Outlands
Part 7
By Mieren
---
Mieren pulled up several paces short of the nearest sphinx, her amusement at Dais's embarrassment forgotten. Half-covered in moss and vines, an elaborate sphinx stood in a vast field of seven-foot grass. Into the almost translucent figure were endless runes hidden among the fine, almost silken hair. She resisted the urge to clear away the vines from what appeared to be intricately carved marble, knowing how dangerous the beast would be if awoken improperly. The last demon to awaken a sphinx had taken years to die of the wounds that would not heal. Instead, she began a chant that she prayed would not get them all killed.
"Be ready and stand back," she warned the others over her shoulder. "If I tell you to do something, do it without question, because the sphinxes will not allow for stupid mistakes." She sighed, forcing herself to relax. Before beginning, she took the time to curse the cryptic figures and their inane love of rhymes. "Twin circles of power, awaken! Heed the call of the mirrored fires, the burning forces of the immortal pyres."
The masses of vines withered and smoldered, falling writhing to the bare ground where the grasses had long since pulled away. The sphinx caused the earth to tremble slightly as it rose and turned to face them with too-intelligent eyes. Mieren was forced to take several steps back to glimpse the face nearly three stories above her. She had the distinct feeling that the blank, lifeless eyes were watching her.
"Life in death, but death to life. Found in peace, used in strife. Below the earth, above the sky. Here I stand. Who am I?"
Mieren paused, wanting to be certain she understood the riddle fully before sending one of the Ronins forward. She knew that she had to answer correctly on her first try and had a cold feeling that there was a time limit in which she must answer.
"Ryo. Power up and move forward."
"Me?" he asked weakly. "Why?"
"I said not to ask questions," she snapped. The sphinx shifted slightly, causing her to tense nervously and reflexively shatter the shields holding her mind and elemental abilities in check.
"How did you…" Rowen started, trailing off when Mieren stormed past him and snagged Ryo's arm.
"We don't have time for this," she growled, forcibly summoning Ryo's innate elemental abilities and shoving him forward. "Just hold your ground and wait silently."
Ryo stumbled to a halt just before careening into the forelimb of the translucent oracle. He reflexively stepped back before remembering to straighten and stand ready. Every cell in his body screamed for him to run, to move away before he was killed, but he followed his instructions and stood firm.
Presented with an answer to its riddle, the sphinx lowered its massive head as if to sniff him. The translucent purity of its form broke into a raging inferno, the sphinx's form blurring, slowly losing definition. Wings, eerily leathery and clawed, burst out of the flames that were slowly forming into what was unmistakably fur. Though the beast had shifted to a stunning crimson, it was still translucent and distinctly matching Ryo's transformed state. It turned away and resumed its position in the ring, slowly dropping into something akin to a kneeling position, massive head ducked.
"Match his form and position just in front of him," Mieren called out somewhat uncertainly. She nearly choked when he began moving hesitantly around the enormous figure of fire. "Through it, not around!" she snapped. Ryo froze in his tracks and stepped back nervously. Mieren sighed. "It's another of the tests. You have to be strong enough to pass through your chosen elemental power. Going around the sphinx will get you killed fairly quickly."
Ryo swallowed thickly and nodded. He dropped to all fours into his wolf-like state, barreling through the swirling crimson power in front of him before he had a chance to consider what he was doing. Several loud sighs of relief could be heard when he skidded out of the far side, trailing wisps of crimson light and appearing completely unharmed. He dropped instantly to a kneeling position and ducked his head, afraid to move in the slightest lest he anger the elemental creation behind him.
"Come on," Mieren murmured, automatically starting towards the sphinx on her left without waiting for the others to follow. Kento didn't even flinch before falling in behind her, the blank look on his face showing that he knew more than he was letting on. Several nervous glances were directed in Ryo's direction before Rowen and Touma broke the stillness and sprinted lightly after her. The others followed more slowly.
The next sphinx turned towards them as they approached, barely waiting for Mieren to reach him before giving his riddle.
"Often hated, often feared. Very seldom am I revered. Death I hold when you draw to near. Yet the master has not to fear."
"Sehkmet. You're up," Mieren called without pausing, already understanding the style of the sphinxes' riddles.
Sehkmet blanched and stepped back. "I can't," he stammered, rushing to explain when Mieren's expression darkened. "I'm still shielded."
