by Sarah Reeves
The creature was lopsided, one arm dragging the ground, elongated to a whip like protrusion. Her mouth gaped wide, showing rows of jagged teeth and a lolling tongue. She lunged toward Alex, who shrieked as she was jerked the rest of the way through the Portal and it was shut by Ronan, who looked shaken.
“What the hell was that?” The shout came from the King of the Efari, striding forward to lift Ronan by the front of his shirt. “My wife is in there, you open that Portal immediately!” His face was red, eyes frantic. “Do it now!”
“Sir!” Kieran stepped forward. His eyes were direct, focused. He looked completely in control, save for his hands. His fingers shook as he addressed the distraught king. “There’s no way to save her, even if we opened up the Portal again. She’s gone, she’s not even Undari anymore. You saw her change.” He looked around at the other monarchs, at Ciara’s daughter, who was staring at him, tears slowly tracing her face. “That venom took her over, and it mutated her. There’s nothing that we can do.” He clenched his fists. “She’s gone,” he repeated. After a beat, he continued. “Is anyone else hurt? Did anyone get the venom on them at all, anywhere? We need to make sure that this doesn’t spread.” He turned to Alex. “I need you to get Drake. If there is a way to get samples of this stuff, run some tests, then there may be a way to slow this down or cure it. Keeping it in the cave is a good idea but I’ve got a nasty feeling that closing the Portals won’t be enough. The faster we get the jump on this, the better.”
Alex nodded, and turned, manifesting her wings and launching herself into the sky towards the castle. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her mind was racing. The image of Ciara mutating, the sound of her screaming was seared into her mind. Her flight wobbled. “Focus, Alex. You won’t be any good if you freak out right now. Just focus.” The castle came into view, and she flew faster, alighting on the steps and pushing the doors open to sprint inside. The halls became a blur as she flew down them, making turns and going up and down stairs blindly until she reached the infirmary. Alex burst through the doors, looking around until her eyes alighted on Dr. Drake, who stood up as she came to a halt. He took one look at her and went to his desk, picking up a kit.
“What do you need?” he asked.
“Do you have vials and sampling equipment in there?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s go.” Alex grabbed his arm and pulled him after her, leaving the infirmary. “You can teleport, right?” At his nod, she stopped. “Take us to the Portal site, please.”
“Alex, what’s going on? What happened?” the doctor’s eyes searched hers.
Alex lowered her head, bracing herself for a second against the next swell of panic. She answered when she looked back up at Drake. “It’s bad, Doc. It’s really bad. You might be our only hope of changing that.” The gravity of the situation settled in Drake’s gaze, and he closed his eyes for a moment.
“Okay. Let’s go.” He took her arm, and the all too familiar flames swirled up and around them, engulfing them and carrying them to the site of the Portal.
Kieran looked up as his Companion and the doctor arrived. The rest of the royals were gathered with him; they appeared to be deep in conversation. Alex and Dr. Drake joined the group.
As Kieran brought the doctor up to speed, Alex took a look around at the group. The Light King and his daughter had linked arms, but that was the only sign of physical comfort that Alex could see. Even in the face, the only giveaway that they had just lost someone that mattered was in their eyes. The daughter’s eyes were glazed, unfocused. The father’s were shuttered, no emotion leaking through, like he had slammed up a wall between himself and everyone around him. Alex felt a wave of empathy towards them. It had to be hard to lose someone that close, and have to maintain royal decorum like this. She hoped they would be able to save their queen.
Her Companion’s hand on her arm brought her back to herself. “Alex, did you hear me?” When she shook her head, Kieran repeated himself. “I was saying that we need to figure out a way to get into that cave again, in a controlled way, to get the doctor some samples. The rest of the group are going to go back to their Realms to get their own doctors and pathologists and scientists to help with trying to find a cure for this, and a way to neutralize the venom.”
