Thanks to my lovely editor, Menecarkawan.
Song: 'In The Sky' by Miz (From videogame Grandia III)
Ch. 21: Mission: Complicated
Kroy seemed tense as they entered the Draconian city of Xaphan. Harry kept staring at his half Draconian companion wondering if Kroy was feeling like some sort of guinea pig due to the fact that Xaphan's inhabitants seemed so interested in him. Harry noticed something else about the Draconian people; they were very tall, probably between 6' 2" and 8'. Harry had suspected that Kroy's height came from his father's side and now Harry was sure he was right about that, although the Gorgon Queen was also quite intimidating when it came to height.
The female that had previously spoken to them outside the city's grounds introduced herself as Yollka. She then escorted Kroy to a building nearby while another female by the name of Kraspia made Harry and the rest of his companions follow her to another building.
Kraspia, a Draconian with glowing amber eyes, made the adventurers sit around a table and served them snacks. Harry stared at the strange food, but refrained from even asking what was being offered. Instead, he decided to ask Kraspia questions about what was going to happen with Kroy. "Miss Kraspia?" The scaley woman's face immediately turned towards Harry. "What are they going to do with him?"
"Oh! Do not worry about that! He'll be perfectly fine! Our fine medical staff will simply take blood samples and test your friend's strength and magic to see how much his mixed heritage affects his body. They want to see if the mixed blood causes the Draconian magic and strength to decrease or increase, or if it remains intact in a certain way. Nothing about what they'll perform on your friend will hurt him, I can assure you. Just wait a little while and your companion will be with you again. Now eat!" Kraspia smiled as she encouraged them to eat the food, but they all seemed to be hesitating. Having been with the Androktonians had left that effect among them and the young looking female noticed it. "It's not poisoned... We Draconians don't poison guests no matter how we are labeled as dark creatures..."
"It's not that!" Janryu exclaimed and he got Kraspia's attention. "I'm considered a dark creature too, you know. I'm a vampire. The problem with us is not actually that we have been poisoned, but drugged."
Harry covered his face feeling humiliated. He never thought Janryu or anyone for that matter would bring something like that up and to make things worse Kraspia's expression was priceless. "Drugged?" the Draconian girl asked alarmed. "By whom? It certainly wasn't a Draconian, right?"
"It wasn't," Harry said in a tired voice. "I think we've made Miss Kraspia uncomfortable enough." With that, Harry started to eat and noticed that the small spheres of food tasted like potatoes, but with a meaty filling. They were quite enjoyable. "This is good!"
Kraspia smiled as the rest imitated Harry in eating. "You can also taste the wine! It's very fine wine, I say!"
"I would prefer water," Harry said sincerely, still having bad memories about his wine experience with the Androktonians too.
"Sure! I guess not all people risk getting a bit drunk!" She quickly fetched a pitcher, started to serve water in cups and placed them next to the wine filled goblets.
The magical feeling Harry kept getting was beginning to eat him from the inside and soon he gained the courage to ask: "Do you have some sort of magical source in this city?"
"Magical source?" the young woman asked confused.
"Yes. Ever since I entered this city I've been feeling very strong magical vibes."
Angelus stared at Harry as if studying him and then he spoke: "Here in this city is the cylinder of Hyalzyan. It's a powerful relic that has been guarded by the Draconian civilization for centuries. No tainted being can touch the relic, as it possesses much of Larakain's power soul. It's like a fragment of Larakain's heart in a symbolical way."
"What happens if such a relic were to fall into Nebureth's hands?" Soshlan asked nervously.
"He can't touch it!" Kraspia replied. "Filthy hands cannot be laid on the cylinder. If a tainted soul were to touch it he would immediately be consumed." She stared at Angelus. "How do you know so much about the cylinder?"
"I know about many things," Angelus answered monotonously, but Kraspia kept glancing at him suspiciously.
"Are there any other relics like the one here?" asked Neville before actually tasting the wine. "This is good wine!" he exclaimed.
Dianeia was the one to answer the question: "There are three more, Neville. As a matter of fact, the pyramid of Hyalzyan is hidden in my village. Hyalzyan is Larakain's previous name from long ago. There is also a cube of Hyalzyan and a sphere. They are never to be united or Larakain would be destroyed, but no corrupted being would ever try that due to the fact that he would die the moment he touches just one of the relics. Nebureth is not stupid."
