Warnings: This story does get fairly violent in places.
Since the chapters are quite long, and it might lag slower PC's to include all near-100 pages in one post, I am going to divide the story up into 2-3 chapter segments.
Here are some links where you can read the story all in one place:
- Fanfiction.Net
- DeviantART
Born of Shadow
Chapter 1: Battle's End
In the depths of the swamps, Zaroff and his armies kept prisoners of war. All were held in a large well-protected and well-guarded fortress. No one prisoner was truly regarded as different from another, and all received the same cruel treatment. Each had to reside within a cell barely large enough to contain them.
However, from this recent war with Rintu, the desert city-state west of their borders, a new prisoner came. They found this ray alone, separated from his unit. He was still young, at the age of fourteen years. More importantly, he carried an ability seen in no being other than the fairies: an elemental ability to control fire.
Zaroff was desperate. He needed some kind of edge for defeating Rintu. They treated him with even more torturous and cruel punishment than his fellow prisoners and built complex contraptions to continually drain his energy with water.
“Those fire elemental powers of yours – how did you get them!?” Zaroff asked, time and time again.
“I don't know! I've had them for as long as I could remember!” the prisoner would answer back. That was always his answer. He simply didn't know. Zaroff found it to be nothing but lies. No ray could be born with powers of their own. It was impossible!
After many hours, days, and weeks, Zaroff grew more and more angered by the prisoner's persistence. His answer did not change, and Zaroff was losing the war. Eventually, out of sheer anger and impatience, and not out of mercy, he killed the prisoner and left his body to rot in one of the fortress' cells.
This wasn't truly the end for the prisoner. After receiving his final blow, he found himself walking freely in a long, narrow tunnel. He couldn't remember who he was or what just happened. All he knew was that there was a light ahead, and he had to step towards it.
“Phoenixan!” a deep voice suddenly called out to him from behind. The voice echoed off the walls of the tunnel. That was his name, wasn't it?
The prisoner turned around and looked behind him. He couldn't see anything except for a dark, endless void. “Wha-who's there?”
“A friend,” the mysterious voice answered. A figure stepped out from the darkness. It was a man dressed in a full suit of glossy black armor. A dark blue cape flowed behind him. His face was completely hidden in darkness, except for two glowing, blue, almost cat-like eyes.
“Who are you?” Phoenixan took a slightly aggressive stance.
“You have nothing to fear from me,” the dark creature replied. “We both have something in common. We meet seeming ends with our enemies not knowing any the better, but you're not going to be leave without fighting back, are you..?” The creature looked back towards the light at the opposite end of the tunnel, and then his eyes glared at Phoenixan.
Phoenixan was about to ask what the creature meant, but his memories were coming back to him now. He was left behind by his own brethren; he was left to be captured, tortured, and then killed. Phoenixan felt betrayed, abandoned, and helpless, but he at least wanted to do something to get back at them. He wanted an eye for an eye. He wanted exact revenge.
“I knew you weren't the type to go out without a fight,” the creature said to Phoenixan. His eyes were almost smiling, but they were an almost evil smile. Somehow though, Phoenixan knew that he could possibly trust this creature to help him.
“Can you feel my thoughts?” Phoenixan asked. “And how can you bring me back? I'm dead, right?”
“I am one who was banished to stay here by the fairies of your world; I am stuck in the void between living and dead. I know your thoughts and feelings because I have the power to control shadow, and if you want to go back, I can grant you with the same powers. With my help, you can step back into the world of the living and avenge yourself and others like you or me.”
Phoenixan thought for a moment about the shadowed being's proposal. Not only will he be able to claim revenge for himself, but he can help others. He can become part of something bigger; it'd be a new order of sorts against the way the world is today. Too many lands fall under the absolute control of warlords or masters of magic. Maybe he would be doing something right, though he'd have to kill others in the process; however, sacrifices were necessary. “I'll do it, but what do I have to do for you in return? And why did you come to me out of the many people do die in this war..?”
“You are born different, are you not? Others seem to hate you because you are, and they are afraid of the changes you might bring as part of your destiny,” the creature replied. “In return for being brought back into the living world, you have to free me from my place of exile, and I will let you know when the time is right for it.”
Is it my destiny to be a killer? Maybe; it's something I've always been forced to do. I've always had to in war or for survival. Phoenixan looked at the creature and nodded. He was prepared to go back. Sacrifices are needed for a greater cause. His own eyes were fixed on the creature's. The shadowed being lifted up his hand from his cape, which was covered in metal plating with numerous flexible joints. Phoenixan's vision was fixed on the creature's eyes, and his vision was beginning to blur slightly as he felt almost surrounded by the glowing blue masses. Out of sudden fear, he tried looking away, but couldn't. He couldn't move a muscle now. His vision continued to blur as he began to fell into the glowing blue masses.
The world got darker and darker, and then very suddenly, after the world around Phoenixan was pitch black, the falling sensation stopped. He didn't feel any hard blows as he hit the ground, but he did feel extremely dizzy. Phoenixan didn't even hit the ground at all. He simply stopped falling. The world was still pitch black, but soon, he realized that he wasn't seeing darkness anymore, but really, the inside of his eyelids. He wasn't breathing either.
Phoenixan's eyes shot open as he gasped for air. He can breath again. He can see again, though it was all a blurry image right now. The air he found was foul, but it felt good to be alive again. As his vision slowly came back to normal, he could make out the bars of the prison cell he was left in. The door was open. Another ray was just outside, facing the wall, crying. He could almost make out the form, and he almost couldn't believe who it was. Phoenixan tried speaking to him, but simply coughed. He couldn't make out any words yet.
