Chapter 33:

Keeah frowned watching Suraco painstakingly turn the wheels around the painting. She had her doubts about the success of this plan, but this was the only option they had at the present moment. Suraco gave a last turn before looking at Keeah and inclining his head a bit.

Keeah's brow clouded. ' It is done. Now all we can do is wait.'

For a while nothing happened and Keeah was beginning to feel a little apprehensive. Then she saw the painting slide aside noiselessly revealing a tunnel that plunged vertically downwards.

' It worked!'

She swam up to the surface with the others and paused there for a while filling her lungs with air before diving underneath the cool waters.

The tunnel was narrow and led vertically downwards. Its walls appeared to be smooth and suffused the water with a strange phosphorescent blue glow. Keeah could feel her lungs almost burst with the need for air and her limbs were feeling heavy and tired.

Ahead of her she could see Taasha rear upwards.

' Maybe he found a path to the surface.'

Desperation fuelled her limbs and she followed him. Here the tunnel suddenly ended in a smooth wall, doing a ninety-degree turn and rearing upwards. She swam upwards breaking the glassy surface panting and drawing large gulps of air into her starved lungs. Vaguely she pulled herself on dry land, collapsing on the cold ground trying to orient herself.

She felt Sotisku stretched out by her side, panting and out of breath. After sometime he sat up and smiled a little sheepishly.

"Well that was most uncomfortable. For a while I thought that there was no way out. "

Keeah had to agree that for a while even she had felt that way. "But we made it. "

"Yeah." Sotisku's voice was mildly surprised. "We did."

Now that her head had cleared comparatively she looked around. They seemed to be a large room in the middle of which resided the square pool. The tunnel opened into this pool. A narrow path surrounded this pool and it was there where they were sitting at the present moment. The room was dimly lit by the blue phosphorescent glow that emanated from the wall. Again she had the sensation of being in the land of perpetual twilight.

On further inspection she found that several channels that emptied their nonexistent trickle of brackish water into the pool spliced the path. These channels led into several dark tunnels, with a narrow path running parallel to the channels and vanishing into the darkness. At all there were six of these tunnels providing them with six possible paths.

"What is this place?"Suraco frowned looking around. "This looks like an elaborate drainage system. Is this a sewer?"

"Possibly. "Taasha said quietly. "Ubasti also has an extensive drainage system. But it is the priests who know about it extensively. "

"Your priests seem to be hogging all the knowledge of your people. " Sotisku said scornfully.

"As Lady Keeah said, knowledge is power. To share their knowledge with the common people would cause them to loose the power they wield. "Taasha said darkly. ' Pompous, hypocritical fools.'

"One must never draw the leash so tightly that it might break. "Keeah said quietly. "However, lets not

Get sidetracked. Which way do we take?"

Which way indeed?

They all looked at the different tunnels, each appearing more forbidding than the next. It would be difficult to choose.

"No wonder the batty old woman chose this place. "Sotisku groaned. "This place is a freaking maze. "

"Yes, we are spoilt for choices." Keeah grinned.

"That way. "Taasha said abruptly pointing at one of the tunnels.

"Why?"

Taasha walked over to the tunnel he had pointed out, crossing over the shallow channel, its mucky water hardly wetting his feet. He crouched at the entrance and placed a clawed hand on the wall.

"This is a mark left by a Bast Berserker. "He explained. "It signals the other berserkers to take this path. This path might lead us to Fa Sang. "

Suraco walked up to him squinting his eyes to see what had caught Taasha's vision. "Wow, you really have sharp eyes. "

"Yes. But then again, I am not human. "

"Yes and we are grateful for your not so human senses. "Suraco grinned. "Let's proceed because time is one luxury we do not have. "

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"My Lord. "

Hotohori looked up. Between the dense fog that floated over the slippery deck of the ship and the dim light of the lanterns that hung from the mastheads he had trouble discerning the man's features. But he recognized the voice. It was one of the five men that Izuke had insisted accompany him.

