So I'm back...(hides in a closet from the angry mob).
Can I just say that I'm still alive and so sorry it took this long to get this up. For a while, I was going through some self-esteem issues and still adjusting to college. I meant to get this out over the winter break, but that didnt happen,a nd ever since, I've been anchored by work. Yeah, I took some hard classes and have been regretting ever since.
But! Like I said, I'm not abandoning this, no matter what. so for all that still stuck around, thank you for patience and support. You ahve no idea how much i appreciate you.
With that out of the way, this is THE SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER. the next one will be ending this story.
He could feel his strength beginning to return, as if it had never left him. Maybe the rose was finally giving back after it had taken its toll on his body. But if what Batlash had said was true, than Nod and his friends were about to lose more than just their lives.
The Boggan Lord had arrived with an armed platoon of Boggans that cut off all exits of the Moon Chamber. Nod could tell he was grinning under the mask. Thankfully, Belladonna was absent.
Out of the corner of his eye, Nod waited for the rose to fully bloom, but it remained closed, refusing to open. If this had something to do with Marise and Jori still being mortal enemies, then Nod was getting real tired of it. At this point, their feud was becoming quite petty and unnecessary. And really annoying.
Batlash's gaze shifted to Wanikiy. The stone dragon towered over even the largest of the Boggan brutes, his glowing green eyes betraying nothing. "This I have never seen before," Batlash said. "What are you?"
"My kind do not like to converse with yours, Lord Batlash," Wanikiy's voice boomed, his large head dipping slightly in respect to the Boggan's title. Never let it be said that the gnome did not extend manners to his enemies. "We have our differences when it comes to how we treat the earth."
"An earth spirit, then. I've done some reading on your kind and the others," Batlash concluded. "You'd be right about our polar opposite natures. But this isn't really your fight, now is it? You can depart without any harm to yourself."
"Indeed I could. But you're wrong; this is my fight," Wanikiy countered. "It has been for centuries yet I've only realized it until now, and its unfortunate that these young ones had to be dragged into it."
The forest dwellers shot the earth spirit puzzled expressions. M.K., still by Nod's side, asked the question they were all thinking. "Wanikiy, what do you mean?"
The dragon's eyes met hers and she could practically see the sad smile. "What I mean, my dear, is that my memories have only just been refreshed. I am the one you call the Tablet Master."
"You?!" Nod exclaimed, feeling suddenly rejuvenated. "Then you must know what happened all those years ago-"
"That's got to wait!" Thryn interrupted. She tossed a katana to Nod and brandished her other at the growling Boggans. "Whatever is going on with the rose, we have to defend it from these interlopers!"
"Our positions are switched, girl!" Batlash shot back, withdrawing his weapon. It was a sharpened shaft of animal bone, gleaming ghostly pale in the light of the moon. "You are the intruder, and all here have lost their usefulness. Boggans, put them down! None leave here alive!"
Thyrn leaped and swung her blade, hoping to catch the leader off guard. However, the lord stepped back and let a Boggan intercept her lunge, and they became locked into a battle. Like a dam breaking, the other young warriors followed the brunette's lead, meeting the formidable line of enemies in the middle. Mason flanked Ross, parrying away blows with his duel knives and slicing into weak points, while the latter dealt heavy, devastating attacks with his sword.
Jason, still a novice to swordplay but not about to shy from a fight, took his enemies with evasion and caution. All the years of soccer practice came back and he slipped into a focused dance, keeping on his toes and never taking his eyes of his opponent. He sidestepped a swinging club and retaliated with a kick to the knee. There was a small, momentary window while the Boggan fell and was blinded by the pain.
This was the part where he had to raise the sword and bring it down on his enemy's neck...but...
Sensing his hesitation, the Boggan's hand grabbed the teen's leg, crushing it between its fingers. Before Jason could plant his feet, the Boggan used its considerable strength to throw him onto the ground. As the stone floor painfully met his back, Jason could see the club descending to cave in his skull.
It missed by an inch, the Boggan's body falling on top of him. A green-shafted arrow stuck out from its neck.
