"Before we go back to Glimmerguard...there's something that you need to know," Layla murmured. She'd assembled the others in the dining room. The low hum of Meela's engine permeated the air. "You're looking for a way out, right? Escape from the Elithnir?"
"That's correct," Jaewyn replied, matter-of-factly.
"I remember this place now. I came in close by. There's a cavern near here with an elevator...must be Atlantyan construction. Goes all the way up. To the surface."
"That's a fair way, lass," Rudjrik boomed. "You sure..."
"Positive. As far as I know, most of the Atlantyan tech still works, long after they divided into the Prime Races. This is where I started my expedition. You can leave here, you should come out roughly a day's walk from Fernia, my village."
"Does your clan have riding beasts? We'll need to get back to the queen as soon as possible..."
"Shadowfangs, sure. Elbrooke City is a couple days ride straight south."
"Excellent," Jaewyn declared. Finally, they were going home. It had to have been at least a few days, she estimated. There was a problem though. If Layla was to accompany them, there'd be no-one left at Glimmerguard. She knew Aefion would volunteer, once more. But was she willing to accept his decision, again?
"There's one more thing," Layla said gloomily. "I cannot leave with you...I will be staying at Glimmerguard. I feel responsible for the temple, it's my sworn duty to guard it."
"I will also stay at Glimmerguard, if you are willing to allow me," Thalleron announced. "There is so much knowledge to be gained from the library...so much. It is a crime to leave it unattended."
"Me as well," Zephyrle chimed. "I..."
"No you're not," Jaewyn reprimanded. "You're coming back to Elbrooke with me." She rolled her eyes as Zephyrle opened her mouth to protest. "I know you like Aefion, but I need you with me when I report to the queen. I can't have my entire team abandoning me at the last minute."
"But..."
"That's an order, Zeph. Rudjrik, Layla, take us back to Glimmerguard."
"Right away, ma'am," the Valhallan roared, rising from his chair, Layla following his example. Thalleron held up a hand.
"Wait...we have a...complication concerning Meela's power supply. Uh...we're running out." There was an awkward silence. "We burned through a lot of energy back there, powering us to get here at fast speed. I'm pretty sure there is enough power left to return to Glimmerguard, but...probably not enough to backtrack all the way back here."
"That definitely throws a spanner in the works," Rudjrik grunted.
"Shit," Jaewyn cursed. That was a problem. "Your pulse talon..."
"Providing energy from the bloodfire is incredibly taxing. I don't know if I can do that again anytime soon."
"What about Aefion," she blurted out. "His pulse talon..." Then she stopped abruptly. Aefion hadn't got his pulse talon yet. "Bastik," she swore loudly. She turned to Layla. "Is there anything at Glimmerguard..."
"Not that I know of." Layla shook her head. "Maybe some of the Atlantyan devices in the library could help...but I doubt it."
She now had a choice. Report to the queen, leave the Elithnir, and leave the others to return to Glimmerguard. Or go back with them to Glimmerguard and potentially be stuck for even more time. And all the while Esmeraedyn was expecting her return. It wasn't much of a choice. It was her duty, to the Queen of the Beltharin, as Blood Maiden, to find her way back to the surface and report. A new threat had risen, brought on by the actions of a careless Antharin. The Grath were the ancient and enigmatic evil that the Atlantyans themselves had feared. She knew her duty. And knowing her brother, she was sure he would be fine. He was a survivor, he'd know what to do. Giving a little nod to herself, and taking a deep breath, she made eye contact with each of them in turn.
"Zephyrle, I know you want to go to him. But you'll see him again. Soon. You were selected for this mission, and now you need to see the job through. For you, Aefion was a nice bonus, right? But ultimately, you need to follow through and finish this. Plus, I don't want to report to Esmeraedyn alone. Come on Zeph, you're with me, right?"
"I'm with ya Jae. All the way." Zephyrle gave a little smile and a wink. She thumped her heart.
"Thalleron, you also were selected for this mission. And I would be within my rights to command you also to return. But as a mystic, and one that's lost his entire research team, I value your skills and abilities. And you are right: Glimmerguard's secrets must be gained. I'll now give you a new mission: you are the keeper of the Glimmerguard library. This is your new duty. I'll inform the queen that you've been assigned to Glimmerguard, and we will work out a way to keep in contact. Do you accept?"
