Chapter 14: Survivor's Guilt
Sand swirled around Roy's head. Heavy winds beat down on him. He broadened his stance, his knees buckled, and he blocked his mouth with his forearm. Roy followed Mario through the storm-torn streets.
Mario rode on the back of a yoshi. Its scales were an emerald beacon. Mario slapped his hat to his head as the winds rose. Minerva was draped across the end of the yoshi's saddle.
"Boss?" The hammer troop from before jogged behind Roy. "Boss, what are you doing?"
"Getting help," Roy snarled, and sand filled his mouth, he spat.
"From Mario?"
"Yes, from Mario," Roy snapped.
The hammer troop flinched. "With all due respect, what makes you think that bastard's going to help?"
Roy shook his head and yelled, "Mario!"
The yoshi stumbled to a halt. Her half-folded wings shivered; the translucent membrane between finger-like wing bones stretched. The yoshi turned, and she said something to Mario.
Mario squinted and saw Roy.
"I'm not here to start anything," Roy walked up to Mario, hands raised. He elbowed the nearby hammer troop.
The Hammer troop sheathed his weapon and held his hands up.
"Our Airship crashed" Roy shouted through the winds, "I need help."
Mario nodded. He tried to speak over the gaining storm, "follow me."
"What?" The yoshi snapped. She lowered her tail and twisted around to see Mario.
"I'm not stranding him here," Mario said, he shuffled in the saddle, "he's only a kid."
The yoshi, Mila, snorted, "if you insist."
Roy followed behind Mario. He watched Minerva bounce in Mila's saddle, her lame arms swayed, and her nostrils stretched. Roy sighed. She was still breathing.
"Who's the girl, anyway?" Mario said when Roy was close enough.
"I'm not sure," Roy whimpered.
"What happened?"
"I don't know." Roy gulped.
Mario smacked Roy's muzzle with his hat, "what do you mean you don't know?"
Roy grimaced. A crowd of nomadimice shuffled bystanders through the sands.
Roy could barely make sense of his surroundings. The sand disfigured any common pathways. A fruit vendor's stall collapsed and tumbled down the road and smashed into a wall.
A hammer twirled through the air and nearly took Mario's head off. Mila turned to Roy and glared. A squad of Hammer troops surrounded the mice. The Sledgesoldier from earlier headed them. Roy ran in front of Mario and held his arms up.
"Wait, wait, stop fighting," Roy shouted.
The Sledgesoldier raised his hammer. "Where's Tack? What did you do to him?"
Roy's heart sunk into his gut. "Tack?" Roy croaked. His shoulders sunk.
"Where's Tack!?" The Sledgesoldier stomped toward Roy.
Mario and the yoshi stepped between Roy and the Sledgesoldier.
"You can sort this out later, this whole town's coming to pieces and if we don't hurry-"
A street sign tumbled down the road. Mario gasped. The sign smacked him off the yoshi's back. He rolled on the ground. His hat fluttered in the wind.
Mila gasped and ran to his side.
Roy felt a shift in the sands. The hammer soldier beside Roy drew his warhammer. Roy socked the hammer soldier's jaw and charged.
The hammer soldiers charged the nomadimice; the Sledge soldier helmed the advance.
Roy raised his fists.
A soldier swung at Roy. Roy juked back, the hammer whistled past. Roy kicked the soldier's gut and shoved him away. Other soldiers advanced on Mario as he lay in the sand.
Mila jumped on hammer soldier and slammed him into the ground beside Mario. Mila shielded Mario with her wings, her tail flexed sharp. The yoshi twisted and whipped another soldier's face. The Sledgesoldier smacked her gut with a hammer and threw her back.
The Sledgesoldier raised his hammer and brought it down over Mila's head.
Roy caught the hammer. His forearm bulged and veins pulsed. Roy yanked the Sledgesoldier forward and smashed the soldier's nose with his elbow.
The Sledgesoldier hit the sand hard. Blood trickled down his nostril. He dragged his arm across his lip and tried to stand.
Roy blinked and from the corner of his eye he saw it.
The light advanced like a tide. Ebbing and receding. The sand burned black. Skeletal hands burst from the ground and grabbed the fallen Sledgesoldier. The soldier screamed. He disappeared beneath the shifting sands in mere seconds.
Roy picked up Mario and touched the yoshi's neck, "are you good to carry him?"
Mila nodded. Roy hoisted Mario onto the yoshi's back. Mario's eyes fluttered. "What's going on?"
Nomadimouse, Hammer soldier, and Lapistonian alike ran for their lives.
"It found me," Roy wheezed. The buzzed hairs on the back of his neck raised.
Skeletal figures burst up from the sand and hobbled toward hapless townspeople. A toad-like skeleton grabbed a fleeing bookshop owner by the ankle. Other skeletons piled atop the Toad until the sand absorbed them.
Mario groaned as he rubbed his forehead, "what…"
"Move!" Roy snapped.
Mila fled. Roy sprinted beside her. Chunks of stone swirled through the air. Pebbles blasted the back of Roy's neck. His sand beaten brow tightened.
They approached the city limits. A loose squad of nomadimice emerged from the sandstorm. One covered his face, his palm stretched over his muzzle, he clenched his eyes shut. His companion grabbed his arm and shuffled him forward.
