Author's note -

I appreciate all the reviews. I'm pleased that people are reading my story and liking it enough to post reviews. Thank you, everyone! ^_^

About the names...I tried to explain it at the beginning. My main reason for changing the names is I could not abide having two characters named 'Frog' and 'Robo'. That is what each is, not a name! That would be like having a character named 'Boy' or 'Girl'. Since the game itself allowed you to change the name of not only the main character (which is pretty standard) but any playable character, I used that option when I wrote my story.

I do know it can be a bit confusing at first. But as a few people have mentioned, after only a moment, one can get used to it.

I know I am losing readers and reviews because of the fact that I changed the names. While I do write to share my stories with others, I feel that if someone is so distressed by it that they can't get used to it, they probably shouldn't be reading this story anyway. It's going to change and challenge a lot more than the characters' names by the end! ^_~

I guess I thought more readers would have the mental flexibility necessary to cope with the change in names.

For those readers who can't get used to the names: My deepest apologies. I am sorry for taking your time.

For those readers who can get used to the names: Thank you! Please, read on and enjoy! ^_^

Shadows of Schala - Chapter Six

Orion was the first to awaken the next morning. He quickly spied the note and after reading it, was equally quick to shake his other friends awake

"C'mon, Elora, you've slept enough! Prime, wake up, we got trouble!"

"What? What is wrong, Orion?" Prime asked, waking faster than Elora.

Orion handed Prime the note.

"All,
Thou art good and true, finer friends one couldst ne'er have. I loseth mine edge, my faith in myself hath been rattled. I find I think of who I hath been, Glenn, Cyril, and the pain wash'eth over me. Magus revileth me and I cannot work with him. Magus is needed to find'eth Schala and Ariel; I am not. I doth not desire to jeopardize thy chances to saveth them. I canst not help the team. Prime ask'eth me last night what I must do to find'eth peace. I found'eth my peace once, I shall strive to do so again. If I can in time to help thee, I shall return. If not, thou all hath been more true friends than I e'er deserveth, and the most true I hath seen, but for Cyrus.

Alpha

Orion,
I don't know where Sir Froggy goes at this hour of the night, but given this note and his state of mind the past few days, someone needs to watch him. Trust this to be the one night I have insomnia! Gaspar said we had time, so I'll follow him. I know you are used to giving orders; show you can also take them. Give me a week to find him and bring him back. You guys stay there, otherwise we'll be split into little groups wandering the country-side. I think it's time the frog and I talked over what happened and what I did to him. Stay out of it, Orion! If we aren't back in a week, look for us in the Denadoro Mountains.

Magus"

"Magus is right," Prime declared handing the note to Elora.

"Who knows what Magus will do to Alpha! Or what Alpha will do to Magus! We can't just sit around..." Orion began heatedly.

"We must, Orion," Elora said gently after reading the note.

"They are the ones who will come back to this time when this is all over. They have to learn to live with each other, with what Magus did to Alpha when he cursed him and what Alpha did to Magus when he killed him, even though that was undone. I didn't see Alpha yesterday, but this note does not sound like the confident Hero Alpha became or the Knight of Guardia that Glenn was. Accept it, Orion. He's your friend, he's mine, too, but there are some things a friend can't help with. The situation between Alpha and Magus is one of those things," Elora continued.

"Orion, Magus is concerned that Alpha has been avoiding him. Alpha is concerned that his antipathy will doom our efforts to save Schala and Ariel. Alpha knows how important Magus is to that goal; Magus knows how much he hurt Alpha already. They won't risk harming each other. Let's wait the week Magus asks us for and if they do not return, then we will search for them," Prime advised.

"First Ariel, now Alpha and Magus. Under it all the Chrono-wave destroying Guardia's future and all of it linking to Schala! I'm so tired of feeling helpless!" Orion raged.

"We know, Orion. We feel it, too," Prime agreed quietly.

********

Alpha considered the three places he felt he had to go on his quest for his elusive peace. He decided that the furthest one out was the one that would pain him the least. Cyrus' death had been more than ten years before and the ache was a familiar hurt.

