Telenon rested against his throne and nursed his wounded ego. The Temple was vacant except for the pitiful thing clinging to his leg and murmuring something about feeling dirty.
“Intolerable, absolutely intolerable” he protested, restlessly scratching the stubble upon his face.
Timecurrent looked up with doe eyes and a look of implacable love, “I know Priya will destroy you … my turtledove”. The tyrant shifted his position to find an ounce of bodily solace. Limber wood formed its contours around his back … yet it was still stiff. “I don’t think so my love” he retorted, the dry embers of his eyes burning at the thought of it. Temporal powers from the hostage emanated from her person to him, oscillating like desert heat. “And she’ll be here in a while to save me. It will be easy for her to beat you. Echo is the best! Just wait and see” she beamed. “You may know her, Time, but you don’t know me. She can’t stand against me. I will break her eventually” he answered, with a delicate suggestion as to the course of history. As the incline continued, her baby blue hair parted down the middle, and the lines that made her look like a curious android flared with the same hue, “Ha! You’re joking!”. Telenon anchored his grip and braced for the conversation’s first salvo. “My darling, you have a soft cheek. However, I don’t think you know what will become of this. When she faces me … with all that glorious vanity … she will bow her head. I could destroy her to set an example”. The thought of it zapped Timecurrent right in the head, the big thinking part. “Hopscotch! I’ve seen her use the strongest spells in the world!”. “I can counter them with my spells, Time. It won’t take more than three spells to finish this” he gave, throwing wisdom like bread to the masses. His words hollowed out the lonesomeness of the room, its broad chambers awaiting more of their melody. The conversation would be long and drawn out. It would require the pain of disclosure. “That’s like so stupid! She can turn into Echo’s and fly through anything and destroy it! I’ve seen her blow up whole space ships!” Time ejaculated, her eyes gleaming, carriers of the wonderful sight.
Telenon leaned over his chair and looked down at the woman with her misguided resiliency “But I’m invincible. That won’t hurt me”. It would be a hopeless gesture. The armies that had fallen at his feet. Their worthless weapons of last resort. Time knew none of it. But there was something she wanted to ask. “Humph … I doubt it. I’m sorry darling. Can you bring me to that place in Etheria portion, the restaurant that I like?” The magic of their encounter quickly kicked in again.
There was something ridiculously hot about him, but she didn’t know what. Adrenaline went up and down her spine like a kid playing on an elevator. “Of course, but not until this is over '' he sanctioned, biting his lip. “And feed me the pudding with the spoon?” Time pleaded. “If it will shut that endless mouth” he bantered, knowing the night would result in the antithesis of that.
Time was unapologetic, considering the foray and its epicurean intrigues. A clever smile spread across her face, “Yes … I’ll even pay the bill. Why am I drooling?”. The conversation had strayed from its original aim. In the pause, the anger welled up in his belly again. It's flame like a blackened beast emerging from a forest fire. “Even so, this is absurd. Priya is overpowered. Even
you have to admit that ''. “And what do you mean by that?” she joined, with a head twist.
Telenon released a bitter sigh, “Think about it Time. A modest student from a university.
Carrying stacks of books around every day. Those glasses. Does that sound like a mighty warrior to you? I know there’s got to be something wrong here. Her powers are a cheat in every way”.
The ignominy. The slander. “No way! She got her powers without cheating” the girl exclaimed, furious for once in the course of events. From that she could not relent. “I’m saying her powers are too great for a simple person like her. It’s impossible that personality is the reason why” he unfolded dryly. The thought of Priya was coming to light. The strange defiance she had in all manner of times. By now the situation was developing. It was clear that something was amiss. It made him cogent. A willing actor in the disclosure of the invisible. “I don’t believe it. Her magic makes sense” the woman countered. Blue lighting forked from her body like some Victorian instrument. It cackled and dispersed as the intrigue faded. How could such a man know Echo? A movie booth man with gentle hands. Who engineered a tornado of tickets to woo her.
And now … the cruel barbarian. Bent on her guardian’s demise. How had such a rapture ceased its exertions? In wordless reply, the man summoned a viewing portal through which they saw countless blades of grass. Its swirling magnificence subsided and became uniform. “Then take a look through this portal, and let it be the judge,” Telenon announced.
Priya marched with impunity against the slush of green. The wind seemed elderly in its fond embrace. It’s warmth a counterbalance to the dangers ahead. The woman hustled across a curvaceous agrarian landscape. Cabins with boards positioned just so that the darkness could escape amidst immaculate daylight. Meek animals grazed in foolish ignorance to what had become of their world. A private concern endowed her with courage. Its bastion against the travesty of the fleeting moment. Even so, the land continued its pastoral semblance, swirling with the wind and air. Recollections of absent farmers that tilled the land. Afterthoughts. Priya awakened her mapping senses, gathering the world around her. Towards the east, the light continued to frolic in strange ways. It was about that time, when she saw another orphaned shed, that an enemy pounced. It was a flower the size of a man with a hammer in its hand. Priya threw up her hands for a karate chop. For some reason she wasn’t using her powers. A tussle ensued, and she kicked the implement out of its leafy hand. Now that the tables had turned, she gave it the old smackaroo in the flowerhead blossom. “Ha! Look at that. She beat the flower guy”
Timecurrent exclaimed, joyous with her newfound prestige. Telenon got to his feet and pointed,
“Did you not see that? Her powers went away. It was the same as a sidewalk fight between regulars”. “So what? It’s been a day or so since we emerged from the realm. That always happens when we transition. It takes a week for the powers to return to normal” the baby blue one elaborated, tossing every thread into disarray with a shake of the head. “No, you’re wrong.
You’re not seeing it. Take a closer look” he commanded. After reviewing the encounter, the clock-master shrugged her shoulders, “It’s Echo. I don’t see anything”. Telenon was fraught with impatience. His arms orchestrating the downfall of his enemy, “She had powers. Then when she stood in front of the flower guy, her powers almost went away. After that, she regained them like before”. Time considered how, given all that was going on, she was still enamored by his masculine charms. A pouty face looked up at a man whose ambition ruled his heart, “Well duh.
It was a rough fight. The flower had a hammer”. In that instance, Telenon forgot her presence.
He felt such exoneration at his good fortune, “It’s an ability unlike any I have seen before. Her powers lock on and match whatever enemy she is facing, no matter their power level. Every fight is a perfect tie, so that when she claims victory, her anatomy is strengthened to the core”. It was done. In moments, the mechanisms of his mind revealed themselves to the patron, and he
continued on with her. Time was un-swayed. She saw the punches and the kicks, “If that’s true then it's only a fraction of her power. That flower guy was a pushover”. Telenon stamped his foot, “You’re really not getting this. It’s overpowered”. And that was enough. Who was this guy anyways? He had never lived a day in the realm. Its genteel expanse was unknown to him. The subtle transformations. Every day swathed in mint condition blue. It was starting to get under her skin, “It doesn’t matter!”. Grabbing his leg, she pounded it for effect. Yet as she looked back at the portal, the empress was replaced with ripples. “Alright Time. Here … let me give you another example. I found this from the past” the man offered. This one would be good. He had her cornered. With a smug grin he fell back onto the throne to watch.
In the realm, sometime in the second age. Echo swam through a cornucopia of stars. They draped the outer places in leagues upon leagues. She rushed along that happy abyss. It was through the Protostar Nebula that her destination lay. Little stars popping out of blackness with envelopes of ether. A tunic of light enrobing her. They amassed in one spectacle that made a wall of obvious globes. It brushed across the skin. The rush of solar wind. Making severe what was once cool. Echo felt their maturation. Lessons for the heart. And in the course of things, she let that feeling fade, and made her way towards a rather bulbous star.
