Hiya kids, welcome to another edition of WPL. Thanks for your patience. Alright first things first:
Big thank-yous to Krystal (gracias); Visigoth (HUGS); Irma 1 (it's not cheesy and I love you too girl); Nemrut (thanks for the compliments); Azhure (and Kadma); Zesty (wait no longer my friend); Stormy (thanks for commenting on the humor); Guardian of H2O (Nerissa ticks me off too); Nisa (I'm liking your story so far); and Spyder (good to see you again Mulder). Thank you all for your reviews and your compliments.
Now let's please welcome two new Pitters KnightofFaerun and Digimaniac-falkor3. Welcome my friends (author bows deeply); I thank you for your thoughts on the story. I hope you will stay with us a while.
Donut Club: Krystal for being suspicious of Yan Lin (that poor old woman…); Visigoth for deep thinking on so many levels; Irma 1 for thinking about this story when she heard a song (it's not cheesy and I count myself flattered milady); Knight for his insights into the psychological world; and Spyder for voicing his concerns about Nerissa's disguises.
Finally, I need to once again thank Azhure for her tireless efforts to make this chapter the best it could be. She's volatile, bitchy, disagreeable, bitchy, antagonistic, bitchy, incorrigible, bitchy, demanding, bitchy, unreasonable, bitchy, argumentative, bitchy, combative, and bitchy. Other than that, she's a real sweetheart (wink). Thanks, Shed, for being one of my dearest, dearest friends; I could not get through all of this without you. But…you're still a bitch!
Now…on with the story! HOO AH!!
Chapter 23
Nerissa stalked towards her private meditation chamber, confusion swimming in her dull green eyes. She had just returned from Candracar and she needed some time to think. She couldn't understand what had happened; she had been on the very brink of victory. She had effectively neutralized four of the five Guardians and was seconds from destroying the fifth; then everything had suddenly changed. The Water brat had found some kind of inner strength, something Nerissa had failed to crush. She had handily defeated the sorceress from that point onward; the evil witch had been completely unable to subdue the annoying little pixie.
While that had certainly been irritating, it wasn't the biggest problem, nor was it what fueled Nerissa's current state of confusion. As a former Guardian herself, Nerissa understood the extents of the Guardians' powers; she knew exactly what each girl was capable of bringing to the table. Water was a powerful element in its own right, but it wasn't powerful enough to stand against Nerissa's puissance all by itself. So why had Nerissa been able to defeat fire, lightning, and earth all together with little effort, and yet be overpowered by water alone?
Her thoughts flicked through the frames of the battle, watching and analyzing each moment. She had been able to easily turn the Earth cretin's powers against her; she was so arrogant she failed to guard herself properly. Their leader had provided a little sport, but in the end she too had fallen. By far the most intelligent of the group, the Fire witch had had the sense to summon reinforcements. But even she had not been able to withstand Nerissa's rage. The hag smiled as she recalled the look of panic on the whelp's face when she realized she was helpless to save her leader. Then Yan Lin's cub had tried her hand and been subsequently beaten as well.
Finally the Water Guardian had entered the fray and initially enjoyed some success. But like Nerissa knew she would, the child had folded under her mental attacks. She had been able to bring the girl's fears to the forefront of her mind; she had successfully planted the fear of Nerissa in the young Guardian's mind. By all rights, the brat should now be a quivering mass of jello, completely unable to think or act for herself. But that's not what had happened.
Nerissa turned a corner and stomped along a particularly lengthy hallway. She held her chin in her hand as she struggled to comprehend the latest development in the Water Guardian's arsenal. Not only had the child been able to chase Nerissa away, but she had done so from a state of anger, not desperation.
The witch narrowed her eyes as she recalled the final moments. The Guardian had leaped to her feet and thrown Nerissa into a wall; then she had nearly kicked the old sorceress. The hag believed herself safe when she had managed to erect her seemingly impenetrable shield; but the young girl had managed to shatter it simply by ramming herself into it.
Nerissa knew for a fact that the Water Guardian did not have this kind of power; only the Fire Guardian was this dangerous when out of control. So where had it come from? What had suddenly imbued the Water witch with such astonishingly strong powers? It was something Nerissa needed to find out immediately.
The evil ogress approached her meditation chamber. It was nothing more than a simple office in the abandoned mine that currently served as her lair; not nearly as extravagant as the Mage's meditation chamber on Candracar. Nevertheless it served her purposes well enough. Nerissa threw open a wooden door and entered the former mine foreman's office. In her wake, Raythor stepped carefully so as to avoid incurring her wrath. She had ordered her lieutenant to follow her, though she wasn't sure exactly why. She knew he had questions, but now was not the time for them. She needed to think, to ponder; yet Raythor had been patient for weeks. Perhaps it was time to set his mind at ease before he sprained something; she had no use for a lame soldier, after all.
Settling herself onto a rug in the middle of the cold floor, she fixed the former castle guard with a piercing stare. "You have questions."
Raythor immediately fell to one knee and bowed his head in reverence. He and the Knights had seen their mistress sparingly over the last several weeks. He knew she was busy implementing various stages of her evil plan, but he felt that perhaps she had lost a little perspective. She seemed so focused on hurting the Water Guardian that he feared she found too much entertainment in it. Not that Raythor thought the Guardian deserved a break, quite the contrary; he just didn't want to see Nerissa inadvertently foil her own plan due to a counterproductive obsession. However, he wasn't fool enough to voice these opinions to his mistress.
"Mistress," he began quietly, "we have seen little of you in the past many weeks. Might I inquire as to your activities during this time?"
"My activities? Why I have been progressing my plan to reunite with the Heart of Candracar. Beyond that, you do not need to know."
"As you wish mistress," Raythor said. "May I play upon your mercies to ask another question?"
"Ask!"
Raythor bowed his head even more. "I am wondering why you did not allow us to attack the Guardians while they were divided. Surely you must have known how vulnerable they were at that moment."
Nerissa raised an eyebrow; the way Raythor was groveling might have been amusing under different circumstances. "Because, my loyal thrall, it would have placed them on the defensive. I needed them overconfident, boorish, and angry when they finally confronted me. It aided their defeat astronomically."
Raythor pursed his lips, but said nothing. He wasn't entirely convinced by this explanation, but he knew better than to push the issue. "As you say Mistress. Your Knights of Vengeance stand ready to serve you."
"Good," Nerissa mumbled with a lazy wave of her hand. "Leave me now."
With a nod of his head, Raythor rose and quietly left the room. As soon as the door closed behind him, Nerissa closed her eyes and began to meditate. She needed the answers to her questions; she needed to understand what had gone wrong. She knew the Water Guardian was strong, but she shouldn't have been that strong. Her mind should have been turned to useless mush by now; so why was she still fighting? How was she still fighting?
The evil old woman remained in quiet thought for a long time, unsure of how much time had passed. She needed to reach a certain level of tranquility in order to accomplish what she needed to do. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she reached her own plane of nirvana; she was ready.
Nerissa drew a deep, cleansing breath and opened her mind. She needed information, and what better source than the Guardian herself? Exhaling slowly, the former Keeper extended her mind to touch the young woman's. She shuddered slightly as she met resistances that blocked her from her goal. But the witch's considerable mind powers soon shattered the Guardian's meager defenses and penetrated her fragile mind.
She began the long, laborious task of sifting through memories, thoughts, and miscellaneous knowledge. She wasn't here to torture the Guardian further, not this time. She had questions that needed answers; and the Guardian was going to supply her with those answers whether she liked it or not.
