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Chapter 3
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They left the next day as the sun rose in the rosy sky above the Tree, gently scattering its golden rays across the sleepy countryside. Now, it would have been an entirely ideal scene but for the arguing of two travelers being laden down with tools and supplies of all sorts by two girls. Pearl and Lisa were fussing over the two, continuously adding things to their packs.
Faustis was positive they wouldn't need most of these items, however. After all, what was the point of brushing your hair when it would just messy again? He decided that, as soon as they were well out of sight, they would simply stash the unnecessary items underneath a bush.
They were already out of Lumina by sundown. It was a two-day walk from there to the Underworld. They didn't stop at inns to rest but instead camped out in the wild lands.
It might have been better if they did, though it might have also been just as well that they didn't. If they took the time to rest in inns, they might have heard about the rumors of Dead stalking through the lands and ransacking villages. If they had heard of that, they would have either been compelled to hunt down these Dead (as unlikely as it may be—none of our characters at the moment are this officious) or Faustis might have been too freaked out to travel any further.
Soon enough, they arrived at the meadow where the tombstone entrance of the Underworld was situated.
Faustis took one glance at Elazul and said, "You'd better stick close to me, Elazul. The Shadoles won't harm you if they see that you're with me."
Elazul shrugged. "It's not like I know of anywhere to go in there. I don't know my way around the Underworld, so it would make sense that I wouldn't run off. I'm not the one who hangs out with dead shades, you are. Normal people only go to the Underworld once. They stay there, though."
Faustis looked at the Jumi for a moment. "You know, since we're going to a place where it would help a lot if we were cooperating and not fighting, I'll choose not to be insulted by that."
"Your choice."
When they entered the Underworld, Faustis looked around. There seemed to be something missing, but he couldn't make out what it was. Scowling at this unwelcome and unseen change, he motioned for Elazul to follow him through the dimly lit hallways and began to make his way toward the Keeper's den.
Faustis once more felt the strange lassitude rest upon his shoulders. It was an effect of a living mortal being visiting the World of the Dead. Living beings weren't supposed to be in the Underworld in the first place, so it would come to reason that the effect that kept the Dead asleep or trapped in the Underworld would try to put living beings to sleep until they died and woke.
Not a very lovely idea.
Faustis could shoulder it, though he wasn't certain that Elazul could. As near to immortality as Elazul was with his Core and all, he wasn't blessed by the Flames. Faustis could feel the Flames burning inside him at that time. Those kept him awake in the lower levels of the Underworld.
As the two travelers went through the gloomy corridors of the Underworld, Faustis realized that the weight of the lethargy was heavier than before. Alarmed, he looked around—
Just in time to dodge an incoming spear.
Eyes widening with amazement, Faustis remembered that he held his sword in his hands as the Shadow raised its weapon again.
Fumbling to bring it up, he clumsily parried off the attacks on his life which soon followed. Although he appeared to be losing, Faustis suddenly saw an opening and thrust his sword forward to meet it—and his sword slid clear through the armor and passed right beyond its back. Faustis gaped in horror at his hands which were at the monster's neck. The darkness which the creature seemed to be made of reached out to take his hands.
He hurriedly pulled his sword back but was unable to avoid the Shadow's attack. He flew back and landed against the rock wall. Faster than Faustis thought possible, the Shadow sped to his side and kicked him up, punching him into the far wall.
He looked up slowly and caught sight of Elazul. The Jumi Knight of the Lapis Lazuli was being hard-pressed at the hands of two different enemies, each substantial, unlike Faustis' Shadow, but both were monsters that Faustis had never seen before. Both were similar to Faustis' Shadow, although they weren't transparent darkness and seemingly insubstantial.
The thought of that suddenly brought Faustis back into the present. He looked up and saw the Shadow looming over him, weapon raised. He yelped and rolled to one side as the floor beside him was pierced with a long black blade. There was a resounding spark emitted from the scraping of the weapon against the ground.
Without knowing why, Faustis launched himself up and tackled the Shadow. He passed right through, of course, but he also collided with something solid in the monster. When he crashed to the floor, Faustis saw that it was the Shadow's black blade. He stood up and raised it above it head, just as he realized that it was too heavy for him to raise and stumbled forward—
—Piercing the shadow and impaling it right where its heart would be, if it even had one. It collapsed, leaving behind a keening wail which seemed to freeze his soul and hurt his ears.
After gaping at the ground where it was before it died, Faustis righted himself, thanked whatever deity was bestowing upon him such luck, as clumsy as he was, and hurriedly ran to Elazul's side. As he hurried to help his friend, it came to his mind that the Shadow left no crystals of pure Mana.
What was going on?