It still caused the other ray to turn around and look towards him. “Brother, you're alive!” His navy blue eyes were slightly puffy from his own tears, and his light blond hair hung over his face slightly. The ray was also wearing a purple robe, which was covered in mud from the swamp. “Hey! He's alive!” he yelled down the hallways. He rushed to Phoenixan's side.
“Rayman?” Phoenixan questioned, with his voice sounding weak. “What happened..?”
“The war's over,” Rayman answered calmly, smiling. Two more rays came with a stretcher, and Rayman stepped out of the way as they loaded Phoenixan onto it. He was still too weak to move, but he felt better than he was before. As they carted him outside, Rayman walked along by his side. “I thought I lost you...”
“Don't worry, Rayman. I'm back for good, and I refuse to leave,” Phoenixan comforted, smiling happily towards his little brother.
Chapter 2: The Dream Forest
It was a calm and clear night. The ocean waves drifted softly over the sand on the beach as Rayman and his two friends, Ly and Globox, watched from his front porch. The two full moons in the sky, along with the stars, reflected clearly off of the rippling waters in the distance.
Rayman built this small house himself a few years ago, when he first arrived on this new continent. None of Rayman's friends, not even Ly or Globox, knew of his life before that moment in time, when Rayman first stood up against Mr. Dark and became a hero in the eyes of the fairies and teensies. It was small, made out of logs and covered with a sod roof. Purple star-patterned fabric hung in the windows, which were simply rectangular openings cut out of the walls.
“Rayman?” Globox said, interrupting the peaceful silence. He seemed a bit worrisome. “I just heard noises! From the woods! There's something there!”
“Of course there are noises, and there are many things in the woods!” Rayman laughed.
“Shhh... I think I hear it too,” Ly shushed. He listened in and concentrated on the part of the forest behind Rayman's home. She could distinctly hear something walking through the trees and bushes.
“Well, let's go see what it is,” Rayman suggested as he slowly stood up and stepped off from the porch. Ly got up and followed as he carefully made his way to the side of the house. Globox stood behind, waiting on the front porch and covering his eyes, fearing that it could be some horrible forest monster. Ly conjured up a magical ball of light in her hands and used it to illuminate the bushes and trees behind Rayman's home. They cautiously stepped closer and closer towards the forest. The bushes and leaves rustled violently. Rayman got ready to defend himself if something jumped out. Ly stood calmly aside, holding her light on the area and listening closely.
After a few tense seconds, the creature stumbled out of the bushes. He looked fairly similar to Ly, with pointed ears covered by his long, greasy, black hair, except for that he was much shorter, even more-so than Rayman. His dirty brown and green clothing was torn to shreds. He gasped for air, as he seemed to have been running a far distance. He also held one hand under his shirt as he clasped something in his other. Ly ran over and caught him before he would collapse on the ground. “They are coming!” he gasped.
“Who?” Ly asked kindly.
“The soldiers!” he answered simply. “They must... not get it back..!” He closed his eyes as his body became limp. His fingers loosened around the object he was carrying, letting it tumble onto the forest floor. As Ly set his body carefully down on the ground, Rayman stepped towards the object on the ground and picked it up in his hands.
It was a stone or a gem of some kind. It looked heavy, but it was actually very light. As Rayman turned it over in his hands and examined it more, he noticed some strange symbols on the top.
Ly lifted up the man's shirt slightly to see what he was grasping in his other hand and noticed a nasty, bloody bullet wound. He wasn't breathing anymore, nor was his heart beating. The bullet must have gotten him. Ly looked up at Rayman sadly, who looked back and then down again at the gem in his hand.
“Someone must want this back pretty badly,” Rayman noted, speaking softly and slowly. He gazed into the clear crystal once more. The moon and starlight collected from above into the gem and reflected from inside of it, giving it an almost glowing quality.
“What is it?” Ly asked as he slowly stood up again off of the ground. The knees of her purple and yellow body suit were still unstained from kneeling in the dirt. She gasped and her bright green eyes widened as she looked into Rayman's hands. She could have sworn that she's seen this object before. Ly couldn't place where. The Fairy Council, maybe? Yes, a book there in the library.
Globox warily approached Rayman and Ly to see what happened and frowned as he saw the scene. If only I wasn't so cowardly. There was silence again, only this time, it wasn't so peaceful.
“Rayman! You have to get out of here!” another voice screamed, piercing the cold night air.
“Murfy?” Rayman responded.
“Hurry! They're coming!” Murfy warned. Globox began to panic again.
“Who is this 'they' that everyone's just suddenly bringing up?” Rayman asked himself, half annoyed and half in a joking manner. “What's happening?!” He looked towards Murfy, who was hovering in front of him now.
“There's no time to explain! Come on!” Murfy took off and flew to the start of the path that led to the other regions of the forest. Globox immediately ran over to follow. Ly stood by Rayman, waiting for him. Rayman was about to follow Murfy right away when he happened to glance towards the ocean one last time. Three bright lights hovered over the water in the distance. Boats? Maybe a flying craft, like the pirate space ships he's seen before? Whatever they were, the lights were headed quickly their way.
Ly placed her hand on Rayman's “shoulder” and said, “Let's go.”
“Right.” Rayman nodded and stuffed the gem into a previously hidden pocket in his purple, white, and red-hooded jacket. He turned around and he and Ly followed Globox and Murfy over on the trail. As they walked deeper into the forest, the sounds of the whirring motors faded in from behind them. The wind picked up slightly from the beach, and Rayman's home lit up under the three bright lights.
“The Fairy Council might be the safest place to keep that stone, and maybe there, we can figure out what exactly it is too,” Ly suggested. She thought again about where she's seen it before. What did the symbols on the top mean? All will be cleared up once they got there.