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Irma lay next to Hay Lin, her head resting on her sister's shoulder. Her eyes were closed and for just a moment she let herself forget about all the trauma of the past few…hours? Minutes? How long had it been since she had driven Nerissa away? Honestly, it felt like days, but Irma was sure it hadn't been that long.
Taking a deep breath, she let herself fall into a feeling of contentment. She felt as if nothing could touch her here; she felt completely safe from the evils of the universe. She felt like a normal teenager sharing an afternoon nap with her best friend. In a few hours, they would awaken and skip on down to the ice cream shop for double-fudge sundaes with extra nuts. They would gossip about boys, moan about homework, and gripe about the injustice of being forced to eat school lunch.
Irma wanted nothing more than to have this feeling of peace forever; she wanted so badly to feel safe again. She longed for the days when her greatest fears entailed getting caught being nice to Martin in public. She longed for the days when her biggest worries revolved around her History midterm. She longed for the days when her worst nightmares involved Mrs. Knickerbocker and a thong.
Irma opened her eyes and sat up slowly, wincing from the pain in her ribs. Supporting her injured bones with her left arm, she gently placed her right hand on Hay Lin's chest. She gasped at the severe amount of swelling not only in her friend's chest but all the way down her torso. Sliding her hand down to Hay Lin's ribs, Irma pressed gently; she grimaced when she felt the uneven bones beneath her fingers. There was so much swelling, Irma couldn't tell if the ribs were cracked or broken; and the swelling around Hay Lin's chest was so extreme, Irma couldn't feel her friend's sternum at all. Not that she really had to; she knew what Nerissa had done to her sister, thus she already knew Hay Lin's sternum was at least cracked, if not broken.
"Oh Hay Lin," Irma whispered, "What have we gotten ourselves into? I mean, look at you; lying there all burned and broken. It wasn't supposed to be like this; we were never supposed to actually get hurt. We're the Guardians of the Veil; we have these awesome powers. What could possibly touch us?"
Irma brushed the hair out of her sister's eyes. "I've been so naïve, thinking this was just some sort of lark or adventure. Now look at us all; if Nerissa attacks us now, we are so screwed. We are beyond screwed, we are mega-screwed!"
Irma turned her back to Hay Lin and stared at the cloud they occupied. "I'm the only Guardian still standing; how can I possibly protect everyone all by myself? Look at me; I'm a mess, a walking disaster. My head is so messed up…I can't even think anymore. I'm not exactly the poster-girl for reliability."
The young woman stared at her hands, still red-stained from their recent encounter with her fingernails. "I'm afraid Hay-Hay; I don't know who I am anymore. I'm afraid I'm going to hurt someone; really hurt someone. I would never have thought myself capable of such a thing; but now…now I know I'm capable of that…and much more." Irma turned her gaze to the unconscious Air Guardian's face, and gently took her hand. "When I was with Nerissa, I tried to chase you away because I was afraid of what she would do to you. But you came back and you helped me through the darkest time of my life. I would've died without you Hay-Hay. Then I tried to chase you away again because I was afraid of what I might do to you. But you came back again and you refused to let me isolate myself. You saved me again; and I don't know how I can ever repay that."
With a sigh, Irma stood up and turned her back to Hay Lin. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she stared out across the vastness of the sky around her. A bevy of clouds continued to float across the sky, but Irma couldn't see them; all she saw was emptiness.
A hand touched Irma's shoulder; with a yelp she jumped and spun around. Her yelp of surprise turned into a cry of pain as the sudden movement jarred her ribs. A wave of nausea and dizziness washed over her; though she struggled to remain upright, the Guardian was overpowered and collapsed onto the cloud.
Grabbing her screaming ribs, Irma squeezed her eyes shut to block out the pain. It was getting worse, and a lot harder to ignore. But she had to overcome it for the sake of her friends.
She felt a cool hand press against her forehead. Her eyes flew open and saw Yan Lin kneeling next to her. Panicking, Irma swatted the old woman's arm away and pushed herself backwards with her feet. She didn't get far as her ribs scolded her severely. With another cry of pain, Irma collapsed onto her back and lay there, her eyes closed and her teeth clenched. She felt lightheaded and had begun to sweat.
Yan Lin moved to the girl's side and gently placed her hand against the panicked Guardian's cheek. "I will not hurt you Irma; please let me help you."
"Like I'm in any position to stop you anyway," Irma growled through her clenched teeth. She wanted to flee, to get away from the old woman; but she was too dizzy to move, much less get up and run. She had no choice but to trust that this really was Yan Lin.
The former Guardian smiled gently and patted Irma's cheek. Then she reached into the bag she had brought and began rummaging around. She produced an ice pack and laid it gently against Irma's broken ribs. "Here, hold this on there for a while; it will help reduce the swelling."
Irma did as she was told, securing the ice pack with her right hand. The two women were silent for a time, neither one feeling the most comfortable. Finally, Irma spoke up.
"I'm sorry Mrs. Lin; I shouldn't have reacted to you the way I did. Here you are just trying to help and I'm making you out to be some kind of…of…"
"Evil swimsuit model?" Yan Lin provided.
Irma laughed, which quickly turned into an extremely painful cough. Nonetheless, she was grinning when the fit finally subsided. "Okay, that works I guess."
Yan Lin smiled. "Don't worry child; you have been through a lot. A little caution and trepidation on your part are to be expected."
Irma shook her head and adjusted her position a little. Her gaze fell on Hay Lin and the angry red brand on her midriff. She wanted to ask Yan Lin about it, but the old woman didn't need that kind of question.
"Vengeance," said Yan Lin quietly.
"Sorry?" Irma asked, fixing her eyes on the small woman.
"The symbols on Hay Lin's stomach, they are Chinese and they form a word. That word is Vengeance." Yan Lin answered, a faraway look in her eyes.
Irma's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. She flicked her gaze back to Hay Lin and suddenly felt more disgusted than angry.
"How could she do this to you?" Irma spat before she could stop herself.
"You mean Nerissa?" Yan Lin asked.
"You were friends once; how could a friend do something so…evil?"
Yan Lin sighed and looked at her granddaughter. "It's complicated, but the short version is Nerissa feels I betrayed her by standing with the Oracle when he confined her. She believes I just let him destroy her without a fight or objection."
"Did you?"
Yan Lin closed her eyes, not wanting to remember that dark day. She had been so young and was still reeling from the revelation that Cassidy had been killed by someone she thought of as her friend. Her mind had still been struggling to comprehend all the implications of what had been done.
She remembered feeling so disconnected from everyone and everything; it was the most surreal event she had ever had to live through. While Kadma and Halinor had spent much of the day in shocked denial, Yan Lin had spent her time in quiet meditation. She didn't want to believe that Cassidy was gone, nor that Nerissa had murdered her; but that wish had not changed the circumstances. She had been hoping the meditation would quiet her mind and soothe her devastation…but it hadn't. When they had all been summoned to the Assembly Chamber to offer testimony, Yan Lin had felt angrier than she had ever felt in her life.
Kadma and Halinor had spoken in defense of Nerissa, even though they both knew what she had done. They had tried to make themselves at least partially responsible for Nerissa's actions. Kadma had gone too far when she condemned the Oracle for stripping Nerissa of the Heart of Candracar. She had accused the Oracle of setting Cassidy up and then using Nerissa as a scapegoat for his mistake. Halinor had not gone so far as to accuse the Oracle of any improprieties; nevertheless she pleaded for mercy for Nerissa. Yan Lin had said nothing at all...until the very end.