Magus was amazed at the swift pace Alpha set and maintained. He had always thought that frogs were slow, ungainly creatures. Alpha's speed and quiet movements through the forest forced him to recognize that Alpha was not just a frog. He began to wonder what Glenn had been like before he had cursed him. He remembered the enormous green eyes, filled with grief, that had confronted him over Cyrus' body...and the fear in those same eyes as his transformation spell took hold. He realized that the green of Glenn's eyes were what had prompted him to turn the hapless squire into a frog. His only other impression of the uncursed Glenn were of an earnest, gangly seventeen year old. Cyrus had the bearing and presence of a full knight, but Glenn had still had the rawness of youth about him.

"He had not been someone I would have wanted to harm," Magus realized, "True, Cyrus kept getting in my way, and he was Cyrus' squire, but he probably would have just run away if I had left him alone. Ozzie..."

The tangled feelings that thoughts of Ozzie always brought rose in him again. Ozzie had found him after Lavos had dumped him through a Time Gate that separated him from his time, his mother and, most importantly to him, his sister. If Ozzie had not rescued him, he would have been killed.

"But...Ozzie is the one who recognized the incredible potential for magic that I had...and used it for his own twisted ends. I wanted to please him...but I also wanted to be free of him. It's probably because of him that I have such a hard time trusting and cooperating with others with my magic..."

"I had never thought to curse a human into something else. Ozzie confused me so much as to who and what I really was...was I human or Mystic or a little of both?" Magus pondered as he rested his scythe against a tree.

"Schala, if you could see me now; if you could see what your little brother has become, would you be pleased...or would you hate me? I have done some vile, evil things..."

Magus listened intently and realized that Alpha had moved beyond the range of his hearing. He grasped up his scythe and hurried to catch up.

Alpha's mind wandered even as his feet carried him unerringly toward the Hero's Grave. He remembered Cyrus chasing off the cruel children who teased him; the respect and friendship Cyrus had always shown him even though Glenn had been younger; Cyrus dragging him along to his lessons in sword craft, and the generosity Cyrus had shown when Glenn had proven to be more skillful.

He recalled the one wonderful summer when he had been Cyrus' squire; Cyrus' entry into the Queen's Tourney; and Cyrus' elevation to Captain of the Knights of the Square Table. He fondly called to mind the successful fight with the Frog King for the Hero's Medal and the victory Cyrus gained over the twins Masa and Mune to win the Hero's Sword. He had believed his friend to be the most wonderful knight in the kingdom, following a call that was just and pure. He had been convinced that Cyrus could not be defeated. Then came Magus.

The last memory Alpha had of Cyrus in action was the heroic, doomed charge Cyrus had made on Magus to buy Glenn time to escape. Burned into his mind's eye was the image of Cyrus, features ruined by magic, lying amid the shards of the sundered Masamune, begging Glenn to guard Queen Leene as he died in his arms. His grief had blinded him to his own danger; he had disregarded Ozzie's cruel teasing until Magus blasted him with magic.

The pain that had burned through him had felt like death and he had welcomed oblivion as he fell off the cliff. He had hoped to see Cyrus again, two friends slain by the same foe, but Magus had not struck him with killing magic.

He woke in an altered form, but the memory of the death of his friend hurt more than the pain of his transformation. He had opened his new, golden eyes to see the Hero Medal glinting up at him.

Alpha sighed and pulled the Hero Medal up from the front of his tunic. He regarded its gleaming silver surface and reflected that the pain of Cyrus' death, more than ten years in the past, had not really diminished. In an obscure way he felt comforted that his friend's tragic end still hurt as much as it ever did; it showed that Cyrus still mattered to him.

He looked up and realized that the gates of the Hero's Grave stood before him. He took up his courage and walked in. Magus waited a few moments and then silently followed.

Alpha walked down the staircase to the chamber where the Grave actually lay. He walked up and placed his webbed hand upon the cool headstone. Magus sidled in and concealed himself behind a pillar.

