INSIGNIAS: THE REGALIS

The portal of darkness continued to gently suck the air and sands near it while the Regalis stared at the phenomenon. Skhy noticed specks of light blinking in the void like stars in the dark heavens. He tried to read its energy, if it is a regular portal or a demons’ one. The pull was strong but it’s energy felt strange and foreign. He glanced up at the Concordians and Mortemians watching the Seven but he knew that no one could help him. He turned to his friends who were still being held captive by their Regalis’ powers. Clyne and Aria were glaring at the black circle; Nate eyed it curiously; and Lei and Tessa seemed to detest it. These are the most emotions they showed ever since they unleashed their strengths. Faz cautiously walked toward Skhy who was having silent battles in his mind. He was hesitant to use the portal. What if we can’t return.

"I’llmake sure to keep everyone safe." Ciar’s promise helped ease the worry.

“What do you plan to do with that?” Nate asked.

“Let’s stop this,” Skhy replied, unwilling to tell them his idea.

“There’s no stopping this.” Aria took a step forward. “That portal is the proof of that.” They knew it’s for them.

“We won’t win against them,” Faz whispered beside him.

“What’s your plan?” Skhy whispered back. Lei, Tessa, Nate, Aria and Clyne stood together facing Skhy and Faz. “Let Neus and the others fight them?”

Skhy dreaded the idea. They might kill each other. Another idea blossomed in his mind but he quickly trampled it. Allowing the Regali power to surface was a bad idea. Skhy feared that he and Faz might lose themselves completely.

“Push them inside,” he told Faz who nodded somberly. Faz heard his and Ciar’s interaction telepathically but didn’t interfere.

Clyne suddenly attacked them. Towering waves of dark sands formed around Skhy and Faz, trapping them together with the portal. Faz’s lighting strike, and gaps were formed. Once the two escaped, Lei and Tessa cornered them. Skhy noticed the longing in Faz’s eyes and he sympathized with him. Skhy watched Lei with sadness. But the two girls couldn't care less about their feelings. The ground around Skhy and Faz exploded, the flying sands obscuring their views. Twelve thin dark roots shot up. Two grabbed Skhy’s ankles, twisting around them painfully. He hissed of pain. Faz ran away with Tessa following him. Skhy called his wind to cut the roots. Lei didn’t make it easy for him. Two roots twisted around his wrists and another two around his ankles. Before he could summon his wind, a thick red root emerged and wrapped itself around his stomach. It gripped him so tightly that he shouted in pain. Skhy looked at Lei in the eyes, hers had turn from ocean green to emerald, so bright in the darkness. But they were cold, unfeeling, expressionless. She was surrounded by green, red and black roots just wiggling in the air.

“I know you’re in there,” he panted. His wind cut the roots gripping his wrists and ankles but the red root was too thick. “You know this isn’t right.”

Lei answered by tightening the grip of the red root. Four thick black roots snaked toward him. His wrists and ankles were once again bound. His heart drummed in his chest as his fear grew. He wasn’t scared to die to protect Arconien against the Rosein Army but he feared that his friends might die. Remembering the Eschaton war, his eyes closed for a second when the faces of the people who died flashed in his mind. But this is different. The Regalis are fighting against their allies.

His thoughts were interrupted by a scream. His head turned toward the voice. Skhy only saw Aria’s angry face, outstretch arm as if trying to reach something before she was swallowed by the void. Clyne stood stunned and frozen a few feet in front of it. His eyes wide, his mouth slightly open, his right hand was raised toward the portal.

“No,” he shouted. He ran toward the portal and without pausing, jumped into the void, surprising both Skhy and Lei. What happened? Lei recovered first and manipulated two thick red roots to wrap around his torso and thighs. Skhy groaned. Her dark stare made him shiver involuntarily. She’s blaming me. His wind continued to attack and tried cut through but the roots regenerate easily. He started getting dizzy because he was having difficulty breathing. Cold sweat rolled down his forehead as he pant heavily. Black spots started to form in his vision. His head bobbed. He blinked them away while shaking his head. I have to stop this. As the guardian of the Regalis, the person who gathered them, he felt a huge sense of responsibility to keep everyone safe. Slowly, he looked up. He found Lei’s eyes on him but her gaze was no longer dark and cold. There was a hint of concern on her rigid face. She was trembling slightly.

“Lei,” he breathed out. Her emerald eyes widened a bit. “Is it you?”

Something in his peripheral vision caught his attention so he turned his head. A Mortemian was running toward them. A few seconds after, Skhy recognized Ciar’s energy. Before he could react to Ciar’s interference, his voice rang in the air.

