An Unforgiving Past and An Uncertain Future
Disclaimers: You know the drill. I only own the characters that came from my imagination, and not from Ubi Soft or someone else's daydreams. The fancharacters named Donnia "Nia" Starhunter and Rex "Drac" Skyler are copyrighted by Ryoko D, who gave me permission to use them. If you sue me, you'll only get a bag of stale gummy bears and seventy five cents.
Notes: This chapter will focus mainly on Morphina's plans and the dark secret that one of her Commanders hold. It's longer than the other two. Please don't complain. -__-
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It's close to Midnight,
And something evil's lurking in the dark.
Under the moonlight,
You see a sight that almost stops your heart.
---Thriller---
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"Why are we seeing Morphina instead of following the zombie-slayer girl and slay her by ourselves?" The mismatched group of cloak, wolf, zombie, and human were now in the security of Morphina's hideout. It took some rune- decoding, password-deciphering, and a lot of muddy swamp-wading, but luckily the group knew enough to pass Morphina's security. After all, they were among her most trusted commanders in her legion. The Agent beside Freya glared at her with sharp, yellow eyes. "We know where the girl is heading for. Morphina recalled us here for our next commands. You should use that brain of yours once in a while!"
They stood in front of the entrance, waiting to be escorted by the usual pack of spell-bound slaves to Morphina's Lair. Unlike most hordes, Morphina's army never settled into one place for very long, mostly to throw off her enemies from tracking her down. At this moment of time, Morphina and her followers resided in a tall dead oak in the middle of the Bayou. On the outside it looked like an ordinary tree, but a whole army of zombies, slaves, captives, and followers waited for their next order. Faint pulses of magic protected the temporary fortress from sudden attacks and the foul decay of the Bayou. "Morphina lives in a tree?" Davis obviously didn't know about how Morphina ran things, but he did know how to undo Freya's bandanas. A quick slap across the face for badmouthing Morphina and another bandana across his mouth was his only answer.
Right after Freya was finished tying the bandana around the hapless kid's mouth, a group of spell-bound creatures greeted them led by a free-willing worker. The spell-bound creatures included some humans, orcs, and swamp snakes; the usual working squad in these conditions. The commander of the spell-bound creatures was a frog like Globox, only his skin was a deep black instead of the bright blue that Globox was. "Any new reports, Commander?" Freya asked casually. The frog shook his head. "The usual stuff, Freya. Nothing new happened, except that two of our slaves managed to break the servitude spell that Morphina cast upon them." Freya and Agent B.R. both looked shocked. Davis snickered quietly.
"Morphina's magic is foolproof! How can they have escaped?" Agent B.R. scowled. The frog commander shrugged. "Morphina had removed the spell from their minds for a short time. She hoped that the four months of servitude with her managed to beat her ways into their system. They were fine, for a while. After about five days, the two trouble-makers spring loose from their duty." "Did they take any hostages with them?" Freya asked. The commander shook his head once more. "No. They ran through the security system and just stole some rations for the trip. All of the commanders, including me, thought that they were in a hurry to get a job done. We knew how good they were at performing jobs in the past, servitude or otherwise." "What species were they, Commander?" Agent B.R. questioned. "They were human, and pretty good spell-casters also. *not as good as Morphina though* They zapped us with everything they had. Luckily, Morphina managed to put out the fires they caused with their magic."
Agent B.R. shrugged. "Ah well, accidents happen. They won't survive in these swamp conditions; no need to track them down!" With a quick laugh, the discussion was brushed aside a little too hasty for comfort. The Commander frog gave the signal, and the escorts led the bounty hunters to where Morphina was staying at the moment. They traveled under a single knothole carved large enough to fit a young dragon, but it still looked natural enough to throw off trackers. Inside, the tree was carved with many different knotches and levels like a skyscraper made of wood. Underneath the group's feet was the dungeon, where captives not yet spell-bound were kept. To their left was a large colony of spiral staircases that acted like the elevators for the skyscraper in the tree. One led down, while the rest led up. The staircases were big enough for seven humans traveling side-to- side to walk down without bumping into the walls. To their right was the food storage. It reeked of beef jerky and fruit, but it was enough to feed everyone in the army and more.
"Come with me." The frog instructed. Freya and Agent B.R. nodded, and the servitude bound slaves along with their masters hurried up the spiral stairs through several levels of the tree. They had past nine levels when they finally reached Morphina's room. Her room that she stayed in consisted of a large table, some shackles hanging on the wall, a few candles, and some living chickens in a coop for sacrificial and zombie chicken purposes. Davis could easily tell that she was the power behind the army the moment he saw her. Davis couldn't tell whether the human spell-caster form that she took was her true form or just a disguise. If it was a disguise, it was a pretty darn good one. She stood tall and proud, with smooth black hair that trailed down her spine like smooth silk. Her clothes were of the dark purple robes that most spell-casters wear. Her eyes were a dark purple, hidden under long lashes. For some odd trick of the light, every shadow in the room surrounded her feet like a loyal puppy waiting for its next orders.
"I'm been expecting you two, Freya and Agent B.R." Morphina's voice was seductive and beautiful, the kind that made hearts melt. The three commanders, Freya, Agent B.R., and the frog, bowed down to her on one knee. The captives under the spell, excluding Freya's zombie chickens, did the same thing. Davis watched wide-eyed as Morphina paced quietly towards Freya's bounty. He watched as Morphina traveled across the room until she was standing only a few feet in front of him. The zombie chickens holding him cackled in approval as their true master stopped before them. Morphina examined Davis like a butcher would examine a piece of meat. A sadistic grin spread across her face. Not a good sign for Davis.
"I can read your mind, boy. You are worried about your sister Ivy." Morphina's casual voice made a shiver run down Davis's spine. He trembled slightly in fear and tension as Morphina ordered the zombies to let him go with a quick hand movement. Everyone, including the zombies and captives, backed away like frightened hens as Morphina gently got a hold on Davis's arm and dragged him to the shackles hanging alongside the wall like pieces of dangling rope. She hooked his ankles to the bottom shackles, and his wrists to the top shackles. They kept him secure in place. "I may not have mind-reading powers as focused as Jano," Morphina spat out the name like it was sour to her taste buds. "but I can sense your anger and fear for me. I heard from Freya and Agent B.R. that you are Rosemary's son. Am I correct?"
