Chapter Twelve: Stone Circles
Ari and the others stood outside the open gates of Triste, looking into the city. The strange vibes never left the place, even after Classification was destroyed.
"Well, what are we standing around for?" Big Bull asked.
They entered the city, and not even twenty steps in Linda tackled Ari, hugging him tightly.
"Ari! Big Bull, Marlene, Kisling, and Rosalyn!" She squealed. "You're here!"
"L-Linda?" stammered Ari, trying to pry her hands from his shoulders. Marlene walked over, narrowing her eyes.
"Did I give you permission to hug my servant?" She demanded.
Linda skipped back, tilting her head to the side. "What's the matter? I've done it before, you just said no kissing."
Marlene crossed her arms. "I've changed my mind."
"Oh shut up, she can hug him if she wants." A voice snapped from above their heads. Coracinus circled down in crow form, landing on Linda's shoulders.
"You can't speak to me like that!"
Coracinus snorted. "Sure I can, you're not a princess anymore."
Marlene scowled, looking at Ari. "You're going to let him talk to me like that?"
"Marlene, wait a moment." He said, earning an angry gasp from the former princess. "Linda, did Epros break you out?"
"What am I, smoke? Yes he did, and I helped." Coracinus grumbled.
The others quickly thanked the Shapeshifter.
Linda smiled, skipping in place. "That's right; Eppy and Cory both broke me out. Cory is hurt pretty bad though, speaking of which, why are you flying?"
"I'm bored." The Shapeshifter replied. "If you're looking for Epros, he's at the Inn."
Ari and the others split up like they usually did in towns, but Rosalyn followed him to the Inn.
Epros was in there all right, surrounded by books. He raised an eyebrow as they entered.
"I've been long expecting thou appearance; I really do admire your perseverance."
"Hey, Epros." Rosalyn greeted him. "Have you looked for K.T.?"
"Yes I have, to be perfectly clear. Unfortunately I can't find the dear." He gestured to his books.
"So what are you searching for?" She asked.
Epros sighed. "It appears the Circles are inactive due to a missing source, if we can find this they will be active, of course."
"Wait…" Ari reached into his pocket, removing the gold disc left over from the griffin Shapeshifter. "Does this work?" He tossed it to the magician, and Epros stared at it, fingers stroking the surface.
"I possess some knowledge on the Stones, and this disc will activate a single Circle, alone."
"Which circle?" Ari asked.
Epros stood up, tapping the gold disc. "The Addashi Circle, or so I believe, will take us to Wap Wap where we can take our leave."
"Didn't you make a metal 'Stone' Circle?" Rosalyn said thoughtfully. Ari looked at her, concerned, because she looked tired and her eyes were strangely hooded, her voice even lacked its usual luster.
The Phantom nodded. "Unfortunately, the Gear Tower no longer stands; the clouds have removed it, along with the land. It was hard to craft, no easy task, I was hoping that question thou wouldn't ask." He smiled slightly.
"Rosalyn, you look tired." Ari told her gently. "Try getting some rest."
"Huh? Oh. Okay. Don't forget…to buy supplies and stuff." She turned and walked off, yawning in a way that revealed her fangs, (and was that a forked tongue?) and that left Ari alone with Epros.
Ari turned to face the Phantom, scratching his head. "Since the Infectus bit everyone, they're all acting really weird."
Epros clicked his tongue in an annoyed way. "This I can see, be careful I plea."
"Careful of what? My friends would never hurt me."
"So you say, may it that way stay?" Epros almost smirked, and then it turned into a sad smile before he looked down again. "I am certain this disc activates the teleporter, go get what we need. Oh and Marlene, what about her?"
Ari looked at him strangely, the question obvious.
"If she was bitten, of this I have no doubt, the kind girl you knew you might have to do without."
Ari walked outside, only to see Marlene arguing furiously with Linda over something. Deciding to skip that minefield for now, he walked around, buying the equipment he thought they would need. He found Coracinus outside the Inn when he returned, once again wearing his form.
"Why do you keep acting like me? He asked when he approached the clone.
"I heard Marlene shouting for you, and I thought I'd fill in. Besides, human forms are hard for me to do, and I need practice." He transformed into a crow again.
"What did she want?"
"Tea, apparently. I really do dislike her." He said this in a mildly distasteful way.
"She didn't used to be that way." Ari sighed, leaning back.
"Oh."
Once the equipment had been put away, Ari sat down and closed his eyes, thinking hard over everything Epros had said.
The Magician seemed certain that his friends were becoming more corrupted; the question though, was he? Were the clouds naturally spreading some kind of darkness? And were the people, the unfortunate Light filled souls now wandering in the Shadow Realm, okay?
Where was Stan? And could they defeat Addonexus?
"A penny for your thoughts."
Ari looked up, startled, when he realized K.T. was looking directly at him. Her eyes were mostly hidden by the shadows and her hat, but the faint smile on her lips was noticeable.
It was hard to say how old she was; she looked young but had the air of someone very old. She usually spoke in a clipped voice, but her tone was actually pretty warm.
"K.T.? Where have you been?"
"Around." She replied, watching him get to his feet.
"Do you know about-"
"I do."
Ari followed her across town to the abandoned home of Hero Hopkins, watching her run her fingers across the ancient wood.
"You must go to the temple in Wap Wap, but you already knew this did you not? To activate the other Stone Circles, you must also find the guardians of them, just like how you defeated the griffin. My twin sister should be at the temple to inform you of a different way to reach the Highlands, and thus the World Library and Beiloune."