“Yeah... might be,” Rayman replied. He thought about the number of times that the Fairy Council has been invaded or intruded upon. It's been three times now since he arrived on this continent, and who knows how many before. The teensies seemed to rely on Rayman completely for protection.
Now, they were heading on the same exact path that Rayman first took when he stepped foot in the Dream Forest, towards Moskito's Nest and the portal that would take them to the Fairy Council just beyond. They took a different route across the ocean to return here. Rayman wanted to show Ly and Globox some of what he did before he met them, but now, there were going to be more attractions for this guided tour. This night and the days following are going to be anything but a peaceful vacation.
Chapter 3: Old Trails
The sky was still dark. The two moons slowly began to set in the west, making the forest even darker. Sounds heard as they left Rayman's home behind faded back into the distance. Rayman and his friends occasionally stepped off from the trail so that their location wouldn't be completely predictable, and as a possibility that their tracks would be hidden from plain sight.
Rayman asked again who or what it was that they were running from in the first place, but Murfy quickly made the excuse that there was no time to explain. What?! It's impossible to walk and speak at the same time? It seemed more that Murfy was hiding some degree of fear in his voice. What could it be that would make even Murfy afraid to tell him? Did someone return from before? That wouldn't make Murfy too scared to talk about it to Rayman though, would it? It had to be something else.
Down the trail, the sounds of two motorized vehicles came. The trees lit up in the distance. Rayman listened in, and he could also faintly hear their tires spin and rumble over the dirt.
“Quick! Hide!” Murfy yelled. He then noticed a small indentation in the steep hill on the side of the trail, hidden slightly by bushes. It formed an extremely shallow cavern of sorts that they could possibly hide in. “Up there!” Murfy flew up into it, and Globox immediately followed, scurrying up the hill. Ly hopped up inside, pulling in her furry blue tail behind the cover of the bushes and laying as low as she could behind the cover. Rayman was the last to enter, nearly slipping back down the slightly muddy surface, but he managed to climb up inside, hiding behind the foliage with his friends.
The two vehicles came and stopped in front of them on the trail. Murfy, Globox, and Ly got down lower into the dirt. Rayman pulled apart the bushes just slightly so that he could peek out and see who it was. His eyes widened slightly as he witnessed two rays, not unlike himself, riding on two three-wheeled off-road vehicles. They wore dark green helmets that covered most of their heads, but their noses, which protruded out from their faces like Rayman's, were still visible. They each wore matching dark green uniforms with black belts around their waists to carry their firearms, along with various other tools. A headlight was mounted on the fronts of their vehicles while there was a spotlight that could independently swivel in any direction mounted on the back.
They turned on their spotlights and moved them slowly over their surroundings. Rayman let go of the bushes in front of him and got lower to the ground with his friends. Everyone was frozen in place, trying their best not to bring any attention to themselves. The lights passed over the ground and bushes in front of them several times before they were switched back off. The two rays on the trail then spoke to each other in a language that Ly, Murfy, nor Globox could understand, but Rayman could understand them perfectly.
“It's almost hard to believe that slave got this far out.”
“Yeah, but we found him. Now we just have to find the stone.”
“Are you sure this is the last place we could check?”
“There are still plenty of other places we have to look, but the general said that it could wait until tomorrow. We'll get some air support and they'll have a better look through all of the cover. Let's call it a night.”
“Roger that, but the general and the profit won't be too happy about this.” The motors grew louder again and blocked out anything they would have said after as they took off again down the trail, back towards Rayman's home. Were they all still waiting there in case they returned again? Even if so, Rayman had no reason to go back now. He could consider everything they left behind lost.
When the vehicles disappeared and their sounds could no longer be heard, Murfy flew back out of the shallow cave. Rayman, Ly, and Globox slowly climbed back out, slid down, and stood firmly on the trail once more. “I'm sorry, Rayman. I didn't want to say anything because I thought it must be scary for you; having an enemy with the same face,” Murfy apologized as he hovered above them.
Rayman feared more than just that. “Don't worry. I knew this would happen some day..,” he trailed. Ly brushed the dirt from her tail and wondered what exactly he meant by that. There was something going on here that Rayman never mentioned to them before. Perhaps it was better not to ask right this moment. By the tone of his voice, it seemed to something that deeply effected him. It was something very personal, whatever it was.
They still had quite a ways to go before they'd reach the portal beyond Moskito's Nest, and it most likely wasn't safe to take a rest now. Rayman and his friends continued down the path. Murfy continued to lead them along the trail, and Rayman followed just steps behind. Globox and Ly followed on either side of Rayman, stepping only slightly behind him. They reached the more swampy areas of the Dream Forest before the Twin Stars began to rise above the eastern horizon once more. The water level seems to have risen since the last time Rayman's been through here.
After entering the Lagoon, they didn't step too much further before encountering a familiar face. “Hello, Rayman! What bringzz you to this part of the forezzt?” A large limbless mosquito buzzed as he flew down between the trees and vines to greet them.
Rayman was happy to see Moskito once again. “We're heading back to the Fairy Council,” he explained. “We took a boat here before, but we're in a bit of a rush, and we need to reach the portal to the North.”
Moskito hovered in front of Rayman and his friends near some tree branches. He bright purple eyes blinked slowly. “Yezzz, I know what you mean,” he replied. “There hazzzz been many dizzzzturbanzzes here in the forrezzt.” Globox suddenly looked a little uneasy. Something was behind them.
“Globox? What's wrong?” Rayman asked as he turned to his shivering friend. Just as he asked, three soldiers, much like the two he caught a glimpse of last night, came into view out of the trees behind them.
“Suspects spotted.” The soldiers pulled out their weapons. Globox took off running, feeling deeper into the trees and swamps around the lagoon. Moskito, Murfy, Rayman, and Ly stepped more towards the water. The soldiers started firing.
