The Compass Key (Book 5) (30 page)

“This fight isn’t in our favor,”
he whispers, shaking off the remains of his shield and sidestepping another jab of the needle. He roars and strikes the mechanical arm, bending it at an odd angle. “Where is your ghost friend?”

“Lurking in the other room or the walls
. Focus on that thing. I’ll keep the cockatrice busy if it comes back.”

The Magic Hunter leaps at Delvin, but it is immediately brought to the ground by Timoran’s great axe. It struggles to get up with the axe embedded in its
spine, its wings humming in its dented back. The wings shatter its domed carapace and lift it to the ceiling where it unleashes a barrage of fire. Timoran expertly knocks the attacks out of the way, drawing its attention away from his friends.

“I will handle this,” the barbarian announces.

“Keep it busy and I’ll wait for an opening,” Delvin says, sneaking off to the edge of the room. He tosses his longsword from hand to hand, his eyes never leaving the Magic Hunter. “It’s nothing more than a fake beast. It can’t outthink us, so we have to be patient. Just like a Weapon Dragon, it’s all instinct and very little adaptation.”

Timoran grins and jumps away from a blast of fire. “Then this should be easy.”

A screech startles everyone as the cockatrice charges at Nyx from behind. She spins and hurls her magic fire, but the Magic Hunter absorbs the spell with its mechanical arm. The construct surges with power and is about to emit an energy blast from its chest when Timoran leaps at it. He hooks his axe on one of its legs and yanks it to the ground, the blast ripping through the ceiling. Sunlight rains down on the construct as it stiffly gets back to its feet and moves away from the barbarian.

“It seems t
o be learning,” Delvin says, darting at the Magic Hunter and jumping back when a blade slashes from its waist. “How many weapons does this damned thing have? I have no problem with gnomes and their technology, but the inventor that made this needs to learn about restraint.”

“There is always a weak point,” Timoran insists, eyeing the Magic Hunter
. A strangled cry distracts him long enough for the machine to burst forward. It rams into the barbarian, the horn grazing his side. Timoran is sent slamming into the wall and collapses to the ground, the wind knocked out of his lungs.

Delvin charges at the Magic Hunter, but is knocked across the room by the whip-like tails of the cockatrice. His vision foggy,
the warrior looks up to see Nyx trapped in front of the cockatrice ghost. Her arms and legs have already been turned to stone as she stares into the glowing eyes of the monster. The stone creeps along her shoulders and makes its way for her chest where it seeks to stop her heart.

“Get away from her!”

He rushes at the cockatrice as the Magic Hunter charges him. It is nearly upon him when Timoran tackles it from behind, his roaring echoing throughout the building. The barbarian tears the construct in half, allowing Delvin to get between Nyx and the cockatrice. He gazes into the spectral eyes and his body begins to turn to stone. He manages enough resistance to allow him to slowly move, but his sword passes harmlessly through the ghost. Behind him, he can hear Nyx’s breathing relax and the sound of receding stone.

“Get the
Compass Key,” Delvin gasps as the stone continues to grow. “I can keep this thing occupied and you can come back to restore me.”

“A cockatrice destroys a statue after making it and eats the soft inner stone,”
she says, her voice hoarse and panicked. “This thing will still do that even though it doesn’t eat, so we need to destroy it now. I’m tired of this place anyway.”

Nyx turns to the double doors and senses the faint energy of the
Compass Key behind them. She reaches out toward the ghostly cockatrice with one hand and the double doors with the other. Concentrating on the monster’s aura, she passes it through her body and sends it to charge the Compass Key. The cockatrice unravels, causing Delvin to breathe a sigh of relief as the stone curse fades away. After a quiet minute, a delicate tinkling sound emanates from behind the double doors. The doors are violently blown from their hinges as a small object blasts through it and lands in Nyx’s hand.

