Atlantis

Rescue Part Two

I was crying. Where I couldn't say for the journey there was complete blackness. What was I crying about? The body in front of me wouldn't speak no matter how many times I poked it or yelled at it. There was someone wasn't there, someone who could tell me without breaking the silence. Yes I need only to find them and the pretty blue ahead of me was telling me where to go. Go north it said, go north. So I followed it leaving the body behind.
Sight was slowly restored and yet it disappeared with the sun. The warmth was replaced with cold, the noise came again but I got rid of it quickly so the blue wouldn't leave for it seemed to do that when the noise came. I walked and walked all the while the blue told me where the sun went and other things that distracted me from the little static that sometimes hummed in my ears. Before I knew it the sun came again and the blue retreated a little for it didn't like the light as much as the dark.
It was strange how the things I never would have noticed the blue seemed to know like the back of a hand. The blue doesn't have hands yet it told me that it sometimes wished it could for it wanted to touch the sun. I couldn't understand why it would want to touch something it feared so I asked it. The static was ringing in my ears as it answered me. "I think I could understand it more if I could touch it."
I stopped in my tracks as the blue retreated. The noise was strong here very strong and it hid inside a giant peak. Eliminate noise. Walking was harder here unlike the path the blue showed me. I had to climb and jump and destroy obstacles that didn't move when I tried to pass. The warmth I felt wasn't from the sun it came from the blood that exited my hands and shoulders. Give up my body pleaded. "Not until the noise is gone." My mind was still working yet my body stopped walking and fell to the ground. Static echoed in my ear and I was angry with my body.
"Sleep. There will be a time for silence when you have rested." It said turning to face the rising sun.
"Silence now!"
"Sleep." It said taking the warmth of a star miles and miles away.
"Just until the static leaves." The voice said reluctantly. My body smiled and rested.
*
The noise came back only this time it came with a voice. Several actually and the moment I stirred from my sleep they took on the forms of screams. I rose from the ground and stared in the direction of the noise. My senses must have healed for I actually could see the looming presence of Atlantis in front of me, from the side of course. The screams ranged from war cries to the scream of a person looking at their death.
At the gate were no signs of life so the screams came from inside the city. I slowly walked towards the gate from down below on the shore and kept going until I was walking the abandoned streets of Atlantis. The screams seemed duller here yet for some reason I felt I was getting close. The voice of destruction was still resting but without it my confidence of beating any threat that came along was almost non-existent. The threat came sooner than I expected.
In front of me appeared a dark figure thin but all muscle. His eyes glowed a deep red and his nails were long curled around two daggers that glimmered in the fading sunlight. He seemed familiar but the way he held himself made him a threat to me. I slowly went into a defensive stance holding my hands at the ready in case of a frontal assault. The dark man showed white fangs briefly before entering his own stance and rising the daggers to either side of his shoulders in a crossed fashion. Who was this man to play with me?
I stood ignoring him and started walking like I had the voice with me. He didn't take the threat and charged but I lost him when he entered within a five foot radius of me. I looked around wildly but paused as the static changed to a beating sound. A heart throb sounded in my ear though I doubted it could me. Arms wrapped around me pulling me into the narrow body of attacker, an arm moved up to under my chin bringing my head back in a shallow arc.
"I've missed you." A rough wet sensation came from below my ear and a nibble came after. "I think you have me in your web oh dear spider of mine. What shall I do to turn your gaze unto me once more." The hands pulled me in tighter and tighter making me take quicker breaths just to get air.
"Who..?" I gasped as the arm around my middle crushed my ribs inwards.
"Who am I? I think the question is," He leaned in so his lips brushed delicately across my ear. "Who would you like me to be?"
My memory was foggy and clear thoughts rationalized to kill or break him. I couldn't though as the throbbing continued louder in my mind. What was it that made it sound that way? "Let go." I said and was released but there was reluctance in his action. I turned only to fall backwards as the ground disappeared beneath me. I screamed but heard a louder cry as the strange man dove in after me desperately reaching out towards me.
"Emily take my hand!" He called and memory came like the waters of the flood. He was Victor, a man of past desires. Why he wanted me now was strange enough but him in Atlantis was stranger yet. My arm stayed down and I tipped backwards to nose dive in darkness. It was better he not get involved with me, I was a time bomb. "Emily!"
"And then there was silence." I said as the voice came ringing into my mind with a force none could withstand.
"What..." Victor was silenced as my hand plunged into his eyes with two razor sharp claws. No scream for my other hand filled his mouth while mine had a permanent frown. Wings sprouted from my back like a bats halting us in the air almost ten feet from the bottom of the pit.
"Silent." I threw him to the ground and flew up as the static filled my ears once more. I reached the top as my ribs finished healing and folding my wings back into my tattered clothing. "I would have cared about that at one point in time." I muttered. Sanity was somewhat present but there was no one around to kill so the static died down.
