Crystal Doors #3: Sky Realm (No. 3) (2 page)

“Although the merlons in this world did not grant their permission for this, neither did they object,” Tiaret added.

Sharif’s olive-green eyes were serious as he continued the tale. “After that, Azric’s sister Aennia and the bright sage Qelsyn performed a great magic to seal the crystal doors to all worlds that held those immortal armies, but the magic was so strong that many other doors were sealed as well. Regrettably, Azric was not trapped behind any of the doors in the Great Closure. Since then, he has traveled from world to world finding new followers to replace his lost armies.”

“Fortunately for us, those new followers are not indestructible,” Tiaret said.

Sharif’s expression darkened. “Years ago Azric came in disguise to Irrakesh. My brother Hashim succeeded in exposing him and saving my people, but the dark sage killed him.”

“For thousands of years after the Great Closing, Elantyans had no contact with merlons,” Lyssandra said. “But all the while, Azric secretly gathered new supporters.”

“And since he’s come back to this world,” Vic concluded, “the merlons suddenly want to murder every land-living creature. Coincidence? I think not.” He thought of all the people he knew of who had been lost to Azric’s insatiable desire to conquer.

“No coincidence, Taz,” Gwen agreed, calling her cousin by the cartoon-inspired nickname she had given him when they were in kindergarten. “Azric wants the merlons to hate Elantya. He had no problems killing his own parents, and
mine,
and Sharif’s brother — and who knows how many other thousands or millions of people who were in his way.” Her violet eyes flashed with anger as she mentioned the dark sage. “And if everyone who can stop Azric is wiped out, he’ll have all the time he needs to break the seals on those crystal doors.”

“For that, he needs more than time, Doc. He needs
us,
” Vic pointed out. He hesitated for a moment, then added, “Or my mom.” Not only were Gwen and Vic the subjects of ancient prophecies about “Chosen Ones” and being “born beneath the selfsame moon,” the cousins had inherited the rare gift of seal breaking from their mothers.

“What I do not understand,” Lyssandra said, “is why the merlons hate people they do not know. It makes no sense to despise us simply because we live on land — or because Azric told them to hate us.”

Just then, Piri hovered over the edge of the deck rail, blinking orange with alarm.

The apprentices looked down at the water and went silent with shock as something lithe and vaguely humanoid broke the surface just far enough away that it was not affected by the Elantyan protective spells. At the center of its forehead pulsed a pair of circular membranes. Fine green scales covered the creature’s body and huge, oily dark eyes flashed from the wide face. A lookout called from the tall mast. Others shouted, passing on the warning, and soon all magic users and sailors aboard crowded to the deck rail. Everyone on the ship knew exactly what they were seeing.

A merlon.

Tiaret brandished her teaching staff. Sages scrambled to find their most powerful spell scrolls. Burly sailors hauled out long harpoons.

The ugly thing in the water held up its webbed hands in a pacifying gesture. Without making a move toward the
Sea Child,
it looked up at the apprentices and made the loud garbled sounds of merlon speech.

Tiaret eyed the merlon warily, even though it seemed to be alone and unarmed.

“What did it say?” Vic asked Lyssandra, who could understand the speech of the aquatic race.

The telepathic girl looked at her friends in confusion. “He says his name is Ulbar. He asks that we take him to see our leaders.”

2

FROM THE FRONT ROW of benches in the nearly deserted rotunda of Elantya’s Pentumvirate Hall, Vic, Gwen, and their friends watched the proceedings with interest. A smattering of colorfully garbed sages were also in the hall, along with all five members of the Pentumvirate, who had hastily assembled to meet the unusual visitor from beneath the sea.

Tugging absently at his white beard, Ven Sage Rubicas read a translation scroll to make the merlon’s speech comprehensible to everyone in the hall. Ulbar, who had a distinctive scarlet headfin, told an astonishing tale.

Gripping her teaching staff tightly, Tiaret eyed the aquatic visitor with suspicion. To her friends she muttered, “Are we to assume that peaceful merlons have truly shared this world with Elantya all along, yet the sages knew nothing of them?”

