"Here."
Nikado looked up, then blinked as Kiel tossed him something that caught the light as it turned in midair. Catching it in both hands, Nikado took a moment to examine it. "You're giving this to us already? We haven't paid you for it yet."
"You can hold onto it til we get to Tuhn," the other man said with a wave of his hand. "I trust you. Not like you're going to run out on me now."
Nikado nodded. "We did shake on it. Where did you find this seal, anyway?"
"In the Fire Monolith. Heard of it?" The prince shook his head. "It's a hub for a few of the traveler's gates that are around. Good way to travel if you don't have a ship. I've used them a number of times. Found that thing sitting on the ground outside, if you believe it," Kiel added. "Don't ask me how it got there. You'd think something that important would be more well-protected."
"Maybe they're only important for someone trying to wake the elemental," Nikado mused, tucking it away.
"Still, I imagine that's not something people want done on a daily basis. Wouldn't that be why they're spread out all over the world in the first place?"
"Maybe. Still, she's an elemental," Nikado said with a shrug. "I imagine if she doesn't like being summoned, she can just start setting people on fire. So that's four of them. Where's the fifth?"
"My dad might know," Kiel said, pointing ahead. "Take the left fork."
"The left? Not the right?" Alex asked even as he turned the ship, frowning at the map next to him. He had been manuvering for some time through the twisting, windy rivers of the Tuhn region.
"The right dead ends," the treasure hunter explained before turning back to Nikado. "Dad used to do a lot of ruin hopping. Not the most intellectual of guys, though. He just liked busting in and seeing how far he could get."
Nikado smiled at that. "So your dad's in the tower?"
Kiel nodded, his face turning serious. "That's why I have to get in."
"Then why the money?" Nikado asked curiously.
"If you want to find out, you'll have to stick around."
Nikado nodded as Alex slowed the ship. "Which way next?"
"Now to the right. We should be coming up on it soon. Are you tired?"
"If we're coming up on it soon, I should be fine," Alex said with a shake of his head. "Just make sure I don't hit anything."
"The waters around this section are shallow," Kiel said, peering over the side. "You picked a good ship for it, though. She's flat-bottomed. Then again, I guess she doesn't need to be real pointy to be in the ocean, since she's so small."
"What does having a pointy bottom do?" Nikado asked curiously.
"Gives you more weight in the bottom so your ship's less likely to turn over in a storm or a big wave. But since this one's so small, having a pointed butt wouldn't give it any more protection. It'd tip over in a storm regardless. So I'm guessing it's probably been spelled to help. Has it got a weight control, Alex?"
The prince nodded. "It's up right now."
"Good. Ah, there's the town," Kiel said, pointing ahead. "Home sweet home."
Ameko peered ahead at the houses set on the hills, ringed in by a fence like most surviving villages were. "I'm surprised this place is still out here. The monsters here are pretty strong."
"Most of the village is enlisted in the priesthood, even if they do other jobs," Kiel explained. "We could keep a strong barrier up even with half the place wiped out. Some say the priesthood got started here, you know."
"Hm. I didn't know that." Alex looked at it, then glanced at Kiel. "So do you have training with the priesthood as well?"
"A little. Not a great deal. I could put up a weak barrier if I had to, but I couldn't say that it would repel much," he said with a shrug. "Magic isn't really my strong suit. I only know a few spells outside of it. You'd laugh at my fireball."
"I didn't know you knew magic at all," Nikado said in surprise.
"Comes from my mother's side, mostly. She was a Tuhn native. Dad's the wanderer, the damn outsider that drifted in, running off with one of the lovely village women," he quipped. "'Me big strong treasure hunter. Me pillage and steal your women.' Silly, I know."
"I'll say. Are all Tuhn people like that?"
"They're not well-taken to outsiders, but they'll deal. Just stay out of their way. You can land the ship here," Kiel said, pointing to a beach ahead, "and anchor it and spell it. The standard should hold fine."
As they approached, Kiel fell silent, reaching into a pocket and running his fingers over the dam key there. The gate doors opened for them, Kiel nodding politely but saying nothing. "You've come back," an older man who was probably a village elder observed. "It's been years."
Kiel nodded, but said nothing otherwise, turning toward the wall and following it, obviously heading for something. Nikado wrinkled his brow in confusion, and then followed, leaving Ameko and Alex at the gate. "Where are you going?" the elder asked.
"To open the dam," Kiel replied quietly, his hands tucked into his pockets.
"I cannot allow that," the elder said, raising a hand. A couple of the men moved to follow Kiel.
"Keep them off me, will ya?" Kiel said to Nikado, moving toward a building at the edge of the town. "I don't have time to argue with them."
Nikado nodded slightly before turning to the two men approaching, raising his hands. "I understand that you're worried about a demon."
"If you understand, then move," one of the men said. "I don't want to hurt you, but I will. It cost us dearly to seal him away. We can't let that seal be undone."
"I don't care," Kiel stated quietly. "I'll do what I have to. No one else will."
"Kiel!" The men moved to get past Nikado, and he raised his arms outward, halting them. One of them moved to draw his sword, and Nikado grabbed him by the wrist, halting the movement and seizing the other by his wrist as well. "Let go, damn you," the second man growled, drawing his sword and taking a swing at Nikado's head.
The man yelped, ducking down. "Careful, you'll take someone's head off with that thing!"
"Get out of the way!" the man demanded, more going after Kiel at a sprint as he crossed the distance to the outlying building, making it inside and locking it. Nikado released the men once Kiel was inside, shaking his head.
