Getting in without being noticed hadn't really been the hard part, Ameko noted to herself. With her two companions on the outside, waiting for her, she admitted to no small amount of nervousness, but she had made it this far without being seen, and now all that was left was to get up to the altar and snatch the Eye of Malroth itself.
What was the hard part, she thought to herself, was putting up with all the chanting. The monsters had been gathered in a central room, with the Eye of Malroth in the center, and a couple of enchanters were leading the chants, evil clowns lining the aisles to make sure everyone was participating. Some of them, she noticed, didn't really seem happy to be there. Not that she blamed them. Slipping around the back, she tried to find a good place to hide until the place was empty. How long would the ceremony these creatures were participating in take place, she wondered.
Ahead of her, she could see the enchanter break off the prayers, silencing the crowd. "We present to you a nonbeliever!" he bellowed out to the crowd. "There are those who do not believe that Hargon is the god that will take us to the perfect world! That will conquer all of humanity and give the world to monsterkind! There are those," the enchanter sneered, "that speak well of humans, that believe that they can do anything besides kill us. A monster among us that harbors such opinions is not our ally! They are the ally of the humans, and thus, are our enemies!"
Two evil clowns brought forth a healer between them, the creature trembling all over as they prodded it forward with their maces. "Please let me go!" the healer cried as he was brought up to the altar, tied down in front of the Eye of Malroth. "Let me go, please! I don't want to be sacrificed!"
"It is for the good of monsterkind. Do you deny that you are a sinner, healer?"
"I...I was just doing what I thought I was supposed to. I'm a healer," the creature whimpered. "It was just a baby human."
"A human is a human! That creature may grow up to kill countless of our kind! How could you let it get away?"
"But...it was just a child! It wasn't going to harm anyone!" the healer protested, struggling. "I...I don't think all humans are our enemies!"
A gasp went through the crowd. "I see you are beyond hope, sinner," the enchanter said, and the healer began its struggles anew, tears welling up in its large eyes.
She hadn't known that monsters could cry, she thought to herself. Even as the enchanter began the spell of sacrifice, the healer crying out in terror, she was moving, casting out a small fireball that impacted on the edge of the circle. As she had hoped, the magic lashed out wildly around the crowd, the enchanter thrown back, along with the monsters in the front row. "Grab it!" she instructed the healer as she got close. "Grab the eye!"
Without thinking, the healer complied, snatching it off the mantle, and Ameko snatched the monster under one arm, making a break for it. The monsters, initially blinded by her fast movement and the burst of light, now moved to block her exit, and she lashed out with an Infernos, the wind alone knocking them back, some screaming as they caught on fire. "This is going to suck," she muttered, cursing her impulsiveness.
"Who are you?" the healer got out. "Why are you helping me?"
"Because that lot is a bunch of assholes. You can heal, right?" she replied tensely.
"Y-yes. Yes, I can."
"Good. I may need it soon," Ameko ground out as she bowled over two skeletal soldiers who had come to see what the commotion was about. If only Nikado and Alex were there...but she was too far away, too hard to reach in the volcano.
"Turn right," the healer instructed suddenly, and she did so, turning into a side corridor. "There's steps up to the outside of the volcano here."
She found them and bolted up, and the stairs did indeed open up to the outside of the volcano. "But no stairs down, huh," she muttered, looking down over the side of the mountain, trying to locate their ship.
"It's not perfect," the healer apologized.
Ameko sighed, then stripped off her pants, putting her bare legs against the rock of the mountain. "Remember that part about healing me?" she muttered, tucking the leggings away.
"Yes?"
"Start doing it now." She began to slide down the mountain, her speed picking up swiftly, and she yelped as the skin was torn away from her legs. The healer reached down, doing what it could, but she nonetheless left a streak of blood behind as she slid down in a barely controlled descent. As they approached the bottom, it abrutply dropped steeply, and she let out a cry before the healer caught a jutting rock with its tentacles, temporarily arresting their fall before she dropped the rest of the way. "Ow," she groaned, getting to her feet and letting the creature look at her legs. "Let's not do that again." Pulling out the whistle from around her neck, she blew it.
"Ah!" The healer let out a cry of surprise as the ship appeared before Ameko, Alex and Nikado looking down at her. "Toss me a rope, we need to get moving now!" she shouted at them. "I sort of pissed them all off."
"You're good at that," Alex pointed out as Nikado tossed her down a rope, helping her up.
"You brought a friend," the other prince noted.
"H-hello," the healer greeted nervously. "I mean you no harm."
"I sort of lost my cool," she admitted. "They were going to sacrifice him for helping humans. It's not a church, it's a cult and they're trying to brainwash monsters into following Hargon's way of thinking."
"That's exactly how I feel about it!" the healer added. "It's not right."
"Well, you're among friends now," Nikado reassured. "And you got the Eye! Great job, you two."
"You can set it down there, for the moment," Ameko said, and the healer laid the Eye down on the ground carefully. Alex set the ship out to sea, sailing away from the volcano at a quick pace. "Still, that was too close and I hope I don't have scars on my legs."
"I guarantee you will not have scars, lady," the healer reassured her.
Nikado glanced over, and raised an eyebrow. "What happened to your pants?"
"I can heal legs, I can't heal fabric." She raised an eyebrow in return. "Who taught me that lesson?"
"You have a point. You're okay now?" he asked.
She nodded, and looked back at the healer. "You don't have to call me lady, by the way. Call me Ameko."
"I'm Nikado, and this is Alex," the Lorasian prince chimed in, pointing to the man at the helm. "We're trying to defeat Hargon."
The healer looked from one to the other, and then his eyes grew wide. "You three are the princes and princess they're talking about? The one that's a threat to Hargon?"
"What do they say about us?" Nikado asked curiously.
"There's a huge reward out for your capture," the healer said, spreading two of its tentacles in a humanlike gesture. "Some want you alive, some want you dead. No one's really sure who you are or why you're a threat, though."
"Good. That's the way we prefer it." Alex set the ship on course, then joined them, picking up the Eye of Malroth. "So this is it, huh?" The piece appeared to be made of red clay in the shape of an eye that was partially opened, the thick sculpture almost as long as his forearm. Even as he touched it, he could tell there was magic in it. "This will get us into Rhone, huh?"
"You're going to Rhone?" the healer asked.