“Hop on my back! I will take you through zee lagoon!” Moskito shouted as he positioned himself lower to the ground for them. Ly went on ahead and hopped onto his back. Rayman looked towards Murfy, unsure what he should do about Globox.
“Go on ahead. Myself and Globox will meet up with you later,” Murfy assured Rayman as he dodged a few bullets in the air. He then hastily zoomed off after Globox. Rayman quickly chose to attack before hopping on Moskito's back to halt the gunfire, even for a moment. He formed a small ball of electricity in his hands and threw it at the soldiers and hopped onto Moskito, sitting behind Ly. Moskito took off, leaving the soldiers behind. One of the soldiers was hit, but hardly injured – by Rayman's intentions.
Moskito dodged branches, sharp thorns, and spiked flowers as he sped across over the water. Both Ly and Rayman had a few near-misses past their faces as Moskito weaved in and out between obstacles. After a few tense but short minutes, they were across the lake.
The large, friendly insect stopped by the water's edge and lowered himself to the ground once more, allowing Rayman and Ly to step back off. Rayman looked back towards the water, wondering how Globox and Murfy were fairing now.
“They'll be alright,” Ly comforted, as if reading his mind, or at least reading his expression. Rayman slowly nodded and looked forward towards the jungle ahead of them. Another dirt path led through the trees and thick foliage.
“Thank you,” Rayman said to Moskito. The insect replied with a simple smile. Rayman took a few steps towards the path and jungle ahead of them and wondered what could be there waiting for them next. Maybe he should tell Ly why he was so hesitant to attack earlier, though she probably already knew.
Rayman opened his mouth to speak when, out of the near distance, a scream echoed from above in the trees. “LOOK OUT!” The branches rustled and leaves fell. “GET OUT OF THE WAY! WHOA!” Ly and Moskito moved to the side out of the way of the path. Rayman stood still, looking slightly stunned as he looked above. “WATCH-” Another ray flew out of the branches, clinging to a vine, and smacked hard into Rayman, knocking them both into the dirt. Ly immediately ran over to help the two up off the ground. The other ray stood up and brushed off his spotted hide clothing. Ly helped and pulled Rayman out of the dirt. “Hey, Rayman! Didn't expect to ever run into you! Figure of speech,” the other ray grinned.
Rayman stood up and looked up at his grinning face. “Tarayzan!” he shouted happily.
“I'm very sorry about that, but I heard their drums, and I thought they were hunting after me,” Tarayzan apologized. “I imagine you might be the one their hunting for, right? Trouble does tend to follow you.” He laughed nervously.
“It's not problem, really,” Rayman said as he scratched the back of his head. He had a slight headache from the sudden hit he took earlier. “We're headed just beyond Moskito's Nest. Do you what could possibly be the safest way there?”
“I just came back from Moskito's Nest. I don't know if there's such a thing as a safest way, but I can accompany you as a guide,” Tarayzan offered with a worrisome tone in his voice.
“I'll continue to follow you too. I'll be happy to drive these invaderzzz out,” Moskito replied. Rayman nodded and chuckled a little at Moskito's notion. This purple insect once called him an invader as well.
“Well, let's go. You lead the way,” Rayman said, gesturing to Tarayzan. He stepped on ahead, leading Rayman and the others onto the trail and deeper into the jungle. As Tarayzan mentioned before, the sounds of drums faded in from the distance as they continued down the trail. Other noises soon came into the mix: machinary, shouts, and trickling water.
“Off the trail!” Tarayzan commanded as he ran to his left and began to climb up a large tree. Ly jumped up, swinging from branch to branch and following Tarayzan. Rayman climbed up after, and Moskito flew up to Tarayzan's level. Tarayzan stopped on a large branch near the very top and sat down upon it. He pointed ahead to the scene in front of them. “There!”
Rayman, Moskito, and Ly looked out towards the pointed direction. A wood and stone fortress was built into the Nest. A dam cut across the landscape, only allowing once was once a river to flow through as a trickle and creating a new lake that possibly stretched out all the way into the swamps. Lines and lines of soldiers marched into the fortress to the beat of the drums, entering two large gates that led into a large fenced-off courtyard. Ly seemed to be the most disgusted over the cement, metal, and wood building wasteland. She was tied into nature, and she didn't forget the horrors the pirates brought to this world years before.
“How long has this been here?” Rayman asked.
“Years. The pirates created this at first, but they've adopted it as their own,” Tarayzan answered. Rayman nodded and wondered really for how long that the other rays inhabited this area. Most of all though, he wondered why no one told him about this, even when he first arrived. Was it because of the same fear that Murfy had?
“I could zzcope thingzz out for you,” Moskito offered, interrupting Rayman's thoughts. “It could make thingzz easier.”
“Good idea,” Rayman quickly agreed in a distant tone.
“Maybe we should rest here for the night. We'll fight tomorrow,” Tarayzan said. It was then that Rayman realized that he and Ly haven't slept for an entire day. They will need all their strength to get through this giant mess.
Ly closed her eyes and placed her hand on her forehead, trying to establish a mental link with either Globox or Murfy. “There's something wrong,” she stated. Rayman looked towards her, looking incredibly worried. Somehow, Ly managed to keep herself looking and sounding calm. “I'm trying to see where they are, but something is blocking me. Something very dark...” Rayman looked increasingly worried. “Murfy's usually pretty good at finding you, no matter where you are,” Ly mentioned quickly, trying to offer Rayman some comfort.
“Yeah...,” he voice trailed. “I do hope you're right...” He said he wasn't scared to even go after my friends.
