Bargain of Shadows
Chapter 10
That night, most of them were consumed with their own thoughts and fears and Mono was preparing her own incantations and invocations. She did speak with Alessa and Deis for some time outlining the specifics of their plan. While neither was a mage, they both had been expected to and displayed a rudimentary knowledge of magic in their homeland. The group itself did set a watch, Ico taking the first, followed by Kaarn, Deis and Alessa with Ryu taking the last watch before dawn from the redhead.
"Ryu, make sure you cover up," Alessa warned him when they switched off. "It's getting cold."
Ryu nodded and retrieved his cloak while Alessa built up the fire a little more and stepped back a bit to make sure the flames were hidden from castle and checked his sword and bow to make sure the string was ready. Alessa was right, it was getting colder, colder than he had experienced since being up in the mountains and he wondered if it were the result of the mage or simply natural phenomena. Either way he probably wouldn't ever know. He divided his attention between the castle itself, and the forest around them, not that the woods seemed very active anymore. That more than anything else bothered him about the upcoming mission—only humans were stupid enough to go toward places animals were wary of. He glanced back to see Alessa only a bundle in the darkness next to her sister, the strange sword tied to Deis by several leather thongs.
The mist obscured the stars. It had risen up in the night, creeping in from the ocean even above the cliffs flowing along the forest floor at first until it swirled all around them, wrapping the forest in a blueish haze. It didn't obscure his vision that much but it created numerous shadows, made him more wary and hid the farther parts of the castle from his vision. Estimating perhaps an hour or so before the first rays of dawn, Ryu hurried over to the fire and kicked it over, making sure it was well and truly out before going to Alessa and Kaarn to wake them first.
"How early is it--" Alessa began.
"There's a mist," Ryu answered. "It might not provide much cover and she might be expecting us anyway, but I don't want to lose any advantage." After a moment Alessa sleepily nodded and struggled out of her bedroll to wake her sister while Kaarn did the same for Ico. Ryu continued on his way over to Mono, suppressing a superstitious gesture when he saw how still she slept. Her breathing was barely perceptible, almost like she was dead. Still there was something about her, a fineness in her features that was coupled with a potential for warmth that Ryu wished he had taken more time to talk to her on their journey. He placed a hand on her shoulder and shook gently but she remained asleep. Shaking a little harder also produced no reaction. Finally he leaned down and placed his lips right next to her ear.
"Mono," he whispered.
Her response surprised him. She opened her eyes and he thought he saw a kind of disappointment. Before he could react the curtain of calm sadness descended over them once more leaving her beautiful and vulnerable but also remote, like a flower coated in a thin layer of frost.
"What is it?" she asked at last.
"I'm sorry to awaken you this early," he explained. "But a mist has come up. We can use it as cover."
"Give me a minute and I will be ready." Ryu nodded leaving Mono to her own personal sadnesses as he began to pull together his own sleeping kit.
"What do we do about the horses?" Deis asked as he came over. "I think there's enough grass to keep them here but Kaarn is uncomfortable leaving them unattended. He thinks we're going to get out of this alive." Deis chuckled.
"Not all of us," Ryu answered. "I'm glad you can see it. Alessa would never let me say that."
The girl shrugged, a gesture very similar to Alessa's but Deis infused it with a kind of solidity and earthiness her sister lacked for all her time spent out in the world. "Her point of view is useful but I prefer my surprises to be pleasant ones. So we leave them here?"
"Just make sure they plenty of rope to graze. They're well trained, they won't bolt if we're gone for only a day or two."
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Within a distressingly short time, they were ready. They waited at the edge of the woods now, the last bit of cover before the stone platform that preceded the the bridge leading to the castle. The mists hadn't thinned at all, maybe even thickened into fog when Ryu took a breath and was the first one to step out onto the platform. The platform itself was simple, though it did have some pillars and arches for ornamentation and path led down the cliffs to a small stone dock, though there was no boat. The strangest thing about the platform was the line of statutes on either side of the bridge itself. They were simply made, larger rectangular blocks carved to resemble soldiers—or as Alessa observed, colossi. They were a brilliant jade, radiating a subtle power. As they passed them by, Mono placed her hand on one and speculative look flitted across her features but she remained silent. Though the platform and bridge were wide enough for several people to walk side by side, Deis and Mono were a step behind him followed by Ico then Kaarn while Alessa brought up the rear. Ryu steeled himself and began the long walk across the bridge towards the open gates, shielded only by the mists.