Lex had been keeping her distance, using her grasshopper agility to vault off her opponents and gain enough ground to fire her arrows safely. Her sharp eyes were simultaneously watching Jason to make sure he was holding his own. She had seen him vulnerable and his hesitation to deliver the killing blow. It was a problem most recruits ran into when they confronted Boggans in their first patrol skirmish, a mistake that have taken some soldiers' lives.
Jason wasn't a soldier though. He was not like them, even though he courageously fought along side them like an equal, willing to aid in their fight and see it through to the end. Lex could not let such bravery and selflessness go unpaid.
Likewise, Nod and M.K. were both playing guardians. They kept to the other's back like glue. Nod did his best to draw most of the Boggan's attentions toward himself, but M.K.'s skill with the sword was not half bad. Having done this before, though not in direct combat, she kept steady and calm, but alert to every attack. She did not let the victories get to her and never strayed too far from Nod.
One Boggan with no weapon charged, his arms wide to tackle M.K. to the ground. Both teenagers saw it and leaped into the air, Nod doing a mid-air flip before landing next to M.K. The Boggan hadn't even checked to see if his targets had been standing still liked he hoped. Instead his head met the wall with an impact that cracked the rock.
With only a few seconds of breathing room, M.K. realized that one of their party was M.I.A. The member that was the only one with any sort of supernatural abilities to use against the Boggans. But before she could point it out to Nod, more brutes were swinging their weapons and they were fighting once again.
Thryn, on the other hand, was struggling. Batlash was way stronger and faster than she anticipated. His sword was made of a wide blade of bone, serrated on one side and sharp on the other. She thought that the weight would slow him down, but he wielded it with unnatural speed, making it hard to get in close.
She ducked the next swing, cursing that she couldn't parry his blows without causing damage to her katana. Maybe if she had both it would have been better, but Nod would be unarmed without it. Her best bet was to keep evading until he tired himself out.
However, that didn't look like it was happening anytime soon.
It was when she felt the heel of her boot collide with a solid obstruction that she realized her mistake. Thryn lurched backward over the center dais, arms wind milling uselessly as she fell to the floor, her back and head hitting hard against the stone basin. Colors flashed across her vision but she could make out the gleeful bloodlust in Batlash's yellow eyes as his blade began to descend upon her.
Ronin was sitting on his cot, staring at a corner of the room and trying to keep his mounting worry for Nod under control, when he felt a slight vibration run up through the soles of his feet. His blue eyes snapped to alertness as he held his breath. Seconds of silence passed. Did he imagined it?
That's when the floor began to rise. Ronin, though he will never admit this later, yelped in surprise and fright as a figure took shape from the stone. Rock cracked and shifted as it formed into...a dragon? The general rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't dreaming. No, there was a dragon standing there, with glowing green eyes and filling up the small space between his cot and the door. To add to the strange situation, it spoke without opening its mouth.
"General Ronin," it said, dipping its head in greeting.
"Um...yes?"
"My name is Wanikiy. I've come to help you escape."
"Oh...have you? Is there anything else that I need to know?"
Wanikiy chuckled. "I'm a friend of Nod's. Last I saw him, he and his friends were alive, though I don't know for how much longer. Once I break down this door, you can aid them in their battle."
Without further ado, the stone dragon flicked the tip of his tail like a whip. The clubbed end smashed into the reinforced wooden door, a crash echoing up the hallway as the hinges broke and the door fell onto the stone floor with a resounding boom.
Ronin relished the sight of the barren hallway after weeks of confinement. "Thank you. I don't how I can ever repay you for-"
"Gutless meat sacks!"
The horrid screech came from Madam Belladonna. The spider gypsy was blocking the way with her bulky body, fangs bared and dripping with venom, absolute fury in all eight black eyes. Ronin returned her furious glare with one of his own, shifting into a battle stance despite not having a weapon or anything to defend himself with. The stone dragon merely flicked his head toward her in clear dismissal.
"One distraction after another," the spirit muttered.
Ronin growled under his breath. "We don't have time for this!"
"I knew keeping you alive was a waste of time!" the spider spat, her venom sizzling holes into the stone floor. "This works for me though. I don't care what his Lordship thinks! I'm peckish for some flesh..."
