Gargoyles Timedancer:
Bloodstone
11. 1. 16. 8. 7
"Zee! What are you doing?" Brooklyn asked his voice on the edge of panic. "Have you gone completely off the reservation?"
"He called me 'his beloved beauty'," I said.
"He always calls you that!" Brooklyn said. "You call him 'white jaguar' he calls you 'beloved beauty' and I gag a little because it's so sickeningly sweet!"
"Yes," I said. "But normally he calls me 'beloved beauty' in Egyptian. Not Mayan. Indeed, my Benuthet typically speaks in Alexandrian Greek. He only knows a handful of Mayan, that which I have taught him."
Brooklyn paused, as if struggling to recall how Benuthet had been speaking. Even I hadn't noticed the specifics right away.
When traveling with the Phoenix, it was very easy to take language for granted, as the Phoenix will automatically translate anything spoken or written. But my mate, my Benuthet spoke several languages, and had an ear for them. He noticed the nuances of the Phoenix's magic that were far less obvious than Brooklyn or I had.
"Benny how'd we meet?" Brooklyn demanded.
The being posing as my mate grunted, but did not answer.
"We met in Rome," Cobalt's voice said. "During the forum between the clans, to determine those who would go to New Olympus."
I spun around, not taking my talon off of 'Benuthet's' chest.
"My Meryt Nefer," Cobalt said, smiling. "Your skills of deduction impress me wholeheartedly. I am humbled, my love."
"Okay," Brooklyn said. "Weird hot gar-girl I've never met before is speaking Greek and acting like Benny. This is a weird dance."
"I had some assistance," I admitted looking at Cobalt appraisingly. "However the whole picture eludes me."
"Soul transfers," Cobalt/Benuthet said. "Are tricky and require voluntary participation."
"And have loose definitions of 'voluntary'," Brooklyn interjected again.
"Quite," Cobalt replied. "And one of those definitions is that of my Ba dream. My spirit wanders, so my vessel has a vacancy. One that our host Obsidian took advantage of in order make himself at home in my body."
"Okay," Brooklyn said. "So that's…Obsidian. What if Zee hadn't…oh…ugh….ew…"
"Quite," Cobalt said. "Fortunately a moot point, as my Zafira has…"
"Mad detective skills?" Brooklyn grinned.
"Quite," Cobalt agreed again.
"I did have a little help," I said, considering Katana's cryptic message to me the previous night.
"Okay, so if he's really Obsidian wearing a Benuthet suit, and Zee put down the poison arrow, I assume Benny wants his body back alive," Brooklyn said. I realized the implication and tossed the arrow aside, keeping my talon on 'Benny's' chest.
"Then how did you end up in the hottie with the body," Brooklyn continued.
"A most curious thing indeed," Cobalt said. "With no grip on the earth plane, my ba threatened to dissipate into the wind. I had no hope of remaining on this plane without a vessel. I realized immediately who and how my own body had become occupied, and I went seeking Obsidian's certain that if he was occupying my body, I could take his. Naturally, Obsidian must have considered this, as I could not find his body anywhere."
Cobalt looked me in the eye.
"I thought I was doomed, until this mysterious gargoyle broke into Obsidian's lab and declared in a loud clear voice 'Benuthet, I accept your spirit into my body, take me and hurt Obsidian.'"
'Benuthet' growled beneath my foot, I lightly squeezed my talon.
"I wasn't going to look a gift-horse in the mouth, as the Romans say," Cobalt continued. "I immediately occupied her, and grabbed the obsidian mirror that Obsidian showed me last night, and made my way towards you. Unfortunately, the Orichalcum pendant's magic has been overtaxed. The joining spell I cast upon it faded, and I found myself caught in stone sleep before I could return here."
"How did she know to invite your spirit in?" Brooklyn wondered. "I mean…she called you by name?"
"It is a mystery," Cobalt said, eyeing me and smirking.
"I may have a notion," I said. "Which I shall share with you later, Brooklyn. For now…How will return Benuthet to his proper body?"
'Benuthet' growled again. Obsidian knew he'd been outplayed. But he still had one move left on the Boolik board.
"Soul transfers are tricky," Cobalt said.
"And require voluntary participation," I echoed. "He has to vacate willingly."
"Which I will not," Benuthet said, breaking his silence and speaking as Obsidian for the first time.
"Even if we could get him to volunteer," Cobalt said. "There is still another issue."
He held up the mirror.
"Examination of the Talisman indicates that it is of the Third Race," Benuthet said. "Without an incantation provided by one of them, I cannot get it to activate. I don't suppose anyone knows one offhand?"
I suddenly remembered what Future-Brooklyn said to me the previous night, and grabbed current-Brooklyn's arm.
"'Puck's Spell will work'," I quoted.
"Wait, what?" Brooklyn asked. "How did you know about that? How do you know anything about that?"
"Trust me," I said. "It will."
Cobalt handed Brooklyn the Obsidian mirror, who looked at it like it was covered in centipedes.
