Chapter 24: Setting up the Endgame
"This sucks," Techna grumbled as she marched back and forth in the common room. "No, sucks doesn't quite do this bullshit justice. This is beyond being merely fucking infuriating. All year. All year that fucker's been right under our noses, being all nice and shit, all the while telling Darkar about everything we did. When I get my hands on him, he's going to die while knowing what the inside of his appendix tastes like".
"How did he manage to fool everybody?" Musa asked, still somewhat in shock. "I mean, you'd think with all this tight security, somebody would have picked up that something was wrong with the guy".
"Let us be fair, it is highly unlikely that anybody would have suspected that Avalon's more jovial personality was a sign of an impostor's mask slowly cracking," Flora said. "And anybody who harboured such suspicions would likely have been seen as paranoid. No, the problem was that he was not any more suspicious than the rest of the faculty and student body".
"Yeah, like, it just seemed like he managed to lighten up a bit," Stella added. "I mean, like, it's only in hindsight that what he did seemed tots suspicious".
"Right. So how long do we even have before Darkar initiates his master plan and blows up everything?" Techna asked.
"He may already have started as far as we know," Flora admitted. "Without knowing the content of the Codex, it is hard to say".
"At least these news have caused several other realms to promise military aid," Aisha added. "I think hearing that the future queen of Domino got kidnapped set off some alarm bells".
"Yeah, but it'll be days before they can gather their forces and get them here," Musa said. "And the clock is ticking without us knowing when it'll go off".
"At least they are arranging a rescue mission," Flora commented. "Hopefully, the strike team they are gathering will be able to get Bloom out of Shadowhaunt before Darkar is successful".
There was a knock on the window. A rather surprised Techna went up and opened it with a: "Uhm, hello".
"Thank you," Amore said as she, Livy, Glim, Tune and Piff flew in.
"Heard 'bout Bloom," Glim commented. "Darkar's spy took her".
"And that's why we're going with the strike team to save her," Piff said jubilantly.
"That is rather surprising," Flora commented. "I had not imagined you had the skills necessary to participate in such an operation".
The pixies exchanged glances.
"To be honest, we didn't say we were invited," Amore admitted. "But pixies are rather good at hiding, so..."
The fairies stared at the minuscule beings. Techna began rubbing her chin with a speculative look.
"I am sorry, but have you lost your minds?" Flora asked.
"For the record, I joined this operation under protest," Tune commented. "But they did manage to put forth some very convincing arguments".
"Listen, I got my village invaded, several of my fellow pixies killed and I couldn't even manage to keep the Codex away from Icy," Livy angrily said. "So if you think I'll just sit on my pixie butt and wait for all this to play out, you're wrong".
"Livy, it really isn't your fault," Musa offered sympathetically. "We've all been tricked by Darkar".
"Yeah, we've fucked up as much as everybody else," Techna said with a growing smile. "So we really can't let you sneak on board this mission alone".
"Yes, listen to Techna, She is being sensible," Flora added.
"And that is why I'm coming with you," the scared girl finished.
"You were saying?" Musa snarked to the suddenly speechless Flora.
"Why?" Stella asked.
"Well, the way I see it, Darkar is probably aiming a little bigger than Frosty, Shady and Blowhard did last year," Techna explained. "So I think they'll need everyone available, but won't take everyone with them because they are sensible, responsible adults. Therefore, it is our duty as citizens of Magix to force ourselves on this mission in order to increase the odds of success".
"THAT MAKES NO SENSE!" a flabbergasted Flora exclaimed.
"Makes sense to me. Count me in," Stella said, earning her a bewildered glare from the Limphean noble.
"Well, while the last trip to Underland was far from a pleasant experience, I do see the need for action," Aisha said. "Count me in".
"You are all out of your minds! Do you think you have what it takes to assist with a military operation?!" Flora loudly asked as she stood up. "We are second year fairies! Our training in the arts of warfare is notably minuscule!"
"Yeah, so I better tag along so you screwheads don't gift wrap the world to Darkar or something," Musa added.
Flora paused for a second, before sighing: "Why do I even bother?" She took a deep breath and continued with: "Listen, I do not know which TV show, comic-book or video game gave you the impression that a plucky bunch of school kids are the perfect solution for resolving a multidimensional crisis..."
"Just about all of them," Techna mumbled.
"But this is a very serious matter. We could all die. And we could die in a way that just makes everything harder for the professionals," Flora insisted. "Do I have to remind you all of everything that has happened because of this habitual charging into danger?"
"I remember. You and Bloom got to fight ninjas," Musa commented. "Much to the chagrin of a certain somebody".
"Cram it, Cacophony," Techna grumbled.
"And you see that as a positive?!" Flora asked. "Brandon got shot. The only thing that saved him from having his heart replaced by a bullet hole was that Red Fountain uniforms are enchanted. We got beat up by costumed maniacs. Do you all see that as positives?"
"Well, no, but you did, like, resolve the problem, so it all worked out," Stella argued. "I mean, don't you want to go save Bloom?"
"Of course I want to help save Bloom. She is one of my best friends," Flora shot back. "But just because I want to run off to save the day does not mean I can allow myself to stop being realistic about it. It is not a good idea".
"Well, you'll have to make a decision then," Aisha said. "Here's how I see it. You can either join us and add you own invaluable experience to the operation and thus increase our chances of survival, stay behind and thus give us your quiet approval or you can tell on us and have the teachers waste valuable time locking us up to the point where they are certain none of us can escape".
Flora froze for a moment. It was clear from the look in her eyes that the metaphorical gears in her mind were spinning at full speed.
"You're good," Glim commented to the brunette princess.
"Royal education is very valuable," Aisha proudly replied.
Finally, Flora sighed and said: "I cannot argue against that. You will have good use of my expertise and locking up all five of you will be a waste of time and resources. I wish it was not so, but it would seem assisting your lunatic scheme is the least horrible option".
"And that is why I'm here," Tune dryly commented. "Because despite the whole thing being loco in the coco, the alternatives were worse".
"Alright, let's go save Bloom," Amore said, now suddenly wearing a military uniform.
"Let us first figure out how to pull this off," Musa said. "We can't just waltz up to the nearest Red Fountain ship and hide in a crate".
Stella stared out the window. "Considering the rather large Red Fountain ship coming towards Alfea right now, that may not be such a bad plan," she commented.
Outside, the massive ship landed behind the school. Three times bigger than the Red Fountain owl, the Red Fountain eagle was an impressive ship with plenty of room. Its hatch opened and Saladin marched out, followed by Cordatorta and Griffin.
"Good to see you again, although I wish circumstances were better," Faragonda greeted him. "And you too Griffin".
"This is becoming a bad habit," Griffin commented. "Either things go wrong when we meet or we meet because things have gone wrong".
"Yes, well, that is the burden of leadership," Saladin added. "I wish I could have more manpower on this operation, but most of Red Fountain's resources have been tied up in combat with Shadowhaunt forces".
