Ethereal

~Marcie~

"Thank Kaeist you're home safe!" came the immediate reply. Something large and soft hurtled towards Ashan, and since I was standing on his immediate right I was a casualty of the hug.

She smelled like cinnamon, which was certainly enough to make me like her instantly. That and her chocolate-brown aura, swirling happily around Ashan's brilliant scarlet.

"Oh!" Ashan's mother spotted Haiga and her smile faltered. Charlotte stepped towards her, still carrying Lida, who was clutching her shoulder.

"Please," she said simply.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The arrangement was simple. It didn't take us long to come to terms with the fact that Lida and Haiga simply were not suited for our journey. A perturbed Caera let them stay in her home anyways, after much pleading from her son. All this happened very quickly, and soon four of us left the house, clad in black, with bags of fresh baked bread slung over our backs.


The plan itself was very simple. We were off to find the tomb, Ashan said. What use was a Koreask if we didn't know how to use it? The meticulous records the Zadax kept would certainly be of use.

As for finding it, apparently the location was common knowledge--it was getting in that was the challenge.

It was very slow going. The streets that we had run down these past few days turned out to have almost no hiding places, and since our goal was stealth rather than speed we met many difficulties. Almost every ten minutes we would pass one of the Prince's attendants, and what ensued was a frantic, impromptu game of hide-and-seek, usually ending with the four of us pressed together in some strange combination, waiting with bated breath.

This went on until I turned a corner and ran straight into the Prince.

Arms seized me immediately, and I could hear shouts as Charlotte and Tennin struggled behind me.

Prince Dominiv looked down at me with a triumphant smile, both hands squeezing my shoulders painfully.

"Your capture has proven to be very inconvenient indeed," he said coolly, as his guards brought Charlotte and Tennin towards us. He looked at her and smiled. "But not to worry, Koreask. If you two cooperate no one will be harmed."

"He's lying," I blurted out, watching the malicious blue threads in his aura. The Prince turned to me with a piercing gaze and tilted my chin with a finger, looking closely into my eyes.

"A Seer," he breathed, tilting my head this way and that. "And a Natural one as well. You may prove to be very useful indeed." he snapped his fingers and an attendant materialized at his side.

"Take them to separate carriages," he said, still watching me carefully. "Their fate may be intertwined, but for now we should not unleash power we cannot control."

And with that, he turned and walked towards one of the luxurious carriages.

That was when I noticed Ashan was missing.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

At least I had the supreme honor of riding with the Prince. Not. I wasn't quite sure where they had put Charlotte, but I hoped that at least she and Tennin were together. They couldn't deny that they simply functioned well together, and that in his own, stick-up-his-ass kind of way, Tennin truly cared for her safety. Whether for the future of his city or for her...well, there was something.

I felt a pang at the thought of how my own guardian had abandoned me.

"I too am Sighted," The Prince said thoughtfully, interrupting my musings. "But it is a learned Sight, and cannot always be trusted."

I rolled my eyes. "I feel so honored to be blessed with this miraculous gift," I recited in a monotone.

Unfortunately, he caught my sarcasm and he leaned in. I flinched.

"Do not be afraid," he said softly, holding out his hand, palm up, in front of him. "Watch."

His reddish-orange aura flickered, until I saw it--a tiny, swirling ball of bright blue energy, spinning in the center of his palm. I leaned forward and he closed his fist suddenly, and little blue sparks escaped the cracks of his fingers.

"Intrigued?" he said, looking up and fixing me with his unnatural eyes.

I sat up again and looked away.

"I already know plenty of magic tricks."

We rode the rest of the way in silence.

After a few hours, we stopped and we started into a tunnel that was too narrow for the carriages. Several of the Prince's attendants followed us, and separated me from Tennin and Charlotte.

And so we walked, deeper and deeper, until the Glow bug on my shoulder was pulsing a brilliant, bright light that outshone the lanterns and pierced the darkness around us.

"Stop," Prince Dominiv said confidently, holding out a hand. I snorted for Ashan--he would have been disbelieving at how arrogant this Prince was, assuming he knew these tunnels so well.

"Bring the Koreask forward," he said in a commanding tone.

That time I did let out a chuckle, and he raised his eyebrow at me.

Attendants hastily moved aside behind us and Charlotte came into view, Tennin close behind. The Prince gestured for her to stand next to him and snapped his fingers. This time, the servant that appeared was holding a long object clad in black velvet.

"Koreask," he said, turning to Charlotte, and I saw her frown in annoyance. "Your time has come. Prove yourself to the Kingdoms." he knelt down and the servant placed the object in his hands, and he drew away the fabric with a flourish.

A dark silver sword glittered wickedly in his hands.

"A treasure of the Zadax," Tennin whispered reverently. "But how did you come to find it?"

Dominiv smirked. "Did you really think the Crown Prince of Lodorvrin would arrive empty handed?" he held out the sword to Charlotte and she took it, holding it in front of her in awe.

"What am I supposed to--"

A low rumble echoed through the tunnel, and then, a distinctive growl.

I nodded in that direction and gulped. "Well there ya go."

Charlotte turned just in time to see the creature.

And when I say creature, I mean mist.

And when I say mist, I mean the porous, putrid gas that it excretes from it's body.

That's how we never knew what it looked like.

Everyone, understandably, took a few steps back. We found ourselves in a small cavern we had passed moments before. The monster approached slowly, hissing.

As the gas poured into the chamber, my eyes watered and I felt dizzy. Quickly I put my sleeve up to my face and breathed deeply, running away from the gas.

And that's when I saw Charlotte.

She was standing on a pile of stones. It was tall enough that it put her at eye level with the beast, that is, if we were able to see it's eyes.

It moved forward, a huge mass of--well, something. It was impossible to see, as the dark cloud of gas hung over it. I heard it's claws scrape against the floor as it headed towards Charlotte. A servant ran past me, breathing heavily with fear. I couldn't see Tennin or the Prince.

Charlotte held the sword with both hands, steadying herself on the rocks and brandishing it in front of her. The monster moved forward and hissed.

In a sudden movement, it flicked out what must have been a tongue. Charlotte cried out and stumbled backwards, and a bright red gash appeared on her shoulder.

The beast moved even closer, and I could make out one of it's claws, gripping a rock a few feet away from Charlotte. It lashed out again, and this time Charlotte raised her sword against it, and in return got showered with a green, slimy substance.

"Charlotte!" I called. Deca flitted down my arm and I cupped him in my palm, still straining anxiously to see her.

The monster pressed ever closer, and it lashed out at Charlotte, hitting it's mark more often than not. She swung the sword, and jabbed it at her attacker, but to no avail--it was virtually invisible.

It's tongue snaked out and hit her square in the chest. I heard her cry and she fell to one knee.

And suddenly, Deca lit up.

Not with a light, but with a power. And as I held him in my hands I felt as though it were coming from me. A radiant, golden light that swept across the cavern and banished the gas. It dissipated before my eyes and I could make out the scaly, serpentine outline of the attacker.

With a yell, Charlotte stood suddenly and plunged her sword deep into it's skull.

It spasmed violently, giving and earsplitting shriek before falling to the ground with a thud, green blood oozing from it's head. Charlotte stood atop the mountain of rocks, breathless, and gazing down at the carcass.

"Charlotte!" the voice was not mine, and from the other side of the rock I saw a figure run up to Charlotte as she turned.

I just recognized it as Tennin when he pressed his lips to hers.