Luna surprised everyone when she spoke: "People always say that children are innocent. What if Nebureth is trying to fill himself with the innocence of children as he absorbs their energy to make himself more powerful, and through that fake innocence, get his hands on the relics? I still don't understand what is the real purpose behind the dark lord wanting to be so powerful. Is it not to gain control of all of Larakain? That is usually a dark lord's final goal, to rule the world. Just kidnapping children won't give him that. We can try to sum the children, the magic of some creatures, and the relics."
"But that can't be!" Nemaisse retorted from beside Luna. "Even if the dark lord tried to get his hands on the relics they can't be joined! What would he gain from destroying the world he wants to rule?"
"Nothing." All eyes fell on Angelus. "He would gain nothing from destroying Larakain. That is not what he will attempt to do. He certainly doesn't plan to join the relics. His plan is to use them separately to join Larakain with the other world because their power serves as a key to completely sever the barrier that separates both worlds."
"WHAT?" Neville, Luna, and Harry reacted at the same time.
Neville looked frightened. "Join Earth and Larakain? Is that even possible?"
Harry suddenly remembered something Angelus had told him before: The source that will link both worlds approaches. We have to avoid chaos from spreading if both worlds collide." Harry looked at Angelus: "You told me something about a source. Did you mean those relics? What will happen if both worlds are joined?"
"Then chaos will be inevitable. The worlds can't be joined under any circumstances. There are links between both worlds and the dark lord pretends to use those links and the relics to join both worlds and rule them, but we cannot allow that to happen." Angelus' gaze had hardened. "Instead of being joined the worlds would collide and be destroyed, but the dark lord ignores that."
"Great!" Janryu exclaimed. "And here I thought we only had to rescue children from that guy! Now it turns out he is a conqueror with a strong thirst for power and craving more lands to rule over?"
Harry seemed speechless, but spoke to Angelus: "How are we to stop that? The mission just seems to be getting more and more complicated!"
"You will have to avoid chaos at all costs. You cannot let both worlds succumb and crumble. That is your mission," Angelus said burning his golden gaze onto Harry's orbs.
Neville seemed on the verge of a nervous breakdown and Luna tenderly started to rub his back and even placed a kiss on his right cheek. "Everything will be alright," she whispered in his ear, but Neville had a very bad feeling that not everything would be fine. He, just like Harry, felt that the mission kept getting more complicated and he wasn't sure if he would be able to handle the stress of the situation.
"What happens if a pure soul touches the relic?" Neville asked with a slight tremor in his voice.
Kraspia seemed upset by the question, but quickly replied: "Nothing of course! But most people fear it! Y-You don't plan to touch it, do you?" The Draconian girl started to fumble with the tray she was holding in her hands in a nervous gesture. "Y-You can die if you're not essentially good at heart!" she stammered.
Angelus stood up from his chair all of a sudden and all eyes fell on him once again. He studied all their faces and lastly his gaze fell on Harry. "Do you remember when I told you that there were things we had to do other than looking for the summons?" Harry nodded with a confused expression. "This is one of those missions. Each of you will touch the relic to prove themselves. If there is a traitor among us, that person will perish. It's something I've been meaning to do ever since what happened with Al one hundred and forty years ago."
"What if it kills dark creatures?" Janryu asked with wide eyes.
"It's not like that!" Kraspia reacted with mild anger. "That relic is being protected by spiritual energy from us Draconians and we have never been considered creatures of the light!"
"We leave," Angelus said. "After making sure each of us touches the relic and as soon as we finish our business here in Xaphan, I will leave you."
"But I thought you were going to be with us in Ryoll, gramps!" Janryu reacted.
"No. I never said that. I mentioned that I would leave you before you reached Zanoa, and so I shall, but you are right. I won't be with you in Ryoll. Now, go hunt."
Janryu got up from his chair to leave the group. He was going to hunt outside the city's outskirts for a while. Kroy still hadn't returned and they wouldn't be able to be tested until their half Pegasi companion had joined them.
Harry didn't like the idea of everyone touching the Draconian protected relic, but at the same time recognized it was a necessary evil and it would dissipate any doubts he could have been brewing in the depths of his heart. He didn't want to doubt any of his companions and so far he trusted them all, especially Luna, Neville, and Dianeia.
