Chapter Ten
By Genavere
Munto called for Rui and Ryuely to gather by the reflection pool and to bring Shuza along with a group of the best mages. The trail he had been looking for had finally been revealed to him by his own wife, a fact he felt immense pride over. It meant she was fighting to get back just as hard as he had been to find her.
When the connection cut suddenly, he felt the sharp burst of pain from her side and a burning rage added to the flame of energy their connection gave him. Someone would die this day, he would ensure it.
He stepped into the water, feeling the eyes of those around as they waited for the moment he called to act. All of them were eager to bring their Queen home and to prove they would do anything to keep their lands safe.
"Ryuely, you felt it, too."
"Yes," she nodded, closing her eyes. "The Lady Yumemi has somehow opened a path for us to find her. We just need to follow what she has granted us."
"Open the mirror and enhance my sight in the vision as you have been doing. I will find her," he vowed. This would be the final chance they had.
She held her arm out and the water leapt up to form the reflective surface of her mirror. It swirled around the edges and splashed in a chaotic dance of liquid. "There is a darkness that surrounds her, hiding the path to her light and where she is."
"All I need is to reach her. I will find her location after that." He was determined. The need to find and bring her home overwhelmed the need to punish those who harmed her, but once she was safe…there would be no mercy. Not this time.
He gazed deeply into the mirror and felt his mind get pulled into it.
Complete darkness enveloped him as it had in the dream when she reached out to him. His glow illuminated the area around him, but he was the only source of light he saw. There was nothing to direct him to a path, and if he began going in a random direction, he could potentially lose her. Instead, he reached out for what he searched for. Yumemi
Silence answered him. A frown pulled at his lips. Yumemi, answer me. I need you to hear my voice.
Again, only silence.
Had they already lost the only glimpse of hope they had?
No…he would not allow it!
Yumemi! You must hear me!
In the distance, a soft glow began to appear. It was faint, but the soft blue color that reflected her soul caught his attention immediately. Yumemi…I need to know where you are. Can you show me the path?
The light shivered slightly, but remained where it was in the darkness. He frowned and began moving towards it.
Can you reach out to me? Let me see you.
As he reached her light it floated up before him and he noticed how small her flame actually was. It reminded him of when she undertook the trial before the final battle and he thought he would lose her then to her own self-doubts.
Now, seeing the struggling flame trying to stay alight, his fears of losing her came forward once more. Yumemi, I am here. Let me in.
His hands cupped the flame gently and brought it close to his chest. Whatever strength he could share of his own, he poured into the flame carefully. He knew not her condition and did not want to risk hurting her if he gave too much.
Slowly, the darkness began to diminish and the surroundings blurred until he stood in a facility similar to the interior of a ship he had seen several times during the war. This one looked old, with remodeling evident in many corridors. An old war ship. He would use one to keep his ego up.
The flame in his hands shivered, and he felt it pull him further along the halls. Now he knew she was in a ship, but he needed to know where it was. Is there anything you have seen to give you an idea where you are?
Slowly, they walked through the halls until he stepped by a cell. It was dark, and though he could not see anyone, he heard voices talking back and forth. He listened carefully knowing she would not have shown him this if it was not important.
"I don't understand, how have we not been found yet? We are literally right by the kingdom! The commander sure has some balls," a guard appeared, sitting at a table that had been set up by the cell.
"From what I heard, this plan has been in the works for a while. Some hot-shot lord is pulling all the shots. Damn, um, what do you say again?" Another guard appeared at the same table. They had cards between them.
"Go fish," the other guard answered, rubbing his chin. "Still, we are right under their nose. Even with the barrier, they wouldn't get suspicious? Do you have a seven?"
"Go fish. Nah, like I said, years in the making. I heard they were making a bunch of the outcropping islands disappear and reappear. It happened so much, they just stopped looking into it. How about a queen?"
"I got one in the cell," they both laughed before they slowly disappeared from the vision. His chest clenched. The outlining islands? She had been there the whole time?
He nearly pulled back from the vision then so he could take his men there to find her, but a scream caught his attention. The flame shook and nearly went out. There was one more thing she had to show him.
