Chapter 10
"You've returned." Tempistus said as Dark entered the room. "And you're too late. The two with the amulet helped the other escape and I stole the amulet from them myself."
Dark approached Tempistus. They stood very close together now.
"Join me." Tempistus offered. "I have heard stories of your past. Together, we shall rule the universe."
In one swift movement, Dark took the Snake Cross Amulet hanging from Tempistus' neck and shoved the end into his chest. Tempistus went into shock, then fell dead to the ground, allowing Dark to keep the amulet.
"I don't form partnerships." Dark told the lifeless body. Then he began his spell. The amulet glowed once again and creatures of all shapes and sizes rose from the floor.
---
Rayman looked at D's hand. It had nearly been sliced in half. Even the bone was badly injured. Things did not look good. Dark snow clouds formed in the sky above them, despite the heat of the desert next to Tempistus' forest. The woman's prophesy was coming true. And when snow fell, it would be too late.
"Someone's coming." Neshae said.
Rayman turned around. A thick fog had gathered on the beach, making the sky blend in with the horizon. Four shadowy shapes emerged from the mist.
The first man was an elf. His hair was almost white, like Tempistus', but longer, coming past his shoulders. A strung bow and quiver of arrows hung on his back over a sandy colored cloak. The second man was a human with hair that was dark and short and eyes that were white and sightless. There was a woman close to the blind man whose hair was like waves of grain in a field and eyes of the exact same color. And the last was a man with dark hair that came to just above his shoulders. His skin was slightly paler than the others and his eyes were black. Apart from the sandy colored cloak that all four people wore, he wore a gold chain that resembled D's. The only difference was his had an "A" instead of a "D". When D saw the fourth man she immediately felt a strange feeling for him. One she could not quite describe.
Rayman and Neshae stood protectively in front of D. The elf raised his hand.
"We come in peace." He said. "We are looking for a friend of ours. She wears a gold chain with a 'D'. Have you seen her?"
"A golden chain?" Rayman turned to D, remembering the golden chain she wore with the charm on it that had inspired her name.
D's uninjured hand had already gone to the "D" on her necklace. "You know me?" she asked the four strangers.
The fourth man stepped forward. "Alaesia, is that you?"
"I don't know." D answered. "I bumped my head when I got here and lost my memory. But I do have the necklace."
"I believe we have found her." the elf said.
The fourth man picked up D and hugged her, then put her back down. Then he held her injured hand in his own and a bunch of soft, blue, little lights danced around it, healing her.
"You and I are engaged." He told her. "Your name is Alaesia and I am Dorithmir. Instead of rings, we decided to give each other these necklaces, yours with a 'D', mine with an 'A'. They were enchanted so that we would always be able to find each other."
The lights stopped dancing and D, or Alaesia now, had completely healed.
"Okay." Neshae said. "While we're out here wasting time, two bad guys are in there putting together a 'take over the world' plan into motion. What are we going to do about this?"
The blind man finally spoke. "The darkness has killed the light. Tempistus no longer walks this realm, but flies like a wisp in the wind. The serpents are in the hands of a new, darker evil."
"Someone has killed Tempistus and taken the amulet." the woman translated. "Someone dark and more evil."
"Dark." Rayman filled in. "That sounds like something he would do."
The blind man cried out suddenly, causing his wife to jump. "Danger!" He said. "Danger comes from all around, through the walls and are solid again! Demons of every shape and size! They come to destroy every living thing for the dark evil! Hundreds!"
As the woman tried to calm him down, Dorithmir turned to the three limbless people. "Can you three handle Dark on your own?"
"Of course we can." Rayman said. "I beat this guy once, I can do it again."
"Okay. We four will stay out here and make sure the demons do not hurt anything. Fhuyt will teleport you as close to Dark as he can." He put a hand on Alaesia's head and messed up her hair a little. "Good luck."
The elf held up his hand again, though this time he moved it around in a circular motion. The scenery around them blurred and the colors blended and changed, just like before at the witch's house. Then the colors separated and sharpened They were inside the mountain once again.
"You!" Dark's voice echoed in the cavernous room. The three turned around and dodged the fire ball Dark sent after them.
Dark moved a hand in the same, circular motion as Fhuyt had and Dark Rayman appeared next to them.
"Try outrunning him this time!" Dark said and ran off down the hallway he had come out of.
"Neshae and I will distract Dark Rayman." Alaesia said. "You go catch him."
Rayman nodded and took off after Dark. Dark Rayman took off after him. Alaesia reached out with her soul arm and whacked him against a wall.
"If you want to fight someone, fight us!" she challenged.
Dark Rayman came at her lightning fast and punched her in the stomach, sending her against the wall. Before she could get back up, he stood over her and hit the side of her head, knocking her to the ground.
There were colored clouds in front of Alaesia's eyes from that blow. Her head swam and her surroundings began to rock back and forth.
Dark Rayman picked her up again, preparing to throw her again. Neshae's fist slammed into him, knocking him to the ground and forcing him to let go of Alaesia. She rolled a few feet away from him.
Dark Rayman came at Neshae, but he saw it coming. He stepped to the side with vampiric speed, turned, and punched Dark Rayman as he ran by.
"Is that speed all you got?" he taunted. "I'm a vampire. I'm also built for speed."
Dark Rayman turned around, bringing around his fist to punch Neshae. Neshae caught the fist in his own hand. Then Dark Rayman brought his other fist around, catching Neshae by surprise, and planted it in the vampire's side.
The clouds cleared in front of Alaesia's eyes and the dizziness faded. She got up just as Dark Rayman had punched Neshae. She got on the ground, hands flat on the stone, and formed another sphere prison around Dark Rayman.
"You'd think he'd have seen that coming this time." Neshae said, a little out of breath.
"Are you okay?" Alaesia asked him.
"Yeah. I just..."
The stone prison cracked and burst apart and Dark Rayman stepped out.
Neshae and Alaesia were forced back from the explosion. Neshae's back bumped into something that didn't feel like the stone walls. As Alaesia dove back into battle, Neshae turned and saw a familiar handle stuck in the rock for safe keeping.
Neshae pulled it out of the wall. He felt the power surge through him and a flame shot out of the end, creating a magic inferno that could cut through almost anything. It was a blade that few people could summon. It was a sword that few people could use. It was his father's sword.
He called to Alaesia, "Keep him distracted. I've gotta help Rayman."
"No problem." Alaesia said as she was once again thrown against a wall.
Neshae took off down the hallway after Rayman and Dark.
