La Dolce Vita
By Seniya
M is for Monster
Part Three
When losing his hope and purpose, a person slowly becomes a monster
Fyodor Dostoevsky
In the three hours that Cedric had taken control of Meridian, he'd accomplished quite a bit. He'd never known real power, never had absolute control without any restrictions or limitations … and the prospect was thrilling. Arguably, it had gone to his head, but of course, there was no one there to highlight his flaws.
In truth, none of his men had even batted an eye when he dragged the King into their dining hall by his long, golden hair and then tossed the man onto the filthy floor, among the discarded cutlery and hoogong bones. It was dinner time, and although there were hundreds of solders in the space, they were all preoccupied with their evening meal and, as the squeals of a few females would suggest, their evening entertainment.
They had however, stopped their raucous behaviour, long enough to hear their commander speak.
"I am King now!" He hissed, and to his growing pleasure many of the men cheered.
"Let's-s-s celebrate!" Cedric continued and by then, the response was absolutely deafening.
He sent them into the villages with no directive other than to enjoy themselves. He urged them into the castle like maggots crawling through a rotting corpse where they destroyed anything in their wake. All the while, he sat, gloating in the chaos.
"Do you s-see." Slowly, deliberately, Cedric slithered over to where Phobos was crumpled. The King was a pathetic figure, barely breathing, coughs racking his emaciated form every few seconds.
To add insult to injury, Cedric whacked him, hard, with his tail in his chest.
"S-Sorry," he smirked, "mas-s-ster." And then he laughed; a cruel, heartless sound that echoed through the cavernous dining hall and into the night to mingle with his men's overexcited screams.
"Have you lost your mind, Beast!" Phobos growled, he was bleeding, a fact that terrified him. He couldn't heal. His body wouldn't be able to handle the trauma. He needed that spell. Needed it. "You are my creation! Do you have a death wish? If I die you cannot survive!"
"Are you certain about that?" Cedric said.
Phobos paused. He was so shocked that he could scarcely draw breath. The betrayal seemed complete. The bastard had found a way to separate. "That is impossible."
"Is-s-s it?" the monster growled, he seemed to have not considered that fact, "well, then command me. Make me stop."
Phobos, too weak to even sit up, just growled in response.
"That is what I thought."
And then he slithered away.
Outside of the castle, the night winds were merciless. Ice cold and vindictive, they fought against the hilly landscape and roused the sleeping trees. The sky grew cloudy and every few seconds a finger of lightning scrawled across the night.
Caleb had been running for what he assumed was hours. His shirt clung to his wet skin and his lungs burned but he dared not stop.
The rebel leader knew that he did not have much time. In addition to the fact that Phobos possessed both the Blade of Kandrakar and its Keeper, there was the small issue of the rising moons in the sky. Within hours they would align and for a few terrifying moments, he would lose control of himself.
Naturally, he needed to hurry.
The four Guardians and their mentor were greeted in Meridian by frosty winds, wild with fury. Above them thunder roared and lightning danced as even the heavens mirrored the chaos below.
They'd arrived in what seemed to be a muddy, dark field but what really was, after a few moments of inspection; tar. Sticky, gooey, tar.
"Great," Irma groaned, and she tried in vain to lift one of her legs, "that Halinor is even worse than Will with directions. I don't get it, what's so hard about a castle?"
Taranee jumped to the former Fire Guardian's defense. "Well, there must be a reason why Halinor sent us here. She doesn't just do things for no reason."
"Yep," Irma quipped, "she definitely wants me to postpone my next waxing session." She groaned as another foot slipped in the inky sludge, "thank you aunty Halinor."
"Quiet!" Yan Lin hissed suddenly, maybe it was because of the darkness but the whites of her eyes seemed especially luminous. "Someone is coming."
"I don't hear anything," Cornelia said.
"Get down!" Yan Lin whispered in a voice that was soaked with intensity.
"You can't be serious," Irma deadpanned.
"Now!" And she plunged herself down face first into the sticky stuff, yanking her grand daughter down beside her.
The other three Guardians merely exchanged disgusted looks at first, until they heard the first rumble of hundreds of footsteps, clearly belonging to hundreds of men. There was no time to reconsider; the trio covered themselves in the black tar.
It didn't take long for Cedric's men to notice the pit and circle back around. Those pits were deadly. Once you got stuck, there was no getting out.
A few moments after their hasty retreat, the Guardians resurfaced, each struggling against the tar and gasping for air.
