Latale: A Memory's Venture
Chapter 8: The Queen's Mausoleum
Vacation's Over I only made 2 chapters... FAIL!
Enjoy!
Parts of a court:
The Bench: where the judges sit
The Bailiff seat: The seat where the bailiff, the enforcer of possession, is seated
The Court Clerk seat
The Interpreter Stand
The Court Reporter Seat
The Counsel: Where the two panels are seated with their respective attorneys
The Jury Box
The Witness Stand
The Well: The large area between the counsel and the bench, disrespectful to traverse it without permission to the judge
Kyiin's POV
As I lay in bed, I was hoping to see the Seeker items in my dream once more; I'm trying real hard to memorize them, since it will part of my journey now. But much better if I landed on the graveyard, I wanted to talk to Symphony about the person she loves. I can't shake the feeling that he is one of the seekers as well, Symphony did say, that she makes the water, and he makes the flowers, in her forest sanctuary, but apparently it was only a graveyard.
While thinking all about it, I kept my eyes closed trying to fall into slumber. The dream again was the same, me floating in an empty space; I suppose I would hear the scream the items would show up one by one. But it didn't
I kept drifting in the empty as if floating in water, then there was a wet sensation, I was in fact now floating in water, the sky all black, a large island in a distance, I swam towards it in the beach was sitting lonely is Symphony Alastair, when I approached her and tried to shake her shoulders, my hand went through, it was like an illusion, Symphony just kept looking at the wide open sea, I kept repeating on trying to grab her, but my hands just went through and empty space, Why?
I gave up and I walked to the straight path through the forest, finding a graveyard, our graveyard. To the left was the door I entered in once. To the right was a huge construction, it was made of marbles, the pillars were cracked and ready to give in.
I fight the urge to enter the hallway once again, I would like to finish reading the remaining text in those papers, but the building is very intriguing, and I wanted to check what it was.
I made my way to the giant hall with only a double door in its far end. I hesitated to open the door, but I did anyway, it was a large courtroom. The audience tables are strewn all over the place, the court was filled with people I don't recognize except for Symphony, in the two far ends of the room, stood two Iris statues in her famous posture, looking at a far distance, while holding her famous bow in her right, her left on her chest.
"Ahh, finally, we thought you wouldn't show up, now take you place in the court." The Judge said as she stood from the bench
"Welcome to Sanctuary Core courtroom, please proceed with the proper protocols, Lawyer." The female judge said to me.
Why the Hell is she calling me a lawyer, I can't think of any good reasons why I can be a lawyer in this courtroom, but it's just a dream anyway.
The Judge was lady with brown hair, the two stacks of hair spiraled downwards, and her back hair was straight. A guard stood behind the Judge was a small boy with emerald hair.
In the Bailiff seat, was a blonde woman wearing a light blue armor, a large sword was buried in the ground beside her. As I was the lawyer I have to seat somewhere in the counsel along with the accused or the defendant but the judge gestured me to stand near the sidebar, I was supposed to ask permission to traverse the well and stand in the sidebar.
In the counsel, the counsel of the defendant, sat a pale cream haired girl, she was smiling widely at me, eyes closed. The Court Clerk was another blonde girl. But I can't see her face because it was buried behind the court clerk covers in the table, behind her was a boy wearing a tuxedo, with blue hair and golden eyes, With that I realized who it was, What is Raavi doing here?
The Court Reporter was woman with black hair with familiar pigtails, Luli! What is she doing here? The same as Raavi. And where is Corelle?
In the witness stand was a boy with a brown headband in his head, his purple hair all messy and scattered he has red flecks in his hair from the center out. In the Jury Box alone, was Symphony Alastair, she was the only Jury. But why are Luli and Raavi in this dream with Symphony? Anyway this is just a dream.
"Now, let's start this ridiculous hearing, and banish the guilty eternally!" the judge held her gavel up high and slammed it to the small brown circle where it was supposed to hit. Then the building shattered to an empty space. I was again floating in the water slowly sinking down eventually, when I was finally underneath, There was an imminent feeling of drowning. Is this what Symphony felt when she died?
"Gahh!" I shouted, as large volumes of water poured directly at my face.
"Wake up Sasquatch, we have to leave now, before the desert heat gets us killed" A pink haired girl devoid of expression said as she was holding a large bucket of water. Which was used to wake me up… brilliant idea, I'm gonna catch a cold now… Thanks
I checked the clock it read 3:00am "What the… I only had an hour of sleep, and so did you can we just go tomorrow?"
