Circumstellar (16 page)

“A
re you sure we didn’t end up in the dungeon?” I couldn’t help but ask, inspecting the now dust covered stone hall. There were no windows to be seen, and the only source of light crept in from a nearby doorway. I didn’t realize this Ariel woman lived in the Wicked Witch’s old tower. I would have brought a bottle of water to celebrate. I stood up, futilely waving at the remaining dust cloud in the air.

“Damn, I hate this stuff. This is the second time it’s tried to smother me.”

“Here that would be considered quite fortunate,” Emba mused, strapping the Therion Keystone to her belt. I glared at her, wondering if Loxley may have been right about her intentions after all. Emba looked up at my thoroughly unamused expression and smiled at me. “The stardust is very rare,” she clarified, “and considered extremely valuable.”

“Stardust,” I muttered, staring down unimpressed at the pile of sandy, gray-black debris I was standing on. This crap was actually worth something? Didn’t I throw a bunch out of my window?

“That’s enough talk,” Loxley commanded, making me jump. Her voice hitched noticeably when she spoke. “If we truly are in the enemy’s tower, someone might hear us and –”

“That’s not a problem,”
Emba interrupted. “This is one of the old underground hallways in the base of the tower. Hardly anyone ever comes down here. Being surrounded by earth is sometimes . . . suffocating.”

I glanced up and down the hall and shrugged.
Didn’t bother me. Not that there was much to be bothered by. I was much more likely to die from slipping into a coma at the shear boringness of this bland hall.

“You seem to know a lot about this place,” Loxley bit out, the accusation in her tone obvious.

Emba turned to look back at Loxley, the smile on her face a mere ghost of its former glory. “I’m going on ahead to scout the area. Stay here.” She spun around and strode down the hallway.

“Hey, wait!” Loxley called after her but to no avail. In little more than a few seconds,
Emba effectively disappeared out of view.

“I didn’t see that one coming,” I said, moving over to lean against the wall. After looking around the grand basement hall, I sighed and closed my eyes.
Break into Ankida World. Check. Find out where the hell to go next. Not quite a check
. The sound of footsteps crunching against the stardust echoed in the passage, and I opened my eyes to see Loxley furiously pacing back and forth.

“This is just great. Just great,” she rambled to herself.
“Trapped in the Ankida World. Abandoned by the only person who knows where to go. She even has the keystone.”

“I don’t think
Emba’s abandoned us,” I offered, trying to ease Loxley’s tension.

“How can you be so sure?” she snapped. “Something’s not right. She hasn’t been completely honest with us from the
start. I just know it! There’s something she’s hiding from us.”

“Even so, what would be t
he point of taking us down here?” I reasoned. “Why hide us away? If she wanted, she could have just zapped us to that Ariel. And besides, it’s not like we have anything valuable. She’s already got the stone.” So this is what it was like to be the logical one.
Interesting
.

“I. . . I suppose you’re right,” Loxley acquiesced, hopefully finding sense in my words.

“Yeah, see, so just calm down,” I eased, waiting patiently for my friend to cease her nervous pacing. Any time now. Maybe now. Now. No? I watched as she continued to move up and down the narrow passage, every now and then glancing at the walls. “Are you okay, Loxley?” She looked so lost and panicked, almost like she was trapped . . . or suffocating. “Does being down here bother you?”

“No, don’t be ridiculous,” she replied a little too
quick for my taste, almost as if she had been waiting for my question. “I’m perfectly fine in this little buried hall. Look, Ingrid.” She darted in front of me, grabbing my shoulders. “I’m going to go after Emba, and I want you to stay here.”
Like hell!
I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off. “I’ll be back shortly, but I need you to stay safe down here. It wouldn’t look good for my first apprentice to get killed just over a day into training,” she tried to joke. “I need to find out what’s happening for both of our sakes. So please, just stay here.”

I watched as she gathered herself and started in the direction
Emba took. A strange feeling overtook me as I stared after her. She was putting herself into danger, and it was all my fault. When I ran off into the woods to find a way to Lesia, I knew on some level that I would most likely be risking my life. That was fine by me, if that’s what it took; my life wasn’t worth much to begin with. I hadn’t planned on dragging anyone else into the demon’s lair with me. But now, Loxley and Emba . . . they got pulled in with me.