"If we'd gotten some reinforcements sooner, we could probably have brought more of our own troops on the mission, but as the situation stands, this operation will be going with what we got," Cordatorta commented. "We even had to bring third year troops".
"At least the rest of the realms are done taking turns going 'Should we do something? We should do something'," Griffin snarked.
"Anyway, so are there any of your staff you will be bringing along?" Saladin asked.
"Palladium and Avalon will be assisting on this mission. The rest will keep Alfea safe if the worst should happen," Faragonda said while the group marched towards Alfea.
"Boys, you'll be handling getting the supplies on board!" Cordatorta yelled into the ship.
"On it, sir," Brandon replied. He turned to the others and ordered: "Riven, Sky. You two will be helping me haul the goods over here. Timmy, you sort it all out in the cargo hold".
"On it," Timmy said as the three warriors left the vessel. He turned to look at one of the pilot seats and asked: "So, do you want to help me with that?"
"I guess I might as well," Helia sighed as he got up from the seat and followed Timmy into the cargo hold.
"Are you sure you're okay with participating in this?" Timmy asked as they began moving the existing gear to make room for the supplies from Alfea.
"I abhor violence in all its forms," Helia said. "That being said, I am not dim enough to think that this will not affect me. I will not allow Darkar to ruin everything". He paused. "But unlike what my grandfather thinks, once this mission is over I'm out again".
"Hey, I can respect that," Timmy said. "You gotta do what is right for you. I'm just glad we got the extra support. We're going to need it".
Back at Alfea, Brandon, Riven and Sky had made it to Alfea's storehouse, where they immediately noticed a couple of familiar fairies loitering.
"Hey, Brandon. Wait, you're going on this mission?" Stella asked as she noticed the boys.
"Yeah. They've sent all their best to assist with the front-line, so they kinda had to use what was left," Riven commented. "That being us".
"Well, that is rather surprising," Flora said. "Anyway, I assume you are here to get some supplies. Do you want a hand? We could drag it out of storage for you".
"That would actually speed things up a bit," Sky commented.
"Well, yes, but technically, we're not supposed to get help from non-military personnel," Brandon considered.
"For fucks'... Brandon, they just want to drag some stuff out of the storeroom," Riven said exasperated. "I am almost completely sure Cordatorta won't flay our hides for getting some help with that".
"Point," Brandon admitted and handed a list to Flora. "Alright, here's what we need. Make sure to double-check everything. Would really suck to bring spoiled goods or the like".
"Do not worry. I am very familiar with such procedures," Flora commented.
"Kinda surprised you gals haven't already begged us to take you along," Riven commented. "You're usually eager to participate in these things".
"Like that whole trip to Underland where Brandon almost got married," Sky added with a smirk.
"Zip it," the brunette curtly ordered him.
"Well, to be honest, it's not like we haven't considered it," Techna admitted. "What with one of our best friends being kidnapped by a lunatic dark overlord and a super creepy Light Knight copy".
"Trust me. It is for the best that you stay," Brandon said. "I wouldn't consider it a good idea for you to join this operation".
"I could not agree more," Flora dryly commented.
...
A cold wind blew through the tunnels of the Underland, carrying a giggling form with it. It blasted out of a tunnel and soared through the great darkness of Shadowhaunt. As it reached the castle, it streamed downwards and gently buffeted against the torch-lit balcony, before the wind reformed into the shape of the false Avalon.
"Welcome to Shadowhaunt, Bloom," Icy, who had been waiting at the balcony, said. "I do hope you enjoy your stay".
"Icyyyy! It's so good to see you!" the manic Bloom happily called.
The white-haired witch blinked, before allowing herself to comment: "This conversation went a lot different in my mind".
"So, you're the ace up Darkar's sleeve," Darcy stated, eyeing the Avalon duplicate. "I must confess that I am quite surprised".
"That is a testament to my master's skills," the false Avalon replied.
"Flattery will get you everywhere, my loyal servant," Darkar said delighted as he marched out on the balcony. "Bloom. I am so happy to see your arrival. Had I known what fate had in store for us... Well, I would have been much gentler at our last meeting. But now, you're finally here to take on your fated role as the dark lady to my dark lord".
"Wait, what?" Icy suddenly asked. "She... She gets to be what?"
"As the most integral part of my plan, she of course deserves a title fitting of her role," the Shadow Phoenix explained. "Come, let me show you your new home, dearest Bloom".
"I'd love that," Bloom exclaimed as she followed.
"My best student has really grown up," the false Avalon said with fatherly pride as he followed.
The three witches stared at the three as they were left on the balcony.
"Okay, what the fuck was that?" Stormy asked. "Seriously, that was super creepy".
"And why does she get to be the dark lady? We've worked our asses off, while she's been nothing but a pain," Icy grumbled. "Bloom doesn't deserve this".
"What, you want to be Darkar's counterpart?" Darcy asked. "Because if it involves getting lobotomised like Bloom was, then I say we're getting off lightly".
"No, seriously, can we focus on how creepy that was?" Stormy continued. "Like the way he called her dear Bloom? You'd think they were a couple".
The three witches considered it for a moment.
"And now my mind is polluted with really unwholesome images," Darcy stated. "I really did not need that".
"So, what, we're left out in the cold now?" Icy asked. "After everything?"
"I think we should just appreciate not being converted into forsaken now that our usefulness has reached a minimal level," Darcy said. "I mean, some villains do that".
"Dear Dragon that's a horrifying thought," Stormy commented with a shiver. "I've seen how those flesh vats work. It's grotesque".
"MOOKS. BRING AN EXTRA THRONE FOR YOUR NEW DARK MISTRESS," Darkar's voice boomed through the castle.
"And she even gets her own throne," Icy grumbled. "I never got my own throne".
"We barely got our own bedrooms. Remember what a mess those were when Darkar first handed them over to us?" Stormy asked. "Place was fucking disgusting. At least we had the mooks to clean the place for us".
"All in all, we should probably just be satisfied that we got what we got," Darcy commented.
"On that note, any luck figuring out a possible way out?" Stormy asked. "I mean, it doesn't look like we'll need it now that he has Bloom, but still..."
"No, all entrances are clogged, either with Underland forces or Darkar's own forsaken. We'd have to make an entirely new tunnel," Darcy sighed. "And that's not easy. I have, however, been studying maps of the local area. Just give me some more time and I might come up with something".
"He better get me a throne once we win," Icy grumbled.
"Icy, just make your own throne if parking your ass somewhere is that important to you," Stormy commented. "You can shape one out of ice for fuck's sake".
"That's not the point," the white-haired witch hissed.
"MINIONS! I HAVE A TASK FOR YOU!" the dark lord's voice bellowed.
"Come, we better go check what's up," Darcy said as she led the way.
...
"Hey, did the girls say goodbye to you by any chance?" Brandon asked Riven as he hauled a sack of food into the ship.
