Vanishing Tides 13 (A War Won A Life Lost)
Finally the war between the warriors has begun. It can be won, can be lost. But will all survive till the end?
A WAR WON, A LIFE LOST:
Early next morning Red woke up to the battering on her door. It was Almond yelling, "Red! Answer me! Are you alright? Red, open the damned door...." Red strained to keep her eyes open as she walked up to the door and pulled the door open. Her eyes closed as she swayed. Almond's face showed with relief and then disappointment as he lurched forwards just in time to sweep Red in a hug. She breathed deeply and woke to the smell of a fragrant smell of (not again!) shampoo. Almond pushed aside the hair from her face and said softly as he let her turn around, "What's up with you, Red? We've a job to do.... Are you not well?" Almond chose his words carefully as he knew it wasn't really going to be the best day for Red. Red nodded and said, "Thanks Al... but I'm fine. I'll join you downstairs. Now if you could excuse me, I want to go have a bath. I... no, it's nothing." Almond lingered a while before leaving. Red glanced at her bed, undone, messed up... like my life, she thought. She held back her countless emotions and went ahead to get ready for the coming day. She decided on a long maroon top to go with her faded jeans. Before any more thoughts threatened to hamper her day, she stepped under the shower, hoping that her feelings would drain along with the water that pelted her.
Almond waited anxiously for Red just outside his room. She seemed to be going in some sort of sleepy spell every time she used her powers. It was probably because of him, for he had soaked quite a lot of her life source. Red came along slowly as Almond chatted cheerily about the weather. He could feel from her affirmative nods that he wasn't being listened. Almond quietened down and grabbed her hand. She conveyed her nervousness by clutching his hand harder. Sherry and Cleo were getting ready, packing their supplies and trying to ease off the nervousness. Takshak stood aloof, not willing to face his daughter. Almond smoothed his hair and entered the kitchen to find Zhi and Tess preparing breakfast. He smiled and began helping them out. In an hour, Almond, Sherry and Cleo were sinking through the portal. It sure was a wonder to watch. Red communicated with Sherry as she explored her telepathic powers. Sherry asked her to shut off so that she could catch some rest before heading for the other world. She fell asleep the moment the connection broke.
Cleo described the whole view in quite poetic terms to Sherry. Almond searched the horizon for the castle. He spotted it some distance beyond the river. Cleo said hurriedly, "Let's set up base somewhere near the castle. It will be easier for the others to come here." Almond nodded and created an air shield for them all to travel. By the time they landed, Almond's head was spinning. Sherry communicated to Red, "Red, you guys had better come here; we've got an air sick warrior here." Almond was on the ground puking when Red arrived with the twins in tow. Shaking all over he sat back for some time with Red beside him. She was almost emotionless, nonchalant to the point of being uncaring. Almond felt it in her cold touch, she seemed so distant, and not the Red he had seen in the library or the Red he met every morning over coffee. Before he could say a word she stood up and started walking towards the castle. Cleo, Sherry and the twins followed her. They all understood that she was not in a mood to be not heeded. Almond shrugged and fell in line behind Red. All of a sudden Red stopped, closed her eyes and focused all her soul into forging the Fire sword. Her hair blew around her face and the pressure in her temples turned to pain for the hundredth time. She muttered in angered tones, "On your guard, folks! Six of them, sixty meters from us. Charge up, I've got a plan!" Amazed, they listened to what she said. At the end, they were all grinning. Red stood back-to-back with Almond who seemingly forgot her coldness. Zhi had Tess on his shoulders, ready for their unbeatable complementary attacks. Sherry and Cleo stood close by. Soon enough, Red was sword fighting with two death warriors. One of them was Carlon who laid down his weapon without a stroke of a fight. So he became the first one to leave. Strangely Red received no wounds as if something was protecting her. After what seemed like ages, Red defeated that dreaded death warrior. She took all her strength to melt the sword of that warrior - no - more. She turned to see Almond. He was lying flat on the ground, blood gushing from open wounds. She ran across the field and bent over him, scared of losing him again, "Hey Almond? You there?" He nodded and gave a smile that cracked her heart to bits. He said in a croaky voice, "I've your soul Red. You wouldn't let me die.... Don't worry, I'll regenerate. I did it willingly." Then she understood his role, she wasn't protected by a shield, it was someone who had risked his life to be her shield. Someone called Almond. Sherry battled her opponent who offered her eyesight in exchange for her powers. Cleo went on with a hand to kick to hand to kick fight.... Tess and Zhi struck with lightening force. Zhi created a huge fire wall while Tess used water jets to disarm their two opponents. And again, Zhi used fire to destroy their weapons forever. Almond had regenerated and Red had gone back to her coldness. Unfortunately, none of them knew that the lord of the death warriors had dual system of weapons. The slithery man hadn't shown all his weapons as he should have. There was a chance he would return, to avenge his loss from the one person who had disarmed him, Red.
