Enlmoon

Sorry it's so long...couldn't sum it up with the same effect...
*~*~*~*~*~

Will Robin stared at the grobdenite chains around his ankles. His face was smudged with dirt and mud from the wooden planks he had been sleeping on for the past few days. His bedraggled hair felt like it had grown half an inch longer and his clothes had multiple tears and rips in them from being rubbed across the rough, wooden floor. The cell that he shared with Levi and Render seemed more and more like an in-escapable prison that was only good for locking them up until they were sentenced to death. They had all realized it by now. Once Flint and Slyth were done with them, all three riders would likely be disposed of. The villains would have no further use of them, and the riders would probably be the only ones able to stop them. Why should the cruel men let them live? Question was: what were they to be used for?

Will glanced up from the grime on the floor and stared at Levi. Levi didn’t look any better off than Will. His clothes were also dirty and ripped, a bit less than Will’s simply because they were Elven-made. He whispered words continually to himself, muttering and shaking in the cold.
Will turned away from Levi and observed Render. His hood was drawn over his face, as he was prone to do as of late. The days had been trying on all of them, and they had each become silent and sincere. His black clothes and boots hardly had any noticeable flaws, but that was because he never lay down to sleep, and he hardly moved at all. Will frowned and wondered if Render even slept at all.

“Render?” Will whispered. His voice had become rough from not being used. They were all so consumed by despair that they had nothing to say to each other. The shadows were long and clung to every wall, and a particularly long shadow fell over Render’s form that was huddled against the door. His hood swung in the direction of Will’s voice, but the manner in which he did it made Will shiver.

“Yes?” rasped Render’s hoarse voice. Levi looked up for a moment, ceasing his chanting but continuing to shiver and rock back and forth.

“Can you tell us what you know of Enlmoon?” requested Will. Render sighed. He shifted his position and removed the hood from his face. Will tried not to change his expression as he noted Render’s eyes were darker than they used to be. Dark circles were apparent under his them, showing a definite lack of sleep. Levi saw his brother was going to launch into a story and crawled over to sit next to Will, facing the storyteller.

Render began to speak in a low, hoarse voice. It only made the words he had to say seem more alive and haunting than if he had spoken normally. “Enlmoon is a forest of mirrors on an island,” he began, “And it has stood on the surface of the earth for as long as time itself has been in existence. No one really knows what it looks like on the inside because no one has ever gone into it and come out alive. The few that have journeyed there, gazed upon it, and returned say the most terrible, awful things about noises – shrieks, screaming, pleas for mercy. It might have been grown, like trees and vines would. The mirrors themselves are arranged in strange, twisted shapes. I have heard rumors…stories…that some kind of ancient temple or shrine has been hidden in the heart of Enlmoon. I’m not sure where the stories came from, or how true they are. It is said that the legendary army of the dead sleeps there, waiting to be awakened.”
Here Render paused and glanced up. All three prisoners cast fearful eyes toward the doorknob of the brig that was being rattled. The door opened and Flint strode in. His green-ish eyes had a menacing gleam in them, and he clenched the Delkanis stone in his fist. He grinned at the riders as he motioned the guards aside.

Will crawled over to the bars and shouted, “Let me out! Please, Flint, tell us what’s going on.”
Flint smiled and raised the stone above his head. All three riders tilted their heads back while their eyes rolled back into their sockets. When they rolled back forward, they were the all same milky white. Flint’s grin widened and he laughed, turning to the dragons in their cage. Ancalagon snorted and reared his head back, but slowly he grew still. Clesseath attempted to blow fire, but he soon was also under the influence of the stone. Baladon was the last to go, and he used the last of his free will to let out a bellowing roar that shook the ship. Once all of the prisoners had been subdued, Flint’s laughter increased and rang about the brig like water rushes into a hole and fills empty space.

“Now come, puppets. Let’s see what treasures lay in store for me,” he said, licking his lips and walking out of the room, not waiting for the train of dragons and their riders he knew would follow him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“She’s sprung a leak! She’s going down!” Screams. Shouts. Someone’s shoulders shaking nearby. Strangled cries. Bodies moving all too quickly. Darkness clouding the very edges of a vision regrettably real. A short, inhaled breath. Something lurching underneath and sending everyone tumbling to the floor.

“Where’s Bonnie? We have to swim! Cless said it was a five-minute’s swim to the closest shore!” Marina? A flash of black cloth whizzed by amongst the many people trying to abandon ship. The scrambled mind failed to combine the feelings and impulses – to bind them together into common sense.

A familiar voice answered, “She’s by the wheel! I’ll get her; you get ready to jump first.” Chair. Footsteps. A hand on the right shoulder. “Time to go,” whisper words bound to echo in the mind’s silent contemplation once the horror of the moment stills and quiets to become a lost memory. Jerking, blindly stumbling to clumsy feet. Someone leading quickly.

“We haven’t got much time! Can she swim?” Marina again. Glazed eyes searching for the voice. The body’s unconscious reminder issues to breathe out.

“She has to! It’s sinking, fast! Follow Cless as he and Moss fly in the sky. I’m right behind you. Now, jump!” Splash! The sound of water being disturbed from its tranquil sleep. Two hands on the back. A push. The plunge into icy water. Numbness and disbelief surface, just the necessary movement to survive. Gasping, wheezing, panting. Then the command rises above the white noise in a confused head. “Swim!”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Flint Kidd marched triumphantly up to Slyth Brady. The day was just beginning, and the sunrise brought with it a heavy fog that concealed the majority of the island. Slyth seemed annoyed and irritated.

“What makes you so happy?” he asked. “I can’t see the bloody island in this mist.”

Flint held up his index finger. “Reason number one why dragons are so useful…” he pointed toward the South, and the riders mounted their dragons. The great, flying beasts took off in that direction. As they went, their magnificently colored wings blew the fog away and cleared a path. Eventually, land could be seen.

“You fool!” exclaimed Slyth, grabbing the stone from Flint’s hand. The dragons turned around and flew toward the ship again. “You have to be careful when you control them that they don’t get too far away. If they go more than a certain number of feet your hold on them weakens.” Slyth fixed Flint with an icy glare than froze the smile on his face until it gradually melted away.

“Fine,” he mumbled.

Slyth turned away from him and nodded toward the shore. “We’re almost there, but I think I should keep the stone with me for now to make up for your lack of common sense.”

Flint scowled. “Fine. You have the stone but I command all my fighters.”

“Of course,” replied Slyth. “How else do you expect us to get past the undead army of the temple? Did you expect us to just waltz in? Oh, or maybe we could just drop by for a cup of tea. Zombies of the occult love tea, you know.” Flint growled and placed his hand on his sword, but then controlled his temper and decided to storm away.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

With a gasp, Marina grasped a chunk of grass and hoisted herself up onto the muddy banks of Enlmoon. Charity soon joined her, panting and coughing out water. Marina couldn’t resist giggling at her because her hair was dark and plastered to her face. Cless landed next to them, pulling Moss out of his pocket because the tiny dragon had become exhausted on the way over. Bonnie soon joined them. She had fallen behind because her shoulder hindered her from swimming as fast as them. Once they were all lying on the damp earth at the island’s edge, they decided they were too exhausted to move, so Cless and Marina said a few words and got a nice fire going. Bonnie tried to be helpful but found that she only got in the way, so she sat down next to Chair with a dazed expression, still recovering from a brief stage of shock at the Golden Dawn’s death.

Charity wrinkled her nose and slowly sat up. “Grody,” she remarked, disgusted at the layer of mud caking her clothes. She and Bonnie moved closer to the fire. They took out any small items they had that needed to be dried, like their pistols {the gunpowder was no good wet} and Bonnie’s hat, and set them on flat stones surrounding the fire.

“I’ll clean that up for you, later,” promised Marina as she made a face at the matching stain she had coating her clothes.

“Thanks,” replied Chair. “So…where are the mirrors?” she asked. Cless yawned. “Farther up the island. We can get moving again once you all feel up to it.”

Bonnie stood up. “Can we go now?” Her friends turned to her with puzzled expressions. “The faster we get there, the faster we can find the others and they can make my arm better, right?” she asked after explaining the logic behind her thinking.

Charity walked over to her friend and made her sit back down. “Not if they haven’t gotten there first. Let me look at your shoulder,” she commanded.

“I’m alright,” Bonnie insisted.

“Bon-Bon, I need to see it to make sure it’s not infected,” Charity said softly, rolling up Bonnie’s sleeve. The gauze wrappings were still in place. “Alright…this might sting a bit, if your skin has started to scab up. I don’t think it would have, though, given it hasn’t had enough time,” Charity told Bonnie. She ripped the sleeve to make it easier to work and began slowly unwrapping the layers of red cloth. Old blood stained each layer and Charity found it hard to look at the bindings.

“There’s something I wanted to tell you all,” admitted Cless. He took the opportunity to fill them in on a few details. “These mirrors…they’re enchanted. They display in them many shadowy images of … well, whoever looks into them. I thought you all should know that, before we go in. Nothing you see in the mirror-glass is real. The things in the maze…they get inside your head and mess with your thoughts. It’s kind of the forest’s hunting mechanism. It searches for weakness and then uses that weakness to…rob you of your sanity.”

“Cless,” started Marina, “You speak of the forest as if it is alive.” There was a heavy silence.

“Ugh! Sick!” exclaimed Charity, turning her head away from Bonnie’s shoulder. Her wound seemed deeper, longer, and darker than it had before. Tendrils of dark pigment extended from the enflamed hole like black ink. Marina stared at the hideous wound.

“That’s not normal,” she informed them.

Bonnie blinked. “No way!” she said sarcastically. She sighed and stood up again. “I’m sorry…I just want to get moving. Can we go now?”

“As soon as you let me re-wrap that gash,” stated Charity, pulling Bonnie back down and proceeding with the said task. Moss sat on Marina’s lap and stretched. Soon he was asleep. Marina stroked his scales as her mind wondered where on earth Levi, Render, and Will were, or if they would ever even see them again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

At this moment in time, the three young riders were being led through the mushy, flat land on the other side of the island. Chains of grobdenite bound their hands together and also bound them to each other in a single line. Flint walked ahead of them and Slyth trailed behind. Following him, the crew of undead fish men made up the end of the grim procession. The island was plain, flat, and muddy for as far as the eye could see, which was not far because of the dense fog that concealed everything ten feet in front of them. The fish- pirates were very nervous and constantly glanced around them as if fearing something would emerge from the mist and consume them.

“Will,” whispered Levi, who was the last one in their single-file line. Will, who was directly in front of him, tilted his head to signify that he was listening.

