Neptune's Revenge: Part 3; Magic's Roots
Barren.
That's what WizardCity was. Barren.
Even the crisp chill of the night had left. Destiny hurried down the road to the Shopping District, which had completely shut down. Even the mice in the sewers were Olde Town the Baazar was now a sopping pile of tents and Destiny squinted to see Baldur GoldPaw's ship leaving. Destiny took a sharp left to Triton Avenue sprinted down the streets, since most of the monsters had left, except the Kraken, who was related to Neptune. Destiny rounded a bend and went into the Haunted Cave. While she was running she opened the cork to one of her potions, but stopped and slapped the heel of her hand against her forehead. If the potion was exposed to air it fizzed and exploded. The process was already starting. Destiny tossed the bottle behind her and started running. She plugged her ears, wincing at the bang. Destiny whispered a prayer to the Potion God and took her last bottle out. She stopped, not recognizing the bottle as hers. The elegantly shaped glass vase was holding a clear liquid the seemed like gel. Destiny took a tentative sniff and was satisfied. She ran to Nightshade's castle and leaped off the edge of the bridge into the water.
Cold waves lapped around her. Destiny could feel them times when she was like fire. Today, Destiny felt a cold determination. Destiny uncorked the bottle and a large bubble of air appeared around her. It extracted oxygen from water, so basically infinite oxygen. Destiny started her her massive quest. Finding Neptune.
Destiny's first thought was why hadn't she taken off at Marleybone? Destiny sighed, then had an idea. She reached to her left hip and grasped air. Destiny slumped. No wand, no mana. Only a sword, which would only kill the air bubble if slashed. Destiny then simplified her idea to a non-magic one. She started running, but being in a bubble she went forward. Destiny then turned around and followed the sewers, navigating poorly to Ravenwood. Destiny reached the lake in Commons. Destiny was getting the hang of this. She decided to try and simplify the bubble to only cover her mouth and nose. She then swam over to the edge of the lake and climbed out, dripping a trail of water. No trails, she thought to herself. Only one other time had she felt this paranoid was when she sensed a creature of fire following her. It was from Marleybone, and thankfully it gave up the chase when she teleported. Destiny knew there was no one around so she raced over to the library and found it lock, was one of those good, old-fashioned padlocks that couldn't be opened by magic (not that she had any). Destiny took out her sword and tried to hack it. No luck. She then stuck the end in the lock and twisted. The faint echo of a metallic click reached her water-clogged ears and Destiny pushed through the doors. Books were everywhere. An empty desk sat in the middle of the room. Destiny decided that the crime she was about to commit was worse than breaking and entering the library (though it was kinda the same thing).
Destiny went o the desk and pushed one of the buttons. A portal opened in from of her. Destiny fell in turquoise darkness. She landed with a thud on the ground. Destiny quickly got up and brushed herself off. She was in the secret library of Professor Ambrose. Destiny had found out and when she published it in the newsletter Ambrose had taken away her last ten levels. Sheesh! It was only a library!
Destiny ran her finger along the spines of the book, looking for something promising. Then she saw it. F rgot en A ts. Some of the letters were faded away. Destiny guessed it was Forgotten Arts. It looked very promising, though very thin. She started reading.
There is only one forgotten art, The Art of Statues. Even mortals knew its power, until it lay forgotten. The Creator made everything from statues, then breathed life into them. To give statues life, the wearer must create them from clay and their blood. This requires a great deal of thought and creativity. When the creator is strong, so is the creature. The Creator started to fall, and so did the creatures. A group of seven dedicated humans managed to create Divination from the roots of this. Six of them decided to form other schools of magic from Divination, and then came the birth of Ravenwood, where promising humans are taught part of the Arts. My sister, Berna, was turned into a banshee because
At this point Destiny snapped the book shut. Berna, who took away her mana- then Destiny was snapped to her senses. She looked at the clock on the wall. 11:57. Destiny stepped through the portal and landed in the library. She rushed out the door and crossed the commons. She got to the fairgrounds just in time to see a portal open. Destiny plunged in without hesitating. Destiny landed in an all-too familiar white room. Berna sat in front of her. "Destiny, we meet again," her voice croaked. "Enough talk. Give me the full knowledge of the Art of Statues and-" Destiny broke off, unsure of what to say. She chose the first thing that came to mind. "You can put a curse on me," The words popped out of Destiny's mouth. Destiny snapped her hand over her mouth. Berna chuckled. Destiny suddenly felt memories flooding into her mind. And then she couldn't feel the tips of her fingers anymore. She looked down and her eyes widened. They were blackened and shriveled. "That curse will spread throughout your body. No magic can heal it. Bye, my sweets," Berna explained in a nasty tone and Destiny felt herself falling into a chasm. Destiny awoke on one of the mary-go-round chairs. Destiny fell asleep. In her sleep, Destiny rolled over fidgeting. Words were swimming through her sight, explaining everything. She saw Berna, and then she woke up. Destiny was shivering eyes widened as rivulets of sweat twisted down her face. She looked down at her hands. Half the way to the elbows was blackened and useless.