Roy vaulted a low wall near Lapiston's outer limits. He fumbled on his knees and forced himself to keep moving. Mila shrieked.
Roy turned. A sea of hands snatched Mila's ankles and scratched her scales. Roy ran toward them, sweat slithered down his cheeks and plopped on the ground, his jaw tightened.
Mila grabbed Mario and pulled him off her back.
"What are you doing?" Mario wheezed, he fought Mila's grip.
Mila hurled Mario over the wall. Roy caught him. Roy's toes dug into the sand, and he staggered back. Minerva soared through the air. Roy dropped Mario and caught her.
Mario hit the ground, rolled to his feet, and sprinted toward the wall. He leaned over the stonework. A wave of skeletal hands stretched upward toward him. Roy grabbed Mario's arm and pulled him back. Mario slipped from Roy's grip and leaned over the wall.
The sand swallowed Mila.
Mario wheezed and his head lowered. "No."
Roy draped Minerva over his shoulder. "It's not gonna stop."
Mario punched the wall, and he ran with Roy.
Roy imagined the screams hidden in the wind. His heart thudded in his throat.
A line of MK troops watched the chaos unfold at a distance. Mario stepped past Roy, shouting for help, he waved his hands. Roy carried Minerva. A bottomless pit of guilt bubbled in his guts.
X-X
Thick gauze covered Roy's eyes. The Koophari heat sat heavy on his shoulders. Shackles pinched his wrists. Boots pounded pumice where the desert changed. Armor clanked at the joints.
In his mind's eye, Roy saw the aching gash that was Lapiston. Swallowed by black sand.
Mario limped forward. His left cheek swollen. He hugged his ribs. Biting winds flecked his mustache.
"What happened down there?" A soldier asked Mario.
Mario looked at Roy, then shook his head.
Roy licked his lips. The MK soldiers all turned. Beyond his blindfold, he felt their heavy stares, and he imagined rows of eyes. The koopaling twisted his wrists. Hot tears trickled down his cheeks.
No one said anything.
X-X
The 'holding room' reeked of old books. Leathery volumes filled out the eastern wall. A book on ancient temples here. A compendium of mythologies there. Dense stuff. Far too dense for Roy.
Ludwig or Morty would love it.
Sunlight filtered through translucent orange drapes and bathed the room in a sherbert glow. Roy slumped on the too-small bed and let his arms hang over the sides. He deserved a bleak hole in the ground where no light could reach him.
Roy sniffled. A cold presence countered the room's warmth. He squeezed a pillow to his chest.
Waiting in the orange shadows, he saw a silhouette. Slender, long, and delicate. Arms spread wide seeking embrace. The darkness stretched longer. Roy rubbed his eyes.
Roy rolled out of his bed. He crawled on his hands and knees. Nose to the floor. Did it follow him? No way. It stayed in Lapiston. He saw it himself.
Roy paced the room. He sat on a short wooden stool and laid his head on a square table. Thick sheets of sleep weighed heavy on his eyelids.
A girl screamed. Roy's eyes shot open. His head lay sideways upon the face of the table. Drool pooled around his cheek.
Roy stood. His knees caught the table and turned it over. His lungs clenched. They refused to fill with enough air. Roy gasped. He smelled a faint rot amid the books and desert wind.
Roy tasted burnt hair in the back of his throat. He remembered Tack, how the silhouette touched him, how he exploded into dust. The baker and his son. They must have died the same way.
Bile brewed in Roy's gut. He covered his mouth. Stars above. How would it feel? Would it hurt?
You're next
A voice, his voice, rattled in the back of his mind.
It's what you deserve.
X-X
Roy sat in a corner opposite the window. A bookshelf barricaded the window-frame. No light entered. He stewed in the dark like a roach.
A steaming plate lay on the table. Pokey filets occupied the center of the plate. The meat was scarcely nibbled. Plump cherries imported from the west garnished the sides. A stout mug of water loomed on the right flank.
Roy's appetite died in Lapiston.
"He's not even touching it," a hushed voice hissed behind the door, "it's a waste of food."
"You want me to starve him?" Mario said.
"He wiped out Lapiston."
"And how exactly did he manage that by himself?" Mario said, sharply.
Boots shuffled on the carpet.
"His Majesty isn't going to like this."
"Toadsworth," Mario drew an exasperated breath, "forget what Agaricus thinks."
"You're lucky to have the princess's favor." Toadsworth huffed. "Such insubordination would have anyone else exiled, if not put to death.."
"Glad to know I'm the only one around here with any sort of decency," Mario grumbled. He pushed the door open.
Light carved a wedge in the middle of the room. Roy flinched, a humanoid shape manifested in the negative space. Roy covered his face.
Mario and the royal adviser stood in the door frame. Mario cleared his throat. Toadsworth left the doorway. Mario closed the door behind him.
Mario squatted to Roy's level. He took his hat from his head and smoothed his hair. Mario's lips tightened.
"Your father sent someone to retrieve you," Mario said, "they should be here by sundown."
Roy hid his face behind his knees.
"Still not talking?" Mario hummed. "No 'you'll never get away with this plumber boy?'"