"'Tis I, Cyrus," Alpha began, "One time when I came here, thou rose up in spirit from thy grave, enjoined me to guard Queen Leene, reassured thyself that I hadst survived and left for thy well-deserveth peace. Not once didst thou mention that I wast a frog! Can it be that thou didst not notice? Thou didst giveth me faith in myself, claiming that I wast a Hero. I hath lost that faith again, my friend. I hadst reclaimed my humanity, honored thy wish to guard the queen, and madeth a life for myself at Guardia Castle. But a new danger threaten'eth our queen, as well as dear friends not yet born and to save them I hadst to become again...a frog..." Alpha's voice failed.

"I am...not as much a Hero as I need'eth to be. The one I took this curse back to save...despiseth me. I canst not work with him to save his sister and Leene and Ariel...Forgiveth me, Cyrus! Thy death wast only to save a forsworn knave!" Alpha choked out.

Magus was an unwilling observer to the deepest grief he had ever witnessed. He could not leave without betraying his presence to the distressed frog, but he could barely stand overhearing such a private sorrow. He thankfully stretched cramping legs when Alpha finally slipped into an exhausted sleep. He peered around the column he had hidden behind and almost bolted for the door.

He recognized the Spirit that pulled a cloak over the sleeping frog. The burning hatred in the gaze of Cyrus' Ghost froze him where he stood with an irresistible power as he was recognized in turn. The Ghost floated over, his spectral armor silent as the grave. Cyrus circled Magus once burning his very soul with that potent, reproachful stare.

Magus could sense the meaning of the Specter's attack without words. Cyrus hated him not only for his own death, but more so for the anguish Magus had caused in Glenn's life, most recently for the self-assurance Alpha had lost. Magus could also sense the frustration Cyrus felt in not being able to drag him forcefully to his own death and a long overdue accounting, even though he possessed that power. He realized that Cyrus somehow knew something of the mission they were on.

"You hate me, you have every reason to, but Schala did nothing to you and if I know her at all, respects Alpha. If you know anything, tell me! I'll even come back here and submit to you once we rescue her..." Magus promised rashly.

The Spectral Knight seared into Magus' soul with the burning gaze again. Magus tried not to fight the Ghost's probing as that spectral stare sought for something. Finally, Cyrus looked him in the eyes. Magus flinched.

"Fear'eth me; thou should. Evil maketh its own doom. Tell Glenn nothing of me or I shall hound thee to the end of thy days. Keep'eth thy vow to return here; accept a Geas and I can giveth thee a clue. The Geas' penalty, madness and death. Return'eth here...and I canst levy a final accounting from thee." The Ghost's bloodless voice chilled the chamber with the presence and promise of death.

Magus considered. His soul had been burned already by Cyrus' hatred, enough for him to know that the full force of it would kill him. To accept the clue and the Geas would mean madness and death if he did not return after they had rescued Schala. It was a deal that would mean his doom either way, and Magus was tempted to laugh and tell the Ghost to go back to hell, but for two things.

First, he could sense somehow that without the Ghost's clue, they would never find Schala. Second, he felt the guilt that was late in coming for Cyrus' death and the malign effect he had had in Alpha's life. He knew that the guilt would eventually drive him mad anyway. Better to accept death at the Ghost's hand than to go mad and hurt who knows who else before dying anyway.

"Give me...give me a week after we rescue Schala to return to you here," Magus asked quietly. "And I accept your Geas."

The Ghost's visor closed and he gazed searchingly at the mage again.

"Thou may'eth have two weeks," he replied as he floated back to Alpha's side. "Tell'eth no one about me. Grieveth Glenn no more. Set'eth thine affairs in order ere thou return'eth here!" Cyrus warned. A red haze grew around the Ghost and then reached eerie tentacles of force toward Magus. He stood still and bowed his head as the Ghost's Geas wrapped itself around him. He felt the doom it promised uncurl within his soul.

Magus looked up as the Ghost's aspect changed. A soft golden aura now suffused his ethereal form and Magus sensed a gentle, kindly solicitousness from the fearsome Specter as he hovered near Alpha's sleeping figure.

"Faith, my friend. All thou hath e'er needed, all thou shall e'er need art already within thee!" Cyrus touched Alpha on the head and the glow flowed down his hand and into the Frog Knight. "Thou need'eth only to remember that!"

