Hey guys, welcome to the next installment! This is where things really get moving.
CHAPTER 5: THE COLD INSIDE
Last night, he had been searching the Witch Wide Web, looking at Aria's social media accounts and the false wall she'd put around herself. He had been drafting a letter to send to the chairman of the Melodian Opera House, advising him to keep an eye on Aria on account of her track record of spite.
And then, the princess of Melody was murdered.
Daewon sat down on his bed, staring out the window murderously. He could not believe that Galatea, whom he had spent years with at the Melodian Operatic Academy, was dead. It seemed more like a nightmare than reality.
"Daewon?" a soft voice called from outside. Sharzad walked inside, closing the door and sitting down next to him. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, my friend has been murdered and I'm expected to be happy about it," he answered sarcastically. "No, I'm doing horrible."
"I'm so sorry," Sharzad said. "Do you want to talk about it? You can tell me what you feel, and I can listen."
"All right then." Daewon turned to face her. "I hope Aria dies."
Sharzad flinched, but she nodded. "I can't believe she did it," she murmured. "I never thought that anyone from Alfea would do such a thing. It doesn't say very many good things about the school."
"She was twisted long before she came to Alfea," Daewon answered. "She sabotaged Galatea when we were auditioning for the Magix Opera Program. She got placed in as a soprano, whereas Galatea only got the spot of an alternate."
"That's… terrible," Sharzad said. "Do you really think she killed Galatea?"
"What else is there to think? All other evidence points to that," Daewon responded. He turned back toward the window.
"Let's go for a walk," Sharzad suggested.
"Okay," Daewon agreed, grabbing his coat. Sharzad followed him. It was early spring in their part of Electrix, a planet within Fulgur, which meant that it was still fairly chilly outside. Daewon had gotten used to Magix, where the temperature never went below sixty degrees, and it was mostly summer all year round.
Why did this have to happen? Another wave of grief hit him as he walked down the stairs behind Sharzad. Why did Galatea, one of the purest people he had ever known, have to die?
Thinking about Aria only incensed him more. If I ever see her again, I'll kill her. He clenched his fists together.
They reached the palace gardens. The whole place was alive and abuzz with electricity. Bright neon lights shone above them, and jagged rows of flowering bushes snaked around them, carefully pruned and cut to create the impression of an electric bolt. Daewon knew that under his feet, there were electric currents.
"My brother and Maire know something," Sharzad said as they walked through the grounds.
Daewon stopped and stared at her. "They do?"
"They were talking about it," she said. "Yesterday, at Roccaluce Forest. They know something about Aria and Galatea, but they're not telling. I told Darius that I could help, but he didn't listen. They think I'm too small to do anything." She looked down in disgust. "I wish we could find her ourselves."
"Yeah," said Daewon. If only. I'd kill her myself.
"Let's go off the palace grounds," Sharzad suggested. "I can't think in here. There's too much energy." She looked around at the tiny space the gardens provided.
Daewon followed her. "I thought you need security guards every time you leave."
She shrugged. "Yeah, I know. But I found a secret way out of here." She pointed to a bush. A tiny gap could be seen under the thicket, making way to an underground tunnel. "I go through it every time I want to sneak out."
She knelt down on all fours and disappeared through the tunnel. Daewon pushed his way through, grimacing at the tightness of the hole and the pull of the brambles on his shirt. The hole was narrow even for him, considering that he was fairly short. He was glad when he'd managed to climb out onto the other side.
"Here we are," Sharzad said, tossing him a cloak. She pulled her own over her head so that it fully covered her face. "We can go into town now. If we keep it over our heads, people will think that we're nuns or something and won't ask too many questions."
They began to walk in the direction of the town, away from the palace grounds. The electrical current began to change course, seeming less concentrated and more expansive.
As they walked, Sharzad suddenly stiffened. "I sense something," she said.
"What, you mean all the electricity?" Daewon answered. Of course you feel something. There is way too much energy here for one planet.
"Not that," she said. "I can sense some witch energy, which is odd. Witches don't usually live in the capital."
"Well, then, if you're so scared, maybe we shouldn't have come out here," he said sarcastically.
She glared at him. "You can go back if you want," she snapped. "But I'm not" –
"There they are!" a shout rang out behind them.
Daewon spun around. I know whose voice that is… He looked around, and had the shock of his life. Sharzad gasped as well, her eyes wide in alarm.
Darcy was walking out into the clearing, a grim look on her face. She was supporting an apparently injured Stormy as they walked towards the two teenagers. Instantly, Daewon drew his staff and pointed it at the women.
"You three!" gasped Sharzad. "What are you doing here? Are you here to attack my kingdom?" Her face turned beet red, and she turned towards Daewon.
"Call the Fulgurian authorities," she said. "I'll keep them at bay and make sure they don't escape!"
Sharzad transformed into her fairy form. Daewon was reaching into his pocket to get his phone, but then Darcy shouted, "Wait! We aren't here to fight. Don't turn us in!"
Daewon and Sharzad exchanged a glance. "Well, why else could you possibly be here?" Sharzad demanded.
"Save your breath," Daewon added. "In case you two have forgotten, you're both highly classified criminals. Wherever your sister is, they'll find her, and make sure she ends up in Omega alongside you!"
"You won't find Icy," croaked Stormy, speaking for the first time.
"And why is that?" demanded Sharzad.
"'Cause she's dead."
There was a shocked silence. Daewon didn't believe it. Icy, dead? It just didn't seem possible. From what he had heard, she was the most powerful of the witches. "When?" he challenged.