Elazul had already finished one of the monsters, but the one left behind seemed to be bigger and was dripping venom. He was being driven back against the wall by the monster's relentless assault. Faustis could see Elazul tiring, though, thanks to the torpor induced by the Underworld. Faustis himself felt slightly weary.
Silently, Faustis crept up behind the monster and swung the Shadow's blade. With a shriek of surprise, the monster whirled around and hissed at Faustis. Panicking, he swung the dark blade again and the monster's head flew off. Faustis hurriedly stepped back to avoid the sudden spray of dark green blood.
"I didn't need any help," Elazul said shortly as he wiped his sword on the ground, also stepping back to avoid the dead monster's fountain of blood. Faustis grinned, knowing that it was Elazul's way of thanking him.
They went through the corridors of the Underworld quickly. They encountered no more monsters, substantial or insubstantial, and Faustis found that to be extremely disconcerting. He knew, for a fact, that many monsters had their nests in the Underworld.
At last, they arrived at Olbohn's door.
"Faustis?" Olbohn booming voice greeted them. "And who is this? A Jumi?" There was a tone of slight surprise in his voice. "And he is still living in here, yet unblessed by the Flames? Such a common occurrence. He is awake, though."
"He travels with me," Faustis said, looking into the room. It was more cluttered than he remembered. Almost as cluttered as Watt the Blacksmith's den. He saw Olbohn rise to his feet. "Hello, Olbohn. It's been long."
"Faustis. What are you doing here?"
"I'll get straight to the point. Olbohn…" Faustis hesitated, wondering if Olbohn had anything to do with his sister's abduction. "A few days ago, an army of Dead left the Underworld and returned to the World of the Living."
Olbohn's shrewd eyes suddenly grew weary. "Yes. Somehow I knew it would come to that."
A sudden surge of irritation caused Faustis to clench his fists and demand, "How could you let them do that, Olbohn!? Why haven't you done anything to bring them back to the Underworld? Do you know what they're doing up there?" An image of Farryn flashed through his mind.
The Wisdom's eyes became steely. "Sprite, I am not the Overlord of the Dead. I cannot control everything a wandering spirit does, moreover, a roaming army of the Dead." His tone lost its hardness. "But I understand that I have erred in my responsibilities. More than a few days ago, we somehow failed to detect a strange Lifeling sweeping through the levels of the Underworld.
"His presence was a strange one here. He wasn't dead, nor was he alive. He went to the deepest echelon of the Underworld where no mortal can even enter, blessed or not, and still came out. When we learned of his presence here in the Underworld, it was too late for us to do anything, for he had raised an army of the Dead." He shook his head sadly. "Certainly, there are many Dead who long to return to Life, but he even roused those Spirits who were finally sleeping at peace and chained them to his army."
"Charismatic," Faustis commented.
Olbohn looked wearier than he had ever seen him. "What has caused you to leave the Song of Life to enter the World of the Dead, my traveler? Why are you seeking the cause of their freedom? What have the renegade Dead done to you?"
Faustis' throat closed up. "They took her, Olbohn. They took Farryn." He closed his eyes for a moment, holding back the tears that threatened to spill. "Do you know where the army went? Do you know who the Lifeling who took the dead is? Tell me, Olbohn! I will get her back."
Olbohn regarded the youth gravely. "I wish that I did know. Whoever could take the Dead out of their sleep is a formidable opponent with great powers in his possession. He is a very dangerous individual."
"How did he look like?" Elazul spoke up, asking the Keeper. "Perhaps we may know of him, though I don't believe that I have ever heard of anyone who could accomplish such an amazing feat." He looked troubled.
Olbohn sighed and admitted, "I have never exactly seen him, but I know someone who did. Let me call her." One of his arms made some symbols in the air. "She is another adventurer, like you, Faustis. A Lifeling, although she is unblessed by the Flames." His eyes seemed like he was dreading something with resignation.
A few moments later, a determined-looking girl with dark blue hair and beautiful wings gracefully protruding from her temples walked into Olbohn's den. Her pupils in her eyes were gold and had an astute, yet haunted look to them. Her indigo hair was pulled back by a strange bird-like ornament from which dangled several golden feathers. Tendrils of sapphire hair flowed around her shoulders to reveal a smooth face, wearing a steel band across her forehead with a striking falcon engraved upon it. Around her neck was a necklace of golden feathers and a medallion with a strange symbol on it. Her clothes vaguely the Jewel Thief's own but were pure white streaked here and there with black.
"Yes, Almighty Olbohn?" she asked mockingly, ignoring the two travelers in the room.
Olbohn nodded, looking slightly irritated. "Hello, Kestrelle. These visitors to the Underworld are investigating the sudden liberation of the Dead and the cause of their freedom. Would you, by any chance, still remember how the intruder looked like?"