"Now all we have to do is get him to vacate," Cobalt said dryly.
Benuthet growled at her.
"Fu-dog, Kebechet," I said. "Hold him."
The beasts immediately complied, climbing on top of 'Benuthet' and holding him down. At a guess, both of them could sense something was wrong with Kebechet's master, as neither had made a move against me when I had flipped him to the ground.
"This is not so bad," I said, walking over to Cobalt's side. I gingerly ran a talon up her arm. "I am attracted to both males and females and this body is…very attractive. If we must make do, it will not be the worst thing, my love."
"Uh, not Benny's body, Zee!" Brooklyn said in alarm. "And trust me, Cobalt is not dormant. She knows what's going on. You may find her attractive, but she might not feel the same."
"That is true," I said, leaving a lingering arm on Cobalt's neck. She was blushing quite furiously, though I wasn't sure if Benuthet was embarrassed by the public nature of my actions, or the realization that the body he was currently occupying was aware of my actions.
"But if Obsidian will not vacate," I said. "Then we will have to make do. Not ideal, perhaps, but tolerable. And Cobalt despises Obsidian just enough that she will accept this outcome."
"After all," I said, embracing Cobalt's body and running my talons down her hair passionately. "Is there anything that would be more infuriating to Obsidian than both of the coatls he pursued being mates with one another rather than him?"
Benuthet roared angrily.
"It's like the most potent way of saying 'no means…NO'" I said, smiling.
"RRRRROOOOOAAAR!" Benuthet snarled gutterally.
"NO!" I said out loud. I was met with another roar.
"NO!" I said again. I ran my talons through Cobalt's hair one more time.
"A thousand times 'No'," Cobalt said, smiling, and she returned the embrace.
That did it. Obsidian was boiling with rage. Benuthet's mouth opened and a burst of green mist poured out of the opening.
"NOW BROOKLYN!" Cobalt and I declared in unison.
"Cast the incantation now!" Cobalt clarified.
"For the spirit to be willing," Brooklyn said, holding the mirror up. "The Flesh must first grow weak! Just long enough for soul in flight to pass from cheek to cheek!"
The mirror glowed, and a burst of blue light erupted from Cobalt's mouth and shot into Benuthet's open maw.
The was a gasp from both of them and Cobalt pulled away from me.
"Apologies," I said to her sheepishly.
"I should be the one apologizing," she said, tossing me the Orichalcum Crystal. I caught it in midair.
"You saved my mate's soul, if not his life," I said. "Trust me, there is nothing to apologize for."
"I still don't understand half of this," she said, eying Brooklyn.
"You get used to that," I replied.
"My love, my friends," Benuthet said.
The green mist had now coalesced into a solid form. That of Obsidian.
"How dare you!" He demanded. "How dare all of you! I am the son of Ah Pukuh! I am a god! You have no right to defy my will!"
"He's a Halfling!" Benuthet said. "That explains why I couldn't find his body! He converted into magic when he possessed me!"
"It is likely that the centipede venom was never meant to kill you," I said. "Only weaken your spirit until he tried to take over your body."
"Which he likely planned to do since the moment you mentioned my ba dreams," Benuthet said. He shuddered slightly. "I think I'm going to close off my Spirit for a time. I do not like the idea of my body being possessed while my spirit wanders. And thank you, dear Cobalt, for housing my spirit."
"It hurt him," Cobalt replied, taking one of her poisoned arrows and notching it. "That makes it absolutely my pleasure."
"Baat!," Obsidian declared, as two ethereal green battle axes appeared within his talons.
"Okay guys," Brooklyn said drawing his sword. "Let's take this jerk down! Fu-dog, left! Kebechet right. Zee direct assault. Benny, make with some magic!"
I drew my own obsidian blade and surged forward, violently striking at the wa'ay with my blade. I was fast, far, faster than he was. With a strike and a parry of my blade I had disarmed him of his magical weapons. Unfortunately, two more simply spawned in his hands.
I struck again, reminding me of the battle with Isabella Canmore, I could barely keep up with her sword skills. Given enough time, she would have bested me. I felt much the same here.
"K'aak heets'a'an!" Obsidian declared, a whip of flame erupting from each of his ethereal battle axes, suddenly forcing me to back off.
Fu-dog and Kebechet snarled at him, snapping at his tail, he cracked the whip, and forced the two beasts to retreat with a shower of sparks.
"Fulminos Venite!" Benuthet declared, a bolt of lightning striking forth from his wand. Obsidian was caught off-guard by that and staggered back. Cobalt took advantage of the distraction and fired off a poison-tipped arrow.
Obsidian roared in anger, his eyes glowing green. He wildly flailed his whip and it struck Brooklyn, sending him flying and crashing into a tree, rendering him unconscious.
In that instant there was a massive roar from above and Brooklyn's older self, Katana, and Fu-dog launched forth from the trees swooping down and attacking Obsidian from above.
