Chapter 17: Tir Nan Og
Riven groaned and knocked his head back against the bus' seat. "So bored."
"I told you to bring a book or something," Musa, who sat beside him, noted without a shred of sympathy. "But no, you said you like travelling."
"Yes, but normally travelling means speeding through the skies or across the land," the magenta-haired soldier replied. "Not my fault that all transport here on Earth is so boring."
"I don't know about that," Timmy said from behind him. "I personally thought the airplane was very fascinating. I got Techna to map out its function and upload it to my laptop. It's quite the feat of engineering, though not nearly as fuel efficient as what we have back home. But, you know, no magic, so that isn't a surprise."
"Yeah. I mean, I kinda see what you're getting at. All that waiting around, going through scanners, being interviewed by people and then hanging in the air for the better part of a day was kinda dull," Techna, who was sitting beside Timmy, added. "But I just found all that tech really interesting. Bet we could incorporate it into some designs."
"Ah yes, the waiting," Sky, who was sitting on the seat in front of Riven, added. "Couldn't you have done something to speed that up?"
"Oh no, you don't want to mess with the airport security," Bloom, who sat beside him, quickly said. "People are real sensitive about that."
"And then we had to sit in the train slowly going through the landscape. And now this bus. All to go to some place called Dingle," Riven added exasperated.
"Why not enjoy the Irish landscape?" Flora, who sat across from Riven, inquired. "I find it to be a very picturesque scenery."
"Yeah. I really hope I get an opportunity to paint it," Helia, who sat behind her, added.
"It's grass and rocks. It's been nothing but grass and rocks for hours," the magenta-haired soldier replied. "I almost got a heart attack from sheer excitement when I saw they also had a tree. I think it might have been an accidental fluke that it got dropped off here."
"Well, they do call it the Emerald Isle," Bloom added with a shrug. "It would be weird if it wasn't green."
"Right, but would some trees hurt? Flowers? Something else but grass and rocks."
"Didn't know you were becoming a landscaper," Brandon, who sat across from Bloom and Sky, noted.
"I'm not. It's just dull. Oh hey, sheep. Yeah, almost forgot to add that. Grass, rocks and sheep. Kilometre after kilometre of grass, rocks and sheep," Riven commented, letting his head tip against the window with a donk.
"I like sheep," Mirta mumbled. "They're cute."
"So, like, what was the plan again?" Stella, who sat beside Brandon, asked. "We go to, what was it, Dingle and then, what, get a boat?"
"Rent one, most likely," Brandon noted. "Then we go west. If the info we have is on point, the ring should reveal the isle. At some point. Hopefully."
"So we're playing this one by ear then," Sky noted.
"Not so unusual for us, eh?" Techna commented with a grin.
"Which involves going to a town called Dingle. What happened to us?" Riven asked. "We used to go to all the cool places. Cloud Tower, Shadowhaunt, the Obsidian Prison. Now we go to frickin' Dingle."
"Actually, that's just the English name," Mirta said, holding up a brochure. "Its Irish name would be Daingean Uí Chúis."
"That tots sounds like an invocation I should be yelling to, like, turn somebody into a newt," Stella commented.
"As if you have room to talk. I've seen your people's language without a translator spell active. Looks like it was invented by a four-year-old kid who went crazy with a set of crayons," Sky added.
"This coming from a people whose language sounds like your trying to cough up a roo," the Solarian princess shot back.
"Right, your people both have weird languages. We get it," Musa sighed annoyed.
"So do yours, Cacophony," Techna commented. "Or languages I guess. How many ways of talking fancy is it exactly Harmony has invented by now? Two hundred? Five hundred? It's basically how countries there one up each other. Inventing new languages with messed up, arbitrary rules."
The black-haired musician was silent for a moment. "I cannot say you're wrong, yet I still feel a somewhat patriotic urge to pull my fans out of my suitcase and whack you around."
"I get that a lot," the scarred girl replied with a grin.
"That reminds me," Roxy, who sat beside Helia, noted. "How exactly does this magic not translate names?"
"Well, because it's a name. They're not meant to be translated," Brandon replied.
The pink-haired fairy stared at him, before dryly adding: "Do you people just accept all these things at face value? Must be nice."
"Oh, I think I can see the town," Mirta eagerly noted.
"Great. Next stop, frickin' Dingle," Riven commented, rolling his eyes.
...
The elderly man behind the desk paused for a moment, before a beep of confirmation rang from the register. "Alright, lass, it checks out. You have a good day now."
"Likewise," Bloom responded while nodding her head, before leaving the shop.
Outside on the docks, the rest of the group sat or stood around while waiting.
"So?" Brandon asked.
"I've rented the boat for a couple of days," the redhead replied. "Good thing Sky's father paid in jewels. Otherwise, I have no idea what asking for a loan that big would have done to my parents' account."
"Your parents' sacrifices, be they of time or money, are very much appreciated. Their generosity is truly remarkable," Nabu exclaimed. "No wonder they have managed to nurture such a noble soul in you."
"Yes, yes, we get it," Sky commented, rolling his eyes. "Shall we get going or are we going to stay here blathering?"
"Fear not, my friend, for I do not desire to rob you of your beloved," Nabu assured him. "For I would never be unfaithful to my radiant darling, nor rob you of the same. I have nothing but admiration for the fact that Bloom casts such loving glances at you, no matter what shortcomings you may have."
The Eraklian prince stared at him for an extended period of time, before turning to Brandon. "Captain, do we have an anchor for our ship?"
"No drowning your teammates."
"Dammit."
The group made their way to the rented ship, a medium sized yacht. It wasn't the most luxurious vessel, but it had the space the group needed, which had been the priority. After getting their stuff on board, they activated the engines and sailed out, leaving behind Dingle.
"Alright Pinky, if you sense anything, just give me a holler," Techna said, as she steered the ship. "You receive any mystic fairy vibes or whatever, you just point me in the right direction."
"I'm starting to feel like a McGuffin," Roxy, who stood at the prow of the ship, commented.
Not far from her, Aisha leaned against the railing, taking a deep breath. She sighed happily and said: "So nice to be back on the ocean. I kinda missed that when we flew to Ireland. Just looking at it isn't the same, without the smell and sound."
"I agree. Makes me nostalgic," Nabu said.