Mieren exhaled loudly and snagged his head, eyes flashing from crimson to a pure snowy white as she concentrated. The misty shield around Sehkmet's mind suddenly became startlingly visible, shattering into wisps of fog that almost instantly disappeared under the sphinx's blank gaze. She had barely shoved him forward before the translucent form in front of them shifted into a serpentine form of deep forest green. Sehkmet threw one last desperate glance towards Ryo before shifting into a lizard-like form and sprinting recklessly through the verdant figure even as it settled into a kneeling position. Mieren barely waited for him to emerge from the other side and skid to a halt on his knees before moving to the next figure whose blank eyes were already turned to them. The third sphinx moved almost sluggishly as they approached, head lowering far enough to lock eyes with the group before beginning its riddle.
"I hold no key to a battle's end. Too slow to attack or defend. Here I lie, I must wait. I shall share the battle's fate."
Mieren glanced across the group, eyes settling on Kento after a moment's deliberation. He nodded bluntly when she opened her mouth to call him forward, shifting into a stone cougar before he had even reached the sphinx. The blank eyes narrowed in anger, massive jaws opening threateningly as he approached. Not appearing concerned in the slightest, Kento continued to approach even as Sage and Cale called him back nervously, obviously wondering if Mieren had made a mistake.
"Shut up," she muttered, already starting for the next sphinx. She stomped on the vehement objections before anyone could get out more than a few words. "It's just angry because the elementals aren't supposed to participate in the ceremony."
Kento stopped before the massive figure and locked eyes with the blank orbs staring back at him, a battle of wills ensuing. After what seemed like an eternity, the massive figure leapt upright and spun back to its position in the circle almost petulantly, dropping to menacing crouch as it assumed the form of a great cat and claimed its place. Kento was forced to shift into an elemental state to pass through the golden orange form, the sphinx still expressing its objections to his passing. Mieren shook her head wearily as the led the diminishing group to the next oracle.
"I was the first in times long past. In times far to come, I shall be the last. Brother to air in ancient days. The dragon born to our differing ways."
"Such memories you have," Mieren murmured almost appreciatively. "Cale, it's your turn."
"You sure?" Sage asked, stumped by the strange riddle. Ritsuko had taught him enough to get by and his empathy had led him to further himself. He had understood the logic behind her decisions on the other enigmatic speeches, but this one had him confused even knowing the answer. Mieren nodded, translating the riddle rapidly.
"Brother to air. When I was created, elemental abilities were less likely to cross in family lines. This thing just mentioned that its brother was air," she said offhandedly, continuing when Cale stared at her demandingly. "Kenji and Nagateru were brothers," she laughed.
"I know Kenji was my ancestor," Cale said slowly, still lost.
"Kenji was in the Clan of the Midnight Shadows. Nagateru was in the Starlight Clan," she smirked. "Blue-haired idiots. Their little family war was ultimately responsible for my creation." When everyone still looked lost, she continued. "Nagateru changed his name to Hashiba after going to your dimension. I wouldn't be surprised if you two can still work with each other's abilities. I know that Len has already shown surprising abilities to manipulate the darkness."
When Cale's jaw only twitched numbly in shock, Mieren ripped the shield off of his mind and shoved him forward, rolling her eyes when he lost his footing and face-planted in front of the waiting sphinx. The oracle seemed confused at his clumsiness, nudging one clawed foot under his prone form and pulling him to his feet. Before Cale even had time to squeak, the massive beast turned and dropped to a kneeling position, for all the world looking like nothing more than an enormous furry bat with a long fluffy tail. Cale barely remembered to shift forms before stumbling uncertainly through the navy blue figure in front of him. Mieren shook her head and continued to the left.
"Mother of the child of forgotten lust. With your secrets you do not entrust. All you hear and all you see, is all your life will ever be."
Mieren shook her head again. "Dais, that's you."
"Mother?" Sage exploded, fighting the urge to snicker. When the others blinked at him blankly, he translated the lines for them, laughing harder when Dais reddened.
"I'd hate to see what your kid looks like," Anubis giggled. "Frightening thought."
Rowen grinned widely, trying not to let the Dais see. He was certain that she would kill him if they teased her too badly. "You're going to have to introduce us to your spawn sometime," he choked out.
"You already know him," Dais muttered, reddening further and trying to avoid their gazes as she moved towards Mieren to have the shield on her mind removed.