" My memory is not as patchy as yours that you would be negligent enough to let in two more Lifelings into the world of the Dead, Old Prude," she retorted at his tone.
The Wisdom glanced wearily at the other two then returned to spar with the pecky girl. "These two are welcome because they are accepted by the Flames," he told her, conveniently forgetting how Elazul actually wasn't.
Faustis watched them argue, amused that prudish old Olbohn was actually stooping down to sticking out his odd tongue to the no less childish Kestrelle. It was all very fascinating, but he was impatient.
"So do you remember how the Lifeling looked like?" he blurted out edgily.
She looked at him speculatively. "Yes," she answered. "Why?"
Elazul spoke up. "We are looking for him. He…has some information that we need. Would you mind telling us anything you might know about this fellow?"
She regarded him coolly. "…Maybe."
"What?" Faustis exclaimed before Elazul could begin to persuade her. "Why?"
Kestrelle answered him smoothly, "Because I believe that my information is highly valuable to you, therefore, I would like to have something in return."
Faustis nearly laughed. She was a salesman! Or woman, actually. How remarkable that he'd find anyone like this in the Depths of the Underworld; he'd expected trapped Lifelings to spend every second of they unLife planning how to escape from the Underworld.
"We admire your belligerence," Elazul said dryly. "It's very becoming."
"We want that information," Faustis announced. "So name your price."
The girl placed her hands on her hips and looked him in the eye. "I want out."
"Eh?"
She sighed irritably, exactly mirroring Olbohn's past action. "I want out. I want to get out of the Underworld. In exchange for my information on the only other Underworld intruder aside from myself, I want to be free from the Underworld." As if to put extra emphasis, she shook her wrists, rattling the chains connected to her wristbands.
Faustis and Elazul gaped at her.
OK, so she was like all the other Lifelings in the Realm of the Dead. But she was willing to barter with them, and that was good. Faustis almost always got his way in business transactions.
Elazul remarked, "Well, there goes that idea."
Faustis suddenly exploded, "What are you, insane?" he cried to the girl. "You think that we have that kind of power to get you out of eternal bondage to the Underworld?"
Kestrelle jerked her thumb towards where Olbohn was. "He does. I'm almost certain that you two don't."
Elazul shook his head, muttering under his breath. "I don't know whether to be relieved or insulted."
Kestrelle flashed him a cynical smile. "You can try both, if you want."
"Can you do it, Olbohn?" Faustis asked the Wisdom desperately. "It's quite different from returning the Dead back to Life since she's obviously *not* dead. She's just trapped here. As a favor to us, Olbohn, could you do it?"
Olbohn looked contemplative. "It never has been done before, but I am sure that it is possible. The task, I believe, is slightly less difficult that raising the long Dead or waking the sleeping Dragon."
As the old Wisdom continued rambling about other less difficult tasks, Faustis had a sudden burst of enlightenment. "Olbohn," he said urgently. The Wisdom took no notice. "Olbohn!" he yelled.
Olbohn started and looked at Faustis, blinking owlishly. "What is it, Sprite?"
Faustis rolled his eyes. "Wouldn't the simplest way to getting her out of the Underworld be blessing her with the Flames?"
"Blessing Kestrelle? With the Flames?" For a moment, the idea seemed to be incomprehensible to Olbohn. He then exclaimed, "A capital idea, Faustis! Why haven't I thought of that before? I could have been rid of her so long ago!"
Kestrelle sniffed and remarked snippily, "I'm extremely touched by your affection for me, Olbohn but I perceive a flaw in the Sprite's otherwise brilliant and screamingly obvious plan."
"And what could that be?" Olbohn asked testily through gritted teeth. Faustis observed with some certain degree of amusement that the two of them didn't really quite like each other.
Kestrelle shrugged. "A Lifeling who is trapped in the Underworld without undergoing any blessing from the Flames cannot enter the Higher Levels in which the room of the Blessed Flames is found. How can there be a blessing if the recipient of these tidings is not present?"
There was a slight pause as they all considered the problem. Elazul suddenly asked Olbohn, "What is required in the ceremony of a blessing?"
Olbohn answered, "In a blessing, the important factors are the recipients, the clergymen, and the Flames. Why do you ask, Jumi?"
Elazul glanced at Faustis. Slowly, the idea he was suggesting dawned upon Faustis and he grinned, turning to where the Wisdom stood, looking perplexed. "Olbohn," he began. "If we bring you the Flames and a clergyman who can perform the ceremony, will we be able to free Kestrelle from the Underworld?"
Olbohn's eyes brightened at this understanding. "It might just work!" he exclaimed in an awed voice. He began muttering to himself, heading over to the bookshelf and pulling down several volumes.