The Oracle had locked his piercing blue gaze on the fuming Air Guardian and asked for her testimony. Yan Lin had stood quietly still, her eyes closed and her head bowed. At the Oracle's request, she had opened her eyes and slid them towards Nerissa. She had walked slowly to stand in front of her friend and leader. She had gazed into her bright green eyes for a full minute before uttering her only words of the proceedings.
"I do not know this woman."
Nerissa had gasped in shock as Yan Lin had turned on her heel and stalked out of the Assembly Chamber. She was so incensed with Nerissa for what she had done. She didn't care if Nerissa deserved it or not; she wanted her to suffer for murdering gentle, compassionate Cassidy.
"Mrs. Lin? Are you okay?"
Yan Lin shook herself. "Yes Irma, just lost in memories."
"I'm sorry; I had no right to ask you something like that."
Yan Lin smiled. "It's quite alright child; and Nerissa is correct. I did not offer any objection to her punishment."
Irma was quiet; she had a hard time imagining Yan Lin not sticking up for her friend. She hoped the old woman would stick up for her should she fall as far as Nerissa. Irma shook her head violently; there was no sense in even going there. She would never try to hurt her friends, much less kill them. She gasped then as she remembered she had tried to do just that to Cornelia; and not only Corny, but Hay Lin, Yan Lin, and Luba. She began to tremble as she realized she had fallen as far as Nerissa; the only difference was she hadn't yet succeeded in taking her friends' lives.
Irma felt suddenly very sick as the room began to swim before her eyes. From somewhere far away she could hear someone calling her name, but she didn't have the capacity to answer. Unable to contain it anymore, she rolled to all-fours and vomited over the side of the cloud. As she began to collapse, the cloud puffed itself up around the Guardian. Desperate to help, the cumulus caressed Irma's cheeks gently, comfortingly. A cool, pure breeze swirled tenderly about her face; but all to no avail. Irma had lost consciousness.
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"Oracle you are weak; you must allow yourself to rest."
The bald man smiled at his exasperated friend. "In due time Tibor, in due time. There is much that needs to be done before I retire to my private chambers."
"We can handle everything Oracle," Althor stated. "Tibor's right; you need to recuperate."
"Yes, I agree," Halinor spoke up. "We will need you at full strength if Nerissa attacks us again."
"My friends I appreciate your concern but I am strong enough to see to the defenses of Candracar first."
"Aye, but that's not the point Oracle," Tibor growled. "You've done enough by healing all of us and removing the glamour Nerissa placed on the Assembly Chamber. Let us handle the rest."
The Oracle looked around at his friends; three pairs of eyes stared defiantly back at him. He sighed, knowing he wasn't going to change their minds. "Could anyone ask for better friends?" he stated, placing his hand on Tibor's strong shoulder. "I shall honor your request and retire to my chambers. I believe it is most important to discover how Nerissa is continually able to infiltrate the fortress. We also need to know the condition of the Guardians and how long it will take them to recuperate. In addition…"
"Oracle, this is not our first time on Candracar," Tibor interrupted. "We know what needs to be done."
Halinor stifled a smile; Tibor was the only being likely to get away with interrupting the Oracle and talking to him like he was a child. Althor cleared his throat loudly and started to cough. Tibor, however, continued to gaze fondly at the Oracle with bright, playful eyes.
The Oracle smiled again and nodded. "Very well my friends, I shall leave it to your capable hands. Tibor, will you accompany me?"
"As if I would be anywhere else," Tibor answered, falling into step behind his charge.
Halinor waited for the pair to leave the room then turned to Althor. "If you wouldn't mind looking in on the Guardians, Althor, then I shall go to the aviary and see what I can find. Perhaps we can discover a clue or two as to how Nerissa is getting in."
"There is no need to check on the Guardians Halinor; I have been to see them already."
Althor and Halinor turned to see Luba entering the Assembly Chamber, looking grim.
"They are injured severely," Luba said, joining her two friends. "I believe it will be some time before they are fit enough to leave their Elemental Chambers."
"But they will recover? Althor asked.
Luba was quiet for several seconds. "I do not know Althor; I just do not know."
Halinor gasped and put her hand to her heart. "Then the situation is more grim than we feared. What can you tell us of their condition, Luba?"
"The Air Guardian's sternum and ribs are cracked; there may also be some sort of internal damage, but it is impossible for me to know. There is some kind of brand on her stomach."
"Nerissa branded the Air Guardian with fire?" Althor raged.
"Not with fire…with lightning. The burns are electrical in nature," Luba answered.
"Is Yan Lin with her?" Halinor asked quietly.
Luba nodded. "She is."
"Good; we should allow her to stay with her granddaughter. Any objections?"
Althor and Luba shook their heads.
Halinor nodded. "Thank you my friends; I know it would mean a lot to Linny. How is Will?"
"The Guardian Leader has been impaled through her stomach. She has also sustained severe electrical burns to her face; at the moment she is quite disfigured."
Althor gasped. "Her Chamber may not be able to remove the resulting scars."
Luba nodded. "That is true, but the important thing is she is alive."
"How did she survive being impaled?" Althor mused.
Halinor spoke up. "We are fortunate she was impaled through the stomach and not the chest. Had the spear stabbed her heart, she would have died within seconds."
"Oh yes, very fortunate; I'm sure that will make the young lady feel much better," Althor griped.
Halinor grinned. "Like Luba said, Will is alive. That is comforting."
Luba nodded. "The fact that she was able to transport herself and the other Guardians to their Chambers bodes well for her recovery; though I believe it will take considerable time."
Halinor nodded. "That is good news Luba. What of Cornelia?"
"The Earth Guardian's injuries are the most severe, I believe. Much of her ribcage has been smashed and I saw evidence of massive internal bleeding. Her skin is a pale blue color, and her breathing is barely noticeable. I fear her fight is only just beginning."
Halinor and Althor exchanged a worried glance. "Is there anything we can do to help her?" Althor asked.
"I do not know what it would be," Luba answered. "She is in the best place she could be."
"We must hope she has the strength to keep fighting. Cornelia is strong; if anyone can pull through this, it is she." Halinor stated, trying to convey utmost confidence.
"I will keep a close eye on the Earth Guardian," Luba said.
"Thank you Luba," Halinor nodded. "How is Irma holding up through all of this?"
"The Water Guardian's injuries are minor; she is concerned for her friends, but physically she is relatively undamaged."
"But the blood all over her…" Halinor mused.
"She said it was not hers." Luba answered.
"I see," said Halinor. "It's good to know one of the Guardians survived the attack relatively unscathed. What can you tell us of Taranee?"
"The Fire Guardian is conscious," Luba continued. "However, she is confused and combative. She accused me of taking something and then refusing to return it. She would not tell me what that something is, but she seemed beyond desperate to get it back. She kept throwing herself against the Spherule, and screaming wildly."
"Could Nerissa have damaged her mind like she did the Water Guardian's?" Althor mused.
"I do not believe this is the same thing Althor," Luba answered. "It is not as if her mind has been damaged, it is more like a part of her is missing."
"That's because a part of her is missing," Halinor said. Luba and Althor turned their attention to the former Guardian. "Don't you see? She has lost her powers; Nerissa must have drained them somehow." Halinor's voice trailed off and she began to walk around the Assembly Chamber.
Althor and Luba glanced at each other. "Halinor?" Althor ventured.
"She must feel so alone…and cold," Halinor said in a faraway voice. It was as if she didn't know anyone else was in the room with her. "…so cold." Halinor began rubbing her arms and shivering violently.
