No, your eyes do not deceive you. I have returned after not posting for an entire year. This is mostly due to one amazing anonymous commenter who sent me a message about two weeks ago, saying that they were still awaiting the new chapter. Let me be honest: I'd completely given up on this story. Part 15 has been sitting on my desktop and in my iPad's memory for the longest time. Years, I think, but I can't say for sure, because it's been so long.
But I have unfairly forced you to wait quite long enough, dear readers, all due to my selfish perfectionism. So... I'm uploading it now. As a Christmas gift to all of you who are still loyal -- and oh my gosh, for those of you out there who are still reading this, you are the greatest people ever. I'm so happy that someone still enjoys reading what I started five years ago. This story is still my pride and joy, even if I haven't touched Wizard101 in at least a year... but this is still something that I can proudly tell people about as one of my greatest achievements.
Keep in mind that there are some loose ends in this chapter, and... I apologize for those. I'm... not sure if the sequel is happening anymore. I want to say it is, but... okay, it's probably not. I'm so incredibly out of sync with the W101 world now that I really don't think I can write something like that. I'd love to -- rereading this chapter to edit it, I realized how very much I miss these characters. Maybe I'll make a short story-type sequel thing if I get bored one day. I still know what I had in mind for the plot, and I think I could sum it all up pretty quickly...
Also, I almost forgot to mention: hopefully someone will be editing this soon. I'm not sure what name he wants me to call him by, haha, but we've been corresponding through e-mails. He tried to get it edited by Christmas, but I DID only send it to him two weeks ago, so it's not that surprising that he didn't finish. But thanks to him for the offer, and maybe I can update this later on with a much better version. But really, it's not fair for me to hold off on you guys anymore.
I told you forever ago that I would not give up on what I've started, and here we are, at the end. So here's the final chapter, everyone. Have a wonderful Christmas!
(Okay, so yeah, it's 11:52 in Mountain Standard Time, and it's probably not Christmas anymore for most of you... but whatever! Hope you HAD a good one, anyway! ^^)
was in OCTOBER OF 2010. That's insane. I left this waaay too long... O_o
“It’s…
big,” Hunter noted.
“Yeah.
It is.” I tried not to roll my eyes.
“And…
there are so many doors! Where could they go?”
“I
don’t know, and believe me, you don’t want to,” I responded sulkily. “Now
focus. We have a mission here.”
His
face darkened with disappointment, and I regretted saying that. Every single
one of the Seekers had been here before… except Hunter. If examining the whole
place and pointing out useless details kept his mind off the sickening task at
hand, who was I to stop him?
Silence
surrounded our group of seven once more.
“Um,
you know,” I said to break the tension, “I’m a bit surprised we didn’t get more
of a, I don’t know… welcome? Or, uh, not welcome. The opposite. Shouldn’t there
be some kind of resistance? Like Skeletal Warrior guards attempting to capture
and/or destroy us? Or an undead army bent on our annihilation? Or tons of traps
set up to hinder our progress? Or hordes of dark magical creatures? Or Mary? Or
Li–”
“Sierra,”
Mark said sternly, cutting me off, “calm down. Do you want to attract attention?”
I
realized my ramblings had increased in volume with every word. I took a shaking
breath. “No,” I agreed. “Not really.”
“But
Sierra is right,” Sydney piped up. "Why is there no one here? This place
seems so empty.”
“Exactly!”
I said eagerly.
“Plus
we have no clue where we’re going,” Victoria added.
“Exactly,”
I sighed.
We
had been exploring the lair for around a half hour now. Not much of the scenery
had changed – it was just red and black walls, doors, walls, doors, walls… and
so on. And where exactly were we supposed to go? We were so, totally,
completely lost, and there was nothing we could do about it.
Suddenly,
behind us there was the undeniable sound of a rusty door creaking open. Almost
simultaneously, we whipped around, ready for anything.
Instead
of imminent danger, we found a young girl, just barely older than my sister,
staring at us with a shocked and even terrified expression.
“Um…
hi?” I said.
“Please
don’t tell!” she cried, sinking to her knees. “I wasn’t doing anything bad.
Promise!”
“Tell
who? Tell what?”
She
looked up at us, and I saw the surprise in her eyes grow. “You’re not… you’re
not from here… are you?”
“Uh…”
She
stood up and held out a hand. “I’m Jessica. Just Jessica – I don’t have a last
name.”
I
stared at her hand for a few seconds before realizing I was supposed to take
it. “Okay. Um, I’m Sierra WinterBreeze.”
Jessica
took a step back. “Really?” she whispered in awe. “But then… you are…”
This
was going way too fast. “Look, I have no clue what’s going on,” I said. “What
are you doing here? What did you not want us to tell?”
She
took a deep breath. “You’re in the lair of the powerful Malistaire Drake,” she
whispered, “although I’m sure you knew that. People don’t just wander in here
by accident. And… I’m not supposed to be here…”
“Of
course not,” I exclaimed. “You should be in Wizard City, safe like everyone
else. We’re going to take care of Malistaire.”
“No,”
she said sadly. “I can’t. I’m trapped here.”
I
didn’t speak for a second. This really hadn’t been what I was expecting to
visit Malistaire’s lair – to be faced with a girl that a) didn’t have a last
name, b) seemed to know who I was, c)
wouldn’t tell us what she was doing here exactly and d) was seriously starting
to scare me a bit. She wasn’t creepy or anything – actually, she appeared to be
really nice. But anyone running around in the lair of Malistaire in – did I
forget to mention – Death school
robes… it was slightly suspicious. Okay, extremely
suspicious.
“You’re…
trapped,” I echoed, scrutinizing her.
“Yes,”
she confirmed.
I
continued staring. “Planning on telling us why anytime soon?”
“I’m
sorry, but I don’t know if I should. Just me being here, talking to you, is
dangerous. I’m going to be in so much trouble if I’m caught, but…” I was
stunned when she did a small curtsey in my direction. “You’re my only hope,
Sierra WinterBreeze. You and the other Seekers of Light. There are a lot of
people depending on you, so please don’t fail us.”
Speechless,
I glanced over my shoulder at my friends. Their expressions ranged from
disbelief to shock to fear. She knew about the Seekers…
“Jessica,”
Vanessa said finally, breaking the silence. “Do I know you from somewhere?”
She
looked confused. “There’s no way you could. Why?”
To
be honest, I almost though she looked familiar, too…
“Nothing,”
Vanessa murmured. “I thought you looked… a bit like…” She cast a glance to her
left, right where a very uncomfortable Mark was standing.
With
a start, I realized what she was getting at. I stepped back, making sure I
could examine both Mark and Jessica at the same time. Their hair color was an
unmistakable match of midnight black, and their eyes both a deep, dark brown.
Even the shape of their build was the same.
“Mark?”
I began.
“I
don’t know,” he quickly responded to my unspoken question. He stared into Jessica’s
eyes that were identical to his own. “Who are you, really? Why do you look like
me?”
Jessica
was taken aback. “I… I don’t know my family. I don’t know.”
Well.
This was a rather interesting discovery…
“At
least give us some answers,” I demanded. “Let’s start with the obvious. Why are
you in the lair of the most evil man currently alive in the Spiral?”
She
took a deep breath. “I… um… work for him.”
“You
– wait, what?” I shrieked. I shot a
glance at the Seekers behind me, and I was proud to discover that they had
wordlessly raised their wands, prepared for the worst. Then I mentally scolded
myself for not doing the same. I reached for Megan’s wand, pointing it at
Malistaire’s minion.
“No!”
she shouted, putting out her empty palms in defense. “It’s not like that!”
“Then
you have approximately one minute to tell me what it is like,” I growled, “before you become an ice statue.”
She
began to cry again, startling me into lowering my guard. “Please… don’t hurt
me…”
“Um,
sorry?” I said, feeling much worse than I was letting on. I’d made the poor
girl cry. What was wrong with me?
But
she was Malistaire’s minion… I couldn’t feel sympathetic.
“Explain,”
I ordered.
“I-I’m
not supposed to be here,” she stammered. “I went against orders. We were all
supposed to report to Mistress Mary half an hour ago, right when you guys
entered. B-But I came out here. I d-don’t know what I was thinking. I just felt
that I had to come and see you, to help you somehow.”
I
listened to her words intently, allowing silence to permeate the air even after
she finished. I could tell she was trying to cease her tears – her voice got
quieter with every word. By the time her explanation was through, she had
completely stopped, though her body still visibly shook.
“So,”
I began, “uh… you said you meant to… help us?”
She
nodded wordlessly.
I
nodded back, finally making a decision. “All right, Jessica! I have a job for
you. If you want to gain our trust, then you can be our guide through this
crazy labyrinth that Malistaire calls a lair.”
She
gasped. “N-n-no! I can’t do that! They’ll see me!”
“Then
I’d have no choice but to ensure you don’t let Malistaire know where we are,” I
said menacingly – even though it was just a bluff.
Jessica
looked at me for a second more before sighing. “Okay. I said I would help, so I
guess I should offer my assistance in any way I can. Where did you want to go?”
“To
Malistaire, of course.”
Her
eyes widened. "But," she squeaked, her voice small, "he'll...
he'll kill me if he sees me." She shut her eyes and moaned. "I should
have known that's what you needed..."
I
let out a huff. It felt cruel to force this girl to do something that she was
clearly terrified of – it was hard enough for me to be here. Could I really involve a bystander?
The
answer was yes. I could, and I had to. This was a golden opportunity – we'd
been lost for a while now, with no sense of direction, but the perfect guide
had practically fallen in our laps. I needed her help. She knew where to go,
and we had to reach Malistaire as soon as possible.
"Look,"
I said, dropping my menacing facade, "we really, really need your help,
Jessica. And there's no way I can let you go at this point – even if you don't
intend to betray us, you never know what... what they might do to you if they
find out you were with us. Isn't it almost safer to lead the way?"
She
opened her eyes and stared at me, her frightened gaze meeting mine.
"We'll
keep you safe if you come," I promised. "I won't let Malistaire hurt
you."
She
considered this for a moment and looked over my shoulder at the rest of the
Seekers. There was a moment of silence.
At
long last, she turned back to me. "Alright. I'll take you as far as I can.
Follow me."
She
started off down the hallway. I motioned for my friends to follow as we allowed
ourselves to be blindly led on by this mysterious Necromancer.
---
Rowan
and Jessica led our procession. They seemed to be getting along quite well. The
rest of us, however, ignored Jessica; I’m sure they were all as distrustful of
her as I was. Jessica acted like she knew where she was going, but how could we
be sure? This might be a trap for all we knew.
Eventually
we stopped when we reached the end of a long hallway that appeared to be a dead
end.
Apparently,
however, it wasn’t. Jessica skipped toward the wall, then reached out and
pushed hard on it. To our surprise, the wall slid away, revealing a
person-sized tunnel, just barely large enough for us to squeeze into.
“This
leads to Dragon’s Roost,” Jessica explained. “It’s the main part of the lair,
but totally separate from this one. This is kind of just where Malistaire keeps
prisoners and stuff. You can’t teleport from this area to the other, because we
have to go outside first, and his spells prevent that from happening. I heard a
rumor that Malistaire set up lots of dark creatures to deter you from getting
in, so you’ll have to be careful once we’re out of this part of the lair and
into the other one.” After that lengthy clarification, Jessica disappeared into
the tunnel. Rowan followed her immediately. Everyone else hesitated, looking at
one another questioningly.