The castle in the mist rose up before them, even more imposing up close than viewed as a whole. It's massive towards and bridges as solid as the bedrock they rose from. The walk across the bridge felt unending, as if they were making almost no progress toward the massive structure. It took them more than 10 minutes to make it across, making the bridge roughly a staggering half-mile long, still, it was a shorter distance than the great fallen bridge of the Forbidden Lands. They passed through the massive gates of bronze and stone carved in whorls and geometric lines, but Mono stopped and studied them until Ico gently touched her arm and asked her to hurry. She followed them through the entry and into the main courtyard largely hidden from the sun. It was smaller than expected but surrounded by the walls and towers of the castle as well as more jade statutes. Above them two suspension bridges extended to paths that led out onto the walls towards the east and west towers. They entered the first building, a great hall with a balcony around the edges and a huge bridge leading to the same level as the suspension bridges outside. Even farther above them was a chandelier supported by the wooden beams that braced the roof. Seeing no other options open to them, they crossed the floor of the great hall and were halfway across it towards the door when the shadows struck.
It was subtle at first, Ico and Deis noticing a shifting in the shadows. They paused and Ryu turned to them about to ask what was going on. Before he could, Kaarn shouted, "Ryu! Behind you!"
Ryu turned to see a shadow hurtling towards him. Before he could free his sword, he was shoved roughly to the ground by the shadow who stood above him, arms upraised over its head. It was vaguely humanoid in shape, but that shape itself constantly shifted around the edges, ephemeral. Ryu was stunned by contact with the shadow, feeling cold and dizzy all out of proportion to the blow he had taken. He heard Alessa scream and saw Deis and Kaarn with rushing the creature with sword and axe. The shadow jumped back out of range as Kaarn advanced on it while Deis stood protectively above him, her sword in her hand and oddly hilted blade strapped to her back. She was shouting something that he vaguely pieced together in fits and starts.
"...a wheel! Don't let them... ...seem scared of weapons...!"
As his head cleared he realized that they were surrounded and at least a dozen shadow shapes were converging on them from all corners of the hall. Mono placed her hands on him and Ryu immediately felt better, more clear as she helped him stand. He drew his sword and with a nod of thanks to the woman went up to stand next to Deis. All of them were surrounding Mono now, their backs to each other and against the shadows. The shadows shifted around them, looking for a weak spot in the circle, though they kept a healthy distance from them.
Ryu sheathed his sword and pulled out his bow. Knocking and arrow, he aimed at one of the shadows and fired. The arrow struck the creature who staggered back a few steps, little bits of shadow breaking off in puffs like a cloud hit by winds, but shortly it resumed its examination of their circle. Ryu fired another arrow but it was only on the third that it fell over on the ground writhing.
"Watch my back!" Ryu ordered as he dropped his bow and rushed forward with this blade.
"You idiot!" Deis screamed at him as her broke their circle.
Ryu was aware of the other shadows already moving to surround him but he was focused on the one on the ground. He raised his sword and stabbed at it, the blade sinking into the dark form but not through it onto the flags. The mist suddenly fell away from it but Ryu was already rushing back to the circle and reached it just before the shadows reached him. Deis jumped in front of the shadow but her sword was knocked from her hands and in desperation she swung the mystical blade against it. When it struck the shadow in one blow the shadow did more than just crumble and fade, it was like a mist was burned away to reveal a man.
Turning to look at the shadows they felled, Ryu was stunned to see the bodies of men. They were naked, with skin so pale it looked blue or gray, like a corpse covered in little bits of rock dust, and dark lesions covered both bodies from head to foot. But they were—had been—clearly men.
"What the hell ARE these things?" Alessa breathed. "How can they be human?"
"It doesn't matter," Deis admonished her. "They die."
"She's right," Kaarn added. "They're scared of our weapons. We need to get to the far door, we can't wait around in her for the mage to show up. Move together, slowly."
As they shuffled across the hall, the shadows moved with them, trying to keep them surrounded. But for some reason they neglected to block the doors. Finally, when the group were about to escape the shadows charged. Right before the two sides clashed, Ryu shouted for Ico to guard Mono at all costs.
