Revelations

“They must be talking about fox-boy,” Tiffany said. She glanced down and off to the side, breaking eye contact with me.

“Ah, that.” Terra eyed my sister for a moment before facing the rest of us. “So what’s the plan?”

Tiffany filled Terra in but I knew she didn’t tell him everything. He would be pissed off if she did.

“Plan?” Ashley spat. “There is no plan. I will remove Kazuya from Mercy’s and Tiffany’s home. I have no need for a plan.”

“Aye, come on, Ash, Don’t be like that,” Terra teased. “Remember when we fought together against Oris and the crew?”

Ashley scoffed. “That was a different situation. I accepted your help because you amused me and I wanted to see what you would do.”

“Is that why you didn’t use your powers?”

“No. Like I told you before, I only held back because I did not wish to reveal myself. There’s no such case this time. I’m going to show Kazuya how much I have grown. I will prove to him that I’m a better warrior than Arden.”

“Can you really do that though when your dad locked away most of your powers?” Tiffany asked.

“Excellent point, Tiff,” Terra said smiling, with a clap of his hands. “You’re gonna have to learn to share at some point, Ashley.”

“Shut it,” Ashley snapped, with her arms folded. “I don’t want to hear that from an Arroyan. This is about a battle between gods. A battle between Valterians.” She eyed Terra with a golden glare. “Besides, there is no need to share with those who are already mine.”

Terra chuckled, raising his hands up in a defensive manner to appease the dragon goddess. “Yes, your highness.”

“What did you call him?” Tiffany asked. “Arroyan?” She turned to face her boyfriend and clasped his ear vice-like grip, pulling on it. “Is there something else you forgot to tell us?”

“—Ah, Tiff, the ear.” Terra flinched and closed his eyes in pain, he dipped his head to get away from Tiffany’s devilish fingers. She still held on tightly, she was gonna rip his ear off!

“I’m not letting go until you explain.”

“Okay, if you would just—ow!”

“Tiffany, stop,” Ms. Frazzle said, causing Tiffany to let go with a pout. “Arroyan is referring to a race of potent magical beings,” Ms. Frazzle explained, “from planet Arroya, located far away in the Omega Frontier.”

Tiffany looked baffled. “The Omega—what?”

“And how much do you know about planet Arroya?” Ashley said, ignoring Tiffany and giving Ms. Frazzle a thoughtful look.

Ms. Frazzle pursed her lips. “Quite a bit, I studied texts from the Seven Sages after all.”

Ashley paused and then hummed while looking at Terra. “You were born a race with the greatest magic potential of all three-dimensional beings, strong enough to rival the Tainted, yet I don’t sense that amount of power from you.”

Terra shrugged, not bothered by Ashley sizing him up. “Who knows?”

“All that we’ve been through and you didn’t tell me you’re not human?” Tiffany said, furious.

I shook my head. “At this point is it really that surprising?” More then half the capes we came in contact with weren’t human.

“Seriously,” Nathan said.

“Heh,” Terra chuckled while scratching the back of his neck. “It’s not like I was trying to hide it. It just never came up.”

“Uh-huh,” Tiffany said, not amused. “Is there anything else we should know about? You better tell me, babe.”

“Of course, anything for you, baby-girl,” Terra cooed, drawing Tiffany into a full make-out session. My eyes rolled back into my head.

“Okay, children, focus. No PDA’s in class,” Ms. Frazzle said, commanding our attention. “Even though Ashley here wants to do her own thing—”

Ashley snorted while twirling her hair.

“—I have little homework guide for the rest of us.”

oOo​

Tiffany, Ashley, and I skipped soccer practice to go home early, all of us making the excuses to Coach Stephen about our grades and how we needed more time to finish projects that were due. I’m not sure if he believed us, but he didn’t have much to say to me after I fibbed about a large research paper I need to get done by Thursday. It’s not like I wouldn’t be there tomorrow, hopefully.