"I have the feeling we don't talk much anymore." A voice said from the edge of the pit. "Damn that Jerry couldn't he have put this closer to the citadel." Victor crawled over the edge his eyes bleeding but already grown back.
"Kill." I said walking over to end him forever.
"Not too hastily." Victor said jumping over the side at the last minute rolling behind me. I used my momentum and kicked back towards him with a good amount of force. He blocked and flew from the power. "Guess my hands won't help me now." He took his fingernail and drew a straight line down the opposite forearm. "Blood is my true friend." Victor walked at me slowly as a blades of blood formed at his fists. The vampires were a race who relied on blood as their source of power and magic was limited due to the blood they carried. Therefore vampires stored other creature's blood inside their bodies for later use.
"No fight." I said calmly dodging all attacks that he threw at me. His breathing grew labored and then he managed to pin me down by trapping me under an endless blood cage made of blood. "Why do you ask for me when I gave up on you long ago?"
"Vampires love only one creature in their lifetime. Most of us don't think love is necessary and marry for the bloodline. My father thought this until he met that dragon girl. His love was one sided at first of course but through efforts he was rewarded and yet even though they had a son together he cherished me more. Even the halfling's mother refused to acknowledge her own flesh and blood. So I believed this act of love was unneeded and I was engaged to further enhance the bloodline. That is no longer needed as well for they are all dead." Victor said letting himself into the cage.
"Are you saying that you came to love me?" I asked destroying the wires that held me down.
"At first I thought it was because you were an enchantress. Then you turned out to be just Emily the magic-less creature from another world. I realized my own feelings when Amanda and Clyde started to draw closer and you disappeared. The jealousy I got when the halfling and the others touched you was unbearable. My love may came as twisted to you but I want nothing more than to hold you and keep you away where only I can touch you. Seeing you like this breaks my heart, please come back Emily." Victor said tears pooling at the corners of his eyes.
I didn't ignore his words but I went into his mind and found he did really love me. It was really powerful and was by the looks of things a new emotion in this creature. He didn't know how to handle this feeling. I rejoiced if there was a hope in this blood sucker maybe Amanda was confused about her own feelings. I had to know. The voice of destruction was over written and I hugged Victor tightly as a thank you. "There may still be hope!" I said gleefully skipping down the streets towards the citadel. Victor jogged slowly after me confused by my bizarre actions and puzzling behavior. "Sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, and everything thats wonderful is what I feel when we're together." I sang twirling in a clumsy dance. I was happy but at the same time depressed and everything seemed to be taking a turn at the slowness of time.
I kept going until the song stopped and I was staring at the battle above me. We had followed the long trench back into the city but now the second level loomed above us. Gates were being defended and attacked but our side only had one person still fighting. It was Death. His boney wings expanded behind him but he was covered in a long black cloak that covered everything else. In his hand was the nightmarish sword that had tried to get me once. I waved but when he ignored me I grew upset and jumped like a frog up behind him. Death still didn't say anything so I took a good swing and caught him over the head sending him to the ground with a crack.
"Don't blatantly ignore me!" I yelled then looked with a glare at the approaching soldiers. "Die scum." They shriveled up like husks and the wind blew their ashes away.
"What on good earth is wrong with you!" Death yelled coming up in his humanoid form. His silky black hair was so cute, I couldn't help myself and started to pet it.
"Soo cute." I said with a giggle.
"You are one crazy witch." Death said. I knew I was crazy, the better question is when my sanity was put aside. Wait did I ever have sanity, yes I did, when I still thought I was human for the most part.
"Thank you kind gent, I was wondering when people would start to find out. Was I not obvious enough? I can do better." I said. My hand left his head and helped him up. "Ready to siege the castle and rescue the princess?"
"To quote your very words, what the hell have you put in your coffee this morning?"
"That was the princess. She has a way you know, with words." I clapped my hands and walked forward. My blood was rushing, I was so close to her now and the truth.
"No I am pretty sure it was you."
"Then I took it from her."
"Why is he here?"
"He loves me." I said with a shrug.
"You seem really relaxed about that."
"Should I not be?"
"Vampires are known for obsessive love. Means he won't let you go." Death said as Victor finally reached the top of the second level behind us.
"I'm crazy 'member. He can't do much with that."
"True."
"Where did the soldiers go?" Victor asked running to catch up with us.
"To the blue!" I yelled saluting in the direction of the ocean.
"Blue? You mean the ocean right?" Victor asked as Death smirked at his stupidity.
"Maybe." I smiled skipping once again.
"Excuse me but what happened after you left the group?" Death asked the vampire.
"She tried to kill me."
"Explains a lot." Death said with a sigh. "Do you know where you're going?"
"To the tallest room of the tallest tower or in this case the dome." I responded transforming my whole arm into a long tentacle with a spiked end. More people were coming and I had somewhere I needed to be.