“The dragons are being taken to the mirrors ahead of us. I heard one of the guards say so when we first got off the ship. Do you think once we re-unite with them they could help us to escape? Grobdenite doesn’t affect them since they don’t use magic,” continued Levi, trying to keep down the excitement rising in his hopeful tone.

“Levi…” Will paused and thought a moment. “That just might work.” An eel-headed guard twisted his head around backward to look at them.

“You lot shut up or I’ll silence you for good,” he commanded.

“You can’t do that,” boasted Render. “They need us alive. You kill us, Flint or Brady will be really mad.”

Eel-face snorted. “Not for long. Once he uses you and your dragons to enter the temple of the dead, they won’t be needing you.” Eel-face took out a long, crooked knife and laughed wickedly. “I got dibs on you, boney.”

Render shouted as the pirate turned away, “I’m still faster than you, fish face!”

Eel-face didn’t like that at all. He whipped around, ran over to Render, and held up his knife to the elf’s face. A few other pirates mutter something under their breath and gathered closer around the two enemies, eager to watch the fight should one arise. “You won’t be needing your eyes for what Flint is going to use you for.”

“Stinky!” shouted Flint, turning around to see what all the commotion was about. “Shut up and stop harassing the prisoners! The only reason we’re letting them walk is so they can store up energy. Don’t make them waste any on insulting you,” he addressed the eel-man.

With a hiss and a glare, the eel turned away, but not before whispering, “I will make you suffer,” under his breath in Render’s pointed ear.

“Is that a promise…Stinky?” Render couldn’t resist taunting him one last time. Will and Levi pondered what had just gone on silently. Now they knew why they had been taken, but they still didn’t know if their escape plan would work.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“How much farther?” asked Charity. Her feet were growing numb from the cold and they were tired from walking so much. They had left their cozy fire and decided to find the maze of mirrors, but the journey there was longer than anyone had expected. Truthfully, Cless was going in circles. The mist concealed everything and made them feel like their clothes were still damp. The muggy air made Marina cough, and her lungs were starting to hurt from all the effort.

“Well, we should have arrived there an hour ago,” he admitted. He stroked his chin and glanced up at the sky. “It’s almost sunset. We need to reach the mirrors before night falls. Hopefully we’ll beat Flint there. Otherwise—” He fell over backwards.

“Cless?” asked Charity. A second later, she abruptly slammed into a hard object. Moss, who had been flying at her side, flew into something tall and hard. He slid down with an irritated squeak.
“Are you alright?” asked Marina, helping Charity up. Cless rose to his feet and used his wings to blow away some of the fog.

“Ladies,” he murmured, “The forest of Enlmoon.”

The girls stared at what his wing-wind had revealed. Marina raised her eyebrows. “A mirror.”

Cless frowned. “How can I show you the overall view of this thing…maybe...?” He closed his thoughtful eyes and started to chant. Slowly, like a great sea wave, the fog rolled back away from the single mirror. On either side of it were two other mirrors, and on their sides there were two more, and on each side of them, still more mirrors abounded. They weren’t all straight and tall and narrow. Some were circular, like trees. Others were short and squat with distorted reflections of the other mirrors around them. Many mirrors were broken and shattered. Still different ones were bordered with wild ivy vines, their neighbors also claimed by the leaves of nature’s twiggy fingers. The mirror directly in front of them had been tainted black on each corner. Cless turned to the awe-struck girls.

“This is only the beginning. Literally. There are thousands more. Millions. And the passages have not been tread upon in years.” They fell into silence.

“Do you think they’re here?” asked Charity. Marina and Cless closed their eyes.

“Can’t sense them,” Marina told Charity.

“Same here,” Cless added. “Although they may be in there already with mental barriers up. If that’s true, we can’t afford to sit and wait for them to show up when they’re already inside.” Suddenly a pair of vines lining the top of two mirrors joined together and the mirrors opened up like doors.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” asked Bonnie, a small smile on her face. “A strange, random doorway opens up before us and we’re standing here blabbering on like four year olds at a birthday party. Let’s do this.”

“Wait—” Cless urged, but she had already walked through the doorway. He immediately went in after, shouting over his shoulder, “I’ll fly above so I can see that path and direct you that way. Place your hand on the person in front of you so we don’t get separated.” Charity placed her hand on Marina’s shoulder without asking questions. As soon as they passed the threshold, the mirror-doors closed behind them. The fog was ever-present, and it pressed against their faces. The cold was also unable to be escaped, and they shivered and shook inside their boots.
Marina swept her gaze from one side to the other. She watched her reflection that had been reflected already and magnified in two mirrors. So many versions of her were present; she hardly knew which reflection was closest. There were dozens of Charities and Marinas everywhere she looked. She wondered how Cless knew where he was going; she herself seemed rather dizzy.

“What was that?” Marina suddenly shouted. She reached for her swords and pulled both of them out as she assumed a fighting stance. Out of the corner of her eye, she had seen something that shouldn’t have been there. “There it is again!” she exclaimed. Goosebumps rose on her arms, but they weren’t from the cold. Charity reached for her own sword.

“What is it? What do you see?” she asked.

“In the mirror to my left! No, now it moved and it’s over there!” There were mirrors all around them, but the mist cleared a bit and revealed two sets of pointed teeth. A shriek pierced the air. Something moved on Charity’s left. The teeth were gone. Another scream pierced the thick air. Something brushed up against Marina. The mist thickened and it seemed to grow darker.

“What’s going on?” yelled Charity. She began to spin around in circles and breathe faster. The ground underneath them shook. “Marina?” she shouted. Turning and twisting, Charity realized she had lost sight of both Cless and Marina. “Cless!” she called. Eerie and low laughter began to her right. She backed up against a mirror and tried to steady her nerves. It was then that she saw it.

Directly across from here, there was a plain mirror. It didn’t distort her reflection as much as the others and it only had a few cracks around its edges. But something about it was different. Her eyes narrowed and she forgot about the screams, the teeth, and the laughter. She wasn’t reflected in the mirror. Slowly, Charity walked toward it and stood silently. As she watched, another face surfaced in the mirror, but it was farther off like it was distant. Her emerald eyes widened and she placed one hand against the glass. “Flint?” Flint was indeed portrayed there, normal and innocent, as he had seemed before he changed into a fish man. She spun around, trying to find where the reflection had come from. “Flint?” she asked again, running over to another mirror and staring into it. He didn’t say anything; he only stared at her with eyes that suggested he needed help. Suddenly, a second face popped up in the mirror. “Will!” she exclaimed.

Charity started to run down the silvery hallways. The mirrors made her very confused, for she would think she was only one step away from finding them when she would run into another mirror. Sometimes she would pass her two friends from a different angle. She’d be running behind them, or running towards their sides. It seemed no matter where she went she still couldn’t get to them. “Where are you?” she demanded to know. Soon, two more people joined the silent group. “Levi! Render! Can you hear me?”

Levi looked at her. She seemed closer to them now. If only she could turn round the corner…approaching the bend, she was discouraged to find yet another reflection. “Dang it! Where are you? Why can’t I find you? Please…please, let me help you!” she pleaded. Her hands reached out in front of her to the empty mist that concealed her friends from her. Her eyes fell upon a moving train of black cloth. Eagerly she chased after it as she focused on avoiding the gaze of the silent, sepulchral figures. The piece of cloth was part of a long, shabby robe. Charity squinted as the shadowy cloak moved closer to her friends; she could only see his back. Running down a path sharply to her right, she faced them. The sight froze her to her bone.

The being wasn’t tall, nor was it particularly wide or round. The black material fully encased it in drab ruffles and worn layers of cloth. The cloak was hooded and the face was hidden completely from view. It clutched something close to its body underneath its robe, but Charity couldn’t make out what it was. Fear began to build inside her. This whole environment gave her the creeps, and the freaky thing in black wasn’t particularly encouraging either. But she couldn’t be afraid now. “Who are you?” Charity challenged the creature. She was approaching them from the side. One corner more and she was farther away than she had ever been before.

The same deep chuckle she had heard earlier emanated from the fog around her. Her sword was still drawn and she turned one way and then another with it pointed out in front on her. “You don’t know me?” rasped a voice. Or was it two voices? It seemed almost as if a very high voice and a very low one spoke together in haunted harmony. The cloaked figure approached Flint. The folds covering the object it was holding fell to either side and a sword was clearly being held in a hand white like bone that had been stripped of flesh. Panic mingled with her fear and she felt her insides rising up to her throat. She watched helplessly as the thing stepped nearer to her brother.

“Who are you?” she softly inquired. Her constricting throat couldn’t force out the words as loud as she wanted. More laughter. The sword was raised. “Stop! Please! I’ll do what you want! Just don’t hurt him!” No use. “Please!” she tried to scream. Her fist slammed into the closest mirror just as the sword swung and sliced her brother in half. “No! Not again! I lost him once already…” Hot tears rose and threatened to overflow onto her cheeks. “Who are you?” she questioned.

“The better question…” the voice began in the same mismatched duet, “Is who are you?” The sword floated closer to Render now, guided by the same skeletal hand. “Are you the kind of person who could watch a friend die while it’s in your power to stop it?” Render didn’t move. He only stared at Charity, not blinking as the robes of mangled black glided toward him. “Or are you the kind of person to turn your head away? To look the other direction? To pretend like you haven’t seen anything?” The sword pulled back before it was thrust forward to embed itself into his body.

“NO!” screamed Charity, closing her eyes and pressing her lips together. “Stop!” she yelled as she opened them again and Render’s reflection was lying motionless on the floor. Levi didn’t flinch. Charity pressed her hands against the glass and called his name over and over, pleading and screaming and trying to make herself heard. She watched as the figure sliced off the rider’s head. Will was the last one standing. Charity began crashing into mirrors now. As she ran around each corner she would deliberately ram into a mirror, shattering the reflections she was beginning to fear more and more. The laughter began again. “Will!” she tried to shout. The creature stood behind him now with its sword touching Will’s pale neck.

“You don’t know who you are. Your greatest fear is who you are, or who you might become. Those single thoughts in the back of your mind – your hatred, your pain…Who would you be if you made one bad choice – one horrible decision? If you really did murder the whelp who insulted you at that port; if you actually had poisoned the drink of the man who locked you in the kitchen closet.” The voice began to rasp out terrible words once again. In desperation, Charity threw herself onto the ground and clasped her hands over her ears. She didn’t notice the small cuts and bruises she had given herself.

