Eyes of the Salamander (Chapter Three)
Lord Komodo sat upon his throne of gold atop a staircase of the same lustrous metal in deep contemplation. On Komodo's right side enshrined inside a red richly varnished wooden framework trimmed with waved patterns of gold was a large golden bong. Komodo gripped the long wooden ladle that would chime the gong echoing its sound with his mind the mists it conjured to enshroud his castle.
Aware of Komodo sitting idle upon his throne, Armatura toiled at her machine alone as Kazal along with Rotar had not returned from collecting Blood-Wynd Stones. Atop the machine above the golden wheel where both Eyes of the Salamander were kept in place was an antenna. The antenna appeared more like a weathervane with a red tailed Cockateel perched on a golden sphere which had four points like rays of light jutting out of it.
Armaturas was satisfied with her machines capableness of ostensibly reproducing conduction through its nervous system such as a brain does. This happens when it interacts with its two eyes being those of the Salamander allowing temporal sight which is then relayed back into Prince Traces subconsciousness mind. As a mechanism in the inner workings of the machine sound itself that was a messenger however, sound was also a harbinger of worry for Armatura not just as processionary measure such as Kazal's placement of the golden sphere a bong which her Cockateels talons were perched on that would awaken the sleeping prince Trace. The knell of the bell would release the twins from their inner sleep.
The prince was not supposed to hear a anything from within his tube otherwise thought Armatura it was all to be confined in the inner workings of his mind merged inside the machine. It was the outside of the machine that collected as well transmitted all open sound outside the castle in particular her Avery of birds scattered to the four winds.
Armatura muttered to herself, "Then how did Trace become triggered by the name of his hero? Was it a coincidence?"
The front of Armaturas artificial right hand, which was actually a talon began to pulsate inside its cybertronic skin, she quickly identified it as emanating from her counterpart outside the Warlocks Vault!
Upon receiving the secret signal of her Avery there which she alone could decipher, Armatura shouted, "At last!"
Lord Komodo who was so stirred by Armatura's cry that he let loose his grip on the ladle.
Then in a booming voice, Komodo begged the question, "What have you discovered, tell me now?"
"The Warlocks Vault is finally open to us!", Armatura cried out in victory
"Zoomy!", Plodok blurted as his wet eyes almost bulged from there sockets
Malcome brandishing a half smile watched as Plodok reunited with Zoomer as Styx came in to greet them as Blovas surrounded all three with a barrel sized hug!
The exertion of tearing the red gem from the creature's body had left Malcom's right hand useless now. So much so that Malcome now held the red gem in his left hand.
As much as Malcome wanted to rejoice alongside his friends he also knew that the enemy was waiting for them just outside.
"Don't be so greedy! Why don't you come inside the friendship circle?", Blovas teased Malcome
Malcome genially did not know what to say when he felt a tug on his jacket.
"Noise coming! Grab Hansen! Everyone must come with Hansen now!", it was the voice of Hansen the boy who led Malcome along with Plodok to the Mines of Morgoth
Hansen who had somehow turned invisible was frantically tugging on Malcom's jacket warning them all of incoming danger when a sharp high-pitched sound pierced everyone's ears!
The noise was getting louder fast when without much time left to react Blovas took a deep breath before blowing into his long pipe at where the sound was coming!
Everyone covered their ears from the intense noise just as Blovas blew away the deadly flock of multi-colored birds before they could enter into the vault!
"Here, quickly my friends, take these swabs of cold cloud I'm spitting out with what little moisture I can gather! Then stuff your ears with them!", Blovas said as he spat out small cloud stuffing into his palms to hand off to everyone else to use as protection from the bird's high frequency attacks.
Blovas who had already stuffed his ears as soon as he heard the birds coming was used to doing so from traveling up high in his air balloon.
"Hurry, must hurry!", Hansen urged as Malcome stuck out his left hand just after handing over the gem to Lady Styx. Then just as soon as Hansen took hold of Malcom's hand he faded out of sight. Styx who was accustomed to magic just held out her hand in order for Malcome to receive though instead of a hand she got his elbow because of his weakened right hand.
Then just as soon as everyone had a hand to hold onto the invisible line made their way out the cavern towards freedom!
Once outside the cavern the realization that they were far from safety hit them as soon as they saw Barbaros waving his spiked club amongst his band of Igniton Warriors! The as the heroes circumvented around the warriors, they witnessed the false Armatura employing wave upon wave of her birds into the vault!
