A Tale of Traitors

Dalia

          I felt the pressure of the water race through my mind and over my scales. My eyes could scan miles of water at a time, and no detail escaped my notice. I focused on the waves tinted with royal purple, navy blue, and droplets of blood and oil. I darted through the colors, the rush of adrenaline overtaking my senses. No beast in the ocean was more powerful than me, and nothing on the land stood a chance when pitted against a majestic creature such as myself. I could feel the massive grin on my face as the waves washed through my hair and I marked majestic shadows upon the sands of the deep.
          It had been four nights since I had dreamed of my past, and it felt wrong for my senses to have been limited for so long. Back in my realm, they say that your soul never really leaves home, and that the world leaves just as much of a mark on you as you do on it. I suppose that's more true as time goes on. Even in consciousness, I cannot get home out of my head. In the day, my puny human eyes can't see half as much or as far as they could when I was back home. I can't seem to focus on one thing at a time; I hate being unable to see everything around me. I'm one of the Averages--you might call them humans--now, and they have such weak bodies. I'm always vulnerable now, but I still have a natural bend to my old power. I know if I look any of these people in the eyes for long enough, they could fall under hypnosis. Although I'm an Average, my spirit still contains part of the power that it held in my previous body. I miss my power, but I don't miss home. Home was...
          "PROFESSOR!" Willow screeched as she fell off the bed and scattered books everywhere. "I REMEMBER MY SECRET!" She tore to her feet and threw on her shoes, mumbling something to herself over and over.
"Willow, what're you doing?" Queen snapped sleepily. The three of us shared a room in the Shadow Weeper's bunker; there was one king size bed against one of the walls, a table against the opposite wall, and a large dresser against the adjacent wall. In her rush, Willow didn't turn on the light. Instead, she ran into the dresser, tripped on the rug, and then ripped open the door, screaming,
"PROFESSOR! I REMEMBER!"
"Get up," Queen threw off the blanket and got to her feet. "I suppose you should come, too."
I obediently rose and put on a hoodie as we ran after her.
"My goodness," the professor was yelling, "by all means, write it down!"
"What's going on?" Queen asked.
"Willow remembers the secret she's been keeping--the one that's going to help us overthrow Tormod!" The professor answered cheerily.
"Well, go ahead and tell us," Queen put her hands on her hips.
"She dreamed of a woman named--" The professor began.
"Helena Magdalena," Willow finished as her pencil waved viciously in her hand.
"Yes," the professor couldn't help but glance over her shoulder at what she was writing. "Oh! And she remembered some things about the night she disappeared. There's a key card with information on it, and she's writing down what she recalls seeing from the card!"
"How does that help us?" Queen asked skeptically.
"Someone go research Helena Magdalena--quickly!" The professor waved his hand at the books in the corner of the room, and I instantly flipped through them.
Willow handed over the list she'd written, and the professor was at a loss for words. His jaw dropped and his eyes carried the amazement he longed to communicate.
"Hello?" Queen attempted to receive an answer to her previous question.
"I have something," I said quietly, my eyes bouncing off of the pages.
"Go ahead, Dee," the professor beamed excitedly.
"'Helena Magdalena was once the most powerful enchantress in all seven realms,'" I read. "'She was the first wife of King Tormod himself, and she is partially responsible for his widespread power. Equally as thirsty to conquer and make herself known as he was, she willingly aided his advancement and ordered the creation of millions of powerful weapons. However, it was when he wished to build his boundaries that Magdalena protested. The Enchantress had already conquered every land she desired, and she felt it would be wrong to set physical boundaries to alienate different races. Her husband would not listen to her; instead, he cursed her.'" I glanced up but didn't look at anyone directly. "The chapter ends there."