Faustis and Elazul exchanged a glance. "We'd need something to carry the Flames in," he said critically. "Maybe a fire bottle."
Kestrelle shook her head. "They say that the fire is a boiling liquid. It doesn't burn people if it is blessed by a clergyman, but in raw form, it scorches unprotected people when one is less than four feet away from even a cupful of the fire. It also burns through every sort of material. Including fire bottles," she shot them a look.
"So much for bringing you the Flames," Elazul said matter-of-factly.
She grinned, showing pointy white teeth. "Not so fast, Jumi." Kestrelle held up a shiny crystal decanter. "This is made from the Ice Crystals from the moon. It can hold the fire and it also protects the holder from the long-distance heat."
"Ice?" Faustis exclaimed skeptically. "ICE?"
She glared at him. "It's not *just* ice," she said pointedly. "Nothing can break this decanter. Nothing can burn through it either." She handed the decanter to Elazul, giving Faustis a meaningful look. "It's the only one left in the world. Take care of it."
Olbohn then emerged from behind the pile of books that had collapsed on him a few moments afterward. "It *is* possible!" he announced triumphantly. "And you don't need a clergyman! I can do it myself. It's simple, really."
"All the same," Kestrelle said flippantly, "I'd rather have a full-fledged *intelligent* clergyman handling the ceremony."
"I'm intelligent!"
"You're a Wisdom," she replied. "Not necessarily intelligent, but you can be wise." She looked at Faustis and Elazul. "Are you still here?"
They scowled at her. Olbohn suddenly emerged from behind a stack of books from across the room. "The process is easy!" he exclaimed triumphantly. "I myself can do it with my eyes closed and my ears shut."
"Would you do it as a favor to us?" Faustis asked eagerly, striding up to the Keeper.
He glanced furtively at where the girl stood, talking to Elazul and handing him the decanter. "To tell you the truth, Faustis, I'm counting this as a favor to you. If she remains in the Underworld any longer, I'm afraid that I would loose my head."
Faustis laughed and clapped him on the back. "We accept your favor, Olbohn."
Kestrelle suddenly rounded on Olbohn. "You'd better do it right, old man. I'm certain that you wouldn't mind if I just happened to be teleported to the Bone Forest unarmed."
"My dear," Olbohn replied dryly, "Your words are weapon enough. I am positive that you could talk any monster there to death."
Kestrelle glared at him then turned to Faustis and Elazul. "I'll be right here. You'd better go now."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The two had made their way through the Underworld easily. They encountered no more of the strange monsters, but what alerted their senses was that they met none of the original inhabitants of the shadowy recesses of the Underworld. Oddly enough, there were no signs of any Shadoles but for the one they had seen in Olbohn's room before it drifted away.
Elazul glanced around warily. It was too quiet. He had heard many stories about the Underworld but its being a silent place was never mentioned in the tales he had heard traveling the world. Still, the lack of adversaries sped up their pace and they soon reached the chamber where the Flames burned eternally.
The cavern was large and perfectly domed. The rock walls were jagged and littered all over with protruding rock peaks, but there was a certain beauty to the room. The stairway leading to the pit where the Flames were was intricately carved and seemed very sturdy. There were no Shadoles in sight here as well. Perhaps it was just as well that Olbohn agreed to be the clergyman, for they would have trouble finding a priest elsewhere.
There was one more thing they had noticed which was not in the norm, though. The pit where the Flames were was covered with a glowing and pulsating black shield.
Faustis gaped at it. "That's not supposed to be there!" he exclaimed.
Elazul was suddenly on his guard. "Faustis," he murmured, sensing a strange presence. "There's someone else in this room with us. I...I think I can detect strong powers." He closed his eyes and spread his awareness to follow the Mana flow, but it all suddenly plunged toward the fire pit. He jerked back out and looked at the Sprite with anxiety. "The waves of Mana are being absorbed by the shield."
"The power you sense is probably just coming from that...that big black thing," Faustis muttered.
Elazul slowly shook his head, looking around now. "No...not from there..."
A dark seductive voice then laughed. "From me, actually."
Elazul and Faustis whirled around and saw a tall woman, almost as tall as Elazul, who had cropped black hair and gleaming scarlet eyes standing on a large outcropping rock on the wall. Something like a circled embraced her crown. The woman's dress was black and short underneath a long black greatcoat. Patterns were latticed all over her clothes.
Elazul saw that her hands seemed to be glowing with a similar black shadow from the shielded pit. "You're generating the pit," he observed calmly, determined not to betray any emotion to the mysterious woman.
"No question," the lady scoffed. "You're a smart one, I can see."
