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Taukin
"Is that all of them?" I say, panting and wiping the
sweat off my face.
Jeran is breathing heavily as he answers, "Yes,
I believe that's all of them."
Darigan soldiers litter the hallway, their uniforms
stained dark with blood. I step over them to the door Kalina exited through
and hurry through it, even though I'm exhausted from the fight. Jeran follows
close behind me as we travel down the corridor. Soon we come to a fork in the
hall.
"Which way do we take?" asks Jeran, looking
down them both.
I concentrate hard, whispering the words to
a spell under my breath. An image comes to my mind of an orange-haired Aisha
racing down the one to the right.
"This way!" I yell, running down the right fork
and still concentrating hard on the image of Kalina.
We race down the halls, breaking down locked
doors and turning many corners. I try hard to focus on Kalina, but her figure
keeps slipping away, like ice in my paw, melting with each moment. Soon the
image is gone completely and replaced with a sick feeling. Something is wrong.
Very wrong.
We burst through a door and find ourselves outside.
The battle is raging on--warriors fight and fall all around us. I search through
the crowds to try to find her. I can't see anything--then I spot a small orange
head bobbing near the side. I run into the battle, Jeran close behind me.
I push past soldiers, occasionally fending one
off with my sword. Soon the crowd is beginning to thin out and I see the edge.
I stop, Jeran halting behind me.
There, standing by the edge, is Kass. And he's
holding Kalina by her wrists out over the side.
"Kalina!" I say, and take a step forward, but
Kass jerks his arm and Kalina screams in fright.
"Come one step closer," he growls, "and dear
Kalina here will be but a smudge on the ground below."
I take a deep breath and look to Kalina. I see
utter terror in her eyes. I have to do something, but what? He'll drop her if
I move, but if I don't--
"What do you want, Kass?" I say, trying to keep
my voice even.
"What do I want? Funny you should ask that,"
his eyes slide over to Kalina. Kalina chokes and tries desperately not to look
down. I know she's scared, I remember--she's terrified of heights. "What do
I want? I want to see you suffer--I want to see you crawl on your knees--I want
to see you beg forgiveness." He nods at Jeran and I. "Both of you."
I look to Jeran. I see puzzlement in his eyes,
as is in mine.
"Why do you want to see me tortured?" I ask
my eyes on Kass. "What have I done besides try to free my sister?"
His eyes narrow and I see a loathing almost
equal to my own for him. His eyes are like bottomless black holes, yet reflecting
like a mirror all that I hate most inside myself.
"They gave you the Power," he hisses in a low
voice. "They gave you and your cursed sister the Power I've longed for all my
life, and I've decided that if I can't have it, then neither will you."
With that, he lets go of Kalina. She screams
as she falls. In a second, I am at the edge, trying desperately to grab her.
Jeran, on the other hand, rushes toward Kass, throwing him off guard. They pull
out their swords and engage in battle, both trying to overthrow the other.
I try to grab on to Kalina--she's managed to
catch a small ledge not far from the top. I stretch out my paw, trying to just
reach her, just reach her before she falls--
"Come on, Kalina," I whisper, my muscles aching
with the strain. "Please, Kalina, please, try to grab my paw!"
"I'm trying! I'm trying!" she yells as she fights
to keep her hold on the ledge. I can see her struggle to grip the ledge, struggle
to hold on even as it crumbles. She stretches out her paw, reaching toward me.
Our finger tips almost reach, but--
Kalina screams as she falls, but I catch her
the moment I see the ledge give way. I am on my belly, pulling her up with both
hands. She is shaking as she comes up and collapses into me as soon as her feet
touch solid ground. I hug her, so glad I didn't lose her.
"Shh, Kalina," I say, tears breaking free and
trickling down my face. "I haven't lost you, Kalina. I haven't lost you."
Suddenly we both hear a loud thud and I remember
that Jeran and Kass are fighting. Kalina and I both turn and see them just as
Jeran tumbles off the Citadel into the cruel darkness below.