Elladora Magnifique was for years the home of a sprawling summer home for the Gaia of that star. It had many emissaries and attendants who loved her affable nature. Not wanting to return home, they decided to stay and took up residence. Adjoining rooms were built. Butlers were hired. They came with trays of buttered scones for the revelers. The stairs were made so that one could lay on them without a back being bent out of shape. At first a sizable event, it grew as more people came. It encircled the economies of outlying regions. The frenzy continued, and as villagers were having breakfast in their homes, their walls would be dismantled around them. Several years passed until a humble, drab attired man named Jason Axia came to them. He was fed up with the current state of affairs. When he laid eyes upon the Gaia, he refused to give her an acknowledgment. With that one strike, the brokenhearted Gaia wept, and that night she went out like a candle. The flames upon her back could not even char the bed. Jason was taken at once in handcuffs. They threw him in the dungeon. After that, a delegation met to resolve his fate. They gave him no trial. Instead, a ship was constructed with a particular fireproof design. It sailed to the very center of that star. From the decks of the ship the wizards did their incantations, and the rays of light became material, and thick like spears. Now the center of the star was an iron maiden of light. They threw him in, and he was impaled on the hot rays. The wizards were enraged when he did not die. Through the insult he had absorbed the essence of their benefactor.
So they departed, and he remained, suffering for the simple deed. The civilization dwindled, and they no longer cared for what came before.
By the time the empress passed the star, an outpouring of his golden blood coated the minor moon. It advanced along the continents, painting the entire surface. The gold moon left its orbit and went to fight the intruder. Echo saw what was going down, and turned her mirror light into two boxing gloves. A constellation transformed into a referee and got between them,
“Alright you two, I want a good clean fight”. Echo nodded, agreeing to the rules. At that, the fight commenced, and the gold moon with its heft tried to crash into Echo. But she threw a few good punches and sent some continual crust flying away. “Below the waist!” the referee shouted.
Yet his pleas could not be heard. They were already too far away. A swing and an uppercut, but it wouldn’t go down. The next time she threw a blow, it was too fast and she missed. Echo
looked down and the gold moon was below her and it flew up and rammed her in the chest. It hurt a bunch, but then she got serious. Boom. Pow. Wallop. More golden layers off of that bad ball. The gold moon came in from the right and smacked her in the cheek. Echo returned with the old knuckle sandwich. By then, it looked like it just came out of an asteroid belt. Gorgeous cracks fanned out upon its surface. It tried to hide behind the planet, and when Echo went to look for it, the moon came in from the back and bumped her towards the star. “Ah, this is not cool!”
she bellowed. With a good effort she halted her downfall. In sudden realization, Echo knew that it was no longer a gentleman’s fight. She found the referee and disintegrated him into stars again with one hit, as that had all been a trick of Jason Axia. “Shelter from the darkness” she said, and the illumination entered her. Echo roared in determination to the gold moon, and they went to town. Fending off an attack and giving one in kind. She flew all over its surface to find the weak spots. With one titanic blow, the lunar surface revealed itself. The gold moon fell back and covered the spot with fresh metal. It flung an asteroid of gold dust at her, but she split it in half with mirror lighting upon her person. In tangents the mirror lightning sprouted from her agile figure. At last Echo realized a way to complete the dance. Inspired by the speed of her enemy, she ramped up. “I’ll orbit around it” she exclaimed, circling the body. The force of it spun the gold moon like a toy globe. Parts of her arms transfigured into energy, yet she sustained the effort. In moments it was apparent the moon had met its match. The dust upon its surface erupted in all directions. Its alabaster came next. With a hand she tossed sweat from her brow, and settled the exercise. Echo continued on her journey unopposed. She left that gung-ho galaxy behind.
Unseen by her, the wretched form of Jason Axia drifted from the corona, out into the frigid wasteland of space. It had seen better days.
“Did you see that, it proves everything!” Telenon belted out, rich with eager conviction.
Time rolled her eyes sarcastically, “Oh please, that gold moon was weak”. Incensed, he threw out both arms, “She’s fighting a moon with boxing gloves!”. “That’s the smallest moon I’ve ever seen. Have you been past Jupiter? I could probably beat that moon” the girl continued, like an unrelenting gossiper. Telenon could not believe how uneducated his hostage was. He looked down at her artless attempt at ridicule, “It’s a moon fighting a person. What part of this are you not getting?”. Time grabbed his leg again, and brought her chin up to the knee she had grasped so unyieldingly. At a certain point a tongue shot out, “Give me a break. That’s probably as weak as a silver moon or a copper moon”. Telenon shook with revulsion, “It's bigger than a city. It could crush a city”. Time bounded to her feet and made a show of fighting like the boxer. “Nah fella … It went down easy. I could probably take that out in one hit. Once I roll up my sleeves”.
With a ludicrous smile she balled up her fists and repeated the scene. She could timelapse emotions within herself to feel them on a profound level. Back on his throne, the man pinched the bridge of his nose, “Uhhh. It's not right! It gives her a classic fight with every opponent, so that she has to force herself to get stronger every time! It’s a farce!”. This stopped the girl in her tracks. Time spun around, “But it’s only a fraction of her power, and she almost never uses that”.
The combat being done, the girl fell to her knees once more. All the excitement took a toll on her wakefulness and her eyelids. Telenon sat there and felt an unbridled resolve. He watched the gold moon crumble into ice and fire. The tactics of the nemesis were becoming clearer. A riddle being deciphered. It was a good thing, “Despite that, I’m still going to get her”. “Just … yawn …
apologize and we can all go to the restaurant” Time implored, making an impression on his leg with her cheek. “Priya … I’ll destroy you and your entire world” he considered heartily. In the center of the star, the spike rays retracted, their tips covered in golden blood. Time looked up at the man with a smirk in order for him to reconsider his silly plan. It was youthful optimism but it
just might work, “Don’t … I want to see my friends again …”. As soon as the hostage was asleep, he released the spell that formed the portal. He studied the proceedings again in thought.
All the moves that destroyed the golden orb. Until a spark came. A painful epiphany, “She probably doesn’t even remember this. I can sense that”.
CHAPTER 52 - ALEXA’S SWORD
Swordcarrier Alexa rested against a hardy pine until her head was right. The pounding dizziness of the tornado soon passed. The soldier made her way across a now ticket strewn meadow, following a raggedy path. Encased in her green armor, adorned with steel spikes like a cactus. The patron had a more toned body than the others. A countenance that was more butch than most of her generation. But when did looks matter when you had class. A passing wind desperately tried to push her backwards, but she thwarted it by putting one foot in front of the other. Around her, clusters of trees displayed priceless treasures of the fruity variety. Enveloping a hill, the grass was in a haze of constant motions. She did not feel out of place in that jade filled world. “Ah, there you are, Alexa, take us over there will you” Linden bid, an uncommon sliver of a smile upon his face. Buoyancy born from a trivial matter. The Divine Couple were the most fascinating creatures. And they bore enough light to animate the most crestfallen soul. “I’d be happy to accompany you sir” she replied, thankful for her new employment. Melina touched her elbow and chimed in, “I’m glad to have you by our side again, dear.” “Likewise,” Alexa nodded solemnly, “the fiefdom is in another crunch to be sure”. The odyssey of animals through the forest was audible from far away. Interwoven between their feet were the commonplace imprints of tracks. And it gave Alexa memories from days before. Déjà vu from the forest. More concessions from nature would follow, with blue surprises between flower littered branches.
“The patrons are scattered and they are in the depths of a hundred battles'' Linden continued, kindling the fires of war in his eyes. “I must go and help them now!” the soldier reasoned.