Davis knew that Morphina already knew the answer, but he nodded solemnly anyways. "That means that you are a zombie-tamer. I can taste your power flowing through you. You have potential, kid. Sadly, you didn't learn from your mother about how to focus your powers enough to cause a threat to me." She ran a blood-colored fingernail down his cheek. It managed to draw blood but Davis didn't cry out, instead he merely glared at Morphina in rage. If looks could kill, Davis would've caused a massacre in the room. "Your rage against me is alarming for a young boy. You have spunk, kid."
"Morphina," Freya called out. "When will you tell us your next orders?" Morphina turned her head to the white furred wolf. Her eyes flashed a dark blue in amusement. "After I'm finished with this boy, Freya. You can wait in downstairs in your bedroom until I send for you again." "But the girl!" "The girl will have to rest during the night sooner or later. 'Only a fool would walk through the marshes at night' the wive's tale tells. That's when we strike. You two deserve the rest anyways." At her words, Freya, and Agent B.R. left the room. The captives and the frog commander followed, leaving Davis alone with only Morphina and the sacrificial chickens for company. He felt sweat slide down his spine as she paced in front of him like a caged leopard.
"You're a very lucky boy, Davis. At first, I was going to kill you and feed my zombies with your carcass, but now I see the potential in you." Davis glared at her, his eyes sparkling red with rage. "You're gonna use me against Ivy in your plot! You already killed my parents! What else do you need to do to us?" This shout out only caused Morphina to smile even wider, showing animal-like canines. "I didn't kill your mother, Davis. I've enslaved her and zapped her of her powers." "How can you, you evil witch? Mom's magic runs in her blood!" Davis shouted again. "I have many powers you don't know I have. If I focus enough energy in a single given time, I can do amazing things to people. I bet Rosemary can't summon her magic in the state she's in." Davis gazed at her wide-eyed.
"You.....didn't..." Davis started, but the words couldn't form under his mouth. Morphina giggled like a cheerful schoolgirl. "Now that the small talk is finished, time to make do with you." She placed a freshly scented hand on top of Davis's forehead. Davis gasped inwardly was he felt his body become numb. Morphina was binding his soul to her orders, just like what she did to everyone else. Magical electricity surged through his veins as Morphina performed her spell. Blood trickled down his nostrils and ears like someone had hit him with lightning. Suddenly, Davis felt all of his senses dim. His eyesight blurred, his hearing faded, and all of his thoughts vanished completely. One command was forced into his head; 'You must obey me'. Davis tried to force the thought away, but his senses wouldn't respond. They felt like they no longer belonged to him. Morphina undid the shackles with fast reflexes. She needed to test out the binding spell before she gave him more orders.
"Come to me." Morphina replied. Davis paused, his mind trying to fight the spell, but his body didn't listen. He took a few steps towards Morphina and stopped to stand only a few inches in front of her. Morphina was pleased. Her servitude spells never failed. "Tell me about Ivy. What does she look like?" Her voice was commanding. Davis didn't resist the spell this time. He told her the answer in complete monotone. "She has green eyes, long red hair, and she has a slight tan. She's also very tall and skinny." Morphina quickly took notes inwardly as she heard the information. She wasn't chasing a mere descendant named Ivy anymore. Now, she had a mental picture of what she looked like.
Freya and Agent B.R. will have no problems tracking her down anymore.
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Freya sat herself down on the warm bed sheets in her 'bedroom', which was really nothing more than tree space reserved for Morphina's best commanders to sleep in instead of sleeping in the musty dungeons like the prisoners and spell-bound captives. The place consisted of some scattered moldy bunk beds and some portable tents. Freya happened to share a tattered bunk bed with her partner Agent B.R. Her partner was now taking a short nap on the top bunk to restore his energy, still wearing his forest cloak. She watched the other commanders go by with their chores impassively as she carved a sculpture out of a piece of wood with her hunting dagger. It didn't have a shape, but it gave her paws something to do. Her three zombie chickens cackled from their post next to the bed as they watched her. Without orders, they were as docile as kittens. Freya ignored her pets as she stripped the wood with her dagger.
"You seem tense." Freya dropped the shapeless wood in surprise. Agent B.R. was standing near her. She hated it when he performed his sleuth tricks against her just to see her jump in fright. "No, I'm not tense! I'm just bored, that's all. I'm sick and tired of waiting for Morphina's orders." She sheathed the dagger with one fluid movement of her paw and glared at the Agent with angry brown eyes. There was a silence between them for about five heartbeats, with only the bored clicks the zombie chickens made being the only sound. Freya finally broke the silence.
"How come you never take that cloak off? It's not like you have nothing to hide under there." Freya asked, not having anything better to do. Agent B.R. backed away from her as if she had just said something horrible. Judging from the movement of his body, the Agent was offended. Freya smiled. She never saw Agent B.R. act offended or scared ever since she first met him. She felt kind of sorry for bringing the subject up, but her wild side took this as an opportunity to have some fun. The wild side won in the end.
"Come on, Agent B.R! Show me what you're hiding!" she pleaded like a little child. Agent B.R. stood his ground. Some of their roommates looked up from their work and towards their direction in surprise. "Cut it out, Freya! It's not funny!" Agent B.R. shouted. Freya's chicken zombies and some more of the commanders suddenly became interested in the little feud that Freya created. Freya's eyes danced with laughter at the sight of Agent B.R. refusing. To her, this was oodles of fun. Agent B.R. slightly wanted to unsheathe his hunting knife but wounding Freya with a knife would only make Morphina and the other commanders mad. He had to spare his dignity while Freya threw hers away.
"Let me see what you're hiding!" With amazing speed, Freya leapt from the bed and pinned Agent B.R. to the ground before he could react. At this point of time, Freya's little game caught the attention of everyone in the room. Spell-bound captives, zombies, and commanders alike watched the pair. Freya didn't notice the gathering crowd. With a quick sweep, she yanked the cloak off of Agent B.R. and revealed what he was really hiding. The room became silent; even the zombies and the spell-bound captives ceased every noise. Silence hung in the room like a bad odor.