Luba had had enough; she moved to the woman's side, followed closely by Althor. "Halinor," Luba said sharply, gently shaking her friend's shoulders. "Halinor!"
Halinor gasped and looked at Luba as if just noticing her presence. "Oh! Luba, Althor. I…." Halinor sighed then. "I'm sorry; I must have zoned out."
"Are you okay? What exactly just happened?" Althor queried.
"I am fine my friend; I was just thinking what it must be like for Taranee to be without her powers. You see, the element of Fire is unique in that it doesn't merely become a part of you; it consumes you. Fire is so powerful that it envelops your entire being; you become dependent upon it…like a drug in some ways. To be suddenly separated from it would be…catastrophic."
"But when she replaced you as the Fire Guardian, how did you handle being suddenly stripped of your powers?" Althor asked.
"Because mine were taken more gradually. One of the reasons I remain here, on Candracar, is to be close to my….to the Fire Auramere. Somehow it helps me to be nearby. Until Taranee's powers return, she will experience severe withdrawal; severe enough that she may not survive."
Luba's head snapped up and she locked her eyes with Halinor's. "No; no Halinor we cannot. It could kill her."
"She may die if we don't."
"Her powers will return in time; it is safer to wait for them to do so."
"I do not believe we have the luxury of time, my friend. We need the Guardians."
"We need the Guardians alive Halinor; alive and in good health."
"If Nerissa attacks now we will have neither one."
"I am willing to take that chance if it means not endangering the life of the Guardian unnecessarily."
"You do not understand Luba; there is much more to it."
Althor had been twisting his head left, right, left, right, left; as if he were watching a tennis match. He had had just about enough. He inserted himself between the two ladies.
"Alright, confused dwarf here! What are you two talking about?"
"Halinor wants me to allow the Fire Guardian direct access to the Auramere in order to restore her powers."
"And that's a bad thing?" Althor asked.
"In her current state of mind, I fear the Guardian will try to absorb too much. If she does that, it will kill her."
"Taranee is an intelligent young woman; she can handle it," Halinor retorted.
"In a normal state of mind, I agree. But you said yourself she is desperate and…and…" Luba searched for the correct term.
"Strung out?" Halinor supplied. At Luba's confused expression, Halinor translated. "It's a term used to describe a drug addict who's gone a little too long between hits."
Luba nodded. "Then yes; strung out is perfect."
"So let me see if I understand;" Althor said. "The Guardian's powers will return on their own in time, but you, Halinor, worry we don't have that kind of time. By using the Auramere, the Guardian's powers will be restored almost instantly, but at great risk to her life; if she tries to take too much from the Auramere, she will be destroyed. Is that about right?"
Both ladies nodded.
"I see. Let me think a moment." Althor said, already lost in thought.
Several minutes ticked by as the dwarf-man considered the situation. Finally he looked directly at Luba and announced, "I agree with Halinor."
Luba started to protest, but Althor held up his hand. "Ah, ah, ah; I just cast the deciding vote Luba."
Though clearly irritated, Luba acquiesced. "Give me a few moments to ready the Auramere." Then she turned and stalked out of the Chamber.
Halinor sighed; she hated to anger her friend, but she believed this was Taranee's best hope for recovery. Althor placed a hand on her arm.
"Don't worry, she'll get over it. Besides, Luba needs to be mad at someone; she feels incomplete otherwise."
Halinor laughed and patted the dwarf's hand. "Thank you my friend; I needed that."
Althor smiled. "Still want to check out the aviary?"
Halinor nodded. "It's a place to start. I'm hoping to convince Irma to accompany me. She may be able to supply some information."
"Good idea; I'll go "help" Luba get the Auramere ready."
Halinor smiled. "Alright; let's meet at the Fire Chamber in an hour or so, shall we?"
"An hour it is," Althor agreed.
Together, the two friends exited the Assembly Chamber.
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When Irma came to, she was lying on her back and Yan Lin was mopping her brow with a cool, wet rag. She opened her eyes slowly and groaned; she felt like she had just gone ten rounds with the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man…and lost.
"There you are; I was worried. How are you feeling?"
Irma blinked at the old woman and answered with another moan. She closed her eyes again and raised her hand to her head. Yan Lin moved Irma's hand away and continued her ministrations with the rag.
"Just lie still for a while; let Grandma Lin take care of you."
"I'm tired of everyone taking care of me; it's time I returned the favor, don't you think?" Irma growled.
"Hmm…I think you will have plenty of opportunities to return the favor. I also don't think your friends would call it a favor; more like a privilege."
Irma shook her head; she wasn't in the mood to argue right now. She raised herself up on her elbows and noticed the movement didn't seem to hurt her ribs as much. Reaching down, she pressed her hand gently against her side. She felt something that hadn't been there before she had passed out. Curious, she lifted her shirt a little and found a large bandage wrapped tightly around her ribs. Irma looked questioningly at Yan Lin.
"I took the liberty while you were unconscious; I thought it might be less uncomfortable for you that way. It's not usually a good idea to wrap broken ribs due to the dangers of catching pneumonia, but Guardians heal quickly; and as the Water Guardian, you are much less susceptible to fluid in your lungs than the others. I thought it best to immobilize the injury as much as possible, since you won't listen to reason and go get some rest. It should help reduce the pain considerably."
Irma pressed a few times around the injury and found the pain wasn't as sharp. She looked at the small woman and nodded.
"Thank you Mrs. Lin; you didn't have to do all this."
"Hmph. Yes I did if you intend to go gallivanting around the fortress. You do realize the Council members will be patrolling as well?"
Irma nodded. "I know Mrs. Lin, but I have to do this. I can't really explain it; I just need this right now."
Yan Lin nodded. "It's alright, I understand even if I don't necessarily agree."
Irma started to reply, but Yan Lin held up her hand. "I know you feel bad that your friends got hurt, but it wasn't your fault. You saved them Irma; you drove Nerissa away. If you hadn't shown up…" She choked a little and her voice trailed off. She turned herself towards Hay Lin and placed her hand on her granddaughter's forehead.
"No parent or grandparent should have to bury their little ones. You have saved me from having to experience that."
Yan Lin rose to her feet and turned to face Irma. Putting her palms together, the old woman bowed deeply to the young Guardian.
Horrified, Irma jumped up and caught Yan Lin by the shoulders. "Please, Mrs. Lin, don't; I'm no hero and I don't deserve to be put on some pedestal. I don't…I don't deserve…." Irma turned her back, walked a few steps away, and pinched her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "I don't deserve your trust, or your friendship. I don't even deserve to be a Guardian anymore."
Yan Lin shook her head slowly. "Irma, I know you are feeling confused, but…"
"Confused? You think I'm feeling confused?" Irma turned to face the former Guardian, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I've tried to kill you, Hay Lin, Luba, and now Cornelia. I'm not feeling confused Mrs. Lin; I'm feeling downright evil!"
The old woman gasped in surprise, a look of horror marring her features. She was about to question Irma about Cornelia, but then closed her mouth. The distressed girl didn't need an interrogation right now. "Irma, you are not evil and I don't ever want to hear you say that again. You need help. Please, let us help you."
"Oh yeah like you all rallied around Nerissa and helped her? Don't you understand? I'm just like her. How long before I succeed in killing everyone I love? How long before I destroy everything I care about? How long before I'm so consumed by bitterness and hate that the Council locks me away? How long, huh? How long?!"
Yan Lin looked stricken and couldn't find her voice. Irma's eyes widened.