Melina brought her hand to the other’s chin for guidance, “Not now. I want something important up here.” The smolder of her golden armor appeased the confident patron. Alexa had rarely stood down from a fight. She was always making herself useful. And the thought of an enemy escaping her blade almost brought a tear to her eye. “So what could that be?” she wondered aloud. Linden let his feet sink in the earth. He pointed a finger towards the distant meadow. Ahead of her she spotted an enemy base, hopping with squirrels. “I want those people trapped in acorns. The enemy is keeping them in a stockpile. The university will restore them later” he explained intently. Melina laughed at the thought of their forthcoming excursion. The land between them was dotted with the cores of scavenged fruit. Revealing specks of color amongst the backdrop of the grass. A southerly wind made a brief sweep against her face. Its kindness would be remembered. The spikes on her green armor extended an inch. Upon the ground, a summoning circle of inscription brought forth what Echo had entrusted her with. The scalpel-like, shimmering mirror sword. Alexa knew that the Couple would simply walk ahead and not sully their hands. She looked around them and mentally indicated a circle of five feet around them.
Now the shape of the storage facility was thoroughly clear. Checking them out, a battalion of squirrels assembled. Alexa saw the first wave charge. A squirrel with brass knuckles and a smug attitude. She elbowed him in the face and relocated herself in front of the dreamers. The second one thought he could swing an ax but got shattered instead by the mirror sword, shifting like a flicker of light. Ninja squirrels soon followed, with weapons that melted at the touch of her blade. One had snuck up behind them, looking like a damn pirate with a scimitar. To reach him,
she did a backflip to the other side of her associates. The Couple placidly walked towards the storage facility. The fray then resumed at a glorious pace. She went along with it, weaving in and out. Defending every inch with martial madness. As a wave of ten squirrels surrounded them, they found themselves impaled by swords shot out through the invisible barrier of her inner realm. She was Swordcarrier Alexa. There were a thousand swords in there for just this very occasion. A knight in shining armor with a bushy tail charged right into them, because apparently chivalry was dead. Alexa beat him with a right hook and moved on. By the gate, a second wave collected itself. A less historical one with plenty of spiffy gadgets. Around them, the blue sky lingered with fresh delight. But it was not meant to be. Lasers careened towards them like blistering torpedoes. Red in the extreme. The mirror sword did what it was made to do, splintering them before they made contact. And soon the enemy discovered that they were worthless. Linden walked besides his wife to the gateway entrance. A quick witted squirrel tried to jump them with nunchucks, but was soon dispatched by their protector. Inside, a third wave amassed itself. Alexa used a spell she had learned and grew a cactus with fierce spikes to down an opponent. All the same, they continued to encircle them. The woman retracted her spikes before grabbing onto Melina and did some sort of gymnastics around her body to fend off two attackers. The insatiable mirror sword discharged the rest, blinking fairly. A tool of flawless reflection. Now everyone was in their proper place … in a big pile that is. “That will be enough, patron, '' Linden said, breathing heavily from the exertion of his stroll through the meadow.
“That door over there should let us into the acorn room” Melina observed, excited to see the payment for their labors. She put her hand on the cool doorknob and thrust it open. Alexa spiritedly leapt onto one of the acorns. Rows of them filled the volume of the chamber. “I think this is what you’re looking for '' she joked, knocking the wood with a good click of her heel.
“Excellent work patron. The civilians should all be right here” Linden acknowledged. The Couple nodded between themselves and shared a few quiet words. As they drew near, the light from their gleaming armor was exchanged, from one surface to the other. “Alright, everything looks good. I’m going back to the front” the soldier willed. Dreams of perilous battle filled her head, and made her heart swell. The enemy army was a whetstone and she had to sharpen her knife on it. Melina crossed her arms to signal she was bothered by her no holds bar attitude, “Not so fast. We don’t want you there, Alexa. Here is a special task for you. Go to the University and train the new regiments. Look over the primary depot where we will store the first acorns. It’s a mission best suited to your abilities.” Alexa’s jaw dropped. She didn’t know what to say, “Best suited?. I should be out there, in the action!”. Around them, the acorns rustled as there was life stirring within. Steel walls enclosed their candidness and its rumblings. The air was filled with lukewarm impotence. The meadow and its dalliances were far behind. Linden adjusted his circular glasses, “The other patrons can take care of themselves. We need you to cover the home base”. A deep sigh welled up in the jade figurine standing atop an acorn, “Very well”. After all, Priya was still out there somewhere, fighting to save the day.
CHAPTER 53 - RECLUSIVE WATERCOLORS FIGHTS A CYBORG KANGAROO
Like a thousand yawns, the sky stretched out to eternity. Somewhere in its wide-ranging breadth, a lightbulb flicked on. It was no ordinary one to be sure. Reclusive Watercolors found herself among many floatation devices, using only the wind for their propulsion. The world had fostered her and given her a firm intellect. In the last few days, she had learned to cover a distance in a shorter time by focusing the energy behind her like a jet. Both hands ahead of her,
feeling the remedy of wind on her face. These white, billowing masses were evocative in their movements. She dived down into the gaseous heart of a cloud, and out the other side. She continued through that aerial obstacle course, seeking any hint of blue. Looking down, the world below was brimming with campfires that she dared not speak of. The smoke rose ceremoniously to the sky. Escaping, as it would if the world was a hand and it passed through its fingers. Yet still the landscapes transpired one after the other. A knobby, overly detailed thing. Making her dispassionate to the plight of its citizens. An untethered wind adjusted the course of her flight.
She let the sky mentor her. Being its student was not so bad. She was among the breath of eagles. But no! The war was not over. That time she alighted. The thing that the soldier had whispered in her ear. The university was up ahead, following the cardinal north. Parapets like a chivalrous stronghold. And so, she hastened her pace. Reclusive Watercolors came to earth amid a rush of students. They crossed the intimate paths of the university courtyard, deep in various gossip. Their backpacks were heavy, and they had to endure the weight of them. At every angle, the buildings looked like oversized chess pieces, donned with the most appropriate bricks. The air was warm and its touch soothed her senses. Working through hesitation, she moved her legs so as to quietly shift her body into a forward motion. The faces around her seemed affable enough. They talked of things that were considerably tame when compared to the indulgences of the realm. A student jumped over and tried to flick her on and off as a joke. Reclusive pointed back in jest as it was the proper thing to do. But out there, far away from the tranquil halls of the university, there was someone else. And he did not have a sense of humor. That building she had been admiring was vaporized in a burst of hot red laser light. Telenon’s forces made their way into the courtyard, as yet another brazen assault was underway. Reclusive felt the pulse of war beat in her chest. As the veil of dust settled, a form arose behind a hill of bricks. A tall, misshapen fellow. The cyborg kangaroo charged up its right laser eye. Now that the last barricade was all but pulverized, he had a new target in his sights. Reclusive understood his intentions and caught the beam with her own. He had a chiseled, unforgiving face. The luminous pole surged constantly towards her. At the impact there were crescents and coils of escaping light. The girl gave back in equal measure with a column of polychromatic force. Its regularity did not waver. She did the work and pushed it through to the kangaroo, who promptly was enveloped in a fit of flame. Now his enhanced body was weakened from the twofold attack. And she spared no time. Reclusive propelled herself forward, amped up a first full of quintessence and rammed him in the chest. As a foregone conclusion, the frazzled thing leaned back into the mound of bricks, never to mess with innocents again. Even though their commander had fallen, the main throng of the enemy barreled over the rubble towards the university. The academic population fled in exasperation at yet another assault. Among the reckless invaders there were lions with arms wrapped in long chains, feline lynxes with turrets atop their backs, hedgehogs with shovels, snow wolves in snowmobiles, one bowling ball triple serpent, mimes doing somersaults, flamingos with war hammers that they had to awkwardly hold with their necks giving people more time to dodge them, and some guy named Fred with big colored pencils. As the underground of the university was now as sizable as a city, the university regiments charged out of every hall. It took but an hour to shrink their numbers until they were convinced to fall back. In the aftermath, the student was made an honorary regiment commander and sent out with the University 33rd Student Regiment to clear the hills of Little Finnegan’s-ville. The skin upon her neck and shoulders began to look like an illuminated manuscript, but vanished just as quick.