It was when the six of them were resting that all hell broke loose and Takshak began sealing the portal against death warriors. Almond was under a tree stroking Red's head. He wasn't sure if she had a fever or not but he was sure she wasn't going to like what Takshak was doing. Almond had to use the bit of energy Takshak had given him for making her forget the event for three hours, just so that they had enough time to seal the spirits.
A sudden glow appeared in the sky that seemed to be growing brighter every minute. Almond gulped down his guilt and held Red's hand till she wrestled it free. All of them were looking with knowing expressions, all except Red. She watched as an ethereal image of Takshak formed in front of her eyes. It was all a daze in which he kissed her forehead and said, "Red, I couldn't have had a more loving daughter. I'm not betraying you, honey. I love you. I want you to become the most successful Queen ever." And then the image vanished in a puff of smoke. Red stood there, motionless, drained of all emotions and energy. So her intuitions were right. Almond came from behind her stealthily and placed his palms gently over her temples. He passed on the energy Takshak had given into her body. She stood there and remembered how Takshak had made Almond pass out when he had a panic attack in the car. He was going to do the same thing through Almond now. That was the last thing she felt her eyes close as the others began reaching for Almond and Red. Almond caught her before her head hit the ground. Almond motioned for the others to catch some rest and explained what he had done. Red slept dreamlessly and Almond kept her company in the soul dimension, watching over her.
An hour later, they all were marching down to the castle to break the three barriers that concealed the spirits of the castle and the subjects who were all at a standstill. Red was almost in a trance. Barely talking and commanding. She was like a warrior without a heart, as if she didn't want to be doing what she was. Though she herself couldn't explain what actually was wrong with her. Still, they finally reached the castle. It was as dead as the spirits in it. The fire sword could break it, if not; Almond would take in the barrier. Almond said, "The four of you must destroy all the shields encasing the windows in all the corridors. The spirits must have an escape passage. Red and I will break the barriers. You guys move on in groups, we'll handle this side." Almond knew he was running out of time, after some time, Red's memory of her father's death would return and she would not be able to fight. He grabbed her arm and they ran across one hall to another to reach the basement. He stopped short on reaching the basement, so did Red. It was so dark that no one could see a thing. Red said in her nonchalant voice, "I'll use the fire sword, so that we can at least see what is here." The mere presence of the most powerful sword ever forged seemed to bring light to the place. She waved the sword around. It was as creepy as it could get. Way creepy than any of them would have imagined. Apparently it looked like the inside of a sea, one which held lakhs of dead bodies. Their dresses floating, hair entangled, blood mingled with some bodies. Red trembled as she readied her sword to penetrate the barrier. Almond stood behind her and wrapped his hands around hers to stop her from trembling. Brushing away her fears he said, "Listen Red, before destiny separates us, if it is destined, I want to tell you that... wherever you are, whenever you need me I'll be there beside you. You were, are and shall always be my first love," Red's hand stopped shaking as his low pitched voice said those words. A bundle of positive energy rolled inside her. She nodded but said nothing. Almond replied in return for the unsaid words, "I know you understood my feelings. Let's do it and see what lies ahead." She said softly, "I want to live to say the same words to you, so you better not die here, got it." Almond gave a small smile and said, "You got it, my Queen!" Red let all her energy flow through her hands and into the fire sword. It was the last time she was using her most prized sword. To break all three barriers, the fire sword would be absorbed inside the sea and the barrier would break from inside. As she felt the Fire sword's presence waver she knew the barriers were breaking. Almond held her tight as he