Freya froze and immediately felt stupid for her actions. Agent B.R. looked exactly like Rayman, except for major color differences. His hair was a reddish purple and his skin had a sickening grey tone to it. He wore an outfit and a bandana that was exactly like Rayman's, complete with the white oval marking, only his outfit was dark-blue instead of purple and his bandana was purple. His eyes were a glowing pupiless yellow color and were the kind that would mesmerize anyone who stared into them for too long. He even wore white gloves on his hands and light blue sneakers on his feet like Rayman. Freya got off of him slowly, moving like she was in a trance.
"Agent B.R....I never meant to..." Freya tried to explain to her friend, but her words echoed off the wooden walls without an answer. Agent B.R. rose from where Freya had knocked him down, but he didn't pay her any notice. Instead, he got up to grab his cloak from where Freya dropped it. Everyone in the room backed away, wondering if Agent B.R. had the same explosive powers as his counterpart. Freya watched from where she was now rooted on the ground as her partner glanced around the bedroom to see who saw them. When he saw that every commander on the floor had seen them, he turned his head to Freya. He glared at her with menacing yellow eyes. Freya and his eyes met. There was an angry silence that lasted for about seven heartbeats. He was going to kill her for this.
Every commander that watched them began to file out of the room. Now that they knew Agent B.R.'s true identity, he was now labeled as dangerous as a lit fuse in a room of dynamite. The more blood-thirsty commanders filed out rather reluctantly but others forced the lingering ones out. The servitude captives ran with their masters, and the zombie chickens, being bound by the necks with chains, did their best to hide themselves from view. It was only Freya and Agent B.R. in the room. "Why did you do that?" Agent B.R. hissed, his voice laced with liquid venom and a small hint of grief. "My reputation is ruined because of you." Freya started to scoot away from her partner as she saw him curl both hands into fists. He was going to kill her right here on the spot, all because of a little game she played all out of boredom. She cursed her foolishness out loud. But, instead of feeling the fiery pain of someone hitting her with their fists, she only heard some choked sobs. Freya got out from her unladylike stance to see why he wasn't beating her into a bloody pulp. She saw the answer. As much as Freya had hurt him just a few moments ago, even Agent B.R. drew the line at violence he dealt. Hurting the white wolf-furry would only lower his rank even further, and maybe even cost him his free will.
"I'm sorry, Agen-" "Don't call me that anymore! Just call me by my real name, Bad-Rayman, now. Now you know why I don't take the cloak off, you stupid animal." Agent B.R. choked out. He was hanging his head low. Geez, Freya thought, that stupid cloak meant his whole reputation to him. I've hurt him bad. "Bad-Rayman? You mean, you're the supposed clone of Rayman that Mr. Dark created quite a few years ago?" Bad-Rayman nodded. He was now sitting on the floor, hugging his cloak towards him like an infant holding its favorite blanket. "But, Rayman supposedly destroyed Bad-Rayman so many years ago after he destroyed Mr. Dark. Why are you still alive?"
"When Mr. Dark created me so many years ago, he designed me to be nothing more than a puppet used to defeat Rayman once and for all. He made sure that I shared the same brain waves as him. I felt his feelings, knew just what he was thinking, and even shared his memories. When Rayman defeated me, Mr. Dark just forgot about me like a kid's used toy. Mr. Dark's early defeat gave me my own will. Sure, everything I shared with Rayman disappeared, but I was just glad to be rid of him. After Rayman saved the world, he had shared the story of the battle against his 'shadow'. Soon, I was known as 'Rayman's shadow', making people avoid me like a plague. I couldn't go living without everybody avoiding me, so I acquired a cloak. When I had a cloak, everyone pretty much ignored my presence. I learned to use a knife and how to sneak around just in case somebody wanted to steal from me. More time passed, and I ran into Morphina in the middle of a dark alley. She seemed to sense my horrible past. She even promised me a place where I could leave without fear of revealment. Four months later, you arrived and she assigned us to be partners. But, once everyone in Morphina's legion know that I'm Rayman's 'shadow', we probably won't be partners anymore. I probably won't even have my free will anymore. My reputation's ruined." Freya listened to his whole life story from her spot on the floor. Despite all this, she tried to cheer him up.
"Your reputation doesn't matter, as long as you have me." Freya stated cheerfully. "Morphina doesn't care what in Polokus's name you are, she only gets mad if you don't do your job. You need to stop worrying about your past and get a hold of your future." "If I have a future..." "Come on, Agen- *cough*-Bad-Rayman, you're not acting like yourself. You used to not care about anything. If Morphina see you worrying now while we're so close to victory, she'll dig you an early grave." Freya held out her paw and pulled Bad-Rayman from his seat on the ground. "Put back on the silly cloak. Something tells me that most of the commanders don't have a sharp memory anyways. By tomorrow, this whole little scenario will be forgotten." Bad- Rayman smiled at her warmly.
"You're right, Freya. I shouldn't hang over my past." He slipped on the cloak as quick as possible. The cloak didn't give him the mysterious edge he once had, but it did keep his appearance hidden like always. Freya undid the bounds to the neck collars of her zombies. The two partners were tired of waiting, so they were going to get a head-start on their work, orders or no orders.
"Besides, we have a girl to capture!"
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"Tell me about this Jano guy. Is he....pleasant?" Ivy hopped from one rotten log to another, following Rayman with the dexterity of a antelope. Rayman, needless to say, was amused at Ivy's acrobats over the piranha- infested waters. They were now at the entrance of the Cave of Bad Dreams. It wouldn't be long before they met Jano, the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams. Ivy was excited, but she didn't want to run into someone with a bad temper after being assaulted by Rayman earlier. Sssam slithered close behind Rayman, angry that his friend had to side with a human girl that tried to gut him like a fish. He hissed in half-anger half-suspicion as they continued up the large tree root that led to the entrance.
"He's pleasant, once you get to know him. Whatever you do, don't try to upset him." Rayman answered to Ivy. Ivy jumped off a sinking piece of driftwood to land right beside Rayman. Sssam rolled his eyes, but said nothing more. "Oh I see. He's a lot like you." This comment made Rayman blush slightly. "Erm...Yes, in a way. Just don't get him angry. Believe me, once he's angry, he could snap you like a twig." Ivy felt a shiver run down her spine at this statement. Great, Ivy thought. I'm going to meet someone with a lot of strength to spare.