Panic gripped him and he took off towards the sound. This would have been her memories and current thoughts, there would be nothing he could do to help her, but the desperation he felt to do so, to save her from what hell she had been thrown into took over.
They came to a room and he hurried inside, just to halt in his tracks at the sight. Everything inside of him gripped in horror at the scene of his precious wife in the state she was showing him.
Crystals had grown all over the room, all failed attempts to crystalize her power, as Gntarl had once tried previously when they were younger. But instead of giving up, he had done it so many times the crystals had caused the whole room to be filled.
Yet, that was not the worst of it. Her body was held suspended up in the air and Gntarl had a staff stabbed into her chest. The pure Akuto energy he felt from the glow from the weapon warned him that somehow, they had taken it right from her.
The vision quickly shifted and melted away to the darkness again. The flame caught again, flickering. Yumemi, I know where you are. I am coming. He brought the flame to his forehead and pushed more of his own strength into her. Wait for me. I will be there.
…Munto…
Her voice was weak, and he knew he had to hurry. I am coming. He kissed the flame gently and regretfully pulled himself from the vision, but he kept the connection with a steel grip inside his heart.
Standing from the water, he glanced around at his men, then to the floating islands in the distance. He felt her there…
"Tsk…Follow me, we are getting her back now."
They all took up into the air, following his lead without questioning.
###
"How do you think we should do this?"
Voices came to her as consciousness slowly came back, but she paid little attention. Instead, she took in the comfort in the warmth she had felt from the vision. It was still there, building in strength, but she could not harness any of it…not with the cuff on her ankle.
"I don't know, I've never killed a royal before. Maybe…stab her?"
Her breath caught. That's right. Gntarl had come to the cell shortly after she had been brought there. His last order was for her death…how much time had passed since then?
She felt the pain all over her body along with the pulsing where she had been stabbed. The area felt wet, but the needles in her limbs sent spasms each time she tried to move to touch it.
"That's too boring." There was a pause. "I could choke her."
"What?"
"You know, strangle her. Wrap my hands around her throat and squeeze until there is no more life in the body. I have always wanted to do that to a woman. This is my chance."
"Everyone has such weird fetishes…Just be quick, the Commander will be back shortly, I'm sure."
Her body quivered. They spoke of her as if she was just a task to complete, not a person who deserved to live. Anger and humiliation pooled in her gut. How dare they!
"What are you doing?"
"None of your business," one of the guards hissed. "I just want to get a little security out of this. Do you know how much someone would be willing to pay for an Akuto Inhibitor? I managed to snag the key off one of the techs after a little broom closet fun."
A shadow fell over her and she manage to open an eye before pressure pressed on her stomach. Hands wrapped around her neck before she had a chance to do anything and they squeezed so tight, she feared they would break her.
Panic brought her senses back and she clawed at the arms above her. Pain be damned!
Her chest burned, aching for air her mouth desperately wanted to take in.
The sadistic pleasure he had on his face horrified her especially as she felt his fingers dig into her flesh harder.
Munto was coming for her, she had to stay alive! She closed her eyes, feeling tears of desperation, anger, and hopelessness wet her face.
Click
Power surged through her as the cuff fell off. It felt almost as good as a lung full of air.
Her eyes snapped open and her green orbs shown brightly with golden flecks. Needles ripped out of her limbs and embedded themselves into the face and necks of the two guards above her without any warning.
A moment of silence filled the cell, their bodies caught in their final moments before they slumped over to the ground, dead.
She pushed herself up to sit, gripping her neck and coughed as she tried to get air in her lungs again. Grimacing, she felt the bruises already, and her throat felt swollen. It had already felt raw from screaming, now she had to deal with this, too.
Once she had steadied her breathing as best as she could, she pushed herself to her feet. The flow of Akuto filled her, strengthened by the connection through Munto, and helped her push down the pain and weakness she felt.
Focusing her will, the rest of the needles were pulled from her of body by the magic. The needles hovered above her head like missiles ready to be sent out against the enemy. Finally, she would finally pay them back for what they did to her and her child.
