"Water Torture" Part 6
By Ruby
Rowen and Mia walked along the empty paved road, mindful of the unnatural stillness that surrounded them and followed their every footstep. The swirls of clouds high above seemed to charge across the surrealistic sky, yet no wind could be felt whipping at their clothes or through their hair. No thing, no one… And so far, they could locate neither the Warlords nor Kayura in the Realm.
"Shouldn't someone have met us by now?" Mia whispered. She had no logical reason to whisper, but the odd feeling sending shivers creeping up her neck announced that something was quite not right. It advocated whispering. Rowen nodded.
"Kayura must have known I opened a gateway..." he answered, voice equally hushed. His eyes peered into the shadowy corners along the maze of walls that led to the Realm's fortress. "That Staff should've been ringing like a doorbell--"
A sudden crash from behind...
...They turned…
…And saw a flood of familiar, yet out of place, greenish living armor. Turning back to the way they were heading, Mia saw the same in front. Cut off from both ends the two were trapped in the narrow alleyway.
"What?!" He glared at the figures.
"Dynasty Soldiers! But didn't the Warlords get rid of them all?" Mia stepped back closer to Rowen, her only protection against the things.
"Looks like some survived."
"Some? Try many." Her eyes were drawn to the strange yellow gaze of the armored vessel. They narrowed with a glint of something like intent.
Someone yelled and Rowen looked up. Bursting out of a barricade of soldiers were three figures and a girl- the Warlords and Lady Kayura had arrived. Slashing and cursing they descended from the wall tops and destroyed any and all that stood in the way. Staff ringing, Kayura landed closest to them.
"Rowen, call your armor!" she shouted above the noise of the heavy battle. Mia shielded her eyes as a flash of instantaneous light in a rain of phantom petals revealed the armored Warrior of Strata. Without further encouragement he readied the golden arrows and fired.
"Behind you, Mia!" Cale cried. She turned around just in time to watch as the man vanquished two demon soldiers with a strike from his no-datchi. His blade sliced through the possessed shells like fangs through flesh. A moment later, she found herself being carried like a child out of harm's way and reach of another's sword.
"You should have warned us you were coming," he spoke, his weary voice evidence that he had been battling for a much longer time. The girl clung fiercely onto his side to avoid being tossed around like a rag doll.
She winced as an explosion of sound like a tornado told her that Rowen had used his sure-kill. "I would have sent an e-mail, but I don't think that was option."
"Eee mail?" He blinked, mystified. "What's that?"
"Never mind. Why didn't you meet us when we came through the gate?"
"Kayura knew, but we were being detained, as you see now." Cale set Mia down when they landed atop the highest wall in the near area, hopefully out of reach of the battle below.
Another explosion sent tremors up the wall. "Ooh…" she moaned and then placed a hand on the Warlord to steady herself. She was relatively safe, but that didn't stop the dizzy and sick feeling in her stomach.
"Careful. Are you afraid of heights?"
"Not at all, it's just…" A second tremor. "Are we really safe on this?"
He shrugged. "We are in the Nether Realm."
"Some how that doesn't make me feel any better."
"Sorry."
Timidly peering behind her, making sure she wasn't about to step off into nothingness, Mia looked down at the dark side of the wall and saw three shadowy spots. Beyond that there wasn't much else besides more of the natural (or not) landscape. Then the spots caught her eye again - they had gotten closer. Blinking, she realized that the shapes were moving towards them.
"Cale, what are those?" she asked, tapping his shoulder. As soon as those words were spoken the trio suddenly leapt like fleas up to the top of the wall. She gave a short shriek, seeing now that the things had a vague humanlike form.
"Wraiths!" The Warlord of Darkness gave a low growl and placed himself between Mia and the creatures. He struck with his blade once again, but the demons were quick and avoided most of the blows. In a brief struggle, he managed to slay all three.
But behind him, a fourth had scaled the wall and was holding Mia in its choking grip. She stared mutely at the beast as she fought for breath and scratched and kicked at its pebbly skin. The empty yellow eyes watching for death did not blink at all. Desperate and fading, she tried focusing her thoughts on what little self-defense training that the guys had been teaching her.