I
shrugged. “Rowan seems to trust her. Let’s just go in and see what happens. I
mean, she’s just one girl. What could she do? There are seven of us and one of
her.”
Most
nodded in uneasy agreement, but I couldn’t help but hear Victoria mutter, “It
isn’t Jessica I’m worried about.”
Silently,
I was thinking the same thing.
Mark
entered first, followed by Sydney, Victoria, and Vanessa. Hunter paused before
the door, looking into it uncertainly.
“It
will be fine,” I assured him.
“Yeah.
I know. I’ve got you and Sydney and everyone else here, anyway.” He grinned.
“Except Sydney’s more likely to argue with me and cause problems. And then you’ll
be busy either ignoring us or screaming at us to stop.”
“Pretty
much,” I responded. I decided not to mention that he initiated as many disputes
as his sister.
Then
I noticed he still wasn’t moving. “Um, Hunter? What’s wrong?”
He
sighed. “I’m nervous.”
“And
you have a pretty decent reason to be.”
“Yeah,
but… I’m the lowest level.”
I
blinked at the mention of level. Really… I hadn’t even considered that little
factor. We weren’t a posse of Grandmasters, and what had Mark told me? That
some wizards went in to fight Malistaire and never came back? Yes, that was it.
Not that it calmed me one bit.
I
scrutinized Hunter, trying to determine his level from his clothing. “Level?”
“Twenty-six.”
I let out a hiss between my teeth. Dang. Compared to the rest of us, he was a low level. It wasn’t what I had
expected at all – for some reason, I imagined the group to be at least Magus.
Besides,
it wasn’t like we were much better. We had no Grandmasters at all – Mark was
close at level 49, but he was our highest. Victoria and I were also Masters,
but I just barely – exactly level 40. I didn’t even know Colossus yet.
“Don’t
worry. Rowan’s our healer, right? She’ll help you if you’re hurt. And I’ll
shower you with Tower Shields if you want. Now come on! We don’t want to be
left behind.”
But
even as I said that, I turned back to the doorway in the wall –
Just
in time to see if closing.
“…Um,
one second,” I said slowly. “Did it just… are you seeing what I am, Hunter?”
“I
just saw our only way out closing off!” he shouted, the panic I had been
prolonging already evident in his voice. “What do we do? We have to do
something!”
“Calm
down,” I ordered, although even my voice shook. “Let’s just think about–”
“Sydney!”
He started pounding on the wall with his fists, screaming. “Guys! You left us!
Wait!”
“Hunter,
shut up!” I growled, putting a hand over his mouth as his eyes widened in
shock. “I don't care what that other girl said. We're on our own now, and I’d kind
of like to keep it that way – I don’t want to attract the wrong kind of
attention.”
He
stopped struggling in my grasp and nodded slowly, so carefully I wondered if he
even realized he was doing it. I let go of him cautiously, ready to jump in if
he screamed again.
But
he didn’t. Instead, I heard a voice that was too deep to be his – but I
recognized it nonetheless. “It is time for your final test, Sierra
WinterBreeze.”
I
let out a long sigh as Hunter spoke up. “Is that the same guy who told Mark and
me about the Shadow Beasts?”
“Unfortunately,”
I replied.
The
voice began, “I know you disliked your encounters with the Shadow Beasts–”
“’Disliked’
doesn’t even begin to cover it.”
The
mysterious voice refused to become upset with me. “Still, there is one more
thing you must do.”
“Says
who?”
“Says
one who desperately needs your help.”
I
faltered. “Wh-who? It’s not one of the other Seekers, is it?”
“No.
It is me.”
My
face hardened, but my mind was racing. Help? What kind of help would a
disembodied, anonymous voice need from me? “What would I have to do?”
“Sierra,”
Hunter whispered next to me. “We still have to find Sydney and everyone else.”
I
nodded, but I mostly listened to the voice as it continued, “Do you recall our
first meeting, Sierra?”
“I
think so,” I replied.
“Then
you remember when I said you would not see me until we faced one another in
battle?”
“Yes…
wait. I think I see where this is going.”
“Now
is time to break our friendship, Sierra, and fight me. Be warned that I will
not go easy on you simply because of our previously amiable relationship.”
“But…
why? Why do we have to fight?”
“I
cannot tell you that yet. Come find me, and I can explain everything to you.”
I
looked back at Hunter, who did not look pleased that I had chosen to listen to
the voice instead of him. “Can he help? I asked.
“Sierra…”
Hunter began.
“I
suppose. But no others.”
Hunter
bit his lip in frustration.
I
gave him one sympathetic glance, but I would need his assistance. I again spoke
to the voice. “And my other friends?”
“They
will meet up with you after our duel is over. The condition they find you in
will depend on its outcome.”
A
part of me wondered why I was even considering it. Logically, none of this even
made sense. How would fighting him help him? What was this all for?
“What
if I refuse?”
“Then
go ahead and try to find a way out on your own. Some trapdoors are more secure
than the ones you’ve been lucky enough to find. That one will only open for
people who work for Malistaire, similar to the one the false necklace led you
to in your first visit to the lair. That being said, I’m pretty certain you’re
lost at the moment.”
I
scowled.
Another
moment passed. “So… do you accept?”
A
sigh escaped me, and Hunter tensed, fearing my answer. Unfortunately, I
couldn’t help but betray him – he really wanted me to say no, and I knew that
would make the most sense, but…
“I
can’t believe I’m saying this, but yes. I accept.”
---
The
voice gave us instructions as we trekked through different hallways. It made me
wonder again if I’d made the wrong decision – couldn’t this easily be a trap?
The voice always said he had a side of his own, but still.
“Are
we there yet?” Hunter whined.
“Almost,”
the voice assured him. “Go left.”
I
frowned. “There is no left. It’s just a wall.”
He
paused. “There's a hidden panel around there somewhere. Move your hand over the
wall carefully. There should be a large section that isn't rough like the rest
of it. You can slide the panel off from there.”
Frowning,
I gently placed one finger on the unusual texture of the wall. It wasn't an
easy search, considering that some of the edges were sharp and could easily
draw blood, but as I skimmed its surface, I found a section that gave me
surprisingly little resistance. I cautiously pressed my full palm against it
and found it cold and smooth to the touch. I then moved it back, finding where
the rough section began, and found a small crack, completely unnoticeable to
someone who didn't know what to look for, and dug my fingers into it. From
there, a section of the wall peeled away, revealing a perfectly normal door
that looked just like every other one in Dragonspyre.
I
blinked. "Just how many secret passages are there in this place?"
"Far
too many to count," the voice said softly. "Now come inside."
I
stepped aside to allow Hunter in first. When I followed him in, I was met with
a blast of warm but unmistakably outdoor air. We were on a platform lower than
surrounding areas, practically floating on top of the lava. To our left was a
ramp leading to higher ground. I followed it, beckoning for Hunter to do the
same. We exited through an enormous door emblazoned with Dragonspyre designs
similar to the one at the entrance of Malistaire’s lair and arrived at a very
odd platform. It seemed to be surrounded by glowing red sparks and possessed a
railing.
“Step
on,” the voice added. After a moment of hesitation, I did so. The platform
lurched when Hunter followed me, and I nearly toppled over. Then it started
floating upward, and both Hunter’s eyes and mine widened in shock.
“An
elevator!” I breathed. “I haven’t been on an elevator since… since…”
The
orphanage. Since Earth.
The
magical elevator brought us up to a higher floor, where a long path extended in
front of us to yet another wide, ornate door. To both the left and right was a
circular platform. Someone stood on the left one.
Actually,
to be a bit more accurate, it was a something.
It
resembled a Helephant, except it was smaller; somehow that reminded me of the
dear Frost Giant who awakened me. It stared at us as though judging us.
Flanking it were a Magma Fury and a Feral Lavaling – two powerful creatures
found only in Dragonspyre.
“So
we finally meet face-to-face.” My jaw dropped when I realized this thing – this
unusual Helephant-like creature that looked more like a fifth Oni than anything
else – was actually speaking in the same mysterious voice that had guided me so
much within the last few hours.
I
glanced at Hunter, who was eyeing the Helephant warily. He met my gaze, grimacing
worriedly.
“Allow
me to introduce myself,” the mini-Helephant said. “My name is Gurtok
FireBender.”
“You’re…
a monster.” I cringed at how mean that sounded. No, I didn’t want to insult
him! Especially since he looked so powerful – I wasn’t in Dragonspyre yet!
Fortunately,
he only gave me a strange look that I couldn’t quite read. “Yes. I hear that’s
what wizards call creatures different from them? Ones that have the capability
to attack – to fight back? Let me tell you this: to us, you are the monsters.”
An
overwhelming wave of guilt washed over me, eliciting the need to apologize, or
at least defend myself. “I’m sor–”
“Don’t.”
The Helephant – or Gurtok FireBender… Bender? Can I call him that? – turned his
expression cold. “We are here to battle.”
“But
why? How will this help you?”
Bender
looked to the side, away from me. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Come
on… tell us!” I was surprised that Hunter had spoken up, not me.
Bender
huffed. “…Fine.” He gestured to the other platform. “See that? That was where
my brother used to stand.”
“You have a brother?” I asked
incredulously.
His
gaze on me was like steel, and I felt guilt again. “Yes, Sierra. Even monsters
have family. Now may I continue?”
I
nodded, swallowing loudly.
“My
brother’s name is Gurtok Piercer. We were both guardians to this place:
Dragon’s Roost. We ensured that the Dragon Titan would not be disturbed. But
then… Malistaire came.”
“My
brother is of the Ice school, like you, Sierra. Years of service to a Titan who
destroyed and opposed his element made him bitter toward me and his work. When
Malistaire arrived, he barely did anything to fend him off, and without his
help, I was doomed. Now…” He paused, and his trunk curled and uncurled again,
as though he were recalling something sad or unpleasant. “He works for
Malistaire. There is a curse upon him. I know this… because it is on me too.”
I
waited patiently, hoping he would continue. He didn’t. Shifting my weight to my
other foot nervously, I asked, “What kind of curse?”
He
sighed. “It prevents me from really rebelling against him. I cannot directly
attack him, or all the harm comes to me. Nor can I disobey a direct order… but
enough of that. The real problem is that the curse binds my life to my brother.
He will not be granted freedom until I am, or vice versa. But that is
definitely not happening anytime soon. Malistaire ordered my brother to search
for you and kill you… in fact, I’m supposed to do the same…”
I
took a small step back, startled by these words, but was reminded that I’d been
innocently standing here without defenses for at least a full five minutes, and
he’d previously made no indication that he planned on killing me. Besides, he
helped me earlier. He summoned those portals. Right?
“It
seems we’re destined to battle, Sierra WinterBreeze, seeing as we’re on
opposing sides.” He sighed again.
“Y-you
said that you weren’t working for Malistaire,” I said, accusation seeping into
my tone. “You claimed you were good!”
“I
did not say that!” he argued. “I said I have my own opinions on the matter. I
am neutral. I can’t say I’m very supportive of you Seekers – you have killed
many ‘monsters’ that weren’t always evil. Malistaire only made them that way.
On the other hand, Malistaire has helped us become strong. He protected us and gave
us new land. But… he’s by no means my leader.”