"Nope. Why, missing your girlfriend already?" Riven asked as he handed the sack over to Timmy.
"No, it's just that..." Brandon began, but was cut off by Cordatorta yelling: "TROOPS! ASSEMBLE!" Per pure training, Brandon, Sky, Riven, Timmy and even Helia leapt out of the ship, standing at attention and waiting for orders.
"Alright, we have finished discussing strategy," Cordatorta, who had arrived with the other teachers and instructors, said. "And in order to pull this off, we need to have Underland use their tunnel wyrms to dig a large enough opening for us to take the eagle into Darkar's realm. That will be our best shot at actually surviving an attack. Now, due to Underland being a bit technologically behind the times, we can't contact them, so we will have to send somebody as a messenger". He turned his attention to Brandon and said: "You and Timmy have been chosen for this task. We know you have some familiarity with their royal family and Timmy is well versed in any technical information that will be needed. This document marks you as a diplomatic envoy, which will grant you an audience with their royals. Any questions?"
"Only when we'll be leaving, sir?" Brandon asked.
"Right now," Cordatorta said and unfolded a map. "We will be flying the eagle here and as soon as you can open a tunnel with the wyrms, we will begin the operation".
"In that case we'll do that. Transport?" Timmy asked.
"You can use the aircycles stored in the eagle," Cordatorta said. "Now get moving. Time is of the essence".
"Yes, sir," the two warriors said and rushed into the ship, before floating out on their aircycles.
"Best of luck," Riven wished them. "And do say hello to your almost wife when you get there".
"Best of luck to you too," Brandon said as he put his helmet on. "By the way, remind me to punch you once I get back". Then he and Timmy jetted off.
"Alright, then we just need to finish up here," Saladin said.
Brandon and Timmy zipped down the road, before jetting upwards and over the trees. They carefully monitored their equipment as they flew over the woods below, heading towards the location of the nearest tunnel into Underland. It took them twenty minutes of flying before they reached the rocky area where the tunnel was and the two Red Fountain warriors allowed their vehicles to float closer to the earth as they looked for the tunnel.
"We might want to slow down a bit," Timmy advised over their radios. "A tunnel could be easily overlooked in this terrain".
"Good idea," Brandon agreed. They both slowed down and gently floated over the brown rocks.
"So, nervous?" Timmy asked while they scouted for the entrance.
"Well, me and Amentia parted on good terms. Still, it's going to be a bit awkward," Brandon commented. "I mean, from what I heard she will probably be at the meeting. At least her mother seemed to like me".
"Maybe we should pick up another bottle of wine for Sky while we're here," Timmy joked. "That stuff was amazing. It went to his head in seconds".
"Quite the potent stuff, yes," the brunette squire commented. "I suspect that it was actually also a mild drug. Remember how he kept staring at his hands while constantly asking 'Why are you so tiny?'"
"Spirits above I wish we had recorded that," Timmy chuckled. "Almost a shame that..." The rest of his sentence was cut off as a dog shaped forsaken crashed into him, knocking him off the aircycle.
"TIMMY!" Brandon yelled as he braked, before leaping off his vehicle while drawing his blade. He charged forward towards where the undead creature was pinning his comrade to the ground, but a second one leapt out in front of him, teeth bared. "Out of my way, pooch!" Brandon yelled while swinging his blade at his adversary.
Meanwhile, Timmy was struggling to get the foul creature off him. It snarled and scratched at his head, leaving fine white marks in the helmet's visor. With a grunt, he placed a foot at its chest and pushed with all his strength. The beast was forced off and Timmy used the break to run for his fallen aircycle where all his gear was still lying.
Brandon warded off the attacking creature, using the flat side of his blade to smash it away as it leapt at him. It fell to the ground and began getting up immediately, but was stopped when Brandon chopped it in half.
Timmy continued to run for his supplies, even as he could hear his opponent getting closer. The second the insistent rhythm of its paws stopped, Timmy slid to the ground and the undead mongrel sailed overhead, missing its mark. It crashed into the fallen aircycle and flipped over it, before beginning to force itself up again. Timmy quickly grabbed his rifle, removed the safety and aimed. The beast got ready to leap again, but the bespectacled warrior fired, his bullet piercing through its body, causing it to drop like a sack of bricks.
"MORE INCOMING!" Brandon yelled as he ran up to his friends. Three other beasts charged down the hills before running straight towards them, teeth bared in anticipation. In unison, Brandon and Timmy each drew a grenade and hurled them. The dim beasts continued their run, only to be perforated by shrapnel as the explosives detonated.
"Well, that was exciting," Timmy gasped as he readjusted his equipment. "Didn't think Darkar had forces in the area".
"Neither did I. But I suspect there's a reason for that," Brandon said as he scouted the cliffs the horrors had come from. "Ahah, yeah, figures. There's the tunnel". The Red Fountain warriors went to their fallen vehicles, activated them and then they gently flew up the slope, wary of further potential attacks. They flew into the dark cave and carefully followed it before stopping at a crossroad.
"What does the map say?" Brandon asked as Timmy unfolded a piece of paper.
"Give me a sec. Tunnel maps aren't so easy to decipher," Timmy commented. "Let's see, I think this way leads to Dyvel Lake".
"Lost?" a voice grunted and the two warriors looked up to find themselves surrounded by armed troglodytes.
"Uhm, hey, good to see you all," Brandon greeted them. "Hi, I'm Brandon of Red Fountain. We'd like an audience with your king and queen".
"And what makes you think you have the right to that?" a voice grunted, followed by heavy footsteps. The two warriors stared at the troglodyte in charge. While Brandon had gotten used to the fact that orange troglodytes were naturally muscular, the specimen in front of him could only be described as a huge orange troglodyte. Massive muscles bulged beneath his scales and he had a hunched posture due to his immense height. He wielded an equally massive axe, one that looked like it had been recently sharpened.
"I got this proof of diplomacy," Brandon said while pulling out an official looking document from his pocket. "This makes me a diplomatic envoy and messenger".
The giant troglodyte grunted after inspecting the document. "Fine, we will escort you to Domum. Men, move out". At once, the troglodytes started moving.
"So, since we'll be travelling together, what's your name?" Timmy asked the hulking troglodyte conversationally.
"Gargant," the orange hulk grunted.
"How very apropos," Brandon quietly commented.
...
"So, how are you feeling?" Cordatorta asked Avalon, while the Red Fountain eagle flew across the great forests that surrounded Alfea. They and the others had gathered in a meeting room while Riven, Sky and Helia focused on steering the ship.
"Still a bit battered, but Ophelia has done wonders on my body," Avalon replied. "My own powers can further assist me in my healing".
"So what can you tell us about Darkar?" Saladin asked. "I gather you were trapped down there for a while".