Concentrate, and aim for something easy…Hurt them to make them let go.
Grabbing on to the dark wrist for leverage she drew her other arm as far back as it could go in her position. Distantly, she heard Cale shout when he realized that there was another creature. With all her strength she swung the clenched fist at it - and then heard a satisfying crack as she connected. It released her and clutched its face. The Warlord took the opportunity to kill it.
Finished, Cale knelt beside Mia. "Are you injured?" he asked.
"Damn," she swore once she could breathe again. Mia cradled her hand in pain. "That *hurts!* How do you guys do it?"
"You defended yourself well."
She snorted, sitting up. "After all I've been through around you guys it's hard not to learn a few things." Glancing at the body of the attacker - which was dissolving into a mist - she asked, "What are those things? You said something about rates… or was it rats?"
He sighed, looking contemptuously at the fading smoke. "They're Wraiths. These are the demons that enter empty armors and give them life."
"Give them life? So… those are the things that make up Dynasty soldiers?"
"Exactly. Usually, they only follow orders and aren't clever enough to make plans… but it seems they can. Recently the soldiers have been rebelling against Kayura's and ours' rule. They're fighting back, and we have no clue why."
Down on the battlefield Rowen fought off another surge of possessed shells like an oak that stands against the weather. He had been driven away from Kayura and the others into open territory where it would be harder for him to defend all sides. Adrenaline pumped through his rapid heart as the sniping hyenas herded the warrior. One of them drove a staff painfully at his back. Battered and nearly buried in soldiers he angrily shouted and released another power-laden shaft dead center in the chaos.
As always when Rowen let go of it there was a dazzling - almost blinding - flash. Except in that tiny second of time where the light filled his vision he imagined that he could see completely through the armor and his hand, as if it wasn't there. He shook his armored head and blinked; that had never happened before. And the light lingered… Then it faded and reality returned as hurricane forces propelled the deadly golden arrow deep into the numbers, leaving a clear path to the others.
He hurried towards the tiring Dais, Sekhmet, and Kayura. Fatigue was obvious from the slower slashes of their weapons, and the lackluster stance was becoming too sloppy to fight well. Yet even with all that the Warlord's spirits were not at all burdened.
"This is getting tedious," Sekhmet hissed above the clang of metal. "Why must they persist? There is no point."
"Obviously there must be one, or why would they be rebelling?" Kayura replied.
"And I thought repairing this Realm would be simple."
Dais snorted. "You complain, but you actually enjoy this fighting."
"True. Reminds me of the good old days."
"You're sounding like an old man, Sekhmet," Rowen added, jumping in.
He blocked a sword. "Who asked you to mock me?"
He grinned. "When did anyone need an invitation?"
"Impudent youth."
Rowen caught wind of a sound in the air - a muddled murmur, or a soft chant of an alien language. Like a whisper it called softly into his ears, and then was no more. He did not know what it was but the noise left a strange feeling of foreboding. Then it seemed that someone else had understood it. Covering her ears, Kayura gave a loud piercing shriek and collapsed to the ground with her eerily silent staff.
"Kayura!" he cried, rushing to her fallen form.
Then, the battle was over. In a secret signal all the surviving Dynasty soldiers suddenly retreated back into the tunnels, shadows, or whatever pit they crawled out of, and left the remaining fighters to look on in relief and confusion.
***
Her head hurt. It really, really hurt.
"Kayura? Yo, Lady Kayura, you alright…?" someone said softly.
She recognized the odd accent - Strata's. It was a bit thicker now, probably from exhaustion.
And she was tired herself… so very weary from all the fighting she had been doing. Not once did Kayura sleep in two whole days.
Was she lying down now? It was quiet; maybe they were in the Palace. The pillow under her head seemed to prove that statement, as was the blanket. How long was she out? She couldn't remember what had caused this… heard something. Heard what? Her mind was too cloudy with fatigue to think clearly.
"So tired…" she muttered.
"It's okay," Rowen shushed in a tone so close to being tender that it almost made her laugh even in her weariness. "Keep sleeping."
So she did.
***
TBC
Note: I am sorry, but this will be the last chapter I write for this for a little while. Never fear, I will keep writing, abeit slowly. Thank you for all the feedback and support.
