Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 20:41:39 -0600 From: Rhaven <rhaven2002@hotmail.com> Subject: Star Child Chapter Nine This is a story of full fiction, no robot or fantasy creature was harmed in its creation. Please check out the ALL-NEW Rhaven Lore at www.rhavenlore.com Coming soon to Rhaven Lore. original artwork for Star Child STAR CHILD RETURN TO THRAE CHAPTER NINE The cave grew lighter the deeper Puck and Dango journeyed. From where the light came, Puck wasn't sure he was ready to find out. "Look over there." Dango tapped Puck on the shoulder and pointed to the other side of the passage wall. Puck had to blink his eyes to make sure what he was seeing was real. "Is that. a human?" Dango whispered. Puck nodded that it was. Wrapped in a silky curtain hung the body of a man, drained of bone, muscles and organs, all that remained was the dried husk of skin. "What do you think did that?" Puck asked. "Most likely something arachnid, but down here who knows." Dango shrugged his shoulders and they continued deeper into the unknown. Several minutes later, they came upon more hollowed skins. "I'm not sure I want to know what did this. I kind of like my insides where they are. not to mention my bones." Dango said ducking under the glove-like arms of another victim. "Shhhh!" Puck waved his hand to quiet Dango and cocked his head. "I think I heard chanting." "Great I hate chanters. it's always some kind of dumb song that doesn' t make any sense." Dango cursed. Puck rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the sounds. Someone screamed, saying 'please don't'. Puck held his breath, had that been the voice of Ash? "Get ready." Puck eagerly said. He knew what they were about to do was beyond brainless, but he wasn't going to stand by and have some monster suck the life out of Ash. He and Dango were rushing into danger's hands. Completely ignorant of whom or what was their enemy. Puck looked back at Dango and could see in his eyes, he also sensed this was suicidal, but for once Dango had nothing to say. There was another scream, which made Puck gasped from the terror it expressed. He was running before he even realized it. Ahead of Puck the cave widened, figures danced in the flickering light. "LET ASH GO!" Puck Screamed as he raced into the large cavern. The robed men and women stopped their chanting and stared blankly. Puck looked around quickly, stalagmites and stalactites of shimmering white dotted the floor and ceiling of the cave. Eight strangers in scarlet robes were circled around another large bronze cauldron, exactly like the one at the cave's entrance. Dangling above the cauldron, a young man with long blonde hair and though his chest was bare, Puck knew he was a warrior; he still wore armor leggings with beeches of green. With begging eyes, the young man tried to put on a brave face, but his perilous situation sapped his strength. Wrapped in the strange silk thread and his chest cut and dripping blood down into the cauldron, the poor young warrior was obviously scared out of his wits. "Who dares disturbs the ceremony of the Bromquag?" The woman still holding the bloody knife yelled. "Where's Asrais?" Puck roared. Thankfully, Dango stayed back in the shadows, giving Puck room to attack. "Help me please." The young man pleaded. Puck cautiously looked around at the strange group of men and women. Ash wasn't here, he probably had never been here, they had raided the wrong place. "Let the boy go and there won't be any problem." Puck ordered, though he wasn't Ash, there was no way he would leave someone in the hands of these fanatics. "You have dared intrude on our revered ceremony and now you threaten to take our sacrifice?" The woman said. "If this Eller wants our sacrifice, then let him take it." One of the men said smiling. "Summon the Almighty Oamut." "Puck. maybe we should just leave." Dango said stepping out of the shadows. "Fuck them Dango, I'm not leaving this cave. and you know how I HATE caves, but the boy is coming with us." Puck crouched down and readied himself for the attack. "Bring on this Oamut." The robed strangers moved away from the cauldron and began chanting again. In the back of the cave, Puck heard something large growl. "I don't like this Puck." Dango whispered. "You just keep an eye on these freaks; I'll take care of the Oamut." Puck suggested. Something moved, stomping feet and the clicking of teeth. Puck focused on the black form moving towards him. Finally, the Oamut stepped into the light. Dango reacted first, cursing under his breath at the mass of blubber and claws. The Oamut was