"Shit! This … this killed the mammoths! I saw it on National Geographic!" Irma screamed. She was silenced by Yan Lin, who managed to slap her across the head despite the tar tugging against her limbs. "Freeze it, Irma!"
"Freeze what?"
"The tar!" Taranee responded, "if … ugh … if you make it colder, it will peel off. Hurry."
"I don't think that it will work … there's not enough liquid …"
"Seriously Irma, I can't b-breathe!" Cornelia was understandably irate.
The Water Guardian plunged her hands into the warm goo at her waist, concentrating on any liquid she could find in the substance. "I really don't think there's enough water …" Slowly, the gunk about her began to harden, and slower still, the chill crept along her arms and legs until the sticky mass was essentially a gel. "It's working!"
It was. And eventually, all five females were able to tug the residue from their bodies and crawl to the grassy bank.
"Told you she had a reason." Taranee had the audacity to look smug.
Irma snorted, "There's no way she knew Phobos' men would be coming."
"She knows everything. " Taranee countered and for a moment, the group let that sentence permeate.
"We're wasting time." Yan Lin said finally. "We have to get to the castle."
"Aren't we going to follow the soldiers?" Hay Lin asked.
"If you'd clean the tar out your ears, you would have heard me," her grandmother snapped. "We have to get the sword back. And Will, once she's attached."
"What about the villagers? They're probably going after them."
"We can deal with that after we get Will."
Hay Lin frowned and without another word, she spread her wings and leapt into the sky, leaving her kin spewing vicious Chinese chants in rapid succession.
It was a rough flight, the winds were absolutely frigid so far from the ground, but once she was beyond the cover of the trees, she could clearly see what she was looking for. The massive castle with its pointy towers, illuminated … by fire? Was the castle burning? A quick glance to her left also showed the solders traveling in the opposite direction. Is that what they were doing? She didn't have much time to run through her options, for at that same moment, an arrow whizzed past her shoulder.
"Oh no," she mumbled. She'd been spotted.
After years of sneaking into the castle, Caleb considered himself something of an expert. He knew every entrance in that place and almost all of the secret doors and hiding places. Still, that was no guarantee of a successful mission. Phobos was nothing if not conniving.
He wouldn't keep Will in his dungeons. He'd keep her as close to him as possible. So where would the bastard be? His throne room would be guarded … Caleb knew he wouldn't be able to fight off the King's bevy of personal guards on his own … at least … not in this form.
There was a faint sense of relief that entered his oxygen deprived mind when he finally saw the hazy outline of the castle against the hazy grey sky. Even from miles away, he could tell there was something wrong.
There was smoke billowing from the windows at the top of the castle and what looked like insects were pouring out of every opening. From his vantage point on the hill above, Caleb allowed the panic to set in. Something had changed and he feared that something had to do with Will.
He was more worried about her well being than he let himself admit. It was her fault she'd gotten captured, undoubtedly. And so, it was her fault that he was now in this situation trying to rescue her. He didn't know where the other guardians were, but he had considered that Phobos could possibly have them as well.
He'd kill Will when he found her. He'd wrap his hand around her neck and … hold her … until she fought him to let go. He hated this feeling, this worry and paranoia that tormented his entire system and it was all tied to her.
Solders or not, moons or not, he couldn't stop. Not until he had her back.
Hay Lin had just enough agility left to dodge her grandmother's vengeful hand when she landed. "Soldiers saw me." The tiny brunette explained, "Castle on fire. They're coming back."
She could have saved her breath for at that very second; the first dozen of Phobos' men entered the clearing, screaming at the top of their lungs at firing arrows at their targets. "Shit," Yan Lin growled before reaching into her robes and removing her rifle. It took two seconds for her to take the safety off, and five more for her to fire three shots into three different men, one in the arm, one in the knee and one right between the legs.
"Move girls!" she yelled.
The others were already into action, Cornelia had produced five mud columns throughout the forest floor. She had a little technique going, where she would make them disappear and reappear at sporadic intervals, knocking many a soldier off of his feet.
Irma was back at manipulating the discarded tar, she moved the sludge until it, like putty, crept along the forest floor, clinging to the men, who immediately stood stock still. Hay Lin, for her part, had taken to the skies once more, whipping the wind about her into a frenzy that she used to toss the soldiers helplessly into the sky like toys. When she'd caught a dozen or so in her trap, she let them fall back to earth, where many collapsed right onto one of Cornelia's columns or into Irma's sticky sludge.