"Oh my gosh, what did I say? What have I done? Mrs. Lin, I'm so sorry; I-I didn't mean to…"
Yan Lin held up her hand. "Perhaps it would be better if you check on your other friends, Irma. I would like to be alone with my granddaughter now, if you please."
Irma's face became a mask of hurt and regret. She opened and closed her mouth a few times and reached her arms towards the old woman. Yan Lin merely turned her back to the discomfited young woman and knelt beside her granddaughter.
Irma stood stiff and unbelieving. She knew she deserved it, but having Yan Lin turn her back like that still hurt. She swallowed the lump in her throat and walked slowly past the Lin family. As she boarded the Cumulus Express, she turned her head to look back at Mrs. Lin.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. Yan Lin did not look up or give any kind of acknowledgement that she had heard the apology. Irma turned sadly to look at the vast emptiness of the space around her. She wondered if the sky felt as empty as she did.
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Nerissa continued to sort through inconsequential bits of information in the Water Guardian's brain. She doubted very much the brat even realized the difference in her powers; her mind had to be so convoluted by now. Thus, the witch searched for memories of when the Guardian had used her powers over the last few weeks. She hoped to find a pattern she could analyze that would supply some answers.
She met with light resistance here and there but for the most part, Nerissa was allowed to probe as much and as deep as she wanted; after all, the Water Guardian had no knowledge of mental defenses or emotional barriers of protection. Had the Fire brat been awake, Nerissa would have had much more difficulty in her mission.
The evil sorceress continued her search, discarding piece after piece of useless information. She smiled to herself, knowing she was causing the young Guardian a great deal of agony. This sort of mind probe could be done so as to cause the subject very little, if any, discomfort; but Nerissa saw no reason to be careful or to take things slow.
After several more minutes, she finally came upon what she was looking for. She sorted the memories she needed and set them aside for analysis. She began by looking closely at the displays of power, then sorting the stronger ones away from the normal ones. It didn't take Nerissa long to find the answers she needed. She smiled and laughed quietly. This was going to be very useful.
As she disengaged from the Guardian's abused mind, Nerissa just couldn't help throwing one last attack at the brat. She gathered her mental powers and sent a psychic wave that would have killed any normal human being. But the child was hardly a normal human being…she would live.
Awakening from her meditative state, Nerissa rose to her feet and opened the door. She had her answers, now it was time to test the theory. She needed to perform an experiment; and the Water Guardian was going to help her do it.
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Irma left the Hay Lin's Chamber feeling as alone as she had ever felt. Why had she attacked Yan Lin like that? Why had she said those terrible things? Yan Lin was just trying to help, and Irma had slapped her in the face.
Nice going Irma girl, she thought; real smooth.
She decided to set up a regular patrol pattern around the Chambers as best she could. If her mind was constantly on the alert for Nerissa, maybe she wouldn't have time to worry about her friends.
She had just turned the corner when she met Halinor coming from the opposite direction. The older woman waved and quickened her pace.
"There you are Irma; I've been looking for you. How are you doing?"
"Oh just fabulous Halinor; never better. How are you?"
Halinor just blinked at the young woman. Irma sighed and shook her head.
"I'm sorry Halinor, I didn't mean to snap. I've just had a bad day. But I'm fine…really. Thanks for asking."
Halinor pulled the Guardian into a hug. Caught off guard, Irma stiffened initially, then began to relax.
"It's alright Irma; you've been having kind of a bad month. If you need to vent to someone, I'm right here; okay?"
Irma wasn't quite sure what to make of that; she liked Halinor, but she didn't really know her all that well. Nevertheless, she was grateful for the support.
"Thanks Halinor; I appreciate that."
Halinor smiled and released Irma. "Would you mind accompanying me to the aviary? I'm trying to figure out how Nerissa keeps getting into the fortress; and the aviary is about as good a place to start as any."
"The aviary?" Irma asked slowly, falling into step beside Halinor as she proceeded towards the recent battleground.
"Yes," Halinor replied. "I know it's a sore subject right now, but I found that facing one's fears as soon as possible often aids us in conquering them."
"What?" Irma asked.
"You just had a major battle with Nerissa in the aviary in which you nearly lost your friends. It's bound to be a source of great angst for you."
"Um, Halinor…"
"Well of course that's perfectly natural under the circumstances. But the important thing is your friends are going to be okay and now you know you can defeat Nerissa."
"Halinor…"
"In spite of everything that has happened, you now have some hope that everything will be alright."
"HALINOR!"
Halinor jumped. "What?"
"You're babbling."
Halinor sighed. "I am aren't I? I'm sorry Irma."
Irma shot Halinor one of her trademark goofy grins. "Is this you trying to comfort me? Because you suck at it."
Halinor giggled. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought it up. The truth is I find myself in need of your comfort."
"My comfort?" Irma stopped in the middle of the corridor. "Alright Halinor; what's going on?"
Halinor looked at the floor and began to wring her hands. "I haven't been down to the aviary in many, many years. It reminds me too much of Nerissa and what she did to Cassidy. When Nerissa was angry or afraid, she would go to the aviary and think. The rest of us left her alone, but Cassidy refused to let her be alone. She was the only one who ever tried to offer comfort or solace to Nerissa." Halinor paused to wrap her arms around herself. She walked a few paces away and looked off into the distance. Irma remained silent.
"Nerissa would always get so angry if we intruded upon her quiet time; that's why none of us ever went to her. But Cassidy simply refused to accept that; she alone saw how self-destructive Nerissa was becoming. She tried to tell us…but we didn't listen. Now the aviary serves as a constant reminder of our…my failure to save either one of them."
Irma's jaw dropped and she struggled to find the right words. She tried to recall the things Mrs. Lin had said to her over the past few weeks. Finally she approached the former Guardian and placed a hand on her shoulder. "What Nerissa did wasn't your fault; you can't blame yourself for what happened. Nerissa alone is at fault; she's the one who committed the murder, not you."
"But if we had seen; if we had just paid a little more attention…"
"You don't know that. Nerissa was unstable; it was only a matter of time before she blew. Cassidy died trying to be a friend, and I'd be willing to bet she would do it all again exactly the same."
"Cassidy was the most compassionate person I have ever met. Why did it have to be her? I would give anything to have her back."
"I know; but you can't think like that. There's nothing you can do about that now, and I don't think Cassidy would want you to dwell on it like this. She would want you to make the most of your life, Halinor. I'm sure she doesn't blame you; she probably doesn't even blame Nerissa, for that matter."
Halinor smiled and turned to face Irma. She took the younger woman's hands in hers. "You know, you're right; Cassidy was all about fun and adventure. She wouldn't want us to be melancholy would she?"
Irma just grinned.
Halinor hugged Irma again. "Thank you Irma; you've brought a smile to an old woman's face."
Irma patted Halinor's back, but said nothing. Halinor broke the hug and the two women resumed walking. After a few minutes, Halinor spoke.
"May I ask you a question?"
Irma shrugged. "I guess so."
"Have you not had similar thoughts about your friends since your…since your…your…"
"Since your girl beat the ever-loving shit out of me?" Irma asked.
Halinor gasped and turned a dark shade of red.
"It's okay Halinor, you can say it; it's not taboo. Ever-loving-shit," Irma annunciated carefully.
Halinor laughed. "Okay, okay; I give. You're able to joke about it; your recovery must be going well then?"
If only you knew, Irma thought. "Yeah, it is."
"Good. It's about time we had some good fortune."
"How are all of you guys?"
"We have all fully recovered, thanks to the Oracle."
"Recovered? From what?
