The Curse of Maraqua: Memories - Part Three

The faeries had come, and Toran was relieved. He, Alena, and Rose fought with a new strength, knowing that they were going to win. Charging through the ranks of guards, they smashed open the Citadel's door.

     Inside, Toran came upon many cringing, fearful servants. They carefully avoided Toran, Alena and Rose.

     Rose let out a cry of anguish when she came upon Devin. His eyelids were flickering, valiantly trying to keep awake.

     "Rose? Is that you? I knew you'd come and free me someday…listen here. My time is short, and I must give you this information. Varson has gone to his inner chambers, laden with traps only he knows of. I cannot tell you more…good-bye…" Devin said. His head sank back into Rose's arms, and his eyes closed for the last time.

     "Good-bye," Rose echoed, tears streaming down her face.

     "Varson is mine," she hissed.

     "No, he is mine. He was my long-time enemy, you know," Toran countered.

     "I have a right to his death. He has murdered, and that is enough for me," Alena said, in her quietly dangerous voice.

     The three rushed through the Citadel, hoping to find Varson's inner chambers as the faeries fought outside. They met a servant along the way, a thin Lupe.

     "Where's Varson's inner chambers?" inquired Toran quickly. The Lupe wordlessly pointed to a tapestry of Darigan. Behind it Alena found a steel door.

     "Stand back, everyone," she warned. A bolt of fire hit the door, melting it through. They raced inside.

     Toran found himself in a grotto, illuminated only by a dwindling oil lantern and Alena's luminescent horn. Water dripped on his head. He shivered.

     Alena could see that there were three passageways, but two would lead to certain death, she thought. Cocking her ears, she tried to make out the sounds.

     "The middle tunnel has a monster inside, and the left has a bubbling pool of lava in it, I think," Theresa said. Rose raced down the right passageway.

     Inside was another grotto, only bigger.

     A golden statue of a Krawk, shining with an eerie light, stared at them through emerald eyes. It clutched a silver sword.

     By some dark means, it came alive, its legs walking quickly towards them without even moving, hardly.

     "I am the Emerald Guardian. Who dares fight me?" The Krawk asked. Toran stepped forward before anyone could make a move.

     "I will," was Toran's only answer.

     Sword clanged upon sword as Toran and the Emerald Guardian fought. Toran was gaining the upper hand, he knew. Sparks flew everywhere, making Alena and Rose step back a pace.

     Toran struck the winding move. In on quick motion, he smote the Emerald Guardian in half.

     The room was lit up with shining light and a Maraquan Draikess wielding a sword much like Toran's stepped into the room. She was old and wiry, but still strong.

     "Alas, I am free now! So many long years of waiting, this cursed spell set on me by Darigan is now broken! I thank you all!" said the Draikess. Moments later, she disappeared.

     Alena shook her head.

     "Darigan must have been really evil to imprison her there for nearly five decades, back with Jeran and Valrigard the Traitor," Rose said. They continued on, running down countless hallways and corridors, always alert for the sound of Varson's footsteps running away from them.

     *

     Varson was tiring at a fast rate as the three friends doggedly pursued him through numerous corridors and passageways. The Emerald Guardian had been defeated. That had never happened before in his life.

     Sweat poured down his face as he raced up steps, into his trap he had laid for the three friends. Smiling crazily, he lay there in wait, his hand clutching a lever that would send everyone to their ultimate doom.

     *

     Alena could hear someone breathing heavily as she and Toran ran up some steps. As they opened the door at the top of the steps, an arrow shaft grazed Rose's cheek as they stormed in.

     Varson stood there, laughing madly as he pulled a metal lever down. The floor under them opened up. Somewhere in the melee Rose's hands scrabbled madly for a handhold, and instead, pulled Varson down with her.

     They landed into a watery pit, splashing down hard. In the murky water Toran could barely make out the form of something large with eyes.

     The water swirled around Alena as the beast rose up to kill her, but she lashed out at its eyes, piercing one. The water was reddened with blood as the beast sank downwards.

