City of IF

[FatHairyApe]

Chapter Seven

“You are to die by a friend’s hand,” he stated. The flames around him dimmed.

I turned to Raish. She was stunned. Her eyes searched for the humanity within the Tharkian Seer—she could not find it. Raish had just been told her fate; she had just been told that, indeed, one day she would not exist.

It was on this date, I believe, that her adolescence was over. There was no more innocence. No longer did she feel immortal. Raish, after this moment, was never the same.

The clairvoyant closed his left eye. The center, ashen eye twitched.

“What about me?” I asked, nervously. “Aren’t you supposed to tell me my fate before you tell us about the gem?” I couldn’t help myself. One part of me wanted to know for the obvious reason of security—I could do anything, as long as it wasn’t the way I was to die. There was,though, a growing malaise within me begging me to not push any further.

The Tharkian Seer turned to me, opening all of his eyes. I stared deep within them involuntarily. They, like magnets, petrified my gaze. At that instant, I saw fear, hope, and pain. I only saw feelings—I could not see what he could see.

“No,” he stated. “I cannot tell you.”

“W-why?” I managed.

“For if I do, everything will be different.”

“But you told Raish!” I said. I quickly glanced over my shoulder at her. She was almost trembling, staring at the fire floor in sadness.

“She is not you. I had to tell her. There will come a time where she must accept her fate knowingly, but you must accept yours unintentionally. It is the Balance.”

I was speechless, unsure of how to handle that information.

With that the Tharkian Seer closed his left and right eyes. The ashen eye burst into translucent flames; his pupil melted into the same sort of portal we had jumped into days ago.

“The Genesis Gem,” he began, “is—”

“No!” I bellowed. I suddenly had the strength to stop the Tharkian Seer from talking. What he was about to say did not just affect me: it affected all life as we knew it.

“What?” Raish said, confused. “Why did you stop him?”

“Ezekiel,” I reasoned. “He might be here. He might be listening.”

“He wants to save the wo—”

“Didn’t you listen to a single thing Anabelle said, Raish?”

“Don’t get hostile, Dendrin!” she screamed. She was… different. Her eyes were shrouded with slight shadows, and her perfect smile tipped downwards at the end. In the short passage of time, Raish had aged. She had experienced fear.

There was a silence. All we could hear were the flames around us crackling in the still air.

The Tharkian Seer destroyed it.

“Since the Gem’s feat in the rebuilding of this realm, the Realm Keepers have severed it. Now, it rests in all three worlds at the same time: The Realms of Never, this realm, and the Realm of Disillusionment.”

“What?” I asked, needing clarification.

“If you are to secure it, a team must span each realm in each specific location of the stone. Only once the Gem in each realm is touched simultaneously will it materialize in the hands of whoever touched it in this world.”

I heard a sound. It wasn’t physical, no. It was something more mysterious. Shivers spiraled down my back. Someone else was here; someone else had been here.

“Do you see what you’ve done!” I screamed to no one in particular. “Now he knows! All because of that stupid eye!” I placed the blame of the prophet.

“Fool. You pick a fight before you know how to leave?”

I looked to Raish for reassurance. She gave me nothing.

“I know exactly how to leave.”

With that, I pulled my hands toward my chest. Flames from around us unfurled in, spinning like discs. Quickly, I compressed them into an enormous sphere. I centered myself, and then I chucked the ball at him.

He didn’t know what hit him. He couldn’t see, after all. The Tharkian Seer ignited and fell backwards.

But it didn’t work out exactly as planned. He soaked up the flames like water, and soon they oozed out of his palms, forming two whips of fire.

I jumped back as he swung blindly. Before the string of heat was about to hit me, it cut in two. I turned around, realizing Raish had saved my life.

“Thanks,” I said quickly, as there was still more fighting to do.

“That was for sticking up for the world.” She searched for words. “And this is for being a complete idiot.”

Raish pulled up the earth beneath me while hovering in the air. With incredible, unimaginable magical strength, she lifted the stones and had them thrown at the seer. I fell backwards as the ground split.

My mind was on fire while the rest of me was not. How had she done that? Where was this sudden strength coming from? She had never worked with ground matter, had she? The questions lingered for an instant, but we had to get out of here. Ezekiel was on the move to get the Genesis Gem, I could feel it.

The Tharkian Seer fell onto the floor.

“How exactly did you plan for us to get out of here?” Raish yelled as she levitated, mentally tossing rocks at the clairvoyant.

“Like this!” I said as I took a running start for the seer. Just before I reached his foot, I jumped into the air. He pulled his hand back, trying to either lift himself up or immerse us in flames.

Unfortunately, he could only feel and hear. He could not see. The man blasted fire above his chest, almost skimming my back. He had miscalculated.

My feet made contact with the enormous, pale eye that rested between his two regular ones and his triangular hat. I did not stop there, though. I continued to pass through his pupil, the one that looked mysteriously like the portal from which we had entered.

I spun around as we began to dissolve. “Raish, hurry!”

She returned to the ground, exhausted from her magical rush, and sprinted toward me. I grabbed her hand and pulled her in with me. The Tharkian Seer squirmed around us, but there was nothing he could do. We had figured out how to escape from his strange prison.

Briefly, we were both engulfed in darkness. I had no idea where his eye portal would take us—I could only hope it would be a continuation of Ezekiel’s spell and lead us to where we needed to be.



Light illuminated our surroundings. Raish and I were in the center of an enormous room in which there was a terrible draft.

Back-to-back, we stared at the interior of this strange building.

Both of us managed to see them at the last possible moment; they were all shaded by the roof, but I could make out the whites of their eyes glaring at us.

One of them snapped. A lantern ignited.