Belladonna lunged, all four arms extended to catch her prey and sink her lethal fangs into his throat. Ronin was ready to dodge but Wanikiy's tail met her in mid-jump, smacking the furious creature into the wall. She screeched in pain and rage but wasn't allowed to regain her feet as the earth spirit's claws dug into her shoulders, effectively pinning the Madam in place. All eight of her limbs fought and flailed, yet the dragon was putting no effort in keeping her down.
The large stone head swung to Ronin, fixating the glowing green eyes on his. "Do what you must, General. The Leafmen are in the barracks, not in well condition but lightly guarded. All available forces are in the Moon Chamber. That is where you'll find your charges."
Ronin dipped his head in silent gratitude, then wasted no time in leaving. The hall stretched out before him, inviting him to run, an invitation he took eagerly. The exercise revived him of his strength, hardened his resolve, and awakened his slumbering fighting spirit. A plan formed as he took off, ready for a comeback.
Life. Death. Something in between.
It had to decide, all eventually had to pick which side they fought for, and they had to ultimately choose which side consumed their entire being in the never-ending war.
Did it believe that? Or was it told to believe that?
Pure. Tainted. Something in between.
The two voices would have split a normal being down the middle and would have ended up tearing it to pieces. Both voices burned with rage and hate. One was supposed to be good. One was supposed to be evil. Why did they sound so similar then?
Light. Dark. Something in between.
One side will win, one side will lose. That's how it is supposed to work. It thought this would be an easy decision; pick the side that is most likely to win and ensure your own survival. Follow its instincts and all will be well.
Something in between. Polar opposites can't coexist, so why even bother to try and find a middle ground? It is a useless endeavor...
The voices were only getting louder, dragging their teeth on its soul. More external noise was filtering in, more incessant than before. It was too much, too much at once, it couldn't decide with all this noise, it needed to think without all these influences.
IT NEEDED TO DECIDE. IT NEEDED QUIET. IT NEEDED PEACE!
Death was a funny thing if she didn't even feel the devastating blow that ended her. She hadn't fought her instincts to close her eyes as the blade came for her neck, so instead of staring her end straight in the face, she had shut them in fear. But she thought she would have felt it by now. It had happened, right?
Thryn cracked her eyes open cautiously, then widened them in shock. Batlash was no longer standing over her triumphantly but several feet away, sprawled on the floor and holding his ribs. His sword was cracked in two.
What the hell happened? All of the fighting had frozen, the Boggans staring in fear at something above her...
In the span of a few seconds, she realized that she had lost her balance when she tripped over the dais of the pod's basin, now pressed against her back. Looking above and behind her, she was treated to a wonderful sight.
The rose was arched, the thorns longer and sharper than before, the leaves spread out and making an intimidating silhouette against the moon. It was hissing viciously down at them.
It had protected her from death! Did that mean it had chosen the pure magic over the tainted?
The leaves rustled as the rose's stem coiled beneath it, much like a snake about to strike...
"Duck!" she cried.
Nod, M.K., and the rest dropped to the floor without hesitation. A moment later, the rose struck and chaos ensued.
The full grown flower was merciless. Its extended stem gave it incredible reach and it swept across the entire circular room, straight through the line of Boggans, colliding with even the ones in the farthest back corners. Boggans were thrown into the walls, the sound of breaking ribs and spines cutting through the air. More than a few were impaled by the thorns, and when the rose straightened up again, blood dripped from the tips and ran down the stem in red rivulets.
The young rebels watched in growing horror. If Thryn hadn't warned them in time, they would have all been killed or crippled by the very thing they had been protecting from the beginning.
The rose wasn't done. Some Boggans rebounded faster than others, picking up their weapons and charging the stationary creature from different directions, hoping to confuse it. They didn't get far.
Roots broke from the stone, cracking the basin, dais, and the floor around it. They wrapped around weapons, ankles, throats, and broke anything in its grasp with a snap.
Thryn knew she was in the most danger, lying right next to the basin, and inches away from roots that could break her like a toothpick. She should have been dead by now…
The Boggan forces were all but gone, dead on the floor or paralyzed. With seemingly no enemies to attack, the rose stilled but did not relax, waiting to see if there would be another surprise attack. Thryn was frozen, barely breathing, her gray eyes wide and fixed on the wild flower. She could not stay where she was, it was too close to be safe, but if she tried to move…
Nod was the first to realize her dilemma. "Stay calm, Thryn. Don't move a muscle," he whispered.
