19) Fever Dreams

Pea was still exploring the ethereal visions she had been trapped in. Like the times before the world around her blurred and she saw bits and pieces of what had happened. Rumella poured hours, even days at a time in their parent's library for information of the elusive Carmino, in her studies she found a out a strange, taboo magic. She no longer practiced the art of enchanting an object with a soul to power it, but now she learned a kind of necromancy; Caromancy. It was the manipulation of flesh into whatever shape the caster desired.

She made immensely strong soldiers for her sister's Queendom, but Voltera refused these gifts for the danger behind them. Voltera's creations could be shut off with a single word, while the things Rumella made were alive and had conscious. Years, centuries even, had passed and the two sisters grew further and further apart. Rumella had become obsessed over finding the Carmino, it was a desire that could rise to bloodshed. Pea saw that the Rumella had been exiled from the territories of Coppice, this may have been a mistake.

Then blur had stopped. Pea looked around. There were tall palm trees and a smooth sea breeze flowing through her mane, she almost laughed aloud.

"This is where Roomy was banished to?" she asked herself as a small blue crab skidded past her hoof," This isn't bad at all, and I thought she would go for some creepy forest or something..."

Pea's voice trailed off as she saw long spires through the palm leaves, a low din of a crowd could be heard over the calmness of the beach. Pea's curiosity had taken over and she looked to see what it was.

"Oh what is it? Pirates? Did Roomy become a pirate? That'd be so cool!"

She made out of the trees to the beach, stopped behind a large piece of drift wood for cover. It was a bay at the far end of the isle Peron. The sun was high and hot, baking the white sand. There not a few yards away was Rumella with her creations. The princess had several large necklaces on her. The largest with a glossy black onyx stone. Under her wings were ornate saddlebags full of gems of all kinds.

In the bay was one of the strangest and vile things Pea's eyes had seen. Anchored in in the water was a vessel that could loosely be considered a boat. It looked like a boat, but it had ores sticking out the sides and a pair of eyes on the front. This struck Pea as normal but as she looked closer they looked like the flippers of a sea turtle, not to mention the eyes were blinking and looking around at their surroundings.  The red alicorn stood on the beach surrounded by a multitude of monstrosities,  some where like the ghouls, while others looked more like Mita. Some were semi-equine shaped monsters Pea had never seen. The ex-princess' servants were loading many crates onto the caravel, their contents unknown to Pea. Out of the trees near Pea a lanky ghouls sprawled out and raced past the grey mare toward Rumella.

"Mistress," he panted," There's a...an embassy from your sister, it looks like Huloc!"

Rumella looked at the ghoul with a snarl," Damnation! What dose he want?"

A fair distance behind Pea's hiding spot several dots could be seen, they were some of Voltera's Knights. Hulok's massive frame shown out above the others. In a few moments they had passed Pea, the servants of the red alicorn backed away when the knights came closer. Huloc looked different as well, he had a brown cloak over his back and face but his eyes shown out from the darkened hood.

"Mistress Rumella," he droned," I have been sent by her majesty to speak with you."

"Spit it out automation! I have projects that need my utmost attention," Rumella said bitterly.

"I cannot spit, I am not of flesh."

"Oh, it irks me how literal you all are," Rumella sighed," Alright...tell me of what word my dear sister sends me."

"Word has reached Her Majesty that you are attempting to leave the island. Is that correct?"

"Perhaps," the alicorn smiled wickedly," What are her plans if I am, hmmm?"

"The Queen doesn't want you to leave the island. You will abide by the royal order."

Rumella laughed,"And what will you do, little tin pony?"

"Keep you here, with force if needed."

Rumella's flamboyant malice disagreed. She stared with wrathful eyes at the hooded suit of armor. The ghouls and the other knights were abashed by her furious gaze. The only  part of Huloc that moved was his cloak in the sea's breeze, his pricing lavender eyes stared back. Unblinking and cold was the gaze of the hooded knight.

"This displeases you princess?"

"Who dose that metal tinkering bitch think she is, commanding me?" Rumella fumed.

"Voltera is the Queen, she has given one of her subjects an order."

"Go tell little miss Volt that I'm going where I see fit," she shouted,"No force under the sun can command me!" Rumella's chest heaved and Hulock kept staring.

There was a tense silence for a few moments, then Hulock spoke," You search for the Carmino yes?"

Rumella eyes widened," How do you know about that?"

Huloc's voice now sounded smug,"Her Highness told me that is what you search for. This is the reason you cannot leave the isle of Peron."

"She just wants it for herself!" Rumella hissed," You can't stop me, neither can she!"

