This was the third time, within the hour he woke, he applied oil to his gun. The stuff was made for cooking, according to Jayden, but this olive oil was better than nothing. Yet, he only did this to keep his mind occupied. It failed, the thoughts of Nu in Shadow's grasp working themselves back in with every repetitive motion.
I can't just stay here, Van thought as he rubbed the rag over Leonette's surface, every passing minute ... who knows what he's doing?
"Curses," spat Van as he stood up.
Ignatius was only half-asleep, it would seem, and he heard him move and speak.
"What is it?" Ig asked.
"Do you need to ask?" Van responded not unkindly.
"Are you ... leaving?" Ig got up as if to put himself between him and the exit of the pillar, "You know that's not a good idea. I don't think I need to explain why."
"I'm not going to face Shadow, if that's what you're wondering."
"Then what?"
"The other pillars."
"Yes?"
"I got this gun from one of them," Van lifted threadbare, purple cape to show him the pistol, "There are probably some more armaments we can find. This one seems empty."
"Armaments to help us rescue the ones we love?"
"You follow." Van nodded.
There was no more to say. Silently, it seemed Ig would come with him; after all, they did say we when talking about the quest.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYOwMj2C9H
"Can you fight?" Van remembered his state and how his transformation had drained him.
"If need be," Ig said as he showed him a protein bar, "still got one more of these."
The red sun was setting. There was a pillar not too far from where they stayed. They approached it, keeping quiet and watching their backs. It was best to keep off the main road; beasts roamed freely on the asphalt and there was no use in wasting ammo.
They walked along alleys, finding doors between adjacent buildings and barging in and out of them. After a few blocks, they made it to their destination. Behind a pawn shop, a pillar towered over lesser buildings, giving off a dark blue phosphorescence.
Crossing the road was a difficulty; the creatures, odd ones, at that, lurked about. One wore a pristine white dress, so pure, it seemed to glow. The dress had no sleeves or armholes, for that matter. The figure didn't need them, however, since it had no arms but only legs. It wore a wimple, one just as undamaged and pure as its dress. The red sun made it look like the most perfect of roses. Its face, however, was almost painful to look upon. Its face was like that of the dried-up corpse of a woman. Its eyes were like solid red marbles, subtle pink swirls in them, matching the tone of its owner's utterances. What was it uttering, Van wondered. It was half-ramble, half-song, all said to nothing in particular.
"Careful of that one, gunner," whispered Ig.
"Magic?" Van wondered.
Ig nodded his head.
There was also this pack of dog-like creatures feasting on what looked like a lower-leveled umbra. Their hides were striped like a tiger's, though it was black and a bright green. Their heads were that of men. Fat men, at that, with swollen cheeks and chins. They dug their crooked sharp teeth into their umbral prey. They snapped at each other for their share of the kill.
"What about them?" Van pointed at the five four-legged beasts.
"No, none at all," assured Ig, "just ... unpleasant to look upon."
"I can handle them," Van said. Five for five. Best not miss.
"I'll handle the misses."
Vandal took aim with his last eye and licked his lips. Three solid shots he fired in rapid succession. The first one blasted through the brains of its target. The second caught went through the forehead of one who reacted to the blast and faced Van. The third, seeing its own mates dead, called out to him.
"KILL!" the frenzied dog-man bellowed, its voice slurred and impeded by cascades of saliva, "KILL! BITE! KILL!"
Meanwhile, Ig faced the lady. Its face twisted in anger as if annoyed by the gunshots and intrusion. He wasted no time in eliminating his foe, lest its fury makes it harder to kill.. As he prepared to use a fire spell, Van assumed, seeing the waves of heat emanating from his palms, the lady screeched. Her voice had an invisible force to it. The fireball Ig launched at her bounced off it and collided with its maker. Van could hear Ig grunt in pain as his own flames scorched him.
"Hang on, Ig," assured the gunner.
Van drew his pistol as quick as he could and fired into its yapping mouth. It died from the shot, but the last one jumped over its fallen companion and fell upon Vandal. He fired, but he was only able to take off one of its ears, the beast coming closer than he anticipated for it to get.
The beast was heavy; it was like having a pig on his chest. With one hand it held its throat back, its foul-smelling saliva drizzling over his chin.
"Get off me," Van growled, "get off!" Van, with his other hand, flipped the pistol over to grab hold of its barrels. He slammed the grip on the creature's fat face, sending its black blood, saliva, and tooth fragments to fly from its mouth.
"KILL! KILL! KILL!" the beast kept shouting stupidly through its half-broken mouth, "I KILL. THEN I EAT!"