The group milled around the boat, as the Irish coast slowly vanished in the horizon. Stella sat in a chair, soaking up a bit of the sun. Helia was working on recreating the Irish landscape in a painting. Sky and Riven did a few practise rounds with their swords, thought nothing too fancy so as to not get in the way. As the day slowly faded, the group began feeling restless and tired.
"God dammit, the jetlag is killing me," Bloom mumbled, as she dragged herself up on deck. "I feel like I've gotten run over by a truck."
"You should find some way to stimulate yourself, Firetop," Techna adviced her. "I did."
The Dominian princess paused, before suspiciously asking: "Techna, what did you do?"
"Used soda instead of water in the coffee machine," came the chipper response. "I can keep sailing all night along with first mate caffeine and boatswain sugar."
The redhead stared. "Whatever. It's your body. Just don't come crying to me when you crash and burn."
The scarred girl blew a raspberry. "You really think this is my first trip to the rodeo, Firetop? Honestly."
"Does anybody want more sandwiches?" Flora asked, popping her head up on deck. "Otherwise, I will just pack the bread and such away."
"Nah. Think we're good," Musa said, before returning her attention to her book.
"Alright. So the question is..." Brandon began, but was interrupted by Roxy yelling: "THERE! THERE! LOOK!"
Everybody except Techna hurried to the front of the vessel. In the distance, fading into sight like it was emerging from a mist that couldn't be seen, a great island manifested. Trees and grass covered the great jagged rocks that made up its coastline, dipping down into sandy beaches in a few spots.
"Great. Tir Nan Og. Mystical place supreme. We've spent days trying to reach this blasted place," Riven began, sounding rather annoyed. "And what is it? More grass and rocks of course."
"Alright, no question then," Brandon said and turned to face the others. "We cast anchor here and wait until tomorrow morning before we start exploring."
"Really?" Techna asked annoyed. "I've just pumped myself up on sugar and coffee. There's no way I can sleep now."
"Just ask Timmy to help you get that extra energy out of your system," Sky suggested with a smirk, causing the bespectacled sniper to turn a notably rosa colour.
"What, hoping to learn a couple of things from him? I bet Firetop would appreciate that," the scarred girl shot back, causing the redhead to start fidgeting with her hair while trying to not look anyone in the eyes.
"Can we please drop the subject?" Aisha asked, sounding a mite uncomfortable.
"Yes, please. This is a serious mission. Not a teenage orgy tour de force," Musa commented annoyed.
"Okay, seriously, why the hell did the magic just translate part of what you said into French?" Roxy asked bewildered. "How does it know how to do that?"
"Because it's magic," Brandon tried.
"Stop saying that."
...
The next day, a couple of hours after the sun had lazily risen from the horizon, the group made landfall, carried ashore by a plate of hardened water conjured by Aisha.
"A most inspiring display of power. You continue to impress me," Nabu remarked, as they stepped on the soggy sand of the beach. He paused, before concernedly adding: "Are you okay, Aisha?"
"Yes," the dark-skinned princess replied in a strained voice. "Just a bit winded. Give me a moment to catch my breath."
"I knew there was nothing in this world that could keep a strong and radiant spirit like yours down for long," the bird magician replied joyfully.
Aisha didn't reply, instead just kicking a bit of sand while looking away, a small smile on her face.
"Okay then, here's the plan," Brandon said. "We will head inland as a group, get a feeling for the lay of the land and such. Once we've done that, we will most likely have to split up to cover as much ground as possible. We search until evening, then head back to boat. I don't want us camping on this island."
"No. That would probably end up like every horror movie ever," Roxy remarked.
The group found an old worn, stone path that lead up the rocky coast, waves of grass undulating around them in the ocean breeze. Soon after, they found themselves surrounded by apple trees as they moved inland, juicy red fruits hanging heavily from the branches, surrounded by autumn foliage.
"Oh, they look good," Stella said and stopped up. "You think they're safe?"
"Allow me," Flora offered and walked over to one of the trees. She rapped her knuckle gently on the bark, causing one of the apples to drop into her hand. She paused as she examined it, before declaring: "The fruit itself seems perfectly edible."
"None of them seem enchanted either," Musa noted. "I think they're safe enough."
"Yummy," Stella gleefully squeed, as she took one of them. After taking a bite, she reported: "Solaris, these are delicious. You should tots try one." She handed the apple to Brandon.
"You're right," the team captain said, after taking a bite. "They are delicious."
The group paused for a bit.
"Huh. Nothing," Techna said. "Actually thought something bad would happen."
"I guess sometimes apples are just apples," Bloom noted.
Then Roxy suddenly tipped over.
The group stared at her.
"Well... That's worrisome," Riven noted.
In her dream, Roxy found herself floating through a misty expanse of nothing. "Great. This again," she noted.
"You're so close now," a voice echoed from the mist, the same voice Roxy had heard several times now. "The gate is near. But the Black Circle has corrupted our sanctuary, dark guardians now stalk our orchards and halls. They will try to stop you. None of you are safe, but none the less you must persevere Roxy. Our liberation is at hand and your destiny is about to be fulfilled. Together, we will bring light and joy to the world once again. The answers are down below, hidden from prying eyes."
And then she woke again.
"Roxy, are you okay?" Bloom asked concerned. "You just fainted."
"Yes. It was that voice again," Roxy groaned, as Riven helped her back on her feet. "They said we're close and that the gate is near. It's also down below."
"Down below? Like a cave?" Riven asked.
"Or a basement?" Aisha asked.
"Could also be a well," Flora pondered.
"Don't look at me. They didn't exactly hand me a map of the place," Roxy replied. "They also said that the Black Circle has placed guardians on the isle and that we would be in danger here."
"Well, we suspected as much," Musa commented. "But at least we know for sure now."
"Alright, it's not much, but it is something;" Brandon said. "Let's split up now. We're looking for some way down. A stairway, cave entrance, whatever. Once that is done, we contact each other and meet up."
"That might be more of a challenge than you think, captain," Timmy noted. "I just checked our communication equipment. It's been down ever since we arrived. I guess the same spells that hide the island also hinders communication."
"But of course," Brandon sighed frustratedly. "Alright, new plan. We look for an entrance and if we find any, we memorize it. Then, in the evening, we meet at the beach and come again tomorrow, where we will explore any found entrances as a group. We've brought flares, but those should be for emergencies only, because once we use them we will most definitely be noticed."
