Prince of Persia: Dark Destiny
The Island of the Waters
Kaileena's eyes fluttered open. She felt sand under her hands, she gingerly sat up, her body ached but she lay on soft golden sand that felt like a mattress of dense down.
The chorus of birds under the high shining sun greeted her senses…the smell of the ocean allowing her to let out a contented sigh, feeling an alien peace she never would be able to fully grasp.
Standing up she advanced on the jungle, casting a glance back at the seas. "Which way?" she whispered, closing her eyes… the images flashed into her thoughts, voices whispered and hissed secrets in a language long forgotten by many.
She saw herself climbing some ledges, crossing a river, fighting off monkey monsters, swinging on a vine…standing before an incredible carved rock face…
The images faded and Kaileena strode towards the bushes. She paused as at them and turned back to the beach. Uttering words of arcane power that would have twisted her tongue tightly into tense knots without perfect phrasing… she raised her hands, the golden light in her palms mimicked the light striking the sands, a glowing golden haze rose into the air. It would stay for a while… long enough for rescue she hoped.
Kaileena advanced into the lush green forest, the wildlife bustled around her…she climbed onto a rock ridge and looked around. The old statue was crumbling – she'd not noticed she was climbing on it until she came to an angle that its features could be seen. "Curious…I've seen this before" she mused.
Déjà vu was not alien to her…but this was different. She had a sense that time was bent around it…calmly she walked on. Climbing the wrist using cracks as handholds she reached the palm and ran from it to leap onto a rock ledge. She edged slowly around it and then leapt up onto the next ledge above that…
Kaileena realized how unsuitable her gown was for the climbing, she ripped the longer side of the tattered scarlet material and wrapped it around her hips, one long side still fluttered at her hip but she ignored it for now.
She tore the sleeves and wrapped them around her upper arms in case she needed bandaging later. Finally she tied a bandana around her head to protect herself from the sun.
Now all she needed was a weapon… "My Kingdom for a weapon" she murmured. Slowly she walked along what looked like a destroyed stone staircase…as she reached an ivy littered white stone plateau she sensed something.
"I'm not alone…" she said. "Who's there?" she called. A skeleton in rags collapsed, it still clutched a heavy metal sword in its now separated fingers. "Oh very clever" she said coldly. "If you think that scares me…you are sorely mistaken… I am the Empress of Time and I've faced hundreds more deadly then you!"
The movement from the bust startled her. The creatures were crossed between monkeys and humans. They shrieked and charged. Kaileena vaulted to one side, she rolled, grasped the sword and swung. The monsters gazed at her wearily and attacked with somersaults and punches. Kaileena blocked with her blade and lashed out with a kick that sent one flying, she ran up a wall, flipped over and slashed down, the monster fell in two and transformed into water, evaporating and splashing away.
"Curious…composed of magic – and in such bad taste" she slashed the air in a downwards motion for emphasis.
A Monkey-Man leapt at her. Kaileena stepped backwards into a Crane stance, the monster landed and she stabbed forwards, impaling it. Like a dancer she moved, spins, cartwheels jumps and dives. Rolling and cart wheeling, slashing and parrying in an elegant dance of destruction. She swung on a branch, kicking the last monkey man away; flipping herself into the air she landed both feet on his chest, kicked off and swept her body around.
The sword cleaved the head from the body.
In the silence Kaileena looked at the drying puddle. She turned and walked along the vine littered pathway.
Rushing water greeted her ears as she approached a clearing. The waterfall's face was carved into a complicated mural of battles and prostrated bodies. It glowed in the light, rainbows rising around it as water flowed down it, bouncing off hands and swords and splashing down into the lake below, being moved onwards off the plateau or down a stream.
Kaileena looked into the depths of the pool, carvings existed there too, some were bejeweled as well…glowing with the water and sunlight around them they cast patterns across the water…the overall beauty beleaguered Kaileena somewhat. "Awesome" she breathed
The urge to climb reached her. Kaileena looked around, she spotted the hanging vine and leapt at it, swinging she flipped onto the hand of a mother cradling a baby. With supreme skill she ran along a smooth part of the rockspace and grabbed an outstretched lance, swinging on it she flew through the air and kicked off a palm that faced sideways out of the waterfall, grabbing a spear jutting from the rock Kaileena landed on the head of a stylized serpent and ran up its spine.
The Prince stared at the island as they approached. The golden haze had resonated with his amulet…Kaileena had to be there!
Kaileena claws her way into the passage, the water flowed clear and blue on either side of the glass walkway. Kaileena strode towards the crystal steps and climbed them, humming sounds resonated fromt hem.
The X shaped platform was over a deep dark pool of water and in the centre was a podium. Kaileena approached it, the sun streamed in from the hole above the podium, dousing it in a saffron glow.
"What have we here?" she murmured, Kaileena tossed the rusty weapon away and gripped the hilds of the scythe like swords with their sand-filled blades. There was a flash and a golden haze whipped up around her, lifting her off her feet. She gasped as her eyes glowed gold.
Empress…Empress…Empress
The voice rushed to Kaileena – she stood in a throne room, two seats of crystal and gold sat before her. On them lay swords…the two she held and the Water Sword of the Prince.
"Who's there?" she snapped.
We are the Fates…Fates…We are the Fates…You are the Empress of Time…You should know the story…The story of The Avatars.
"What Avatars?"
The Avatars of Life…Of Time…Of Destiny…
"I don't have time for fairytales! I must find a way to destroy Azarael!"
Kill the Prince…Kill the Prince and Azarael will be weakened enough…weakened enough to be killed
The shadows of a young girl, middle aged woman and old lady shimmered in the sands for a brief second.
"No! I won't!"
You were always ruthless…cunning and calculating…powerful and brutal…WHAT HAS CHANGED?
"I was all those things because I believed I needed to…now I can control my OWN destiny"
The Avatars were and will be sources of power…for eternity and longer…they can destroy Azarael.
"Where do I find them?"
In a place beyond space and time…The Isle of Destiny where the Keeper of Destiny…the child of the Avatars, controls the wheel of destiny from the palace.
"The Isle of Destiny…yes…of course…but the charts I studied are back on my island fortress"
Indeed…but they are here as well…take them and traverse the dangers
The three voices finished each others sentences in variations of the same voice. The charts fluttered from the sands to Kaileena's hands through doors at the other end of the throne room.
The Keeper will give you help…but be wary of fiends and the plague of the sands…Azarael seeks the island too
"I must stop Azarael!" Kaileena exclaimed.
Then you'll need this…this is a book of powerful magic…magic you can use.
The red and gold bound tome flew from the doorways of the throne room again. Kaileena caught it…there was a flash and the Fates echoed in her mind: Farewell
The Prince raced up the massive steps, they stretched from a stone pier on the beach all the way up the mountain… "Kaileena!" he shouted.
She appeared in the doorway and for a moment the sign of a smile appeared, but quickly she suppressed it. "I found it" she exclaimed.
"What?" The Prince said as she strode dwont eh steps to meet him.
"A way to destroy Azarael!"
"How?" The Prince asked slowly.
She held out the charts. "The Isle of Destiny – The Keeper's powers can help us… we must go there"
"But that journey is treacherous by legend"
Kaileena caught the prince with her hand around his cheeks and lifted him to her eyes. "We have no choice" she said.
The Prince nodded.
Nadina stared into her large hourglass, the ship of Darius cut swiftly throught he waters towards a dark island formation with a pass through it. "I will alert the Crone – she is an ally of ours" she said aloud. "No need to worry the master yet…" she shook the sands.
TO BE CONTINUED
Sorry it took so long to update but I needed to feel inspired again...anyway review me baby!