The odd trio passed under a knothole in the tree, leading into the Entrance of the Cave of Bad Dreams. Ivy stood by the entrance in shock of what she saw before them. She thought that she had stepped into a nightmare. "Yiiiiikes!!!!" Ivy lost all shred of courage as she stood face-to-face with Jano. She had expected him to be some wise old hermit, not some round green creature with a skull-headed staff, a purple top hat, a mouth full of gleaming sharp teeth, and a single yellow eye. Ivy quickly hid behind Rayman and Sssam. Rayman turned his head to meet the shivering teenager behind him.
"T-That's Jano?" squeaked Ivy. Rayman answered with a nod and a plain yes. At this comment, Ivy got up from her cowardiance position. This is perfect, Ivy thought to herself, Jano is a cyclopic monster. She turned to face Jano, the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams. He seemed to be amused, fanged mouth turned to a ghoulish grin. He must get this a lot, Ivy concluded, as she noticed a decaying sign hanging near them that said 'Tourism is not advised'. Ivy tried to not break down as she came closer cautiously. She could hear Sssam snicker behind her. You're going to get it snake, Ivy growled under her breath.
"Hello." Ivy started. She felt bile rise in her throat, making it almost impossible to talk. She didn't trust a full set of sharp teeth so close to her. My name's-" "Ivy." Jano finished before Ivy did, his voice deep and coarse. Ivy jumped. She could hear Sssam burst into fits of laughter behind her. "How did you know that?" Ivy whimpered. "I can read minds. It saves a lot of discussion time, and its fun to creep out the tourists." Jan replied as-a-matter-of-factly.
"You've come to strengthen a power you didn't even know you had until just this morning. I'm sorry to hear that Rosemary's dead though. She was a good friend of mine." the Guardian knew every thought that ran through Ivy's head. Ivy felt so exposed under Jano's power. I wonder if I get mind powers like that, Ivy questioned to herself. "No you don't. Mind reading and soul- binding are two different types of magic." "Quit doing that!" Ivy shouted. Mind-reading can give unneccessary detail. "I'm here to focus my powers, not to have my mind read!"
"Sorry. It's kind of a bad habit I formed over the years. A whole bunch of free-loaders have been coming around lately, trying to get their own share of the treasure that I keep within the Cave of Bad Dreams." Jano apologized. Rayman remembered the huge piles of gold and jewels Jano kept in there, and the temptation he experienced that almost cost Rayman his journey. Ivy had heard about the piles of treasure from her mother, so she had a good mental picture as well. "How am I going to defeat Morphina? Even you couldn't beat her, and she has a whole army to spare. I'm just one little girl with some magic I don't even know how to use."
"Razorbeard had a whole army against Rayman, but that didn't stop him from reaching his goal. If you learn how to use your powers to destroy the mind hold Morphina has over her whole army, then you can defeat her. However, I received news that some of her army members aren't even spell-bound. They are called Commanders, due to the fact that they give commands to their own little group of spell-bound creatures that Morphina loans them. I warn you of them because usually they are the most mischievous little weasels that you'll ever come across in your whole life." Ivy listened as intently as when she was home-schooled by her Mother about the many advantages of plants in the marshes. "Trust me, I'll teach you how to use your powers as fast as Rayman escaped from Razorbeard's pirate ship." "That took about three days, Jano." "Exactly! I can't teach her first-class powers in under five minutes, you know."
"Then we need to get started then!" Ivy replied. "No one knows when Morphina will strike, and it may be as early as tonight!" She didn't add that her family could've already been attacked, but she knew that Jano already knew what she was thinking. "You're right, Ivy. We need to train you as fast as humanly possible. We will train in the Cave of Bad Dreams." Jano told her.
"Wait a minute! Who will watch the Cave while you're in it?" Sssam, feeling left out, called out. "It's simple, really. We'll watch it, Sssam." Rayman answered. The two friends were soon standing at the entrance of the Cave of Bad Dreams, taking on the responsibility that Jano once had for a little while. They turned to watch Jano lead Ivy into a portal that will take her to the Cave of Bad Dreams, where she will focus her power to beat Morphina. Ivy turned to wave to her friends, Rayman mostly, before she entered the portal.
Now, life seemed fair once again for Ivy.
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As they watched the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams and Ivy Thorn enter the portal and disappear, Rayman and his friend failed to notice the two muddy figures that glided through the marshes' waters with the stealth that could make tigers jealous. It wasn't until they turned about face to guard the entrance when they saw the two shapes caked with mud try to pull themselves out of the marshes' waters by trying hopelessly to pull themselves onto the root that led into the entrance. Rayman and Sssam, seeing them as friends, ran to help them. Rayman gripped onto one of the figure's shoulders and pulled him onto dry land, while Sssam actually dove into the water to push the other figure onto the tree root. Rayman tried to examine their features, but they were too dirty to see anything. Their clothes were torn and looked like they struggled against many different creatures.
"What do you think they are, Rayman?" Sssam asked. Rayman bent closer to look at them. They were human, and judging from their state, they fought with their lives to get here. Suddenly, one of the dirty figures started to cough violently while the other stayed unconsious. Rayman took this a time to question him.
"Who are you?" Rayman asked plainly. The one still awake managed to choke out these words before he fell into the same deep sleep his partner was in.
"Morphina will attack this place tomorrow morning. Jano is in danger." And the figure fell into unconsiousness.
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End of Chapter 3
Argh! This chapter took forever to do! ^^ I hope my effort pleases you!
The two figures, which happen to be Ryoko D.'s fancharacters in case the Disclaimer didn't give you a heads-up, that Sssam and Rayman saved are going to be a lot more important in the following chapter. Please be patient to see what happens to them!
*in a announcer like voice* Will Davis escape the powers of the soul- binding spell Morphina cast upon him? Whatever happened to Rosemary? Will Ivy learn how to use her powers before Morphina strikes? Are the two unconsious figures friend or foe? All this and more in the next chapter!