"It was after the final battle," said Darcy. "We managed to evade the Magix authorities, but we were severely weakened from our fight with Tritannus. We lost all of our powers after the battle, but Icy took the biggest toll out of all of us – not surprising, considering she put her faith into that idiot. Anyways" – she let out a snort – "we were hiding in Magix for some time, and then we were attacked, by a bunch of vigilante justice losers. They're some wannabes from Whisperia, and the leader calls himself the Justice Man, or something lame like that" –
"The Patchamen," breathed Sharzad. They knew of them. Everyone knew of them, in fact; they were notorious for their kidnapping attempts in attacking royal families, just because they disagreed with their policies. They were wanted in the realm of Eraklyon for various crimes.
"Yes, them," Darcy said, speaking the name like it was poison. "They attacked us, and since we had no magic, we had no choice but to flee. Stormy and I managed to escape, but Icy was killed in the scuffle. Stormy was gravely injured – she can't even walk now."
The fairy and the wizard were silent for a few moments. But then Sharzad finally spoke, and her voice was harsh. "Look, this doesn't change the fact that you two are criminals. We're going to turn you in to the Magix authorities to make sure that you don't commit any more crimes" –
"How many times to tell you that we're not here for trouble?" Darcy pleaded. She stepped forward. "Look, one of my sisters is dead, and the other is severely injured. Just let us talk – we know where your friend is!"
"What things could you possibly have to say?" Sharzad demanded.
"Wait a minute," Daewon interrupted. "I want to hear what they have to say."
Sharzad looked at him incredulously. "Are you insane?" she asked. "This is clearly a trap. My realm could be under siege because of them!"
"I still want to hear what they say," Daewon insisted. "They may have some information for us. If it has anything to do with Aria, I want her turned in!"
Sharzad considered this for a moment, then turned to face the two witches. "Fine. We agree to listen to what you have to say," she told them. "But I'm calling my father after that."
"You won't want to turn us in," responded Darcy. "We have a deal for you." She stepped forward.
"You three are friends of the late Princess Galatea, is that correct?" The fairy and the wizard looked suspiciously at each other, and then at her. "As we all know, Aria Cacciatore is on the loose, with the Magix Police Department unable to find her. Stormy and I happen to have some… insight on where she has gone" –
"WHAT?" yelped Daewon. They know where she is?
"It's you," said Sharzad furiously. "We should have figured it out. You three helped her murder Galatea!"
"Us two!" hissed Stormy, and then she dissolved into a straight fit of coughing.
"As I was saying," Darcy said smoothly, "Stormy and I know exactly where she has gone."
"Well then enlighten us, why don't you?" hissed Daewon through gritted teeth. If they are lying about this, I am advocating for lifetime in Omega.
"She's in the realm of Glacia with Isolde, working with her to overthrow the Magical Dimension."
There was a silence, and then Daewon spoke, his voice dry and cold. "Excuse me? Who the heck is Isolde?"
"I've never heard of Glacia," added Sharzad.
"Of course you haven't," Darcy said briskly. "The realm vanished off the map years ago. The royal family of Glacia got into a bit of trouble, so to speak, and when Isolde became queen, she locked the realm so that no one could get in or out."
"Why would she do that?" asked Sharzad.
"Don't know, don't care," said Darcy irritably. "The point is that she locked it."
"You still haven't answered my question," Daewon added. "Who is Isolde?"
"Didn't we just tell you she's the queen of Glacia, dimwit?" Stormy spat, slumping over. Had it not been for her pitiful state and the fact that he desperately needed information about Aria, Daewon would have been more than happy to call the Electrix authorities at the moment.
"Sure," he said, "she's the queen of this realm. But you haven't told us how you know her."
Darcy shrugged. "Our father was married to her at one point; they were cool until she turned psycho on him, and he was forced to run to Whisperia. He told us stories about her as we grew up." She sniggered. "Mainly stories about how stupid that pixie was."
"One more derogatory insult towards fairies and you're going straight to the slammer," Sharzad warned. "You still haven't said how you are going to help us. What do you want?"
"We know that you want to find Cacciatore," said Darcy, "and we are going to help you. We know how to unlock the realm of Glacia, and where the key is hidden. We are going to help you find where Cacciatore is."
"This doesn't add up," Daewon said. "You just said that Glacia is locked, but you also said that Aria is there. How can she possibly get into a realm that's locked from both the outside and the inside?"
Darcy shrugged. "Isolde is a powerful fairy; she is the one who created the barrier, after all. It makes sense that she has some way of getting people in and out."
"Okay," Daewon said. I can live with that explanation – sort of. He had no idea how that kind of advanced magic worked, but what Darcy had said made sense – at least in theory.
"How do you know this?" added Sharzad. "How do you know that Cacciatore is in Glacia? How did you find all of this information?"
"We were staying on a planet near Glacia, and we heard things," said Darcy impatiently. "Look, this is wasting time. Are you going to take our help or not?"
"Not so fast," said Daewon. "What exactly are you getting out of this?
"Our freedom," answered Darcy. "If we help you find the entrance to Glacia, you must agree to not turn us in, and to convince the United Realms to clear our names. That is all we ask."
"I don't believe that for a second," said Daewon immediately. "Is freedom really the only thing you want? What about taking over the world? That was your goal before this, wasn't it?" He turned to Sharzad, expecting her to back him up. But to his surprise, she was silent. She didn't say a word in defense of his position.
