SWNOVELS Chapter 18 The wandering Star
“Shit!” Elden cursed loudly as he steadied himself on Nyles’s stone body. “She’s gone!”
There was a sound as though something had exploded a split second before the temple began to shake violently. The dirt near their feet seemed to dance as the tremors worked their way up the stone.
“Really?” Elden asked as he glared at Nyles, thinking he was angry that he had smashed into him. And that he had not bothered to apologize.
“This isn’t me, dude,” Nyles said, jumping back as chunks of the pillar behind him crumbled off, falling dangerously close to his head.
“I think we need to get out of here,” Aira was saying as she avoided a large piece of rock that had dislodged from her wind pillar.
“Now!” Nyles shouted as he shoved Elden out of the way of some stone that was heading straight for him.
“How? Only you can fly! And do you think we can make it back through that mess?” Elden shouted as he indicated to the temple itself. “Face it, we are stuck here!”
As if to prove him wrong, Olympus appeared out of the gray sky, soaring in a circle. The flying horse hovered inches from the rocky temple top, neighing loudly.
“Aira, you and Akari! Go!” Rowan shouted, sweeping his arm in a wide circle. Aira wasted no time as she rushed towards the flying horse, mounting its back smoothly as a crack opened right where she had been standing. Akari, however, hesitated, but joined her friend on Olympus’s back, nearly shrieking as it took off.
Sora landed with a thump on the temple top, never looking at them. The beast kept her head facing away, pretending not to see them. Rowan and Elden climbed carefully onto her back as Nyles soared after Aira, and Akari. The beast lifted her body off the temple as the crack splinter, shooting to the other side.
Elden watched in horror as the temple itself crumbled like a child’s sand castle, falling into the fog. He closed his eyes and looked away, wondering how Valeena and Aurory were going to return.
They landed once more near the ocean’s edge, their tracks long were gone, having been covered by the perpetual snow. Elden slid off the back of Sora, joining his friends.
“Now what?” Nyles asked as he paced in the snow, shaking his head in frustration. “Also, you didn’t tell us that Thanos was some dead, demon thing!”
Elden opened his mouth to shout at him but paused as an idea floated to the surface of his mind. “I think I know how we can stop this!”
Aira scoffed as she turned her back to him, pointing to the massive red planet that was nearly in their atmosphere now.
Elden ignored her, as he climbed onto Sora’s back as he said, “Follow me!”
Spira moved liked water through the starry sky, flowing smoothly around the ribbons of light. Her body was cool to the touch, almost glass-like, even though she looked like a giant bubble.
A low growl emerged from somewhere below them as Valeena spied Aster’s body gliding through the twinkling stars. She held her breath and hoped that he would not spot them.
Aurory followed him with her eyes, whispering something to herself. Aster vanished underneath a floating rock and they lost sight of him.
“What is that?” Valeena asked as a strange sound met her ears. It reminded her of air passing through a hollow, metal pipe, like the sounds she heard back at Star Harbor during construction. The noise was mixed with a soft, low note like from a choir in the distance.
“Gaia. It’s hurting.” Aurory said softly as Aster reemerged from around the rock.
The white light where all the ribbons were flowing to pulsed brighter as several black, tentacle-like objects seeped out of it. Several of them whipped at Sora, who reared back, nearly knocking Valeena and Aurory from her back.
Valeena held her breath as she was now sitting at the table of a noisy tavern. The air reeked of stale booze and cigarette smoke, and she slowing covered her mouth as she gagged. Two men were sitting in front of her, laughing and talking loudly. It was once more distorted, the air rippling in front of her.
“And then I said, yeah? Well, you look like the Queen!” The larger guy on the right shouted as the man on the left laughed way harder than necessary.
Valeena wondered if she should sink low into the seat and hide under the table. But a loud explosion from outside the tavern caused her to nearly scream.
“The hell was that?” The large guy said as he jumped roughly from his seat, knocking it over. The double wooden doors flew open as someone ran in shouting.
“The Queen?” The second guy asked as he covered his face from the sudden blast.
