Timor(II)

Chapter 13

Inner Chamber of the Excavation Site, Crystal Empire

        The tips of Gaius’s knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip around the make-shift dagger he had fashioned just moments before. Admittedly, he wasn’t quite sure if attacking this Phobos creature was such a good idea. The thing barely flinched when he drove his gladius straight into its bicep. Such a blow would have left a normal man howling in pain and severely debilitated.

And to make matters even worse, the creature seemed able to cast magic. Even with his limited understanding of the arcane, Gaius knew that such ability left him at a severe disadvantage because it gave the creature the means to strike him at a distance. He would have to fight the abomination in close quarters. It was his only chance.

        Phobos was clearly taller than Gaius but not by an extreme margin. This gave the Roman an idea. While the demigod was armored, there were areas on his body that weren’t covered. These areas were left bare to allow the solider a greater range of motion. This was particularly important for the wearer’s joints. Gaius purposely shifted his stance, making it appear as if he was relaxing his guard.

Sensing the Centurion’s moment of perceived weakness, Phobos lunged his spear straight at the Roman’s leg, only to grunt in surprise as the weapon lodged itself into the ground instead. This was the opening Gaius was looking for. As the creature tried to dislodge his weapon, Gaius plunged the spear tip into the back of Phobos’s exposed knee, causing him to collapse like a sack of bricks.

        With Phobos momentarily distracted, Gaius desperately searched for his discarded blade. Luckily, he managed to find it close by since the demigod hadn’t bothered to actually throw it. That is where the Roman’s luck ran out. Despite having a spear tip jammed in his knee a mere fifteen seconds prior, Phobos was already barreling towards Gaius at full speed. The Centurion pivoted to the side and parried Phobos’s spear strike with his sword. Phobos growled in frustration and struck Gaius in the face with the blunt end of his spear.

        It was fortunate that Gaius’s helmet included a nose guard; otherwise his nose would have been shattered to pieces. Still, the blow was more than powerful enough to disorient him. He stumbled backwards a few steps and felt a sharp pain vibrate through his skull. While he was distracted, Phobos used his armored forearm to deliver a savage blow to the side of Gaius’s head. Needless to say, if Gaius wasn’t lying on the ground before, he certainly was now.

        Phobos chuckled. “Get up mortal. I’m not done with you yet. Actually, don’t get up. Allow me to do it for you.”

        The demigod’s eyes flashed as he extended his hand towards Gaius. As with any type of casting, magic required a conduit in order to form spells. Changelings, Unicorns and Alicorns all had horns for such a task. Phobos, however, did not. But he did possess fingers and they made an excellent substitute for a horn. For a brief moment, Gaius felt the familiar tingling sensation associated with a levitation spell but then it suddenly stopped. Phobos furrowed his brow in confusion and attempted his spell once more. When he failed to accomplish anything a second time, the demigod slammed his fist into the wall out of frustration.

        “What sorcery is this?! Humans are incapable of casting magic and…ah of course. You don’t have any magic, do you? It’s the armor. Why didn’t I notice it before? Very clever, but it’s a trick that will only work once.”

        Gaius coughed. “Why makes you think that?”

        “As I’m sure your pony master told you, orichalcum does indeed resist magic…direct magic that is. Sure, if I try to levitate you or blast you into oblivion, the armor will protect you. In order for my magic to even have the slightest effect on you, I’d have to channel an absurd amount of power. But…I’m not going to do that.”

        “Then you intend to fight me in single combat?”

        “No. That would be tedious and time consuming. What I intend, dear Roman, is to smash your weak mortal body into nothing more than a bloody smear. And I’m going to do it with that lovely ceiling column over there. You see…my magic might not be able to affect you directly but you armor won’t stop objects controlled by magic.”

        Phobos cackled with glee as he proceeded to rip an entire column of ancient stone right from its foundation. When it comes to levitation, the amount of magic required to lift anything is directly proportional to the weight, size and quantity of an object. The pillar Phobos was currently manipulating had to have weighed at least several tons. Such a task required so much magic and skill that only an expert sorcerer or an alicorn could possibly hope to achieve it.