"Without Icy, that is pointless," Darcy answered, a sudden wave of emotion coming over her expression. "She was the one who kept us driving forward, the one who kept us going. But now after what has happened to her, what we've seen, we don't want anything but to live peaceful lives. My dear sister"… A tear trickled down her face.
Daewon looked at Sharzad. Her face had entirely changed. It had lost all of its hardness, and she was staring at Darcy and Stormy with sympathy. Clearly, the witches had won her over.
But they're not getting away with this, he thought. We're not just going to let them go free. The Trix had caused too much destruction and pain to deserve any form of amnesty. But in the meantime, their proposition could be useful… and he could twist it to his advantage.
Sharzad faced Darcy and Stormy. "If that is all you want," she said, "then we will help you. We will make sure you stay safe from the UR."
"Yes," Daewon agreed. He and the princess locked eyes before he turned back to Darcy. "Don't worry about anyone finding you. But remember to keep your end of the deal." Not that we'll be keeping ours…
"Thank you," breathed Darcy. She picked up her fallen sister, who still looked confused and was now muttering things to herself, most of which was intelligible.
"I can get you some healing potion from the palace," Sharzad added. "Now, how do we open the gate to Glacia?"
Darcy nodded. "Before she locked the realm, Isolde created a key. But someone managed to steal it from her and break it into three shards, sending it to a different realm. The realm this person happened to choose was Fulgur. Yes, this realm," she added with a small smile. "We need to find the shards and fuse them together to create the key."
"Okay," said Sharzad, exhaling, and Daewon could see that she was exhausted. "We'll meet back here tomorrow morning."
"Yes," Darcy agreed. "Just bring a healing potion and we'll tell you all the details." She leapt into the sky and flew away, carrying her sister with her.
"Glad we agreed to help them," Sharzad said once the witches were out of earshot. "I mean, my mom always tells Daree and me that we should be doing benevolent work. And I think this is it." She let out a breath.
"Oh, we're not just going to let them go free after this," he said. "They're the most wanted criminals of the Magical Dimension. If we let them go free now, it would be like letting a bank robber rob a second bank."
Sharzad glared at him. "You literally just promised them that we're going to make sure they don't go to prison for the rest of their lives," she said. "I don't understand. Why did you lie to them?"
Oh, Sharzad. So naïve you are. "We're going to let them lead us to Glacia," he answered. "They'll unlock the realm for us, and as soon as they do that, we're gonna call the Interrealm Justice Department and kick their sorry little butts."
"But that's wrong!" she cried. "We're not keeping our end of the deal!"
Daewon rolled his eyes. "So what? They're interrealm criminals. Just because they put up some cutesy act doesn't mean they deserve to go free!"
"But" –
"This is war, Sharzad!" he snapped. "We are going to find Aria and bring her to justice. And we have to make sacrifices along the way. If one of those sacrifices ends up being the freedom of two highly classified criminals, then I'm fine with it!" He stormed off.
He could hear Sharzad calling after him, but didn't care. All he could think was about how they were going to bring Aria to justice. I'm going to find her. I'm going to make sure she never hurts another person I love.
A city filled with marble sculptures and temples. Yellow skies and yellow sea beyond. People walked by, laughing and chatting, enjoying the gorgeous, sunny day.
For one person, however, the day was anything but bright.
He gazed around the square, sorrow filling his heart. It had been years since he'd felt anything other than pain and despair. It was hard to believe he'd once been a happy man, thriving with joy and love.
I cannot feel those things anymore. He stared vacantly at the sky. They exist, certainly, but no longer within my heart. I cannot feel love anymore.
He walked into the heart of the city. It had been a year since he'd stepped foot in Cieux, the capital of Rêve. For he'd spent the entire year wandering, anything to assuage his broken heart.
He closed his eyes briefly as he stared down at the ground. A fleur du rêver was peeking through the cracks, as pink as flesh and blood. It had the power to entrap a person into a day of dreams, an endless cycle. For a moment he considered breathing in the flower's intoxicating scent and losing himself, succumbing to the power of dreams and night.
But he couldn't do that. He needed to get up to the heavenly sector of the realm, for he had a mission to complete. He needed to seek out the prophetess.
He walked to the pont du ciel, a dome that connected the earthly and heavenly part of the realm. The heavenly sector of the realm was an elusive land hidden by enchantments, one which no one could fly to from the earth or from a spaceship. No, there was only one way to get there, and that was through the pont du ciel.
He took a moment, silently staring up at the Rêvian sky. The clouds above him were pink, stretching out as far as the eye could see. Towards the east was a white castle that rested atop pink clouds.
The royal palace... Bitterness rose up in him, and he stared at the palace. There were so many reminders within those stone walls, a false paradise that only existed in a fool's dreams.
But he had no desire to think about that. He gazed up at the dome, a white marble edifice with a golden spire at the top. Twin statues of the goddesses Mierve and Amare were on either side, and he walked straight in through the curved door.
It had been a long time. He saw fresco paintings above him, swirls of swans and princesses and angels. A white pedestal was in the center of the room, and he walked forward. A man was behind a marble counter, yawning as he saw him come into the dome.
"Who comes at this time"… He stretched for a moment, and his eyes rested on him. Shock coursed through the secretary, and he leaped forward. "Franc! It's been ages since I've seen ya. How've ya been?"