"I have something, too," Syrnafin had woken up because of the noise we were making, and he was carrying a thick, dusty book in his hands. "An enchantress with power equivalent to Tormod's used her power to create a master weapon. It was assembled with seven materials--one from each realm--and, when enchanted, was the most powerful master weapon that our universe has known. The enchantress was close to the king, and she was betrayed by her servant. Knowing she had little time to get the weapon to her chosen warrior, the enchantress shattered the weapon into seven pieces and cloaked them in multiple spells. She then scattered them over the realms with one forceful spell in the hopes that Tormod would be unable to find and destroy the weapon. After he tortured her for information and she gave him nothing, he cursed her with a spell which she invented. Her story seems to align with that of Helena Magdalena's."
"Why wasn't her name recorded in that story, then, if they're the same person?" Queen crossed her arms.
"This book is a collection written by rebels over hundreds of years. There are no specific names in this book, so that no agent will be discovered," Syrnafin finished.
"We may assume that the wife of Tormod is truly his greatest enemy," the professor waved his hand as to rush us along. "So this key card."
"I think that each of these are places in the realms," Willow spoke as fast as a rabid squirrel, "maybe the pieces of the weapon are hidden here." She handed the list to the professor and pushed a knot of black hair behind her ear.
The professor took the list and pondered aloud, "Temple of Whispers, Abyss of Periculum, Niimebrutnoc, Fort Deivapmi, Wreck of Pirate Moonlight, Lux Mundi, and Taingocni... somewhat familiar, yes?"
Bob suddenly burst into the room, his ginger hair sticking in all directions.
"Look who's awake," even Queen couldn't keep a straight face as he stumbled through the door.
"What's happening?" Bob groaned wearily.
"I'll fill you in later," Queen promised. "You kinda burst in on a serious moment there."
"Does anyone know about any of the places Willow has listed?" The professor asked hastily.
"What list?" Bob rubbed his eyes as the professor reread what Willow had written. No one spoke.
          As I waited for someone else to answer the professor, I focused on the loud ticking of an old clock that rested near the door. There was a cabinet filled with old porcelain, which depicted battles and myths told across every realm. There was an elaborate Elvish rug over the hardwood floors, and assorted weapons crafted by Dwarfs hung upon the walls. A bouquet of glowing flowers were in a vase until they were knocked off the study table, and a necklace made of fangs and a crucifix was in a display case next to the bed. The old clock continued to tick, and the only other sound was the turning of pages as everyone began to dig into old books. I found the professor and whispered what I knew. He nodded and thanked me for telling him, then turned to Queen and Bob and listened to them. We all trust the professor as if he is our father; I mean, we only have each other now. The joyful old man had rescued us when we thought we were in for a fate worse than death, and no one could comprehend our situation but us four. Five, including Willow. I realized that she was kneeling on the floor, glaring at the list as if her life depended upon it. Maybe she was trying to remember something more. I knelt next to her and smiled. She seemed to feel a little better, and smiled back. I didn't want to tell her out loud that I was there for her, but it appeared that my little gesture said what I was thinking. I glanced up as the professor nodded at Queen.
"The Temple of Whispers is in Realm One," she twisted her hair around her first finger. "It's hidden deep within the enchanted forests, partially buried under a river. Most of Tormod's men know where it is. Quite dangerous to hide something there, and it may be assumed that his guards have already found it."
"How do you know this?" Willow asked. Since she handed over her list, she had been more silent than the clock on the wall. Queen opened her mouth to speak, but met the professor's eyes before any sound came out. He winked at me; my turn to share information.
"The wreckage of Pirate Moonlight is in an unknown location," I began slowly.
"Moonlight himself was a ruthless pirate," the professor carried on for me. "He originally slaughtered Mermaids for the few islands they possessed; Realm Five doesn't have much land, but the islands are uninhabited and hard to find, which makes them the perfect location to hide treasure. Pirate Moonlight was sailing back to his main island--no one knows where that was--when he was betrayed by Sirens. They led a massive sea creature to his ship and ordered it to attack. Everyone on board Moonlight's ship died, and his story has since passed into legend."




        "... Pirate Moonlight may have been the enemy of the mermaids, but by no means was he our ally," he chuckled. "my grandpa personally ensured Moonlight was dead. Held his head underwater and everything."