Ameko nodded. "Have you ever been there?"
"Not me. I'm not important enough to go there. They make pilgrimages sometimes to see Hargon, but I've tried to avoid such things. I'm terrified of him," the healer admitted, shaking.
Nikado put a hand on the monster's head reassuringly. "Hey, don't worry. You can stay with us until we find a safe place for you. Right now, we're going to Beran."
"I've heard of that place," the healer said. "There are a lot of strong monsters that live there. You'd better be careful getting to Beran. A lot of orcs live there."
"Are orcs bad?"
The healer nodded. "They're big, strong brutes, some carry spears as well. You'll have a tough time taking one down, let alone a group of them."
"Well, we'll find out when we get to Beran," Nikado said. "By the way, what's your name? We can't just keep calling you 'monster' all the time."
"Me? Oh, uh...I don't really have one?" the healer offered. "I'm not really anyone of note, so I'm not really the type to have a name...."
"Well, that won't do at all!" Nikado exclaimed. "What's this nonsense about having to be someone of note to have a name? Why don't you pick one out for yourself, then?"
"I, uh...I wouldn't know where to begin."
"Well, what gender do you identify as?" Alex said. "That'd be a good start?"
"Well, we don't really have genders like humans," the healer said slowly. "but most of my kind have personality traits that I believe humans would identify as being feminine."
Ameko took a step back. "You're a girl monster?"
"Like I said, we don't really have genders, but...."
"I've been referring to you as a male this entire time," the princess muttered, embarrassed.
"So we need a nice girl name," Nikado said, folding his arms. "What strikes you as nice?"
"Well, I don't really know many names, girl or otherwise...."
"Alena," Alex spoke up. "How's that sound?"
"Alena?" Ameko echoed.
He nodded. "It's a story I read when I was a kid. It's a bedtime fairy tale about a princess who travels with a young priest and an old magician and goes off on adventures."
"Alena," the healer repeated, letting the sound hang in the air. "O-okay, I would be able to use that."
"If you don't like it," Alex began, raising his hands.
"N-no, I like it a lot! I...didn't think I'd ever be named after a princess," the healer Alena murmured. "It seems too special for me."
"You defied the cult of Hargon and befriended some humans," Ameko pointed out. "I'd say that makes you pretty unique."
"Y-you think so?" Alena gazed up at her.
"We should make Beran in a few days," Alex said, returning to the wheel and checking their position on the map. "Everyone may as well settle down for a comfortable trip."
The city of Beran wasn't close to the shoreline, but was visible from it, the swirling waters of the whirlpool it was situated over spinning lazily around the edges. Getting from the shore to the bridge leading to the city had been tricky; as Alena had mentioned, there were indeed orcs out in number, as well as evil trees and other such monsters. The healer turned out to be a valuable asset, letting Ameko and Alex focus on attacking the enemy and keeping their monster ally safe. "Whew," Nikado sighed as the gate of Beran closed behind them. "Some trip, huh?"
"Tell me about it," Ameko said, shaking a bit of ichor out of her hair. "Getting out of here afterwards is going to be a blast."
Alena crawled onto Ameko's shoulder, shivering a little. "I've never been around such strong monsters. You three are really incredible. How do you get so strong?"
"Practice, I guess," Nikado said with a shrug. "Let's see if this place has any cursed doors. Plus, I want to see this Traveller's Gate."
"A traveller's gate?" Alena echoed. "What for?"
"It's the one that leads to Rhone," Alex explained. "That's where we need to go."
Alena froze. "You mean to Rhone? As in Hargon's sacred lands? You must be kidding!"
"They're not sacred," Nikado said, "they're just land. And yes, we mean to defeat Hargon."
The healer stared at him. "Do you really think you have a chance to win?"
"We have better than a chance," Nikado said firmly. "Otherwise we wouldn't be doing this."
Alena shook her body in an imitation of a human headshake. "Hargon's really strong. I really think you shouldn't do that."
"So you'd rather let him rule over the monster population and kill monsters like you that don't like violence?" Ameko scolded firmly.
"No, but...what can we do?"
"Exactly what we're doing," Nikado told her. "Don't worry. We have no intention of going after Hargon directly until we're good and ready."
"Even so...." Alena said doubtfully.
"Alex, are you okay?" Ameko asked, looking over at him.
"Hm? I'm fine, just a bit tired," he reassured. "That was a long trip."
"We'll look for this traveller's gate in the morning, then," Nikado said, waving a hand. "Why don't we call it a day and grab an inn room? We can take one evening to relax without things falling apart on us."
"I suppose so," Alex said after a moment. "I imagine you lot could use something to eat, as well."
"Come to think of it," Nikado said, turning to Alena. "What do you eat, anyway?"
"Um...I like lettuce," she said hesitantly. "Cabbage is good, too."
"How about a salad?" Ameko offered. "You might like that."
"What's a salad?"
Nikado woke up, and was aware of something wrong.
The three had gotten a room together, Alena curled up in a chair and snoozing peacefully. To his left, he could see Ameko still asleep, her arms wrapped around his own, head resting against his shoulder. Smiling slightly, he turned his head over to the right. The other prince had turned over in his sleep, now with his back to Nikado, and the Lorasian prince sat up partway, placing a hand on Alex's bare shoulder. The skin under his fingers was cool and clammy, and Nikado felt instantly alarmed. "Ameko," he said in a low, urgent tone, pulling his arm free of her grasp. "Wake up."
She stirred as Nikado turned over on his side, laying Alex on his back and placing a hand on his forehead. "What's the matter?" she mumbled, rubbing at one eye.
"Alex is sick. Really sick," he said after a moment, biting his lip. "Wake up Alena."
"He's sick?" she said, sitting up and sliding her legs around the bed, standing up. "What's wrong with him?"
"That's what I need Alena to tell me. I just hope I'm wrong," Nikado muttered, hopping out of bed himself and circling around to take a better look at the other prince. Alex's skin was ashen, his expression uneasy.
"Whassamatta?" the healer mumbled as she crawled her way over on her tentacles, pulling herself up onto the bed. Her eyes widened as she saw Alex. "Oh my."
"What's 'oh my' mean?" Ameko asked, touching the man's shoulder. "Alex, wake up."
"I...." The healer shifted around nervously, obviously afraid to speak further.
"It's a death curse," Nikado said quietly. "Isn't it?"