"Timur. "He addressed the man. "Is there a problem?"

"My Lord, I am considered an apt sailor. "Timur's voice had a deep sonorous quality to it.

There was some truth in Timur's words. During the last few weeks he and the rest of the men that Izuke had foisted on them proved their usefulness many times. They were, as Izuke had said they will be, on their best behavior and if Hotohori did not know the real nature of these men he would have been fooled into believing that they were indeed honest sailors.

"I have no doubt about that Timur. "He pulled the cloak closer around him, his breath rising in a mist in front of his face. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Timur gulped, as if hesitating, and then began. "I have commandeered many vessels, I know the Ku Youg Sea well. "

"I believe you do. Your profession demands it. "

"That it does my Lord, but there are parts of the Ku Youg Sea that even we dare not venture."

"And your point is?"

"It is called the Devil's circle. "

"Interesting name. "

Timur was not amused. "Ships disappear. Sometime they turn up, the cargo intact but the crew missing, blood splattered all over the wooden planks. "

"Some sailor's tale I believe. "

"I saw one with mine own eyes. "Timur said quietly. "What kind of pirate kills the crew but does not take the cargo? We do not kill the crew of the ships we plunder. "

"You sell them as slaves. "Hotohori said sarcastically.

"Slaves fetch a good price. "Timur said simply.

There was a simple sincerity with which he narrated his words that made Hotohori think that he was telling the truth. "It would seem that you are not on the top of the food chain on the Ku Youg Sea. "

"Not in the Devil's circle we are not my Lord and the route we are following leads straight into it. "

Hotohori frowned. "Indeed?"

Timur nodded slowly. "I thought that it would be prudent to warn you my Lord. "

"Very well. I will look into this. "

Timur nodded slowly and walked away. Hotohori rubbed his cold hands together. ' Devil's circle. Interesting name. Timur must be keeping a chart to map the route to Fa Sang. Even though he failed to mention that little detail, he seemed to be telling the truth as far as the disappearance of the ships were concerned. '

He pulled the cloak closer to himself and walked up to Shizimi. At the sound of his feet Shizimi turned his head.

"My Lord?"

Hotohori came abreast him, standing at his side at the bow of the ship. "Nice night. "

In the semidarkness Hotohori saw his lips twitch. "Yes. "His voice was amused. "Excellent weather might I add. "

Hotohori chuckled. Then his face became serious. "Is there any fancy name to the sea surrounding your land?"

"Not that I know of. "

"Devil's circle. "

"Is that what they call it? How very unoriginal. "

"Timur says that ships disappear. "

"The sea surrounding Fa Sang is quite, shall I say, treacherous. It is like a watery maze, riddled with whirlpools, currents, submerged rocks and all the unpleasant tricks that Nature could have thought of. So, it is not entirely impossible for ships to disappear if they do not know the way. The sea will have swallowed them up. They may call it the Devil's circle or whatever they please, but the fact remains that it is a barrier that Nature herself has erected to guard Fa Sang. "

"That barrier can be breached if one knows how."

There was a moment of silence. "Any barrier can be breached if you know how. "Shizimi's voice was quiet.

Silence descended once again and Hotohori was beginning to feel more than a little uneasy. Then Shizimi spoke again. "Do you know why those people are accompanying us?"

Hotohori pondered on what he should say and then decided on the truth. "Izuke wants to make another Nobu out of Fa Sang. "

"You know?"

"Yes. "

"And yet you agreed to let them come along. "

"Yes. "Hotohori pursed his lips.

"Knowing what would befall Fa Sang? Knowing that the knowledge of Fa Sang should never fall into the wrong hands?"

"It won't. "

"I know. "

"You do?" It was Hotohori's turn to be surprised.