"Sounds like a plan," Sky agreed.
...
Stella shivered and rubbed her arms. "We should tots have gone inland. Too much wind out here."
"Really? I find it quite refreshing," Aisha replied.
The two princesses were accompanied by Helia, Mirta, Brandon, Techna and Nabu, the seven of them exploring the coast line. Weather beaten stone towered over them, as they walked along the rocky sands to the tune of the waves and seagulls.
"So, you really think the way into the island is down here?" Mirta asked.
"I think it's as likely as anywhere else," Brandon replied. "There could be a seaside cave leading into the cliffs. A natural dock or something like that. Or maybe a well-hidden escape route." He glanced at the cliffs as he noted that. "Really, lots of options. So keep your eyes open. If you see anything suspicious, say so. I'd rather check a thousand rocks than miss our objective."
"And that would be why you were elected team leader, yes," Nabu noted. "I could also get flying, provide a bird's eye view of the situation."
"You know what. That could help," the squire agreed.
As soon as that had been said, Nabu's form melted into that of a seagull. Giving a brief caw, he flapped his wings and set off into the sky.
"That should also help keep us informed of any dangers the Black Circle may have left here," Helia noted.
"Solaris willing," Stella noted.
The seagull circle around above them a couple of times, before suddenly beelining for something down the coast.
"That didn't take long," Mirta noted. "Should we follow?"
"Let's. He must have seen something," Brandon noted, as the group followed the bird.
It didn't take long for the bird mage to get to what he had seen, as he stopped in the air and circled above it with eager shrieks, and as the group rounded a series of large boulders, they too saw what it was. Three merfolk splashed around out in the waves, seemingly laughing and talking.
"Didn't know they had those 'round these parts," Techna stated.
"Neither did I. In fact, if Bloom had known of them, she would probably have told us," Brandon noted. "I don't know. Something seems..."
"It has been so long since I've had the chance to talk with one of our people," Aisha suddenly remarked, before jumping into the water and swimming towards the laughing flock.
Brandon found himself momentarily stunned by the event. "What... What was... AISHA, COME BACK!"
"Oh no, this is bad," Mirta added nervously.
"Alright, clearly..." The squire paused as he turned. In the distance, he could see Stella skip around the corner of the cliffs. "Oh what happened to her now? This has to be a trap of some kind." He paused as he fumed. "Helia, follow me. We have to get Aisha and Nabu back on land. Mirta, Techna. You two get Stella back before she blunders into a trap."
"Got it," the scarred girl said, as she and the ex-witch ran off after the blonde.
"Let's get going," Helia said as he and Brandon charged into the water, quickly following the princess of Tides. "We must be quick. We're disadvantaged out here."
"And don't I know it," Brandon replied, as the two of them struggled against the waves. As they closed in, he called out: "HEY, AISHA, WE NEED TO GO BACK!" Aisha continued to talk with the two merfolk, as Nabu circled ever closer to them.
Realisation suddenly hit Brandon. Two merfolk. Then where was...?
Suddenly, both he and Helia were pulled down beneath the waves.
Around the corner, Techna and Mirta continued to chase after Stella.
"YO, SUNTOP, THE ACTION IS THE OTHER WAY!" the scarred girl hollered, as they closed in on the Solarian princess.
"Oh, I quite disagree," Stella said in a very weird tone, as she stared at some bushes. "Hello there, handsome. We haven't met before, have we? I'm sure I'd remember a hunk like you." She giggled, as a white furred centaur with long, luxurious, blond locks stepped out of the undergrowth.
"What?" Mirta asked and blinked.
"Ehm, Suntop, you think you could, you know, wait with getting wet over the horse boy until after we're done helping the others?" Techna asked. "I mean, then you could also ask Brandon for his opinion about getting a ride with the centaur. Seems like the nice thing to do."
Stella just kept giggling, blushing and slightly drooling as the blond centaur pranced around her.
"It's like she's not hearing us," Mirta noted.
"Well then. Time to get physical," Techna noted, as she rolled up her sleeves. "This should get her attention." As she approached Stella, the centaur suddenly stepped between them. "Alright, mister Beefcake, you let me get to my friend, or I'm knocking you straight back to the ranch. Got it?"
The centaur just folded his arms and smirked at her.
"Right then. You asked for it," Techna said, before letting her fist fly. Her arm sunk into the centaur's stomach to her elbow. "Oh." She looked up, as the centaur's features melted into purple goo. "Well, fuck me over, why don't you?" Then tons of slime crashed down on her.
...
"I wish this blasted ring would have given me some directions," Roxy grumbled.
"Well, that makes two of us," Musa agreed. "A better warning of what dangers to expect here would also help. And so would not having you possessed twice. In fact, that thing has been more trouble than help all around."
"We'll file a comprehensive complaint when we find them," Sky joked.
The three of them where accompanying Riven, Bloom, Timmy and Flora, investigating the dense apple orchards of the island.
"At least we won't have to worry about running out of food any time soon," Bloom remarked starring at the trees. "If you don't mind apples, that is."
"Right, so an entrance. An entrance," Sky repeated, as he looked around. "Some signposts could really help right now."
"What were you expecting? That the black Circle had left a big arrow with 'Our one weakness' written on it?" Riven inquired.
"You have to admit, it would be convenient."
"It would be a trap, no doubt," Timmy added.
"True."
"We have to keep an eye on everything. A pathway into the island itself could be hidden anywhere," Flora noted. "There is no telling how it might be camouflaged."
"Or how well defended it is," Musa added.
"Great. I'll be sure to faint all over you guys if the Vague Circle decides to contact me again," Roxy commented and looked around. "Wait, where's Bloom?"
The group halted.
"She was here a moment ago," Musa said, as they looked around. "Did she seriously get abducted while we weren't looking?"
"She must have. Irresponsible as she can be at times, Bloom would not wander off without telling us under current circumstances," Flora insisted. "Something must have waylaid her."
"Then what do we do now?" Sky nervously asked. "Do we split up? We'll be more vulnerable if we do."
"But we also need to find your girlfriend pronto," Riven insisted. "Let's split into two groups. That way, we shouldn't be too vulnerable. Hopefully."