I noticed original Brooklyn's sword laying upon the ground. I snatched the steel blade up, and took a flying leap upon Obsidian, stabbing him in the chest with Brooklyn's blade.
He let out a gutteral roar and transformed into green smoke, dissipating into the night. The obsidian pendant tumbled to the ground, and I snatched it up. I turned towards Cobalt and tossed it to her.
"You are Obsidian now," I said. "I know you will wear the pendant well."
"I…I am honored," she said.
"Hello, Brooklyn," Benuthet said, putting his wand away. "Hello Brooklyn's mate. May I say that the stories do not do you justice. You are many times lovelier and fiercer in battle than they say."
"Domo," Katana bowed.
"You knew?" Brooklyn wondered out loud.
"About which?" Benuthet wondered. "Your mate, or your presence?"
"Both?" Brooklyn said.
"Of course I knew about your mate," Benuthet said, sidling up next to me. "I told you. Stories about you were my favorite as a hatchling. As to your presence…I suspected when Fu-dog was in two places at once, and rescued Zafira."
At this, he gestured towards Fu-dog and Fu-dog's younger self, who were sniffing each other curiously. Kebechet looked at the pair, looking rather confused. She sat down and cocked one ear upwards, looking at the pair curiously.
"Which was later confirmed by my ba dream," Benuthet said. "When I saw you sleeping. I assume that you were the reason the Cobalt knew to invite my spirit into her body?"
Brooklyn nodded. "Don't forget to tell him about this, so that I know to do it," he pointed over at his younger self, whom Katana was now kneeling next to. I took the Orichalcum pendant and approached him.
"He is so lonely, right now," Katana said to me. "It makes my heart ache."
"But soon, he will find you," I said. "Trust me. I have traveled with him. I sense his loneliness now…"
I glanced over at his older self.
"But I sense his happiness with you, and it is as different as day and night. And as a gargoyle who has walked in both, you know I speak truth." I said.
Katana smiled, pursing her beak and gently kissing Brooklyn's younger self's beak, before standing up and turning back to her current-mate.
"We should get going before he wakes up," Brooklyn said, taking Katana's talon in his own.
He paused by the beasts, unsure which version of Fu-dog was his.
"It's this one, Love," Katana said, petting the slightly-older version of Fu-dog. "Honestly, how did you ever manage without me?"
"We helped a little," Benuthet called out.
Katana rolled her eyes and lightly smacked Brooklyn in the back of the head.
"One more thing," Brooklyn called back. "Say hi to Makani for me!"
"I'm sure that will make sense soon," Benuthet muttered, gingerly examining our version of Brooklyn.
I turned towards Cobalt, and tossed the bloodstone jaguar pendant to her as well. She caught it in surprise.
"Place that in Obsidian's lab," I said. "It is where it will be found again in three hundred years. And be careful. He is of the Third Race. He might not actually have been killed in this conflict."
"I promise," Cobalt said. "It will be done."
I handed Benuthet the Orichalcum pendant, which he pressed against the burn-mark on our Brooklyn's chest. There was a glow and a surge of magical energy and the burn vanished. Benuthet placed the crystal in his satchel.
Brooklyn gasped, suddenly jerking awake.
"Did we win?" he asked.
"We did," I said.
"How?" Brooklyn said. There was a burst of orange light above us. The Phoenix had arrived.
"We'll tell you in a bit," I said as Benuthet gathered up Kebechet and Brooklyn gathered up Fu-dog.
The four of us leapt into the phantasmal flames of the Phoenix.
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12. 8. 14. 11. 13
Seconds later we were in the sky above a massive mountain. To my surprise and pleasure, the temperature had not changed all that drastically.
"During that last Dance-," I started to say, when suddenly there was a massive rumbling sound beneath us, and the mountain suddenly exploded like a hot tamale overstuffed with meat. An intensely hot orange goo poured out.
The waves of heat created a massive thermal updraft that shot us into the sky with rapid speed far greater than that which most coatls are comfortable gliding at.
"That is hot!" Benuthet said, clutching his satchel and holding Kebechet tightly. He was scanning the orange glow beneath us, looking for…something. I suspected that I knew.
There was another massive explosion and more lava began flowing down the mountain. And then another. Another. The heat kept forcing us further and further upwards, and was still so intense that our skin felt like we had been playing inside a giant oven.
"Okay, just for the record, Zee…" said Brooklyn, struggling to be heard over the din. "No offense, but I blame you for this."
"Because during our Dance to those 'Heema-laya, I complained once about the cold?" I shot back, trying to shield my face from the heat. "That does not mean that…!"
"My friend, my love. With due respect, perhaps we should finish this conversation another time?" Benuthet called out.
Brooklyn and I glanced around. Benuthet was right; this was not the time. Not if we wanted to see the moonlight of another night. We had to get away from this exploding mountain before it was too late.
Brooklyn, Fu-dog, Benuthet, Zafira, and Kebechet will return in Hawaiki, by Masterdramon…