The moment the shield around her was removed, the sphinx shifted into the form of a longhaired woman with six slender arms and six... endowments. All thoughts and conversation concerning Dais's son ceased instantly as the transformed sphinx straightened before turning, poorly contained laughter erupting from both the group around Mieren and the men already holding positions in front of the first four sphinxes. Every eye was locked onto the fifth sphinx who, not being concerned with the concepts of clothing or modesty, had three ample sets of breasts to match the tripled arms. The fact that the oracle was a obviously unashamed of its appearance didn't seem to hinder the lewd comments in the slightest as Dais sprinted forward red-faced, waiting until the last possible moment before disappearing into the oracle before shifting forms.
"Come on," Mieren said in a slightly strained voice as she moved again to the left. A good deal of staggering and snickers followed her as she moved to the next oracle. Both Touma and Anubis were laughing so hard that tears were streaming down their faces. Rowen and Sage were exchanging increasingly dirty jokes and remarks as they neared the sixth oracle. Kayura's angry comments only seemed to goad them on. The group only minimally sobered up when they reached the next sphinx.
"Two to one, three in all. When you cry, I shall fall. Though a master I may revere, that who I seek is not here."
When Mieren didn't answer immediately like she had with the first five, Rowen's face took on a considering expression. "Two to one, and three in all, huh? That sounds like the structural formula for water. Right?"
Mieren nodded blankly, face paling slightly.
"So it's the sphinx for water," he concluded, not understanding her uneasiness.
"We don't have a water master," she whispered. The group tensed, suddenly understanding why she had been silent.
"I'll try," Touma said stiffly, starting forward hesitantly. "I can manipulate the water a little."
When Mieren didn't respond, he prodded Sage roughly. Sage jerked slightly, removing the shield around the younger man's mind clumsily, not familiar with using elemental abilities for that purpose. His fumbling unraveled the weave enough that Touma was able to shatter it on his own by pushing against it roughly with his mind.
Touma had barely assumed his dragon form and moved forward for the sphinx's inspection before he was slapped away with a massive clawed foot. He would have been knocked a considerable distance from the sphinx had Rowen not deftly caught him, slicing up his arms on some of the larger ridges on his son's serpentine form. Looking highly perturbed, Touma pushed away from his father and stormed back towards the visibly seething sphinx. Blind to caution and deaf to his friends' and parents' cries, he leapt to tackle the massive figure. He realized at the last moment that the translucent oracle didn't have a solid form and tried to correct his trajectory, but his efforts came too late. He passed directly through it.
Only hoarse breathing could be heard for several tense moments when Touma did not appear out of the other side. The sphinx had frozen where it had been preparing to attack once more, a luminescent gleam entering the blank eyes. A silvery blue flash erupted from within the translucent oracle, drawing the attention of the last four sphinxes. The nearest took a slow step towards them, pausing and reclaiming its position when Touma finally clawed his way free of the far side of the oracle. Panting miserably, he blinked up at the enormous sphinx that looked as though it was preparing to attack again. Exhausted from his brief struggle, Touma did the only thing that he thought he could, turning his back on the furious manifestation of elemental power and kneeling brokenly at the proper position in the circle.
The sphinx bared and covered its teeth several times, claws rapidly appearing and disappearing as it studied Touma's back with a harsh gaze. Almost seeming loath to do so, it shifted into a silvery blue dragon at a startling speed, dropping to a kneeling position behind Touma and growing still. Rowen exhaled loudly in relief. It took several moments for Mieren to convince the others to move towards the next oracle, which was clearly waiting on them.
"Magic's foe and eternal bane. Though not a link, I complete the chain. I cannot fight against that with no end. My strength allows me but to defend."
Mieren didn't even blink before turning to Kayura. "Your turn."
Kayura stepped forward hesitantly, the last sphinx's attack on Touma still fresh in her mind. The seventh sphinx only turned immediately back towards the circle, achieving the form of a female centaur even as it lowered itself gently to the ground. Kayura nodded nervously to herself and shifted into her alternate form, turning at the last moment to kiss Sage passionately before moving into her place in the ring, leaving her husband looking very smug and somewhat red.
"Why didn't I get a kiss, Dais?" Sehkmet called loudly from the other side of the nearly complete ring. A few muffled snickers could be clearly heard before she snapped out a reply.
"Do you want me to castrate you?"
"Can I help?" Cale asked happily. Sehkmet scowled at him angrily, causing the blue-haired man to duck his head defensively even though he was nowhere within the green-haired man's range. Mieren only shook her head wearily, pulling the three remaining men behind her as she moved to the next position.
"My form may change to others, to match either of my brothers. Extreme heat or beyond natural cold. My new forms you may behold."
Mieren paused, reviewing the three elements that remained. "Rowen."