“I’m sorry!” I cried after Loxley, watching as she jerked to a stop and looked back at me. “I didn’t mean to get you involved in all of this! You don’t have to risk your life for me!”

I blinked in surprise when from across the room, she grinned widely at me. “Don’t be absurd!” she called back. “This isn’t just about you. This is about all of us! We’ve been trained to defend our world against the Ankida, and that’s what we’re going to do. But if you’re really sorry, then do me a favor.”  I waited for what she had to say. It didn’t matter what it was; I would do it. “Don’t do anything stupid!” Except for that.

“You’d think these people don’t know me at all.”

To be fair, Loxley had only known me for a day and a half, but still, my totally unprepared venture into the forest should have tipped her off. In which case, I couldn’t be held responsible for my next actions. I mean, come on, the warning signs were there.

Leaving my spot against the wall, I chose, perhaps in the most unwise of ways, to go in the opposite direction Emba and Loxley had disappeared to. I didn’t want to get in their way, and this way we would be able to cover more ground. Who knows? Lesia could be locked in a cell down here just at the end of the corridor. I didn’t believe that, but it was a nice thought.

I ventured onwards, deciding my best option would be to at least find the source of light. Looking down the hall as far as I could, that didn’t seem to be anytime soon. I suppose when the population can see in the dark, there isn’t a great need for nightlights. After several hundred feet, I finally came to a small lamp hanging on the wall at the foot of a staircase.
This could be useful
, I thought, eyeing the little light. I reached out and grabbed the frame with the intent of pulling it off the wall. It didn’t budge. Well, you know what they say: when intent fails, force works just as well. I gave the light a few sharp tugs. Nothing.

“What the hell is this?” I asked, taking a closer look. “Well, I’ll be.” I had noticed the lack of flicking light, but somehow, I didn’t quite expect this. I mean, every fiction or fantasy novel about other realms was always the same.
Medieval magic and fire. This was impressive. “Electric lights.” I murmured, looking at the frame running into the stone wall. “Guess I won’t be taking this.”

I shrugged and looked up at the staircase. The choice was easy. My only other option was to go back, and I already knew
Lesia wasn’t there.
Here goes nothing.

I did try at first: darting in and out of the shadows, creeping around silently like a crazy stalker, and checking around corners for any monster snakes or some crap. All discrete and shit. But after several hallways of nothing but my own company, I just gave up and starting wondering around casually. Emba really wasn’t kidding when she said their guard would drop after a few hours. I just wish they had dropped a map on their way out. Or at least had the courtesy to put up one those “you are here” boards.

I growled in frustration and rounded a corner to come upon . . . another staircase.
What a surprise.
That’s all this place was: dark, narrow halls and stairs.
That’s generally what towers are
, I could hear Ty’s voice ring in my head. “Shut up.” I smiled, not caring that I was talking to myself. That’s what this place was doing to me, driving me bonkers. Thankfully, it was Ty’s voice in my head and not some stranger’s. I could live with that kind of crazy.

Already knowing what to do next, I ascended the steps and nearly had a stroke when I reached the top. This room was different! It was an actual room! There was even a fine purple rug on the floor
, and could it be? I looked around the walls and saw a large hole cut into one. A window? I ran over to the hole. I doubted it would offer any kind of route, but perhaps it could help me see where I was in this tower.

I looked out into the darkness and let out a loud gasp. This was definitely a tower all right, and I couldn’t just tell that from looking at the building I was in; it was the view. I could see it all. Far below and extending out into the distance was a city. It wasn’t like a human city with neon signs, bright lights, huge skyscrapers, and intense traffic. No, this was much more . . . subtle. But that’s not to say there was nothing going on. Stone buildings littered the ground as far as I could see. Some were small like little houses and others enormous and covered in pillars and stacks, steam billowing up into the pitch black sky. It was so dark. Not a star in sight. Not even the moon.

“What the hell is this?”

I didn’t even have time to react before a huge, crushing force pinned my arms to my side and pulled me against what felt like a boulder.

“Doing a little sightseeing?” a voice I almost recognized in the vague reaches of my mind rumbled behind me. “The Lady’s been waiting for you, little girl.”