"Good plan. Sky and Roxy, you can come with me. We will go this way," Flora said and pointed. "The rest of you go the other way. We meet up here in ten minutes if we have not found her."
"Alright, let's move," Riven said, as he, Musa and Timmy hurried off.
Flora, Sky and Roxy made their way as planned.
"Any idea what could have taken her?" Roxy asked. "I mean, this gotta be those defences the ring warned us about, right?"
"Yeah. But that could be any number of things," Sky admitted. "Magic, technology, even something as mundane as traps. So really, be on the lookout for anything." He suddenly barged into Flora, who had stopped.
"What? What is it?" the Earth fairy asked, before following the brunette's gaze.
In a clearing in front of them, Mirta and Helia sat on a blanket, surrounded by a picnic basket and sandwiches. Helia took a strawberry from a bowl and dipped it in a container full of melted chocolate, before feeding it to the redhead. Then they both turned towards the group and gestured for them to get closer.
"I think we found something," Roxy said.
"You don't say," Sky commented. "That's the most obvious, blatant..."
"Hey," Flora wistfully said as she walked into the glade. "I did not expect to run into you two again this quickly. How is it going?"
The blond prince stared. "Wait. Hey, Flora, wait." He and Roxy stormed into the glade, as the Limphean noble approached the very much suspicious picnic scene. "Come back. That has to be a trap."
As they closed in, Helia took a step around Flora and stood in the way. He smirked and advanced, his features melting into purple goo.
"Ehm... Helia wouldn't happen to be a slime monster, would he?" Roxy asked as she stepped back.
"Not as far as I know," Sky said as he drew his sword and shield.
Elsewhere, Riven, Musa and Timmy hurried through the thicket.
"Should have known Roxy randomly fainting wouldn't be the end of things going wrong," Musa grumbled. "Might even have been a bad idea to split up in the first place."
"Well, maybe. Let's find Bloom now and kick ourselves later," Riven suggested. "Now where would...?" He stopped talking as they made their way into an open glade. He stared open mouthed, before exclaiming: "You gotta be fucking kidding me."
In the middle of the glade, Bloom sat on a rock with an innocent, almost childish expression on her face, as a unicorn ran in circles around her.
"I did not expect to find a unicorn here," Timmy noted. "Though I guess it is not unlikely for such a well-hidden island to have such beings hidden here."
"Something's not right," Musa insisted. "Look at Bloom. She looks completely brain-dead."
"Girls and their horses," Riven sighed, earning him a glare from the black-haired musician. "Come on. Let's go shake her out of it."
As they got closer, the horned equine suddenly trotted in between them and Bloom, glaring daggers at the group.
"Easy there," Timmy tried. "We don't want to hurt you. We just want our friend back."
"Maybe we should get an apple for it," Riven suggested. "I think they like apples."
Suddenly, the unicorn charged them. As it did, it exploded into a purple wave of slime. Riven leapt to the side and landed rough on the hard ground. He jumped back up and drew his sabre, noticing that both Timmy and Musa were struggling to get free of the slimy creature.
"Alright, you purple snot thing," Riven called, while Bloom began clapping in the background. "You're going down."
...
"Coming," Mike called, as he went for the door. He grabbed the handle, pulled open and began asking: "Hello, what can I..." He halted, completely stunned, as he realised that Ogron and the three other Black Circle members where standing right in front of him. He blinked, as if hoping the sight before him was some trick of the light that would vanish.
"May we enter?" Ogron asked. "We have very important business to discuss, Mr. Peterson, and I suspect that you'd rather have that take place inside the comforts of your home rather than out here were everyone can listen in."
"Sure, I'll just let you in so you can blow me and my wife to kingdom come. That doesn't at all sound like a bad idea," Mike sarcastically replied.
The fireman was about to slam the door shut, when Ogron continued with: "Mr. Peterson, I am an over five-hundred-years old magician. I predate your country. What exactly do you imagine a wooden door would do to stop me if I truly desired to reduce your home to rubble?"
The blond stopped. Cursing under his breath as he realised the redhead had a point, he opened the door again with an annoyed: "Then come in if it's so damn important."
"You're ever so kind, Mr. Peterson," Ogron noted, as he and his group entered.
"Honey, who is it?" Vanessa called from the kitchen.
"Our daughter's current archenemy," Mike replied. "Apparently, they are here to talk."
The brunette peeked her head out of the kitchen doorway. "Seriously? After everything, now they want to talk?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Dumon asked, sounding slightly annoyed. "We gave your daughter several opportunities to go home. She and her friends were the ones who insisted on staying around and causing trouble."
"Oh, so what? You expected them to just hand Roxy over to you, so she could be drained of magic?" Mike angrily asked.
"Yes, I did and no, draining her was never in the cards. All current research indicate that she is not anywhere close to being dangerous enough for us to confiscate her magic," Ogron replied. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
"Your whole mages are dangerous and must be controlled spiel didn't help," Mike replied, sounding a bit uncertain.
Ogron looked slightly perplexed. "Mr. Peterson, I meant exactly what I said. There exist mages who are born with the capacity to summon firestorms, cause blizzards or turn people inside out. Is that seriously the kind of power you think four-year-old children should have? In fact, should anyone without the proper training have that kind of power? Magic doesn't discern between moral people and psychopaths, Mr. Peterson. I can assure you it is quite undiscerning in that regard."
Mike and Vanessa exchanged glances.
"Well... That does sound kinda reasonable," the florist admitted.
"Indeed. Consider what happened when you daughter almost accidentally killed her friend. And she even had training, as far as I've understood,"
"Indeed. We have been protecting the common citizens from such incidents for a couple of centuries by my count," Anagan noted. "So, you may understand why we don't take kindly to a bunch of royal agents barging in to tell us how to do our job."
"Royal agents?" Mike replied confusedly. "Wait, what exactly do you mean by that?"
The members of the Black Circle exchanged puzzled glances.
"Mr. Peterson, your daughter and her friends represent quite the variety of powerful extra-dimensional governments," Ogron said. "The princess of Domino, the crown prince of Eraklyon, crown princess of Solaria, a noble from Limphea. Need I go on?"
"Well, that is true. But royal agents?" Mike rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, I guess they're kinda important, but to us they're just Bloom and her friends."
Gantlos rubbed his chin. "Did the realms send them?" he inquired.
Bloom's parents blinked.