The four experienced fighters broke their circle attacking one side of the shadow line and forcing a gap between the shadows. Ico slid through a gap and pushed Mono closer to the wall where hopefully she would be safer from the shadows as he watched the others engage the creatures. They moved deliberately, staying as close together as they could, and at first it worked well, the shadows rushed them but jumped back with wild gyrations to avoid the edged weapons of the group. Sometimes one of them would connect with the others and Alessa's staff seemed to do as much damage as Kaarn's axe or Ryu or Deis's swords. When Alessa swept one off its feet and struck it multiple times with her staff, the shadow broke apart revealing another human being beneath... this one a woman in the same condition as the man.
However when the shadows got behind them again the fight degenerated into a wild melee, with each fighter barely able to keep themselves alive as opposed to supporting the others. Ico struggled with the duties of protecting Mono and helping the others when Mono made a strangled sound. Whirling Ico saw one of the shadows had grabbed Mono around her waist and was pulling her toward what he could only describe as a writhing whirlpool of darkness in the floor. Without thinking he rushed at the shadow, and put his shoulder to it, feeling a flash of cold and disorientation allayed and instant later when Mono grabbed his arm. He pulled her behind him and advanced on the shadow, his face locked in a grimace of rage. Though inexperienced, he swung his sword with enthusiasm and maybe by luck more than anything else struck the creature several times across it's midsection. It clutched at it, falling back and with a howl of rage Ico rammed his sword right into it's chest so hard the tip of the blade skidded off the wall leaving sparks. The shadow disintegrated leaving behind another twisted body as Ico grabbed Mono close to him and looked around for another threat.
"Thank you," Mono whispered to him, clinging to him. "Their touch was... horrible. So empty, cold."
"I'm glad you're safe," Ico replied and to his surprise meant it. Maybe because she looked so like his wife. "But I need to have my arm free." She nodded and instead placed a hand on his waist. He could feel her trembling a bit even so.
Around them the shadows were gone. The other four fighters were standing or in Deis's case, kneeling on the stone floor breathing heavily. Deis was cursing quietly as Ryu was wrapping a bandage around her left forearm.
"I can't believe I was that slow," Deis said. "Those claws are nasty."
"Don't worry about it," Ryu replied. "Happens to the best of us. Everyone okay?" he called out.
The others nodded or called out and Ryu moved over to inspect one of the fallen bodies, a grim look on his face. This one was a young woman, perhaps their age, her body showing the same lesions as the others. Kaarn came over to do the same.
"She's dead."
"We do a good job of that," Ryu replied.
"She was already dead," Kaarn said. "There's no way she could be alive like that. Did all the castle dwellers become like this?"
"If so it's one more thing the mage needs to answer for," Ryu replied. "If everyone can walk, we really need to get moving. There might be more of those things!"
Still nervous but determined, the group of them left the main entrance hall and emerged into a short tower with spiral stairs. Climbing it they came to a large circular platform lined with a small balustrade of stone and with a strangely carved stone couch in one corner. A bridge led deeper into the keep across another gap that was filled with jagged rocks below. To the east, there were some tracks and mine carts that indicated it had been a quarry of some sort. Another opening behind them led into the room they had just fought through and to the balcony and bridge there. Alessa sat down on the couch while Kaarn studied the bridge and Mono held tight to Ico.
"They really like bridges I guess," Deis shrugged, a bit painfully due to her wound. "We should get going."
"Wait," Mono said suddenly after a whispered conversation.
"What is it?" Alessa asked standing up.
"This place... is old. As old as the Shrine of Worship. Too old to be built by the men who invaded the land. The patterns on the doors, the jade statutes... I do not understand just yet but it reminds me of the Shrine. We need to get to the towers. Alessa," she said turning a quiet smile on the girl, one of the first Ryu had seen from her, "You and Deis both have some skill, I instructed you both on how to set the seal on the gates. You both have some abilities that way."
"I thought we were going to go together," Alessa exclaimed. "With those shadows..."
"I do not think we have the time for that anymore," Mono said, a touch of sadness in her voice. "Things are moving too rapidly. I need to get to the main tower to set the final seal and cast the spell."
"Then we need to split up," Kaarn said and Mono nodded. He sighed. "Alessa and I will head for the east tower."
"Ico and I will head for the main tower."
"But he's not a trained fighter," Alessa protested.
"Ico must come with me," Mono said firmly and the girl drew back.
"Then take this," Deis said pulled off the sword they had reforged in the Forbidden Lands. "You saw it took one of those things out in one hit. You'll need it more than we will even if I was a bit slow this last time."