Destiny looked up at the sky. Pale streaks of red looked like ribbons encircling the sky. Ribbons . . . Presents . . . Destiny thought. She zoned her mind on Rhea in her memories. She laughed as the sun came up from under the salty sea's waves. Destiny caught bits and pieces of her laughing words as she hugged Rose, keeping her warm. Destiny pushed the scene away, the memory of a happy Rose bittersweet, and tried to focus on the words. "A new dawn . . . Another day, a gift that should be used," Rhea laughed. Destiny remembered Rhea and her odd sayings. Like how rain washed away sins from the earth and thunder and lightning were laughs. How wind was either a song sang sweetly or angrily, and how dawn was a gift that should be used. Another day to make things right.
Destiny bolted upright, using her shoulder to lift her arm up and sweep away some greasy hair from her grimy face. Her air bubble was still encircling her face. Destiny blew full force at it until the bubble tore itself away from her skin. The bubble hung in the air, unaffected by some slight drafts that blew Destiny's hair out of order. Destiny used her teeth to open the potion bag and she clamped her teeth on the elegant bottle. She counted mentally in her head to three and tugged the vial away from the bag. Destiny's eyes widened as her teeth were sliding off the slippery glass. The glass vial dropped from her mouth and Destiny raised her elbow to block the shattered shards of glass pierce her eyes. Destiny's legs were stinging where the glass pierced the flesh. Ahe got up and clenched her teeth. How will I make a statue of Neptune if I can't make an air bubble go into a glass vial? she furiously questioned herself. Destiny felt a tear leak out of her eye and rip it's way through the grime layering her face, exposing pale flesh. Destiny's face hadn't felt the sun for a while and she shrank back into the shadows from the walls. Destiny decided to leave her knapsack and she gritted her teeth. Destiny barreled her way past the broken glass, ignoring how it mirrored her life; once perfect, pristine. Now an ugly, horrible mess no one bothered to clean up. She ducked into the tunnel to Ravenwood, determined to find Bartleby and demand where Ambrose and the whole Ravenwood Academy went. As she entered Ravenwood the sunlight jarred her eyes. Destiny squinted away the pain, and a few more tears appeared behind her lashes, only making the pain worse. Destiny scuttled into Bartleby's shade where she stopped on the cobbled steps and started breathing heavily. "Destiny Alora, what brings you here?" Bartleby rumbled. "Where . . . Has . . . Ambrose and everyone . . . Gone?" Destiny managed through her troubled breathing. Bartleby's eye quivered as he searched the future. "Hmmmmm, they seem to have gone to the Necromancer's Door near Nightshade's. The door is Malistaire's, and he's on their side," Bartleby answered. "Can you take me there; I'm in a bit of a hurry," Destiny hinted subtley. One of Bartleby's branches shook and a portal opened. Destiny stepped into the blue and water rose around her. Through the haze, Destiny saw Bartleby's eye quiver. "And remember, Destiny. Life does not always prevail," Bartleby rumbled before Destiny fell through space. Space disappeared, instead a very startled Ambrose.