It was a surreal feeling that as long as everyone held onto each other's backs in a lined formation, they were invisible to those around them yet as they carefully strode along everyone could see one another.
It seemed as if it would take forever to get around the enemy at the pace everyone crept at trying to stay silent as well together.
Though as soon as the threat was more or less in the distance behind them the heroes pace quickened.
What seemed to be the source of Hansens invisibility was a strand of thin golden twine he had wrapped around a spool. As Hansen led them away from the danger along the way he came he just rewound the twine as he went along back into the spool. It was a wonder how much twine was available for Hansen to unwind.
It also became clear to Malcome how Hansen not only made his way in the catacombs under Igniton but how he survived the hidden dangers as well.
Hansen unveiled a unique method of travel on the way back as he slithered like a snake around column after column never for once had he opted to walk along the road itself. Malcome though it was odd though was it because Hansen was but a child or was it that he was so feral?
Blovas whispered, "My balloon." as soon as he saw it in the distance
Hansen had no intention of heading towards Blovas air balloon instead he was leading everyone away from it.
"Take me to my balloon!", Blovas shouted from the back of the line feeling it was safe enough to shout.
Malcome hearing Blovas cry for his balloon wondered if the skies were too dangerous around them to make the rest of the way back inside it.
"It's not far from the Vale of Mists! I can get us there quick! It's just a couple of hard blows for me!", Blovas said trying to convince more so Malcome who he perceived the leader more than anyone else on the line!
Instead of replying back to Blovas Malcome nudged Hansen then pointed to the balloon!
Hansen at first worriedly shook his head no until Malcome whispered in a playful way,"Maybe you can take a ride up in the balloon. What do you think?"
Malcomes offer of a ride inside the balloon had Hansen so excited that he began nodding his approval as well frantically unraveling his invisible twine towards the air balloon!
"Okay Wind Blow your up next!", Malcome said as Blovas with Plodok on his back went towards the air balloon where they instantly turned visible.
"You remembered!", Blovas shouted back to Malcome in acknowledgment of him remembering his nickname.
"Zoomer your up next, keep an eye out with your arrows until we come on board.", Malcome said as the Golden Archer darted away!
"Do you have a way to write a letter?", Malcome asked Styx
"I have some parchment in my satchel as well a pen, why?", Styx asked
"I need you to write a very important letter for Hansen to take back to the other witches.", Malcome insisted right before Hansen exploded in a temper tantrum!
"What should I tell them?", Styx asked trying to think fast, "Just give them the basics...perhaps start off by saying were safe again. At least for the time being.", Malcome suggested as Hansen objected to not being able to ride along with them.
"You said Hansen go with you!", the boy persisted until Malcome replied, "I said maybe that does not mean yes in grown up talk."
"Stop it child!", Styx sternly told the boy before showing him the rolled-up letter complete with a wax seal!
Hansen quickly became obedient before the much more authoritarian grown up as he reached forth to take the letter handed to him by Styx, who told him," You must now hurry back to Brahm Tower, quickly for all of Igniton is counting on you!"
"Also give it to Ira first, she will really appreciate you for it.", Malcome told the boy so as to lift his spirits
Hansens spirits were indeed lifted as he scampered off with his letter to Ira kicking up dust on his way back with unseen feet!
As soon as everyone was accounted for inside the air balloon Blovas began to blow up the balloon with hot air!
Zoomer as having ridden with Blovas for the longest period of time presses continuously on the peddle to heat the flame up, which makes the balloon rise higher as well faster!
"Don't worry about that my boy! I can keep the air pressure going!", Blovas said as he handed Zoomer a long telescope to help the archer spot potential danger!
Blovas' fat cheeks blew out loke a puffer fish when Zoomer shouted in alarm," Those birds all flocked together are heading straight towards us!"
"What's the plan?", Malcome asked Blovas who kept pumping the hot air up to the shaft leading into the balloon while steering a wheel which began to tilt the point of entry up into the balloon in a more Northeasterly direction.
Instead of an explanation, Blovas shouted, " Everyone hold on tight!" In that instant everyone held as firmly as they could the inside of the air balloon as Blovas filled his lungs with as much air as he could suck inside his stomach before releasing it in a great gust of wind!