"No. In fact, the realms are completely paralysed from arguing with each other. Bloom and her friends decided to come here to protect Roxy from you people," Mike said.
"Helvete," Gantlos muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
For the first time since they had met, Mike realised that Ogron looked completely perplexed, something that would have been funny to the firefighter if a creeping sense of dread hadn't started crawling up his spine.
"Let me see, if I have understood this correctly," the redhead slowly began. "And do feel free to interrupt me if I get anything wrong. Your daughter and her friends are in fact not a group of highly trained extra-dimensional agents sent here on a mission to acquire Roxy and use her to aid the White Circle in escaping their current imprisonment."
"That's right," Mike slowly replied.
"Then why didn't they take Roxy off world when they found her?" Anagan asked. "Why did they go looking for the white ring? Why are they now on Tir Nan Og?"
"How do you know that?" the firefighter asked.
"Never mind that for now."
"Well, Roxy did not want to leave her home, so the girls decided to stay and try to find some way to keep you people away until the realms could be bothered to agree to intervene," Vanessa explained. "The whole White Circle thing is part of that. They're just following some weird dreams Roxy had in an attempt to keep her safe, because they were starting to feel like they were running out of options."
Ogron looked like he was growing a notable shade paler.
"Boss, I think we might have misunderstood something," Dumon added. "In fact, I'm actually starting to think we might have screwed the pooch something fierce."
"Okay, clearly we have all completely misunderstood each other. I acknowledge we have made some missteps in that regard," Ogron said. "Now, please Mr. Peterson, you must help us get in contact with your daughter. Our alarms on Tir Nan Og registered that they had arrived and we have no means to get back there in time. Your daughter and her group are very resourceful, so I do not doubt that out protective measures will do anything but delay them."
"We can't," Mike replied. "We tried calling them, but even that magic phone Faragonda gave us can't reach them."
"The protective enchantments," Anagan realised. "They are actively preventing signals from getting through. If what they say is true, then of course they would not have brought anything powerful enough to actually secure communication off Tir Nan Og."
Ogron took a deep breath through his nose and closed his eyes, forcing himself to remain calm. "Mr. Peterson," he said, as he steepled his hands. "I do not think you realise the disaster your daughter and her friends are heading straight towards."
...
"Well, that could have gone better," Riven noted, as he tested the strength of the manacle that attached him to the wall.
"You think?" Musa asked. "It looked like your panicked flailing was actually about to make it give up out of sheer pity."
Every single member of the group had been rendered unconscious by the shapeshifters, only to be deposited and chained up in a prison cell.
"So, like, does anyone know what was up with those slime beasts?" Stella asked. "Because I'm confused."
"I believe they are a type of magical constructs known as morphix. Shapeshifting animated slime. Obviously upgraded with some form of mind control," Flora explained. "And some mind reading capability too. In unison, it allows them to lure people into what would otherwise be very obvious traps."
"Is that why that picnic scene with Helia and Mirta caused you to stumble out in the open?" Sky inquired.
The wannabe poet and ex-witch blinked, before staring at the Limphean noble, who actually blushed slightly.
"If you want to make fun of me for that, go ahead," she muttered. "I do not think you could come up with anything I have not already told myself. The whole scene was copied straight out of one of my romance novels and the behaviours exhibited by the two was highly uncharacteristic. That the morphix still managed to cloud my mind to the point of buying that is quite saddening."
"Don't be hard on yourself. I actually thought that there were unicorns here," Bloom said.
"Why is that a thing, anyway?" Riven asked.
The Dominian princess shrugged. "I've wanted a unicorn since I was a little girl."
"Good luck. They can be fierce," Brandon said.
"Wait, unicorns exist?" the redhead asked. "Wait, what? Why did nobody tell me that?"
"They're kinda rare and we've been kinda busy," Techna said. "Now, how about we bust out of here? I don't exactly fancy being chained up here 'till Draino and his cronies decide to check up on us."
"No doubt the guardians have warned them of the intrusion," Brandon stated. "Which means we have to hurry. They can probably warp back to the island, so we only have so long before we have to deal with both them and their shapeshifters."
"If we are to do so, it'll be without magic," Nabu noted. "This entire room suppresses it."
"Time for us normies to save the day. We should be able to pick these locks," Riven noted. "Give me a moment." With some effort, he pushed his boot and sock off his foot and then worked the foot into one of his pockets. After much huffing, he managed to grip a pick with his toes and pull it out. "Got it. But there's no way I can get my foot all the way up to my hands."
"Well, then give it to me," Timmy, who was chained up beside him, said.
"Right, here you go." With some effort, Riven managed to position himself and raise his leg far enough for Timmy to grab the lock pick.
The bespectacled sharpshooter began chewing on the inside of his cheek as he worked the manacles, finally opening one up with a loud click. After that, it didn't take long to undo the other. Once free, it took only a few minutes for him to free the rest of the group.
"Well, that helped," Aisha said as she rubbed her wrists. "Those things were quite uncomfortable. So what now?"
"Now we have to get out," Brandon commented and tested the door. "Locked. No big surprise there. Timmy."
"On it," he replied and dove into his backpack. "The barrier buster?"
"Yes."
"Here you go."
"Thank you." Brandon attached the device to the door. "Fortunately, the morphix are less than bright when it came to searching us. They took our weapons, but that is probably because that's the only thing they recognise as dangerous."
"I'm sure they'll update them after we pull this stunt," Musa noted, as the door disintegrated.
After retrieving the rest of their gear from a storage room outside the prison block, the group began to take a moment to survey the building they found themselves in. Much of the architecture resembled some grand old building, almost like a medieval cathedral. Yet many modernities had snuck in, such as the light bulbs hanging overhead, most of which automatically lit up whenever the group approached them. As they started exploring, they found many great rooms that had been converted into offices, complete with cubicles and filing cabinets, much of which was dusty or full of cobwebs.
"I think we found Black Circle HQ. Didn't imagine it would be quite so... Dirty," Riven noted. "Even I feel like this place could use a good scrubbing."
"It does seem like they haven't used most of this for decades," Brandon noted.
"You don't say," Roxy commented, as she poked a dust-covered typewriter. "Holy crap, is that a fax machine? I feel like I've stepped into the past."
"There's nothing here that seems to have been invented within the last two decades," Bloom mused. "Guess they haven't had much use out of all of this."