Kalina
I stare in horror at the place Jeran, Hero of
Meridell, Right Hand of King Skarl, Brother of the Young Lisha, fell. Kass is
standing there, gazing over the edge, cackling like mad, finally getting the
revenge he's waited for for so long, so long . . .
I feel a tugging on my arms and realize Taukin
is getting up and drawing his sword. I grab at him, trying to keep him from
doing what I know he's going to do. He doesn't even seem to notice me clinging
to him--his eyes are narrowed and full of a hatred I've never seen before.
"Taukin!" I cry and he looks at me. "Taukin,
you can't! I won't have you dead when I just finally found you alive!"
Taukin turns to me and grabs my shoulders. I
let go of him and stare into his eyes.
"Kalina," he says to me, softly. "Kalina, I
have to do this. I have to revenge Jeran. I know you understand, Kalina, I know
you do--you would do the same for me."
I nod. I would. I would have, but as seeing
I was a prisoner for so long I didn't have a chance at it. I let him go and
get up knowing nothing I say will stop him. I turn around and see him rush at
Kass, who is taken totally by surprise.
Then something surprising happens. The feeling
of power I felt when I faced Kass returns, coursing and bubbling through me...
I can barely see straight, the feeling is so strong. I shake my head and try
to focus on the battle around me. No one is as close to the edge as I am--they
are all too cautious to let themselves be steered that way. I see Taukin battling
Lord Kass, and it's not going well for him; Kass is herding him to the edge,
every parry, every swing brings him closer to the black abyss that claimed Jeran.
I don't know what to do.
I see Lord Kass bring his sword up high and
bring it smashing down toward Taukin. Taukin dodges, but he falls. He barely
manages to pick up his sword when Kass deals him another blow.
As Taukin tries to shield himself from Kass'
blade, I hear him yell out to me, "Kalina! The Destruction Spell! The one Mother
taught you!"
My stomach jumps at those words. The Destruction
Spell, the one Mother taught me... I am never supposed to use it. Never. The
danger is too great to me or any others--I cannot completely control who or
what it destroys.
Tears course down my cheeks as I yell back,
"I can't!"
"Do it, Kalina!" Taukin yells back. He is close
to the edge of the Citadel now, much too close for comfort. "Please, Kalina,
it's our only hope!"
The power inside me is too great to resist now.
I take a shaky breath and try to remember the spell. It is so terrible, so dangerous
. . . but I begin.
"Por ru Hugus, Je, yr benil ru Kalk . . ."
. . . Lord of Fire, I, the child of Night .
. .
Taukin fights Kass, but Kass deals him a terrible
blow to the arm and I don't know if he can get up . . .
"Jemand ke, wit hyr lak ru Powe,"
. . . Command you, with thy hand of Flame .
. .
Kass kicks Taukin toward the edge. Taukin looks
down into the blackness . . .
"To rech wod hyr ry…"
. . . To reach down thy arm . . .
Kass raises his sword high for the fatal blow
. . .
"Un sudhu mi harmons."
. . . And smite my enemies.
The sky is ripped apart with a flash of lightning,
and I have to shield my eyes from its brightness. The lightning strikes the
Citadel, slicing it almost in half. Neopets from both sides scramble to get
away from the falling piece of dark ground. Half of the Citadel begins to slide
down, crumbling and collapsing as it falls, a few unlucky Neopets going with
it, Kass among them. They are gone.
Kass
I raise my blade high, ready to end the foolish
young one's life when a blast like thunder rocks the world and suddenly I am
tumbling down into the dense nothingness along with countless other Neopets.
I fight to right myself and extend my wings before I fall too far.
"So," I say, focusing my gaze upwards to the
looming Citadel above and flying back up to it. "The Power has awakened."
Kalina
When the light has subsided enough for me to
lower my arm again, I look around desperately for my brother. I here a shout
and turn to see him running toward me, and we embrace each other as the world
tumbles down around us.
"I thought you were gone!" I sniff.