"Twin…sister?"
"That is correct."
Ari watched K.T. leave without another word, and he stared at the skies, deep in thought.
***
The next day, they headed out.
The desert was hot, somehow, even with all the sky covered in dark clouds.
"How is that possible?" Marlene asked after a while.
Kisling cleared his throat. "I believe it is achievable due to the fact that the sun's heat is being ensnared by the clouds, which are reflecting it back down on us. Incapable of escape, the air then becomes muggy and humid, and thus affects the environment so."
Big Bull, usually cheerful, grumbled, "You know what I heard, Doc? Blah, blah, something about clouds, blah, blah, something about heat."
The landscape was torn up worse here, with huge gaps that the friends had to walk around. The absence of ghosts puzzled Ari, but he didn't complain. As usual, he led the way, unable to figure out why ex-Evil Kings and a fully trained Hero would want him to lead an excursion into the unknown.
They came across what had once been a large set of stone ruins that acted as a maze, but now was nothing but a battered pile of rubble. They picked their way across, setting their feet down gently, working very carefully to avoid the stumbling across the mess.
They reached the Stone Circle, which was dark and inactive, no glorious yellow light emitting from its depths.
Ari handed the disc back to Epros, who knelt down and placed it somewhere the others could see, since his back was to them.
The Stone Circle exploded into life, yellow shooting skyward.
"Ah yes, the Stone Circles used to ensnare me, I always wondered how they worked, you see. I always saw the discs, but was unable to move them. If we meet this Emperor, I have some questions to ask him." Epros recited.
Linda nodded, knowing Epros had a love for all things unknown, he wanted to learn a lot, the magical things fascinated him.
"Maybe we can figure it out together?" She offered. Epros smiled at her, then stood up and nodded to Ari.
Ari stepped toward the Circle, and felt the familiar sensation of teleporting before slamming back down onto Earth.
"There's nothing here, it's just ocean." Marlene said, looking around at the island.
Rosalyn crossed her arms. "Stan said something to me once about the temple being hidden. It has to be here somewhere."
Kisling spread his arms wide, like he usually did, as if he was talking to a vast crowd. "I accept as true the fact that this is quite possible, all we have to do is find this hidden temple and meet up with K.T.'s doppelganger."
Ari had told them all about what K.T. had said to him yesterday, so they were all aware, as was Epros and Linda about what had happened, that included Coracinus too, who was traveling with them.
Speaking of which, Coracinus flapped over to stand between Epros and Linda, whose company he seemed to favor over the others.
"I'm going to take a look." He lifted into the air, scanning it, while the others investigated.
There was nothing there besides the inactive Stone Circles, with the exception of the Addashi Desert one, and the slopes around them.
They met again in the middle, puzzled.
"We missing something?" asked Big Bull.
Ari nodded. "Try underwater, Coracinus."
The Shapeshifter leaped and transformed into a large fish that landed in the water with a splash. He emerged not long after. "There's a cave under here."
"Wonderful." Rosalyn said with a sigh. She still didn't look so good. She jumped into the water, followed by the others and a rather reluctant Marlene. They followed the dark black fish into a cleverly hidden cave that came up inside Wap Wap, the only other thing in the dark room being a great stone door with strange symbols across it. Dancing water patterns reflected across the walls.
The dive was short and quick, but the water had been surprisingly frigid, and the others shivered while Big Bull lit a fire.
"No one said being a Hero was glamorous." Rosalyn said with a touch of her old humor, her eyes glowing in the dark, easily brighter than anyone else's.
The others laughed weakly, and then Ari stood up and investigated the door.
Coracinus stepped up with him. "I don't recognize the symbols much, but that's obvious."
The Shapeshifter, wearing Ari's form again, tapped the huge engraved skull on the door.
Epros and the others walked up behind them, and Rosalyn placed her hand on the strange door.
"How do we get in?" She asked.
"I let you in." A monotone voice spoke.
They all turned around to see K.T.'s twin, the woman from Wap Wap, walking calmly toward them. She tapped the door, and the skull moved, twisting in on itself before the door opened.
The smell was old, and the scent of dust was so heavy you could almost feel it, like a stiffening curtain across your face. There was nothing but darkness within, and even the meager light from Big Bull's fire didn't penetrate the dark depths.
"Be careful in there, young ones."
"What's in there?" Ari asked, a little scared.
"This is the entrance to the Watcher's lair. I do not know if he will be pleased to see you. Act polite, be calm, and most of all do not anger him. If anyone can get you to the World Library, it is him, and if anyone can answer your questions, it is also him. The Watcher looks after the devices in his chamber, you should not have to turn until you come to the only split in the path. From there, turn left to visit the Watcher directly. Going to the devices first will only anger him."
They all nodded.
"Oh, and Shapeshifter? Assume your true form when you enter those tunnels. The Watcher does not like deception."
Then the woman left, turning around and vanishing into thin air.
"Whoa." Big Bull said simply.
Ari turned to look back into the dark depths, then stepped back as Coracinus laughed.
"May want to back up, guys."
His form flattened completely into a wispy shadow, then widened and stretched. When the form emerged, he resembled Melas Kardia closely, but he didn't have a spiked mane. That and he also had wings that were pressed flat to his back, scaly and rustling. He had an all together kinder face, rounder and younger looking, but he still had the shadow aurora that looked pretty threatening.
"Shall we?" He said, twitching his spiked tail.
They all entered the dim pits.
***
My apologies for the slow chapters, they're necessary sometimes.