Elazul scowled at her. "I'm not done yet, witch. As far as I can see, you are using an advanced version of the Black Wings technique of your apparently invisible attack." Elazul paused and smirked. "You don't appear to be holding any weapons. Are you afraid that using them might break your fingernails?"
Faustis shook his head pityingly. "From breaking the evil woman's strategy down to insulting them by layering them with unbearable girlyness. Elazul, how do you expect to get them to like you?"
The red-eyed woman laughed. "Oh, I already like him."
Elazul muttered, "Not like that does me any credit."
The woman ignored that and said imperiously, "Now. What are your purposes in coming here? Tell me now."
"Who are you to ask our business?" Faustis shot back, feeling slightly irascible with the woman's exalted sense of her own authority, which most probably was self-appointed, since she had never been in the Underworld, for all the times he journeyed to the realm of the Unliving.
The woman scowled at him. "You are a fool to talk back like an insolent child."
Faustis shrugged, acting merely on bravado, since the penetrating red eyes of the woman chilled his blood. "I get that a lot. Now talk. Tell us who you are."
In exasperation, the woman turned so she faced them in profile. "If you foolish mortals must know...my name is Desdemona, Daughter of the Black Dragon and trusted general of Her Divinity. Now, you mortal fools, tell me of your intentions."
Elazul answered brusquely, "We merely wish to visit the Flames. So withdraw all Mana from your shield."
"Or else...?" Desdemona teased. "What can you do to me, the Highest ranking Daughter? I will not cause my shield to flee from you pitiful fools." She laughed disdainfully. "My orders are Her wish."
"A subordinate!" Elazul said mockingly. "Fascinating. Does your Mistress make you lick her shoes, being the lowly lapdog you are?"
"Elazul," Faustis warned, noting the look of growing on her face. "Don't aggravate the demon lady."
"Dim-witted fools!" hissed the woman. The crimson lights in her eyes seemed to burn. "Dare you make a mockery of the One who has the Stars at Her Ethereal command? Her justice on you will be swift and lethal."
Faustis sighed. Elazul's manners needed improvement. How else could he infuriate the demoness so much? Did he expect to win the ladies over with such boorish etiquette and lack of charm? 'Well', he concluded, looking over at the raging woman. 'Maybe it's all right if he doesn't win this one over. I expect that dealing with this one, he'd just get burned.'
"We had no idea that we would offend," Faustis called out to the enflamed woman. "We just want to catch some of the Flames and leave you to do all the Mana-leeching you like." In an underhand tone, he muttered to Elazul, "Remind me to hurt Olbohn. He didn't tell us anything about this psycho."
"I'd be glad to hurt him for you," Elazul replied and removed his sword from its black sheathe. "But first, we must attend to the Bird-girl's demands. I'm tired of standing around and waiting. Let's get the Fire right now."
Faustis shrugged, "Why not?" and unbuckled his own sword. "It normally goes against my grain to attack a woman, but in this case..." He trailed off and completed the sentence in his mind. 'In this case, I'll do it...for Farryn.'
Visions of his twin sister came unbidden to him. The picture of her sitting calmly in the library or on a tree branch, reading a book, the picture of her laughing and tending to the monsters, the picture of her before he left—pale and frightened—a great contrast to the picture of Farryn as the warrior she was...he murmured, "Farryn."
Desdemona's eyes flicked over to him suddenly. "Ah! The Sprite!" She began to laugh. "I was told that I might expect you to come down here to confront me. I hadn't expected you to be so small and weak, Sprite." She laughed harshly. "You will not be able to save her, mortal. She belongs to the Mistress now."
Elazul saw Faustis' eyes turn bleak and his hands grip his sword tighter. And without a warning, the fair-haired adventurer charged toward the crag where Desdemona stood laughing. Faustis seemed to move with an ungodly speed as his flat eyes remained unwavering on the demon lady.
Desdemona stopped laughing and took a step back. Her eyes were narrowed as she watched him close the distance between them. "So it is true," Elazul heard her murmur. She then snapped her fingers and a roiling shadow loomed up behind her. "I will let you have this one, Sprite," Desdemona said, smiling nastily. "That is...if you can defeat the Enawerion!"
She took a step backwards, into the shadow, and disappeared.
And to Elazul's horror, the pulsating shadow changed color and turned into the black of a portal. A strange, many-armed beast stepped through the shadow and into the cavern, roaring a vast teeth-rattling sound that shook the Jumi to the core.
Its head rested upon a thick and elongated neck, and its back, which was stiffly arched, was lined with black dangerous-looking ridges. Its many arms were scaled, although its head was feathered, and its tail reared high above its body. It was colored in various shades of red and black and its eyes were a fearsome white.
Faustis took one look at the beast, and suddenly, he was tripped by the monster's tail in time to save himself from being clotheslined by one of the Enawerion's many grasping limbs.