"I never knew that you had such a poor opinion of my intelligence. " Shizimi chuckled. "Izuke is no fool. Once he came to know about Fa Sang, he would not stop until he has spread his tentacles on its soil. He would not let you take the ship unless you agreed to his demands. You made the best of a bad bargain. But, do not worry, they will not be able to lead Izuke and his merry men back to Fa Sang. They are more likely to end up gobbled by the Devil's circle. "He paused. "Too bad, I almost ... liked Izuke. "

Hotohori frowned. He had to admit that there was something remotely likeable about Izuke. But somehow he felt he wouldn't be too disappointed to see Izuke die. He was not that likeable.

"Here's a question for you Shizimi, if by any dumb luck any ship does reach Fa Sang, what do you do with its crew?" Hotohori asked. "Do you kill them all?"

"Kill them?"Shizimi's voice was amused. "Why bother? It is so much easier to manipulate their memories. "

"Timur says one of the ships that had disappeared turned up with everything untouched but the crew. "

"Could you maybe clear it up a little?"

"Better ask Timur himself. "He called out to the man. "Timur, come here and tell us about the ship which turned up with all its crew dead. "

Timur paused before resting a dull brown eye on Shizimi. "Not dead my Lord. "There was a tinge of defiance in his voice. "Missing. But there were signs of a violent struggle on boat and wooden planks were caked with dried blood. That ship had a rich cargo, jewels and stuff. It was scattered all over the ship but no one had touched a tiny scarp. "

Hotohori saw Shizimi's knuckles turn white. "You lie. "

"No. It was hardly a month ago. "

"A month ago?" Shizimi's voice was hard. "Are you sure?"

"Positively. "

"But, that means I was in Nobu then. Why didn't I know anything about it?"

"You were in the slave quarters. "

"Isolation. "

"Sung's orders. "

"Indeed. " Shizimi turned at the sea once more.

Hotohori dismissed the man and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Shizimi.

"That is not the way of my people. " Shizimi said quietly. "It does not make sense. "

"Well I do not think that he has the creativity to imagine that tale. "

"One of the reasons we are glad for the Nature's protection is because Fa Sang does not house war like people. True, we have a small force, but I am unsure as to how long they will last in a real battle. Fa Sang has not been required to defend herself for many centuries. We have forgotten the taste of blood."

"You have?"

"Not entirely perhaps, but, suppressed in our subconscious. Still, people do not turn into savages overnight. "

"And your point is?"

"I do not know what to think. "

Hotohori saw a shade of white around Shizimi's mouth and his eyes appeared glassy.

"I guess we should be on our guard then. "Menesku's calm voice addressed them both.

"How much did you overhear?"Hotohori queried.

"Most of it. "He shrugged. "Savage or not, we have to go to Fa Sang. There is no point in speculating on what we will run into when we land there, unless of course you plan to sink us before that. "He smiled at Shizimi.

"Menesku!" Hotohori said hotly.

"I do not plan to sink you Menesku. "A small smile played on Shizimi's lips. "I will bring you unharmed to Fa Sang. "

"I am sure you will. "Menesku agreed. "My Lord, you should rest. I will keep watch for now. "

"Fine. "Hotohori stalked off in the direction of the cabin.

"You do not trust me much, do you?" Shizimi fixed his eyes on Menesku.

Menesku raised an eyebrow. "Should I?"

Shizimi chuckled. "Indeed. Should you?"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Keeah saw that the tunnels were lined with the same kind of material as the main room. It emanated a similar glow. As Sotisku put it...

"By Seiryuu, it would have been better if this place was totally dark. This glow makes me feel we have strayed into the land of the dead. "

Keeah couldn't help but agree with him.

The walls of the tunnels were extraordinarily smoothed, cold and slightly damp to touch, silent except for the slight patter of their feet as they walked on the stone floor. The narrow path they followed ran by the side of a now nearly dry channel that had once emptied its contents in the pool that resided in the main room they had left behind.