unlike any creature Puck had seen before; it's small head atop the mountain of fat and folds, opened its toothy mouth and howled. Puck knew what he was facing once he noticed the creatures stomach. Within the rolls of fat, Puck could see faces frozen in fright floating, trapped inside the Oamut's inexhaustible appetite. The Oamut was a demon, summoned from the very pits of Thannox, Thrae's Hell. "Dango." Puck whispered, but was unable to finish as the Oamut attacked. Puck dived to his right as the monster charged and slammed his long blade claws into the cave floor, barely missing the little Eller. Without hesitating, Puck leapt high, drove his foot into the Oamut's jaw, and launched himself over the monster, out of its reach. "Dango, kill them!" Puck screamed. "They are the anchor!" Dango didn't question his friend, his new daggers had already left his hands and were stuck deep in the throats of two robed men, before Puck had finished his sentence. Dango rolled under a wild swing from the woman with the dagger. The Oamut opened its mouth again and spat at Puck, who managed to avoid the spidery slime. Puck jumped high again and with two fingers, jagged hard into the monster's left eye. The Oamut screamed and swung madly, his claws slicing through two of his followers before they could react. Dango grabbed a stone and dodged another attack from the woman. As the stone transformed into a dagger, Dango thrust it hard into the woman's stomach, first forward and then down. Dango tackled another cultist, even as the woman fell to her knees, trying to scoop up her spilling intestines. "Dango MOVE!" Puck yelled. The Oamut charged Dango, hands swinging madly. Puck grabbed the monster around the head and dug his fingers deep into its flabby flesh. Dango rolled out of the way of the monster, over two bodies. As he jumped to his feet, Dango retrieved his bone daggers from his first victims. He threw the daggers at the last two robed strangers. The Oamut reared back and slammed Puck into a stalagmite. Puck cringed as the stone dug into his back. Puck raked his fingers across the monster's face until he got a hold of its last remaining eye and then Puck squeezed. The satisfying crunch, told Puck that the Oamut was now completely blind. Dango had missed his target; he couldn't remember the last time he had missed. The two cultist smiled at Dango and charged. However, the Oamut got in their way. Puck jumped off the blind monster and ran over to Dango. The two lovers watched as the Oamut ripped his two followers apart. Finally, to last in realizing his error as his body began to melt. Its howl of fury shook the cave, as the Oamut disappeared from this existence. "Son of a bitch." Dango flopped down on the cave floor. "Now that's something I don't want to do everyday." "No kidding."Puck agreed. "Could you get off your ass and help me get the boy down?" Dango started to smile, but quickly gasped. "Puck. your back!" Dango rushed to his lover. "Dammit, Puck I told you we should have just left." "I'll be fine. it barely hurts." Puck said arching his back. "Sit down I'll get our sacrifice down." Dango instructed. Puck didn't argue, he sat down and waited for Dango to get the boy free of the webbing. "Thank you. thank you." The young man cried as Dango gently lowered him. "Can we get out of the cave now?" Puck begged. "Let's go sweetheart." Dango helped Puck to his feet and lead them up the long passageway. "What do you think these idiots were doing?" "Who cares. I just want to find Asrais." Puck limbed behind Dango and the gritted his teeth as the pain in his back grew. Puck was exuberant to see the open sky, the pressure of the day was finally hitting him and exhausting was flooding his soul. "Let's rest here." Dango insisted. Neither Puck nor the young man argued. Once everyone settled down, Dango first cleaned the cut across the young man's chest. "It's not that deep; I think you'll be all right." Dango informed the young man. "So what's your name? I'm Dango and that's Puck." "I can't thank you enough for saving me. I'm Jonas of the House of Cigam." "Cigam? What are you doing this far from home?" Puck asked, leaning forward so Dango could clean his wounds. "Oh lord, I've done nothing right. nothing." Jonas cursed. "The House of Cigam was invaded by Prime's forces. I don't know if anyone survived." "Careful Dango!" Puck complained as Dango wiped the blood off his back. "Why. how did you escape Jonas?" Jonas sighed and ran a finger next to the cut on his bare chest. "Lord Taskotter commanded me. I was to protect Dorian and Deland. But we got . we got separated