Chapter 3: Battle for Freedom

The four mages were tense and silent as the sound of the big iron doors opening echoed in the still air, and voices rang out.

"Escaping prisoners! My soldiers found unconscious or dead!" It was a female voice, cultured and sophisticated but made shrill by fury. "I'll not stand for this!"

"No, my queen," came a three-toned chorus of females. The sound of heeled shoes clicked loudly upon the marble stone outside, as if the queen was pacing.

"I want these - these - infidels found and dealt with, immediately! "

"Yes my queen, at once." two sets of footsteps quickly left the room.

They heard a sigh. "I swear, these beasts are useless. They cannot even deal with weakling mages."

"Soon, my queen, the machine will have enough power. Then we can be rid of them."

"Bothersome creatures, all." There came a sound as if the queen had seated herself upon the throne.

"I wish you would relax, my queen. Your brilliant plan will succeed."

"Your faith is refreshing, Tsarmina. Truly you are my most loyal follower."

"It is an honor to serve you, my queen."

"Leave me now, I have need of rest."

"Yes, my queen." The final one left, and all was silent.

The elf motioned the other three close, drew out a fistful of crystals from within the pouch on his hip, and casted, this time seemingly without pain. Once more, they became ethereal. Then, they crept as a tight cluster through the door.

The queen was still in the throne, her head tipped back and her eyes closed. Her skin was pale, like fresh cream, her lips a deep blood red, her facial features lovely, but cold and brutal. Her hair was like night, and hung loose to her chest, which her matching, deeply v-necked sheath gown revealed almost to immodesty. Her hands were shapely as they rested upon the armrests, the nails pained red and fingers sporting many onyx gems. Upon her feet were high-heeled black shoes with slender straps winding up her legs, one of which was exposed to half-way up the hip through a slit in the dress. And upon her head was a crown of black gem, the front of which sported nine sharp shards, like natural crystal.

The four mages crept slowly across the floor like ghosts, making no sound nor casting any shadow. But before they'd gotten five feet from the wooden door...

"I know you're there."

They stopped dead in their tracks, as she lifted her head to look right at them. Her eyes were deep purple, made more striking by the amethyst eye paint. "Tricks to fool the eyes do not work on me here in my domain. Show yourselves to me." Knowing tat there was no way to hide, the elf dismissed the spell. The queen looked them over. "Mages." She didn't sound surprised. "Those beasts are worse than I thought, if four mages could dispatch so many. No matter." Gracefully she stood, lifting one pale hand to point at them. "It is a shame that I won't be able to drain you, but no matter." The elf drew his sword, the blade a mysterious metal that, although silver, had a distinct blue sheen, and produced a beautiful note-like ping when drawn. He took a step forward and to the side, so he was between the mages and the queen, and the cat followed suit, drawing his steel blade that was so oddly shaped, indeed sharp on only one side. Apparently amused, the lady began to laugh. "You want to fight? How amusing! Perhaps you shall prove worth at least a modicum of entertainment to make restitution for my lost minions and mages."

"Don't count us as dead so easily," the cat replied with a small growl. She just laughed again.

"You dare think you can actually defeat me? Hahahaha! You have no idea of who you are dealing with, foolish mages. I am Queen Tsar'kris, Sorceress of Shadow!"

At her shout, the walls and ceiling of her throne room became enshrouded in shadow, obscuring all vision of their surroundings save for themselves and the queen. A woman appeared at her side in full black leather armor, wielding a sword with a one-edged, machete-like blade.

"At your service, my queen!" she cried, and by her voice they knew her as Tsarmina.

"Perhaps if you beg for forgiveness now," Tsar'kris crooned, and to Vivi it seemed as if she looked right at him, promising salvation, or utter destruction (later the other three would claim the same thing), "I'll spare your lives. Perhaps I will now drain you, in fact - after all, you must have some worth to have gotten this far - and let you join my glorious army."

"Never!" the elf retorted without a second's hesitation.

"I'd rather die first!" the cat shouted defiantly. Neither of the smaller mages commented, but neither did they show any signs of considering abandoning their friends.

"Very well. Prepare to die!"

Tsar'kris unleashed a powerful spell that blasted into all four mages. The cat, elf, and red-robed mage couldn't suppress a cry of pain as magical energy lashed them like whips, but Vivi only grinned as a red arc of light appeared before him, and reflected the magical assault back at the queen. However, it didn't seem to have any effect upon her, as all she did was laugh a very wicked laugh and call out, "Clever!"

Then the mages made their move. The taller two rushed forward, placing themselves on the front line. Almost in unison they dug in their pouches on their hips, drawing out some sort of glowing crystals, and casted, the elf's fireball targeting the queen, and the cat's lightening bolt arcing towards her lieutenant. Of course, the fireball was wide enough to touch both enemies, but that was besides and point. Vivi, with a rather mischievous grin, decided to unleash the big swords - in a sense - and casted flare ... on himself! The red mage next to him started to cry out in alarm, but then saw the red arc of light as before flicker up before Vivi. A dark light grew around the two women, crackling with red and purple streaks, before expanding with a blast and doing tremendous damage.