"Ah...you knew?" Alena said as Ameko looked at him in surprise.
"A death curse? How?"
"He did it," Alena said softly. "He's the only one that can."
"Ha--" Nikado cut her off. "What can we do?"
"It's a death curse," the healer said, as if it was obvious. "They don't come with cures."
"There has to be something!" Ameko shook Alex's shoulder. "Alex, wake up. We need you."
He let out a soft moan at the movement, eyes flickering open. "Alex, can you hear me?" Nikado asked quietly, resting a hand on his forehead.
"Nikado?" the other prince mumbled, eyes half-shutting again. "Tired."
"Alex, stay with us," Nikado told him, shaking his shoulder. "We need you to tell us how to beat a death curse."
"Death curse?"
"Yes. Alex, you've been hit with a death curse. We need to know how to cure you. Do you know anything about a death curse?"
"Can't think," he mumbled. "Can't concentrate...." His eyes slid closed again.
"Damn it, Alex, don't do this," Nikado said, shaking him again. "Stay with me, don't give in to this thing. We need to know how to help you."
The other prince let out another groan, shifting on the bed, and then opened his eyes again, looking at Nikado with clarity. "Go on without me."
"What? We can't do that!" Ameko snapped at him. "Now tell us what to do, really."
"THere isn't...there isn't a cure. You already know that." Alex reached over, taking Nikado's hand in his own. "You have to go on and defeat Hargon, both of you. You can't afford to be stopped here. Please." Alex closed his eyes again. "Please take care, Nikado, Ameko. I really did enjoy traveling with both of you."
"Alex!!" Nikado shook him again, but the man had already fallen asleep again, limp in the other prince's grasp. "Damn it all! We have to think of something. You really don't know anything that might help, Alena? Anything at all?"
The healer shook its body. "It's too powerful a magic. There's nothing I can do about it. I don't know much at all about things I can't heal."
The prince paced around a few steps in agitation, turning back toward Alex. "Damn it! How did this even happen? There's no way he could have--" And then his eye fell on the Eye of Malroth sitting on the table. "Ameko," he said in a quieter tone. "Did you handle the Eye of Malroth when you got it out of the volcano?"
She blinked at him. "No, Alena grabbed it for me and I grabbed her. Why, you don't think...." She turned toward the device with a frown.
"Can we do something?" Nikado wondered. "With it?"
"If only we knew someone who...." Ameko stopped. "Nikado. In Alefgard. Do you recall?"
"Recall what?" The prince frowned.
"There was a man in town. He was claiming to be a curse expert or something. Let's try it, Nikado," she said. "I should still have a wyvern's wing keyed to Alefgard. What have we got to lose?"
He nodded. "It's a start, at least. Let's try it." He turned, then stopped. "I don't like the idea of leaving him here alone."
"We won't be able to get him out of Beran safely," Ameko said with a frown. "It's best if we don't move him. Alena, could you take care of him while we're gone?"
"I'll do what I can," the healer said doubtfully. "But what are you going to do?"
"Save his life, of course," Nikado said firmly. "Just keep him alive. Still, I wish we could be here with him...." He paused, then reached into his shirt, withdrawing the royal pendant from around his neck. "There. Now he'll know I'm coming back for him."
"Hold on a moment." Ameko pulled a ring off her finger, sliding it down the cord of the pendant, tying it in place. "Now he'll know we both are."
Nikado smiled slightly before giving her a serious nod. "Take good care of him, Alena. We'll be back before you know it."
The guard at the gate of Alefgard wasn't used to seeing humans. Had he not seen these humans before, he would have assumed they were monsters by the way they suddenly appeared in front of the gates. "Prince Nikado, Princess Ameko," he greeted, lowering the gate for them. "What brings you here? Is Prince Alex not in attendance with you?"
"We need to speak to a villager," Ameko said, nodding to Malanya as she spotted the warrior princess. "A man who knows about curses."
"You must mean Garinson," Malanya interjected. "He claims he has that sort of knowledge, but who knows? He certainly doesn't demonstrate it. Did you come out here all this way to see him?"
Nikado nodded. "Then I'll have him summoned to the castle and bring you something to eat and drink."
Ameko raised a hand. "Thank you for the hospitality, but it'll be faster if we just find him directly. Where is he usually found?"
"Down in the village, in the square," she said, pointing the proper direction. "He's always trying to drum up new business. Are you sure you don't want him summoned?"
"We're sure. Thank you," Ameko said with a nod before following Nikado, who had already started off in that direction.
As they approached the town square, they could hear the shouting of a voice, rising up among a small crowd. "I ask you, my friends, have you heard the tale of the Vampirus's flesh? Just one bite, and you can be blessed with eternal life! It just so happens that I have here with me a small store of this miraculous meat, saved over the years--"
"We've heard this one before, bard," one of the townspeople scoffed, and the crowd began to disperse. "Pick up some new lines."
He sighed as the group wandered off, sitting back down and taking a drink from a bottle. He was a lanky sort with thin, perfectly white hair and odd red eyes, his skin equally pale. "Alefgard really needs more visitors nowadays," he commented to a smaller than average metal slime, sitting next to him with a worried expression.
"Cheer up, Master Garinson! We'll think of something!"
He closed one eye, looking up at the morning sun. "Maybe I should go into juggling."
"You're Garinson?" He looked up, raising his eyebrows at Nikado who stood before him.
"Yep, that's me. Kin Garinson, at your service. What may I help you with?" he asked, not bothering to get to his feet.
"You know about curses?" Ameko asked him directly.
"I know about all kinds of things, ma'am. Curses is one of my many branches of knowledge. What do you need to know?"
"We need to know how to beat a death curse," Nikado said, sitting down beside the man.
"A death curse?" the metal slime yelped, hiding behind the bard, who placed a reassuring hand on the monster.
"A death curse, eh? Nasty things, those," Kin said, his face turning serious. "Nowadays there aren't many that can cast a sort of thing like that. Mostly Hargon and his generals. What'd you do to piss him off?"
"Stole something," Ameko stated. "How do you break the curse?"
"You don't," the man said. "Death curses take a great deal of power. They work by infusing a lot of dark power into a concentrated area; namely, a body. By the time the symptoms show up, it's already too late to get the power out, even with a powerful priest."