I
closed my eyes. “O-o-okay. So, you want us to fight – me and Hunter against you
– because Malistaire told you to… but you haven’t attacked us yet, so… I’m
confused.”
Bender
shook his head. “The only way to be released from the curse is death. If I am
defeated, Gurtok Piercer will become free. I just want him safe. And if I win…
well, Malistaire has promised freedom to anyone who brings him Seekers.”
I
wasn’t sure what to do. He’d shown such strong compassion for his brother, but…
I couldn’t let him die! He helped me earlier. He got on my nerves sometimes,
sure, but so did Hunter and my other friends. You don’t see my trying to kill them
“Are
you ready?” he questioned.
“No,”
I answered truthfully. “But I doubt I will be anytime soon. Let’s do this.”
I
spotted a smile on the Helephant-creature’s face before he grimly stated, “Yes.
Let’s begin.”
With
a flash, Gurtok FireBender summoned a Sun Bird. I was so surprised, I didn’t
even have time to move. The fiery, winged beast swooped at me, its beak and
flaming feathers brushing my robes and blinding me. I shrieked, ducking out of
the way, carefully creating a bit of ice to quench the fires burning through my
robe. Groaning a bit, I fumbled with the cards of my deck, dropping a few when
I tried to obtain a useable spell. That Sun Bird’s blow had a hurt a lot more
than it usually did when the battle was contained in a dueling circle. And my
clothes had never caught on fire before. Nor did the pain last any longer than
a few seconds, leaving me to feel only tired afterward.
“Sierra?”
I turned to Hunter, who was looking at my pleadingly. “Can I summon my minion?
Sydney never lets me.”
“Yes!”
I said through gritted teeth. “We need all the help we can get.”
“Yay!”
Instantly a Cyclops Watcher appeared, using the two pips Hunter had saved up.
The first thing it did was cast a MythBlade – on me.
It
took all my willpower to prevent myself from directing my next spell at it and
screaming, “I. Don’t. Know. Any. Myth spells!”
I
powered myself up with an IceBlade, again wishing that I’d already learned
Colossus. Since I was still waiting for pips, I added an Ice Trap to the mix as
well.
And
of course, he just had to put up an
Ice Shield.
I
closed my eyes. This frustration was becoming too much. Opening them again, I
used a Feint I knew from my Death spells. It would have to work until I could
find a Steal Ward, which could take that Snow Shield away from Gurtok
FireBender.
Then
Hunter, standing next to me, said, “Um, Sierra?”
“Yes?”
I snapped, looking at him. I was stunned to see the Cyclops next to him running
toward Bender, club raised as he drew the triangular Myth symbol. “Wait!” I
shouted. I could only watch as the Feint disappeared to power up the Cyclops’
most useless spell – Blood Bat.
I
spun around, facing Hunter again, this time absolutely furious. “HUNTER!” I
yelled. “You wasted my Feint on a Blood Bat? On a level ONE spell?”
“I-I’m
sorry,” he stammered. “You cast it just as my Cyclops was attacking, and–”
“I
cannot believe this!” I fumed. Okay,
it was all my pent up frustration that I was venting out on poor Hunter. The
Feint wasn’t a big deal – there was still another one in my deck somewhere and
I didn’t really need it if I got Steal Ward – but I couldn’t stand it any
longer. I continued screaming, until I heard a small chuckle.
I
directed my glare at Gurtok FireBender. “What?”
“I
find your arguing amusing. You’re supposed to be partners, teammates – but you
aren’t getting anything done. Besides the Blood Bat, you haven’t damaged me at
all.”
“Well,
if he stopped getting in the way–”
Bender
sighed. “Fine. Don’t listen to me. Won’t be my problem in the Malistaire
battle, if you even make it that far.” He pointed above his head. “Fortunately,
while you were bickering, it gave me time to cast this FireBlade.”
With
that statement, the battle continued, with Hunter’s minion casting a Ghoul to
do a small amount of damage. I was still angry, but trying to cool down.
There!
I triumphantly snatched up my Steal Ward, raising it above my head. I used it,
praying it wouldn’t fizzle. Fortunately, it didn’t.
The
Snow Shield dissipated in front of Bender, floating over to protect me instead.
He frowned slightly, so I smirked, quickly casting Ice Wyvern. Just as I did
so, he summoned a Firezilla.
The
two creatures glared at one another, neither wanting to move and leave their
master at the mercy of their opponent. Finally, the Firezilla roared and lunged
at my Wyvern.
The
blow to it felt like a blow to me. I felt the wind knocked out of my lungs as I
staggered backwards, staring at the Gurtok in surprise. He smirked, raising his
sword again.
The
Firezilla attacked my Wyvern again, but this time I was ready. Using all the
willpower I possessed, I mentally told my Wyvern to dodge. Amazingly, it
worked.
From
then on, it was a strange, deadly dance between the Ice Wyvern and the
Firezilla. Being opposite schools, the battle was fierce; being both for four
pips, they were more or less equally matched. This battle was taxing – not only
was I harmed by attacks aimed at my Wyvern, but my mana reserves were beginning
to dwindle. My energy was quickly draining, and a glance at Gurtok FireBender
told me it was the same for him. One of us was going to tire soon, and for some
reason, I had a feeling it would be me. I was level 40, and he was… what… Rank
9? He was meant to combat Grandmasters, or at least wizards who, oh, I don’t
know… knew Colossus?
Fortunately,
we’d both forgotten about one other participant in our battle.
The
ground began to shake. At first, neither of us noticed, as occupied as we were
with our battle. But when I took a step forward and tripped over a small
fissure that opened in the ground, falling painfully onto my knees, it was hard
to ignore. Bender stumbled a little too. We exchanged a brief look of confusion
with one another before turning to the side to see Hunter proudly standing with
a Treasure Card held out.
The
cracked ground rumbled again, and then a particularly large crack shot across
the ground near Hunter, heading toward Gurtok FireBender like a flash of
lightning. With a jolt of horror, I realized this could be his end. I looked at
his expression, and it stunned me to find him looking calm and serene.
“Thank
you, Seekers,” he said. “Although I may not live to see tomorrow… at least my
brother will. Find him. He may help you – or he might destroy you. I’m not
certain.” He chuckled. “Goodbye, Sierra. What an honor it was to meet you.”
Then
the ground opened beneath him, and he dropped into darkness.
We
stared, petrified, at the spot. The ground closed up again in an instant, but
I’d never forget where that hole was. The devastating reality of what Hunter
had just done suddenly dawned on him, and he crumbled to the ground.
“I…
I killed him! I killed a person!”
“N-no,
Hunter. It’s not…”
“He
was so nice! And I killed him!”
I
rushed to his side as he began to cry. The Magma Fury and Feral Lavaling –
Gurtok FireBender’s two minions – were still staring, shocked that we’d killed
their master. I glared at them, hoping they wouldn’t do anything. They were too
powerful for me to take on alone, and Hunter wasn’t in any state to fight. When
they started stirring and glancing at each other, I knew it was time to go.
“Hunter,”
I whispered, nudging him. I hated interrupting his mourning, but I didn’t have
much of a choice. “We have to leave. Now.”
He
sat up, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself. “Yes,” he agreed.
“Let’s go.” He wiped his tears away with his sleeve, standing up to follow me.
I was impressed. Hunter looked weak, but he was doing very well handling this.
And he’d just transformed from a totally helpless, crying little boy to a
strong but grim Conjurer. Maybe this was why he was a Seeker.
We
hurried off the platform, back to where the elevator was. Another pathway led
away from it up toward a door three times our size. Since we didn’t want to go
back where we came from, we pushed it opened, promptly letting it slam behind
us to prevent any retaliation from the two minions.
---
Inside
the door was a big, circular entryway, like the one at the beginning of
Malistaire’s fortress. I took a tentative step forward, fearing something
would, like, jump out of the shadows and eat us. It wasn’t that much of an
exaggeration, considering where we were. Unfortunately, it turns out some
things are worse than Sierra-eating monsters.
“Hello,
again, Sierra. I thought I’d be seeing you soon.”
My
heart soared at the sound of a familiar voice, hoping it was the Seekers, but I
discovered it was the third-to-last person I wanted to meet right now, behind
only Malistaire and Liam: Mary RavenGem. She was a bit differently dressed than
last time – much more evil-minion-ish, with black MooShu-style robes with blue
trim. She wore a smirk on her face and gazed at us coldly.
“What
are you doing here, Mary?” I snarled, pushing Hunter behind me as I stepped
away from her.
“I
live here,” she replied simply. “You’re
the intruders.”
Oh.
Right.
“It’s
certainly too bad the Shadow Beasts didn’t kill you,” Mary sighed. “I was kind
of hoping they’d finish you off finally,
but I guess I shouldn’t have expected so much. You’re the most difficult person
to get rid of that I’ve ever seen.” Her eyes gleamed. “Of course, I wouldn’t
expect less from the one destined to fight Malistaire.”
“Since
I’m destined to fight him, I think you should let me go. So I can, um, meet my
destiny.”
She
smiled icily. “No, I can’t do that. Destiny can always be thwarted, Sierra,
remember that. It can be manipulated to work for you, to propel you forward… or
it can turn against you, attack you, force you to do its bidding.” She paused.
“This is what my father tells me, so I believe it.”
“Your…
father?”
She
ignored my question. “That also means you don’t have to fight him. You could
turn around right now, rebel against the path you’ve been commanded to take. Go
home, and enjoy a normal life. You want that, don’t you?”
I
glared at her. “Sure, I want to be normal. But then you’d take over Wizard City
or something, and my family would be attacked just like everyone else. I have
people to fight for.”
“We’d
leave them alone. If you leave right now, we won’t hurt you.”
I
didn’t say anything, trying not to show how much her words impacted me. If I
could keep my mom, my dad, and my sister safe…
“No,”
I said aloud, crushing my own thoughts. “No. I won’t betray my friends for my
family and own safety. I’m not like… Liam.”
Mary
sighed, sounding genuinely disappointed. “That’s what I thought you would say.
I suppose one of us won’t be leaving here alive, then, and you can be sure I’m
just as reluctant to die as you are.”
I
started panicking when she raised her wand – the very same MooShu one she’d
stolen (I wondered why she even kept that; surely she could use at least a
sword?). I didn’t want to fight – especially after just defeating Gurtok
FireBender. I was still worn out and I needed time to restore my mana. I
grasped for something, anything to say that would make her stop.
“Um…
wait! What about… your father?” I blurted out, recalling what she said
earlier.
Mary
visibly tensed, narrowing her eyes at me. “What about him?”
“Is
he, uh… working for Malistaire? Is that why you do it? Or is he dead? Do you
have siblings, and a mother?” I was rambling now and I knew it, but I didn’t
stop. I would do anything to stall. Mary was still regarding me with a confused
expression. “Do you talk to your father a lot? With the way you turned out, I
can’t imagine he is a very loving, fatherly figure. …No offense,” I hastily
added when her eyes blazed.
“My
father? You know nothing about him! He loves me and Mother a lot! Just watch.
When she comes back, we’ll all be happily together again, and… and… he’ll love
me.” Her voice was rising with every word. “I won’t let you hurt him, Sierra.
He only wants Sylvia back. You can’t hurt him!” I spotted a few tears running
down her cheek, though she was blinking furiously, holding them back.
But
I was too shocked to pity her. “Wait. What? Sylvia?”