        Princess Twilight watched in horror as the hybrid monstrosity prepared to smash Gaius like an insect. She felt so utterly useless right now. The mare was so spent, both physically and magically that she barely had the strength to lift her own hooves, let alone cast a spell. Hot tears poured from her bloodshot eyes, out of both frustration and despair.

She knew that Gaius had volunteered to protect her, to put his life on the line for her well-being…but she didn’t want to be responsible for his death. But…it was naïve of her to think that way, perhaps even foolish. She was a princess now and that meant that she had to accept the heavy burden of responsibly the title entailed, even if it included having others sacrifice their lives to spare hers.

        Twilight screwed her eyes shut, unable to work up the courage or the stomach to witness her guardian being ground into a bloody pulp. When she heard the aged monolith of stone smash into the ground, she curled up into a ball and let out a ragged sob. Something was odd though. She didn’t hear the screams of agony she was expecting.

The mare slowly opened her eyes to find that there was no bloody smear where Gaius had once been. In fact, the battle hardened Roman had managed to hop onto Phobos’s back and was currently plunging his gladius underneath the hybrid’s armpit. The enraged demigod howled in pain and with his uninjured arm, he grabbed Gaius by the leg and tossed him against the wall. Unsurprisingly, the poor man groaned in pain as he slowly rose to his feet. Armor only protected you from so much. Metal just wasn’t very good at absorbing blunt-force trauma like cushioning was…go figure.

Phobos’s eyes glowed. “I’ve had just about enough of you! It is time to end this little game.”

The very air around Phobos’s body began to distort wildly, due to the massive amount of magical energy he was building up. His glowing eyes, already intimidating in their own right, now looked like molten spheres of bloody metal as they focused their attention on Gaius. The Centurion was expecting to have his flesh melted like a candle, but gasped in surprise when he felt a strong hand grip his windpipe instead. He was being hoisted several inches off the ground by the neck which essentially forced him to stare into Phobos’s eyes.

“My mother’s people, the changelings, are creatures who thrive off of emotion. Love is the most potent and nourishing variety…but some have adapted themselves to feed upon other emotions. Anger, hatred, jealousy, sadness…there are just so many to choose from! But I thrive on fear. Oh yes, the most primal emotion of them all! I daresay it is the very emotion that drives living creatures to survive. The question is: Will you conquer your own fears…or will they consume you?”

Gaius felt himself oddly drawn to the demigod’s gaze, as crimson tendrils of magic wormed their way into his eyes. He flinched, expecting the magic to tear out his eyes from their very sockets…but there wasn’t any pain. He could still see. In a mere instant the situation changed, and the entire chamber became shrouded in darkness. Gaius looked down at his hands and found that he could still seem them. In fact, the strangest part of this whole situation was that he was now alone.

        The entire room…no, the entire world around him began to change in a turbulent swirl of color and sound. Gone was the soundless, shapeless void of darkness. A beautiful Mediterranean beach in the middle of summer replaced it. He could feel the gentle breeze blowing through his hair, the gritty sand underneath his now bare feet. It was odd…he wasn’t naked but he wasn’t wearing his armor either. As of now, he only wore a simple red tunic, tied at the waist by a brown belt.

The rational part of his mind screamed that none of this could possibly be real and he needed to be on his guard. The less rational part, softly whispered to him saying: “Welcome home, relax and rest. You deserve it.” As he traversed along the beach, he noticed an orange robed woman in the distance. She seemed to be staring forlornly at the sea for some reason. He chose to approach her carefully, out of fear that he might startle her. When he came within a few paces of the woman, Gaius couldn’t help but let out a nervous cough. For whatever reason, she chose to discard her robe, giving Gaius an unobstructed view of her body in all of its natural glory.

        She turned around and giggled, giving the Roman a come hither look as if she’d been expecting him the whole time. Gaius was too dumbfounded to respond verbally, so he simply stared at her. Taking his as a good sign, the woman walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

        “Welcome home, husband. Allow me to…help you relax.”

