Curseborn Saga - Fade to Black (8 page)

“Hold on to wha –!!!!” Baelie’s voice gave way as the stony ring platform fell straight down, as if it had fallen straight off a cliff.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!” screamed all three sisters as the circular platform descended faster than anything they had ever experienced into darkness. Remi could feel her stomach rising into her chest. She suddenly felt the need to vomit. Lurching her eyes upwards, the light from the lantern-lit tower quickly faded to a tiny speck in the distance before vanishing completely.

“What’s happening!?” Remi shouted, though no one answered. Maile was grasping her hand tighter than ever before. Remi closed her eyes, hoping, wishing, that it would stop.

They fell for what felt like minutes, even though Remi knew it could have easily been seconds. Her stomach was pushing its way up fiercely into her ribs and the entire time she was holding down her white skirt from flying up her legs. A dizzying sensation came over her. The darkness was rising all around her and her unconscious reached for it. She tried to calm her mind, focusing on her two sisters.

Baelie, whose initial look of elation had immediately drained upon the sudden fall, was now crouching down and almost certainly counting down the seconds until it was over. Maile hadn’t stopped screaming since the beginning. Just as she was about to cry out for it to stop, the circular platform came to a halt that made her feel a spike of nausea.

Rakaella, whose pure white hair had fallen neatly down her back, snickered at her and with few words, shattered her hopes. “Halfway there!” she said with a grin. An instant later, the platform shifted and turned in a counter-clockwise motion.

“No, nononono!” screamed Remi, but it was too late. The platform launched forward this time, accelerating at a rate that felt superior to their initial descent. Remi felt her hair flying out behind her like the trail of a shooting star and tears filled her eyes from the fury of the wind. The platform shot through the tunnels like a disc thrown at the speed of light. The walls flashed by them with only flickers of glow from passing lanterns that cast light over the faces of her sisters and the guard. Rakaella was completely at ease and uninterested in their terror. The dim glow flicked in and out of shadow as if the lights were turning on and off at a shutter speed.

“I’m going … to pass out,” whispered Remi, kneeling down.

And just like that, the circular platform came to a sliding stop. This time twisting counter-clockwise, it revealed a long curved hallway with bright light peeking in. The three sisters crouched and shielded their eyes while Rakaella gazed down at them nonchalantly.

“Not bad for your first time,” she said. Suddenly she sighed. “Well, this is it for me. We of the Force Corps Guard Unit are not allowed past this
point
.” Her voice stung with the last word.

“Not allowed?” wondered Remi. She realized then that the guards may have just been jealous the entire time that the three of them were permitted somewhere that they hadn’t been allowed to go. With a grin, Remi’s devious nature was awakened.

Remi politely smiled and bowed, and then said, “Thank you for escorting us. Have fun on your
little
lift, riding back up to your tower where you can sit and ponder about the wonders of the Valyti and how you’re
never
going to see it!” With that, Remi flicked her hair over her shoulders and strolled off the platform, while Rakaella clenched her fists.

“Wonders?” said Rakaella, unclenching her fist. She laughed, “if you thought I was bad,
just wait
. Go on, have fun, you little brats. Not even the Empress can save you in
there.
”

Remi flipped around to retaliate but Rakaella had already started the platform, which was curving clockwise to the left. With no salute, she blasted off into the black nothingness from whence she came. Her last words made Remi cringe a little but she shook it off and turned back to her sisters. “Alright, well let’s get going then.” Maile nodded and from down the hall a bit, Baelie raised her hand over her head and shouted, “Come, my sisters! Destiny awaits!”

VII – A Path of Light and Dark

T
he walkway was long and narrow, though not nearly as narrow as the path that had opened for them beneath the tower. It was wide enough for all three to walk side by side, but no more than that. They soon realized that the bright light wasn’t from candles or lanterns or any kind of Alchemy, but from the light of day outside. Glass panels lined one side of the stone wall, allowing the light through, illuminating the winding passage before them.

Maile walked cautiously up to the window, barely tall enough to gaze through, and placed her palm softly on the glass. A chill crept across her fingers.

“Pretty …” said Maile. Before her was the vast blue sky, dotted with silver clouds. Rays of sunlight flickered off the glass, casting sparkling gleams of gold against Baelie’s silvered armor and giving her the appearance of grand warrior.

Remi could tell that they were somewhere on the northern part of Risia, on the outskirts of the continent, for the eastern wing of Falia was not within sight. Also, she figured they were considerably below ground level and could see stony icicles stretching towards them like marbled fingers.
I didn’t have any idea they had built something like this so far underground
, Remi thought.

“What are those?” asked Maile quietly, staring at dozens of bright green vines hanging from the sides of the rocky cliffs. A few of them passed in front of the glass panels, reaching straight down and disappearing from their view. Massive green leaves the size of their bodies and sometimes bigger hung from the vines, and tiny drops of water dripped ever so slowly from the tips of the leaves. They were thick and bulbous and for a second, Maile thought she could have easily crawled inside one of them.