After one hour of waiting, Kroy was finally brought to the building's living room where they were. Janryu also returned after having hunted and Kraspia, still unsure of what they had requested, started to escort them to the place where the cylinder of Hyalzyan was. Walking through the city, Harry and his companions kept glancing at the Draconians and Janryu blurted: "Man, these people are ugly!"
Kraspia, who heard the vampire clearly, turned to him looking mildly annoyed and said: "The one who is ugly is you! Look at those slanted eyes with no glow, and that animal mane of black hair, skin that is not tanned enough, plus no scales on that body of yours! Definitely ugly, I'd say! At least your half-blood friend has glowing eyes and that is definitely a nice touch to him. Still, he's a bit ugly too." Kroy half smiled at the comment.
The others laughed at how Kraspia snapped at Janryu without looking really angry at him. It was obvious that beauty standards definitely varied from culture to culture. Harry silently agreed with Janryu, but he would have never voiced it like the vampire had done. In his tastes, the Draconian people weren't physically attractive and he wondered how Kroy's mother had fallen for a Draconian man. It was true love was blind, but Harry sometimes thought that at least the person in love must consider the other one beautiful. He even wondered if he would have fallen for Dianeia if she had been a Draconian, but in a certain sense, she was strange too. Not every man would have considered her shimmery unicorn white hair beautiful, for example. He was sure Ron would have never fallen for Dia.
"There!" Kraspia pointed to an aqueous wall that reminded Harry of the protective barrier that hid the kingdom of Franya. They followed her through the wall, a sensation of sudden cold wetness tingling in their bodies as they went through. The feeling reminded Harry of being accidentally touched or passed through by ghosts in Hogwarts, but he ignored the memories as he stared at the powerful cylinder. The magic it radiated was intimidating and Harry felt sudden fear and didn't want to get closer to it. He noticed that his friends had to be experiencing the same frightening sensation as him because they had stopped walking toward the cylinder. A seemingly glass spiral staircase led to the relic. Kraspia had also stopped walking and hesitated in front of the staircase before turning to them: "I will not be climbing this staircase. I've only escorted you here, but you are the ones that wish to touch it, not me."
"Do you have any recollections of people that have tried to touch it in the past?" asked Harry with his eyes still fixed on the relic.
"Of course! Look around you!"
Harry and his companions scanned the room. There were many white pedestals with silvery recollection pyramids like the one Harry, Neville, and Luna had seen of Al and like the one in which they had recorded their introductions when they met the elder that spoke to them about part of their mission, placed on the pedestals. "Can we see them?"
Kraspia nodded at Harry and he went for a random pyramid. He pressed the button to play it and saw a recording of two Draconians placing the relic on its place above the stairs and the relic not harming them at all. After that he saw other recordings of Draconians revising the relic and testing its magic, and they were also unscathed after dealing with the powerful cylinder. Harry started to go pyramid by pyramid and he was feeling more and more relieved as so far he hadn't seen the relic killing anyone until he reached a pyramid that seemed to alarm Kraspia for she suddenly exclaimed: "That one is new! I've been here many times and that pyramid is new! When a pyramid is full of recordings, this magical room automatically creates another pedestal and another pyramid to record anyone that approaches the relic. This pyramid wasn't here last month when it was my turn to clean this place."
Harry and Neville looked at each other and their gazes hardened. Neville nodded at Harry and Harry looked at Angelus and Angelus nodded too. Harry pressed the button of the new pyramid and they gasped when they saw one of Nebureth's dark mages approaching the relic along with some shadow men. The dark mage touched the relic and screamed. His black clothing and cape started to burn in a white fire and his skin started to peel itself completely, every layer. Harry felt Dianeia hold on to him as they watched the mage's veins appear after the muscles had been skinned, and then also being peeled from the body. By that point, Luna hid her face on Neville's chest and Neville closed his eyes. The image now showed a quivering skeleton still touching the relic and the skeleton exploded into dust that vanished. The shadow men tried to get the relic just like the dark mage had tried in vain and they also perished, only leaving behind the echoes of their howls from excruciating pain.
Angelus looked at the terrified faces and said: "Now each of us will be tested like that mage was. The cylinder of Hyalzyan will be our judge."
"You're kidding, right old man?" Janryu retorted.