Ameko let out a sigh, taking a seat next to Nikado, and he put a hand on her shoulder. "There has to be something. Anything that might work, anything you can think of to try," Nikado pressed. "Please. He's an important friend of ours. We can't lose him."
"Well, crap happens," Kin said with a shrug. "I was in Rimuldar when it was swallowed up into the earth. Barely escaped with my life, I did. Everyone else died. Couldn't stand to lose people there, but it happened."
"If we can't save him, more people are going to die," Ameko snapped at him. "We came from halfway around the world because you bragged that you knew everything there was to know about curses. Was that a lie? We're not asking for you to give us a miracle in your hands. We just need a lead, a trace, anything."
He turned and faced her, placing his hands on his knees as he thought. "There's something my grandfather told me," he began. "Though I was a soldier in Rimuldar, I'm descended from a line of bards. He told me a legend about the beginning of the world."
"What does--" Nikado raised a hand, cutting her off, and Ameko took his hand in her own, clutching it for reassurance.
"My grandfather said that the trees of the world are all the seed of one tree, the first tree that sent its seeds all across the earth," Kin stated. "And those who could find that tree and took a leaf from it, that leaf had the power to cure all ills, if you boil it in water and let the afflicted person drink the tea. Now, whether that applies to death curses, I don't know, but he did say 'all ills'. I've even heard that if you put the leaf under the tongue of a corpse, you can bring them back to life," he added thoughtfully, "but that's just an old wives' tale."
"A leaf of the original tree," Nikado said slowly. "Thank you. Do you know where this tree is?"
Kin shook his head. "That I don't know. I'm sure you'd know it if you saw it, though. It can't be very common looking. It is the World Tree, after all. I know it's not in Tantagel at all."
"If it's that unusual, it wouldn't be in any place we've been before," Nikado mused to himself, "otherwise we would have heard of it before. Damn! I really wish Alex was here."
"Someone well-travelled might have heard of it," Ameko said. "Kiel and Jace, or maybe your trader friend with the winged horse. Teslian, wasn't it? But the problem is that we don't have any clue where they are."
Nikado crossed his arms, then a light came to his eyes as he got to his feet. "I think I may know how to find one of them. Let's go. We need to get the ship here and get to travelling."
"Where are we going?" she asked, getting up to follow him.
"To the lighthouse." Nikado turned back to Kin, and smiled. "Thank you. You've been really helpful."
"Sure you don't want some Vampirus meat?" he offered with a slight grin, holding up his bucket.
"If anyone asks, we beat you unconscious and hijacked the tower," Nikado instructed the gremlins as Ameko tilted the bow in her hands up, frowning as she drew the string back.
"Man," one of the gremlins muttered. "I thought you weren't coming back here until you were returning our crest."
"Trust me, I wish we didn't have a need to come here," Nikado said as Ameko loosed the bow, sending a bolt of red up into the sky.
"Give me another," she said, holding out a hand, and he complied, the magic user lighting the tip with a fireball before taking aim again.
"'Laide is glad," Adelaide declared as she skipped around the top of the tower. "This is fun, gremmins!"
"Adelaide, get down," one of them instructed her firmly. "We don't need any monsters flying by and seeing you here."
She pouted, but let one of them lead her downstairs. Ameko let out another arrow, and held out a hand for the third, preparing to repeat the process. "You really think this is going to work?" one of the gremlins asked Nikado. "What if he doesn't see it?"
"If he's in the air, he'll see it. I hope," Nikado added, chewing on his lip. "It has to work. We don't have any way of reaching him otherwise."
It was mid-afternoon and Ameko was two-thirds of the way through the first quiver they had brought when one of the gremlins spotted something in the sky. "Incoming!" he shouted, the monsters scampering for cover under the roof of the building. Nikado pulled himself onto a jutting extension of the lighthouse, waving as he saw the winged horse approach.
Roybealle let out a whinny as he circled around the lighthouse, then Teslian directed the horse to a smooth landing, frowning down at the man who eased back onto the roof. "What in the bloody blazes are you doing? Trying to get a monster to notice you?"
"Trying to get you to notice us," Nikado replied. "Worked, didn't it?"
The trader frowned. "Why me?"
"We're looking for the World Tree," Ameko explained. "Have you heard of it? It's supposed to be the tree that spawned the rest of the trees in the world."
Teslian frowned, putting a hand to his chin. "I haven't heard of it," he said slowly, "but I have seen something that might fit that description. Down on one of the southern islands, there's a huge tree that dominates the little spit of land. I mean, massive. I've never seen a tree so big," Teslian said. "Even from the air, it's huge. That's the only thing I've seen that might fit that description."
Nikado spread the World Map in front of him. "Where was that, where you saw it?"
Teslian studied the map, frowning for a long moment, before he pointed to an island to the east of Wellgarth and Zahan. "Around here. I'm pretty sure. What do you need with a tree?"
"Our friend Alex is in trouble," Nikado explained. "There's a death curse been placed on him. The World Tree should be able to save him, if we can get there in time."
"It's a long, twisty trip by ship," Teslian said with a frown. "How much time do you have?"
"Not much. How long did Coren last with you?"
"He degraded pretty fast in the couple of days, but he'd already been afflicted before I found him. I don't know how long he was cursed before I met him. Where's your friend?"
"In Beran."
Teslian considered, looking over the map, then folded it up, handing it to Nikado. "I could fly you there, and then to Wellgarth. Your ship could meet you there. It's not much of a timesaver, but...."
"If you can get him there, I can get there within minutes of your arrival," Ameko said, holding up the recall whistle and handing it to Nikado. "How fast can you get him there?"
Teslian considered. "Two days, probably. We'd arrive late evening, I think. Rhone's not in the direct path, so we could rest in the mountains the first night and get there the next evening. Roybealle wouldn't be able to handle the flight over the ocean on a direct route back to Beran, but we can get to that island. It should be easier to locate from the air, as well."
Without warning, Nikado put his arms around the other man, hugging him. "Thank you, Teslian. This really means a lot to me."
"Think nothing of it," the man muttered. "I'm just doing this to strike back at Hargon. Well, boy?" he addressed to the winged horse. "Think you're up for the trip?"
The horse let out a whuffling noise in response, pushing his nose against Nikado. "Good," Teslian said with a smile. "Then we'll see you in two days." Pulling off the horse's saddlebags, he handed them to Ameko. "This will lighten our load. You can return them when you see us." He then gestured for Nikado to get on. "Can you mount?"