By Ruby
Rowen and Mia walked along the empty paved road, mindful of the unnatural stillness that surrounded them and followed their every footstep. The swirls of clouds high above seemed to charge across the surrealistic sky, yet no wind could be felt whipping at their clothes or through their hair. No thing, no one… And so far, they could locate neither the Warlords nor Kayura in the Realm.
"Shouldn't someone have met us by now?" Mia whispered. She had no logical reason to whisper, but the odd feeling sending shivers creeping up her neck announced that something was quite not right. It advocated whispering. Rowen nodded.
"Kayura must have known I opened a gateway..." he answered, voice equally hushed. His eyes peered into the shadowy corners along the maze of walls that led to the Realm's fortress. "That Staff should've been ringing like a doorbell--"
A sudden crash from behind...
...They turned…
…And saw a flood of familiar, yet out of place, greenish living armor. Turning back to the way they were heading, Mia saw the same in front. Cut off from both ends the two were trapped in the narrow alleyway.
"What?!" He glared at the figures.
"Dynasty Soldiers! But didn't the Warlords get rid of them all?" Mia stepped back closer to Rowen, her only protection against the things.
"Looks like some survived."
"Some? Try many." Her eyes were drawn to the strange yellow gaze of the armored vessel. They narrowed with a glint of something like intent.
Someone yelled and Rowen looked up. Bursting out of a barricade of soldiers were three figures and a girl- the Warlords and Lady Kayura had arrived. Slashing and cursing they descended from the wall tops and destroyed any and all that stood in the way. Staff ringing, Kayura landed closest to them.
"Rowen, call your armor!" she shouted above the noise of the heavy battle. Mia shielded her eyes as a flash of instantaneous light in a rain of phantom petals revealed the armored Warrior of Strata. Without further encouragement he readied the golden arrows and fired.
"Behind you, Mia!" Cale cried. She turned around just in time to watch as the man vanquished two demon soldiers with a strike from his no-datchi. His blade sliced through the possessed shells like fangs through flesh. A moment later, she found herself being carried like a child out of harm's way and reach of another's sword.
"You should have warned us you were coming," he spoke, his weary voice evidence that he had been battling for a much longer time. The girl clung fiercely onto his side to avoid being tossed around like a rag doll.
She winced as an explosion of sound like a tornado told her that Rowen had used his sure-kill. "I would have sent an e-mail, but I don't think that was option."
"Eee mail?" He blinked, mystified. "What's that?"
"Never mind. Why didn't you meet us when we came through the gate?"
"Kayura knew, but we were being detained, as you see now." Cale set Mia down when they landed atop the highest wall in the near area, hopefully out of reach of the battle below.
Another explosion sent tremors up the wall. "Ooh…" she moaned and then placed a hand on the Warlord to steady herself. She was relatively safe, but that didn't stop the dizzy and sick feeling in her stomach.
"Careful. Are you afraid of heights?"
"Not at all, it's just…" A second tremor. "Are we really safe on this?"
He shrugged. "We are in the Nether Realm."
"Some how that doesn't make me feel any better."
"Sorry."
Timidly peering behind her, making sure she wasn't about to step off into nothingness, Mia looked down at the dark side of the wall and saw three shadowy spots. Beyond that there wasn't much else besides more of the natural (or not) landscape. Then the spots caught her eye again - they had gotten closer. Blinking, she realized that the shapes were moving towards them.
"Cale, what are those?" she asked, tapping his shoulder. As soon as those words were spoken the trio suddenly leapt like fleas up to the top of the wall. She gave a short shriek, seeing now that the things had a vague humanlike form.
"Wraiths!" The Warlord of Darkness gave a low growl and placed himself between Mia and the creatures. He struck with his blade once again, but the demons were quick and avoided most of the blows. In a brief struggle, he managed to slay all three.
But behind him, a fourth had scaled the wall and was holding Mia in its choking grip. She stared mutely at the beast as she fought for breath and scratched and kicked at its pebbly skin. The empty yellow eyes watching for death did not blink at all. Desperate and fading, she tried focusing her thoughts on what little self-defense training that the guys had been teaching her.
Concentrate, and aim for something easy…Hurt them to make them let go.
