Rainbow Guardians: Chapter 14

 Chapter 14: The Depths of Despair

I walked on the rough lands of the Halley Mountains almost gliding. I didn't know whether it was my eagerness to save my planet or my adapted body, but I somehow managed to be rapid. All this landscape was familiar because whenever I needed an escape, I would ride Alyra to the natural formations of Starland. The outline of several giant rocks was getting closer. The Starbreaker Den, it was the place of our millennial heritage; it was the spot where five elements became one after ages. We kept going on for another long, endless hour, but my footsteps were cut down as I bumped into something fleshy. I shook my head and stared at the obstacle I tripped. Count Hermes had stopped before a rock with a narrow crack, a hand on his chin. He tried to measure its width by sliding in his hand; surprisingly, his whole arm and shoulder were able to pass. The Count turned his left side against the crack and carefully went in, shutting on his crystal light. Then, Mistress Persephone did the same and signed us to follow her. A few minutes later, everyone was inside the cave. There were many natural columns, stalactites, and stalagmites around. The outside shell of the cave was of limestone whereas the inside was pure Starland granite. Even though Starland granites had edgy patterns, I noticed some odd traces. They were rather meek but visible enough for the eye. I decided to tell this to the Count, so I used my thought transmitter for safe communication.

'Count Hermes, sir, could you look at the walls? There are some weird marks on them.'

'Marks? Let me check them up, Princess.' he answered.

He scanned them carefully and touched them, dusting them off. The traces became clearer, revealing carvings on the stone. These reminded me of the old element symbols before the war; there was a star with eight corners, two fused up-down hearts, a phoenix, and a prism. A sudden desire to brush the edge of the starlit in me. I obeyed my urge but felt a sting on my finger. Some glowing energy flew from my hand to the star, filling it. It illuminated the cave with a golden light.

'Princess Nelly, what's going on?' Hermes asked, gazing intensely.

'I touched the star, and it began to shine.' I explained as best as I could because I didn't know what the heck was happening too.

The rest of the group also watched a light show; particularly girls seemed to have no clue, even our smart cookie Neesha! Count and his comrades analysed this attentively; their faces and heads were proceeding to move as if they were in a hot debate. Moments later, they affirmed something and requested everyone to put on their thought transmitters.

'Well, everyone, we have a theory about this luminance.' Count Hermes spoke.

'According to our guesses, these symbols may be a part of a security system.' Mistress Persephone added and opened a 3D map of the area.

'This also can be connected to the answers we seek,' Count Hermes zoomed in, pointing. 'We are currently in the first tunnel of the cave. There could be a secret tunnel or something under us.'

'Indeed; however, we have to confirm this first. The old members should have carved these symbols according to a geologic prediction,' Mrs Eleanora said, holding a piece of the rock. 'I mean they were nearly invisible to us. They should have calculated the natural erosion process of this stone.'

'I definitely agree with Eleanora here. Let's clean this dust on the carvings, and princesses you wait here please.' Mistress Persephone said.

We nodded at her as Mistress, Count, and Eleanora scattered around. They gently removed the excess dirt on the other four carvings. Count Hermes called the girls other than me, and ironically the golden light was still glowing behind me. My finger was still leaking some energy. I nibbled it a little to stop this, but it burned the tip of my tongue and tasted like amber ashes (Yeah, I tasted burnt amber). I grimaced my face, spitting out.

Meanwhile, my friends touched their respective symbols. The spree of rays filled everywhere. Anny had a pink and dark red light surrounding her; whereas, Julia had a crimson one. Shanya was covered with an emerald green and brown sheen; Neesha was wholly lost inside a pale spectral halo. The lights combined on a flat rock, forming a brilliant white shine. 

The ground instantly vanished, and a capsule system appeared. It was quite similar to the one we had in Starland Core Energy Centre, but this was different in a way. There was a long tube-like, closed aqua park sledge. I slowly took a step towards it and went in. A soft glass cocoon spread over me, sending me through the tube. The only thing I could hear was the screams of my friends. Then, I sensed other people’s presence next to me. Count gave me a sign of assurance and proceeded to go. Anny and Shanya were grasping themselves with all their strength; Julia had pure ecstasy and adrenaline on her face, but Neesha somehow had the best poker face I had ever seen. Dimenians really needed to stop being this chill. Above me, Mistress Persephone and her assistants were holding each other while inhaling deeply. I just laughed at the status of everyone.