“Sylvia
LifeWhisper.”
“Oh.”
Good. For a moment I thought it might be…
“But,”
Mary interjected, “when she married she took on her husband’s last name. Drake.
Sylvia Drake.”
Hunter
spoke up before I could. “But that means–”
“Yes.
I am the daughter of Malistaire and Sylvia Drake.”
It
came crashing down on me. Mary’s voice had always reminded me of someone. Now
that I thought about it, she had the same voice as her father, the Spiral’s
greatest evil and my arch-enemy.
“No!
Y-You’re… lying…” I stammered. If Malistaire had a daughter, it would make it
so much harder for me to kill him. I couldn’t destroy a father, leaving someone
without parents. Not when I knew how that felt.
“I
am not lying,” she growled. “And I can’t let you get to him. I’ve got to stop
you or die trying.” I looked into her eyes as she went into a dueling stance,
and for the very first time, I saw fear. Fear for a loved one.
“Mary,
please. I don’t want fight you.”
“Then
turn around, right now. I can’t let you fight Malistaire.”
“We
have to! He’s going to unleash the Dragon Titan! He’ll destroy the Spiral!”
“We
just want Mom back. That’s all.”
“Mary,”
I sighed, “no. That’s not all. Malistaire has killed people. He’s grown obsessive, and he’s used evil magic to
harm the innocent. Stealing lives just to save one seems silly, doesn’t it?”
Suddenly
I was pushed backwards by some invisible force and slammed against the wall,
causing the wind to be knocked out of me. Mary was quick to act, rushing over
and trapping me there. “Don’t. Say. Anything,” she snarled. “My father taught
me a lot about dark magic. I’m fully capable of killing you right now.”
I
should have been frightened – and of course I was. But then that new sense of
calm I’d gained in the past few hours kicked in.
“Then
do it,” I whispered. “Kill me.”
Hunter
stared at the whole scene in shock, tears in his eyes. As Mary’s hand shook,
her eyes darted to the side to glance at him. He seemed to be silently pleading
with her.
I
shook my head as best as I could while being pinned to the wall by dark magic.
“You can’t do it, can you? Haven’t you noticed your father’s mental
deterioration?” I thought for a moment about what to say next, and an unexpected
wave of sympathy came with a new realization. “He can’t really have time for
you. While he’s so involved in his work, he probably hardly even remembers
you’re a daughter. You’re more like a subordinate to him, just slightly above
the rest of them. Am I right?”
Before
I even asked the question, I already knew from the defeated look in her eyes
that I was.
“But
he’s family,” Mary argued halfheartedly. “I can’t just–”
“One
life is better than many,” I repeated, reminding her of my previous reasoning.
“I’m sorry; I really am. I don’t want to do this either. But it’s destiny.
You’d think if something was determined by fate, it must be for a reason,
right? Why try and change it, even if you can?”
She
closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. I could see the internal agony this
conversation was producing, and I wished with all my heart that I could do
something to ease her torture. I could hardly pretend to understand the
entirety of this situation – I had loving parents that had searched for me for
many years, never giving up hope that their lost daughter would one day return.
Her father preferred to act like she didn’t exist and probably wouldn’t care
about her anymore than his other minions if something happened to her. But at
least I knew how difficult it was to step aside and let something terrible
happen to a family member. Perhaps it was on a completely different level in
this case, but I couldn’t imagine just selflessly surrendering my family for
the lives of wizards I didn’t even know.
In
fact, I was just about ready to give up and try a different way of escaping
with my life, ready to accept the fact that there was no way Mary would make
such a sacrifice. Then she surprised me.
She
stepped back, freeing me. “I’ll let you go this time,” she said slowly. She met
my gaze, her cold, fierce, pitiless composure back in place. “But please note
that it won’t be so easy next time. I can’t promise that I won’t protect my
father.”
“I
understand,” I answered solemnly.
Mary
nodded and stepped away. I started walking down the hallway and didn’t look
back.
---
“Sierra?”
“Not
now, Hunter.”
“But
where are we going?”
“That’s
a wonderful question.”
“…You
still haven’t answered it.”
I
sighed. “Just keep walking, Hunter.”
We
continued down the hallway in silence.
My
thoughts were conflicted, a whirlpool of guilt, determination, and confusion.
Malistaire had a daughter – how could the rest of the Spiral not know that? Did
Headmaster Ambrose know that?
With
a jolt of shock, I remembered that Merle Ambrose and Gamma were still missing.
Ugh.
Things could never be simple, could they? Why wasn’t the headmaster just locked
up with the Seekers? But no. That would be too convenient for poor Sierra
WinterBreeze, who obviously hasn’t
endured more adventure in one year than most people could have in a lifetime–
“Sierra!”
I
glared at Hunter for interrupting my mental sarcastic rant. “What?”
“There’s
something there!”
“Really?”
We’d only just left Mary behind – we’d passed through three enormous doors akin
to the ones at the entrance of Malistaire’s lair and entered a circular foyer
that had a beautiful, unobstructed view of Dragonspyre in the distance. There
wasn’t even a railing or any kind of window. The wall just seemed to end there,
and started back up again when the next hallway began on the left. It was down
that hallway that I spotted Hunter’s point of concern. But the figure didn’t
look like a person. It was oddly shaped, way too colossal to be a wizard.
I
halted Hunter. “I don’t know what that thing is, but I don’t think I want to
find out.”
“But
it’s coming toward us!”
Again
– he was right.
“Dang
it! Um…” There weren’t any other ways to go besides backwards – no rooms or
nooks for us to dive into, no hiding spots to exploit. We were trapped, and the
figure had already seen us.
I
glanced behind us, not quite willing to rule out the option of fleeing. Should
we turn back, and risk running into Mary again?
But
as it got closer, the shape became familiar. No, it wasn’t a wizard, but it
sort of looked like…
“Bender?”
I whispered.
The
figure came close enough to recognize specific characteristics, and I realized
it wasn’t Gurtok FireBender. He looked similar, but this thing possessed a blue
body instead, and a much, much harsher demeanor.
He
eyed me emotionlessly. “You know my brother.”
I
nodded vigorously, realizing who he was. “So you’re Gurtok…”
“Piercer.
I am called Gurtok Piercer.” His eyes narrowed, looking rather intimidating.
“And you… you are Sierra?”
This
guy was so different from Gurtok FireBender. He had been warm, kind, and
selfless enough to sacrifice himself for his brother. This guy – he was scary!
“Yeah. I’m… S-Sierra… um,
Sierra WinterBreeze.” I
gestured toward my companion. “And this is Hunter ThunderShield.”
Gurtok
Piercer looked intently at Hunter. “You killed my brother.”
Hunter
took a step back, appearing terrified with wide eyes. “I’m s-sorry!” he
stammered. “I-I wasn’t–”
“That
will not bring him back. He is dead.” He glanced away with remorse.
“…How
exactly do you know all this?” I inquired, suspicious.
“My
brother had two assistants: a Feral Lavaling and a Magma Fury. They were there
when the battle occurred and told me everything.” The Helephant-creature’s
expression grew angry. “FireBender, you fool! You sacrificed yourself for my
freedom… why! There were other paths to liberation, perhaps for us both…”
“Um…
are you mad at us?” Only after the question left my mouth did I realize how
dumb it sounded.
Gurtok
Piercer, to my surprise, replied, “No. I am not. I know it was my brother’s
will, and his mistake cannot be blamed on you.”
Wow.
From such an intimidating, cold guy, I totally wasn’t expecting that.
“Your
brother’s last words mentioned you,” I mumbled, trying to say something
comforting.
Piercer
sighed. “I know. He was hoping I’d help you.” He caught my gaze, staring me in
the eye. “I’ll honor his memory by taking you to my former master: Malistaire.
Any your friends as well – I stumbled upon them earlier.”
“Our
friends? You mean the other Seekers?” Hunter interjected excitedly.
Piercer
nodded, a ghost of a smile on his face.
“This
is great!” he shouted. “We’ll see Sydney again! And your sister, Sierra.
Rowan!”
“And
Mark, and Victoria, and Vanessa…” I reminded him, but beaming from his
contagious enthusiasm.
“Right!”
Hunter nodded ebulliently. “Let’s go. Let’s find them. Right away!”
And
so, once again, I was led on by a person who I’d just met and could barely
trust. Last time hadn’t turned out so great. Oh well. Whatever.
Luckily,
this time it didn’t take long. All Gurtok Piercer had to do was lead us to the
end of that left hallway that he’d been standing in and as we emerged into a
great room…
…I
was tackled to the ground by Rowan WillowLeaf.
Seized
by fits of giggles, I shoved her off to embrace her in a more comfortable
greeting and gazed over her shoulder at the ecstatic faces of the other
Seekers. Hunter rushed in to find his own sister, who grabbed him fiercely into
a hug and yelled at how stupid he was to have wandered off. I grinned at the
sight as the other Seekers surrounded her and demanded that Sydney leave the
poor boy alone, despite how happy they all were to see him back.
After
tons of laughter and excitement, everyone finally calmed down, and I supposed
it was time to start catching up with one another.
“What
happened to you guys?” I asked to no one in particular.
“I
think we should be asking you that
question,” Vanessa said. “You just seemed to disappear. When we realized you
were gone, we went back for you, but no one was there. We were so worried.
Gurtok Piercer here found us and mentioned something about a battle… what did
you guys do?”
I
explained the identity of the mysterious voice and our duel with him. Then I
reached the part about Mary… and I hesitated. Learning who Mary’s father was
had been hard enough for me. Did I really want to force inner turmoil upon them
as well?
…Unfortunately,
it was hard to understand why she’d let me go otherwise.
“Um…
I convinced her that she should release us and let us fight Malistaire. I told
her…” I let my voice trail off. I wasn’t sure what to say.
“She
convinced her that Malistaire wasn’t important,” Hunter muttered. Everyone
turned to face him. “His life isn’t worth the deaths of many others. Wizard
City deserves to live as well. She let us go when she heard that…”
I
beamed at him. I saw him differently than when we first entered Malistaire’s
Lair. Now I could picture him as a friend… as an ally in battle.
“And
what about you guys?” I inquired, shifting the attention away from Hunter.
“What happened to you? And where’s Jessica?”
“We…
ran into some trouble,” Mark said quietly.
“It
was nothing,” Rowan quickly added when I raised an eyebrow. “Just a few
Draconians stalking the halls. But… Jessica got rid of them.”
“She
went out to tell them that she knew where the Seekers were, and led them in a
different direction,” Vanessa explained. “I really think she was just forced to
work for Malistaire – she had no choice. Sierra, I know you don’t like her, but
honestly, we can trust her…”
I
sighed. “Okay. So you have no idea what became of her besides that?”
They
all shook their heads.
“Great…
first Merle Ambrose, now this girl… the list of people we’re going to have to
save just gets longer and longer…”
Everyone
stared at me in shock.
“…What?”
I asked, not quite understand their expressions.
“What
happened to Headmaster Ambrose?” Vanessa demanded.
It
dawned on me that I hadn’t told them. “Oh. I went in to tell him about Rowan’s
awakening, but he wasn’t there. Then Mary showed up, and… I rescued you guys…”
“The
Headmaster was gone? That can’t be good,” Mark murmured.
“But
the only thing we can do at this point is fulfill our destinies. If what
everyone’s been telling me is correct, then that is to defeat Malistaire. Are
you guys ready?”
