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part seven.
IP: 95.149.91.22
Posted on December 20, 2010 at 09:58:52 PM by georgia

----------------------- PART SEVEN Adonis is hot on Aura's heels as she bursts out of the door of the house, just in time to see Poppy and Mallos vanish into the cloudy night sky. She says something in a foreign language which doesn't quite sound like 'oh my, what a nuisance' and would have taken off after them if Adonis hadn't wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug. She swears at him - in English this time - and struggles half-heartedly, but fortunately she's already coming round to her senses and is back in control of herself by the time Joel, Arthur and Nimueh appear. "Apparantly Mallos found a way onto the island then," Joel growls while Arthur runs his hand restlessly up and down the blade of his sword. "He doesn't want us having two divines," Arthur replies testily. "We'd outnumber - " "Even with the best intentions Poppy is more of a hindrance than a help, we all know that," Aura cuts over him in a strange, quiet sort of voice. "She's not interested in this war. She'd be no threat to Mallos... unless she knew something he didn't want us to know. Funny how he made damn sure she was unconscious before he reactivated Shady Labyrinth, and how he only launched an offensive on the island when she woke up again. The attacks have stopped now, look." She's right, Adonis thinks as he gazes at the shining blue semi-sphere. There's no movement beyond it, none at all - whatever those creatures were, they've either disappeared or retreated. He's about to suggest they all go back inside and put their heads together when, to his horror, the globe flickers twice and vanishes from sight. He spins around, half expecting to see Aura in a dead faint on the ground, but instead where Aura stood is a large, golden-red bird. The phoenix isn't watching him - its head is angled towards the sky and its wings are already spread. He makes a move to stop her, but she anticipates him and spirals up into the sky before he has a chance to grab her feathers. Phoenixes are faster fliers than fairies, and within seconds she's disappeared behind the dark clouds, leaving Apeliotes Island magically alone and unprotected. Arthur recovers first and starts shouting orders to the others, rallying whoever he can and equipping them with what weapons there are left which haven't been carted off to the battles of Shingle Brook and Sunburst Coast. There's no time to teach them how to use these tools - they'll have to learn on the job. Familiars take up lookout posts around the town, climbing onto houses and perching on trees to scan the area. Adonis barely notices any of this, too busy staring up at the dark skies; he jumps slightly as Nimueh places a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You can't tame a goddess, no matter how gentle she seems." She says wisely. "Maybe Mallos has finally pushed her over the edge... which may be exactly what Set-Merut needs. Don't worry, Adonis; I have a feeling this is going to backfire on him." Whoever he is, whatever she's up against - he, (it, they?) will not get away with this. Attacking Poppy is the equivalent of attacking an elderly person or young child, since her stupidity renders her just as vulnerable. Aura wastes no time and, ignoring the drops of rain water beginning to burn her feathers, propells her phoenix form as fast as it will go. Unfortunately, Mallos has had enough of a headstart to get back to Shady Labyrinth well before her and her attempts to penetrate its border are in vain; clearly, he's employing the same protection against her that she used against him in the island. Undeterred, Aura circles above the castle, inching as low as she dares before detaching her mind and sending her thoughts rocketing down into the labyrinth. Mallos uses a permanent mind-blocking spell (he'd be stupid not to, what with the number of telepaths in his empire), but he'd be able to sense her presence and she doubts he'd be able to resist a little banter. Sure enough, within moments he opens up to her and their minds connect. 'Bee in your bonnet, Aura?' 'Let her go.' 'Hmm. No.' He's all the more frustrating when she can picture his smug, catlike face, grinning from ear to ear. 'I said, let her go... Gwythr.' It's a total whim, a desperate attempt to call a bluff which maybe, probably, most definitely doesn't even exist... which is why it's a total surprise to her when the connection sputters and his mind retreats inside itself, as if what she'd said had shocked Mallos enough to temporarily break off his magic. Recognising this as a huge victory on her part, Aura soars over the castle and lands near the border of Per-a'a Nakht, shifting back into her fairy form. He materialises soon after, displaying a fake mask of composure which would be the perfect disguise if not for the slightly tightened lips and whitened face. "She talked," Aura smiles, praying he won't call her bluff. Poppy talked, yes - but neither of them could work out the meaning of this information he's so keen to keep from her. "She told us that the Shady Labyrinth is not your fort. You aren't Mallos; you are Gwythr." His silence is all the answer she gets, but it's all the answer she needs. Realisation sets in, and her eyes widen. "You're Gwythr," she breathes, "you always have been. Mallos has never even set foot in Shaman, has he?" He doesn't reply. Instead, Mallos' handsome Spanish form melts; before her very eyes, he shrinks and his skin pales. His hair creeps back towards his scalp, fading from black to grey-white, and his eyes change colour to a pallid, watery sort of blue. He retains a sort of handsomeness, but it's different to Mallos' youthful charm; this man is much older and has a more regal sort of air about him. While Mallos could pass as a beggar or a lord or anything in between, this man could never be anything other than royalty; everything from his hawk-like nose to his hard stare speak strongly of a man used to exercising his authority. At 5'11 he's still a lot taller than her, but shorter than he had been in Mallos' form, and this inspires further confidence in her. "You lied to me," she spits. "When you revealed your plan... it was all lies. Why? And what have you done with the real Mallos?" "On Earth still. You're right, he never entered Shaman - he doesn't even know it exists." Gwythr's voice is hoarser and more gravelly than Mallos', and it has the distinct note of resignation from a fraudster who recognises that the game is up. "Most of what I told you that night when I revealed my plan was true; I do intend to use you and the other originals to create a second generation of divines to repopulate Earth. I overpowered Mallos in 940 AD. After around fifty years I felt confident I had his mannerisms and habits down, so I set the plan in motion by creating Poppy. I've been posing as Mallos - taking respites as myself, naturally - ever since. As to why... I felt that if you were going to fall for any of the originals, it would be Mallos. He's perfectly fine - probably a little bored after a thousand and seventy years stuck behind the same four walls, but otherwise unharmed." Aura curls her fists into balls. "The Mallos generation. They really are his children, aren't they?" "I couldn't risk revealing myself - you might try to go to Earth and expose me. Yes, I used his DNA to make those children... which rather explains my lack of affection for the cursed creatures." "And Lauma?" "Also his familiar - I took a piece of his soul with me. Personally I cannot see the advantage of compromising one's own soul for a familiar... telepathy and divinity were enough to control Lauma until she turned against me." "So now I know. Let her go, Gwythr." He folds his arms. "I think not. We both know the step you're going to take next... and the council will be more inclined towards me if I can deliver a dangerous fugitive to them." She makes a move towards him, but he dissolves almost instantly into thin air. Aura snarls and vanishes behind a curtain of flames; moments later the phoenix re-emerges, shooting into the skies and soaring swiftly back the way it had come.

Replies:

• part six. - By georgia December 19, 2010 at 07:26:40 PM
• part five. - By georgia December 19, 2010 at 04:56:50 AM
• part four. - By georgia December 19, 2010 at 04:44:25 AM
• part three. - By georgia December 19, 2010 at 04:41:29 AM
• part two. - By georgia December 19, 2010 at 04:37:40 AM
• part one. - By georgia December 15, 2010 at 03:04:53 AM

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