"I'll go first," said Kroy surprising them. He calmly went up the transparent spiral staircase and as he reached the relic, he pulled back his current light blue tunic's long sleeve and carefully placed his hand on the cylinder. The cylinder gave a welcoming glow and its light caressed the half Draconian's palm in acceptance. Kroy took his hand back and looked at his companions with a faint smile. He came down looking a little somber, or so Harry thought. Kroy had looked strange ever since he had come back from the tests they had performed on him.
After Kroy, it was Dianeia's turn and she passed although looking blanched the whole time. One by one, they all went: Harry, Angelus, Luna, Janryu, Soshlan, Nemaisse, and lastly Neville. Neville looked timid and he decided to be last because he had a very bad feeling gnawing inside him. Breathing and steadying himself with every step he took, Neville finally reached the top of the stairs. He hadn't touched the cylinder of Hyalzyan yet when it started to glow with a blinding white light. Neville didn't want to touch it and he tried to move backwards and tripped. He was about to fall down the stairs when the light from the cylinder produced giant hands that held him and made him touch the relic. Neville screamed as some of the light invaded his body. He was lifted into the air and passed out, but the magic didn't let him fall.
"What is happening to him?" Soshlan asked hysterically.
Harry quirked an eyebrow and glared at Angelus. He knew that Neville wasn't bad or a traitor and that what was happening to his fellow Gryffindor was something different. The mysterious man's eyes shone triumphantly and he said aloud: "His mutation has finally been chosen."
Kraspia left the secret room running. Not only did she have to alert the elders about a new pyramid that was evidence of what the dark lord was planning, but she also had to alert the elders of what had happened with one of the children of the other world. Shortly, she was returning with Yollka and five other Draconians.
"What has happened?" Yollka asked and gasped when she saw a passed out Neville being held in midair and looking wet. "But this can't be! The cylinder has never linked itself to anyone before!"
From the cylinder of Hyalzyan came two shiny silver guns that were placed in the sheaths Neville had attached to his belt, vanishing the bronze ones. After that, little by little the light caused Neville's descent and Angelus grabbed the soaked boy in his arms. Neville's eyes fluttered open and he started to shiver. "Something... Inside me..." he managed to say hoarsely
"It's alright. It's just your mutation. You will also evolve after this," Angelus told him in a paternal tone.
"Scared," Neville added, still shivering.
"A very normal feeling, but it will pass," Angelus replied and then lowered Neville to the floor and produced a mantle from one of his sacks to cover Neville with. After having Neville tucked in the mantle, he lifted the boy again. "We leave this city."
"But wait!" Yollka exclaimed. "You will have to let us thoroughly inspect that child! We have to know what happened!"
Kroy intervened. "First you should increase your security. A dark mage has already been here, aunt Yollka."
The others including Kraspia stared at Kroy for the way he had addressed the leader like female Draconian that possessed glowing green eyes. Yollka nodded and made a gesture indicating they could leave. In minutes they were leaving the city and frowned as Kroy and Dianeia blurted at the same time with frustrated voices: "Evolution Portal."
XxXxX
Al awoke in brown bedding that smelled like leather. He looked around and noticed that he was wearing only long brown trousers in a style that reminded him of the old natives of North America. He was shirtless and noticed a strange pendant he didn't have before. It had a bulb with sparkling blue and green stones inside it. He rubbed his eyes and as he got up, he found a mirror and stared at his image. A fourteen-year-old boy stared back and that auburn haired boy had a few freckles on his nose that people barely noticed. He touched the mirror looking at his reflection enthralled. He still couldn't believe he looked so young again. It was funny and at the same time incredibly frustrating. Perhaps an older form, like eighteen, would have suited him better. He chuckled to himself, but then went alert and started to try locating his familiar. "Fawkes?" he asked to the empty room and the phoenix appeared in front of him, putting him at ease. "Where were you, little rascal?" Fawkes chirped happily and pecked Al's fingers. "Bloody bird..." he said lovingly, but was suddenly interrupted.
"I see that you have awoken, young one. Do not be frightened. We rescued you from Nebureth's men. You've slept for two days. Do you recall anything?"
Al studied the elven woman and nodded. "I remember being in the middle of a losing fight. I was too weak."
"You could have died," the woman stated. "My name is Ureilhia. I'm quite interested in knowing your name, little one."
"A..." Al stopped himself. Saying his real name could be troublesome so he found himself saying one of his middle names. "Wulfric."
Ureilhia lifted an eyebrow suspiciously: "Wulfric? Are you sure? What was the 'Ah' for? Awulfric?"