shielded from all the rising spirits. It took around twenty minutes for all the spirits to leave. None of them returned and that signified Sherry, Cleo, Tess and Zhi were probably successful in breaking the windows open. Red said playfully, "You dork! The way you had put it I thought death was imminent...." A thunderous voice pierced the air before Almond could even say a word, "It still is, Queen Red! Prepare to die...." Almond stepped up front and said in a crispy cold voice, "Don't be naïve. You aren't a death warrior anymore." The death warrior's shrill laugh resonated across the hall, "I have 'dual weaponery', the only one to have this power...." Red spat back, "Very well, I'll disarm you this time for good." The look in his eyes reminded her of the death warrior she had caged some time ago. She started seeing Takshak's face swim right in front of her. She fell to her knees sobbing. Almond looked at her, horrified that she had started recalling Takshak's death. Her ability to control her powers was losing as her elements raged causing water to erupt from the midst of fire. Almond screamed for her to stop but she wasn't paying a damn. She drew out a sun sword to disarm the death warrior. Almond reached out a hand to grab her but with one wave of her sword she threw him off his feet. With a resounding crunch he hit the opposite wall and fell flat on his face. Red struck without a bit of concentration and missed slightly. Her arm seared with pain as her sun sword was snatched out of her hand, quite deftly.
Almond saw through hazy eyes how the death warrior, in one clean shot pass her own sword through her body. He could see it beyond her back. By the time he reached after disarming the death warrior and destroying his staff, Red was lying in a pool of blood. He started hearing footsteps coming from the corridors. He knew his friends would stop him from doing what he had planned. So he rushed things up and said softly to the body in front of him, "You said you'd live to tell me what I mean to you. You can't break a promise made to me as easily as that...."
Early next morning Red woke up to the battering on her door. It was Almond yelling, "Red! Answer me! Are you alright? Red, open the damned door...." Red strained to keep her eyes open as she walked up to the door and pulled the door open. Her eyes closed as she swayed. Almond's face showed with relief and then disappointment as he lurched forwards just in time to sweep Red in a hug. She breathed deeply and woke to the smell of a fragrant smell of (not again!) shampoo. Almond pushed aside the hair from her face and said softly as he let her turn around, "What's up with you, Red? We've a job to do.... Are you not well?" Almond chose his words carefully as he knew it wasn't really going to be the best day for Red. Red nodded and said, "Thanks Al... but I'm fine. I'll join you downstairs. Now if you could excuse me, I want to go have a bath. I... no, it's nothing." Almond lingered a while before leaving. Red glanced at her bed, undone, messed up... like my life, she thought. She held back her countless emotions and went ahead to get ready for the coming day. She decided on a long maroon top to go with her faded jeans. Before any more thoughts threatened to hamper her day, she stepped under the shower, hoping that her feelings would drain along with the water that pelted her.
Almond waited anxiously for Red just outside his room. She seemed to be going in some sort of sleepy spell every time she used her powers. It was probably because of him, for he had soaked quite a lot of her life source. Red came along slowly as Almond chatted cheerily about the weather. He could feel from her affirmative nods that he wasn't being listened. Almond quietened down and grabbed her hand. She conveyed her nervousness by clutching his hand harder. Sherry and Cleo were getting ready, packing their supplies and trying to ease off the nervousness. Takshak stood aloof, not willing to face his daughter. Almond smoothed his hair and entered the kitchen to find Zhi and Tess preparing breakfast. He smiled and began helping them out. In an hour, Almond, Sherry and Cleo were sinking through the portal. It sure was a wonder to watch. Red communicated with Sherry as she explored her telepathic powers. Sherry asked her to shut off so that she could catch some rest before heading for the other world. She fell asleep the moment the connection broke.