The tunnel twisted and turned endlessly taking them deeper and deeper into some unknown territory. Her nerves were stretched to their limit and she began to feel wary of her shadow. The almost non-existent sound of their feet appeared thunderous in the silence of the tunnel.

Keeah could not repress the shiver that ran through her form. For some unknown reason the hair at the nape of her neck rose. She strained her senses but she could detect nothing. Ahead of her Taasha had stopped gripping the smooth handle of his halberd. His back was stiff and a low threatening growl reverberated from deep within his chest.

It was almost instinctually that she flung up a barrier to shield herself from the thing that came whizzing at them, violently cutting through the darkness. Keeah felt the air around her cackle with dark malevolent magic as the missile shattered on her shield. Her shield frizzled but held true.

"What the hell!" Suraco growled looking around. He could not see their assailants and if the large balls of dark fire did not continuously crash into their shield he would have thought that they imagined it all.

"Its a trap. "Sotisku frowned. "Have we activated some sort of defense mechanism? "

"No." Keeah gritted her teeth. "I can feel magic all round me. We are being attacked. "

Taasha was crouched in front of her, ready to leap at their unknown assailant. His nose twitched. "This air smells of decay. "His voice was a low growl. "Such is the smell of a graveyard. "

Sotisku gripped his staff harder. "I wish you would not say such things Taasha. "

He had hardly finished when an eerie laughter floated over them. It was not even possible to describe it or believe that it could come from something remotely human. It was shrill mocking laughter that echoed through the tunnels, washing over them like something unclean.

Keeah was never more repulsed. She gritted her teeth and concentrated on the source of the sound. At first she detected nothing between keeping up the shield and fending off the fireballs. Then she felt a deeper shadow move in the darkness.

It came in a slow bumbling step, something akin to a rag thrown over its shoulders. Its tattered remains hung over its white skeletal frame with its dark hood covering its face. Somehow it managed to remain in the shadows of the semi dark place, blending into the shadows perfectly. It raised a thin white hand letting a ball of dark energy form at the edge of its skeletal fingers.

Keeah's mouth curved into a snarl. ' I've got you now.'

By the volume of Taasha's growls she understood that he had spotted their assailant too. He leapt gracefully, his halberd making a graceful arc before being buried deep into the thing's chest. Dark, putrid blood oozed from the wound as Taasha wrenched the weapon out.

"Berssseker ... "

The voice that emanated from the creature was raspy, rusted like the lock that has not been used for many years, but it might have been at once time ... human. The one word that emanated from its mouth was tinged with surprise before it folded into a heap.

Delicately Taasha poked the mass with the edge of his halberd. "They are not that powerful, they just have a really good camouflage. "He paused. "What was it anyway?"

Keeah knelt in front of the robe, gently probing it with the edge of her katana. Nothing was left but the ragged cloak and Keeah could still feel the remnants of magic pulsate around it. Magic that made her feels dirty. She moved the cloth aside, underneath it was something solid. It was a gold manacle engraved with strange carvings.

Behind her Suraco drew a sharp breath. Sotisku knelt besides her stretching out his hand curiously.

"Don't touch it. "Suraco's voice was sharp and quite unlike himself.

Sotisku withdrew his hand turning towards Suraco. "What?"

"I said don't touch it. "

"Chill Suraco. Do not get so worked up. "

"He has reason to be worried Sotisku. Look carefully at those inscriptions on the manacle. I have seen similar inscriptions before." Keeah said gravely. "I know what attacked us. I did not know that such magic existed. "

"What are you talking about?"Sotisku was confused.

"We were attacked by a lich. "

"Lich?" Sotisku gulped. "Are you sure? Aren't they supposed to be a myth?"

"So was Fa Sang. "Suraco said dryly.

"Pardon me. "Taasha cut in. "I am at a loss here. What exactly is a Lich?"

"Anything that is born must die. Such is the law of Nature. A Lich tries to defy this law by forcibly binding his body together with the help of magic even after death. "Suraco explained prosaically.