"Why kill someone who was helping us?" Dalia questioned, her platinum, net-like hair swirling about.
"We didn't like how he was claiming our lands. I know we don't even use them, but I guess my grandpa figured that no one, especially a puny Average, would have possession of what belongs to us. Besides, where does it stop? If Moonlight had our land, what would stop him from constantly sailing our water and bringing his troubles into our seas? No, Grandpa did not want Moonlight to harm our people." He nodded firmly.
"I think he did the right thing," Dalia agreed. "Our people deserve better than to be conquered by an Average, even though that means losing a potential ally. The Mermaids have fought against us harder than I expected."
"Indeed," he turned his attention to the map they had formed in a clay wall of the cave they were protected in. "We got a little off-topic with that conversation."
Dalia smiled and examined the map further.
"You're the toughest soldier we have, Dalia." He focused on her. Dalia's scales resembled the early hints of a sunrise; the darkest colors were at the top of her tail, and the lightest purples and blues were at her waist. Her skin changed color with the water, flowing with the waves. It was often hard to tell where she was, especially when she hid herself from her enemies. She was both fierce and beautiful, with a brilliant mind. He knew he could trust her with anything.
"What are you going to ask me?" She responded, cutting right to the chase.
"There's an issue with the border," he answered. "A group of Mermaids has been working to break the spell over our realm..."
Her gleaming gold eyes went wide.
"... and I want you to help them."





          "Niimebrutnoc is in my realm," Bob offered as his mind geared back into action. "It's a maze that was established like super long ago. Although it's old, it is full of traps and nearly impossible to survive. I guess it'd make sense for something to be hidden there, but it's not been accessed for almost three hundred years. It's guarded by Tormod's men, but it's like huge. Part of the weapon could be hidden anywhere."
"Good, good," the professor nodded, his pen flying through his hand as he wrote in the notebook. "Willow, did Ms. Magdalena inform you about the weapon she hid?"
"No, Professor," Willow rubbed her temples. "She only helped me remember."
"Whoever cast that spell upon you in the first place must be quite powerful," The professor took out a flashlight and examined her irises. "Adrianna, dear, would you take Willow to get something to eat?"
I hadn't even noticed Adrianna, who was slouching in a corner. She nodded and helped Willow to her feet.
"Would you all be so kind as to give us some privacy?" The professor motioned to us, and everyone slowly filtered into the hallway. Syrnafin shut the door behind me, as I was the last person to leave. Bob, Queen, and I froze and waited for the other Shadow Weepers to go back to their rooms. As soon as they had disappeared from view, Queen turned to Bob.
"Listen in on them, will you?" Although she said it like a question, it was more of an order.
He nodded and crept back to his room. After a moment of silence, he came back with a small contraption that he invented; it was a tiny black box that unfolded into a tiny bug. He passed each of us a pair of ear buds, and then let the bug creep into the room. As it drew closer to the professor, we could better hear what he was saying.
"It's alright," Syrnafin sighed, "we knew that one day, our home would no longer be safe. We will still help you along your way. The Warrior needs more training, but we have little time."
"How long do you think we can keep them off?" The professor anxiously asked.
"The Spirits?"
"Yes." Both men paused.
"You will need many Shadow Catchers. I suspect one could keep her hidden for a day or two. you will need to travel quickly."
"Tormod does not know that she remembers what was on the key card?" The professor responded.
"No, but whoever cast the spell will know. Will she be protected from him?"
"Yes, yes," the professor hurried, his steps coming toward the bug. "She doesn't have to know about him; we're all better off without that man."
"Indeed," Syrnafin agreed. We all glanced nervously at each other as the steps drew closer.
"You don't think Tormod will send out all seven of his demons," the professor's voice stopped Syrnafin from exiting the room.
"There is no way to be sure," Syrnafin said solemnly. "I doubt he would send them all at once. He might order one to chase after her, and send the other six to the known hiding places of the pieces. Although he knows where they are hidden, he does not know how to access them or where they are hidden. As his men cannot quite access the pieces, we have more of a chance of getting to them first. We just have to beware of the lost souls he controls."