"There're too many of them," Irma said after a few minutes. The process of capturing the soldiers was draining, especially when for every two that she rendered immobile, another four appeared.
It was then that Taranee stepped forward. "Step back." She'd seemed unwilling to enter the fight before and the others wondered what had changed her mind.
"Taranee …" Cornelia began, but Taranee just shook her head, her dark dread locks whipping from side to side with the certain motion of her neck. "Stay behind me."
Before anyone could say anything else, she'd snapped her finger, creating the smallest flame in her hand. She allowed the ball of fire to descend, slowly onto the tar streaked ground, where it immediately spread and became an inferno.
The reaction was instant. Hundreds of men's screams filled the night sky and the fire grew bigger and bigger, with no sign of stopping. Taranee watched over her creation with an impassive face. She didn't even move when Hay Lin landed beside her and whispered in a horrified voice, "you're killing them."
After a few more moments, even Yan Lin seemed to have had enough, "cut it out. You'll lead everyone right to us."
Only that seemed to break Taranee's trance. She snapped her fingers once more, and just like that. The fire disappeared.
There was nothing more than ash and the charred remnants of men and trees and weapons in the aftermath of the attack. Irma edged closer to Cornelia and Hay Lin seemed too shell shocked to do anything.
"They aren't real people." Taranee said. "They're not like you and me."
No one responded.
A few seconds more passed in the uncomfortable silence before Yan Lin finally shook herself out of the reverie. "Which way was the castle Hay Lin?"
"That way." She pointed to the right. "It's on fire."
"Wonderful." The older woman replaced her gun within the folds of her dress and urged the girls to follow suit.
In the castle's Dining Hall, Cedric had done a bit of redecorating. Not much. He'd merely stacked a few of the massive tables and benches together to form a haphazard throne. He'd plucked one of the massive bronze candelabras from the ceiling and twisted it into a circle atop of his head. It was a crown befitting a reptile king.
The rooms above him were on fire. No doubt those idiots he called soldiers had started the blaze and then lost control of it. It seemed now inevitable that the castle would be destroyed. Cedric didn't really care. He thought of his treasures in his room – his conquests mostly. Never mind, they were replaceable. Everything was.
In his scaly hand he held the Blade of Kandrakar, which are far as he could tell was as useful as a tin toothpick. It had shocked him once or twice when he'd grabbed it. The force may have been enough to stun a smaller man, but he was no man and he certainly wasn't small.
Nevertheless, it was what the King wanted most.
"Is-s-s this-s-s it?" He tried to sound condescending. Phobos was still curled at his feet. He was awake though and alive. Cedric could hear him breathing. "Is this the object that grants immortality?"
There was no reply. Cedric hadn't expected one.
"How s-s-sad. To have all your hope s-snatched away."
Phobos remained annoyingly mute. Cedric slowly began to feel impatient. "Bring him in!" He yelled, and instantly, two foot soldiers staggered inside with an ailing old man captured between them.
It was the alchemist. Vladimir.
That caught Phobos' attention. "What are you doing? Release him!"
"Ahh, he s-speaks," the snake chuckled. "I wonder what he does-s-s when all of his-s-s hope dies-s-s."
From a pillar hidden off to the side, Caleb was able to see everything. It seemed as though the snake had taken over. Damn it all to Hades. Caleb had never been certain of Phobos' true motives but Cedric was a soulless, heartless thing.
And he held Will's sword in his green fist. The hair on Caleb's neck stood up immediately. He couldn't see Will anywhere in the room.
Cedric made a great show of parading the frightened old man before the fallen King. And then, without warning, he plunged Will's sword into the old man's heart.
It was Phobos' screams that surprised Caleb. He could hear every desperate note in the King's voice as he mourned the man. He was a healer of some kind Caleb knew, if Phobos shared the same blood curse as he and his family did, it was clear why the King and the old man would be so familiar.
Cedric smiled … as much as a serpent could anyway. Caleb watched, transfixed as he returned his attention to the foot soldiers. "Get me the Princess-s-s and the red witch now."
Caleb swallowed. He was planning to kill Will next. That much was clear.
As silently as he could, the Rebel Leader crept from behind his hiding place and into the shadows. He needed to follow those men.
There was a constant drip, drip sound in the corner of the cell that Will couldn't escape. Her head still hurt. In fact, Will was willing to bet that the pain was worse now but maybe that was because of the nausea creeping through her system.