Huloc had his two rifles slide out from under his cloak and the other knights did as well. Rumella shouted and in a flash all of the ghouls and wooden mannequins rushed to the knights. She flew up into the air and landed behind her masses. The metal ponies on either side of Huloc fired of lead ball rounds at their attackers which ripped through the closest of Rumella's minions. The cloaked suit of armor fired of a shot that could only be described as a red lightning bolt that sliced through a chunk of the alicorn's ranks. Rumella now wanted a piece of the action.

She bolted up into the air again and raced toward the knights. Huloc threw off his cloak and began to circle the masses of fleshy servants.  Rumella flew nearby overhead. A beam of red light shot from her horn and landed on one of the knights, it was hyper focused onto one spot and in seconds the knight's armor had a hole molten into it.

The red alicorn to no time to fire a plasma like ball into the hole, causing the automaton to explode into tiny shrapnel. The knight next to him was pin cushioned with tiny shard of steel and the ghouls welled over him like a wave of muscle and teeth. Hulock swung his heavy head and whipped his tail at the ghouls that crawled over him, he spun his sharp eyes to see the last of his knight being lifted up by Rumella's magic and thrown high into the air.

It landed and the linking pieces broke apart in a crumpled heap. Hulock's eyes stared at his fallen comrades, then to the princess. He shot his lightning guns close to him, frying the minions and turning some of the beach's sand to glass. Only a handful remained and the stood a distance away, wondering if being fried was worth it. Their hopes were rallied when they saw what Rumella was up to. Her horn shown brightly with dark circles and green licks of flame and the fallen minions around her twitched.Their bodies shook and their eyes lit up, Huloc stood dumbfound at the sight of the creatures he had just killed.

"I told you, tin pony," Rumella hissed through her teeth," Go on back to that 'queen' of yours and tell her that I'm leaving and there's nothing any of you can do to stop me!"

She grabbed Huloc with her magic and threw him across the beach to where he started from. He landed heavily and skidded a trench in the sand. Pea saw him walk away heavily.  She looked back at Rumella and her minions, who were now going onto the ship. While the last of the of the crates were being loaded she slipped into one while no one was looking. Once inside she realize she was the only thing in it, were all of the crates empty?

Later when every thing was aboard she peeked out of the box she was in. The deck was crawling with Ghouls and other creatures. Pea wanted to see what Rumella was up to, but there were simply to many eyes to sneak by. She sat back in the dark of the box and thought, she flinched in surprise to find she was in another part of the ship. It was a small, bare room with a few shelves and a desk. Rumella was right next to her. Pea froze stiff, she held her breath to not be noticed. The ex-princess  was looking at a several maps and charts on a desk. There were massive fireflies on the walls illuminating the room. Her eyes were tired yet vigil as she studied the parchment. Then time seemed to speed up again.

Pea blinked and the red alicorn was on the other side of the desk, now cluttered with scrolls and books. The walls that once were bare had large charts and maps draped on them. She realized that years must have just flown by since she saw that the maps Rumella was making were beginning to look like the map Pea had. The red alicorn looked to the door of the room and moved briskly out of it. The light of the rising sun blared in Pea's eyes after she left the dark interior of the cabin.

The grey mare followed quietly and saw that the ship was in a different bay.  Thick lines of trees were across a gravely shore, it looked like the jungle that Voltera's castle was in. Rumella stood on the deck and looked silently to the coast, the land close by looked dark and lonely. Rumella spread her wings and flew to the coast. Pea was about to follow but then she noticed something was off, the masses of servants were no where to be found. Pea went to the bow of the ship and watched the alicorn fly to shore. Pea remembered how she 'appeared' next to the princess earlier and she didn't seem to notice the grey mare. Pea focused on being next to the alicorn.

She found herself next to the the Alicorn, her eyes looked flat and dead. She moved through the forest like wind through branches and Pea did her best to keep up. After a bit of sprinting through the brush the walls of the castle and it's tall spires could be seen. Rumella moved even faster and it looked like she would smash into the wall. Her horn flashed and the mighty blue stone was broken down in waves of dust and rubble. The alicorn flew low through it and raced to the castle, some of Voltera's knights saw her and readied their weapons. Rumella's magic made short work of them, they shattered like porcelain when she flew past. Her wings beat the air as she raced to the main gate, a spear of blue light shot from the front gate and tore several feathers out of Rumella's left wing. She halted and watched with venomous eyes as her sister stepped into the light. A long ornate dress covered her legs and a regal crown was now on her head.

"Rumella, what are you doing back here?" Voltera asked with a commanding voice.

"You...you're keeping it from me," Rumella spat.

"Keeping what, sister? Your crown?"

"A piece of gold is no matter, the device...the idol...where is it?" Rumella said through her teeth.

