justice

Chapter Twenty

As Just looked around, she saw that there were quite a few changes to the wounded palace.

Piles of debris lay everywhere, and fireflies were everywhere, their lamps shattered on the floor. Just spied a group of maybe seven or eight, with a baby poised on every hip, haggling, and pleading with a store owner. Just looked the other way and saw three children leaning against the wall, groaning and clutching their stomachs. At the far end of the palace, a neon light flickered on and off sadly, as if trying to decide if it was worth the trouble to turn on or off all the way.

"Tee, this place looks so sad! What happened to this place? This is more than just a few iblis attacks!" said Just. Tee turned to her and gestured to the far doors to the palace.

"There is where the King is. He is better suited to answer your questions," he said dejectedly. Just sighed and nodded, and set her eyes towards the distant door. As they got closer, she thought she saw someone next to the door. Wait, not someone, something...a tiny tent!

"Pokok Tua! What are you doing here!?" shouted Just, running the last fifteen feet to greet the old lady. Pokok Tua turned and smiled.

"Ah, Maiden! So glad to hear you back in one piece! I trust you met with Api Lama?" Just nodded, then hastily waved her hands in the air and said, "What happened?"

"Oh, you mean with me? Well, my grandson was actually born last week and my stove did the strangest thing-"

"No, I meant with the Palace!" said Just. The seer stopped mid-sentence and said, "Oh. Well, if you want to know about that, come with me," Pokok Tua turned and entered her tent.

"Nellie, could you let the King know I will be along in a few? Thanks." Nellie nodded, and Just pulled the flap aside, and stepped into the tent.

"If you want to know the full story of this palace, you must allow me to do some memory-caching with you. I cannot explain it with the time you have left, but your mind had all the time in the world." Just nodded and leaned forward, and Pokok Tua placed her hands on her head. Just took a deep breath, and Pokok Tua began to tell her the story.

Trayson, get outside, now! They are back! Right away, King Regaily. Battalion, on me! Charge!

Please, sir, is there nothing you can do? My children have had nothing to eat but bark and bugs for almost a week? Please, there must be something!

Schreeeeee! Trayson, behind you! Argh! Trayson, are you alright? Yes, yes, I'm fine! Get everyone inside, now! Bumi, over here!

Down you go, down you go, fast then slow, fast then slow.

Just gasped and pulled away from the seer, panting and sweating. Pokok Tua sat back and observed Just. She was handling this a lot better than she had thought she would. Far less screaming...

"Pokok Tua, how...what...why...why did this happen? Who is responsible!?" Pokok Tua stood up and helped Just to her feet.

"I am but a messenger, Maiden. Please accept my apologies that I cannot tell you more." Just sadly stood up and nodded, and left the tent.

"Good luck, Maiden. And keep an open mind; you never know what you may find out." Just turned and thanked the seer, then made her way through the unhinged door into the Palace.

It looked nothing like she remembered it. There were piles of rubble and sticks in every corner, and was it...raining? Just looked up and gasped. It was not rain - it was tears of the wind spirits clustered on the ceiling.

Just sadly surveyed the rest of the room. There were similar scenes everywhere. What could have caused this?

"Missus, welcome back," said the King, bowing when Just entered the center of the palace, "I am glad you seem fine. However, the rest of the palace..." King Regaily sadly motioned to the piles of trash, dead leaves, and tears surrounding them.

"As you may have noticed," began Tee. "There are loads more monsters around than there used to be. And, they seemed to be operating in a coordinated way - not random, attacking in quick succession when our defenses are down. It seems as though they are working under leadership."

Just widened her eyes and went rigid. Something tugged at the back of her head...something important... Nellie noticed the change and wind lifted her to lean against the wall of the room. The King squatted down next to her, and said, "Maiden! Do you remember anything? Maiden, try to remember!"

Just closed her eyes and screamed.

"So this is it, then. Nellie, take out those two guards!"

"On it, Teasy."

"Flick, Jhar, get that door open for her."

Just covered her ears as Flick and Jhar blasted open the door to the throne room. Jhar roared into the room and scared the rest of the guards out, whom Flick disposed of. Just ignited Lemmy and ran through the rubble towards the room. "Hey Just!" yelled Flick. Just turned and received a heartfelt 'go-get-em, tiger' look from Flick, a nod from Jhar, and a wink from Tee. Nellie raised her arms and whooshed Just into the throne room.

"Hey, your Majesty! Come on out and face me!" she taunted. She heard a deep grumble from a far corner of the room and slowly advanced upon it. The deep grumble grew into a chuckle, then evil laughter. The King of Evil emerged from the darkness, wielding the Pasangan, the legendary pair of swords that could cast shadows and demons in the hands of a master.

"Ah, so this is the famed Hero. An honor to meet you, my lady," he said, bowing low. Just ran forward and hurled Lemmy at his bowed head. As soon as he left her hand, the King rose and swatted him away. Then, he tossed one of the swords at the ceiling, causing a stacalite to fall and pin Just to the ground.

"Help me! HELP ME!" she screamed, but the others were all occupied with the guards. The King threw back his head and laughed.

"There is no one to help you now, little girl," he said. He roared and charged forward.

"Just! Just, come back! Just, are you OK?" Slowly, the world stopped spinning, and Just registered Nellie and Tee bent over her. She groaned and grasped her forehead, and whispered, "What happened?" Nellie and Tee exchanged a glance and said, "You remembered something from the past. Whatever it really shook you."

Just nodded. "I saw...or I think I saw...when, when me, and you, and Tee...when we fought the Evil..." she stuttered out and slid down against the wall.

Nellie and Tee exchanged a look. "Just...do you remember who the people were? Other than me and Nellie?" asked Tee gently.

Just nodded. "I think...they were the same people as form an earlier vision. A fire spirit, I think her name was Flick, and an earth spirit, named Jhar?"

Nellie nodded sadly. "Just, those were the people tasked with helping you on your quest. Those were the people who helped you to fight the King of Evil." Just shuddered as she remembered being pinned to the ground.

"Jahat," she whispered suddenly. The Kings' head snapped towards her.

"What, Maiden? What did you just say?" Just shuddered again, but managed to meet his gaze.

"Jahat." she said confidently. "Jahat - that's his name, right? That's the name of the King of Evil."