The student was relieved at how the rest of the regiment effortlessly followed behind her. The high-flier smiled to know she was now a tinker toy amongst those knobby, overly detailed
things. The fully grown trees that gave structure to the hills. Tall grasses brushing the passersby with their springy stems. Their faded, honey colored inflorescence. A log falling apart at the seams as if it had enough of the season’s nonsense. The continuous hills like an endless erosion of green. Doted on by virgin clouds. Reclusive looked to her left and saw a ram looking longingly behind a farmer’s fence. It was soon thrust upon their senses that the hills were clear.
An advisor uncurled a map, and they proceeded up to the next major city, a society nestled in the shadow of a plateau. And the sight of it reminded her of the one in the realm, although the former did not have a trio of skyscrapers. The attendant beside her was curious as to why Lusi had suddenly dropped down onto her knees. Spectral flames began to pour from her eyes. Inside, the student could feel a thrust on her psyche. An affliction rushed in, and down her legs, pulling at her sinews. Although her chest was still, she could feel the convulsions propagate. Heat frolicked in her head like a bonfire. The inferno spun threads that were woven around the student’s from the inside. “What … is this?” she mouthed to the gathering circle of helpless onlookers. THE PUPPET SPELL. A vision welled up in her memory, that of a dome the size of the sky, its petulant surface burning bright yellow. The charlatan solar Gaia arising delicately from formless swirls. Yet it was not one of them. Absurdly long blond hair, with individual motions down to the very fiber. An ornamental armor tainted with blotches of paint as if a child adorned it. Thick silver divided at strange intervals. Long, sharp fingernails. A suave, polished face with intellect concealed beneath aesthetics. “Damn you Linden, you were her child all along? But you taught her well” the hallucinated gaia mustered. “I can’t feel anything. It’s you again!” the student noticed, her heart fluttering like so many butterflies turning to ash. “Yes indeed, my child. You were smart to get this far. The lightbulb of quintessence shines so well with your personality” the interloper uttered, a thin smile between both ears. “The battle is over.
Let me go!” the student roared. But she could not move, the threads of the inferno kept her bound. “But you are so very close to someone who I’m interested in. The one who holds the key”
the woman clarified, as the ephemeral flames drifted off her back. At their feet, the titan broiled with arcs of orange plasm.. “Priya hasn’t done anything to you! There’s nothing to revenge!” she cried, writhing to escape the grasp. “But she has insulted me. I was the only one at the very center of her being. Millenia passed but I found the truth. So yes, you can call me another avatar if you like” she related, harkening back to earlier times. Her fingertips went onto the student’s forehead, imprinting it with an eerie glow. “It's our fate, not an insult!” Reclusive shouted back.
Ochidia Everglow was not swayed. She had aspirations that the little one could not conceive of.
And a strategy that had started long ago. Across her palm, Reclusive could feel an eager magic like wind taking shape. An anarchy of fire erupted from her eyes. “Take the whisper dagger. Be my avenger!” the false gaia roared. The soldiers could not believe it. Their commander lifted off the ground, straight towards the waiting sky. A trail of chaos left in her wake. They were now abandoned.
CHAPTER 54 - ERIC IN THE ECHO REALM
Location: Echo Realm
Date: Present Time
The man got to his feet and dusted himself off. A moment ago he was laying flat on the ground. It was a rude awakening, and it certainly was a long way down. The shirt as well had to be removed of litter and leaves. He turned around to get a good sight of the environs. “So this is
what she’s been up to,” Eric observed. The earth stretched out, sculpted into the unmistakable shape of an anechoic chamber. It was a placid day and a few stragglers from the afternoon’s labors happened by. He took a few steps to find the balance that would keep him from falling back onto the ground. The trees around him were ripe with autumn. They felt a certain governance from the wind, and there was a velvety note to their bark. “Leave it to Priya to make a park look so excellent” he noted as the grass brushed against the trunks of the trees. The memory of her soft kiss shivered throughout his body, and it took a minute to regain full composure. Eric continued along a path, dodging a frisbee that a youth had flung with abandon.
The stairs hugged the edge of the plateau, and they led down into the city. It was good concrete that stiffened the boot so to speak. The newcomer expertly located a sidewalk from which to observe things. He would study Priya from the inside out, and finally figure her out. The perfect girlfriend was just around the corner. It would be a cinch. As that thought congealed, he skipped down the sidewalk, navigating through locals, a self-righteous expression on his face. It was all going well when he caught sight of a bicycle rolling on down the street. “Hmm, that bicycle doesn’t have anyone on top” he pondered. The bicycle continued towards the wall of a three story building, and climbed up its wall until it crashed through a window on the second floor. It was then surprising to see the building itself bend from a rectangular form into that of a wheel and spin away. “How did that happen! The building just changed and went away!” he clamored.
At the outcry a friendly local slowly explained to him that since the bicycle runs on wheels, it simply entered the building and converted it into a wheel as well. The explanation didn’t seem to touch the enormity of the situation. However, the crowd was incessant, and so he broke away again. The heart of the city would be towards the bustle, and so he turned north. A woman crossed his path with a certain blue dress that had a scene on it of water and a man being chased by an alligator. “Of course, that must be just a screen or something” he presumed. The mouth of the alligator desperately wanted to chomp his butt. The woman paid no mind, folding a purse and setting foot in a department store for a leisurely tour. “Whew” he sighed, tossing some sweat from his brow. Now that he thought of it, the Priya he knew from the start was a little different from all that confronting Telenon business. Over their heads, a toucan started flying with a cluster of grapes, and offered one each to the people walking along the sidewalk. In a generous reply, they tossed a coin to it. Eric kindly declined as he was in deep thought about Priya, but as soon as the toucan was gone realized what had transpired. The cocky student swiveled around on his heels to watch the toucan conduct his business. Everyone likes a good grape it seems. “What the flip is going on!” he hollered. Now the culture shock was starting to do a little dance number on his noggin. Eric rubbed his eyes profusely. Maybe he had woken up on the funny side of the bed. But no. At a sidewalk stand there was a couple on massage beds getting a backrub. They were grunting in the usual way that was completely devoid of the good old-fashioned shame their parents should have instilled in them. And above them were two elephants, pounding their backsides with their trunks. Kneading it real good. With a dexterous limb he flipped the man over like a pancake. That trunk did things that got rid of all the pain points. Eric took a step back onto the sidewalk squares, getting brushed from both sides but only weakly. The sounds of the crowd made waves down the thoroughfare, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. The corridors led to places of denser life. As far as cities went, this one was mildly noisy. The road was where most of the action took place. He witnessed the jam until one car honked their horn. It was a family that passed up a slowpoke. A dad and mom with three kids. The car they drove wasn’t made of all that standard metal. Just a car made of toucans, even the steering wheel. Heat from the road was like a desert mirage. It cleared, and at the other side of the road, there was a
line of stores. Eric went over them with his eyes to see if he could catch anything of importance.
There was a store where people went up to the cashier and gave him money, and the cashier shook his hands at them. It didn’t seem to make any sense until Eric looked up and saw the title above, which read “Jazz Hands”. The patrons continued to wait in line, only to be showered with the performance of the jazz hands. Eric bolted into an alleyway to recover from the amazement.
