29 Curve of Sanity (1/2)
Chapter 29: Curve of Sanity
In what appeared to be a desert city, Zyron had shrouded himself with a cloak to blend in with the other folks of the town. In the distance, was what seemed to be a desert harbor, with several waterfalls falling from the clouds.
He took a moment to take in the scent around him, before progressing towards the ships that docked in the western styled city. Many people seemed to be wearing cowboy getups and other similar styles of western clothing, and some even had horses, like a true wild west.
”(I must be crazy doing this... She could be anywhere out there.)” Zyron grimaced, walking up to a kiosk.
”Welcome to the Flamsmarth shipyard, where ya headin', stranger?” The woman inquired, from behind the counter. She was a tanned brunette, wearing a red corset, and a tan colored skirt. She somewhat resembled one of those woman you'd see in a saloon.
”I need to get to the other island, which town's dock is the cheapest?” Zyron kept his hood overhead, hoping to avoid conflict with non-Leashed.
”Which one? There's a few.” The lady giggled.
”The large one.” Zyron looked to her in annoyance.
”Ah, well, I reckon that the coast depot would be it. Only seventy Zircon, due to no folks or town, friend. Take you real close to them waterfalls too.” She explained, leaning forward on the counter, some of her cleavage showing, in what seemed to be a flirting manner.
Zyron didn't seem to care however, simply taking out the coin purse to hand to the woman. ”When do we depart?” He asked, as he received his ferry ticket from the sultry woman.
”In a hurry? Oh, well don't let me keep you, Sug. The rig is right over yonder.” She replied, twirling a strand on her hair with her finger.
Zyrontook notice of the small boat, that she motioned to, with her dainty fingers. He decided to proceed over, passing by a few shops in the dusty town. He reach the harbor, where the boat was, giving the ticket to the ferry man. He seemed unusual to Zyron, appearing to have a fin and tail of a shark.
”Ahoy lad, ready to set sail across the Pandora sea?” He asked, in a cocky manner.
”Uh... Yeah.” Zyron couldn't help but stare.
”What? Never seen a shark Terra before? Hurry it up, I don't have all day.” The shark man scoffed, as Zyron quickly boarded the vessel.
The ferry man took the wheel, preparing to set sail to sea. Zyron hated this, but he wanted to make sure Solitaire was alright. So taking a seat, the boat was off. They traveled for some time along the deep blue Pandora sea. As the lady at the kiosk had said, there was many waterfalls coming from the clouds just under the floating Skyworld above them.
Zyron couldn't help but gaze up to the sight in astonishment, but a part of him wished Solitaire could see it's splendor as well. He pictured her sitting beside him, gazing up with a look of awe to the waters, before he glanced off to the horizon.
Eventually the small boat made it's way to land, not too far from Dragon's Keep tower. The stone walls seemed to reach far into the sky, so much that it was engulfed in clouds. The boat soon docked, and Zyron took a step onto solid ground. The ferry man shifted the gears, as he looked to Zyron.
”If ya want to go back, you'll have to hail a ship from Feirela's harbor. That's all the way west from here, lad. I ain't waitin' round all day for ya.” The man stated coldly, before departing back to sea.
”Thanks.” Zyron groaned, before trekking onward.
Back around Knothole, Miles was sitting at a table with his arms behind his head. He seemed rather bored, but his eyes caught Ashewyn sit across from him.
”Gonna fess up with what happened this morning? I saw how Goldy-locks snapped at you.” Ashewyn spoke up, taking a drag from his cigarette, before placing it out in an ash tray.
”Don't look at me, he started it.” Miles huffed, in a bratty tone.
”Just like how you chased goth boy out the other day?” Ashe raised a brow.
”Tsk!” Miles scoffed, crossing his arms, as he pursed his lips. ”Don't even start, you don't like the guy either.”
”Doesn't mean I'm gonna start pointless fights.” Ashewyn replied, keeping his cool.
”Whatever. Nye would just keep bringing that raven haired jerk back anyway, seeing with how she was sucking face with him last night.” Miles retorted, giving a sly look to Ashe; as if hoping to start conflict.
”You sound jealous. Didn't you get enough with that stunt you pulled in Pinkie's room? Oh yeah, I know all about it. Walls are pretty thin in here.” Ashe replied in a smug demeanor, as he got to his feet, to walk over to Miles' side of the table.
”...” Miles ears shot back, as he glanced away. ”Get over yourself, Red. Do you think anyone would actually care if you told them?” He scoffed, with his fangs flared. ”If you're going to threaten me, at least TRY to make it good.”
”I'm just saying, you should be careful how you act. Sooner or later, things catch up to people. Not as if anyone else heard that outburst from earlier, right?” Ashe replied, sarcastically with a smirk, as he patted Miles' shoulder, before walking off.
”.......” Miles went silent, he couldn't help but uneasily ponder who else overheard him various conflicts. His eyes panned around the room, noticing Adam sitting alone, than Molliana with her father. Nikolai appeared to be cleaning as well, but Miles decided to peer up at the upper level, wondering if Nye knew.
Meanwhile, Zyron had begrudgingly reached the entrance Mystic woods, in hope of finding Solitaire. The wind blew by, as he took another whiff of the air. ”She's close...” He spoke softly, as his eyes gazed upon the pathway inside the forest. He felt like his legs wouldn't budge. ”(Why did it have to be here?... I hope I can find Solitaire before my old master finds us...)” He sighed, proceeding to transverse through the dank woodlands of his former homeland.
Zyron seemed to wander through those haunted woods for hours, seeing the sun already getting close to setting. He could feel the chilling presence of the afterlife looming around him. Spirits of the dead faded through his path, vanishing like smoke formed apparitions. He continued further, passing under a large weeping willow tree.