"Absolutely," Thalleron intoned. "It would be an honour."
"Oh and keep that artefact close. Protect it with your life. As far as we know, the Grath don't know its whereabouts, and we need to keep it that way."
"Have no fear, Jaewyn Aeraendar. The Grath artefact will be safe."
"Rudjrik Deepfire?" Jaewyn shook her head slightly, shaking his hand firmly. "It has been more than an honour, its been amazing. I can't thank you enough for helping us out like this. You and Aef have done wonders with Meela, just...astounding. Just make sure that little rogue comes home. At some stage."
"Don't worry, Jaewyn, I'll take care of it. And as long as this craft is working, we can go anywhere in the world, and that includes Elbrooke City. You'll see your brother soon, lass."
"Thank you so much for your assistance, Layla." Jaewyn placed her clenched fist over her heart and gave a bow before the amazon. "If not for your help, we may've lost Zeph. I can't thank you enough. If there's anything the Beltharin can offer you..."
"There is one thing..." Layla narrowed her eyes.
"Name it. As Blood Maiden..."
"When you get to Fernia, can you ask Themiscyra to send someone out here to become the new Glimmerguard? I know its my solemn duty and all that, but I've been doing it for longer than I was meant to..."
"Done," Jaewyn declared. "Consider your posting at Glimmerguard almost finished. We'll work something out." She eyed Rudjrik. "Maybe even get someone to ferry the new guard out, luxury transport service..."
"We'll see what can be done," Rudjrik chortled.
Jaewyn walked over to Layla and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tight.
"Thank you so much, stay safe, ok? And keep up those fighting skills. You're really good."
"No worries, Jaewyn. I'll be in touch."
Separating herself from Layla, Jaewyn took a deep breath and slammed her fist over her heart.
"All right, people, it's been hard, but it's been good...it's been fun. Let's get on our way."
As she watched Meela churning away through the waters, the trail of bubbles spreading out behind her to a backdrop of glimmering stars, Jaewyn felt a tug of sadness. It was good to be going home, but they'd had such adventures together. It was thrilling, and satisfying, exploring the unknown regions of the 'verse, something she'd never imagined having the opportunity to do. Giving a sigh, she turned to Zephyrle and slung her arm around her friend's shoulder as they strode into the mechanical elevator.
"Come on, you little rascal," she admonished.
"Can you imagine the look on Esmeraedyn's face when I..."
"Yes, it's going to be electrifying," Jaewyn laughed. She yanked down on a massive, brass lever, and automatically they were surrounded by the heavy grinding sounds of moving stones and rattling chains as horizontal doors slid open and the elevator rose.
It must've been half an hour later when they emerged, blinking, into a new cavern, dazzled by the huge beam of daylight shining down from a hole in the roof. The natural cave walls were mixed with broken Atlantyan architecture, and on the far side of the cave, a wide, decrepit staircase ascended up into the light.
"Loriell's breasts, we've made it," Zephyrle gasped. Jaewyn smiled, squinting at the sudden brightness. It was good to see daylight again.
Author's Note: Play this music whilst reading the next part of the chapter ; )
Then she frowned.
Something stepped out of the shadows and onto the staircase, blocking their path.
It wasn't a something. It was a someone. Jaewyn's jaw dropped involuntarily.
"Kalethe..."
"You're alive?" Zephyrle's expression was that of both awe and shock.
The Antharin warlock reached up and unsheathed his massive, glinting, blue sword. With a metallic rasp, the blade came free, gleaming with scintillating, azure energy. His armour was battered, but there was no sign of the damage where he'd been impaled. There was something wrong about him. His eyes, normally cold, and blue, shone dark indigo with golden flames.
"No..." Jaewyn breathed. "He's infected with darkfire..."
"How is that possible? I thought you said he..."
"He was fighting that Grath...oh I get it." Jaewyn's mind clicked. The darkfire energy was somehow linked with the Grath. Now Kalethe was infected, corrupted, twisted into a puppet of the Grath.