“What happened to the Queen makes me think that it’s not a venom, sir.” Dr. Drake cut in. “It seems more like some kind of toxin, a very fast acting one at that. But why would the Unseen use a toxin? Is this some kind of biological warfare? What’s his endgame?”
“That, we don’t know.” Kieran glanced at Alex, then away again. “Revenge, maybe?”
“No.” King Thornin shook his head. “It’s more than some grudge, it has to be. Otherwise this would be a targeted attack.”
“Or he doesn’t have any other motivation except to sow chaos and mistrust among the Realms.” Queen Minerva suggested. “An all out war was his goal last time, along with getting ultimate power. This time, he has that power, but not a war. Perhaps that’s what he’s after.”
“Either way, he needs to be stopped. The first way to get that done is to take away his weapon.” Kieran took back the discussion, meeting the eyes of each royal in turn. “Meet back here tomorrow at this time, with your scientists. We’ll set up a lab, with all the necessary equipment for testing and creating formulas. There’s also going to be a full time guard here and a barrier, to make sure that if this stuff comes through the Portal, we catch it early. I suggest you do the same. That cave holds everyone’s Portal access, and if it can get through, you’ll want to know.”
“What about the human realm? What happens if the toxin gets through to them?” When nobody answered her, Alex let out a half laugh. “Who protects them? The National Guard? Their doctors? Their military?” She turned to face Kieran, who met her gaze with sorrowful gray eyes. “They don’t even know there’s a realm beyond theirs. They’ve never seen anything like this, and they’ll panic and implode if this spreads to them. It’ll be the end of the humans. You all saw what it did to one of us,” she continued, panic rising as she looked around the group. “How quickly do you think it’ll eradicate them?”
“Alex,” Kieran said gently. “Our first priority is our own Realm, our own families-”
“My family is in the human Realm!” Alex burst out. “And I can’t bring them here, can I? They’d die anyway!” When Kieran only shook his head, Alex backed away, feeling a sneer curl her lip. “Right. They’re human, so they don’t matter, is that it?” Kieran started to say something, but Alex raised her hand, shaking her head. “No, it’s fine. They’re stuck there, and I have no way to get to them to try to save them and the rest of the human race. That’s just fine.” Tears burned in the backs of her eyes. “I’m going to get started on setting up the lab. Let me know if anyone figures anything out about the impending human apocalypse. Thanks.” The words tasted like acid in her mouth. She glanced over at Dr. Drake. “Is there anyone up there that can help me out with this?”
Drake’s eyes were sympathetic as he answered her. “Just go in there, explain the situation, and that it’s imperative that they prepare properly. They’ll do what needs to be done. I’ll try to get some early samples, and meet you there.”
“Great. See you soon.” Alex took off, climbing higher and flying as fast as she could. She needed to get things started before she completely lost control. It was an urgency that made her ignore the soreness in her wings, that pushed her to go faster and faster, until she cut the travel time to the castle in half.
Back inside, she stopped briefly on the way to the infirmary to duck into a deserted room. Her breath entered and exited her body in deep gasps and she bent double, pressing her fingers to her eyes and choking on whispered words of self comfort. Her knees started to shake and she slid to the floor, curling up with her forehead pressed to her knees. Fear for her family, betrayal from Kieran and anger at everything else sliced deep and sent her into a panic attack, and she let the tears escape as she
gave herself over to it. For about five eternal minutes, Alex sat and cried, shaking and near hyperventilation, praying that nobody would walk in and see her. She didn’t want to try and explain herself while her body was barely letting her breathe.
A hand on her shoulder made her jolt, then curse herself. Of course she’d been loud enough to be heard by passersby. There was enough of a jolt to her system for her to raise her head, but through the tears, she couldn’t make out the face of the person crouched in front of her.
“Hey, come on now,” The figure’s voice was familiar, but in her mental state, Alex couldn’t place it. “You gotta get up kid, we need to get that lab set up.” Alex was hauled to her feet, and surprisingly gentle hands wiped away her tears enough for her to see who’d come into the room.