“Please! Don’t do this!” she pleaded. The figure’s hood pointed in her direction, and then the blade moved across Will’s throat and he joined Render. “No!” she whispered. Her eyes closed again and she felt herself sliding down to a sitting position and weeping. The last thing she remembered was opening her eyes to glare at the mirror through her tears and witnessing the robed beckoner of death lower its hood. It was Charity! She passed out.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Cless frowned. It was quiet. He dropped down and peeked below the curtain of mist. There was no sign of the girls. “Oh great,” he mumbled. Without so much as a “thump”, he landed and folded up his wings. As his sharp, dragoon eyes scanned the fog, he unsheathed his sword and began to walk backwards. Any mental message he sent out was echoed in his mind. “Lovely,” he thought, “The mirrors reflect telepathy too.” A gust of wind blasted his hair back from his face.
“Cless,” a voice whispered. The whisper filled his head and echoed in his mind. A strange feeling awoke inside him that he had never felt before, and he didn’t know if it was good or bad. A giggle followed the voice. His blood froze inside his veins. He’d know that giggle anywhere. He began to sprint. Corner after corner of his own reflection met his searching gaze until finally his eyes rested upon her face.

“Luna!” he exclaimed. She was dancing through the mist. Disappearing and then re-appearing, she reminded him of a leaf fluttering on the wind that couldn’t cease rocking and moving. “Cless, do you hear the music?” she asked him. Her big, brown eyes looked up at him and she smiled.

“Luna, how are you here? You need to get out!” he stepped toward her. She disappeared again and he was left standing in front of a mirror. “Where—” he started to ask.

“Over here!” her voice called. He rushed toward her angelic voice, waving his hands in front of him to clear away the mist. “It stopped now. Cless, the music stopped. It’s cold.” Cless began to grow afraid. He didn’t want to risk walking around with his sword extended because he might accidently run into his sister, so he sheathed it.

“Luna, where are you?” he questioned. No answer. Silence. “Luna?” A scream pierced the air. “Luna!” he called. He ran in the direction of the scream. Another mirror stopped him. He was beginning to hate mirrors. His fist connected with the nearest one.

“Cless! Help me!” shrieked Luna’ high-pitched voice.

“Use your arrows! Do you have your arrows?” he asked, running faster toward where he thought he heard her voice. The mist cleared briefly and he saw his sister. Her back was turned to him and she was still. A creature stood in front of her. It had no face; only that of a skeleton, without eyes or nose or mouth. Its hand was frozen on the top of her head and its plain monk-like garb didn’t so much as stir in the breeze that made Luna’s golden locks flutter. Suddenly, Luna collapsed. In her place on the ground, there was a pile of bones.

Cless’ eyes hardened and they slowly began to turn black. “Who are you?” His voice was level, calm, threatening, and incredibly deadly.

“I am death.” The skeleton strode fearlessly toward him. “I am doubt. I am fear. I am pain.” The skeleton stuffed one hand into his sleeve and pulled out a sword. “I am the voice in the back of your mind that whispers to you at night. I am the wind you hear singing through the skulls of dead things. I am the movement you see when you turn your head away from a mirror – just for an instant, just for a second, I show my face. I am everything that darkness is.”

“You murdered her,” Cless accused, unmoved by Death’s words. “And now you are going to die.”

The mist-creature laughed. “You can’t kill me, idiot,” Death informed Cless. His empty jaw widened into what could have been a grin. “But that doesn’t matter; let the rage consume you. Let it swelter, build, and burn. Become engulfed in your hatred.” The empty sockets where eyes should have been were pointed at Cless as he finished, “Then…you will become like me.”

Cless wordlessly drew his fiery whip. Rage was building up inside him. Like fire, it consumed him. Every vein that carried blood in his body was infused with the warm passion of hate. It coursed through him so hard that he shook. His jaw set into a straight line and he locked his dark eyes onto Death’s face. “Fight me,” he dared the skeleton. Its elongated face and a sound like the wind passing through empty bottles suggested he might have been laughing.

“As you wish, boy. It’s your turn to battle with death.” Cless’ whip lashed out. Death evaded the blow and disappeared, quickly materializing a few feet off a second later. “Would you like to hear the last words of your friends?” Death asked in a taunting voice. The sword swung but it met only empty air. Cless was fast, and he used his wings to his advantage. “Do you want to know who went out with a great show of bravery? Or who ran and screamed and begged for mercy as they saw me drawing near?”

Cless roared, showing a pair of fangs and razor-sharp canine teeth. The sound bounced off the smooth glass surfaces and echoed a few times. He fully unfurled his wings and thrashed out his whip once again. Death took a step back. “I didn’t see it before.” His sword lowered just for an instant, but something told Cless to resist striking him. “Of course,” Death whispered. The darkness of his eye sockets seemed to widen. “You are a dragoon. The last of your kind. Your time has not yet come. We will meet again, but I dare not toy with the sisters Fate and Destiny; today is not that day. Consider yourself lucky, dragoon.” With that, he disappeared once more. Puzzled, Cless let out a frustrated breath. Looking around, he discovered the pile of ash that had been Luna had disappeared too. It was then that he realized she had only been a reflection all along.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“We’re here,” reported Flint. “Or, almost. Nearly. The scouts said it’s a ten minute walk from here to the South entrance of the forest.” He and Brandy were perched on a hill over-seeing everything before them.

Brandy looked at Flint with a face that suggested he was an idiot and said, “Flint…I can see the mirrors from here.”

Flint blinked. “Why did we send the scouts, again?”

Brandy slapped his forehead and rubbed his temples. “Ugh…because they were supposed to check to see if anyone else has been here. You’re useless.”

Flint crossed his arms. “If I’m so useless, I think me and my crew should leav—”

“No, no, no need for that. I’ll tell the riders to go ahead of us and kill everything in their path. If they fail, I’ll need your crew that can’t be killed to get us all safely to the temple. Clear? The last thing we want is unexpected guests,” Brandy insisted. He clutched the stone in his hand as fish-pirates approached the riders to unlock their chains.

Render, Will, and Levi stared at each other. They’d been kept away from their dragons and hadn’t had a chance to even talk to each other. Now they were at the edge of Enlmoon and about to enter the maze. There was nothing they could do.

“We have to stop them somehow,” muttered Levi.

Will sighed. “It’s hopeless. What can we do?” Brandy approached them with the stone.

“Goodbye, riders. Soon we won’t be needing you. Once we get past the threshold of the temple…” He trailed off with a grin and rubbed the stone.
White-eyed and under the control of Brandy, the riders stood absolutely still as the chains were unlocked around them. They began to run forward, screaming and letting out wild cries previously thought impossible to make.

“To the mirrors!” Brandy cried. Their small force flailed their weapons and followed the riders in a charge down the hill. “Kill everyone in your path! Leave none alive! Or else!”

“Brandy, what’s ‘or els—’” Flint started.

“Shut up! To the mirrors!!!!!” was the reply he got.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Bonnie sighed and leaned against a mirror as soon as she had lost sight of the others. Her right hand slowly touched her left shoulder. The mist obscuring everything from view suddenly parted like a curtain being pulled back. “It’s hurting again, isn’t it?” asked a voice. She glanced up and found herself staring into a mirror at her own reflection. It looked like her, it talked like her, but it was different. Her skin was darker, her eyes were deep brown, and her hair was black as night. She was clothed in simple robes of various brown shades. Scars criss-crossed over one eye and strange markings covered her skin. “It’s been hurting more than usual lately,” the face told her.

Bonnie stared. For some reason, she found she couldn’t move. The shadowy reflection raised one hand. Bonnie’s right hand echoed the movement. She opened her mouth. The shadow raised her other hand. “Don’t speak,” she commanded. Bonnie’s mouth closed against her will. “Yes, that’s right, Bonnie. I can control you. I’m inside your head.” She listened to something Bonnie must have thought. “I will prove it. Your greatest fear is also what you hate most: dancing and mathematics. Your greatest desire is to be ‘the ear that listens, the shoulder to cry on’ and also to be brave and strong. The pain that makes you wish you were dead every morning when you wake up is divided: one is your longing for Maya and your regret that after promising her you would never leave her ever again, you broke your promise. Your second is the sorrow building inside you for the Golden Dawn, a part of you that is now dead inside your soul without hope of revival. Your third is the poison in your shoulder that continually spreads and the fear of losing it completely.”

Bonnie stared straight in front of her. “You’re not going to cry because you think I would know you are weak. But I already know, Bonnie. I know how weak and small you really are. Because, Bonnie, all you are and all you ever will be is a small, lost, lonely little girl.” The shadow in the mirror drew a knife. Bonnie followed her movements, pulling out her knife from her boot. Shadow raised the knife to her throat. Bonnie tried to resist, breathing heavily and feeling sweat trickling down her forehead.

“It’s no use,” the shadow informed her. “And now, Bonnie Ivy Spinner, you are going to die. No one can hear you or help you. No one cares. No one cares about the one-armed freak who lost her mind in a hall of mirrors.” The blade nicked her skin and blood dribbled down sickeningly.

In a flash, something small and green darted out of the mist and started attacking the mirror Bonnie was facing. It was Moss, and he was spitting his acidic spit at mirror. As soon as there was so much slime coating the mirror, Bonnie was free, and she threw herself at the glass. It shattered and the images in it were lost. “Thanks, Moss!” Bonnie said, smiling. She began to run, if only to escape the creepy mind-reading mirror. Moss chirped something in her ear. “Yeah, of course I’m alright. I’m always alright. Are you ok? Are you hurt? Did the mirror trick you?” Her landed on her shoulder and rubbed his scales against her cheek. “Good, good. Now let see if we can find the others.”

~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marina re-gripped her swords. “Cless?” she risked asking out loud. “Chair?” she followed up her first question. It was quiet. Too quiet. The silence made her edgy. Something moved beside her. Instinctively, she struck out with her weapon. It met the air and sliced through the fog. A leaf crunched behind her. She ducked, rolling to her right immediately. She kicked at where she thought whatever was moving would be and then jumped up into a fighting stance. There was nothing there. Puzzled, she walked in a small circle. The mirrors around her followed her every movement.

“Pointy-ears!” a high-pitched voice called. Marina spun around as a shriek sounded near her left ear. Two eyes and bad breath met her curious face. “Iy-eeeeeeee!” It screamed. She stepped back, swinging her sword. It had already moved. “Night-hair, here’s a scare, die or dare; isn’t fair…” the voice let out a shriek again. Marina realized whatever it was, it was laughing. In her head, she pictured a monkey-liked creature with crazed eyes and long claws.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!” she demanded. A rustle next to her made her jump that way with outstretched hands. They clamped around empty space.

“Ee-ee-ee-eeeee!” jeered the voice. “Great-wings is dead, Hat-head is dying, you lost your way, and Green-eyes is crying.” Marina felt a strange rage building inside her. That creature was obviously sent to provoke her.

“Have you seen my friends?” she inquired of the voice. A hand tapped on her shoulder. She turned around and found herself face-to-face with a small man dressed in a brown shirt and torn trousers. He had a beard unkempt and long and eyes that were glazed over as if blind.