"Fire and water border air. The elemental rings, right?" he asked as he moved forward to claim a kiss of his own before approaching the sphinx. "Air is necessary to have a fire and can be cooled into a liquid at absurd temperatures." Mieren smirked at him and nodded, having forgotten that her husband was a complete geek when it came to the sciences.
"Indeed," she purred, pulling the shield off his mind and absently healing the gashes along his arms before shoving him forward. Rowen moved forward, freezing in his tracks when the sphinx nodded to him and turned to the ring in its new form.
The thirty-foot oracle had shifted into a form that Rowen had never seen before, even after all his time in Mieren's dimension. Standing before him in a stunning sapphire was a figure that appeared almost like a cross between a human and a dragon. A long thin tail curved gracefully upwards just before reaching the ground, curling back around the lithe figure and its doubly jointed hind legs. A distinctive muzzle, short though it was, gave the somber face an almost noble look, accenting the slanted eyes and pointed ears. A thick mane of bushy hair hung just past the shoulder blades, framing massive shoulders and a heavily muscled back sporting thick folds of twin sets of leathery wings. Rowen only blinked in shock and turned to Mieren.
"I c-can't match that," he stammered.
"You can," Mieren cut him off, eyes wide. "It's taken on the form of the ancestors of the vampires, the noble creatures that they were before they were banished from the outlands." Her lips twitched upwards into something that resembled a cross between a wry smile and a grimace. "The beings that Kenji used as a model to create the last demon, the first dragon, in the War of the Sorcerers."
Rowen jerked back, eyes demanding an explanation. She had never shared that piece of information with them in all the years they had known each other.
"What exactly are the outlands?" he asked numbly, not liking the way Anubis had flinched and withdrawn in horror.
"The lands beyond the astral plane," she murmured. "A place of pure magic." She looked at Anubis, amused at his mortification. He obviously knew a good deal about what she was explaining to her husband. "Zairian's homeland and the place we are about to tap into."
"What?" Anubis exploded. "I thought that we were using the oracles so we could go back to our dimension and help the others."
"And what help would we be?" Mieren asked softly. "We're too weak to fight without the powers of the outlanders."
"But I… I can't," Rowen managed to choke out, looking completely lost.
"Power up as far as you can manage," Mieren instructed, waiting nervously for him to comply. The oracle had shifted slightly to face them, obviously growing irritated at the delay. Rowen shifted uncertainly, cresting eight feet as he threatened to tap into the darker arts. Mieren pursed her lips and snagged his wrist, sending a fierce jolt of energy through his system that caused him to drop to his knees, convulsing.
Rowen only managed to choke on his tongue when he tried to cry out in pain, his throat lengthening ever so slightly. His face distended beyond the eerie ridges that had already existed in his vampire form, lengthening into a short muzzle lined with long, sharp teeth. He managed a whimper when his back bulged strangely for a moment before twin sets of overlapping wings erupted on either side of his spine. The four wings tangled slightly as they drooped.
"My God," Sage whispered, stepping forward uncertainly when Rowen convulsed again, his legs restructuring themselves roughly.
Mieren moved unconcerned past him to pull her still trembling husband to his feet, pushing him towards the waiting oracle. He staggered unsteadily before collapsing a few feet from the sphinx, unable to compensate for the weight of the wings on his back and his newly jointed legs. The fact that a slender five-foot tail kept tangling itself in his legs didn't seem to be helping matters any. Unnerved though he was, he was also unwilling to give in so easily, staggering forward unsteadily on all fours. Mieren waited just long enough to see him stumble out the far end of the pulsing blue figure and assume his place in the ring before moving on. The ninth sphinx was waiting on them.
"The son born to trickery's might holds the powers I must fight. The true appearance revealed at last, holds the key to the master's past."
"Sage, that's you," Mieren called over her shoulder, already moving towards the next sphinx with Anubis in tow.
"Dare I even ask what it meant?" he called after them. Mieren paused.
"I can safely assume that you don't want to know," she answered, refusing to look back at him. "Trust me, Sage. Don't ask."
Sage blatantly ignored the warning and crossed his arms defiantly. "Mieren."
She sighed and glanced back at him. "Just join the circle for now. If you really want me to, I'll explain later."
Grinding his teeth audibly, he obeyed. The sphinx had already mimicked his fully transformed state, appearing to be some horrid cross between a werewolf and a centaur. Sage threw one last glare at Mieren's back before matching forms with the ninth oracle and trotting through the emerald luminescence.
"This riddle's going to be hard," Anubis muttered sarcastically as they neared the last sphinx. "I can just see it now. Who are we going to choose to pass through?"
