Truths from the Past: Book 5 of the Kinstone series

A massive stream of fire rages against the palace doors. The impact is loud and echoes, sounding like a massive cannon fired at close range. The doors start to buckle and bulge from the impact. The wood paneling begins to burn while the metal fittings start to grow red hot and melt away.

The guards on the other side stand in bewilderment as a second impact rocks against the doors, now watching as the huge doors freeze entirely.

I tsk as Celes and I summon forth even more fire, having it swirl and grow around us. Upon the fifth pass, we hurl the massive firestream at the doors, watching them finally burst open. I still can’t believe how tough these doors were.

We both hit it with the force of a dragon at full power. So we quickly had to switch tactics and had the wolves freeze it, causing the metal and wood to become highly brittle before unleashing another stream of fire to destroy the doors.

Once gone, we leap back onto our wolves and race through the presidio entryway and gardens. We dash past guards with some having been knocked to the ground from our assault. Others stare in awe of Fenris and me, some even in shock at Celes and Athena.

I glance over, seeing where she and I enjoyed a quiet few moments together just before I started school. However, the gardens have now undergone a dramatic transformation. The trees are all now completely dead and withering away.

The entire presidio reeks of fel and necromantic magic. It turns my nose as I wrinkle it. I can’t believe I was this close and didn’t sense it.

My ears twitch at the sounds of stone cracking and breaking. I peer up to see more and more sickening green veins pulsing from the walls of the palace. I pan around, seeing the same thing in the adjacent buildings and structures.

Several of the guards watch as everything unfolds, flee in panic, abandoning their posts. I sigh, thinking that’s fewer people we have to deal with.

This also makes me wonder if this means that with Selene on the verge of death, that some of the protections placed on the palace also are weakening. This is similar to my theory about the wolves maintaining the stability of the city even while in captivity. There must also have been other seals and safeguards put in place by Nethune that are slowly being undone as the corruption overwhelms them.

This all leads to how extensive the concealment enhancements were, noting each time I felt it, it was hidden from me. I think even fae would be impressed by this level of secrecy, if not appalled and disgusted at what lied beneath it all.

I then see the main doors leading into the palace as they come up fast. I draw my sword as does Celes. Our swords glow as magic swirls and coalesces around the blades. Our wolves too summon freezing winds that begin to surround us. All four of us then hurl our gathered magic into the doors, completely blowing them up.

We race through the foyer and aim towards the winding staircases. As we ascend them, my nose twitches as the scent of rot and decay fills the air. I pan up to see more undead soldiers and even heavily-armed knights race down the stairs

I can even hear some of them groan and snarl with inhuman sounds. Their movements, while fluid as a living being, still possess a slight gait and delay.

I smirk, geez, it’s like I’m in the middle of a medieval zombie movie.

Celes and I leap off of our wolves and begin to slash and cleave our way through the undead hordes. Our blades glow red hot as they easily cleave through armor and rotting flesh. I leap from soldier to soldier, slashing into one, wrapping a tail around another, and spin, carrying it along and throwing it down the stairs before blasting it with kitsune-bi, repeating the process over and over again.

Our wolves summons micro blizzards that slice and freeze any undead foolish enough to challenge them. Fenris sends shadowy tendrils into a line of armored knights which then erupt as icy spikes spring from them. Athena charges into another group of soldiers, snarling as several shadowy circles open up and drag her prey into them.

Both wolves then summon another blizzard, hurling it into more and more soldiers, blasting them away from us.

Celes hangs close, slashing and stabbing her way through the hordes. I glimpse back, watching as she places the tip of her sword against a knight. A tiny stream of magic erupts from the back and pierces into the soldier behind it and continues on into the next one and several more on upwards. Its trajectory is constantly changing as it pierces more and more soldiers.

Once a limit is reached, the soldiers drop to the ground as I watch the line retracts. I tilt my head, now that’s awesome.

My ears then flick as several of the undead begin to crawl along the walls like spiders. Okay…ewww if not cliché. This really is getting to be a bit too much for me.

I leap onto the wall. Using wind magic to keep traction, I race towards them, launching orbs mixed with dragonfire and kitsune-bi at them. The skittering undead immediately burst into flame and fall onto the stairs.