Only
silence greeted me. The Seekers exchanged worried glances.
“Um,
okay. That wasn’t what I was expecting. Seriously, guys, it’s not that bad!
We’ll totally beat Malistaire! It’ll be easy!” Wow. My enthusiasm sounded
utterly fake. It didn’t help that I frowned at the end of my sentence due to my
lie.
“Sierra…
we’re just a little nervous,” Victoria said. “Malistaire is so powerful and
we’re just seven young students from Ravenwood. The odds are not in our favor.”
“But…
oh, come on, do I have to repeat my encouragement speech from earlier, at the
false Tower of Lost Memories? Don’t you remember what I said?”
They
nodded.
“Good.
We’ve faced bad stuff before. We can do this.” Ignoring my friends’ grimaces, I
turned to Gurtok Piercer, who had been standing mutely behind me the whole
time. “Can you take us there now?”
He
pointed at the door at the back of this room. I hadn’t noticed it when we’d
first arrived – I’d been a little too eager to reunite with the Seekers. Now
that I had a chance to observe it, I saw that it was even huger than the huge
doors we’d thus far been met with. It towered all the way to the high ceiling,
but was still adorned with the same red dragon-like markings on the purple
background. “Malistaire is through that door. Your friends slew the guards that
were in this room earlier, which reversed the spell on this door that kept it
locked. Despite how heavy it looks, you should be able to open it without a
problem. If you just follow the path through there, you should be met with
Malistaire.” He took a step back. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to wait here. I
think I’ll be able to see the battle from over that ledge.” He indicated a
small hill that separated this room from another one across the way. “I’d help
you, but I just got my freedom back, and…”
“I
understand,” I assured him, nodding. I motioned to my friends to follow me.
“Come on! Let’s go.”
One
hallway later, and we entered a room even larger than the last. It was vaguely
circular in shape, and the back of the room had no wall, allowing us to see out
into the dark, clouded sky of Dragonspyre. Most of us froze in shock when we
realized that part of that sky wasn’t actually sky – it was part of a massive
dragon, whose single, closed eye that showed was bigger than the two of the
largest Shadow Beasts I’d ever seen in my short encounters with them combined.
And trust me; Shadow Beasts could be pretty big, at least equal to five times
my own height. This dragon was just… incomprehensibly immense.
Our
fear wasn’t helped by the fact that in the center of the room stood the very
image that haunted every single one of our nightmares since learning of our
destinies as Seekers of Light.
Malistaire,
with eight ghostly Soul Servants, stared right at us. Mary and Liam also
watched from beside their master.
All
seven of us – me, Rowan, Sydney, Victoria, Mark, Hunter, and Vanessa –
approached as slowly as possible. While our enemies looked confident and smug,
we appeared apprehensive and, to be honest, rather pathetic. We were only a
group of wizards-in-training, not even Grandmasters, let alone the Legendaries
that should be fighting this fiend…
“We
meet again, Seekers,” Malistaire boomed, his voice echoing across the great
room. I thought I saw the sleeping dragon’s eye twitch. “So glad you could make
it.”
I
should have made one of my infamous sarcastic remarks, if only to encourage my
friends. But my throat felt dry, and I could only croak, “Um, hello.”
He
smirked. “All right. Where should I begin? Which one of you should I kill
first?”
I
swallowed. “Okay... Malistaire… why don’t we just, you know… skip the fighting
and do this peacefully? Like, just stop all this Krokonomicon and Dragon Titan
craziness?”
Can’t
blame me for trying.
His
expression turned menacing – as though it wasn’t before. “Are you suggesting I
surrender?”
“No!
...Well, actually, yeah. Pretty much. I wouldn’t put it in those words exactly,
but…”
“You
fools!” Everyone – including the Soul Servants – winced at Malistaire’s roar.
“I am more powerful than you can imagine! Why give up now? After I bring Sylvia
back, it will be easy to take over all the worlds in the Spiral. And the only
thing in my way, the only thing fate could bother sending to stop me?” He
looked at us and laughed. “Seven measly student wizards. How pathetic. The
Spiral Guardians clearly underestimate me; they cannot comprehend how strong I
have become.”
“In
case you don’t remember,” I spoke up against all my better judgment, “we busted
into your lair and broke out again. Twice. Well, the first time, we were kind
of captured, but we escaped anyway. If you couldn’t kill us then, what makes
you think you can do it now?”
His
icy eyes locked on mine. I involuntarily shuddered and hoped no one noticed. “I
have learned from my mistakes. You are Sierra WinterBreeze, correct?”
I
didn’t reply out of fear my voice would shake.
Malistaire
didn’t seem to need an answer. “Yes, I remember you. Very defiant, aren’t you?
You have no respect for your betters.” He seemed thoughtful. “Though you’re
rather resourceful too, if what you did to my Skeletal Pirate guard was any
indication.”
Oh.
Right. That time when I was trapped in that room and I used Death magic on the
pirate…
“And
don’t think I do not know about the spell you used.” I tensed. Oh, my gosh, he
knew! He knew about the black lightning! How? I hadn’t told anyone about that.
No one. Not even the Seekers. My friends gave me confused looks, but I provided
no explanation. Malistaire smiled maliciously, knowing my shock.
“I-I
don’t know what you’re talking about,” I stammered. “That has nothing to do
with any of this.”
“What
a lie that is,” Malistaire chuckled. “Though everyone else in this room may be
oblivious, you and I know the truth. You’re no stranger to dark magic.”
My
heart was beginning to pound even harder than before. Surely Malistaire could
hear it even from across the room. Everyone in the area was staring at me now.
I didn’t know what else to do, so I laughed nervously. “Well, duh. I mean… you
guys keep attacking us and everything, so I recognize the kind of magic you use
by now.”
He
gazed at me unblinkingly, studying my face. “Just keep telling yourself that,
Sierra WinterBreeze. But know that even if you defeat me, there’s no escaping
it.”
“Do
I even want to know exactly what it is that I can’t escape?” I mumbled weakly.
He
betrayed no emotion. “I don’t know. Do you?”
I
hesitated for a moment, before finally saying, “Um, no.” I inhaled deeply,
trying to calm myself. Finally, my new leader-skills kicked in. “You know what?
I’ll probably ‘escape’ whatever it is anyway. Because… I’m a Seeker.” I
grinned. “Seekers don’t give up.” I raised Megan’s wand. “Enough talking. Let’s
do this.”
“Very
well.” He took a step back. “I’ll enjoy watching.”
“Wait
– what?” I watched as his minions started advancing toward us. “You’re not
fighting us again? Seriously?”
“I
see no reason to become involved, unless my minions fail,” Malistaire said
offhandedly. “They’re more powerful than anything you’ve fought before. I have
confidence that they can keep you distracted for the time being.”
“You…
coward! That’s not–” My angry cry was cut short as a Soul Servant dove at me. I
was forced to dodge out of the way and reach for my deck, using a wand spell to
push it back. I started rushing forward to where Malistaire, Mary, and Liam
were retreating. I saw a few of my friends attempting to follow, but I waved a
hand behind me. “Handle the Soul Servants. I’m going for Malistaire.”
“No,
Sierra! You can’t go on your own.” Rowan jogged over to me. “I’ll come with
you.”
“Rowan,”
I said sternly, “you can’t leave our friends outnumbered five to eight without
a healer.”
“The
odds are against you too! You’re about to fight the Spiral’s greatest evil alone! Are you crazy?”
“Maybe,”
I sighed. If only we had more people…
As
though summoned by my thoughts, a blue-green portal appeared. Everyone halted
their battles to watch in absolute shock as Scarlet MoonHeart, Jasmine
IceFlame, and Seth GoldenBlood stepped out, trailed by two dragons and a pet
Fire Cat.
“Mister
Muffin?” called Rowan.
“Lady
Rascal!” Victoria cried.
“Sir
Romeo!” Sydney gasped.
“Seth!
Scarlet! Jasmine!” While the pets rushed towards their respective owners, I
headed towards my newly arrived friends.
“What
are you doing here?” I demanded, unsure whether to be upset or relieved.
“We’ve
come to help!” Seth declared. He brandished his wand. "So? Where do I go
to kick some dark wizard butt?”
“Seth…”
“Oh!
Over there! I’m going to help!” He rushed into the fray with the Soul Servants
before I could protest, attacking an enemy with a quickly conjured fireball.
I
turned to Jasmine and Scarlet.
“The
Past Seekers helped us get here,” Jasmine explained. “They told us we’re
destined to help the Seekers so they gave us this–” She held up the metal leaf
from Rowan’s awakening. “–and it created
a portal leading here.”
“And
before you ask,” Scarlet added, “we also picked up the pets. According to the
Past Seekers, they’re important too.”
“Um…
okay…” I caught my sister grinning wildly out of the corner of my eye while she
held Mister Muffin in her arms. I sighed. “Alright, Rowan. You can come.
Scarlet, you’ll be our only healer here. Think you can do it?”
She nodded. “Sure. Where are you going?”
“I’ll
take on Liam, Mary, and Malistaire, or at least keep them busy while you guys
finish off the other minions.”
“You’re
going to see Liam?”
We
glanced to the side to find Vanessa staring at us, her wand still smoking from
the battle she appeared to have just won.
“I’m
coming,” she said firmly. “He’s my brother. I’m coming.”
I
closed my eyes in resignation. There really was no way for me to stop her, was
there? “Fine. Let’s go before someone else wants to join. Scarlet and Jasmine,
go help out Seth and the others. Make sure you have plenty of healing spells,
Scarlet.” I turned to Rowan and Vanessa. “Ready?”
They
nodded.
We
ran off to the back of the room where Malistaire stood. He seemed to have been
waiting for us.
The
six of us stoically gazed at each other in a moment of silence.
Malistaire
attacked first.
He
swept his staff in the shape of the Death symbol and summoned a Wraith (though
how he got enough pips for that right away, I don’t know… that’s just not
fair). It stared straight at me, and I felt a lurch in my stomach as it raised
its hand upward, leaving me to struggle for air. However, only a second later
its strange grip on my soul was released and I stumbled backward with a gasp.
My sister had jumped in front of me, a Death shield protecting us from her
Legend Shield spell. I felt Vanessa move behind us with a twirl of her own
MooShu sword. She summoned a Balance Blade for me.
So
I’m the attacker. Great. Sure, let’s give the girl with the weakest spells the
responsibility of dealing enough damage to destroy the Spiral’s greatest evil.
Sighing,
I began to follow her lead and picked up my Ice Blade card, but a blast of
magic over my shoulder, just barely missing my head, quite successfully
startled me into stopping. I turned to the source of the blast and noticed Mary
gazing at us, wand up with another Balance symbol floating in front of her,
ready to be activated. I narrowed my eyes into a glare, and she smirked in
response. She activated the symbol.
A
cloud of purple mist appeared in front of me. My eyes widened again. Spectral
Blast! It did damage from one of the three elemental schools…
…and
it just so happened to be Storm, the most damaging of all.
Dang
it.
But,
yet again, destiny stepped in – this time in the form of Vanessa and her
awesome Elemental Shield spell. She jumped in the way and let the spell break
the shield, hurting her a bit in the process. But she didn’t stop there. Steely
resolve depicted on her face, she rushed toward Mary, casting a quick Scorpion
as she went.