"Now, really, Kalina," he says. "I thought you
knew I was tougher than that.''
I smile. I'm quite embarrassed by all this crying--I
thought I'd run out of tears years ago. Its' surprising how many things I've
thought I've lost but had all along.
Taukin looks around and hurries over to one
of the ramparts still attached to the Citadel. I follow him, dodging still-fighting
warriors and balls of flames as I go. It's horrible out here.
Taukin stops suddenly and kneels down by a wounded
Uni, who is being helped by a green Lupe. The poor Uni is nearly sliced in half--dark
scratches cover his sides and the air around smells of burned flesh. Taukin
strokes his mane softly.
"Kinkly?" he says quietly.
The Uni opens one grim eye and whispers hoarsely,
"Sir, Taukin--you're--alright."
Taukin brushes the Uni's white mane out of the
Uni's eyes and says, "Yes, Kinkly, I am alive. Listen--what I'm about to do
to you--it'll hurt--but Kinkly, it's for the best."
"Wait--wha--" The Uni's eyes grow large with
fear as Taukin places his paws on Kinkly's chest. The Lupe tending to Kinkly
lunges forward to stop Taukin, but I catch his sleeve.
"Trust him," I say, keeping a good grip on him.
"He knows what he's doing. The Power has barely awakened."
The Lupe stares at me but doesn't try to stop
Taukin anymore.
A blue light grows from Taukin's paws, engulfing
the panicking Uni with its brightness. Kinkly whinnies and then a sound like
wind rushing over our heads is heard. Then the light goes out.
Taukin is panting when he gets up. The Uni is
also panting, beads of sweat trailing down his face, but his wounds--his wounds--they're
gone. Not a burn is left, or a scar to mark the place once caressed by a blade.
"There--you're fine," says Taukin, stepping
back. "Now you must go. Take Kalina back to Meridell. Will you do this, friend?"
Kinkly nods, jumping a bit in the excitement
of being healed. "Of course--who am I to refuse a chance to repay a knight whose
great power saved my life?"
"Wait!" I shout, whirling on Taukin. "Who gave
you the power to tell me what to do? As I remember, I am the eldest, and I believe
that I know what's best for me--Taukin, I am not about to abandon you!"
"Kalina," says Taukin. "Kalina, you wouldn't
be abandoning me. This is not where you belong--there is some other place that
needs you--I've seen it, Kalina. I've seen you in another place, a place that
needs you far worse than here."
"But Taukin," I say. "What about you?"
"I am needed here--it is my duty to stay. I'll
fight to the end--Meridell's victory, or my death."
He turns to Kinkly and motions to him. I hug
Taukin before I get on Kinkly's back, but even then I am crying, my tears blurring
Taukin's figure.
"Will I ever see you again?" I ask. I know Taukin
has seen the outcome of this battle with his abilities. I need to know whether
this is it or not.
Taukin turns, his eyes no longer meeting mine.
He pulls out his sword and gets ready to dive back into the melee of battle.
My eyes grow wide. Does this mean--no, no this cannot mean--
"Taukin!" I yell and try to get off but Kinkly
is already in the air and I have to cling to his mane to avoid falling the long
distance to the ground.
We rise, leaving behind the bleak desolation
of the Darigan battle field, the Neopets lying scattered across its surface
serving as a sick memorial of what havoc revenge can wreck upon the compassionate.
The clouds gently hide the horrible sight, innocently reflecting the silver
moon, who has decided just at that moment to show her envious face. I know,
I know now--I may never see Taukin again. After those years, those years of
thinking him alive, to learn through falsehood that he perished--then to have
his existence revealed once again to me, I've only had the wondrous dream ripped
from my paws again.
I am numb--numb with the cold air of the altitude
and numb with the frigid regret of my heart. My mind is wrestling with my heart,
the truth struggling against hope; reality battling faith--
Lisha, I think, remembering Jeran's younger
sister. Lisha, she'll--she'll need comfort . . .
THE END . . . . OR IS IT THE BEGINNING?
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