Chapter 4: The Second Path
“Why did you have to go this way?!” Murfy complained as he dodged a tree branch that flew towards his face. Globox was wading through the forest. The ground was very muddy here, but parts seemed to be drying out. Murfy found it very odd how the lagoon's water levels seem to have risen while other parts of the forest were slowly dying off.
“I'm sorry, but I can't help it,” the frog frowned. His webbed foot sank into a deep patch of mud, but he quickly jerked it back out and shook the mud off.
“Well, if we're quick enough, we can still meet up with the others at Moskito's Nest!” Murfy flew a short distance ahead of Globox, flying backwards for a few moments and facing towards him. Globox was only getting more and more tired by the minute. It was almost dark again. Neither of them have slept for almost two nights now. The trees blocked out most of the light that was available to them, making it very difficult to see. Globox spotted a fallen tree trunk and slumped down onto it. “What are you doing?!”
“I need a break!” Globox whined as he lifted up his right foot and massaged it with both hands. “Why can't we just wait until morning?”
“We have to keep moving if we want to catch up with Ray,” Murfy explained, “but fine! I'll give you a few moments to rest for now.” He continued to hover in the air as Globox rested on the fallen tree. The gave him a chance to look around and study their surroundings a little more. A stream that used to run through this part of the forest couldn't be heard anymore. Some of the trees around them seemed to have fallen due to almost unnatural causes, but Murfy couldn't think of what. They weren't cut down, but rather just ripped out of the ground and left on the forest floor. There we still plenty of trees left standing, despite the ones that were torn down. It seemed to have been done on an even basis, like the fallen trees were left as markers or they purposely left some to keep the forest covered to an extent.
The mechanical sounds of rotors spinning through the air faded in from the distance once again. These were the same sounds they heard as they left the beach. The sound reached their loudest as whatever it was hovered above them. A spotlight switched on. The leaves shook as the wind picked up around them, as was Globox, who was shaking violently out of fear.
“Sit still!” Murfy hissed. “They're scanning for movement!” He quickly touched down on a branch and held tightly onto it. Globox attempted to not shake so much. Other than that, he was already frozen in place on the log out of terror. Murfy hoped that eventually, they'd just give up their search here and go about their business again. Their spotlight switched off after scanning over them several more times, and Murfy thought that his prayers have been answered. They flying machine moved over to another area behind them and stopped again. Should they run now while they had the chance, or would they see them if they did? Murfy held his breath. Globox was still shaking violently like a leaf in the wind.
Behind them, there was the sound of someone sliding down on a rope. The flying vehicle took off. Someone was stepping around behind them. Murfy squinted his eyes and tried to see who it was, scanning through the darkness. All he could see was a dark silhouette of someone. It was possibly another soldier.
“Run,” Murfy whispered. He took off like a shot off the branch, as did Globox from his tree trunk, who was now more afraid to sit still than to run and be seen. At first, Globox was running ahead of Murfy, but Murfy took off ahead of him, flying through the air as quickly as he could. There wasn't any time to even look back. Who knows what that soldier would do to them. Murfy could still hear Globox running behind him and crying out of fear.
Very suddenly, the sounds Globox made disappeared. Murfy continued to zoom on through the air. Was Globox even there anymore? He traveled some ways further before he could stop and look. He hovered in the air once more and looked behind him. He couldn't see any signs of Globox at all. Murfy had to fly back and look for him.
Some distance back, Murfy could see Globox again, but he had unwanted company with him this time. Standing behind him was a hooded and cloaked figure. He looked nothing like the soldiers they've seen before. At least, he wasn't dressed the same. Globox was laying face-down in the mud, struggling to get up.
Murfy flew over to aid Globox, attempting to pull him back out of the mud. The figure simply stood there behind them. When Globox was back up, they got ready to run again, but a voice echoed into their minds. “Tell your friend that I'm coming for him,” the voice said. It sounded cold, yet almost sad.
“What?” Murfy questioned, confused.
“Tell Rayman that I'm looking for him,” the cloaked figure repeated.
“Who are you!?”
The figure responded by stepping forward into the moonlight. He pulled his right black-gloved hand from inside his cloak and slowly pulled off his hood. His face shape was close to Rayman's than most other rays they've seen. He had long strawberry blond hair that hung down slightly over his face, slightly covering his bright red eyes. “Phoenixan is my name. Rayman will recognize me.”
Globox and Murfy were slightly stunned. Was this someone Rayman knew personally before at some point? What kind of relation did this ray have with him? At the mention of Rayman's name as the voice echoed within their minds, he stumbled over the word, like it was acid or a painful memory to him.
He reached into his cloak again and pulled out a small gun – the same ones used by the other soldiers. “Get out of here.” Phoenixan shot over their heads, narrowly missing Murfy. The shot was more intended to warn rather than kill, but it got the point across. Globox took off running again, and Murfy soon followed after taking one more quick glance back at Phoenixan, wondering who he really was. After they were gone, Phoenixan pulled his other hand from his cloak and put away his gun. He looked down at his left hand. It was red with silver fingers. Three short silver spikes stuck out from the back of his hand. Entirely, it was made of cold, hard metal.
He may be your brother, but he stands in your way now.
“He's not to me anymore,” Phoenixan replied to the voice that echoed through his mind. He spoke in the same language that the other soldiers used. “My roots have fed me nothing but poison.”
Chapter 5: Crossroads
Moskito led Rayman, Ly, and Tarayzan across the dam to the eastern face of the fortress. It was in the early morning; the twin stars haven't yet shown themselves, but their light stretched part way across the sky. A cement path continued along off the edge of the dam towards a side entrance. From what Moskito described, they had no choice but to go inside. There were miles of electric gates, fences, and security cameras cutting through the forest and blocking off the rest of the trail; however, all of it was controlled via a single tower in their main courtyard, where they saw all the soldiers entering last night.
