Loyal Riptide

Part 2 Chapter 9

       After wandering the empty streets of the education district for some time Asa found herself getting closer to the palace. She doubts anyone was actually there considering most if not all of the Aenon army was fighting in the main lagoon area from what she could hear. But with Kaiyu gone, Shiro and Gordy being captured her the nightmares she has been having lately were coming true only if Yoko was--

Yoko's red hair appeared a top of a rocky embankment that seemed to have fallen from the gardens to the lake below. Asa quicken her pace hoping that not all of it was real, that this was merrily all by chance except as she approached Yoko's limp body she realized it wasn't chance; it was fate. Tears fell down her cheeks, but something caught her eye.

On Yoko's shoulder was a bloodied piece of parchment paper flailing in the wind, but it was caught on a rip in her coat. She grabbed the parchment and held it in her shaking hands as she read its contents: 'I hope this was the reality you were searching for, you no longer have chains attached to her wrists. Meet me where your hands almost drew blood and I'll destroy those chains for good.' -Her majesty.'

Asa read the letter three times over before stuffing it in her vest pocket and escaping the area before anyone could see her. Was Taura talking about how Asa still had the throne? Or was she implying the guilt that still hanged over her over her mother's death? Besides that the first time she ever almost hurt someone physically was back when her and Kaiyu went and tried to save the now then princess Sirene at the old mer-people kingdom. 

She made her way to the market square and up to the homeless shelter where the secret cave passageway will bring her closer to the meeting place. Once she was at the shelter she found herself stopped dead in her tracks and took in the sunken faces and sadness of the people she was supposed to protect, but she had failed them. A red head caught her attention and she turned her head to see Dorian and Hizashi hiding among the homeless under a dying willow tree. When she approached them Hizashi only stood up and punched her across the face.

"You! If you never came back Yoko would still be alive! It's all your fault she's dead!" Hizashi screamed at her over the sniffling tears pouring off her cheeks. Asa clenched her throbbing face and only watched Hizhashi and Dorian tried to calm her down. "You're right it is my fault..." She replied, flopping down under the willow's browning leaves, "it's my fault all this has happened and its my fault that I still gave a damn to come back and try to save you." 

Hizashi didn't reply but she still had her fists clench as Asa showed her the letter she found. "You can't possibly go there now, she'll kill you. That area is nothing but rocks and plants now ever since she had it filled in after murdering the mer-people's queen. You won't be able to use your powers there much." Hizashi explained slowly after reading the letter, hatred and anger still in her tone as she spoke. Asa's mouth went dry, how did she know she had the Heart of the Sea?

"We know you have it, because if you didn't have it then Yoko would have killed you if you didn't use the river water to your advantage." Hizashi explained as if she read her thoughts. "But anyway," Dorian cut in, his suit all dirty and wrinkled, "I remember Hizashi telling me about the Hearts and how one of them is in this kingdom; the Heart of the Fire. With that we could burn all the plants in that area and that leaves you to only deal with the rocks."

"This kingdom is huge, so how do you expect to try and find it in the next hour?" Asa asked, thumping her head against the tree. "Well, you know that fire that was at the library when we were little?" Hizashi replied, pointing to no where in particular, "I figure it is there since after the fire they never could find the cause of it." Asa got up and brought out Loyal Riptide into her hands, "great now go get it before I get killed since I already have powers. That leaves only you Hizashi." She faced the crowd of homeless and yelled out, "spread the word that your queen has returned!" before running off through the secret cave entrance. 

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       "I couldn't tell her." Hizashi said as they approached the library with her coral sword in hand. Dorian cocked his head to the side confused. "I mean that I didn't have time to tell her that this plan will fail. I already have powers, I took Yoko's." She explained, opening the creaky door of the library. "You can always use me." Dorian replied, examining the library he was only in once before with its tall shelves and spiral stair case that led down to the main floor with its large stain glass window which was now cracked. 

"No, I couldn't possibly do that to you, we don't know what happens if a human were to use it." She warned, going down the stair case and examining a tall bookshelf for any possible clues. "But we don't have the time to search for either Gordy or Shiro who could be dead, mind you." He shivered, checking out a a thick leather bind book left out on one of the tables. The book was a dark maroon colour but he couldn't make out what the title was as the front cover was burned.

He opened it up to one of the burnt pages where every part of it was burnt and illegible except for one word that looked untouched by the flame: 'burn.' Without giving a second thought he grabbed a magnifying glass from one of the kid's discovery tables and held it over top the word and under the stain glass window where the sun was rising. The hot rays of sunlight caught onto the page and everything around the word caught on fire and was spreading quickly.

"What the hell, Dorian!?" Hizashi screamed, but immediately noticed what he was trying to do and motioned for him to place it on the table in front of him. The flames spread to the table and quickly to the floor trapping the two of them near the stain glass window. A burst of flame shot towards them and an orange flaming crystal laid at their feet spreading the fire even more. "'Zashi we don't have time to wait, I need to do it now!" Dorian yelled over the crackling of the flames as he took the crystal and shoved it down his throat despite Hizashi's protests and his throat burning from inside.

The flames brought down a support beam from above them and before it could crash down on top of them Dorian grabbed Hizashi and lunged out the stain glass window sending bits of colourful glass flying. They began to fall off the rocky cliff where they won't be able to make it to the water and they waited for their faces to be splattered all along the rocks but his body abruptly halted and he glanced up to see Hizashi gripping the edge of a rock with her crystallized fingers. The crystal tore through the rock and they slowly slid down the rocky cliff and onto the pointy rocks below.

They sat between the rocks for a moment before Hizashi let him have it, "you're the most idiotic person I ever met you know that?" Dorian huffed and concentrated real hard where his face appeared as if he were trying to let out a killer fart, but only a small flame ignited on his finger tip, "I don't know I think we're tied." he replied pointing at her forehead where a crystal formed just between her eye brows. "Don't worry, 'Zashi. I guess we're both freaks now." He said examining his now dark finger nails which he assumed was the result of him using his newfound powers.

"Come on, we have to get to Asa before she gets herself killed." She sighed, getting up from the rocks and steadily making her way to the other side of the rocky area. "Wait, don't you think we should find Shiro and Gordy first? When we were at the shelter I got reports that they were spotted at the main lagoon." Dorian explained, grabbing her wrist. "Okay, but we have to make it quick."

"Good," He replied, leaning up and giving the crystal on her forehead a quick peck of the lips, "because we'll need all the help we can get."