The strange thing was that we had a close brush with death due to Negavisians; however, this journey was making me giddier than I had ever been. Was it the hope of rescuing or revenge? I couldn't tell that, but I felt the fuelling of my psyche in my veins as if melting away my body. In either case of this merry hysteria or the death, I would become a spirit anyway. I had nothing to lose. My family was entrapped, my sisters were escaping, and most significantly, my planet and dimension would wipe out soon. The cocoon stopped as I realised this. I stood up, laughing in a maniac way, tears rolling down my face. Everyone there stared at me like a freak in the circus, a mutant in a lab. I put my hand on my forehead and looked at the back. Suddenly, a sob escaped from my mouth. My laughter turned into a crying jag, and I descended on my knees. I cried waterfalls, rivers and even oceans! I remembered the time when I first met with Alex. Just like everybody now, he was observing me oddly. Maybe I was meant to be a freak, a bimbo after all. I sighed loudly and wiped away my tears before anybody could comfort me. Again, my guts told me to follow them. My eyes focused on a golden sparkle; I began to walk in a direction aimlessly.

It led me to a room filled with orbs with elemental colours. I faintly smiled at the yellow sphere in the middle and touched it. This object reminded me of the amber-like light I received in my dreams. My thought transmitter and core charm shone. The energy on my finger and in the orb intervened, taking the shape of my fusion weapon. A familiar figure with long wavy hair and flowing dress passed inside me. I let out a breath I was holding unconsciously. A sweet ray of warmth spread around me, and I felt like my true self once again. I collapsed on my knees, sitting.

'W-what happened?' I asked dizzily with an awkward smile.

'Nelly, y-you formed a basic ancestral bond,' Mrs Eleanora replied. 'This is a very advanced technique we usually teach at level 3!'

'These orbs, they must be the remains I talked about!' Count exclaimed.

'Count Hermes, I thought of upgrading princesses via literal weapons of our ancestors, not forming a spiritual link!' Mistress, Persephone snapped.

'I had the same idea, but it seems I have been mistaken! This place… It is a priceless treasure of our intellectual history. Look around!'

I shook my head and scanned the place. I saw distant, blurry images wandering around, carrying things, or arguing.

'My princesses, the voyage we made here in the tubes has to be a purgation of emotions to prepare you for this bonding. Since we had already mastered the ancestral weapons, my colleagues and I were influenced less. I want you to contact with the orbs just like Princess Nelly. This will be your first step to mastering this technique. Come on!' Count Hermes announced and nudged us. I noticed the hesitant approaches of my friends and used my mental powers to send them a ray of hope. The light wasn't only energy after all; it was a feeling too.

They touched the orbs, and several different powers encircled their guns just like me. Anny was in intense smoke; Julia was inside a lava shell, and Shanya was covered with distinct plants and small animals. Neesha, on the other hand, was with a flow of neurons, sending waves. The room had more and more blurry figures dashing around. The girls landed on the floor like me; they were panting very heavily. Our fusion weapons and other accessories were gleaming.

Mistress Persephone, Mrs Eleanora, Mrs Penelope, Count Hermes, and Hermes's assistant came to our aid. They helped us to stand up, supporting us. Count again checked out his map, and began to head towards the north. Although we solved one of our issues, there were many others. For instance, how were we going to find that 'secret shortcut'? It was my home planet; however, even I was unaware of this room, headquarters, and that shortcut! I wondered whether things still were hidden from us. I searched the room for possible answers.

There were classic-style bookshelves and document drawers. Many old documents, books, and records that could enlighten us were inside them. The bad thing was there were also many shrapnel, fire stains and broken remains left from a fight. Before Mistress Persephone's revelation, for example, I didn't know anything about Prince Alexander or the civil war between his elder brothers! I still had much to learn.

We arrived at the other corner of the room. There was a sealed complex similar to the one at Rainbow Academy, but this one was locked with ropy things. A giant, transparent wall was standing in the back of it. The ropes were distorting, appearing, disappearing, and vice versa; a circle seal was spinning at the centre.

Count Hermes put his hand on the seal; it scanned his hand and started to react weirdly. The glitch continued for a while. The seal crumbled into pieces, zapping the Count, and he fainted, trembling non-stop. The transparent wall disappeared, and a blood-freezing hurricane wrecked us away. Our breaths caught in our lungs. I tried to move my limbs and inhale the cold air; however, it was no use. Everyone with me was stuck inside this frosty chamber. My sight started to fade away into the void, of bleakness. The light of hope in me was diminishing with every second. I could feel it. The warmth of our lives was evaporating; the chill breath of Negavise was enveloping us again. This time it engulfed each of us to its heart, the depths of despair — the zone of the unfortunate, wretched ones.