Roy shrugged.
Mario dropped beside Roy and sat with his hands flat behind him.
"You're still not gonna tell me?" Mario said.
Roy hugged his knees and shook his head.
Mario's lips pursed, he nodded and leaned his head against the wall. Mario closed his eyes.
"Lots of good people are still out there," Mario said, "I need to know what I'm getting into when I go back."
Roy's eyes widened. "No."
"No?"
"Don't go back," Roy's jaw clenched.
"What's back there?" Mario said.
Roy turned away.
"Answer me, Roy."
Roy held his breath and bit his bottom lip. He said nothing.
Mario dusted his knees off and left the room.
X-X
Days passed like minutes. Hours passed like years. Roy hid in his room where he knew he was safe. He fastened the curtains shut. No light could enter.
Bowser pounded the door, "Roy, get out here, now." The handle jiggled. Locking pins clicked. The door swung open.
Roy refused to budge. The bags beneath his eyes bulged when he squinted at the door. For a split second, he was beneath Lapiston. The comforting dark fled from the piercing light. Roy covered his eyes.
"Bowser!" Kamek snapped. "Er, your Majesty!"
"Get lost Kamek," Bowser grunted, and he pushed his way into Roy's room. A golden key hung from his index finger.
"Don't take it out on him, it was my call to exchange Peach-"
"I don't care about that, I want my boy back," Bowser snapped.
"Well you're not going to help him going about it like this," Kamek hopped on his broom. He kicked off the ground and hovered eye level to Bowser. He swatted Bowser's nose with his wand.
Roy stared through Bowser. His black sclera trembled. The shadows from his sunken eye sockets hollowed out his face. His skin hung loosely off gangly cheekbones.
"Tack was supposed to keep an eye on him," Bowser's chin dipped, he rubbed his temples.
"Tack," Roy croaked, "he opened it."
Bowser's head perked up. "What?"
"They were going to use the treasures..." Roy covered his face. "I'm sorry, I should've stopped him," Roy whispered. "I should've."
Bowser and Kamek exchanged a glance. Bowser nodded toward the door. His gaze like fire. He shut the door behind him.
Roy waited a moment, then cracked the door open and peered out.
Bowser and Kamek walked down the empty Bedchamber hall. Bowser's footfalls echoed off the stone ceilings. They walked past a painting; it depicted a turbulent seascape where black waves tossed a steadfast frigate.
"Tack never came home, did he," Bowser mumbled.
"None of the Hammer troops returned from Lapiston."
Bowser grumbled, "you heard the boy, Tack must've had something to do with this."
"I knew you shouldn't have sent that bastard, I just knew it," Kamek said, an edge to his tone.
"Tack proved his worth. Besides, I thought Roy could handle himself, he's a tough kid," Bowser's muzzle twitched, "I was out there working for my father when I was far younger."
"He's not you," Kamek crossed his arms, "and you aren't Furic."
Bowser stomped and lifted Kamek by the robe. Kamek's broom clattered on the ground. "Choose your next words carefully."
Kamek adjusted his glasses, "please, you couldn't scare me when you were a child, you can't scare me now."
Bowser's eyelid spasmed.
"You aren't Furic," Kamek took off his spectacles and wiped away a smudge, "as much as you try to be him, it doesn't suit you."
Bowser lowered Kamek. His shoulders sulked. Bowser knelt down and put his head level with Kamek.
"What am I supposed to do Kamek?" Bowser said. "Roy's hurt, and I can't do a damn thing about it."
Kamek tucked his hand into his robe. He tapped his foot. "There might be something, but…"
"What?"
"It's not pretty," Kamek mumbled, "and I'd rather not speak of it where there are prying ears." Kamek nodded toward Roy's door.
"Then let's get moving," Bowser stood and stomped away.
X-X-X
"And then what?" Larry leaned around Roy's head.
Roy was silent for a moment. The crew chugged along a rickety pseudo-bridge. Wood and metal moaned. Lanterns illuminated the path ahead.
"That's where things get fuzzy again," Roy screwed his forehead, "my head hurts just thinking about it."
"So Kamek, he did something," Larry bit his bottom lip.
"Yeah," Roy squinted.
"Well, if anyone could muck up memories, it's Kamek," Rocky grunted. He jogged to match Roy's full stride.
Larry focused on his thumbs rather than see Roy hurt; it was surreal to see stone-faced Roy crack.
"But you can't run from something like that forever," Kaspar said.
"Minerva showed up again," Larry mumbled, "what are the odds?"
"Well, it's really no wonder why the lass hates you." Rocky sighed.
"I saved her life," Roy snorted, "I mean, it was my fault that it needed saving in the first place, but," Roy covered his mouth.
"Master Roy, if I may be a tad forward," Konrad walked closer to Roy, "what happened here wasn't your fault."
Kaspar nodded, "your father is to blame if you ask me."
Roy growled, "stop patronizing me. I ran and covered this up like a kid who pissed the sheets. These people deserved a better death."
Larry sat up straight, "well maybe we can fix it now."
"We can't even fix ourselves," Roy grumbled.
"Stop giving me that crap, I didn't play seeing-eye dog halfway across the Mushroom Kingdom so we can die in a hole," Larry jabbed Roy with his functioning heel.