"Its not dead?"Taasha glanced at the heap of clothing.

"Now it is. "Keeah said quietly. "You see Taasha, a Lich can prolong his life, but he cannot be immortal. He can be killed. However, this is a very high level of necromancy and for a person to successfully carry it out one must be very skilled. Evil, but skilled. So, it is my guess that you took him ... it ... by surprise. "

"Surprise?"

"Yes. "Keeah said thoughtfully. "For something that wants to live so fiercely it capitulated pretty easily don't you think?"

"Perhaps it wanted to die. "

"No. "Suraco was very pale. "There is a price to pay for everything, even for this cursed life. What do you think the price is?"

Taasha shivered. "Somehow, I do not think I want to know. "

"They sacrifice their soul and all that is left behind is an empty shell bound together by the foulest magic known to man. They are left to drag the unfeeling rotting carcass for all eternity, left with nothing but their hunger. "

"Hunger? For what?"

"After a few centuries most Liches loose their purpose, forgetting what they have lusted for and are left with only the instinct to survive. Which is why they are supposedly difficult to kill and which is why we think that you surprised it."

Taasha gripped the handle tightly. "That's terrible. "

"Yes. " Suraco smiled darkly. "But remember, this is a path they chose of their own free will. Do not waste your pity on them. "

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

An insistent tug at his shoulders drew Hotohori of his light slumber. He opened a blurry eye and focused on the face in front of him.

"Menesku?"

Menesku straightened. "We have arrived at Fa Sang my Lord. "

Hotohori was instantly awake. "We have?" He stood up and languorously stretched himself yawing a little.

"We have. "Menesku paused at the door. "We are about to enter the dock. "

He looked around. The bunks were empty. "They are all outside. "Menesku answered his unspoken question. "They woke up sometime ago. "

"And I slept through that?" Hotohori massaged his head. "And here I was thinking that I was a light sleeper. "

"You were stressed my Lord. "Menesku said calmly. "And ... tired. "His gray eyes softened a bit. "You should not be so worried my Lord, what will be, will be. "

"Menesku since when did you start to believe in fate?"

"I don't. I was just trying to cheer you up. "

Hotohori chuckled. "Well you succeeded. Let's go outside. "

When he stepped outside he was surprised to see the sun shining cheerfully on the slippery deck, its warm rays bringing a much needed succor from the biting cold that had assaulted them from so long. He stepped up beside the bulwark drawing in the cool air.

It would seem that they had suddenly come into a stretch of clear blue water in the middle of which Fa Sang resided like a precious pearl. They had suddenly broken through the thick wall of fog to come out into a circle of calm waters, where the rays of the sun licked their upturned faces and the cool wind raised their unruly locks.

The ship slowly pulled into the dock coming to rest parallel to the stone jetty that jutted out from the main land. Hotohori saw several men rush out of the small stone houses that were dotted around the jetty, their faces wavering between surprise and animosity.

Shizimi favored Hotohori with a lopsided smile. "Welcome to Fa Sang my Lord. "

Hotohori chuckled. "Somehow the welcoming party of your island doesn't look so welcoming. "

"That's only because they are not used to having visitors. "Shizimi waved his hand giving out sharp orders to dock the ship in the proper manner. "Don't worry. " His voice had some strange emotion in them. "The warriors of Fa Sang are dead, all that is left are mere ... shadows. "

Hotohori looked at him startled. "What are you trying to say? "

"Circumstances have made me ... pessimistic. " Shizimi said quietly. "Let's us step on Fa Sang my Lord."

Without waiting for Hotohori's answer he walked down the sloping plank to alight lightly on the jetty. Several men crowded around him, there faces hostile, voices raised in a threatening whisper.

"You should follow my Lord. "

Hotohori glanced at Menesku. "I will. "

He walked down the plank to join Shizimi. "Is everything all right Shizimi?"

"My people are simply thrilled to see me. "Hotohori did not miss the sarcasm in his voice or the palpable mistrust that hung over them.