Rayman approached the metal gates that led inside of the outer walls of the fortress. He carefully reached out and grabbed one of the metal bars, slowly pulling one of the gates open. He and his friends slowly stepped inside. They were standing in a smaller yard area with grass, a stone path, and steps leading up to a set of heavy wood and metal doors. Rayman walked up to the doors.
A small alarm sounded. Everyone immediately froze. The small automated turrets folded out from the walls behind them. Rayman quickly swung the doors open.
“Run in!” he yelled. Ly, Tarayzan, and Moskito followed him in. The doors slammed shut behind them and locked themselves. Bullets sprayed and hit the outside walls and the other side of the doors. After a few moments, the turrets stopped firing, but the four friends were still locked inside. “No choice but to keep going through now.”
Tarayzan looked to their left and right. They were in the middle of a long hallway. Colorful rugs were laid out on the solid wood floor, and paintings and lights hung from the walls. This place must have been a second home to the soldiers stationed here, but where were all the soldiers? The fortress looked to be completely empty from this point of view. “Which way do we go?” he asked.
“Hmmm,” Rayman thought. “This way!” He took off running to their right.
“How does he know?” Tarayzan wondered aloud.
“He probably doesn't,” Ly chuckled. Everyone then followed closely behind him. Together, they followed through the twists and turns through the corridors of the fortress. Many of the doors on either side of them were locked, giving them a single path to follow to the other side of the fortress.
Rayman was already thinking it must be a trap, but what other choices did they have? It was either this or getting caught up in their electrified fencing.
Finally, the path of hallways led them to the other side of the fortress' interior. They were met by another set of heavy double doors, much like the ones they entered through. Rayman slowly pushed them open, and he and his friends were now standing in front of a large room with benches and lockers on either side. In the center was a pedestal with a bronze statue of a figure that was all to familiar to Rayman and Globox: the Leptys. On a plaque on the front of the pedestal was engraved, “The Messenger of War,” in a foreign language with swirling and twisting symbols.
Rayman, Ly, Moskito, and Tarazyan stopped by the second set of doors on the other end of the room. The courtyard or training field was just on the other side. They opened the doors. Before them were the towers Moskito mentioned. They stood on either side of the main gates. On the left tower, a wire was strung from its peak to the other control and security centers of the fortress.
“Stay here,” Rayman told his friends. He stepped outside into the dirt and mud of the courtyard and ran towards the left tower. Ly, Moskito, and Tarayzan stood behind with the doors only partially open, using them for cover as they peered outside. After he disappeared into the tower, the voices of their two lost friends screamed out from behind.
“Get out of here! It's a trap!” Murfy and Globox exclaimed as they burst through the doors and into the room where Ly, Tarayzan, and Moskito were waiting. Footsteps of soldiers began to echo through the hallways inside the fortress. The large gates between the towers of the fortress opened and more soldiers started to flood in. Three split off from the main group and entered the left tower.
Ly concentrated her thoughts towards Rayman's mind. “They're coming up for you!”
Rayman had just found the controls and switched off their security systems when Ly's voice entered his head. He could hear three sets of foot steps marching up the metal spiral staircase that wrapped around and led up through the tower. He turned around and was met by the cold stare of one of the three soldiers.
“Hold it there, traitor,” the soldier ordered as he pointed his gun at Rayman.
“I don't want to hurt anyone. I'm sorry,” Rayman replied, speaking back in their own language. He then quickly and suddenly kicked the gun from the soldier's hand and punched him in the stomach. The soldier fell down the steps. A shot from one of the soldiers below flew up and ricocheted off of the wall. Rayman jumped down some of the steps and torqued the gun out of the next soldier's hand, who was caught off-guard by the soldier that got pushed down the steps. Rayman pushed the remaining third soldier aside and fired a warning shot into the wall before making his exit and throwing it into the dirt. He hated using firearms.
When he stepped outside, Ly, Tarayzan, Moskito, Globox, and Murfy were all waiting for him by the side of the right wall. Rayman smiled briefly; he was glad that Globox and Murfy made it safely here afterall. Paying attention to the matters at hand, could he even get all of them out of here safely? At the moment, they were trapped.
The soldiers were all lined up against the right wall, waiting. Waiting for what? It didn't look good. It seemed they were prepared to kill them all execution style. Rayman went ahead and ran across to meet up with his friends. The soldiers still didn't respond.
He made it through half-way across the dirt and mud field when his friends' faces turned to shock and disbelief as they looked behind him. Globox and Murfy looked even more afraid. Who was there? Rayman whirled around, throwing his fist to strike, when suddenly, his hand was stopped in a glove of cold, hard metal. His eyes met up with two cold, staring, bright red ones. It was Phoenixan again, back from the swampy areas of the Dream Forest.
“Hello, miss me?” he said. Now, Rayman was just has surprised and shocked as his friends were. The cloaked figure pushed Rayman back into the dirt, and he fell onto his back.
“I'm s-sorry, I didn't want for-” he began to apologize, stuttering. This was the first time Globox, Ly, or Murfy have seen him so afraid.
“I bet you meant to back then,” he said. Phoenixan sounded more sad than angry. He was also poised to strike, but he was also incredibly hesitant to.
Amongst the painful moments of waiting, seeing what the soldiers and Phoenixan had prepared for them, Tarayzan glanced up above them, looking at the top of the high cement and steel walls that surrounded them. Long vines hung down from the tops of the trees on the other side of the wall.
“Moskito, do you think-” Tarayzan started.
“Already ahead of you!” Moskito buzzed, glad to help them in any way he could. He flew up and over the wall to get a hold of one of the vines so the others could climb up out of the courtyard. All of the soldiers must have realized what the were doing.
