Evil renders the two elemental guardians and the surviving Dimperial scout unconscious, then takes the Goddess of Malevolence by the talon.
“Come on babe, let’s bail.” It says as It regains It’s human surfer form.
Malencia pulls her talon away with ferocity. “Don’t you ever call me that disgusting human word again.”
She turns to fly to Koriath’s body, as Evil places a talon on her shoulder, she grabs it and flips It over, throwing Evil to the ground. Flight with a mad haste as she kneels at his side and begins to lift Koriath over her shoulder.
“Alright now we can go.” She smiles with her head turned to her captive.
Evil sheds It’s human form and twists into something far more cosmically maddening. A creature like no other, gowned in colors beyond nature. The most vile presence emanating from its grinning mouthless face. Two tendrils of the sensations beyond the blackest void shoot out to Malencia and Koriath.
Malencia tries to parry with an energetic attack, however Its determination to leave now overwhelms her lust. It rips the Dark Guardian from her with one tendril, then throws his body back at the ground. All while engulfing her body with the other.
“Vile Princess, you can pick him up and take him to your hellscape later.” It opens a portal, dragging her through with It.
“I want him now!” She resists every pull without gaining a single step.
“We are leaving now.” It finishes dragging her through.
Elder Vampira begins to reanimate as soon as the portal closes behind them. If I was not the oldest vampire, I would have never survived that. I am also not sure I can even return home. I did not know about Evil being anything more than a morality debate. I knew Malencia was a possessed corvapian, but not to that degree.
Given what happened, I do not think the Dark Lord will be showing me any mercy. Especially if Captain Adumbra survived and can testify. Worse, will Princess Kurai be merciful? Is she more like her mother or her father? Now with Evil? Will she even survive?
Maybe I can barter my way out? Plead guilty and be cooperative? Or I will slip away in transport, get what I need from home if I can. If I do that then my next move should be to find myself an end by my own means before it is too late. I definitely need to die, disappear, or lawfully confess everything to The Emperor to avoid being branded both a heretic and a traitor. With this, she rises to her feet, and vanishes on a vampiric vapor.
Only a moment too late to catch the first vampire fleeing the scene, the other elemental guardians; Atesh of Fire, Maema of Materi, and Catha of Aeol, with an agonized and tired push of their combined powers, break, blow, and burn the doors to the temple off. Each of them catching their breath or energy as they take in the scene in their own distinct ways. Atesh traces over the dead for any signs of remaining demons with a hunter’s precision. Maema’s computerized eyes scan for traces of survivors. Catha’s eyes only fill with the horror of the site.
Registering the scout’s final breath as their body transforms into a soul orb, the gemstone that once showed in their eyes. Maema looks over to the left. “Baltin! Koriath!” She beeps as she scurries to them.
Catha remains frozen in place by the sheer evil and malevolent lingering energy. Atesh slowly slithers behind Maema, checking the corners and shadows for any hiding threats that Maema cannot perceive. The malevolently jeweled knife on the floor catches his Serpenga eyes. Catha whispers to herself, and from her Vulturi wings, a gentle breeze soothes the temple.
Maema reaches out one of her robotic spidery limbs to gently flip Baltin over. Another arm weaves the stone ground into two stone loungers, a third limb collects the remnants of Koriath’s clothes. She lifts Baltin and Koriath to sit up, as she does the water guardian twitches his eyes and tentacles in awakening. The matter guardian then turns her full attention to the dark guardian, using two limbs which begin to weave a glowing bio luminescent series of threads into his clothes and around him.
“May no one ever rob you this way again my friend. Had I a sorrow like yours in my programming, I would restart your circuitless being immediately." Her words with solidarity of spirit.
“Sorrow.” Atesh pauses as he examines the knife while slithering back to them.
Maema finishes clothing Koriath as Baltin pushes himself to sit up in silence. Atesh looks to them, then at Catha who has not moved from the doorway.
“Guardian of Aeol, try feeding that fear of yours to the Guardian of Darkness before something else follows your fear trail.”