        It took him a few seconds to realize it, but this woman was Florentia…his Florentia. The only difference was that she didn’t look exactly the same as he’d last seen her. She was far younger…in fact; she was just about the age when they first met. This realization was made all the more apparent when she tightened her embrace. Even through his tunic he could feel her soft, shapely breasts pressing against his chest. It left him feeling a conflicting combination of vexation and intense arousal.

        “Florentia? What are you doing here?”

        The woman placed her finger on his lips. “Well, I felt like going for a little swim. Of course, we can always do that later. It wouldn’t make any sense to get all sweaty after we bathe ourselves.”

        “I…suppose not. But you still didn’t answer my question. How can you be here? For that matter, how can I be here? It doesn’t make any sense!”

        “What ails you, dear husband?  You speak like a madman. Unless…yes, of course! Your stress is so great that you aren’t thinking clearly. Come, join me, it is more important than ever that I help you relax.”

        Gaius let out a frustrated snort. “I’m not mad! I’m not supposed to be here, neither are you! The last I remember, I was in the central chamber, trying to defend Princess Twilight. Not here…in Arretium.”

        “Let us not worry ourselves over this supposed Princess Twilight. Worry about me, my love and think of how we may pleasure each other. Just…take off your tunic and lay with me.”

        “By the gods, I desire nothing more! But this isn’t real. It can’t be…b-because YOU’RE DEAD Florentia! Nothing will change that…not even my wildest imaginings.”

        “Are you certain?”

        It was almost too much for Gaius to bear. Florentia looked so real! Down to the very last detail. He could even hear the lustful intent in her query and if that weren’t enough he felt her hand gently stroking his hardening member, as it made its way underneath his tunic. With a heavy heart, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed his wife away.

        “I’m sorry Florentia. I can’t do this.”

        Florentia’s eyes narrowed. “Am I so repulsive that you would refuse to bed me?”

        “No, my wife would never ask me that. The real Florentia was beautiful enough to make Venus herself weep. And even if she hadn’t been…I would have loved her still. You are merely a siren, a witch sent to tempt me. I will not give in!”

        The instant he finished his sentence, the sea around them began to boil and the sky became the color of burning coals. Florentia’s once beautiful doppelgänger morphed as well. Her skin began to crack and blister as she burst into flames, creating a retched burning wraith that screamed for blood. Gaius stumbled onto the ground and backed away as fast as he could, desperate to flee the apparition. He felt a sharp pain blossom across his cheek as the creature’s nails raked against his skin.

        The fiery wraith growled. “I knew it! You have forsaken your own kind to bed one of those disgusting… insect horse creatures. Such a heinous crime must be punished with death…there can be no other way.”

        “Chrysalis isn’t disgusting! She’s just…different. I know that she cares for me but I don’t—I’m not entirely sure that I can return her feelings for…me.”

        “Then is she a plaything to you? A mere toy when your manhood begs you to sate your lust? You know what she truly is underneath the illusion. Yet…you still pretend.”

        Gaius punched the sand. “I-I don’t know! It isn’t that simple. I do care for her, but not as much as she cares for me. I hate to admit it, but I still can’t completely bring myself to appreciate her true form. Perhaps I should stop seeing her. It might be for the best before she gets hurt…”

        Sensing his growing doubt, the wraith moved closer to him and began to lick his neck. It was a stark contrast from when she lashed out earlier and if Gaius hadn’t been so despondent he would have recoiled in disgust. Once she had her fill, the creature traced a flame-tipped finger across his chest which caused a hideous burn to form. Gaius gasped as the pain caught up with his mind, finally breaking him out of his stupor. In that moment of pain-induced clarity, he kicked the apparition as hard as he could.

        Gaius ran as fast as could in the opposite direction of the screaming apparition. Eventually, the searing pain of his chest injury forced him to stop after only a few minutes. It wasn’t particularly deep…but it radiated waves of pain that made him feel like his heart was going to explode out of his chest at the slightest provocation. Despite the pain, he knew that he was terribly exposed at the moment and needed to find shelter in order to rest.