"Yes. And fortunately, Darkar had nobody but me to talk to for almost three months. I got a lot of info out of him just by playing along. As you may remember, my mission started as an attempt at finding and aiding the missing filmmaker Argulus Cato. That mission was a failure. Argulus and his crew had managed to track down Shadowhaunt, a place mentioned in texts as being the place where the Shadow Phoenix was last defeated. And they woke up something terrible". The paladin took a sip of water. "Argulus' crew had been recreated as the forsaken, as Darkar calls them. But Argulus himself..." Avalon shook his head sadly. "He is now the creature we call Darkar".
"He was transformed into the Shadow Phoenix?" Griffin asked for clarification.
"No. Not exactly," Avalon explained. "In reality, it might be more correct to say that Darkar and the Shadow Phoenix are two separate beings. The Shadow Phoenix is a primal elemental spirit, possibly born at the very dawn of existence. It is animated dragonshade and dragonflame, raw magical power and form with the spark of life. But it is limited by its elemental nature. Like all elementals, it is bound by whimsies and fancies, barely able to create a coherent plan before it suddenly feels like doing something else. Not the most threatening of adversaries. But both dragonflames and dragonshades can bind themselves to things. Including living beings". The paladin adjusted himself as he revealed: "Thus, by possessing the bodies of intelligent beings, it can forge a new identity that allows it to focus and plan. The Shadow Phoenix needs a body in order to function and carry out its designs. When it fuses with a person, it takes on aspects of their personality when forging the new combined being. Not a lot, usually only a very shallow one, but enough to work with. As a very dramatic director and scriptwriter, Argulus gave Darkar a worldview rooted in fiction. He literally views the world in storytelling tropes, the same way the previous Shadow Phoenix viewed the world in religious terms. Not that it chances their actions much since their goals are always the same. They just phrase it differently".
"That does make sense. All Shadow Phoenix' have wanted the Codex," Faragonda commented.
"Indeed. The problem is that we may be able to destroy Darkar, but I am unsure what we can do about the Shadow Phoenix that inhabits him," Avalon continued. "As I said, it is raw magical power given life and I imagine that there's a reason why no one has defeated it permanently before".
"What about Argulus? Can he be saved?" Griffin asked.
"Sadly, no. The possession is brutal and merciless. Argulus' body has been ruined beyond being able to function without the Shadow Phoenix pulling his strings," the paladin sadly commented. "The only mercy we can grant him now is the peace of the grave".
"Then that is how it shall be. Until the mission starts, we must try to come up with a way to deal with the elemental spirit that resides inside Darkar," Saladin said. "Now, about your clone. What do you know of him".
"Like Darkar, he is an elemental spirit, one of air to be precise," Avalon replied. "Darkar crafted him a body and gave up pieces of himself to empower him to the point where he could mimic my paladin abilities. They kept me alive so they could use my memories until the impostor's personality matched his looks. I hear that his mask deteriorated as time went by and more of his own personality started to shine through. I am only sad to hear that it didn't happen quickly enough to avert this disaster".
"He had us all fooled," Palladium sighed. "He really seemed like he was our friend".
"He might even have considered himself your friend. As an elemental spirit, his logic is... Different," Avalon commented.
"Even so, it still hurts," the elf said sadly.
"I know, but..." Cordatorta began, before suddenly tensing.
"What is it?" Griffin asked.
The dragonmaster eyed Avalon, who had gone similarly tense, and quietly asked: "You heard that too?"
The paladin just nodded, before quietly sneaking out of the meeting room. He carefully made his way towards the cargo hold, the others following him as quietly as they could. A tense atmosphere descended on the ship. The veteran paladin carefully opened the door and listened. Faintly in the dark, someone could be heard whispering: "Move you knee, it's right in my kidney".
Avalon raised an eyebrow and with three long and quick steps, he moved to one of the supply crates and ripped the lid off.
Silence followed.
"Why, like, hello there Professor Avalon," Stella said nervously as she noticed her teacher. "Funny thing running into you out here".
...
Griselda sighed as she sat down in the chair in Faragonda's office, eyeing the vast stack of paper the three pixies before her had brought. Before Faragonda had left, she had tasked Griselda with going through all recorded information of the Codex Pieces, especially of the text on them, and see if they could gain some insight into Darkar's plan and how to stop it. Griselda had accepted what she had assumed to be a rather hard task.
Then she found out the task wasn't hard. That is, not merely hard.
It was overwhelmingly, frustratingly hard.
The Codex had been encrypted and scrambled, with codes that could be interpreted in a thousand different ways depending on how they were put together. Suffice to say, the deputy could almost feel her neurons slowly leaking out of both ears. Nevertheless, she was determined to do her job.
She cleared her throat and asked: "So these are all the possible translations?"
"No. Just the ones that makes a lick of sense," Athena replied. "And we're still waiting for the research Nimfea did. It hasn't arrived yet, what with having to be dug out of the remains of her house".
Griselda took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes while commenting: "This is going to take some time".
"Sadly, with the damage to our restricted library, I lack many of the books that could have helped with this," Concorda sighed.
"We have no choice but to continue. As long as Darkar can keep us in the dark, he has a great advantage," Discordia commented. "We're still not even sure what he wants with Bloom's dragonflame".
Griselda started looking through the papers, trying to find some patterns in the fragmented translation. "I am starting to wonder, if the information here is so horrible that it requires this level of obfuscation, why even preserve it?"
"Maybe they figured there could be a time when we would need it," Athena suggested. "One should never give up a weapon just because an enemy might take it".
"Right," Griselda commented as she continued going through the pages. The phrase Great Dragon was one of the few things that remained a constant through the various translations. For some reason she couldn't quite explain, that filled Griselda with worry.
...
Faragonda was pinching the bridge of her nose. Occasionally she would stop, take a breath and raise a finger as if she was about to say something, before returning to her original position.
The six fairies and their pixie companions had all been ordered from their hiding spot to the meeting room, where an awkward silence now filled the air.
"I think you broke her," Griffin quipped as she took a sip of coffee.
"No, I just don't have the words," Faragonda said with frustration in her voice. "How does one properly ask 'What were you thinking when you sneaked aboard a high risk military operation'?"
"With all due respect, I think the way you just phrased it will have to do," Cordatorta commented diplomatically.
"I am especially shocked to find you here," Faragonda said while looking at Flora.
"That makes two of us," the brunette commented. "I had not expected them to actually come up with a convincing argument".
"And, pray tell, what was that argument?" Avalon asked.
"That I could either give us all better odds of success by joining, give my silent approval by keeping quiet or waste everyone's time and resources by telling on them," Flora responded.
"Well, I am afraid you have failed to prevent that," Faragonda said sternly. "Because now we will have to waste time turning this thing around to drop you all off back at Alfea".
"Emanuella, I'm sorry to say that that is simply not an option," Saladin commented. "This plan requires us to act the moment the tunnel wyrms break through the surface. If we delay, there's a great risk that Darkar will notice and either seal the tunnel or swarm it with his troops".
"And since the ship is essential to the mission, we can't just park it somewhere and leave them in it," Palladium added.