Soren’s green grey eyes were watching her carefully as his face came into focus. “Soren?” Alex’s voice was hoarse, and more tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Before she could angrily swipe at them, she was pulled into a hard hug.
“C’mon, pull it together.” Soren’s voice cut through the shock of the hug, making Alex stop crying. Her neck went limp, laying against Soren’s shoulder. She wasn’t shocked so much at the hug, as she was at the amount of unexpected comfort it brought. But it worked, soothing her until she was able to pull back and wipe at the mess on her face.
Alex sniffled and cleared her throat. “Uh, thank you. I guess I just lost my head for a few minutes. There’s a lot going on.” She glanced down, not quite able to meet Soren’s steady gaze. “I need to get to the infirmary.”
“Oky.” Soren placed his hand on Alex’s shoulder, steering her out of the room to continue towards their destination. “I’ll help you out and we can talk on the way anyway. Is this because of the Efari Queen?”
“No, it’s- wait, how do you know about that? You weren’t there when it happened.”
“I know a lot about what goes on around here,” Soren answered. “And what happened with her was something that definitely won’t stay quiet. But you’re not just upset about that, are you?”
Alex sighed. “No, it’s more than that. I definitely am scarred by what I saw; I’m sure hearing about it is scary enough, but seeing it… that’s something else entirely. But then we shut the Portal access to that cave. Which is fine but everyone thinks it’s only a matter of time before the toxin leaks through and spreads. That also means that there is a very real chance that the toxin reaches the human realm.”
“Why are you so concerned… oh. Your family. They’re human.” Soren’s hand on her shoulder tightened in comfort.
“Not only that.” Alex felt the fear, the anger rise up and bit it back savagely. “The human race will be wiped out by that toxin, they won’t know what to do about it, and they won’t be able to figure out a cure for it before it destroys them. That’s my home, where I grew up. I don’t want to see it collapse.” They reached the doors of the infirmary, and Alex pushed through, slamming herself into focus as she strode into the center of the room. “Okay, listen up everyone!” Doctors and nurses turned to face her as she spoke. “This infirmary is going to be the host of scientists and doctors from the other realms for a while. There is a toxin that we need to find a cure for, along with a way to get rid of it. Dr. Drake should be here in a little while with samples of it.”
“This area also needs to go under lockdown.” Soren stepped up next to Alex. “There needs to be extensive safety protocols enacted both here and outside the infirmary. This toxin, if touched by the bare skin, mutates and corrupts it’s victim until it's a creature that is unrecognizable and very violent. Therefore, you will all need to wear the proper protective equipment at all times. The other scientists will be here by this time tomorrow. We cannot stress this enough: do not touch this substance with your bare skin. Use instruments wherever possible. The prevention of the spread of this toxin is paramount. Any questions?” When none came, Soren nodded. “Get going then.” He looked over at Alex. “We should get back to the Portal site, see if they need our help with anything. I’m sure by now the royals are back in their own realms, gathering supplies and people. Kieran and his parents may need us to do some work to make sure we can accommodate them.”
For a second, Alex seriously considered turning him down, but decided against it. No matter the difference between her and Kieran, there was a lot to be done, and being childish and avoiding him wouldn’t do any good. Nodding, she strode from the infirmary with Soren. If she had to work with him, the impending apocalypse would be the best reason.
Chapter Twenty One
The Unseen had watched the whole scene unfold before him. The use of all the royal’s powers worried him, but only for a moment. As soon as the Queen of Light had brushed the wall, she had gotten hers. Her mutation was complete, consuming. She was still in there, thrashing around, howling to be let out, but the Unseen knew it was only a matter of time before she burnt out. He didn’t care, either. That was the best way to let the toxin take over the target, other than the creatures attacking and killing the healthy. And, with any luck… but he mustn’t get ahead of himself. There was no way of knowing if his plan would actually work. But there was a very good chance. For now, all there was to do was to set the next part into motion.