"I'm fine, Albert," Franc answered. It took him a moment to get used to the language change. There were three languages of Rêve currently in use: Souhai, the language of the commoners, Songeria, the language of the nobility and clergy, and Scriptura, an outdated language used only in priestly ceremonies. Having been travelling for so long, Franc had spoken nothing but Souhai for an entire year, so Albert's Songeria slang took a while to get used to.
This man, Albert, worked at the pont du ciel port, and was just another man Franc had known throughout his time up in the heavens. For a time, they'd been acquaintances, but that'd all changed when Franc had left home, with nothing but a backpack with him.
"I'll need your passport," the man said.
Franc gave it to him. In order for a person to go to the heavens, he or she had to be a clergy member. Everyone else needed a guest pass, which could only be come by if one had the connections.
"Your passport is still valid to the heavens, even though you no longer have a job there," Albert continued on. "However, it will expire in two weeks, which means you'll have to reapply for a job."
"Fine," said Franc absentmindedly, and Albert looked at him in concern.
"Look, buddy," he said, "grief is hard. Let me give ya some man-to-man advice."
Franc glared at him. Shut up, shut up... Albert was the patronizing type, and he always had "advice" for everyone, especially for men like Franc. I don't need to hear this... Albert didn't get the hint, though.
"Ya need to let it out," he said. "If ya keep carryin' it around with you, it'll just fester and build up. A man can't keep that weight with him forever, Franc. There's gotta be some release at some point."
That's not true, thought Franc defiantly. But Albert continued talking.
"If ya need ta see a counselor or anythin'," he said, "I know just the guys. Just ring me and I'll hit ya up."
Franc's blood began to boil. "I'm not seeing any counselor."
"I think ya need to, man," said Albert. "It's" –
"No!" Franc glared at Albert. "You are a fool if you think that's any solution at all. I am not spending money to sit in some office so that someone can pull me apart." Money that I don't even have. After all, his wife had always been the one to earn the bucks.
"It'll help ya," said Albert, looking alarmed. "I'm just sayin'" –
"Look, are you going to do your job or just keep me here for the rest of the day?" Franc interrupted. He had no desire to deal with this. Albert let out a sigh.
"It's yer choice," he said, and then he pressed his hand on the button in the center of the counter.
The dome walls shifted, and a hole appeared in the center where the golden spire was. Then a rainbow arc shot out of the pedestal, until it disappeared into the clouds. They solidified to form golden steps, spiraling up into the sky.
"There you go," said Albert, handing Franc his passport back. "Jus' remember what I said."
Like hell I will, thought Franc savagely, climbing the steps. He stormed up the golden staircase, nothing but irritation and tiredness in his mind.
His legs ached, but he relished it. It gave him something to do, something which could make him forget about the losses he'd suffered upon the years. He let out a massive sigh, the staircase spiraling higher and higher as he went.
As he ascended, the color of the sky changed. The pale sky became a darker gold color, and finally, faded into a brilliant azure blue. The clouds became lighter and lighter, until they became white, the purest color he'd ever seen.
He reached the top. The Golden Gate stretched ahead of him, and a woman stood in front, checking for passports. He walked in front, handing his passport to the woman, who scanned it. The heavenly gates swung open, and he walked onto the clouds.
Franc stopped as the gates swung shut behind him. The realm was beautiful, even purer than he'd remembered it. The clouds were soft and fluffy to the touch, and children danced upon the surface.
Houses peaked up from the ground, in different shades of colors. Red and green and blue and purple, they dotted the clouds, adding color to the mystical land of the heavens. Each house was small and simple; after all, it was not the way of the clergymen to be extravagant or frivolous. They lived in small dwellings, with a temple in the center of each municipality. Like the house we used to live in... He let out a sigh, heading towards the west, away from the sun.
All I have to do is take the yellowstone road, he thought, gazing down at his feet. A bright road appeared above the fluffy cloudy carpet. This road would leave him to the Prophetess's Cave, a week-long journey by walk.
He had no idea if she would help him or not. All he knew was that she was his last hope. For if she couldn't help him, he knew he would surely die on the spot. There would be no reason to continue living at all.
It's time, he thought. It's time to find where I stand, for once and for all.
Letting out a sigh, he walked down the road, towards the place which would give him hope.
Aria woke up unsteadily, her eyes slowly adjusting to the light of the room as she sat up. She shivered as the cold penetrated to her skin, biting her. The realm of Glacia truly stood up to its name; it was as frigid as a glacier. She couldn't even find warmth in the castle.
She was about to lie down and try to sleep again when she heard a sound. A soft string, plucking a note, could be heard from the corridor down.
Curiosity piqued Aria. Who could possibly be playing music in such a cold, dead place? I should go investigate, she thought. Pulling on her golden nightgown, she pulled herself out of bed and walked down the hall.
After yesterday, the sorceress had decided that Aria didn't need to be chained to the wall anymore, but she still needed a way to keep her from using her magic. She had put a set of icy bands around Aria's wrists to make sure that she couldn't use her powers. They were so numbingly powerful that they had almost completely drained Aria of her energy. No matter what she tried, she found that she could not remove them. They stubbornly stayed on, cutting into her skin every time she tried to slide them off. But it at least gave her some mobility, even though it was draining.
The music became clearer as she headed down the palace corridors, though it still remained distant; it was like an echo, but by no means hazy. She could hear the plucked strings all around her, not seeming to come from a certain direction, but clearly still there. Where the heck is this coming from?
