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| The Runic Eye | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Act nine: death and life | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A thick mist blew and churned across an empty landscape. It was then that a weak and disoriented Gwenyth slowly rose up and looked around. She remembered what had happened in her bedchambers and coming face to face with the Witch Queen Tamina. Only one thing could explain what she was seeing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I must - be dead," she muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Not quite," a powerful voice echoed. She turned around and saw a large golden dragon looking down at her. "I bid you welcome - to my sanctum," the dragon stated politely. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Are - are you - god?" she asked hesitantly. The dragon laughed a hearty laugh - then slowly craned its neck down to see her at eye level. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No. I am not god - but I have been worshiped as such - as have many of my kind. Some for good - others - for ill. I am Groteus - and I - am a friend to your family," he replied seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "F-friend? How so?" she asked hesitantly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They aided me - so long ago - and as such - I protected them," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A fine job you did!" she blurted out. "You just watched and let her take them from me!" she added. The dragon sighed and slowly stood up and looked down at her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You refer to the one named Tamina?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "My mother was murdered - then my aunt - then my father - if you were our protector - where were you when they needed you?" she asked emotionally. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "As powerful as I am - there is only so much I can do. Unlike my - brother - who escaped our homeland to yours - I cannot leave here. So I aided your family - by bestowing upon them - the power of my ancient Runes," he explained. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Runes? You?" she asked - the anger giving way to confusion. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Long ago when my brother Black Fang escaped - and allied his power with the Death Sage - known as the Witch Queen - known as Tamina - I bestowed upon your family the power of the Runes. Magical glyphs that from which I can harness - my power in your world. Through the Runes - your family was able to banish my brother to a dark plane - but - they forgot - about Tamina," the dragon began. The mist before Gwenyth cleared. She looked down and saw a kingdom being overrun. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That - that was where they lived?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Indeed. It seemed as though the bond my brother had formed with her - was stronger than I thought. He told her of the Runic Weapons and Artifacts forged by your clan. As such - Tamina - with his power - slaughtered them all," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "But - mom - she wasn't there," she pointed out. The mist blew over the images. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No - she wasn't. She was being schooled far from home. Had she not - Black Fang would have been free - and the world as you know it - would have been no more. Your mother - the rune that I entrusted to her - was the one of the Heart. Although the power of Black Fang and Tamina had corrupted my devices - so that they would channel his power in lieu of mine - the power of the Heart - would unite them all - and cleanse them," he said seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That - that was how - he beat them - but she lived," she muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Her power was stronger than I thought. It - with her lust for vengance sustained her - plus - she managed to draw power - from the Runic Eye," he replied seriously. Gwenyth looked up at the dragon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "But how?" she began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The eye was a rune - that was placed on a ring. When the power - left Harmen - the items fell to the ground - and the ring - fell into her hand," he replied seriously. As if sensing her next question he lowered his head down and looked at her. "You wish to know what that rune does?" he asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know the others - I never heard of the eye," she replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The power of the eye - is one of focus. It is a power of insight. It is a power of knowledge from without and within. If properly used - the user can predict emotions - feelings - thoughts - and if in the wrong hands," he began. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Control them," she completed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What of your brother - did he survive too?" she hesitantly asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know not how - but I know that he did. She was able to somehow craft his power into that of a cat - saving him. He still lives - but his power is weak. Until he is able to return to his true form - he will not be a threat. But he is getting ready to return," he replied calmly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If - if all this is true - why am I here? Am I dead?" she asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You are close to the door - but you have not crossed through yet. I have used my power - to bring you here. There is much going on - and there is much that you must be aware of," he began as a flickering light began to blink and pulse in front of her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What is it?" she asked hesitantly. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A final gift - from my people to yours. It will do two things - what those are - I can not say. All I will say - is that when the time comes - you will know - what you must do," he replied seriously. Gwenyth hesitantly reached for the light. As soon as her hand touched it - she and the light vanished. "I hope - that you will be strong enough - to do what must be done," he added. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| * * * | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| At that moment - back in her bedchambers - several guards were standing around the unmoving body of their queen. They had done their best to revive her - but they feared - that just like her mother and father - that she too was dead. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "This couldn't have come at a worse time," an advisor muttered. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What are we going to do?" a soldier asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Send word out - the prince must be found - for he is now king," he replied. The soldier hurried away. The advisor sighed and slowly pulled the cover up over the dead queen. Just then Gwenyth sat up gasping. Everyone present almost fell over in shock. The queen looked around at the small crowd that was staring at her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "My - queen?" an advisor asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Uh - sick," she strained as an advisor helped her sit up. "W-what happened?" she slurred - fighting back the growing wave of sickness that was welling from within her. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We - we thought you had perished," he replied. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Almost - did," she strained. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Who did this?" a guard asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "T-Tamina - father - didn't kill her. Know I sound - crazy - but I speak true," she panted. It was then that she realized she had something in her hand. She slowly opened it and saw a golden coin with an odd looking rune on it. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What is that?" an advisor asked. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Something - that will help me end this madness," she replied seriously. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be concluded... | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||