The balloon bolted away in the air rather at a low altitude until Blovas sucking in another heaping helping of air blue another gust underneath the balloon arching it higher into the air!
The balloon was ascending so much so that Blovas had to stop pumping it with hot air until it settled down to the altitude he desired!
A mist was forming around the balloon as Blovas preparing to suck in more air to push forward with stopped for a moment to look at the compass.
"Well where heading in the right direction...the mists will only get thicker along the way.", Blovas said
"What was your plan? To have us crash into the side of a mountain?", Malcome sarcastically said in the hopes of Blovas revealing more of his intentions to him.
"A little demonstration my boy!", Blovas said as he took out his long pipe in order to create a funnel of air in front of the balloon which cleared away the mists ahead of them. However, as the balloon proceeded the clearing was soon filled in with more mists. Blovas just repeated his first action allowing the way forward to become clear only as more mist came in it was blown away by another concentrated funnel of air.
Have a look down then tell me what you see.", Blovas asked
Malcome looked down as best he could to see a dark space between the mists," I gather a chasm lies below us."
A cold wind began to blow which made the basket creaking as it swayed.
"My hand! It's warm to the touch...!", Malcome said as he held his right hand adding," Lady Styx, would you mind taking out the gem I gave you?"
Without question Styx reached inside her satchel, as she did, a red glow poured out of it! Then Styx produced the glowing gem to Malcome who touched it with his right hand.
Malcome closed his eyes as he focused on the gem's energy. Lady Styx producing her eldritch wooden wand then lay her hand on the gem in order to feel its power as well.
"I feel the gem...it's using us as a conduit to track...", Styx held her wand out in all locations trying to discern a path, until she steadied her wand, pointing it behind Blovas!
"Please, be still...", Styx told Malcome as she concentrated her wand onto the pathway being indicated by the gem," That way! Where I point my wand, make a hole to follow through fast!"
Blovas only asked, "What is it?"
"I dare not say yet until, I am sure!", Styx answered back while trying to keep her mind as well wand fixed onto her point of focus.
"Do not ask just do it!", Malcome urged
In compliance even though it was against his better judgement Blovas blew out another funnel of air with his pipe as he steeered the balloon in the direction of Styx's wand.
As the air balloon continued through the mists the glow from the gem seemed to intensify!
"I wonder what the gem is leading us into?", Plodok asked quietly out loud not wanting to disrupt Syx's concentration to much
"Waite...a moment!", Blovas said after creating another tunnel to see ahead of the balloon
"As gem glows more it brightens the way... look ahead with the telescope as I keep blowing!", Blovas tells Zoomer as he hands him the telescope
Blovas' face turns almost as red as the gem blows the mists away revealing a dark shape for which Zoomer blurts out," I see a ledge with a tree atop it! A decrepit, dying tree!"
"The Warlock came this way! This gem reveals his aura to me!", Styx then in a most cryptic tone reveals, "The Warlock dared to enter past the Tree of Dying Time!"
"I thought it only a legend!", Blovas blurted out
Suddenly, Blovas had to slow the balloon so as to land it safely on the cliffs edge where the eerie baren tree stood.
Blovas decided to stay in the relative safety of the basket as everyone else stepped onto the cliff where the balloon had been landed.
"A pile of Cockateel bones!", Styx said upon seeing them at the base of the tree.
Styx held the gem in one hand while pointing her wand first at the tree which caused the light of the gem to dim then past the tree which reanimated its glow again.
"What is your suspicion my lady?", Plodok put forth to the witch
"Those Cockateel bones must have been used to measure the depth of space beyond this tree.", Styx said
"What lies on the other side of this tree beyond its mists?", Plodok asked Styx believing only she alone knew the answer
"If this be the Tree of Dying Time as I believe it to be then the only thing beyond it is nothingness.", Styx confessed
"So, the Warlock is no more.", Plodok remarked thinking it the only possible answer
"The Warlock would not have entered past the tree if he believed that. No, Ynz studied the tree for too long a time before taking the plunge beyond.", Styx said taking into account the Warlocks insight into the risk involved.
"I hope you're not suggesting that we follow along the dying path the Warlock chose to take!", Blovas shouted from underneath his balloon.