“FIRE!” a distant voiced commanded in their language. The soldiers prepared their guns and aimed. Moskito swung the vine over the wall. The soldiers started firing. Globox and Murfy were the first ones to escape.
Dodging bullets, Ly made leaps and bounds over to Rayman and pulled him up out of the dirt. The cloaked ray lets his hands relax at his sides and simply watched. Ly dragged Rayman some distance before he started to run at her pace. Rayman started to make his climb when he made it back to the wall.
The bullets still flew in their direction, but only from the soldiers at the sides, since they wanted to avoid hitting Phoenixan. The soldiers in the middle simply waited for Phoenixan to return back to them, but he didn't. He continued to stand there and watched as they made it over the wall.
Tarayzan was about to head up next when a bullet tore through his foot. He screamed out in pain and fell to the ground, leaning against the wall.
“Go ahead! I'll take care of zzzzim,” Moskito told Rayman. Rayman reluctantly nodded, finished his climb, and made it over the wall. Ly decided to take matters into her own hands this time since she still had yet to make her climb. She picked up and held Tarayzan with one arm and slowly carried him up over the wall. Moskito followed afterwards, flying over again, and taking the vine back over to the other side. They all made it out alive.
Chapter 6: Separation
Tarayzan used a make-shift crutch to walk around as he and the others made their way along the trail beyond the nest. Rayman walked slightly behind this time. He seemed to be upset and worried.
“Who is Phoenixan?” Globox suddenly, but quietly, asked. He was worried about Rayman. He's never seen him so scared for all the years he's known him.
“You see, he is my brother..,” Rayman trailed.
“You never did mention any part of your family before,” Ly replied. Globox was stunned just by the fact that someone of his own flesh and blood would want him dead. Though, Phoenixan did seem to be hesitative. Did he have some measure of disbelief in what he was doing himself? Did Rayman's brother second-guess his actions? “What happened between you two? That is, if you feel safe to talk about it.”
“Several things over the years really, but when I first left my brother behind...”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
It's been only a few years since Phoenixan, Alucian, and their group of mercenaries have stormed the palace in the center of Rintu and drove Mr. Dark into exile. Since then, they had a government with thirteen elected representatives and a single leader that the thirteen would nominate. It was a system that referenced back to the days nearly a thousand years ago when the desert was inhabited by thirteen warring tribes, that one day, decided to join together and form the country they had today.
Mr. Dark has taken refuge in another palace east of the Blue Mountains, on a continent to the west of their own. News came that stated he was planning some kind of retaliation. Rintu's people, with fear of falling under control over the wizard once more, called for action against him, to prevent his retaking of the nation.
Alucian, as their nation's new elected leader, recommended the use of a new experimental weapons technology: a rocket with a small, but lethal, amount of explosives. Harnessing a form of energy they have only begun to understand, they would destroy Mr. Dark's palace and everything in the surrounding area. However, the weapon would have to be deployed in secret, as the Fairy Council condemned such technology. Now days, they attempted to act as a sort of catalyst between all nations to prevent wars from even beginning. They didn't appear to have a standing army, but somehow, they did manage to live up to all their promises. In the Fairy Council's eyes, it was already bad enough that they started the revolt in the first place.
A control center and underground silo were built in the forest just east of the nation's borders, between themselves and the swamplands. From there, the weapon would be launched, and if all things went well, the entire complex would be destroyed thereafter.
Phoenixan and Rayman stood by, inside the main control room. Three large computer screens were mounted on the wall, displaying the time left before the complex was to be destroyed, the status of the weapon, and the coordinates of the target. Each brother carried a key. In order for the weapon to launch, both had to be inserted and activated at the console within seconds of each other. It was a safety feature added in the instance that the Swamplands found out about their plans and decided to target the weapon against Rintu itself.
“Ready?” Phoenixan questioned. Their keys were placed in the console, ready to be turned at the precise moment.
“I think so,” Rayman answered with traces of uncertainty in his voice.
“3... 2... 1... now.” Phoenixan turned his key in the console as he glanced over at Rayman. Rayman wasn't using his key. “What's wrong?”
“I'm not sure this is right...” He pulled his key from the console.
“Then give the key to me, and I'll have Alucian cancel the self destruction sequence, and we'll carry out the operation ourselves.” Alucian was waiting for them in a vehicle somewhere else in the forest. Phoenixan knew exactly what Alucian was going to say to him. He'd say that he was right after all, and that Rayman can't be trusted with their plans. Phoenixan argued on Rayman's behalf before they came here, and now, here Rayman was, partly responsible for the weapon's success.
“I-I can't,” Rayman replied. “We are killing more than just Mr. Dark! Don't you even realize what you are doing?”
“I do. I am protecting our people.”
“But in exchange for many innocent ones!” Rayman argued. Phoenixan's only saying this because Alucian told him it was right.
Phoenixan smiled and repeated a phrase that Rayman heard from him many times before. It was a phrase that echoed through Phoenixan's own mind over and over. “If there is one thing that I've learned from life, it's that sacrifices are necessary for a greater cause.”
Why was it so important to sacrifice so many just for one man? Rayman clinched the key tighter in his fist. “Not so much for this one.”
Phoenixan pulled a small firearm from his black coat and replied, “I don't want to do this, but if necessary, you're going to be a sacrifice too.”
Rayman threw his key to the floor. He no longer looked frightened, but instead very angry. Really, his feelings were mixed between the two. Phoenixan slowly kneeled down to pick up the key. Rayman kicked the gun from his brother's hand. The pistol and the key flew from Phoenixan's grasp. Rayman happened to glance over at the timer that marked the building's destruction. There was less than a minute left now. He picked up the gun and pointed it down at Phoenixan, who was still on the floor, only sitting up against the wall.