The girl shot him a furious glare. "Really? No, shit," she hissed as quietly as possible.
Ignoring her ire, he cautiously began to rise to his feet, only to be stopped by M.K.'s hand snagging his arm. "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to try and calm it down."
They all looked at him like he lost his mind. Ross was the first to express his disbelief. "This isn't some bird you can calm down, Nod! It's gone berserk!"
"You'll just get yourself killed," Mason added.
"I know what I'm doing," he argued back. "It's a sentient creature and it knows who I am. If it can trust anyone, it will be me."
"Nod," M.K. said quietly. They locked eyes, and he intertwined his fingers with hers, squeezing them reassuringly. Her green eyes were wide with worry and concern. "Are you absolutely sure you can do this?"
The young Leafmen was silent for a minute, then he gave an affirmative nod. "I am."
"Then just be careful." Or it's me you'll have to worry about it, she added silently with slight smirk.
He grinned back and squeezed her hand one more time before letting go and looking up to the rose. Though it was not moving, Nod knew it was listening, sensing for anything that would give it an excuse to attack. He could not afford to mess this one up, not even make one mistake.
With the most relaxed posture he could manage, the teen took one slow step forward.
The rose arched its stem and hissed in warning.
"Easy, big guy," Nod soothed in a steady voice. His instincts were screaming at him to back up, but doing that will only make it worse. With a sense of déjà vu, he thought back to when he first approached Flitterbite and how similar the two situations were right now.
"I'm not going to hurt you," he kept saying, hoping against hope that the flower would recognize his voice. "I couldn't, even if I tried. Nothing can harm you now."
Nod took another slow step to the side, wanting to get to Thryn at an angle instead of a more direct, (and threatening), approach. The rose did not drop its guard and followed his every move, poised to strike. To think this was once a prone little form coiled passively on his arm.
One more cautious step brought him close enough to Thryn, and the rose had yet to act against him. Nod took this as a good sign but he didn't want to push his luck any further. "Grab my hand," he said softly to his friend, lowering his palm to her and keeping his trained on the rose. "But don't stand up. I'll help drag you back."
Thryn complied, keeping her movements slow and in sight of the rose. She used her other hand to push herself back across the floor, Nod helping to haul her away. The rose, leaned in a little further, flaring its leaves, and making them freeze in place. Everyone watched with bated breaths.
Nod realized that it was encouraging them to back away and leave. He started tugging Thryn back again.
The patter of dozens of bare feet on rock broke through the quiet. Leafmen in dirty clothes and armed with various tools for weapons streamed in, Ronin leading the pack…and the rose hissing and coiling to strike again.
"Get down!" M.K. shouted at them.
But the rose was already moving, and although Ronin, Finn, and the first line of Leafmen had reacted to the warning, the many behind them were cramped and trapped, unable to maneuver away from the thorny, angry plant coming for them. Nod couldn't shut his eyes or look away from the carnage about to happen.
A great, ethereal wind swept through the chamber, pushing the Leafmen forward and the dangerous rose back. It hissed in defiance but shied away from the wind, its leaves and petals blowing back and making it cower low to keep out of the direct force. Nod and Thryn felt the gale push them back towards their friends, their eyes tearing up and hair whipping in the wind.
As suddenly as it appeared, the wind abated instantly, only to concentrate itself in between the dumbstruck Leafmen and the disgruntled rose. Once again, Patamon had come in for a timely rescue. His wind was distracting the rose successfully, and without being told, the teenagers hurried along the edge of the chamber, toward the main exit. Ronin was directing the Leafmen back out the way they came. Nod's heart went out to them; these men and women were exhausted, malnourished, and wounded from two weeks of forced labor, but they still followed their General, without hesitation or weapons, to come help them.
As soon as the last man crossed the threshold of the Moon chamber and was at a safe distance, Patamon's ceased the strong winds and reverted back to his bird shape. Ronin and the Leafmen were silent and shocked, whereas the younger members had lived with the spirit long enough to know he was irate with them. Again.
"How many times do I have to save you all?!" he exclaimed, exasperated and annoyed. "I have more important things to be doing you know!"
"Like what?" Ross shot back halfheartedly, too drained to get really worked up.