"Thank you," Ico said taking the blade. "You can count on me to get Mono to the tower."
"Then let's go Deis," Ryu said. "We haven't got much time to waste."
While the other two groups moved back to the balconies on their way to the towers, Ico and Mono made their way across the precarious bridge towards the heart of the castle. This part of the castle seemed more suited to habitation, with tall domes and windows, almost like a religiously themed section but with places off to the side that led to smaller rooms suitable for a few people. Neither of them looked into those rooms very much though, they were too focused on their task.
"What do you know about the shadows?" Ico asked her.
"I suspect only," Mono replied. "They are the people who died in the castle when that woman returned here, both soldiers and servants. I do not know if they accepted the shadows of their own will or were forced to submit. I... believe they are bound to the room they died in."
"That would be why they didn't block the door," the man with horns said.
"I could not know," Mono replied. "Thank you for coming with me."
"You're the key to this," Ico replied.
"Yet I am the cause of your problems."
"Maybe... maybe I realized that you were as alone as I felt," Ico answered at last. "We're both apart from the others in some way now. If we can comfort each other at all..."
"Thank you Ico," Mono said placing a hand on his shoulder. Her touch was warm and me caught himself giving her a smile. "You're a good man."
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"I hate this!" Deis shouted.
"Keep running!" was all Ryu answered.
While the trip back through the room and even across the suspension bridge had been quiet, as soon as they climbed down the long ladder and onto the wall that lead to the western tower Deis had spotted several shadows coming after them down the ladder. Now they were both pelting across the wall as fast as they dared, Ryu relieved to see it had crenelations on either side to keep them from taking a plunge into the courtyard entry or the sea below. Looking up he blanched as he saw more shadows coming at them from the tower, they were trapped on the damn wall.
"Deis ahead of us too!"
"Son of a whore!" Deis snarled drawing her sword. "We have to fight now."
"Go for the ones in the front, maybe we can break through!"
With a shout Deis lunged for the nearest shadow, driving her sword deep into it, making it wriggle like a hooked fish. With a grunt she pulled out the blade in time to block the claws of the second shadow from striking her as Ryu caught up to her and squeezed around her to slash at that creature in the back, making it staggered enough for Deis to hack at its head. This time as the shadow disintegrated the human body that was its base fell to the sea below.
"Keep moving!" she shouted at Ryu and they left the other shadow behind as they pelted for the doors to the tower, framed like so many others with the jade statutes.
"Their better not be shadows in there," Ryu muttered.
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Alessa and Kaarn entered the east tower room amazed at what they saw. A huge circular opening cut in the wall facing the doors let in light, while a second circular opening was covered by what seemed to be a cooper plate, also carved in the same whorls and swirls of the main gates. To either side were stairs leading up to doors opening out on a higher level while in the center there was a depression with a gate in the floor that could be raised to block the entrance into the tower.. The whole place had an air of majesty and mystery that subdued them both.
"Where?" Kaarn demanded, but quietly.
"Mono said there was a spot at the other end of the tower, keep going until we reach the metal structure on the other side."
They took one of the doors on their own level leading into the second huge room. They were on a balcony again, on the same level as the huge circular opening. Beneath the balcony reached by a ladder was a glowing circle in the floor and a set of broad, shallow stairs leading up to a third circular opening. Through that opening was a strange metal device.
"That has to be it!" Alessa said. "C'mon!"
They hurried down the ladder, still wary of shadows but encountered none as emerged through the circular opening and out into the grass area of the metal structure beyond the main tower. By this time Alessa could see the sun well into the morning sky above her, but the mist still remained, gripping the castle in a blurring blue distortion. She and Kaarn climbed down another ladder leading to the grassy stretch and approached the giant metal structure.
"Do what you need to do," Kaarn prompted when Alessa just stood there.
"O-Okay," she nodded. "But this is complicated, I'm... a little scared to botch it. I haven't worked anything even close to magic for a long time."
"You can do it," Kaarn encourged. She looked at him for a moment then nodded and approached the metal structure. It was facing out to sea and Alessa studied it closely before she found several sigils near its base.
"We need to turn it to face the hole," she said. "I need to cast the spell from the glowing circle inside but only after we turn this thing. Help me!"