and then these freaks captured me." "Who are Dorian and Deland?" Dango asked and kissed Puck on the cheek. "All done sweetheart, the cuts aren't that bad." He whispered in Puck' s ear. "Dorian and Erick are wards of Lord Taskotter. he loved them so much. and I lost them. I can't do anything right. not even protect two boys." "Stop beating yourself up. it's not helping anyone." Puck said angrily. Dango put a comforting hand on Puck's shoulder. "We too have lost someone special to us." Dango explained. "You thought I was that Asrais?" Jonas said solemnly. "So you rescuing me was just a mistake." "I'm afraid it was." Dango acknowledged. "These strange boys on gold gliders stole away our friend; we lost their trail and thought the smoke from the cauldron was theirs." "I know about the Fly Boys." Jonas said. "Never met one, but their not suppose to be hostile." "Do you know where they live?" Puck said anxiously. "At the edge of Yelnet canyon, I think?" Jonas stood and looked across the valley below. "There. where that smoke is." Jonas pointed. "Dammit, we were almost there." Screamed Puck. "What's the smoke? He said examining the huge plume rising high into the sky. "That I don't know." Jonas confessed. "If they took your friend, do you think they could have Deland and Dorian?" "It's possible. I guess this means we have to climb down this stupid mountain now." Dango groaned. "Not necessarily." Otto said loudly as he pulled himself and Ash over the edge of the small plateau. "OTTO.ASH! OH MY GOD!" Puck launched himself off the ground, throwing his arms around Ash and Otto. "Oh my God. oh my God." "Puck." Ash cried. "I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again." Ash hugged his friend tight, afraid to let go. "Otto, good to see you. I knew you could follow our trail." Dango said smiling. "I almost bypassed the mountain." Otto confessed to Dango. "There's another trail leading around the mountain, but I realized the footprints didn't match." "Could it have been two boys?" Jonas asked quickly. "They were small, could have been two boys." Otto agreed. Puck and Ash finally and reluctantly released each other, both crying tears of joy. "I think we should spend the night here." Puck suggested. "It's been a long day for all of us." "I agree!" Dango said eagerly. "I couldn't climb down this mountain now if I had too." 'Actually." Otto interrupted. "If we travel west across the ridge, we will be at the Maelstrom mountains in two days." "I should continue, Dorian and Deland are all alone out there." Jonas said. "You won't be of any good to your friends in your condition." Puck said. "Stay the night with us and start out tomorrow." The group gathered around the small campfire Otto had set up. Food and water was passed around. The sky slowly shaded to black as night arrived. Ash crawled into Otto's lap and yawned. Dango and Puck had surrendered to sleep hours ago, so only Otto and the young man Jonas remained awake. "You're traveling to Maelstrom?" Jonas whispered. "Yes, if we are successful, we hope to stop Prime." Otto whispered back, gently brushing the hair out of Ash's eyes as he slept. "I curse the day he returned." Jonas said slowly. "May I ask what your quest is?" "We are searching for the Star Child." Otto said quietly. "Ash is the son of the late King Verloren and we hope he will be able to control the full magic of the sword." "That boy is. Verloren's son? I didn't know." Jonas looked shocked. "We of Cigam are the keepers of the legend of the Star Child. It was said that Jerico the Courageous stopped at Castle Cigam before he journeyed to places unknown to hide the sacred blade. We remain loyal to the House of Soldaat; I wish I could travel with you on this journey." "Find your young friends Jonas. Perhaps we will call on your services soon." Otto looked out at the valley below, he could see the canyon and it's lake. "I wish Prince Asrais didn't have this journey to make. It would be difficult for any child, but for one who has lost his parents and has the weight of the world on his shoulders. I wish I could take all his worries away." Otto said more to himself than to Jonas. The young man nodded his understand and looked at the sleeping prince. "It must be hard on him. "Jonas whispered. "Our stories and songs about Jerico, only tell of his bravery, but I've always tried to imagine what it was like for him racing across Salvane with all the other Houses out to capture him. The responsibility to succeed must have been overpowering." "Songs? There is a song I learned about Jerico's travels. may I sing it to you?" Jonas nodded, a bit