"Stand aside, Kalethe," she commanded, unsheathing Arnjo and flicking the rune extend it to its full length. By her side, Zephyrle unsheathed her own swords, giving them a twirl. Kalethe didn't respond, merely stared back from those inscrutable, alien orbs.
"The shit's he doing?" Zephyrle hissed. She was nervous, edging around to flank the warlock.
"Careful Zeph, he..."
Without warning, a blast of ice shards rocketed out of Isaku, smashing into Jaewyn and throwing her backward and knocking her pack from her. Giving a snarl, she leapt to her feet.
"Oh it's on."
The two combatants rushed into combat, their swords slamming together with an impact that shook the very foundations of the cavern. Brought to their knees as the shockwave of energy rippled through the air, they leapt back up and swung their blades again in vicious arcs. Arnjo met Isaku with a colossal burst of sparks, producing a clamour that sang like a thousand bells. Laboriously, they battled back and forth across the cave, hacking, slashing and parrying, sparks flying and sending soundwaves bouncing off the walls like metallic shards. Both evenly matched, they circled like hungry wolves, eyes narrowed, seeking an opening. Crackling iceblade was met with fiery sword, Beltharin fury with Antharin serenity, Jaewyn's weapon skill with Kalethe's magical senses. Jaewyn tried to knock Isaku from Kalethe's hand but to no avail. The iceblade seemed glued to its master's grip, the blue eyes on its hilt glowing with innate power. It was disturbing, it was as if...
Demonblade? The term jumped into the forefront of her mind, as if summoned from the vaults of memory by Isaku's vicinity. She'd heard of ancient, demonic weapons forged in the time of the ancestors, when the Demonic Horde invaded. If Frostfang was a demonblade, a demonic spirit was kept bound within it, and that explained Kalethe's unnerving skill and power. Swirling, golden blade locked with glinting, azure sword and Jaewyn made a wordless battlecry, pushing the sky elf backward.
"What...what happened to you? Why are you infected with..."
"Darkfire?" Kalethe spat, his voice tinged with a metallic edge. "It's so good...it makes me stronger, powerful, so powerful..." He roared and with a burst of blue sparks Jaewyn was sent tumbling backward. Striding over to her, he raised Isaku. As the blade swung down, she rolled aside and kicked out, bringing Kalethe down. In an instant Arnjo was pointing at his throat but he swept it aside, leaping back up and they clashed again, their blades singing.
"You've got to fight it, Kalethe, fight the..."
"Fight it?" Kalethe gave a sinister laugh. "Never. It's...it's amazing. I'm filled with so much raw power. The Grath have gifted me with it...and its awesome."
"The Grath?" Jaewyn despaired at this news. "You made a deal with the Grath? Why? Those evil things are..."
"They are ancient, and powerful. And now I've forced them to return to Aramir. There are new slaves to create, new pieces to play with. They believe me to be their champion... but I can manipulate them, I can use them. They are nothing but a tool."
"What? Why should I believe you? You..."
"I can use their darkfire power against them? Don't you see that?" Kalethe swept aside another blow from Arnjo and reached out with his other hand, grasping Jaewyn's shoulder. She slammed the sword hilt into his face, breaking free from his grip.
"You probably think that, but it will corrupt you, Kalethe. It's already begun..."
"You Beltharin are so primitive, you know nothing of the ways of spellcraft. I am in full control...I control the darkfire. I can use it to compliment my abilities." Kalethe swung Isaku and she dodged aside. He swung at her again and she spun away. He followed her and she struck back, but he parried and his riposte slashed away part of her pauldron. Angry, she slashed back but he blocked her furious blows, laughing.
"Switch it off then, turn off the darkfire," she snarled.
"Fine," he sneered, and instantly the indigo and gold colours vanished from his eyes. He glared at her, raising his chin as if he was her superior in every way. Shocked that he could control it so easily, Jaewyn let her guard down. Charging, he slammed into her, knocking her down. She scrambled up again and hit him with the back of her fist, then followed through with her sword. Arnjo punched into the metal breastplate but with a roar Kalethe deflected it away. She swung up, her sword clanging from his, but in the split second after she kicked him, sending him onto his back. This time she raced forward and wrenched the demonblade from his grasp. But as soon as she touched the hilt she was filled with stinging pain, and azure energy crackled and spat, burning her hand. As the blue eyes glowed, she flung it away across the room to slam point first into the wall.
