Disclaimer:
I do not own Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light, or any of its associated characters or universe. They belong wholly to Hasbro and Sunbrow.
Summary:
The two female Visionaries, the Spectral Dame Galadria, and the Darkling Lady Virulina, are tasked by Merklynn to acquire a magical item for him. One hidden deep in the depths of the Sea of Prysmos. Along the way, they encounter a number of terrible obstacles, as well as deal with the challenge of working together once more with their most hated of enemies. Takes place sometime after 'Dawn of the Sun Imps' and the first season of the show. Largely sidesteps the comics. Rated PG-13 for some fantasy action-adventure.
High atop of Iron Mountain, constantly covered by dark clouds and wracked by thunderstorms of a most unnatural nature, a lone traveler climbed the winding pathway towards the Shrine of Merklynn. A blonde-haired woman of exceptional beauty and quiet grace, with a clear gaze of icy blue and skin virtually untouched by the harsh rays of the sun. She wore the pale violet and blue armor that identified her as a Spectral Knight (properly, a Dame) of the Realm, and on her chest plate she bore the image of a leaping blue dolphin that was her totem animal.
Galadria of Androsia.
Normally she would have made this journey with her fellow knights. Perhaps even with a sign of the Darkling Lords as well, for Merklynn the Wizard paid virtually no interested to the internal squabbles of his so-called 'Visionaries' and used both sides and their magical talents with equal care and consideration. But no, she alone had been summoned by the magical familiar who'd arrived in Androsia. A stop on the way to Iron Mountain in New Valyric confirmed her suspicions with Leoric, she was the only one called by the wizard this day. Gently declining an offer of an escort or a ride, she'd continued up the mountain on foot, trudging her way along the path and into the cave which led to the Shrine.
Well remembering her first time here, Galadria avoided the worst of it, particularly the Kraken's lair, making her way down the central corridor towards the shrine where Merklynn would be waiting for her. She relaxed a little, feeling the magic of the place wash over her like a soothing balm.
Sniff.
Wait a minute, what was that?
Galadria paused, slowly inhaling through her nose, testing the air. There it was again. That pungent, unwholesome aroma that smelled like something much too sweet masking something worse. She recognized the smell.
Thus, it came as no surprise to her when she turned the next corridor and spotted a silhouette half-hidden in the shadows. The form was undeniably feminine, despite the armor they were wearing. Galadria recognized them instantly.
"Virulina," she greeted, her tone somewhat frosty.
The other woman stepped out of the shadows and into the light, letting it illuminate her long dark hair and her beautiful but cruel features. Her armor was of a similar form to Galadria's, a mixture of lost tech and modern smithing, though it was shaded in warm purples and reds. A vicious shark, her totem, was visible on her chest plate in the same place and style as Galadria's, but in a shade of sickly green.
"Galadria," Virulina greeted her rival. "So the old bat called you as well, did he?"
"So it would seem," Galadria said, resting a hand on her hip, very near her sword hilt. She did not yet reach for it, but she needed to assure herself it was still there. She spotted the golden axe that Virulina regularly wielded slung across her back. "Any of your fellow comrades with you?"
"I don't have 'comrades'," Virulina spat. "But no, the other Darkling Lords didn't come. I've been waiting here alone."
"Just us then. I wonder why?" she mused aloud.
Virulina shrugged as the two of them stepped into the shrine, beside the pool of magic. There was no sign of their sorcerous benefactor, the shrine was empty at the moment. The magical energies were strongest here, however, and washed over both Galadria and Virulina as they waited patiently for his arrival. He was usually very prompt about such things.
In the meantime, Galadria continued to ponder the nature of their task, given the players involved.
"Perhaps it's some magical creature that women are immune to or have some influence over?" the blonde dame mused aloud. Ever since the Age of Magic had begun she'd been trying to learn more about the old stories people had dismissed about magic and magical creatures. Unicorns, nymphs, dragons, and more. Charms and incantations and elixirs that could perform any number of miracles. A lot of it seemed fantastical and ridiculous, but there could be kernels of truth found in such things.
"Ha! Fairy tales! More likely the doddering old fool wants us to go for a swim," Virulina said. "Why else call the fish here?"
"Dolphins are mammals," Galadria replied smoothly. "And you shouldn't speak so poorly of Merklynn."
"I speak my mind, unless some prissy little ice princesses I know," the dark-haired woman spat.
Galadria prided herself on her patience, but even she had her limits, and Virulina always seemed to know just what buttons to push to tick her off the most.
"Arrogant sow!"
"Cold fish!"
"Heartless harlot!"
"Witless witch!"
"Go to Hell!" growled Virulina, yanking out her war axe.
"You first!" responded Galadria, reaching for her short sword.
"ENOUGH."
A single word, spoken with power, instantly brought their squabble to an end, as both women turned to regard the wizard Merklynn. The aged sorcerer, having appeared out of thin air, descended the few steps from the top of his shrine down towards the pool in the center of the cavern. With a simple gesture, he beckoned the two of them closer with his free hand, his other still holding the orb of power through which he channeled his magical might. As they approached, both Galadria and Virulina noticed something out of place. Merklynn had always looked, well, rather old... considering he often spoke of the first Age of Magic, almost two thousand years ago, as if he had been there himself, this was not surprising.
But today he seemed positively ancient. His breath came much slower than usual, his shoulders slumped as if carrying a great weight, and his pale hair seemed even more frayed and brittle than normal. There were dark rings around his eyes, evidence suggesting he had not been sleeping well of late.