Roy quirked his brow.
"Are you even the same person that jumped onto that crane and blew up all those bats?" Larry said. "I bet if we found Luddy and the others again, he might know something about that treasure you broke."
"Larry..." Roy sighed.
"I know you think Ludwig's a screwup," Larry said, then glanced aside, "and maybe he is a little bit, but he's got to know something about how to fix this."
"Whatever you say, kid," Roy said, "we have to find him first."
Eventually, the poorly constructed walkways ended. A bridge stretched forward, so far ahead that the other side was hidden by a veil of darkness. Spent lanterns dangled off the edge of the bridge. A crumbled structure in the center of the bridge revealed a spiral staircase that descended deep into the abyss.
An effigy guarded the once beautiful structure.
The effigy wore two skulls, a koopa and a toad. A torch jutted from its chest and brilliant orange light waxed against the darkness.
Larry shivered. His stomach twisted tighter the longer he stared. Konrad inched backward and hid behind Roy. Kaspar squeezed his club. Rocky sniffed in the effigy's direction.
The effigy's broad body was outfitted with a Sledge soldier's armor. Welded plates of iron with a familiar with a familiar crest in the center. "Stormguard?" Roy whispered.
The effigy's four arms stretched from the sides, splayed outward, ready for an embrace.
"We have to turn back," Roy whispered, "I think the treasures are close to here and that means," Roy gulped, "it's there."
Roy pivoted on his heels.
Larry gasped.
Roy glanced over his shoulder.
"It moved," Larry hissed.
Roy watched the effigy, his gut tightened. His heart beat in his ears, and he licked his teeth. The sandpaper texture of his tongue ached on the roof of his mouth.
The effigy was still.
"It's the light," Roy nodded, "the shadows make it look like its moving."
Larry whimpered.
Roy reached over his shoulder and flicked Larry's head. "Keep it together, squirt, I can't have you going crazy too."
A resounding clank shook Roy to the core. Roy's crew turned slowly. The effigy stood to its full height. Its legs were long and spider-like. The torch in its chest blazed brighter. The Dry Guardian sprinted forward, its spindled legs took it halfway across the bridge in a few bounds.
"Oh..." Roy tripped on his feet.
"Shit," Larry hugged himself tight to Roy's back.
Kaspar and Rocky caught Roy and propped him back up. Konrad ducked to the side.
The Guardian leaped over Roy and Larry. Its bones clicked upon landing. The creature drew a pair of warhammers from behind its back and held them high. The other two arms drew scimitars from scabbards. Its jaws clicked and twisted. At its full height, Roy merely stood at the creature's chest.
Roy clenched his fists and dug his heels.
It swung overhead. Roy scrambled out of the way. The hammer smashed the bridge, a spiderweb of cracks spindled outward.
Roy ran across the bridge toward the endless darkness. Kaspar and Rocky scooped up Konrad by his arms. They dragged him forward until he regained his footing. The Guardians armor clanged a frantic beat. Roy's shadow grew longer as the creature neared.
Can't stop. Won't stop. Don't stop. Roy stopped. The Dry Guardian was pushing him forward, prodding him to the Sanctuary, to certain doom. Roy looked down the spiral staircase. Haphazard plywood patches covered a few holes where stairs crumbled. Roy dragged a deep breath. He stepped forward on one of the spots.
Roy's foot punched through.
Larry swung around Roy's neck. His claws sunk into his older brother's skin and he dangled. He kicked to regain his footing.
Roy roared. His white teeth glistened in the dark. He yanked his foot free and tossed Larry over his shoulder like a scarf. Roy tiptoed around the holes, his calves burned.
The Guardian stepped over the holes. It took a second to test its footing before committing its weight. The heat from its torch bore down on Roy.
Roy dashed down the stone staircase. He fought for balance. One slip and the dark would engulf him. He kept close to the wall, his elbow scuffed the stone.
"We're screwed, so screwed," Larry whispered.
Roy forced every ounce of his strength into each step. The stone texture on his feet turned to wood. Before he realized it, the woodwork cracked, rusty nails pulled from their nests.
Roy's feet gave from beneath him. He tumbled sidelong towards the chasm. He reached for the ledge, his claws sunk into the stone. Larry headbutted Roy. They both cried out.
Konrad, Kaspar, and Rocky dropped beside Roy's arms and tried to pull him up.
Roy hooked his leg on the ledge and pulled himself to safety. He bent forward. The back of his head pounded.
Larry rubbed the soreness from his face.
The Dry Guardian swung one of its hammers. Roy ducked the attack.
"Can you lay off for," Roy grit his teeth, "One. Damn. Second." Roy roared and punched the Guardian's tibia.
The bone popped out of place; its upper body swung forward.
The Guardian dropped its warhammer beside Roy and staggered further down the staircase.
Roy lifted the discarded warhammer. His forearms bulged. Larry clung to Roy for dear life, his legs stretched outward as Roy swung.
The hammer connected and bones splintered. The Guardian buckled, its upper torso caved in on the rest of itself. The Guardian's shoulders and upper arms flew off into the dark. Its sword-bearing arms trembled.