To be honest he was expecting some lighthearted girl stuff. The boyfriend didn’t know what to say. He scratched his four o’clock shadow which was kind of cute and not in a gross kind of way. “I didn’t know that she was so … flamboyant” he articulated. Going deeper, the alleyway led to a larger square area enclosed by brick tenements. Besides the road, there was one other path doubling the arrangement. An ordinary looking guy strolled past and pressed himself up against the brick wall. The inevitable sound of an unzip followed. Eric looked up to the sky as thunder commenced. Past the tenement roofs, the clouds were white, and the sky was blue. There wasn’t a rumpus in sight. He moved around the square trying to get a look to see if there was a storm coming in the distance, but nothing. After the local had found relief, he zipped his pants back up and moseyed on over. The guy put a hand on Eric’s shoulder, and looked him straight in the eye, “Dick’s a cloud bro”, and walked straight off back to the street. Woozy from the comment, the boyfriend fell back against the wall. A second later, he realized that Priya had indeed founded the magical human-weather hybrids in her echo realm. It was starting to become clear how exuberant she had become. “What ever happened to the low maintenance Priya who liked to hang out with her three friends” he wondered aloud. It was getting all psychological up in this joint. A memory of the girl delicately brushing his face made his heart waltz and pacified him, “All right. I get it now. Priya, one point. Eric, zero points. Now I’m going to go back to that city and get to the bottom of this”. Finding no barrier, he easily walked over to the neighboring alleyway square. “Shit” he thought, biting his lip. Ten street toughs, one uglier than the next. The guy in the middle had a falcon tattooed on his chest and he had apparently forgotten to button up his shirt. A messy game of jacks was strewn out across their feet. “Um, please be careful with that thing” he politely asked. A bead of sweat formed on his temple as he raised his hands to both sides. The tuff had his fingers in the holes of a partly chipped brick that would have been more aesthetically pleasing on the wall. “You ain’t from around here, are you?” he managed to utter. For Eric, It seemed the tuff was a little more curious of him than would suit his liking. “Not really, I’m from there” he admitted, pointing to the place beyond the clouds where you couldn’t get your hands on them diamonds even if you tried. “Get this fellas. This one’s from out of town.
The big one”, the main guy called. Now he had really piqued his interest, and those of his friends. “Tell me, they got anyone as bad as me up there?” he questioned, poking the innocent boyfriend’s chest with the dull side of the brick. “Probably a lot of goody two shoes up there”
one of them shouted. “I know one girl who is” he blurted out clumsily, redeemed with a soothing smile. The ones in back chuckled. “Already know that one, fella” his questioner said, a note of displeasure in his tone. As that situation was developing, another local just happened to wander into the alley. A noble looking man wearing a bathrobe with a long belt dangling down. “Are we done here gentlemen?” he inquired eagerly. The tuffs circled around their new plaything as one of the followers pulled a crowbar out of his backpack. Eric was staggered by what happened next. The man used his bathrobe belt and flung it against the main tuff. He shot backwards against the tenement wall as if he was made of feathers. Seeing their leader humbled, the others fell in. Some sort of martial arts with the bathrobe followed. The belt could curl around people’s limbs and sweep them off the ground. They turned upside down a few times as they were sent in all directions. Soon enough the floor was covered in sprained ankles and Eric slipped out of there
back to the safety of the crowd. “Priya can be as weird as she likes as long as I can keep my lunch money” he vowed. A woman in a tan dress glided down the street. Her right hand gripped a dog leash and as he made his eyes down the length of it, he could see the canine was hollow and made of puzzle pieces. “Let me guess, this is the normal part of town” he parried. Touché.
Eric was now intent on cataloging all the idiosyncrasies of his so-called girlfriend. Down the way, there was a man watering his plants in a glass terrarium on mechanical legs. Then there was a women’s shoe store, but all the shoes are glass and filled to the brim with jewels and diamonds.
“Are you kidding me? This shoe is only half filled with diamonds!” a gutsy woman roared.
Eric’s eyebrow twitched as she turned it upside down and poured all the stones on the carpet.
“How are they supposed to wear them anyway?” he wondered. The lady was in furs, but they were man made. A surviving street tuff passed by the store like it was nothing and gave him a chin up before departing. The next block had some kids playing with spinning tops which grew in size magically, allowing one of them to jump on top and when they did they were spun so fast that they flew up into the air as if it was some kind of child launching pad. “THIS IS SO
FLIPPING STUPID!!!” Eric hollered to the four corners of the world. “Do you need a guide my dear boy?” a handsomely dressed wizard with a conically shaped dunce-style cap and a blondie beard offered. “You know what … Mr. Wizard … take me wherever you’re going” he replied, grinding his teeth without showing it. Priya could do her worst. Did he not take her to that restaurant? Did he not buy her that dress? This was just another checkbox for the standard boyfriend bureaucracy. Hanging onto his shoulder with one hand, they weaved through the city until coming to a sidewalk next to an inclined hill, where he summoned a waterslide from pure magic and slid down. Eric followed him down, the water splashing against his sides like a waterpark on a summer’s day. Fencing contained a widespread ledge of walkable stone beyond which was a landscape that resembled a national park. The wizard was happy to spot the various landforms for him, as it would give the newcomer a breath of fresh air from the daunting city life. Eric felt a bit of relief and bantered with him. The conical hat was starting to look good on him. It was a wise fashion choice. The sky was so clear and only a few loitering clouds could be discerned among an aquamarine layer spanning the remainder of the world. “And that down there is the lake” the wizard mentioned, and it was dawning on him that he had not gotten his name. Eric turned to him to ask … but then something stopped him. “What was that above the lake?” he thought. After looking across the vistas of nature, he had turned quickly back to his guide. Instead of returning to that conversation, he swiveled back for a second look. The upside-down mountain hovered up and down, glancing the lake with its peak. From the exchange, gorgeous circular ripples fanned out across the rippling surface. Its motion made Eric drowsy.
“She is very low maintenance!”. Felicia’s cheery, high-pitched voice. It resonated in his memory. That day at the spin class. It raced through his body, filling it with all the aquamarine purity of the sky. How had they been so naïve? In his mind he saw Priya again, pulling a strand of his hair down from his ear. She must have seen how brown it was and admired it. The moderately popular college guy felt the ambush of love enter his heart. He sat on a bench for consolation, “Alright, so my girlfriend is weird …. That’s the truth”. Bidding adieu to the wizard who was now captured by the freshness of nature, he made his way up a stairway that ran parallel to the waterslide. For some reason he had perfect navigational skills and effortlessly made his way back to the sidewalk where he first met the guide. The traffic felt like a time lapse as it blurred across his vision. Eric put his hands in his pockets until the melancholy subsided.
The blues as they call it, and not even the jazz hands could help him now. “Hey buddy, is that you '' came a voice from the first lane. There was a big car whose wheels were hamster wheels,
with a familiar face in the driver’s seat. That day in the park … the one that got away. No, not Priya. The other one. The little furry one. A big hamster face popped out of the window and motioned for him to come near. “Haven’t seen you in a while. I thought you were going to live under that bush” Eric replied cautiously. “Well buddy, life had other plans for me. Jump in the passenger’s seat and we can talk it over” the hamster advised, wiggling his petal shaped ears. He departed back to the road once his passenger was strapped in and comfortable. The invitation was of good merit and Eric gave a sigh of relief. Then things got personal. “So what’s the deal with the Indian babe?” the chubby hamster wondered. Eric rolled his eyes at the very mention of it, “She has magic powers and this whole world is her dream realm”. “Gotcha, a real tough customer huh” the animal said as he changed lanes. They drove through the city, trading pleasantries until the college guy opened up. It was about that time that a cultic officer noticed the interloper and blared his alarm. The hamster screeched the wheels to a standstill, and hand cranked the window until it was down.