Halinor explained all about the glamour and how the council had tried to kill each other. "In fact, Luba nearly did kill the Oracle. He had to put himself into a coma in order to heal the injury. He's resting now."
"Oh well, Luba's not happy unless she's tearing someone limb from limb. Never mind that it's her boss."
Halinor laughed. "Yes, Althor said something very similar. Now, let's see what kind of damage Nerissa did to the aviary, shall we?"
"Uh, yeah…about that…" Irma said slowly, rubbing the back of her neck.
Halinor was about to ask what Irma meant by that when she caught a glimpse of the destroyed room. Her jaw fell open as she took in the carnage.
"Oh my…how did you ever survive such total destruction?"
Irma squirmed a little. "Umm…mostly because I caused most of the damage."
Halinor was dumbstruck. "You? But why?"
"What can I say? I was a little pissed."
"A little?! The entire aviary is completely decimated. How much of this damage did you cause?"
"It's probably faster to list damage I didn't cause, actually."
Halinor and Irma entered the aviary and began to walk slowly around the destruction. The older woman's head swiveled back and forth, trying to take in the massive amount of carnage. Her eyes fell first on the shattered fragments of steel that littered the ground.
"The cage…you destroyed the cage."
"Mostly; although I had a little help with that."
Covering her mouth with her hand, Halinor spied the garden; or more accurately what used to be the garden. It was nothing more than a small hill of mud and sundry debris.
"The garden," she breathed.
"Yeah, that was me," Irma mumbled, ashamedly.
"All the beautiful flowers…"
"Also me."
"And the shrubbery?"
"Me again."
As Halinor ventured closer to the ruined garden, her feet squished in the soaked grass. Irma hoped the former Guardian wouldn't say anything.
"It's flooded; the whole place is flooded," Halinor said. She turned to Irma, a questioning look on her face.
Damn! Irma hung her head, "Do you even need to ask?"
Halinor shivered then, feeling unaccustomedly cool. It was then that she noticed the aviary was somewhat darker than she remembered. True, it had been many decades, but Halinor was certain the room shouldn't have been this dark or this cool.
Then it dawned on her. She raised her eyes skyward. "The sunlight," she gasped, "where is the sunlight?"
Irma sighed. "You seeing a pattern yet?"
Halinor swung her gaze to the uncomfortable Guardian and was about to inquire as to the circumstances of the aviary's destruction, when her eyes suddenly fell on the pike, still stuck in the earth. She tilted her head to the side and moved curiously for a closer look. The spear was still sticky with Will's blood, and Halinor had to fight not to be sick at the implications.
"Is this…?"
"Yeah, that's the spear that impaled Will," Irma answered quietly. She was being bombarded by unpleasant memories. She had really been hoping never to see this place again.
Halinor dropped to her knees. Shaking her head slowly, she reached out to touch the javelin. "It must have been so awful, to see her just…"
"Uh huh," Irma answered, but she hadn't really heard what Halinor had said. She had begun to hear a buzzing noise in her ears; she shook her head sharply, but the noise did not abate.
Halinor was still staring hypnotically at the red-crusted shaft. "How could anyone be so cruel? It seems so surreal somehow; and yet…" She trailed off.
"Right," Irma responded automatically. The buzzing was becoming distracting and her head had begun to hurt. She held her forehead in one hand and tried to concentrate on what Halinor was saying.
Halinor shuddered and seemed to return to her senses. She rose to her feet, her back still to the troubled Guardian. "Where did you find Cornelia?" she asked.
"Sh-she……w-was…" Irma began, but couldn't continue. The pain in her head had increased tenfold; and now she felt as if someone was slicing into her skull with a hot knife. She held her head in both hands and gasped. Wanting nothing more than to get out of the aviary, she started to move towards the exit. She didn't make it. Her head suddenly exploded with agony. Irma collapsed to her knees and cried out. Hearing the girl's distress, Halinor turned to see what was happening.
"Irma!" she exclaimed, racing to the fallen Guardian's side. "Irma what is it? What's wrong?"
Irma couldn't talk, she could barely breathe. She could only plead silently with Halinor to help her. Pain-filled eyes begged the older woman to make it stop; to make the anguish disappear.
Halinor nodded firmly and started to drag Irma off of her knees. That's when the worst pain Irma had ever felt tore her head apart. With an anguished scream, she fell to the ground and began to writhe pitifully.
Halinor dropped down beside the tortured girl and tried to hold her still. She knew she wasn't strong enough to carry the young woman away, but she could hold Irma tight and try to comfort her until the ordeal passed.
Irma couldn't breathe; she didn't even know where she was anymore. All she knew was the intense agony that ripped through her brain. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she silently pleaded for death. But death did not come, and the agony continued to intensify. She began shaking uncontrollably and screaming repeatedly. Through it all Halinor held her and intoned words of comfort; words she knew the Water Guardian never heard.
After what seemed like hours, the pain began to abate. Irma lay curled in Halinor's embrace, shaking and sobbing uncontrollably.
"Shhh….it's okay Irma; it's over now. It's alright, it's alright." Halinor recited, stroking the young girl's hair.
Gradually, the shaking subsided and Irma could see again. Every bone in her body ached and her head pounded mercilessly; but at least she could see a light at the end of the tunnel. She could hear Halinor talking but couldn't quite make out the words. She became aware that the old woman was holding her, and suddenly Irma became a little self-conscious.
"H-Halinor…"
"Shhh. Don't try to talk now; just rest. Just lay still and rest."
Irma wanted to protest, but found she didn't have the energy to argue. She closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing. After several minutes, the Guardian addressed Halinor.
"C-can we go now? P-please."
"Can you stand? Can you walk?" Halinor asked worriedly.
Irma nodded slowly. Halinor helped the injured girl stand and steadied her. After a minute, Halinor draped Irma's arm over her shoulder and wrapped her other arm around the young Guardian's waist. Irma winced as her ribs pressed painfully against Halinor.
"When did that happen?" Halinor gasped, noticing the bandage for the first time.
"L-long s-s-story."
Halinor nodded. "Alright, let's get you to your Chamber; then you can tell me all about it. Okay?"
Irma nodded gratefully and leaned heavily on Halinor. She let the former Fire mistress half-drag her away from the aviary and towards the Elemental Chamber of Water.
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"The rest of you are for diversionary purposes. Your task is simply to distract those fools who call themselves Council members; keep them away from us."
Tracker, Miranda, and Sandpit nodded. Satisfied, Nerissa turned to Raythor, Frost, and Gargoyle. "We shall fold into the Mage's private Meditation Chamber, where Tracker's group will separate and draw the attention of the Council. Once they engage those old fossils, the four of us will proceed to the Elemental Chambers. The Water Brat is sure to be close by; no doubt trying to protect her friends from me."
Frost laughed. "Too bad she doesn't realize she ought to be more concerned about herself."
"Quite," Nerissa responded. "Now remember, I need information, so don't kill the Guardian. I only need you to keep her occupied while I conduct my little experiment."
Frost looked disappointed. "But it's okay to hurt her a little isn't it?"
Nerissa only smiled evilly.
"Mistress," Raythor spoke up. "What is to keep the Oracle from interfering?"
"The Oracle is currently resting; he was injured quite severely in the recent battle and had to put himself under in order to survive. That takes an extraordinary amount of energy. He should be out of commission for at least a day."
"How do you know this mistress?" Raythor asked, tentatively.
"I pulled it from what's left of the Water Guardian's mind."
Frost laughed and slapped Raythor on the back, knocking him forward several feet. Recovering quickly, Raythor spoke again.