"Only I can wield it," Kalethe snarled, reaching out. The demonblade jerked out of the wall and flew back to the warlock's hand. Once again they faced each other, breathing heavily, blades raised forwards in guard position.
"This is pointless Kalethe, just go back to Andoren. Let us..."
"Leave? You have something of mine. Give it back, and you can go." He held out his gauntlet.
"We have nothing of yours, sky elf," she sneered. "If you're talking about the..."
Suddenly Zephyrle, who'd been looking for an opening, somersaulted from a ledge behind Kalethe and down onto him. But just before impact, he side-stepped and seized the girl, bringing his glowing, blue sword up to her throat.
"Drop them," he commanded.
"The only thing I'm gonna drop is your face," Zephyrle spat, struggling to get free, but then Isaku's edge touched her throat ever so lightly and she gave a short scream of pain as the coruscating energy burned her.
"Zephyrle," Jaewyn shouted.
"Do it, sprite," the warlock snapped. "And keep that mouth of yours shut." Zephyrle's swords fell to the ground and she closed her eyes, biting her lip.
"Let her go, the queen will hear of this, ambassador."
"Give me the book and the artefact, blood maiden."
Jaewyn sighed. She should've known that's what he wanted. Before she could speak, Zephyrle reached down somewhere and squeezed something. Kalethe gave a shout of agony, and in that instant she'd swept up her swords and kicked Kalethe in the back, using him as a bouncing board to leap back up onto her ledge. Furious, the warlock whirled and pointed Isaku up at her.
"You will pay for that, little bitch," he growled. His eyes flared indigo and gold and icy shards flew up at Zephyrle. She somersaulted out of the way, one of her own daggers flying back at him and slamming into his shoulder.
"I've hid your artefact in the 'verse, you'll never find it scum."
"Bitch!" Kalethe kept firing ice shards, and a volley of the freezing projectiles followed the sprite as she bounded across the cavern from ledge to ledge. With Kalethe distracted, Jaewyn rushed him from behind, slamming into him and knocking him down. Wordlessly, the warlock rose back up, and opened his arms wide. A wave of power rippled through the cavern, throwing Jaewyn against the wall. Before she could move, Kalethe cast the ice shield on her, freezing her in place. As she watched, Kalethe turned and sent another ice shield against Zephyrle, freezing her against the far wall. Two ice shields at once? Jaewyn was confounded, it was testiment to his power whilst affected by the darkfire. Then he summoned her pack to his hand. Slamming Isaku back into its scabbard, he took hold of the pack and rummaged through it.
"Get your hands off my stuff," Jaewyn yelled. This was painful. There was nothing she could do except watch as the sky elf bastard picked through her things, discarding supplies and equipment all over the cavern floor like a groll picking through trash.
"Silence," Kalethe commanded. "Isn't it ironic...the Blood Maiden of mighty Esmeraedyn, queen of the Beltharin, and you can't stop me..."
Jaewyn groaned as the warlock drew forth the dark blue, leather book, discarding the pack.
"Now this is all I want. Wasn't that hard was it?"
"The book doesn't belong..."
"I said silence!"
Jaewyn gritted her teeth as the ice shield tightened around her. She took a deep breath, slowly beating back the ice magic with her sheer force of will. Standing up, she pushed against the ice, and it began to crack as the magic strained. Making eye contact with Zephyrle, she smiled as the thief also began breaking free.
"You will pay, Kalethe of the Antharin," she swore, "you may escape this time, but..."
"No doubt you will see me again." Kalethe opened the book. He placed his hand on a page inside. Glowing, blue particles in the air began revolving around the warlock.
Just before he dematerialized, chuckling, a throwing dagger slammed into his throat above the gorget. With a bellow of pain, he fell backwards, vanishing in a burst of blue-white sparks. The book snapped shut and dropped to the ground with a thud.
"Did I get him?"
As the ice shield disintegrated in a shattering cloud of ice shards, Jaewyn smiled. Zephyrle dropped to the floor and they embraced, glad they'd emerged unscathed.
"Yeah Zeph, you got him. I doubt we'll be seeing much of him any time soon."