OFFICER - Can I see license and registration?
HAMSTER - No prob officer, here you go.
OFFICER - Is that your friend over there? Looks like he’s not from around here.
HAMSTER - He’s an old friend officer, we met on the way here.
OFFICER - Is that so? The both of you, get your tails out of the vehicle.
ERIC - I don’t have a tail.
OFFICER - No tail huh? Good to know.
HAMSTER - Uhh … should have kept that to yourself bro.
OFFICER - In fact, I haven’t seen your face around here.
ERIC - I’m new to town officer.
OFFICER - And what planet are you from?
ERIC - Earth obviously.
OFFICER - Don’t get smart with me, new guy.
HAMSTER - Wait a second officer. I told you he was an old friend.
OFFICER - Can you vouch for him?
HAMSTER - Yes, certainly. He is a good guy.
OFFICER - And what makes him so decent?.
HAMSTER - Trust me. He has a girlfriend. He’s a real good guy.
OFFICER - You’re a real lucky guy.
ERIC - I do my best officer.
OFFICER - But that doesn’t mean you're good. I don’t have a girlfriend and I’m good.
HAMSTER - Wait a second officer. This guy is a real good boyfriend. Trust me.
OFFICER - And that makes him good? I don’t think so.
HAMSTER - Yes it does! He’s super good. I’ve seen him being lovey dovey and all.
OFFICER - Oh really, is that true sir?
ERIC - Yes it is!
OFFICER - Hurts a-lot to hear this. I’ve got no girlfriend and I’m not good but you're good?
ERIC - I’m a good boyfriend officer! I bought her this hamster.
OFFICER - Now you’re just making things up.
ERIC - I swear. I took her on a date and everything!
OFFICER - Oh I bet you did. I’m placing you under arrest sir, get in the car.
HAMSTER - He’s just a tourist!
OFFICER - Get out of here hamster … I don’t want to see your furry face again. You’re on notice.
After some security checkpoints, they took him to the sitting regent in the heart of the SOTA. Like toy soldiers, a column of cultic officers marched through the halls, and tossed open a mahogany door. They dragged him by his arms and savagely threw the prisoner at her feet. “Is this for me?” Etheria asked. “Yes mam”, one said. They nodded politely and made for the door.
Eric got to his feet and composed himself again, hopefully for the last time. The regent was sideways with her knees draped over one of the legs of the throne. Eric was just a touch disappointed. She looked like your typical yuppie businesswoman, tall and attractive with medium length black hair. The kind of person who could be seen carrying a briefcase down a financial district. In fact she did keep some soul points in her briefcase for safekeeping. “Are you the big shot of this place?” he tentatively inquired. Etheria looked at him with piercing eyes. It was apparently an honor to be at her mercy. “Yes, I oversee this whole domain. My name is Etheria, what’s yours?” She revealed, alighting from the most comfortable position onto the veritable ground. “Eric” he reciprocated. Being in the presence of someone less regal, the man felt a little less distraught. He adjusted his posture. Etheria approached him and sensed the difference in his aura immediately. “You are from upstairs,” she remarked. Eric smiled, knowing the jig is up, “I am. I was sent down here”. Etheria circled around him like a shark who was already full but could stuff in one last morsel, “Did they? Who exactly sent you down here?”. As the long day was mostly at a close, he was more sociable than usual. Eric rubbed his chin and realized he would have to give her some insight into his purpose. “Her name is Priya Echo '' he intoned. “For what reason? Are you a hero?” Etheria guessed eagerly. Eric shifted a little in his posture. This was going to be a little difficult to explain, “Well actually … a war started and she wanted me to be safe … I’m her boyfriend”. The regent could not believe her ears. Euphoria flooded her body. The tips of her fingers tingled. A wry sliver of a smirk uplifted her face. “Oh, is that so?” she beamed, looking him up and down. Inspecting even the fabric of his pant pockets. “But I don’t know if we’re right for each other” he mumbled, looking with dismay at his feet. “That’s boyfriend talk. They all say that!” one of the female bodyguards shouted. Etheria put a finger to her forehead and thought to herself. Through the eons Sam-Henry-Claudius-Dazin was a regular member of the family. Even from the very start. The years began to flow like some insubstantial element back to their source. Ahh … those were the days. So many reincarnations and so little time. And now it was confirmed. All counterparts of this earthborn fellow. The regent put a hand on his shoulder just to steady him, “Well then Eric … this may come as a bit of shock but … you have a dream counterpart here in the echo realm … so you should go and discover what that is all about. I’m going to send you to the planet Cyalola. The ruler there, whose name is TAP, will be able to help you”. “Thanks, but I’m sort of a one planet man, '' Eric avowed. A serious look on his face transformed as he realized what had happened. It turned out celestial monogamy was his thing. Etheria threw back her head, “Very funny. I’m starting to like you”. The business settled, the newcomer paced all the way to the door. As he put a hand on the side of the door, he decided to give the regent some advice as it was his nature to be helpful,
“Oh, and …. your domain is full of weird stuff. try to do something about that please”. Ferried by the cultic officers, he was sent expeditiously to the resident spaceport. A modern, silvery number that flattered the surrounding architecture. Eric nudged his head through the window to perceive the cumbersome ship. It must have been able to house a small city. The driver gave him a water bottle for the way and he climbed the ramp with the other families and buttoned down military officers. He got snug in his seat before the lumbering giant left the solid ground behind,
and sailed unimpeded to the outer belt. There, the pilot pressed his finger to a view screen and the mausoleum ship activated its mirror light drive. The stars became a wall of pearly white, like the supple curled up inside of a conch. A waitress tried to convince him to try a fuzzy new soda but he declined. She got bonuses on the number of drinks. When he departed they crossed by a hallway with a viewing hall. The glass had a handprint from a kid who must have been on the last ride. And above those fingers he saw it. The vibrant green tapestry of Cyalola, wrapped up in a ball for safekeeping. It was as if a barren world was seeded with a field of clovers. Eric was so impressed by the islands that he did not register the ocean. He took a step back and saw it. The type of thing you would throw a bottle in if you wanted to be rescued. An officer who had been assigned to his duty grabbed him by the collar. A private shuttle was waiting for him. Sleek and sporty like someone had maxed out their credit card. It positioned itself outside the glass, atop the dark bottomless canvas, so you knew you were getting a good fall. Inside, two specialists of Etheria told him that they would personally introduce him to TAP, the ruler of the world below,
"We will do the talking. Be cool. After that, I will let you meet her". The pilot was likewise handpicked and she turned around to get the go-ahead from the rest of the crew. Royal purple flames exploded in the nothingness of space, and propelled the convertible down to the surface.
As dignitaries, they made their rounds before coming to the final, awesomely adorned chamber.
Like they said, the ambassadors did the talking first, while he stood patient, then abandoned him to the safety of the outside room. After seeing what he saw, Eric was expecting a real luminary.