Valeena gasped, sure she had just witnessed those mean dying. Tears stung her eyes as she fought to release the memory that was not her own. She knew deep in her heart that she had just been to Kane on the day the bomb was dropped.
Aurory was gone as Spira wove around one of the tentacles that tried to wrap itself around the beast’s smooth body.
Valeena glanced to see where Aster was as Aurory reappeared, her eyes wide in fear. She said nothing as she held onto the neck of Spira, avoiding the black limb as it flew near her.
“Aster knows we are here,” Aurory said as she hugged Spira’s neck, her eyes watching the wandering star. “You have your sword?”
“Yes. But do you think its a good idea to kill the guardian of Gaia?” Valeena questioned as she removed her sword and laid it on her lap.
“He will be fine.”
Valeena could tell something was wrong with her sister, but before she could ask, Aster shot by them, nearly flipping Spira.
“Hang on!” Aurory shouted as Aster circled back, his angry yellow eyes locking with her.
Valeena grabbed her sword before it could fall from her lap and held it tightly. She tucked her legs under the wing muscle of Spira and hoped it would be enough for her to hold on.
Aster growled loudly as a disembodied voice said, “You should not be here!”
Valeena swung at Aster, but the beast moved aside with ease. He lunged for them as Valeena brought her arm back up, Aurory kicking him in the head with her boot.
Spira opened her horse-like mouth and shot a hot, white energy blast from within, missing the wandering star. Aster rounded underneath Spira, shooting like an arrow from a bow towards her chest.
Spira snapped her tail, the deadly spiked end cutting into the rocky surface of Aster’s body. Light poured from within as the wound healed, his skin regenerating.
Valeena gasped and glanced at Aurory, who was watching one of the tentacles as it wrapped around the leg of Spira. Aurory removed her dagger and slid forward, slashing at the limb as it pulled Spira towards Aster.
Valeena raised her sword and struck Aster as he lunged for the beast, seizing the opportunity to attack. As Valeena steady herself once more on the back of Spira, her head struck a ribbon of green light.
Valeena was in someone’s home, standing in a large bedroom, the image distorted with the waves. It was dark, but she could see the large, furniture was made form a heavy oak. The canopy bed was oversized, with shiny, silk blankets. She was obviously in someone well to do’s room. Valeena pressed her body against the wall as a man she had noticed before shifted in a chair. They were sitting at a desk, writing on a piece of parchment, the pen scratching loudly in the otherwise silent night.
Even though curiosity burned deep in her soul, Valeena was eager to get back to the fight. She knew Aurory needed her help and willed the memory to end.
“There,” The gruff voice said as he set the fountain pen down and stretched, breaking wind loudly. The candlelight flickered as though it were protesting the awful smell.
“This shall change my sister’s mind.” The man said as he pulled himself to his feet, his body cracking loudly. The memory faded as the man faced Valeena, rubbing his eyes. She was not sure if he had seen her or not as Nihonal returned.
She was sitting on a rocky surface, her sword sticking out of the ground. Aurory was not far from her, watching Aster and Spira duel without them on her back.
“Aurory?” Valeena asked as she watched the battle, ignoring the pain in her ankle once more. But her sister did not respond.
Valeena crawled to the edge of the rocky surface, peering towards the pulsing light. The darkness was still leaking out, wrapping around the orb, slowing dimming its light.
“I want this over,” Aurory said softly as she wiped at her face, brushing away the tears.
“Me too,” Valeena informed her sister, slightly surprised that Aurory had spoken.
“I-I saw my,” Aurory began but paused shaking her head as her lips trembled. She covered her face with her hands and was silent.
“Aurory?” Valeena asked her sister softly. But Aurory shifted her body weight so her back was now to Valeena.
“Is Gaia in there?” Valeena asked, glancing at Aurory as she nodded softly, a movement that Valeena had barely caught.
Valeena pulled herself to her feet, replacing her sword. She remained still, building up her courage. The hollow sound from the planet was louder, growing stronger as the tentacles grew thicker.
“Valeena?” Aurory asked, watching her sister as she leaned over the edge.
Valeena looked at her, smiling as she bent her knees and leaped over the side of the floating rock.