The Curse of Maraqua: On Land - Part Two

Theresa had had a good rest when she and everyone else woke up to take a ferry to Mystery Island. Seffine had hired a blue Draik. His name, she had said that he had told her, was Sephardo.

     Theresa had a weird feeling when she stepped on the boat. She could see something bulging out of Sephardo's coat pocket. She could hear something leaking in the boat, too.

     Sephardo's mind was racing. His clear green eyes were floating away, absorbed by a different-looking pair. He could hear his master's voice yelling in his head.

     "Well, what are you waiting for? KILL THEM! THE LESS TIME IT TAKES, THE MORE YOU ARE PAID. KILL THEM!" the Mask yelled.

     Sephardo nodded absentmindedly, and felt his dagger. Theresa, unbeknownst to him, had realized it was a dagger, and she could smell that it was poisoned.

     Theresa gave Tamison one of her be-careful looks. He nodded, showing he understood.

     Theresa galloped over to Sephardo. He drew his dagger, and threw it with surprising accuracy. It thudded on the side of the boat, a hairsbreadth from Theresa's back.

     She retaliated quickly, and smashed her hooves into his face. He gave a howl of pain, and clutched his face. Tamison then pushed him overboard.

     Seffine went down under the deck and detected a cork-sized hole that was filling up the boat slowly.

     "We've got a hole down here!" she yelled loudly, and hurried back up.

     "We have got to get out of her!" exclaimed Tamison. Mirovin looked at Theresa.

     "You and I can fly. We can carry everyone else on our backs. I'll take Ciarra and Tamison. You take Seffine and Sadie," he said gravely.

     Theresa wasted no time getting everyone loaded and ready. She took of into the air, Mirovin following in her wake.

     She hovered for a moment, watching the boat tip over and sink, forever buried under the ocean's depths. She flew on, heading towards Mystery Island, hoping that a shred of fate would lead her to the Mask. He was hers, only hers, and she was going to kill him for revenge.

     *

     Sephardo coughed angrily, and rested his body upon a rock in the middle of the ocean. It seemed to be a safe place, at least, for him it was. If only he had not seen the Maraquan Grarrl under him…or he would still have been alive, but alas…he is gone now.

     *

      The Mask was pacing around in his small room after seeing Sephardo being killed. His mask showed no emotion whatsoever, but underneath he was completely confused.

     "Guards, escort me to the dungeon," he snapped. They held their spear-points up, and saluted him.

     The dungeon was where everyone was-until they had been fully brainwashed by his all-seeing orb. It was the one that showed him whatever he wanted to see.

     There was one problem down in the dungeon-a rebellious shadow Uni by the name of Mordacar. He was Theresa's snatched brother.

     For years he had tried to turn him into one of his minions, but he failed ten-to-nothing. Something was possessed by Mordacar that he did not have-something that made him more powerful than him. Something-that would be fatal for the Mask, one day.

     He heard his intercom beep.

     "Master, there are intruders coming," it said.

     The Mask wasted no time. If they found the building, that would be it. He ran out of his building. Reader, he ran.

     *

     Theresa paused for a moment on Mystery Island, sniffing the air. She was trying to find something that she didn't have.

     Seffine sniffed the air too. She could smell something that smelled like blood, but watery and slipping away from her sense all the time. She was thinking it was the Mask, and indeed, reader, it was.

     "I think I found him!" she exclaimed. Mirovin took off into the air, and saw a cloaked figure running away from them. It looked like the Mask.

     Zooming towards him at a great speed he scraped the Mask, but nothing more. He also saw a building, concealed in thorns and bushes. Curiosity got the better of him, so he went in.

     Seffine, Sadie, and Theresa went in with him. Ciarra stayed outside, watching.

     Inside, the four of them tackled guards and set free all of the prisoners. Theresa was in tears when she saw Mordacar, for he had finally returned.

     After destroying everything, they finally came to the orb's room. There it was, glittering and glowing brightly, emanated bright light.

     Theresa did what she had to. She reared up, and brought her hooves down. Glass shattered, and so did the evil magic.

     Everyone brainwashed came back to normal again (including the guards, they just were knocked out). But still, the Mask hadn't been caught. Theresa and Mordacar slipped away, but they soon were missed. Every followed them after the Mask, their enslaver.

     The Mask was getting closer into Theresa's view. She could see he was slowing down, and she speeded up her pace, running like she had never done in her life. Mordacar matched her speed, too.

     The Mask slowed down, and whirled to face them. He had a sword in had, a dagger in the other.

     Mordacar saw fear etched on his face; even under the mask he could see he was scared. Theresa glared at him.

     The Mask ran at Mordacar, slashing at Theresa as he went by. She smashed her hooves into his stomach, and he screamed in pain.

     Mordacar was slashed in the shoulder by his sword, but not very deep. He charged at the Mask, and threw him against a tree.

      But he wasn't going without a fight. Brandishing his sword, he charged at Theresa, and hit her back. She staggered, but managed to smash his mask to pieces.

     Under the mask was a face that was scarred and hardened. It was impossible to tell what he was. He just was unknown at the time.

     The Mask yelled and slashed madly at Theresa again. This time, she tripped him up and placed her hoof on his stomach. Mordacar relieved him of his dagger.

     "Tell us what you did to our family, Mask. It will be better knowing what happened to them," Theresa said, glaring at him angrily. The Mask let out a strangled sob, and closed his eyes.

     "First, I invaded your home with my brainwashed minions. Your parent fought well, but I killed them with my sword. One of my minions found you, although you were unconscious at the time, and he sunk you into the ocean. How you became Maraquan, I don't know. But I heard from an old woman that you had been found before you died, and they made you Maraquan." The Mask finished his tale with another sob, or it might have been something different.

     Theresa took her hoof off of him. She looked away sadly. "That is all I need to know," she said. The Mask made his move. He took his sword that had been lying on the ground, and stabbed at Theresa. She dodged his attack, and then, out of pure instinct, smashed his face with her horn. And that, reader, was the end of the Mask, forever.

     Theresa shrugged slightly. She looked down at the Mask pityingly.

     "You killed many people-but you're not going on another raid, ever," she whispered. And with that, she and Mirovin carried him over to the seaside and flung him in to the ocean.

     "Good-bye and good riddance," snarled Sadie, turning away.

     Theresa looked into the water of the ocean, and a tear welled up in her left eye. It dropped in the sand, a crystal-like tear, and made a small wet splotch in the sand. Mordacar stood by her side, looking up at the sky. For many years he had not seen the sky, imprisoned by the Mask. But now, he could rejoice, for his life had been pieced together again, the sadness lost in the depths of the ocean.

     He, nor Theresa, did not know, that, deep under the ocean, the orb's stand, which they had flung into the ocean, still held Nereid's jewel, which glistened and glittered. But even more…Isca was still waiting-hoping; reader-Theresa would come back one day. And she would, reader, keep her promise to Isca, but not now, not now.

     Ciarra came out to the beach and looked Mordacar and Theresa. They looked so beautiful, their black and green coats against the setting sun and their horns glistening with magic. But the real magic was in the air, all around them, the magic of defeating an evil that may have destroyed the earth. But they had to return home, or Minnie would miss them.

     Sadie, Ciarra, and Mirovin along with Theresa and Mordacar began to leave. Seffine just stood there, transfixed.

     Seffine shrugged, and looked around her once more before heading after Sadie. She did not notice Isca sitting on a rock far out in the sea, nor did she see her silently slip back into the ocean, but, reader, I find some things are better left unseen.

  The End