Roy looked at the hammer then at what remained of his foe. He gasped for air. Sweat slicked his hands, he fought to hold his weapon.
Larry steadied himself, "did we win?"
The Guardian charged Roy, swords flailing.
"Spoke too soon," Roy squeezed his hammer. Larry dangled hapless from Roy's neck.
The Guardian swiped both swords, the blades whistled past Roy's muzzle.
Roy choked up on the hammer's hilt until the head was nearly in his hand. He dropped, then punched the Guardian's pelvis with the hammerhead. The pelvis blasted back. The entire creature's lower body crumbled.
The Guardian crawled forward, its two remaining arms acting as legs. The length of whole spinal column twisted into a scorpion tail.
"You're kidding me," Roy wiped the sweat from his brow and squeezed the hammer.
The tail extended forward, the vertebrae tethered by invisible bonds. Roy twisted to dodge. The pointed vertebrae changed course mid-strike and stabbed Roy's chest.
Roy gasped while blood trickled down his chest.
The tail reared back, this time aimed for his heart.
Roy held his breath. The stinger shot forward. Roy twisted out of its path, he reached out and snatched the tail.
The Guardian's body stiffened.
Roy cracked a smile, he dropped the hammer on the ground and grabbed the tail with both hands. He squatted, his inner thighs tensed, and his calves flexed. Roy began to spin. The Guardian's ribs scraped the floor, the remaining pieces of metal armor screeched.
Sparks flew. The Guardian's body lifted from the ground. Soon centrifugal force took the brunt of the work. Larry clung to Roy's back, screaming curses in primal tongues.
Roy hurled the Guardian into the open abyss. It twirled into the long dark. Roy huffed. He dropped to his knees and stared at the ceiling.
Larry eased down Roy's back, careful not to rest weight on his leg, and he sprawled on his back. "I'm gonna puke."
Roy winced, his chest ached, blood trickled down his pecs and over his gut. He pointed at the ledge, "do it over there."
Larry wobbled on his knees, his broken leg dragged, and he winced. Rocky and Konrad moved to help Larry. Kaspar skittered around Roy and examined Roy's chest wound.
"Come on then," Rocky tucked himself under Larry's arm and acted as a crutch. Konrad moved under the opposite arm.
Roy slumped and scooted away from the staircase ledge. "After today, we're even for the whole 'seeing-eye dog' thing."
Larry scowled, he closed his eyes and covered his mouth. Rocky and Konrad hobbled faster. Roy grimaced.
"Are you done?" Roy said.
Larry sniffled and lay flat on his stomach. His head rested on a cold granite step. Sweat pearled on his brow.
Roy shambled over and pressed the back of his hand on Larry's exposed temple. Roy winced, "crap, you're burning up."
Larry groaned and propped himself on his elbows.
"Why'd you have to get stuck with me," Roy grumbled.
Larry's head fell.
"I can fight, I can throw myself at a wall until it breaks, but the second I need to put something back together..." Roy slouched
Larry laid on his stomach and propped his chin on his forearms. His glare faltered.
"Ludwig could fix you up, Lemmy could cheer you up," Roy sighed.
Larry sat up and looked at Roy, his leg flared up, he fought his tears back.
"And here I am, barreling through a cave, screwing up my brother's leg even more," Roy rubbed his temples, "we need the others before I get you killed."
"Hey, you got us this far," Larry said, "you busted out of that cage, fought all those bandits, and kicked the crap out of that skeleton thing. I'm not sure Lemmy or Ludwig could have pulled that off."
Roy looked down at Larry. He opened his mouth to speak, but a metallic grinding stole his words.
Roy leaned over the black pit, and he saw a pair of white flames in the dark.
The torch in the Guardians chest flickered brighter, the flames agitated like a feline raising its hackles. It skittered up the sheer face of the rock wall, its armor scraped and clanged. Its leg bones reassembled at the hip.
Roy scooped up Larry and hung him off his back.
"The hammer, the hammer, don't forget the hammer," Konrad dragged the weapon.
Roy scooped the hammer, Larry dangled off Roy's neck and yelped. Roy tromped down the stone stairs. Further and further into the dark.
X-X-X
Mario's palms shifted to his side, he clenched his fists, dug his heels and watched the teal bandit. The bandit reached for his mask, a flash of ruby cloth slipped from the front of his coat.
The mask hit the floor. A koopa troop's beaky face peered from the hood. The Tealcoat smiled.
Minerva stopped. Her knees knocked together. She caught herself on feet that refused her control.
"Minerva?" Mario whispered.
Minerva roared and threw a punch. She blinked. Tack's ruby undercoat gleamed. He flashed a full step backward. Minerva's fist soared through the open air. She staggered forward and hurled another cross.
The bandit snapped to the side, caught her arm, and threw her to the ground.
Minerva slid along the floor. She snarled, pushed to her feet, and charged again.
Mario yanked her back.
"Let me," Minerva shoved Mario off, "go," her cheeks burned fearsome crimson. Her eyes bled tears.
The bandit flashed forward. He kicked her gut, twisted her arm around her back, and slammed her to the floor. His eyes were rigid.
Vine drew his rapier and pointed it at the bandit's throat.