Baltin lifts a single tendril in protest. “We had a psychic and empathetic link for a moment. Though I made us a physical water shield, he poured his empathetic self into my psychic surge. We were connected in mind and heart, and at the last moment, he took the brunt of the Princess of Lust’s attack.”
“Princess of Lust?” Maema beeped in confusion.
Baltin locks his eyes straight into Atesh’s “Koriath’s ex-wife, the Corvapian woman once known as Malencia The War Raven, amongst other names, I saw her true form. We had a brief battle of the mind. She is not a demon lord like you thought.”
“She is worse.” Atesh looks down at the blade, which a ruby soul gem grows from its cursedly golden-like hilt.
“Atesh.” Baltin has not severed his stare. “He did not know. Do not cast him with her.”
“Where is Lady Hokulani?” Catha cries while rolling her wing talon into a fist. “If she had helped us- what is she doing that she did not help?”
The other three guardians all turn their heads to her, as Catha continues to cry. “I was taught that the current guardians of Light and Darkness were inseparable. I was taught that their unity supports the multiverses, supports us four. One supports, the other lifts. Our supporter is down, and where is our lifter? Has she abandoned us? Did Evil win?”
Maema scurries over to Catha with open arms. The teenage Vulturi girl holds the Arachnian woman as if she were her aunt, as she cries into her. Baltin slowly forces himself to stand, clutching the stone lounger for support.
“The Guardian of Light was the first one of all six of us here. Evil had a demon for each of us but her. If Koriath was here alone, he thought himself an offering, distraction, or martyr for Hokulani.” Baltin says.
Maema glances over to Atesh who still holds the dagger, analyzing the ceremonial dagger. “Those are Corvapian soul gems, and that blade is older than the Dimperium. The metal is not one in my data system.”
“The metal is not of nature- a new stone just formed in it.” Atesh points to the ruby.
Maema hugs Catha one more time then walks toward Atesh, analysing it with every moment. Baltin reaches out a tentacle and closes his eyes, trying to psychically analyze. Maema and Baltin then look at each other instantly then Atesh.
“Lead us to the life flame, that soul orb is not dead yet.” Maema beeps.
It was long ago, but do you remember the hatchlings Koriath used to carry around? One of them had ruby eyes, just like this gem. Hokulani trusted we were strong enough to fight our own demons. She went to save a Princess of Darkness, a hatchling of hope in the night. Baltin plants into Atesh’s mind.
Then he slips into Catha’s. It is alright to be tired and scared. Light did not abandon us. If you believe in the friendship of Light and Darkness, believe that they are still working together. Believe in wind and air, believe in yourself as the sacred guardian of Aeol. We believe you are strong enough. And right now, the multiverses need all six of us to save a cosmic toddler.
If we get out of this terrible place, I can help save a baby. Catha replies in thought as she dries her eyes.
“I have it. Follow me.” Atesh raises his eyes from the single gem with soul flame still burning bright. “And someone carry Koriath.”
~~~
Within the dark matter of Dwingeloo-1 is where the guardians gather. Here in this space, the Kawaxi people make temporary residence. The Kawaxi people are very much a modern Corvapian, the same species. The Dimperium recognizes them as their own sovereign nation. The Kawaxi are currently neither ally nor enemy. However, they suffer the same persecution from the Light Realm as those in The Dimperium. Their colony of spaceships, when stationary, creates a space station with accordion connectors to each ship. One ship hovers back behind the fleet unconnected.
The guardians are in the foyer of this eccentric ship, inside, it is kept oddly. Weird plants, bottles, and trinkets hang about on the walls and ceiling. The ship itself is decrepit, a harsh contrast to the other sleek and polished ships in the fleet. To Catha it smells like a nursing home, a day care, and an abandoned grocery store all in one. Baltin carries the unconscious Koriath fireman style.