She hadn't wanted to wake up. Being asleep was much, much better than this God awful feeling of being stuck to a damp floor is this foul place.
"Elyon," Will breathed, suddenly remembering that the other girl was also a prisoner too. There was no answer. "Elyon," Will pressed but could hear nothing but the drip, drip off in the corner.
Hesitantly and reluctantly, she forced an eye open.
The cell was empty. Elyon was gone.
Had she dreamed it? Just when she had been giving consideration to such a possibility, two other voices entered the cell. Will immediately squeezed her eye shut, praying to God that they wouldn't see her or even if they did, they'd think she was dead.
"How did this door get like this?"
"Perhaps one of the others did it."
"No! This was done from the inside! Look!"
There was the sound of footfalls then as they came even further inside. Shortly after, there was a shout, two thuds and then a grunt, and the next time Will dared to open her eyes – two bright green orbs stared back at her.
"Caleb?" she whispered, immediately her heart started racing and that funny jolt she got in her stomach whenever he was near had returned with excruciating precision. Will hated him seeing her like this, collapsed and bloody on the floor. She hated feeling weak, and so, against better judgment, she tried to push herself upright.
"Don't," Caleb warned and Will was glad for the strictness in his voice because that gave her a reason to stop trying. She felt like shit. She didn't even want to imagine what she looked like.
Will heard, rather than saw, him remove his jacket – the heavy dragon skinned one that he always wore. He carefully placed it around her torso, ignoring her protests. She was secretly glad because for the first time, Will noticed that she was cold.
He was pulling her upwards now, fussing over the wound on her face, while she grumbled in discontent. Eventually he pulled her against his chest, settling her on his lap while he rubbed circles on her arms.
"I'm fine, Caleb." Will grumbled, "Jesus."
"You are not." His voice was severe. Will had never heard it sound so pressured before. It was a warning to stop. So she did, bidding the awkwardness and secret joy to disappear so that she could feign nonchalance.
"Do you know where the others are?" He asked eventually.
"We were coming here … to fight Phobos. But they never made it through the portal. I don't know why."
She felt some of the tension dissolve from Caleb's arms. "We have to leave, quickly. Cedric has deposed his Master and he intends to kill you and the Princess. He has the Blade …"
"Elyon!" Will gasped, "She's gone."
"Some force destroyed this wall." Caleb said and Will struggled to peer over his shoulder to conclude that he was right; the cell wall was mere rubble now. The prison bars had been melted off of their hinges. "It must have been her."
"I have to help her."
"What a misfortune since you cannot even help yourself."
He had a point, Will admitted begrudgingly. Upset that he was right, she tried to push herself out of his grasp but he held her tight.
"I am taking you to the rebels and you will stay there until I tell you to leave."
"Excuse me?" Will balked. She wished she could have kicked him.
"You won't rest until you kill yourself but I will not allow it. Here is not safe for a woman."
"I'm a Guardian of the Veil." Will countered.
"And all that means is that you are a target! Stop struggling! You are wasting your strength!"
"Why don't you just leave me alone, Caleb? I never asked you to come save me."
"And thank the Gods I did or else Cedric would have your heart by now!"
"No! He wouldn't!" She pounded against his chest, realizing of course that it was useless, but too proud to stop trying. "I'm stronger than you think I am!"
He paused then, "I know you are." Will stopped flailing, the dizziness had over taken her again, but this time, she feared it had nothing to do with the blood loss. Her heart, already beating erratically in her chest from the kaleidoscope of emotions she'd been feeling all evening, shuddered. He dragged a rough thumb against her forehead, smearing some of the sticky blood on her skin. "But you are not invincible. Why will you not see that?"
There was something in his green eyes that shook her to her very core. Her hands that had been beating so hard against his chest suddenly clutched at his shirt, clenching fistfuls of the fabric in her hands. "Caleb …" she whispered. It was something then, the fear, the gratitude, the tension; maybe it was just the feeling of his hard chest against hers and the smell of sandalwood that always clung to his hair. But something made her lean forward and press her lips against his.
Caleb froze. Meridian people did not kiss and he was not sure of what she was doing but Will didn't stop. Her lips were soft, like snowflakes on his skin during the frost, delicate but powerful. She moved her lips against his slowly, urging him to react – and so he did – mimicking her slow, uncertain movements and groaning when she became more urgent. Will had pushed herself closer to his chest, reaching around his neck to wrap her fingers in his hair. His coat had fallen off her shoulders and he took the opportunity to grab onto her arms, holding onto her as though he were afraid she might disappear.