Her eyes fell on a door, one that clearly stood out from the others. The doorknob was bare, with no designs or elaboration, and it had a window to see from outside. She could make out that the room was dark, but with colorful, shining candles. The scent of beeswax and lavender wafted out from inside the room. Inside, she could see a harp, with strings vibrating and piercing through the air.
Ah-ha! thought Aria triumphantly. There's the target! Her hands grabbed the doorknob and she found herself stepping in, the door closing behind her with a bang. But nothing changed. The music continued going on.
Aria turned to look at the small, sweetly-curving golden harp. Behind the harp sat a girl on a brown bench, her fingers pulling at the strings almost effortlessly and without motion. Her eyes were closed, and she was humming along.
She was a small girl, her face very youthful. Her warm brown skin had a lovely red tinge, contrasting sharply with her light dress. She had the curliest black hair Aria had ever seen, falling just on her shoulders. Her body was extremely slender and frail. And yet, she played the music so tenderly and with so much affection, it seemed as if there was nothing about her to pity. She wore a white angelic dress that was extremely revealing; it barely reached her thighs and showed off half her back.
The music stopped, the last chord having been struck. The girl's hands stayed in the air, hardly straying from the string as she let the last notes ring in the air. The silence was just as ethereal and awe-inspiring as her playing, and Aria stood statue-still, not daring to make a sound. Then, without warning, the girl launched off into 'Saluto Solare'.
Aria felt tears come to her eyes as the familiar melody's accompaniment sprung out of the golden harp. She had heard this many times, but not so beautifully. The popular Solarian church hymn was plaintive and tender and soothing, each note having its own presence, yet seeming to glide into the next one. After the first few bars, the girl began to sing. Her high soprano voice was sweet and true to the notes, but her voice, unfortunately, was not as good as her fingers. Her breath was shallow and she appeared to be gasping for air, which halted the music.
I'll help her out, thought Aria. She began to sing in her own soprano voice, letting her voice rise as it lifted over the shimmering accompaniment below.
Her voice rang through the room, uniting the two of them as one. Closing her eyes, Aria allowed herself to imagine herself as a small child, back in the days when her Solarian father used to teach her how to read, her Melodian mother taught her how to sing… Back in the days before I went to school… But there was no bitterness or anger in her thoughts. For once, she was completely at peace.
At the final tone, the girl let the last note ring in the air, her hands slowly coming down to her lap in an arc. She bent her head over, as if in prayer. There were tears streaming down her face as she slowly exhaled.
"Thank you, Mother," she whispered. "I knew you'd come back someday."
Aria walked to the girl, standing above her shoulder. "I'm not your mother," she said, probably a little bit too loudly for the moment. The girl let out a squeal in surprise, her head jerking up.
"I – that was beautiful," she said. "I'm a really good musician myself, and I know good music when I hear it. Your technique on the harp is impeccable."
"Thanks," said the girl sadly, her head bowed and her face moroseful. She looked disappointed, like a child who had been looking forward to a party only to have it cancelled.
"I love Saluto Solare," Aria said, gazing at the harp. It was a simply-designed instrument, nowhere near as large or grand as many of the others that she had seen, but it was nonetheless still beautiful. "I'm not really that religious, even though my family follows Helianism – my dad's from Solaria. But yours was really good. And trust me, I've heard a lot of good musicians, since I'm from Melody, and I've toured with some of the best. You could be a professional harpist."
"My mother used to sing it for me when I was little," the girl murmured, her eyes still half-closed. "When I heard you sing, it was like her soul returning back from heaven."
"I know," Aria grinned. "A lot of people love my singing. I'm actually going to be in the Melodian Opera House." Or rather, I was, until Isolde took me away, she thought with sudden bitterness, the smile leaving her face.
The girl wasn't paying attention. "I miss my mother," she mumbled, to herself. She lifted her knees up to her chest and sat there, her feet on the bench. Her black hair fell down over her knees, obscuring any view of her face. "I really thought she was back."
"Um"… Aria didn't know what to say. She had never lost her parents, although sometimes she wished that she could just be rid of them, so she wouldn't have to think of them anymore. At least then I wouldn't have to blame them for leaving me.
She was about to think of something clever to say, but then jumped as she heard someone swing open the door. Isolde was standing in the doorway, wearing a magnificent glittering ice-blue dress that swept the floor and large wings on her back. The same thing she wore when she first saw me…
"Ah, so you've met!" she exclaimed, striding up to the girl. "This is Angéle, my chief maid. She has been here for six months, under my control." An uncomfortable, almost embarrassed look came into Angéle's face as she stared up at the woman. If the sorceress noticed, she didn't say anything.
"You both would be perfect for each other," she continued smoothly. "You're both abandoned girls, stuck here with me for as long as I wish. In fact, you two ought to make a little club. Kind of like how little girlies do when they're looking for a friend." She let out a sneer.
Is she comparing me to her? Aria thought furiously. I'm not making friends with anyone in this sicko place. I have a feeling I'm going to be out of here pretty soon. Isolde turned to Aria, a curved smile on her face.
"Well, I hope this proves something to you, Aria," she said briskly. "You will be staying here for as long as I want you to. There is absolutely no escape."
"That's not true," said Aria defiantly. "The Magix Police Department will soon find me and bring me back to Melody, and I'll tour the world as I'm supposed to, while you're rotting in the bowels of a jail!"
Isolde laughed. "Now, why would you say that, darling? Why would you harbor so much hatred towards me, when it is I who is going to help you? When it is I who is going to help you get the fame you deserve?"
"What"… Aria stared up at her, confused. What does she mean?
