Chapter 17
The three mercenaries made their way towards the lush crags of Mt. Selton. The sky had clouded over and a faint film of rain fell over the land in gossamer waves.
"I wonder how Reith is doing," Eonis mused as they came to the foot of the mountain. Reith…Calintz had momentarily forgotten about the energetic young woman who had saved him. Had she got her memory back yet?
"She was going to Notia with a priestess called Justina. They were going to see some doctor about retrieving her memory," Calintz replied.
"Oh…I hope it works out…"
"Yeah…"
"Will we see Miss Reith again?" Azel asked, looking at Calintz. The captain shrugged.
"I don't know, Azel. I hope so…"
As they paced further up the winding path, there was little evidence of any Yason. Calintz began to wonder if it was perhaps more sinister than he had initially thought. Perhaps it was a trap…A trap by the Yason. His eyes darted around, ready for any surprise ambush, but still there was no sign of movement.
"So where are they?" Eonis said, just as puzzled as he.
"Let's go further up…"
"But, doesn't that lead to those ruins?"
"The Celestial Ruins…I think it does," The Celestial Ruins…Wasn't there some sort of legend or story associated with them? Something to do with the Magna Carta and Light of Salvation. I can't quite remember…
"Why don't we check into The Great Temple and see if they know anything, Captain?" Calitnz pondered the suggestion, then thought of Agreian and the feelings associated with him. Hadn't the Alliance refused to deal with the Yason?
"No," he said bluntly. Azel was about to say something more, however he was abruptly cut off by Calintz's icy glance.
"Alright, then, Captain, let's go!" he agreed.
They reached the summit as late afternoon drew near. The rain clouds had cleared, leaving a descending sun to cast the land in syrup glow. The path had grown uneven and overgrown and they had to stop and cut away the plants often.
"Why would Yason be all the way up here?" Eonis said exasperated as her dress, once again, snagged on a thorn.
"Who knows?" Calintz replied dismissively. He swung his sword in a horizontal slash, sending various plant life flying.
"There it is!" Azel said. Through the gap, the broken stones of the ruins could be seen. The three stepped out onto the plateau. Suddenly, the temperature appeared to change. From the humid climate of Mt. Selton, it became cold and dry. A breeze picked up Calintz's hair, sending it sprawling across his face. He flicked it away, his cool eyes surveying the area. He had never been here although he had heard rumours of the place. It was somehow associated with the Eight Heroes. It was a barren ruin, high up on the summit of one of the tallest mountains in Efferia. No plants or trees inhabited the area around and a faint dusting of snow could be detected on the dry ground. There was a movement to the corner of his eye. A shadow, a flicker.
"Did you see something, Captain?" Azel asked. Calintz held up a hand for silence and cautiously walked towards the ruin.
In a flash his sword was out and had blocked the blow of a Yason's dagger. Two more jumped out from behind some rocks, boxed them in.
"Dammit!" he snarled.
"More pitiful humans looking for death, is it?" one of the Yason spat.
"I would say it was the other way around!" He thrust his sword towards the enemy, but his blow was blocked. The force made the Yason stumble back, fortunately colliding with one of Eonis lightening bolts. Azel was already taking on the second Yason, throwing out threats and curses as he deftly countered blows. Calintz jumped into the air, coming down with full force to plant his sword in the back of the Yason, penetrating the thick armour. A long scream was let loose as the enemy thrashed wildly on the ground like a snake cut in two.
"Captain!" Azel shouted as he was thrown to the ground by the last attacker. Caltinz was on the Yason in a second. A few strands of long, snow white hair went flying as it made a near strike at his head. The captain drove shoulder first into it, sending sprawling onto the hard ground. Azel was read, impaling it through the heart as it landed. The boy stumbled back, letting the body fall to the ground.
"Are you alright?" Calintz asked. Azel's eye's were wide and shocked. He blinked a few times, his face returning to it's usual innocent expression.
"Yes, I'm fine, Captain!"
"That wasn't so bad. Do you think there's more of them inside?" Eonis asked.
"It wouldn't hurt to check. At least we can say we searched the place,"
"Have you ever been in before, Captain?"
Calintz shook his head, "No, however I have heard stories,"
"Stories?"
"Apparently, it is rumoured to be the resting place of one of the Eight Shards that make up the Light of Salvation," Eonis informed them.
"Yes, that's it…"
"Really! Has no one ever found it?" Azel asked, his eye's wide and excited.
"Not that I know of," Eonis said. She knew more that she let on. Despite her appearance and quiet behaviour she was probably one of the most intelligent people Calintz knew, apart from Agreian. She had been one of the first members of the Tears of Blood, turning up one day with only a small shoulder bag and her staff. She had never told Calintz the whole story of where she had come from and her intentions for leaving. She said she wanted to do something worthwhile with her life, to make a difference. He had told her that it was unlikely the Tears of Blood would make any changes to Efferia. She said he had too little faith in himself and in his future. For some reason those words stuck in his mind like sand to a wet hand.
He started towards the ruins, not knowing what would happen once he entered or what he would discover. If the legend was true that one of the shards was indeed hidden here, wouldn't people have come searching for it? And yet none have ever been found…Perhaps they don't exist at all…
Faint slithers of light pierced the cracks in the ancient stones, illuminating the dark, musky interior. There were carvings on the walls, abstract etchings, thoughts from another time. They made little sense to Calintz. There was a stairway, winding upwards to small platforms. The ruin hadn't looked that high from the outside, it was as if they had entered a different dimension. A dimension in which spatial proportion did not feature.