It was then, that the kiss began to change – her urgency doubled and the tenderness gave way to desperation. Then, it was all teeth and tongue and nails, running all over his face and neck and arms – he felt weak – genuinely physically weak – as though whatever she was doing was draining him.
Wait …
He broke contact with her suddenly, staring at her flushed face with a look of pure confusion. The wound on her face was gone and her arms were no longer cold. "What did you do?"
Will touched a trembling hand to her lips, "I-I didn't mean to do that … I wouldn't …" She hated the way he looked at her. She hated the look of pain on his face more than she could explain. Will looked away, now strong enough to stand. "I think we should go."
"Tell me what you did."
"I told you I don't know. Sometimes my powers don't behave right … I can't help it."
Will wasn't sure if he believed her. She didn't know why she'd kissed him anyway and would have liked him to stop looking at her.
Eventually, he did.
"Let's go."
Cedric should have known better than to leave such an important mission to measly foot solders. The pair had been gone for an inordinately long time and Cedric was quickly becoming frustrated at having his revenge delayed.
The sounds of his former Master's screams and cries had delighted him for a short period of time but more importantly, they'd left him thirsty for more. Having the healer killed was nothing in comparison to watching his precious vessel have her neck snapped or even the wielder of the Blade torn to shreds.
"Where are they?" Cedric bellowed. There was no answer, the room was empty, save for the King at his feet and the mangled remains of Vladimir. He clicked his tail impatiently on the castle floor, mentally counting the seconds until the second part of his plan was delivered.
Finally, when his patience had been worn through, Cedric removed himself from his throne. He'd have to get the pair himself, clearly. Afterward, he'd have to look into a retrenchment programme for his army.
Something stopped him – a nervous clicking sound, coming from outside the castle walls. They were whispers – but his ears could pick them up.
"Irma ... we can't just bust in through the front door!"
"Why not? No one would think we're stupid enough to come in through the front Corny."
"This is the kind of stupid plan that Will would come up with."
"Exactly, and Will got caught."
He eased towards the noise, the voices – five of them now, speaking rapidly. Cedric could smell them now, they were familiar, the sulphur and ash and mud he'd picked up on Earth. Guardians.
He hustled now, intending to break the door down and smash them to bits.
"Fine! Break it down! God!"
Cedric never got the chance. There was a huge ball of fire initially, a massive blast that disintegrated the thousand pound door within seconds. Then, there was nothing but smoke, and mounds of ash which the harsh weather outside sent inside to pile at his feet. He could see them then, barely make out the hazy outlines of the five intruders, his massive body tensed, preparing to strike, but he was soon knocked off of his feet by a burst of wind.
The figures invaded and converged on him in an instant. There was more wind, whipping at his exposed skin while rocks collided with his head and gut. It was little more than a nuisance. He roared, causing the girls to back off for a while, giving him enough time to stagger to his feet. There was nothing they could do to him. Without his Master holding him back he was free to tear them all apart.
He used his tail to slap two of them down; a third one leaped into the air. This one could fly, he grabbed her by her foot and tossed her aside before a searing pain erupted at his gut. Fire. Oh he'd kill that one.
Screaming in outrage, he advanced on the tiny creature, planning to swallow her whole.
"Elyon!" one of the fallen whores made the sound. It stilled him. That name was familiar. He turned around to see what exactly the yellow haired girl seemed fixated on and saw it. The King's sister, his vessel and salvation, walking purposefully through the dining hall.
If she saw her brother, battered and suffering on the ground, she did not acknowledge it. She simply kept walking, her ice blue eyes trained on their target: him.
What did the child feel she could do to him?
The question was answered when pain lanced through his chest. Some sort of light, had flown from her hand and straight through his chest. It burned … truly, the pain left him breathless. Cedric fell, growling his displeasure.
"Oh my God!" Cornelia sprung to her feet, jumping past the scattered debris and bodies, her arms outstretched, ready to embrace her friend. The second beam of light from Elyon's hand stopped her dead in her tracks. Clutching her bleeding chest, eyes as wide as saucers, Cornelia collapsed motionless onto the floor.