"Unlock it swiftly," the elder said, shooting Nikado a look. "You have no idea what sort of hell that boy will unleash with his foolish actions."
"I don't think caring for one's parents is ever a foolish action," Nikado said softly. "Hell doesn't exist here. It's the world, nothing more and nothing less. The only thing in that tower is a demon. That can be defeated."
"You have no idea of what you speak," the man said. "That creature is more powerful than you can imagine. It took our entire village in arms against him to stop him, and then we could only seal him."
"I'm a descendant of Loto," Nikado stated, "and if I have trouble with one demon, how am I going to manage Hargon?"
That caused the crowd to go quiet, a silence that was broken by the creaking of a dam. They could see the waters beginning to rush through the empty canal, flowing down and out through the wall, onward toward the distance. Now that he looked, Nikado could see the tower in the distance rising over the mountains. It had to be the Moon Tower, he realized.
"We are cursed," one of the men groaned. "We're all going to die. What misfortune have you brought on us, outsiders?"
"They didn't do anything," Kiel spoke as he opened the door. "Leave them be."
"Kiel, you ungrateful child. After we have raised you, this is how you thank us? By destroying us?" the elder demanded of him.
"You didn't raise me. My parents did that. Why do you think I left?" Kiel ignored the stares of the men around him, brushing past a few to enter the town.
Nikado let out a sigh, then took off after the man. Alex shook his head. "We'd better find out what we can about this demon. Who knows the most about this demon?" he addressed the group, who only responded with angry silence.
Ameko put her hands on her hips in disgust. "Stop looking pissy, what's done is done. You want this thing dead or not? Then tell us what you know."
"Zarlox is a demon that cannot be defeated by the likes of you," the elder said. "He was one of the generals of Hargon before he was sealed here, the general in charge of this entire region."
"I didn't ask you what you thought our chances are, I asked who knows the most," Alex stated.
More silence met him, and then a younger voice spoke up from the back. "That'd be my grandmother. I'll take you to her."
Alex looked in the direction of the boy, who was younger and shorter than him, with thick green hair cropped short. He adjusted his glasses as he gazed back at them, neither intimidated nor impressed. "This way," he stated, gesturing for them to follow.
"Thank you," Alex said as he followed the teen, Ameko joining him. "What's your grandmother's name?"
"Tianyi. But you call her Grandmother," the boy instructed firmly. "I'm Baijiao. You can call me by my family name, Shen."
"Shen, then. Your grandmother has fought the Zarlox before?"
"Would've won if it hadn't been for the men here," Shen muttered. "None of them have any spines."
"I'll agree to that," Ameko muttered.
Alex gave her a look, then turned his attention ahead to where a gold-lined door lay. "She lives in there? Was the curse undone?"
"No," the boy said with a shrug, "I just found a way around it." He reached for the handle, twisting it, and runes sprang to life before the door opened.
Alex raised his eyebrows, feeling impressed at what he could read of the spell before it vanished. The runes all seemed to use the more complicated symbols of the ancient language. "How did you pull that off?"
"I'm a genius," the boy said with a shrug. "You gonna loiter in the doorway or come in?"
"Ah...." Ameko gave him a little push, and he stopped examining the door, stepping inside. Ameko paused as she heard something. "There's a loom in here," she said quietly.
The teen nodded. "Grandmother is a weaver. Grandmother," he called respectfully, bowing at a doorway. "Outsiders have come to the town and that Brand guy released the dam seal. They want to know about the Zarlox."
The thrumming sound stopped, and Ameko paused in the doorway. "Please don't stop," she said. "It's a lovely sound."
The woman behind the loom looked up at her, and although she was supposedly a grandmother, she didn't look elderly in the least and barely looked middle aged at all. She was a striking, exotic beauty with her long black hair done up in a twin looped design, the long tails hanging down her back. Her brown almost eyes watched them from a rounded face lacking in wrinkles, her tan complexion flawless. "Very well," the woman said, resuming her weaving.
"May I come in and sit down, Grandmother?" Ameko asked, and Alex looked at her, surprised at how subdued she seemed.
"You may do as you like."
Ameko entered the room, taking a seat near the loom, listening for a long moment. "Does it remind you of something?" Alex asked, looking at her face.
She nodded. "My mother used to weave before she died. My bassinet was kept in the room with the loom. I would always fall asleep to that sound."
"It's understandable that you would like the sound," Tianyi replied as she continued her work. "It's a woman's art."
Alex took a seat next to Ameko on the floor, gazing up at the loom. "This is a magic loom, isn't it?"
"It is. You have a good sense of magic," she replied, continuing her work. "What's in your belt pouch?"
"In my belt pouch?" Alex frowned, thinking of what might be in there that would interest her, and he suddenly paused, pulling out the dew yarn, looking at the tangle of threads. "You mean this?"
"Ah...I haven't seen that in some time. You would get it in the Moon Tower, but only rarely. The mountains block most of the high winds," the woman observed.
"We found it in the Dragon Fang towers," Alex explained. "If you have a use for it, you can have it."
She shook her head. "I don't accept charity. I pay fairly for my goods."
"Then how about information on the Zarlox?" Alex asked. "That's what we came to your house for. Your grandson said you fought it."
"I did. That was quite a few years ago," she said with a nod. "He's not your typical demon. He's lazy and greedy, but also much more powerful. He's also got a curiosity about things. He plays around with curses and so on." She let out a sigh through her nose. "Kiel returned to Tuhn, didn't he."