        As luck would have it, he stumbled upon a craggy outcropping of rock that formed a shallow cave only a short distance from where he currently stood. Once inside the cave, Gaius immediately collapsed onto the floor, grasping his chest. Interlaced with the pain, countless questions buzzed inside his brain like a swarm of angry hornets. How did he get here? Why did his heart ache so intensely? Was Twilight still alive? Would he…ever see Chrysalis again?

The Roman began to laugh as the pain induced a state of delirium that no wine or drug could ever hope to match. He stopped laughing for a moment when he saw a blurry figure approach the mouth of the cave. Whatever it was, the thing wasn’t very tall and it certainly didn’t walk like a man.

When he squinted to get a better look at it, he was surprised to find that it was actually a unicorn. In fact, it was a rather garish looking unicorn at that. It looked quite similar to Lyra, except that it had a curved horn as opposed to a spiraled one. The unicorn was also oddly colored. Its coat was nearly translucent but had a slightly milky tone to it…similar to a crystal. While all of these features were certainly unusual, compared to what Gaius had seen, the creature’s most striking attribute were its eyes. No pupils or irises, just orbs of golden light.

Gaius wheezed. “What…do…you…want?”

“It doesn’t matter what I want. I only exist to serve.”

“Serve…who?”

“I serve my master.”

“Who is your…master?”

“My former master perished long ago; therefore I currently do not possess one.”

“A-alright…so why are you here?”

The unicorn cocked its head. “I sensed that you were in grave danger, so I entered your mind to offer my assistance.”

“My…mind?”

“Correct. We are currently inside of your subconscious. However, do not presume that we aren’t in danger. I sense another being here; he is exerting his own magic to…influence the mindscape. If we do not eliminate this interloper, I fear that you may perish.”

“So…this wound I have: Is it real?”

“Yes and no. In the physical world, you do not possess such a wound. But…your mind believes that you do, so your body experiences excruciating pain. Such levels of stress to the body are not healthy and can cause death…if left unrelieved.”

Gaius rubbed his temples. “Errm…Right. But I’m still confused. The wraith attacked me and caused this injury, but since you claim this is all in my mind how am I still wounded?”

“You are still wounded because your mind is plagued by indecision, perhaps fear as well. If I had to speculate, I would say it is a matter of the heart, seeing as that is where the wound has manifested.”

“By the gods…you’re right! It’s because of Chrysalis isn’t it?”

The unicorn frowned. “I am unfamiliar with this ‘Chrysalis’, therefore I cannot answer your query.”

“Oh…of course not! What I mean is that I haven’t resolved how I feel about her. This whole time I feared that I’d be giving up a part of my humanity, if I decided to return her affections. Yes, I realize that she can take the form a woman but…such an ability is merely superficial. What really matters is if I can love her for what she truly is. But…I don’t know if I can.”

“Forgive my ignorance, but I do not understand what you are giving up.”

“I am the only one of my kind…back in the physical world that is. I feel that if I returned her feelings, it would be tantamount to admitting that I shall never return to my world. Furthermore, I…can’t say that I’m…hmm…attracted to her equine form. Yes, I know it sounds superficial, but it’s the truth!”

“Perhaps you only need to spend more time with her, so that you may become acclimated to her form.”

Gaius sighed. “Maybe…it’s worth a try at any rate. She deserves that much.”

Almost immediately, the wound on Gaius’s chest began to dissipate and within seconds it was gone. His eyes widened in disbelief as he ran his fingers over the now, unblemished flesh. Was it really that simple? Even though he still had a tiny sliver of trepidation concerning his relationship with Chrysalis, he was no longer consumed by the fear of indecision. An even tinier part of his mind hoped that their relationship would work out because if it didn’t…the feeling of utter loneliness would eventually destroy him.

“Excellent! You have finally cleared your mind. However, we are still in danger.”

“I…well, how exactly do we return to the real world?”

“That is a simple matter. Just place one of your hands upon my back. I fear that…I don’t have very much magic left but I have enough to help guide you from this place.”

“Thank you my friend, I am indebted to you. Should our paths cross in the real world, might I know your name, so that I may thank you in person?”

The unicorn smiled. “I am far closer than you think, Gaius Septimus. Simply utter the name Sentinel when you exit this place, and I shall contact you again.”