HoloMyth Initiative

Chapter 6 - Reunite the Myth

The first thing Gura felt after waking up was a piercing headache. She needed her time to come to her senses. Only after a while did she realize, that she was not in Phoenixton anymore. The Atlantean saw misty mountaintops in the distance while the sky was painted in soft orange tones by the setting sun. But it was not the majestic scenery that startled her. Gura's feet did not touched the ground. Yet, she was moving. The Atlantean looked down and saw a purple tentacle wrapped around her.

"Ina?", the little shark-girl said, still weakened by the pain. "Ina, are you there?"

Her friend came to a halt without saying a word.

"Ina, where are we?" As soon as Gura asked that, her headache intensified.

Blurry memories came rushing into her mind. Memories about a fight, about Phoenixton and about.... Kiara.

"No," the Atlantean screamed. "No, this can't be true. Ina, where is Kiara? And Ame and Calli?"

The eldritch priestess let her down.

"Ina, please answer me. Did I.... is Kiara okay?"

The magician's tentacles disappeared while she turned around. In her arms was a KFP bucket full of ash.

Gura made a few steps back. "No. What.... what did I do?" Tears came rushing into her eyes.

The shark-girl felt weak. Her legs nearly gave up. This was a nightmare for her. A nightmare she could not wake up from. But Gura was not alone.

Ina hugged the Atlantean with one arm. "I'm so happy that you're back."

"But.... but.... but Kiara.... and Ame and...."

"Listen to me Gura!" Ina looked her straight in the eyes. "Everything will be okay!"

"But...."

"No but! We're on our way to meet some old friends of mine. They will help us.... They will reunite us." The eldritch priestess smiled for her dear friend. "They will fix everything."

The shark hardly stopped crying. "Promise?"

"Promise."

And with that, the two friends continued up the mountain path.

Ina and Gura reached the mountain top at the beginning of the nighttime. The orange sky was swallowed by the dark that was only illuminated by the dimly shining stars. Before the two friends stood five ancient runestones which surrounded something that looked like an old ritual site. Each runestone was as big as a human and had it's own engraving on it.

The one on the far left depicted a woman encircled by stars.

The next showed a woman with something like antlers, surrounded by flowers and leaves.

On the one in the mid was a woman with something that must have been an ancient clock behind her.

The runestone after that had an owl on it, together with cogwheels and books.

On the last one was a big mouse with indefinable lines and patterns.

"Where.... are we?", Gura asked after a short breather.

Ina smiled. "These are my old pals I mentioned before."

"You mean the stones?"

The eldritch priestess laughed. "No, not really. I will need to call them." She handed over the bucket full of Kiara to the Atlantean. "Just take good care of.... well. And don't leave the ceremonial site! Understand?"