"This is quite peculiar," Flora noted. "It would suggest that the Black Circle once commanded much greater resources. In fact, there must have been many more of them to explain the necessity for these facilities. What happened to them?"
"No clue. For now, let's get out of here so we can find Roxy's cave," Sky said.
"Wait, hold on a second," the Earth fairy realised. "Maybe this place has a basement."
"That could be what we're looking for," Brandon agreed. "But let's stick together this time. I'd rather not get slimed all over again."
"Speaking of those things again, I have a question," Techna mused, as they entered a hallway. "Suntop, why exactly did that morphix turn into a muscular centaur? And why exactly did that get you drooling?"
"Oh, hey, look. That's new," a heavily blushing Stella said and pointed.
The others turned to see what it was. At the end of the hallway, there was a large round room, the orange skies visible through a great window in the roof. In the middle stood a great tree, hooked up to several weird instruments. It looked almost dead, but small buds and leaves were starting to grow on its branches.
"A tree of life," Timmy noted. "Doesn't look healthy."
"It is linked directly to the state of magic on Earth," Flora noted. "So no, unsurprisingly it does not look too good."
"It is budding though," Musa noted. "Must be what Faragonda talked about. And those machines are... What exactly?"
Techna and Timmy walked up to one of them. The scarred girl placed a finger on one of the devices, before commenting: "They're gathering readings from the tree."
"And it has been doing so for quite a while. Some of this gear is positively ancient," Timmy noted. "Sheesh, I've got readings going back three hundred years. Looks like they have exchanged a few parts over the centuries, but for the most part this is a genuine relic of the past." He paused and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Some readings are marked here. I've got a couple ones filed under Bloom. The last one was from two years ago."
"Right. The Halloween incident," the redhead groaned. "Great, I just love being reminded of that disaster."
"This confirms what we have been suspecting," Flora mused. "This is how they monitor all the world's magic. They must need the machinery to properly read the tree. Normally, you need either specialised training or a guardian pixie to understand it. But this tree is too weak to give birth to pixies."
"You mean we could jack up their operations pretty fierce by throwing a wrench in all of this?" Techna asked, gesturing to the magitech with her thumb.
"Let's focus on our original mission for now," Brandon said. "We don't know how long we have before those guardians figure out that we've busted out."
"Then let's keep investigating," Riven said and began walking down another hallway. "If there is a way down in here, we should find it soon."
The group continued to carefully wander through the building, passing through more dusty offices, empty storage rooms and a cafeteria where only two of the tables seemed like they were ever used.
"This is, like, super weird," Stella said, as they walked through the kitchen. "I tots expected some sort of facility, but not one that would look so... So absolutely abandoned. It's like a shopping mall after all the popular shops move to the other end of town."
"I've explored a couple of those in my time," Techna mentioned. "Awesome hangouts and sometimes you can find stacks of forgotten wares if you're quick to scavenge."
"I'm not surprised," the blonde replied. "But this is the Black Circle HQ. Have they just decided to stop using Tir Nan Og?"
"It does raise some questions. Perhaps the organization has been slowly dying. They're not a very public group, so nobody would pay it any attention," Nabu speculated. "In such a case, Ogron and his band may not only be the most powerful circle members, they might actually be the only ones left."
"So if Roxy had waited a couple of years with being magical, might not even have been an issue," Musa remarked.
"Sorry for being inconvenient," the pink-haired fairy dryly replied.
"Hey, I found it," Riven called from up ahead. "A stairway down."
"Good job," Brandon said and looked through the doorway the magenta-haired soldier had opened. A concrete stairway spiralled downwards, fluorescent light illuminating the steps.
"This place is so drab," Aisha remarked, as the group began their descent. "Dust, disuse and no colours. My parents would flip if any one part of our castle looked like this, let alone most of it."
It didn't take them long to reach the bottom, a grey tunnel leading into the depths of the island.
"Looks like a perfect place to get eaten up by a grue," Roxy commented.
"Alright, this place might be trapped," Brandon started. "So let us..."
Suddenly Musa shushed him and the group fell silent.
In the distance, up above, they could hear a faint sound. A sticky, wet, slushing sound.
And then with a slathering cacophony, purple slime oozed down through the stairwell.
"FUCK IT! MOVE! MOVE!" Brandon yelled at the group, as they took off down the tunnel.
The morphix surged after them, rushing down the tunnel like a gooey tidal wave.
Quickly reaching the end of the tunnel, the group found a steel door with a wheel on it. Sky gave it a couple of tugs. "Locked," he stated.
"Timmy, another buster. Bloom, Stella and Musa. When that thing comes around the corner, blast it with all you got," Brandon ordered.
"On it," Musa responded, as she and the two other girls moved to the back of the group.
As Timmy set up the ordinance, the first of the morphix surged around the corner. Waves of fire, beams of sunlight and blasts of noise tore into it, scattering its slimy mass across the walls.
The three fairies paused.
"Hey. I think we actually killed it," Stella happily stated.
There was a dull sound as the metal door disintegrated. "Had no doubts you could do that," Brandon remarked.
"Oh? Ehm, what was all the hurry about then?"
Heralded by a cacophony of slurping sounds, more morphix poured around the corner.
"That answers that question," Bloom said breathlessly, as the three followed the others through the door.
Behind was a small raised grate platform with a handrail, steps on each side leading down to the floor. More so than anywhere else, this room looked ancient, with great stone pillars supporting the ceiling. Even the light came from projectors that had been set up, making the place look more like archaeological dig site. At the end stood a great stone circle, so enchanted that a faint aura was visibly emanating from the ancient rock.
"Alright, that has to be the gate," Sky said, as the group ran down to it. "It just has to be."
"Agreed. Next question, how to open it," Brandon said and turned around. The morphix were already seeping down the raised platform. "Roxy, you have the ring and you might get contacted any second. Flora, Mirta, back her up. The rest, form a line and keep those blasted things at bay."
As bullets, fireballs and lasers tore into the amorphous guardians, Roxy and the two others approached the gate.
"What do we do, what do we do?" Mirta nervously asked, as she jumped from one foot to another.
"I don't know. I wish they had left some instructions," Roxy remarked.
"There does not seem to be any indentions or otherwise obvious places to place the ring itself," Flora mused. "So it is not a key in that sense."