“Pointy-ears, pointy-ears, tell me all your greatest fears. Let me see inside your head. Soon you’ll wish that you were dead,” he squeaked out as he bounced up and down and swayed side to side. He was human. Or, at least, he used to be. She waved her sword in front of her and it made a swishing noise she hoped he would hear.

“Get back!” she commanded. He withdrew at the sound of her wind created by her weapon and twitched his head from side to side.

“Eep! Ahhh! The bite! The light! The keep of sleep, the breath of death!” He stumbled back and lay crumpled on the ground, shivering. Marina’s heart took pity on him. He used to be sane, after all. She glanced around her and felt that same uneasiness she had before when she looked at the mirrors.

“Hey, I’m sorry. Look, have you heard my friends?” she asked him in a softer voice. She crouched down and slowly wobbled toward him one step at a time.

He shook, as if he was frightened. “They- they- come…they hum…inside my head, when in my bed, they come,” he whispered between trembling lips. He looked up and cast frightened glances around the area.

“What’s coming? What is it?” Marina raised her sword and joined his searching gaze. The mist began to move. It gathered and shapes began to emerge from the shifting fog.

“They’re hheeeerrrreeeeeee,” he announced, his shrieking laughter ringing out again. There was an army of mist-people. They carried swords, axes, chains, ropes, bows and arrows, cutlasses, and staffs. Marina decided there were too many of them. She stood up and cast a sympathetic face back at the man.

“You’re sick. Let me help you. Come with me,” she insisted. He slowly stood up and his insane eyes gave her shivers. “I have friends who can heal you. Please. Run with me,” she urged. Marina held out her hand. His grimy fingers stretched out in front of him. Half of her wanted to pull away and run as fast as she could the other direction, but her better judgment made her stay where she was. He clasped her hand, and she began to run. His feet were quick for someone who couldn’t see, and he soon began to lead her. The creatures of the mist began to chase them and they gained ground whenever Marina stumbled or paused to breathe.

“This way! This way! Come to place of endless day! Yet death and darkness, solemn still will always reach and aim to kill,” he mumbled half to her and half to himself. Marina still had her sword in her other hand, and she began to swing it just in case one of the faster creatures caught up with them.

Randomly, three voices shouted out in unison. It stopped the man straight in his tracks and Marina ran past him for a few seconds until she realized he had stopped. She turned around just in time to see him with a fearful look upon his face as white, ghostly feet trampled him. Fear gripped her and she ran as fast as she could in the direction he had led her, hoping she would find whatever place he was talking about. Whatever made that noise must have been very powerful and wicked…

As she rounded around a corner, something tripped her and she fell to the ground. Rising to a sitting position, someone grabbed her and pulled her back into a mirror. A hand clamped over her mouth. “Be still,” someone hissed. Marina obeyed the familiar voice and watched with wondering eyes as Render ran straight past them. She tried to rise but the person held her down. The movement made Render turn. Eyes whiter than clouds hungrily surveyed the area. Marina’s breath caught in her chest and she dared not move.
Another blood-curling shout made him turn and run away from them. Ten seconds passed. The hand let go and Marina scampered upright. “Bonnie!” she exclaimed. The two girls embraced as Moss flew excitedly around their heads.

“Have you seen Chair or Cless?” Bonnie asked.

“No; you?” Marina replied. Before the other could reply, they both spotted red sparks erupting from a point they could easily navigate to. “A rider is there!” Marina declared.

“Wait. It might be Render, Levi, or Will. And as you saw, they’re not themselves,” Bonnie warned.

“But it could also be Cless, and he might need help. Come on. We’re armed and ready,” Marina insisted.

“Well…ok,” Bonnie reluctantly agreed. The two girls and Moss set out in that direction. Soon they found Cless huddled over something on the ground.

“Cless!” they exclaimed. “I’m so glad to see you-”

“Later; more pressing matters than salutations exist now,” he stiffly replied. They peered over his shoulder. Charity lay crumpled before him. Her skin was unnaturally white and there was a thin layer of foam coating her lips. “I found her covered with spiders,” he explained, “And I think she was bitten.”

“We have to get help. I met this man who said there was some kind of place where we could go to be safe. He said it was that direction.” Marina pointed. Cless nodded.

“I’ll fly ahead to scout for danger and to guide us through,” he announced, leaping into the air. Bonnie knelt down and with Marina’s help managed to lift Charity onto her back.

“Are you sure you can carry her?” Marina questioned. Bonnie nodded firmly. Marina’s Elven ears twitched and she glanced behind them.

“Mist-creatures!” she shouted.

“This way!” urged Cless. They followed him at a rapid sprint through the maze of mirrors. Marina drew her bow and arrows, placing herself at the rear of the party and firing at the ghostly beings that got too close.

“It’s going to be alright, Chair,” Bonnie whispered. “It’s just like when we were ten, playing piggy-back. You’re going to be ok.”

“Faster!” yelled Marina. They were getting closer. Her arrows would fly through the fog warriors, separating them for a few seconds until they materialized again. What was even more frustrating was the fact that their weapons were enchanted and could slice through anything. This fact was demonstrated when an angry mist-man screamed and threw his axe at the group of fleeing friends. They moved out of the way, but the mirror behind them shattered.

“I can see it up ahead! There’s a kind of palace!” shouted Cless. Their breathing was rapid as the mist people advanced upon them, waving their murderous weapons threateningly.

“Hurry!” Marina called again. Finally, they burst through a veil of fog and found themselves in a large clearing of mirrors at the center of which resided a large temple.

“Get inside! We need to find help!” commanded Cless. They rushed toward the stained glass door and burst in without a glance behind them. Tired, weary, and gasping for breath, they collapsed on the floor as Cless slowly bolted the door behind them. The only sound for a few seconds was their labored breathing. Then a voice spoke that made the blood drain from their faces. They hadn’t gotten there first.

“Well if it isn’t the faithful companions. We were expecting you; we even provided you with your own chains. It’s almost sunset…we wouldn’t want you to miss the show.”

Approaching Enlmoon

Approaching Enlmoon

The thick fog inundated the venturing pirates, elf, and dragoon; the repetitive rocking caused by the weakened storm eased the slightest hint of annoyance. Strenuously, the crew attempted to maintain control over their slightly not-so-dear meals; they did well for the time being; Charity, on the other hand, failed. After her mishap, Charity took the helm—her hair retaliated before her face; Cless balanced on his head in a leg-crossed position right over the tip of the bowsprit, facing forward—his hands in a praying sort of way; Marina sat out of sight somewhere right upon the anchor—one leg hanging down; Bonnie, lastly, occupied the captain’s quarters—her hand grasping a pencil. Each and every lamp they lit; each and every candle they used; the never ending darkness of night weighed heavily upon the venturing pirates, elf, and dragoon.

Upon the center table of the captain’s quarters, a small model of the planet earth (about the size of an egg) rolled back and forth. When it reached inches from falling, the boat would rock the opposite direction, forcing the globe to roll to the other side of the table. Before Bonnie sat a map squiggled with shady shapes and hoarded by unhandy handwriting. Bonnie traced a line from the shores they departed to the charted area which Cless designated as Enlmoon. She did it slowly as to gain a course as accurate as a mortal could get. The line she wrote, natural, traveled due south; so, she checked the compass positioned at the corner of the map. She spotted it, noted the direction, peered at the line written, and in this order she noticed one strange thing: the compass needle started turning slowly toward the “N” of north. She watched it ever so closely, and as it circled a full 180 degrees it stopped. While holding her chin, she flipped the pencil upside-down to its eraser, tapped it thrice upon the leathery paper, looked from one side of the room to the other, stood up, grabbed the compass, and walked out the door.

Charity turned the helm in succession to the waves in order to maintain a straight path. She peered over a glance at the captain’s quarters’ door after it opened and slammed shut, noting her crew mate, Bonnie Spinner. Bonnie looked around like she had lost her way. Bonnie walked over by the starboard side, looked all around, and then likewise at the port.

“Oy, did you turn around?” Bonnie asked with every bit of confusion riddle about her face.

“No. . .” Charity replied with a hint of confusion as well. “Why are you outside? You’re supposed to stay in; otherwise the cold will make your shoulder worse.”

Bonnie searched for something hidden in her pocket, pulled out the compass, pried it open, read it as unchanged, smacked it shut, scratched her chin, peered at the confused Charity, and viewed out at sea again. . .

“Bonnie, have you gotten into the rum again?”

“Who, me? Of course not!” After making a sheepish expression, Bonnie hiccupped. “Never mind, guilty as charged . . . But that doesn’t explain this bloody compass! It can’t drink rum . . .”—she took the compass near her ear, shook it about as if to listen, and peered back at Charity—“well, as far as I am concerned, anyway. . .”

With a giggle hidden behind her speech, Charity exclaimed, “What do you mean?”

“Well, according to this gory compass we’re heading a course of due north as flat as Will’s head.”

Then an unexpected voice came from the bowsprit, “It means we’re getting closer.” Cless the mysterious dragoon said this.

“Eh, what?” Bonnie pronounced.

“The Dark Trepidation has a course scrambler; I noticed it when Flint took Render. This is exactly what Flint wants: he wants us to think we’re lost. Therefore, north is south, and south is north.”

Bonnie then exhaled a long “Ooooohhhhh,” confirming that she understood. “Wait a minute, why didn’t you tell us before?”

“My hypothesis needed confirmation—I didn’t know if I had a correct guess—and now that the compass has done a topsy-turvy again I have that confirmation.”

“This means we need to be cautious!” Bonnie marked. “Quick, draw up the sails, we need to go slower!”

After her command, both Cless and Bonnie went straight for the mainsail and followed accordingly to the other sails. With the help of their experience and Cless’ telekinetic abilities, they achieved a slower pace in the equivalent of ten minutes. Their newly accomplished speed exaggerated the eeriness of late: the ever-growing silence made every sailor uneasy. At a point of overwhelming proportions, Bonnie decided to distract herself from the fact that an enemy sailed out there, somewhere.

“Oy,” she started, “do you ever get sick being upside down like that?”

“This is a practice dragoons have formulated to strengthen balance. If one loses his balance, in turn, he loses his fight, his defense, and his life.”

“Wow, deep. . .” she replied. “I wish I could do that.”

“To be honest”—Cless rolled backwards now sitting up and facing Bonnie—“it hurts the top of one’s head after a while.”

“Ah . . . wait, where’s Marina? Where is that dark-haired elf?”

Soon a feminine voice answered from the starboard side of the boat. It said, “Down here!”

Bonnie swung around to face that side, “Uh, what are ya doin’ down there?” She approached the right-front corner of the Golden Dawn and spotted the elf sitting on the anchor.