Cleo described the whole view in quite poetic terms to Sherry. Almond searched the horizon for the castle. He spotted it some distance beyond the river. Cleo said hurriedly, "Let's set up base somewhere near the castle. It will be easier for the others to come here." Almond nodded and created an air shield for them all to travel. By the time they landed, Almond's head was spinning. Sherry communicated to Red, "Red, you guys had better come here; we've got an air sick warrior here." Almond was on the ground puking when Red arrived with the twins in tow. Shaking all over he sat back for some time with Red beside him. She was almost emotionless, nonchalant to the point of being uncaring. Almond felt it in her cold touch, she seemed so distant, and not the Red he had seen in the library or the Red he met every morning over coffee. Before he could say a word she stood up and started walking towards the castle. Cleo, Sherry and the twins followed her. They all understood that she was not in a mood to be not heeded. Almond shrugged and fell in line behind Red. All of a sudden Red stopped, closed her eyes and focused all her soul into forging the Fire sword. Her hair blew around her face and the pressure in her temples turned to pain for the hundredth time. She muttered in angered tones, "On your guard, folks! Six of them, sixty meters from us. Charge up, I've got a plan!" Amazed, they listened to what she said. At the end, they were all grinning. Red stood back-to-back with Almond who seemingly forgot her coldness. Zhi had Tess on his shoulders, ready for their unbeatable complementary attacks. Sherry and Cleo stood close by. Soon enough, Red was sword fighting with two death warriors. One of them was Carlon who laid down his weapon without a stroke of a fight. So he became the first one to leave. Strangely Red received no wounds as if something was protecting her. After what seemed like ages, Red defeated that dreaded death warrior. She took all her strength to melt the sword of that warrior - no - more. She turned to see Almond. He was lying flat on the ground, blood gushing from open wounds. She ran across the field and bent over him, scared of losing him again, "Hey Almond? You there?" He nodded and gave a smile that cracked her heart to bits. He said in a croaky voice, "I've your soul Red. You wouldn't let me die.... Don't worry, I'll regenerate. I did it willingly." Then she understood his role, she wasn't protected by a shield, it was someone who had risked his life to be her shield. Someone called Almond. Sherry battled her opponent who offered her eyesight in exchange for her powers. Cleo went on with a hand to kick to hand to kick fight.... Tess and Zhi struck with lightening force. Zhi created a huge fire wall while Tess used water jets to disarm their two opponents. And again, Zhi used fire to destroy their weapons forever. Almond had regenerated and Red had gone back to her coldness. Unfortunately, none of them knew that the lord of the death warriors had dual system of weapons. The slithery man hadn't shown all his weapons as he should have. There was a chance he would return, to avenge his loss from the one person who had disarmed him, Red.
It was when the six of them were resting that all hell broke loose and Takshak began sealing the portal against death warriors. Almond was under a tree stroking Red's head. He wasn't sure if she had a fever or not but he was sure she wasn't going to like what Takshak was doing. Almond had to use the bit of energy Takshak had given him for making her forget the event for three hours, just so that they had enough time to seal the spirits.
A sudden glow appeared in the sky that seemed to be growing brighter every minute. Almond gulped down his guilt and held Red's hand till she wrestled it free. All of them were looking with knowing expressions, all except Red. She watched as an ethereal image of Takshak formed in front of her eyes. It was all a daze in which he kissed her forehead and said, "Red, I couldn't have had a more loving daughter. I'm not betraying you, honey. I love you. I want you to become the most successful Queen ever." And then the image vanished in a puff of smoke. Red stood there, motionless, drained of all emotions and energy. So her intuitions were right. Almond came from behind her stealthily and placed his palms gently over her temples. He passed on the energy Takshak had given into her body. She stood there and remembered how Takshak had made Almond pass out when he had a panic attack in the car. He was going to do the same thing through Almond now. That was the last thing she felt her eyes close as the others began reaching for Almond and Red. Almond caught her before her head hit the ground. Almond motioned for the others to catch some rest and explained what he had done. Red slept dreamlessly and Almond kept her company in the soul dimension, watching over her.