“
That’s why priests are wrong about all undead having no aura. Ghosts are nothing but aura,” she whispers. She delicately turns the Compass Key over in her hand, gently stroking the large, alabaster central pearl. Her fingers move to the six various gems around the pearl, which include a sapphire, an emerald, a ruby, a piece of amber, a diamond, and an obsidian orb. “This trinket is the key to rescuing Sari, so let’s move.”

*****

“Thank the gods we made it!” Sari exclaims as the circle of ice leaps and skids onto solid ground. She turns around to watch a ravenous darkness engulf the ocean. “I thought we weren’t going to make it out of there, Nyxie. It was such a long and monotonous journey, but we made it here. Nyxie? Hello?”

Sari turns to where her best friend had been standing as they landed, but Nyx is nowhere to be seen. With a shrug and shake of her head,
the gypsy trudges forward through a landscape of blue-tinted dunes. Glowing orbs dart through the air, nimbly avoiding touching the gypsy even if she reaches out to touch them. Frowning in frustration, she whispers a spell to snare one of the strange spheres. Her concentration is shattered by burst of blue light that erupts a few feet in front of her.

“You should not touch your memories,” states a womanly voice.

Through blurry vision, Sari sees a slender figure with blue skin and small bubbles rolling around her body. The approaching woman has long, blue hair that constantly shifts like the ocean tides. Eyes of pure white gaze at Sari with a warmth that reminds the gypsy of the way her mother used to look at her. Silently, the naked stranger gestures for the blue-haired woman to follow her through the serene landscape.

“What happens if I touch them?”

“They would pop and you would lose them,” the woman answers. She turns and walks away, her webbed feet leaving a faint trail. “Please follow me.”

Sari takes a final look at
the orb she tried to touch and sees her father’s face pass over the glossy surface. For a second, she is sick to her stomach, having realized she nearly erased the memory of her father. Keeping an eye out for more orbs, Sari hurries to catch up to the blue woman.

“You have been very difficult, young lady,” the woman says in a soft voice. She giggles and the sound of rushing waves briefly surrounds them. “I am still not sure what went wrong with you. I sent your fears and you faced them, but something remains damaged. It blocks you from your true self. You will need that true self to succeed in the future for you are the first of the champions to ascend. With your awakening and the rise of your temple, the true prophecy will begin to unfold.”

“Who are you?” Sari asks, touching the woman’s arm. Her hand sinks into the liquid-like flesh and she draws it back in disgust. “What are you?”

The woman strokes Sari’s cheek, leaving a faint trail of water.
“I am the essence of the naiad your ancestor married. You may call me Metis. You should forget how many greats come before grandmother when considering our relation. Now, it is time for you to understand your nature and prepare for your awakening.”

“I’ve already been told that I’m part naiad
.” She stops when Metis whirls around to face her, a fierce look in her white eyes. “I’m sorry, but I know what my nature is. I can control water and ice without casting magic. I figured that out months ago. I think it was months ago. Time is funny here.”

“You understand ver
y little, child,” Metis retorts, reaching out to Sari and closing her hand into a fist. The gypsy immediately falls to her knees and gasps in pain. “It feels like someone is trying to crush your body from the inside. This power is beyond a mixed fae, but you get the idea.”

“How can you do this to me?”

“Foolish child, water is the core of life. It is needed for travel, nourishment, and simple survival. All bodies have the essence of water, including those that are made of stone. Water lives within the cracks because nothing can permanently stop it from moving forward. Even a dam can be undone with enough time and force. This is the power that Gabriel has given our bloodline.”

Sari struggles with her own powers to lessen the pressure inside her body, but she is unable to do anything other than sweat faster. She gives up and whimpers, causing Metis to sigh and release her hold on the gypsy. Sari stays on her knees and refuses to look up at the naiad, who gazes at her with an expressionless face.

“You should know that you are the special one, child. My power was stored within your lineage instead of left open for them to use and waste. It grew in potency with every generation until Gabriel had one of his greatest weapons ready. That would be you since I sense that you’re a little slow. You are as destined as the others, but with a far more ancient pedigree. Now, let me show you to your place of rest.”