Along with Terra and Nathan, the five of us rode back to our suburban complex in Ms. Frazzle’s car as we prepared to take on Kazuya. We left it at the neighborhood park, Tiffany and I didn’t want it parked at our home in case our parents arrived early.

Ms. Frazzle transformed into her serpent-elf form and took to the air, cloaking herself to prepare her magic. The rest of us walked, talking about various things but mostly school.

“You gotta do something about Rika and rest of them,” Nathan argued, complaining about the girls in our clique. “They’re doing the same thing to Mercy they did to Katherine.”

“Yeah, Ashley,” Tiffany mocked. “Shouldn’t our perfect queen keep her word like she promised?”

“Not everyone is on Rika’s side,” Terra said. “It’s tearing our entire group apart though.”

Ashley closed her eyes, her jaw clenched. “Really now, you should be focused on the task at hand. We’re going to face one of the strongest gods to ever exist. You don’t have the time to think about how I run things.”

Tiffany’s lips cured in frustration. “Excuse me?”

“I agree—unfortunately,” Myadin amended as Tiffany looked up in the air for her, pissed. “Kazuya isn’t someone to take lightly, even if he claims to be on your side. Valterians are known to change their mind on a whim, living so long with such power and the ability to abuse it can do that to you.” Myadin paused. “Not to mean you’re like that as well, Audrey Genia.”

Ashley hummed to herself. “As of now, I’m the youngest, so I wouldn’t know much about how the ancients operate but shouldn’t the strong indulge in their power? It’s our birthright given to us by the Elder Gods. The strong have always dominated the weak, that is how Nature has always worked.”

I kinda wanted to ask if she was talking about nature or the actual Elder God. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d say something like they were one and the same.

“Wait,” I said. “You’re not just referring to the concept of nature.”

Ashley smiled at me, pleased. “Caught that, did you? Good. Still, you have a lot to learn.”

Myadin hummed. “Though you’re correct, Audrey, I hope that the way you treat your friends, especially those girls isn’t an accurate representation of how you run Artisans.”

Ashley waved her off, bemused. “If you ever become leader of a country you’ll understand chaos cannot be stopped, only managed.”

“Chaos, huh?” Nathan muttered.

“Is that how you view the people that follow you?” Myadin asked. “As chaotic elements that need to be subdued and controlled?”

“Heh,” Terra chuckled, grinning at Ashley. “That would be some projection if true.”

Ashley looked at Terra with the corner of her eye, a warning glance. “No. Not all of them at least,” she said. She gave me a questionable look. “Is there anything else we should know? What’s the reason for Kazuya’s return?”

Tiffany gave her a pointed look. “Didn’t we go over this? To see if we were alive, or so he says anyway. I don’t believe that one bit.”

Ashley gave my twin a slight nod, pondering.

The image of Kazuya towering over my sister as he ripped her clothes off arose in my mind. That sour toxic feeling returned in my chest as I remembered how helpless she was under the fox god, the fear and guilt in her eyes as she looked at me.

My hand brushed against Tiffany’s as we walked, my eyes catching her own before I turned away. Annoyance arose in my stomach as she stared at me with a furrowed brow, her lips tightened.

I was so worried about her because of Kazuya’s actions but she didn’t seem to care and even worse, she was keeping secrets from me. She still wouldn’t tell me why she agreed to his demands. It’s not like I was going to tell Terra, not without good reason. I glanced back to Tiffany and notice Terra observing us from her other side.

“You two have been acting pretty weird,” he said. “It’s like you both stopped talking with each other again.” Terra frowned at a reticent Tiffany before turning to me. “Well?”

I shied away from Terra’s judgment, refusing to answer. I didn’t like lying to him but until I could figure out what exactly was going on it was none of his business.

A wave of violaceous energy pulsated through the air—through us—as if to get our attention. Intuitively I knew it was from Myadin.

“I’m going to need you guys to get focused,” she said, weary. “That man’s vapor… he’s strong.”