Isolde let out a sigh. "You are here because I am going to help you," she said. "I am here to make sure that you rise to a position of power, and conquer all of your enemies. But only if you obey me." She looked directly into Aria's eyes. "As a matter of fact, we're going on a mission right now."
"What do you mean? Where are we going?"
"Be quiet and do as I say," Isolde hissed. "Angéle, look after the castle while we're gone, m'dear."
She grabbed Aria's wrist, her frozen hand numbing her entire arm. She tried to pull away, but the sorceress held tight. She gasped as an uncomfortable, squeezing sensation compressed her head, and the world became dark. Soon, it faded and they came out to the light.
She gazed around the new landscape, the place where she and Isolde had just teleported to. They were at the sea. The same amount of snow was on the ground, and the same tundra brush dotted the landscape. She could tell, though, that this was a different place. The air in the castle and the place in her dream had been bitingly cold, almost as if the wind itself were bitter. Here, the atmosphere was more… fluid. The air was still frigid, yes, but it seemed to flow more, and was much more moist. She could tell that this was a place that thrived on the power of elemental water itself.
As she stood there, a splash caught her attention. She looked towards the lake to see a young woman climb onto a shard of ice, out from the water.
The woman had fair skin and sea blue eyes. Her wavy, dark brown hair tumbled down her shoulders, blanketing her back and ending in a mass on the ice. She wore a tunic and a sealskin cape, with tight mesh leggings that stuck to her skin. The woman's gaze was cool as she looked at the two women.
"Queen Isolde," she said, respectfully but coolly, with little emotion in her voice. "Is this the fairy that you promised us?"
Promised? Aria didn't like this at all. What were they planning on doing with her? She swallowed hard, trying to hide her fears.
"Yes, Deputy Sedna," answered Isolde, pushing Aria forward. "Please take us to see Chieftain Urujak. I would like to reach a settlement with him now."
The woman nodded, and climbed out of the water. She motioned for them to follow her. Aria followed her as she led them down a path, worn down by the hundreds of footprints that had come before theirs. It was then that she looked down and noticed that her manacles were gone.
For a second, she considered making a break for it, stunning Isolde, and flying out of there. But she knew that it wouldn't work. She didn't know this place, and she had no clue how to get out of here. I'll sooner die from frostbite than make it back to Magix. She gnashed her teeth in frustration. As if hearing her thoughts, Isolde turned around and gave her a sickly sweet smile. They soon reached a large igloo, made out of neatly curving bricks of ice. As they went in, the temperature became instantly warmer and Aria found that she could stand straight and not shiver. At least they've heard of heating here, unlike some other people.
She looked ahead. Three men and a clear-eyed woman stood on the opposite end of the igloo. All of them were wearing sealskin capes and wetsuits. Sedna walked over towards them, her blue eyes darkening with wariness as she looked out at Aria and Isolde. Aria saw the clear-eyed woman gazing over at her. Defiantly, she lifted her head and held her gaze.
The woman was clearly quite old. She had age lines on her face, which meant that she must be at least three hundred years old. Her clear blue eyes reflected wisdom, and she looked back at Aria evenly. Aria couldn't make out her expression; it didn't reflect pity, thankfully, but it didn't reflect helpfulness, either. She looked away as quickly as possible.
A short man with a golden spear in his hand stepped forward. Aria noticed that his clothing was only slightly more ornate than the rest of the tribal members; his cape had a few rock jewels on them, and he wore a headdress above his eyes. Nevertheless, he looked just as much a tribe member as everyone else.
"Queen Isolde," he said respectfully, dipping his head. "We welcome you back to Nunangat. Have you come to make a final decision?"
"Yes," the queen purred. "I have." She turned her gaze towards Aria. "This is the girl who I brought along with me."
All eyes turned towards Aria, who bowed her head in nervousness and worry.
"So do you agree to the terms?" the man pressed on. "You need access to the Axe of Anguta. If we retrieve it for you, you will loosen the trade restrictions on our tribe and allow Glacian imports to come to us."
"I accept the terms, Chieftain Urujak," Isolde responded.
"Excellent," said the chief, bowing slightly. "Let us shake hands."
As Isolde extended her hand to grasp onto Urujak's, Aria saw Sedna standing behind, her gaze darkening even more, and she sniffed once. Aria didn't have to be here for long to know that someone clearly disapproved of this arrangement.
So would I, though, she admitted to herself. There was something sinister about this. She was more worried about the role that she was expected to play, though. What am I going to do, now? What do they want from me?
She didn't have to wait long to find out. Chieftain Urujak turned his attention back to Sedna. "Deputy, please lead this girl to the gate. She will need you to find the Axe and bring it back. Everything here depends on her."
Sedna nodded, and looked towards Aria. "Come on," she said abruptly, leading her outside of the igloo. Aria followed her outside, shivering against the bitter cold. The wind still continued to whip her skin, and she struggled to keep pace with Sedna, who was practically gliding through the snow and against the wind as if it were nothing. Stupid snow is weighing me down… She struggled to lift her foot out of each bough.
"Come on," Sedna said impatiently. "We're planning to get this done today, not in the next lunar cycle!"
Aria gritted her teeth, struggling to move. Sedna clicked her teeth impatiently, then she grabbed Aria's arm, half-dragging her along the snowy plain. The older girl's hands were shockingly cold, and Aria winced at the numb feeling that was starting to penetrate in her arm.
