Cadri wept uncontrollably as she was forced to watch Nexa drown Manuel after she had already killed Yuanra, his last moments spent mourning the death of the woman he obviously loved. It was all just too much. Her parents, Renen, now Yunara and Manuel. The Dark Ones were cruel. She knew they wouldn't kill her now. It was far worse to be left alive.
After the death of them both, as the setting sun witnessed their lifeless bodies dead on the ground, the earth began to tremble, the glowing swords beside them fading to gray, the three keys glowing to life. The image behind the stone slab cleared, and the Lords of Darkness loosened their bonds. Their eyes shot open, and they emerged from the slate one by one. A huge shadow was cast over the pavillion as the Island shuddered under their great forms.
And they weren't alone.
"Ah, yes," Lord Stretton said. "The Armies. Welcome back to the mortal world."
Legions of Dark ones emerged from the stone, all smaller duplicates of their Lords, the size of men. They took flight into the air, spreading like a swarm of bees into the sky.
Lord Stretton frowned. "Where are they going? I haven't given them their instructions yet."
Rage roared, pounding the ground as he crouched to his level. "You are a fool! Did you really think we would ever allow you control of our footmen, the centuries? Our Dark Ones?"
Stretton, for the first time, looked rocked to his core.
Lord Sherwood stepped forward furiously. "We had a deal! You have no right to–"
"–Haven't you read the ancient texts you love so much? The very ones you use to attempt to control us." Greed interjected. "For centuries, the Dark Ones have been limited to the confines of your putrid summonings, only able to roam freely as you Aracs grant it. Not anymore. We are patient. We have waited all this time for one so insolent as you to whisper the ideas of conquest to. Make you believe you could swear us to your allegiance, that we would somehow lend you our power."
They all cackled together mockingly.
"You were so blinded by the prospect of power," added Fear. "that you'd forgotten your place. All the Aracs have."
Greed roared. "WE were there when the binding rites between the Aracs and our Dark Ones were established. Now that we are free, we can undo them, and with the deaths of these two Chosen, we can get what we really wanted."
Suddenly, in the air all about them, ancient writings appeared glowing and deep blue in color. They shouted in harmony, and the stone where Yunara and Manuel laid fractured, along with it the words in the air. The words shattered, and Stretton and Sherwood looked horrified, the rest of the Aracs along with them as it dawned on them that they had finally summoned a Dark being that was more powerful than they realized.
The Dark crowd erupted in laughter.
A winged Dark One snatched the crown from his Stretton's head.
Another ripped his robe from his back.
"Y-you tricked me!" he shouted.
"Isn't that your way?" Nexa cooed. "You thought you could offer us the freedom to roam the world and that would be enough for us. But we hunger much more than that. We wanted freedom from you accursed Aracs. We are bound by the Aras no more!"
"Bound no more!"
"Bound no more!"
"Bound no more!"
The chants rumbled the earth.
A century of Rage landed in front of Stretton, his hand becoming the shape of a blade. He rose it high above his head. "First the Aracs will fall! Then, the rest of the mortals shall follow after!"
The air shivered with their cheers.
With one swift movement, the Rage century stabbed Stretton in the gut, his body crumpling over the century. Then his eyes glowed red.
He pulled the blade out. "Now you will serve us. Come. We will conquer!"
The pavillion emptied of the Dark ones as they spread out, the Aracs being quickly overcome by the Dark Ones that either killed them or puppetized them.
Soon, Cadri was lone with the surviving Chosen.
A shouting noise went out. The princess turned to see a man with a curved blade in his hand. He started speaking in another language Cadri didn't have the mind to recognize.
One of the Chosen seemed to understand him. Yes, the one the Ancient Ones described to her as Luca. It must have been one of his men. They had a brief exchange, and soon the man was working on their chains.
"Uh, he says that the Dark Ones are leaving the Island. At first they were putting up an opposition to keep them from getting here, but then they just started leaving. They completely ignored them after the ancient rites were broken. Er, your Highness," he added quickly.
The man had worked the chains off of her and she rubbed at her aching wrists. "We're not their target. Not yet at least. The Island is the only place on Earth or Caorfi where you can't parallel. They want to get at as many Aracs as they can first. Then they'll target the rest of the world."
Roraina appeared in front of her. "What do we do?"
Cadri shook her head. "There's nothing we can do. The Dark Lords have even taken Stretton. They've won."
