Sword of the Stars Part 24
The Pathway to the Netherworld
As he plummeted through the darkness, he opened his eyes in panic. The burning winds were gone, but he still couldn't see anything. He called out his friends' names, but they didn't answer him.
Soon, the darkness faded and he was falling through what seemed to be a pillar of black and silver light. He looked above and around him. He couldn't see anyone. Where had they gone?
He looked below him. He was falling toward a gel-like pool of silver light. He braced himself for the impact, and held his breath. The pool of gel came closer and closer.
He fell through it as if it were simply water, and gasped at what was on the other side. He was still falling through the air, but the space around him was no longer black and silver. Instead, a swirl of scenery whirled around him. He could see the forests of Redwood, the plains of Garrania, the wetlands of Shakra, and others of places he didn't know.
He was suddenly aware of Yohan, Quatre, and Wufei falling beside him. He glanced at them in shock.
"Where did you come from?"
They gave him black looks and shrugged. They stared at the landscapes flying around them.
"What is this?" Quatre asked.
Duo shook his head. "I'm not sure...but I think the Dark Lord has something to do with it."
Their fall slowed, and ground became visible. Gently, their feet touched the soft ground and they regained balance. The swirling images stopped and became the forests of Redwood. Duo looked around frantically.
"What? How did we get here?"
"We're not in Redwood, Duo," Wufei said, pointing. "Look."
Duo glanced around. The scenery of Redwood was wavy, as if it were just an illusion. Duo frowned and unsheathed the Sword. "What's going on?" Although he felt steady, the ground under him was swaying wildly. Two bolts of black lightning hit the ground before them and grew into two furry creatures with spiked clubs. They had faces like wart-hogs and the bodies of large, hairy men. Their coarse hair was matted and black, covering all inches of their muscular build. Quatre took his staff from his back.
"I guess this is where we're welcomed, huh?"
Duo readied his Sword. "Let's go!"
He ran toward the wart-hogs, concentrating on them instead of the moving floor and scenery, and parried one of their clubs with his blade. They were incredibly strong, but very slow. Duo fought one while Quatre handled the other. It swung its mighty club with great force, but Duo ducked or leapt back each time. It held the club with both hands and swung downward to crack his skull. Duo jumped out of the way and sidestepped around the wart-hog. While the beast realized it had missed, Duo stabbed the Sword into the back of its knee. It shrieked and lost its footing, falling to the ground on its hands and knees. Without hesitation, Duo raised the Star Sword and swung down, lopping off the wart-hog's head. The body of the beast fell lifelessly to the ground with a thud as the head rolled several paces across the swaying floor. Black blood poured from the severed head and body.
Duo turned to the wart-hog Quatre was fighting. He looked in time to see him finish a combination of deadly thrusts and swings. He thrust his staff into the beast's throat. It gargled and coughed up black blood as it fell on its side. Before its eyes glazed over, it opened its mouth.
"Forgive me, my Lord," it hacked as blood poured out of its mouth. "I have failed you" With its mouth hanging open, it died.
Before anyone could speak, the scenery of Redwood faded away. For a moment, they were in darkness. Then, the plains of Garrania appeared around them, looking wavy and unreal.
Quatre frowned. "What is the Dark Lord doing to us? Why Garrania now?"
Yohan frowned. "I do not know Any person who could have told us what the Netherworld is like is long dead."
Five bolts of black lightning struck the ground and materialized into five lizards dressed in battle gear. They advanced on Duo and his friends. He and Quatre braced for battle.
"Let us not waste valuable time," Yohan said from behind them. The mage raised his arms and shot white bolts of lightning toward the lizards. They had no time to react. Before the lightning stuck, they all raised their arms to the sky.
"Forgive us, great Dark Lord! We have failed you!" Then, they were incinerated.
Duo smiled his thanks to Yohan as Garrania faded away and was replaced by the underground cavern in Daylonia. Dozens of skeleton warriors emerged from the swaying ground. Duo backed up.
"Not them again!"
Wufei stepped in front of them and raised his arms to the sky. The white crystal around his neck was glowing. He swept his arms in a circle, sending a blue wave of magic sweeping over the pack of skeletons. As it passed over them, they crumpled into a heap of bones. The Cleric smiled at the others over his shoulder.
"I told you you'd need me, didn't I?"
Duo nodded and the cavern faded away. In its place were the wetlands of Shakra. Two of the giant frogs leapt out of the water and flicked their tongues. Duo and Quatre stepped forward.