"We are happy to see you return Shizimi. "It was a man with graying hair who spoke up. "But why have you led strangers to violate the sanctity to our land?"

Hotohori could see the end of Shizimi's mouth curve up into a scornful smile but before he could say anything there was a small commotion at the back of the crowd. A sudden hush fell upon the gaggle before they parted like a curtain to reveal the figure at the back.

The figure walked ahead with small graceful steps, her skirts rustling as she moved.

Shizimi bowed a little when the woman stopped in front of them. "My Lady Freya. "

Freya put out a delicate white hand and tentatively touched Shizimi's arm. "Shizimi? Is it really you?" Ruby red lips curved into a small smile. "I thought that you would never return. "

Shizimi held her hands between his own, the slightly scornful edge did not completely disappear from the edges of his mouth. "I thought that I would never put a foot on Fa Sang either. "

Freya lifted a wrathful sea-green eye to meet Shizimi's. "What an awful thing to say Shizimi. " There was something very intimate about her smile. "I am glad that you are back. "

"Are you?" The scorn in Shizimi's eyes deepened. "These strangers have helped me reach Fa Sang. Are you still glad to see me Lady Freya? Even after I have led strangers to defile this land?"

Freya turned her eyes towards Hotohori as if noticing him for the first time. A slight blush rose to her rosy cheeks. "Pardon me. It was very rude of me, but I was so overwhelmed ... I am Lady Freya, high priestess of Fa Sang. "

Hotohori had taken his time to observe Freya. He had never seen so flawless a beauty. A white robe fell over her body frothing around her ankles, bringing out her milk and roses complexion. A elegant neck supported an oval shaped face framed in by blue black curls that fell in wanton abundance to her waist, held in some resemblance of order by two diamond pins. Her eyes were placed under delicately arched eyebrows, hemmed in by absurdly long lashes and were green like the waters of the sea that surrounded Fa Sang. Yes, the Gods had spent a lot of time in shaping this vision of beauty in front of him.

He bowed. "Greetings Lady Freya. I am Hotohori. "

"Hotohori?" Freya repeated the name thoughtfully, and then a small serious smile adorned her face. "Welcome. Allow Fa Sang to offer you her hospitality. "

Several agitated murmurs rose from all sides.

"But Lady Freya ... "

"They are strangers..."

Freya raised a hand, effectively silencing the crowd. "Be quiet. These men have braved the Ku Youg Sea to return one of our own to us. Is this how we show our gratitude?"

"Don't thank us just yet my Lady. "Hotohori cut in somberly. "I am afraid that our assistance was largely motivated by selfish reasons. You see I am in dire need of help and Fa Sang is the only place that I can find it. "

"Indeed. "Freya moved ahead. "Shall we discuss this over some refreshment, at the main castle. "She waved her hand pointing its slender fingers at the mountain that stood with forbidding majesty at the center of the island.

"That would be nice. "Hotohori smiled. "Could some of my companions accompany me?"

"Certainly. "

Hotohori turned at Menesku. Menesku nodded. Turning towards the rest of the crew he called Chulivey and Liang aside.

"Myself, Faraco and Lady Lee will accompany My Lord Hotohori to the main castle. You and Chulivey will stay here. "

"And why should meself stay here while ya lounge comfortably at the castle?" Liang said glumly.

"Because I can trust you to guard my back. "Menesku said simply.

Well, coming from Menesku that was a compliment of high order, really high order. Liang flushed. "Well, yeah ... whatever. Just bring back some sake for meself. "

Menesku looked at Chulivey who nodded slightly.

"Be careful. "She said.

"I will. "He turned at Faraco. "Faraco, Lady Lee, this way please. "

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

After that encounter their progress through the serpentine tunnels deeper into the bowels of Fa Sang proved pretty much uneventful. Somehow they felt that this was like the calm before the coming of a storm. They stretched their senses to fathom what beast lay within the calm silence of the melancholy glowing tunnels.