"We need to get to the sea," Sedna hissed. "Only then can I transform into Sirenix and take you through the gate to the Infinite Ocean."
Aria gasped. "The Infinite Ocean?" she cried out. "What are you talking about? What has this got to do with Sirenix?"
Sedna stopped walking and turned around, staring straight into Aria's eyes. "Are you joking?" she demanded. "Do you not know where we are?" She glared at Aria, the intensity of her glare as fierce as that of a flame. "Nunangat is the birthplace of Sirenix! It is where the first transformation occurred. The Infinite Ocean's entrance is the closest to here. We, the Adlivun Tribe, have been guarding the secrets of the seas for millennia."
"Then why didn't the Winx ever have to come here, in order to gain Sirenix?" Aria wanted to know.
Sedna laughed. "The Winx? What is that, a set of dolls? No, no one has to come here in order to gain Sirenix anymore. Our realm has long been forgotten, and Magix could not care less about us." She raised her head haughtily. "But that will soon be changed. As soon as we unlock the gate that traps us in Nunangat, we will rise to the status of a prominent realm once more!"
Well, how was I expected to know that? thought Aria, furious as she followed Sedna to the edge of the cliff. The black waters were icy cold, and she shuddered. Do I really have to jump into that?
"Get in," said Sedna loudly. When Aria didn't respond, she gave her a shove. "I said move!"
With a gasp, Aria felt herself hurtling towards the black expanse before her. There was a loud crash as she felt herself smack straight into icy oblivion.
For a moment, she was stunned, unable to move even an inch as she felt herself drowning in frigid, inky water. Then the pain hit her – in her feet, her arms, her entire body. Panic overtook her as she fought for air, sinking to the bottom of the sea.
Just as she was about to give in to the cold, a bubble formed around her. The pain faded, and she felt warm again. She could breathe. She could feel her toes and her fingers. She could see. She was alive, at the bottom of the sea…
"Well, that wasn't so bad, was it?" She heard a voice above her. She saw Sedna swimming downwards, still wearing her sealskin costume. It looked even more beautiful in the water, making her appear like the fearless nymph that she was.
Aria was so disgusted that she could barely speak. "Maybe you could have thought of putting that bubble around me before I crashed into oblivion."
"Less talk, more action." Sedna closed her eyes, and a bright blue gate opened in the water, right before them. "Come with me." Before Aria could protest, she grabbed her hand, swam forward, and pulled her into the chute.
Aria gasped as the entrance burst into bright light. She felt the waves rushing by her, caressing her as she zoomed forward into the tunnel. She couldn't see Sedna anymore, but that didn't seem to matter. She felt wonderful. She felt as if nothing could beat her, that the sea supported her, that she was invincible…
She reached the end of the tunnel, and the light dissipated. She swirled out of the chute, blinking up at the new scene ahead of her. She gasped in awe as she looked up at the monuments ahead of her, tall pillars of stone that somehow managed to not erode in the water. Lights seemed to pour down on them, and she knew without a doubt that if she swam up to the surface, she would see arctic lights in the sky.
She looked up and saw Sedna swimming towards her; what she saw took her breath away. Sedna was wearing a mermaid-skin, sparkly teal top that highlighted her fair skin perfectly. She had purple-and-aquamarine leggings, and her hair, now black, fell around her shoulders like that of a mermaid's tresses. She had an aquamarine crown and pearls strung to her hair. She looked like a mermaid queen, beautiful and ferocious. But not as pretty as me. She thought back to prom at Alfea, where her dress had outshined everyone else's, and smiled, partly comforted.
"This is Adlivun," she heard Sedna's voice. "The first part of the Ocean to be created. It was here that our creator goddess came to be, abandoned in the seas by her father when she was a little girl. It is considered a place between life and death, a gateway to the heavenly realm. My tribe, the oldest tribe on the planet, guards the secrets of this land."
Wow, Aria thought, amazed. The Otherworld was the realm of the afterlife; it was usually inaccessible to mortals before death. However, there were some exceptions. If a fairy mastered a skill such as Sirenix, she had access to certain parts of the Otherworld (or between the Otherworld and mortal dimensions), which included, as it seemed, Adlivun. She's powerful, then. A wave of envy through over her.
"I know," Sedna said, correctly interpreting her silence as amazement. "Legend says that the waters embraced her as their own, proclaiming her as the mother goddess of the ocean. She spread her waters around the realms, sending life and fertility everywhere. Even now, all who possess Sirenix proclaim allegiance to her – or should proclaim allegiance to her, anyways – as the creator and the defender of their home territory."
Aria snorted. Another pretentious way of telling me that her tribe is better than everything else. Sedna glared down at her, but made no comment.
"The Axe of Anguta is up there," she said, pointing towards an exceptionally large tower that glistened with paintings. They were murals of two deities, a dark, obsidian man, and a snake-haired girl. The paintings showed them in a canoe, in the midst of a churning sea, a demonic bird chasing after them. Then the man threw the girl into the water, and she grabbed onto the side. But using his axe, he chopped off each of her fingers. The girl fell into the sea, her fingers falling beside her. The last painting was a depiction of her as a menacing goddess, surrounded by the selkies of the various Oceans.
Aria stared at the slightly gruesome murals, feeling a bit nauseous. She grimaced. She expects me to do what exactly?