"And it would be even worse to drop them off here. All reports indicate the area is teeming with Shadowhaunt scouts and raiders," Avalon said.
Faragonda seemed at bit bewildered as she looked from person to person, hoping to find somebody with a bright idea for how to get the unwanted passengers off the mission.
"Sorry, but it appears that the best option available is to bring them along," Griffin noted. "Quite the clever manoeuvre, girls".
"You shouldn't praise them for that," Faragonda scolded. "They've placed themselves in great danger, defied our explicit instructions and put everything in jeopardy".
"Because they wanted to save somebody they care for. Remind you of anyone?" Guinevere asked with a knowing smile.
"Ah... That was... We were... You know that didn't make it right," Faragonda sputtered. "Saladin, back me up on this".
The ageing warlock adjusted his collar as he began saying: "Well, I mean, it's unusual and against protocol, but since we have no choice... It's not like they're younger than our own soldiers when they begin assisting the police... And they're not exactly inexperienced..."
"You're not helping," the headmistress of Alfea dryly informed him.
"Forget it, Faragonda. He can't condemn the girls' actions without being a complete hypocrite and he knows it," Griffin added with a grin.
"You're enjoying this way too much," Faragonda stated as she sat back down again. "I don't like this, but you have deprived me of every other option, girls. So you're coming along, but you will do exactly as told".
"That part isn't exactly unexpected. I mean, we were planning on jumping out of the boxes and saying hello at some point," Musa added. "You know, once we were sure you were reasonably far away from the school".
"Yay, rescue mission is a go," Piff cheered.
"So, just curious, like, what was it you were referring to with all that vague talk?" Stella asked Griffin, smelling the juicy gossip.
The Cloud Tower headmistress eyed Faragonda, who glared back. "Sorry, I'll have to save that story for some time when Emanuella here won't be ready to glue my ass to the ceiling".
...
"Queen Quoeda and King Brakritt, I present to you, the diplomatic envoy of Red Fountain," Gargant grunted as he with a swing of his enormous arm gestured to Brandon and Timmy.
"Hello, your majesties," Brandon began as he walked up before the thrones. Like almost everything in Domum, they were made of stone and decorated with crystals of all kinds. The throne room was huge, with reliefs on the walls showing what the squire figured to be important moments in either Underland history or mythology. "Me and my companion, Timmy, come from Red Fountain with dire news and a request for help".
The king stared at him for a bit. Then he turned to his wife and asked: "Isn't he the boy who almost married our daughter?"
"Yes dear. It was quite the mess," Quoeda agreed, before she turned towards Brandon and said: "But it's very nice to see you again, Brandon. You should come visit more often".
Brandon eyed Amentia, who sat on an elaborate chair on the side. She was currently burying her head in her hands out of embarrassment, with Sponsus patting her sympathetically on the shoulder.
"I wish this was just a friendly visit, but as I said, circumstances are... Well, dire," Brandon repeated.
"More dire than the fact that our entire people is at war with the abominations from the depths, with several of our villages already harvested down to the last child?" the king asked in a tone indicating that he didn't believe there could be bigger problems at the moment.
"Sadly, yes, it is worse," Brandon said. "Darkar has successfully kidnapped Bloom Kadmos, last royal heir of Domino".
"While that is tragic, hundreds of our citizens have been hauled off too. You have my sympathy, but I fail to see why this makes the situation worse," the king replied.
"Well, through Bloom he has access to the dragonflame. Which he will use to open Relix," the brunette squire explained.
"Which relics?" the king asked.
"No, Relix with a capital r and an x instead of a c and an s," Brandon explained. "It's another dimension and the focus of Darkar's plan. He might open it up any second now".
"And then?" Brakritt asked, motioning with his hand that the squire should elaborate on the looming threat.
"And... Well... Bad stuff will happen... I think," Brandon said.
Silence fell over the hall.
"Brandon, I know you mean well, but that doesn't sound that threatening or urgent," Quoeda said gently.
"The problem is that we have only the faintest clue about what this Relix dimension can do," Timmy interjected. "But what we do know is that Darkar's entire plan has revolved around this. All the people who have died, all the damage and terror, every single cruel act of his has been dedicated to this one goal. That alone speaks of how dangerous his success will be".
"Alright, so let us say that this Relix dimension is as dangerous as you say," the king continued. "What can we do that we aren't already doing? Our forces are already pushing his troops back, with assistance from you surface people I might add".
"We have a plan, your majesty," Brandon explained. "We have a ship loaded with some of the most powerful people of the area ready. If you can direct some your tunnel wyrms to dig a sufficiently large tunnel from the surface to Darkar's castle, we can swoop in and get Bloom out, thus stopping Darkar from opening a gate to Relix".
"Brandon, everything indicates that the abominable ones are strongest in that dark place," Quoeda said concernedly. "Even if you have the strongest people with you, you will be ripped to shreds".
"I know that's a possibility. But we believe that the threat that Darkar poses is great enough that we have to risk it," Brandon insisted.
"May I come with a suggestion?" Amentia suddenly asked.
"You may," the king replied.
The troglodyte princess stood up and said: "I suggest we help them with the plan. The risk of Darkar getting stronger is too great not to take action. But I also believe that if they go in alone, they will surely die. No offence, Brandon," she added.
"None taken," the brunette replied.
"My suggestion is that we wait until our front-lines are closing in on Shadowhaunt," Amentia continued. "Then we start a full-scale assault. That should divide their attention and give Brandon's group a chance to get in".
"And you are well aware of the risk that will pose, Amentia?" the king asked.
The princess took a deep breath and replied: "I am".
"Then I will allow it. Once we receive word that our troops are in position for an direct attack on Shadowhaunt, I will authorise the use of tunnel wyrms. But not one second sooner than that," the king ordered. "You are dismissed".
As the two humans began leaving the room, Amentia and Sponsus walked up beside them.
"So, now we wait," Brandon stated and eyed the two. He was still not good at reading troglodytes, but he got the feeling something was off. "What did your father mean by you being aware of the risk?"
"Well, first of all, I am part of the military," Amentia replied. "High rank in fact. And I've earned it, just for the record. Didn't get anything handed to me. Secondly, tradition has it that a commander who suggests a plan should also lead said plan. Which means that I will be leading the assault".
"And the abominable ones are countless down in the depths," Sponsus said despondently. "You are putting everything at risk, my love".
"Geez, we didn't know that," Timmy stated. "Sorry, we didn't mean to drag you into this".
"Don't be. It was my suggestion after all," Amentia replied.
...
"Anything to report?" Cordatorta asked as he entered the cockpit. The eagle had landed at the designated meeting point and now everyone on board was waiting for something to happen.
"No, sir. Still no sign of anything," Sky replied. "The area's as quiet as the grave".
"Very well," the massive man replied as he went back to the meeting room. In the distance, the occupants of the cockpit could hear him report: "Still nothing".