I
t was all so familiar: the crushing force against my back, the big stupid-sounding voice. I knew who this was.

“Sorry,
Hoss, I think all the toilets on this floor are working fine.”

“Toilets?
The hell’re you talking about? I guess living with the humans turned you into a real dumbass, huh, dumbass?” My back began to vibrate violently as the big oaf behind me started to . . . what’s the word I’m looking for? The one that means loud, idiotic laughing. Gawffa? Guffaw! That’s it! He started to guffaw.

“Yeah, stupid me, ha
ha!” I yelled over the noise. “You said the Lady wanted to see me, right? I wouldn’t want to keep her waiting. So, if you could just put me down, I’ll be on my way . . .”

“Not a chance.” Damn. Why couldn’t this buffoon stick to his stereotype? The brute’s not supposed to be intelligent. “Your dumb ass would just get lost and walk right into one of the others, but I found you first. I’m taking you to Lady
Aureliel myself and getting all the credit.”

“Good for you,” I sneered. “Can I at least walk on my own?”

“I don’t have a leash.”

All of the sudden, the room spun around, and I was heading further into the tower. So, this was the end of my great rescue mission, huh? There had to be something I could do. My arms, having long since gone numb due to the pressure of being clamped against me, were useless. That left me with no other option. I squirmed feebly and kicked my legs, hoping to hit something sensitive. I kept up the act for a good minute, but it soon became apparent that for all my effort I may as well have been tickling him.

“Stop that,” he grunted, squeezing my torso. I halted my assault and coughed as the air forced out of my lungs. The pressure eased and I gasped, taking in harsh breaths
. Perhaps it would be wise not to try that again
, I thought, waiting for my vision to clear. Well, if I couldn’t escape now, I should at least pay attention to the way out for later.

We were ascending the tower. The giant spiral staircase was a pretty solid hint. I stayed silent as the Plumber carried me up the great expanse of stone. Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t get to walk. After what seemed like ages, Mario managed to haul both of us to the top.

We traveled down a short hall that came to a massive metal door. Golden figures decorated the silver surface; numerous, intricate people littering the base of the door gathered in awe of the giant feminine entity dominating above them. A tall, thin being with cascading hair; it could have been a queen or perhaps a goddess. She paid no mind to her subjects on their knees. The figure’s face, a heart-shaped design with a tiny nose and mouth offset by enormous, blank, almond-shaped eyes, tilted upwards to look at the sky. It was beautiful.

Two guards in deep violet, full sets of armor stepped forwards and looked at me. I couldn’t make out their faces because of the helmets, but brown and white lights seeped from the eyeholes.

“
En
Plumbarco –”

“I’ve got a present for the Lady. Open the damn door.”

“But, sir –”

I didn’t know these guys, but all I could say was I’m sure glad I didn’t have their job.
Plumbarco stepped forwards, putting me less than six inches in front of the guard before us. The light from his helmet illuminated my face, and I could hear his breath rattle inside of the metal. I felt Plumbarco’s legs shift behind me before the room whipped around. I tilted to the side, the guard in front of me gone. An agonizing yelp filled the air before I was set upright. Looking down, I saw the guard slammed into the floor, the metal of his breast plate sizzling and bubbling. What? What just happened? Did Plumbarco do something?

“You want a taste, too? Open the fucking door!”
Plumbarco barked at the second man. I watched in shock as the guard ran to the center of the door and pushed with all of his might. With a great
scrape
across the stone floor, the door shuddered open. Plumbarco strode through the new opening, nearly stepping on the unfortunate guard still writhing on the ground.

“Be sure to close it,” he ordered to the other man.

We entered into the room, and it was all I could do to not gasp in amazement. It was, simply put, quite extraordinary. Enormous dioramas and scrolls adorned the walls along with weaponry that could only be made from solid gold. Golden vases and marble statues were scattered around the room, the style reminding of me of a museum display I had once seen for ancient Greece and Rome. Purple curtains dangled from the ceiling, almost like banners. An accompanying purple rug with gold bordering expanded the length of the room, and right in the middle of it, the back of a large marble throne surrounded by four tall torches commanded the attention of the space. Or it would for anyone else. I was more captivated with the sight just beyond it. The whole wall was open like a balcony with pillars supporting the roof. Even from back here, I could see a grand view of the city below us. Incredible.