"No!" Irma ran forward, waving her arms frantically, seeking out some form of moisture – she found it in a barrel of wine propped up in the corner. The maroon liquid hovered for a scant second before Irma sent it down like razors towards Elyon. The attack never reached its target. It was diverted by some sort of shield surrounding the Princess. Taranee attempts at a fire cannon were also deflected. Her brow furrowed, Taranee tried to speak to her classmate. "Elyon! What's wrong with you? Don't you remember us? It's Taranee … I sat behind you in Geography!"
The girl seemed not to hear. Instead, she sneered at Cornelia's body. "You left me here."
There was a gunshot. Yan Lin squinted as that too missed its target. Soon after, another shot of light sent her reeling backwards. "You all never cared about me. And now, you come here and destroy my home!"
"Oh shit," Irma whispered to Hay Lin, "she's crazy. She's gonna kill us."
"I'm not crazy!" Elyon screamed. "I'm not!"
"No … no ..." Irma mumbled, "who said crazy? Hey, look your stutter is gone."
"I'm sick of everyone using me!" There were tears streaming down her face and as they fell, the ground shook.
Taranee and Irma exchanged looks. Taranee said, "Elyon, I know you don't know how to control your powers yet but when you get emotional, it makes things worse. Just calm down. Talk to us. We're your friends."
"Wrong!" The energy around her changed. Suddenly, they could see the small flashes of light flickering along her arms and legs as she breathed. "I don't have any friends!"
She fired another beam at Cornelia's limp body. Irma felt sick. There was no way that Corny could be alive. Her throat clogged. "Elyon, please."
"Go to hell." And she raised her arm and fired again.
The walk through the castle was long, perhaps lengthened by the fact that Will and Caleb were forced to stop every few seconds to check for possible soldiers.
"I thought you knew where you were going," Will complained, thoroughly annoyed for no reason at all – actually, she was annoyed because Caleb kept looking at her and then looking away. God knew what he was thinking.
"I do. Perhaps it is your incessant chatter that causes me to forget!"
She rolled her eyes. They were clearly both confused by the kiss. The awkwardness between them was almost tangible. Will wished that she could break it, but of course that would mean an apology or admission of wrongdoing and her pride wouldn't allow it.
"Well your complaining about my complaining isn't any relief!"
Caleb frowned at her but didn't reply. He looked agitated for a bit and then slightly confused. He tugged at her arm, "look there," he pointed at the walls along this particular corridor, which thankfully, was deserted. Will immediately noticed what he was trying to show her. The edges of many of the stones were blown off. Just like the gate in the dungeon.
"Elyon?"
"There is no doubt that the Princess would be looking for her brother. He's in the Dining Hall, with the beast, Cedric. That's where your sword is."
"Then that's where I need to go."
She moved forward. "No," Caleb stopped her. "You don't understand. Cedric has taken over … he's not like Phobos. He has no heart, no conscience. He is no man, just a beast. He would kill you in a heartbeat."
"You say that about everyone."
"Will!"
"What do you want me to do? I can't leave the sword!"
"Where do Elyon's loyalties lie?"
"I ..." Will frowned, "I don't know. Elyon is … I don't think she gets what's going on. But I mean … Elyon isn't a threat."
"Even if she did all of this?"
Will frowned, thinking."I can't leave my sword."
'Your sword?' Will's heart almost stopped. "Nerissa?"
"What?" Caleb looked perplexed.
"N-Nothing." Will bit her lip. That was the first time in a long time that she'd heard Nerissa's voice. More importantly, this was the first time that she'd ever heard her without having the sword in her hand. "I'm going."
Caleb's grip on her tightened. "Caleb, let me go!" He didn't seem to hear her and when she raised her eyes to shatter him with a frustrated look, she realised that his green eyes had turned to gold. "What's wrong with your eyes?"
He let go of her immediately, placing an arm across his face as though he were hiding. Caleb started to back away from her, but Will followed. "Caleb, what's happening to you?"
"Leave." He growled. Yes, growled.
Will had never listened to him. Naturally, she wouldn't start now. "Are you ok?"
He'd fallen to his hands and knees in the corridor, growling and mumbling to himself in a way that seemed to Will like he may be fighting back excruciating pain. "Caleb?" Will started to kneel beside him but the look in his wild yellow eyes was enough to terrify her. "I..." he breathed, grunted and then continued, "I told you to go. I … cannot … control … this side … of me ..."
His breathing was coming in desperate pants now, and Will noticed the hair on his arms and face was slowly thickening. She remembered something … a vision of a shaggy creature, staring back at Caleb when they'd fallen into Morpheus' trap. He'd said it was him.