Two unseeables came to Tunara and Manuel's side, weeping beside them. An owl and an orangutan. They must have been close companions.
Cadri painfully thought back to the reaction of the young man before her as seeing Yunara died, his last moment spent in anguish. She didn't know him at all, really, but it seemed obvious he cared deeply for her. She hoped that if there was an afterlife, they were there together now.
"Luca," the one Cadri assumed to be Shi'ran suddenly said. "Please, tell your man to work on my chains, quickly."
"Hey, you'll get your turn. Not like we're in any rush anymore." The Italian tried to hide it, but Cadri could tell his eyes were red.
"You don't understand. I may be able to save them."
Cadri's head whipped around. "How?"
Kaliu shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "Leave it be, Shi'ran. They're dead. The Dark Lords were freed."
"Just get me free and I'll explain. Quickly. We may not have much time."
Luca quickly translated what he said. The man reacted with urgency, pulling at the bonds and hacking him free with his blade.
Shi'ran ran to their side, and Cadri joined him. "Perhaps if they were killed any other way, there might not have been a way to recover them. But the Elves have studied cases where drowned victims were resuscitated, even after death. But only after a recent death. I fear the process of saving one might not leave time to save the other."
Cadri's heart dell. They would have to choose. And the Chosen would only be four, not the five needed to destroy the Dark Lords.
Luca joined them. He looked to Shi'ran. "I'm not saying the choice is easy, but Manuel loved Yunara, and he wanted to die for her. I don't think he'd ever forgive us if we saved him and not the love of his life."
Shi'ran looked to Cadri for her final word on it. She didn't want to be impartial to her friend, but she couldn't help think Luca was right.
"Do it," she told him.
Shi'ran put his hands together and started pumping her chest. Soon Kailu joined them to watch anxiously. Shi'ran pried her lips open and started breathing into her. Then he pumped.
Suddenly he looked to Kailu, but didn't stop pumping. "You. With your abilities, you might be able to get the water from her lungs. Do it."
She nodded. As Shi'ran continued to push down on her chest, she stood, moving her hands slowly, carefully. Shi'ran breathed into her lips again. As he pulled away, Kailu pulled her hands towards herself, and water flowed from her mouth.
"You," A voice hissed behind them.
Cadri whipped around to see Nexa and Pitrius rising from the bushes. Her one eye went to Shi'ran and Yunara, narrowing as she took in the scene. "What are you doing? Get away!"
Pitrius lunged at them. Luca acted quicker. He snatched the necklace at Yunara's chest and interceded the monster, instead of pointing it at Pitrius, pointing it at Nexa. His eyes. Her eye widened, and Pitrius stopped in his tracks. The last gem in the necklace went black as a glowing green orb entered her, chains emerging from within her and wrapping around her body as she started to glow dangerously bright with the greenish glow.
Pitrius howled as though he were in agony as she faded out of existence and the chains fell limply to the ground. He reached out blindly for Luca, whose face showed every ounce of anger as he let the beast claw at air wildly before sending his blade into Pitrius' chest. He sneered at the Dark One as his body crumpled over his sword. "Don't worry, Pitrius. You'll see her in hell."
He kicked the Dark One off his blade and spat on the body as tears streamed down his face.
Behind him, Yunara started coughing.
# # #
Something pulled Yunara from the strange place she found herself in. This world fell away as she was drawn back from where she came. She was submerged in darkness again. Someone was pushing into her chest, to the point of pain in her lower ribs. Then a rush of liquid surged from within her and forced itself from her lips. Someone's lips pressed against hers.
Air.
Air replaced the water that sat in her chest. Then her lungs sprang to life again on their own, at first only through gasps of air she swallowed by coughing and choking. The residues of water that sat in her chest evacuated as she spit it out. Then the air flowed normally.
She opened her eyes to see Shi'ran standing over her, along with Cadri and Kailu. Luca joined them. But where...?
"Manuel?" she croaked, her throat sore.
Shi'ran's face turned grim. "I can try. But we may not have time."
She turned to see him lying beside her lifelessly. "He's dead?" she croaked again, trying to hold in her sobs.
"But so were you," Cadri said. "There may be a chance for him, too."
Shi'ran looked dubious as he started pushing into Manuel's chest. "However low."
