Hearts of Destiny: The Beginning - Part Three

The group of four had walked for hours, and they were all aching. The carriages out of town closed after eight, and they had to walk all the way to the ocean. They couldn't use their wings, because CJ told them they needed to conserve their energy. When they finally arrived, they paid their fare and were flown up to the cloud on a transport platform, magically lifted by the operators. They jumped off and headed on the cloud towards the east. There was a huge crowd of people walking around, and CJ began to wonder how they would be able to find whomever they needed to.

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     "They are coming… I can see them… Go now and greet them my dear."

     "Yes master."

     "And make sure they suspect nothing, or you will suffer my wrath."

     "Yes sir, immediately."

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     Moonlighthawk was the first to notice a fluctuation of dark energy, radiating from a dark faerie that was leaning casually against a lamppost. Moon motioned for the others to go towards her, and they all went, hands near their weapons, in case something happened. The faerie, however, didn't do anything. When they reached her, she turned and motioned for them to follow. They walked farther out to the edge of the cloud and away from the crowd. The faerie stopped close to the edge, then knelt down. She drew a symbol on the cloud, Acaneno noted this for future reference, and then the faerie stepped back. The symbol shrunk into the cloud, and then a hole appeared with a staircase leading downwards. CJ cast a ball of light, letting them see where they went. When they were all inside, the passage entrance above them closed. Cala hesitated, she could sense that something was wrong, but she was pushed along by her brothers, and continued onwards. It's the tunnel from my vision, she realized. But we're not running…. Why?

     The corridor was ending, and soon the group walked into an expansive room. The walls were made of purplish rocks, and stalagmites and stalactites were plentiful. There was a gold throne in the center of the room on top of platform of circular stairs, with a purple carpet leading to the entrance. On each side of the throne, on each wall, were six metal doors with small barred windows in the center, near the top of each door. The doors had symbols above them of each element, and the room was circular and situated so that each symbol was across from its twin. A corridor was behind the throne, leading back into what seemed to be more rooms. What disturbed the group the most was that above the passage behind the throne was a cutout in the wall. The roof was curved inwards, and the cutout was deeper into the wall in some areas than others. A sheet of glass covered the cutout, and inside the cutout, which seemed to be sort of a prisoner's cell, was Keikonoa. She was beating on the glass, which seemed to have no exit to it, and was soundproof, since they couldn't hear her hooves. All three of the other pets flew up to try and destroy it. Acaneno blasted it with his wind magic, Moonlighthawk with his dark magic, and Calachaneo with her fists, but it was no use. The glass seemed protected by some force.

     There was a slam, and they turned to see that the passage behind them was blocked by a rock like door. CJ began to lunge at the faerie that had brought them, but the faerie sent her back with a blast of dark magic. She slammed into the wall, then got up, growling. Balls of light magic formed in her hands, as she prepared for a fight.

     "I wouldn't do that my dear," said a voice from the passage. A figure robed in a black cloak stepped out and climbed the steps of the platform and stood in front of the throne. Immediately the three pets sped down at him, preparing to strike, but a round shield of dark magic formed around the throne, and when the pets hit it they were thrown back towards the wall at the entrance. They got up and shook themselves off as CJ began to walk towards the figure. "Who are you and what do you want with us?" she growled, drawing her Virtublaster and pointing it at him. She fired a few shots, but they were deflected by the shield.

     "Faerie, into the cell, now," barked the figure. He pointed at a door with a dark symbol above it, and the door flew upwards. A long metal chain snaked out and wrapped around the metal collar the faerie wore around her neck and pulled her inside. The door slammed shut after her.

     "I welcome you and applaud you on your efforts," the figure said. But it is all for naught. You will die here, and I will cherish it forever."

     "What do you want with us!" yelled CJ, charging at the throne. She beat on the dark magic shield as it formed, putting her light magic into each punch.

     "You won't do anything to it," said the figure. "It's too powerful. I'm too powerful. Of course, "he said "why should we be talking? I only brought you here to kill you, so let's get to that. Oh, and your Ixi? She'll watch you all die and then become a minion of mine. And you can't do anything to stop it because you have no power here!"

     In an instant he had blasted them all with dark magic, sending them flying back once again. When they looked up, he was gone, and the passage behind the throne was blocked.

     A metal sheet slid over the open part of the twelve other doors in the room, in essence sealing the room fully. "I don't like the looks of this," said Moonlighthawk. A sound was heard, and holes appeared in the wall. A purplish like liquid began to flow into the room. CJ felt it; it was sticky.

     "We need to get out of here!" shouted CJ, beginning to fire blasts of light magic at the glass sheet separating Keiko from them. Acaneno and Moonlighthawk also began to attack it.

     Cala looked up, preparing to fly up and attack the glass again, but noticed a hole in the ceiling. "We need to get up there!" she shouted, flying upwards towards it. "I can see a light!"

     Unfortunately, CJ had let herself stay in the purple liquid that had become chest deep. She started to wade in it, but instantly found that the liquid was so sticky and thick that it trapped her in it. Whenever she pulled her hand out of the water, the liquid became like rubber and stuck to her, pulling her hand back under. "Don't get in this stuff!" she shouted as Cala flew down to help her, but the liquid seemed to reach up as she flew down, and grabbed the Shoyru and pulled her in. CJ grabbed her and held on as they started to sink.

     Somehow, the two boys had managed to smash the glass sheet and free Keiko. However, as she was trying to climb onto Moon's back, she tripped and fell, landing in the water. CJ and Cala swam over to her, and they stayed together as the boys flew over them, trying to find a way to get them out. However, each time they approached the liquid, it reached up to grab them, and eventually both were caught in the sticky liquid.

     Then they began to sink into it, and tried to swim upwards. The pets with wings found that their wings were saturated with the liquid and they couldn't use them to fly outwards. The five huddled together as the liquid rose even higher, eventually coming about five feet below the top of the cave.

     Keiko gagged as some of the liquid entered her mouth. CJ, because of extra weight, was sinking even faster. "Get out!" she gagged as her face slipped below the liquid. She felt herself falling… falling…

     "CJ!" shouted Acaneno, digging through the liquid. "Come on!" There's got to be some way…. Somehow… to get out…."

     The four pets huddled together, feeling that they would also sink and eventually drown. "CJ…" whispered Cala, starting to cry.

     A rumbling sound was heard, and the pets felt themselves being lifted up. CJ burst through the surface, followed by gigantic metal wings strapped to her back. They beat gracefully, driving them upwards as CJ grabbed them and pulled them out. The liquid seemed to have no affect on the metal, which allowed CJ to use the wings freely. Once they were actually out of the liquid, it came off of their bodies quite easily and allowed them to use their wings. As CJ carried Keiko, they all flew upwards into the hole and towards the surface.

     "We're almost out!" shouted Moon, finally seeing a light above them. Suddenly a rumbling was heard. Keiko looked down and screamed as she saw the liquid coming up like a tidal wave at them.

     "Hurry!" she shouted. They strained to reach the top, the liquid coming on faster. Even if we can get out of the hole, CJ thought, the second afterwards we'll be caught by the liquid…

To be continued...