A corvapian girl hops out from the shadows, a green jay. She has a shaved head, wearing a banded dress, and has a small glyph painted on her heart space. Koriath, the only guardian who can read that language, is still unconscious. The jay girl seems to be around the same age as Jaques, who is roughly three ages older than the Karasu twins. The girl skips into the room from the darkened corridor, prancing around in the darkest shadows like an excited fan.
"They're here! They're here! Oh my gods! The other guardians are here! Can I get your autographs!? Dark guard-” Her excitement eclipses with tears, seeing her favorite guardian beaten like a dying god.
She punches her own thigh, calling herself back to the present moment.“Wait right here! I'll call Teacher!"
The guardians look at the small childling with visible and audible confusion, turning their heads to each other as she runs back out into the dark hall.
Another corvapian walks out from the shadows, a steller’s jay. He is covered from shaven head to bare toelan in ornate tattoos, that Maema can see are words, but not be able to read them. The jay man’s talons trimmed to only inch long nails, he extends three bony digits in quiet greeting.
I heard from Koriath, that the average person of his species is much smaller in frame, however, seeing this one, its flesh sends an utter chill through my nervous receptors. It is not just how grotesquely skinny it is; it was as if all that focus away from strengthening his body, gives his magic something more abyssal. Baltin thinks to himself.
"Please excuse her." The Kawaxi man’s voice is grave. His sunken eyes meet with Baltin’s, Maema’s, Catha’s, then Atesh’s. “The Light Guardian told me that the stars guided her to us for aid. We were able to cure the ailment of eating eyes, from this she will fully recover.”
He slowly approaches Koriath with an open and turned up palm. Catha steps forward to defend them, however Maema holds her back, then points to Koriath’s twisting face, as he fights to open his eyes. Baltin allows the shaman to approach.
"However, I told her that I cannot undo the spell on the Dimperial princess. Only The Most Evil can, and that is a power I dare not tap into."
The smallest finger on Koriath’s left talon twitches. The shaman gently hovers his talon over Koriath’s. “Your friend would not have it. She asked me what she needed to do.”
“That sounds like her.” Atesh interrupts.
The shaman serves Atesh a stern, grandfatherly, disciplinary look as Maema nudges his arm with one of hers. Atesh nods his head quietly for the shaman to continue.
“We drum, treat, and watch over their bodies, their inner spirits have not returned. The light guardian is facing Evil Incarnate head on and alone to save the girl’s soul from becoming enslaved to It.”
Koriath’s emotional weight increases on Baltin, as his talon fiercely grabs the shaman’s. His usual regal voice is a desperate whisper. “Take me.”
Two other heavily inked and shaven Corvapians emerge from the hall with a gurney, which Baltin helps them lay Koriath on. The other guardians are instructed to wait in the foyer as the three Kawaxi men wheel him down the hall.
“Please. Take me to Kurai and Lani.” Koriath groans.
“We must treat you separately, Dark Shepherd, you require different medicine.” The shaman places a guiding talon on the front of the gurney.
The darkness of the hall suddenly sinks into untraversable gloom, his voice rumbles with a deep rasp. “My daughter needs me.”
With this, they stop until the heaviness of the hall dissipates. Koriath falls silent and motionless again. One of the two assistants looks to the shaman.
“Teacher, what do we do?”
“I thought one had to be healed before he could heal others?” The second one lets out a lowly chirp.
“If we take him to them, if the light guardian loses, he may end up in a corpse-like state.” The first one to speak, the one on the left states.
“Ravens and crows are relentless when protecting their homes and families. He has endured this much for his, if we stop him from trying to save his child, we either kill his spirit or become his enemy. I am not willing to put ourselves at risk of those consequences.”
The Kawaxi wheel him into the room where Hokulani lays beside Kurai on a silver table. A second one is dragged in from another room, when pushed up against the other table, and with the pulling of a side lever, the two tables magically become one. They gently lay Koriath on Kurai’s right side, as Hokulani is at her left, and immediately begin dressing his forehead in herbs and oils. Laying crystals and herbs around the three of them.
His talon shakes, the last of his regained strength he sacrifices to hold Kurai’s talon in his.