While shaking her head and looking upward to see Bonnie’s face, she said “Oh, just thinking.”In the time she had, Marina braided the top front of her hair.

“Well think up here! It wouldn’t be good for you to fall in!”

Marina looked up, grabbed hold of the top left portion, heaved, and with one bound, she flew straight up to the main deck.

“Now, what have you been thinking about?” Bonnie requested.

“About Levi, the only thing that could have happened to him is that the Delkanis stone was used against him. . .”

“Well, that is self-evident. I mean there aren’t many things that can take down that little green-robed wizard and his vast steed. Anyway, we have confirmed that he is missing; he did pass our deadline. . . That would only mean he’s been taken just like the others. The three Major Dragons have been collected, too, and I fear the worst for our fates. . . Each and every one of them. . .”

A short pause passed by. . . Marina soon added, “Has anyone noticed that each dragon is gone now? I mean, Grit stole Miya, and like Bonnie just said, ‘all three major dragons have been collected, too,’ and so is little Moss: he must be with Levi. . .”

“Don’t wig out!” Charity commanded. “Good always triumphs!” The air suddenly blew harder, and a freezing chill emerged from the depths.

“‘Goo’ point. . .” Bonnie added and then whispered: “The prophecy. . .” An epiphany suddenly hit her like a cannonball! She raised her voice, “Wait! What did you say?!?”

Marina glanced back while taken hold of her newly braided hair, “All the dragons are gone. . .”

“No, no, no, before that!”

“Moss is with Levi. . .”

“THAT’S IT! Moss is with Levi! He’s their ticket out of there, and the best part is, Flint has no clue Levi has him!!”

 

The wardens abandoned their prisoners; nothing but darkness, the salty sea-air, and each other surrounded the three dragons, and the three riders. A long room they sat in. A long line of iron bars separated the riders from the dragons. Each dragon had a fireproof muzzle guarding their blazing mouths; each rider had their hands unshackled—their legs, on the other hand, were a deferent story. A couple of water jugs rolled in sequence to the rocking ship, and the temperature dropped dramatically over the past couple of hours. Render drew his hood and dwelled within his self induce shadow, excepting the blood-freezing air; Will, on the contrary, covered his hands with inferno-dust he kept handy—he blew inside his clasped hands, and a glowing fiery light emanated from somewhere inside them; Levi worked on some sort of strange, powerful, yet very long spell. Naturally, the spell preformed no effects, for the grobdenite chains still grasped Levi’s ankles, yet “practice makes perfect” as Levi always put it. Render sat closest to the door, Levi sat next to Render, and Will sat even further, all aligned by the wall; likewise, their dragons sat across from them, each to his own. Render stared silently at their two single exits: the brig’s door and a small knot-whole fit for a tiny kitten. Not one cheerful thought gleamed in their sorrow-overwhelmed heads. . . All of the sudden the silence disappeared as the single blast of a deep-throated organ clamored about the corners and planks of the whole ship. A very complicated sophisticated, elaborate, melodramatic song formed out of that single blast a beat and a half afterward, soaring up and down octaves hitting flats and sharps alike, creating the harmony of a sad song. Its emotion struck ultimate grief into any man’s soul, making them long for sunlight.

“SHUT IT UP!” Render yelled at the top of his lungs. “It’s not flippin’ funny!”

Suddenly the song stopped; the sound of stomping came from above them, around a corner, down a stair case, though a hallway, and right behind the brig’s door. The sound of a key going through a lock and the sound of gears and chains moving voiced from inside the door. The doorknob turned, the door opened, and inside stepped the angered Flint Kidd.

“Render, you’re so rude! You ruined my song! And Levi, what are you doing? You had better stop that spell this instant!”

Levi refused. “Omi-dolimno-iptoft-lifto-magnifund!” he yelled.

“I told you to be silent!” Flint pulled out the Delkanis stone. Suddenly Levi stopped and banged the back of his head against the wall; his eyes turned entirely white.

“What do you think you’re doing?” asked a voice of freezing design. A red coated man stepped out from the shadows.

“Oh, Captain Brandy, I didn’t know you were standing there. . .” Flint released his power over Levi.

“You remember our deal: Keep them ‘sane’ until we reach . . .  our destination. The more you use the stone’s power on them the more exhausted they’ll become: there wills fight against it, ultimately taking their strength from them! They need their strength for the task ahead, and taking that strength hurts our benefit as it does theirs!”

“I’m tired of being controlled by you!” Flint complained. “This plan had better work, or you won’t last a minute!”

“I am fully aware of what will happen to me, but I am not afraid of that, for I know this will work. Now if you don’t mind, it is high time we emerge from the depths; the forest of mirrors is above the water if you didn’t already know. . .”

“Yes, I know: I’ve been there before. . . Wait. . .”—Flint paused—“You’ve gone and said too much!”

Slyth realized that he gave away the whereabouts of their. . . “destination.” He started again, “Oh, the truth was about to be revealed anyway!”

Flint sneered, “Now they know where we’re going! Great, that’s just great!”

Render sat there, knowing that they headed toward Enlmoon, the legendary forest of mirrors. After a moment of silence went by, he said, “If I had the chance to fight you man to man, Flint, I’d destroy you!”

Flint laughed, “You cannot kill those without life! Now get over it! I have business to attend to with my dear Captain Brandy. . .” Flint exited the room angrily.

Slyth scanned the six beings. “I hope this doesn’t take too long,” he whispered, exiting behind Flint.

The door closed, locked, and, after the existence of sound disappeared, Render broke the silence, “Will?”

“What?”

“Do I look . . . scrawny to you?”

“Huh, why?” Will made a strange expression.

“Well Slyth called me scrawny before Levi got here. . .”

Will sighed, “No, you don’t look scrawny. . .” Honestly, Will said this merely to shut Render up.

“Good, because if I looked scrawny I would want to bulk up a bit.”

“Huh, bulk up? No, no”—Will yawned, closed his eyes, and covered his face with his hood—“you don’t need that. . .” Will seemed to fall asleep.

“Hey Levi, do I look scrawny?”

Levi gave Render a look with the slightest mixture of annoyance and anger: “Render, shut up! Don’t you get it? We’re going to Enlmoon! I hope you’re happy with your shape Render! Because by the looks of where we’re heading, there’s the slightest chance no one will ever see you again!”

Render laid back and copied Will.

Levi sat there all quiet like, doing absolutely nothing. “Hey Will,” he slapped William on the shoulder.

“Oy, I am trying to sleep here!” Will scrambled about.

“Gimme some of that inferno-dust, my hands are freezing!”

Will pulled out a bag made of a cloth-like material, “Here, keep it!” He bolted the bag straight at Levi’s face.

Levi, unexpectedly, caught it, “Thanks, dear friend.” Levi reached in the bag, took a handful of the sand like dirt, covered his hands with it, rubbed them together, inhaled, shot out a great breath of air upon his frozen hands, and, like magic, thousands of sparks shot out all over like when flint scratches against steel. “Agh, too much!” he yelled, shaking his hands all over. The sparks flew all over the room, zapping and snapping, cracking and whipping about.

“Hey, you’re getting it all over me!” Render complained.

“Sorry,” Levi said while tying the bag and stuffing it into his shirt pocket. “Now, all we need is a miracle—some sort of convenient plan to get us out of here. . .”

Inferno-dust’s main use is to make fires, warm hands, or blow things up. They had reasons why they didn’t use the inferno-dust to escape: an explosion would kill everyone in the room, and setting the ship on fire would kill them, too. It works mainly as a heat magnifier—friction activates it; fire activates it; even a warm source like a quick breath of warm air activates it. At the same point where Levi stuffed the inferno-dust into his shirt pocket, something inside panicked, squirmed, and moved all about. The inferno-dust ignited, making that particular part of Levi’s nice shirt burst into flames. A green colored bat-like creature flew out of the explosion, soaring and zigzagging about the brig. Levi made the strangest expression of panicky design, and, as quick as a flash, Render grabbed one of the rolling water-jugs, opened it, and threw its contents all over Levi, thus, distinguishing the flames. To an extent, this helped and didn’t help: one, Levi no longer feared burning to death, and two, he now sat there, drenched and freezing cold, consequently defeating the whole purpose of why Levi used the inferno-dust in the first place. . .

“Oy, what is that?” Will said while pointing at the small bat creature.

“It’s Moss, I think; I must’ve forgotten completely about him!” Levi replied.

“Eh, this is our way out, me buckos. . .” Render said.

Both Levi and Will gave Render a look of disappointing disagreement.

 “Render,” Levi started, “you are not allowed to call us that!”

“Why not,” Render looked ashamed and embarrassed.

“Well, the way you say it doesn’t . . . sound right. . .”

“Oh forget it! Bonnie can talk to Minor Dragons: can’t Moss send a message to her telling her that we’re going to Enlmoon?”

“Yeah,” Levi replied, “but we’d better wait until the ship emerges. . .”

In the time they had been given, Levi explained to the frightened Moss their current situation: he told him what to tell Bonnie if, in that case, he finds her.

 

The random gusts of wind made the crew gasp in fear; the anticipation nearly overtook them. They heard ridiculous plopping sounds obviously caused by giant, ancient fish. The fog only let them see but ten yards out in all directions.

“What is he waiting for?” Bonnie asked, referring to Flint.

Suddenly a horrendous sound of a large mass bursting out of the water blasted across the ocean. Charity spotted sails high up above, “Look up there!” She pointed at them.

“There it is: the Dark Trepidation!” Marina claimed.

Yet their observation soon died away, for the evil ship disappeared from their sight—the fog undertook their view.

“No, no, no! We lost it!”

Nothing moved but the ghostly moon-rays reflecting from the waters.

“Look there!” Cless yelled.

Sure enough, they saw the Trepidation sailing onward, and by the looks of it, there was a strange black mass it sailed toward.

“Enlmoon. . .” Cless said hauntingly.

“No, no, no, no, no!” Bonnie said as she saw another cloud of fog block their view of their enemy and the dark island. “We need to go faster!”

Naturally, setting the sails down was easier than pulling them up; therefore, it took little time to gain speed.

“What’s that?” Bonnie pointed at something small flying toward them.

“It’s a bird,” Chair proposed.

“No, it’s not like a bird,” Bonnie replied.

“It’s Moss!” Marina yelled.

“No, no, no, no, no, NO!” Bonnie screamed, knowing all too well that the Riders must have lost their only chance to escape. “Those dummies, didn’t they know that Moss was their ticket out of there?” She asked herself. “This doesn’t work at all!”

Soon Moss arrived, panting for air. Bonnie knelt down and picked him up to listen attentively to what he had to say.

“What is it? What did he say?” Charity asked.