Tiffany hummed with swallowed lips. “We’re close to home,” she said as we turned the corner to our street.

As we strolled onward, I noticed the aura around Ashley’s body getting stronger, golden steam releasing from the pores of her skin from head-to-toe, like an aureus flame.

“Ash…” I whispered in awe and slight fear.

Almost like a response to our blonde leader, the strong and dense energy that surrounded our home built up in a crescendo and crashed like a tsunami across the street, smothering us in a transparent ocean of gold.

Ashley stopped abruptly, causing us to stop behind her. I crashed into Nathan’s back, startling him but he managed to hold me from falling.

“Sorry,” he said, panicked.

Straightening up and looking back, I noticed a smirking Terra holding Tiffany by the arm, keeping her from getting entangled with us.

Ashley growled and everyone stared at her, eyes wide.

I was shocked, I never heard such an inhuman sound from her before. She sounded like a feral beast, hungry for prey she just spotted. Whew, Ashley was a dragon alright.

“I haven’t seen you this excited since we fought together,” Terra said with a smile.

Nathan seemed nervous. “Excitement he calls it.” Chin up, he rolled his neck and shoulders as he looked toward our house. “This should be fun.”

I swallowed my lips observing the waves of energy expelled from our perfect princess. “I hope you guys don’t plan on destroying our home. Mom and Dad would kill us.”

Terra and Ashley paused but Myadin’s voice reverberated through the air.

“Don’t worry about that Mercy, I have it covered.”

Ashley was the first to start walking again. “Will you really be able to create a workshop within such a short amount of time?”

“From what I’ve seen in the Duskanian Empire,” Terra said, “Our teacher is the real deal. An expert at territory creation.”

“Thank you for the vote of confidence Terra,” Myadin said, amused, “but I doubt I’ll be able to postpone your detention for another day, I’m afraid.”

“No prob, teach. I’m just glad I get to skip it for once, besides, I can’t help but speak the truth about the best in the magic biz.”

“Mmm, flattery will get you everywhere with me but I’d ask you don’t bring up my history unless I do first.” Our teacher hesitated. “Even as a master mage I have issues with building a workshop in a few seconds, don’t even mention a temple. What I plan to use isn’t a workshop per se.”

“Oh? I’m curious now,” Ashley said, not looking back.

“You’ll see when the time is right.”

Ashley harrumphed but didn’t push her as we continued to walk.

“Ms. Frazzle,” Nathan said, “Since you lived in the empire, did you ever meet Dusk?”

I wondered if Nathan was still bothered by the fact that the dragon king-emperor wanted him dead.

Myadin sighed. “I knew him personally, and no, that’s not something I wish to speak about at this time.”

“Why the need for the secrecy?” Terra asked.

“That doesn’t matter,” Ashley said, surprising me as she came to Myadin’s aid. “Concentrate. We are here.”

We went around the back of our house, around the patio deck and Tiffany used her key to open the basement cellar door. Nathan was behind me as we trudged down the stairway. This was the second time and I invited a boy to come home with me. Technically, Terra would make Nathan the third, but as Tiffany’s boyfriend, he really didn’t count. I imagined Nathan and I sitting together on a beanbag cuddling like Tiffany and Terra often would. I felt myself get red and I shrugged off the thought. Nathan was only a friend, we didn’t feel that way about each other. Just envisioning a relationship with him felt weird.

We followed Ashley and Tiffany as they led us through the small hallway, passing two small bedrooms as we made our way to the main basement area. It felt different, walking with them here. Was this the first time we had our friends come over?

We entered the already lit comfortable den only to find Kazuya playing pool, leaning over the edge of the pool table. Using a cue, he tapped the cue ball with a pre-calculated stroke and knocked a stripped ball into a corner pocket.

He glanced up at us, pleased with himself. “Welcome back, Mercy, Tiffany.” Kazuya had a smile plastered on his face like he was overjoyed to see us. “You’ve brought the most interesting guests.”