"Yes. He's trying to get to the Moon Tower. He said his parents are there."
"Yes. Poor Rasmahn, and her husband, too. He was not well liked here, but he had a good heart and never let the opinions of others bother him. He was also very kind to his child. I'm not surprised that Kiel would unseal that demon just to get at them again. A child's love can be a powerful motivator. Still, there's nothing wrong with that."
Ameko smiled, and rubbed at her eyes. Alex placed a hand on her back gently. "How does it attack? Does it have a weakness?"
"Primarily, he doesn't attack. He hides behind a barrier and uses other monsters or whatever else he has on hand to do his bidding. If that fails, he uses magic from behind his barrier. You'll need something that can break his barrier. That's why we had to seal him when we fought him. We couldn't get past the barrier."
"Something to down a barrier," Alex muttered to himself. "Where's a friendly wraith when you need one?"
"What do we have that might break a barrier? Nikado has Lithrik's armor and the shield of Loto. You have the sword."
"I've also got a shard of the Mirror of Ra, if that helps," Alex offered, digging it out of his pocket.
"I've got the wand of a deranged monster and an absorption spell," Ameko said. "What can we make of this?"
"You're carrying around the items of Loto?" Tianyi asked. "You must be of his houses, then."
"We are. I'm Alex of Cannock and this is Ameko of Moonbrook," Alex told Tianyi. "Our companion is Nikado of Lorasia, who's with Kiel right now."
"Hm," she mused. "If it's you, you might be able to do it. Give me that yarn," she instructed, cutting her weaving free and tossing it over a rack. "I feel like making something."
The house Kiel led Nikado to was old and not well cared for, dust covering every imaginable surface, leaving only the prints of small animals and insects that had been there. "So this is your home, I guess," Nikado said, dusting off a table. "You haven't been home in a while."
"No, I haven't. Do you have the payment? I'll take it now."
"It's back on the ship. Is that a problem?" Nikado frowned at the change in the man's normally chipper and cheeky attitude.
"No. We'll need the ship to reach the tower, now that the canal's filled again." Kiel ruffled through a few things, pulling out other valuables.
"What are you going to do with the money when we get there?" Nikado asked. "I'm coming with you. I don't think you should face that demon alone."
"I'm not going there to kill him," Kiel stated, keeping his back to Nikado as he pulled out other things. "I'm going there to pay him."
"Pay him?"
"Yes. It's a ransom for my parents' freedom." Nikado watched him for a long moment. "You know, this began with my great-grandfather," Kiel said, pausing as he reached up for a box from a shelf, holding it in his hands. "That demon put a curse on him that he would be his slave until his son paid off his debt. If the son failed, his son would be responsible. My grandfather never paid off the debt, so when he had a child, he resented the child for his eventual slavery and finally threw him away. That was my father. My dad resolved to grow up alone and end the curse by ending his line, but he met my mom, and then I was born. They told me about the curse, and even though my dad made some money with the ruins he explored, it wouldn't be enough. But he never resented my existance. My parents treasured me like I was the most valuable thing in the world. Like it was worth being enslaved just so I would be born." Kiel set down the box in front of him, pulling other items out. "The demon values money. I've finally earned enough to get him to release my parents. I don't care about saving the world or anything noble like that. I just want my parents back."
Nikado watched his back for a long moment. "I wish I had your parents," the prince said at last in a tone that was barely above a whisper. "You must have the best family in the world."
"I will, once I've rescued them. Whatever else happens, I don't care. As long as that demon releases them." Kiel tossed the items he had retrieved into a bag, shouldering it. "The canal isn't wide. We should be able to park the ship in the center and be able to cross to either shore, just in case. Are you sure you want to come with me?"
Nikado nodded. "I'm positive. It's just in case, right? The demon will get his money and then your parents will be free. If he causes any trouble, I'll get Ameko and Alex and we'll defeat him."
Kiel nodded, and finally offered a very slight smile. "Then let's get going. I have a date with a demon."
If the demon had stepped out of his tower since the seal had been erased by the rushing waters, there was no sign of it. Kiel led Kaitt by the reins, the horse reluctant to approach the tower. For once, Kiel was firm with the horse, ordering her forward in a cool tone. The black mare was loaded down with the bags of valuables Kiel had acquired in his travels: jewels, weapons, rare items, and of course hundreds of coins. One of the bags looked smaller, and Nikado poked at it. "Bag of holding," Kiel told him. "You've never seen one? You can carry a whole suit of armor in there. Which is actually what's in there," he added. "Plus some other things."
"Wow. That's handy," Nikado said. "Are they common?"
"No, but they're not one of a kind, either." He took in a breath as he approached the tower. "I'm sort of hoping this demon is waiting for us. I don't really want to drag Kaitt up several flights of stairs."
"If that happens, I'll go find him and bring him down," Nikado reassured.
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
The inside of the Moon Tower was as much a mess as the Tower of Wind, in some ways; it was falling apart in some places, some interior walls crumbled and little chunks here and there coming off the stairs. Unlike the Tower of Wind, some of the damage seemed deliberate, like the black scorch marks across the walls. Treasure was piled up everywhere, in corners and scattered across the floor-- chests of gold and jewerly, rusted swords, and items Nikado couldn't identify. "Zarlox!" Kiel shouted as they entered, Kaitt following slowly. "I've come to fulfill the pact."