Don't forget to review! _
Disclaimers: You know the drill. I only own the characters that came from my imagination, and not from Ubi Soft or someone else's daydreams. The fancharacters named Donnia "Nia" Starhunter and Rex "Drac" Skyler are copyrighted by Ryoko D, who gave me permission to use them. If you sue me, you'll only get a bag of stale gummy bears and seventy five cents.
Notes: This chapter will focus mainly on Morphina's plans and the dark secret that one of her Commanders hold. It's longer than the other two. Please don't complain. -__-
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It's close to Midnight,
And something evil's lurking in the dark.
Under the moonlight,
You see a sight that almost stops your heart.
---Thriller---
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"Why are we seeing Morphina instead of following the zombie-slayer girl and slay her by ourselves?" The mismatched group of cloak, wolf, zombie, and human were now in the security of Morphina's hideout. It took some rune- decoding, password-deciphering, and a lot of muddy swamp-wading, but luckily the group knew enough to pass Morphina's security. After all, they were among her most trusted commanders in her legion. The Agent beside Freya glared at her with sharp, yellow eyes. "We know where the girl is heading for. Morphina recalled us here for our next commands. You should use that brain of yours once in a while!"
They stood in front of the entrance, waiting to be escorted by the usual pack of spell-bound slaves to Morphina's Lair. Unlike most hordes, Morphina's army never settled into one place for very long, mostly to throw off her enemies from tracking her down. At this moment of time, Morphina and her followers resided in a tall dead oak in the middle of the Bayou. On the outside it looked like an ordinary tree, but a whole army of zombies, slaves, captives, and followers waited for their next order. Faint pulses of magic protected the temporary fortress from sudden attacks and the foul decay of the Bayou. "Morphina lives in a tree?" Davis obviously didn't know about how Morphina ran things, but he did know how to undo Freya's bandanas. A quick slap across the face for badmouthing Morphina and another bandana across his mouth was his only answer.
Right after Freya was finished tying the bandana around the hapless kid's mouth, a group of spell-bound creatures greeted them led by a free-willing worker. The spell-bound creatures included some humans, orcs, and swamp snakes; the usual working squad in these conditions. The commander of the spell-bound creatures was a frog like Globox, only his skin was a deep black instead of the bright blue that Globox was. "Any new reports, Commander?" Freya asked casually. The frog shook his head. "The usual stuff, Freya. Nothing new happened, except that two of our slaves managed to break the servitude spell that Morphina cast upon them." Freya and Agent B.R. both looked shocked. Davis snickered quietly.
"Morphina's magic is foolproof! How can they have escaped?" Agent B.R. scowled. The frog commander shrugged. "Morphina had removed the spell from their minds for a short time. She hoped that the four months of servitude with her managed to beat her ways into their system. They were fine, for a while. After about five days, the two trouble-makers spring loose from their duty." "Did they take any hostages with them?" Freya asked. The commander shook his head once more. "No. They ran through the security system and just stole some rations for the trip. All of the commanders, including me, thought that they were in a hurry to get a job done. We knew how good they were at performing jobs in the past, servitude or otherwise." "What species were they, Commander?" Agent B.R. questioned. "They were human, and pretty good spell-casters also. *not as good as Morphina though* They zapped us with everything they had. Luckily, Morphina managed to put out the fires they caused with their magic."
Agent B.R. shrugged. "Ah well, accidents happen. They won't survive in these swamp conditions; no need to track them down!" With a quick laugh, the discussion was brushed aside a little too hasty for comfort. The Commander frog gave the signal, and the escorts led the bounty hunters to where Morphina was staying at the moment. They traveled under a single knothole carved large enough to fit a young dragon, but it still looked natural enough to throw off trackers. Inside, the tree was carved with many different knotches and levels like a skyscraper made of wood. Underneath the group's feet was the dungeon, where captives not yet spell-bound were kept. To their left was a large colony of spiral staircases that acted like the elevators for the skyscraper in the tree. One led down, while the rest led up. The staircases were big enough for seven humans traveling side-to- side to walk down without bumping into the walls. To their right was the food storage. It reeked of beef jerky and fruit, but it was enough to feed everyone in the army and more.
"Come with me." The frog instructed. Freya and Agent B.R. nodded, and the servitude bound slaves along with their masters hurried up the spiral stairs through several levels of the tree. They had past nine levels when they finally reached Morphina's room. Her room that she stayed in consisted of a large table, some shackles hanging on the wall, a few candles, and some living chickens in a coop for sacrificial and zombie chicken purposes. Davis could easily tell that she was the power behind the army the moment he saw her. Davis couldn't tell whether the human spell-caster form that she took was her true form or just a disguise. If it was a disguise, it was a pretty darn good one. She stood tall and proud, with smooth black hair that trailed down her spine like smooth silk. Her clothes were of the dark purple robes that most spell-casters wear. Her eyes were a dark purple, hidden under long lashes. For some odd trick of the light, every shadow in the room surrounded her feet like a loyal puppy waiting for its next orders.
"I'm been expecting you two, Freya and Agent B.R." Morphina's voice was seductive and beautiful, the kind that made hearts melt. The three commanders, Freya, Agent B.R., and the frog, bowed down to her on one knee. The captives under the spell, excluding Freya's zombie chickens, did the same thing. Davis watched wide-eyed as Morphina paced quietly towards Freya's bounty. He watched as Morphina traveled across the room until she was standing only a few feet in front of him. The zombie chickens holding him cackled in approval as their true master stopped before them. Morphina examined Davis like a butcher would examine a piece of meat. A sadistic grin spread across her face. Not a good sign for Davis.
"I can read your mind, boy. You are worried about your sister Ivy." Morphina's casual voice made a shiver run down Davis's spine. He trembled slightly in fear and tension as Morphina ordered the zombies to let him go with a quick hand movement. Everyone, including the zombies and captives, backed away like frightened hens as Morphina gently got a hold on Davis's arm and dragged him to the shackles hanging alongside the wall like pieces of dangling rope. She hooked his ankles to the bottom shackles, and his wrists to the top shackles. They kept him secure in place. "I may not have mind-reading powers as focused as Jano," Morphina spat out the name like it was sour to her taste buds. "but I can sense your anger and fear for me. I heard from Freya and Agent B.R. that you are Rosemary's son. Am I correct?"