"Forgive me mistress, but how do we know the Council has not discovered your method of invasion? What if they have taken steps to block it?"
"An appropriate question Raythor; but I'm certain they don't yet know how I'm getting in. They don't know where the Mage's Meditation Chamber is; no one ever bothered to look for it. Long ago I stressed the importance of absolute privacy while I, that is the Mage, was meditating. No one questioned my request; after all, the Mage was on their side. Not even the Oracle could have found it by now."
Raythor grinned. "You've thought of everything mistress."
"Yes," Nerissa replied tiredly. "That is why I am the evil genius and you are the thrall."
She turned abruptly to address all of her Knights. "The first stages of my plan are complete and, for the most part, working to perfection. There has, however, been an occurrence that was unforeseen; but I have a theory which, if correct, will do wonders to advance my plan. It is vital that I procure the information I need. Do you all understand your roles?"
The Knights nodded or grunted their assents. Nerissa nodded.
"Good; then let us begin."
Raising her hand, the hag created a fold leading to the fortress of Candracar. She smiled with barely repressed glee as the Knights charged through the fold one-by-one.
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Halinor half-carried Irma towards her Chamber, nervously checking every now and then to see she was still conscious. The Guardian's breathing had become more and more labored as they traveled, and Halinor was worried she would pass out at any moment.
They had nearly reached the Chambers when Halinor heard a commotion behind them. Turning her head, Halinor tried to locate the source of the disturbance.
"Did you hear that?" she asked.
Irma's only response was a pained moan; Halinor doubted she could hear much of anything right now. She couldn't even imagine how loudly the girl's head must be pounding.
"Come on; let's get you to your Chamber. You'll be safe there."
"Yes, but then she would miss out on all the fun."
Halinor froze and her blood chilled; she knew that voice. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she sat Irma gently against the wall and turned to face the speaker.
"Nerissa," she nodded, trying to look braver than she felt.
"My old friend; it's so good to see you again. You're looking well, but I think we can fix that."
Halinor gazed at Gargoyle, Raythor, and Frost spread out behind the evil witch. She knew she had no chance to stop them all, but she wouldn't go down without a fight.
"You're no longer welcome here Nerissa; take your lackeys and leave at once."
"Or you'll what? You are alone and you cannot hope to fight even one of us, much less all of us. But I shall give you a chance to save your life; for old times' sake."
"Save it Nerissa; I'll not fall for one of your tricks." Halinor spat. If she could stall long enough, perhaps someone would come to her aid.
"No trick Halinor, just a choice. Hand over the Guardian and we will leave immediately. Stand in our way, and you will die…for nothing."
Halinor glanced at the injured Water Guardian, barely conscious on the floor. She had no idea what Nerissa would want with her again, but she did know she would never hand her over to the monster Nerissa had become. Steeling herself, she turned back to face her former friend.
"Have you not done enough to the poor girl? Is she not sufficiently broken for your tastes? Has she not suffered enough trauma at your hands? The Nerissa I knew would be sickened at the mere thought of what you have done to this child."
"That Nerissa is long dead, as you will be if you continue to interfere," Nerissa thundered. "Move aside, traitor; or fall where you stand!"
"I will not let you have the Guardian, Nerissa. You will have to go through me if you want her."
Nerissa smiled then. "I was hoping you would say that. Gargoyle!"
The gigantic rock-monster lumbered forward and reached an enormous hand towards the old woman. Halinor waited calmly for the hand to grab her. At the last moment, she raised both arms above her head, then grunted when Gargoyle squeezed her body like a tube of toothpaste.
Concentrating hard, she directed a curious orange mass towards Raythor. The cloudy mass quickly enveloped the former guard and he began to gasp. Nerissa smiled in amusement as Raythor collapsed to the ground.
"Interesting; using the flames to absorb all the oxygen." With a wave of her hand, Nerissa dispersed the cloud before it could attack Frost. "But I can't have you interfering Halinor."
Halinor shot a fireball towards her old leader, but Nerissa deflected it easily.
"Bring her here Gargoyle."
Halinor used her hands to overheat Gargoyle's rocky hand, causing the huge monster to drop his prisoner. Nerissa growled and sent a lavender bubble to cocoon the troublesome Guardian. Completely helpless and nearly exhausted, Halinor collapsed inside the makeshift prison.
Nerissa floated the bubble to her side and sneered at her former comrade. "Now Halinor, I will allow you to watch me destroy the Water Guardian once and for all."
"Does the Water Guardian get a say?"
Nerissa looked towards the speaker in shock. Irma was standing in the hallway looking angry. Without waiting for an invitation, she shot heavy jets of water into Gargoyle's left knee. The rock-monster stumbled and fell to the ground.
Irma aimed her next attack at Nerissa, but she managed to erect her shield before the water missile impacted. Nerissa counterattacked with deadly lightning bolts. Forced to dodge the bolts, Irma failed to defend herself against Frost's reckless charge.
Irma was thrown several feet, landing hard on her back. The impact jarred her ribs, and drove the breath from her lungs. Frost didn't stop, pulling Crimson into a giant leap that landed squarely on his victim's chest.
Irma would've cried out had she any breath to do so. Frost leered hungrily at the helpless Guardian. He drove one of his cleavers into her left shoulder, where it stuck. Irma screamed in pain then, her lungs finally managing to obey her commands.
Frost laughed as he attempted to dislodge his cleaver. Furious and badly hurt, Irma opened her right hand directly underneath Crimson's belly and produced a geyser of water that sent the beast and his master howling towards the ceiling. As she released the water, man and beast plummeted to the ground. Irma rolled her right shoulder just in time to avoid being smashed by the brutes.
With a soft grunt, she pulled the cleaver from her shoulder. Standing painfully, she dropped the evil implement to the ground and turned to make certain Frost was knocked out. As she turned her back, she failed to notice Gargoyle rising.
He smashed his club-like appendage into her back, sending her sprawling at the end of the hall. Gargoyle moved quickly to his victim and placed his large foot on her back, pinning her to the ground.
Halinor raised herself to her knees, silently pleading for someone to hear the noise and race to the rescue. Irma was strong, but she was fighting a losing battle; a battle she never had any chance of winning to begin with.
Nerissa smiled and revived Raythor. It didn't take her lieutenant long to see the situation and join the fray. Drawing his sword, he sauntered to the pinned Guardian and plunged the cold steel into her shoulder wound. Irma screamed in agony, struggling to free herself. Pulling the cruel blade from the writhing girl's shoulder, Raythor laughed and walked around to the front.
He knelt and grabbed her by the hair. Forcing her head up he glowered at her.
"Long time no see Guardian." He smashed the hilt of his sword into her face, shattering her nose. He smiled wickedly at her groan of pain.
Irma was beyond hurt as she fought the impending blackness; she knew she was the last line of defense for her friends. They were helpless; they needed her. If she failed, their lives would be forfeit.
From her current position, there was little she could do; there was no ground water in Candracar after all, and her hands were pinned beneath her. Then it hit her.
"Raythor, try that again, and I will make you eat that sword through your ass!"
Not at all amused, Raythor grabbed her hair again. As soon as their eyes met, Irma concentrated like she'd never concentrated before.
Attack Gargoyle; attack Gargoyle; attack Gargoyle!
With a shudder, Raythor dropped Irma's head and swung his huge sword at Gargoyle. Caught off guard, Gargoyle retreated. Raythor continued to swing at the huge monster, as Irma crawled to the wall. She used it's shiny surface to aid her in getting to her feet. She wiped the blood from her face as best she could and turned to see how Raythor was doing with Gargoyle.
