CHAPTER 14: THE CAGE
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Shore of a lake in Northeast Morgal
A panic overtook Karis' mind. What was going on? Why were there chains suddenly upon Tyrell?
Suddenly, Karis felt herself being seized by a huge, green vine. She was lifted off the ground and pulled backwards, before being mummified by a mass of similar vines. All of her body except her head was wrapped. She was unable to move an inch, no matter how hard she tried.
In front of her, a heap of sand rose into the air and materialized into a young woman. This is the Venus Adept that Laurel mentioned, Karis realized. Believing that by staying back, she would be safe from the trap, Karis had played perfectly into this adept's hands.
"Just behind you are the open jaws of a hungry plant," the girl warned coyly.
Karis heard a bizarre whimper-like sound from behind her.
"My friend here would like to chomp on your head," the Earth Adept explained, almost apologetically. "It thinks you look particularly delicious."
"Don't worry- I won't let it," she continued, "unless, of course, you resist too much."
"Who are you?!" Tyrell snarled as he thrashed against the chains binding him.
"My name is Latakia," the girl replied. "It's so nice to meet you."
"What do you want from us?" Karis demanded. "Why have you ensnared us?"
"Oh, I feel no need to tell you why," Latakia retorted, "and it wasn't I who chained your redheaded friend."
"What do you mean?" Karis asked. "Are those chains cursed?"
Latakia gestured to Amiti. "Perhaps you would like to explain?"
"…There's… no curse, none at all," Amiti stammered miserably.
"Oh, please elaborate," Latakia said. "You know what happens when you don't do what I say."
Myalkni cringed, clenching his robes.
"The chains … are actually made of ice and black dirt…" Myalkni choked. He stared out into the lake, unable to face anyone.
"And what else?" pressed Latakia.
"And… I control them," Myalkni vomited.
Latakia grinned evilly. "I think he needs to get a taste of what the consequences are for all that squirming." She cracked a knuckle before exploding Tyrell's senses.
As Myalkni glumly observed Tyrell's agony, he burned with hatred for Latakia. There was nothing else in the world he hated more than her… except, of course, himself.
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Belinsk
After Nowell told the palace guards her purpose, she had been referred to a lupine beastman courtier whose name was apparently Maklir. Tall and sandy-haired, he looked like a more mature version of Zarelgy.
After she told Maklir that the queen had requested her presence, and he disappeared to inform the Queen. He had said he'd return "right away". Nowell could swear it had been at least an hour.
The couch upon which Maklir had instructed Nowell to wait was red and very soft. Normally, she would be able to fall asleep on a couch like this in an instant, but she couldn't relax a bit.
She looked around the room. Most of the buildings Nowell had been in throughout her life were made of either wood or brick and were quite simple in design. This one was built of polished granite and marble. Practically everything inside was quite ornate and seemed to be gold or silver. It was beautiful, but its beauty was unfriendly, imposing, haughty… even oppressive.
From a very early age, Nowell had understood that buildings like this commanded respect. She remembered little of the land where she had lived as an infant, but Imil had only one comparable building- the Mercury Lighthouse. Almost everyone was forbidden from even entering that place. Everyone knew and respected the building's power.
While the Mercury Lighthouse gave off a sense of ancient power, this place felt more new, with glittering ore everywhere. The ruling Czamaral dynasty must've been bent on flaunting their wealth, she thought. Inside the palace, one could never forget that they ruled one of Angara's largest and materially richest entities. Despite countless devastating wars and the Eclipse, this palace, the embodiment of Czamaral prestige and Morgal's power, still stood strong and beautiful as ever.
And the queen of this land wishes to speak to me, Nowell reflected apprehensively. What in the world could this queen want of me? What does she know about my brother?
Finally, Maklir emerged from the door. "The Queen is ready for you," he beckoned. Wordlessly, Nowell rose.
"I'm very sorry for the delay. Her Majesty has been quite busy," Maklir apologized, as he led her to a room behind the throne chamber.
Nowell couldn't help but feel the stares of the queen's advisors as she walked. Clearly, they were baffled by this foreign, commoner, human girl was getting a private meeting with their queen. Screw them and all their snooty robes.
Eventually, Maklir left Nowell in a smallish room, where she found the Morgal's "White Deer" sitting in a chair, looking right at her.
Nowell had expected the queen to be tall, haughty, strikingly beautiful... regal. Sveta Czamaral was none of these things. She was quite short, especially for a beastwoman, let alone a royal one. Her round face was much more girlish than elegant. Her fur coat and chair both looked exquisitely soft, but she didn't seem very comfortable in either. The coat didn't really seem to fit her. It must have originally been her deceased brother's, Nowell realized. Instead of a commanding queen, Sveta looked like a nice girl who just happened to also rule a country.