Davis knew that Morphina already knew the answer, but he nodded solemnly anyways. "That means that you are a zombie-tamer. I can taste your power flowing through you. You have potential, kid. Sadly, you didn't learn from your mother about how to focus your powers enough to cause a threat to me." She ran a blood-colored fingernail down his cheek. It managed to draw blood but Davis didn't cry out, instead he merely glared at Morphina in rage. If looks could kill, Davis would've caused a massacre in the room. "Your rage against me is alarming for a young boy. You have spunk, kid."
"Morphina," Freya called out. "When will you tell us your next orders?" Morphina turned her head to the white furred wolf. Her eyes flashed a dark blue in amusement. "After I'm finished with this boy, Freya. You can wait in downstairs in your bedroom until I send for you again." "But the girl!" "The girl will have to rest during the night sooner or later. 'Only a fool would walk through the marshes at night' the wive's tale tells. That's when we strike. You two deserve the rest anyways." At her words, Freya, and Agent B.R. left the room. The captives and the frog commander followed, leaving Davis alone with only Morphina and the sacrificial chickens for company. He felt sweat slide down his spine as she paced in front of him like a caged leopard.
"You're a very lucky boy, Davis. At first, I was going to kill you and feed my zombies with your carcass, but now I see the potential in you." Davis glared at her, his eyes sparkling red with rage. "You're gonna use me against Ivy in your plot! You already killed my parents! What else do you need to do to us?" This shout out only caused Morphina to smile even wider, showing animal-like canines. "I didn't kill your mother, Davis. I've enslaved her and zapped her of her powers." "How can you, you evil witch? Mom's magic runs in her blood!" Davis shouted again. "I have many powers you don't know I have. If I focus enough energy in a single given time, I can do amazing things to people. I bet Rosemary can't summon her magic in the state she's in." Davis gazed at her wide-eyed.
"You.....didn't..." Davis started, but the words couldn't form under his mouth. Morphina giggled like a cheerful schoolgirl. "Now that the small talk is finished, time to make do with you." She placed a freshly scented hand on top of Davis's forehead. Davis gasped inwardly was he felt his body become numb. Morphina was binding his soul to her orders, just like what she did to everyone else. Magical electricity surged through his veins as Morphina performed her spell. Blood trickled down his nostrils and ears like someone had hit him with lightning. Suddenly, Davis felt all of his senses dim. His eyesight blurred, his hearing faded, and all of his thoughts vanished completely. One command was forced into his head; 'You must obey me'. Davis tried to force the thought away, but his senses wouldn't respond. They felt like they no longer belonged to him. Morphina undid the shackles with fast reflexes. She needed to test out the binding spell before she gave him more orders.
"Come to me." Morphina replied. Davis paused, his mind trying to fight the spell, but his body didn't listen. He took a few steps towards Morphina and stopped to stand only a few inches in front of her. Morphina was pleased. Her servitude spells never failed. "Tell me about Ivy. What does she look like?" Her voice was commanding. Davis didn't resist the spell this time. He told her the answer in complete monotone. "She has green eyes, long red hair, and she has a slight tan. She's also very tall and skinny." Morphina quickly took notes inwardly as she heard the information. She wasn't chasing a mere descendant named Ivy anymore. Now, she had a mental picture of what she looked like.
Freya and Agent B.R. will have no problems tracking her down anymore.
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Freya sat herself down on the warm bed sheets in her 'bedroom', which was really nothing more than tree space reserved for Morphina's best commanders to sleep in instead of sleeping in the musty dungeons like the prisoners and spell-bound captives. The place consisted of some scattered moldy bunk beds and some portable tents. Freya happened to share a tattered bunk bed with her partner Agent B.R. Her partner was now taking a short nap on the top bunk to restore his energy, still wearing his forest cloak. She watched the other commanders go by with their chores impassively as she carved a sculpture out of a piece of wood with her hunting dagger. It didn't have a shape, but it gave her paws something to do. Her three zombie chickens cackled from their post next to the bed as they watched her. Without orders, they were as docile as kittens. Freya ignored her pets as she stripped the wood with her dagger.
"You seem tense." Freya dropped the shapeless wood in surprise. Agent B.R. was standing near her. She hated it when he performed his sleuth tricks against her just to see her jump in fright. "No, I'm not tense! I'm just bored, that's all. I'm sick and tired of waiting for Morphina's orders." She sheathed the dagger with one fluid movement of her paw and glared at the Agent with angry brown eyes. There was a silence between them for about five heartbeats, with only the bored clicks the zombie chickens made being the only sound. Freya finally broke the silence.
"How come you never take that cloak off? It's not like you have nothing to hide under there." Freya asked, not having anything better to do. Agent B.R. backed away from her as if she had just said something horrible. Judging from the movement of his body, the Agent was offended. Freya smiled. She never saw Agent B.R. act offended or scared ever since she first met him. She felt kind of sorry for bringing the subject up, but her wild side took this as an opportunity to have some fun. The wild side won in the end.
"Come on, Agent B.R! Show me what you're hiding!" she pleaded like a little child. Agent B.R. stood his ground. Some of their roommates looked up from their work and towards their direction in surprise. "Cut it out, Freya! It's not funny!" Agent B.R. shouted. Freya's chicken zombies and some more of the commanders suddenly became interested in the little feud that Freya created. Freya's eyes danced with laughter at the sight of Agent B.R. refusing. To her, this was oodles of fun. Agent B.R. slightly wanted to unsheathe his hunting knife but wounding Freya with a knife would only make Morphina and the other commanders mad. He had to spare his dignity while Freya threw hers away.
"Let me see what you're hiding!" With amazing speed, Freya leapt from the bed and pinned Agent B.R. to the ground before he could react. At this point of time, Freya's little game caught the attention of everyone in the room. Spell-bound captives, zombies, and commanders alike watched the pair. Freya didn't notice the gathering crowd. With a quick sweep, she yanked the cloak off of Agent B.R. and revealed what he was really hiding. The room became silent; even the zombies and the spell-bound captives ceased every noise. Silence hung in the room like a bad odor.