"Thirteen has the shadow spawned to rise in power at the new day dawned. My master may against them stand, with the might of his people in his hand."
Anubis blinked at the strange riddle and shrugged, turning to Mieren to have the shield on his mind removed. She did so absently, her mind elsewhere. The sphinx watched him as he approached, surging into a huge replica of the young-looking man, naked as the day he was born. Anubis shook his head wryly, trying to ignore the hoots and rude comments from the others when he realized that, like Dais, he was going to be on display. The fact that Dais seemed to be leading most of the commentary wasn't helping the crimson stain across his face.
He started forward, pulling back in shock when the sphinx suddenly rounded on him with narrowed eyes. It was disconcerting to see the enormous coppery image of himself scowling so darkly, even more so when he heard Mieren stifle a giggle. The oracle quickly ended his confusion by straightening haughtily, large pointed ears emerging from beneath his thick mane of hair. A matching longish foxtail suddenly curved behind and around the legs of the last oracle as it turned once more to the circle and assumed its place. Silence dominated in the circle where lewd comments had reigned only moments before. Anubis's jaw dropped.
"Go on. Match it," Mieren prompted insensitively when Anubis wobbled and sank unsteadily to the ground. He looked at her incredulously.
"How?" he asked thickly. "I can't do that. I… I'm human."
Mieren raised one eyebrow, visibly amused. "Since when? I knew what you were from the first time I saw you, little youko." Anubis flinched and pulled back, shaking his head in denial. She sighed. "Must I nudge you like I did Rowen?"
"No," he said quickly, voice quivering slightly. "No. That's not necessary," he murmured, slowly regaining his feet. His eyes remained locked on the oracle in front of him when he continued, voice growing increasingly frantic. "Why didn't you tell me? You knew what I was. You never said anything. You knew about Rowen and Dais too. I'm sure of it." He froze, rounding on Mieren furiously. "How much do you know? What are you refusing to tell us?"
"That's not important now," she growled under her breath. "Match it and take your place in the ring." Noticing the stubborn look creeping into his eyes, she sighed noisily and shook her head. "Now look. I know many things, many of which you would be happier not knowing. If you truly wish it, I'll start letting on a few of the more important facts whenever they come up. I'll explain more when this is over. Agreed?"
Anubis nodded slowly, still looking shaken. Mieren clapped him on the shoulder, a small spark of energy coursing from her hand and through his veins. He barely flinched when enormous, white-tipped pointed ears rose out of his longish hair, a matching tail appearing behind him, twitching nervously. Dais was the first to break the tension when Anubis slowly started for the sphinx.
"Take it off, baby!" she hooted. "The oracle doesn't do you justice!"
"What are you talking about?" Kayura called. "The sphinx's mirrored image is bigger than he is! If that's even close to accurate, he's hung like a horse!"
"And you would know that," Cale responded slyly, throwing an evil look at Sage and earning himself an irritated glare.
"I just want to know how he survived in the days before jockstraps," Rowen smirked, oblivious to the fact that Anubis was already redder than his hair.
"I want to know how he can walk," Touma called out loudly.
"Probably with a good deal of back problems," Mieren teased as Anubis finally reached his position in the circle and covered his crimson face with his hands and his front with his tail. She nodded to herself, silently thanking Dais for distracting him from his oncoming nervous breakdown. She was about to slip between the two nearest oracles when all ten sphinxes turned as one to face her. Confused, and more than slightly worried, she froze.
"That which the mind shall control must pass through ten as a whole. From ten shall the pinnacle choose, and the other nine powers the point shall lose. Ten unite and ten shall free the powers of eternity."
"You bastards," Mieren breathed, suddenly realizing why their riddles had been so easy before. All of their trials to reach this point and ready the inner circle were nothing more than one unending joke to the elementals' creations. They had anticipated that she would commit the others to the positions in the ring of power, only to lose them to the last riddle. She knew the answer, what they demanded that she do, but didn't know if she could follow through with it.
"What's going on?" Touma demanded loudly, turning slightly to face her. The oracle behind him spun with ferocious speed to face him, pinning him firmly to the barren earth with a massive, clawed foot. Rowen and Sage nearly shifted to try to help him before they were reprimanded sharply.
"Hold your positions!" Mieren snapped, still watching the increasingly furious oracles as they awaited her answer. Only hesitating a moment, she moved towards the sphinx of air, following behind it numbly as it reclaimed its position in the ring. The others glanced at her once last time before following suit, causing her to scowl more darkly. She could have sworn that they were laughing at her.