In a much smaller chair to Sveta's side sat Matthew, Nowell noted with surprise.
"Thank you for coming," greeted Sveta stiffly. Nowell had always imagined that rulers that rulers were aloof, and that their expressions betrayed nothing, but this certainly wasn't true for Sveta. It was easy to tell that something was weighing heavily on her mind.
"Hello Nowell," Matthew said, "again."
"What do you know about my brother?" Nowell asked, unable to wait another second.
The Queen didn't say a word. Nowell immediately realized how abrupt she had been, in the presence of royalty. The Queen was probably taken aback.
Nowell threw herself on the floor. "Please forgive my insolence, your Majesty!" she pled, feeling very unlike herself.
"Please stop that," the queen said. "I can't stand when people grovel. I may be Queen, but I'm not a deity."
Nowell rose immediately.
"You don't need to apologize, I didn't take any offense," Sveta assured. "I know you are merely worried about your brother, whom you promised to protect."
At first, Nowell was immensely relieved. Then she was perturbed. How did Sveta know of her promise to her mother? She knew she hadn't told Matthew.
"I can read your mind," answered Sveta.
Oh right, she's an adept, Nowell remembered, recalling that she had accompanied Matthew to the Apollo Sanctum.
"That must be quite useful for a Queen," Nowell remarked, in an effort to diminish the sense of awkwardness that pervaded the room.
"Oh, you might think that, but it's not," replied Sveta. "I can see all my subordinates' treacherous intentions and dark agendas… but I have no choice but to rely on them anyways, for I'm a hopeless klutz at politics."
"We have many things to talk about," Sveta said, "but I know you're anxious to hear about your brother, so why don't we get straight to that?"
Nowell nodded. "What do you know?"
"Well, Rief left Belinsk after my coronation, on a boat with Kraden, Amiti, Eoleo and Himi. He was in Ayuthay during the time of Prince Amiti's disappearance."
"What disappearance?" Nowell inquired.
"I see you don't know about that," observed Sveta, before filling her in on everything.
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Lake
Grounded by the chains, Tyrell thrashed back and forth, as if he could somehow escape the agony Latakia was inflicting upon him.
Myalkni couldn't bear to look into Tyrell's eyes, and yet somehow at the same time, he couldn't resist.
In Tyrell's eyes, Myalkni could see a deep sense of pain and loss. He came all this way to save me, Myalkni thought darkly, and I just betrayed him.
But I had no choice, Myalkni tried to protest to himself. He knew it wasn't true though. He could've refused to go forward with the plan and not flung the chains onto Tyrell. Then, it would be him on the ground in agony instead of Tyrell.
A decent person would've chosen that. But I'm not a decent person, Myalkni thought bitterly. I chose to dump the pain onto Tyrell.
Myalkni knew that if he had refused Latakia, Tyrell and Karis might have escaped the trap. They would have outnumbered Latakia, who would have already been drained of Psynergy for punishing Myalkni's theoretical revolt. He had known this before they came.
And yet, Latakia's impending punishment had just been too unbearable.
Tyrell was enduring the pain, Myalkni saw. He exhaled and gasped loudly and painfully, but he never screamed. Myalkni wished he would, because then Myalkni would feel better about himself.
When Latakia defeated me in the forest, Myalkni remembered, I thought I'd be dead, because my conscience would expire.
In a way, it had been true. His conscience and his identity continued to live on in his mind, but in reality they had no effect on his actions. Life had indeed become empty. Nothing had seemed to matter anymore. Even the guilt about burning the caravan had retreated to the background. There was nothing to happy or sad about. All that was left to life was his survival instincts- avoiding pain and avoiding death.
And yet, Myalkni now knew that this notion of "living death" wasn't totally correct in the end. He knew he had dreamt of being rescued, meaning that even as his body was perfectly enslaved, his mind still yearned for freedom. He wasn't just an automaton. There was actually something keeping him alive besides fear of death.
And, Myalkni realized, the survival instinct wasn't even the only reason he had betrayed Tyrell. There was something else there.
Even if Karis and Tyrell could defeat Latakia, I knew I could never escape her because of the curse, Myalkni realized. That meant there were two possible outcomes: either I alone am caged, or we are caged together.
And for some reason, deep down Myalkni detected a profound preference for the second outcome. I was lonely. I didn't want to suffer alone.
I really am the lowest form of humanity, Myalkni remarked glumly.
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Tuaparang Ship
"So, how's your mother doing nowadays?" Arcanus asked Rief in an unnervingly casual manner. "It's been awhile since I heard anything about her."