“It’s a message from Levi. He said, ‘Don’t bother following us: we’re going to Enlmoon; it’s a trap. Keep Moss safe; he is the last dragon left. If we keep one dragon safe at all times, then maybe, just maybe the last prophecy will not come true.’” After repeating the tired Moss’ message, Bonnie paused for a bit. “No, we didn’t come this far just to turn around! We will continue! We must. . .”

Suddenly the ship bumped and came to an abrupt stop. The crew fell to their knees. Apparently, the excitement blinded them of their speed, for the ship landed on the appointed island. Enlmoon lie right before them. If the fog simply thinned but a little bit they would’ve seen the forest of mirrors, yet all too soon, that chance became a reality.

Hello!

Dude, so I have been invited to la Pirate blog!

MAN!

Me is so excited!

I guess I should post la next Pirate ch here when it's done, right?

~The Silhouette 

Chapter...the next one. ~ Confusion

Charity, Levi, Clesseath, Marina, Cless, and Bonnie stared at the goblins pouring into the dim cave. Clesseath let out a blood-curling roar that sent a large percentage of the goblins scurrying back the way they came. Levi, Cless, and Marina charged forward, screaming with rage at their departed friends and seeking revenge on the living pieces of filth attacking them. Charity stood by Bonnie, a strange expression on her face, and swayed slightly with her sword gripped in her hand. “Flint,” she whispered. Bonnie’s eyes grew wide when she recognized the look in her friend’s eyes.

“Levi! Marina! Cless! Get over here and stand behind Chair!” her voice was urgent and they moved to her instructions without question. “Whatever you do, don’t go in front of Chair!” They watched, curious, as Charity’s fingers turned white. Her face was still on the goblins and the exit Flint had used. She re-gripped her sword, permitted an evil smile to spread across her features, tilted her head back, and let her voice erupt in a throaty sound they had never heard before. Then she ran full-throttle at the cave exit filled with thorns, her sword cutting down any and everything in her way or remotely close to her. Without a thought, her weapon impaled three goblins that had foolishly rushed at her.

“Stay close at her heels!” exclaimed Bonnie. The group rushed to keep up with the maddened girl. Clesseath offered to carry Bonnie, an offer she gladly accepted considering her shoulder was wounded, and they flew directly above Charity. The light of the cave turned green as Clesseath’s emerald hue bounced off the crystals. The people on the ground were rapidly approaching the hole bordered with thorns and thistles, and the goblins were thinning out. Most of them had figured out that this group was not to be messed with, but those stupid enough to lag around and attempt to prove their bravery were struck down by Charity. If they attacked from behind, Levi would cast a spell that turned their heads around backwards. Marina and Cless took care of any side attacks with their arrows. Charity either didn’t see the thorns or didn’t care, for she ran right through the opening still wielding her sword and chopping down bushes in the process.

Emerging on the other side of the hole, everyone blinked in the sudden sunlight and found themselves in a deep, green forest. Charity was chopping away at trees in vain a few feet off. Clesseath had trouble squeezing through the narrow exit but he made it through by breathing in deeply and then letting out a puff of air once he was out. The green tint lasted a few seconds before the light stopped playing on his emerald. Charity was growing tired. Peering through the trees, she discovered she could see the ocean. Unfortunately, Flint had long since escaped and taken Will and Render with him as well as their dragons. She sighed and knelt on the ground, staring at her friends with distant eyes.

Clesseath landed and Bonnie slid clumsily off his back, falling onto her rear and refusing to stand up again. Levi spoke consolingly to Clesseath and stroked his shimmering green neck. Marina approached Charity hesitantly and sat down next to her.

“Hey…” she said, resting her hand on Charity’s arm. “It’s ok; we’ll get him next time. And we’ll get him twice as hard.”

Charity’s pained, green eyes focused on Marina and she offered a weak smile. “I hope so.”

Cless paced for a moment and then addressed everyone present. “That was really unusual.”

“No kidding,” said Levi. Cless shot Levi a dead serious look that wiped the smile from his face.

With narrowed eyes, Cless continued, “The last time I saw that stone it was in the hands of some pirate. How Flint knew about it and where he got it is a mystery.”

“Not quite,” corrected Charity. “We borrowed the stone from its owner a while back and used it to open a portal in a volcano. How it got into Flint’s hands from there is a mystery.”

“Er…not really,” interjected Bonnie. Her right hand clenched her left shoulder, and dark blood covered it in a sickening way. “I took the stone off of the pedestal after Render disappeared the first time and have carried it with me ever since. Flint must have taken it from me when he captured me or it could have fallen out of my pocket. There’s nothing mysterious about that.”

Charity’s eyes widened and she hastily got something out of one of Clesseath’s saddlebags. With fumbling fingers, she unwrapped some white cloth. “You’re bleeding,” she stated.

“I’ll be fine,” Bonnie protested. Charity shook her head and removed Bonnie’s hand from the wound. Blood covered half of her arm and beads of the dark red liquid had run down as far as her fingertips. The small hole in her shoulder made by the sword was black and made Charity’s stomach lurch. Something was very wrong.

Levi peeked over Charity’s shoulder. “That’s a magic wound. It needs proper care. Its most likely poisoned and infected by now; I’ll be surprised if you still have control over the movements in your arm.”

Bonnie stared at him. “Gee. Thanks.” She sighed. “All I need is some chocolate and I’ll be fine. Do you know if there’s any magical way to heal it?”

“I wouldn’t mess with it. Will or Render might know…all the more reason to get them back,” said Levi.

Bonnie frowned and said, “Back to Flint…why does he want Will and Render? There must be some reason he took control of the riders and their dragons.” Charity wiped some of the blood off of Bonnie’s skin and began to bandage the wound. She shook her head, not having any ideas.

“They would make good weapons,” commented Marina.

“True, but there’s got to be more reasons than that,” Levi said.

“Remember that cave? The one that can only be opened by three dragons?” asked Charity. “Is there anything else like that? Something that can only be opened by dragons? A kind of filtered force field?”

Cless snapped his fingers. “Yes! Some spells can be set to let only certain beings through! You can do it anywhere…I’m not sure a designated place exists; you can cast the spell anywhere you choose.”

“So,” started Marina, putting the pieces together as she walked back in forth and created trenches with her dark boots, “What’s you’re saying is Flint is using Render and Will to open a portal that can only be opened with two dragons and their riders?”

“As far as we know,” said Levi. “There can always be another reason unknown to us.”

There was a short, thoughtful silence, quickly interrupted by Charity.

“Can you move your arm?” she asked, nervously packing away her healer’s equipment and stowing it on Clesseath’s handy saddle.

Bonnie stared at her arm and grimaced. “No,” she muttered, slamming her other fist into a nearby tree. “I hate this!” she exclaimed. “I can’t move my arm, Maya is gone, and we don’t know where Render and Will are. Thunder!” she exclaimed, getting up and raising her arm to thump against a boulder in frustration. After a while of venting to the rocky wall, she sighed and slumped down onto a rock. Levi and Cless exchanged glances that suggested they were communicating telepathically.

“Now you know how I felt when I broke my wrist,” said Charity, a grim smile on her lips.

“Yeah,” said Bonnie, smiling back. “You’re amazing, Chair.”

Marina was standing up with her eyes closed and her head tilted to one side, shaking slightly. She opened her eyes and said, “I think they’re going that way.” She half-raised her hand in a southern direction. Her hand dropped to the side and her brown eyes narrowed. “But I’m loosing them…they’re getting farther away.” A blank look registered on her face. “I can’t sense them. Any of them.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “They’re gone.”

That, of course, was not entirely true. “Gone” usually refers to someone dead, lost, or permanently unreachable, and the riders and their dragons were only two of these three things. In fact, at this very moment, both Render and Will were awake and in the brig of the Dark Trepidation. They moaned as their vision slowly cleared and they found themselves on the grimy, wooden floorboards of the cursed ship.

“Ugh,” Will mumbled, sitting upright as he spotted a rat sharing his cell. He discovered his wrists were handcuffed with grobdenite and his ankles were likewise chained. Render stirred opposite of him and sat up, resting his back against the splintered, wooden wall. He tried to rub his head but his chains prevented him. He frowned and discovered he couldn’t shoot spells and cause things to burst into flames.

“What happened?” he asked Will. Will shrugged and looked clueless. He stared at the dingy walls.

“Well, whoever’s house we’ve ended up in this time has no taste,” he said with a straight face.

“Will…” said Render in a thick, groggy voice. “I don’t believe we’re in a house. Houses have nice tea sets and curtains and lots of pretty things in them.”

“You don’t say…that would explain the water leaking through the walls and that fishy person standing over there,” replied Will, proud of his deductive reasoning.

“Aha! They’re awake!” called a fish-man outside of their cell.

“Excellent,” replied a cool, calm voice laced with ice. Shadows fell across the floor as the person whose voice this belonged to came closer. Will and Render stared at each other and then back at the emerging profile. Their minds were beginning to recover from being invaded and they could think more clearly. A laugh answered their unspoken question; a chilling, grating, deep, threatening sound.

As one, they questioned the identity of the individual. “Slyth Brandy?”

“Well, we can’t just stand here like a useless pack of brainless monkeys,” said Levi, clambering onto Clesseath’s back.

“Well, where are we going to go?” asked Charity.

“The direction of the ship—south. We have to follow them and find what they’re up to, and I’ve a hunch the treasure is that way anyway,” answered Levi. Marina nodded her head and turned to face Bonnie.

“Where’s the Golden Dawn?” she asked.

Bonnie waved her hand in a general downward motion. “On the other side of the island, where we first came off. If you and Cless come with Chair and me, we can reach the spot in about half a day.” They decided to call it a plan, so they go ready to go and took off in that direction. The sun was setting as they came through the last cluster of trees and beheld the Spanish galleon, trimmings and accents glinting gold in the dying gaze of the sun. By the time the stars were swimming both above and below them, they were sailing in the direction Marina had last sensed the ship going.

“They won’t be able to outrun us for long,” claimed Charity, patting the wheel she was steering. Clesseath had taken Levi ahead of them as a scout to see if he could catch the pirate and their friends first. Cless stared at the retreating silhouette of a dragon and his rider, eyes thoughtful.

Bonnie tiled her head to one side, taking in the contemplative look on his face, and ventured to ask, “What’re you thinking?”

He shifted positions but his eyes monitored the dark figures, now only dots on the horizon. “I’m remembering the visions from the Whirlpool of Knowledge,” he spoke in a voice of one lost in thoughts.

Marina, who had been listening, commented suddenly, “You didn’t have one!” Bonnie turned to look at her, puzzled. “Cless didn’t have a vision,” Marina explained. “And Levi…” her voice faltered as a greater realization hit her. “He…he had power. And a small object” For a moment they were silent as each let their own presumptions play out before their eyes.