"I can't leave you here."
"Go!"
"No … not until I know you're ok."
He growled again, this time, the sound was less human than before. He didn't speak for a long time. Then, without warning he rose to his feet and sprinted into the darkness. Will watched the space where he'd vanished for a while before she could convince herself to move. And even then, half of her had wanted to chase after him.
Irma and Taranee had both thrown themselves to the floor in preparation for the incoming attack. But, it never followed.
Behind them, Cedric had risen, distracting Elyon. Despite the fact that there was blood leaking from his chest, he seemed little more than dazed and staggered forward with his arms outstretched. Within a few short steps, he'd managed to stand before her and wrap his fingers around her neck, "My plan will not be postponed!" he hissed. The massive energy shield surrounding the Princess now surrounded Cedric too. It must have been hurting him, but he merely flinched. "I'll kill you," he hissed, "I've waited too long for this-s-s."
Seizing the chance, Irma whispered to Taranee, "go check on Hay Lin and her grandmother, I will get Corny."
Taranee nodded. With her eyes focused on the scene between Cedric and Elyon, she crawled on her stomach to the spot where Yan Lin lay motionless on the floor.
Irma had already reached Cornelia – whose condition was even worse than she'd feared. The beautiful blonde was lying motionless in a pool of her own blood – and more of it flowed liked water from the twin wounds at her sides.
"Come on Corny," Irma whispered, but it was too late. She wasn't breathing.
Elyon flailed like a fish out of water. Her powers were fading and she could not concentrate enough to launch an attack on the creature that was strangling her.
"Stop!" It was little more than a whisper, but Cedric smiled when he heard it. "Look, look as-s-s she draws-s-s her las-s-t breath!"
Phobos was on his feet. He looked like a bloodied, battered phantom, but he was smiling. He carried Will's sword in his hand. Cedric frowned when he saw it. "You cannot hurt me with that toy. I'm invincible!"
"When I was a boy, I promised my Mother that I would live." The King swallowed at the memory, "all of my life, I cursed my body for being weak … for making it so hard for me to keep that promise."
Cedric was uninterested. "You wanted your s-s-sister's body because it was-s-s s-s-tronger that yours-s-s. Her-s-s-s is the only body that will accept your polluted blood. But when s-s-she is-s-s gone ..."
"I don't have to live. My Mother only told me that because she knew my Father would never allow her to keep her female child. Deimos was dead and she wanted at least one of her offspring to survive."
Cedric's grip eased from about Elyon's neck. He turned to stare at his Master, just in time to see him raise the Blade of Kandrakar into the air, "and one of us shall." And he plunged it into his heart.
The grin fell off of Cedric's face. The reaction was immediate. He started to dissolve as the magic holding him together fell apart. There was no pain, only an odd sense of terror as he watched himself disappear to the sound of Elyon's heart wrenching screams in the background. His final thought was only that, "the Black Witch had lied."
Will heard the commotion at least one hundred metres away from the Dining Hall, and with little care for caution, she darted into the room, only to have her stomach plummet at what she saw. Phobos was dead. Her sword stood erect in his chest, beside him was another corpse – her Guardians and Yan Lin were scattered through the room, most of them immobile.
But Elyon … Elyon seemed manic. She kept screaming her brothers name and every syllable caused the space about her to cackle with raw energy.
"She's dead!" Irma was crying, even from so far away Will could see the tears falling. "You killed her!"
Will noticed then that the body Irma was crouched over was Cornelia's. If possible, she felt a thousand times worse. "Irma!" Will left her hiding place and entered the chaos.
Elyon kept screaming, her eyes were wild and the static in the air around her had caused her hair to stand on end.
"Don't tell her that!" Taranee yelled, she had Yan Lin propped against her side and she was making a slow trek towards the back of the Dining Hall, where Hay Lin lay. "You have to calm her down! The more emotional she gets ..."
"I don't care!" Irma yelled, "how could you do this Elyon! Cornelia never did anything to you!"
"She's ..." Will was pale when she reached Irma's side. The brunette was shaking and covered in Cornelia's blood. It was obvious to anyone who could see that Cornelia was dead – her lips were already blue and her skin was paper white. "No … No … No!" Will could feel the tears stinging the backs of her eyes.
This was her fault. It was her idea to come here. Her idea to cut off the rebels. And now everything was falling apart.