"I can try. The wings might get in the way," Nikado admitted, managing to climb on after some help from Teslian. The trader jumped up after him with practiced ease, giving the horse a little tap on the rear. With a shake of his head, Roybealle flapped his wings to test the wind, then leapt out over the edge of the lighthouse, spreading its wings. There was the briefest sensation of a drop, and then the air caught under the horse's wings, lifting them up as he spiraled into the sky with his two passengers on board. "This is mostly dependant on Roybealle," Teslian said from behind Nikado, having to raise his voice to be heard. "He's faster than anything in the sky and he has a lot of strength, but he's not used to carrying quite this much weight. I try not to overburden him with goods when we're flying."
"How often do you fly places?" Nikado asked over the roar of the wind. "Do you walk much at all?"
"Not much. Mostly we deal in light, more valuable goods, anyway; enchanted items, dried herbs, messages, and so on." He steered the horse with a light touch to the side. "What are you up to? Still trying to defeat Hargon?"
"Yeah. We're looking for the five crests to summon Rubiss the elemental so we can get her help with defeating Hargon. From what we've heard, the fifth one might be in Rhone. To get in to Rhone, we needed the Eye of Malroth, but I think it's what's put the curse on Alex."
"The Eye of Malroth? That makes sense," Teslian replied. "And you need the leaf of this world tree to help Alex?"
Nikado nodded. "We need his help to defeat Hargon. We can't do it without him. I...don't want to think about losing him."
Teslian was silent for a moment. "You've grown up a little, princeling."
"Thanks, I guess. You and Roybealle sure work together well," he noted after a moment. "It's almost like you two can read each other's minds."
"We've been together for a few years now. Roybealle's a very smart horse. Never met a horse this smart before he pulled me out of Murkbythe." He was silent for a moment. "Say, Nikado. That monster that was locked up in Lorasia. The one that was attacking you."
"What about it? Speaking of which, Roybealle's wing seems to be doing better," Nikado said.
"It wasn't a bad hit. He was ready to fly again after a week, but I kept him grounded for a while to make sure he was okay." Teslian reached forward, stroking the horse's neck. "Did that monster say anything to you?"
"He did, actually. He said I was the reason he had to leave Murkbythe. But I don't know what it means. I've never been to Murkbythe."
"I don't either. He seemed to be afraid of you. But...thank you all the same."
"You're welcome, although I'm not sure what I did," Nikado confessed. "Thank you for helping us as well."
"It's worth it. I want to see Hargon defeated more than most people," Teslian replied. "I have a personal desire for revenge, but I know I'm not powerful enough to get it myself. All I can do is help those who can. And...I'm surprised. To see that the prince of Lorasia has such support for someone else. That isn't of Lorasia."
"I'm not like my father."
"I understand that now. I'll be glad when you take the throne, princeling. I think you'll do the entire area some good."
"I don't know about that. Right now, I'm just thinking about defeating Hargon. I can't consider things that far in the future."
"Understandable. I'll stop talking about it. Let's just focus on the task ahead of us."
As Teslian had predicted, it was late in the next day, the sun sinking toward the west, when they broke past the Wellgarth peninsula, soaring toward the island in the distance, a small area wrapped in fog. Even from their distance, Nikado could see the tree's upper foliage rising out of the fog, breaking through majestically and lit by the evening sun. "That has to be it," Nikado gasped. "It's incredible."
"That's what I thought the first time I saw it, too," Teslian replied. "I wonder if we can land on a branch itself. Ease us down, Roybealle."
The winged horse tossed its head, skimming low toward the top of the tree, hooves brushing against the leaves. "Hold up!" Nikado shouted as something emerged from the leaves.
Teslian slapped the horse's rear, and Roybealle shot up into the sky as something burst from the tree, grasping for him with extended claws. "What is that?" Nikado said in surprise.
"Don't know. I haven't seen a monster like that before," Teslian replied. "Roybealle, take us down toward the shore. Let's go ahead and call your ship."
The horse dipped toward the shore, and as they skimmed along the bank, Nikado blew the whistle. Behind them, the ship appeared through the mist, Ameko seated in the crow's nest. She waved as they passed, the winged horse sending them back up. "Okay, new plan," Teslian said. "We'll skim by and grab a leaf, then land on the ship and get the hell out of here."
"How do we get them off without tearing them up?"
"Take our your sword and slice through the stems of a couple. I'll catch them," Teslian said, adjusting his seat on the horse. "Roybealle, that bough there sticking out--aim for that."
Nikado drew his sword as the horse steered on a direct course for the edge of the tree. Watching the movement of shapes hidden within the thick foliage, he sliced as they got close, a few leaves fluttering outward. Teslian leaned over, catching two in his hand, then letting out a yelp as he overbalanced, trying to keep his seat. Nikado reacted swiftly with a blow to the other man's ribs with the flat of the blade, pushing him back. "You okay?" he asked in concern.
"Yeah. Peachy," Teslian wheezed. "Thanks, though I hope you can be more gentle next time."
"Sorry. Did you get them?" Nikado asked as the horse moved back down toward the ship.
"I got two of them. Princess, get that ship moving!" Teslian shouted at her as they neared, and she nodded, sliding down a rope on the mast and going to the wheel. The stallion banked as he got close, landing neatly on the deck.
"We got it, Ameko!"
"That's not all we got," she shouted back, pointing as she spun the wheel around. Nikado turned, and let out a gasp as he saw the dark shapes creeping down the tree, racing toward the shore.
Teslian pulled out his bow, quickly stringing it and taking a shot at one in the lead. It squealed and stumbled back, but more began splashing into the shallows. "Not good," Nikado said with a shake of his head, readying his sword.
"I just hope this compass is right," Ameko muttered. "Nikado! Hand me the map!"
He pulled it out, handing it to her, and she compared it to the compass readings, letting out a sigh as the ship began to pull away from the island. "Good, looks like this isn't a obscuring mist or anything like that. I'd hate the thought of getting lost in here. You got them?"
Teslian nodded, handing the leaves over to Nikado. "Once we're out of this mist, we're going to head back to wellgarth," he stated. "Your quickest route should be due west, there's some good winds you should be able to catch. It shouldn't take but a few days. Hopefully, you'll make it in time."