Together with some effort and squeaking metal they managed to turn the metal structure to face the right way and went back inside the tower via the ladder. Kaarn stood scanning the room while Alessa stood in the center of the glowing circle on the floor and knelt down, her hands on either side of the center most sigils. Without warning, flames burst out of the sconces near the circular openings and the huge metal plate covering them pulled back as the metal structure suddenly shot a huge beam of light through the openings hitting a globe positioned far along the wall near the top of the gates. Alessa started at this and stood up, but gave a shriek as the circle began to rise up in the form of a pillar. Congruent with this, the shallow steps began to sink back into the floor.
As Kaarn helped her down from the pillar she shook her head. "I didn't think it would do that, wow. Okay that's my job done. We need to get back to the main tower and help Mono. I trust Ico but..."
"Alessa... we have company," Kaarn said.
Turning, Alessa saw at least a handful of shadowy shapes converging on them.
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"That was easy enough," Deis said, brushing off her hands on her tunic. "I guess once we got past those shadows it all worked out."
"So did you actually cast a spell?"
"Not really, all I did was prime it. Mono will be the one powering the spell. That's why Alessa and I could do it, we actually didn't have to use any magic, just set it up. I was never much for mage material anyway."
Ryu extended a hand and helped Deis down from the now-raised pillar and she slid into his arms for a second to break her fall before he set her down on the floor. As they climbed the ladder leading up to the balcony and the door to the main room, she through a look over her shoulder at him, aware he had held onto her for a second longer than necessary. It wasn't a look that cautioned him, but more speculative and curious. They made their way into the next room without incident and went back out onto the wall gazing up at the beam of light shooting from the tower.
They jogged across the wall without incident and climbed the huge ladder back to the main courtyard with the suspension bridges, Deis in the lead. In a short time they had reached the circular tower at the rear of the room where they were first attacked and cross the bridge into the more ornate portions of the castle. They passed through several rooms before they came out onto yet another bridge, this one leading to the tallest tower on the north end of the castle. This tower was on an island much smaller than the others, but its height was such that it could nearly rival the Shrine of Worship. They passed through a few rooms, adorned with more of the jade statutes when they heard shouts and broke into a run with weapons drawn.
There in the main room, a huge room with giant stone shelves and alcoves, they saw Ico desperately swinging the glowing sword at several shadowy shapes. Deis and Ryu wasted little time in coming to their rescue attacking the shadows from behind, killing several and driving the rest off. Ico looked at them wild-eyed, standing protectively near Mono. There were already at least a dozen bodies around them, legacy or more shadows Ico had slain.
"You... you..." he panted.
"Ico--" Ryu began
"Behind you!" Mono said pointing. Ryu and Deis both whirled to see what had to be a score of shadows coming at them. "We need to get into the room beyond this!"
"Then go!" Ryu said. "Deis and I will hold them here. We set it all up, just cast your spell!"
"Thank you!" Mono called to them as she and Ico began to run up the stairs leading to the hindmost room.
"This doesn't look good," Ryu said to Deis as the shadows advanced on them.
"We just need to buy them time," she replied, calmly. He admired her calm even as he tried to emulate it as he nodded.
"I guess we're the ones not getting out."
"With you to guard my back, I intend to take them down with us," Deis grinned a bit wildly. "You up for it?"
"You know it," Ryu chuckled.
With a shout they rushed forward to meet the shadows.
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"That has to be Ryu and Deis!" Alessa said to Kaarn. "Faster!"
After beating back the shadows in the tower, Alessa and Kaarn had a similar experience to Ryu and Deis as they ran back to where Mono would be. Both of them were scratched in several places and Alessa felt decidedly sick from the wounds, even Kaarn looked a little pale though it was hard to tell with his dark complexion. They ran through the main keep and tower, oblivious to any architectural oddities and emerged in the giant room to see their friends surrounded by shadows, maybe thirty of them now, but they were back to back and the shadows kept their distance.
"Shit," Alessa breathed.
"If we run down there they'll just surround us too," Kaarn snarled. "Dammit!" He looked around wildly at the room trying to find something he could use. There was nothing, the walls with the alcoves, the shelves, the dais at the far end reached by stairs.
"What's that lever?" he asked Alessa suddenly. The girl turned to see one sticking out of the wall not far from her. She shared a look with Kaarn, a look that clearly was one of desperation and pulled it. There was grinding noise but nothing obvious happened. Kaarn grimaced.