The tunnel ended abruptly in a platform that jutted out in the middle of a clear blue pool. It was quite deep but the water was so clear that they could see the bottom of the pool through the sapphire surface. There was a broken lever at the end of the platform.

Suraco kneeled down in front of the lever. "Moving this might have at one time caused a bridge to join this platform with the platform at the other end. "He observed pointing at a similar platform at the other end of the rectangular pool.

"Look. "Taasha's pointed. "There's another lever on the other platform. Perhaps it still works. "He turned at Keeah. "Shall I go and investigate whether it works Princess?"

Keeah looked up, her forehead marred with a frown. "No, I will. "

"But ... "

Keeah silenced him with a calm look, before diving gracefully into still waters. The waters parted to receive her in its fluid embrace. Powerful stokes cut through the water as she made for the other shore.

Vaguely she became aware of Sotisku shouting.

"Get out of the water Princess!"

She felt something curl around her legs abruptly pulling her down in under the suddenly vicious fluid. Cold clammy hand grappled at her sides, pulling her down in the red fluid filling her mouth with the metallic taste of blood.

' Blood?' She struggled against the bonds. ' Wasn't this water?'

Screams echoed around her. Screams of mortal agony and pain like the ones that come from the mouth of some disembodied soul being tortured in the everlasting fires of Hell. The white hands that grappled her seemed to hold onto her with a vengeance determined to draw her into the pits of hell from where they rose.

' By Seiryuu. ' Keeah struggled; the unholy waters seemed to feed on her strength. Desperately she concentrated, nearly choked with the vicious waters. Her ki flared. A sphere of white blazing ki circled her before exploding with a violent force searing through the waters. The hands fell away. Using the last dregs of her strength Keeah swam to the shore, scrambling onto the cold floor.

She collapsed coughing up the dark liquid, wiping it from her eyes. She looked across the pool. Suraco seemed to be ready to jump into the now red water, but Sotisku and Taasha were holding him back.

"Don't move. "Her voice still came in pants, but the command in them was infallible.

OoOoO

Taasha watched Keeah jump into the water. She was near the end of the pool when he felt Sotisku touch his arm tentatively.

"Taasha is it me, or is the water turning red?"

Taasha watched horrified as a red stain spread through the pool turning the clear blue waters into a churning cauldron of reddish black fluid. He heard Sotisku's horrified shout.

"Get out of the water Princess!"

Keeah barely had the time to acknowledge that before he saw her disappear under red fluid. The water around her churned as she thrashed her limbs violently desperately trying to keep afloat. And then it started...

The screams... phantom forms rising from the red liquid, their unseeing eyes and mouth parted in a long reverberating symphony of torturous screams, white hands licking at the sides of the platform trying to pull them in their red depths...

Vaguely he saw Sotisku hold Suraco back. "No Suraco, don't be foolish. Princess can handle this. " His voice did not echo the confidence of his words. "Suraco be sensible. I don't think that you can be of any help here. "

Suraco struggled to be free. "Let go of me dammit. "

Then he felt that brief flare of ki. The water churned violently as a silver blue light shot through it. He saw Keeah break through the water and scramble onto the opposite shore. She collapsed on the floor coughing before looking up and shouting.

"Don't move. "

They froze. He let out a sigh. She was all right.

"So, how do we cross the pool?"Sotisku said at last.

' My thoughts exactly. ' He agreed.

"Well, we certainly can't swim across. "Suraco said with a shaky laugh.

They heard a loud noise. Keeah had moved the lever. A narrow bridge noiselessly glided from under the platform to join them both. At once the water began to churn, splashing over the bridge. The grotesque forms rose once more, this time their mouth was contorted into a silent scream; their hollow sockets appeared to be watchful; their unseeing gaze fixed on them, forever watchful.

Suraco took in a deep breath. "Come on. "

"What? "Sotisku gulped eyeing the waters.