Magus watched as Alpha straightened from his almost fetal curl of grief and took on a more heroic bearing even in his sleep. The Ghost cast one last lingering glance his way, reminding him of his Geas, and floated up through the ceiling. Magus pulled his own cloak around him and wondered how he was going to recognize Cyrus' clue.

"Search for Schala in Shadow," echoed Cyrus' voice through his burial chamber.

Magus pondered the meaning of that as he guarded the sleeping frog.

********

Alpha woke and remembered the wracking sorrow that had claimed him. He felt a little surprised at the sense of well-being that he felt, but reasoned that remembering Cyrus' forgiveness had brought some measure of peace to his tortured soul. He gathered his cloak and sword, saluted Cyrus' Grave with the Masamune, squared his shoulders and set off for his second difficult destination---Guardia Castle.

Magus, hidden within the trunk of a tree, watched as Alpha departed the Hero's Grave. He marveled at how heroic Alpha appeared to him now, a remnant of Cyrus' golden aura clung to Alpha's frog-like features. He watched as Alpha set a rapid pace through the woods. Once the Frog Knight was just at the edge of his hearing, Magus stepped forth from the trunk of the oak he was hiding in and followed.

Alpha remained wrapped up in fond memories of his friend but they only strengthened his sense of self worth and did not distress him as before. Each memory that he called to mind served to show him a positive aspect of himself that he never noticed, until now. He had always known that he had not run when urged to by Cyrus out of a paralyzing fear; he now admitted to himself that it was fear for Cyrus and not himself. He had known that Cyrus was over-matched by Magus during that final fight.

He thought of how Magus despised him and his abilities, especially the Slurp Heal. Alpha also recalled how often Orion begged him to use the same ability to heal him from injury. He concluded that Orion was the more mature of the two; suffering for pride was stupid. Alpha resolved to continue using his Slurp on Magus, whether Magus liked it or not...and if Magus didn't like it...well, that could be a small, sweet revenge. Alpha grinned.

"That is a smile I've seen on Cyrus' face!" Magus exclaimed to himself. "Slash regretted the results of that smile, if memory serves. What did Cyrus do to Alpha?" Magus wondered, staring at the subtle golden glow.

Alpha stayed to the woods as he neared Guardia Castle. He did not want the pain of being recognized as the Queen's weird, frog-thing guard, which is how he knew some of the guards thought of him. He also knew that they did not trust him, they thought that since he wore a monster's form, he himself must be a monster. That he did nothing monstrous only convinced them that he was merely biding his time.

He waited until the uncertain light of dusk covered his advance and quietly entered the castle through a hidden door. Magus waited as long as he dared and then followed Alpha.

Magus marveled at the network of hidden passages in Guardia Castle; it reminded him of the one in his own castle. He silently followed Alpha through the maze even as he wondered at Alpha's knowledge of it. None of Magus' spies from when he had the Queen kidnapped had even known of the secret passageways' existence. He sensed Alpha stop and heard a slight scraping noise. Magus turned down a side passage, moved aside a small shutter and peered into the room thus revealed.

Queen Leene wished a soft good-night to her two ladies-in-waiting and closed the chamber door after them. She sighed deeply as she stretched and eased the tension out of her shoulders. Taking up a small book, she crossed to a chair near the fire and curled up to read.

A sharp noise rang out in the silence of the room, as if something had crashed behind the wall across from Magus' hiding place.

"Who's there?!" Leene cried out in alarm, fixing her eyes on the hidden panel. Magus realized that Leene knew that there were hidden passageways around her room.

The panel clicked, swung open and Alpha stepped through.

"Tis only I, my lady, I didst not mean to startle thee!" the Frog Knight inscribed a courtly bow.

Leene rushed to his side to greet him with a sincere, welcoming smile.

"Alpha! Where have you been..." Magus saw clearly the lost, confused look on Leene's features the moment before she covered her face with her hands and sank to the floor with a low moan.

"My queen, what...?" Alpha dropped to his knees and tried to aid the stricken woman.

"Alpha...but, you are...can't be here...too many memories...this is all wrong...this hasn't happened...can't be happening...Cyril?...Glenn?...Alpha, you...you are..." the queen looked up, tears streaming down a face that was a mask of tortured confusion. "Help me?" She slumped over in a dead faint.