"Put that down, or I'll put her down," the bandit spoke.
Minerva spit dirt as her face smashed into the ground.
Tack sighed, "I know you and I didn't exactly part on the best of terms, but at least give me a chance to explain myself."
Vine squeezed his weapon, both hands on the hilt, and he glared.
Tack leaned closer and whispered in Minerva's ear. "Or perhaps you don't want to know what happened to your brother?"
Minerva slumped on the ground. Her body lay still. "Vine, stand down," Minerva grunted.
"Captain…"
"I said stand down." Minerva snapped.
Vine sheathed the rapier.
Tack took his hands off her arm.
"That's better," Tack cracked his knuckles, the ex-Koopa troop paced Minerva.
The others gathered closer together. They looked at Minerva, then Tack. Junior leaned over to Ludwig. "Who is that guy?"
"I'm sure you've heard all about me," Tack licked his lips, "I bet Roy spun a terrible story about how I tried to betray the koopa kingdom and nearly sacrificed his soul to Star Treasures."
"Roy hasn't said a word about Lapiston to anyone," Ludwig mumbled, "and definitely nothing about whoever you are."
"That little bastard," Tack huffed, "he failed to mention we died in service of your family, then?"
"Was that before or after you tried sacrificing my brother?" Ludwig quirked his brow.
"If he said that, he's lying," Tack rolled his shoulders, "I've been nothing but loyal to the Koopa Royal Family."
Minerva stood up, she rubbed a kink out of her shoulder. "Where is my brother?" Minerva sniffed and wiped the blood from her bottom lip. "Answer me!"
Tack chuckled, "look at you. Making demands and hollering orders like you didn't just eat dirt."
Minerva scowled.
"Your brother's safe," Tack nodded, "a little on edge, but safe." Tack's irises flickered white, the color slithered back from the edges of his sclera.
Minerva's shoulders tensed. Her forearms flexed. She bent and lifted the curved sword that Tack had discarded. Minerva shook her head. "What are you talking about?"
"Your little posse shook up his welcome party," Tack shrugged, "I admit that's not easy to do."
Vine stood straighter and stood in front of Minerva. "The bandits who attacked us in the outskirts?"
Minerva stepped back. It couldn't be. The Teal Coat one who carried the storm.
"Your brother's one of them?" Vine pointed at Tack.
"Oh not just one of us," Tack's voice dripped with venom, "he runs half this damn town."
"He would've recognized me," Minerva said.
"Yeah?" Tack chuckled. "Maybe he did and, maybe, he didn't care."
Minerva's eyes moistened. Her lip twitched. She took a long breath, closed her eyes, and twirled the curved sword. "He tried to kill us," Minerva scoffed, "but you saved us?"
"Not from the goodness of my heart," Tack spit on the ground, "and certainly not for your sake. You did drag your crew right where I needed them, though, bravo."
Minerva raised the curved sword. Tack drew a dagger, sped forward in a flash of red light, and the dagger's blade tapped Minerva's throat. Minerva swallowed.
Vine swung his rapier and deflected the blade. He lashed out at Tack with his boot heel. Tack caught Vine's foot and flipped him on his back.
Mario and Luigi moved forward. Tack kicked the mannequin torso at Luigi's gut and staggered him. Daisy caught Luigi before he fell. Tack tapped Mario's forehead with the dagger's hilt, then flashed away in a veil of red smoke. He tucked his knife under Minerva's chin.
"Why did you save us then?" Minerva coughed.
Tack's mouth unfurled into a predatory grin. "I want out of this ghost town," Tack snarled.
"And what's stopping you from leaving?" Cheatsy stretched his arms over his head. "You look like you can take care of yourself."
"Well, here's the thing," Tack grumbled, "you enter Lapiston, you don't leave Lapiston. She sees to that.
Ludwig growled, then he squinted at Tack. "And who is 'she?'"
Tack released Minerva, he inched back, twirling his dagger. "If you all promise not to pounce me, I can shed some light on all of this."
Minerva rubbed her throat. Vine stopped beside her to help her up. She waved his arms back as she rose. Her knuckles whitened.
"Fine," Minerva grunted.
Tack sheathed his dagger, "follow me," he said.
X-X
Tack walked through the observatory lobby. The others followed close behind. Along the wall was a vast mural. Tack bowed and held his arm out to the painting.
A woman in blue robes held her arms outward. The paint on her face long since faded, but a halo of starlight crowned her head. She stood in front of the old Hari castle. Earthy skinned Hari soldiers marched, their fanged faces were warped by time. Their king stood at her side. His hand on his sword. A swirling sun insignia marked his breastplate.
"She goes by many names," Tack's voice echoed off the high ceiling, "Zta-Samia, The Queen of the Azure Sky," he cleared his throat, "or, simply, The Blue Maiden."
Tack tucked his arms behind his back and paced, "but you're probably more familiar with her handiwork outside."
Ludwig felt the Dry Behemoth's pounding footfall in his soul's memory.
Minerva reached out and brushed her fingers along the mural. "And they rejoiced under the clearest of blue skies," Minerva whispered, "for she had freed them from tyranny and lies."
"Excuse me?" Ludwig cocked his head.