Now
that Mary was distracted, I brought my attention back to the matter at hand…
but it was a second too late. Malistaire already had the Death Symbol up again,
and this time it sent a Scarecrow.
It
first reached toward me and I gasped for breath, feeling some strength leave my
body and transfer to Malistaire. Then it turned to my sister. I could only
watch as it drained Rowan’s life too. At last it turned to Vanessa…
“Oh
no you don’t,” Rowan muttered, running in that direction. “That’s not fair,
interrupting a battle like that!”
Liam,
who hadn’t even moved until now, mumbled something that sounded like having his
sister fight her own battles and rushed after Rowan.
Now
Malistaire and I were alone.
Yay.
Time to spend some quality time with the Spiral’s greatest evil.
I
prepared myself for another spell, already forming half of the circular Ice
symbol with my wand, but Malistaire was faster. I was launched backwards when a
Skeletal Pirate struck me. I struggled to push myself back up, trying to get
back on my feet, but something cold and metal halted me.
The
Skeletal Pirate hadn’t disappeared, and its sword was now pointing at my
throat. My eyes grew wider as I registered Malistaire’s smirk of triumph.
Oh,
no. I’d forgotten about the “no dueling circle” rules. Spell creatures didn’t
have to disappear after they were cast.
And
if that Skeletal Pirate killed me, I wouldn’t come back. It would hurt. I would
die.
This
couldn’t be it. I couldn’t die here! Not when I’d come so far…
With
all these horrified thoughts numbing my mind, I almost didn’t believe it when
the Skeletal Pirate burst into flames.
I
closed my eyes, briefly thinking that such a phenomenon had to be an illusion
born from wistful thinking. That was… until the pirate fell on top of me and I
felt the heat from the flames devouring its bony body. I quickly shoved it off
of me and leapt to my feet, frantically brushing off the fires trying to eat my
robes with a bit of Ice magic.
I
glanced around, searched for the source of my mysterious fire. I was stunned to
see…
“Sir
Romeo?”
The
little Fire Cat, wagging his tail, meowed happily at the sound of his name.
Sydney sprinted over, appearing just as bewildered as I felt.
“He
just set that Skeletal Pirate on fire with his fur!” she whispered. “He saved
you!”
“Indeed
he did,” Malistaire cut in with a low, menacing voice, concealing barely
restrained anger. He raised his staff.
Sydney
realized what was happening before I did. “NO!”
I
grabbed her arm and held her back as Malistaire unleashed the spell. We watched
helplessly as Sir Romeo was seized by thick clouds of darkness. We heard his
terrified cry while he struggled in the darkness. With a final choking sound,
he went limp, and the clouds unceremoniously dumped him back on the ground.
Sydney
muttered “no” a few more times before violently yanking her hand out of my
grasp. She rushed to her pet’s side.
“You…
you monster!” she screamed, glaring
up at Malistaire. “You’re a psychopath! How dare
you kill him!”
“If
it makes you feel any better, it didn’t suffer long,” Malistaire chuckled. “I
choked the life right out of its tiny, helpless little–”
“STOP!”
With a speed and ferocity that I’d never seen in her before, she summoned her
Phoenix spell. Its wings glowed brighter than ever as it screeched and
stretched.
You
know… I’d never understood why Sydney was Fire. She seemed too laid back for
that. Now that I’d seen her temper, however, it had all become very clear.
Screaming
a battle-cry, Sydney thrust her wand forward and the Phoenix followed the
motion.
Malistaire
didn’t miss a beat. He stepped to the side, letting the Phoenix miss him
completely. He then countered with a blast of dark energy, knocking both the
Phoenix and, due to their connection, Sydney back. But she didn’t give up. She
took a determined step forward and resumed her attacking, this time catching
Malistaire off-guard. Glaring, he tried to counter, but the Phoenix returned.
Snarling angrily, the evil wizard responded by drawing the Death symbol and
summoning–
“No
way… Skeletal Dragon?!”
My
heart fluttered in fear at the incredible spell that Malistaire had brought
into the combat. Even Sydney’s ceaseless assaults were brought to a halt by the
sight. It loomed over us, and everyone froze in horror – even Mary and Liam,
busy dueling Rowan and Vanessa, paused in their battles. I couldn’t see my
other friends and Seekers due to their position behind us, but judging by the
silence I knew they were shocked too.
The
dragon was even bigger than usual – and Skeletal Dragon, being so advanced that
only the recent new “Legendary” graduates could control it, was enormous to
begin with. Its empty eyes scanned the frozen scene before it. Everyone held
their breath to wait for its next move.
“Now
you will see the true extent of my power!” Malistaire boomed.
The
Skeletal Dragon raised its bony head and roared before turning its gaze to the
ground. Its first prey? Sydney JadeHammer’s Phoenix.
“Sydney!”
I screamed. “Dispell the Phoenix! If it kills that, you’ll be killed, too!”
My
warning came too late. She looked up at me – just as the Skeletal Dragon
breathed an orb of reddish-dark energy. With a high-pitched screech, the
Phoenix was hit. It disappeared into fiery smoke as Sydney collapsed to the
ground.
“No…
Sydney!” I cried.
“You’ll
pay for that!”
A
tan colored streak with green flecks flew over my head. I watched in
bewilderment as it crashed into the Skeletal Dragon, but merely bounced off.
The dragon gave it a brief glance, and then whipped its massive skeletal hand
toward it. I followed the object’s trajectory with my eyes. As it tumbled
behind me, I noticed Hunter standing by the other Seekers with his face screwed
up in concentration. Just before it crashed, the streak vanished. Hunted opened
his eyes and sighed exhaustedly. I gave him a questioning look.
“Blood
Bat,” he explained. “It was the only thing that could fly to reach the dragon’s
height. Apparently it didn’t work.” He sighed. “Well, at least I tried…”
My
attention was forced back to the danger at hand when the dragon reared its head
with a loud, deafening roar that made us all clutch our ears. Malistaire gave a
malicious, cruel smile.
Then
the dragon attacked.
Or
maybe the correct term is “rampaged”.
One
of the dragon’s massive hands pounded the ground, throwing everyone in the room
except Malistaire to the ground from the impact.
While
we all struggled to our feet (except Sydney, who appeared to be unconscious),
the dragon took a step forward, its foot just about to come crashing down… on
top of me.
“SIERRA!
MOVE!” someone shouted.
I
didn’t even hesitate. I dove to the side, grimacing at the quake caused by the
dragon’s foot landing mere inches from my body. Soon the foot lifted into the
air again and away from me, crashing down in Mark and Scarlet’s direction, both
of whom scrambled out of the way.
Then
I glanced in the direction I’d heard the familiar voice call my name, prepared
to thank my savior, but the only people I saw there were, to my surprise, Mary
and Liam.
Shocked,
I looked around – surely it’d been someone else? The voice had been male; of
that I was certain. But Mark, Hunter,
and Seth were all on the other side of the room, distracted by the Skeletal
Dragon’s relentless attacks. Liam was staring straight at me, eyes wide and
stunned. Further proving my unlikely suspicion was the murderous look Mary was
giving him.
“DUCK!”
The sharp cry from Victoria was followed by various grunts and yelps as
everyone dropped to the ground, including Malistaire’s two minions in front of
me. I followed their example, feeling something swiftly fly over my head like a
whip. Gazing upwards, I realized that it was the dragon’s sweeping tail.
This isn’t working, I thought, watching my friends cast
a few spells. We’ve had so many close
calls with that thing, but none of our attacks seem to do any damage. What do
we–
Suddenly,
another pound onto the ground from the Skeletal Dragon caused the room to shake,
and I noted with much dismay that the half-crumbling walls surrounding the area
couldn’t take it anymore. Large chunks of rock tumbled downward from the sky,
creating yet another hazard for us to avoid. While my mind still furiously
tried to conjure up some kind of battle strategy, my eyes swept over the scene
– and subsequently widened in horror.
It
was like everything was moving in slow motion. Sydney was still immobile on the
ground. Vanessa, like a good friend, had rushed to her side to help her move
out of the way. Unfortunately, she hadn’t noticed the huge rock that was
falling down right on top of them.
A
strangled noise between a sob and a gasp caught in my throat as I tried to form
the warning that could save Vanessa and Sydney both. But I was too late. There
was no possible way that I could get it out in time. And I wasn’t close enough
to try any kind of self-sacrificing pushing-out-of-the-way act. They were
doomed…
…Hey,
wait. What was that thing moving toward them?
Bewildered,
I watched the figure sprint to the pair’s side with his wand raised. He hastily
drew the Balance symbol and activated it just as swiftly. A blast of
Storm-charged energy sped toward the rock and swept it away. Unfortunately, in
the process, it nearly hit Hunter, who had also been rushing to help his
sister. Only quick reflexes allowed him to dodge, although the rock did manage
to graze his arm and leave a rather nasty-looking scratch.
Confident
that he was alright for the moment, I glanced back at Sydney and Vanessa. I...
probably shouldn't have been so surprised by what I found there, but I was. Of
course it was Liam. It just had to be Liam. He was mumbling concernedly to
Vanessa, who still was looking a bit stunned from such a near death experience.
Ugh... couldn't he just pick a side and stick with it? His unstable loyalty was
giving me a headache.
I
wasn't the only one irritated by this, apparently. Unfortunately, receiving
negative attention was bad for both me and him – at least when it came from the
Spiral's greatest evil.
Malistaire
and the dragon turned simultaneous in an extremely eerie way. A glance into
Malistaire's eyes made me shudder. It was a look of pure hatred and insanity. I
had no doubt that he'd kill his own daughter now. He wasn't himself.
"You..."
he growled at Liam, his voice seeming much louder and more booming than usual.
"You have meddled with my plans for the last time!"
Everyone
else also focused their attention on Liam, staring at him and he conjured up
and explanation. "I... I didn't do it for the Fire girl... I did it for
Vanessa."
"It
doesn't matter!" Malistaire snarled. It was difficult to hear his next few
words over the roar of his dragon. "You never have been completely
committed to my cause! You only joined because you thought the opportunity may
save your life and the lives of your family... because you wanted to be on the
winning side. Well, you were wrong! Goodbye, Liam GriffinBane!"
He
laughed maniacally as the dragon swung. "And know that once you're gone...
your sister will be next!"
I
watched with breath held as the dragon's fist connected with his body. It was
sickening to watch a human being zoom across the cavern. He slammed into the
ground a good distance away, skidding dangerously close to the edge of the
room, where it dropped off into the sky of Dragonspyre. I stood there, frozen,
as Malistaire chuckled and his dragon gave one good pound on the ground. The
vibration caused all of our bodies to jump into the air – and Liam was sent
careening off the cliff.
"NO!"
I wasn't certain who shouted it – me, or Vanessa, or maybe both. But we both
were at the side of the cliff in an instant, peering over the side. I wasn't
sure if I should be relieved or upset to see Liam still clinging onto the
ledge. Vanessa let out a lob sob that may or may not have been an attempt to
say his name. However, before she could consider saving him, she was jerked
back with a gasp as the dragon grasped hold of her and pulled her back. I
should have been more concerned... but my gaze was locked with Liam's.
I
was the only one left. The only one close enough to save him.
The
question was: did I want to?
My
heart pounded abnormally loud, my eyes wide with terror and indecision. He
looked up at me pleadingly. "Sierra..."
