The Dark Secret of The Great

Chapter 6: The Key

When they entered, they were face to face with an army. But this army hadn't got only one species. There was everything. Humans, animals, aliens, mythical creatures.

Natelien: - There are more than I expected...

Elaine: - Where's that sleeping bag?

Natelien: - Heh, that was good.

There was no time for more conversations as the first team rushed them to fight with them. There were only humans in it. Children, women and man. It seems that there are teams from each race. So, they didn't have much hard time, yet.

As they approached them, sword and energy were drawn to prepare them for the attacking army. But they didn't have much time for that either.

They were lucky here, as they weren't that many, at least on this team. They were in three rows, five in each row. Elaine and Natelien didn't speak for atactic, they started to fight without it, they didn't have time for that either. The heads and bodies were just falling before them.

The first two rows were down, only the third was back. But here they stopped before the attack.

They all were from their village. There was the blacksmith, the baker, Natelien's old nanny, the neighbour widow's only child, and the stableman's apprentice.

Elaine: - Now what?

Natelien: - Whatever we did, we're fighting.

Elaine: - But they are our friends!

Natelien ignored that, she continued the fight. First the apprentice's head fell.

Natelien: - Don't just stand there, fight!

Elaine realized just before the blacksmith had jumped on her back.

Elaine: - What do you think?! You can't go there!

With her tail she kicked him up and then cast a stone on him with magic.

Elaine: - Now you won't climb anywhere anymore.

Natelien: - Don't just bluster, help me!

Elaine glanced at Natelien, who was in the middle of the fight with the boy, the nanny, and the baker. The boy with the dagger in his hand injured Natelien's belly. This was his last thing he had done in his life, his lifeless body was hanging in Elaine's mouth.

She hadn't even dropped him out of her mouth, but she was already at the nanny. AS the boy fell to the ground, the nanny flew up to the top of the cave, where the sharp, dangling rocks waited her. She no longer struggled on, her pieces were falling off in chunks.

The baker wanted to attack Elaine from behind while she was busy with the other two. But he just wanted, because Natelien pierced his heart from behind.

Natelien: - It was pitied to think so.

Then she pulled her sword out of the lifeless body.

In the second wave, there were not only fifteen, but one hundred soldiers. However, there was not only one species in the team, but perhaps all of them.

Natelien: - Maybe this'll end here, but you must know that I was happy to meet you.

Elaine: - Me as well.

With this they attacked the big army. They rushed right in the middle, until one-one soldier was executed. They thought that they could destroy the army from the middle. This technique was worked for a while, but not to the end.

They had already killed the quarter of the army, when they had to deal more of them than they could. They were permanently fenced.

Elaine: - I feel like the end is here, not just for us, but for our world.

Then the map and the key from Natelien's pocket flew out of it, she noticed it. She tried to catch them, but she failed. She didn't have left enough power to spell them back to her.

They watched despairingly as it flew towards one of the soldiers. When the soldier noticed that, he was amazed, but quickly recovered from it and he tried to catch it. When he took it, his hand burned as if it was just paper. Then his pocket, where the other piece was, was lit on fire too. Finally, his whole body burned.

The solders and the two guardians watched the event in astonishment. They were so surprised, so they forgot to fight.

The map's other piece flew out from the ashes, as if it hadn't been hit by fire, and it merged with the other piece, which was still in the air.

When there was only one big map, it disappeared.

Natelien and Elaine shouted at once: - No! The map!

But then, when the map disappeared, a dragon-shaped, pale blue crystal left there, which was immediately united with the key. After this a chain appeared on the key, after this it flew back to the guardians, better said it flew above Elaine. When it was arrived above her, it shone a huge light, which changed back all of the still living soldiers and they run out from the cave in panic.

After the miraculous event, the key pedant with the crystal and with the necklace chain reached Elaine's neck and locked itself on her.

Elaine: - What... What just happened?

Asithin: - You collected all the map pieces and liberated me.

Elaine's mother, Asithin, appeared before them. Elaine almost cried when she saw her mother's ghost.

Elaine: - Mom? I miss you so much! Grandfather...

Asithin interrupted.

Asithin: - I know sweetheart, I'm not here for nothing. Let's get on to why we are all here for, even you Natelien.

Natelien: - Yes, I know.

Elaine: - All right, mom. Tell me what this key is, which is a pendant, and what is this map, which is a crystal.

Asithin: - They are actually a relic of the most powerful force, the true love. This relic can only be used by a true, pure-minded guardian, when the time comes.

Elaine: - So now is the time.

Asithin: - Yes. And that's why I'm here. The other guardians had already guessed that this was going to happen, so I was asked to prepare you for this. But when Azaruth, who was jailed in the crystal, found it out, he closed me into the map piece, which was with Natelien.

After this Asithin told her how she could use the power of the pendant in the final battle, which was closer, than she would think. After telling her how to use it, they started to get ready for the fight until the evening. In the evening Elaine said goodbye to her mother, who said she would always be with her in the pendant. Then they went to bed, so they could start the next day well rested, which would decide the fate of their world.