Our slow march continues up the stairs as we fight increasing numbers of undead. While they’re nowhere near the same caliber as the ones I first fought against, it’s the sheer number that’s becoming a nuisance.

Celes and I hurl massive streams of fire at the never-ending opponents, dashing past their charred and smoldering remains. It makes me wonder if there are any actually living soldiers or guards even in the palace at all.

Ice and wind surge around us as our wolves fight and rip through any that manage to slip past our attacks. Shadows erupt, dragging, skewering, tossing, and blasting away at soldiers.

Celes and I also fire wind blades, easily cleaving through the unprotected sections of the soldiers’ armor. Limbs fly everywhere I follow this up by summoning several clones of myself to help bolster our fighting force. I can’t summon one of either of our wolves, seeing how the magic required would take too long to muster, not to mention replicating their magic would be extremely difficult.

As I slash through another group of knights, I pan over just as Celes envelopes her sword in wind. She then thrusts it into a squad of soldiers, instantly obliterating them. I smile softly as we carry on.

Throughout all of this, I think of our last moments with Serasfall. I can still feel her hand as I held it tightly in my own. I then smile softly, knowing that while gone, her spirit is watching over us, keeping our focus on our mission. I find strength and hope as I can feel her standing with us.

I glance over to Celes, seeing the same pain that I carry. Serasfall was her mother, one she gladly and happily shared with me. While my time with her is nowhere near the same as hers, being she spent her entire life with, it’s still just as meaningful. I fight back tears as we carry on, trying to reach our goal.

All around us I watch as the walls and pillars begin to crack, with even more pulsing green veins. I can feel the corruption spreading faster and faster the higher we go. It’s as though the palace itself is a rotting corpse as the colors fade, revealing blackened messes under it all. Everything around me is dying, and I never that building could die like a living being.

We finally reach the top of the palace, having cut our way through yet another mass of undead. Their numbers are just endless and we’ve doing this for what seems like forever.

My breath is labored and legs burn from having to run up endless flights of stairs. My magic is somewhat low, yet not enough to worry about. My hands are sore from gripping my sword tightly through all of this. When, and I do mean when, we make it through this, I will be giving it a thorough cleaning as rotting flesh and grime ooze from the blade.

I summon back my clones as we head down the corridor leading towards the throne room. As the four of us run down its length, I find it strange about this particular hallway is that none of the portraits seem to be rotting away. A strange thing to notice but it’s still something.

When we come within eyesight of the throne room, we see the King standing there with over fifty armored men. They all wear medium armor, with it mostly situated around their chests, arms and legs. It’s ornately crafted with embossed reliefs of gold and silver with red as the primary color. If anything, the armor is meant to allow for easy and swift movements. Covering their faces are formless masks of pure silver, giving them a faceless appearance.

These are the king’s elite troops, having only seen them once before while here at the palace. According to uncle Tyrion, they’re fighting abilities are on par with knights of Shyair. So we might’ve hit a snag on this mission. Then again…they’ve never fought against a nine-tailed kitsune before.

As I stare at them, my eyes dart about the troops, trying to analyze any and all details about them, trying to discern a plan of attack.

“Princess Celestine!!!” he yells. “As king of Dewloura, I order you to surrender yourselves. You are to then be arrested and charged with high treason against the crown for your actions this day. Your house shall be stripped of its titles and branded as traitors for defying me.”

I grip my sword tightly as I glare at him from under my mask. My tails swish angrily around me, flaring with spectral flames as they orbit around me. While I know I’m teetering on the brink of exhaustion, I feel my body winding up into a spring, ready to burst out and really do some damage.

Our wolves stand beside us, each staring him down with Fenris causing a torrent of shadowy, icy wind to swirl around him.

Vikarion turns his attention to our wolves. “The wolves,” he snarls, “I learned how they broke from their masters at the howling of another.” He spits on the ground, “I declare you traitors and deserters. Only fit for death.”

Fenris barks and snarls at him, causing the king and his elite guard to shudder. My bonded holds his head high while angling his head down, displaying his anger towards the man.

“The Black Wolf,” he snarls, turning his full attention onto my wolf. “The wolf…of great change. I still recall you from that day a few months ago. Your presence truly terrified me that day. I wholeheartedly despise you, for you too are a king, the king of all wolves. I can see why the others chose to leave their masters. Such utter nonsense and blasphemy before my continence.”