*
"I hate this!" I yelled while sitting on the floor.
"What you were happy just a minute ago." Death said leaning back on a nearby wall. Victor fell heavily on his back exhausted from all the fighting. "We have a few more floors to go and Amanda's probably already there."
"Stairs can go," I said waving a hand. "Let me use the Silent Voice."
"No you tire out faster that way and you can't be tired before we get there."
"Why?" I whined.
"What if Amanda needs your help?" Death said.
"You're right! Now is not the time for a nap!" I jumped to my feet energy renewed. "Knights in shining armor don't get tired."
"Where does she get it?" Victor said getting to his feet.
"If I knew I would use it myself." Death said drawing his sword once again.
We would have blabbered on but a thud came from the stairs ahead of us. A head rolled oddly into the room and my energy faded as fast as it came. Death went first followed by Victor but I didn't budge, something was off. It was too quiet. My legs moved on their own faster than a cheetah's up the stairs and I just barely managed to grab the men before a stone slab fell closing off the entrance to the next room. They both looked up to find me already running up the stairs ahead of them a cold sweat breaking out on my skin. Please don't let that voice ring out,please.
My wishes had been used up for the piercing cry of an injured dragon rang throughout the whole of Atlantis. The ground shook beneath me or was that just my knees shaking. "No, no, no, no." I chanted clearing the stairs finding the next room's floor gone. It was broken in large slabs below. The stairs only went up two floors at a time and this was the end. I could transform and cross the gap but the two behind me would know my secret for the future. I looked around desperate and found that a portion of the sides were still intact.
I scooted about halfway across before the other two finally came from the stairs. Victor took a giant leap enhancing his own body to clear the fifty foot gap. Death walked casually on shadows to cross. Both waited for me who was upset at my own weakness. I went to run the next stairs but Victor stopped me with an arm. "Don't go."
"Are you trying to stop me?" I said voice as cold as ice.
"Yes, I have no need for a rival."
"Then I have no need for you." I said taking his arm and twisting so he flew over my head the floor twenty feet below. I heard a cry and satisfied I ran up the stairs Death following right behind me. Good thing he was for I almost ran right off into endless space. He pulled me back and I fell to the edge looking down. Jerry had been blasted out this wall yet he was not on the ground below. "Jerry!" I yelled into the air.
"He isn't dead but it looks like he took quite the hit." Death said looking to see how far it was to the rest of the stairs. "Emily the plan has fallen through."
"What?" I said looking up and feeling scared.
"Amanda was in a close knit group but Jerry was supposed to be ahead of their party. If we heard Jerry then.."
"We should have run into Amanda." I said already feeling the despair. "I think I know what happened but.. It doesn't end well."
"You saw the future didn't you?" Death asked.
"Yeah and I thought I had prevented it." I said looking back at Death.
"The plan? Crap I totally failed. I'm sorry Emily I thought it would be okay."
"Okay? Don't tell me you fell for a mortal's tricks?" I said with half of a hysterical laugh.
"It seems I did." Death said just above a whisper.
I let out a roar and jumped again over the gap in stairs running the whole way to the gold inlayed doors. It shimmered but I pushed creating a gap in the picture depicting the rise of Atlantis. In the room was not Bartholomew or Clyde or Amanda, instead there was a bald man sitting back in a high backed chair flipping a coin. "Greetings."
"Where is HE?"I growled ready to kill. The voice was back insisting that it be allowed to kill the baldy.
"Appointment?"
"Death needs no appointment." I said looking around for some kind of door.
"Only I know where he is."
"Then I will have you tell me."
"Take on him first." The bald man called Allen said while summoning his black dragon. I had no weapon and the last person I wanted to know my secret sat across the room acting all high and mighty. The dragon went for me and I dove out of the way.
Crush him! Destruction echoed. Do it!
"No!" I yelled remembering the words of Jerry that night so long ago. The jaws came again and there was no where to go.
A roar sounded out as the windows and wall on the west side of the room were smashed in revealing a bright red dragon. The dragon slammed its tail down on the chair and tackled the black dragon. They fought a battle of giants and I scooted out of the way trying to hold myself down from the wind they made. I also saw that even though the red dragon had the element of surprise it was already heavily wounded. I ducked as a wing came at my head and in that moment I saw a blue light coming from the hands of a disheveled Allen. Magic.
I had to stop him but there was a problem. He was located on the other side of two giant animals. Almost like he had read my mind Allen smiled and released the flame hitting the dragon on an open wound. The red dragon moaned slightly but let loose his own set of flame and pushed the black dragon out the hole in the wall. He followed while wobbling on his feet leaving me alone in the room with a villain. No, not alone, he had given me a gift. A fang was laying on the floor near me.
It was slightly larger than a dagger but three times as sharp. I grabbed the fat end in both hands and headed to Allen who drew his own sword. "Let's finish this." I said.
"Couldn't have said it better myself." Our swords clashed.