"Idol? Have you taken up the Sun Goddess' Religion?" Voltera smiled.

"ENOUGH!" Rumella shouted," Your banter irks me. The Carmino...where is it?"

"Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you. Don't tell me you left the island-"

"It's NOWHERE!" Rumella screamed. At this point a small crowd of citizens was forming to see what the commotion was,"I've searched nearly the entire realm, you seem to be the only other one who knows where or even what it is."

"Sister, this is ludicrous! What will that thing give you?"

Rumella for the first time in the ordeal was silent. She cast a hateful glare at her sister.

Voltera laughed," You don't even know what it dose, and you still search?"

The laughter was cut short when a crackling beam shot from Rumella's horn and whizzed past Voltera's face. The silver alicorn's cheek was singed from the blast and blinked with dumbstruck eyes.

"Tell me," Rumella said while her horn still crackled," now, Voltera."

"You'll have to kill me, I'll never tell." The silver alicorn wasn't expecting a quick reaction.

Rumella's wings shot out and in one tremendous push against the air she rocketed forward. Time seemed to slow down as the red alicorn flew straight at her. Voltera's heart stopped when Rumella's horn ran through her chest. Rumella strained her neck and back to hold the silver alicorn completely by the horn, which slid through like a knife through butter. The crowd that watched began screaming and running in panic. Voltera coughed up a few  drops of blood and went limp on the bloodied spear. Rumella slid her sister off he horn and stared at the corpse for a few tense, blood freezing moments. Her eyes glistened again and she saw her crime in a different light. She stared in horror at what she did and the panicked citizens didn't help.

The world became hazy around Pea and visions were feint. Unlike before when the whizzed past harmlessly this one now seemed to fizz into a toxin in the air. Pea watched as Rumella and the world around her evaporate into a black void. The vapors swirled into a stream straight up. As the grey mare's eyes followed she found where they were going, a strange tube-like jar being held A cloaked black figure sat on a simple white chair. A red skeleton with pink dots for eyes was next to it. Pea couldn't tell if she was floating up or they were coming down to her, but when her eyes met the cloaked figure's solid blue eyes she felt oddly calm somehow.

"Who are you?" she asked the figure.

"Every creature knows me," said the figure. It's voice was like a women's whisper through a grave yard.

Pea raised an eyebrow," Sooo...your famous then?"

"Your so naive," The figure chuckled like sound of bones rattling," Dear equine, I am Death."

Pea's mouth dropped open. She began looking around frantically," WHAT? I'm DEAD?!"

"No, no your aren't dead..." Death said quickly. Her voice trailed off because Pea was running in circles in a state of panic.

"Oh, could you cease with your squabbling?!" Death drummed a set of bony fingers on the chair's arm," Pea Gravel!"

The grey mare stopped and spun her head to see Death. The mare promptly sat down on the void that surrounded them. Death sighed slowly.

"Pea Gravel, do you know what you have seen?"

"You mean the tragic past of the two bookworm princesses? Yeah, that was odd. What was that all about?"

"It's a warning," Death said sharply," I know of what you seek and that journey only brings misery and pain on oneself," death gestured the red equine skeleton. It sat limply and though silent, it seemed to scream.

"Is that Roomy?" Pea asked timidly.

"Correct. This is where the path you blindly trod on leads," Death said.

"You talking about that Carmino thing I'm looking for?" Pea said defensively.

"When you grabbed that book Pea, I decided to show you what happens to whoever goes after that device. It is still hidden in the sun goddess' garden, that is the extent of even my knowledge....it's a trap that sends you to me before your due time."

"That sucks," Pea smiled," But I'm not after if for power like Roomy was. I'm looking for it because my poppa told me to get it back if he died."

Death slouched in her white chair in thought for a few moments. She leaned forward and the chair creaked eerily. Her cloaked body was hanging over Pea all the way from it and looked at the mare with puzzled eyes.

" 'If your father died' you say? Your father is Paco Gravel correct?"

"Yes, you should've seen him about a decade ago, Miss Death."

The cloaked figure leaned back in her chair. She scratched her head," That's very peculiar...I've never seen Paco, here being dead..."

"What?" Pea stood up with a serious tone.

"Oh Damnation...you heard too much!" Death wimped and she waved her bony hand over Pea.

The grey mare piratically jumped from where she lay. She looked at her surroundings with heavy breaths and a cold sweat on her brow. She turned her head to the beaming face of Oza. He lifted her in the air giggling with joy after the long days of waiting for her to wake up. Pea hugged the dragon and smiled.

"Miss Gravel, you're awake?" The mare heard Joe ask.

"I hope so," Pea smiled as Oza set her on the ground," So, how long have I been out?"

TO BE CONTINUED