Behind them, their friends were slowly forced to step back, as a tireless tide of slime advanced upon them.
"There must be something," Roxy insisted, feeling a mixture of stress and panic rise in her. "Dammit, we can't give up now. There has to be something. Is there a message written somewhere? Your translator thingy should take care of that."
"No, doesn't seem like it," Mirta replied.
"A thick web of enchantments has been woven around it," Flora remarked. "None of which indicate how to use it. How vexing."
"I'M OUT OF GRENADES!" Timmy yelled.
"SO AM I!" Techna added.
"TOSS ME SOME AMMO!" Riven called.
Roxy clutched her head, the noise making her painfully aware of how time was running out. What could they do? There seemed to be no way to open the gate. If it even was the gate. That wasn't guaranteed. Could they even escape again if they got caught this time? That wasn't certain either.
"I'm... I'm running low on energy," Stella hoarsely gasped, as she stumbled back.
"Does anyone have more water bottles?" Aisha asked. "I've run out."
"THESE SLIMEBALLS WON'T STOP COMING!" Sky yelled, blocking a blow from a morphix' tendril.
"Dammit," Roxy swore under her breath. "What can we do? What can we...?"
"Roxy," a familiar voice said in her head. "The ring is but a tool. You are the key. Use it. Together, you will open the gate."
The Earth fairy paused, before eyeing the ring. "Well, all or nothing," she mumbled as she put it on.
"Did you get instructions? Because we could really use some," Mirta said, as the others were pressed up right behind them.
Roxy paused and took a deep breath. She felt the energy seeping from the ring into her body. She tried to focus, before forcing the energy into her hand. A crackling arc of green energy fired out of it as she thrust her open palm in the direction of the circle. The enchantments began buckling as the unleashed energy broke through, undoing the bonds and ripping apart the wards. And with an explosion of white light, the air itself was sundered and a great hole was ripped open in the world, swallowing up the group.
...
"Okay," Brandon slowly said and looked around. "What happened?"
As the group examined their surroundings, they found themselves standing on what seemed to be a great island floating in a colourful void. Green grass surrounded them and in the distance a castle had been built.
"This is fucking trippy," Techna noted, a wide smile on her face. "So, what, this is the sanctuary of the White Circle?"
"I... Guess so," Roxy slowly said. "I kinda thought the gate would just, you know, open. Not swallow us up."
"Let's hope that's a feature and not a Black Circle trap sealing us inside here too," Timmy remarked. "Would be a rather unfortunate conclusion to our journey."
They began approaching the grand structure and is they did, its front gate slowly opened, as if knowing they were arriving. And out of the castle marched a throng of people.
At the head of the group was a middle-aged woman, her features sharp and angular. Long, dark hair flowed down behind her slender body and she was clad in an elegant green dress. On her head, she wore a silver crown, accentuated with black pearls. A small but warm smile manifested on her face, as she saw the group.
Behind her were four uniformed people, three women and a man. One of the women had curly, orange hair and her crimson uniform accentuated her features. Her hard gaze seemed as if to bore holes through anything she looked at. Next to her was a woman with flowing red hair, her skin darkened from many days spent in the sun. Her uniform was a deep green, reminiscent of the lushest vegetation. A victorious smirk marked her face. The third one in the group was a woman with wavy blonde hair, dressed in a uniform as white as snow. As her gaze wandered across the group, they felt scrutinized, analysed even. The final one in the group was the man, a mop of black, untamed hair on his head. His uniform was as dark as the night, and his face was set in a smouldering scowl.
Behind them, marched rows and rows of armoured soldiers, clad in armour and wielding weaponry that obviously had not been updated in centuries. It was, to say the least, quite the sight.
"Greetings, Roxy," the woman began, the Earth fairy immediately recognising the gentle voice from the ring. "And greetings to you all. I am Morgana, queen of the White Circle. You have my deepest thanks and most sincere gratitude for freeing us from this prison. How can we repay you for your aid?"
"You're welcome," Sky said, flashing a bright smile. "So, ehm, we actually kinda wanted help with the Black Circle, especially in regard to protecting Roxy, so that would be great."
"If you had not interfered, they would already have been rendered a non-issue," the darkly uniformed man commented.
"That voice," Roxy said, realisation hitting her. "You're the one who took control of my body. You're Nebula."
"So?" the man replied.
The Earth fairy looked taken aback. "So? What do you mean so? You took control of my body, you hurt people, you..."
"This is a war, girl. People get hurt," the wild-haired man retorted.
"What Nebula is trying to say, is that we have had to make decisions we are not proud of in regard to combating the Black Circle," Morgana added. "But I can assure you, that whole situation was a mishap. I am partially to blame, as I had not informed Nebula of the plan, so when he noted someone had the ring, he leapt at the chance to strike at our enemies. Had I not already devised a better way, it would have been our only way to get out. But since you were around, it was quite unnecessary, and I do apologise for the suffering it must have brought you."
"Oh, ehm," Roxy scratched her neck. "Well, good. Apology accepted then."
"So, how exactly can you people help Roxy?" Nabu inquired.
"She will have to stay on Tir Nan Og for the time being," the blonde woman in the white uniform said. "Until we have gained new knowledge of the lay of the land and started retaking our holdings, there is no other place where she could be secure."
"Is that okay?" Bloom asked, turning to Roxy.
"Well..." the Earth fairy began, but was cut off by Sky suddenly saying: "Wait, hold on a second."
"Yeah, I agree," Riven added. "What was that about retaking your holdings?"
"The White Circle has lost much, especially over the many years we have been trapped in here," Morgana explained. "Even cleaning the stain of the Black Circle off this island will take some days. We cannot guarantee Roxy's safety outside of our domain."
"Well, that's all well and dandy, but that was not what I was asking," the magenta-haired soldier continued. "You said, retake your holdings. What does that mean?"
Nebula emitted a hoarse sigh of annoyance, before saying: "The territories across the isles and on the main continent that were once secured under us has surely either slipped under Black Circle control, or gone renegade without us to administer them. So it's time to bring them back into the fold."
"We'll also have to consider going further abroad than just the lost territory in Europe," the woman in the white uniform added. "The Black Circle has no doubt had time to spread across the globe if what we have learned is true. That alone is enough reason to establish beach heads in those areas."