There was a fluttering in the back of the room, and then the demon rose from a chair. Unlike the other demon Nikado had met, Lithrik, this one had no desire to look remotely human, with scales and a reptilian snout. He was also quite portly and had massively thick arms and legs, ending in fat feet that thudded against the floor as he rose, tromping over to them. "Ah, Brand. I knew you would come eventually. Who is this with you?"
"No one important. A friend that offered to come along."
"I see. You kept me waiting quite the while. Now, let's see the money," the demon said, rubbing his fat hands together.
Nikado watched as the conversation continued. The demon seemed greedy, but not terribly dangerous. It's probably in his magic, Nikado reminded himself. "Where are my parents?" Kiel asked in a flat tone. "There's no deal if they aren't alive."
"Right, right, of course, of course," Zarlox said, taking a step back and muttering something as he waved a hand. From behind the throne, two figured stepped out.
He could hear Kiel's sudden intake of breath and knew that these had to be his parents. They weren't much older in appearance than him, making him wonder how old Kiel really was. The man had a figure dissimilar from Kiel's, more broad in the shoulders, but the face seemed like it would be the same if it had any sort of expression to it. Unlike Kiel, his hair was cropped short and he had a small beard. The woman was obviously a fighter by her figure alone, he concluded, and he thought that Kiel might have resembled his mother more in that way. Her hair was long, but fell in waves, and with an odd start, Nikado realized that the demon must have been caring for her, for her hair was clean without a hair out of place. "Are you satisfied that I've upheld my end of the bargain?"
"Not yet," Kiel said. "I need to make sure they still have a pulse."
"Check their backs if you like," the demon said with a shrug. "The curse marks are still there."
"I'll check their pulse," Kiel stated firmly, and stepped forward, touching his fingers to the man's neck. There was no movement, no reaction from the blank eyes, and after a moment, Kiel turned to the woman, doing the same thing.
"They're still alive," Zarlox said, "no reason to be killing them. Now let's see the money."
Kiel nodded agreement, and removed the bags from his horse, letting the money spill out onto the floor. "You'll find your payment in full. I've had each item appraised to be sure of the value. You can see those appraisals here," he said, withdrawing a rolled-up set of papers from one of the bags. "I've brought the payment down to the penny."
The demon looked briefly at the papers, but then seemed more interested in the jewels and gold itself, running his fingers through it gleefully as he looked over the contents of the bags. Kiel said nothing, waiting for him to finish. "Yes, yes. This is a proper payment. I'm so glad I thought up this little bargain ages ago."
Nikado bit his tongue to keep from snapping at the demon. How could forced slavery be a good idea? He didn't like the thought of leaving this demon unchecked, now that the tower was unsealed. But there were Kiel's parents to think of, first. "Was your return home a good one?" the demon asked conversationally as he examined a crown.
"There's no one at my home," the treasure hunter replied in a flat tone. "The village hates me."
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. You really are a charming boy, Brand. Now, let me just make sure of a few technicalities. You have no heirs, right?"
Kiel nodded. "No children. There's no one to add to the list to ransom. Will you please hold up your end of the bargain and let my parents go?"
"You really are a determined little child," the demon said, raising his eyebrow ridges in a humanlike expression. "You must really care for these two humans. So, no heirs and the village hates you...That means no one will miss you if you're gone."
"Kiel!" Nikado said in alarm, and the man reached for his whip, but before he could complete the action, the demon waved his hand, and the man collapsed to the floor, crying out in pain. "Kiel!" Nikado repeated, kneeling down next to the man. "What's wrong?"
"I don't want to give up my slaves," Zarlox sniffed. "They're handy. It's a shame I won't get any more generations of them, but it can't be helped. You, man. I might let you live if you leave your sword here and go."
"What did you do to him?" Nikado demanded, turning the man over. Underneath the treasure hunter's shirt, he could see a throbbing, glowing set of runes that were spreading over Kiel's back. "Kiel!"
Kiel groaned, opening his purple eyes as his body spasmed. "Go," he got out. "Get help. Please. My parents...."
"There's no escape for you," the demon said, moving toward them. "I might be able to get some use out of you, too."
"Damn it!" Nikado shouted as he got to his feet, the shield on his arm springing into place as the demon tossed out a line of magic, trying to wrap him in a curse. Getting to his feet, he ran for the door, throwing himself through with the shield as the door attempted to close on him. Stopping only to catch his breath, he ran for the ship. If he could make it there....
From the top of the tower, lightning hurled down, impacting on him, and Nikado let out a cry, falling to the ground. Dimly, he sensed one of the spells on the armor kicking in, protecting him from fatal harm and healing his sizzled mind a little. Biting his lip, he tried to get back to his feet. If he stayed there, he'd be a sitting duck for the next strike.
He saw the flash of light, and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the next impact, but it didn't come. Arms looped themselves around him, dragging him to his feet. "Come on, move," he heard Alex's voice, the other man pulling at him. "If you don't, you'll be killed."
"Alex...." He drew strength from the presence of the other prince, stumbling back onto the ship.
"Pull us back," Alex ordered Ameko, who steered the ship around with an uncertain expression. "Hold still. Let me heal you and then you can tell me what happened."
"Kiel," he groaned out. "His parents. Gotta save them."
"What were you thinking, going there alone?" Ameko scolded him, setting the ship against the shore some distance away. "You idiot."
"He had a bargain. A deal. He promised," Nikado got out, wincing as Alex peeled his back plate away, exposing his lightning-scorched flesh to the cool mountain air. "The demon broke his promise."
"Of course he did. He's a general of Hargon, you fool. He's not going to keep a deal with a human."