And there was Hiergo von Briggs, bound at the feet, hands, and gagged at the mouth, sitting on a stone stool. Above him stood a variety of people wrapped in ever-flowing scarves and garments.

There was one of the kidnappers that stood taller than the rest. He seemed familiar. Although his face was shrouded, I knew he was smirking.

I looked at Raish briefly for reassurance, again, but she gave me none. Her gaze was cold; her feelings were stone.

And when I looked back, the taller one was holding a tiny, white pearl. He dropped it, crushing it in the process.

As fragments of it fell to the floor, I could have sworn the dust formed the image of an ashen eye.

“Why hello there, Dendrin,” Ezekiel whispered.



Decision Point: What’s the next thing that happens to Raish and Dendrin?



Thanks for reading!

[The Meaning Of Fear]

FIRST POST! Wooo yeah!

Interesting. So perhaps it is maturity, emotion and thought from the mind that gives magic it's power?

The information about the gem, funnily enough, made me think of a game.

It's probably just me, but right at the end, I felt like I'd suddenly been propelled to the semi-end of the story. The ol' "Why, hello there _________" line always seems to be right before our heros/heroines/hero-its break out and kick some ass.

Of course, it's still quite obvious we have quite a ways to go. A few chapters for Dendrin to free Raish and himself, a shortish part for Dendrin to find some friends to help him, a good few chapters to find the Gem, then at least another 5-6 chapters for matters to be resolved fully...

So you don't really need to worry about it. I just thought I'd tell you because that was what I felt when I was reading.

As for the DP... well.

They're severely screwed at this moment. Raish is tired out, and Dendrin sucks at Magic, along with an extremely powerful and cunny enemy with lackeys.

Yep. Screwed.

They'd obviously be made to find the Genesis Gem for Ezekiel, and he puts in some safeguards to MAKE them do it...

[Phantomfan]

...yeah, I'd have to F5 Meanie. They're screwed.

Next thing to happen to them-perhaps these kidnappers attack them?


Nice chappy!

[Crunchyfrog]

Superb chapter, very atmospheric. I enjoyed it even though I'm not into levitating and throwing stuff around by magic - so it must have been good!


DP - As I said, not being into magical whizzbangs, I think they'll get a surprise by being given a puzzle to solve, with a good old fashioned time limit - if they don't do it, then Hiergo gets splatted, big style.

:D

[scissorkitty]

Fun SG! I F5 Crunchy- a puzzle to solve, possibly WITHOUT magic... I like the idea of maturity and personal growth leading to magical growth.. maybe Ezekiel needs the kids to grow in power in order to accomplish his plan?

[FatHairyApe]

Thanks for all the comments, guys! We need more DP's :)
________
FIX PS3

[scissorkitty]

Can Dendrin and Raish somehow get clues as to what to do next from Hiergo, even though he is bound? Or is there someway for the kids to sway one of the Wind people to their cause? Or are all the Wind folk somehow inherently evil?

[FatHairyApe]

scissorkitty wrote: Can Dendrin and Raish somehow get clues as to what to do next from Hiergo, even though he is bound? Or is there someway for the kids to sway one of the Wind people to their cause? Or are all the Wind folk somehow inherently evil?

1. They might be able to get clues. One never knows what Hiergo, who is very strong both physically and magically, can do. The bonds do not seem to restrict his eye contact, though his hands are tied and he cannot speak.

2. The Wind Peoples are not inherently evil. They have a cause, and they are inspired by a leader. WW is all about how, really, we don't know what is evil--the Wind Peoples think they are doing what is right (from what we may infer). And yes, since they are human, each and every one is vulnerable to persuasion. All... except for Ezekiel.
________
Cheap airsoft grenade round shower launchers

[scissorkitty]

Okay.. cool. I really like the directions this SG is starting to take.

Those are my DP suggestions, then.
1/ Try and get some hints and/or make contact of some kind with Hiergo
2/Try and persuade some of the Wind people to the Warden's cause, and undermine Ezekiel's plans.

[The Meaning Of Fear]

:P Landslide!

I think the word 'pwnd' is what's making us all vote for the option. :shock:

I'm slightly miffed that the option 'make them work for ezekiel' wasn't in there, but I agree that the puzzle one might be more interesting. I wonder how they'll act in this situation.

Let's hope Raish isn't too distraught from the revelation of her death, because I'm not too sure Dendrin has the mental capacity to make it through... :lol:

[FatHairyApe]

The Meaning Of Fear wrote: :P Landslide!

I think the word 'pwnd' is what's making us all vote for the option. :shock:

I'm slightly miffed that the option 'make them work for ezekiel' wasn't in there, but I agree that the puzzle one might be more interesting. I wonder how they'll act in this situation.

Let's hope Raish isn't too distraught from the revelation of her death, because I'm not too sure Dendrin has the mental capacity to make it through... :lol:

So sorry, TMOF. I didn't know it was a DP... just thought it was you being ridiculous :)

[FatHairyApe]

They have to solve a puzzle in a specified time or else Hiergo gets pwnd. has won! New chapter soon.

[tayfinch]

The puzzle might even be how to grab Hiergo and escape before the mob exercises "justice!"

[By the way, this is a great SG. I have been in a foreign country for a long time and haven’t been able to update my SGs or post, and consequently everything I’ve ever posted has been erased (the whole account even : S). I came back to the site to see what was going on, and if the same quality of stories were being posted. I read your first chapter and was captivated. Keep writing! We want another chapter!]

: ) TF

[FatHairyApe]

After such an inspiring comment, I'll get my butt into gear and get the next chapter done. I'll be on a long plane ride this Sunday and plan to do it then!

Thanks for waiting everyone!!