And
suddenly, his grip failed and he was forced to let go, his form dropping out of
sight in seconds.
I
stared at the spot that he'd just been, my face a blank mask. That space of
empty air had once held a living being. A human, whom I'd denied the right to
live simply by doing nothing.
Oh
my gosh... Liam had just... died... and it was my fault...
I
had no more time to ponder over this revelation, because before I could even
begin to overcome my shock, I was lifted into the air by a skeletal hand. I
glanced up, still slightly dazed as my eyes met the Skeletal Dragon's empty
sockets. I spotted Vanessa struggling to free herself from his other hand out
of the corner of my eye.
There
were multiple shouts coming from beneath me, and it wasn't long before I felt
an impact go through the Skeletal Dragon's body and it shuddered with pain. Its
grip loosened, but it did not release me or Vanessa. Good thing, too. At this
height, I'd probably be crushed against the ground. So, instead I started to
worm my way out of the massive hand.
My
attempt was actually quite successful – the dragon was too busy attacking the
wizards at its feet to worry about an escaping prisoner that would have nowhere
to go, even after getting free from his grip. It was made slightly more
difficult by the fact that he liked to wave his hands around with me in tow,
and I was starting to feel like I was on some kind of staggering carnival ride
of death. Even so, I liberated my arms... but hesitated, a little too worried
that if I pulled out my legs then I'd be released entirely and flung across the
room with his next swipe.
Just
then, a streak of red and yellow flew over to me. Before I could see what it
was, however, an outraged dragon took another grand sweep of his arm across the
floor in an attempt to hit some unlucky Seekers and took me away from it. I
looked around, but I didn't see it anymore, so I wondered if there had actually
been anything at all or if it had been my imagination. Sighing, I decided that
whatever it had been must have left – and then I turned to the side and found
myself face-to-face with a Sunbird.
"Flame!"
I whispered excitedly. It raised its head proudly at the sound of its pet name,
given to it by Rowan as a means for calming it down. It gestured to its back
with its beak. "You want me to climb on?"
I
glanced around, and the dragon looked like he was preoccupied with trying to
crush Scarlet under the hand with Vanessa's body. So... I decided to take a
huge risk.
I
jerked my legs out of the dragon's hand – and instantly I was caught by gravity.
For the first time, I realized that of course
the dragon wasn't going to be super nice and keep me standing straight up.
Instead of getting to my feet as I hoped, I was flung into the air and started
falling to my demise.
...Until
something warm, red, and feathered caught me.
"Th-Thanks,
Flame," I said weakly as the Sunbird gently drifted down, depositing me
safely onto firm ground. It nodded once before flying off in Vanessa's
direction. I looked over at Rowan, who was smiling at me. I sure was lucky to
have a sister trained second in Fire.
I'd definitely have to thank her later.
Unfortunately,
being back on solid ground didn't mean I had a moment to consider my next move.
Nope. Our eye contact was broken when I was caught in the stomach by a blast of
energy, landing on my back, gasping for air. I sat up to see Mary glaring at
me, her wand still glowing with the power of the simple energy attack. I raised
my own wand in defense, planning on conjuring a Tower Shield, but Seth got
there first. Oddly enough, rather than casting a spell he emanated a war cry
and tackled her to the ground, causing her to shriek in surprise. It was
strange watching them struggle against each other as Mary shouted out furious
curses. Trusting (okay, hoping) that
Seth could handle her for the time being, I returned my attention to the
battle.
A
Wraith, courtesy of Mark, was gliding around and fending off attacks from the
dragon. I was relieved to see that Scarlet and Hunter were frantically waving
their wands above Sydney, and she was beginning to stir. She would probably be
back in the fray soon. Victoria and Jasmine both used various spells to hit
random spots on the dragon, but since none of them had any affect it didn't do
much good. Rowan rushed over to meet Vanessa, who was just getting dizzily to
her feet off of the Sunbird's back. Seth and Mary each had hands on Mary's
wand, both trying to wrestle it from the other's grasp.
Just
then, Seth let go of the wand abruptly and Mary, unable to stop the force of
her pull, had to let go of it and let it fly behind her, twirling into the air.
As fate would have it, the Skeletal Dragon just so happened to be leaning down
at that moment. The wand flew straight into its forehead.
Much
to the shock of everyone in the room, the dragon let out an ear-piercing shriek
and jerked back, clutching its skull. I thought I saw it crack slightly.
This
made me skeptical. How had one little wand caused so much pain to such a large
monster..?
Suddenly
realizing something, I raised my wand to test my theory. Not willing to perform
anything more complicated, I conjured up my normal wand spell – just a simple
concentrated bolt of Ice magic. I aimed at its head and fired.
My
suspicions were confirmed as the bolt hit hard and the dragon cowered in pain.
He actually was getting hurt there. He wasn't invincible as we'd feared.
That
gave me an idea.
"Everyone!
Seekers!" I shouted. "Listen! We need to combine our powers. Aim for
its head – I think it's weaker there!"
My
friends all murmured in agreement. Most of them had seen the dragon's pain as
well and had likely come to the same conclusion as me. Mary, who had been
watching the scene perplexed, snapped back to attention and rushed to grab her
wand. We ignored her.
It
was time to end this, and nothing would stop us.
Ten
wands – two Ice, two Fire, two Life, and one for Death, Myth, Storm, and
Balance – pointed at exactly the same spot, fierce looks of determination in
their wielders' eyes.
"Ready?"
I called.
I
received solemn nods in response.
"When
I say go," I ordered. "One..."
"You
fools!" Malistaire boomed. His voice was amplified by the dark magic that
encased his body as he controlled the Skeletal Dragon, and he sounded almost
inhuman, his words echoing and hollow. "Nothing can stop me! I am the most
powerful wizard in the Spiral. Once I remove you, I'll be even more
unstoppable."
"Two,"
I yelled. To my friends' credit, they hadn't moved an inch, even throughout
Malistaire's speech. Mary, her wand reclaimed, was watching with wide eyes.
Surely she'd realized what was about to happen... but she did nothing to stop
it.
"Give
up! There is no weakness. If you do not stop this nonsense, I will crush you
mercilessly."
"One..."
I gritted my teeth, feeling the mana within my body bubbling with anticipation,
conjuring up every ounce of power I could find in preparation for the final
blow.
The
Skeletal Dragon raised its hands. "Very well," Malistaire said
coldly. "Now you'll die. How does it feel, knowing you all failed? Your
lives were all wasted. Now say goodbye as I–"
"Now!
GO!"
In
unison, ten multi-colored bolts of magic shot into the air, meeting a perfect,
sharp point. It slammed into the undead dragon's head with absolute precision.
For
a second, everything was still. A brilliant light covered the room.
Then
Malistaire screamed, his lament mixing with the Skeletal Dragon's roar. The
dragon raised its hands above its head, and I took in a sharp breath. If it
brought those down, we'd all be crushed. Someone needed to do something.
I needed to do something...
Before
I even realized what I was doing, I twirled my wand and drew–
The
Death symbol?
Faster
than the eye could follow, black lightning shot out of my wand, crackling on a
path toward Malistaire. He gasped as it hit him, and his face screwed up with
pain. He opened his mouth as though to cry out, but no sound came. At last, he
and the Skeletal Dragon fell over, crumpling to the ground. The dragon slowly
dissolved in wispy splatters of weightless dust, vanishing piece by piece.
Silence
permeated the air.
Then...
"What...
in the Spiral... was that?"
Hunter breathed.
My
friends and I let out big huffs of air that we hadn't realized we'd been
holding. Mark chuckled quietly.
"Well...
interesting..." he muttered.
"Is
he...?" Victoria questioned.
I
took a hesitant step forward, looking back toward Malistaire. However, someone
was already there.
Mary,
tears in her eyes, stood up from her position next to Malistaire, staring me
directly in the eyes. "Yes. He's dead." Then her expression hardened
– but, incredibly, she turned around and furiously mumbled, "I can't
believe... he intervened! He must have planned this whole thing!" She
sounded angry... but not at me...
Then,
with a shower of sparks, Mary teleported away.
"Um...
what was that about?" Sydney asked uneasily.
I
shrugged, about to verbally reply when a gasp, so similar to Malistaire's
pain-filled breaths earlier, caught my attention with a jolt of horror. I
rushed to Jasmine's side, all nine of my friends following swiftly as she sank
to the ground, clutching her head.
"Jasmine!"
Victoria shouted, pushing her way through the crowd. "What's... what–
agh!" Much to our shock, she suddenly collapsed too.
"No!"
I frantically spotted my sister in the crowd. "Rowan, you're a healer.
They're hurt! You need to–"
To
my astonishment, Jasmine began to laugh. "No, no... I... I remember!"
"You...?"
Then it clicked. Victoria and Jasmine had been in an accident in Marleybone
that erased their memories. It had been caused by Malistaire, so maybe, just
maybe...
I
was jerked from my thoughts by the sounds of someone teleporting, then a
joyful, tear-filled cry of, "MARK!"
I
stared at the boy in question as the two people who'd teleported embraced him
in a tight hug. The expression on his face was a mixture of shock, disbelief,
and embarrassment.
"Mark!
Oh, Mark!" the woman clutching him sobbed, soaking his dark robes.
"Thank goodness, you're okay!"
"M...
Mom?" a bewildered Mark whispered tentatively. I now recognized these
people: they were his parents, Autumn and Alex. I'd seen them in the Crevice of
Time, though now they were older and seemed to care about Mark a lot more than
before.
"Where
in the Spiral have you been?" his father demanded, though he sounded more
relieved than upset. "Your little sister was spouting nonsense about you
going off to fight Malistaire. We thought you'd just been telling her
stories... but then you didn't come back..."
Still
standing stiffly in his mother's arms, he mumbled, "I thought you didn't
care about me..."
Autumn
burst into a fresh round of tears. "I know we acted like it, and we're
sorry! Today I realized just how terrible I'd feel if anything happened to you.
Please, forgive me!"
I
glanced at my friends as Mark and his parents continued to exchange
long-overdue apologies. Victoria and Jasmine appeared to have recovered and
both had wide grins on their faces. Sydney, I noticed, was watching me
expectantly. She took in a deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready."
"Ready
for what?"
She
removed them fire crystal necklace that the dragon had given her from so long
ago, throwing it to the side. She took out her wand.
I
gaped. "Sydney, what are you doing? You can't cast spells without fire
crystals nearby!"
"I
know," she said, "but I'm going to try anyway. Look–" She
pointed at Victoria. "–her life was affected by dark magic when she lost
her memory. His life–" She pointed at Mark. "–was affected by being
the only Death wizard in his family and feeling like an outcast." She took
a shuddering breath. "Don't you see? Victoria got her memory back. Mark's
parents accepted him at last. I think... I think that since we killed
Malistaire, the dark magic is wearing off." She raised her wand.
"Everyone, stand back. I'm going to cast Fire Cat, but last time..."
She grimaced. "Things got pretty bad."
We
all followed her advice and stepped back, giving her a wide berth. Then she
closed her eyes, drew the Fire symbol with a flourish, and activated it.
A
beautiful Fire Cat with glowing fur crouched in front of Sydney, looking ready
to pounce. It stood frozen for a moment.
Suddenly,
a jolt of movement made us all gasp and step away, afraid that Sydney wouldn't
be able to control it. It didn't lunge toward us, though... it went straight
towards its master.