"Do you have any agents close to him, whom he would trust?" The professor paced about the room.
"No," Syrnafin said sadly, "I have no new information. Do you not have Adresin?"
"He has betrayed us," the professor said darkly. "He is currently in pursuit of the Warrior, after he tried to kill her in the forests of Realm One."
"That's a shame, but not an unexpected blow. Was he the one who cast the spell on her?"
"No, I highly doubt that. He has experience in the dark arts, but barely used any spells during his time in Realm One. I'm sure it was her fiance."
"She was engaged?" Syrnafin sighed. "Does she not know that her past life is dead now?"
"I have not the courage to tell her she may not come home from this." The professor said sadly.
"Poor girl."
"Yes. I'm sorry to change the subject so quickly, but we are short on time and we have inhaled much information. I think it would be wise for us to pursue the pieces ourselves. If Ms. Magdalena herself appeared to Willow, she must have been chosen for this. Her memory will stabilize eventually. We know this deranged assassin has a Mind Seeker with her memories inside. Is it worth attacking him before he gets to us?"
"Adresin is very, very dangerous," Syrnafin argued. "I don't think we should get in his path if we don't have to. That man always gets what he wants. You know this."
"I do," the professor relented. "Then we must train her here. May we stay a few more days?"
"Take all the time you need."
"Thank you very much for your help, Syrnafin. You have been extremely generous."
Queen violently shook her hands, and we quietly scattered away from the door. Bob stooped down and picked up his bug, while Queen and I made for the kitchen. Bob shut the door behind us, and we sighed in relief.
"I doubt anyone else is getting to sleep tonight," Queen glanced at her watch. "It's almost five in the morning."
"Wanna make breakfast or something?" Bob yawned.
"Only if you're doing the dishes," she chuckled.
"Sounds good to me." Bob nodded, walking along the wooden floor and taking a seat across from Willow and Adrianna at the massive black table. Queen and I got right to sorting through the worn white cabinets, and turned the stove on.

          "You want me to unite with Mermaids?" Dalia chuckled.
"Yes," he responded, nearly laughing at the idea. "We have not found such unity for as long as anyone can remember, and I honestly don't think it could ever work here in our realm. However, if we use them to split the border, we might regain some of the freedom we had before Tormod conquered us."
"You're suggesting a resistance?" Dalia looked doubtfully into his stormy grey eyes before returning her gaze to the brown map upon the wall.
"If we can control the breach, we can open it just enough for it to go unnoticed. I suspect Mermaids have this idea as well. They wish to get through and back again, having scoped out the terrain of a neighboring realm and bringing allies back with them to destroy us." The man's deep voice made ripples in the water.
She was silent.
"We think we can outsmart him," he pushed, pointing his gilded scepter at a corner of the map. "Here's where the mermaids are. We can certainly outsmart them, yes?"
Dalia nodded but said nothing.
"Their technology is better than ours," he thought for a moment. "You could keep them alive for a while, and then attack. We don't really need them."
"Wish we could just take them out right away; I'm better at killing than pretending to be an ally."
"If some of their kin are found dead, they'll come after us with a vengeance."
"Yeah, I know. I still wish I could simply kill them, though."
"Don't we all," he laughed. "I wish our problems were that simple."
"How soon do you want me over there?" Dalia pointed to the breach.
"As soon as tonight or tomorrow," the man motioned for her to follow, and they swam out of the cave and above it, through seaweed that reached up for the surface. Below them were patches of yellow, pink, green, and purple coral, with all sorts of fish and eels darting through the colors. As their heads burst above the fragile, rocky surface of the cool waves, their eyes were overpowered by the blinding light of the setting suns over the endless horizon. Dalia hoisted herself upon a large rock on the edge of the miniature island and judged the height of the trees, which were immensely different than what she was used to. She breathed in the aroma of wildflowers and fruit, which was wafting from the alluring island, and felt the breeze tangle her hair.
"Why have you taken us here?" She asked, nearly breathless from the sight.