"Destiny Alora, how did you get here?" Ambrose yelped, clearly startled that a non-wizard had just summoned a portal. "Bartleby," she replied, thinking about the final words he had said. For once, Destiny did not dout his sight. Malistaire walked up next to Ambrose's shoulder, Rose at his side. Destiny looked around at the cave. There were two tunnels connecting to the dining room that Destiny was in. She guessed they were sleeping quarters, one for staff and teachers and one for students. "By Bartleby, daughter! What happened to your elbows?" Malistaire looked skepticaly at her blacked flesh. "Rose, could I have a healing card?" Malistaire asked. "Save your mana; it can't be fixed!" Destiny interceded bitterly. Ambrose looked at her elbows, then at her face. "Destiny don't tell me that you bargained with Berna agai-" Ambrose started. "I now have the way to stop Neptune," Destiny shot back. She would have rubbed her arms if she could. The fast-spreading curse was a discomforting numb biting her skin through. "It involves clay, blood and part of Neptune himself," Destiny finished. Ambrose looked at the dining table full of wizards. "We can't talk here," he said simply and waved his wand, opening the mist-blue of a portal. Destiny stepped in with Ambrose's hand on her shoulder's. Malistaire was about to step in. "Malistaire, I forbid you to come here," Ambrose murmered. "But she's my daughter!" Malistaire thundered. Destiny stepped to the edge of the portal, determined to set her mind clear. "My name is Destiny Alora, no Drake burdens my name, Professor," Destiny ended with a taunting word that made sure that Destiny did not regard Malistaire as her father. Sure, he might be biologically, but in her mind there would only be a connection of hate. For turning Rose Mistriver into Rose Drake. There was a Rose Mistriver in the past, but in the present and future that name would be erased forever. Destiny looked up from her shoes and saw the cloud of mist swirling, getting thicker. She also saw Malistaire as a sad, burdoned man. And for the first time since she found out Malistaire might be her father, she felt regret for what she had said.
Destiny felt herself falling through space until she landed heavily on her feet in a barren, cold world. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground. Ambrose held her arms gently and pulled her up. Destiny would have brushed the snow off her pants if she could. Tinstead, Destiny looked around. She did not recognize it. "Wintertusk is yet to be discovered by life. Here is the most barren place in the Spiral," Ambrose answered her mental question. Destiny looked at him skeptically. "We can talk here," Ambrose finished. Destiny chewed her bottom lip. Her emotions gave in. "Ok so I bargained with Berna and now I have the full knowledge of the Art of Statuary and I think I can make a statue of Neptune and tie his life to mine but Berna's curse is going really fast and it can't be healed and what if it reaches my heart before I finish-" Ambrose cut in to stem to sprays of information that errupted from Destiny's mouth. "I will make the statue of Neptune and if your so sure about tieing him to you . . ." Ambrose trailed off. Destiny nodded urgently. " . . . Well, ok. You look like you need some rest and water . . . You can melt the snow . . ." Ambrose offered. Destiny nodded, despite the fact about her being tired false. "Sure thing, Ambrose." Ambrose looked at her sternly. "That's Headmaster Ambrose to you." She turned around to hide and smile and went to the nearest snowbank. Destiny bit into the cleanest part and the snow melted in her mouth, wetting Destiny's dry tounge and leaving a disgusting, odd taste. She decided to try and sleep because from what she knew Ambrose would take at least a few hours. She dropped into the snow bank and closed her eyes. Destiny stayed perfectly still, a trick she had to welcoming sleep.
Destiny awoke to having Rose in front of her. Destiny tried to haul herself up but the curse prevented her. Rose smiled and pulled her up, wiping the snow from her. Rose looked deep into her suspicious eyes and said, "Sorry." Destiny's wariness vanished, instead a lobsided smile. As she smiled, Malistaire came next to Rose and hugged her. Rose hugged back willingly. He then touched her heart. The heart vanished and in replace a smaller, blacker one. Destiny pulled back. This was the second time-
Destiny's eyes flew open. She started crying. The dream relayed everything. Rose wanted a family. Not Destiny. She wanted parents. Malistaire came and gave her what she wanted. A new start; a new heart. Instead of apologizing for giving up on her the first time; she was apologizing for choosing a new start. "Destiny, I'm really sorry for what I'm about to do," Ambrose's voice swam into her vision. Ambrose was coming up, a knife in hand, and the statue in the other. Destiny rubbed the fuzziness out of her eyes and looked up. Ambrose was kneeling next to her, chewing on his lip. "Destiny, could I have your hand?" he asked. Destiny tried and failed she looked at her left shoulder and gasped. The whole arm was blackened. Ambrose's eyes widened as well. "Never mind," he murmered and held the knife to her leg, pircing the flesh. Since the knife was so keen, Destiny felt nothing. Blood welled up from the cut. Ambrose touched the statue to the wound. When the blood touched, it kept coming until it covered the entire statue bofore Ambrose pulled it away and a pixie appeared, healing her wound. The pixie fluttered away into the forest after scratching her orange head. Ambrose murmered some more and a portal appeared. "Neptune is near the Kraken in Triton Avenue, next to the cliff. I have already sent Malistaire, Rose, and some grandmaster wizards to get some of Neptune's blood." Ambrose grabbed Destiny's shoulder and hauled her up. He took a small knapsack off his shoulder and slipped the statue in. Ambrose closed the flap and pushed it onto Destiny's shoulders. He then stepped into the portal. Destiny's throat tightened at the thought of what was raging in WizardCity. She shook her head and stepped into the mist. Ambrose had held onto Destiny so that she wouldn't fall.