Alpha gasped and gathered Leene into his arms. His tears flowed as he talked softly to the unconscious woman.

"I shouldst not hath come! I shouldst hath realized that thou...wouldst be partially immune to the changes in Time wrought by Magus'...non-death. I myself told thee of Lavos, and Time Travel...and thou hadst divined my true self..." Alpha rose and carried Leene to her bed.

"As Schala's descendant, thou must also haveth more of the capacity for magic than is normal. I shouldst never had let thee see me! Thou must sense, and remember, all that I hath been, before Magus' death wast undone; yet thy memories tell thee that I hath been only thy frog retainer the whole time," Alpha pulled an embroidered coverlet over the queen.

"Oh, Leene, 'tis too much! I must not let thee see'eth me again! Apart from thee and a very few in this castle, there are none here in this time who wouldst call me friend! But, I canst not bring thee such anguish as my presence wouldst cause. 'Twould break'eth mine heart to giveth thee pain just to avoid loneliness..."

Magus noted that the golden glow, that Alpha seemed not to notice, dimmed and then brightened.

"I am sworn to guard thee; guard thee I shall. Thou must not behold me again, but I canst watch over thee. Once I hath safe-guarded thy place in the time stream by rescuing Schala, I shall return here! Thou never need know that I guard thee..." Alpha vowed to the sleeping queen. "I shall spend my life in thy service, thou need'eth not know or see me for me to protect thee."

Alpha spent a moment to reassure himself that Leene was physically okay. He brushed her fair hair out of her face and prompted by some impulse, leaned down and kissed her cheek. Tears rose again in his golden eyes as he laid one hand tenderly along the side of her face.

"Dear Leene, ever-watchful, but ever-unseen, I remain not only thy faithful subject...but also thy friend! I only hope that thou forget'eth having seen me this night...only hold the memories that trouble thee not in this altered time stream...and wonder why I hath abandoned thee...for that is how it shall seem to thee..."

Over-wrought, Alpha turned and without looking back entered the secret passage and closed it behind him. Magus carefully slid the shutter back to the way he found it and prepared to follow Alpha.

A red haze rose up before his vision and Magus felt the Geas stir within him. He felt the will of Cyrus bear down on him as he strove to contain his pain without a sound. After a moment he sensed that Cyrus wanted him to help Leene. Unsure of what he could do to help, Magus slid open the panel and entered the Queen's chamber.

He stole softly over and looked down into Leene's face. He noticed lines of distress around her eyes and realized that Alpha's fervent wish that Leene not remember their meeting was not to be---unless he did something. Magus was disconcerted by how much Leene resembled Schala, a fact he had never noted before. Of course, he had never been this close to her before either.

His thought of Schala pointed out a way he could help Leene. He fumbled in his pouch and drew out a small vial of a sky-blue liquid. He looked about the chamber and found a forgotten cup of tea. The warmth of the cup told him that Leene had been drinking it before Alpha and he had come to spy on her. He poured his potion into the tea and placed the cup on the table by the queen's bed.

Gathering his wits and wishing that Cyrus would ease up yanking on his Geas now that he was doing the Ghost's will, Magus shook Leene by the shoulder until she roused.

Her eyes opened and alarm displaced the strain from her face. Magus clasped one hand over her mouth to prevent her scream and held her tightly against his side.

"My...queen, yes, I am Magus, but I am not here to harm you. In fact, I want to help you with the confusion and pain that you feel from having seen Alpha this evening," Magus whispered intently to the frightened woman. He felt a blessed relief in his soul and realized that Cyrus had stopped pulling on his Geas.

He saw Leene's eyes widen in surprise and felt her ease in his arms.

"You won't scream?" he asked her.

She shook her head "no", and Magus read the truth of that response in her eyes. Gently, he lifted his hand from her mouth, and set her free, but for one hand he kept to check her if she tried to run.

"Magus! What are you doing here? How is it that I think of Cyrus when I see you?" Leene gasped out.

"My...lady, I can't talk about that. Please...trust that I do not intend to harm you...I know you have no reason to trust me...but I know that you have too many memories, ones that don't make any sense...about Alpha. I can help you. I must help you! Please, trust me?" Magus pleaded.