No doubt having made out her expression, Sedna let out a loud sigh. "I see that children of the United Realms do not learn the old stories anymore. Anguta is the god of the Underworld, the father of our creator-goddess. His daughter was lured into marriage by an evil bird spirit, but just escaped in time. Her father tried to take her away across the ocean, but then the bird chased them. In desperation, he threw his daughter overboard. She tried to grab on with her hands, but he simply chopped her fingers off one by one. As she fell, the waters embraced her and she became their protector, the sea-goddess. Each of her fingers transformed into the first selkies, a male and a female from each of the Oceans of the five original realms: Summa, Linphea, Nunangat, Earth, and Domino.
"Before he left the mortal universe, departing to the divine realms, Anguta left his axe behind, the one used to chop off his daughter's fingers. Legend dictates that only one who has felt the pain of abandonment and neglect can hold the Axe; all others will disintegrate into ash. You are clearly one who has been in that position – otherwise, the queen would not have brought you here. So, what are you waiting for?"
Aria swallowed, trying hard not to show how the words "disintegrate into ash" made her feel. She swam cautiously upwards towards the Axe, up the dreadfully tall tower. Once she reached, she was taken aback in surprise by its design.
The Axe was large enough to be held by a very large-handed man. It was designed elaborately, swirls of ice and designs of birds etched into its surface. It was a very smooth shade of brown.
Let's hope this works, Aria thought, squeezing her eyes shut. She reached forward very hesitantly and touched the Axe.
She didn't burn. If anything, the surface of the Axe was cold. With both hands, she wrenched it out of its location at the head of the stone, and held it in her hands.
She could feel the power of the ancient artifact filling her veins. It coursed through her spine, her arms, and her heart, reaching all the way to the ends of her toes. She opened her eyes, and gasped.
Her entire body was glowing. She emitted a distinct aura of pink and gold, shining brilliantly into the murky sea. She looked down and saw Sedna swimming to her; to her surprise, she looked amazed.
"I have never seen this before," the young woman said, and Aria could barely contain her smirk. "Many have tried to hold the Axe, most have perished, but the few who lifted it were not granted its power. It takes a very troubled person to be able to handle this artifact."
Aria stopped smirking and glared at Sedna. "You didn't tell me that."
"Just do your job," Sedna answered coolly. She flicked her fingers, and the Sirenix Gate opened again in front of them. She pulled Aria forward, and they both hurtled down the chute.
They flew out of the chute and back into Nunangat. The two of them soared out of the water, falling onto the snow. As Aria flew forward, she gasped in alarm as she zoomed straight towards a bush. I'm going to crash!
She hit the brush with a sickening thud. The gorse whipped at her face and arms, and she gasped as she felt them slash at her face. Someone help me! Her body was facing down and she was lying there, the breath nearly knocked out of her lungs. She couldn't even scream.
"Come on, now," she heard Sedna say, and gasped as she was wretched out of the bush. Brush still dotted her arms and hair, and her cheeks burned in humiliation as she realized her hair was entirely messed up. The brown-haired woman gazed at her, a disdainful look in her face. "That was pathetic."
That is it. Furious, white-hot anger coursed through Aria. She pulled her Axe out of the bush and faced Sedna, trying to make her face appear threatening. "Do you even know who I am?"
"No," Sedna answered brusquely. "And quite honestly, I'm glad I don't."
"Girls?" a voice called to them. Urujak, the chieftain, was standing at the top of the slope, and began walking towards them. His eyes lit up as he stared at the Axe. "Amazing – you managed to get it!"
Aria didn't even think. "Winx Charmix!" she screamed, and then felt herself transform. She shot straight into the air, her blue wings fluttering. Holding her Axe high in the air, she pointed it at Urujak.
A jet of electric-blue light shot straight into the air. It hit Urujak in the chest, and he fell to the ground. He fell facedown into the snow, without so much as a scream.
"No!" Sedna was immediately at the chieftain's side. "Father!" She looked up at Aria, with a deathly glare in her eyes. "You traitorous swine!" she screamed, zooming into the air.
Aria held the Axe over her head. She shot another bolt at Sedna, but she dodged. "You will pay for this!" she screeched, murder in her eyes. She shot an icy bolt of light at her, but Aria simply caught it and deflected it back on Sedna. The older girl let out a scream and fell to the ground, on her back.
Aria, she heard a voice in her head, halting her. That is enough.
It was Isolde's voice. Aria doubled back in surprise, and thought, What do you mean?
You have the Axe, Isolde responded. Now come back. Fly inland, in the opposite direction of the sea. I have opened a portal.
Aria turned back to see Sedna. She was still on the snow, struggling and cursing. Without waiting to see if Sedna was in condition to fly after her, she immediately shot away from the sea.
"She's getting away!" the fairy yelled. Men and women came out of their igloos. They saw her flying away, and several of them shot jets of light at her, but she simply created a bubble around herself, absorbing the blows.
She could see the portal ahead of her, a milky expanse of blue and white. Come on, come on… She sped forward, and dove straight into the portal. She shot out onto the other end, tumbling onto snow, the icy blue castle looming ahead of her. She could just make out Sedna's shriek of fury before the portal closed, leaving her alone.
The air was much colder here than in Nunangat. But now, instead of shivering, she embraced it. After all, this is the cold I possess inside… She knew that after what she'd done, there was no turning back.
All right, things are really starting to pick up! And yes, Franc's yellowstone road is inspired by the yellow-brick road in the Wizard of Oz. Although, instead of heading through fields of poppies, he's walking on clouds…
Next chapter:
- Sharzad and Daewon start their search with Darcy and Stormy.
- Darius and Maire begin to plan their mission.