"It's from a fairytale," Minerva whispered, "one my mother used to tell me."
Ludwig muttered, "okay so Samia's a, what, a necromancer?"
"You're cute," Tack crossed his arms behind the back of his head, "necromancer, pah," Tack snorted, "that's assuming she'll let you die."
Tack pointed at his chest with his thumb.
"Me? I've gone through at least six bodies in her service." Tack popped his neck. "Eventually she saddled me with my old body again, it's nice."
"Six times?" Cheatsy giggled.
"Hey, I've got like a twenty-point-oh kill to death ratio," Tack glared.
"Wait, wait, wait," Ludwig pressed his palms together, "what happens when your body dies?"
Tack rolled his shoulders, "well, I'm not all that sure," Tack shrugged, "everything whites out and I wake up in a new body."
"Memories and personality intact" Ludwig crossed his arms, "I assume."
"Every last piece," Tack sat on the first step of a spiral staircase. His arms crossed over his knees. "I think."
Ludwig looked up at the mural again. He dragged his claws through his hair. He closed his eyes, a moment, deep in thought. "Stars above."
"What?" Junior said.
"Not to alarm anyone," Ludwig cleared his throat, "but we're dealing with some serious shit here."
Ludwig held Cheatsy in front of him. "Whoever this Zta-Samia character is, she's capable of replicating the Maelstrom incident on her own."
Cheatsy's lips tightened; he glanced over his shoulder at Ludwig.
"I've been trying to make sense of this all," Ludwig shook his head, his wild hair bounced, "but, I know for a fact that Iggy's Power Star engine was the crux of the incident."
Ludwig lets go of Cheatsy. Ludwig paced, hand on his chin, and he nodded.
"And if a single Power Star is capable of replicating the Maelstrom and her crew, albeit imperfectly, someone with the means to build an army of Bluecoats, reanimate those bones, and replicate Tack's body from scratch…"
"So she's got a bunch of Power Stars?" Junior cocked his head.
"No," Minerva said, lines in her neck pulled taught, "something more."
Junior's forehead scrunched.
Vine gasped, "she's a Star Spirit?"
"Bingo," Tack pinched his thumb and forefinger into an okay symbol.
The crew stood beneath the mural. The Blue Maiden rose above them all. Her pale paint eyes stared out beyond them all.
"What have I gotten us into now," Ludwig covered his mouth.
X-X-X
The staircase was a spiraling Shepard's tone. Tumbling endlessly into the black bowels of the Lapiston caverns. Roy could smell wet clay. Out beyond the stairs, Roy saw a river. Firelight illuminated the sediment bed beneath the turgid waters. They bellowed and hollowed out the caverns further.
"I can't," Roy wiped the sweat from his brow, "I can't keep running."
"How do you kill something that's already dead?" Konrad wailed between haggard breaths. Konrad slipped near the staircase bend.
"Kon!" Rocky fumbled forward.
Kaspar yanked Konrad back to safety.
Konrad whimpered, "thanks."
"Watch out!" Kaspar ducked and dragged Konrad down. A sledgehammer swooped overhead and smashed the wall.
The Dry Guardian nipped at their heels. Its swords clattered against the stairs. Bone clacked on bone.
Roy overshot the final step of the staircase. Larry bucked forward on Roy's back. Their balance shifted, and Roy slammed on his face.
Roy crawled on his knees. The Guardian leaped from its perch. Its dual blades aimed to plunge. Roy rolled on top of Larry to dodge.
Larry screeched, he flailed beneath Roy's bulk.
The swords hit the hard stone and shattered. Metal splinters scattered outward. A bit of shrapnel nicked Roy's rib.
The Dry Guardian grabbed Roy's arms and lifted him off Larry. Roy's shoulder sockets ached as he fought the Guardian's grip. Roy clenched his teeth. Smoke trailed from his nostrils.
The Dry Guardian raised its shattered swords. Its firelight eyes met Roy's whitened irises. The guardian cocked its head, then caressed Roy's bare stomach with the jagged blade. A fine line of blood trickled down Roy's gut. The Guardian reared the haphazard daggers; Roy opened his mouth.
A flash of lightning blasted the Guardian back.
Roy smacked the ground. He grit his teeth arched his back and gasped. The Guardian planted its feet and twirled its swords. Roy rolled his head and saw Larry.
Larry propped himself up on his elbow and held his hand out. Electricity arc up his mohawk; his irises tinged red. Larry roared, a white light glowed from the back of his throat.
Arcs of lightning exploded from Larry's claws. They locked the Guardian in place. The Guardian's feet spread wide, its limbs trembled as it fought to break free.
Larry dragged himself closer toward the guardian. Blue lightning flared on his kneecap. He stood on his two feet. The wooden splint burned off.
Larry limped forward and blasted the Guardian again and again.
The Guardian's maws stretched open. The torch on its chest glowed brighter. Still, it fought the paralysis. Its arms twisted and writhed to strike.
Larry tripped slipped backward. His leg cracked. The lightning connecting his bones sputtered and tried to reconnect.
The Guardian lashed out.
Roy whiffed the coppery bite of blood mingled with pre-storm ozone.
Larry's fell flat on his back. His leg flopped to the side. It writhed as electricity sputtered out of its wounds.