This was followed by Faragonda going: "We've been out here for hours. We could have dropped the girls off at Alfea and come back here three times by now".
This was followed by an exasperated Griffin going: "Just let it rest. Worrying that much isn't good for you blood pressure".
"Still can't believe you got away with pulling a stunt like that," Riven said as he turned his chair to face Musa, who was sitting in one of the pilot seats.
"Yeah, well, we did what we felt was right," Musa said with a shrug. "That being said, it would have been worth it just for Faragonda's expression. I've never seen her so flustered before".
"Well, you did surprise her. Plus, I'm getting the feeling that Griffin really knows how to push her buttons," Sky commented. At that moment, Helia entered and Sky turned to face him with a: "So how are things going in the back?"
"Well, Piff is trying to come up with a rescue operation cheer. Techna, Flora and Tune are all going through our inventory and I think Faragonda has managed to drink all the tea we had," the poet commented as he sat down. "I think she's really nervous about you girls being here".
"Look, I know it's dangerous, but at this point, we've been through a ton of dangerous situations," Musa remarked. "It's like Saladin said. We're not younger than you guys from Red Fountain when you start assisting the police".
"Well, first of all, Faragonda takes her responsibility for you all very seriously, so I think she's allowed to be concerned," Helia responded. "Secondly, while you do have experience, most of you lack training".
"Maybe," Musa sighed. "I mean, we didn't do it just to get on her nerves, but we can't..." She was interrupted by the sound of something hitting the glass of the cockpit. Everyone looked up to see a forsaken snarling at them while fighting to stay on the glass, before it slipped and slid off.
"Well... That happened," Riven stated.
"And much more is about to happen," Sky stated and pointed. Several dozens of forsaken were pouring out of the woods and down the rocky cliff sides. The blond prince grabbed the microphone for the ship's comm system and loudly declared: "Everyone, prepare for combat. Several Shadowhaunt units are moving in on our position with hostile intent". He looked up, spotting something on the cliffs behind the incoming undead aberrations. "One more thing," he continued into the microphone. "The Usurpers have dropped by to say hello".
...
Darkar tapped his chin thoughtfully as he observed Bloom. The redhead sat on a chair in the middle of the room with a euphoric smile as she alternatively stared at him and the false Avalon.
"How about this one?" the impostor said as he came up with a tiny blue dress with frills. "It will accentuate her youthfulness".
"Maybe accentuate it a bit too much," Darkar replied after a moment of consideration. "We want her to seem young, not immature. I'd suggest this one instead. It's black, the best villain colour, and will strike terror in the hearts of mortal men".
As the doppelgänger eyed the rather sparse piece of cloth Darkar was holding up in front of Bloom, he cleared his throat and said: "Master, I am not sure that thing will inspire fear so much as it will inspire arousal in mortal men. Isn't it a bit skimpy?"
"Hmm, point taken," the Shadow Phoenix admitted. "But look for something in this style then".
"On it," false Avalon said as he returned to the pile of clothes that had been placed in the room. "What about you, Bloom? What colours do you like?"
"I like light-blue," the smiling Bloom said dreamily.
"Light-blue and black?" the false paladin asked his dark master.
"No, that won't work. Light-blue and black doesn't go that well together," the Shadow Phoenix rumbled.
"Maybe something with dark-blue and black then," fake Avalon suggested as he began digging through the piles. "There must be something like that around here". He pulled up a big ocean-blue dress and held it in front of Bloom.
"Looks elegant. But not terrifying," Darkar commented. "She's going to be an evil mistress, the dark empress of the land. Her clothes need to scream 'Bow before me or be vanquished'".
"Maybe something that menaces with spikes then," false Avalon mumbled as he overlooked the piles. "But spikes are much more fashionable with armour than clothes".
"What about this?" Darkar asked as he pulled a long black and grey dress out of a pile. "It will look like she's clad in pure sorrow".
"Mostly over having her waistline crushed. She won't be able to wear that thing without a corset," false Avalon commented, before returning to his rummaging. "Not to question the importance of accessorising, my lord, but why don't we wait until after we have accessed Relix with finding a proper dress?"
"Because the villainous look is paramount to her status. How can she be my counterpart, if she does not look the part?" Darkar declared. After a short pause, he added: "Also, Faragonda managed to tamper with the purifying spell. It is too risky to enter Relix until I am absolutely sure it works properly. But that is a secondary concern to making sure she looks worthy of being my dark empress".
"Of course, my lord," false Avalon said with sincerity in his voice.
"And what about you?" Darkar continued. "You still run around in Avalon's clothes. You should find yourself something more appropriate".
"I must confess, I have grown rather fond of the mixture of white and gold," duplicate Avalon replied.
"We should make you look more threatening. We could file your teeth into points and paint your face with lines of red war-paint to accentuate your grim features," Darkar continued as he envisioned his improved right hand man.
The doppelgänger glared at himself in a mirror, before wincing and saying: "I think I will just stick with my current face, my lord. I think red lines would just make me look ridiculous".
"Maybe. But you should at least exchange your spell armour for something black. With large spiky shoulders and skull kneecaps," Darkar continued as he began digging through the clothes. "But first, my darling Bloom must be properly dressed. Then we will see what we can do about you".
...
Cordatorta grunted as the forsaken horror smashed into his tower shield, his muscles bulging as he pushed the monstrosity back. As it stumbled he stabbed his weapon into its quivering grey flesh. In truth, his weapon was more of a tool, a trident-like prong designed to poke through and administer a shock to unruly dragons, which was sometimes the only thing the great animals would respect. But what was a stinging prod for a dragon was lethal to much smaller beings and the undead creature collapsed as the jolt fried it from the inside.
By his side, Saladin redirected an assortment of weapons, his magic simultaneously controlling five different melee weapons and three guns that together held back several of the attackers.
While the two of them were protecting the ship's underside from any forsaken that managed to get close, Faragonda and Griffin had taken to the skies.
With concentrated blasts of wind, Griffin smashed the flying abominations into the surrounding landscape, splattering them against the ground.
Faragonda's approach was much cleaner, crushing the monsters into tiny specks with spheres of gravity.
Inside the hanger, Palladium and Avalon carefully observed, ready to take over if anybody got tired.
All of this was accompanied by the rhythmic thumping of the eagle's main guns blasting into the approaching horde, ripping through many of them before they even had a chance to approach the vehicle.
Sky watched the spectacle from the inside and commented: "They're not exactly the brightest bunch".
"Dumb as rocks. Not that I'm complaining. Makes for easy target practise," Riven commented as he watched the number of confirmed kills slowly climb. "And I've just passed two-hundred and fifty". He paused for a bit. "By the way, where did my ex and her two megabitch companions go? You said that they had shown up too".
"They disappeared behind that ridge over there the moment the battle began," Sky replied. "I'm keeping an eye on things, but it doesn't look like they have popped up again".
"I just don't get why we can't be out there helping," Techna grumbled as she and Flora waltzed into the cockpit.