Tears came to Nikado's eyes, either from the pain or the thought of Kiel and his family being trapped under the demon's control. "But how can we remove the curse, then?"
Ameko looked over at Alex, then folded her arms. "In theory, at least," Alex said slowly, "since this spell is tied to him, it should either be undone when he dies, or Ameko can absorb it and release it herself."
"How do we get at him? How do we defeat him?"
"We go now, while they're sitll alive," Alex stated, the burns on Nikado's back fading under his hands. "We'll need to get through his barrier and attack him. That's going to be up to Ameko."
"Ameko? Why Ameko?"
"Because I've got the thing that will let us get through the barrier." Ameko pulled something out from her belt pouch, holding it out. "She even made it red for me."
Nikado reached out, touching the fabric in front of him. "It's soft. Where did you get it?"
"There's a weaver in town that made it," Alex explained. "The demon has a barrier of fire that you have to cross to get to him. This Water Robe will let me do that."
"Water Robe?"
She nodded, then quirked a little smile. "Let me go slip into something a bit more defensible, and we'll be on our way."
Nikado looked up at Alex as Ameko went down the stairs. "If we can't get through the barrier, what are we supposed to do?"
"Distract him. We may have to deal with any victims he's got under his control. That may be harder than doing battle with the demon. We'll have to be careful not to hurt them." Alex looked over the back plate, which seemed unharmed, before he replaced it. "Are you up for it?"
"Sure, as long as he doesn't strike me with lightning again."
Alex nodded, then went to the wheel, steering the ship around back toward the island with the Moon Tower. "Be on your guard. Ameko, can you loose the anchor when I give the word?"
"Sure," she said, returning up the stairs in her red robe, admiring the leggings.
"Now!" Alex ran the ship up toward the shore, careful not to beach it, and Nikado tossed out the ramp, Ameko letting the anchor loose.
"Good enough?" she called.
"For the moment. Let's go!" Alex said, starting down the ramp. "Stay together, we don't want to give him multiple targets."
There was a flash, and another arc of lightning came down toward them, only to be reflected by Alex's barrier. "Zarlox!" Ameko shouted as she kicked open the door, the three standing in the doorway.
Kiel was where Nikado had left him, Kaitt standing over him protectively. "Oh, you came back?" Zarlox commented, looking up from his treasure. "That was silly, but beneficial for me, I suppose. I could always use more to do my bidding."
"Think again!" Nikado shouted, drawing his sword. "You're going to regret breaking your word to Kiel."
"I doubt that," Zarlox said, raising a hand as his barrier of fire sprang up. With a gesture from behind the flames, he motioned for the man and woman under his control to attack, sitting back smugly in his chair.
Alex drew his own sword, the pair of princes standing together at the ready. The man drew a sword of his own, the woman with twin knives, and with no expression on their faces, they charged, aiming to kill the intruders even at the cost of their own lives. Nikado swiftly acknowledged that Alex was more right than he cared to admit; staying alive and not hurting them badly was going to be difficult. He focused on defense, shaking off the other man's strength like water off his back.
Ameko edged around the room, and once she had gotten enough behind Zarlox that she hoped he wouldn't notice her appearance right away, she jumped for the barrier, disappearing inside with barely a ripple between the flames. Nikado felt a bit of sweat trickle down his neck as he looked at the man who stared back with a blank look in his eyes, focused on only striking the foe in front of him. It was unforgiveable, he thought. To strip a person of their very will and freedom like this....
Behind them, the barrier fluctuated, and then burst outward, revealing Ameko and the demon, both bleeding from wounds inflicted on the other. Nikado pushed the man down as the flames ricocheted outwards, ignoring the blade that dug into his stomach just above his waist, drawing blood. "Alex! Ameko!"
"Could use some help," she muttered, casting bolts of ice at the demon who only melted them.
Nikado got up to go to her aid, only to be jerked to a stop as something grabbed his ankle, sending him to the ground. "Damn it!" the Lorasian prince ground out as he looked at Kiel's father, who was holding the whip. Bringing the sword down, Nikado cut the whip barely in time as the man charged him again. "Alex?"
He had managed to throw the woman off for a moment, tossing a line of fire at the demon, who let it bounce harmlessly against a wing. Then he had to turn to face his own opponent again. Nikado shook his head, trying to figure out something, and then an idea came to him. "Kaitt!"
The horse turned at the command, rearing up and striking the man with enough force to send him to the ground. Grabbing onto her saddle, Nikado swung himself up partway, pointing her at the demon and giving her rear a swat. "Go, Kaitt!"
Zarlox, distracted by Ameko, didn't see the horse coming in time. Nikado let go as he took the sword in both hands, driving it into the demon's chest and knocking him into the ground with the force, wincing as the tip of the blade broke off. Bringing the sword up, he split the demon from stomach to neck, shaking off the green ichor. "How's that for some help," he panted out, tossing the broken sword aside."
Ameko sighed. "Now you need a new sword. Well, at least there should be something suitable here." Kneeling next to the demon, she put a hand to his chest, drawing his power into her body.
Nikado nodded, looking over at Alex, who seemed unharmed. "Can you release the spell on them?"
"We're about to find out."
Kiel couldn't move even to open his eyes, wasn't even sure if he was breathing anymore. Mostly what he was aware of was the growing pain in his back, that felt like it was eating away his mind. I'm losing my mind. The curse is trying to take over me. I can't let it...I have to fight it, I have to stop him and save my parents....
