Kyleen and Max tried to protest, but Maurice stopped them. "He's
serious, Vi can tell." One of the glowworms shifted, and the voice
spoke again. "Very well." The glowworm opened his large maw, and
you can now see that it is filled with a dark void. There is an
audible groan, and Boreas can feel a piece of himself leave his
body. A white glowing light floats through the air, being sucked
into the void. "You have paid the price..." the voice said. "Now,
you may enter. Suddenly, a huge staircase seemed to melt through
the floor, leading on to unknown places. Kyleen, Max, Maurice, and
Zephyr run up to Boreas. "Why in the world would you do that? We
could've found another way!"
Boreas huffed slightly, on a knee. He groaned as he stood up,
panting. "It's fine. I...I just need to find Fauna." He hobbled
down the staircase. I just need to find Fauna, Boreas thought. Then
she'll be back, and Fauna'll go back to tending to her garden, and
Max will continue joking around, gorging himself on pizza. And
everything will be fine.
The others exchanged worried glances, but they continued down the
stairs after Boreas. The light receded more and more, but Zephyr
held out his hand, and electricity arched across his palm, sending
out some light. Maurice transformed and flapped down the hall.
Eventually, they made it to the bottom. The endpoint was a huge
room, lit only by bioluminescent moss on the walls. In the middle
of the room was a huge tree, it's arms spreading to touch the
ceiling of the cave. There were large, decorative graves that can
only be the deceased glowworms. But the thing that grabs attention
is Fauna, slumped at the base of the tree.
Suddenly, there was the sound of a smooth female voice from behind
the tree. "Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you." From behind the
tree steps a tall woman with auburn hair and cat-like green eyes.
She is flanked by two large ogres, carrying wicked-looking clubs.
"She's being punished...for not cooperating." Boreas can feel Fauna
writhing. Her face becomes one of terror and pain, and she claps
her hands over her eyes before letting them fall limp to her sides.
"Hey!" Boreas stood up. "What did you do to her?" he growled
coldly. He slammed his foot onto the ground and ice shards leaped
out of the ground, all aiming for her head.
The two ogres are there, blocking the ice with their bodies. The
ice pierces skin, but ogre hide is so thick that no blood runs from
the indents. Odelia smirked. "I have my hands in a number of
places, including a dwarf mine that harvests Nightmare Crystals.
She is surrounded by a cloud of its dust, and she won't be waking
up anytime soon. "You Monster!" Max screamed angrily. "Why?" Odelia
threw her head back and laughed. When she had finished, she stared
him straight in the eyes and said, "All she had to do was awaken
the Elemental. It could have been so simple. But she had to be
difficult."
Odelia smirked and raised an eyebrow. "Why, you don't know? It's
simple, really. Fauna's ancestor. She is directly descended from
this Elemental Tree. And she is the only one who can awaken it to
gain its power." The two ogres advance forward, slapping the wooden
clubs against leathery palms. Zephyr's hands filled with
electricity, Kyleen pulled a long, sharp pair of knives from her
bag, and Maurice switched back, eyes glowing red with anger. Max
summoned his hammer and leaned against it, not taking his eyes off
of them.
Without pausing, Boreas darted forwards and hured the spear at the
ogre on the left, aiming it to pierce its skin, into its heart . It
was impossibly sharp, and thrown with added power from a strong
gust of arctic wind.
The ogre was down within a second. But, it's companion was right
behind it, taking a swing at Boreas's head. Kyleen used its shadow
created by the lightning coming from Zephyr and the moss to run
behind the other ogre, slashing at its back. Zephyr let loose a
handful of lightning, and Maurice darted in in bat form, then
transformed back into a human, digging a dagger into his neck.
With all of the attacks and Boreas's iceberg, the ogre was dead
before he hit the wall. Odelia frowned, but an idea sparked. She
started slow clapping, smirked, and said, "Well done. You are all
very powerful, especially you, Boreas. I would offer a partnership,
but it appears you would most likely decline."
Odelia laughed. "Oh, so touchy. I need Fauna's ancestral connection
to the tree. I wouldn't kill her until I had all of you Elemental
ancestors awaken the Elemental trees. Then you would really
suffer!" She laughed maniacally and stopped. "But, you know, I am
not without my own abilities." she looked around and locked eyes
with Zephyr. "You." Zephyr gulped. "Oh boy." Odelia's pupils
dilated and began to twist in a spiraling pattern. "Listen...." she
whispered. Zephyr's body went stiff. His eyes gained the same green
color as Odelia's, and he turned around, a robotic grin on his
face. It sounded as if Odelia's voice was overlapping with Zephyr's
as he said, "Now, now. Odelia needs that power. So give up now."
Lightning arched from his hands as he spoke.
Zephyr grinned. "Thank you for making my job easier, dear Boreas."
He let loose with a ball of lightning headed directly for Boreas.
Maurice tackled him to the ground, and it slightly veered off
course.
Boreas gritted his teeth and sent a shard of ice to intercept the
ball of electricity, and it exploded into smoke. Coughing, he
couldn't help but collapse onto the ground, the strenuous use of
his power catching up to him.
Kyleen nodded and gripped her knives. She didn't want to hurt him,
so she decided to try and trap him by pinning him with the knives.
She rushed at him, and slammed the knives into the ice, along with
the corner of Zephyr's shirt sleeve. Max had similar thoughts but
decided instead to slam his hammer against the back of Zephyr's
head. "Sorry, buddy!" he shouted. Odelia's smirk turned into an
ugly scowl. "No!" She screamed. She raised her arm, and Zephyr's
uncouncous body rose up, hanging in the air like a puppet. She
moved her hands, and Zephyr let out a stream of electricity.
Maurice shouted, "Idiots! Go vor the vitch!"