Grabbing on to the dark wrist for leverage she drew her other arm as far back as it could go in her position. Distantly, she heard Cale shout when he realized that there was another creature. With all her strength she swung the clenched fist at it - and then heard a satisfying crack as she connected. It released her and clutched its face. The Warlord took the opportunity to kill it.
Finished, Cale knelt beside Mia. "Are you injured?" he asked.
"Damn," she swore once she could breathe again. Mia cradled her hand in pain. "That *hurts!* How do you guys do it?"
"You defended yourself well."
She snorted, sitting up. "After all I've been through around you guys it's hard not to learn a few things." Glancing at the body of the attacker - which was dissolving into a mist - she asked, "What are those things? You said something about rates… or was it rats?"
He sighed, looking contemptuously at the fading smoke. "They're Wraiths. These are the demons that enter empty armors and give them life."
"Give them life? So… those are the things that make up Dynasty soldiers?"
"Exactly. Usually, they only follow orders and aren't clever enough to make plans… but it seems they can. Recently the soldiers have been rebelling against Kayura's and ours' rule. They're fighting back, and we have no clue why."
Down on the battlefield Rowen fought off another surge of possessed shells like an oak that stands against the weather. He had been driven away from Kayura and the others into open territory where it would be harder for him to defend all sides. Adrenaline pumped through his rapid heart as the sniping hyenas herded the warrior. One of them drove a staff painfully at his back. Battered and nearly buried in soldiers he angrily shouted and released another power-laden shaft dead center in the chaos.
As always when Rowen let go of it there was a dazzling - almost blinding - flash. Except in that tiny second of time where the light filled his vision he imagined that he could see completely through the armor and his hand, as if it wasn't there. He shook his armored head and blinked; that had never happened before. And the light lingered… Then it faded and reality returned as hurricane forces propelled the deadly golden arrow deep into the numbers, leaving a clear path to the others.
He hurried towards the tiring Dais, Sekhmet, and Kayura. Fatigue was obvious from the slower slashes of their weapons, and the lackluster stance was becoming too sloppy to fight well. Yet even with all that the Warlord's spirits were not at all burdened.
"This is getting tedious," Sekhmet hissed above the clang of metal. "Why must they persist? There is no point."
"Obviously there must be one, or why would they be rebelling?" Kayura replied.
"And I thought repairing this Realm would be simple."
Dais snorted. "You complain, but you actually enjoy this fighting."
"True. Reminds me of the good old days."
"You're sounding like an old man, Sekhmet," Rowen added, jumping in.
He blocked a sword. "Who asked you to mock me?"
He grinned. "When did anyone need an invitation?"
"Impudent youth."
Rowen caught wind of a sound in the air - a muddled murmur, or a soft chant of an alien language. Like a whisper it called softly into his ears, and then was no more. He did not know what it was but the noise left a strange feeling of foreboding. Then it seemed that someone else had understood it. Covering her ears, Kayura gave a loud piercing shriek and collapsed to the ground with her eerily silent staff.
"Kayura!" he cried, rushing to her fallen form.
Then, the battle was over. In a secret signal all the surviving Dynasty soldiers suddenly retreated back into the tunnels, shadows, or whatever pit they crawled out of, and left the remaining fighters to look on in relief and confusion.
***
Her head hurt. It really, really hurt.
"Kayura? Yo, Lady Kayura, you alright…?" someone said softly.
She recognized the odd accent - Strata's. It was a bit thicker now, probably from exhaustion.
And she was tired herself… so very weary from all the fighting she had been doing. Not once did Kayura sleep in two whole days.
Was she lying down now? It was quiet; maybe they were in the Palace. The pillow under her head seemed to prove that statement, as was the blanket. How long was she out? She couldn't remember what had caused this… heard something. Heard what? Her mind was too cloudy with fatigue to think clearly.
"So tired…" she muttered.
"It's okay," Rowen shushed in a tone so close to being tender that it almost made her laugh even in her weariness. "Keep sleeping."
So she did.
***
TBC
Note: I am sorry, but this will be the last chapter I write for this for a little while. Never fear, I will keep writing, abeit slowly. Thank you for all the feedback and support.