"Sure! Awulfric!" Al exclaimed and even winked an eye to the elvish woman.
"How old are you?" Ureilhia asked curiously.
"Quite old I'd say," he started automatically. "Soon I'll be one hundred and fifty-fi..." he gasped stopping himself and covering his mouth. Great. He was acting very stupid. It seemed the body regression had also regressed his brain. What the hell was he thinking? "I... I was joking. I'm fourteen-years-old, but that should be obvious, right?" Al's bright blue eyes were full of hope and twinkled as he waited for Ureilhia's reply.
"Why are you in that form, Al?" Ureilhia asked full of concern, but putting emphasis on the short name.
'Busted', Al thought to himself. He had a lot of explaining to do.
XxXxX
Ryoll was incredibly close to Xaphan so the walk wasn't very long; only about 1.5 km. Angelus was carrying a worn out Neville. The boy hadn't just suffered his still enigmatic mutation, but had also suffered the nightmare that was the evolution portal. Right before entering Ryoll's grounds Angelus gave Neville to Kroy and spoke to them all: "I will join you later on. Whatever you do, always choose wisely. Take care."
"And he leaves just like that," Janryu stated. "He sure is a strange one!"
Luna kept looking at Neville knowing full well that she would be next to evolve. She had an incredible desire to learn what her mutation would be, but at the same time, she was apprehensive and nervous. She was curious about what Neville's mutation was, though.
Right after they entered the city of Ryoll, a middle aged looking woman with long flowing soda pink hair in a handkerchief and an eye-patch over her left eye ran towards them. Her good eye was gray and with a nasal voice she said: "My, my! The Draconians actually let travelers pass? The Crumple-Horned Snorkacks will fly! Welcome to Ryoll, the number one city in technology! Hope you weren't fooled by the city of Pakkon!" The woman laughed in a high-pitched annoying way and Harry and Dianeia looked at each other. "My name is Aklashya. I am the best inventor in this city. You can admire most of my inventions by looking around!"
Harry agreed that the city looked more advanced than Pakkon, and also had the robot like dolls, but much more. There were flying means of transportation that the people used as normally as people used cars on Earth. The flying vehicles looked like watermelon slices and made a very unusual sight in his opinion. Many artifacts actually looked like fruits.
There were terrain wheeled vehicles that moved by themselves without the need of horses, constantly transporting things around the city, especially to small shops. Harry could see machines producing sweets and other foods in diverse kiosks.
"You seem impressed!" Harry jumped as the woman's face appeared in front of his. "But you haven't seen my best invention ever, handsome! Come on!" she motioned for them to follow her.
Kroy looked at Harry and Harry shrugged. "Guess there won't be any harm in checking out her latest invention..."
Soshlan and Nemaisse laughed nervously while Dianeia pouted in concentration and Luna seemed hypnotized by all the inventions running around the city.
The adventurers followed Aklashya and soon reached a huge terrain where she pointed to what looked like a giant pod connected to what seemed like a blimp. "What in the devil is that?" Janryu asked.
"Wicked!" Neville exclaimed weakly from his place in Kroy's arms.
"And it does fly, I can assure y'all! Do you want to test it? Where do you want to go?" Aklashya asked full of excitement.
"We just wish to go through Ryoll to get to Zanoa," Harry answered truthfully.
"Then my Flying Cutesy Kokoshyon can be put to great use! You do know you have to cross a huge river to get to Zanoa and some villain broke the bridge, right?"
"I... I didn't know that," Harry replied.
"I'll take you then! Hop aboard, mates! Aklashya will take you to Zanoa in no time!"
"Aren't you supposed to stay here?" Soshlan asked.
"Why?"
"Are you the leader of this city?" asked Harry.
"Leader?" The woman laughed annoyingly again. "I'm just an inventor and I constantly leave the city to travel around the world! Now, let's fly!"
Without even knowing why he felt it was the correct thing to do, Harry found himself boarding the giant green painted metallic pod along with his companions. Aklashya placed herself in front of many buttons, gearshifts, and rudder bars and after pressing many buttons; the system ignited producing a strong fire that activated the blimp like thing above the pod. In only two minutes the Kokoshyon was flying.
Thanks to: HitoshirenzuKage - aww... that comment made me blush, guess many people don't like to review; Farfumsane, and bandgsecurtiyaw for reviewing!