Freya froze and immediately felt stupid for her actions. Agent B.R. looked exactly like Rayman, except for major color differences. His hair was a reddish purple and his skin had a sickening grey tone to it. He wore an outfit and a bandana that was exactly like Rayman's, complete with the white oval marking, only his outfit was dark-blue instead of purple and his bandana was purple. His eyes were a glowing pupiless yellow color and were the kind that would mesmerize anyone who stared into them for too long. He even wore white gloves on his hands and light blue sneakers on his feet like Rayman. Freya got off of him slowly, moving like she was in a trance.
"Agent B.R....I never meant to..." Freya tried to explain to her friend, but her words echoed off the wooden walls without an answer. Agent B.R. rose from where Freya had knocked him down, but he didn't pay her any notice. Instead, he got up to grab his cloak from where Freya dropped it. Everyone in the room backed away, wondering if Agent B.R. had the same explosive powers as his counterpart. Freya watched from where she was now rooted on the ground as her partner glanced around the bedroom to see who saw them. When he saw that every commander on the floor had seen them, he turned his head to Freya. He glared at her with menacing yellow eyes. Freya and his eyes met. There was an angry silence that lasted for about seven heartbeats. He was going to kill her for this.
Every commander that watched them began to file out of the room. Now that they knew Agent B.R.'s true identity, he was now labeled as dangerous as a lit fuse in a room of dynamite. The more blood-thirsty commanders filed out rather reluctantly but others forced the lingering ones out. The servitude captives ran with their masters, and the zombie chickens, being bound by the necks with chains, did their best to hide themselves from view. It was only Freya and Agent B.R. in the room. "Why did you do that?" Agent B.R. hissed, his voice laced with liquid venom and a small hint of grief. "My reputation is ruined because of you." Freya started to scoot away from her partner as she saw him curl both hands into fists. He was going to kill her right here on the spot, all because of a little game she played all out of boredom. She cursed her foolishness out loud. But, instead of feeling the fiery pain of someone hitting her with their fists, she only heard some choked sobs. Freya got out from her unladylike stance to see why he wasn't beating her into a bloody pulp. She saw the answer. As much as Freya had hurt him just a few moments ago, even Agent B.R. drew the line at violence he dealt. Hurting the white wolf-furry would only lower his rank even further, and maybe even cost him his free will.
"I'm sorry, Agen-" "Don't call me that anymore! Just call me by my real name, Bad-Rayman, now. Now you know why I don't take the cloak off, you stupid animal." Agent B.R. choked out. He was hanging his head low. Geez, Freya thought, that stupid cloak meant his whole reputation to him. I've hurt him bad. "Bad-Rayman? You mean, you're the supposed clone of Rayman that Mr. Dark created quite a few years ago?" Bad-Rayman nodded. He was now sitting on the floor, hugging his cloak towards him like an infant holding its favorite blanket. "But, Rayman supposedly destroyed Bad-Rayman so many years ago after he destroyed Mr. Dark. Why are you still alive?"
"When Mr. Dark created me so many years ago, he designed me to be nothing more than a puppet used to defeat Rayman once and for all. He made sure that I shared the same brain waves as him. I felt his feelings, knew just what he was thinking, and even shared his memories. When Rayman defeated me, Mr. Dark just forgot about me like a kid's used toy. Mr. Dark's early defeat gave me my own will. Sure, everything I shared with Rayman disappeared, but I was just glad to be rid of him. After Rayman saved the world, he had shared the story of the battle against his 'shadow'. Soon, I was known as 'Rayman's shadow', making people avoid me like a plague. I couldn't go living without everybody avoiding me, so I acquired a cloak. When I had a cloak, everyone pretty much ignored my presence. I learned to use a knife and how to sneak around just in case somebody wanted to steal from me. More time passed, and I ran into Morphina in the middle of a dark alley. She seemed to sense my horrible past. She even promised me a place where I could leave without fear of revealment. Four months later, you arrived and she assigned us to be partners. But, once everyone in Morphina's legion know that I'm Rayman's 'shadow', we probably won't be partners anymore. I probably won't even have my free will anymore. My reputation's ruined." Freya listened to his whole life story from her spot on the floor. Despite all this, she tried to cheer him up.
"Your reputation doesn't matter, as long as you have me." Freya stated cheerfully. "Morphina doesn't care what in Polokus's name you are, she only gets mad if you don't do your job. You need to stop worrying about your past and get a hold of your future." "If I have a future..." "Come on, Agen- *cough*-Bad-Rayman, you're not acting like yourself. You used to not care about anything. If Morphina see you worrying now while we're so close to victory, she'll dig you an early grave." Freya held out her paw and pulled Bad-Rayman from his seat on the ground. "Put back on the silly cloak. Something tells me that most of the commanders don't have a sharp memory anyways. By tomorrow, this whole little scenario will be forgotten." Bad- Rayman smiled at her warmly.
"You're right, Freya. I shouldn't hang over my past." He slipped on the cloak as quick as possible. The cloak didn't give him the mysterious edge he once had, but it did keep his appearance hidden like always. Freya undid the bounds to the neck collars of her zombies. The two partners were tired of waiting, so they were going to get a head-start on their work, orders or no orders.
"Besides, we have a girl to capture!"
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"Tell me about this Jano guy. Is he....pleasant?" Ivy hopped from one rotten log to another, following Rayman with the dexterity of a antelope. Rayman, needless to say, was amused at Ivy's acrobats over the piranha- infested waters. They were now at the entrance of the Cave of Bad Dreams. It wouldn't be long before they met Jano, the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams. Ivy was excited, but she didn't want to run into someone with a bad temper after being assaulted by Rayman earlier. Sssam slithered close behind Rayman, angry that his friend had to side with a human girl that tried to gut him like a fish. He hissed in half-anger half-suspicion as they continued up the large tree root that led to the entrance.
"He's pleasant, once you get to know him. Whatever you do, don't try to upset him." Rayman answered to Ivy. Ivy jumped off a sinking piece of driftwood to land right beside Rayman. Sssam rolled his eyes, but said nothing more. "Oh I see. He's a lot like you." This comment made Rayman blush slightly. "Erm...Yes, in a way. Just don't get him angry. Believe me, once he's angry, he could snap you like a twig." Ivy felt a shiver run down her spine at this statement. Great, Ivy thought. I'm going to meet someone with a lot of strength to spare.