"So now what?" Rowen asked tentatively, trying to eye the oracle over his shoulder without moving.
"I don't know," Mieren admitted softly, averting her eyes. "None of my spies ever made it this far before they were killed."
"How much did they actually find out before…" Anubis trailed off shakily, still in shock and unable to finish.
"Not as much as I'd have liked," she sighed. "They never managed to relay much more than one or two of the riddles before they died, and the oracles appear to change their little speeches with every individual that approaches them." The long slender tail just in front of her waved impatiently and she flinched. "Now be quiet. I have to concentrate."
She was thankful that they obeyed her as she closed her eyes in meditation. She knew what she was to do, and had actually managed it in the past, just never to this massive scale. They had told her to pass through each of them simultaneously before arriving in the center to act as the pinnacle for the powers of her friends. The sphinxes were oblivious to the fact that she could split herself into multiple forms, allowing her the possibility of complying with their impossible request. However, the most she could manage without extreme difficulty was four images of herself. She had never before passed pushing her mind in six directions and it had nearly killed her the last time she had managed it. Ten was simply out of the question, but she didn't have a choice.
Mieren shivered slightly at the first split, holding her consciousness steady as her mirror image turned to the sphinx of spirit on her right at her request. She and her double each split again, one heading to the unattended oracle on each side, water and light. Nervousness set in as she readied to try again, nearly collapsing from the strain as a fifth and sixth copy appeared and moved on to life and illusion. Several worried glances were directed towards her as she stiffened for the fourth time, her slender form flickering dangerously towards oblivion as she split again, the seventh and eighth carbon copies falling in behind the oracles of fire and darkness.
Every eye of every sphinx had turned to her from where she stood behind Rowen, eyeing both her and her seven duplicates with an air of obvious surprise. They obviously hadn't expected her to solve the riddle, let alone attempt to comply.
Just earth and poison to go, she thought numbly, nearly slipping to the stone below in her exhaustion. All seven of her replicas had begun to slump where they stood, lacking both the strength of flesh and the mental conviction to remain upright. Hissing obstinately, Mieren straightened shakily and willed for the last of her twinned selves to split for the last time. Almost instantly, the ninth and tenth figures appeared and staggered to the final oracles, unable to stand any better than she could. As tired as she was, she nearly forgot a vital step before proceeding through the shocked sphinxes.
"Have to match," she whispered almost to herself. Twin sets of leathery wings unfurled behind her along with a five-foot tail, her legs reforming with two sets of joints, the one nearer her hip following in the expected direction. The second swung her legs forward and were startlingly flexible, allowing her to swivel the last third of her legs nearly three hundred and sixty degrees. She grinned weakly around a faint muzzle, understanding suddenly why Rowen had been wobbling so badly.
Looking to her sides, she nodded bleakly to herself. In the back of her mind, she still held the consciousness of each of her nine other selves, none of which could even breathe without her explicit instructions. She was pleased to see that even now, she had been able to properly push them into the correct forms, only the gender varying. Winged-wolf, cougar, youko, dragon, centaur, wolf-centaur, demented lizard, bat on crack, wonder woman who jiggled incessantly, outlander… She nodded and began moving each section of herself forward, certain that they were all in proper form even if they all looked, and felt, half dead.
A chill swept across her skin as she slipped through the oracles, magnified by the fact that she passed through all ten simultaneously. Visions flashed before her eyes of raging fires, whipping winds, endless darkness… She steeled her nerves, trying to hold her mind steady as she moved forward, towards what she knew to be the far sides of each of the sphinxes. She emerged suddenly, free of the hallucinogenic illusions, trying to steady herself and her demolished equilibrium. Several of her friends flinched and struggled to get a better look at her ten ghostly images of themselves without moving, distracting her minimally as she moved ever towards the center.
"Hold still," she commanded weakly from ten throats, too weary to separate her consciousness further and speak in one voice alone.
She started to shift each of her selves slightly to the side to pass by the ten rigid figures already in the ring of power. The sphinxes saw her slight alteration in movement and stiffened, eyes flaring into unearthly milky globes. Obediently, each of her friends already in the ring spun to face her, blank orbs locked onto her as she froze in confusion.
Rowen straightened with surprising ease, balanced perfectly on his doubly jointed legs that she knew he could not control on his own. His mouth cracked in a twisted grin, too cold and lifeless to be his own.