"It doesn't matter. Get up, Get dressed, and Get out. We already paid for the rent." She answered uninterested or maybe just sleepy
As she said, I quickly took a bath and was about to wear my Rubashka again, but I notice there was another Rubashka hanging in the door of the bathroom, it had a note
"Wear it, don't want you to stink, and I'm not a fashion designer to get you a different set of clothes
–Corelle-"
So wore it, it had the same size as the other one, but I still look like I didn't change my clothes at all. When I got outside darkness is still very deep, there were no clouds just stars, and there were a lot of jumping ninjas in the roofs
"Ready to go?" Luli asked me from a distance, she still wore her violin player outfit carrying her blue corala guitar. Along with a big backpack
I nodded and smiled
"The Journey is longer this time. So we best come prepared for the desert." Raavi said in delight, while cradling a very big backpack.
"It doesn't matter, Sandstorms will wipe out our packs in no time, or desert creatures will steal them anyway" Corelle muttered emotionlessly
"It's still not bad to be prepared right?"
"Suit yourself"
And with that we head for the desert.
Luli's POV
It's easier talking to Raavi than to Kyiin, for one, I don't blush when he smiles, I don't stutter when he says something sweet, or flirty. Raavi is very kind and optimistic, and maybe a bit off, I think. He tends to laugh even on the littlest things you say, to sum it up, he is exactly the opposite of Corelle.
Me and Raavi were talking loudly behind the trail Corelle is leaving. She has been extremely quiet all of the sudden. Paying no attention to any of us in the back, But hey maybe it's a bit better for her parrot mouth to shut up for a while. But I gotta admit, I miss the feeling of agitation when she insults me. As for Kyiin he was oddly quiet for some time, he talks to us when he asks us about the desert. But eventually after it is answered he becomes very quiet thinking about something.
As I said, He's mysterious, and sometimes he acts a little dumb, but still I don't know much about him since we met. But that's what keeps him interesting, not to any point at all…
"The Sun will be scorching hot in a few minutes, you sure you want to continue walking?" Raavi asked us diligently
"Check the map asshole, where going to the oasis. We're going to stay there until the sun comes down, and then we can resume or walk to Elfa." Corelle said out of nowhere.
"Is she always angry or is just the head getting in her head?" He asks me.
Kyiin broke to a laugh.
"You have to get used to it, she's always like that."
After hours of walking in a slowly radiating heat throughout the desert, we manage to reach the oasis without any mirages or hallucinations.
We set up camp, the oasis is very cozy, the greens plants and trees grow in the middle of the desert. A pond was in the middle of it, We split up for chores, of course I do the cooking, Raavi brought huge amounts of meat along the way, so there was no problem there, he brought matchsticks as well so starting a fire is a bit easy, all I have to do is gather dried wood to make a bonfire. Raavi sets up the tents, Kyiin gather useful fruits and plants, and refills our water, while Corelle…. She said she scour the pyramid… Don't know what she up to but surely I'm not into it.
By noon we we're just relaxing at the oasis, too tired to walk and too full to move.
When we went back for our belongings along with the tent, I noticed there is only one tent, a large one, inside there was only 1 bed in the middle.
"And how are we going to fit in that little bed?" Corelle shouted harshly.
"Sorry, I didn't think about it very well, you made me rush and that's what I got?" Raavi apologized still happy as ever.
"Well it's better than nothing, c'mon it looks cozy" Kyiin said
"Wait, are we sleeping at noon?" I asked.
Corelle approached me and knock my head twice. "Use your brain, dumbass. We are in the middle of the desert. We have to walk at nighttime or we'll die from the heat at morning."
"But I can't sleep, I'm still way energetic."
"Me too" Raavi butted in.
"Am I with kids? I don't think so" Corelle created a rune in her hand and emitted a green powder. "Sleep."
I got dizzy, I fell and I just remember Kyiin's smiling face before I blackout.
Kyiin's POV
Corelle just put Luli and Raavi to sleep; there was no exploring the pyramid for me… Though I was planning to… So I just lay down to sleep, hoping to arrive at the graveyard again.
There were no dreams. It was the most peaceful sleep I had, when I roused up it was nightfall, But my three companions are still asleep, that gives me no choice but to wait until they woke before we fix everything up and start walking again.
So I just help myself up and sat outside our tent, looking at the stars in the desert. They were beautiful, there's like a dark blue painting canvass and you just spill the white paint onto it. Completely random, and completely beautiful.