“The portal! It’s a trap! It’s created by spies from the Rosein Army!” Skhy quickly turned to the portal with wide eyes, his breath caught in his chest. Aria! Clyne! Faz and Tessa were standing too close to the portal. Faz’s strong hands gripped Tessa’s wrists as she glared at him and as he talked softly. He looked torn. Nate laid unmoving a couple of feet from them. Faz had not heard Ciar’s warning. Impossible. He has good hearing ability. Then reality hit Skhy. It took him a moment to notice the dark and thick liquid encasing Faz’s lower body. The liquid was tethered to the void, pulling at Faz.

On the hill, Concordians and Mortemians were moving. No one seemed to be looking at

the Seven anymore. They were busy fighting the traitors in their legions.

“Lei!” Skhy turned to her. “Let me go, please.” Lei had hardened her expression again but she was still shaking. The roots slowly detached themselves from him. Skhy breathed a sigh of relief. Once he was free, he ran to her and embraced her tightly.

“Stay with us,” he whispered. Lei didn’t respond but she didn’t push him away.

“I’ll take care of them!” Ciar ran past them toward Faz and Tessa. When Ciar was near, the

portal started pulling violently. The dark liquid around Faz snaked to his torso and pulled him. He gasped and released his hold on Tessa who seemed surprise by the sudden burst of power of the portal. NO. Ciar released bluish mist around the portal. It slowed it’s pull. He grabbed Faz’s arms and pulled him from the dark liquid’s clutch. It proved useless. Ciar became another victim. He couldn’t remove himself from in it.

Skhy pushed away from Lei and looked at her in the eyes. His heart rejoiced when he noticed that she returned to herself. She looked confused but regret and fear also clouded her emerald orbs.

“I need to help them,” he whispered. “Stay with Tessa. Help her remember.” Lei nodded lightly. Skhy squeezed her hands before running to help his friends, enduring the tight pain in his legs, arms and stomach.

“What do we need to do?” Skhy asked Ciar who was still struggling to free himself. Faz and Ciar were only a couple of feet from the portal’s void.

“Tessa need to control it,” Ciar replied, “There’s no other way.”

Skhy grabbed Tessa’s shoulders. She stood frozen with her wide ocean blue eyes staring at Faz. She opened her mouth just to close it. Lei stood beside her, looking less lost.

“Hey, it’s ok. You can do this. Release them. Please.” Tessa shook her head.

“I- I- I don’t know how.”

Lei cautiously placed her trembling hand on Tessa’s shoulder. She appeared to be struggling to control the power inside her but the look she gave Skhy was firm.

“You do,” she comforted Tessa. “Feel the connection, grab it and pull.”

“A little help!” Ciar shouted. Faz was only two arms away from the portal but he didn’t look concern or scared. His soft gaze on Tessa was unwavering. Ciar’s mist still surrounded it but it was thinning slowly.

“I- I- Faz,” Tessa stuttered. Skhy faced the portal. He raised his arms to call his wind but Cair stopped him.

“No.” His feet were being dragged against the sands. “It will push my mist away. It might push us quickly toward it.” Skhy clenched his fists. I can’t do anything. When Faz shouted, Tessa screamed too. Half of his body entered the portal. Skhy grabbed Ciar’s legs and pulled. Ciar cursed under his breath.

“No one can help us?” Skhy asked Ciar, panting and groaning as he tried to resist the pull of the portal.

“Enemies. A lot.” Ciar’s face was pale. “This liquid is draining our energy.”

“Tessa,” Faz croaked. His crestfallen face turned to Skhy.

“No,” Skhy said. He felt like Faz was going to say goodbye. He wouldn’t allow it. They had to save Aria and Clyne too.

“Faz!” When Tessa shouted, the dark liquid quickly release him. She started convulsing and Lei cushioned her fall. But the release wasn’t quick enough. Ciar dropped on his knees but Faz was already deep in the void. Only his left shoulder and arm and his head were out. Ciar and Skhy rushed to him and grabbed his hand.

“Do not let go,” Ciar ordered. A thick red root snaked against the sands and twisted around Faz’s arm. Faz’s hand was slowly slipping. Skhy’s grip tightened but the effort was straining him, Ciar and Faz. That was when the portal slowly shrink.

“Let me go,” Faz said firmly.

“No,” Skhy replied.

“We don’t know what will happen when it closes while a part of me is out.” Faz glanced behind Skhy where Tessa lay unmoving but alive.

“Find me later,” he added, “Find us.” There was a finality in his gaze that Skhy’s eyes water.

“You can do that, right?” Faz had the audacity to challenge Ciar.

“I can and I will.” Faz smirked at Ciar’s response. He opened his fist but Skhy and Ciar held on until he slipped from their gasps. He smiled before the darkness swallowed him together with the rest of the portal.

Skhy dropped on the ground. He fisted his hair, feeling frustrated and useless.

“We will find them...,” Ciar promised but Skhy felt so lost he couldn’t hear the rest.