"Neither to the left or right may you proceed, nor in any form may you walk through. Neighbored pinnacles must you always heed, each of us shall border two," he murmured in her ear. She shivered, resisting the urge to step back from his deathly cold breath, trying not to pay attention to the taunting message as it was repeated from nine other sources.
"The darkness consume you," she mumbled darkly, really starting to hate the sphinxes. They were beginning to get obnoxious about this. Their eyes spoke volumes of how much they knew about her, making her seriously wonder if they knew what exactly she was up to. They knew she sought access to the outlands, but hopefully not why. The elementals were neither light nor dark, not paying much attention to the workings of magic of any sort, but she feared they would make an exception if they knew what she planned.
Mieren had to fight to keep from swearing as she began, knowing perfectly well that she couldn't perform many more of their stunts before losing consciousness. If she passed out, all of the others were as good as dead and she would have to find new means by which to gain access to the outlands. Her battle to control her language lost out to irritation and she took a deep breath, uttering a solid stream of obscenities under her breath as she proceeded.
Each of her ten almost translucent forms rippled slightly, each splitting reluctantly into two almost identical images. Only one difference showed in the twined forms in front of each of the elemental sphinxes. The form on the right was a perfect milky copy of the form she had held only seconds before. The image on the left was a shadow of the other, translucent obsidian. All twenty of the replicas staggered and sank to the ground, unable to move steadily off of one mind's strength. It took almost all of Mieren's strength to force herself and all of her copies upright, one of each set stumbling to either side of the others. Instantly, hands reached out from her possessed friends to block her path. She scowled angrily and rounded on the sphinxes, taxing what was left of her rapidly diminishing energy.
"Oh no you don't. I am not passing either left or right. Both is not 'or' no matter how you look at it! I neglect neither the oracle on left or right and there's two of me."
Twenty identical expressions of pure hatred and dark resentment appeared on the twenty vastly different faces. It was obvious that no one had ever managed to pass them before and they were clearly indignant at her disruption of their flawless work. She turned her backs on the angry split oracles and proceeded to the center of the circle her friends bordered, their expressions growing softer as she pushed by them, dead on her feet. Once in the center, she hurriedly merged into a single form, almost collapsing in exhaustion and relief before remembering that her work was far from done.
Conflagrations of power rose around her in an instant, the power of ten elemental masters coursing through her veins as the unending fogs of the astral plane answered to their unspoken call. Throat locked around a scream of agony, Mieren could only watch through glazed eyes as a gateway slowly opened before them. Even through her pain, she managed to curl her lips into a feral smile. She had done it.
---
Kenji slowly raised his head, sensitive to the most delicate ripples of power in his dimension and those bordering it for at least four or five realities out. He could detect the slightest changes in the wind and darkness even further. The only problem was that this was not a slight change or delicate ripple in any meaning of the words. Three dimensions had shrieked in harmony, two of which he didn't recognize even though they seemed to touch his own. Both Siellon and Neris glanced at him questioningly when he pushed away from the table and headed numbly for the front door. For him to miss a meal was unthinkable.
"What's wrong?" Siellon asked, his shaggy mane of snowy locks bouncing wildly around his shoulders as he tilted his head slightly. Kenji shook his head numbly without looking back at them.
"Didn't you guys feel that?" he whispered. He was almost oblivious to anything they might have answered, jerking slightly when Neris chuckled under his breath.
"Still hearing ripples of a past life?" he laughed when he was certain he had caught the other man's attention. "Try to ignore it. You-know-who, or one of her unearthly spawn, is probably just screwing around again. This wouldn't be the first time they've nearly all given us coronaries with some of their little stunts."
"Too true," Siellon agreed, obviously amused. "I can still hear Mieren swearing from the last time that Cye blew up all the toilets in one wing of his school with a bag of cherry bombs."
"I don't remember exactly what she said," Neris murmured, grinning from ear to pointed ear. "My head is still ringing."
"I don't think she realizes just how loud her telepathic screams can get."
"Probably not."
"That's not it!" Kenji snarled, accidentally dropping the sorcerer tongue in his frustration. His eyes slipped into and out of focus sharply. "I think someone just opened an interdimensional gateway."
"Big deal," Neris laughed. "Once again, Mieren…"
"Would you two listen?" he snapped, rounding on the light and dark elves in a cold fury. Shocked at his sudden temperamental swing, they fell silent. "Don't you understand? Can't you feel it? I think someone's managed to reach or escape the astral plane."
Siellon stiffened, an amethyst glow springing up around his dark form instantly as he strained to see what his friend was talking about. Beneath his obsidian skin, he paled.