“But not all of them are true. At least not yet. Render hasn’t been in a hall of mirrors. You haven’t run down a hallway…and the dragons are still…alive,” said Bonnie, wincing slightly as painful memories of Maya whipped out and stung her.

“That means we still have a chance of stopping them,” said Cless.

“For now,” Marina muttered under her breath. A thick feeling of thoughtfulness settled over them, and they sat there for a while, thinking in silence. Suddenly, Marina snapped her fingers and leapt up in excitement. “That’s it!”

“What? Where?!” shouted Bonnie, hoisting herself up and peering critically around the ship.

“No, no, not here. Listen,” said Marina. “The hall of mirrors! Flint is taking them to a hall of mirrors! Like in the vision! Cless, do you know of such a place?”

A shadow crept over his face. “None is more well known than the Mirror Forest of Enlemoon. Strange creatures, people, bugs, and other beings not meant to walk upon the face of this earth dwell there, in the confusion of many reflections; waiting for a poor soul long since lost and insane to stumble upon them. They’re merciless and insist upon terrifying their prey before slowly devouring them.” He made a sickened face. “I can’t imagine why he’d want to go there.”

“Did you say…mirror forest?” asked Charity, trying to picture trees and shrubbery, bushes and vines made out of shimmering mirror material. She and Bonnie had switched turns at the wheel because Bonnie refused to be useless.

Cless nodded. “It was made in the days of old, when magic and lore were as common as the moon and the sun. There are many legends and theories as to how and why it was created, but all know that Enlemoon was never the same after.”

“So it’s outside?” Charity prodded. He nodded again. Charity’s excitement rose as she tried to re-arrange the facts in her mind to make sense. “Do you think maybe light could affect the stone? I don’t remember anything about that, but we only looked it up in one book and that was a long time ago,” she wondered out loud. “I mean, in a hall of mirrors, light would be reflected everywhere!”

“You might have a point there, Chair,” said Marina. “Maybe Levi would know. We should ask him once he returns from scouting.”

Levi was, at this moment, carrying on a conversation with Clesseath about beetles. They were soaring over the ocean at a blinding speed and could barely see the tumbling waves beneath them because their flight was so swift. “No, I wouldn’t want to be a dung beetle. I’d be a goliath beetle,” said Levi, out loud. Clesseath did a twirl and Levi gripped the saddle tighter, grinning and letting out a howl. The emerald dragon rumbled something in response, and Levi made a face. “You can’t be a cannibalistic beetle! That’s not fair.” There was a pause and he listened to his friend’s response. “No, you can’t be a beetle-eating bird either. Actually, you can be a bird. I’ll be a cat.”

The argument went on and on, until Clesseath was a wizard and Levi was a dragon. They realized how foolish the topic was and laughed. Unfortunately, they had been so entranced in their conversation they didn’t notice the darkening sky nor the approaching vessel. Their laughter died and the slow feeling of seriousness surrounded them. They were alone, approaching a ship, and it could rain soon. If it began raining too hard they would have to look for land because the wind and rain would sweep Clesseath off-course and make his wings heavy. The dragon swooped down to hover as close to the raging waves as he dared, unaware of the danger lurking beneath the shadows of the sea, in the murky depths, that was quickly lurching upwards and towards them.

Render and Will stared at their old enemy, disbelief evident in their faces. The man stood before them clothed in a crimson, velvet jacket with gold buttons, a faded cream shirt with ruffles and laces underneath, thick, black boots, brown pants, a belt laden with many weapons, and a large feathered hat. His square chin was lifted slightly as he looked over them, and his thin lips twisted into a taunting smile. “’Ello, captain,” he rumbled in a mocking tone.

Will stared at him then ran at the bars separating him from the man he so wanted to strangle. Slyth laughed as the fish-guard drew his sword and Will instantly drew back, silently fuming at the captain. He rattled his chain and stared at him as if that could hurt him. Render glared at the man also, but he made no move.

“What are you doing here?” he asked in a low tone.

“You would want to know. As if I would tell you.” Slyth drew closer to the grobdenite gate, peering at them like someone trying to see if they had made the right choice in something already purchased. “A bit scrawny,” he remarked, his dark, unfathomable eyes roaming over Render’s features. “A bit short-tempered,” he commented about Will, next in line to be observed. Slyth drew back and reported to the fish-man, “With a bit of work, I think they’ll do.”

“Do for what?” questioned Render. He still sat with his back against the wall in a shadow.

Slyth smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Yes. That’s why I’m asking.”

“Shut up,” the captain commanded, then turned on his boot heel and left with a flurry of his splendid coat.

Will turned to his friend. “What do you think they need us for?” The brig seemed empty and foreboding, the shadows lengthening and light dying in the dawning of day.

“I don’t know,” admitted Render. He repeated more softly and to himself, “I don’t know.”

Chapter 2 - Whirlpool of Knowledge

Volume 2. Thanks, Render, for starting again.

******************************************

Excitement and adventure were in the air. A giddy sense of purpose and climactic importance hung like a chandelier in the misty air on the beach. The group of friends bent over a map which Bonnie hastily placed on the sand and opened. It was worn and aged, and its leafy pages crackled dangerously as if they were protesting to their frail condition.

Will Robin’s eyes squinted as he tried to decipher the markings over the ancient map. On the left side was a series of lines and squiggles possibly representing mountains and rivers. The right side was filled with dots that could be trees and a tiny, red “x”. Charity stared at the coordinates on the bottom of the yellow papers while Marina read the words at the top out loud.

“Isle of the Night Star,” she said clearly, her voice quick in eagerness. “Property of …” her voice faltered as she frowned at the unknown name. “Berry Bates.” Her brown eyes looked up at the company there. “Who’s that?” Marina asked.

“Berry…Bates…” muttered Levi, his eyebrows close together making him look as if he was concentrating very hard. “OH! Bates!” he exclaimed so suddenly those nearest to him jumped. “I think I remember him. He was known for stealing knives, gold, and cinnamon. Yes, cinnamon,” he added, noting the looks on a few of their faces.

Render was walking over to Ancalagon with Will behind him when he clapped his hands together and asked, “Well, shall we get started?” Bonnie scooped up the map, grinning broadly like she usually did before a quest.

“Wait, wait, wait. First of all, where is this Isle of the Night Star?” asked Charity, following the others to mount the dragons. The sand beneath her feet was scratching her boots and the sensation made her cringe inwardly.

“I don’t really know…that’ll make finding it all the more satisfying,” said Render.

“I think we should ask around,” suggested Marina, brushing back a lock of dark hair that the wind had blown into her expectant face.

“Where to start?” asked Will. He gripped the scales behind Baladon’s neck and hoisted himself onto his back, swinging his legs onto the saddle of the giant dragon. Render mounted Ancalagon, who threw back his huge, black head and let out a blood-boiling roar.

“I’d say first stop is the Whirlpool of Knowledge,” said Render, matter-of-factly. “We can’t very well find a treasure on an island we can’t find. First one there gets to stir the water!” he called, then leaned back as Ancalagon leapt into the sky with a flash of white teeth. Marina and Cless immediately started to run with an inhuman speed and grace along the beach, soon becoming engulfed in the mists along the shore.

“Let’s go!” exclaimed Levi to Will, jumping onto Clesseath. Both riders whooped as their dragons extended their wings like sails and caught the wind. Charity turned to Bonnie, smiling.

“Where’d you park the Dawn?” she asked, ready to get out onto the open seas. Her green eyes sparkled as she rolled up the sleeves of her tidy blouse.

“Where I always dock it,” Bonnie replied, walking confidently toward the edge of the beach. A few seconds later, the mist cleared and she was standing on a long stretch of wooden planks extending out over the waters. Rocking softly by the dock was the beautiful Spanish galleon, The Golden Dawn. The two girls looked at each other, then at the ship. The next moment they were enjoying the wind in the sails creating a nice background beat to the swishing of the ship slicing through the waves.

The ever-ready crew rushed around the decks, preparing various things. Charity was bent over some charts of the sea and Bonnie was humming cheerfully at the wheel. The clouds overhead were few but large. A whooshing sound came from above them, and the girls looked up. Three dragons circled overhead, with shouting riders on top of them. They laughed as Ancalagon turned and twisted, seeming to be a dark star in the blue sky. Clesseath and Baladon raced forward, each trying to do more tricks than the other. Baladon swooped lower and flew alongside the Golden Dawn, dipping one claw into the water and sending sea spray up everywhere. Bonnie chuckled at the look on Charity’s face when a large quantity of water sufficiently drenched her.

“Hurry up slow pokes!” exclaimed Will, as he cut in front of the ship and Clesseath barrel-rolled to the side.

“It would be a whole lot faster if you’d stop getting in the way!” hollered Bonnie, grinning still.

“Please, children, stop your fussing,” said Render, sitting up straight and erect in his saddle like a regal prince. Ancalagon snorted and turned up-side down, a low chuckle reverberating from his throat.

“Children? Us? Look who can’t ride his dragon properly,” Levi interjected.

“I’ll show you how to ride a dragon!” Render said as Ancalagon turned upright and spun in dizzying circles around Levi. Clesseath let out a rumble and soared up into the air. All eyes were turned upward, and for that reason they all lurched forward when something big knocked against the prow. Charity’s eyes widened and she ran to peek over the railing.

“What is it? What’s there?” asked Bonnie, attention now on steering around a cluster of rocks. The stones had become more common as the landmass where the Whirlpool of Knowledge drew closer. The water became darker and harder to see through because the floor was covered with rocks. The air was suddenly silent as the dragons lowered down to be level with the ship. The only noise was their steady wings beating the air and their breaths on the wind.

Charity peered into the water. “I can’t see anythi—” She screamed as a giant tentacle reached up and wrapped itself around her waist, then picked her up off the deck. It had many scales that were dripping wet and it reeked like something long dead. It happened so suddenly they barely had time to react before it started lifting her over the railing. Charity growled and grabbed her dagger, stabbing it repeatedly with a mean look on her face. The dragons immediately flew over to it and began attacking the humongous tentacle. Their efforts seemed in vain, for the fire glanced off the damp scales of the beast and blasted them in the faces. The riders quickly did some mental collaboration and shouted a single spell that made the appendage burst into flames. Charity fell, flailing her arms and legs. Clesseath caught her in one outstretched claw and floated over the deck.

Bonnie let out some air she had been holding and released her grip on her sword. She concentrated on navigating. “We’re almost there,” she said.