It shot out its narrow tongue to lick at Van's face. He smashed at the beast's head again, and he placed his foot under its belly and pushed with all his might. He was able to shove the beast off of him. But no sooner than it was off that it charged at him again, this time closing its jaws on his left arm. He yelped in pain as he threw the pistol aside and drew the axe from behind. In the distance, the armless lady was still screaming, though this time there was kind of a rhythm to it as if she was singing.
He slammed the sharp head into the dog-man's flank. It whimpered and let go of its prey.
"Take this!" Van drove the steel into the side of the beast's head, cleaving half its head. No more did it discuss its need to kill and eat. He picked up and holstered his pistol and looked to Ig.
His opponent was far from dead. In fact, it had become stronger. From the songstress's mouth, a giant rose blossomed, it's stem thorny and black as night. The frail body fell to its knees then, as if crushed by the weight of its own flora, fell apart as the stems sprouted through the pure white dress.
From the ring of inner petals appeared a beautiful woman, dressed in silks that complimented the flower she was born from. It didn't have legs, rather the same thorny greens made up for what was below her belly. It sang as well, the song making Van dizzy and sickly. His hands felt like wood and his eye blurred.
Curses, thought Van as he tried to reload Leonette, can't focus. Ig ... and to think I could make it alone.
Ig was also affected by the hidden songstress's music. His spells seemed to weaken: his lightning bolts, but little zaps; his cutting winds only split the thorny stems that slowly crept towards him; his flames only singing the woman's dark green hair. But the songstress couldn't keep her song up forever. She stopped, Van, assuming her mysterious energies exhausted, and began to lash at the caster with her vines.
Ig recovered quickly and let a lightning bolt strike the flowered fiend in the chest. He didn't kill it, but the damage was significant. It staggered as Van was finally able to load in one prepared metal shell. He fired. Had the stems not covered the beauty and taken the shot, he might have struck her heart.
"Van, forget it!" Ig made for the pawnshop. "Just run. run!"
Ig fell to the ground. Exhausted, he tried to crawl away. Damn it all, thought Van, I knew he may have been too weak. There was no time to reload, so Van unsheathed his axe. He sprinted towards the caster, cutting the thorny vines, getting grazed as he did so. He threw one arm of Ig's arms over his shoulder.
"Van ... " the caster whispered, his consciousness fading.
"Stay with me, Ig," said Van as he swung with his wounded arm to slice one stem then another. The songstress attempted to seal their fate, another vile song to see them off.
This is it, thought Van as the vines seemed to multiply and cluster, Nu ... forgive me ...
But then, the floor opened up beneath them.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWsFL57mNj
The fall wasn't high. They landed on the sidewalk, falling from a portal that opened in the pawn shop's wall behind them. What? thought Van. They were only a couple of feet away from the rose-beast.
"What are you doing?" Talon screamed from a distance, his mind's strength returning as the song was but just echoes away, "Get in the shop!"518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDoIBYP235i
The gunner needed no convincing. He sheathed his axe and flew to the pawnshop door. And, thank the gods, the door was unlocked.
When they were in, they barricaded the door to keep the vines out. Chairs and table against it, the headed to the rear of the building, looking for a way out.
"You're hurt." Ig noticed him pulling fragments of teeth out of his bleeding arm.
"I'll be fine," said Van, though he winced as he pulled out a particularly large piece, "how about you?"
"A little pain behind the eyes," said Ig drily, "I don't think I've ever heard such a terrible performance before in my life."
"Yes. And I thought my singing was bad," quipped Van.
They each gave a weak, exhausted laugh.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9qlR7nbkfk
"I ... " Van started to say, "I shouldn't have gone out. I shouldn't have convinced you to either." This is the second time I've almost gotten my companions killed, thought Van bitterly, headfirst into the maws of beasts. Ig had passed out in his arms though, so he wasn't able to hear his solemn words.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3rczqVYtR
"I second that," Talon said as he walked into a portal that popped in through a wall behind the clerk's counter. He gave an exaggerated sigh and pouted, but still kept his friendliness in his tones. "You can't go at it alone, man. If I hadn't followed you guys, we'd be in big trouble."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbTs5Wt3HKi
Van shot the portal-maker a look of irritation. This made Talon frown and swallowed his spit as he raised his hands in surrender. Van immediately knew he was wrong, however, his pride making him act this way.
"I'm in your debt, Talon" Van said looking away.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0NNsrAjL9
"Oh, Vanny," said Talon as he tossed him a sports drink and a so-called Family-sized pack of beef jerky, "don't be so sad. It's not like I don't know what you two are going through." Talon, himself, tore the plastic wrapping off a little yellow cake with white cream inside. "You can't save your pretty ladies if your both dead," Talon said with his mouth full.
Van chuckled at this. This guy's not so bad, Van thought as he downed the sport's drink, wish he wouldn't call me Vanny though.