The odd trio passed under a knothole in the tree, leading into the Entrance of the Cave of Bad Dreams. Ivy stood by the entrance in shock of what she saw before them. She thought that she had stepped into a nightmare. "Yiiiiikes!!!!" Ivy lost all shred of courage as she stood face-to-face with Jano. She had expected him to be some wise old hermit, not some round green creature with a skull-headed staff, a purple top hat, a mouth full of gleaming sharp teeth, and a single yellow eye. Ivy quickly hid behind Rayman and Sssam. Rayman turned his head to meet the shivering teenager behind him.
"T-That's Jano?" squeaked Ivy. Rayman answered with a nod and a plain yes. At this comment, Ivy got up from her cowardiance position. This is perfect, Ivy thought to herself, Jano is a cyclopic monster. She turned to face Jano, the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams. He seemed to be amused, fanged mouth turned to a ghoulish grin. He must get this a lot, Ivy concluded, as she noticed a decaying sign hanging near them that said 'Tourism is not advised'. Ivy tried to not break down as she came closer cautiously. She could hear Sssam snicker behind her. You're going to get it snake, Ivy growled under her breath.
"Hello." Ivy started. She felt bile rise in her throat, making it almost impossible to talk. She didn't trust a full set of sharp teeth so close to her. My name's-" "Ivy." Jano finished before Ivy did, his voice deep and coarse. Ivy jumped. She could hear Sssam burst into fits of laughter behind her. "How did you know that?" Ivy whimpered. "I can read minds. It saves a lot of discussion time, and its fun to creep out the tourists." Jan replied as-a-matter-of-factly.
"You've come to strengthen a power you didn't even know you had until just this morning. I'm sorry to hear that Rosemary's dead though. She was a good friend of mine." the Guardian knew every thought that ran through Ivy's head. Ivy felt so exposed under Jano's power. I wonder if I get mind powers like that, Ivy questioned to herself. "No you don't. Mind reading and soul- binding are two different types of magic." "Quit doing that!" Ivy shouted. Mind-reading can give unneccessary detail. "I'm here to focus my powers, not to have my mind read!"
"Sorry. It's kind of a bad habit I formed over the years. A whole bunch of free-loaders have been coming around lately, trying to get their own share of the treasure that I keep within the Cave of Bad Dreams." Jano apologized. Rayman remembered the huge piles of gold and jewels Jano kept in there, and the temptation he experienced that almost cost Rayman his journey. Ivy had heard about the piles of treasure from her mother, so she had a good mental picture as well. "How am I going to defeat Morphina? Even you couldn't beat her, and she has a whole army to spare. I'm just one little girl with some magic I don't even know how to use."
"Razorbeard had a whole army against Rayman, but that didn't stop him from reaching his goal. If you learn how to use your powers to destroy the mind hold Morphina has over her whole army, then you can defeat her. However, I received news that some of her army members aren't even spell-bound. They are called Commanders, due to the fact that they give commands to their own little group of spell-bound creatures that Morphina loans them. I warn you of them because usually they are the most mischievous little weasels that you'll ever come across in your whole life." Ivy listened as intently as when she was home-schooled by her Mother about the many advantages of plants in the marshes. "Trust me, I'll teach you how to use your powers as fast as Rayman escaped from Razorbeard's pirate ship." "That took about three days, Jano." "Exactly! I can't teach her first-class powers in under five minutes, you know."
"Then we need to get started then!" Ivy replied. "No one knows when Morphina will strike, and it may be as early as tonight!" She didn't add that her family could've already been attacked, but she knew that Jano already knew what she was thinking. "You're right, Ivy. We need to train you as fast as humanly possible. We will train in the Cave of Bad Dreams." Jano told her.
"Wait a minute! Who will watch the Cave while you're in it?" Sssam, feeling left out, called out. "It's simple, really. We'll watch it, Sssam." Rayman answered. The two friends were soon standing at the entrance of the Cave of Bad Dreams, taking on the responsibility that Jano once had for a little while. They turned to watch Jano lead Ivy into a portal that will take her to the Cave of Bad Dreams, where she will focus her power to beat Morphina. Ivy turned to wave to her friends, Rayman mostly, before she entered the portal.
Now, life seemed fair once again for Ivy.
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As they watched the Guardian of the Cave of Bad Dreams and Ivy Thorn enter the portal and disappear, Rayman and his friend failed to notice the two muddy figures that glided through the marshes' waters with the stealth that could make tigers jealous. It wasn't until they turned about face to guard the entrance when they saw the two shapes caked with mud try to pull themselves out of the marshes' waters by trying hopelessly to pull themselves onto the root that led into the entrance. Rayman and Sssam, seeing them as friends, ran to help them. Rayman gripped onto one of the figure's shoulders and pulled him onto dry land, while Sssam actually dove into the water to push the other figure onto the tree root. Rayman tried to examine their features, but they were too dirty to see anything. Their clothes were torn and looked like they struggled against many different creatures.
"What do you think they are, Rayman?" Sssam asked. Rayman bent closer to look at them. They were human, and judging from their state, they fought with their lives to get here. Suddenly, one of the dirty figures started to cough violently while the other stayed unconsious. Rayman took this a time to question him.
"Who are you?" Rayman asked plainly. The one still awake managed to choke out these words before he fell into the same deep sleep his partner was in.
"Morphina will attack this place tomorrow morning. Jano is in danger." And the figure fell into unconsiousness.
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End of Chapter 3
Argh! This chapter took forever to do! ^^ I hope my effort pleases you!
The two figures, which happen to be Ryoko D.'s fancharacters in case the Disclaimer didn't give you a heads-up, that Sssam and Rayman saved are going to be a lot more important in the following chapter. Please be patient to see what happens to them!
*in a announcer like voice* Will Davis escape the powers of the soul- binding spell Morphina cast upon him? Whatever happened to Rosemary? Will Ivy learn how to use her powers before Morphina strikes? Are the two unconsious figures friend or foe? All this and more in the next chapter!
Don't forget to review! _