"Faustis," he called out, partly in disbelief. Where had the amazingly skilled Sprite gone? Faustis reverted to his klutzy blundering self, quite different from the gracefully lethal warrior who had saved the Jumi race.
The monster let out another roar, and Elazul charged, forgetting about Faustis' double personalities. He raised his sword to rain mighty blows upon the Enawerion's tail, freeing Faustis from being repeatedly slammed into the wall and possibly torn apart.
He leaped back to avoid the claws of the monster and lunged in, managing to lop off an arm with a powerful calculated blow. The Enawerion reared high, bellowing its pain, and Elazul swung his sword again, hacking another limb off. The beast was weak where the elbows were jointed, for some odd illogical reason.
Elazul retreated slightly and shouted to Faustis, "Get up!" He then had to furiously defend himself from the Enawerion's assault as it swung all its arms and its tail in a deadly dance.
Faustis did get up, stumbling slightly, and he gathered himself. Faustis lifted his sword and leveled it at the monster's back. He ran and missed, creating a deep gash in its side.
The monster screamed again and turned its attention from Elazul, who was grateful for the Sprite's timely intervention. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Elazul cleared his thoughts and relaxed his mind, closing his eyes. He reached for the Mana flow—
Only to find nothing where the vast ocean of power once was.
With a start, Elazul's eyes snapped open, and he reeled from the loss. Holding himself up with his sword, he called to Faustis, "The Mana flow isn't there."
Faustis promptly tripped with surprised, nearly impaling himself, but also saving himself from living the rest of his life with only half a head—one half to be found on his neck and the other in the monster's belly.
Once again, Elazul found himself admiring and disbelieving his companion's mind-boggling luck. Faustis always seemed to be guided by some spirit who always pushed Faustis out of the way of harm.
"What?" Faustis exclaimed, scrambling back to his feet and somehow evading the whirling claws of the monster. "No way! Are you sure? Gah!"
The Enawerion's claws swung toward the back of Faustis' head. Elazul was there in an instant, bringing up his sword to deflect the incoming blow.
"Try it yourself," Elazul remarked, smoothly parrying the Enawerion's spiked tail with a fluid swing and following up with a relentless barrage of attacks.
Faustis frowned, closing his eyes for a moment, and suddenly, he staggered to his knees, breathing hard. He couldn't speak for a few moments. Elazul observed this, still keeping the beast's attention on himself with his blows, and realized that as a Sprite, Faustis was more in tune to Mana than the Jumi. The Sprite was pale and breathing hard because of the loss of Mana, whereas Elazul merely stumbled with a momentary loss of strength.
Elazul hurried to defend his friend, but Faustis lurched to his feet in an amazing feat of swiftness, executing a flawless moon jump to end with a slightly less perfect back slash. Before landing, he used the Enawerion's back as a springboard with his sword, impaling the creature, and propelled himself off just as the Enawerion roared up and bellowed a vast cry of anger.
Elazul flipped backwards to avoid the descent of the monster's heavy bulk and evaluated the situation quickly in his head. Several solutions ran through his mind, most implausible, until he had an idea.
He lunged toward the monster while calling out to Faustis, "Faustis, our attacks aren't really damaging the monster—only Mana or can get rid of it."
"I've noticed, Elazul," Faustis replied, steadying himself against a wall across the room. He seemed out of breath from the incredible moon jump. "So what do we do?"
Elazul grinned and ducked under the monster's hideous tail, escaping a bad maiming from the wicked blade at the tip of its tail. "Do your instruments work on Mana?"
Faustis looked bewildered. "What a silly question! Of course not!" he said indignantly, not realizing what he was saying. "They run on the Mana life force within us—oh." He looked a little sheepish.
"Yes," Elazul stated. "Oh. You'd better hurry up." The Enawerion charged toward him and the Jumi Knight smoothly flipped over the creature, landing carefully on its spiny back. His sword sought the powerful muscle which tied the beast's arms together and he plunged his sword down, severing the Enawerion's rack of right arms and legs and setting loose a gushing fountain of blood.
The monster screamed so loudly that Elazul fell off, landing hard on a pile of rocks which were none too soft. His head cracked against a boulder and stars exploded in his eyes. He groaned and shook his head, clearing the stars. His eyes widened and he saw the monster upon him, rearing for a blow which would crush him.
A sweet tune suddenly soared into the air like a fledgling bird, but with the innate talent to fly. The monster halted his deadly charge on Elazul and looked away. Elazul raised himself to look and he saw Faustis playing a smaller version of the flute. The Enawerion suddenly began to quiver in fear as Faustis grew more proficient at the little Instrument.
Elazul saw its tail twitch and called out weakly, "Get back!" but he was too late.