"Merklynn, are you well? You look ill," Galadria said, moving closer.
"I am fine," the wizard protested, shaking his head at her approach, evidently needing no help. Or not wanting it, at any rate. And his voice remained as strong and clear as ever it seemed. "Or rather, I will be fine once you have completed the task I summoned you for."
"What do you need?"
"I have need of the two of you to fetch for me another item of rare magic," said Merklynn, lifting up his orb in one hand and gesturing at the sacred pool with his other. The shimmering waters lit up with an eldritch glow, and when it faded, an image could be seen in the liquid's surface. Galadria privately compared it to watching a television screen... not that she'd had an opportunity to watch much TV since the Age of Magic had begun.
The images shown were that of an oyster, though to judge by some of the fish flitting past it, it must have been truly huge indeed, easily two feet across. When it opened up, it showed a pearl resting within that was nearly as big as a clenched fist. Green kelp with silver lining surrounded it, waving in the ocean currents, and further out from that was patches of red coral as the view slowly 'zoomed' backwards, showing them a wider and wider view.
"You see before you the Pearl of Nyseis," Merklynn explained. "A naturally formed artifact of great magical power."
"Let me guess... you want us to fetch it for you?" asked Virulina, folding her arms across her chest.
Galadria would've ventured a similar guess. It made sense, and explained why the two of them had been the ones summoned for this particular task. None of their fellow Darkling Lords or Spectral Knights had any aquatic totems, if the pearl was deep under the ocean it might indeed be inaccessible to all but the two of them.
"No," Merklynn replied, shaking his head solemnly. "Not the pearl. It sits on a leyline of magical power. To remove it could cause great catastrophe."
"Leyline?" asked Galadria.
"The heck is that?" added Virulina.
The aged magi sighed, pinching his brow in a vain effort to avert a headache. Children of Science such as these had such difficulty adjusting to the Age of Magic and its ways. But, they were his Visionaries. He would help them see the vision. "Magic in the world is not omnipresent in equal force across this world," he explained. "It exists in currents and eddies, there are places of great magical power vast as the ocean, and others where its influence has dried up and vanished. A leyline is an invisible path of power that intersects such places, allowing the magic to flow from the very heart of Prysmos."
"Like a river," Galadria guessed, following the general premise easily enough.
Evidently she was on the money, for Merklynn nodded sagely. "Quite correct. To remove the pearl from its resting place would be akin to damning the river. The flow of magic would be interrupted, and I cannot permit that."
"So why show us the bauble if you don't want it?" Virulina asked, greatly irritated.
"It is not the pearl which I desire," the wizard replied, annoyed at the interruption. "But its magic will prove useful all the same. You may note the kelp that grows beside it?"
Again he gestured at the magical pool, and again the image closed in on the great oyster and pearl, as well as the strands of seaweed. In the shimmering light, the silver lining of the kelp strands seemed to almost glow as the two women leaned in closer for a better look.
"This kelp is infused with the power of the pearl," Merklynn explained. "As a result, it too bears great magical power. Bring some of it to me, and do so with haste. I fear no more than a pair of days may be spared for this task. I must have it immediately."
"We shall do this for you," Galadria said, stepping forward and bowing before the sorcerer. "Where is the pearl to be found?"
"It is found in a place known as Red Coral Reef," replied Merklynn, gesturing one final time to the pool of water. The image flowed outwards until the view was situated above the surface of the ocean's waves, and they could see the coastline. Galadria recognized Dagger Point, on the edge of the neutral territory between New Valyric and Darkstorm's rising empire.
"A word of caution," added the wizard, raising a long-clawed finger for emphasis. "The reef is made of fire coral, which is instantly recognizable by its reddish hue. Do not allow it to touch your skin, or it will burn you most horribly. There are other dangers, but I trust the two of you are more than capable enough to defeat them."
His task given, Galadria and Virulina departed the wizard's shrine, sharing a glance as they slipped through the narrow archway and back onto the path of Iron Mountain. Lightning flashed in the skies above, the perpetual storm that always seemed to surround the peak since the Age of Magic had begun. It reflected the mood shared between the two Visionaries.
It was no secret to anyone who knew either woman that they detested each other as much as any two people could. They'd been rivals ever since the Age of Magic had begun, their conflicting loyalties and interests more than once bringing them to blows. Even before they'd become formally affiliated with the Darkling Lords and the Spectral Knights. But as it was, they were the only ones whom could assist the other in an underwater venture. So they had to learn to tolerate each other for the sake of Merklynn's task.
Tolerate, Galadria mused, watching Virulina depart. But that didn't mean she trusted the Darkling Lady by any stretch of the imagination.
This was going to be a very difficult task.
Authors Notes:
Please review if you enjoy.
Visionaries is something of a guilty pleasure for me. Yes it was a horribly camp, terrible show driven towards merchandising that couldn't hold a candle to more modern animations. Except for maybe that opening. Yet I've always felt it had a lot of good ideas, and that with a little polishing it could be remade into something better in the twenty-first century the same way a lot of 80s cartoons (Thundercats, He-Man, Transformers, and many others) made the transition.
In particular, it always saddened me we got to see so little of the females given their aquatic animals and the shocking lack of water on Prysmos (at least in the locations they often visited). This story was originally conceived as a means of rectifying this horrible error and giving them a chance to shine.
Full credit for the Cover Art goes to Inspector97, who shares a love of all things 80s and whose deviantart account bursting full of beautiful things to see.