Kailu took her stance, moving her hands slowly. Yunara caught on to what she was doing. She was responsible for how the water pushed itself out of her lungs. Now Manuel needed the dame.
She stood and joined Kailu. She felt the water sitting in his chest. It took a lot of concentration to move it. There were things in her way, muscles, tissue, other confusing fluids like blood and saliva. But she focused on her task like her life depended on it. Because he was willing to give his life for hers, and she would never forget that.
Shi'ran breathed into him, and together Yunara and Kailu pulled the water out of his lungs when he was finished.
And he still wasn't moving.
Kailu looked to Shi'ran in confusion. "Why isn't it working?"
He kept pumping. "I told you we may not be able to save him."
Manuel was unmoving.
Shi'ran breathed into him again, then pumped.
Pumped.
Pumped.
But there was no change.
Shi'ran stopped, looking to them in despair. "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do more."
Silence fell. Deadly silence. Yunara shook her head. No. This couldn't be. Tears flowed down her cheeks. She wished he would wipe them away. She wished he would kiss her and tell her everything would be alright.
Luca put a hand on her shoulder. "I know you loved him. Well, I know he loved you. Whether you felt the same, I wouldn't know," he quickly added with a small smile.
She sniffed. "I do."
He nodded, pursing his lips and resisting tears. "He was a good man."
She shook her head.
Mimicking the way Shi'ran held his hands, she started pumping his chest again.
"Yunara, it's too late," Shi'ran said.
She continued. Remembering Shi'ran's actions, she pried open his lips and pressed hers to his, blowing into him.
"Please, Manuel, come back to me," she said, pumping again. "Don't stay there. We need you here."
Everyone around her looked to her strangely, but she knew what she was talking about.
"Maybe we'll go back there together someday, but not today. We need you. I need you."
She pumped.
Pumped.
Pumped.
And he started coughing.
"Manuel!" Tears ran down her face. But of relief.
When he could breath, he rose and pressed his lips to hers, her tears colliding with his face as he kissed her, softly, gently, sweetly. When he pulled away, they just started at each other. They were alive.
Cadri said, "Look!" she was pointing at the Ancient Weapons beside them. They were glowing.
"We still have a chance!" Kailu exclaimed.
Yunara and Manuel reached for their swords. She heard Orsella roar.
"We have to leave the Island," she heard her say. "We will parallel you to the Dark Lords."
Yunara looked to the other Chosen. "Did you hear that?"
Manuel nodded.
Kailu unsheathed her blade. "Princess, we have to go."
"You can stay with my men," Luca added. "You'll be safe with them."
Cadri grappled Yunara in a near-strangling embrace. "I'm so proud of you, Yunie. I know you can do this."
Shi'ran nodded in acknowledgement to the princess, then looked to the others. "Let's go.
They moved through a nearly empty jungle. Most of the Dark Ones had unleashed themselves to the rest of the world. But the few that stayed behind, they made a point to avoid.
"Move to the ship. We can parallel from there," Orsella instructed.
They swiftly obeyed. As soon as they got to the ship, Luca ordered one of his men to go back for the princess, since in their haste they long passed her up.
The moment he finished speaking, they found themselves in a different place. At the springs with the Ancient Ones.
The five animals stood before them, roaring.
"Today will be a great day of victory," said Baio, the horse.
The elephant, Facurna said, "Let us lend you our strength."
They all ran to them, like before. Orsella surged past Yunara as they merged. Orsella's consciousness became her own. She felt Orsella searching for years between Earth and Caorfi, looking for the right match, the person she believed would live out their destiny and prove courageous against the obstacles they would surely face. Then she found Yunara, a young girl that wasn't even sure of her own abilities, but was witty, smart, and capable. Orsella sensed she would be capable of greatness, and was not disappointed.
Orsella and Yunara grew to the same size as the Dark Lords. The experience was difficult to put in words. She felt one with her, but the body they assumed was Orsella's. The sword floated beside her body, but she had total control of it as though it was in her hand. It was then that Yunara understood from Orsella's consciousness that the power of the sword allowed the Ancient Ones to merge with the Chosen, giving the Ancient Ones tangibility on the mortal world.
And with that tangibility, they would destroy the Lords of Darkness.
As the rest of them merged, Manuel with Kalor, Kailu with Baio, Luca with Oskan, and Shi'ran with Facurna, the five Ancient Ones called upon the Unseeables and Imanu alike. Suddenly the spring became flooded with them, coming from all over.