Destiny opened her eyes and almost fainted. Near the edge of the cliff Neptune was holding a possesed Rhea. Rose was furiosly climbing, gripping the humongus scales. Neptune was horrifying. A wizard wearing Mooshu battle armor hurried over to Ambrose. He thrust a simple vial filled to the brim with roiling blue blood. Ambrose jerked Neptune's statue from the knapsack and poured the purple stuff on. As soon as he did that, Neptune faltered.
Neptune POV
Neptune was about to flick the annoying girl from his hand before her suddenly felt drained. Neptune dropped the two girls and looked at the annoying fellow in a star robe. The symbol of a Headmaster. At his command, all the students except the one bearing a curse pulled back. The two girls scuttled out of the way. The girl, Destiny, raced up to him, shouting a battlecry. Neptune smirked. Piece of cake. He grabbed his lightning bolt and swung it. The girl flinched and dropped to her knees. Neptune, too, dropped to his knees. What type of counter curse was she using? Death, maybe. Then Neptune looked at the Headmaster was he holding . . . ? No, it couldn't be! Neptune's hope had been so sure. This was not what he planned for. Neptune sent his full rage on the headmaster.
Rhea's POV
Rhea despretley tried to awaken Rhea. She no longer felt a need for Malistaire. She had Rhea, whom she thought of as a parent, and a sister. Rose breathed heavily, overwhelmed by her words she had spoken to Destiny. She was so sorry. And now Destiny was risking her neck . . . It made no sense. Rose pushed away the thought that was creeping into her mind and focused on awaking Rhea.
Destiny's POV
Destiny was surprised when Neptune stopped fighting her and made a beeline for Ambrose. He was going to smush the connection between her and him by breaking the statue! Destiny yelled, "Toss it! Toss it!" Ambrose dove out of the way of a furious Neptune. He threw an overhand to Destiny narrowed her eyes. She opened her mouth as wide as she could and caught the statue with her teeth. She then ran around the circle and yelled, "Open a portal!" Though it was a bit muddled, Ambrose opened a portal and shoved everyone on it. Destiny ran over to Rose and coughed the statue into her hand. Ambrose quickly closed the portal. Destiny looked around. She stared deep into Ambrose's eyes, remembering Bartleby's words. She raced past Neptune and jumped off the cliff. The curse was near her heart anyways. She thought of Bartleby's words, 'Life does not always prevail." Destiny past the door to death.
Ambrose's POV
Ambrose looked sadly at Destinyy jumping off the cliff. Neptune a few seconds later turned to dust. Ambrose opened the portal and closed it, appearing in Wintertusk next to the group of fighters. Rose tugged on his robe. "Where's Destiny?" she asked. Ambrose sighed. "I'm sorry, Rose and Rhea. Destiny is not coming back," he managed, is voice cracking on the last words. Rose burst into tears. She looked at the statue with a deep regret. "But I never got to tell her I'm sorry," she murmered Ambrose's shoulders sagged. He was not surprised when Malistaire left. "I'm sorry, Rose. Death is part of life, but life is not part of death. It is a phrase you have to learn the hard way.
Epilogue: Death Holds One Forever, While Life Does Not
Malistaire teleported away to his home in Dragonspyre. If Destiny had used it, he could. Malistaire got out one of the many clay sculptures he had made of Sylvia. Malistaire without hesitation cut himself with the nearest sharp object, a butter knife. He winced at the pain but poured the blood ontop of the figurine. Then Malistaire took out a pristine vile from the shelf and poured Sylvia's blood onto her statue. What he did not understand was that the dead could not come back to life fully, but living must eventually die. Malistaire screamed when the blood completely covered the statue. The bittersweet thought blazed through Malistaire's mind as he died; instead of him welcoming Sylvia back to life, Sylvia would welcome him to death. Malistaire slumped on the floor, dead.