An hour later, they all were marching down to the castle to break the three barriers that concealed the spirits of the castle and the subjects who were all at a standstill. Red was almost in a trance. Barely talking and commanding. She was like a warrior without a heart, as if she didn't want to be doing what she was. Though she herself couldn't explain what actually was wrong with her. Still, they finally reached the castle. It was as dead as the spirits in it. The fire sword could break it, if not; Almond would take in the barrier. Almond said, "The four of you must destroy all the shields encasing the windows in all the corridors. The spirits must have an escape passage. Red and I will break the barriers. You guys move on in groups, we'll handle this side." Almond knew he was running out of time, after some time, Red's memory of her father's death would return and she would not be able to fight. He grabbed her arm and they ran across one hall to another to reach the basement. He stopped short on reaching the basement, so did Red. It was so dark that no one could see a thing. Red said in her nonchalant voice, "I'll use the fire sword, so that we can at least see what is here." The mere presence of the most powerful sword ever forged seemed to bring light to the place. She waved the sword around. It was as creepy as it could get. Way creepy than any of them would have imagined. Apparently it looked like the inside of a sea, one which held lakhs of dead bodies. Their dresses floating, hair entangled, blood mingled with some bodies. Red trembled as she readied her sword to penetrate the barrier. Almond stood behind her and wrapped his hands around hers to stop her from trembling. Brushing away her fears he said, "Listen Red, before destiny separates us, if it is destined, I want to tell you that... wherever you are, whenever you need me I'll be there beside you. You were, are and shall always be my first love," Red's hand stopped shaking as his low pitched voice said those words. A bundle of positive energy rolled inside her. She nodded but said nothing. Almond replied in return for the unsaid words, "I know you understood my feelings. Let's do it and see what lies ahead." She said softly, "I want to live to say the same words to you, so you better not die here, got it." Almond gave a small smile and said, "You got it, my Queen!" Red let all her energy flow through her hands and into the fire sword. It was the last time she was using her most prized sword. To break all three barriers, the fire sword would be absorbed inside the sea and the barrier would break from inside. As she felt the Fire sword's presence waver she knew the barriers were breaking. Almond held her tight as he shielded from all the rising spirits. It took around twenty minutes for all the spirits to leave. None of them returned and that signified Sherry, Cleo, Tess and Zhi were probably successful in breaking the windows open. Red said playfully, "You dork! The way you had put it I thought death was imminent...." A thunderous voice pierced the air before Almond could even say a word, "It still is, Queen Red! Prepare to die...." Almond stepped up front and said in a crispy cold voice, "Don't be naïve. You aren't a death warrior anymore." The death warrior's shrill laugh resonated across the hall, "I have 'dual weaponery', the only one to have this power...." Red spat back, "Very well, I'll disarm you this time for good." The look in his eyes reminded her of the death warrior she had caged some time ago. She started seeing Takshak's face swim right in front of her. She fell to her knees sobbing. Almond looked at her, horrified that she had started recalling Takshak's death. Her ability to control her powers was losing as her elements raged causing water to erupt from the midst of fire. Almond screamed for her to stop but she wasn't paying a damn. She drew out a sun sword to disarm the death warrior. Almond reached out a hand to grab her but with one wave of her sword she threw him off his feet. With a resounding crunch he hit the opposite wall and fell flat on his face. Red struck without a bit of concentration and missed slightly. Her arm seared with pain as her sun sword was snatched out of her hand, quite deftly.
Almond saw through hazy eyes how the death warrior, in one clean shot pass her own sword through her body. He could see it beyond her back. By the time he reached after disarming the death warrior and destroying his staff, Red was lying in a pool of blood. He started hearing footsteps coming from the corridors. He knew his friends would stop him from doing what he had planned. So he rushed things up and said softly to the body in front of him, "You said you'd live to tell me what I mean to you. You can't break a promise made to me as easily as that...."
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