Ashley transformed, the energy around her body fluctuating even more as her intricate golden armor formed around her, the metal glowing—shielding everything but her face. The space around Ashley’s head and back became distorted as large ribbed horns appeared sprouting from her skull and thick tail from her spine. Both still wrapped in bracelets of gold and various gems of ruby, sapphire, emerald, and citrine. She unsheathed the golden broadsword that now hung from her waist and raised it, pointing it at Kazuya.

“Why are you causing trouble, old fox?”

“My, my, ” Kazuya remarked with a vulpine grin, laying the cue stick on the table and backing up. “I don’t think that’s any of your business, child.”

“I’m not a child,” Audrey Genia snarled as a wave of condensed golden energy enveloped her. “I am the Golden Dragon and you will address me as such!”

Audrey Genia appeared before Kazuya in a flash of lightning, her blade whistling through the air in a wide and even stroke. Her slash whiffed, a golden portal rippling on the ground where Kazuya once stood. Another portal opened beneath Audrey Genia before she could set her feet.

“Ashley!” I yelled.

A clawed arm launched from the rippling gateway like the rising dead and grabbed Audrey Genia by the neck before she could even scream. Kazuya raised slowly from out of the portal and it vanished, his feet on the carpet. He held Audrey Genia by the neck as she struggled to breathe.

“I’m disappointed Audrey Genia, have you learned nothing from what I taught you? You never approach a strong enemy from the front.” Kazuya’s smile widened, revealing his canine-like teeth. “Now for your failure, I will crush your neck like so.”

Kazuya’s grip tightened around Audrey Genia’s neck, the dense aura around him solidified. Audrey Genia let our a garbled cough and stabbed at Kazuya with her sword. A transparent shield of orange hexagonal formations arose from Kazuya’s free palm, blocking her gold blade in the nick of time. Audrey Genia’s sword clanged off the barrier with so much force I thought she would drop it but she held firm.

Audrey Genia’s tail waved angrily through the air, bashing against Kazuya’s shield, unable to penetrate it. “If-” Audrey Genia uttered in strangled voice before she coughing. “I-if… you… kill me, F-father and… the king will—”

Audrey Genia choked and gasped for air as Kazuya continued to crush her neck harder than before. Her tail fell by the wayside, limp.

Kazuya’s grin morphed into a fierce snarl. “How dare you attempt to spew threats when you challenged me! Did you think I wouldn’t kill you because of Decimatus and your sister?” Kazuya leaned his head back in maniacal laughter. “Such immaturity. Don’t be mistaken. Today, I will teach you what it’s like to pick a fight with an adult. Take this discipline slowly,” he said, his claws digging deeper into Audrey Genia’s bleeding neck as she coughed up blood, “I’ve wanted to teach you this lesson for a long time Audrey.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Nathan charge at the Valterian fox. “Hey, motherfucker!” he yelled, sprinting at full speed like a freaking track star. “Drop her!”

A golden tail whipped out from Kazuya’s side and busted Nathan upside the head, flicking him aside. He crashed into the chandelier above the pool table before bouncing it and landing on the floor in a bone-crunching thump. Kazuya inspected Nathan in disgust as he pitifully stirred on the ground, hurt. He swatted Nathan away like a fly.

“You’re—”

Kazuya ducked, nearly beheaded by Terra’s flying kick. Terra hung in the air, his extended leg right where Kazuya’s head once was. Kazuya blurred and materialized by the basement stairs in a focused crouch, pinpointing Terra’s location. Red beams of light shot out from Terra’s eyes, colliding with Kazuya’s upper body in an explosion of force.

Everything was in smoke, Kazuya no longer visible. Silence. The smoke alarm started to echo through the entire basement only stopping once majority of the fog lifted. Kazuya was still crouched, his arms crossed in front of his face for protection—the arms of his kimono still smoldering. Terra forced him to drop Audrey Genia.