"You...have been monstrously evil to this kingdom, my husband and me...but...now that I see you in person...you don't strike me as evil. In fact, I feel...almost a kinship with you. Why would I? That makes no sense..." Magus all but gasped as he saw the faintest outline of Cyrus' Ghost take shape behind the queen and grasp her shoulders. Leene eerily reinforced the image by hugging her shoulders.

"I feel half-insane with too many memories that make no sense...I sense no hostility from you...it feels...right?...to accept whatever help you can offer me..." Leene struggled to explain. Magus was certain that the Ghost knew what he intended and was influencing the queen to accept his aid.

"Leene, someday perhaps you will understand the feeling of kinship; I feel it too, but I know why...I truly mean you no harm. Please, only drink this, lie down and listen to what I say and your memories of Alpha will again make sense and trouble you no more," Magus requested.

Leene looked deep into his eyes with her clear blue gaze. Magus, convinced of the rightness of what he intended to do, returned it unflinchingly. Leene nodded, took the cup and drained it.

Magus watched as the potent sleep potion began to take effect and pushed her gently down onto her bed. She struggled a little, almost reflexively. To reassure her, Magus took one cold hand into his warm ones and stroked it.

"My lady, for now, know that I respect you, and honor you, and wish fervently that I had never imperiled you in my bid for power. I am most sorry for the trouble I have brought to your life. The potion you so bravely drank will only make you sleep, a deep sleep that should erase all strain and grief; but before you sleep you will listen and probably believe what I tell you and do what I say."

Magus kept his tone soft and mild, and watched the drugged queen to gauge her reaction to his words. The gentle stroking of her hand seemed to reassure her. Magus gathered his thoughts, he had never tried to use this potion this way before, but a memory of Schala from his childhood prompted this experiment.

"First, you will not remember this meeting or me, I am only your own mind voice. When you wake, you will remember Magus as you always had before this night, as the...villain who attacked your kingdom, had you kidnapped and injured your husband. Second, you will remember Alpha as he has always been; your faithful guard and good friend. You will feel no worry or anxiety about him; you know that he will return to you when you have need of him. The feelings that you will have when you see him are good ones that will cause you no pain. Finally, you will remember Cyrus..." Magus felt a tug on his Geas at this but finished his order in spite of it, "...you will remember Cyrus as your faithful friend and excellent knight, one who would reach beyond his own death to help you if he could."

Magus felt a surge of warmth from his Geas. "Got you there, didn't I, Cyrus?" he gloated inside, "Maybe I'm not quite the villain everyone takes me for anymore! Even if I know that I am..."

"Leene, you dismissed your attendants, curled up and read part of your book. You stopped reading to think fondly of Alpha and because of that remembered Cyrus. You felt tired, drank your tea and went to bed. You will wake tomorrow refreshed and happy and you will remember Magus, Alpha and Cyrus only in the ways I told you. 'Your inner voice quiets and worries slip away; sleep and dream, Leene, wake to the dawn of the new day.'"

Leene's eyes closed and her breathing slowed to the pattern of sleep as Magus' sleep spell took effect. Magus could see that the lines of strain around her eyes had gone. As Alpha had before him, he pulled the cover over her. Asleep, she reminded him even more strongly of Schala. He felt a rush of tenderness for this woman who was, after all, family. Knowing the chance would never come again, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Good-bye, Leene," he whispered. He turned, entered the secret passage and closed the panel behind him.

"Alpha is long gone," Magus thought to himself, "I wonder where he going to go now?"

The Ghost's Geas tugged sharply once and Magus thought of the Denadoro Mountains.

"I wish you'd find a better way to let me know these things," Magus complained to the unseen Ghost, "That really hurts!"

-------------
Author's notes -

I haven't seen the word 'geas' in a dictionary, but I have run across it in D&D and some fantasy stories. It is halfway between a magic oath and a curse, where breaking the geas carries severe consequences, madness and death.

Reviews, comments and constructive criticisms are always welcome! Please feel free to email me also if you see something awkward that needs to be clarified or fixed. I need all the help I can get!

stargarde@stargarde.com