He came up to a section of the forest that he didn't recognize, eventually reaching what seemed to be a clearing. Zyron shrugged, as he kicked a rock out of his way. ”I must be walking in circles... The scent's just not staying in one place.” He grumbled.
His eyes then caught a rock formation near a spring, that had vines covering what seemed to be an entrance.
”The fuck...?” Zyron stared at it, with bewilderment, as he slowly approached it. Shifting the vines from the cave opening, he was able to inspect the area easier, it appeared to be an old bunker of sorts, possibly even a storage facility. He could see many glass jars holding different pickled body parts and spell ingredients. They were scattered around on old wooden shelves, like a witches cupboard, but there was a door in the back. ”Why haven't I ever seen this place before? (Could this be a Wynorex entrance?)” He pondered, anxiously.
”Hmhmhm. Isn't it obvious, my little pup?” Chuckled the sultry voice from before.
Zyron whirled around, in panic, to immediately form his staff from the skull pauldron on his chest. From the air,red boots were placed to the ground, as the torch haired witch held the end of her broomstick.
”I'm surprised you couldn't detect the change in the magical barrier, the very one that prevented you from leaving my woods in the past. Only when you took my magic crystal, were you able to leave my domain. Don't think I didn't notice it last time we met. Hmhmhm.” Inferna smiled to Zyron in a cunning manner, her plump lips gleaming in the sunset.
Zyron shifted with caution, as his eyes briefly glanced to the red stone on his belt; before quickly returning his gaze to the witch before him. There he recalled, a memory. He was in the middle of the woods, surrounded by dead trees and many yellow flowers. Positioned in front of him was a stone statue. It had a skull face with three eyes, and missing the lower jaw.
The skull was held up from a twisted root of a tree, that formed below it. Ancient carvings covered the exterior of the skull, with a red gem held in the middle eye socket. Zyron had came across it, still emotional from Inferna's rejection. He had decided to take it, placing it to his belt before hurrying off from the area.
He came back to reality, tensed up from Inferna's presence. Her eyes kept their focus on him, unphased by his staff that trembled in his grasp. ”You have no idea what that even is, do you? Hmhmhm.” She teased, phasing in front of him, like a flame fading into the wind.
The end of her broom was placed under Zyron's chin, to lift his head to her level. The hanging bones from it rattled, as they clanged together.
”It was used to ward off trespassers, by suppressing magical pressure in the air; as well as keeping them out, and you in. Since you stole the stone, it has been weakening your magic, despite allowing you to escape my forest.” She explained, keeping her cold gaze upon him.
”It's an anti-magic crystal?” Zyron finally choked up, scrambling to remove the gem from his belt.
Inferna seemed pleased. ”Perceptive as always. I placed it up after what happened many years ago in the past, when you were little more than a pup... It's much like a double-edged sword, but even without the stone's power, you would be no match against my new found alliance. Hmhmhm.”
Zyron grimaced, seeming unnerved. ”What? You of all people having an alliance? What made you change, Inferna?” Zyron was shocked, knowing how much Inferna hated others.
”Hmhmhm.Do you recall your childhood companion? Sherry?” Inferna's lips curled. ”I think not. After all, I made you forget about her. Hmhmhm... Perhaps I should return the memories to you. That way you can remember why things changed.” Her hand was outstretched, before Zyron's face, as if gripping the air around it.
Zyron's mind was forced back to that of his youth, when Inferna first brought him to her home, as a pup. Inside he met a small little girl, who was playing with a voodoo doll. She seemed lonely, sitting there on the ground. Inferna nudged Zyron forward, looking down to the pup with a soft gaze.
”You're to be my little one's friend, it's your job to take care of her. You'll learn to use magic, and protect this land. We'll be a family. Understand, little pup?” Inferna patted his head. ”Now go on. Sherry's waiting.”
The young Zyron lifted his head, seeing the excited eyes of the strange child looking over at him. She got up, hurrying over to greet the dog. ”Mommy? You gots us a puppy?” Sherry giggled, with excitement. ”He's so cute.”
Inferna seemed pleased, watching her daughter pet the timid little leashed's face. The memory shattered, with a dark void of chaos. Zyron was a bit older now, following after his master's daughter in the endless woods. She was holding his hand, and dragging him through the forest.
”Sherry wants to show you something, Zy!” Sherry giggled, with her broken pattern of speech.
”I don't think this is a good idea, Sherry.” He tried to object, but she kept tugging him along.
They suddenly halted, getting a brief glance at something laying in the grass, ahead of them. There was blood on the ground around the figure, but it seemed to be making a groaning sound. Sherry released his hand, getting closer.
”Look, look. It's still alive.” She sing-songed.
Zyron then realized, that the thing laying in the grass was a wounded person. It seemed to be a human woman, wearing rather revealing purple robes. She was laying on her stomach, trying to move from the ground, but her body seemed to be shifting oddly. It was as if she was struggling to keep her form, phasing between the human and what appeared to be a succubus. It was Horrifica, before she got an eye patch.
”Hey! Get away from her!” Zyron called, trying to get to the girl's side.
Sherry turned, to look back at Zyron. However, behind her, Horrifica raised to her feet in a weakened state, her wings hanging low to the ground. She appeared to be holding her side, that was bleeding from some kind of wound.
Before Zyron could get anywhere remotely close, the claw of the succubus was used like a sword, impaling through the stomach of the child. Four of her ribs had been broken, sticking out through Sherry's abdomen. She stood there in panic, as the claw was pulled back out. Blood began to seep out, before the girl collapsed to the ground.
”Sherry!!” Zyron cried out, in horror.