"There may be a chance the Warlock made it to wherever he thought going through the mists of dying time would take him.", Plodok proposed
Instead of replying back to Blovas, Plodok addressed a comment Styx had previously made," My Lady I believe that our Warlock entertained the idea that beyond the Tree of Dying Time, past the nothingness there was something. For you see dying time is not the same as the death of time as there really is no end to time. If there is no death of time, then there can be no death to it. Which means this nothing you speak of may merely be a void, akin to a chasm of space, for what I believe the Warlock believed he could overcome."
"That's a mouth full!", Blovas said before continuing on, "Also speaking of time, if we leave now, we can continue on around the other side of these mountains past Avion back to Soros!"
"Is that where we were heading?", Malcome asked in jest before Zoomer put forth, "We have not retrieved the Eyes of the Salamander? Of what use would returning back to Soros have provided?"
"I thought it would be a good place to start again!", Blovas blustery replied
Malcome was about to say something when sounds began to echo throughout the mountains, the sounds were like hundreds of metallic chirping birds!
"We've been found!", Malcome said before continuing," Where going in!"
In disbelief, Blovas began to shake his head no as Malcome along with everyone else came back inside the balloon!
The echoing of the birds grew louder!
"You want to place a wager on if we'll make it through or not?", Malcome proposed to Blovas who replied flippantly, "Like my life!"
"We came for the Warlock...this is the closest we have come to finding him! I say we go through!", Lady Styx demands
"Everyone else in agreement?", Malcome askes, then as everyone else node as well raise their hands, Blovas reluctantly begins to reignite the hot air in the shaft of the balloon causing it to lift once again!
Blovas cautiously takes a breath in order to blow the balloon past the dying tree when he sees Armaturas birds flying at them through the mist towards at the cliffs edge! Without thought save for his own safety, Blovas clears away the birds as well the balloon past the Tree of Dying Time!
"You must keep blowing as hard as you can as fast as you can!", Malcome tells Blovas as he does so with the intention of escaping through the mists enveloping them like a shroud!
The glow of the gem slowly dims in Styx' arms as she cradles it on the floor! Plodok along with Zoomer are huddled together on the floor as well!
The only one standing are Malcome supporting Blovas as he continuously blows the balloon forward into seeming nothingness!
At last, an exhausted Blovas collapses into Malcom's arms he is too weary to continue on!
The air balloons journey continues on no longer enveloped in the mists it once was for now it rides on inside a void of total darkness.
The time if it still exists in this cold empty void persists along the air-balloons journey.
A weariness takes hold as no one aboard the balloon is for sure the discission they made was the right one until...the gem lights up once again!
Zoomer helps Styx up to her feet as Plodok peers out before them, can it be, he asks himself as his eyes adjust themselves to a light ahead of them!
"We've made it!", Styx rejoices as she holds the now bright red gem towards the light
Malcome attends to Blovas who is too winded to get to his feet again.
Then everyone is blinded as the light of the other side overtakes everyone!
A warm air is felt right before a loud crash! The sound of air rushing out of the air-balloon is heard as it descends into a valley below them!
All brace themselves for the impact which comes suddenly! Followed by blackness once more.
What follows is a bright sun's rays as well as returning warmth to the heroes as they struggle to re-awaken from the air-balloons crash landing.
The body of the air balloon lies mostly deflated behind the riding basket now tipped over on its side. The contents of the basket or rather its crew save one lay inside it safely tucked away cushioned from the crash by Blovas bulbous body. The one who lay in the tall grass having spilled out of the bucket was Zoomer the Archer.
Zoomers rather tough leathery skin as well his flexible lithe body recovered well from its toss from the balloon. The only thing Zoomer needed now was to understand what had happened to clear his head from the ride here. Wherever here was.
Zoomer sprung up but kept his body low as he darted his head side to side when he spotted what looked like a stone statue if a dragon. Instantly upon seeing the stone dragon Zoomer froze his body then began to slowly bring around his bow.
Zoomer spun around at the same time tsking an arrow from his quiver! Zoomer already had taken aim of the presence he felt creeping up behind him with his arrow inside the string of his bow when he drew the arrow down upon actually seeing identifying the presence!
Zoomer gasped as he staired in disbelief at the tall Green Man from Lucida as well the fork in the road heading toward Igniton! It was him; it was the Moss Man!
"I see you finally made it.", the Moss Man kindly told Zoomer who replied," I made it...where?"
"Why the Lost Valley of course.", the tall Man of Moss said with a smile adding further," My father will be so pleased to finally introduce himself to all of you."
"