     A wave of the murky water rose up against them, and Toran found himself fighting for his life. Rose had hopped onto his back, and he surged out of the water, firing an arrow at the beast's other eye. The water once again reddened with blood.

     Alena flew up into the air, Varson hanging on to her back leg. Looking down at his monster, he wanted to faint with fear as Alena's wings pounded upwards, nearing towards the top of the pit.

     The waters of the pit did not stir for a long time.

     Varson relaxed, thinking the beast was dead. That was his big mistake.

     Once again, the reddish-brown waters foamed and churned as the huge beast, something resembling a large Grarrl with fins and gills rose up from the water. Varson screamed and futilely tried to twist himself out of the way.

     Alena did not even flinch or try to save him when she felt his grasp ripped from her leg. Peacefully, she landed on top of the floor.

     Toran peered down into the pit. The water was still churning and he could see Varson's snout bobbing up and down in the water. He turned his head away from the ghastly sight-it was too much for him.

     Tears streamed down his eyes as he turned away.

     "I had to, Toran. If he lived, he'd have killed us all," whispered Alena comfortingly.

     "It's not that…it's all the people I've killed just to get revenge…" mumbled Toran sadly. Rose looked at him.

     "Remember this, Toran. It's about the people you've saved from Varson's wrath, not the people you've killed," she said. Toran looked up. Drying his eyes, he looked out of the window.

     "You're both right. I should be strong now, instead of crying. Thank you for helping me realize that," Toran said. Alena beamed, her horn glowing with newfound strength. Looking out of the window, they realized the faeries had won.

     "Are you going to stay here and claim your place as Lord of the Citadel?" Rose queried.

     "I suppose so. And you two are doing something else, I presume?" asked Toran.

     "I'm going to claim my place as Queen of Maraqua," was all that Alena said.

     "You're going to paint yourself over again!?!" exclaimed Toran.

     "No, I'm staying on land. I might as well rule Maraqua at the same time, though, since the rebuilding is going slower now that King Kelpbeard's gone questing." Alena replied calmly.

     "And what are you going to do, Rose?" Toran asked anxiously.

     "Oh, I'll continue my questing ways. I might go to Faerieland and stay there a little, though," Rose answered.

     "Let's hope you don't get into any more trouble than you already are in, Rose," joked Alena. As they exited the room to go onto the balcony, everyone let out a hearty cheer, faeries and Darigans alike.

     *

     Fyora let out a grin, as her messengers swarmed in from their posts. Messages about Alena, Toran, and a Zafara named Rose leapt from their lips. Her fingers strayed to her wand. In one swift motion, she blasted it into the air, and a large table, set for four, landed in front of her. The three other chairs (after she had seated herself), lay in wait, waiting for someone to sit on them.

     Fyora let out a rare smile. The second prophecy had been fulfilled. The third one would have to wait.

     *

     Jhudora's angry screams and loud cursing was being heard all over Faerieland, knowing one of her plans to wreak the destruction of Neopia had failed. She dug her nails into the walls, scratching them, creating deep grooves into them also. Her shadow minions, Neopians whose souls she had sucked out, along with their memories, lay there, waiting for her command. One came in, bearing a tray of blueberry muffins, burnt to the center.

     Jhudora loved them, since they were possessed only by evil, and there wasn't any goodness in them. She hated goodness, and anything attached to it she hated. Especially her twin sister, Illusen, who was attached to goodness in every way she could think of.

     Jhudora's train of thoughts was snapped in half by a shadow minion's piercing wail for food. The shadows never ate-they took another's happiness and made it their food. Jhudora scowled at the Eyrie who was wailing. Her sharp fingernails made noises on her dark, malachite table. Hunger gleamed in her minions' eyes. The Eyrie was no more than a shadow, as thin as air, but they were still there.

     Jhudora once again scowled at her muffin. It wasn't totally burnt. A thin slice of it was perfectly baked. She threw it on the floor, and her minions swarmed over it.

     A fleeting smile flew across her face.

     The Uni, Eyrie, and Zafara would pay.

The End