But instead … the woman had her hands over her face and was shivering audibly. "Are you crying … please stop" he begged. With that, she revealed her face but continued the waterworks,
"I'm told your name is Eric. A pleasure to meet you". "Good to be here. I didn't have a choice but you have a beautiful planet" he offered, trying to reassure her with niceness. She nodded in approval, yet without an ounce of sadness. Then something remarkable happened. Those parcels of salt as that fell from her damp cheek took flight. They circled in wide spirals around the room, flickering with nascent light. They broadened and formed into watery figures of birds with long tails. Each of them landed square on the ground, erupting with unimaginable color. And they were peacocks. "Thank you. That is kind. I am Tears Are Peacocks, or TAP for short" the empress acknowledged. Eric blinked a few times instead of falling flat on his face, which would have been a sensible option, "I can definitely see that ''. The woman was never sad, she was simply using her power. TAP noticed his reaction with amusement and quickly changed the subject, "Alright then, from what they said you are here meet your counterpart. Dazin, the star-map". She gave him a wet hand shake that he wiped off on the side of his pants when she wasn't looking. "Yes, that is what Etheria said,'' he remembered. The empress smiled with delight,
"Very well. He is on the maiden island of Jabecera. A boat can take you there". "Things were going smoothly this time, he supposed '', It's that easy? Alright, I will go. Eric felt gratitude for the way this was being handled. At his knee, a peacock was rubbing its head and purring in amorous fixation. His host was remarkably calm, "I will have someone escort you to the shore. I expect you will enjoy the island. good tidings'' TAP elected. It was all coming together. That matter from the Battle of Cyalola would soon be resolved. She smiled even grander than before.``Thank you. I hope you get relief for whatever you are crying about. bye!" Eric answered. They saluted each other again and then he was sent out, past those big mahogany doors, towards a maiden island and the promise of the future. He just hoped that he could capture it.
CHAPTER 55 - PHANTOMESS SKIPS ON CLOUDS
Date: Present Time
Phantomess jumped across the simple clouds looking for anything that would satisfy the soles of her feet. Below was a rather inspiring sweep of land. A benevolent place to witness the trials of humanity. Phantomess felt her heart linger on a certain cloud. The breadth of it was enticing. It incensed the very nature of her being. The patron drew near to it. She knew what had to be done and with a great jump pressed her heels deep into the supine mass of it. The touch of it invigorated her feet, even within her high heels. Now the sapphire sky was shining clear. The space above was more like home than it ever was. And the bitterness of it swept in. Through the stiffness of cold she ran. The wind made her shoulders hard. In her world youth was but the starting point and it grew greater every year. More bravery. More perplexing joy. In great surrender two clouds crashed into each other but she was expecting that. Like a dancer she leapt up and arched over the whole event. A vortex of air almost threw her off course and when she came down her feet were surprised with a thud on a rather hard cloud. Compared to her shorter sisters, Phantomess was the elevated one. They had always complained about her height. Slender and lithe. And the very very long legs. That one got to them alot. She had a white skin tone.
Short, tomboyish red hair, with freckles stippling her face. Often, she wore an aqua-marine blue dress, the type with a long skirt. Sometimes replaced with a vest but not today. Aside from the gear, she had a string of small rocks levitating around her person, like toys. Using magic, she could increase their size for skipping purposes. Courageously, she leaped from one cloud to the next, feeling the spring in her leg, the impact on her feet. Her blue dress looked like a souvenir from a dream. At the impact, a gush of dust tried to capture her. Yet she leapt again, outpacing it.
The dust around her dwindled until it was a memory. The sky was like a safari that day, filled with ivories. The sun flung its light over heaps of yellow drenched clouds in the most devil-may-care fashion. The girl arced among them, wearing a jaunty smile on her face. It stirred something inside of her. Her chest felt spacious and cheerful. A grotesque happiness beyond words tantalizing her being. Fresh wispy clouds with the blemish of tangerine light. White and ossified to the core. A cloud spasmed as it received a gust from the north. As she descended, the clashing force of the wind against her figure instilled its icey lash. This way and that, the wind decked her cheeks with its frozen blows. The patron traveled for miles.
An hour passed. An auspicious sky welcomed her into its empire. The uncluttered thing was more than enough to explore. The far reaching blue invigorated her, knowing it would stretch across the entirety of the world. Again, Phantomess felt the onslaught of the wind on her face. It twisted with an inhuman strength. Manifold evergreens carpeted the landscape. She had no quarrel with the beauty of earth. From her viewpoint, she could see a dozen metropolitan areas. From this distance they looked like baby cities. Miniature rectangular prisms in ordered rows. Below, she could see the enemy in the field. Bellicose armies marched on one another.
Fires dotted in their wake. Multiplying their hostilities across land and city. Fighting with bulldog determination. A word light tipped upward to catch her in its magical targeting system. It screeched with intensity, and blasted a focused beam of light towards her. Phantomess fell through the air, high heels first against the enemy. She had one leg pointed towards it, and the other bent at the knee. As the bean hit, in all its gleaming potency, it was deflected as she spun like a top, the very tip of her high heel making contact. Phantomess alighted on the word light and leapt back upward as hard as she could, shattering the whole of it. As she rose up, she could hear the cheering roars of the men who had witnessed it.
Tucked in between the folds of the cloud was a greeting card. Delicately, she bent over and plucked it out. “I do not ask you to fight. The most important thing is to keep the memory of the echo realm. Do not let it fade - ‘Dramatic’ ” it read. An ally of Echo’s of course, but as the war raged below, it was a curious petition, and its full intent was unclear. Phantomess broke off her advance as she noticed something out of place. At the outskirts of a final cloud, she discovered a blue figure crinkled up like a dried leaf. She drew near and at once it was apparent how the ice upon its person enfolded. In her thoughts, she realized how the lone soldier had fallen from orbit. The battles there would have been intense, blazing with lasers from spaceships of unprecedented design. It would have gifted the earth this casualty. Draped over a cloud, layered with cold ice, like an animal trapped in winter. Phantomess chose a finger and touched the bulk of it. A blue body with ribbons stretching from the shoulders to the back. One strange horn protruding from the forehead like a satyr, and the other a stump. Soon cracks formed on the surface, releasing all the agony of the past … and its injustice. The casualty was so frail, it simply transformed into a heap of blue and purple dust. Unlike the others that came before, Phantomess stood silently, and let this one capture her. The blue and purple swiveled in constant motions. She lifted a hand and molded it into a fist, “We will win the day … this time”.
CHAPTER 56 - SNOW STANDS UP FOR HERSELF
Halfway between sunrise and sunset, afternoon unleashed its handsome greenery. Grass and fields. Trees who were never apart in the myriad crowd. Confessing earth’s secrets in the form of leaves. As if humanity was entrusted with its beauty. Atop that roof of green, the blue sky ambled on. Vapors returned to the heights where they would be recycled. As a cloud lifted, a more elegant light was inflicted upon the sensibilities. Its path would continue unabated through a channel below, where a city stood as evidence of an adult society. An architect had worked long hours to draft the buildings to a shape of halfhearted semi-perfection. They were astute in their modernness. Designed for good measure against the antics of time.
Even so, the squirrels were holding the local population hostage. They installed a puppet mayor, and the real one was being smacked in the face with a bushy tail. To meet the challenge, the University 115th Student Regiment marched up the hill. They wore beaming smiles and sharp military uniforms. Earlier that day, there was a graduation from training with honors and confetti and goodbyes. A few proud families held back tears to dignify the solemn occasion. All the battles they had between them melted away. It was the start of something new, and everyone knew it. Except of course for the imposter in the ranks. She marched along with keen movements, patting her leader on the shoulder to keep him pacified. Shouting some fighting words. Everyone was fooled and didn’t question the waterfall of pure white falling over her shoulders. Snow blushed at the thought of trespass. Being of regular proportions she could easily huddle with the academic crowd. As the regiment crested the hill she made a break for it, towards a lesser inhabited space on the fringe of the city. Her slippers made quiet hints of her presence through the wood, as she canvassed right and left. Around her the trees stood firm in the delirium of green. An interlude in that tapestry gave way to an open area. Snow smiled with delight at how wily she had been. Ahead of her were metallic buildings and bordered up doors. A bolt could not curb her desires, and so she reached for the sugar packet resting on her back, and sliced open the edifice in a crosswise motion. It was thicker than a sword and did much greater damage. “This is it” Snow thought, relishing the darkness that awaited her. The very touch of it
brought out the sparkle on her arms that proliferated to every inch of her body. An abandoned place with inconspicuous shapes in the dark. The sort that would stop a lesser patron in her tracks. A muffled sound came from the woods behind her, but she knew it was only the day escaping. “Ow '' thought Snow as she easily bumped her head on a sleek steel door. Some fidgeting about in the dark led her finger to a button that flashed red. As the elevator plummeted down … Snow took another moment and considered how sneakily sneaky she had been. Those poor soldiers did not even notice a thing.