“Why not?” Vic answered in a low voice, so as not to interrupt Ulbar. “According to Ven Rubicas, the sages hardly had any contact with the merlons at all until the past century or so.”

“As my people say —” Sharif began, but Gwen shushed them all.

“We need to hear all of what Ulbar says. Then we can decide if it’s believable.”

Vic was interested to see that several of the Virs, the leaders of Elantya’s government, were gripping the rose and turquoise decision crystals on the arms of their stone chairs with apparent anxiety. None of them seemed to like being in the presence of this merlon. Vic certainly couldn’t blame them. Come to think of it, he was feeling a bit queasy himself. So far, his experience with scaly people hadn’t exactly been positive. Most members of the undersea race had either wanted to kill Vic or enslave him. Vic had also seen downtrodden merlon slaves, but he had considered them criminals, not peace-loving rebels, as Ulbar suggested.

Standing on the stone floor of the vaulted chamber, the merlon speaker seemed to squirm when Helassa asked, “Why should we believe you? If you are truly not among those merlons who for the past century have assaulted our ships, our island, and our people, the best that can be said of you is that you ignored our existence for millennia — even when Barak’s merlons attacked us. How can you now expect us to trust you?” The Vir of Protection wore a Grecian-style gown of diaphanous crimson material. Her left hand rested on the decision crystal on her armrest. When lit, the turquoise crystal signified a Vir’s negative vote on an issue.

Ulbar spread his webbed hands before the Pentumvirate. Though the spell allowed listeners to understand him, the merlon’s speech still sounded raspy and bubbly, as if his gills were full of phlegm. “We were at peace. Your presence did not affect us, nor did your war with distant Oo’regl. Your ships rarely travel past the boundary of crystal doors in this world, and we live far outside that circle. Safe. As chieftain of the city of Oo’sqibl, I felt that any disagreement between you and King Barak — half a world away from us — was irrelevant to my citizens.”

At this, white-robed Etherya gave a faint smile. Vic had heard that the Vir of Arts was a great-grandmother already, but Etherya’s dark hair and clear voice made her seem much younger. “And are the people of Elantya now relevant?”

Ulbar took a slithery step backward and bowed his head slightly. “King Barak and Azric have made you relevant.” The members of the Pentumvirate exchanged glances as the merlon went on. “I believe that Azric chose to corrupt those merlons that live closest to this island. Recently, Barak has become increasingly power mad. He began demanding tribute from cities that are far from his realm. He sent dark sages and an army against Oo’nisl and Oo’beebl, capturing many innocent merlons who opposed him. Even when Barak enslaved the chieftains of those cities, I and the more distant chieftains said nothing.
We
were safe, so it did not concern us. But now . . . Several days ago, a weary and tortured anemonite came to my city of Oo’sqibl. We fed and sheltered her and her kraega steed, and in return, she told us her story. She said several young land-dwellers had helped her people to escape Oo’regl, where King Barak had held them all captive. She explained King Barak’s plan to destroy everyone on Elantya, as well as his pledge to help the Dark Sage Azric in his quest to unseal the crystal doors and unleash his deathless armies on all the worlds.”

“And that is what brought you here?” asked Questas, the blue-robed Vir of Learning. “You need our help?”

“I propose an alliance.” Again, Ulbar bowed his head, as if in shame. “Two days ago, General Goldskin arrived in my city with a ruthless band of merlon warriors. She told us that Azric has left this world to gather his loyal followers through other crystal doors to join with King Barak in a great battle against Elantya. Goldskin demanded five hundred of my strongest warriors to join in Barak’s ‘holy cause’ of ridding Szishh of all land-dwellers. She warned if we did not fight beside them, they would return to destroy Oo’sqibl once their victory was complete. They would slaughter every adult merlon and take our children as slaves.”

In alarm, Helassa rose halfway from her stone chair.