The man was driving Gargoyle back while Nerissa looked on in amusement. That worried Irma somewhat; why wasn't she attacking? Raythor had managed to knock Gargoyle to the ground and was even now furiously beating him with his sword.
Nerissa suddenly held up her hand. Raythor stopped, and looked confused. The evil sorceress regarded her enemy and clapped.
"Impressive Guardian; especially considering you're not at one-hundred percent. But it's time to stop playing. I need information, and you're going to give it to me."
"Didn't you learn anything last time? I won't tell you anything," Irma said in a shaky voice. Between her ribs and newly-broken nose, she was having difficulty breathing.
"Oh but you will Guardian; you will." With that Nerissa saturated the entire corridor with deadly lightning. With nowhere to go, Irma was struck by several of the lethal bolts and pinned to the wall behind her. She screamed as she felt her insides begin to burn. Nerissa smiled coldly and increased the intensity of the attack.
"Nerissa stop!" Halinor pleaded. "You're killing her!"
"That's the point," the old witch growled.
Irma couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't move. The lightning to which she was so susceptible continued to smash into her body, electrifying every inch of tissue and bone. She knew she was about to die, and that she had failed her friends. She wanted to resist, wanted to fight back; but Nerissa was just too powerful. Irma felt herself succumbing to the tendrils that ripped her lifeforce from her body. She tried to hold back the blackness, even as she felt herself slipping into death's dark abyss.
The attack ceased suddenly. With nothing to hold her up, Irma collapsed to the ground, shaking violently. Her very bones were on fire, and she couldn't bring herself to move even an inch. Her body refused to obey the simplest commands, and Irma wondered vaguely how long her brain would remember to tell her lungs to keep breathing; not that they were doing a super job of that at the moment.
"Raythor," Nerissa instructed, "bring the Guardian with us; she can watch while we kill her friends. Only then will she truly understand how completely she has failed."
"Mistress, it shall be done," Raythor said. He walked towards Irma, grinning sadistically. Irma managed to raise her head just enough to catch his loathsome expression; but though she screamed at her body to get up and fight, she couldn't move.
"You're coming with us little pixie-girl," Raythor sneered, as he neared his destination. "You're gonna enjoy Nerissa's hospitality for the rest of your life."
Irma nearly cried at the insinuation. No, she thought, not again; I can't go through it again!
Desperation and terror filled her heart and her thoughts; Nerissa would murder the Guardians and the Council, but she would not allow Irma the privilege of joining her friends in Oblivion. No, Nerissa would hold the young Guardian captive for decades, possibly centuries; all the while torturing her prisoner, but never allowing her the release of death. Every second of every day would be filled with the most exquisite agony; unimaginable in its essence.
As Raythor reached for the badly injured girl, something inside her mind snapped. With a strangled cry, she reached her right hand towards the leering man, her palm facing out. Raythor froze in his tracks, a terrified expression on his face. Irma's own visage contorted with barely suppressed rage as she felt suddenly strengthened. With an angry grunt, she pushed herself to her knees, then to her feet.
Raythor's eyes widened as he looked upon the furious Guardian in front of him. Her eyes, once full of contempt and defiance, had become mad and deranged. Her face twisted hideously with frenzied mania. Raythor had seen this kind of wanton madness in only one other person; Nerissa. Even then, he had seen it on only two occasions; but the dreadful memories of what the sorceress had done caused him to shudder with naked terror. Completely dismayed, the former guard wanted to flee; but unabashed trepidation rendered him powerless to move.
Irma closed her fingers and rotated her wrist. With a growl, she pulled her fist back to her shoulder. Raythor squealed in horror as water and blood began to seep from his ears, nose, and mouth. He collapsed to his knees even as he began to sweat great crimson beads. Irma laughed maniacally as she watched the life oozing from her tormentor. She held his life quite literally in her hand, and that awesome feeling of ultimate power filled her entire being with ecstasy.
Nerissa watched in fascination as Irma continued to slowly murder her lieutenant. Not that she cared about Raythor's life, but she might need him later. Extending her hand, she threw a bolt of lightning at the deranged Guardian. The bolt struck Irma square in the chest, interrupting her concentration.
"Gargoyle, retrieve Raythor, Frost, and Crimson."
The huge rock-monster lumbered forward and picked up Frost and Crimson, both still dazed from their recent crash-landing. He turned then to retrieve Raythor.
"NO!" Irma shouted. "You can't have him!"
She doubled her efforts to kill the helpless man before Gargoyle could reach him.
"Irma, no," Halinor pleaded, pounding on her cage. "This isn't the way! You are a Guardian, not a murderer!"
Irma gasped suddenly and released Raythor. She stared at her hand in horror then raised distressed eyes to Halinor. Nerissa pointed her fingers at Irma, a satisfied expression on her face. Irma watched the sorceress summon her powers, saw her fingers begin to glow with white electricity. The young woman looked once more at her hand, then at Raythor lying face-down in a crimson pool. She slid her eyes back to Nerissa and lowered her hand to hang limply at her side. Then Irma turned her shoulders slightly and raised her chin to offer the witch a better target.
Halinor could only stare horrified at what Irma had done. She pushed desperately at her prison, but there was no escape.
"Nerissa, this is murder; please don't do it." Halinor pleaded desperately.
"Silence fool," Nerissa hissed.
"Don't you understand? It's Cassidy all over again." Tears had begun to form in Halinor's light-blue eyes as she pleaded with her former friend. "It's not too late; you can still turn away. Please, Nerissa; I'm begging you."
Nerissa turned cold green eyes to her prisoner and stared at the old Guardian for a few seconds. Then she twisted her head back towards Irma and released the murderous bolt.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the savage tendril reached for its willing sacrifice. Halinor was frozen as she watched the young woman give herself up to annihilation. She wanted to look away so she wouldn't see the girl she had come to regard as a daughter consumed by the savage lightning; but she was powerless to turn her head.
"No…" She whispered helplessly.
The bolt slammed into Irma's chest, smashing her into the wall. There was no scream, only open-mouthed silence and agonized rictus. It seemed to take the girl an eternity to fall, but fall she did; first to her knees, her hands hanging at her sides and her chin resting on her chest. Slowly, she raised her eyes to stare bitterly at her antagonist; then those beautiful eyes grew cold and rolled to the back of her head. Finally, the broken body pitched forward and crashed to the ground, where the Water Guardian lay, unmoving.
Halinor turned her face away and closed her eyes, a soft sob escaping her lips as she sank to a sitting position. Nerissa finally lowered her hand and smiled fiendishly.
"Come my Knights; the Guardians are now completely unprotected."
Gargoyle set Frost and Crimson on their feet, then scooped a trembling Raythor into his enormous hand. Roaring triumphantly, the gigantic creature lumbered after his mistress as she stepped around the fallen Guardian and disappeared around the corner. Frost couldn't resist driving one last kick into the ribs of his nemesis; then he mounted Crimson and charged after Gargoyle.
An eerie silence descended on the corridor; a cloak of oppression blanketed the hall. Halinor's grief finally overcame her and she sobbed pitifully in her prison.
At the far end of the passageway, a sanguine river trickled slowly down the hallway. At its head lay the broken, motionless form of Irma Lair, Guardian of the Water.
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Hoo ah folks; another chapter bites the dust. Please let me know your thoughts; what do you love, what do you hate, what's funny, what's stupid, what makes you want to stick the Author on a pig-pole in Times' Square, etc. Thanks everyone for reading; you folks are the greatest bunch of critters on Fanfic.