Sensation faded, even that of the burning on his back, and he felt a sense of growing panic at the loss, struggling to his feet among the background of white. What's going on? Is this where my mind has been lost to with the curse on me? I have to find a way out, I have to... I have to....
Ahead of him, faded images came into view, and as he got closer, he could see the shape of himself, a child trying to get the hang of the whip in his hands. "Relax," and Kiel jerked at the voice he could hear, low and rough, but full of encouragement. "Remember what I said. You can do it."
The young Kiel narrowed his eyes in concentration, and then threw the whip out, drawing his hand back with a jerk as the whip collided with the bottle in front of him, smashing it apart with a crack. "Yeah! I did it!" the young Kiel said with a victorious jump, looking up at the man standing over him.
"Of course you did. You're a natural. After all, you're my son," the voice laughed, a hand putting itself down on Kiel's head and mussing his hair playfully.
"Dad?" Kiel whispered, taking a step forward, and as he did, the image vanished, almost as if the memory itself had been lost. "No! Come back!" the man shouted, turning as he could hear more voices.
"You're the one that broke the vase, weren't you?" a woman's voice demanded, the young Kiel squirming to get out of her grip. "Tell me the truth. I'll be angry with you if you lie to me. Did you break the vase?"
He stopped in his struggling, hanging his head. "Yes, Mother," he mumbled.
She raised a hand, then brought it down gently on his head. "Good," she said, letting him down, keeping her hand on his head.
"You're not mad at me?"
"Of course I'm mad at you. I liked that vase," she said, and he winced. "But... I'm glad you told me the truth. I want you to always be truthful with me, Kiel. I'll do the same with you."
"Yes, Mother."
"Don't!" Kiel cried out as that memory, too, vanished in front of him, and then he could see others that sprang up to his mind, appearing and disappearing in quick succession. "Stop," he cried out, clutching his hands to his head. "Stop taking them... Don't take them away from me!"
"What are you going to do about the curse?" he asked, looking up at his father, who only smiled.
"Me? I'm going to run away. That's the man's path, don't you know?"
"Running away doesn't seem very manly," Kiel said doubtfully.
"Of course it's manly. It will be a very manly running away." The man folded his arms, nodding firmly. "If you don't believe me, ask your mother. What do we say about mom?"
"She's always right...."
"Father!" Kiel cried out. "Come back!" The other memories around him dissolved, leaving one that was not even an image, but a feeling of heat, of burning pain in his back, leaving him drifting in and out of consciousness.
"Damn it!" he could hear his father's voice. "Rasmahn, we'll never make it out of the Tuhn river system in time. We have to go back."
"We can't go back, Jace. Kiel will...."
"I know, I know," and there was weary pain in the voice. "This will put him through a lot of pain. More than he's probably in now. But I can't stand the thought of this curse killing him. He's my son, Rasmahn."
"I know," she replied softly. "I'm coming back with you."
"He might let you go. It's my bloodline that he's after."
"If there's something I can do, I want to be there to do it," she said firmly. "He's my son too. And you are my husband." There was a slight chuckle. "Besides, I can't let you go off on your own. You might do something stupid."
I remember, Kiel thought dully to himself, feeling the pain in his back anew. They went back because of me. It's my fault that they had to suffer like this, and now I can't even save them. Please, someone, anyone....
Please save them.
With a jerk, Kiel's eyes snapped open, and he let out a groan of pain as his back throbbed, accompanied with a stiffness in his neck. It was then he realized he had been sleeping on his stomach, head turned to the side. Letting out another groan, he tried to turn over to his side to ease his neck.
Managing that, he looked around, and realized he was in his old house, the place neat and clean as if he'd never left, the window open to let in the cool mountain breeze. It was an illusion, he thought, something to keep him from realizing he was now being controlled by Zarlox. Kiel shut his eyes, trying not to think further on it.
"Oh, you're awake?" Ameko entered the room, looking him over. "You seem better. Let me see your back."
"Ameko?" he murmured, turning back onto his stomach so she could inspect his bare back. "This isn't too bad of a dream."
"I'm thrilled for you. Looks like most of the scarring has gone," she said after a moment, "though you'll be sore for a while. Well, can you stand?"
"Don't know." Kiel went along with the dream, getting to his feet. His legs were rather weak, and he leaned on her weight for a moment before stabilizing himself. "Seems like it."
"Good. Come out for breakfast," she told him, lending her support to him.
He leaned on her shoulder, and then figured, what the hell, since it was a dream. Leaning over, he brushed his lips against her cheek. "Good morning, by the way."
She reacted quickly, throwing him against the wall. "Is this how you thank people that save your life?" she demanded irately. "Honestly, you're incorrigible."
"What are you talking about?" he mumbled, rubbing at his head. "It's just a dream, isn't it?"
"This feel like a dream?" she growled, tugging on a lock of his long hair. "You idiot, you're not dead or a slave, so get your ass up and have breakfast. I'm not carrying you any further."
He stared at her blankly, and Nikado entered the hallway, sighing at the pair of them. "I knew I should have sent Alex. You two are far too peppy for this time of the morning."
"What's going on," Kiel groaned, putting a hand to his head. Ameko huffed, exiting the way Nikado had come.
The Lorasian prince offered him a hand up. "It's understandable that you're confused. Zarlox tried to activate his curse on you. You remember?" Kiel managed a nod. "We defeated him. Because the curse was still trying to take over you, it took us a while to get you out of it. You were really sick and incoherent for a while," Nikado said sympathetically. "But you seem like you're okay now."