"She killed her, Will."Irma seemed lost. Will starting shaking. She was going to be sick.
Elyon was not handling the information well either. She kept mumbling to herself and, even worse, the energy around her was growing rapidly. Now, instead of mere sparks, there were full fledged beams bouncing from Elyon. More than one touched stone walls and disintegrated years of sweat and mortar within mere seconds.
"She'll kill us! She'll break the entire castle down! We have to leave!" Taranee was crouched over Hay Lin, who seemed to be stirring.
Irma wanted to agree, but it seemed to Will that she was in shock.
"I can stop her." Will said. No one seemed to hear.
'You'd better stop her. You're right, you know. This is all your fault.'
"Shut up." But the harsh words had already done their duty. Will stood and with more confidence than she felt, started to walk over to Elyon. The tiny blonde paid her no mind. She was wrapped in a cloak of emotions, powerless to her guilt and grief. The closer Will ventured, the harder it became to even stand. The force around Elyon was so strong that it forced her to her knees. By the time she could touch the girl, Will was practically on her stomach.
Any contact with Elyon was painful. Like sticking a fork into a toaster. It stung. It burned. But Will held on. She could hear Taranee and Irma calling her but what good was that? She had no choice. All around them the castle walls were already crumbling.
'Yes.' Nerissa was egging her on. 'Good girl. Take it. Take all of it. Just like I taught you.'
It was working. Will could feel the energy entering her body. It was in the way that the hairs on her arms and legs stood erect and in the way that her heart started speeding up. It was a lot of energy. Too much. And Will realised for the first time that she wouldn't be able to hold it all. All of this energy would probably kill her.
Still, she didn't release her.
She focused on Elyon's face throughout the ordeal. Watching as her emotions went from mania to confusion and then finally to lethargy. By the time Elyon collapsed, Will's heart was about ready to burst out of her chest.
'Let it go!'
Will was shaking – there was lights crowding her eyes and her skin felt like it was on fire.
'Hurry! Let it go! Get it out of you!'
All she could manage to do was turn onto her back and point her hand in the air. She forced the energy out of her body in one slow steady beam that burst through the castle and up through the heavens, illuminating the night sky more than any lighting ever could.
When it was over, Will felt no better. Her heavy conscience and heavier heart were too much of a burden for her to bear. She could lay here, among the dead and the unconscious on this cold Dining Hall floor forever, if it meant that she wouldn't have to get up and deal with the fact that Cornelia was dead.
Out of the corner of her eye, the Heart of Kandrakar glittered mischievously in the hilt of the sword still stuck in Phobos' chest. She thought about how badly he'd wanted the damned thing. Maybe she should leave him with it.
A few seconds later, Will managed to find the strength to stand. Phobos had wanted the sword because it healed. Yes. There was something about it … something that had to do with immortality.
She grabbed the blade without a second thought and then, still dizzy, stumbled over to Cornelia's side, where Irma continued to stand guard.
"What are you doing?" the puffy eyed Water Guardian asked.
"I don't know." Will replied truthfully. But at this point, she was willing to try anything.
She placed the sword atop of Cornelia's stationary chest, ensuring that the crystal was pressed against her heart. Then, she wrapped her hands around the stone, focusing all of her energy on that one spot. It took a while for the crystal to begin to warm in his palms, but when it finally happened, Will thought that maybe, this could work. It was draining, slow, tedious work, that caused Will to feel even groggier. But by the time the pink crystal had started to glow in the hilt, Cornelia's heart had thumped at least twice and by the time Will passed out from exhaustion, Irma's face had broken out into a wide grin and Cornelia had sat up, rubbed her eyes and wearily asked, "where did Elyon go?"
Author: You know, there is nothing like my reviewers to give me that perfect mix of guilt and happiness that disintegrates writer's block. Thanks guys. Here it is. The end of the Phobos saga. The end of Phobos himself? Hmmmm.
Still some unanswered questions here but I think I wrapped up most of my loose ends. There was another scene here where Will wakes up and she and Caleb have a moment, but owing to what happens after that scene … I will leave it for O. Yes O. N is for Nerissa is coming up next and it is a flashback chapter. It has not real relevance to the overall plot. Mwhahaha. You have to wait in agony for a bit longer my sweets.
Had a little kissing romance thing with Will and Caleb. They're so messed up, I love how Ive twisted their relationship. Anyway, thanks so much for the support! I always appreciate reviews. Even the ones that say, WTF! Another cliffhanger.