Remi was in awe. “These are … the Hanging Vines,” she said in nothing more than a whisper.

“What? Can we just go already?!” said Baelie with such ignorance that it made Remi shiver.

“What was that …
Baelie the Snailie
?” Remi said through gritted teeth.

“No one can hear you when you’re muttering to yourself, lover girl,” said Baelie.

CLANK
! Remi’s fist slammed into Baelie’s silver armor, leaving a ringing sound through the hallway.

A second later Remi grasped her hand as if she had just punched a solid stone wall.
“OWWW!!!
”

Baelie raised her eyes to her sister, her gaze fierce and her lips pouty. “You just wait! Once I’m the Vice Captain, I’ll make a law that makes me the oldest sister! Then you won’t be able to hit me anytime you feel like it!”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Yes, it does! If I want to I can!”

“You’re stupid.”

“
You’re
stupid!”

“What are the Hanging Vines?” asked Maile, her eyes still locked on the view outside. It was as if she were looking at a picture from a fairy tale.

“You’re the stupidest,” said Baelie, feeling triumphant that she had the final word.

Remi took a deep breath before answering Maile’s question. “The Hanging Vines are exactly what they sound like. They are long flowing green vines that hang from the edges and bottom of Soria. Those huge green leaves that look like they could swallow you whole are called Aqua Leaves. As storms pass beneath us, they gather water from the clouds. The water is transferred up through the vines, where they become one with the roots of the Aquas Eternis and the Nocturnis Aqua, and from the leaves of the two elder trees, water is sprinkled into the lakes of Soria. That is how we are able to survive, while living in the sky without a consistent water source other than rain, or so the great Lord Galileo came to discover.”

“You just made that up,” said Baelie.

“You just don’t get it,” said Remi sarcastically, holding her hands up before her. “Here, let me explain. Cloud makes water. Vine absorbs water. Water goes up Vine. Water goes in root. Then water goes to tree. Leaves of tree drop water in lake. There, even someone like
you
can understand.”

“I don’t want to talk about leaves right before I become Vice Captain,” said Baelie, and started walking away.

“How do you know all this stuff?” asked Maile quietly.

“I read a lot of books.”

“I wanna go out there one day,” Maile said, pointing at the sky.

Remi sighed. “Yeah, me too … and it might be possible if we could fly, but just remember … those who go too far risk breaking the Law of Sky. None can leave Soria without becoming a traitor to our world. Not under any circumstances.”

“What’s outside of Soria?” asked Maile.

Remi stopped and looked out the window, “We don’t really know. Some believe in Vale’s Garden, the hidden land of Lady Vale, the Goddess of Life. We are her protectors, or so it is written. And beneath us,” she gulped, “Lies Mortal Aeryx … the land of darkness. Creatures dark and devastating and cruel lurk down there, all remnants of Death’s energy lingering and waiting for a chance to strike us, the light.” Her voice shifted to a whisper, “They say Mortal Aeryx is the birthplace of the
Curse.
”

Before Maile could ask more, they heard a loud shout echoing backwards.

“Whoa, hey, look at this!!” Baelie’s voice echoed numerous times through the hallway causing Remi much irritation and little Maile much trepidation.

The two sisters exchanged curious glances and then started running after their sister. They dashed down the corridor, and were stunned to see its labyrinthine curves and twists open up before them. They felt caught in the swirling vortex of a dream. And how had Baelie gotten so far ahead? Finally they saw the glint of her silver armor in the distance.

Remi and Maile came to a stop, huffing and puffing from running so fast. Baelie was positioned on the side of the corridor, staring through the glass panel into what seemed like an enormous square cage suspended from the outer edge of the glass. Glancing to the side, Remi noticed that these giant black blocks stopped almost all light from entering the corridor and that from there on, there would be no trace of blue sky.

A sudden, bone-chilling roar erupted through the corridor. Baelie flew backwards from the glass and smacked hard into the stony wall. Her eyes opened wide in shock, and she pointed straight into the mysterious black block from whence the thundering roar had come. A second later, something massive struck the glass, hard. The sound of cracking glass seared their ears and their hearts pounded heavily within their chests. Maile had frozen stiff, clutching her helmet as tightly as possible, and was closing her eyes with such strength that it seemed they might never open again. Remi regained her composure first and took a few steps toward the glass, cautious as a mouse sneaking past a cat. Her eyes grew wide with horror.

A single crimson eye the size of her torso was staring intensely at her. She froze in place, unable to move, unable to breathe, gripped by a fear beyond any she’d ever known. The beast before her was a deep shade of black, easily the size of a two-story house, with a long twisting serpentine tail that pounded into the stone ground of its lair, sending what felt like miniature earthquakes with each crushing impact. Its claws were the length of her arms and bright white, almost blinding. They scraped over the ground like a sword dragged over marble. A dark purple tint covered the small wings that flared along the beast’s muscular forearms and protruded from its elbows. And then, as if a dream that wasn’t her own had invaded her mind, Remi heard a deep growling voice echo within her own consciousness.