I snort, this guy sure loves to hear himself talk. The more he does, the more I remember him simply standing by as his house attempted to manipulate the others into killing my family.

He then looks to me. “The fox spirit,” his lips curls into a snarl. “The being bonded with the Black Wolf. I too remember you. To think a lowly spirit would dare interfere with our grand designs.”

He then huffs, regaining his kingly composure. “You may claim to be of the city but I know you to not be of Dewloura, nor your wolf. Outsiders, brigands, you shall be brought to heel.”

Vikarion then looks to Celes, “Now…drop your weapons, and prepare to be judged.”

Celes grips her sword tightly and returns his gaze with her own. Magic and anger swell around, forming a purplish-white hazy aura.

“You…you are the traitors!” she yells at him. “You and your family have once again violated the ancient pact with the wolves made by our ancestors over a millennia ago. You killed wolves and then used them in your profane experiments. You abducted innocent people and murdered them, only to be transformed into undead soldiers to fulfill your twisted ambitions.”

The area around her erupts and shakes with magical pressure, causing it to shake. “Oh yes, we found your laboratories and were aghast at the sight of rotting wolves.”

She then grits her teeth, “You have damned this city with your experiments. The corruption spreading from them not only has affected the city, but also its people, driving them into fear. This will all lead to our home’s destruction. The earthquakes are proof that the leyline is fighting back”

The king huffs, drawing his sword.

Celes’ eyes flare with anger as she raises her sword, “I, Celestine Arthlyn Shyair, as by my right of royal blood and succession, hereby depose you of your throne and crown.”

The man snarls, baring his teeth at us. I then watch as his eyes glow a deep sickening green. His face then begins to peel away as his anger grows. The off-feeling I had from him grows even stronger as parts of his face drop to the floor, revealing a decaying form.

A lich. The man before us is undead, but only half so as his body retains some actual life within it. That’s why I couldn’t get a bead on him, being both truly alive and undead at the same time. This means Nethune probably had plans beyond this. Now I really hope we end this.

Vikarion snarls, pointing his sword at us. “Kill them…leave nothing behind.” They unsheathe their swords and charge at us. They make no battle cry, no shouts of anger, moving only in silence.

“Stand down!!!” orders Celes. However they simply continue their charge.

I grip my sword tightly as they draw closer. “I’m gonna charge ahead and clear a path.”

My sister looks to me, “That is too reckless. There are far too many, even for you.”

I really don’t care how many there are. They’re in our way and our goal.

I take a step forward and Rush towards them. As I spin through the air, several Orbs and kitsune-bi sprout from me. I launch myself straight into them, firing all of the spells I summoned, pelting them with bolts of magic and slashing anyone in front of me. Many are flung away from me upon contact, flying into walls and into each other.

As I commit to my onslaught, Fenris follows close behind, pelting the guards with ice and shadow. He easily tears through their armor, ripping them away with his fangs. He grabs a sword from a fallen guard and proceeds to slash and parry any retaliation. He then leaps off of a guard and whips his head, sending the sword flying into another who then flies back, impaling yet another.

I change direction and leap towards the wall to my left. I Rush again, plowing into the next group of troops. Again, many go flying from the impact of my attacks. I drive my sword into the floor, sending a shockwave of magic, knocking several more to the ground. I pull it out, sending a blast of ice all around, firing shards of ice into the men.

I slash at them, firing Orbs into their ranks, watching as they are hurled forward upon the return trip. I then slash at them again, cleaving through their armor.

Fenris follows up my grabbing several troops with his tails and flings them into shadows, only to reappear on top of their comrades. He then summons a pair of shadow clones and has them rip and tear into the others.

It’s not that their weak, I simply have caught them off guard with how fast my attacks are. This is also where I am at my absolute best, in extreme close quarters. My attacks are vicious and ever changing.

I pivot on my heel, performing a third Rush, this time towards the king himself.

I exit out of my Rush just in front of him. He steps back slightly, yet his half-undead eyes glare at me. He then begins to slash at me with his sword. I parry and counter. Sparks fly as steel meets steel, blades shirking loudly and echoing off of the walls.