"Like keeping an eye on Lord Batlash! Or did you think he turned invisible after the rose's wrath episode?"
On reflex, Nod began to look around. He didn't remember seeing the Boggan after he'd been struck in the ribs by the rose's initial attack. "He must have slipped away when we were distracted."
"Obviously," the sylph spat. "Now I have to track him down all over again." On that note, the wind bird vanished until he was intangible air.
"Well. He was pleasant," Finn commented.
Nod chuckled, taking in the sight of his old friend. He had lost weight and his face was pale and wan, his red hair dirty, limp, and dull. Finn's eyes already looked old, ever since Nod has known him, but now they were positively jaded. Still, he returned Nod's smile, not hiding his relief to see him still in one piece.
Nod turned to Ronin. "How did you get out? And know exactly where to find us?"
The General shook his head, bewildered. "The real question is, where the hell did you find spiritual allies? A dragon made of rock knocked down my prison door, told me where to find you, and then proceeded to defend me against that witch, Belladonna."
M.K. laughed. "So that's where he went!"
"It's a long story," Nod replied, rubbing the back of his head.
Finn snorted. "No doubt."
Ronin put a hand on Nod's shoulder, scanning him over not-so-subtly. "Are you okay?"
"I'll live. Bruises, cuts, and bites, no big deal," Nod said, just managing to keep from shrugging, lest he irritate his ribs.
Ronin's blue eyes narrowed. "Bites?"
"You didn't mention bites," M.K. added from his other side, her arms crossed.
Nod rolled his eyes at the two of them. "Can we do this later, guys? There's still Boggans running around, and we're going to need Ariel's help if we're going to chase them out."
Ronin consented to the wise observation. "Fine, but we will talk, after we all get looked at by healers. The Boggans chased off the hummingbirds, so the main force is stuck here. Where is the Queen?"
"She's at Bufo's tree with refugees and her mother, waiting for us to return," Thryn reported. "Lex and I can escort her here."
"And we'll bring some highly-trained racing birds for the Leafmen," Lex added. "Bufo won't have need of them anymore, and it be a shame to let the poor creatures waste away in their rooks."
Ronin raised one perplexed eyebrow. "I won't even ask. Go."
The two girls obeyed, whistling for their birds. Ronin began to give orders to the Leafmen, instructing in forming a defensive perimeter around the Moon chamber. The majority of the Boggans had been deployed to kill the teenagers in the chamber and had been decimated by the rose, but that didn't mean they were all gone. Mason informed the General of his bombs that wiped out most of the spiders, but cautioned to stay out of the tunnels, since they didn't know if Wanikiy had managed to subdue or eliminate the Madam gypsy. The Leafmen field medics were already looking over Ross and Jason.
Nod and M.K. managed to slip away from their poking and prodding, both walking a short distance from the main group. The sky was beginning to turn pink. The long night was coming to an end, and there was still so much to do.
Nod looked out over the landscape that was once vibrate with green grass, fragrant flowers, and clear burbling water. Now it was gutted, muddied, torn, devoid of life.
A slender hand slipped into his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry about too much. Ariel will fix this within the day. It will be good as new."
"It's not just the plants, M.K. We were invaded. I wouldn't blame the Jinn if they never returned."
"The Jinn will come back when they see their Queen, alive and strong, rebuilding their homes and security. It will be alright, even if it takes a while to be that way," she replied softly.
Something made him glance back over his shoulder, his eyes traveling up the winding stairs and peering into the Moon chamber. Even from here, he could see the rose. It was no longer twisting around in agitation, but was sitting coiled, its rose face turned up where it will see the noon day sun in a few hours. It looked like it was contemplating, of what, Nod did not know.
He looked back at M.K., her green eyes silently questioning him. "Why do I get the feeling that this isn't over?"
The girl gazed back steadily and opened her mouth to reply. Something drew her attention down and her eyes widened in surprise. "Nod, your arm!"
"What?" Seeing for himself, Nod gasped.
On the arm that had held the rose, starting from his elbow, was a pale spiraling pattern of thorns and leaves on a stem, twisting down to his wrist where on the back of his hand, rested an intricately designed tattoo of a blooming rose.
The end is in sight. The next update will be a lot shorter than this one.