Further away, a soldier was caught unawares and had to flee from the field. He made his way through a thicket. Above the ground were geysers erupting from the swollen body of the earth. Their outpourings in long, effortless motions. A gargoyle of fear trembled in his throat.
The sight of it harpooned the heart. Thrusting too and fro. Shimmering walls with privacy behind them. The university soldier spied the frantic arms of conversation, drenched in a silhouette of the geyser’s invention. It could have been anyone who found themselves in the center of a conference on a warm summer day. Unprofessional winds lingered in the open air, waiting for any sort of direction to plunge them forward. A less absolute feeling of surprise made his hands quiver with the force of it. He took a step back until the field was in stricter proportions. Now the multitudes were clear. Silhouettes in every room in every geyser. It was a good day. Fine enough to see the ascent of angels. Harrowing enough to see the dissolution of clouds … and the theories that compose them. Thereafter, it would be a murky night that pulls the entrails of the clouds to the horizon. And the horizon would become the angels and they would be reborn as spirits that haunt the geysers below. Agape in conversation, like people in the park when they are not alone with their thoughts. And the angels were really fragments of spoiled clouds. The blue intensity of the sky almost split his head in razor sharp pieces. The gargoyle came out of his mouth as a voice but it was numb. He went to the wall and an insubstantial arm popped out and held onto his arm.
They pulled him inside. While the other soldiers were playing with squirrels.
A cordial ding from the elevator announced the end of her journey. The doors slid open and she was ushered from that good natured confinement. Feeling no resistance, the doors closed behind her. Across the woman’s body she could sense the dry enfeebled air. Snow suddenly hovered as the floor was unremarkably absent. It was a more open space. That feeling of the drop down heightened in her chest. Inside, its effect magnified and lauded her torso. Now the room and its contents were bare to see. Extra sized acorns stocked up in neat rows. A path between for leisurely walking. At the foot of any subject was the name tag of the hapless inhabitant who had been transformed. “Sarah Cox” bit brightly into her mind. “Darryl Finnegan”, “James Harland”.
The names would not end. To think that deep below the crust they would be stirring. Adults hugging the woody shell of that egg. “Are you going to help us already?” came a beautiful voice, tinged with solace. A layer of short brown hair. Linden Dream rose from the ground alongside his partner, his motions unimpeded, his presence like a flash of insight. Snow looked down into his circular glasses. The subtlety of his golden armor paled in comparison. “Not today. I wanted to talk to you about something important” she declared, wiping the frost from her palms. Linden stood still, unchanged by the intent of it. “And what is on your mind?” he answered. “I will tell you what I think, and I need you to do something about it” she demanded, as if the forces of nature were at her behest. Behind the woman, her hair swayed like a white picket fence in a storm. The body produced momentary stars in earnest, as if time was no obstacle. “Are you looking this way for a reason? Tell me what it is. I will do my utmost”, Linden offered, saying the words that would ultimately lead her to a decision he had already made and planned for. An
ardor flared in the woman’s eye. It could not be expunged so easily. “Have you not seen what is going on? The war is blazing outside. Towers are falling. The soldiers are doing their best'' Snow protested, rich with the insanity of anger. She thrust her arms outwards, so that a cool draft iced the walls of the room. Still, Linden was firm. A blank expression that could not be lifted. Upon his person a light of unspecified type flourished like an enigma. “The patrons will be victorious against this assault. You know they have witnessed many before” he implored, forcefully to satisfy the matter. Ahead of him, was the charismatic beauty of a crystal life form, and it would not subside. “It’s not enough! The dreamer is out there fighting alone. The patrons are scattered.
We even propped up some kids with magic for the fight” Snow railed, the weight of it falling from her shoulders. With fierce contagion the ice made its way to her iris. The look of disgust was palpable, clamoring from her lips. “Yes, this is a great confrontation to be sure. It will take all their strength”, he explained again, making the sound as crisp as it would go. The memory of endless wars hummed in his psyche. They had been unlikely, their enemies relentless. Like sands on a ravaged beach. His people sent them all to the light of the echo seal. “The fight is out there!
Why are you here instead of helping. I get that the acorns have to be gathered, but that’s a job that you can give to anyone” She pleaded. This could not be permitted. Her heart dissented from its ordinary bounds. The winning features of her face screamed out in anguish. In an unusual moment, her skin stopped dissolving like the snowflakes that fall from the sky. Linden sighed and knew he had met his match. The visage before him was full of clandestine light, tinged with the embrace of ice. Beacons of that sort could never lead a man astray, “Alright, do you want to know the reason”. Snow descended a bit to hear the words. Magic swelled in her breast. A feeling of wet sogginess slipped through her fingers, “I do! Tell me everything”. Linen closed his eyes for a second. In restful awakening he thought of the dreamer. The many perils she had faced. Visioness of the Infinite Black Rainbow. Hogarth the Beheader. Armies of the Alliance.
Each had brought her one step closer, “Priya does not need our help. This one is personal. This is her fight”. The insult made its way in circuitous motions about her person, carving away the final locks that held back her impulse. “Are you serious? You should be out there alongside her, turning the enemy to dust. You have the powers. You’re avoiding us!” Snow shouted, loud enough to tremble the room. The fires that had brought them here. In this room, on this day. She looked back at him. An unenviable gaze that would not yield. “I meant it Snow. This is for the future of the realm. Priya must do this alone. Any force from us would only interfere” Linden continued. He could sustain this argument forever. A glimmer swept down the length of his armor, like a waterfall, beyond the thick of clouds. The sinew in his muscle tightened. A modest face with the knowledge of destiny. This was a man of caliber. “You meant to be our leaders!
Now you’re turning your back on us!” Snow cried, in quick motion pointing to the man she thought she knew. Copious with tears. Pining for release from the struggle. Melina looked to her husband, as they were not accustomed to such defiance. “It’s for her own good” Liden uttered, putting down what had been sought for. Now the patron was fraught with merciless grief. Her white hair fell by her waist side. It would give no courtesy to the wind. “I will give you something good!” she promised, lifting both hands to their possible heights. Around them, frost crept meticulously across the walls. The air heaved with an unwelcome bitterness. Linden could see the plasticity of the magic around her, unfurling. Snow invented a blizzard before their eyes.
Wild masses of soft homogeny. Sharp like the coldest day. Eddies of alabaster flowing like waves. She tossed it upon them and the Couple was encased in ice. In the aftermath of that, a rising feeling itched the inside of her throat. Hovering in midair, she came to her knees. Tears filled with units of salt, equal in measure. In undulating movements down her cheek. A burst of
power, then a thought that racked the body. Emancipating all that came before. Snow dropped down towards the arms of the ice sculptures and continued the progress, releasing all she had. A hand sheltered in that sleek material broke through, and placed it upon her shoulder. The crust of it fell from their figures onto the waiting ground. Linden and Melina placed their arms around the back of their granddaughter. “I’m so sorry Snow. It just had to be this way” Melina whispered. “This isn’t right, It goes against everything we’ve fought for” the cold one offered.
Melina felt a cheek that was colder than space. She craned her neck up to the other’s eyes, “But you know it’s necessary. Priya must get stronger”. Salt reached the tips of her fingers, “Are you going to leave us? After all the ages?”. Linden put his forehead to hers, “Come here”.