Sari staggers to her feet and obediently follows Metis, her eyes paying more attention to her feet than the path ahead. They walk in silence for an hour before they reach a circle of ice spires.
A coffin of water floats in the middle of the circle, its sides gently swirling in a perpetual eddy. The woman holds Sari’s hand and keeps her at the edge of the circle. In the wave-like language of the naiads, Metis whispers and sends a chill through Sari’s body. Ice forms on the gypsy’s skin until she wills it to recede back into her pores.

“Here is where you will sleep until your friends open the path,”
the naiad whispers, stopping Sari from taking a step forward. “Do not enter your chamber without preparation. You must be clear of mind and have come to terms with everything you have seen here. It will be a test of your will. If you fail then you will awaken as a broken being.”

“Then I promise not to fail
. Is there anything you can tell me about my powers?”

Metis yawns as her skin turns a darker blue and her hair grows streaks of white.
“It is difficult to give you details. I have little time before you absorb me completely. I believe you will be able to create your own ice and manipulate it, but you cannot do the same with water. To manipulate water, you will need it to exist in its natural state and agree to work with you. Water can be fickle, so it might not always walk. Remain calm and it will take you within its flow. Good luck.”

“Thank you, Metis
.”

“Y
ou are wel . . . who are you!?”

Sari whirls around with daggers in her hands to see a young woman walking toward them. The
stranger is glancing around the area as if she is lost, her hands in the pockets of her brown breeches. Her short-sleeved tunic is covered in enough dirt to mask its original color. The dark clothing stands out in contrast to her ivory skin and shoulder-length silver hair. Sari takes a step away when she sees the eerie yellow glow of the woman’s eyes. Metis claps her hands and the apparitions of Kira, Kayn, Luke, and Nyx appear around the mysterious woman, finally making her stop.

“You are not welcome here, mind walker!”
the naiad declares, her voice booming throughout the area. “Depart from here or be destroyed!”

The woman cocks her head to the side and stares at the apparitions as if they are flies buzzing around her head. She balls her fists and bends slightly at the knees, her eyes scanning her enemies. Before any of them can move, the woman flips into the air and gracefully lands behind Nyx. She strikes the half-elf in the back, blood suddenly erupting from Nyx’s mouth as she drops dead. The others charge forward, but Kira is taken down by a skull-crushing kick to
her head. With lightning reflexes, the woman darts into the flurry of swords and dodges every slash and jab. She grabs Kayn’s sword arm by the wrist and twists it until the bones shatter. She impales him on his own sword and tosses the body to the side. The woman takes a deep, cleansing breath while Luke cautiously circles her. He lunges at her, only for the woman to leap into the air and grab him by the head. The sickening snap of his neck echoes throughout the area as the dead apparition falls at the woman’s feet.

“I will fight you,” Metis swears as her hair turns entirely white.

“What is this place?” the woman asks in a distant voice.

“You’re in my mind,” Sari answers before
the aging naiad can say anything. “Please leave me alone.”

“I see,” the woman says while she
glances at the defeated apparitions. “Are you a champion, little girl?”

The gypsy
hesitates until she sees the woman flash a knowing smirk. “You already know that I am. Don’t try to trick a trickster.”

“A cunning one,” the woman
says to herself. She wipes her hands on her pants and turns to walk away. “I will be waiting for you and the others. Please don’t make me wait any longer than I have to.”

The
stranger waves back to Sari before she shimmers and vanishes like a mirage. The apparitions quiver and rise to their feet as something stitches them back together. They stare at each other in confusion before Metis snaps her fingers and they disappear.

“It is time to go to sleep, Sari,” she weakly insists. Taking
the gypsy by the arm, she escorts her to the coffin. “Focus your energies and you will awaken a true champion. Take care of yourself and never give up fighting.”