“
You dare to meet my gaze with your own, Fangless? Or does fear of Death immobilize you so? I can almost taste the blood surging through your veins. The pulsing of your heart’s rapid beat brings nostalgia to the one within my chest and know now that were you not standing beyond the reach of my claws, I would have sunk my fangs through the very marrow of your bone and devoured you whole where you stand. Not a single drop of your sweet blood would evade my tongue.”

Remi stood completely still, feeling the creature’s ominous presence living within her mind. She shivered as the beast revealed its long sharp fangs. She was terrified, but one thing had brought a sense of calm to her mind —
Standing beyond the reach of my claws
. Remi realized that the beast, however enormous, powerful, and dangerous, could not escape the confines of its cage.

With a long deep breath, she answered the creature. “What …
are
you?” Her voice quivered more than she had intended.

“
Pitiful Fangless … you must live quite a shielded life to have never heard of our great race. And you would do well to watch your tongue, for the correct question is ‘Who are you?’ And who I am is Beliosr, of the great Kushala Flare, kin to the Master of the Forest.”

Remi gasped. The Kushala Flare were infamous, the most dangerous beasts of Soria, constantly ravaging villages and killing Sorians. Although she had read all about the monsters and their terror, seeing one in person made the stories come to life in her mind. They were a darkness that lived in the shadow of their world, rarely talked about and seldom seen by any who lived to tell the tale. But they were always there. They were far, far more terrifying than she had imagined.

“I have heard of your kind, Beliosr of the Kushala Flare,” Remi said. “But if you are so great, why are you imprisoned like a helpless whelp in this cage of yours?” Her own words surprised her and she grasped her mouth.

A piercing roar erupted from the fanged jaw of the beast and the grounds of the corridor shook heavily. Black saliva that looked of acid rained from its mouth and dripped along the inside of the thick glass, obstructing part of Remi’s view. The voice spoke again; this time darker and deeper, engraining its words into her memory.

“
Do not insult me, Fangless! For one day, I will escape this cold cage and do not think for a moment that your scent will ever fade from my memories… . One day, Fangless … you are the second one I will not forget to bleed dry.”

A coarse growl resonated from within the cage, vibrating the thick glass. With that, Beliosr turned to his side, revealing a long gouging scar over its left eye, which had sealed it shut. The massive beast went silent, and even though it was no longer looking at her, Remi felt as if it was still watching her, feeling her very presence… . She had no doubt she’d be locked within its memories, forever.

Remi silently motioned to her two sisters to keep following her. Baelie took a few deep breaths and stood as silently as possible, trying not to allow her silver armor to make any noise. She was not successful, but the beast did not stir. Maile still had her eyes closed and was clutching her helmet. In a rush Remi ran to her, grabbed her little sister’s hand, and pulled her down the corridor, away from the menacing beast whose threat still echoed in the back of her mind. They passed many other black cages protruding from the outer edge of the glass and suspended in midair, but they did not so much as glance in their direction. They ran and ran until their lungs failed them and all three came to a stop.

“I had heard some beasts of Soria could speak … the ancient of the ancient … but never once did I actually think I would … experience it for myself!” Remi spoke through broken words, curious if her sisters had overheard the growling voice of the beast.

Maile nodded silently and Baelie caught her breath. “I wonder what it’s doing here?” asked Baelie through heavy breaths. “Could the Force Corps have captured it?”

“They must have,” said Remi.

“Can’t imagine why someone would want to make that thing their enemy. Remi, you shouldn’t have insulted him just because he was caged … he could get out. I’m surprised that cage could even contain such a monster.”

Remi gulped, once again remembering Beliosr’s threat. “Let’s just hope he doesn’t, ever, ever get out.” She looked around for Maile. She was surprised when she found her staring curiously into another one of the cages.

“Maile! Don’t get too close!” She couldn’t imagine what horrors lay within this next cage. But Maile didn’t budge, and if Remi knew any better, she would have assumed Maile was speaking to herself under her breath.

“Maile?” she asked quietly, nervous to move forward.

Finally, Remi mustered up the rest of her bravery and stared into the glass. The odd-looking creature within was big, but not nearly the size of the Kushala Flare. However, it was big enough to stand twice her own height. It looked like a huge black and white bird, with large circular yellow eyes the size of her fist and ruffled feathers that spiked sharply from its skin. It stood on its feet, with wings reaching down to its sides and had a protruding belly that made her wonder if animals could be fat. For a second, she imagined her sister Baelie in the form of an animal, and realized that this was it. She started laughing, imagining the bird with silver armor, until with speed that seemed misplaced, the creature was suddenly an inch away from the glass, staring out at her with a cocked head and huge glimmering eyes. Remi jumped back and stared at it. She realized immediately its eyes were the size of her head and not her fist. Its black vertical slits for pupils flickered wildly as if angered by her thoughts—something she knew was not possible but now doubted. A deep purring resonated from the bird’s throat as she backed away slowly.