"How come you always look so lonely?"
"I don't know, maybe I'm just thinking too hard." I said trying to face the person who just talked to me.
"Well, I don't really care about it, but it would be nice to say something once in a while" Corelle said cheerfully, that is rare
"Don't ask me, you're the one who didn't talk the entire time we walked."
"Corelle, you said you were going to scour the pyramid, what exactly are you looking for?" I said anxiously.
"Thought you might say that, So I need you to help acquire something WE need" she said proudly
"What would that be?"
"I have a great feeling that one of the Iris seeker items are in there." She said pointing at the Pyramid just ahead
"Wait, aren't we supposed to go to Elfa first?"
"It'll just be for a short time, they won't even notice we're gone."
"Why not let them be a part of the retrieval?"
"No need to, They don't know about the Seeker items anyway, all they know is about the Iris shards." Corelle said unfazed
"Then how come you know about it?"
"I'm a gossiping machine remember? I know a lot of stuff"
"And the decanter Shaowee gave us, I know it's one of the seeker items. And I believe it belongs to the extravagant flirt of the century." She said making a huge grin
"Symphony's not a flirt!"
"You'll be surprised, as for now, let's get the second one."
"Where is it hidden?"
"In the Queen's Mausoleum, in order to gain access inside the treasure vault, we need a special key from the time fragment"
" Ok? Key from the time fragment?" I asked still dumbfounded by the info she gave.
"It's in the portal to the past, you know what, nevermind that key, I'll take care of it, All I want you to do, is locate the Queen's Mausoleum and defeat the guardian Sphinx inside."
"Alone? You have to be kidding me" I said surprised a lot
"Don't worry" she said pinching my cheek and pulling it hard. "You won't die from it. You defeated Hyunmu all by yourself right?"
"But that was…" I tried to say but she cut me off.
"You can do it, I know you can. You saved me from DMP so I doubt a simple golden statue can kill you"
It was extremely rare for Corelle to show support to any of us, but I gotta admit, that did made me feel a bit brave… Thanks Corelle I won't let you down. I promise.
As we enter the pyramid, prirings with loose bandages became alert and attacked us without warning.
"Move!" Corelle shouted. We ran towards the nearest ladder and climb it slowly, there was a split passage way.
"The right goes on the dino area… That's where the key is found" "You're way is left, find the treasure vault and secure it, go!" Corelle shouted as she flew towards the direction of the time and space fragment.
After a while of running around the pyramid, defeating skeletons and mummies, I finally reached the Queen's treasure vault. There are writings on the wall on ancient hieroglyphics. To my surprise I can understand them.
The pathway is long and the price is wealthy, but whoever comes in has sought only greed and will be sentence death for eternity. A curse of the damned is laid upon the final resting place of the queen. Those who disturb it shall awaken the guardian and wreak havoc in the land.
"Now that's a very heartwarming welcome sentence." I said to no one in particular.
Corelle's POV
Simple, Dash through the horde of monsters that stand in my way, retrieve the key, and get the hell out of this place. That was my plan.
But it turned out more complicated, For one the purplehusu's make a mess of my dress, their purple spit going everywhere as they try to subjugate me with poison, too bad I won't
Next the Sabre tigers are faster than I thought they ripped portions of my dress as well, In my anger, I swipe the whole horde of them in half.
The Stegosaur's are way too big to dodge easily, I actually have to maneuver myself out of their horde, but their low speed made it easy to dodge their attacks.
And lastly the Pterodactyl's are my major pain, since they fly; they can catch up to me. They peck my wings until my wings give in. I fell on the stone ground where the key should be at. Perfect
Still I'm not out of danger just yet. The Ptero's are waiting for a simple movement until they go all nuts and attack randomly.
"I'll let you feel what's like to be in the Ice age!" I shouted as I casted Hailstone all around me, Ice spikes hail down on the pack of the Pterodactyl's. Once over, they all lie down on the ground way to far below dead.
Once they're out of my way, I grabbed the key and head towards the center of the area. Not minding if the taking the key out of its place will activate some sort of trap. As suspected it did.
All monsters are after me all at once, their eyes as red as the flames of hell. They all are seem to be after the key that went out of its place. But things only went as I wanted them to
Once the horde of monster came closing in. I turn my time and space orb to my voodoo doll for fire element. I created a ring of fire to prevent them from escaping their demise I'm going to bring.
"Let's see how you guys really did extinct" I said as I raised my doll higher up. It glowed and created crackle. Then fire burst out in all directions, huge amounts of fire burn up the dinosaurs, trees and whatever comes in.