“What did I tell you, dumb shits? I said she would come, and I was right! Look!”
Plumbarco announced in pure glee. “I told you she would, and you didn’t believe me.”

I’d been so caught up in my awestruck sightseeing; I hadn’t realized that we weren’t the only people in the room. How oblivious can you get?
Apparently, very.

“You can’t be serious?” a snide voice rang out. “You mean someone was actually
fool enough to try and invade the tower.”

I followed the sound. From behind one of the curtains, a young man emerged. Wild, spiked copper hair and blazing ruby eyes stood out against fair skin. His long face was centered by a straight nose between high cheekbones. The copper and blood red armor he wore matched him quite well. The material was strewn with swirling blazes of fire. He couldn’t have been more than twenty, but the air
and confidence with which he carried himself suggested that of a brazen general. Though I hated to admit it, he would have been very good-looking if not for that haughty expression marring his face.

“I
am
right here you know,” I said to the new man, feeling the need to say anything. I had a tendency to do that when I was nervous or tense, and let’s face it, I was in way over my head right now.

“That was the point,” he replied.

He looked like he was about to say something else when a figure in black brushed past him to stand in front of me. I blinked in surprise, and even being held by the big idiot, I still had to look up at the new stranger. His long obsidian hair was pulled back into a smooth ponytail, and his armor was the same color with crooked lines cut into the metal. Sharp, handsome features stared down at me, led by a set of piercing emeralds set in a bronze-colored face. This was no stranger. We had met before.

He opened his mouth, and the room was encapsulated in fine silk. “So, you did manage to capture her,” he said, the strangest hint of something akin to disappointment tinting his words.

“How dare you step in front of me!”

The curious moment shattered in the wind at the furious snarl. I turned to look once again at the copper-haired man, who was most definitely seeing red. Pun very much intended.

“Who the hell do you think you are, Farron? You’d think after all this time, you’d have learned your place,” he hissed, taking a few menacing steps forward.

“It’s unfortunate,
Cupraius, but old habits do die hard. I’m sure you’ll get to discover that yourself in the near future.”

“Is that so you –”

“Boys, boys,” a low, sultry voice danced through the room. “There’s no need to cause such a fuss. Especially over such a plain, filthy girl. You should kill each other over me instead.”

Please be ugly,
I thought, looking towards the approaching woman. She wasn’t.
Damn it!
She was about as far from ugly as you could get, and I didn’t even need to be able to read her eyes to know she knew it. Long, silvery-white hair flowed in a mysteriously sudden gust of wind. She, like the others, wore what I assumed was supposed to be armor, but it could have also been a very fashionable medieval bikini. It was pure silver; the top and bottom cut into jagged edges that looked like fangs ready to devour her milk chocolate, toned stomach. Thin, flimsy pieces of chain mail dangled from her waist and shoulders in what might have been a piss-poor attempt at modesty, but more likely just a fashion statement. The whole outfit was topped off with a rather intriguing pair of silver stilettos. A blacksmith who specializes in women’s ware, who knew? I looked back up to her face and stared into her smug golden eyes.

“What?” she asked, feigned innocence coloring her voice. “Did I offend you?”

I ignored the bait and went straight for the hook. “What do you want with me, Lady Aureliel?”

She opened her mouth, the strangest look crossing her face. I couldn’t tell if she was appalled or fearful that I just called her out. I stayed focused on her, waiting for some kind of reply, but all she did was stand there, shifting in the uncomfortable attention.
All right. Enough of this.

“
Well
?” I yelled at her. “Are you going to say something?”

“You’ll have to forgive her, Ingrid
Fairheit. Argentissa isn’t used to receiving such high compliments.”

I got my reply, all right, but not from where I expected. My eyes shot to the back of the great
marble throne in the center of the room. I couldn’t see anybody because of the high, wide back, but I was sure that was where the voice had come from. Cold, refined, and deadly. Whoever was sitting in that throne was without a doubt the one I’d come to stop.

Lady Aurelia was right in front of me.