Kiel shook his head, trying to wrap his brain around it. "My parents...?"
"Come and have breakfast," Nikado urged, leading him toward the main room.
Dread settled in his stomach as Nikado helped him out into the main room. The room, like the rest of the house, had been cleaned up, opening into the dining room with kitchen beyond. Alex was busy setting the table, another man directing him, a man that made Kiel stop cold in his tracks at the sight.
"Oh, if it isn't my lazy layabout son," Jace Brand commented as he saw Nikado carrying Kiel in. "Bout time you woke up! You've missed out on half the day already." He put his hands on his hips as Kiel stared. "Well, you gonna just stand there, or are you going to give your father a proper greeting? C'mere."
Kiel pushed himself away from Nikado abruptly, stumbling toward Jace, who caught him. "Dad," Kiel mumbled as he dug his fingers into the older man's shirt, clinging tightly as Jace lifted him back to his feet, folding his arms around his son. "Dad!!"
"Stop carrying on like that," Jace scolded, but his expression was soft as he put a hand on Kiel's head. "You start bawling on me now, your friends are going to make fun of you."
"I won't," Nikado offered helpfully.
"Quiet, boy!" Jace commanded, pointing a finger at him. "Otherwise he'll have nothing left for when his mother gives him a hug. Give that to the lady, Rasmahn, and stop neglecting the boy."
"I'll give you neglect," the woman growled at him, but handed the pan to Ameko, putting her hand on Kiel's head as well. "Welcome home, son. You did very well."
He shook his head. "I didn't do anything. I wasn't the one that saved you."
"What's it matter? We all know you worked harder than anyone else here," Jace told him firmly. "I'm very proud of you, Kiel."
"Dad," the younger man murmured, holding onto him tightly. "You're okay?"
"Better than you," he laughed, picking up his son as a demonstration and sitting him down in a chair. "Didn't take us very long to wake up. You were the one that had to be a drama queen about it."
"Sorry," Kiel murmured.
"Stop that," Jace said firmly. "No more feeling sorry for yourself, understand? Now, let's see to that breakfast, right, my darling, apple of my eye?"
She responded by chucking a knife at him, the blade skimming by his head to land in the wall behind him. The man didn't even flinch, pulling it out of the wall. "Ain't she a dear," he laughed to Alex.
The prince looked over at the wall, which was pockmarked with a number of similar holes, indicating the knife-throwing was a common occurence. "I'm glad things worked out, Mr. Brand."
"Jace, my boy, it's Jace. I'm still in the prime of my youth and too independant and rebellious against the nature of the world to be a Mr."
Nikado laughed as he helped Ameko and Rasmahn bring out the breakfast dishes. "So what are you three going to do from here on out?"
"Well, it doesn't seem like we'll be short on funds for a while," Jace mused, pulling back a chair for Ameko before kicking back one for himself, sitting down casually. "I think this calls for a vacation! Sound good to you, Kiel my boy? You're the one that can use one most of all."
"I like the idea of not being here," he replied honestly. "But how will we get out to the ocean?"
"Silly boy, don't you know that I think of everything?" Jace declared. "That demon had a ship of his own for leaving Tuhn. You think that fat bastard could have flown out on his own? We'll sail the world and live like kings for a while! How's that sound?"
Kiel finally managed a smile, some true relief shining through. "I think that sounds okay."
"Just okay? Well, scrap it then. I'll have to think of something better," Jace said with a wave of his hands. "Nothing but the best for my sweetie honey pie and the pride of my family!"
"However did you end up with a guy like him?" Ameko asked Rasmahn. "At least I see where Kiel gets it from."
"You should have seen him when we met. This is an improvement," the woman said with a shake of her head. "At least he's easy enough to keep in line. With knives."
"So," Jace said as he regarded the group. "What brings you out all this way? Did you have some sort of grudge with Zarlox?"
"I didn't until I found out what he was doing," Nikado said.
"The helm of Loto," Kiel recalled. "Did you find it?"
"Well, we found something," Alex said, "that shares the name of the legendary blacksmith on it. But it doesn't seem like much of a helm." He held up a plain metal circle.
"Of course it wouldn't," Jace spoke up, "it's an enchanted helm. It's worthless without the Seal of Loto."
Alex dug the seal out of his pocket, holding it up. "Ah, good. Let me see them for a moment," Jace said, holding out his hands for the items. "One of you three blood descendants of Loto want to volunteer?"
Nikado raised a hand, then walked over to Jace. "Ah, there it is," he murmured, sliding the seal into an indentation on the back of the band. "Nikado, hand. Rasmahn, knife."
She handed him a knife, and Jace poked Nikado's hand with it, touching the drop of blood to the seal. It lit up with a soft glow, and Jace tossed it to Nikado. "Ah, I've still got it. Put it on."
Nikado did so, and as he did, the weight seemed to vanish, even the metal itself invisible once it touched his head. "Ah?" he managed, running his hands through his hair.
"Pull off the seal to remove it," Jace instructed, "though you should be able to just leave it there. That helmet was made for travelling. Loto had a lot of moving about he did, so some of the enchantments were to make his equipment less tiring and bulky to wear. My understanding is that that helmet's got some enchantments that work in tandem with his armor. Though where that armor is, I haven't the foggiest."
"Kiel said you might know about the five crests of Rubiss," Alex spoke up. "We have the Moon, the Star, Water and the Sun. We have to locate the Life Crest now. Do you know where it is?"