"Thank you, Teslian," Ameko said to him. "It would have been impossible without you."
He nodded as the ship broke through the mist, the evening sunlight falling on his face. "Think nothing of it. We may meet again in Beran. I wish the best for your friend."
"Teslian!" Nikado shouted as the man jumped up on his horse, preparing to take off. "The dam key. We took it from Fiducius and unlocked the dam in Tuhn."
"Did you defeat the monster in the Moon Tower?" he called back.
"We did."
"Then it's fine," Teslian said as Roybealle took off. "Apologize to Kiel for me if you see him."
"Don't forget your bags," Nikado added as Ameko tossed them over to the trader. He caught them, then nodded as Roybealle wheeled away.
"Nikado," Ameko said as he watched the horse disappear to the east. "We're going to go straight on to Beran without stopping. I'm well-rested, so I should be able to handle anything that comes up to attack right now. You get some rest now, you'll have to steer in the morning."
"Good idea," he agreed. "I just hope we're in time."
He was standing alone in a field that seemed to expand on endlessly, and a part of him recognized that the place didn't seem to be real, that it was more a product of his mind than an actual, physical place. Or so he thought. To be honest, it was hard to concentrate in this desolate place, which seemed to play off his emotions than his logic. Am I dead already, perhaps? he wondered, seeing figures move in the distance. Perhaps this is my final send-off, then.
Walking forward, he could make out two figures among the others, and with a startled jerk, realized the figures were that of his two friends, Nikado and Ameko. What are they doing here? he wondered, raising a hand to hail them. He tried calling out, but his throat wouldn't work, and nothing would come out.
"It's a good thing," Nikado was saying to Ameko. "I'm glad you're here, Ameko."
"Me too, Nikado. I love you, you know."
"I love you, too. Ameko, will you marry me? We'll run away, just the two of us, to anywhere we like. It's just us now. Love between a man and a woman...that's the way it was meant to be."
Alex shook his head, trying to deny the words, but part of him knew it was true. That was the way things were supposed to be, between a man and a woman. But all the same, he reached out for them, feeling his body become heavier with every step, silently pleading as the two walked away from him. Don't leave me alone! I know it's not normal, but I can't stand it if you leave me alone! I want you to tell me you love me, too!
"Silly," came a calm, gentle voice in his ear. "We do love you, of course we won't leave you alone."
Alex jerked, looking back, and Nikado smiled at him in his usual cheery way, placing a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Come on, you don't really think that's us, do you?" added Ameko from his other side, placing her hand on Alex's head with a firm pressure. "How could we possibly do that to you?"
He looked back at them, then ahead at the Nikado and Ameko in front of him, and stepped back slowly, both of them wrapping their arms around him supportingly. Before his eyes, the illusion vanished, leaving only the real feeling of the two people on either side of him, their warmth, their pressure, the two distinct scents: Nikado's a warm, earthy smell, Ameko a cool and fresh scent, almost like a mint. THey were real, they were here. It's the most frightening thing in the world to me, to think of being alone without the two of you, even more terrifying than dying or facing him. What is this place?
"It's a bad dream, Alex," Nikado told him, resting his head on Alex's shoulder. And it'll be tough, but that's what we're here for. We're here to see you through to the end. Because we can't stand it if you were to disappear."
I...don't want to disappear. I want to be here, with both of you. I don't want to disappear, he repeated to himself, feeling the confidence return to his voice. "I don't want...to disappear."
"That's what we're here for," Ameko said, touching a hand to his cheek. Ahead of him, he could see the horizon growing dark, a shadowy presence rising above them. "We will fight...to protect your existance."
Nikado nodded in agreement, drawing his own sword, and Alex glanced down at his side. The Sword of Loto hung there, ready and waiting to be used. The faint memory of himself in bed, Nikado shouting down at him, returned to his mind. "This is a fight for my life, isn't it. To decide whether I live or die."
"That's right. You're going to live, Alex," Nikado told him. "We'll defend your life, together."
The dark shape ahead of them reared up, letting out an unearthly roar. Alex slowly drew the sword of Loto, and held it up in both hands, prepared for battle.
Alena was worried, and really, that was only a natural reaction to the situation she was in. Alex's condition was deteriorating, getting worse by the hour, and though she could see the struggle in his face and his tensed muscles, she was doubtful to whether Nikado and Ameko would return in time. Easing the pain and tension where she could, she wriggled across the floor in a pacing motion, wracking her brain for anything else she could try.
Out in the hall, she heard voices. "Are you sure about this? They're never coming back. They left him to die here and leave us to handle it." Alena froze at the voice, realizing they were talking about Alex. If they tried to move him, to toss him out, she would be powerless to do anything. "The bedsheets will be ruined and the smell will be terrible."
The door creaked open, and Alena backed up against the bed as the innkeeper entered, raising a hand to quiet his worker, the one that had been talking. "You, healer," he addressed her.
"My name is Alena," she said quietly. "Please use it."
"Alena, then." The innkeeper nodded to the bed. "You really think they're coming back?"
"Yes," she said firmly, drawing herself up to her full height. "I'm not letting you or anyone else move him until they return. They will come back." She touched a tentacle to his hand, the pendant and ring of the two other houses of Loto tightly gripped in his hand. "They promised. They left the proof that they would return in time." Even as she said it, she felt ashamed of her own doubt. Of course they would return in time, she told herself firmly. And it was her job to make sure in time was as long as possible.
The man eyed her for a long moment, keeping his gaze steady on her, and she stared back fearlessly. "The south room, at the end of the hall," he directed to his worker. "Open it up and prepare it."
"Sir?" The innkeeper glanced back coolly, and the worker quickly saluted before dashing off to do what he was told. "Hey! Get me some fresh linens!"
"The south room opens out toward the water and the ocean," the man explained. "The air will be better for him. It'll help him to have a change of bedclothes as well."
"Ah..." He was right, the bed linens were soiled with sweat. "Th-thank you," she managed at last, lowering her body and touching it to the floor in a display of gratitude to him. "Thank you very much!"
"I've never seen a monster and people have so much faith in each other," the innkeeper replied. "Not in these times. We'll do what we can for him."
"Damn it all. They must have known we were coming back." Nikado slid down from the crow's nest, pacing around a few steps. "We're so close, but there's no way we can battle through all of those. Damn it! We're so close to Beran!"