"I guess the only way is up," Eonis said, staring at the never ending stairway. Calintz sighed. He really wasn't in the mood for this today.
The stairway spiralled upwards, as if ascending towards the heavens, however, he was sure no angels would be there to greet him at the summit. The group stopped for many rests on the countless landings and platforms on the way to the top.
"This is killing me," Enois panted, stumbling on the wide, stone steps.
"We're nearly there, I think I can see the top!" Azel pointed to the ever present gap of sunlight that illuminated their flight. Sure enough, it had grown larger, like an expanding pluke about to burst. Calintz sucked in air, his lungs burning like fire. Nearly there…
What exactly would be at the top? Why had they even bothered with this? Would it not have been wiser to just go back to HQ and say everything was dealt with? The Yason would be insane to come all the way up here…
And finally, through aching legs and heaving chests, they climbed the last few steps to the summit.
"Fina-" Azel was cut off as he saw the two figures on the large, flat platform.
"Agreian!" Eonis exclaimed. For a moment Calintz was unsure of how to proceed. Agreian knelt, half lay on the ground, his sword the only thing supporting him. A slender woman in a revealing black dress stood before him. She laughed wickedly, flexing two, colossal black fans rimmed with razors. Who the hell was she? Then he saw the small, pointed ears, the obvious evidence of Yason blood.
"More fools I see…" she said, her voice mocking and sadistic.
"Who the hell are you!" Calintz barked, running towards the two. With one swift swoop of her fans she sent the Captain flying to the ground in a tycoon of wind.
"Calintz!" he heard Agreian call.
"Zip that mouth or I'll finish you off,"
"Captain! Are you alright?" Azel whispered urgently, already by Calintz's side. His body ached from the fall, bringing back pain to all the healing bruises and cuts. He got slowly back to his feet, drawing his sword.
"Hmph! You don't go down that easily, do you?" the witch spat.
"How dare you come here! How dare you hurt our people, you vile, waste of skin!"
"Well I dare! Do you even know who I am?"
"You're nothing but another piece of Yason scum!"
"Calintz, don't!" Agreian called. The women shot a pointed stiletto into the General's side, making him cringe on the ground. Anger shot through Calintz, like a volcano erupting within him. He bared his teeth, performing an acrobatic swing of his sword towards the female Yason. Metal clashed with metal, sparks flew like a hurricane of fireflies. Azel took her on from the other side, pulling off the most advanced moves Calintz's had taught him.
But still she blocked them.
The woman leapt back, sending a shockwave of air towards the three of them. Azel went down, crashing into Agreian. Caltinz was ready this time, steadying himself. Eonis, avoiding the attack at the last moment, sent a wall of fire into the shockwave, the magic colliding to produce a flash of energy.
"I tire of this dribble! Hand over the shard!" she spat. The shard? Agreian was already on his feet, although Calintz could see the evident pain over his pale face.
"I will never sacrifice such a thing to you!" he hissed. The woman just laughed, a screeching, jeering chuckle that didn't fail to chill to the bones.
"If that is how you want it. I did not intend to kill you…but since you want to die so badly, I won't deprive you of the opportunity," She waved her fans in an upward motion. The ground began to shake, crack, split. Through the wreckage emerged a towering, several headed serpent. It's mouth's dripped venom which smouldered on the thick stone, indenting and charring it. It let rip a loud screech, momentarily deafening them.
"Kill them!" the woman ordered. Eonis had already sent a bolt of lightening to strike the creature, but it had hardly even caused a blemish. It dived at her with one powerful swoop, sending her flying several feet before hitting the ground, hard.
"Calintz…I'm sorry…" she murmured as her body collapsing to the ground.
"Eonis! Dammit!"
"Calintz, we cannot take this!" Agreian breathed, standing unsteadily by his side.
"Over my dead body!" the Captain sliced at the oncoming dive, his sword ploughing deep into the thick skin of one of the beast's necks. Green liquid squirted everywhere, staining his clothes and almost blinding him.
"You must go! I will deal with this!" Agreian shouted.
"You're speaking nonsense!"
"This is my battle, Calintz,"
"You always want everything for yourself, typical as always…" The monster reared up, stretching it's limbs.
Agreian raised his sword, ready to strike.
But he didn't get the chance.
The ground erupted, rippling with the movement of several subterranean tentacles. Everyone as thrown back in a powerful wave of rocks and debris. The floor began to crack like the gaping hole of a starving mouth.
"No!" Azel screamed, clawing onto whatever was available. Suddenly, Calintz found himself descending, stones and dirt falling around him like snow. For a second it as if he was suspended in mid air, as if time had frozen. Everything stopped, the seconds petrified. He saw Agreian reaching for him, a thin line of blood running down his perfect face.
And then time returned to normal.
"Hugo!" he screamed, frantically trying to grab hold of his best friend's hand; his only salvation. His fingers touched Agreian's, closing around them, pulling him towards him. Then the General was snatched by a tentacle, leaving Calintz to fall the rest of the way alone.
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Finally got this up! Stupid server was refusing to let me upload anything. But anyways, here it is and I hope you like it. Next one will be tasty ;)