Jace sat back, kicking his feet up on the table, which Rasmahn pushed down. "I don't know for sure, but I've got a theory. I did some searching for it myself, and based on where the others were located--Star in the Tantagel Lighthouse, Moon in Osterfair, Sun in the Fire Monolith and Water in Hamlin--can you toss me the map there, Alex?" Jace pointed to each of the locations on the map. "You really have to understand some history and astronomy to get the pattern here. Did you know? They say there was a solar eclipse the day that Loto fought the great evil. The day the seals were scattered. Here you have the sun, the morning star, the moon, the second blue moon, and the planet of life. They've moved around slightly from where they used to be, so if you allow for that...." He pointed. "The location the Life Seal should be is here. The cave to Rhone."
"That's...incredibly complicated," Ameko said with a frown. "How did you figure that out?"
"Process of elimination, mostly. I've tried some other patterns, but nothing's ever fit all five points. I've searched a few years for it, but Rhone's the place I've never gotten to. My understanding is that you have to have the Eye of Malroth to access the cave."
"The eye of Malroth?" Alex asked with a frown.
He nodded. "Most of the higher level demons can pass in and out on their own, but the lowly monsters, as well as any human prisoners they might want to take to Hargon, have to use the cave. And to open the cave, they need the Eye of Malroth. There's several around the world, all in his strongholds outside Rhone, but the easiest one to get to might be here." He pointed to the map at a location out at sea. "There's a volcano here out at sea, in which one of the churches of Hargon is hidden. Monsters go to worship him there and receive orders. Mostly, they rely on the natural heat of the volcano to get around it. The Water Robe you've got there--Tianyi's work, isn't it? I can tell. It should be able to protect you.
Ameko frowned. "I don't really like it. There's no support if something goes wrong."
"I didn't say it would be easy," Jace said with a shrug. "But all of the others are in heavily guarded strongholds full of monsters. Even I don't know much about them beyond that."
"It looks like the best choice. If we need to get this thing to get into Rhone, there's no getting around it," Nikado said. "Where is the cave to Rhone?"
"To the northeast, I believe," Jace said, pointing. "There's a trail the monsters take through the mountains, but there's also a couple of traveller's gates. One's in Beran."
"In Beran? A human city?" Alex asked with a frown.
"Why else would you put a city over a whirlpool?" Jace countered. "Come to think of it, why is there a whirlpool there? The traveller's gate, that's why. It's a nasty piece of work, so they've got it barricaded off. Again, not easy, but it's the best option you have."
"How do you know all this?" Ameko asked.
"I've been trying to get into Rhone for years," Jace replied. "You pick up a few things."
"Why Rhone? It's nothing but a stronghold of monsters."
"So we know, but who can tell?" Jace said with a shrug. "Doesn't the thought of setting foot somewhere no one else has been thrill you?"
Alex shook his head. "At any rate, that's what I know. Anything else we can help you with, just say the word. Owe you our lives and all, wouldn't be proper to say no," Jace said firmly.
"Take your money back," Kiel spoke up. "And grab what you need from the tower. There's no way we'll use that much."
Nikado nodded to himself. "So we need to get to this sea volcano and then go to Beran to get to Rhone."
"You'd better be careful," Jace warned them. "Even I don't know what's in Rhone. That's as far as any human can guide you."
"We appreciate it," Alex said sincerely. "Thanks for all your help."
"Don't think anything of it," Jace said with a wave of his hand. "You've got a big job ahead of you. Now, shall we have breakfast?"
"You look lost in thought, boy."
Nikado jerked as he looked down from his perch on the ship, seeing Jace. Ameko and Alex had gone back into the tower with Kiel to grab some treasure, and he had thought Jace had gone with them. "I guess I'm just trying to prepare for what's ahead. You've been a lot of help, but we still don't know what's going to happen."
"What fun would it be if it was?" Jace laughed. "It's life, boy, you're not supposed to know what's going to happen."
Nikado smiled a little at that. "Even so, since the fate of the world is depending on us, I wouldn't mind a little more reassurance."
"You'll be fine. Zarlox isn't the greatest of the generals of Hargon, but he is a general nonetheless, and I understand you also took down the Ozwargs. That just leaves Pazuzu and Atlas."
"Our last run-in with Pazuzu wasn't exactly the greatest," Nikado muttered.
"You're still here, so you're doing better than the average."
"What do you know about Atlas?"
"Nothing but the name, really. He's Hargon's bodyguard, in a sense, so he never leaves Rhone. Chances are you'll come up against him."
Nikado leaned on the railing, looking down at the other man. "Kiel told me a bit about you, before we went into the tower."
"Oh, did he? Something I need to tan his hide for?" Jace asked.
The prince shook his head. "I think...he's really lucky to have parents like you. My father wouldn't have sacrificed himself for me like that. He didn't even keep my sister around."
"I'm sure he had his reasons."
"He did. It doesn't make the fact any less worse. How do you do it, Jace?"
"How do I do what?" the man echoed.
"Care for your son like that. What if I have a child, how do I care for him or her like that?"
"There's not a set of instructions you follow, boy. You just do. You'll understand when you're a father," Jace told him, "especially if you've experienced loneliness before. There's a special sort of joy at seeing a life you helped bring into the world, at watching it flourish and grow. That's not something either Rasmahn or I thought we would ever get to have. It makes him all the more special to me. Don't think about it so much. I'm sure you'll do fine, Nikado."
"I'm glad I met you, Jace," he replied softly. "I'm glad I came on this journey. There are so many people that I'm glad I've met."
"That's what journeys are, boy. That's what life is."