"They cannot actually harm you unless you are in the water. " Suraco's mouth curved with distaste and for a while Taasha thought that he saw a glimmer of pity in his eyes. "So, no matter how much they splash you or touch you, they will not be actually able to physically assault you unless you fall into the water. Come Sotisku. "

Sotisku nodded. "Very well. "

How they negotiated the bridge was still a mystery to Taasha. Cold hands licked at their heel, splashing them with the dark fluid. Faces rose in the liquid their faces stretched in a mask of eternal agony before disappearing in a swirl of red fluid. Standing on the narrow slippery bridge Taasha had a pretty good idea of what Hell would look like.

Nobody was gladder than him to feel solid ground under his feet. He felt somebody pull him away from the edge of the water. Keeah turned the lever once more withdrawing the bridge.

The waters churned once more, before rising into a tall tower of bloody waters, faces rising in the frothy waters, mouths parted in agony, white hands stretched as if desperate to escape from the watery cage, before turning and burrowing into the waters like some giant unholy worm ... The red stain melted away and the water was restored to its clear blue texture.

"I don't think I will be able to look at water the same way ever again. "Sotisku grimaced. Taasha had to agree with him. "Do you have any idea what that was?"

Suraco was silent which made Taasha think that he knew what that was. His assumption was proven correct when Suraco spoke slowly. "I can't tell you exactly what that is, but ... sometimes some sorcerers ... trap spirits and enslave them to do their bidding. I think those spirits were trapped in the water with the express purpose of stopping any who tried to cross that pool. "

"That would explain why the lever on the other side was deliberately rendered useless. "Taasha said thoughtfully. "But the screams ... "

"Spirits trapped thus are forced to endure eternal agony due to their captivity, stuck between this world and the next. "

"You seem to have a lot of idea about this Suraco. "

"Unfortunately, I have some theoretical idea about this sort of magic. "Suraco sighed. "It is a long story. I will tell you some other day. "He looked at Keeah who was standing by the lever gazing unseeingly into the mouth of the tunnel. "Princess?"

Keeah turned towards him, very pale under the caked blood that covered her face. "Where have we come Suraco? "

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"Fa Sang is actually a collection of small islands joined by bridges with the main castle situated on the largest and central island. "Freya explained as she led them over a wide bridge made of some unknown black material. Elaborately carved columns rose on either side of the bridge, which no doubt served as lampposts at night for they could see ornamented braziers on the top of the columns that were lit at night.

"The waters around the main island are full of weeds which is why no ship can dock there. "Freya smiled a little. "Besides the mountain rise from the shore itself making the coast unfit as a harbor. Also it is a sheer drop from the peak of the mountain. Docking there is not an option. "

Hotohori walked besides her observing the surroundings taking in what she said. He could see the main island draw close. There was a large gate carved into the mountain where the bridge ended. Freya led them through the gateway into the most spectacularly beautiful garden they had ever seen.

Lee gasped as she walked through the narrow marble walk, her eyes drunk with the beauty of the flowers that grew by the walk. She saw children play in the velvety grass with something that resembled a ball, their laughter joining with the happy chirping of birds that sat on the low branches of the shunted tress that dotted the garden.

Ornamental benches were strategically placed by the elegant fountains whose sparkling water fell with a soft gurgling sound into the narrow channels that were cut into the garden letting the clear blue stream run like some wanton mountain brook through the grass.

"Isn't this beautiful Menesku?" She turned a sparkling eye towards him.

Menesku's face betrayed nothing. His voice was dry as usual. "Very ... My lady. "

That did not dampen Lee's spirit, as the castle that rose in front of her eyes was the very model of all those fairy tale castles of her dreams. Tall crystalline towers nearly touched the sky, curved marble stairways leading up to the vast rooms with their large windows shuttered with magnificent stained glass.

She looked up, her voice awed. "Where have we come Hotohori?"

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