I used my other hand to create another one of my weapons, my toad staff, for earth element.
"Flames of wrath and the earth of tranquility, MERGE!" I shouted as the fire recede from burning the monsters, the earth and fire intertwined. Giant rocks started storming down. A minute after, they became meteors, exploding upon impact, the monsters staggered to escape their demise, but the ring of fire prevents them to, their stuck until their all but cooked meat.
The smell of burning flesh, trees and the sounds of wailing monsters, young or old, the scenery of running dinosaurs caught on fire bawling until they can't bear the heat no longer, have only made me want to laugh. So I laugh maniacally. Putting the back of my hand over my mouth and laughing like hell, as the meteors crash down to the ground, the explosion, the debris, and the smoke all killing the pitiful monsters in my sight. "What a wonderful scene" I laugh maniacally again.
The outcome, everything is in ash and rocks. Burned bodies of monsters scattered everywhere, there is nothing else living. All of them have faced extinction and none survived.
Kyiin's POV
"Pfth" I should have listened to the carvings outside. The Queen's Tomb is filled with gold, even the tiles are gold, gold coins stacked up, jewelries, chalices, plates, and almost everything is gold. But of course guarding the gold are Lamias, Half woman Half snake other half of their body the tail of a snake, then their head and body, looks like a slender woman, more like Medusa without snakes as hair.
They gang up together hissing as they charge directly at me.
I just dashed through never minding them. There was a door in farthest point of the area. It leads to a new room, until the last one must have lead to the sphinx.
Going through the first door is easy, just pass through. The second area was still filled with lamias, the second door still at the farthest point. The difference is that there is a guardian that is protecting it.
The Assassin, Luli told me that the Assassin is an Elfa native that has been driven out of the city, He joined the Thieves in search for the treasures of the pyramid, however in order to obtain said treasure, there is a sacrifice to maroon someone inside the treasure vault for eternity, He was one of those who were chosen to stay, So know the temporal loop inside the treasure vault apparently made him a guardian. Once killed the loop summons another in the next area dying all over again. He's bound to that fate.
With two daggers at each hand, he started hacking away, the cloth that covered his face except his eyes became very visible He was a bit predictable; He hacks nonstop then lunges at me with both hands out front holding the daggers as he desperately tries to bury it in my chest.
With a simple flex of my hand, his dagger is flipped away, I grabbed his arm and bend his arm to his back, my other hand grab the back of his neck and bury it in the golden tiles below, the impact so powerful, the tiles cracked, his head crushed and heavily bleeding he is in fact dead.
In the 3rd room, resides the Thief Clan, she is not known by any name rather than that, she was a member of the thief clan that was also marooned in the temporal loop of the treasure vault, she has a handkerchief that covers her mouth and a very large metal club that she swings around.
Even before she seen me, I was already charging up energy in my fist, at first sight of her. I fired it, burning everything it passes through with blue flame, and along with her. I just want to get this done
The 4th room is the trickiest, the door is lock tight until I have defeat their guardians, another Assassin, and another Thief Clan, the thief clan resides in the eastern vicinity, while the guardian is in the northern vicinity, right where the door is.
I manage to get rid of the thief clan at the same method, burning her. While the Assassin manage to dodge my crude attacks, He started hacking away like before, making few abrasions on my arms, and legs, but the same method did manage to work, I still crushed his head in the gold tiles and killed him.
Sometimes I feel guilty killing monsters, I mean Luli is right they still have life, It's wrong to life away from them.
Through the 5th room, the room of the Sphinx, Stacks of gold coins and jewelries, pile up to make hill-like formation, in the center, was a gold statue of a sphinx, pharaoh's head,body of a lion, tail fo a scorpion.
One step forward and the ground began to shake violently. The sphinx's eyes shone red and it started to move. With a large roar, the platform I was standing on was shattered to pieces. I didn't hesitated, I have no fear as of the moment. I capered stone after stone until I reached the last one, trusting my feet, I pushed myself to the air, creating a spin as I heavily landed on the sphinxes back with a large driving force. The objects that make it became cracked and broke. With three back handsprings to reach the pharaoh's crown that the sphinx wore in its golden head, The fourth back handspring from the top of the crown to the space near its head, I made a kicking pose, my left leg outstretched while my right leg bent, my hands extended on the opposite direction as energy accumulates at my left leg.