I
heard someone cry Sydney's name – probably Hunter – as the Fire Cat tackled her
to the ground. I started rushing forward, but then–
Sydney
laughed.
I
halted, stunned by the noise, staring at my friend lying on the floor. Instead
of tearing her apart, the Fire Cat was... licking her?
Sydney
giggled even more. Something about the scene made me smile. It was almost
familiar. It kind of reminded me of...
Sir
Romeo...
"My
turn!" Hunter burst out, shifting all attention to himself... but he was
no longer there. He'd teleported away before we could see him, reappearing
halfway across the room next to Sydney, who had sat up and was now petting the
Fire Cat. "YES!" He pounded a fist into the air. "I can teleport
again!"
I
saw Rowan's eyes widen hopefully as she withdrew her deck, searching for a
card. She pulled out the Regenerate spell triumphantly and cast it.
Mister
Muffin, appearing nervous at her heels, watched the misty clouds form above
Rowan's head. When the giant hand popped out, it looked completely normal
(aside from the fact that it was an oversized, disembodied hand).
"Handy!"
Rowan screamed, running to where the hand extended a finger low enough for her
to hug. It was a very odd sight... but at least Rowan was happy.
I
grinned at the room, seeing the excited faces of my friends (except Mark, who
still looked awkward as his mother fussed over him). Then I spotted one face
that wasn't sharing in the jubilance.
I
silently made my way toward Vanessa, sidling up next to her. She glanced at me.
"I suppose you've come to ask why I'm not celebrating?" she asked
irritably.
I
shook my head. "I think I already know."
"No,
I don't think you do. It's not just Liam. ...Well, that's a pretty big part of
it. But just... just look at everyone! They're all so happy! Their curses have
been lifted, but mine never will. You can't bring back the dead."
Looking
sympathetic, I said, "You're not the only one."
"Yes,
I am! You're not talking about Sir Romeo, are you? Hah! He's a Fire Cat! He can
be replaced. I lost my whole family."
I
was a bit annoyed by her lack of understanding toward Sydney, but I bit back my
annoyance and tried to comfort her. "I wasn't talking about Sir
Romeo."
"Then
who? Rowan's got Handy back, Sydney's got her spells, Mark's got a family,
Hunter's got teleporting, and Victoria's got memory. Everyone's happy."
"You
didn't say everyone."
"Jasmine
has her memory too, and Seth and Scarlet didn't lose anything."
"But
you're forgetting one Seeker."
She
looked me in the eyes for a moment, and I saw a flicker of comprehension.
"Oh. I'd forgotten that you..."
"It's
alright," I sighed. "I can't change the past. I can't regain the time
I lost when Malistaire sent me to Earth." I gave her a sympathetic look.
"Look, I know that what I went through is probably nothing compared to
what you're feeling now... but I'm willing to try understand. Or at least help.
I'm so sorry, Vanessa, for what happened to your family..."
She
held my gaze for a moment, before dropping her eyes to the floor. "Of
course you are. Everyone's sorry. But that won't bring them back, will
it?" Despite her cynical words, I was relieved to find that all the
bitterness had left her tone, replaced with pure and simple sorrow. "I
just wish... sometimes I wish I'd never heard about the Seekers. That... that
Liam had never heard about them."
"We
all wish that," I said softly. Then, after a brief moment of silence, I
said, "Well, maybe you can look on the bright side of things. While you
may have lost a lot... you've gained some close friends, right?" I offered
a small smile. "We Seekers stick together. And... if you're willing, we'd
certainly be willing to become your new family." I glanced up, scanning
the room full of the happy, grinning faces of my friends. "It won't be the
same, but it might help... maybe. I'm going to go now. Think about what I've
said, okay?"
I
walked away, leaving her silent and pensive behind me.
I
was about to rejoin the celebrations... but some small flash of light in the
corner of the room caught my attention. It was a portal. I approached it
cautiously, wondering what it could be here for.
And
then, out of it stepped the one person I least expected...
"Headmaster
Ambrose!"
My
incredulous cry caused my friends to turn toward us, equal expressions of joy
and amazement on their faces.
"Where
have you been?" I asked, rushing over to him. "Mary said that–"
"I
had a slight run-in with Malistaire," he explained. "I didn't
appreciate him kidnapping my students. He weakened me quite a bit, trapping
me..." He smiled. "But everything still turned out alright." The
rest of my friends arrived, just in time to hear him say, "You did well,
Seekers. And you three as well, Seth, Scarlet, and Jasmine.
"Oh,
Sierra." I blinked at the sound of my name. Merle Ambrose pulled something
out of his robe. "I believe this is yours."
He
held in his hands a glistening silver necklace with a gorgeous blue gem set
into it – a sapphire.
"My...
my necklace!" I shrieked with glee. I took it reverently, about to slip it
over my head, but I paused halfway.
"Wait.
One quick test." I placed the necklace gently on the ground, just in case
it was real and my suspicions were
simply paranoia. Then I lifted my blue-and-white boot and stepped down hard.
The
gem remained perfectly fine; my foot couldn't crush it.
Beaming,
I put it back around my neck. It was real – not some fake created by
Malistaire. I finally had my sapphire necklace, the wonderful treasure Sydney's
awakening's dragon had given me.
It
was all over. Finally over.
"I
believe you all deserve some kind of reward, don't you think?" still
smiling, Merle Ambrose motioned for us to follow him into the still awaiting
portal. After hesitating for a moment to wonder if it could be a trap (my gosh,
I was becoming way too paranoid), I
followed.
I
reappeared in Merle Ambrose's office, where Gamma sat by the desk. I was
relieved to see him – he'd disappeared along with the headmaster earlier.
Eleven others eventually made their way through the portal, crowding in behind
me, including the Seekers, my friends, and Mark's parents.
"First,"
Merle Ambrose began, "I will have badges prepared for you. It's a simple
way to let the whole Spiral know of your accomplishment. I do believe they can
hold the title... 'Savior of the Spiral'.
"Of
course, you'll need more than that – we can't thank you enough!" he
murmured. "Hmm..." After a few moments of thought, he snapped his
fingers. "Ah! I'll have Victor DarkWood, the tailor in the Shopping
District, make you all individual, unique robes specialized for your
schools." He paused. "For what I have planned, normally you'd have to
be level 50 to wear them, in case you lose control of the magic – you know how
that is." He winked. "But I believe I can make exceptions for the
Seekers and their closest allies, right? You're all pretty skilled for your
levels – I'm certain you can handle it."
All
of us nodded vigorously, grinning from ear to ear.
"If
you'll excuse me, Merle," a voice spoke up, and I almost jumped in
surprise. It was Mark's mother. I'd forgotten that she and her husband were
still here. "I'd like to ask: what exactly did theses children do? They
didn't... they didn't actually slay
Malistaire, did they? The
Malistaire?"
I
felt a bit of indignation at her lack of faith, but the headmaster spoke up
before I could. "I will tell you the whole story. We're just waiting for a
few more people to arrive..."
"Like
who?"
As
though it had been waiting for a cue, the door burst opened, and two people
rushed inside – two people I knew very well.
"MERLE!
Where are they? Where are–" The man talking, who was named Caleb
FrostSong, immediately stopped speaking when his eyes laid on me. They shifted
to Rowan, and then he sighed with relief.
"What
happened to you two?" Angela UnicornRider, known to Rowan and me as
"Mom", huffed. "We've been trying to contact you for ages! You
didn't come home, and..." She seemed to realize that there were other
people in the room. Her gaze landed on Mark and it turned cold. "I
remember you. You're that Death boy that influenced or Rowan to break all those
rules. If you have anything to do with this, so help me I will–"
"Excuse
me! I'm Mark's mother. Is something wrong?"
Mark
looked absolutely bewildered that his mom had spoken up for him. "N-No,
Mom, it's okay..."
"It
is not okay! I don't appreciate people barging in here and accusing my son of
something he may not have done."
My
mother seemed a bit shocked that this "evil influence" had such an
obviously Life-school mom. She shook off her incredulity. "As a matter of
fact, he did do something! He
convinced my poor daughter to ruin her reputation."
"Geez,
all we did was free a few pets at the Shopping District," Rowan grumbled
from next to me. "Mom probably wouldn't be so against Mark if that hadn't
happened. But she's acting like we robbed a bank or something..."
I
knew that Rowan's concept of a "few" pets was quite different from
our mom's, so I figured Mom might actually have a reason to be upset.
Just
then, a flurry of sparks alerted us to the teleportation of more people. This
time I spotted Sydney's parents, Jasmine's father, Seth's parents, and then two
other people that I failed to recognize. I was forced to step aside to let them
in. The room was very crowded now.
"We
came as fast as we could," one of the new men said solemnly. His gaze
rested upon Scarlet. "I'm glad to see you. When Merle called me, I was
rather shocked. You're not in trouble,
are you?"
"No,
father," Scarlet sighed.
So
that was Scarlet's dad. Then who was...
"Victoria,
are you alright?" said a pretty woman with green eyes and a face similar
to Victoria. Perhaps that was her mother?
"Ah,
wonderful. I think that's everyone now," said the headmaster. I gazed
around the crowded room at the huge congregation of people gathered. I was
uncomfortably squeezed in between my sister and Sydney, and the multitudes of
other people succeeded at boxing me and making it difficult to move.
Therefore,
when the headmaster called, "Sierra?" I was forced to stand on my
tip-toes and raise a hand, elbowing a few people in the process.
"I'm
right here, Professor Ambrose," I announced. He nodded at me and, much to
my dismay, motioned for me to come forward. Carefully avoiding any toes, I
pushed my way through the throng as gently as I could (which sadly wasn't too
gently, but under the circumstances I did well).
"Sierra
WinterBreeze," Headmaster Ambrose said dramatically as I arrived next to
him at the front of the crowd, more than a bit tired and embarrassed from my
trip there. "Ice Seeker of Light and leader of Malistaire's downfall. I
believe our story begins with you."
"What
story?" I asked. I silently chastised myself for my irritable tone and
lack of respect. This was Merle Ambrose, the greatest wizard in the Spiral!
"The
story of the Seekers! I think it's about time it was told. Unless you'd prefer
we begin with Victoria? With her memories back, I'm sure Miss RavenSmith could
start off the story as well..."
Victoria
turned red as everyone faced her. "N-No, that's okay, Sierra. You can
go."
"Where
do I begin?" I wondered, starting to feel slightly overwhelmed by the
attention as it shifted away from Victoria and back to me.
"How
about when you returned to the Spiral?" Rowan suggested. "On the
first day we met?"
I
thought back to that day, and I felt a small smile grace my lips. Yeah... that
had been in the day when I'd messed with the refrigerator, right? It felt like
a lifetime ago...
"Okay."
I paused, gathering my thoughts. "So... let's see. It started with Gamma
showing up at the orphanage, where I'd grown up on Earth. Something totally
unexpected happened to me that day. It was even stranger than any of the things
I'd done before. And those were pretty amazing things. Like the time I froze
John because I'd glared at him? Or when I turned the swimming pool into ice? Or
made that snowman come alive?
"Anyway,
I was sitting on the steps of the orphanage. The cold never seemed to bother me
– as you all know; I'm a Thaumaturge! So on that cool October day, I sat
staring up at the setting sun, when I noticed an owl in the tree in front of
me..."
THE TALE OF SIERRA WINTERBREEZE
THE END