Kazuya patted down the kindles of flame on the rest of his clothing before standing up straight. “Impressive speed for an Arroyan, boy.”

“Thanks,” Terra said with a faint smile, loosening his ponytail and letting his hair down before combing through long locks of his pretty brown hair with a hand.

Kazuya gave Terra a curious glance but Terra didn’t offer him anything. He stared back at Kazuya, unflinching.

Audrey Genia coughed, causing me to look away from the tense stare-down. She was on her knees hawking up blood with Nathan knelt beside her, checking if she was alright. I headed over to them with Tiffany.

I knelt beside Audrey Genia and asked, “Are you alright?”

Audrey Genia shook her head and pushed me out of the way before wiping blood from her mouth with an armored hand. She was angry, fixated on Terra and Kazuya.

“Your vapor,” Kazuya said, his eyes narrowed at Terra, “You’re not a normal Arroyan are you? No matter.” The atmosphere changed as his bristling tails lifted into the air and began to enclose us. “Let’s see you escape from this.”

Before Kazuya’s tails could entrap us, Myadin came back into existence before us, her robes billowing as she held a wooden scepter with the top adorned by a golden disk, about a foot taller than her.

“Alright,” Myadin said, “Preparations are complete.”

Kazuya’s eyes widened as a surge of purple energy ejected from her swirled around us.

“…Show me the origin of my craft!” Myadin exclaimed. “Mystery Babylon!”

Geysers of water burst from the carpet and flooded the room, rasing from our ankles to our necks within seconds. I screamed, calling out for my sister as we were swept apart, the currents of water pinning me in the corner until I was completely submerged. I held my breath, trying my best not to swallow any water as I righted myself upward. I couldn’t see anyone in the makeshift ocean, not Tiffany nor my other friends. I glanced up. I couldn’t stay here forever, I was going to drown.

Seeing light, I swam to the surface of the water, my lungs burning as I waded through the endless ocean. It was taking forever, was I really at bottom of the goddamn sea? For a moment, I was worried about coming up from the depths so quickly, but I didn’t care anymore. I broke the surface and coughed out the little water I had in my lungs. I panicked as I looked around, not knowing what was going on.

I squinted as I paddled through the calm water, sunlight beating down on my face. The anxiety in my chest spread as I realized I was swimming in a moat of some sort. “What the hell…?” I whispered, feeling disgusted about the stagnate water I was swimming in. Above the wall in the center of the wide moat, I could city of ancient towers, the tallest was huge alabaster temple covered by multiple domes that was visible even from here. Thousands of bridges of pure white were sprawled across the sky from the center isle to the other wall of the moat, brilliant marble arches keeping them in place. I swam toward the one bridge that was located on the surface of the water. I heaved myself out of moat laying on the fine stone, out of breath.

After a few minutes, I stood up but I still felt tired. It was weird, though water dripped from my clothing, my clothes weren’t soaked and I didn’t feel wet at all. It was quiet. Too quiet. The city in the center isle seemed completely empty. The road I was walking on was vast, markings showing eight lanes for vehicles. The city entrance was barren, the only thing to keep me company were two statues of weird looking creatures on both sides of the gate. They were gold sculptures of chimera-like beasts, both horned lions with a snake head as a tail, hooves for feet instead of paws.

I walked further into the city and observed in silence, the marble steps on the sidewalk following the road as it raised. I froze, spotting Kazuya in the plaza ahead where the road split. He was looking at a fountain, his back facing me.

“So, you’re the first one to join me?” he asked, turning his head slightly.

My heart lurched.

A comet of gold crashed down beside me, before I could even react and I nearly fell over. It was Audrey Genia in all her glory, her aura thrumming in the air as her golden eyes blazed with a fire I’d never seen before. I backed away from her, fear in my chest. Audrey Genia snarled—her teeth were longer! They were poking out of her mouth like fangs.

“Well met, Kazuya!” she roared, her blade at the ready. “Prepare yourself. The real fight starts now!"