"No choice," he said to her and she nodded. Half falling have sliding down the stairs they rushed to meet the shadows and give Ryu and Deis some breathing room. The other two had seen them by now and were making a concerted effort to get at them making slow progress, but eventually they reunited still with shadows around them.
"Glad you're alive, Alessa," Deis said.
"Same here."
"They're more reckless now," Ryu said. "Not jumping back as much."
"Here they come again!" Alessa shouted.
Once more the fighters went back to back. Attacking the shadows, felling some, but taking some wounds as well, this time it was Kaarn. But every time a shadow fell, another would take its place in an endless stream. They were being worn down and they knew it.
"At least I could go out with my friends," Alessa was saying when Kaarn pointed out something.
"There by the far door!" They looked and saw a man, staggering slowly towards them. Clearly a man, not a shadow, though as with the others, dark lesions covered his body and he was pale as death. But he wasn't a shadow.
"He's not dead!" Deis gasped.
It was true. The lord of the castle, Elarro, himself was still alive, though most of his people had already succumbed to the shadows. He still wore the remnants of his armor and held his swords in his hands. Almost as if they still acknowledged him as their lord, the shadows fell back before him, giving them a pause though they still blocked the way back into the throne room.
"The mage," he rasped. "Betrayed us, slew us all to give her more power. The dead... so much easier to control she said. She couldn't kill me. Not Elarro. This is my castle! I recognize you, you fought me in that place, that land that haunts my dreams now. You came to stop that woman."
"Yes," Ryu said quietly.
"Then stop her!" the dying lord shouted. "These are still my people, my subjects. I will not surrender to the shadows. Let them pass!" he shouted at the shadows... and surprisingly a gap opened up. "They mean to free you. To free us. Let them try. If there is anything left of you that followed me in my hubris, let them try. Go!" he shouted at them. "I do not know how long they will listen to me."
Taking advantage of the lull, the four of them raced for the throne room at the rear of the great hall. The throne room itself was a less ornate chamber than the hall, save for one thing, the ceiling was so far up that it was lost in the poor light of the chamber. Two statues stood side by side near the stairs leading up to the throne itself, and it was before this throne that the mage that had taken the power stood.
Of all the denizens of the castle she remained the most human in appearance. Wearing the same dark dress she had in the Forbidden land, dark of skin, hair and eyes. But there was something about her, something about the way she moved, almost flowed that showed that human was not the best way to describe her. Ico and Mono stood before her, between the two pillars closest the throne facing her down, silently. When the others entered the mage looked at them for a moment and smiled a tiny smile of satisfaction.
"Why is she just standing there?!" Alessa demanded.
"She is... blocking me," Mono said, raggedly, more emotionally than they had ever heard her before. "The spell is completed but I can't ignite it! Not with her there. I need to take the power back."
"Then we have no choice..." Ryu said. Deis nodded.
Wordlessly the 4 of them began to spread out approaching the mage who waited patiently for them before the throne. Ico gripped the mystical sword tightly in his hands and guarded Mono. Remembering how they had been beaten so badly the last time, the group was cautious but Mono's pleas drove them on towards the confrontation.
"Welcome," the mage said at last. Her voice was different now, a deeper timbre, echoing very faintly with a voice different than her own. Her skin was also pale, noticeably more pale than before. "I am glad both sisters are here to witness my triumph."
"Shut up!" Alessa snapped. "You're going to fail."
"No," the mage replied. "I have already won. Look around you, this place it was so much like the place I had been before..." she trailed off for a moment looking dreamy. "My power spreads endlessly."
"But why?" Kaarn asked. "Why control everything?!"
"Because in that control lies safety. The pain endured before was great, the loneliness the fear."
"Just. Stop. Talking!" Deis growled. "I used to hate you. I've hated you since I was a child. What you did to us, but I don't even care about that now. I'm doing this for Ico's people. I won't let them hurt like mine were hurt."
The mage never moved, but all of a sudden a huge circular blast wave expanded from her racing towards them and giving them no place to hide. Ryu and the others braced themselves for the impact but there was nothing. The blast wave dissipated before it hit them.
"I cannot allow you to do this," Mono said lowering her hands. "I do not want the power. But I will not let you have it and twist it. I will not let you hurt them like that, not if I can prevent it."
"You felt it too," the mage said. "You felt its desires, the longing for freedom. Controlling it all is the only way to be free. You should understand that."