Ulbar did not flinch, though he hastened to add, “To my great honor, everyone of my warriors swam with me in rejecting Goldskin’s demand. We drove her forces from Oo’sqibl. Barak and his armies have listened to false prophets. Their cause is not holy, and they will cause many deaths. Alas, they have coerced other tribes to fight beside them. Barak and his minions are your enemies. They are our enemies. We can fight together to defeat them while we protect as many good merlons as possible.” His fins fluttered and extended in a glorious, thorny frill. “It is the only honorable way we can free all merlons from the influence of an evil king and the evil sage.”

“How could you help us?” Vir Parsimanias asked in clipped syllables. The yellow-clad Vir of Resources showed interest in anything that could benefit Elantya.

Vic saw Ulbar’s ugly, earnest face relax as some of the tension flowed out of it. “Then you agree to an alliance? We will help you in your struggles to safeguard your citizens, this island, and all of the crystal door worlds if you, in turn, pledge to help me protect my people.” Ulbar’s scarlet headfin rippled as he thought for a moment before he then said, “We can assist your anemonites in locating the remaining lavaja bombs in the catacombs Barak’s people created beneath your island. We can post scouts underwater around your island. I will also send a few of my most trusted men to Goldskin to pretend that they have deserted our city and wish to fight with Barak’s army. My men can send us word when the forces of Oo’regl plan to attack.”

Helassa’s deep indigo eyes narrowed. “Or perhaps your plan is to infiltrate Elantya while posing as our friends. And then, when the battle with Barak’s merlons begins, you will turn against us and defeat us from within.”

“Classic strategy,” Vic whispered to his friends.

Ulbar stiffened at Helassa’s accusation, then seemed to force himself to calm down. His colorful fins retracted. “It is true that our people have no reason to trust one another. Merlons have attacked your ships, and humans have killed many merlons. The anemonite warned us that this would be so. Therefore, we brought the anemonite with us so that you may verify what I have said. We also brought a peace offering. If Azric were to learn what we have stolen from him, he would destroy Oo’sqibl down to the last minnow.” He turned slowly, blinking his lamplike eyes at the hushed listeners in the rotunda. “To receive this gift, I ask that you come with me to the harbor.”

RIPPLES FROM THE APPROACHING thunderstorm made the harbor waters choppy. The assemblage from the Pentumvirate Hall gathered on the shore.

“What do you think he brought, Doc?” Vic said to his cousin. “What if it’s a sea serpent? Wouldn’t that be cool?”

She gave him one of her please-grow-up looks. “You would think so.”

Not far away, Vic’s father and Sage Polup tested several new weapons, including an improved version of the anemonite scientist’s Grogyptian Fire cannon.

At the merlon ambassador’s request, the wary Virs had temporarily dropped some of the defensive spells at the mouth of the harbor. Doctor Pierce and the jellyfish scientist were ready to respond with force, however, if the merlon showed any sign of treachery.

At the edge of the water, Ulbar raised his hands without further ceremony, summoning his comrades to deliver the mysterious “gift.” Not far from the end of the docks, the water began to churn and bubble with activity. Moments later, the head of another merlon broke the surface. Then another and another, until there were at least a score of the aquatic people swimming slowly toward the shallows.

Gwen gave an involuntary gasp of alarm, but soon everyone could see the jellyfishlike anemonite scientist on her kraega steed leading them. Dripping and hissing as they emerged into the air, the merlons guided something large and vaguely human shaped. When they were waist-deep in the water, the merlons parted ranks. Ulbar splashed into the water to draw attention to the priceless peace offering they had brought.

A beautiful, delicate form, enveloped in an impenetrable cocoon of ice coral.

Vic called out, while with a strangled cry, his father ran forward.

“Mom!”

“Kyara!”

3

EVEN ON AN ISLAND of wonder and magic, the main chamber of Rubicas’s laboratory held more marvels than a pair of highly curious teenagers could absorb. The walls, floors, and soaring columns of the broad, oval chamber were made of richly veined, polished marble. Prismatic skylights that encircled the lofty central dome let in plentiful daylight. Sun crystals embedded in the ceiling — laid out in the patterns of constellations — charged themselves by day and glowed at night to allow work to continue at all hours. Shelves overflowed with spell scrolls and supplies for experiments, both magical and scientific. In Elantya, magic and science were cousins, as close as Gwen and Vic.