Ameko looked around the small, hidden cove where they had parked the ship. The city of Beran could be seen in the distance, and between them was a horde of orcs, marching around, searching for something. Searching for them. "I don't think my barrier would hold up against so many, especially if we were on the move. Damn it. Why didn't I think to get a warp wing keyed to Beran?"
"Because we were in a hurry and they were out of stock," Nikado reminded her. "As it is, we've got to be running short on time. Any ideas?"
"No. Nothing." She leaned against the railing of the ship, hanging her head. "Alex...."
"I'm sure he's still hanging in there," Nikado told her, looking at the flask secured to his hip. They had gone ahead and boiled the leaf of the World Tree in hot water, preparing the boiling hot tea before they had arrived. "We can't go around them. We can't go under them. We can't go through them. What else is there?" he said to himself.
Ameko stood up, turning back to the mast and climbing up a rope. "Come with me, Nikado," she instructed, and he followed as she moved up the rope. "Do you remember something, Nikado? When we were first travelling together?"
"What about it?"
"Well, I was conserving my magic for healing and emergencies, right? And at that point, with that little knife, all I could defeat by myself was drackys. So you guys let me have them."
"Yes, I remember that. You tackled quite a lot of them in that time."
"I did. And I absorbed power from what I defeated, too. Stand behind me, and put your arms around my neck," she instructed. He did so, then gasped as something on her back began to glow, something sharp and black ripping through her clothes. "I absorbed a lot of drackys. Drackys have wings."
"Have you ever...?" he questioned slowly as the wings grew in size, becoming massive.
She turned her head slightly toward him, and quirked a smile. "Never. I'm just making it up as I go along. Hold tight."
He gave her a nod, and she pushed herself out of the crow's nest, wings spreading wide. With a hefty flap, they were pushed into the air, and she flapped again and again, taking them higher. "We'll still have dragonflies to deal with," she called back to him. "You'd better be prepared."
He nodded, and freed one hand to draw his sword, keeping the other locked around her shoulder. The ground whizzed by underneath them, the orcs looking up in surprise, and the the dragonflies took to the air, giving chase. "Focus on the ones in front of us," she directed. "We're going to fly straight through to Beran. We haven't got time to have an extended fight with these guys."
"I really wish this was Alex here instead of me," Nikado muttered, stabbing at one that got close. "At least he's got long-range skills."
"Nothing we can do about that right now. Augh!" She let out a little growl, yanking a spear from her leg, passing it up to him.
"Ameko?!"
"Some orc thought I made a good pincushion," she muttered. "Use that, it's longer. I'm going to try and go a bit higher."
He nodded, putting the sword away before taking the spear, being careful to keep it clear of her wings. In some ways, it would have been thrilling, the way they were flying over the ground under nothing but Ameko's own power, if there hadn't been so much at stake. Ameko gritted her teeth as she pulled up a bit higher, and then they were over water, Beran getting closer and closer. "Nikado," she managed. "I'm losing control of the spell. We may have to swim."
"Swim?" he said in alarm as she sank lower, desperately trying to pull them back up. The orcs were now safely away, and even the dragonflies had stopped giving chase, unable to get too close to Beran safely. "Ameko, that's a problem."
"We don't really have a choice," she groaned. "Why is that a problem?"
"Ameko, I can't swim."
"What do you mean you can't--" The spell shattered away, and she dropped, still going at full speed, into the water. The impact was stunning, the woman seeing stars as she touched down, feeling Nikado ripped from her back by the waters. Kicking her legs, she managed to break through the surface, coughing. "Nikado!" she got out, but she couldn't see him anywhere. Fear gripped her as she took a breath, then dove back under the water, trying to see through the stirring waters of the whirlpool. There he was, ahead of her, being carried by the swirling waters toward the underside of the city. If he was drawn down there, there would be no force that would save him. The currents were far too strong at that level. Damn it, Nikado! she cursed to herself, kicking her long legs again and shooting after him. She was relieved to see the flask was still at his hip, and with some effort, dragged him upwards, praying he hadn't begun to drown yet. Come on, Nikado, help me out here! If only I'd absorbed things with fins!
Feeling her own lungs ready to burst, she finally broke the surface, still being dragged around by the outer edges of the whirlpool. Gasping for breath, she glanced over at Nikado, then looked ahead for an edge of the city she could grab onto. Since the city was built over water, they had built little platforms here and there outside of the walls in order to allow themselves to do work on it, and it was for one of those she aimed, pushing herself through the water with nothing but the power of desperation. Struggling to keep her grip on him, she pulled herself to the ledge, gasping for air. No time to rest, she realized. Nikado wasn't breathing, she had to get the water out of his lungs. Which meant getting him out of the water. "Hey!" she shouted raggedly as she dragged herself onto the ledge, feeling fatigue in every muscle. "Is someone on the other side of that wall? Help us out here!"
Turning back to Nikado, she strained as she grabbed him underneath his arms, planting her feet and pulling him partway ashore. "Who says I don't have any physical strength," she muttered as she tore at his breastplate, thumping firmly at his chest. "Cough it up, Nikado, damn you, or I'll hit you harder." Another thump produced a cough, the man jerking forward as he spewed water from his lungs, nearly sliding into the water again. "Damn it, you're a real pain in the ass, you know that?" she said crossly. "Hey! Someone out there? Give us a hand!"
He stared at her blankly, not comprehending what had happened. Faces finally peered over the wall, coupled with surprised shouting. After a bit, a rope was tossed down, which Ameko tied to Nikado, letting the townsfolk haul him up first before she climbed the rope herself, dropping to the ground heavily. Every bit of her was exhausted, so much she felt like she could sleep right then and never wake up. "Hey, are you all right?" a man asked her, others attending to Nikado.
"The inn," she muttered, "got to get to the inn. You still have it?"
Nikado got to his feet shakily, putting a hand to his side. "I still have it. I'm fine, thanks for asking."
"You'd better be fine, who do you think hauled your fat ass out of the water?" she grumbled.
He put an arm underneath her, lifting her up, and she grumbled, but didn't protest. "Let's go. Alex is waiting. Thank you, everyone," he addressed to the townsfolk that had come to their rescue.
"Are you sure you should be walking so soon after?" one of them asked with a frown.