surprised by the autonoids offer. He listened politely as Otto sang. "I'm not sure where you heard that song Otto, but it's wrong." Jonas said containing his laughter. "What do you mean?" Otto said looking shocked. "I'm not much of a singer, but here is the song Jerico gave my ancestors; Towards the west sky I travel onward and away Sword in hand, keeping evil at the bay Oh hi Oh hi the Sword our soul Oh hi oh hi the Star Child our life is whole Divided our child shall rest Deep in the mines, a journey in test To the tower rests the edge of light Hidden away, hidden within sight Oh hi oh hi the Star Child of magic Oh hi oh hi the Sword is tragic Two halves, united again By Lazar and Jerico kin Within soul, within heart That which was torn apart Oh hi Oh hi the Star Child our soul Oh hi Oh Hi the Sword of Magic Oh hi Oh hi the Star Child our life is whole Oh Hi Oh Hi the sword is tragic Oh Hi Oh Hi Oh Hi Oh Hi" Jonas finished his song and frowned. "Is something wrong Otto?" "Jonas I don't know how to repay you for this. Our songs united, solve the puzzle. I now know what we need to do." Otto smiled broadly. Fylgiar stared out across the canyon. He had been tracking this Prince Asrais for days. Receiving information about the prince in Pallatora had been too easy. Of course, Fylgiar loved torturing people. In addition, Ellers were extra fun to torment. In his youth, raised by Strata Four Fingers, Salvane's master criminal, Fylgiar learned that pain was power. Strata extracted his frustrations upon Fylgiar. Growing up in the shadow of the Soldaat castle, under the iron hand of his master, pain was all Fylgiar knew. The pain of poverty, the pain of abuse and the pain of loneliness. He never knew who his parents were or what had happened to them. Strata Four Fingers had always been his surrogate parent, if parent was the correct work for Strata. King Verloren may have been ruled Salvane, but Strata ruled the streets. Being the ward of the most feared man in Salvane did have its advantage. Fylgiar was leader of a small group of orphans, the scourge of the alleys. Fylgiar almost missed those old days running with his Rat Boys. The last time he was at Soldaat Castle, he was proud to discover that there were still Rat Boys roaming the city. It was his legacy to those too small to really matter. Strata had raised him to one day take over his dominion, not be a Rat Boy or even a mercenary as he was now. He had been raised to be the Master Criminal, Lord of thieves. It was Strata's dream, but not Fylgiar. When Fylgiar turned thirteen, he killed his master, his surrogate father, cut his body into small pieces and fed it to the real rats of the alley. Fylgiar had to smile at this thought, killing Strata was the day he became a real man, he had become master of his destiny. Fylgiar knew that he couldn't remain at Soldaat, not only because of the chance of revenge from Strata's men, but because Soldaat was full of sickening memories. Fylgiar was a man now and as a man, he had to create all new memories. It was on this journey he discovered the body of Boy. It was hidden within a deserted building, left for scrape metal. For the next three years, Fylgiar worked on that little machine, until finally he was reactivated. Boy was exactly what Fylgiar needed in his life, a true friend; someone who he knew wasn't plotting against him. Boy was there, because he wanted to be, Boy was there, because they were friends. "Do we attack in the morning?" Boy asked looking up at the mountain. "No, I don't think so." Fylgiar looked up at the speck that was the campfire. "I want to wait for the perfect opportunity." Boy frowned and watched as Fylgiar unsaddled the horse and made camp. "I hate to remind you that Lord Aero said this mission was urgent." Boy said as he followed behind Fylgiar around the camp. "You're mothering again." Fylgiar said. "And just why do you give a shit what Aero said?" "I . I just thought you wanted this mission over quickly." Boy said quickly. "I do, but only fools rush forward. I want to see where they head tomorrow." Fylgiar sat down on the ground and pulled out a chuck of dried beef. "I will finish this job, one way or another." Fylgiar looked up again at the distant campfire and wondered what conversations this small group was having. He had not met any of these strange travelers, but he hated them. He hated them for being there, for being the reason he was hired. As for bringing the young prince back alive, Fylgiar had decided that would be a bad idea. This mission could not succeed; Prime would not get his prize. Prince Asrais had to die.