We spin and dodge, catching each other’s attacks and parries. His attacks are heavy, feeling far more than even magically-enhanced humans should possess. I often have to angle my parries just to avoid being crushed by his downward swings.

He snarls as I parry yet another attack. “Stupid, filthy fox. Spirit or not, you are worthless against me. You fit perfectly with Shyair, and therefore shall die with them.”

I ignore his jab, only to twirl, leaping into the air. I grab the man by my tails and flip backwards. The momentum is enough to lift him off of the floor and behind me.

He flails slightly until he is met by the waiting fangs of Fenris. My wolf snarls, grabbing him and dragging him into a shadow. The sound of flesh and bone tearing free can be heard from within as I watch the lifeless body of the king flying out of the shadow followed by Fenris.

I turn and see a pair of guards standing by the doors to the throne room. I perform and fourth Rush towards them. I twirl and pelt them each with bolts of magic, knocking them away with a third bolt blasting open the doors.

I flip and exit the Rush, sliding to a halt as I face the hallway. I swipe my sword, finally freeing the blade of the gunk and muck from fighting the undead hordes. The blade reeks of rot and decay. I summon a small whirl of ice, melting it into water and swirl it around the blade, cleaning it. I swipe it again, letting loose the water and finally sheathing my sword.

Fenris quickly joins me, followed by Celes and Athena. We quickly shut the doors, lowering the beam at the side and barring it shut.

Celes then walks over to me, eyes seething with anger. “That was reckless, Aria!” she yells. “I told you it was and yet you ignored me. What you did was foolish.” She then raises her hand, possibly in order to slap me. I stare up at her, waiting for it.

She instead pulls me into her arms, hugging my tightly. “We just lost Mother,” she says, holding me close to her. “I could not bear the thought of losing you as well.”

I cling to her, burying my face into her armored chest. “Please sister, please promise you will never do something so foolish again.”

I nod, clinging even tighter to her, “I promise.”

We stand there for a moment before she gives me one final squeeze and then lets go of me. I pan over to the wolves, with Athena nuzzling Fenris, while also scolding him. He smiles, nuzzling her in return.

Celes and I then hop over to the center of the throne room, pulling out the familiar form of the Xur’canah in its disc form. I find it funny at how close Selene was to it and never knew it was there.

She then unfurls it and taps a few panels. A soft hum echoes through the room as the panels begin to glow. I look up, seeing the sacred crystal above start to glow softly. My ears then flick as the sound of floor tiles moving fills the room.

I look over to see the center of the room open, reveal a stone pedestal as it rises. It’s large and black with truesilver inlay swirling patterns around the base and leading up with a three-column center. Crystals are inlayed throughout the pedestal, which flat on top with what appears to be movable dials. In all it stands over five feet in height and is rather beautiful.

I wince slightly as I feel the corruption strongly here as it continues its spread. Now with no one, or anyone paying attention to keep it in check, it feels that it’s accelerating even faster.

Celes looks to me, “Watch carefully as I do this.”

I nod and hop over to her, as she then places the Xur’canah on to the pedestal, hearing it click into place and begins to tap even more panels and then moves the dials on the pedestal itself. I write down everything she does, taking care notice of what to do.

She glances at me as she twists the lantern again, “To fully unseal the city, you simply reverse what I am doing.”

I nod, but why say that to me? It’s obvious she’s telling me how to perform the procedure. Regardless, I continue to write and observe what she’s doing.

Celes taps a final series of panels before pressing the Xur’canah into the pedestal. I watch as the crystal inlays glow brightly. My ears then perk as I hear a loud humming coming from above. I look up again, watching as the sacred crystal glows even brighter than before. The light swirls in flowing waves and streams that is sort of hard to describe.

We then feel the floor tremble as the pedestal send out a pulse of energy as it rocks the room. The tips of my ears tingle as I feel more raw magical power than ever before in my life emanating around me.

The pedestal pulses again and again as it begins to hum and harmonize with the sacred crystal. Celes retrieves the Xur’canah as the pedestal begins to retract into the floor. She looks to me, “Our task is complete.”

I nod, but only at great cost.

She nods, stashing away the lantern, “We should go. The process will begin shortly, and then slowly spread outwards until covers the entirety of the city.”

I nod and stash away my journal.