Chapter 30 - Y

"What?" we all looked straight at Zael, who was looking straight at the piece of stone that had come out of the middle of the platform. The ground was still shaking, but he looked as if he'd been frozen in time. When he finally started moving again, it was only a few seconds later, but it had seemed much longer, he almost fell, but when we tried to catch him the ground shook harder and knocked us over like there were freaking bananas everywhere or something. "What? What was that?"

"What was what, Zael?" Dagran was the closest to him and I tried to inch my way over.

"Was it the voice of the island itself?!" he started looking around nervously.

I finally got close enough to where the rumbling noise didn't cover my voice. "We don't hear anything, Zael. What's it saying?"

"It's suffering," he looked as if he would cry if he heard anymore of whatever it was telling him. "Why's it in so much pain?!" his head fell into his hands and he stared wide-eyed at the ground. Then his hand started glowing so brightly, I could barely stand to look his direction. Finally the shaking and the glowing all stopped and he stood up straight as if nothing had happened.

"Zael?" I regained my balance and the three of us gathered very close to him. He looked down at his hand then reached out to touch the carving of the eye.

Suddenly, a short blast sent the three of us backwards and onto the floor. I looked up as Zael nearly screamed to find arm being sucked in by a hand coming out of a sparkling blue light. He tried to fight it, but it pulled him in elbow deep.

"Zael!" Dagran went to pull him back, but the ground started shaking again, only different this time. Like something was going on up on the surface. Dagran and Mirania's heads were all over the place trying to figure out what was going on, but my eyes were stuck on Zael, who had finally managed to get his hand back, but was incredibly pale.

"I remember your voice," he mumbled.

As soon as the shaking stopped again I ran to him. "Zael!" I caught him as he fell to his knees. He looked as if he'd faint. His eyes were closed tightly and his breathing was hitched as his head fell to my shoulder. "What the hell just happened?"

"Zael," Dagran's focus returned. Mirania joined as well.

"Is everything alright?" She crouched next to him, about to heal, when he sat up, still looking pale as ever, but starting to get his colour back.

He shook his head slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine," he tried to stand up, but the first attempt had me catching him again. He got it on the second, but I wouldn't let him stand on his own.

"Let's get the hell out of here," I suggested, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "I hate this place."

*** *** *** *** *** *** Back in the Castle Depths *** *** *** *** *** ***

Zael was stable and walking by himself when we got back to reality. It felt so wonderful to be out of that desolate place. Granted, seeing the Count wasn't much better, but at least he wasn't a Giant fucking shadow beast from hell. I mean, seriously? Whose idea was that?!

"It seems you overcame the trial without incident," he said in his I-art-better-than-thou voice.

"Actually," I started, but Zael stepped in front of me, cutting me off.

"Yes, sir."

"At last," the Count smirked, "the prophecies are being fulfilled!"

"Uh, yeah," Zael hesitated with the word. I knew what he was thinking only I was more angry about it than he was. One day… I'm going to blow this place up…

Count Arganan grabbed Zael's arm. "The time has come. Now, reawaken the legendary fortress!"

Zael shook his head, but as soon as the Count was gone, he looked nervously down at the floor. He hadn't said anything on the way back through that god forsaken place either.

"Hey, Zael," I reached for his hand and he took it after a quick twitch. "What happened back there?"

He looked up at me and I could see so much emotion in his eyes. He had that look when injustice was going down and he was about to activate his Hero mode, but this was different. He looked pained like he couldn't do anything about it. He felt useless.

"I just," he put a hand to his face and squeezed like he was trying to tear his own face off. "The island is in so much pain. I-It spoke to me, but I," he looked back down at the ground and clenched his fist back at his side, squeezing my hand as well. "I don't know what to do."

"Zael," I turned his face to look at mine. "Do whatever you think is right. I'll be right behind you with whatever you choose." I knew it was hard for him. Ever since we'd gotten here it was just one hard decision after the next for him and the rest of us were just floating along behind him. "We should go," I looked over my shoulder to see Mirania still waiting for us. Everyone else had already gone back up.

He nodded. "Come with me?" I nodded back. Then we found our way back to the courtyard and into the Military wing of the castle. A few floors higher was the lookout point where we were supposed to meet the Count.

We had just gotten to the top when Calista ran up after us, almost completely out of breath.

"Uncle! Please don't do this!" she reached out to him, "It'll lead to disaster!" When he didn't acknowledge her at all, she tried to grab his arm, but he spun around and back handed her. She fell to the floor and I could feel Zael try his hardest not to run to her, even though he was already at the front of the lookout.

"Know your place, wench," the Count spat before returning to deviously staring out at the horizon.

I ran over to help her up and towards the door, but once she reached the stairs she shoved me off and held her face in her hands, descending slowly. I sighed then returned to Dagran's side on the lookout. Jiral was there as well, smirking just as evilly as the Count. And we can't kill them now because… I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall.

"Now give the command," Count Arganan's voice boomed and bounced off the walls, catching my attention. Zael looked at his hand, turned and looked out at the town, then back to his hand. "You don't need to prepare! Do it now!"

I scowled and stood up straight, but Dagran's arm stopped me from moving forward.

"Don't do anything stupid," his whispered harshly.

I glared at him, too, but then smirked. "Not even warming up his arse just a bit?" his straight face was so boring. That was another thing that pissed me off about him. "Ugh, fine." I crossed my arms again.

Zael faced back towards the horizon and raised his hand. "Hear me, Outisder!" The light went from his wrist all the way up to the top of the tower. My eyes didn't know where to start.

"What the-," the ground shook and the smaller towers started fucking spinning to face the sea ahead of us. Then there was more shaking as the ground began to split apart, creating massive landslides and sudden cliffs. There might have been people there! Did that bloody Count know this was going to happen?! I glanced over to him. He had that stupid smug look on his face. The sound was deafening. Animals cried out and birds flew as fast as they could to get out of harm's way. Now I know what they were talking about! Both Mirania and Zael had said that the land was in pain. She had been doing secret research on how this land was remaining alive when hers and almost every other had died out. And Zael- Zael had heard the island actually speak to him. "You're a monster," I glared at the Count before running to the edge of the railing and watching all of the destruction. Once Lazulis city was detached from the rest of the island, it began moving forward. I gasped. The moving fortress… it's real. If I hadn't been so outraged, I would have found it fascinating.

"It has begun," The Count laughed. A laugh that churned my stomach.

Dagran stayed quiet and exited with the Count and Jiral.

"What have I done?" Zael fell to his knees and stared blankly down at his hands. I hadn't seen him this traumatized before. "Did I do the right thing?"

I ran over to him and knelt in front of him. "I don't know," I looked back towards the island. "We'll just have to see how it all plays out."