"Who?"
Kenji shook his head numbly. "There are two gates," he murmured, straining again to understand what he sensed. "No, wait. There's only one, but it leads in two directions." He paused, face taking on a pallid, sickly tinge. "It's originating from the astral plane. Impossible."
"Where does it lead?" Neris asked, seeming unnaturally pale against his mop of unruly azure hair.
"One of the routes leads back to the Ronin's dimension, and the other… the other leads to the… the outlands," Kenji finished numbly, barely breathing. "I had always prayed that the dark lands were only a legend."
"Mieren is holding it open," Siellon said suddenly, eyes shifting between crimson and amethyst as he strained to sense what was going on. "It can't be that bad if she's in control."
Kenji closed his eyes without responding. He had been the one to design the girl and he knew perfectly well what she was capable of. No matter how perfectly she had played her part the last time he had seen her, she could not hide the truth of her true nature from him. He knew.
Uncomfortably aware that his friends' eyes were still on him, he silently left the house and headed for the outskirts of the elfin community. Several minutes passed in silence as he made sure that neither of his friends had followed him, knowing that they would get hurt if they did. Neris was a master of almost every weapon in existence and Siellon was one of the strongest elfin sorcerers he had ever encountered aside from Mouri, but he knew that neither of them stood a chance in the upcoming battle. He pushed a small gateway open and moved out of his home dimension for what he feared would be the last time.
---
White Blaze raised his head suddenly, rumbling out a loud greeting as a familiar figure stepped into view. Chimera raised her head sleepily as her off-watch was abruptly interrupted, eyes trailing across the starless sky before she regarded their visitor disinterestedly. Not recognizing the intruder as quickly, Flame, Mist and Shadow surged to their feet, preparing to attack.
Spotting the five great cats almost immediately, Kenji turned towards them wearily, hoping that they knew the exact location of their masters. With the clustering of the youko and their horrendous powers, it was impossible for him to distinguish an individual's mind. It only took him a mere instant to realize that the three youngest cats didn't know him, but that was too long.
Unimaginable profanity rang through the air as he was suddenly buried under several hundred pounds of fur and claws. Luckily for him, White Blaze had issued a warning growl, preventing the three monstrous beasts from proceeding with their assaults, even if it was far too late for them to have changed their trajectories. He managed to untangle himself after a few moments of breathless squirming.
"Now look," he panted, unsure of what language he should use. Knowing the Ronins, the beasts were probably as familiar with the sorcerer tongue as they were with Japanese. He wouldn't put it past them to understand the demon tongue as well. "I need to find the others. Where are they?"
Coming, Chimera assured him. Kenji cringed, having been unaware that the great cats had learned that particular form of communication. She looked away from him and let out something that was half sigh, half growl. They are coming, Child of the Midnight Shadows. They will be here soon.
Kenji nodded, wondering if he should move towards the youko to see if he could help them. He stopped short at the leopard's sad gaze.
"Who told you to guard the ledge?" he asked softly.
A friend, the panther informed him warily, still not trusting him entirely.
An elemental, a snow leopard tried to elaborate, glaring at the panther darkly. Do you not know him, brother? He will help us.
"I'll do what I can, but I'm not sure I'll be much of a help," he murmured. The old white tiger walked up to him and inclined his head as though greeting an equal.
You are a master of darkness, he stated simply. Have you strength in the neighboring powers as well?
"A little," he admitted, flinching slightly. The last time he had attempted to play with a few illusions he had almost set himself on fire. After that, he had been afraid to try his hand at poison manipulation.
Summon the armor orbs of illusion and poison, Chimera prompted quickly. The others have summoned all of the other suits of armor, but still lack those.
"What am I going to do with them?" he asked, not pausing for an answer before he began concentrating. The stone beneath him heaved slightly from the proximity of a nearby gateway that he could not see. The knowledge that Mieren was on the other side was not entirely comforting. Their last meeting had left him believing that she was not the pure soul she pretended to be. The fact that she had gained access to the light arts was a sure indication that she was not the creature of darkness she had once been, but still, he worried.
There are two among those coming that can take them, the snow leopard assured him softly. He nodded at her gratefully, thankful that they had not been intending on asking him to use the orbs. The results would have been disastrous.
Before he had time to flinch, the blue flames dancing in his palms erupted into new colors, a deep green in his left hand and a stunning violet in his right. He nodded jerkily towards the five impatient cats, one of which had disappeared into the darkness.
Be patient, White Blaze murmured. They come.
---
To Be Continued…