After about an hour, Van searched the pawnshop for anything to use as ammunition. There was a stone bust of a man of historical significance. Van smashed it and shaved the stone with a file to turn them into balls that would fit his guns. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0YVo8hQywC
He also found a peculiar type of firearm in the process. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGoVt093ltK
This one had a wooden piece that slid back and forth. When he did so, small cylindrical objects flew out of it. Van picked one up to inspect it: one end was tipped with shiny yellow metal and the casing was bright red. He took the little thing apart and found there was gunpowder within and a heavy piece of lead at the other end.
An interesting weapon ... I wonder ...
After a while of inspecting the piece, Van loaded the shells back in. Don't want to risk busting it up with magic and banfrow, mused Van, good ol' gunpowder with this one.
"There is a pillar behind this shop," Van said to Talon.
"Yes, they are pretty hard to see, aren't they?" Talon said drily, "I feel like those monsters you guys were fighting guarded the pillar, so it might be clear to—" Talon caught sight of the shotgun. "Whoa! Armed to the teeth are you? Doesn't all that stuff weigh you down?"
"A little," said Van. Seeing the truth in this, he shrugged and laid it down on the counter. "You know how to use a thing like this?"
"Ugh ..." muttered Talon, "Erm ... point and shoot?"
"Correct." After reloading the guns he knew so well, Vandal headed out the back. "I won't be long."
Van faced the pillar, its glorious letters glowing in the etched surface. Hopefully, I'll find something to uproot that rose.
When he passed through the threshold, the lanterns came to greet him. They went their own way, and Vandal followed. "Lead the way," Van said to them. The inside was almost completely dark; had it not been for the lanterns, Van would be lost within.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC7wPqYBCdJ
The lanterns led him to a grand room. The stones on the floor were arranged in rings of dark stone. No, a spiral, Van realized. At the center was a doorway stood alone that held nothing but blue light; Van could not see the secrets within. Is the item through this doorway? Van thought.
He heard a familiar voice within the gloom.
Van could not understand its mutterings, so he walked closer. He saw no reason to walk in, having come this far.
When he passed the threshold, everything around him glowed brightly and he shut his eye to keep himself from being overpowered by it.
"Vandal, Vandal, Vandal," the voice tutted, "are you aware of how much worry you've put me through?"
"Winston?" Van shouted with excitement, "Winston! Uhm ... Grand Master Winston," he corrected to the gloom, "forgive my ill-manners, master."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUm7v0WKKb
The old man gave a hearty laugh, wherever he was. "Oh, stop it, my boy," the old man chastised kindly, "this is no palace, I've told you this many times."
The bright light faded and Van found himself in a familiar place, one that warmed his heart. It was the Pearl Tower, the top floor that is. Out the massive window, Van could see the snow-covered Mount Harperious. The pine forest, Manzaria's woods, was as green as ever, its abandoned castle, constructed of violet stone, sitting in the clearing at its center.
"Miss it, do you?" Winston said coming up behind him to place a hand on his shoulder.
"More than anything." Vandal turned and hugged his master. "Is it really you?"518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJumZhdB4tu
"I could ask you the same." The master asked making an enigmatic smile.
Right, thought Van solemnly remembering the realm outside and its glamor, a dream given substance. Still, an amazing sight this place was. To this, his solemness melted away and bore a brighter thought. I will return here, Van thought with determination, we will all go back home, all of us. Though, what would that mean for Nu and himself, being realms apart?
Master Winston said something to break him out of his thoughts and ambivalence.
"Come with me," said the figure that claimed to be Winston as he glided over the white marble, his silver and scarlet robes billowing behind him, "I have something to give to you." He didn't wait to see if Van followed, and Van ran after him. He was always quick for a man of his old age.
They made their way up the gold and pearl steps and at the top, they turned down a hall and walked into a laboratory.
"Ah," muttered Winston and he picked up a book with a brilliant copper cover, "my research. Come, let me share with you these new discoveries of our craft."
Van took the book when he was handed it. Winston sucked at his teeth, inspecting the cloth that covered the hole where his eye used to sit.
"Must be difficult," concluded Winston, "going around like that. Here." He lifted his eye covering with one hand and took a fist full of sand with the other.
"What are you doing, master?" Van asked as the hand of sand began to swirl and glow with yellow light.
"I have always been one to never stop learning," said Winston, "enchanting weapons gets quite boring after a while." The earth began to form into a small ball, veins of blue and red beginning to form and pulse around it. "To mend and strengthen," said Winston as he brought the sphere to his face, "now that is something I want to master as well before I leave this life."
Winston had always talked about his own death. This slightly irritated Van, not because he hated hearing the brooding of the doomed, but because he knew he would miss the old man when age or the violence from the mage hunters claimed him. He hoped for the former rather than the latter to claim him.