"I do!" Mono said half in a moan grabbing at her head. "I felt so afraid! But it is impossible. What is the point of being free if there is no one left to share it with—how is being the only one different than being dead?"
The mage raised her one hand toward Mono and Mono raised her hands again toward the mage, there was nothing this time, no lightning, no sound, but a distortion appeared in the air between them, a distortion that only got worse as both women began to duel. Swearing Alessa rushed at the mage, the others also closing the distance hoping her conversation and battle with Mono would keep her distracted. She struck at the mage, but her weapon bounced off a shield wall that flashed into existence around her and she staggered back down the steps, her hands numb. Deis and Ryu struck as well with no better results, then Kaarn.
"What can we do?" Ryu growled.
"Just... just keep trying!" Alessa panted. "Ico, help us!"
"Shadows!" Kaarn shouted. Deis made an angry frustrated sound.
"Then he is dead," Ryu said to himself.
"Ico you have to help us!" Alessa screamed again even as she turned with Deis and the others to hold off the shapes streaming toward them from the doorway. With the shadows only coming from one direction they had it much easier than before but they seemed even more desperate, attacking an intensity that wore them all down.
The only real effort she seemed to be expending was against Mono, a Mono clearly faltering under the assault as the woman was on her knees now, her face pale as death. Ico stood next to her staring at her helplessly, paralyzed. Suddenly, Mono screamed and collapsed.
"I cannot... Ico help them!" Mono pleaded panting. "Stop her!"
He slowly turned to face the mage raising the glowing sword. This time when the mage lashed out with her power Ico held up the glowing blade... and the wave of energy parted before him, sparing him and the fallen Mono. The mage actually registered shock and stepped back a pace but Ico wasted not a moment, he ran up the stairs to the dais the sword held at his side and swung it at her stomach in a vicious arc. The sword contacted the shield around the mage, but instead of merely bouncing off, the shield wavering, losing its circular shape and littles bits flaked off as ripples flowed around it. The mage made a pained sound and staggered back closer to the dais, but the impact of the shield knocked the sword back from Ico's hands. It clattered near the fallen Mono.
"Pick it up," Mono pleaded still holding her head. "It hurts... so much... Ico!"
Ico flexed his hands as he raced back for the blade even as the mage stood up again. He grabbed it and whirled blocking the energy that the mage flung at him. More sure this time, and ran at her again, confident in the sword's abilities, and his own and struck at the shield again. The shield wavered even more this time and the mage fell to the ground even as Ico staggered back,
"Why... can't I affect it..." she whispered.
"Because it's been made with hope," Ico answered her. "And love for the people of the land. Something I gather you can never understand."
Almost solemnly, he raised the sword and drove it down towards the mage one last time. This time the shield shattered, breaking into a thousand tiny bits and Ico screamed in pain as the shards of the energy cut him but he did not let up and drove the sword into the mage's belly where she was collapsed at the base of the throne. The mage gave a great cry of pain and despair as Ico fell to the ground near her and the shadow shapes attacking the others vanished, leaving the dead bodies of the castle's populace scattered around the floor like broken dolls. As the mage writhed on the end of the sword, Mono half staggered, half crawled toward her, mouth moving soundlessly.
"Mono!" Alessa shouted.
"I understand. I have to stay here now," the woman said with frightening calm. "It is the only way to contain the shadows. If there are ever any touched by the shadows, send them to me. I will not turn them away."
"Alessa have to go! We can't be trapped by the seal," Deis said, grabbing her sister and bodily yanking her towards the doorway. Alessa struggled against Deis's grip but even wounded her sister was the stronger.
"I will stay with her," Ico said, coughing blood as he dragged himself into a sitting position. "I'm dying anyway. Tell Akami... tell her I love her."
With a strangled sob, Alessa turned away from them even as Mono finally reached the fallen mage and the four of them began to flee the castle.
-------------------------
"All that you have, is rightfully mine," Mono said looking down at the dying mage. The other was too weak to do anything against her and as Mono stood over her, tentacles of shadow streamed from the fallen woman's body writing through the air in complex circular patterns before shattering into clouds of shadow. As the shadow clouds began to settle to the ground Mono raised her head to look at them and they began to shift and change patterns, caught up in a whirlpool of unfelt winds and pressures that swirled around Mono herself, unfelt winds that caressed her hair and gown and skin. Suddenly, there was a sharp clap, almost of thunder.