"Why… in the world do you care?" Rief grumbled, his eyes blazing with hatred toward his captor. Such a confused, such an emotional boy, Arcanus thought. Emotion brings weakness. This would be a cakewalk.
"Well, she is my second cousin after all," Arcanus replied. "I was just curious. Perhaps I should pay her a visit."
"You stay far, far away from her!" Rief snarled.
"Oh, quite protective, aren't you?" Arcanus taunted. "You wouldn't let me lay a finger on her, would you?"
Arcanus clasped his hands together behind his back, summoning the candle-bearing spirits that served as witnesses to the Oath.
"I'd die before I let anyone harm her!"
"And what about other kin, like your sister?"
"It'd be no different!" Rief shot back, angry and confused over being interrogated this way. It felt simultaneously corny and disturbing.
"And I bet you'd die before letting any harm befall them, and you'd never ever betray them, right?"
"Of course!" Rief exclaimed. "Why are you asking me these things?"
Arcanus didn't need to answer that. Instead, he released his hands behind his back, sealing the curse. Rief cried out in shock as the candle-bearing ghosts suddenly flew into his body, causing a flash of pain as the Oath was imprinted on his soul.
As always, there was a catch. The Oath needed an item to seal itself on, and often a suitable choice was hard to find. Clothes came and went with the day, while equipment could be replaced in the future. Thus, Arcanus opted to seal the Oath on Ice Queen's stone, which Rief couldn't replace.
"What did you just do to me?!" Rief demanded.
"You did it to yourself," Arcanus replied. "You just swore you'd die if you ever let harm come to your immediate family members, or if you ever betray them. I only brought in some friends to hear witness it."
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Belinsk
"So… you said Ayuthay, where Rief was, became really unstable?" Nowell asked. "Did anything… you know, blow up there?"
"Well, we've received word that some time after Amiti disappeared, King Paithos was assassinated in his bath tub," Sveta replied. "After that, things quickly got really nasty, because it looked like an inside job. Various different factions in the country blamed each other. There was a coup and a counter-coup and it's descending into civil war."
"Did Rief get caught up in all this?" Nowell asked, as a dark cloud of foreboding gathered over her mind.
"Well, we've received got another letter from Ayuthay that may answer your questions," offered Sveta, passing a letter to Nowell.
It was from Kraden. Nowell's heart pounded as she read about how Alex had broken into the inn where they were staying, killed the owner and a number of guests, and kidnapped Rief.
"Kraden was in jail while he wrote that letter," explained Sveta. "It seems that the locals blamed him for the tragedy because he was a foreigner."
"We sent a notice to Prince Chafko urging him to free Kraden," Matthew added.
"But, why?" Nowell demanded. "Why would Alex want to kidnap Rief and Ayuthay's Prince?"
"We don't know," replied Matthew. "It could be that he intends to use them both for something, they're both Mercury Adepts… but that's just guessing."
"Umm… thanks a lot for telling me all this," Nowell said. She had to rescue Rief from Alex's clutches, but she had no idea how or where he was.
"Kraden suspected that Rief would ultimately be taken to the same place as Amiti was," Sveta noted. "Based on what we already know, that would seem to be a lake in Northeast Morgal."
"Weren't Karis and Tyrell going to rescue Amiti?" Nowell asked. "What's the status of that?"
Sveta gestured to Matthew.
"My Echo Gem can tell me roughly where Karis is, because she has its pair," Matthew explained. "The last I checked, they were near Talon Peak…"
"The month you said you'd wait to pass before you went after them has passed, hasn't it?" Nowell noted, recalling their previous conversation.
Matthew nodded.
"Matthew and I have decided that he will travel by ship to the Northeast fringe," stated Sveta. "If the two got ensnared in a trap, he'll try to rescue them. If not, he can transport them out of the area by boat, so they don't have to pass through the warzone again."
"I don't know how to man a boat," said Matthew, "but Piers taught you, didn't he?"
This is why she summoned me, Nowell realized. Given the situation, Sveta doesn't want to use anyone from the navy, or any beastman for that matter, because of the war. Then, suddenly, I enter the equation and everything can work out.
"I can definitely man the boat," she said.
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Tuaparang Ship
At first Rief looked relieved. He'd made a binding oath, but it was only to protect immediate family members. What could be bad about that? It didn't seem dangerous at all to him. Then he realized that something must be was wrong.
"You've tricked me somehow, I know you have. What have you done?" Rief demanded fearfully.
"Are you sure you know all of your immediate family members?" Arcanus asked slyly.
"…I never knew my father," Rief stated.
"Ever wondered? It could be quite interesting."
"Why in the world would you have the right to care who my father is?" Rief demanded angrily.