The monster's tail sent the Sprite hurtling toward a deep fissure Elazul knew was layered with molten magma at the bottom. The Instrument clattered to the floor nearby.
Elazul hauled himself up and lunged for the little Flute before the Enawerion could. Tucking it into his sleeve, he ducked under the grabbing limbs of the Enawerion and raced to the edge of the fissure. He glanced down and saw Faustis hanging on the rock wall. It appeared that the back of his shirt had caught on a jutting rock.
It appeared that Faustis' luck was once again at work.
Elazul heaved Faustis back on the ground and the Enawerion was upon them. Thrusting the flute toward Faustis' hands, Elazul raised his sword, his head pounding after it had slammed against the boulder.
The beast flung him aside and he landed hard on the floor. It seemed to be aiming for Faustis. But Faustis still hadn't regained his breath. Desperately, Elazul hurled a rock at the monster's neck, and the beast whipped its head around.
Elazul staggered to his feet, the only thing on his mind was time. Faustis could defeat the Enawerion. Elazul saw this the moment the beast had quailed on the sight of the little Flute. Faustis needed to Play it…
The Enawerion was incredibly fast, sweeping Elazul into its flurry of blows, although its right side was virtually useless now. Elazul parried most of them off, but several hit their mark. He realized that he was growing weaker. Normally, the wounds Elazul had obtained wouldn't weaken him, but he realized that this feeling wasn't normal. A strange weariness ate at him, even though he still had abundant energy to delay the beast. He recognized it then.
The Underworld.
It was going to take him if he went on like this. Although he had much strength left, the weariness would take him, since he was without the protection of Mana.
While brooding about this inwardly, the Knight's guard went down a notch and the Enawerion thrust itself forward, butting Elazul into a wall. The beast opened its mouth—
A song burst into the air, its melody sweet and high as it flooded the entire vast chamber of the Flames. It rang through Elazul's ears and seemed to lift the fatigue that had begun to settle on his shoulders.
The Enawerion roared in anger and pain and whirled around, its right side swinging uselessly. He lunged for the Sprite. Hurriedly, Elazul sprinted forward to stop the beast from attacking Faustis.
A blinding white light filled the cavern and Elazul staggered back, using his sword for support. The scream of the Enawerion was deafening. The light faded into a gentle blue wave of Mana, and the monster writhed in agony.
Elazul looked up and heard the Sprite playing a mysterious tune off the flute, the light surrounding him alternating between blue and white. A figure seemed to walk toward the monster, radiating light and an awesome aura. Elazul peered closer, dragging himself upright.
She had long flowing silver hair with balls of light scattered randomly among her glowing tresses. Her eyes contained a light so brilliant that the Flames themselves paled in comparison with the unearthly beauty. Her skin was dark blue, and a pair of silver wings protruded from her back, making her look like some heavenly angel. Her blue and silver robes flowed around her as she moved, displaying points of light every now and then, making her look like a clear night sky.
The Enawerion let out another bloodcurdling scream as the strange Spirit approached its fallen body. The starry being brought her hands forward and spread her fingers. A pillar of light, tinged with a silvery blue color suddenly exploded from within the floor around the divine creature, dashing forward to blindingly envelop the monster.
Another scream and then the light faded. Elazul uncovered his eyes and saw no more of the Demoness' creature. The Spirit remained, however, her gauzy clothes floating around her in her nimbus of delicate light.
Faustis, nearby, had stopped playing, and he gawked at the Spirit. Hurriedly, Elazul bent on one knee and lowered his head. Faustis, after a moment's surprise, followed suit. Slowly, the being approached them.
When she stood before the awestruck men, she looked at them for a few moments and bowed.
~Greetings~ she seemed to say to the two kneeling warriors. Her voice, though soft, seemed to reverberate through Elazul's core. He was nearly bowled over in his mind by the overwhelming sense of the Spirit's Aura. He wondered about that, having played a few Instruments himself. None of the beings had ever urged him to give them the respect reserved for a Goddess.
~You have my greetings, and my thanks as well~ continued the Spirit. ~Now stand, my two warriors of the Stars—there is no need for this obeisance~
Elazul stood up carefully, followed by a slightly stumbling Faustis. They bowed again.
~Both of you are strong, yet times will call for you to be stronger. The road to victory will be hard, and barred with mines of pain. Suffering. It is possible that you may not be strong enough to bear the future~
"You know then, Great Lady, of what will happen in the future?" Elazul dared a question.
The Spirit smiled slightly. ~No one can tell the future, Lapis Lazuli Knight, but Fate may see fit to grant possibilities to those who seek to foresee~ Her smile faded. ~I give you words of warning, my Warriors. What is good is gone, replaced by a deadly power which walked hand in hand with Creation~
Elazul felt slightly anxious when he heard her words, wanting to ask more. But Faustis beat him to it.