For a moment the throne room was utterly still but for Ico's labored breathing and the silently swirling shadows. Mono stood motionless as the dark mist was absorbed into her body. Covering her for just an instant in shadows.
When the shadows broke, Mono's eyes were half closed almost in pleasure as she felt the power inside her once again. Turning toward the fallen mage, she reached out an elegant hand and grasped the hilt of the sword still embedded in the mage. When her fingers closed around it, she let out a breathy gasp, almost in pain. The wounded Ico could see fine tendrils of smoke where the girl's skin contacted the hilt. With one smooth motion, Mono pulled the sword from the body of the mage and without another look at Ico, left the throne room.
The castle itself was now still, the mist that had permeated the outside now flowing inside, but twisted into a harsh light limned with blackness in a desolate contrast that only increased as Mono passed through it. Her breathing was louder now, more labored and painful as her hand kept its grip on the sword. She descended from the great hall via a lift to the base of the small island. There she emerged onto a small rocky dock with a path that lead to a small altar. Staggering a bit, the girl forced herself to the altar and placed the sword down on it.
Mono placed her other hand on the blade and as before, tendrils of smoke rose from it. She opened her mouth and began to whispered, sounds emerging from her throat that were identifiable as words only by the spaces between them. Light began to gather around the sword, and far above Mono the castle itself began to shimmer in the mists. From the great tower a beacon appeared at its height, brilliant even in the day's light. All of a sudden the great gates slammed shut, the doors glowing momentarily with the brilliant warmth of the sun and forming a massive triangular form before they went dead, the gates mere bronze and stone once more, the beacon on the tower faded to nothing.
The spell completed, Mono staggered back to the lift, barely able to move the lever to raise the platform to the level of the great hall. As she crawled back into the hall, she looked up and saw a figure coming toward her, also unsteady on his feet. Ico.
"Ico," she whispered to him. "Ico I need you."
After what seemed an eternity his eyes fixed on her. "She is..."
"The other is dead. I remain," Mono replied. He smiled. "Ico listen to me," her voice was deeper now, though not as changed as the mage had been with a hint of command though quieter than even her whisper. "I need you. Help me."
He stared at her almost as if he didn't know her, his eyes hazed in pain and fatigue. Desperate now, gathering the last of her strength Mono began to change ever so slightly. Her face rounded a bit, her skin becoming a shade more golden, her eyes a touch lighter. "My love," she said at last in a voice not her own.
"A-Akami," Ico breathed. "No... my face..."
"I do not reject you, never reject one with the horns," she said. "Listen to me, dearest I know you hurt but I need your help."
"So tired..."
"I will not ask much. Just... come to me. Give yourself to me, so we can be together," she urged, lifting one hand in a pleading gesture.
After what seemed an eternity he nodded and reached for her. Mono gently placed her hand in his and from her finger tips a cool light began to spread out over his skin. Where it passed, Ico's cuts and bruises were healed, sealed up as if they had never been, but following the light a darkness began to spread across him as well, coating him in a layer of shadow even as the creatures that the mage had commanded. Mono's face faded and shimmered away to reveal her own features. Her real face was utterly frozen as this process worked on Ico, coating his limbs and torso and finally his head and the horns there. Only when it reached his face did there manifest a difference. Instead of utter darkness, the face was covered in a mask of cool light.
"Akami..." he whispered at the last, barely audible.
A tiny, greedy smile appeared on Mono's face as the shadow creature stood before her. As Mono rose, almost flowing to her feet, her white gown fell away from her shredding into dust, and she stood before him naked and uncaring as she began her final transformation. Her skin drained of all color until she was as white and cool as snow. Her hair began lengthen and swirl around her face like stormed tossed water. Shadows flowed from her body, clothing her in a dark mantle of shadow that rippled around her, draped around her from her shoulders framing her pale throat. It moved constantly, shifting and pulsing until it writhed almost like a living thing. Hints of blue played around her where the darkness of her hair and mantle met the argent perfection of her flesh. Her dark eyes were faded completely now, almost to the same shade as her lips. They were only able to be called a color because they were darker than her skin.
"I will keep the faith," she said. "I will contain my male counterpart in this place. You will help me," she directed to the shadowy horned figure. "You are the first, but there will be more. All sustaining me, working my will. As long as I live the seal will hold..."
"That is ...forever," the Queen murmured.