The group blinked as realisation set in.
"Wait, you're... You're talking about essentially waging war on... On pretty much the entire world," Bloom stammered. "But, wait, you can't..."
"Listen here, we have good reason to suspect that the Black Circle consists of just about four people nowadays," Musa interrupted. "There's no reason to go crazy."
"The Black Circle is remarkably good at hiding their numbers and strength. We cannot afford to let them get the upper hand again," the blonde continued.
"And even if they weren't a concern, the peasantry of the world has lost their way without their rulers," the redhead continued. "Without us, they have begun to poison the air and befoul the oceans. We have seen it through our dwindling number of white rings. That must be corrected."
"Their transgressions cannot be forgiven. There must be retribution for their deeds," the woman in the crimson uniform agreed. "Only once we are in control can justice be administered and the correct way be made clear to them again."
"The correct... Retri... I..." Roxy looked completely perplexed. "What are you talking about?"
"Yeah, I think you people need to cool it. Sure, from what I've heard from Bloom there has been some missteps, but I don't think throwing the world out into all-out war will help," Brandon said.
"Yeah, that's just fucking insane," Techna agreed. "If it's pollution you're worried about, then we just gotta help people upgrade and go green. No reason to torch the joint."
"You cannot just give a criminal a tool of reform and expect them to use it," the woman in red insisted. "Its use must be enforced. There can be no recovery without control. If we just gave them these gifts, they would use them to try and crush each other. Only under our rule will peace reign again."
"Peace," Flora echoed and looked contemplative. "Wait, Faragonda's history books said that the White Circle guided people to peace. But that is not the case is it? You did not rule alongside the countries back then. You ruled over them and enforced the peace."
"And that is how things should be," Nebula affirmed.
"We fairies have been blessed with insight and knowledge the masses lack," the woman in green added. "They cannot make the right decisions. It is our right, duty and burden to make them for them. Without us to guide them, they squabble and befoul. That is what they do and that is why they must be brought to heel. The Black Circle ruined the paradise we created, giving back freedom to the masses to ruin and destroy everything."
"Roxy, we only want what is best for people," Morgana began. "Much like your country has laws and police to ensure order, we too must use means to enforce peace. But we can do much more on a grander scale than any normal people. We truly just want to bring happiness and peace to the people. Surely, you have seen how bad things can be. Through magic, we can make it better."
"And how exactly will you go about convincing people to agree to that?" Timmy inquired.
"Does the condemned agree to the headsman's axe?" the woman in the red uniform asked rhetorically.
"Frickin' psycho," Techna whispered to Musa, who nodded.
Roxy's hands balled into fists. "No. You know what, no. That's insane. I did not help you all get out just so you could go and set fire to my planet. Are you out of your minds? That's... That's..."
"Completely unreasonable," Sky agreed.
"Yeah. What made you think we'd just be okay with you guys planning to wage war like that?" Musa asked. "Spirits, that's not helping fucking anything."
"I see," Morgana said, closing her eyes. "But we are still your best chance for protection against the Black Circle."
"You know what? I'd rather go face the Black Circle alone than spend one more second in the company of you people," Roxy viciously shot back.
"You ungrateful whelp," Nebula snarled and took a step forward. "We offer to help you and you spit it back in our face. I ought to have the lot of you thrown in the dungeon and..." Morgana placed a hand on his shoulder and his expression immediately changed. "Forgive me, my queen," he said and bowed. "I spoke out of turn. Of course they are allowed to leave."
"I know," Morgana said, as the black-haired man stepped back in line. "I understand what we say must be a shock and I do truly hope that the people of the world will see reason in what we have to offer. We are, ultimately, only interested in their well-being and we know we can offer them that. We have done so long ago. But that was before your time and much, if not all of it, has been lost to time and the passing of ages. Please, consider what I have said. I am sure you will find much reason in it." She waved her hand and a portal opened behind them, showing the coast of Tir Nan Og. "As a demonstration of my goodwill and that there are no hard feelings between us, I'll honour your wishes and let you go. But consider how much we could do for this planet together."
"Don't count on it," Roxy said and turned, as she and the group walked away.
...
The black ring glowed a dark purple for but one second. But it was enough. A deep silence descended on the Peterson household.
"That was it, wasn't it?" Anagan asked. "That was the signal? It just happened, right?"
"It did," Ogron said and got up from the sofa. "I had hoped the guardians could pacify them before... No matter. We must prepare. We must activate the Albus Protocol. We will probably have some time before they are ready. We must capitalize on this."
"Is there anything we can do?" Mike asked.
The Black Circle leader paused. "Get in contact with your daughter as soon as possible. And then... Prepare for the worst. I know we will."
As they left the house, Dumon said: "The Albus Protocol. How many agents can we even reactivate? I imagine there's many who will have to pass it on."
"That is exactly why we must act quickly," the redhead affirmed. "The sooner we can start recreating the network, the better. We must already consider Tir Nan Og lost, which does handicap us somewhat. Fortunately, any sensitive data about membership will have automatically been deleted when the enchantments were broken."
"In that case, you'll have to excuse me. I'll need to make a few phone calls," Gantlos said and walked away.
"Yeah, me too. Gotta warn the family," Anagan agreed. "Be back soon."
Ogron watched the two leave, before pausing. He stared at the moon above, looking very contemplative.
"Well, Boss?" Dumon asked. "I hate to hurry you on, but..."
"I know. I'm about to ask hundreds of people, many of whom will be complete strangers, to risk their lives for a cause many of them have never heard off. It's... Nevermind. It has to be done." Ogron placed his finger on his black ring. It gave off a few dark sparks. "There. Now we wait."
In the middle of a German forest, far out in an Iranian desert and deep below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, enchanted caches disguised as rocks opened up. And from their depths, hundreds of black rings shot out, sailing across the skies like black shooting stars, searching for those that once bore them or their nearest living relative. Across the globe, these rings found people, some of which took them with weary sighs, others with confused glances. And as they did, the rings told them. Of the past and of the now and of what was being asked of them. Some refused. Some couldn't take on the burden, but had to pass it on. Some ran from the ring, afraid of what it told. But in many places, the black rings and the power they held were accepted, finding wearers both old and new. And even those rings that found no hand to accept them, rushed back to the circle's leader, to be given out again.
The Black Circle was reviving.