"If you know what might happen in the future, Great One," he began. "You would know where Farryn is, wouldn't you?" His eyes held hope and fear. "Please…tell me."
The Spirit closed her eyes, then opened them, revealing them to be brighter and yet, darker. ~She is. But many things have not happened to her, more already have, and even more is in store for her, lying in wait with Time~
"But that doesn't tell me anything!" Faustis said desperately. "I want to know where she is…" He seemed to deflate, looking wearier than Elazul had ever seen him. "If you cannot tell me where, though, at least, ease my mind a little. Is she…is she all right?"
The Spirit's glorious eyes seemed to grow sorrowful. ~Save us~ she murmured, beginning to fade away. ~Save us…both of us~ Her eyes remained in the air for a few moments, and vanished as well.
"No!" Faustis cried. He let a keening cry of despair. "Please, tell me…" He fell to his knees.
Elazul's heart wrenched for the warrior (albeit not a very excellent one) and turned away awkwardly, knowing that there was nothing he could do at the moment but wait for Faustis to recover himself.
He glanced at the pit where the Flames leaped eagerly, crackling with Mana energy. The black shield was gone now, and he could see the mystical vapor rising into the air to form vague pictures. Things, he supposed, had gone back to normal in the Underworld, whatever kind of normal it was.
The strange weariness lifted from his shoulders a little, and he walked toward the pit. He stood at the edge to peer at the Mana-filled Flames, wondering what kept them burning.
A striped Shadole suddenly popped up, startling him into unsheathing his sword. The shade grinned. "Thank you," the specter said. Elazul wondered what it meant.
The Shadole seemed to notice the Jumi's puzzled look and explained, "Upon defeating the Enawerion monster left by that Demon Witch, you lifted the sleeping spell she placed on the Mana upon the rest of the Underworld. Well, most of the Underworld, anyway—those who were strong enough to resist the Waker's spell."
He meant the necromancer, Elazul realized. "So there are still Dead left in the Underworld's halls?" he asked.
The Shadole bobbed his head. "Seventh level Dead," he offered. "They're still mad that some half-Lifeling came in and stole all their servants away from them. They couldn't do anything about it then, since the Demon Lady put them under her Hell spell. That is, until you came along and foiled her up. Now they're a lot more careful, even without their servants. Thanks."
Faustis, who appeared at Elazul's side, remarked, "That's not good." He seemed to have recovered from his fit of emotion.
The Shadole greeted him. "Hello, Sprite. Thank you for waking the Piccolo." He gave Faustis a box. "We've been waiting for it to sing."
Elazul hardly noticed the exchange, having grown used to the fact that people usually came up and gave sometimes important things to the Sprite. He mused, "That explains why I couldn't harness the Mana, though. Who could have such a power to make Mana dormant?"
"Her, apparently," Faustis replied. "Can you use the Mana now?" Elazul held up a hand which glowed blue. "All right, then," Faustis grinned. "No more problem."
"Yeah, yeah," the Shadole looked at them, a self-important look coming to its eyes. "So what do you want to do?"
As soon as they finished gathering enough of the Flames for the ceremony into the decanter, Elazul and Faustis made their way back to Olbohn's room. On the way, they encountered demonic monsters intent on impaling their heads on sticks, but that was customary—at least, customary in the Underworld. It appeared that the Ghostly Mana had returned.
When they reached Olbohn's chambers after surviving an encounter with a group of particularly nast Faces, they entered the room to find Olbohn and Kestrelle in the midst of a battle strike. Kestrelle appeared to be winning.
Faustis laughed involuntarily, and blanched as Kestrelle gave him an evil glare.
Elazul smirked. "Have we interrupted anything?" he drawled.
"Not at all," Kestrelle replied, further pressing her sword against Olbohn's neck. "Your presence does not hamper my ability to flick my wrist and end this fop's life."
"Why do you want him alive?" Kestrelle asked. "He's just a wastrel."
Faustis shrugged. "The man's a Wisdom, and a Keeper of the Underworld to boot. Without him, all the Dead left would be out there with the necromancer's army." He paused. "Besides, he owes me money. And you need him alive."
"Goddess curse it, but you're right." Kestrelle reluctantly released the wheezing Olbohn. She looked at the Wisdom with obvious distaste. "Bless me now and I'll be out of your hair, unless Life sees fit to send me back down here."
"As long as you're out of my balding hair!" Olbohn exclaimed.
"Is she that bad?" Faustis asked him, turning around to look at the girl. She glared at him.
Olbohn replied with resignation, "You wouldn't believe it."
Elazul had to smile.
~~~~~~~~~
Moving right along, now…?