"Cast your spells at me!" Vivi called to his companions. "My hairpin reflects and enhances then " The other two nodded, but the red-robe hesitated. Vivi looked over to him. "I won't be hurt, I promise."

"It's not that... but if you're sure..." As he started casting, Vivi suddenly realized that the red robe had avoided casting any spells up to this point, and he began to worry.

The spell went off, and reflected correctly... and suddenly Tsarmina was menacing the cat not with her sword, but with a large, rather lovely -

Bouquet of flowers?

"Huh?" She looked at it incredulously. In fact, everyone stared at it, then at the red robed mage with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. He merely shrugged, giving a little, sheepish chuckle.

"Um... heh heh... Trolly-molly, my magic isn't exactly... reliable..." Abruptly the queen shook her head and casted again. This time she was a little more careful, well noting Vivi's reflect . First she threw a small glass ball to the ground between the front row and back row of mages. Then, swiftly, she let loose a flame wave at the front row, one that was incineratingly hot. Vivi honestly didn't know how the elf and cat survived the assault, as it nearly hit him and he could feet the heat. But then the second part of her devious attack became clear.

The heat of the attack cracked the glass orb, and licked within the fractures, to ignite the contents.

The orb exploded with shattering force. Shards of glass flew out in all directions, and the concussion propelled Vivi into the air and actually through the wooden door. It broke apart against his back, and he crashed into a shelf which dumped its contents all over him in response. He lay there, stunned, but not unconscious, still able to hear the battle without.

"NO!" came the elf's impassioned shout. Then he began to chant, first low and soft, but with mounting volume, as the others unleashed their spells. The little black mage slowly sat up, rubbing his head under his hat.

"Ow..." Suddenly a heavy object fell from up on the shelf - or rather, what was left of it - to land with a thud on his belly. "Oof! Huh?" He opened his eyes to see a large, completely smooth, ovular emerald in his lap. It was about four inches lone, and appeared to have a golden dragon in its center, in a flying or perhaps a fighting pose, with its upper body slightly raised, its head turned slightly, and one foreleg lifted a bit as if to strike. Its mouth was open in a snarl.

"I summon the power of the Giver of Magic - "the elf's voice broke into Vivi's thoughts. Standing up, items tumbling off of him, and still holding the emerald, Vivi went to the door to look. The elf was the focus of all's attention, as a golden flame was licking around his body, his head slightly bowed as if in prayer, eyes closed. He held his staff and sword out before him, sword point down and staff orb pointing up, hands folded together so hilt and staff were held between his palms, fingers interlaced. His hair and clothes ruffled slightly, as if in a breeze.

"He who grants arcane strength," the elf went on, and all present felt a sharp spike of magical energy, "use me as your focus! Tavanness, I invoke your power!" His last shouted phrase was almost deafening, as the gold fire seemed to engulf him. His face took on a fierce countenance, one that was almost frightening to behold. It even caused the queen and her lieutenant to back up a step. Then, with a single word and a wave of his hand, they vanished in a wave of white light and simple ceased to be. The self stood there for a moment, then the golden light dissipated and he slumped to his knees, panting.

"What did you do?" the cat asked softly, sounding awestruck... and perhaps a little bit afraid.

"I did what I... had to do..." the elf panted. "She wouldn't have let us leave alive." Suddenly the entire structure began to shake.

"What's going on?" Vivi cried as he staggered over.

"Trolly-molly! The whole building's going to collapse!" cried the red robed mage, floating so he wasn't jarred. "We've got to get out of here!"

"We'd never make it," the cat observed as he assisted the elf to his feet. "We don't know the way out."

"We have to try," the elf gasped, leaning on his staff and the cat's arm.

"Look!" the cat suddenly exclaimed, pointing behind the throne. One of the larger glass panels had been knocked out during the fighting, and it led outside. The ceiling began to crack and fall in, pillars toppling over.

"Run for it!" the elf ordered, and they raced over as fast as the quaking floor would allow. The red robe got their first, and peered out.

"Trolly-molly, we've got to be five floors up!"

"Just jump!" The elf and cat barreled into him, propelling him out the window, and the elf pulled Vivi behind. Swiftly the cat fumbled in his pouch again, as the floating mage valiantly worked to keep Vivi, the lightest of the four, afloat.

"Fleogena!" the cat shouted, as the four mages ceased falling and began to fly.

"Get away... from... the tower..." the elf gasped, before he passed out and hung limp in the air.

"He's right," the red robe agreed as the structure they had been contained in, a tower of dark gray stone, began to collapse behind them. "We've got to get far away from here!" The cat grabbed one of the elf's arms, and Vivi grabbed the other, and the three, towing the elf, quickly fled. Behind them the tower crumbled, then collapsed to the ground in a cascade of dirt and debris.