“We’ll take Chair with us and head over to the whirlpool. Hope to see you there,” said Render. A sudden feeling of danger had slowly crept over each of them. Maybe there was something more foreboding to this quest than they had expected. Did they already have enemies? Bonnie nodded to the riders and watched silently as they flew off, a brief thought that the weather was suddenly chilly passing through her mind.

“I hope Marina and Cless are having a safer time than we are,” she thought.

Since they had parted, Marina and Cless had run swiftly over many miles on the beach. Cless was excellent at direction and he led them to a series of tunnels that were magically enchanted. They led under the seas and ran nearly everywhere save for when it got too deep. Marina enjoyed looking out of the enchanted tunnels that were transparent and seeing all the fish.

Vivid colors and strange hues danced in front of her eyes as breathtaking creatures swam by in schools and groups. She smiled at a fish whose buggy eyes blinked at her when it crashed into the glass. Coral reefs and sea anemone all amazed her with their beauty and completely unique patterns and designs.

“It’s so quiet and peaceful,” she said to Cless, smiling and treading lightly upon the glass tunnel floor. Her black dress swished around her ankles, making the only sound in the tunnel besides their breathing. The dress made her appear innocent, but she held many hidden weapons in the folds of cloth, including a sword and two daggers up her sleeves.

“Not always,” Cless said in a low voice. A large shadow covered the glass tunnel as something huge swam over them and obscured the sun. The two friends glanced up and felt shivers race down their spines, for above them was a monstrous creature the likes of which they had never seen before. It had long, dark scales on every inch of its fish-like body. Its head resembled a dragon’s, and its snarling mouth contained rows upon rows of razor-sharp teeth ready to slice through flesh. Tentacles poked out from its body in such a way that it seemed like a squid until it thrust itself forward and its fishy body could be seen. It left a stream of purplish-black fluid in its wake as it swam through the sea in a pulsing motion, projecting itself forward with its tentacles as its body coiled up and then jolted forward.

“What is that?” asked Marina, her brown eyes wide and intrigued.

“Not something I’d want to mess with,” said Cless, following its movements with a thoughtful yet intense gaze. He memorized its appearance and pattern, taking note of the waves it created that could probably be seen from above the water. “Forget it for now; we’re probably late,” he said as he resumed his fast pace. Marina took two steps and matched his pace, but her eyes never left the sea monster.

“Cless…it’s coming this way!” she exclaimed. They turned and saw its yellow eyes boring into them from a black face, like two coals in the night. It opened its dangerous jaws, and somehow they got the impression it was grinning.

“We can’t stop now. We have to keep moving. The end of this tunnel is just up ahead. The walls are protected by magic, so we should be safe,” Cless said, picking up his pace. Marina breathlessly ran beside him, her feet feeling heavier because she knew the beast was swimming toward them this moment. The silence inside the glass tube was overwhelming, and Marina let out a breath. WHAM! The tunnel shook as the sea monster collided with the tube. Cless and Marina fell to the ground, their arms spread out to catch them. As soon as they were on the floor, they jumped up again and continued running, not daring to look back. A second tremor shook the path before them, but they managed to continue their race without faltering.

The exit to the tunnel drew closer. It was a wooden door set into the glass. Marina’s heart quickened when she saw it. Her lungs were struggling to fill with air, but she was determined not to stop. Just as they drew closer, the monster was suddenly right next to them, extending its jaws to their next footfall. Its teeth slid off of the slick glass, but as they raced through the door, neither one of them would forget the look in its yellow eyes that seemed to follow them, memorize their faces, and decide to lie in wait until he would meet them again.

Once outside, Marina and Cless panted and caught their breaths. When they looked up from their doubled-over positions, they were puzzled by their surroundings. The tunnel had led them back to rocky land and out of the water. The land they were standing on was hard, black rock. Its many jagged boulders and pebbles scattered all over the island made it seem like a mountain range. They were in a kind of canyon, for steep walls surrounded them on two sides and stretched as far as they could see.

“What took you so long?” asked a voice. They turned to see Will and Render waving to them as Baladon and Clesseath landed, blowing back bits of rock with the wind generated by their mighty wings. Levi and Clesseath emerged from a dark cloud above them and landed also, Charity sitting patiently in Clesseath’s clenched fist. He gently put her down and she looked around her.

“We got distracted by a … thing,” Marina tried to explain.

“You too?” asked Bonnie, coming out from behind a boulder she had been inspecting.

“Do you think…do you think whatever it is, it was sent to deter us?” questioned Charity, fingering a knife in her belt nervously.

Will frowned and dismounted Baladon. “Why would they want to do that? Is the map really that valuable?”

Render and Levi also dismounted and paced in the narrow canyon. “It seems we don’t know what we’re dealing with yet,” said Render, his hand on his chin thoughtfully. “Which means the visit to the Whirlpool of Knowledge should be very enlightening.”

They all agreed and set out in a southern direction. As they walked, they noticed the farther south they went, the less rocky it became. The stone beneath them became earth, and before they knew it they had come out of the canyon and into a mushy swamp area. The trees were tall and aged, most twisted and bent over. Dark clouds that had loomed above had dropped down to mingle in the trees. An aroma both sweet and bitter wafted through the air, tempting them to trace its source. Soon the silent air was interrupted with the music of water rushing somewhere nearby. With a few more steps, they came upon a sudden pond. But it wasn’t a pond. It was a whirlpool. The dark water was spinning around in circles, flowing over the edge of its embankment and splashing onto the grass. By this time it was dark and the travelers were aware of that sense of excited dread of the unknown.

“So…how does this work, exactly?” asked Charity, curiously eying the mysterious liquid. She wondered if it was special water, or simply normal water that had been enchanted. Would it hurt to drink the water? Would she turn blue?

“We have to tell it to be still in the ancient language,” said Render, “and then it will tell us what we need to know.”

“Does it do that automatically?” asked Marina. Her hand had unconsciously moved to touch her quiver, reminding her she was armed in case any danger arose.

“It depends on the person asking. It’s enchanted to provide knowledge to the seeker, and that’s just what it’ll do,” answered Levi.

As agreed, the person who had arrived first got to rouse the water. Will stepped forward and knelt at the water’s edge. Levi and Render stood behind him on his right and left sides. Will lowered his head and closed his eyes, thinking of the proper spell. Opening his eyes, he whispered words into the night that would awaken the knowledge contained in the waters. The whirlpool stopped flowing suddenly and stood so still not a ripple showed on its surface. The darkness seemed to breathe in the sudden silence.

A roaring sound issued as the waters drew up into a column that rose many feet above the adventurers, spinning and twisting but staying always in the same place. It seemed to illuminate everything around it, for the trees suddenly sparkled like stars had been set into them, and the eyes of everyone there glittered like jewels. The glowing water cast shadows on their faces that made them seem older and wiser. Their hair was blown back from their faces with the pulsating wind coming from the swirling liquid column and the edges of their jackets fluttered in the breeze. The column reached up so far Marina wondered how much water the whirlpool really contained; for it seemed like the sky itself was consumed with the swirling lights of knowledge. Curiosity and a slight feeling of apprehension rooted itself in their stomachs. All eyes were on the pillar of rustling light currents.

“Show us the Isle of the Night Star!” shouted Will, gazing up at it and shielding his eyes. The waters stretched back into a kind of screen, stretching horizontally in front of them. The color changed from its many hues into a simple, dull white. Then, as they stared, a series of images floated across the screen. First there was a magnificent view of mountains from overhead, their twisting ranges looking like snakes bent on getting somewhere fast. Then the scene shifted to one of plunging straight down into a valley in between two black mountains. Closer and closer the green grass raced toward them, until suddenly it opened up and there was a straight vertical drop for a good amount of distance. The images blurred and Cless muttered, “The Sky Mountains and the Valley of the Moon.”

Then, suddenly, there was a cave half-filled with water and the prow of a boat extending in front of the vision. Dark waves rocked the boat and they could see a faint outline of what could be an island out in the middle of an underground lake. The waters went murky and calm. The three closest to the water began coming back toward the others, turning their backs on the water. Suddenly the waters roared up again, spinning and lighting up with another gust of powerful wind that knocked Levi over and forced Will to his knees.

“What’s going on?” someone shouted.

The waters reached out once again, seemingly of their own accord, and flashed another set of images. This time the images were startlingly real. Before they were of something unfamiliar, superficial, and far away, but now they were depicting people they all knew and loved. In the water’s vision, Will was hunched over a sword that he had stabbed into the ground while it was raining, eyes closed and head bowed. With a swirl of foam the image was gone and replaced by one of Levi holding up a small object in both of his hands with an evil look in his eyes as lightning and thunder emanated from his billowing cloak. The water darkened and Marina was seen running down a hallway with eerie red light, breathing heavily and eyes looking wide as if she were either searching for something or running from someone. Marina’s eyes narrowed at this, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away from the waters. The red tint changed to one of green as Charity was seen chopping down everything in her path made of trees with a crazed look in her eyes. The eyes changed to Bonnie’s, and her mouth remained in a firm line as she watched herself from the perspective of someone else as they stabbed her shoulder and she slumped to the ground, still. Render was seen next, his eyes stained white all the way through, holding up his sword in a hall of mirrors and letting out a scream that chilled the blood of everyone there. The last and final scene was the most horrifying and foreboding of them all. Baladon, Clesseath, and Ancalagon were on their backs, falling into darkness, none of them moving. A series of minor dragons fell after them, seeming as leaves fluttering after a fallen tree. Chilling fear penetrated them all.

“Enough!” cried Cless, snapping his whip. Render and Levi shouted something in the ancient language together and the waters hissed. The liquid column collapsed into the ground, steaming and bubbling with a dark color running through its fading light like veins of night lighting. The wizards were panting and everyone stared at each other, confused and fighting terror.

“Render…what just happened?” asked Bonnie, her hand placed protectively over the hollow in her cape where Maya was sleeping. Will smoothed out his jacket and Charity re-tied her hair. Marina adjusted her weapons distractedly and Levi soothed his minor dragons. Ancalagon let out a puff of smoke, a hint that he was mentally communicating with his rider.

“I think that we just experienced too much knowledge. There are some things we just aren’t meant to know that we have now been exposed to,” Render said. His eyes were still on the violent waters.

“But…everything we saw…will it happen?” asked Charity, frowning. Cless shook his head. His red eyes looked ready for a challenge.

“I think someone is trying to mess with our heads. We just have to be aware of what could happen and make sure it doesn’t. Still…it could be dangerous,” he said.

“Well, now we know where we need to go. Can we leave? This place gives me the creeps,” said Marina. They all agreed and set off the same way they had arrived. However, no matter how hard they tried, no one seemed able to get rid of the images of themselves. Will finally had the idea of mentally striking up a song that they all sang. Yet the notes held an aftertaste of a morbid thoughtfulness…