"Because with our current setup, risking our safety is unnecessary," Flora replied.
"What, did you really expect that the moment you were allowed to stay, you would be first pick for all the action?" Riven asked as he turned to face the two fairies.
"Well... Maybe," the scarred girl said non-committedly while scraping the floor with her foot.
"Yeah, well, we got several super-powered magi, plus us Red Fountain b-listers. I think you should expect to be last in line for anything," Riven commented, causing Techna to pout. He noticed that Helia also entered and continued with: "Yo, you mind going down into the cargo bay and get another box of bullets ready? I'll run out in another hundred kills or so".
"Will do," the artist replied as he turned to leave.
"Are you okay with that?" Flora asked concerned.
"What, because I'm a pacifist? Well, I'm not exactly comfortable being an accessory to violence, but I'm still pretty sure getting ripped apart by those ghouls will be much more uncomfortable," Helia replied. "But, ehm... Thanks for the concern, Flora. Most people don't actually care about that".
"Yeah, it's sweet and all, but I kinda need those bullets now!" Riven called. "Because of the whole being busy helping us all not getting killed, you know!"
"On it, on it," Helia said as he hurried out the door.
"So, do you even know what tact is?" Techna asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I often hear Brandon's got some. Probably why he's the leader," Riven replied with a shrug. "And that makes three hundred kills".
Suddenly, a bright light exploded outside the vehicle, followed by a deafening boom as every single panel and light in the ship shut off. Seconds later, red emergency light went on.
"Okay, what in Solaris' name just happened?" Stella asked as she charged in.
"Seems like we were just hit by lightning. Power's off. Every single breaker was just tripped," Sky said as he ripped open a panel. "The fuses are all gone and the system has been fried. I can smell smoke from in here".
"We may have more problems than just that," Flora added. "It would seem that they are sending in the main strike force".
The others looked out the window to see a large group of forsaken charge the ship.
"Oh, bogus," Sky sighed.
...
Brandon tapped his foot against the cold hard stone floor. The waiting was killing him. Amentia had escorted them to a small waiting room with some couches and some food, where they could stay until news from the front reached them. But now, hours had passed and they had still not received anything even resembling news. Not that it really surprised the squire. Warfare, in this case not helped by taking place in some cramped tunnels deep below the surface, was often a prolonged affair. That it would take time to push Darkar's forces back to Shadowhaunt wasn't what bugged the squire as much as the complete information blackout. The troglodytes still relied on couriers and the radios the reinforcements used topside were shoddy for anything but short range communication this deep below the crust. So he didn't even know if the frontlines was advancing or retreating. And he couldn't inform the others about the new development, so they were most likely hanging around the meeting point waiting for him to show up. The complete lack of information and inability to do anything about it was making Brandon restless and he channelled that restlessness into tapping the floor with his foot.
Timmy was also restless for just about the same reasons and channelled that into constantly taking apart and reassembling his rifle. He had started out merely wanting to make sure it was clean, but now it had become an obsessive ritual to ward off the agony of waiting for something to happen.
Occasionally, one of the two would break out of their silent daze to ask an inane question, take a drink, eat some of food or stretch their limbs, but for the most part, the room was filled with a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere of deep silent waiting.
When Amentia finally came back, they turned to her with faces closely resembling that of starved men who've suddenly caught the smell of roast chicken.
"We've gotten messages from our forces," the princess immediately said. "Most of the frontlines are as close to Shadowhaunt as they dare. The rest will be in position shortly. My father has authorised the use of tunnel wyrms. They will begin digging towards the surface in a few minutes and you should join them if you want to meet up with your friends".
"Finally," Brandon sighed as he got up. "What about you, then?"
"I'll be heading towards the front with reinforcements," Amentia replied. "We have invested most of our remaining forces into this attack".
"Are you sure that's wise, your majesty?" Timmy asked. "If we fail, you risk not only Domum but all of Underland being without proper protection".
"I know," the troglodyte princess sighed. "But all available information indicate that we will need the forces. Scout reports indicate that Shadowhaunt is swarming with the largest group of the abominable ones we've ever had to fight. I doubt the scouts are exaggerating when they say that every patch of rock is stuffed with them and the air is thick with their hideous flying forms. If we are to have the slightest impact on them, we will need a force that can compete with them. And that's what we have assembled. With the reinforcements I'll bring and the reinforcements from the surface realms, they'll be forced to engage us to protect Shadowhaunt itself, which will be your opportunity to get in. But even so, you should expect heavy resistance".
"It's still better that nothing," Brandon said as he got up. "Thank you, your majesty. We are very appreciative of your assistance".
...
Avalon swung his blade as the horde of forsaken surged against the open back-end of the vehicle. His glowing blade sliced through their putrid flesh, splitting them apart and spilling foul fluids on the floor. By his side, Palladium concentrated, bursts of magic undoing the necromantic energy that brought the monsters to life, every finished spell causing one to fall like a marionette that had its strings cut.
Cordatorta, Saladin, Faragonda and Griffin all fought by their side, using their respective abilities to lay waste to the seemingly endless horde of undead. With the ship out of power, they had had to focus all of their energy on guarding the open hatch.
The ship's interior echoed as more forsaken scurried around on the hull, pounding and gnawing at its thick armour while searching for a weak spot.
The inside of the eagle's cockpit was a frenzy of activity.
"WHO THE FUCK PUT THESE WIRES TOGETHER?!" Techna yelled as she fought to fix the damaged controls. "THIS SHIT FITS TOGETHER LIKE MY HAIR AFTER A NIGHT OF BINGE DRINKING!" Her fingers moved with nimble finesse as she surgically applied her tools to the fried systems.
"I GOT SOME MORE FUSES!" Helia called as he stormed into the room with a handful of replacements.
"I'll handle them," Sky said as he he took them out of his hand. "Get some more cords".
"Going for cords," Helia said as he stormed out again.
"SERIOUSLY, YOU'D THINK A VESSEL LIKE THIS WOULD BE PROTECTED AGAINST SOMETHING AS FUCKING COMMON AS LIGHTNING!" Techna yelled as she fought to restart the engine. "JERKFACE, HOW MUCH TIME DO WE HAVE?!"
"The teachers are holding them away from the open hatch, although they're getting pressed. I don't think they're getting through the armour, though that's hard to say without sensors online," Riven reported. "Also, I resent that nickname".
"Yeah, it's unfathomable why she would call you that. You have such a stellar track record of concern, good manners and general cuddliness," Musa snarked.
"Well, okay, yeah, but still, everyone else gets descriptive or flattering nicknames," the magenta-haired warrior complained.
"I COULD ALSO GO WITH BITCHY!" Techna yelled.
"Jerkface it is then," Riven stated.
"Dammit, so many of these components have been burnt or fused together," Sky grumbled, as he finished replacing the fuses. "That wasn't just some random lightning bolt. A regular bolt wouldn't overload our systems like that".