Gusts of wind push me downward to the direction of the sphinx. With a roar of pain, It was collapsing on top of me. With a tumble to the right, I evaded the crushing mass of the sphinx body.
Its head swiveled to my direction, its eyes glowed green before it discharged lightning bolts in my direction, and with a dash I evade quickly to face its behind. As it turns around, I rapidly charge energy at one hand, releasing it with all force, but instead of burning everything with blue flames, it sent out blue wind pushing back the staggering sphinx to the farthest it can reach.
The Sphinx lashes out its tail and flails it at me, hitting my right arm deep. "Aahhh" I shouted as the pain begins to sink in to my senses. My right knee gave in. unable to make me stand; I was a sitting duck, except I'm kneeling with one knee. The sphinx swing its paw in an arc direction it hit me, throwing me at the wall with a large propulsion.
I coughed blood, my right arm bleeding massively, dirt covers it, infection is imminent, but what's bothering me most, is that at first the blood are turning, before it turns to drops of purple.
Still not minding the pain, I dashed out to the gold statue that has came alive for some reason, Evading its paw that is bound to crush me, I vaulted myself to the paw and ran up to reach its head, With my knuckles/gloves huge enough to fit in its eye hole, I pierced it in, The sphinx roared in pain as I leap overhead making a position where my fist are facing the ground energy again accumulates at my feet. Ready to fall at high speed.
Just then, The Sphinx looked up, and emitted a green and purple gas from its breath. I fell at high speed, demolishing the face of the sphinx, shattering it to all directions, When I landed I was in my two feet. I don't know or remember how.
As the rest of the body of the Sphinx acted on blind dying rage, It quavers until in fell sideways.
The gas it emitted made me weak, I'm barely able to stand upright, But at least my job is done, Corelle will do the rest. But my head feels so faint I don't think I'll make it.
Before I even face flat on the pile of gold, someone tugged on my collar and pulled me up.
"Told you, you wouldn't die" The pink haired said, I would argue with her at this time, but I was in condition to, so I simply smiled
She held out a small doll, and then fire burst out from it, melting the statue while laughing maniacally.
Corelle's POV
Well I suppose that Hyunmu is weaker than the Sphinx, and the Queen's Sphinx is much much weaker than the King's. But still this kid made it out alive, although barely but still alive.
I wasn't worried that he'll die from the sphinx but from the poison it emits, and I will be right if I don't get him to Elfa immediately.
He was already pale, his neck is turning purple, and the skin beneath his eyes is already dark, he was poisoned bad, and he was dying.
"Hang on there kid, I'll just get the Adeph and we're out of here" I said, he still smiled his eyes not hinting an argument about my decision, He really doesn't care if he dies, isn't he.
I dashed through the treasure vault's treasure room, and snatch the iris seeker item present there, not minding the effects as well, like before.
"Don't sleep, you won't wake up"
The treasure room, started collapsing, dust and rubble started falling down from the ceiling. I made my way back to Kyiin who is still where I left him, his skin become very pale he's almost dead. The skin beneath his eyes is much darker now. I flew at high speed to escape the collapsing treasure room, driven by the desire to save the sixth Iris seeker, who I seemed to care for a bit now.
When we got out. Kyiin is still trying to hold his eyes open but barely. Out camp at the oasis is already in shipshape to continue the journey. It was still deep night, so the sun is not my worries.
"What the Hell did you guys do!" Pigtails shouted at me, as I cradled Kyiin at my back.
"Shut up Pigtails, it's a long story, I'll tell and apologize when we get to Elfa. Now we have to hasten, Or else, the dumb is going to die from the sphinx's poison."
"Wait maybe I can cure him. I can play the cure poison sonata."
Maybe it will work, Nah, I won't risk wasting time on something that has less than 100% chance of cure. "That's great pigtails, but I doubt it, the devil's poison is not that easy to constrain." Now let's go!" I shouted violently at the two.
"Go, we'll catch up, He's our priority, we need to save him." Raavi said
"No, we go together." Luli said not thinking at all as usual.
"Luli, we are too slow for Corelle flight speed, we'll still get left behind if we are all in such a hurry, don't worry we'll catch up. Kyiin's going to be fine." Raavi said optimistically
"Ahh.. I have no time for your crazy explanations nerd! Catch up quickly. I'll meet you at Elfa's bar, after I cede him to someone who can actually cure him."
And with that I flew to Elfa as fast as I can.
Hope you liked it!
Thanks for reading!
Happy New Year to all!
Next Chappie: A Chalice tainted with Spite and Malice