"Because, Rief, I AM your father!" Arcanus declared.
"No…No, no!" Rief cried, deathly afraid it could be true. "That can't be! My mother hates you!"
"Oh yes, it is," said Arcanus triumphantly. "And why do you think she hates me so much? Because I left her."
"No…"
"It was more than 30 years ago," Arcanus recalled, "I left her because I had better things to do in life than be bored to death by her and Imil. She found someone else, but she never stopped missing me."
"No!" Rief cried, as his eyes began to tear up. "It can't be!"
"Then, one night, when I returned to her, she couldn't resist me…"
"Stop it!" yelled Rief. "Stop lying! It can't be you!"
"…and she bore me a son. You."
"This is all a big lie!" Rief insisted, tears streaming down his face. "You can't be my father!"
"Oh yes, I am," Arcanus replied. "And we're actually quite similar, the two of us, aren't we? Just like me, you were never satisfied with the insular life of Imil. You always wanted to see the world, didn't you…?"
"I'm not anything like you!" Rief protested, shaking his head hysterically.
"Deep down, you know it's true," Arcanus said. "That's why you're so afraid of it."
"No… stop lying, stop it!" Rief shouted, as he began to claw the ground, his hands frantically searching for something to grasp. "It's not true!"
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Arcanus taunted. "As your immediate family member, I command you to come over here and give me a hug. If you don't, I'll give myself a little scratch. If y0u try to disobey, the spirits will warn you before they kill you."
For a second, Rief lay still, before gasping as his eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets. The spirits had spoken. "Nooooo!" Rief cried.
Defeated, Rief grudgingly made his way over to Arcanus and resigned himself to his poisonous embrace. He had no choice- he didn't want to die. He mouthed the word "no" over and over again as he pressed his face into Arcanus' chest.
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Lake
Gusts of wind raced across Karis' face as she watched the formidable Tuaparang airship descend toward her. Waves rocked the once-tranquil lake surface, and leaves were flying around everywhere. Whole trees had been stripped bare by the winds generated by the airship.
At the same time, the airship made no sound. The silence was much more terrifying, more ominous than any blaring noise could've been.
"Airship" didn't really capture the essence of the jet black structure, Karis thought. It was more like a sort of "sky-castle." Even that, though, didn't do justice to its great jets and propellers. No, at this moment, only one word could describe the behemoth: "doom."
As the doom descended upon Karis, she reflected that another one of her promises to Sveta would soon be broken. She'd already failed to keep the mission a secret and failed to avoid involvement in the conflict. Now, she'd be loaded as living cargo onto this behemoth ship and taken out of Morgal. Knowing that the Grave Eclipse had followed last time she broke a promise like this, Karis could only dread what was coming this time.
There was a brief exchange between Amiti and that carnivorous plant girl, Latakia, before the two walked away towards the site where the black behemoth was landing, which was considerable distance along the shore. Both Tyrell and Karis were thus left unguarded, but neither of them made much effort to escape their binds. They both knew it was over.
How could I not have known? Karis grilled herself. But, of course, she had known, she knew. And that made it so much worse. She had failed to avert it. Alex had probably savored making Amiti, the hostage, spring the trap that snared his would-be rescuers. This was more of his sick "art". He'd played them well.
Despair wrapped itself around her, constricting her like a snake- or perhaps the vines of a man-eating plant.
"Karis," Tyrell hissed, "it's not over yet."
"What do you mean?" Karis whispered back.
"Mark my word," Tyrell vowed, "we will escape. Don't give up."
For the first time in awhile, Karis was immensely grateful for Tyrell's presence.
"And whatever you do, make sure they don't take your Echo Gem."
Oh right, Karis thought, Matthew will come for us.
"You can tell where he is with that, right? We should make our escape when he's near, so he can cover us."
Karis nodded her assent.
"It's not over yet," Tyrell repeated, with determined conviction.
-~:|~~|:-:|~~|:~-
Next Chapter: The Cavern
Author's Notes:
*I will probably be quite busy for the next 7 weeks, so don't expect the next chapter to come out before then.
*For those wondering how much longer this story will go on: I'm thinking a few more chapters, perhaps three or four, and then a short epilogue. I already know everything that will happen, and almost everything people will say, I just have to get it written. And let me tell you, it's the best part :).
*Taking a minute to tell me what you think in a review really goes a long way :). Comments, constructive criticism, predictions, whatever, its all good.
The only thing that's not good for reviews is spoiling what we just learned about Rief- it's okay to imply it (ex "What happened with Rief shocked me" for example, is okay, just don't explicitly state it).
*I considered withholding that revelation until much later, but ultimately decided against it, thinking it might make things confusing