"Hold your weapons up!" Yohan commanded. They complied. Duo's Sword and Quatre's staff were suddenly wrapped in fire. The frogs cringed in fear and began to back away. Duo and Quatre exchanged smiles and ran toward the frogs. Each slice or thrust they gave the creatures left a bruning scar on their bodies. The frogs had no time to fight back. Within moments, they were both simply corpses of blackened leathery skin.
"How come the frogs and skeletons were here?" Quatre asked. "Weren't they in Daylonia and Shakra?"
"Does that mean they are of Netherworld origin?" Wufei added.
"No," Yohan replied. "They were illusions created by the Dark Lord."
"They seemed real enough to me," Duo said in a low voice. He stood still while the world around them faded to darkness. "What next?"
Around them appeared the walls and chamber of the Temple of the Skies. The Orbs were even shining in their places atop the dais. Duo stood ready for the next challenger.
Tendrils of black smoke swirled together at the foot of the dais. Silver lightning crackled as the smoke formed a large shape. Wufei stepped farther back and brought his hands together in a prayer. His white crystal began to glow. Yohan, Quatre, and Duo were wrapped in a pale blue protective aura. Quatre tightened his grip on his staff and stood ready. Yohan stood immobile, but Duo knew he had spells ready. Duo himself hefted the Star Sword and watched as the form grew from the smoke and lightning. First, a large body materialized from the lightning. From the smoke gathering under it came four clawed feet. Smoke at its backside formed a powerful tail. And tendrils of smoke at the front gathered together. One long neck grew, with a dragon's head at the end, and was joined by another soon after.
Duo swallowed uncertainly. The two-headed dragon roared defiantly, revealing the sharp fangs of each maw. It began to step toward them. As Duo and the others contemplated how to proceed, the left head opened its maw and sent a jet of flame hurling at them.
Duo cried out and leapt to the side. The flame sailed by him, so close he could feel the heat as if he were in it. As he stared at the dragon in horror, the right head opened its maw and sent blue fire at them. This time, Duo ducked. As the fire passed over him, he realized it wasn't hot at all. It was like ice.
Duo stood up and ran toward the dragon, aware of Quatre following him. When the heads sent their respective flames at them, they leapt to the side and kept running. Duo spun and slashed his Sword across the dragon's side. The dragon heads roared in anger. One turned to blow fire at him, but he pressed himself against the dragon, letting the fire blow passed him. He turned and seized a fold of the leathery skin and hoisted himself up onto the dragon's back. He was about to puncture the creature's back when something struck him hard in the side of the head, sending him flying off the dragon and hurtling to the ground, where he landed on his side and slid several paces.
His head throbbed. It was only the protection of Wufei's shield that kept him from losing consciousness. As he raised himself to his feet, he realized what had struck him: the tail. He'd forgotten about the tail. Quatre was keeping the two heads at bay with his staff, and they were snapping at him.
Duo started running toward the dragon just as it turned and slammed the prince with its tail, sending her flying as it did Duo. When it turned back, Duo stabbed one of the necks. The left head roared in pain, and the right head dove with an open maw to bite Duo's head off. Duo slashed his Sword, catching the dragon's mouth. It hissed in anger. The left head swung violently, out of control, and hit Duo in the chest, sending him sprawling backwards to the ground.
When he sat up, the two heads opened their maws and sent a mixture of fire and ice in his direction. With a cry of fear, he rolled away. Burning frost hit the ground where he'd been.
Yohan raised his arms and sent lightning streaking toward the dragon. It shocked the beast visibly. Duo stood while the dragon racked with convulsions. He tightened his grip on the Star Sword. It began to glow white. While the dragon was shaking from the electricity, Duo swung the Sword and sent a barrage of white comets hurtling at the dragon. Each comet found its mark somewhere on the beast's body.
All of the comets were too much for the dragon to handle. It shrieked, wildly out of control. The heads blew fire and frost everywhere. Duo and his friend's backed up. The heads moved around frantically, in result twisting themselves together. As white fire from the comets engulfed them, they roared and exploded. The headless body of the dragon toppled over to the ground.
Quatre stared at the body in wonder. "I hope that was the last one," he said dryly. "I don't know how much more 'welcoming' I can take."
Duo started to reply, but was cut off by a sudden rumbling sound. The Temple of the Skies was suddenly gone, and they were once again in utter blackness. Only now, a rumbling sound filled the air, coming closer and closer toward them. When it was so loud Duo thought his head would explode, there was a burst of bright, silver light. Duo cried out, and he heard the others shout, as well. The silver light engulfed them, and expanded. Even though the light was so vibrant and silver, Duo was aware of a curtain of darkness falling over his eyes...
TBC...
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