“You can't shoot me. You're a coward,” Phoenixan stated simply as he looked up at Rayman.
“I'm going to show you... I'm not..,” Rayman replied. His voice was quivering slightly, as were his hands.
“Those people over there might not even be worth saving either,” Phoenixan said suddenly, speaking through his mind. “All they do is cause pain and hardship; none of it, you'll understand!”
Rayman suddenly couldn't breath. He felt a hand of darkness around him, choking the life out of him. Phoenixan's eyes turned from red to black. Rayman was going blind as he was engulfed in darkness. He had to stop this madness! He had to get out of here and prove to his brother that just maybe, those people were worth saving. He squeezed the trigger on the pistol to break out of the veil of shadow.
BANG! He heard a scream from his brother. The darkness lifted. As his vision returned, he witnessed Phoenixan holding something bloody. It was what remained of his left hand. Rayman was horrified at the sight.
How much time did he have now? Rayman couldn't read the screen. His eyes filled with tears. He had to run. He had to get out of there. The gun tumbled from his hand and he ran towards the doorway.
“Coward! Traitor!” Phoenixan screamed at Rayman as he left. “I'll come for you... and all of those you're trying so desperately the save..!”
Rayman possibly had only a few seconds now. He was in the stairway. There wasn't any time to head for the door now. He kicked the window, breaking the glass with his foot and leaped out. A few shards stuck through his shoe and cut his foot. He had to block out the pain and the tears. There wasn't any time to stop. Rayman ran for the trees.
A hot wind from behind knocked Rayman over, flat on his face, which was followed by a deafening explosion. Pieces of concrete and other debris fell to the ground around him. A few chunks narrowly missed his head. After a few moments, and the debris stopped falling, he rolled over onto his back. The building was destroyed. The weapon was never launched.
Rayman cried, “I killed him. I killed my brother.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A tower appeared. Its peak rose just above the highest trees. The tower was a large, ancient, gray stone building with a red peak and red wood doors. Faint swirling patterns sprawled across the stone exterior walls.
Ly approached the front door and knocked upon it. Rayman, Globox, Murfy, Moskito, and Tarayzan were all just behind her. A small slit in the door about half-way between eye level and the ground opened first, but it was quickly closed. Sounds of moving furniture against the floor followed behind the door, and then the slit closer to Ly's height opened.
A teensie's face appeared and welcomed them, “Hello, friends!” The face then suddenly disappeared again as the stool he stood upon tipped over and he fell to the floor. He was apparently still alright, as the door unlocked a few more seconds afterwards, opened, and the six friends were allowed inside. “Come in!”
“We're here to make it through to the Fairy Council,” Ly explained as she smiled towards the teensie.
“Yes, I thought you would,” the teensie replied mysteriously. “Would you like some tea or a snack before you go?”
“No, thank you,” Ly chuckled. Rayman still looked to be upset. Globox thought back against to the chapter in Rayman's life when he left his brother. How did Phoenixan manage to survive that? However he did it, Rayman must at least be glad that he's alive. Rayman must have been working all his life to also counter those words spoken to him. He really wasn't the coward Phoenixan claimed him to be. Really, he was the bravest person Globox knew.
“Well, I hope you don't mind that I help myself to one!” the teensie's voice echoed from the kitchen. The tower seemed to be built more for people of Ly's stature, but the teensie seemed to have everything set up very nicely fro himself. Stools to help him reach different heights were stacked up against the walls. A smaller chair, surrounded by larger ones, was positioned in front of the fireplace.
The teensie stepped back out into the front room with his sky blue face stuffed full of chocolate cake. “I imagine that you are in a hurry to leave the forest, so I'll show you upstairs without further delay,” he announced, juggling his words through the food he chewed. He blinked his shiny black eyes, turned around, and stepped up into the stairway entrance, which was next to the kitchen's. The teensie waved his hand, beaconing for the six friends to follow.
They followed him up the winding stone steps, which wrapped around the outside of the circular tower. The teensie's green, purple, and red robes dragged along the steps as he walked. It was almost surprising that he didn't trip on the stairs as well as the footstool.
After a few moments, they all reached the top floor of the tower. It was a single large open room with a sloping red and gold painted ceiling that all led upwards to a single point. Different colored bricks and stones ran around in circular patterns, outlining a pool in the center of the room. The water was perfectly clean and clear, though it seemed to give off a magical aqua aura.
The teensie stepped up to the edge of the pool and faced the others with him. “I think you know what to do, Rayman.” Rayman was slightly confused at first from being caught up in all the recent happenings, but he soon recalled the actions that needed to be taken for opening portals.
“Oh, right!” he recalled. Rayman stepped forward apart from his friends and towards the teensie. They then placed their hands on their waists and danced around in circles. After dancing around the third time over, there was a bright white flash in the center of the pool. The portal was open. The teensie stepped aside, and Rayman, Ly, Globox, and Murfy approached the pool. Now, instead of reflecting the ceiling, the backdrop of what looked to be a starry purple and blue sky shown in the water. Rayman gripped the marble edging of the pool and looked back towards Tarayzan and Moskito. “Are you coming with us?”
“My place is here, Rayman,” Tarayzan answered. “I will find you again soon.” Moskito nodded in agreement as he hovered in the air beside him.
Rayman simply smiled for a brief moment and then leaped into the pool. Immediately, he was completely surrounded by moving stars and a multicolored sky. There was nothing but sky around him, and he was flying through it to far away destinations faster than the wind could even blow. Within seconds, the sky disappeared as quickly as it came in a flash of prismatic light.
I reached the post character limit, so continuing the chapters in this post.
Good job. 83