The sphere entered his eye socket. A massive flow of energy struck him from within. For a moment, he couldn't see anything and she shut his lids at an attempt to fix them. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYIkKDafPJ
Then, when he opened them, he could see out of both eyes. The new one glowed white and Van felt it made him keener. 518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoY8pkxPdDg
"Grand Master Winston ... " said Van, amazed, "I can see!"
"You'll get more out of the tome, this way." Winston stepped back.
Van read the copper book still in his hands, however, the words were not ones he could understand; they looked like ancient runes.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAvOzjJFP8
"Grand Master," complained Van, "These words I can't—"
The book seemed to hear him.
Its runes glowed and disassembled and reassembled upon the pages. The shapes then flew off the pages to form an image like the night sky: speckles of light and ribbons of mysterious energies.
"The ancients, the old ones, the children of Ior," said Winston with a serious tone Van had never heard from him before, "Their descendants ... this is how they recorded their histories. Not only their past but emotions, feelings, talents ... unlike us who have to rely on ink and paper that surely wastes away rather quickly compared to this."
"You wrote this?" Van could hardly believe the accomplishment.
The energies of the book overwhelmed Van, filling his head with secrets. He fell unconscious as the world turned white.
When he awoke, he was back within the pillar. The lanterns floated around him, going down a hall, kindly showing him the way out. The doorway stood empty and dark; it was like a lonely archway with nothing behind it but the pillar's walls.
He left the pillar and went back into the pawnshop.
Talon had his back turned, taking care of Ig. "This is seriously all I could find?" he heard Talon utter to himself as he inspected Ignatius's burns. In his hand, he held a little box. "These little bandaids are made for kids! How am I supposed to treat these wounds."518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtGH07k9Nb
"Hey, Talon," said Van as he walked in.
"Hey, man, your back!" Talon turned to meet him, "How'd it go? Whoa! Your eye! How's it feel?"518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO3jBq1ioRm
"There is something about it," said Van, "my whole body feels different, too. In a good way, that is." It's not only my sight that feels strong ...518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4512wdXyG
Van made his way to a back room, this one an office. There was a mini-fridge within. Inside, there was a rotting sandwich and a package of sliced meat, also rotten. He took those. as well as a dead houseplant that sat on a table near the window sill.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQgk8jh7TTc
Van got to work, making Banfrow. As he suspected, by his newfound energies, he made a good batch without hardly feeling any sickness. This is good for at least ten shots, Van thought with a smile. Knowing his efficiency, he made a little more. He found two sheets of paper and took the laces of a shoe and made two charges of banfrow.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBnoxntJ1vR
Van made his way back to the main area and went to open the door.
"Van!" Talon shouted.
"I've got this," responded Vandal, "If I haven't, let me die."
Vandal swung open the door. The songstress was still out there and greeted Van with a song as soon as he saw it.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkh5BhK4SW
Though his senses were more sensitive, the oppressing magic of the fiend's voice did little to stagger him; a little pain on one side of the head, to be sure, but nothing to cry about.
With an unfettered mind, he blasted the rose in the chest with all three shots at once, about the same place where Ig struck her. This time, the vines did little to stymie the rounds. The force knocked the singer back. He pulled out the charges, swinging them in circles by their cords.
He tossed them at the flower fiend, and with the pistol, he hit the charges dead center, one after the other mid-air.
The explosion released a rainbow of energies, as it did when he did this same trick with Gideon. He could hear the songstress make a high-pitched squeal as the vines and petals caught fires of many colors. This eye may be keen, thought Van trying to keep his humility after making such an amazing shot, but luck is always a factor.
He approached the rose, its form changed. The beauty was just a facade that had burned off; its true form was a mass of roses, each one having a bestial mouth in the center, all snapping and drooling. In the center, was a human heart that beat slowly.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51tdc3Sp2K
Van readied his axe. Though, he sensed he knew another secret, given to him by the copper book. Could it be, thought Van, another ... element?
Van placed his palm on the blade and let this mysterious energy flow. Black and teal fluid spilled from his hand to engulf the head, the tendrils of teal burning brightly against its dark neighbor.518Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcadqyHomyc
When Van cut a stem, the blade went through it like butter. The residue stayed on the plant, however, eating away at it like living acid. He cut another and another, and soon he came face to face with the heart.
He struck it, and his dark corruption spread throughout the entirety of the beast's body. It was less of acidic corrosion, but more of rapid decay.
The flower fiend succumbed to this enigmatic and vile element. Watching the rose-maws snap and squeal Van examined the enchanted axe. Gazing into its bleak beauty, he felt, just a little, fear of the element he controlled.
ns 15.158.61.19da2