He turned to the task at hand. She was nearly done being corrupted, there was little else to do. It had been a delicate operation. Small inoculations, increasing more each time. She had struggled at first, screaming, fighting, but now? Now she was his, and would be until he decided her usefulness had run it’s course.
The Unseen was quite proud of this experiment. She looked the same, completely the same as she had before she’d been sent to him. But inside, she was nothing like her former self. And she would accomplish her mission with ease, of that he was absolutely sure.
You’re ready, he said to her, standing her up. Now go. And come straight back when it’s done.
Yes, Master. Adrien stood, and went through the Portal conjured for her.
Alex and Soren arrived in the field again just in time to see the Earth Realm twins disappear into the Portal to their home. Alex doubted that she would see them again. Her gaze focused for half a second on Kieran, before sliding over to Dr. Drake. “Your crew is taking care of setup now. Were you able to figure out a way to get some samples?”
Dr. Drake glanced at Kieran before answering. “We thought of a way, but it’s dangerous. Of course, any attempt to gather information from that cave could prove disastrous. That and the fact that whatever creature Queen Ciara mutated into could still be alive in there, and ready to kill anything that walks into the cave. Our best option is to try to take a look, assess the situation in the cave, and if we need to, wait for her to burn out like the mouse did. After that, it’s a matter of getting in there and avoiding the toxin long enough to get samples and get out of there.”
“That sounds like a great plan, just talking about it. Getting it done though?” Alex shook her head.
“It’s definitely not going to be easy,” interjected Soren. “But right now, there’s no other option. How do we get a look inside?”
Kieran walked over to the Portal. “Like this,” he said dully. He placed his hand on the edge of the arch. The Portal flared up, but it was transparent rather than the normal flame. Alex, Soren and Dr. Drake stepped forward for a closer look.
The view of the inside of the cave was gruesome. Toxin was splashed all over the walls, the ceiling. Queen Ciara was still alive in the cave, though she was very obviously weaker. Soft curses echoed on either side of Alex, who remembered that neither Soren nor Dr. Drake had seen the creature she’d become. It was no less terrifying the second time around.
“That thing can’t see us or get through the Portal, right?” Soren’s voice was tight.
“No,” answered his apprentice. “This isn’t exactly a Portal, so much as it is a window. I learned it from Vera a little while back, it’s not difficult. I can teach you, if you want.” Alex heard the smirk in his
voice but didn’t look over.
“Yeah sure, right after I teach you to stop being a dick,” retorted Soren, but Alex saw the small grin. “She looks like she’s about to burn out. How long do you think it’ll be?” He asked, straightening up.
Dr. Drake let out his breath, rubbing his face. “It shouldn’t be long now. The King and Princess should be here shortly, when it’s time.” He let out a half laugh, and let his chin drop to his chest.
“You okay?” Alex asked.
“This is the death of a member of the royal council. A queen. There should be a funeral, some kind of celebration of her life, something. All she’s going to get is time to die, and a cleanup crew if we’re able to develop a cure for the toxin. There’s not going to be the traditional viewing, and the last thing that her family will see of her is the fucked up creature she’s become.” He shook his head. “I just hate the situation, that’s all. No family should have to go through that.”
“Speaking of,” said Soren suddenly, looking over at Kieran. “Where is yours?”
“My family?” Kieran shrugged. “I don’t know. You guys didn’t see them in the castle, did you?” Alex and Soren both shook their heads. “Then I have no clue. I’m sure they’re in the castle somewhere. There’s a lot to take care of now that we’re playing host to the other Realms for the next little while.”
“Yeah but they don’t know that, do they?” Dr. Drake asked. “They weren’t here when Queen Ciara came into contact with the toxin, or when you decided the next course of action.” He turned to Soren. “Somebody needs to look for them, and fill them in on what’s going on here. They shouldn’t be surprised by the amount of Undari that show up tomorrow afternoon.” Before he took off, Soren clapped Kieran on the shoulder, then Alex.