"Well, we need to finish repairs soon if we are to clean up this mess," Musa said. "Otherwise, Brandon and Timmy will return just in time to be swarmed by cranky corpse folk".
High above them on a cliff, Icy, Darcy and Stormy looked down on the overrun ship.
"This is taking its time," Icy sighed.
"Hey, I'll take any break I can get. Making that powerful a bolt was really draining," Stormy, who was sitting on a nearby rock, said.
"The ship is very tough. Then again, the forsaken do not exactly employ the most efficient of weaponry," Darcy stated. "That would also be why they are being pushed back down in Underland. Darkar really does need the Relix, his primitive forces couldn't stand against a properly equipped modern army".
"Sounds like a lot of waiting. I say we crush them now," Icy stated.
"What, you're going to march up to five of the most powerful magi on the planet and challenge them to mortal combat?" Darcy sarcastically asked.
"No. How much rock would it take to crush that ship?" Icy asked as she stepped back from the cliff's edge.
"Ah, I see. That's actually not a bad idea," the dirty-blond said as she followed. "I can't give you specifics since I don't know about the design specs of the vehicle, but I suppose you can just experiment until it works".
"In that case I think I'll start big," Icy stated as she put her hands to the ground. Ice started to form in jagged lines within the rock, slowly growing and forcing it apart. A deep, grinding noise could be heard as the cliff slowly cracked, smaller rocks beginning to tumble down.
Riven looked up as he heard a dull thud on the reinforced cockpit glass and watched one of the forsaken slide off, its head crushed by a rock. As he watched, he noticed more and more rocks falling from the cliffs above. "Hey, Techna, remember when I indicated that we still had a lot of time?" Riven asked as he watched large cracks form in the rock above. "We don't actually have that, as we are about to have a mountain dumped on us".
"Can the ship handle that?" Musa asked.
"I'm not certain. I think we might be able to survive the hit, but if that rock breaks one of the wings or anything else, then this mission will officially be FUBAR," Sky explained. "Techna, how close are you to fixing it?"
"I don't know," Techna grumbled as she pulled her head out of the open panel and wiped sweat off. "Whoever designed that mess made it work alright but had absolutely no consideration for those who have to repair it. You see this with a lot of new fancy tech. Performance has been favoured over ease of maintenance".
"Well, you better do something soon," Riven said as more and more rocks pelted the vehicle. "Because that thing is going to make us into flat-cakes in a few seconds".
Techna closed her eyes as she considered something. "I got an idea. Well, I have had this idea for a while now, but I thought it would be better if I could repair the ship instead," she said as she sat down in the pilot's seat. "I'm going to use my magic to assume direct control of this entire vehicle and make it fly us out".
"Techna, are you sure this will work?" Flora asked concerned.
The scarred girl shrugged and replied: "I have no idea". She placed her hands on the vehicle and concentrated. Her energy flowed through the instruments and wires, forcefully creating pathways through burnt equipment and fused plugs. It stretched to the engines, to the guns, to every single part of the ship. Techna's brows furrowed and sweat began forming on her forehead.
"The hatch just closed. Did you fix the ship?" Helia asked as he ran in.
"Not exactly, no," Musa replied as they all watched the struggling Techna. Suddenly, several panels lit up and the engines roared. Above them, the cliff gave a final protest as a humongous boulder tumbled down. With a yell of strained focus, Techna forced the ship to move. The engines blazed as the ship rocketed forward, ploughing through the forsaken as the ground behind them was hit by the great rock. Techna gasped as the ship roughly landed again. She was drenched in sweat and her skin was pale from the exertion.
"What happened? Did you fix the ship?" Cordatorta asked as he peeked in.
"No, Techna managed to force the ship to move seconds before that boulder crushed us," Sky replied. "We're safe for now, but we will still need to deal with the forsaken".
"I'll tell that to the others. Good job, Techna," Cordatorta praised before he rushed back toward the other end of the vessel.
"I agree. Despite the fact that we are still in mortal danger, I suggest a good old rousing round of applause for our tech magi here," Riven suggested, which was indeed followed by a standing ovations from the others.
"Thanks..." Techna gasped. "You're still... Jerkface though..."
"Eh, if the shoe fits," Riven replied with an uncaring shrug.
"Now let's get the guns back online so we can assist," Sky said.
Outside, there was a sudden explosion as the ground cracked, followed by a roar as three tunnel wyrms burst through the surface.
The forsaken immediately shifted their attention to the newly formed hole, from where Gargant and his men stomped forth, accompanied by Brandon and Timmy.
"CHARGE!" Gargant yelled, as their forces crashed into the remaining forsaken.
Back on the cliff, Darcy sighed and said: "There's no way we'll win now".
"Well. We've still delayed them. I guess that'll have to do," Stormy said.
"And when they do show up, we'll handle them. Permanently," Icy hissed as the three turned to take another entrance back to Shadowhaunt.
...
About an hour later they arrived back at the castle, riding on the back of a large crawling forsaken that had been made available to them for the mission.
Darkar was waiting for them as they arrived. "So, how did it go?" he asked conversationally.
"Well, we kinda failed at stopping them permanently, since reinforcements showed up and overwhelmed the forsaken you had sent with us," Darcy reported.
"And this time, it was actual reinforcements and not just some random dork," Icy added.
"Yes, well, they have still been delayed. Stormy managed to overload the vessel and they will need to repair it, though now that the assault is over, I suspect it won't take them much time to fix," Darcy continued.
"Bah. Let them come. Soon, I shall wipe them all out," Darkar declared dismissively. "For you see, my new queen is ready for her grand performance". He stepped to the side and let Bloom step forward. She was clad in a beautiful frilly dress with a ruby-red and midnight-black colour scheme.
"Helloooo, everyone," she dreamily greeted them.
"Isn't she beautiful?" false Avalon, who had escorted her, proudly asked.
"My beautiful dark mistress is ready to take the world by storm," Darkar dotingly declared.
"I think I might just puke my guts out," Icy said, staring at the display in disbelief.
"This is officially too fucking creepy," Stormy added.
"Now then, preparations are done and I shall soon begin the ritual that will allow me to enter Relix," Darkar declared with a triumphantly raised fist. "And inside Relix, I shall find the remains of the Great Dragon and use my powers to reawaken and fuse with it, so I can return this multiverse to its proper state".
The witches looked at each other with dawning realisation.
"Ehm, I might be a bit lacking in my theology. Isn't the proper state of the universe, that being how things were before the Great Dragon fell asleep and lost its shadow, supposed to be an unending chaos of constantly changing dimensions?" Darcy asked.
"Indeed. Everything will be as it should be," Darkar declared. "But do not think me ungrateful. I am fully aware that your kind cannot survive under such circumstances. So I will be merciful and reward your service by allowing you to pick one dimension that I shall preserve as it is now". A grim grin appeared on his ashen face and his red eyes twinkled as he told them to: "Choose wisely".