Taking a step towards the cell door, she the staff came to mind.
No…revenge was not what she needed to focus on, even in her anger. Munto would be in danger if he faced Gntarl while that staff was still in play. She had to keep him safe.
Looking at the bars that had kept her trap, her eyes narrowed and her body began to glow.
An explosion sent tremors through the ship and sent the wall of bars into the opposite wall. From the dust, she carefully walked out of her cell, a hand covering the wound in her chest.
Guards began running towards the commotion, wondering if the King of the Magical Kingdom had finally found them. But to their surprise, they instead found the prisoner walking on her own.
"What the—" The cell door screamed as it was torn from the destroyed wall and slammed into one of the guards, crushing him against the wall.
Behind him, another group of soldiers halted in their tracks as the wall of bars itself was hurled at them faster than they could react. The force of it sent them and the bars through the wall and out into the sunlight, across a field of grass outside.
Wind and sunlight came through the newly created gap and she felt a moment of peace to see the outside world once more. The urge to feel the sun against her skin and grass between her toes almost made her take a step towards the opening.
Almost.
She turned from the warm sunlight to search out the threat to her husband and home.
Bare feet padded down the halls leaving a trail of bloody footprints as she felt the Akuto that had been pulled from her. While the illusion had done nothing to hide the power the staff now held, it proved to her that Gntarl was so far gone he could only see the power he craved.
And now, as she came upon the door to the bridge where she felt the power, she planned to give him exactly what he wanted.
The door slid open and she stepped inside without hesitation. Large screens filled the cavernous room, yet only a small group stood huddled around a small screen. Gntarl and his guards turned as a group of face her.
"What—"
Before they could react, the remaining needles that hovered above her shot out and embedded themselves into the forehead of each of the guards. They dropped to the ground around their commander and left him to deal with the wrathful woman alone.
"Gntarl," she called to him, her voice rough and hoarse from the abuse. An invisible tempest snapped her hair around that gave her and her eyes narrowed. "As the Queen of the Heavens, Queen of the Magical Kingdom, and the Woman of Destiny, I declare your life forfeit. No mercy shall be given to you this day."
He gripped the staff tightly and stared at her in shock. All this power had been in his grasp, but she refused to give any of it to him. Even when he had forced it from her, it disappeared without a trace!
He took a threatening step towards her, not caring about the soldiers at his feet or her violent display before him. "You show your full strength now? I will remove you from this realm myself!"
He aimed the staff and shot a void charge at her, which she easily avoided. Phasing out of sight, she appeared right next to him floating in the air.
Startled, he stumbled back, but she reached out and grabbed the staff with her hands with one firmly on the crystal container.
They struggled between each other as he tried to pull the staff out of her grip, but she refused to give up, allowing him to pull her around in the air.
The container was nearly bursting with energy. If she could fill it beyond capacity…Energy began to flow from her and into the crystal container. Cracks began to appear, which she could feel under her hand, and the illusion of it being empty faded away.
He paused, staring at the illumination as the Akuto shined brightly from the staff. The power…it was back! This was his moment!
A shudder rippled through the shaft, one they both felt keenly through their hands. Their eyes locked, one in sheer determination, the other in sudden concern as the crystal took its final crack and shattered.
Splinters erupted through the whole of the weapon and a pressure greater than either could have known released a wave of energy that blasted them back.
"Yumemi!"
Arms wrapped around her, catching her before she could collide with the wall. Air passed by them as they slid across the floor before finally coming to a stop.
Warmth pressed against her cold skin. Ragged breaths and an erratic heartbeat filled her ears as she felt herself being lifted up in familiar arms. "Munto…"
"I'm here," he kissed her forehead, though his eyes never left the man across the room he deemed a threat. "I am here."
A soft sob escaped her. Such relief fell over her body that a weight seemed to lift from her.
"Shh, no more harm will come to you," he vowed. "Shuza will take care of you while I finish your fight. You won't be far from me."
She nodded, feeling the heaviness of her exhaustion begin to overwhelm her. The staff was destroyed, Munto was safe…taking a final, struggled breath, she finally allowed herself to let go and let him take over.