What remained of Larry's stump twitched. Larry gagged, he rolled on his chest and heaved. A ball of blue muck spilled from his mouth. Electricity crackled in the puddle of mess.
"No, no, no," Larry wheezed, "keep it together."
The Guardian swung its hammer overhead.
Larry roared and lobbed a ball of lightning at the Guardian. The energy lingered on the torch in its chest. The Guardian dropped its hammer.
A bolt tethered Larry's claws to the torch. The Guardian's eyes grew brighter. Larry flexed his forearms. The lightning intensified. Its jaws slacked. Suddenly, its eyes snuffed out. The torch exploded. Bones and armor scattered across the room.
The bones sizzled as they crumbled into dust.
Larry slumped on the ground. His body trembled. He lay on his side. The redness left his irises.
Roy kicked to his feet and scooped up Larry, the young koopaling's body burned like hot iron. Roy ran to the roiling river and dunked Larry's lower body into the water. Blue lightning arced on the surface. Steam rose from Larry's body.
"Come on, stay with me," Roy grit his teeth.
Larry's eyes eased shut. His head slumped back. The heat faded.
Roy dragged him from the water. His hands trembled. He looked Larry up and down. "Kid?"
Larry's knee was a burned at the tip. His Ember cauterized the stump where his leg had been hacked off.
"Larry?" Roy shook his brother frantically.
Larry groaned. He coughed up blue muck, and it dribbled down his chin. He wheezed. "Did I kill it?"
"Dammit, don't scare me like that," Roy hugged Larry to his chest.
Larry shivered, "don't," Larry coughed, "don't tell Luddy."
"Shut up, ya hypocrite," Roy sputtered into laughter.
"Was it badass though?" Larry wheezed.
Roy nodded. "Very."
"Good," Larry wiggled his stump, his brow twisted. He looked down at his thigh. His eyes widened.
"Okay, don't panic," Roy grabbed Larry's face and turned it away from the leg, "it's better than it looks."
Larry fainted on the spot.
"Well," Roy sighed, "shit." He climbed to his feet and carried Larry in his arms.
Rocky, Konrad, and Kaspar peered around a stalagmite.
Kaspar uttered a string of Mousian words. Roy could only imagine they were expletive. "What did, how did-"
"So, so," Konrad's tapped his foot, and his knees twitched, "Embers. Embers can kill them."
Rocky sniffed a small pile of dust. "why'd you hold back on yours? Larry nearly killed himself."
"That's exactly why I held back," Roy grumbled, he held Larry toward Rocky, "this isn't some easy magical solution, it'll eat you alive if you're not careful."
"Still," Rocky grunted, "you should've done something before forcing the kid to go all in like that."
"I was working on it," Roy bit his bottom lip. "We need to find the others, now more than ever," Roy shook his head, "Ludwig's gonna kill me."
"Well, where do we go from here," Konrad looked up at Roy.
"We can't go back the way we came, not if there's any more of those creatures up there," Roy mumbled.
Kaspar thumbed a carved relief in the wall. Chipped bits of old blue paint flaked on his fingers. The delicate detail carvings spanned the entire wall. Kaspar looked further ahead.
"Now that looks interesting," Kaspar whispered.
Roy squinted. Ancient torches illuminated the path ahead. Their spectral blue fire shrouded a towering temple in the distance. Most of its stained glass windows were shattered, but one caught Roy off guard. The Seven Stars on their cosmic thrones.
"It's a Temple?" Roy inched forward. "One for the Star Spirits."
"It looks off, somehow," Konrad mumbled, "the blue one, it's the wrong shade. Too intense."
"Lapis," Roy said.
A low rumbling seized Roy's attention. A flashing elevator lift lowered from the cavern ceiling onto the roof of the temple.
"Looks like trouble," Rocky grunted.
"And a way out of here," Roy stepped forward.
"Not sure there isn't much fight left in you," Kaspar tapped Roy's elbow, "there must be another way."
"We could procure some disguises," Konrad shrugged, "I'm sure there's a bluecoat in your size, sir."
"And Larry?" Kaspar cocked his head.
"Cargo," Roy nodded, "we'll need a decent sized cargo box, and we can get him aboard that elevator."
"Yes, yes, but how do you all intend to gather these supplies," Kaspar sighed, "no offense intended, but none of you are quite stealthy."
"Yeah, but we've got a master thief and smuggler on the team," Roy smiled at Kaspar.
Kaspar's shoulders slouched.
"Fine, I'll see what I can do," Kaspar dusted his hands, he picked up the Guardian's shattered sword. The broken weapon was dagger length to the mouse. "Try to stay out of sight."
Roy carried Larry behind a bed of stalagmites. Konrad and Rocky followed close behind. Roy sat down, his back against a wall, and he laid Larry down beside him. Roy closed his eyes.
Kaspar held the dagger in reverse grip and skittered off among the shadows.
A/N: Tried to get this finished up before the month was out! From this point on I'm going to experiment with shorter updates that will, hopefully, post on a more frequent schedule (famous last words, I know). Thank you, everyone, for your patience and continued support for this story. I appreciate all of you, from the silent readers to the frequent reviewers.