Princess Cari Publove Sky Arc Part Three

Ryo's Dark Temptation

“Well the next place is the highest island known as Spiarsha. It, you will find, will be a little more difficult to breathe there. Even-though the locals are used to the thin air, you are not So I will have to ask you to be as quick as possible and I must admit I am aware that we might find ourselves staying in the inn there but we must not spend more that one night there. Plus, I have bought some clothes for you all to remain warm for winter is on its way and combining that with the ever decreasing temperature as we climb will leave us all very cold.”

With that they all changed into what the Chronicler had bought them Scar looked at her purple coat looking more excited than all of them.

“What?”

“I look like a cosplayer about to go into a convention.” she said.

“What?”

“Never mind.”

They were soon off and over the island with only one village and a cave. Even-though it was large it was not particularly too large, big enough for a fortress and several castles and even them the small village would still fit, but it was all too clear that the village would have had to control the amount of people that were born into the village, lest they would quickly run out of space.

They found that, just as the Chronicler had told them, the air was thin and difficult to breathe, they could see Oran was breathing rapidly, like she had just ran a marathon. They rest of them had to force themselves not to do the same, but they did start to feel dizzy and sleepy. This, Scar knew that due to the lack of oxygen in the air.

They then came closer to the village only to see that they were all racing out to where they were going to have to land. They had anger in their eyes and lips so tight that not even air could pass through them. Their pail faces were a very sickly red. It was all too clear that if looks could kill they would have all been dead.

Then just as they landed the villagers raced to where they were and then just as they reached the lot, the unicorns detached themselves and marched in front of the carriage Yamkuro turned to them.

“Which of us do you require?”

“Maruna.” she said.

With that Yamkuro gripped the hair of one of them and pulled them up and onto her slender back. He then tapped her behind with the side of his horn. Then they were off leaving the unicorns to fend of the unusually angry villagers. And they let out a light from their horns and some of them were on the floor and others hand the back of their neck sliced very shallowly by some of the tips of their horns.

“They really know how to fight!” exclaimed Scar as they disappeared in the distance.

They were soon at the cave.

“What was all that about?”

“Did the crystal brainwash them?”

“Yes and they were made addicted to their brainwashing, so they would have had no motive to get rid of the crystal when it was time to activate them.” she explained.

“Activate them?” Scar repeated as they entered the cave.

“Here.” the Chronicler said as she passed her the book.

She flicked through a few pages until she came to the crystals.

The crystal network, the skies of Publuve, Gresphath, Gantdora and Husk. When activated the crystals shall put a spell on all those who lived in these places and their bloodline to join my army. The towers and trees below these places will keep anyone form doing anything about the crystals, and I am far too feared for anyone to dare to oppose me.

Her eyes widened.

“The-”

“Yes.”

They soon were at the white crystal. It seemed absurd that such pain and destruction could come from such a beautiful thing. Why did it have to be like this? Why did they have to be continually fighting? What were they even fighting for anyway? Would it not be easer to give in and allow the crystal to be? It was doing no harm. This concerned none of them. In fact there was nothing stopping Ryo from going home. To the Demon Realm with all of this talk of destiny and prophecy. To the Demon realm sweating and bleeding over these things.

“Unicorn of my horn give your power to this one!” Scar called, clearly not wanting to be drawn into whatever desires the crystal was giving her.

That was when the first crack appeared and suddenly Ryo was filled with fear. Suddenly he did not want the crystal to die. He, somehow knew that this thing, no this crystallised angel, was the only thing that truly knew and understood him. This crystal was the only thing that ever wanted to be his friend. This crystal would not betray him like his father when he married his step-mother, like his mother when telling him that if his half-sister did not become queen of Fireheart then he would have to marry her half-sister, like his half-sister, who had told on him and certainly like his evil witch of a step-mother, who had tried to kill him once his half-brother came into the world.

What was he doing fighting with her? What had possessed him to forgive her? Why hadn't he got revenge on her yet? Why was he protecting her and keeping her safe?

His eyes slid to her older red-eyed double and broke the connection between her and Manura.

“Ryo!”

Scar felt the hit in her face before she was aware of what happened. She then dug her two fingers into his gut and then added the pressure to wind him. She got to her feet as he pulled out a dagger. It became clear what had happened to him and what he wanted to do.

Knowing that he was really going to cut her she tried to pull out Darkector but he was being stubborn. She tried pulling and pulling. Why wasn't he letting her draw him? She thought angrily. Then he sprung out of his sheath, just in time to catch Ryos' blade before it could dig itself into her throat.

She then drew the point of the blade away from her and then hit him in the face but he then took out his scythe and that was when an arrow hit him in the arm. He looked aside to see that Cari had drawn her crossbow. He narrowed his eyes at her and, if looks could kill Cari would be dust. He then charged at her and tried to slice her head but she blocked it with the underbelly of her cross bow and hit him in the chest.

“What's happened to you?” she asked him.

His eyes went to the crystal.

“My eyes were finally opened.” he said as he kicked her away.

Scar placed a hand on Manuras' back again.

“Unicorn of my horn, give your power to this one!” she shouted and soon the beam of light was back on the crystal.

“No!” Ryo shouted as he ran at her again. Realising what was going on Cari used her magic to pull him back and hit the back of his head with the handle of the crossbow, but this didn't seem to phase him as he turned back to her and dug the knife into her collar bone. She then let out a scream as she had not even felt pain like this before. Just as she felt a cut open in her forearm.

Scar looked back and spotted that Ryo was charging at her, forcing her to break off her hand, yet again to fight Ryo. She looked at Darkector as if to communicate with her emotions that she needed his help for this one. She felt a response back saying that he will.

She raised him into a pose that she had seen in anime and cartoons. He raised his scythe and went to strike down but Scar felt the sword tug her arm up and caught his blade.

“Woah!” she exclaimed as he pulled her inwards. She felt her elbow plant itself firmly into his chest.

“Oran! I think you aught to try to see if you can. If so I'll hold him off until then!” she shouted.

Oran nodded and ran as fast as she could to Manura. Scar ran over to her and picked her up and placed her on Manuras' back. But then Ryo came and she then pushed him away.

“What do I do?” she asked scaired.

“Say horn of my unicorn, give your power to this one!” she shouted as her arm was jerked down causing her to fall onto the ground.

Shaking all over Oran placed her hands on the unicorns' back.

“H-horn o-of m-my u-unicorn, g-g-give your p-power to th-this one!” she shouted. Soon the power was coming out of her and into the unicorn and a beam of light came from her horn but, unlike with Scar this beam was weaker and unstable.

“N, no!” Ryo shouted as he ran to her but Scar, being dragged by Darkector got there first. But by then the crystal shattered and Ryo passed out in Scars' arms.

*

Later, when Ryo woke up, he woke up screaming and he felt tears run down his face. He then felt arms wrapped around him.

“Shh, shh. It's alright, it wasn't your fault. There, there...” he heard Cari whisper into his ear and she rocked him back into sleep.

“I'm sorry.” was the last thing he heard before he fell into dream.