Nikado smiled. "I'm fine. My chest hurts, but I should be fine. Let's go, Ameko."
The trip back to the inn was a short distance, but made longer by their tiredness. The innkeeper looked up as they entered, then nodded, as if their soaking wet arrival was nothing out of the ordinary. "We've been expecting you. We moved your friend to the south room to help his health." He gestured for a worker to show them the way.
"Thank you," Nikado said tiredly, half-dragging Ameko to the indicated room.
Alena was inside, wriggling back and forth in her pacing motion. She stopped when she spotted the two of them. "Ameko! Nikado! You came back," she said, eyes brimming with tears. "I've been so worried about you."
"How is Alex?" Ameko asked as Nikado eased her into a chair.
"He's in awful shape, but still alive. Did you find something?"
Nikado passed her the flask, which was still warm from the contents inside. "Give him this. Make sure he drinks the whole thing."
Alena took the flask, opened it carefully, and wriggled back over to the bed, propping Alex up partway with her tentacles as she began easing the liquid into his mouth. Nikado stripped off his armor, fishing around for some dry clothes, and tossed Ameko a spare set of clothing as well. That done, he pulled himself onto the bed next to Alex. "I'll take it from here, Alena."
"You will not," she said firmly, "your hands are shaking so much, you'll spill it all over the place."
He looked down at his hands, and realized it was his entire body trembling from exhaustion and the near drowning. Ameko sat down on the other side of the bed, letting Alena work. When the healer finally finished, she put the flash aside on the nightstand, looking down at him. His face had relaxed, and some of the color had come back into his cheeks. "Look," Nikado said with a smile. "He does look better. I think it worked."
"I hope so," Ameko murmured. "It's the best thing we have." She laid down next to Alex, leaning her head against his shoulder.
Nikado eased himself down on Alex's other side, taking the man's hand in his own. "He'll be okay," he murmured. "Right?"
"His vital signs have improved," Alena observed, checking the man's pulse with a tentacle laid on his neck. "I don't know if it broke the curse, but he is recovering."
"That's good," Nikado mumbled. "That's very good." Closing his eyes, he fell asleep almost immediately, head next to Alex's.
Ameko found it difficult to keep her own eyes open. "You get some rest too, Alena. I'm sure you didn't get much sleep while we were gone."
"I'll be fine, Ameko. I'll keep watch on him for a little while longer." She thought the healer said something further, but it was lost to her as she, too, fell asleep, having finished the task she set out to do.
Alex was first aware of warmth around him, on his left and on his right. Something was circled around each arm, a pressure on each shoulder. He took in a breath, noticing the smells that surrounded him, and was set at ease. Ameko stirred as he moved, opening her eyes. "Alex," she mumbled, giving his hand a squeeze. "You're awake. Nikado, wake up." She reached over and shook the other prince's shoulder.
He opened his eyes, smiling as he saw Alex. "Good morning, Alex," he mumbled, brushing his lips against the other man's cheek. "We missed you."
"I'm...alive?" His voice came out in a croak, and he winced, coughing to clear it. "The death curse...."
"We beat it," Nikado reassured him. "I told you there was a way. I'm glad you believed in us."
"You're all right now, Alex," Ameko added. "He can't touch you again."
"I'm alive. The curse is gone," he repeated slowly, squeezing both their hands. "You're here."
"Of course we are. And Alena's here too, she took care of you while we were out," Nikado said, gesturing to the foot of the bed where Alena napped, murmuring a little in her sleep.
"I had...a terrible dream," Alex said in a soft tone, sinking back into the pillows. "Everything I was scared of tried to happen. But each time, you two were there. Thank you...for coming back. And for staying with me."
"No thanks needed," Nikado told him. "That's what we're here for."
"Nikado, shut up," Ameko said firmly, placing a hand on Alex's cheek. "You're welcome, Alex. How do you feel now?"
He closed his eyes and thought about it. The last of his weariness, the ache, was nearly eradicated, replaced by a thrumming that seemed to fill his blood. Rather than feeling like he'd barely beaten death, like he expected, he felt more alive than he normally did. "I feel fine. What did you do to beat it?"
"There's a tree called the World Tree, the tree that spawned all the other trees in the world," Nikado told him. "Have you heard of it?"
"Yes. Very briefly, but yes. I would have liked to see that."
"It's beautiful, aside from the monsters in it," Nikado told him. "We'll go back there some time. The leaves of the world tree can cure any ill, they say. It worked on even a death curse."
Alex looked over at him. "Sounds like you two had quite the adventure without me."
"We'll tell you all about it," Ameko said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "For now, just worry about making sure you're fully recovered. I don't want you to scare us like that again."
"I'm sorry," he apologized, then frowned as he realized something was clutched in one of his hands, making it sore from the pressure it was exerting. Opening his hand, he exposed the pendant and ring to the air. "These are...yours?"
Nikado nodded, pulling the ring off and handing it to Ameko. "Oh," he observed suddenly, "there's a crack in it."
"A crack?" Ameko looked at the back of the pendant, seeing the long crack that ran up the metal. Looking at her ring, she blinked in surprise. "Mine too. You must have one hell of a grip, Alex."
"I'm sorry," he apologized softly.
"Don't worry about it," Nikado reassured. "You don't know your own strength!"
"I like it," Ameko said, replacing the ring and admiring it on her finger. "It gives it personality."
Alex couldn't help but shudder slightly. It explained how the two of them had appeared in his dreams, had protected him...and the cracks showed how close the items had come to being destroyed in the process, leaving him on the brink of death. "Thank you," he repeated quietly.
"You can thank me with your body," Nikado teased, running a finger along Alex's jaw. "You're my lover, remember?"
"I don't remember agreeing to that."
Ameko rolled her eyes. "Nikado, I doubt you even know what a lover does."
"Sure I do. They have sex, right?" He grinned as he ran his fingers down Alex's back, making him shiver.
Ameko snatched his hand, stopping his teasing. "And just what do you think sex is?"
"It's what the servants do when they think I'm not around," he said, sticking his tongue out at her.
Alex interrupted the argument by putting his arms around their shoulders, hugging them to himself. "Alex?" Ameko asked softly.
"Let's just stay like this for a little while," he said softly. "I just want to be with you."
Ameko snuggled against him, Nikado doing the same from the other side. "Then we'll do that."
