrated. She focused all of her energy on Zoe, who remained frozen in the same position she was in during her argument with Lord Quinn.

  My goodness, so much anger, Veronica thought before saying, “Lumen cogitatus lectito” aloud. In her head, she could hear Zoe wildly screaming for her to get out of her thoughts. Navigating through Zoe’s consciousness, Veronica attempted to uncover memories related to the Spades and the disk fragment.

  At last, a vision flashed through Veronica’s mind. She was in a colorless area, in which all of the surrounding trees and plant life were solid black with bright white outlines. Standing in front of her was a young man with blond hair and green eyes, dressed in a brown long‑sleeved shirt with dark‑gray pants and a black belt. “Well, from what I understand,” he said, “I’m supposed to give you this.” The young man removed a flat, golden object from his pocket.

  Next, she saw her hands snatch the object out of the young man’s grasp. “What the hell are you doing with the disk fragment?!” she heard herself say. She looked down, examining the fragment in her hands before stuffing it into a bag secured to her waist.

  “Stop reading me, you old hag!!” Zoe’s voice thundered, causing Veronica to be booted from the memory. She opened her eyes.

  “Did ya learn anything?” Laverick asked impatiently.

  “I’m off to a decent start,” Veronica informed. “Unfortunately, she’s aware of what I’m trying to do. It could take a considerable amount of time to learn everything we need to know.”

  Laverick smiled widely. “We’re gonna be rich and famous, right Ma?!”

  Veronica chuckled. “Of course, darling. Now, settle down. Mommy has a lot of work to do.” Laverick nodded quickly, placing his hand over his mouth. Turning her attention back to Zoe and returning her index fingers to her temples, Veronica closed her eyes once again and focused.

  Chapter 33: A Savior In White

   

  “That must be Secar up ahead,” said Lucas as the trio trudged through the desert. The sun was no longer visible and nighttime was approaching rapidly. This made the well‑lit buildings and street lamps in the distance easily discernible from the surrounding area. Though exhausted from the rigorous journey and numerous monster encounters, the group pressed on toward the city.

  “Good,” Hagan replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. “At least we got something useful out of that idiot. Do we have enough gold to get a room for the night and restock on goods?”

  Lucas nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”

  “While I’m highly anticipating a good night’s rest,” Iris asserted, “I feel that we should use extreme caution during our stay in Secar. Though it will be a great opportunity to gain valuable information relating to both Damiano’s Disk and the recent attack on Azure, I speculate that our presence will be rejected.”

  “Right,” Hagan agreed. “We’ve got to be ready for anything. The Cobras don’t exactly seem like the friendliest bunch.”

  Iris was correct in her assumption, as the trio was met with immediate resistance when they neared the town’s border. Two large men dressed in armor approached them, equipped with razor‑sharp spears and sabers sheathed by their sides. “Halt!” One of them shouted. Lucas, Iris, and Hagan froze in their tracks. “State your business,” the man ordered.

  “We’re stranded out here and looking for a place to rest,” Lucas explained. “We’re tired, thirsty, and hungry.”

  “Then sleep in the desert and eat sand,” the second man snapped, causing his companion to chuckle.

  “You think this is funny, huh?!” Hagan lashed, reaching for his bow.

  Hastily reacting, Iris grabbed his arm. “Hagan!” She shot him an intense look. Despite his rage, Hagan realized that he and his friends were in no shape for combat. Biting his lip, he lowered his arm.

  “Yeah, I do,” the second man said smugly. “I think it’s hilarious. Now turn back. You’re not welcome here.”

  “Unless...” the first man added, “you’re willing to ‘convince’ us to look the other way.”

  The second man glanced at his comrade and smiled. He looked back at the trio. “How much gold you got?”

  Seeing that there was no other option, Lucas removed the backpack from his shoulders and set it on the ground. Kneeling down, he dug through it in search of the gold.

  “What’re you doing?!” Hagan exclaimed. “We can’t trust these guys! How do we know they’re not gonna just take the gold and leave us to die?!”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Lucas answered, “we won’t survive out here anyway.”

  The men smiled, knowing they had the trio trapped. “Looks like you’re in quite a pickle.”

  Iris leaned down beside Lucas. “Our gold is essential for purchasing necessary rations and lodging. Surrendering our funds in order to gain access to Secar will be pointless.”

  “That’s a smart girlfriend you’ve got there,” the first man said. “Tell you what, give her to us for the night and we’ll let you in.”

  Iris’s eyes widened. “Give them the damn gold.”

  “What’s going on?” A third man dressed in a brown hooded cloak asked as he approached from the town carrying a lantern.

  The two men turned around to face him. “We were just telling these outsiders that they are not welcome here.”

  “Just let us in!” Hagan interrupted. “All we want is a place to rest. Then we’ll be on our way.”

  The man in the brown cloak came closer to the trio, walking between the two armored men. He looked at Hagan, then Iris, then Lucas, each of them remaining still the entire time, staring back at the stranger. “What are you looking for in that bag?” the man asked, shining his light on Lucas.

  Both of the armored men became nervous. “We had just asked him what he had in there,” one of the men quickly explained before Lucas had a chance to answer.

  “He’s lying!” Hagan i
nterjected. “They were asking for a bribe. Lucas was looking for our gold.”

  The man in the brown cloak faced the armored men. “Is this true?”

  “We weren’t going to let them in,” one of the armored men quickly argued. “We just wanted to see what we could get out of them.”

  “See, Lucas?” Hagan remarked. “I told you.”

  The cloaked man turned his attention to the trio once again. “Turn back now. This is the only warning I will give you.”

  “We can’t,” Iris responded. “We’re stranded.”

  “That’s not my problem,” the cloaked man harshly rebutted.

  “Come on guys,” Hagan said as he walked back toward the desert, “let’s go. This is just a waste of time.”

  Seeing that there was no way they were going to be allowed passage into the town, Lucas collected the backpack and followed. Iris walked behind him. “Hold on,” Lucas shouted, catching up to Hagan, “let me get the lantern. We’re going to need it.” Hagan nodded, a look of frustration on his face from the current predicament.

  “Do we have an adequate amount of rations remaining?” Iris queried.

  Removing the lantern from the backpack, Lucas replied, “Our water is low. Our last bottle is only half full. We don’t have much food left either.”

  “Great!” Hagan barked sarcastically.

  Lucas lit the lantern. “So now what?” he asked, slinging the backpack over his shoulders as the trio continued walking.

  “I suppose we should begin searching for an appropriate area to rest for the night,” Iris responded.

  “This sucks,” Hagan griped. “We’re stranded, almost out of food and water, and we don’t even know which direction goes home.”

  “We have to stay positive,” Lucas replied.

  Hagan was irritated by the response. “I’m being realistic!” he shouted. “We’re going to die out here! This place is crawling with monsters and we’re all way too exhausted to fight! Sorry if it’s a little hard for me to stay ‘positive!!’”

  They continued walking in silence. The stars were coming out, providing a little extra light for the trio in their trek. Still, Lucas waved the lantern carefully as they proceeded, scanning for any sign of trouble. My legs are killing me. Ugh, I’m starting to wish I never even knew about this stupid disk frag–

  Regardless of his efforts to keep a lookout for oncoming threats, Lucas was completely surprised when he was tackled to the ground by an imp. The unexpected assault threw the lantern out of his hands, luckily remaining lit when it hit the sand. Hagan reached for his bow but was promptly attacked by two more of the creatures.