"The enemy is cocky," said Luca and Oskan. "They are paralleling throughout the world randomly, delirious with what they believed to be their victory, taking out centuries of bondage out on the mortal realms. But now that we have recovered those we thought were lost, we can coordinate out attack. The parallel zone is our conduit. Let's remind them of that. As they pass through our realm, the realm of in between, seal them off so they never reach their destination. You should be able to harm them there. Kill them."
"Yes sir!" the Unseeables shouted.
Manuel and Kalor said, "Disperse and seize our opportunity! We have never had a chance such as this. The enemy has turned on each other. The Aracs are in disarray. And the Dark Ones pass through the parallel in great numbers as we speak. We will stop this invasion of worlds before the mortal world is thrown into chaos, and we will be victorious!"
The Unseeables cheered.
The parallel zone faded away as they appeared in another location. Yunara and Orsella was with Kailu and Baio, but she didn't see the others. They must have gone somewhere else.
They were in an Asian country, from the looks of it. Greed and his minions were spread throughout, in the middle of a slaughter, the screams of the people filling the air as the obese monsters and other Dark Ones ran rampant through the streets, more paralleling to their aid as they went.
The bloated Lord stopped, his eyes wide. "How?!"
Orsella and Baio didn't answer. They rushed forward at a speed that blurred the world around them, floating towards him.
Orsella grappled him from one end, Baio at the other. They roared, and Yunara could feel the parallel zone open. They pushed him in, and were once again in the world of swirling colors.
Oskan and Kalor soon joined them with Fear, then Facurna with Rage.
All three Lords trembled with anger.
"No!" shouted Rage. He reached forth a rocky hand, black, inky surges shooting forth, but Orsella merely stepped aside. All around them, Dark Ones were passing through but being attacked as they did by Unseeables and Imanu alike.
"You tried to use your darkness to invade this land," said Facurna. "Seize control of the parallel points. You used the Aracs to do it, and were willing to wait centuries to carry it out."
"But we are also patient," said Kalor. "And we waited for the day your lust for blood would be your demise."
Greed lumbered towards them, but it was futile, Orsella conveyed to Yunara.
Orsella lunged to meet him, her blade slicing across his fat arm and severing it. Baio came behind her, cutting him across the torso, separate flesh from bone. Orsella wasn't done with him though. She knew that with any part of him left, the Aracs would try to bring him back. She hacked him into pieces and scattered them with the brush of her paws.
Baio struck Fear in the chest with his blade as he tried to sneak up on Orsella from behind. Kalor and Facurna severed his head and legs relatively, and reduced his limbs to pieces as well.
Oskan hacked at Rage's rocky body, flames erupting from the fissures he made as the blade cut through him like butter. Orsella charged to join him, and let Rage's head roll with a single swipe.
The pieces of their bodies dissolved into a black, inky substance that dissipated into the ground. The five Ancient Ones roared in victory.
The bond between the Chosen and the Ancient ones dissolved, the five swords fading away, and the five mortals returning to their original forms as the Ancient Ones left them. They looked at each other as they stood alone in the parallel zone. Then they all ran to each other and embraced one another tightly, unashamedly letting the tears fall where they may.
When they let go, they realized they were back on Luca's ship, surrounded by his crewmen and Youssef's alike. Dark Ones were littered at their feet. Cadri ran to them and hugged them all tightly
Luca raised his sword and shouted, and they all cheered with him.
They won. Despite all odds, they won.
# # #
The change that needed to happen for the mortal realms would not happen overnight. The Aracs still existed, especially with the freedom of the Dark Ones limited again with the death of their kings.
And even though Earth would forget about the massive invasion they just barely evaded, though they may never be aware of the catastrophe they avoided, both they and Caorfi were heading for a change. Caorfi would feel it a little stronger than Earth, they were always a little more perceptive of the fantastical. But the battle that was fought and won on mortals' behalf would be the start of a new era.
As always with the two sister realms, Caorfi would feel it first. But Earth and Coarfi were being brought into a new day. The Unseeables would be there, like always, to help usher them into it. And with the Dark influence over the two realms slowly but surely releasing its cold grip over the two realms, the mortals would find it easier to listen.
The five Ancient Ones watched as Luca's ship set sail along with the new queen of Ecencia, and they sailed towards a new horizon. In every sense of the word.